Chapter Five: Perfect Moments are Few

Chapter Five: Perfect Moments are Few

She started in the dark, unsure what had woken her. She groped for her wand to cast a Lumos or light a candle when it came again, a light knock. On her partially open bedroom door. She blinked. Almost no one had free access to her suite. Only two people besides herself, and neither of them were in the castle that night. Or neither of them was supposed to be.

"Yes," she called out just as her wand slid into her hand.

The door opened a bit wider. "Minerva? It's me."

"Albus?" She waved her wand and lit her bedside lamp as she sat up and Albus stepped into her bedroom. "You're back."

"Yes. It is late, but I'm back."

"What time is it?" She sat up further.

"Almost two. I was in Copenhagen. I did not want to be in Copenhagen."

"Your meetings went very late?"

"Until almost ten. There were drinks after. You know the sort of thing."

Minerva nodded as she folded her covers back. "You shouldn't Apparate after drinking. Or did you Portkey?"

"I Apparated, but I'd only had one Gillywater just after the meeting. Hours ago." He stepped closer to the bed. "You got my note? And the package?"

"Yes. I loved the Charmed globe. It was beautiful. In your note, you said you were going to Stockholm. When you weren't back in the evening, I didn't expect you until morning." She Summoned her robe from where it lay across her vanity bench. Albus caught it and held it up for her to put on.

"We were in Stockholm, but we had to meet with Sørensen, and he isn't well and can't travel, so we all went to Copenhagen. Olsen's Portkey was one of the worst I've had in a while. I was almost ill afterward. I should have Apparated, but I thought it might be rude of me."

"Did you need to see me about something urgent?" Minerva asked as she tied the sash of her robe loosely around her. She was glad he was there, but at two in the morning, she presumed he needed to see her for some reason other than her company.

"I could wait until the moment were perfect. I could bring you two dozen roses and a box of the finest chocolate truffles with a diamond necklace hidden amongst the sweets. I could woo you and court you for a year, and then finally, in candlelight and surrounded by the sweet scent of fresh flowers, finally then make love to you. I would do that. And I would wait that long or longer. But I have learned that perfect moments are few, and I have no roses, no chocolate truffles, no diamond jewellery: I have only myself to present you tonight." He reached out and caressed her face. "I promise you many roses, many moonlit strolls, many chocolate truffles, and many little trinkets to delight the eye or to adorn the wearer, but tonight, if you wish it, could still be the perfect night for us. The perfect night for madness." He stepped closer. "I would like to continue our madness, Minerva," he said softly. He kissed her lips, then drew back and looked down into her eyes.

Minerva made no reply but to return his kiss with one of her own, and when his hands slipped beneath her robe, she shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor.

Albus continued kissing her, embracing her and caressing her through her nightgown. Minerva's hands went to the front of his cloak and undid the clasp at his neck. It hadn't yet slid to the floor before she began to unhook the fastenings of his over-robe. Albus paused a moment to step back and touch the hidden hook at his upper left shoulder. With that, the rest of the hooks on the robe unfastened, and Minerva slipped her hands beneath it to push it off as Albus returned to his kisses.

Albus stepped forward, urging Minerva toward the bed, and when they reached it, he pushed her down to lie beneath him as one hand groped for the edge of her nightgown, pulling it up. He rolled off of her and bent to remove his short boots before kneeling in front of her dangling legs and beginning to kiss his way up them, pushing her nightgown back as he did so. Minerva let out a low moan as his fingertips began to tease her inner thighs and his lips followed. His head almost reached her crux, and Minerva waited for his touch there, but he stood before he reached her. Minerva opened her eyes and propped herself on one elbow, any questions evaporating before they reached her lips, as she watched Albus stripping off the remainder of his clothing.

His erection was full, and his gaze was intense as he reached for her. He pulled off her nightgown and moved her further onto the bed. Minerva embraced him as he came to lie fully on top of her, and they resumed their kisses, passionate, needy kisses. Albus's fingers began to dance lightly over her skin, and he moved slightly off of her so that they could reach her crux and begin their teasing touches there.

Albus's touch ignited her desire, and Minerva gasped. His lips found her nipple, and he alternated between her breasts, kissing, licking, sucking, as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers, never pausing until he felt her spasm and pulse, crying out as she came. His mouth returned to hers in a passionate kiss, and Minerva clutched at him, whimpering in her desire for him. He shifted, and the head of his cock replaced his fingers at her clitoris.

"Oh, oh, oh, Albus, yes, yes!"

Albus hovered above her, the head of his cock placing only the lightest pressure upon her clitoris.

"Do you have passion for me, Minerva? You have passion, do you have passion for me?" he asked urgently.

"Yes, yes, I do! I need you," she moaned. Her fingers grasped his buttocks as she raised her hips, trying in vain to bring her closer, as close as they could become, to make them one, but Albus was stronger than she.

"Show me, Minerva. Show me," Albus growled. He thrust, sliding down over her clitoris and entering her warmth.

"Ah! Ah, yes!"

Minerva rocked her hips, but Albus buried himself in her, held her tightly, and rolled over, bringing her on top of him.

"Show me your passion, Minerva! Show me! Show me your passion!"

Minerva needed no more encouragement, and she rose up, sliding, rocking, and rubbing herself against him. Her gasps and moans quickened, and Albus's arousal grew as she approached her climax.

"Yes, Minerva, yes, yes, Minerva!"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, aaaaah!" Minerva shuddered as she came, and as she peaked, pulsing around his cock, Albus rolled her over onto her back.

Albus began to thrust, extending Minerva's orgasm as she bucked against him. He drove in one final time and climaxed, and Minerva's gasping cries became soft, sweet whimpers of pleasure.

Minerva held onto him, not letting him go even when he made a move to roll off of her. He acquiesced and relaxed, allowing himself to melt into her embrace, and letting out a long, soft sigh.

"I love you, Albus," Minerva whispered.

Albus let out a low, satisfied hum, then he roused himself sufficiently to turn his head and kiss the side of her jaw. "Mmmm. Love you, too. Love you very much." He sighed again, content to let her run her hands over his back and through his hair, and assumed she would let him know if he became too heavy for her or she couldn't breathe.

"I'm glad you're here," Minerva finally whispered, giving him a squeeze.

"Much better than Copenhagen."

Minerva laughed. "That's reassuring to know."

"The hotel room was cold and the artwork on the walls was hideous."

Minerva laughed again.

"I would have had nightmares, I'm sure," Albus said, raising up on one arm to look down into her smiling face. "If I could have fallen asleep for thinking of you."

He kissed her gently, then equally gently moved off of her, though he stayed close, skin to skin.

"I'm chilly now," Minerva said.

"Can't have that." Albus raised his free hand and Summoned the bedclothes to cover them both. He snuggled closer and nuzzled her hair.

"I should get you another pillow," Minerva said, beginning to sit up.

"No need. Don't go anywhere. I'm quite cosy as I am. Unless you aren't."

Minerva turned toward him and put her arm around him. "As long as you are. I know you're not used to sleeping with someone." She felt herself blush. "Well, that is, I presume..."

"Not for a long time, but I'm very comfortable right here, right now, with you, my dearest," Albus said. He yawned and Summoned his watch from the pile of robes on the floor. "Mmm. It is, however, almost three in the morning. Shall I stay?"

"Of course you will stay. Unless you have some very good reason not to," Minerva replied, holding him a bit more tightly, "I would like you to stay."

Albus shook his head. "My deputy knows where to find me if she needs to. She's a very clever witch, you know. And quite attractive, too. She's probably got several wizards pining for her at any given moment."

Minerva smiled and shook her head.

"I know for a certain fact, however," Albus continued, looking quite innocent, "that there is one wizard who is no longer pining. He's recently become the very fortunate recipient of the lady's favours."

"Hush, Albus. Silly wizard!"

"Yes, a silly wizard was he. Didn't think she was interested in him, and he probably could have been a fortunate wizard much sooner if he hadn't been so silly. But, of course, he's a very modest wizard..."

Minerva slapped his arm playfully. "Don't make fun, Albus," she said, though her eyes sparkled. "I happen to know the wizard in question, and I won't have it."

Albus chuckled. "Very well, my dear. But truly, you must leave many a suitor weeping in your wake."

Now Minerva laughed. "Never."

"And what of Madoc?"

Minerva was quiet for a moment. "What of Madoc?" she asked him.

"I am sure he was weeping in your wake."

"I don't think this is the best time to be speaking of Madoc," Minerva said.

"You never speak of him. There would be no good time to speak of him, if you had your way, Minerva. You wouldn't talk about it at the time, and even when I asked you something innocuous about him a few months ago, you changed the subject very adroitly."

"What is there to say?"

"You never said why you broke off your engagement to him, other than something about his 'suitability.' And from what I have gathered from Evander, you never really even explained it to to his brother. He seemed a good man."

"Of course he is," Minerva said softly. "I didn't wish to hurt him. There was nothing I could tell him that wouldn't have made it all worse. His heart was already broken. Nothing I could have said would have helped that."

"So . . . will you break my heart?"

Minerva shook her head. "You may break mine, though," she whispered. "And that is why there was nothing I could tell him. How do you tell a man that whenever you are with him, no matter what it is you are doing, there is another with whom you would prefer to be? I wasn't in love with you then . . . not yet. But I could not marry a wizard when I would rather play chess with another man than make love to the one whom I was engaged to. To prefer to sit in the company of another, to rather do nothing with another than to do anything with him . . ." Minerva sighed. "And that realisation is what brought me to my moment of madness the other night."

Albus looked at her, trying to comprehend what she had said. "But . . . that was more than three years ago."

Minerva shrugged. "Moments of madness have their own time, you know. You can't schedule them, more's the pity."

"Oh, I think we could learn to schedule them quite well, now that the first one is taken care of. It is true you cannot rush them, but once in play . . . one simply must take them in hand, rather like . . . this." Albus moved his hand to her breast and squeezed gently, then caressed her nipple with the side of his thumb. "I did manage my own moments of madness rather well, I thought," he said softly as his lips approached hers.

His kiss lingered, but then he drew his hand back down her side to rest on her hip. "What do you say to some sleep, hmm, my dear?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "Sleep." She smiled. "And tomorrow, you can teach me how to engineer more moments like this."

Albus waved his hand and the lamp went out. "What are you doing on Sunday afternoon?" He asked a few minutes later.

"Hmm?" Minerva asked drowsily. "Sunday?"

"I am visiting my mother for tea in the afternoon. I thought perhaps you might like to meet her," Albus said, trying not to sound hesitant, but not succeeding.

"Of course I would! Yes, that sounds lovely. If, of course, she wants to meet me."

"She will be glad to. Every time I've visited recently, she asks when I'm going to finally bring you to tea. It will make her very happy."

"She sounds delightful."

Albus hesitated. "Not really. I love her, and I find her delightful, but she's a bit . . . crusty sometimes. Just a little gruff. But she'll like you, so that will put her in a very good mood."

"Why did she ask when you were going to bring me to tea?"

Minerva could almost feel Albus's blush.

"Oh, just . . . I've just mentioned you a few times," he said.

"Ah."

"Actually, last month, she told me I had better bring you soon, as she would rather talk to you than hear about you."

Minerva chuckled. "Well, let's make her happy, then. Tea on Sunday with Madam Dumbledore. I shall put it in my calendar."

Albus kissed her cheek. "Good night, my dear."

"Good night, Albus. I do hope that you don't evaporate as I'm sleeping and I awake to find it's been a dream."

"No, not a dream, my love, merely madness."

~ The End ~

Author's Note: Dh disregarded.

If you enjoyed this little fic, you might enjoy "A Light at Dusk," an unrelated ADMM one-shot.