Chapter Four

Note: Not DH compliant. Disregards DH entirely.

Chapter Four

That evening after a lovely dinner of broiled cod with herbs and lemon, fresh sweet peas cooked with dill, and creamy, buttery mashed potatoes, Albus showed her the one little bit of the cottage she hadn't seen before.

He opened the door under the stairs, which Minerva had presumed was simply a cupboard, and beckoned her to follow him. The space had, indeed, once been a cupboard, and the low end still had a space where a few old cloaks hung, but now it led into another room, a small room, to be sure, but when Albus waved his hand and lit the lamps in the corners of the room and candles in the simple wrought-iron chandelier blazed, Minerva smiled in delight.

There were bookshelves on all four walls, and only the rear wall contained a window, which was set into a door opening out to the back of the cottage. There were two chairs, one a relatively small upholstered armchair and the other a large, but low old rocker of unusual design, and between them stood a narrow library table, just the right height for setting a heavy book on and perusing it while standing up.

Albus smiled at Minerva's reaction. "This is the largest change I made to the cottage. Aberforth had a bookcase in the main room when he lived here, and that was sufficient to his needs, but I thought it might be pleasant to keep a small library here, books I don't need at Hogwarts, some old novels, pleasant for reading when on holiday, and a few books that I prefer to have in a more secure location than even Hogwarts provides. The more . . . difficult of those are on the lower shelf of that bookcase," he said, indicating the only stand-alone bookcase in the room, each shelf protected by glass doors that swung up and slid back to provide access. "If you choose to look at them, please do so with care, and only if I am in the cottage – there are a few that may be . . . troublesome, depending on how they are handled."

Minerva was happy that he would trust her to look at them on her own, only having him nearby in case something went wrong; nonetheless, she thought she would wait and have him show them to her. But she nodded and said, "It's a lovely little library, Albus. And quite a surprise!"

Albus was visibly pleased. "It was difficult to get the stonework pattern to look right outside, and I hadn't done any wizarding building or architecture in decades, so although it wasn't an intricate job other than that, it took longer than I had anticipated when I began. Above, I only expanded the storage area, rather than make the bedroom larger, as I thought it sufficient as it is. But if you would like to make use of that space in some other way, we can make plans to make alterations next summer."

Minerva smiled and put her arms around him. He was already thinking about next summer and assuming that they would spend it together. Given how many times Albus had voiced the notion either that she might tire of him or that she would find she needed something other than what he could offer her, it warmed her heart to hear him plan ahead.

"I can't think of anything at the moment, but we can consider it together," she replied.

"The only thing the room is really missing is a fireplace, although another window might have been nice, but I didn't want to sacrifice the limited wall space, and when it is cool, I either cast a Warming Charm in here, where it is effective for quite a long time, since the room is small, or I bring my book into the main room." He opened the back door. "And I did want this additional exit, as well," he said, leading her out onto a small slate terrace.

Albus drew his wand and waved it, conjuring two garden chairs with colourful padded cushions and a small round table.

"Now, my dear, you may find yourself something to read, if you like, and I will fetch us our pudding."

Albus left her sitting in one of the chairs and returned to the kitchen to get their dessert. Minerva considered getting a book, but she was enjoying just relaxing there in the ell formed between the kitchen and the back of the main part of the cottage, looking out eastward over the gently sloping land as it approached the sea. She could hear bird calls, sea birds of different sorts and, she thought, some grouse in the heather down below. A few minutes later, Albus emerged from around the east side of the house, having left through the rear kitchen door, two plates and two cups and saucers floating in front of him.

"I made us some coffee. I added cream to yours, but no sugar – is that right?" Albus asked. Minerva rarely drank coffee, and he hadn't been sure.

"That's perfect."

"I thought the coffee would go well with our pudding – Deep Chocolate Enthralment from Madam Puddifoot's," he said with a grin.

He had once brought her some of that wonderful torte of dark chocolate, buttery whipped cream, and cherry, as a way of apologising for being "crotchety," as he had put it at the time – much to Minerva's displeasure, as she said it made him sound like some doddering, ill-tempered old man, when he had merely been irritable, as everyone has a right to be occasionally.

As he set the plates on the table, Albus added, "I have plans to make you a dessert, too, but I know you like this."

"You needn't spend a lot of time cooking, Albus," Minerva said. "I'll eat just about anything."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "Was our dinner not satisfactory?"

"It was lovely! Very good, indeed! And it didn't take you long – I just don't want you to feel you have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen trying to make me some perfect meal, that's all," Minerva replied. He had let her shell the peas after she had demonstrated that she could do so deftly using her wand, but other than that, he had insisted that she sit and just keep him company.

He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "I enjoyed cooking for you, Minerva. I enjoy doing things for you. You bring so much to my life . . . I simply feel moved to do these little things for you. I know they aren't very significant, but for me, it's important." He quirked a slight smile. "But if you'd rather we eat cheese and pickle sandwiches at every meal, and share equally in slicing the bread and spreading the pickle, that's fine, too."

Minerva laughed and took his hand. "I did enjoy the dinner very much. And I'm looking forward to seeing what else you come up with – and not just in the kitchen!"

Albus did smile at that and nodded. "I have a few things in mind beyond our meals, my dear, and all of those things include your active participation." His smile grew.

"What things, Albus?" Minerva asked, picking up her fork and beginning to eat her torte.

He chuckled, sending a pleasurable shiver over Minerva as the chocolate melted over her tongue. "You will just have to wait and see! Surprises are most enjoyed when they are unexpected, I would say." He grinned at her over his coffee cup. "That is, after all, the nature of a surprise!"

She agreed, though she feigned impatience, teasing him just to see him smile again.

After dessert, which Minerva said was as good as it had been the first time they had it, Albus led her down one of the narrow paths that led to the southern-most tip of the island. They stood on a slight rise, looking down at the sea, and Albus turned her to face the sun, now low on the western horizon. He stood behind her, his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head.

"It is beautiful, Albus."

"More beautiful now than on any other day I have been here, more beautiful with you here with me," he murmured, his voice low in her ear. "Thank you, my dear."

She cocked her head, trying to look up at him. "For what?"

"For being here, for convincing me, for being with me here or anywhere," Albus said softly.

She held his arms to her and leaned back against him. "You are welcome, but it makes me happy, as well, all of it, being with you . . ."

They were silent for a while, feeling the sea breeze, listening to the waves below them and the birds above, then Albus spoke again. "Tomorrow, or the next day, I will bring you to the top of the mountain to watch the sunset."

"The view from there must be wonderful," Minerva replied.

"Mmm, it is, but I want to bring you there for another reason. It is said that from there, at sunset, for just a moment, Emain Ablach is visible, if you look at just the right place on the horizon," Albus explained. "I have never seen it, but Aberforth claims he did once. Only once, though, after many years of living here, and he never saw it again. But it is mentioned in some of the papers that came with the house." Albus shrugged. "Perhaps it is true."

"Emain Ablach? But that's . . . that's just a myth, isn't it?"

"It is a myth now, yes, but it was once truth. What we know of the place is filtered through more than a millennium of stories, and distorted, too, by the stories that the inhabitants once spread themselves, to hide the truth," Albus said. "But the place existed, and likely still exists, unless it was somehow destroyed. It is likely that it has been uninhabited and uncared for, for many centuries. The wards that protected it were strong, stronger even than those at Hogwarts, and older by far. They still protect it, though those who lived there have long before passed beyond their need."

Minerva thought about it a moment, then she said, "I would like that – tomorrow, then, and the next day, if we don't see it. And any day that we visit here."

Albus chuckled. "Very well. Would you like to Apparate there now? The visibility is good, and we can see the horizon clearly; not all days will provide such good weather for seeking a ghost island."

"Yes! Let's!"

Minerva didn't even need to turn in his arms, and Albus Apparated them to the top of the mountain they had arrived on that day, the highest of three peaks on the island, and the one furthest north.

"Here now, we look out to the west, and supposedly, if the conditions are just right, we will be able to see the island appear," Albus said.

"You say that Aberforth saw it – what did he say he saw?"

"A shadowy shape on the horizon, a shape that mirrored this island in a way, he said, with three larger mountains and some rolling hills. Aberforth said it was all in shadow, though, a grey-blue shape, although other reports claim seeing verdant land and the remains of a stone edifice on the highest of the mountains," Albus said. "You may have better luck than I, my dear, since of all those that were recorded in the small book that came with the house, most of the sightings were by women. Aberforth added his to it, and if we see it, we shall do the same."

"Hmmph." Minerva wanted to believe, but the sceptic in her caused her to say, "Either the women have much better eyesight or much greater imaginations."

Albus chuckled. "Perhaps both, perhaps both."

They stood watching the horizon for a while as the sun sank lower, disappearing, then Minerva asked, "How long has this book been kept?"

"Oh, only three hundred years or so, although the first pages record some of the apocryphal sightings of earlier times."

They were quiet a short while longer, and the twilight grew.

"You know, Albus, you never said, but does this island have a name? Your island? We could always call it Emain Albus if it doesn't," she joked.

Albus chuckled. "Then people might confuse this little island with Scotland, and where would we be then?" he replied with a laugh, referring to the old name for Scotland, Alba. "But yes, it does have a name, Eilean Tèarmunn."

"Refuge Island?" Minerva asked. "That does seem apt. There is a feeling of peace, of sanctuary here." Minerva gave a sigh of contentment. "Well, it does not look as though Emain Ablach is going to show herself today. We will try again tomorrow!"

"No, no Avalon for us tonight, it seems," Albus said.

Albus Apparated them back to the cottage, bringing them directly to the bedroom.

"It is still early," he explained, "but I thought we would have our bath before bed." He grinned. "After the day we spent, I think we need a bath!"

"You do, do you?" Minerva replied with a straight face. "Are you telling me that I am a dirty witch, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Albus's eyes sparkled. "Oh, yes, I do . . . and I think you are a very dirty witch, Professor McGonagall. And I believe I will need to do something about that!"

"And precisely what do you have in mind?"

"You shall see, Professor! You just wait and see. In fact, you are such a dirty witch, I think you need to sit in the corner for a few minutes and think about how very dirty you are," he said, leading her over to the small rocker. "You just sit there while I prepare to take care of you!"

Minerva smirked, but she sat in the chair as he directed, and Albus disappeared into the bathroom. She kicked off her shoes and sent them to rest beside the wardrobe, then she removed her stockings. After thinking a moment, she pulled off her knickers, as well, just rising in her seat enough to remove them. With another smirk, she Levitated them over to the bed and put them under Albus's pillow. She chuckled to herself. She did enjoy having Albus tease her – in more ways than one – but she could tease, too.

Albus emerged from the bathroom, wearing only his dressing gown, and observed Minerva's bare feet. "You have been a naughty witch, Professor McGonagall. You were supposed to sit and think about how dirty you are, and I can see that you did not concentrate on that!"

"But I did!" Minerva protested, smothering a smile. "I was thinking of how very dirty I was, and it made me very warm. I had to take off my shoes and stockings, I was so warm."

"Warm? I will have to take care of that, then," Albus said, a gleam in his eye. "Come here."

Minerva stood and walked across to him.

"Turn around," he said, and she did as he asked.

He unbuttoned the back of her over-robe all of the way, then he pushed it off. Her under-robe was like a light shift, with no fastenings, and he raised her arms above her head then whispered a spell and the robe came off over her head, releasing her breasts from its Support Charm.

"My, my, my, what have we here?" Albus said, cupping and squeezing her buttocks. "No knickers. So the dirty witch wears no knickers. How . . . very . . . very . . . naughty." He punctuated his words with gentle squeezes, and when he said "naughty," he slid his hand between her legs and moved it up to her crux.

"Mmmhmm, I can tell that you need a very good cleaning here." He separated her folds and rubbed his fingers against her, and Minerva began to breathe harder as he rubbed. "A good hard . . . cleaning," he whispered, his breath warm in her ear, and she moaned.

Albus put his left arm around her; his hand found her right breast and he pulled her back against him. He must have shed his dressing gown, and Minerva could feel his erection pressed, large and warm, against her back.

"Should I take care of this dirty witch?" he asked in a low voice as he fondled her breast with one hand and her clitoris with the other, rhythmically pressing himself against her from behind.

Minerva swallowed. "Yes, yes, you should. Definitely."

"I think we'll begin with a little scrub right here," he said, inserting a finger into her. "And I have just the right thing to scrub it with. Just the thing for a dirty witch, I believe."

Minerva only moaned in response, and, without removing either of his hands, Albus steered her over toward the bed. She was slightly confused, having heard Albus fill the bathtub, but he was pleasuring her, and she didn't protest.

"We will begin here," Albus said softly.

He moved his left hand from her breast to her back and gently urged her to bend at the waist and rest her upper body on the bed. Minerva folded her arms beneath her head, her eyes closed as she focussed on the sensation of Albus's fingers alternating between teasing her clitoris and entering and stimulating her from within. She felt his erection pressed against her buttocks, and then Albus removed his fingers from their task, and she felt him guide himself into her from behind. Unable to restrain a moan, Minerva grasped the bedcovers and raised her buttocks higher. Albus began to pump within her as his fingers resumed teasing her clitoris.

"Oh, gods, Albus . . . oh, oh, oh, gods – " Minerva gasped and moaned as he thrust and rubbed.

"The dirty witch needs a good scrubbing . . . is this good? Is it good, Professor?" Albus asked, his own breathing coming in gasps.

"Yes, yes, very good, very good – " Minerva's words were lost in moans as she came, and a rush of warmth flowed over Albus's hand, and he gave an answering low sound, holding himself still, trying to control his own reactions.

Albus pulled out of her and rolled her over onto her back. He smiled to see her flushed face and her glazed eyes.

"There is more to do, I can see that now," Albus said.

He knelt and parted her legs, pulling her closer to him. His tongue emerged and he licked at the wetness on her inner thighs before he proceeded to her crux, where he licked her inside and out, even sucking gently on her clitoris, which caused Minerva's legs to tighten around him spasmodically. She almost felt that it was too much stimulation, though not quite, when Albus stood, his erection still large and firm.

"I think that you need cleaning, now, as well," Minerva said, eying his cock.

Albus raised an eyebrow. "You do? And how would you propose to do that?"

"Like this," Minerva said, sliding from the bed to her knees in front of him.

Slowly, taking her time, she began to lick his penis, beginning at the base and licking upward. She could taste herself on him, and she licked him repeatedly, first one side of his penis then the other, each time, finishing by running her tongue across the head. Albus's hands were gripping her shoulders.

Minerva smiled and looked up at him. "Yes, you did need cleaning. In fact, you still need more," she said.

She closed her lips around the head of his cock, flicking her tongue gently across his slit before lowering herself down around him. Albus's grip tightened, and as she drew back up over him, he gasped.

"Wait . . . wait, Minerva," he said hoarsely.

Minerva stopped and looked up at him. His eyes were closed and his breathing rough. He swallowed, then knelt on the floor in front of her.

He kissed her lips lightly, then he whispered, "Do you remember that I told you that there is a charm, a spell, that I thought we might both enjoy using?"

Minerva nodded. He had been too uncomfortable to discuss it at the time, only saying in response to her inquiry about it that it wasn't an artificial erection spell, nor was it a charm to prevent himself from orgasming, which he had used the first time he made love to her.

Albus licked his lips. "Perhaps now might be a good time to try it . . . it accomplishes what some men are able to do with practise, discipline, and some difficulty, although I understand that the spell is actually rather nicer." He cleared his throat. "It would allow me to have an orgasm without ejaculating or losing my erection until the spell is released, although it does wear off naturally after a few hours." He looked into Minerva's eyes. "Is that something you might like to try?"

Minerva smiled. A spell that would allow him to have multiple orgasms when they made love? That would allow him to continue to make love to her, but without diminishing his pleasure – increasing it, in fact? It sounded marvellous to her.

"It sounds wonderful, Albus. Yes!" Minerva's mind was already racing ahead to all of the different ways that she might make him come. Of course, they both might become rather sore . . .

She grinned up at him. "I hope you have something that might relieve any soreness either of us might develop, because I think I am going to enjoy this spell as much as you will!"

Albus chuckled and kissed her. "I did, indeed, bring a few potions that might help with that. I will teach the spell to you, but not tonight, I think." He grinned an uncharacteristically wicked grin. "I do, after all, still have to take care of a very dirty witch, and one who was rather naughty, as well!"

"But I haven't finished cleaning you yet, Albus," Minerva said, reaching for his cock.

Albus chuckled again and moved her hand aside. He closed his fingers around his penis then whispered a spell, which Minerva didn't catch.

"So, you wanted to finish washing me?" he asked, and he stood in front of her.

Minerva could detect no change in the appearance of his penis, which was, to her mind, a good thing. Without waiting or giving him any warning, she closed her mouth around him and began rapidly licking and sucking, pressing her tongue against him each time she withdrew her mouth, then diving down again and swallowing around the head of his cock, one hand cupping his balls.

Albus groaned softly, one hand lightly on her head, the other gripping her shoulder, and Minerva continued to lick and suck his cock, flicking her tongue across its head, then lowering herself on him and rolling her tongue against his length in waves as she swallowed around the tip of his penis. Albus gasped suddenly, gripping her harder, and she felt his penis pulsing in her mouth and his balls seemed to contract slightly. She thought that he was coming, but the spell seemed to be working, as he didn't ejaculate, despite the other physical signs.

"Oh, gods, Minerva . . . that was wonderful," Albus gasped, forgetting for a moment their role-play.

Minerva grinned up at him and licked her lips. "My cleaning was adequate, then?"

He chuckled. "You are a little vixen – and still a dirty witch, you know." He pulled her to her feet. "I think it may be time for you to be punished for being so naughty earlier."

"Punished?" Minerva raised an eyebrow. Knowing Albus, his "punishment" would involve absolutely nothing of the sort.

"Oh, yes, Professor, a naughty witch, and such a dirty one, needs to be taught a lesson, I think, don't you?" Albus asked rhetorically.

Minerva nodded. "I deserve to be taught a lesson, Headmaster. Do you think you could do that for me?"

"Learning a lesson can be hard work, Professor McGonagall. Have you forgotten that?"

"I can work hard, I think," Minerva replied.

"You think you can work hard? Well, let us just see about that!"

Albus had been holding her, his hands lightly at her waist. Now, he let go and backed away from her, looking her up and down appreciatively. He backed over to the small armless rocker in the corner of the room where she had sat earlier, and he lowered himself onto it, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"I believe you need to spend more time in the corner, too. Come over here to me." He had one hand lightly holding his penis. "You see this? This is your assignment. To sit here and rock. And to take care of this, as well," he said, stroking his cock with one finger. "Do you think you could do that?"

"I can try, Headmaster," Minerva said. "I will do my best."

"You had better, Professor McGonagall, or I might have to think of something else for you to do," Albus said, smiling.

The chair was low, and Minerva stood first with his outstretched legs between hers, then she moved forward, straddling his lap then sitting on his knees. She grabbed the back of the chair with her left hand as she took his cock in her right. She pushed up with the balls of her feet and began to slowly rock the chair as she stroked his erection.

"Like this, Professor Dumbledore?" Minerva asked innocently.

Albus's eyes were dark with his desire, but he shook his head. "I think not. You are not working hard enough. In order for you to learn your lesson, you need to work harder."

Minerva slid forward, rose up on the balls of her feet, and slowly lowered herself onto his erection, closing her eyes and using her hand to guide him in. She lowered herself completely, unable to encircle even one finger around the base of his penis. She moaned. His cock was stretching her and her clitoris rubbed against his pubic bone. Minerva tried to control her breathing, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as she began to push with the balls of her feet against the floor, rocking them back and forth. The motion stimulated her clitoris and she wiggled against him, flexing her muscles around his cock as she did so.

"Like this, then, Headmaster?" Minerva asked, opening her eyes.

Albus had put his hands on her hips, and he nodded. "This is a start." His voice was a low rumble.

Minerva began to rise and fall, holding onto the back of the chair with both hands and raising herself on the balls of her feet as she rocked them back and forth and rode his cock up and down. Minerva gasped as she began to come.

"Oh, gods, Albus . . . talk to me . . . tell me . . . tell me I'm your dirty witch . . . gods!"

"You're my dirty witch, my dirty, naughty little vixen! You like to ride me and come, you naughty witch," Albus said, and he began to come, a dry but powerful orgasm, hot and throbbing, beginning low in his pelvis, pulsating and spreading out in waves of pleasure through his body. "Yes, Minerva! Yes, Minerva! Yes!"

Minerva lay her head on his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. She turned her face into his hair and breathed in as she relaxed against him. The spell Albus had cast was still active, she could tell, because he was still large and firm inside of her. She smiled and flexed her muscles around him.

"Mmm, Minerva . . ."

"Did I do well, Headmaster?"

"Perfectly, perfectly," he whispered. "But now I do believe we are both rather dirty, dirty together, and I think we need a bath."

Minerva nodded against him. "Can we just rest here a bit first?"

Albus smiled. "Yes, my dear, we can rest a bit – you did work very hard, after all."

Albus began taking the hairpins from Minerva's hair, sending them one at a time over to the top of the dresser. When he had finished, the charm Minerva had used earlier in the day still held her hair loosely in its French twist, but he combed his fingers through it, combing it all out and down over her shoulders. He took her face between his hands and kissed her lips lightly, then gazed at her with warmth and love.

"Time for our bath now?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, smiling. "If I can get up from here." Her legs felt rather like they were filled with lead at that moment.

Albus grinned; putting one arm under her buttocks and the other around her back, he stood, lifting her, and she put her legs around him.

"You are full of very good ideas," Minerva said as he carried her into the bathroom, where a large tub of warm, lovely-scented water awaited them.

"Thank you, my dear, but I do believe the bath was your idea, so I can't take credit for that," Albus replied.

"But I didn't suggest any of the lead up to it," Minerva pointed out. "And I also love it when you carry me when I'm still on you like this. It is arousing even when I think I can't be aroused any more."

Albus smiled as he set her down, sitting her on the edge of the tub and gently disengaging from her. "Aroused again? We shall have to do something about that! But first, into the bath, my sweet witch! Into the bath with us both!"