"Malcolm is a fascinating mystery. You are doing that deliberately, aren't you?"

Of course! But unlike some mysteries in RaM, you will have some answers to it very soon.

"Welcome back.  I hope you had a nice relaxing holiday and are feeling better"

Thank you! I did and I am. (We'll see how long that lasts . . . )

Thanks for reviewing! 

I don't think that Egeria would be too happy if Merwyn go drunk at his granddaughter's wedding, do you? ;P Come to think of it, that would be pretty tacky behavior on the part of any of those on this particular guest list, since they'd be the lone sots in the crowd of folks otherwise drinking civilized mimosas . . . sorry, it's very late again and my sarcasm comes on when I'm up too late and writing, particularly when I've had a rather . . . dissatisfying day in RL, shall we say.

If there's ever any somewhat tipsy dancing (drunkenness is uncouth behavior in the young and rather disgusting in those old enough to know better! LOL!), it won't be at the wedding. Or at the wedding breakfast. Maybe at a party sometime after the happy couple return from their cheap-but-enjoyable honeymoon. 

I do love the idea of Minerva suddenly forgetting how to Apparate. Or having some kind of malady that prevents her from doing so! LOL! That could be quite amusing . . . not in RaM, unfortunately, but funny, nonetheless!

Glad you like Dilys -- she is trying, isn't she? I'm afraid that she and everyone else who is trying to help the hapless couple have quite the task cut out for them!

Thanks, as always, for the review.

Thanks!

Thank you!

Thank you! I wish the same to you!

I don't know about brilliant, but . . . maybe "cataclysmic"? No, that's not quite right . . . you'll have to tell me when we finally get there. :)

Thanks for the review! I'm looking forward to the break . . . 

Once they figure it out, you won't be getting many more of those updates that put a smile on your face, so there's an up-side and a down-side to that wish! We are, however, at about the 90% mark, if that helps. I'm glad you are enjoying the story!

"Albus is definitely going to fall off that cliff soon, he cant' keep this up. His misgivings about his own character go very deep, don't they? "

I wouldn't put it that way -- it's not about his character, although he does think he should be stronger and more in control of himself while he is with Minerva -- it is simply that he is putting too much emphasis on his age and on the differences between him and Minerva and between him and what he envisions as the perfect wizard for Minerva. He doesn't believe he's got a bad character or anything of that sort. He just wishes it were easier for him to behave "appropriately" and to get rid of what he sees as the inappropriate part of his feelings for Minerva.

Gertie, through the benefit of 40 years acquaintance with Albus, has come to know him and how to deal with him.

As for your question, I was several chapters ahead in my writing, mainly because I knew that I wanted to post the three "Albus chapters" all in one go, more or less. I hope that people have enjoyed this recent glut of chapters because there will be a long dry period (well, a week or so, maybe a bit more) while I am out of town. There's one more chapter to be posted, then, nothing for a while.

I am too tired to write a coherent response right now, except to say "thank you!" I'm glad you appreciated the chapter & Pretnick's sacrifice.

I think my Muse is going to force me to take a cruise, or something, and since RL won't allow that, I'm afraid it'll have me catching flu instead. So I'm off to bed!

Thanks for the review!

Re: your Gertie questions . . . I'd go back and reread the scenes with Gertie right from the beginning, if I had the time and I were you. Otherwise, I might just recollect them and use the "little grey cells," as a certain fictional Belgian was wont to say, and make a few deductions . . . .

Alas, I do have a Real Life. Perhaps not one of massive importance to anyone but me, my family, my friends, and so forth, but it does take Real Time! However, I'm very glad you are enjoying the story so much!

The RaM world also does not take requests, as it has all already "occurred" and I just "transcribe" (LOL!) -- and that particular event would also be very OOC for RaM!Albus, and would have to end the story because the entire RaM universe would implode and, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. And I would be very sad after having worked on the story so long to have it all just self-destruct . . . I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. (Haha!) But seriously, you will just have to resign yourself to enjoying the story as it unfolds.

Anyway, I'm exhausted at the end of a much too long day, hence the very loopy response, but I was very happy to receive your review! 

Thank you! (And Dilys is pleased you consider her a person! People are so often unappreciative of portraits! *grin* But she had had her suspicions before that! She is more awake than some, after all . . . )

"Obtuseness" works for me. But remember, we have the benefit of seeing everything from Minerva's perspective. On top of a few things that you will eventually learn about Albus, you have to remember that the man is 117 years old! She's 32! He would think he was deluding himself to think that woman that young could be interested in him romantically. The age difference is huge, even in wizarding society. They may live longer, but that doesn't mean that old isn't still old! He is the same age as her grandparents -- older, in fact, by a little -- he thinks he's being perfectly rational in believing she couldn't be interested in him and thinks that the irrationality lies in his caring for her that way at all. Poor guy! We know that it doesn't matter to Minerva, but he doesn't know that. Most people are sensitive to age that way, and the thought that she not only might love him romantically, but has done so for years just wouldn't occur to him. You'll get more of his own internal conflict about all this in the next chapter. He's still wrong, but maybe it will be clearer why he can't seem to see what it is that Minerva is trying to tell him.

Besides, Minerva should TALK to him. Unfortunately, she is not very good at that, despite her insistence that he talk to her about his feelings. 

I'm glad you like the wards! 

Thank you! :)

And an amusing scene you have painted there! LOL!

He will get something of a talking-to in the next chapter . . . kinda sorta.

I'm glad you liked the scene.

Thank you for reviewing! 

Poor Robert . . . a character created only for the sake of a certain plotline, destined for death from the outset. I am a cruel author! But I didn't let anyone become too attached to him -- I had people weeping buckets over Carson, and that part made me sad, as well, so I'm trying to keep the Robert section down to one-hanky, if that!

Glad you liked the Albus-Minerva interaction before they got the bad news. And she is getting rather bold, at least when he's in his Animagus form. And otherwise, I suppose. But Albus hasn't made the progress Minerva has, and his difficulties with imagining the possibility of the relationship are different from those that Minerva has.

Glad you feel spoiled!

Forgot to say earlier, you've got Slughorn pegged. I always get a chuckle out of how you write him.Albus, sadly, seems to be gettng more emotionally fragile in inverse proportion to Minerva's growing confidence. Carson's death was heartbreaking! I'm sad for Robert, but not as invested in him, alas!

"It will probably be a front page article in The Daily Prophet before the parties involved figure it out."

That gave me a nice little chuckle! And it may not be too much of an exaggeration. Well, I guess it is, but it's still funny!

Thanks for the review! 

Thank you!

Old-fashioned, noble, hang-up -- however you describe Albus's attitude, I do think you may be right about Minerva! LOL!

Thanks for the review! 

Yes, and it wasn't the right part of his anatomy, either -- sorry, couldn't resist! LOL!

Thanks for reviewing. 

Thanks! We'll see something of their reactions in the next chapter.

Yep, they are very comfortable with one another -- until they remember how they feel or start to get too close to "It," then awkwardness!

The mega-chapter for Albus's birthday will be up soon. It's really two chapters, or could be, but I am posting it all at once so that people aren't on the edge of their seats for too long!

Thanks much for reviewing! 

I hope you continue to find the pacing excellent . . . because it'll be more than a day. And they have not yet hit their major roadblock -- when they hit that and it looks as though things couldn't be worse, then they get a little worse, it'll be like a rubber band/elastic, that has been stretched to its limit, and it'll bounce back, and they will come back together again. So when things suddenly look very bleak, that's the time to have hope! (I'm telling you this in advance in hopes that it will keep you from tearing your hair out and gnashing your teeth when it comes!)

I'm glad you liked the tie-in with the lemon. That should also give you hope for them -- you did notice the date is still 1957, didn't you?

Thanks, as always, for reviewing! 

Oh, well, a little torture is good for the soul, right? Yes, I did notice the date on the lemon!Just reread the chapter, and have to say again how great the portraits are, and poor Albus and his subconsious...too funny (and so right on how a "real" person would react)

I hope it's just the right kind of torture to be good for the soul! *grin*

Thanks again -- and I'm glad you like the portraits! I like throwing them into the mix occasionally.

Oh, and about the roman numeral of this chapter: should it be XCVI instead of CXV?

Forgot to change the numbering when I cut and pasted from the other archive which has a different numbering system. I generally catch it eventually myself. But thatnks.

Phineas is a grouchy old prude. 

Thanks!

Amateur! LOL! Just kidding! You know I love "Looking for Magic" -- I think it is now the only fanfic I'm reading (even if I am somewhat behind).

Ah, the moment of blurt . . .

There will be a pre-blurt . . . "blurtette." Sort of. It will be small, and slightly calculated, therefore, not a full "blurt."

The next chapter is "Not to Be Tolerated," then we get Albus's birthday, and that's a mega-chapter. Then . . .don't want to spoil it for you!

Thanks for your reviews! I love them!

Hmm, Malcolm . . . wonder what Minerva would think of that . . . hmm. *grin*

We get to see Albus after he closes the door, and you can see what his reaction is. *chuckle*

I'm glad you like the pacing. There's more "story" to come, but we will have Albus's birthday party first! (If that didn't make any sense, it's because I am extremely tired today and yawning my head off.)

Thanks, as always, for reviewing!