Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Minerva looked around her. "It's beautiful, Albus!" From what he had said about it being rocky, she had thought there would be no vegetation, but that was far from the case.

Albus smiled. "I am glad you liked it. I brought us to the highest point on the island so that you can get a sense of the place, and we can Apparate down to the cottage from here."

"It's quite a bit bigger than I'd anticipated, too," Minerva said.

"It's only about a mile or so wide at its widest point, but it's almost three miles long. In theory, it wouldn't take very long to walk around its perimeter, but because of these cliffs here on the west side of the northern-most point, I have never attempted it," Albus explained. He pointed to the south. "Along there is where the seals come up on the beach. There's a somewhat sheltered cove there, as you can see, but you can also see the seals and porpoises playing in the water from almost anywhere that you can see the sea."

Looking out to the west across the water, Minerva smiled to see sea eagles soar and dive, and she could just make out a pod of porpoises playing near the standing waves of a whirlpool. "And you said it was rocky, Albus, and I suppose it is, by some people's standards, but the way you talked, I had thought that it was some barren rock in the middle of the sea with nothing growing on it at all." She looked south down the length of the island. "It is hardly very different from the area around the McGonagall Cliffs, though there seem to be fewer trees."

"Oh, well, I suppose I was comparing it with the green, lush, rolling hills of the Dales, where my other cottage was," Albus said. "There's a lot of gorse – you can see there," he said pointing at a long patch of bright yellow flowers against the darker green foliage, "and there's heather, as you can see, and a large stand of yew on the slope behind us. There are small red deer that forage on the tender tips of the plants. Since Aberforth removed his goats from the island, the deer population has doubled." He frowned. "I am concerned about how the island will support so many deer, especially through the winter."

Minerva pointed south to a small dark patch. "Is that the cottage?"

Albus nodded. "I replaced the roof with slate when I took it. I hope you will be comfortable enough," he said, seeming uneasy again after his pleasure at her obvious appreciation of the small island.

"I'm sure I will be," Minerva said, not a doubt in her own mind as she looked south along the length of the island. "Let's go for a walk first off. And before we leave, I want to circumambulate the entire island at once. Perhaps tomorrow?" She looked over at Albus eagerly.

He grinned at her. "Perhaps tomorrow. We do get rain here, though it tends to blow over very quickly, so you may find that we have to Apparate back to the cottage at intervals and do the walk in stages."

Minerva nodded. "I'd prefer not to, though, if we don't have to. I don't mind getting a little wet, or using an Impervius Charm."

"The rock can get slippery, though, so we would have to take our time. Aberforth says that there is no place along the coast that is impassable, so in theory, we should be able to walk around it in just a few hours, but I think it will take longer than that," Albus replied.

"We can bring a picnic," Minerva suggested. "If we leave early, right after breakfast, we can stop and have our picnic whenever we choose."

"Very well, my dear! A picnic and a walk tomorrow, weather permitting," Albus said with a smile. "Now, you can see the cottage and you could Apparate there on your own, since the wards only prevent others from Apparating to the island, not from place to place on it nor off of it altogether, but this first time, I would prefer to bring you by Side-Along, since you are unfamiliar with the island. I will add you to the wards before we leave, as I promised, and you will be able to come here whenever you like."

"That's fine, Albus," Minerva replied. She enjoyed having him bring her by Side-Along Apparition, and she was more comfortable with that idea, anyway, even though, as he said, she could see the cottage from where they stood.

"I'll bring the luggage first, then return for you, if that is all right with you," Albus said.

"As long as you give me a kiss first!" Minerva said, pulling him around to face her.

"Ah, the burdens you place upon me!" he said with a dramatic sigh, his eyes twinkling.

Albus bent his head and his lips brushed hers for a moment, then he kissed her lower lip, drawing it between his own, before deepening the kiss as his arms tightened their embrace. A few minutes later, he looked down with a smile at Minerva as her eyes opened and she blinked at him.

"Is it safe to let you go now?" Albus whispered. "Or will you fall over?"

Minerva blinked again and stepped back, still holding on to him. "I, um, I'm fine." She swallowed. "That was quite adequate to sustain me, I believe."

"Adequate to – ! The cheek of this witch!" Albus said with a laugh. "You just wait – I will show you 'adequate'!"

Still laughing, he grabbed up all their luggage but the smallest carpet bag and Disapparated with a light pop. Less than a minute later, he was back and picked up the little carpet bag.

"So . . . are you ready, Minerva?"

"Of course! I am eager to see it," she replied.

"Well, I hope you haven't very high expectations," he said. "It may be less adequate than my kiss was."

Minerva chuckled. "Well, considering the general quality of your kisses, it would be difficult for any abode to be quite that adequate."

Minerva closed her eyes as Albus put his arms around her, and she smiled to feel the humming vibration of his magic. He was one of the very few people with whom she could Side-Along without becoming sick to her stomach; she actually looked forward to it with him, enjoying the sensation of his arms around her, the thrumming of his heartbeat, and the tingle of his magic. Before they were together, she would often find an excuse to have him bring her by Side-Along as it was the only way that she could be that close to him, and the feel of his magic flowing through hers was so delicious.

With barely a whisper of a pop, Albus Apparated them several yards in front of the cottage. Minerva smiled happily when she opened her eyes and turned to see the little house.

"Oh, Albus! It is utterly charming! It's salt-and-pepper!"

Albus grinned at her appreciation of the little cottage and its walls of white and dark, almost black, stone blocks set with bright white mortar, which created a pleasing patchwork design. "I am glad you like it so far, my dear."

Minerva just shook her head at that.

"So, are you going to show me the inside?" she asked after they had stood there a minute.

"Of course. Um, this is the front door, rather obviously," Albus said unnecessarily as he walked forward and opened it for her.

Minerva started toward the cottage, but Albus shouted, "Wait!"

Startled, Minerva said, "What is it?"

"Well, it's old-fashioned, and really rather a barbaric practise, if you think about it very long, and hardly even appropriate under these particular circumstances, but – "

"What are you trying to say, Albus?" He almost never rambled, usually only doing so when personally embarrassed. As Poppy liked to say, the wizard meandered a bit, but he wasn't a rambler, so when Albus began to ramble, Minerva felt it best to cut right to the heart of the matter.

He opened his mouth, blushed, then said nothing.

Minerva raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Never mind. It was a silly idea . . ."

"Now you must tell me, even if it was a silly idea," Minerva insisted, though gently.

"It's just . . . it suddenly came into my head that . . . that I should carry you in. You see, I told you it was a silly idea," he said, not waiting for her reaction, but bending to pick up one of the bags by hand in order to avoid her gaze.

Minerva didn't move, and when she didn't say anything, Albus looked over at her, wondering if he had offended her with his foolish notion.

"Are you carrying the bags in first, then?" she asked softly. She had a slight lump in her throat, though she wasn't sure why. She stepped closer to him.

"It's not as though you are my possession, or that I feel you are," Albus said.

"I know that."

"It's just . . . just that I cherish you, my dearest one."

Tears did come to her eyes then as she smiled up at him. "Please do cherish me, Albus."

Minerva put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Mmm. I love you," she said softly. "I love you forever."

Albus kept one arm around her as he slipped the other under her knees, bending slightly and lifting her easily. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I do adore you, Albus. Absolutely." She carded her fingers through his long hair as he turned and carried her into the little cottage.

Albus set her on her feet, but left his arm around her. "Welcome to my very humble abode, Professor McGonagall."

Minerva looked around her in delight. The fireplace and chimney were of the same black and white stone blocks of which the rest of the cottage was built; the walls were plastered and limed, except for the back wall and the partial wall beneath the staircase leading up, both of which were panelled with a pale wood, only slightly darkened with age. There was a large, overstuffed sofa at a convenient spot in front of the fireplace, an old rocking chair nearby, a faded cushion on its seat, and a low table of the same wood as the panelling there by the couch. Across the room, there was a good-sized table, plain, but well-crafted, and two matched wooden ladder-back chairs. Where Minerva was standing, the surface was slate, but the rest of the room was floored with wide, close-fitting planks, and there were a few colourful hooked rugs adding warmth to the room.

"It's wonderful, Albus!" She walked over to the old, scarred table by the far wall, and ran an appreciative hand over its surface. "I have no idea why you were apologising!"

Albus looked pleased, but he said, "You haven't seen the rest of it yet. Remember, it hasn't had much done to it in years. But let me know if there are changes you would like made, and I'll get a start on them while we're here."

"No, you won't, Albus Dumbledore! We are here on holiday! No work! If there are any improvements or changes I think of, I'll make a note of them, and we can talk about them when we get back to Hogwarts. And I hope that's the last mention of the school until Wednesday!"

"Yes, my dear," Albus said with a smile. "Although Gertie didn't know precisely where we were going on holiday the last time I spoke with her, she said she wouldn't contact us except in dire emergency, so there should be no need for us to think about Hogwarts business at all."

"I don't mind mention of the outside world at all, of course," Minerva amended quickly. "I just want this to be a relaxing time for us, especially for you. You have worked very hard this summer, and you have had more difficulties to contend with than one would normally expect during the summer months." She walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest. "I hope that I can help you relax, too."

Albus kissed her lips lightly. "I am sure that you will." He kissed her again, then, before he could become too distracted, he said, "Let me get the luggage and we'll go upstairs. I'll show you . . . I'll show you where we'll sleep." He couldn't understand why he was blushing, but he could again feel warmth rising in his face. The thought that lovely Minerva wanted to be with him, that she would love him, want to touch him, to make love to him, to sleep with him . . . it all still seemed incredible at times.

Minerva smiled brightly up at him. "Wonderful! And then we can take our walk!"

Albus couldn't help but return Minerva's smile, and he waved his hand to Summon their luggage from outside the door. He took her hand and, their bags following along smoothly, he led her up the stairs.

"You do need to be careful here, my dear, if you should get up in the dark. There is no rail at this side, as you can see, and you might take a nasty tumble if you weren't careful," Albus said, talking more just to talk than to inform Minerva of what was right before her eyes.

They reached the landing at the top of the stair, and Albus gestured at a very small door behind them. "There's a small storage area there, a sort of attic, actually. And here," he said, opening the larger door in front of them, "is the bedroom."

The room was large, and there was no ceiling but the roof itself; four gabled windows looked out east and west, and a large, low bed rested between the two east-facing windows. It was covered with a patchwork quilt of many bright colours, and four downy pillows in sunny yellow covers lay at the head of the bed. One low, two-drawered stand was beside the bed. There was a large, old wardrobe on the north wall beside a small fireplace, and a tall chest of drawers stood against the south wall. There was another door almost directly across from them, next to the fireplace.

"You may unpack and use whatever space you find convenient, my dear," Albus said, overcoming his nervousness. He Levitated their bags over to the foot of the bed. "And the bathroom and loo are combined upstairs, although there is a small loo, only a toilet, actually, off the kitchen downstairs." He walked over to the other door and opened it. "It is primitive, compared with what you are used to, I am afraid, but – "

"Really, Albus! I am not a hothouse flower!" Minerva stuck her head into the bathroom. There was a very large claw-foot bathtub along the wall as soon as one entered the room; the toilet was in the far corner, and there was a washstand with separate hot and cold taps on the inside wall. A small bench stood along the wall beside the basin. "This looks fine. Quite civilised. Not primitive. Just not luxurious. Which is certainly not a requirement in a bathroom. But," she added, "I do love the tub. It's huge!" She turned to him with a grin. "We may just have to see if it fits two!"

Albus, despite his endeavours to keep his blushing to a minimum, did blush at that, but it was a blush of pleasure, and he replied, "We might do that, then. Perhaps tonight?"

"Mmm, something to look forward to!" Minerva put her arms around him, kissed him, then leaned against his chest with a sigh. "I couldn't be any happier at this moment than I am now, if that makes any sense at all." She looked up at him. "Thank you, Albus. Thank you very much."

"For what?"

"For indulging me and not becoming impatient with me these last few days every time I mentioned coming here. I shouldn't have invited myself like this. But it seemed as though it would be perfect, and it is!" She sighed again and relaxed against him.

"I just wasn't sure . . . I like the cottage very much myself, and I don't know whether I feared you wouldn't because I do like it and I would have been disappointed if you didn't like it too, or whether I feared you would dislike it and . . . well, and that it would reflect badly on me and my ability to please you," Albus said hesitantly. "I can also think of more romantic and luxurious surroundings, and I do want our first holiday together to be perfect and romantic."

Minerva didn't take any offense at his words; after all, she did want him to be honest with her, but she would be honest in return. "Well, I like the cottage, as well, although I haven't seen all of it yet. And it is unlike you to worry so about what others think and how something that you have or that you like might reflect on you. You should know that I love you; even if I thought the cottage was hideous, that wouldn't change. After all, if those horrible grey robes you wore a few weeks ago didn't affect my feelings for you – except to make me want to take care of you – nothing you owned could do that!"

"Mmm, yes, but they were fairly horrific, weren't they? And I did disintegrate them, once you'd pointed that out," Albus said with a low chuckle.

"Yes, that's true, but I haven't finished yet," Minerva said. "Being alone with you for three days will make our first holiday together perfect and romantic, and I can't imagine more romantic surroundings, either. Other kinds of romantic surroundings, perhaps, but nothing more romantic. You know how I love the hills and braes and cliffs by my home, so I can't imagine why you didn't realise how much I would like your island." She gave him a squeeze. "My goodness, Albus, your island! Uncharted, unplottable, warded, beautiful, with a cozy cottage . . . what more could a witch ask for?"

Albus could think of a few things that some witches would certainly ask for and definitely expect, but he didn't mention them, choosing instead to caress Minerva's cheek, tilt her head towards him, and kiss her lips. As his ardour mounted, he bent and lifted Minerva as he had outside the cottage, and she slipped her arms around his neck. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, and her lips.

"I love you, Minerva," he breathed before he kissed her again and carried her to the bed.

Albus gently lay Minerva on the bed, then he looked down at her, his lips parted, his breathing heavy. He reached out and briefly caressed her from her shoulder, down over her breast, across her stomach to her hip. He placed his palm where her crux was hidden beneath her robes, and Minerva began to part her legs, but he removed his hand and began to undress, beginning with his short boots and socks, then his over-robe of copper and turquoise, and then finally letting his pale turquoise under-robe fall to the floor beside the bed.

Minerva stretched out her hand toward him, taking hold of his erection, pulling and stroking, urging him closer.

Albus swallowed then wet his lips. "You see what you do to me, Minerva, you see my desire."

Albus sat on the edge of the bed and removed Minerva's soft shoes, then he rolled down her Charmed stockings, his fingertips grazing her skin as he reached up beneath her skirts to find where they began. He dropped her stockings to the floor on top of his robes. Minerva closed her eyes and relished the sensations he brought her as he reached up beneath her skirts again and caressed her skin. She parted her legs further, and his touches teased the soft skin of her inner thighs.

Albus smiled to see Minerva's breathing grow faster, and he explored further, finding her knickers and pulling them down and off as she arched up from the bed. They joined her stockings without another thought paid them. Albus reached up under her robes once more, gently caressing her inner thighs then bringing one hand higher and finding her warmth. He parted her folds, and with one finger, he circled her clitoris, then he drew his finger down over her nub to her entrance. He teased the soft opening, barely entering her with his finger, and Minerva shifted her hips and moaned. Albus's smile grew, and he slid one finger into her, then sought her clitoris with his thumb. He began to stroke his finger in and out, in and out, his thumb pressing her clitoris with each thrust, and he watched as Minerva's flush grew and her breathing became panting.

Minerva arched her back again. "Oh, gods, Albus, more . . . more . . . so good, so good," she gasped.

He added a second finger and angled his thrusts upward, and Minerva's moans deepened. As much as Albus enjoyed watching Minerva in her arousal, and as much as he would have loved to watch her face as she came, there was something else he wanted more. He lifted her skirts up, but did not push them off. Instead, he ducked his head beneath them and slowly began to lick and kiss his way up her legs as his hand found her clitoris again, and he began to rub and press it. He grinned to himself when he reached her inner thighs, which seemed quite sensitive, and Minerva let out a loud gasp and grabbed at his head beneath her robes.

His mouth travelled from her thighs to her crux, finding her clitoris, and he replaced his fingers with his tongue, lapping at Minerva's nub as his fingers slipped inside of her again. Minerva moaned his name, but his attention to his task didn't waver, though he did press his erection into the mattress and grip her leg harder with his left hand.

As Albus pleasured her, first with his fingers then with his lips and tongue, Minerva barely restrained herself from pulling his head closer. Her heels, though, pressed into his back and her buttocks rose up from the bed as she panted and gasped, the warmth and throbbing almost unbearably pleasurable, then she began to come, waves of orgasm coursing through her, beginning in her crux and rushing outward. She shouted Albus's name as she gripped the quilt with one hand and his head beneath her robes with the other; she couldn't see or hear, only feel her orgasm pulsing through her body, seeming even to reach into her magic as she came.

Finally, as her orgasm began to wane, Albus, leaving his fingers within her, pushed the skirts up and off, raising his head to look down on Minerva as she lay panting on the bed. Kneeling between her legs, a slight smile on his lips, he withdrew his hand and, after whispering a mild cleaning spell, he sought the fastenings of her robes, opening her bodice then her chemise and baring her breasts.

Minerva opened her eyes and watched as, with warm hands, he pushed aside her robes and gazed down at her breasts.

"That was wonderful, Albus, wonderful," she whispered.

"And you are wonderful, my dear Minerva, the way that you react, your passion, your pleasure in my touch . . . and these are wonderful, so beautiful," he said softly, cupping her breasts and brushing her nipples with his thumbs. His lips parted as he contemplated her rosy, peaked nipples, and how he would like to kiss, lick, and suck them, bringing them both pleasure.

Albus moistened his lips, then his eyes met Minerva's and he smiled. "I hope you never grow tired of what I am about to do, because I enjoy it immensely."

He moved his left hand to the bed and lowered himself down onto her, his mouth seeking her right breast as he continued to fondle her left one with his other hand. His mouth closed over her breast, taking in as much of it as he could before drawing his lips and tongue up to her nipple. He flicked his tongue over her nipple and then began to suck, rapidly but gently, the tip of his tongue occasionally brushing it as he suckled, all the while, his other hand caressing and teasing her other side. Pleasure pulsed from her breasts to her crux and back as he rubbed her clitoris and sucked her nipples, and she gasped and hummed with pleasure.

Albus shifted to press his erection against Minerva's leg, then he brought his head to her other breast and began to lick, flick, and suckle as his left hand played with her damp right nipple. He moaned as one of Minerva's groping hands found his erection and she began to confidently stroke his penis, her thumb grazing its crowned head. Unable to wait any longer, Albus rose up, kissed Minerva's lips, then lowered his hips as his cock sought her crux. She lifted her own hips slightly, and she felt the head of his penis at her entrance.

"Oh, Minerva, Minerva, my love," Albus murmured, his voice low and hoarse with desire.

He pushed into her with a sighing gasp, then his hips began to rise and fall as Minerva moved and rocked in rhythm with him, her arms and legs embracing him. He looked down and their eyes met as he thrust, and he could see the love and devotion in her eyes: her love, one with her passion for him, and his passion becoming one with hers as he stroked within her.

"Minerva, Minerva, my love, my darling, Minerva, my light, my delight, my sweet, sweet delight," Albus murmured over and over again as he brought her to the peak of her pleasure. As he did, he let go, surrendering himself entirely to his passion and his passion to Minerva, and he began to come, pulsing his life and essence within her. "My joy! My love! Oh, Minerva . . . Minerva!"

Albus gasped as he thrust twice more, the last of his orgasm spent within her, and her arms pulled him closer, bringing him to rest on top of her. Minerva combed her fingers through his hair and down the rivulets of sweat on his back, murmuring to him, words of love and warmth, as she held him there and felt the pounding of his heart against her own ribs. She would hold him forever, forever.