Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Minerva went over to the dresser and pulled out her nightgown as Albus took something from his carpet bag then went over and got into bed. After she had put the nightgown on, she turned to see that Albus had conjured some kind of bolster and was sitting up in bed, reading. She smiled to see him there, her copy of Through the Looking-Glass in his hands, his half-glasses perched on his nose, as he turned the pages and found where he had left off reading a few nights before.

She went and retrieved a book from her own carpet bag, removed her dressing gown, and joined him in bed. The night stand had a small lamp on it, and she turned it up to see to read. Minerva looked over at Albus.

"Can you see all right, Albus?"

"Fine, my dear. The corner wall lamp is providing sufficient light," Albus answered.

Minerva nodded, put on her glasses, and found her place in her own book. She was slightly chilly, but she had left her shawl downstairs. She waved her wand and opened the door, then Summoned the soft wool shawl. After placing it around her shoulders, she turned to her book.

"Chilly?" Albus asked.

"Slightly. I'm fine now."

"That's a pretty nightgown, but it doesn't look very warm. I could cast a Warming Charm," he offered.

"As could I. I'm fine, Albus."

She turned a page. Albus chuckled beside her, evidently amused by something in his book. Her book was not as amusing and it wasn't capturing her attention that night. After Albus chuckled again, she partially closed her book and looked over at him.

"You're enjoying it?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Albus looked at her over his glasses. "Oh, yes, quite. Thank you for loaning it to me."

Minerva watched him read for a moment. Watching him read was more interesting than her own book. She sighed and turned back to her novel. Halfway through a paragraph, she decided she wasn't in the mood that night, closed it, and set it on the bedside table with her glasses, then she Levitated her shawl over to the rocking chair and draped it across the back.

"Do you mind if I turn out this light?" she asked. "Can you still see well enough?"

"That's fine, Minerva." He glanced over at her as she plumped her pillows. "Tired? I don't mind putting my book down for the night."

"My book just didn't hold my attention and I don't feel like finding something else. By the time I did, I would be ready to sleep, anyway."

"This is quite amusing, my dear." He smiled at her. "I could read it to you."

Minerva smiled. "That would be nice, but not tonight, I think."

Albus closed his book. "I had come to the end of a chapter, anyway, and it's best in small doses, I think."

He set his book on the bench and set his glasses beside them. He sat up straighter and banished the bolster behind him, then he began to plump his pillows.

He flipped them over, then he said, "What's this?"

He reached under the bottom pillow and pulled out something white. Albus looked at them and began to laugh. Minerva grinned. She had hoped she wouldn't have fallen asleep before he found them.

"So, your idea of a joke, Professor McGonagall?" Albus asked, holding them up and looking over at her.

"Oh, not at all," Minerva said quite seriously. "You told me once that under your pillow seemed a safe place for my knickers, so when I removed them earlier, I thought that the best place for them."

Albus laughed, then he winked at her and tucked them under his pillow. "Somewhat extraneous when I have you here beside me, though." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He smiled down at her, seeming to memorise her face. "I love you, Minerva."

"I love you, too, Albus," Minerva replied, her heart seeming to expand in her chest. She reached up and caressed his face. "I love you more than I can say."

Albus leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. "Sweet dreams, my darling Minerva," he whispered, then waved his hand, extinguishing all the lights.

"Good night, Albus."

Fifteen minutes later, Minerva sat up in bed. "Albus," she said softly.

"Mmmmmm." Albus was more asleep than awake.

"Do you mind if I open the window on this side of the bed?" She slept with the windows open during all but the coldest months, using charms to keep out the worst of the wind and rain when necessary, and she was used to having a cool breeze blow over her as she slept. "Just a little."

"Mmmmmm," was Albus's reply.

Minerva looked at his shadowy form. She didn't know whether the light filtering charms would work if she opened the window, but she didn't want to wake him to ask. She lay back down, and Albus rolled over and put an arm around her. Now, that was nice. She could sleep like that. Minerva closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling Albus's solid warmth behind her. She was on the verge of sleep when her eyes popped open again. It was perverse. It truly was.

She turned, and Albus moved in his sleep.

"Albus? Albus? I'm sorry, darling, I hate to wake you," Minerva said softly.

"Mmm, Minerva. Something wrong?" Albus asked sleepily.

"I just don't think I can sleep tonight without the window a little open."

He let out a slight sigh. "That's fine. I'll do it."

"I have my wand, I can."

"I need to recast the charm, or we'll wake at dawn." Albus Summoned his wand, opened the window on Minerva's side of the bed a crack, then cast the filtering charm again. "Is that all right, my dear?"

"Perfect. Thank you." Minerva leaned forward and kissed him. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's all right," Albus said, giving her a peck on the cheek then setting his wand on the bench beside the bed. "Good night."

"Good night."

Minerva began to drift asleep. Just as she was almost completely there, she felt Albus sit up. She blinked her eyes open.

"Is everything all right, Albus?"

"Mmm, fine, my dear. I just can't sleep with the draught on my head." He reached for his wand. "But that's easily fixed."

Minerva felt a tingle of magic as he cast a spell.

"I'm sorry, Albus."

"Don't even think about it – I'm fine. I sometimes like the window open, myself." When it's a good deal warmer, he added in his thoughts as he settled back down on his right side.

Minerva rolled over and put her arm around Albus. "I love you, Albus."

"I love you, too, my darling Minerva." And if she wanted to sleep with the windows open in the middle of January, why, he'd just use a stronger charm. Or wear a hat to bed. Albus took her hand, kissed it, then held it to his chest as he drifted back to sleep, happier than he had ever been in his long life.

The next morning, Minerva woke as the morning light gently filtered through the western windows. She sighed and rolled over, but Albus wasn't there, and his side of the bed was cool. She got up, shivering, and closed the window, then she pulled on her dressing gown and shucked on her slippers. She walked over and tapped on the partially closed door to the bathroom. When there was no response, she went in and made use of the facilities.

As she was splashing her face with cold water, she heard Albus in the other room.

"Minerva?"

"I'm in here. Be right out," she called unnecessarily. It's not as though she would have left through the window, she thought with a grin.

She came out into the bedroom and smiled to see Albus there, still in his nightshirt, but with a wooly dressing gown and fuzzy slippers on, a large tray floating in front of him.

"You woke before I could come back. I thought surely I had started early enough this morning that you would still be in bed when I returned," Albus complained mildly.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Minerva said. "Breakfast looks lovely! What a nice surprise!"

Albus smiled and settled the tray on the end of the bed. "Since you are up, it might be more comfortable to eat at a table."

He pulled his wand from his pocket and waved it, conjuring a small round table. Two more swishes, and there were two comfortable-looking chairs.

"And," he said, "I think this would be nicer than a Warming Charm." He pointed his wand at the fireplace, and the logs in it sprang into flame, then he waved it to remove the light filter charms from the windows, and the morning sunlight streamed into the room.

Minerva went over and looked at their breakfast. Boiled eggs, bacon, toast, butter, and some kind of berry preserves – and, of course, a large pot of tea.

"It looks very good, Albus." She waved her wand and began moving the various items from the tray to the table.

"Thank you, my dear. Those eggs are medium, as I noted you like them, and I did more, hard-cooked, for our picnic lunch. I got a start on putting our picnic hamper together, but we can finish that after we dress."

Albus pulled out her chair for her, and she sat.

"Thank you. You must have started early! This is supposed to be your holiday," Minerva said, helping herself to some toast as he poured the tea, adding milk to both their cups.

"I know, but I realise that you are an early riser, and I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed." He smiled over at her. "I enjoy spoiling you a little, Minerva. That makes me feel like I'm on holiday."

A little over an hour later, both of them dressed for their ramble around the island, Albus in a large, wide-brimmed, woven hat, Minerva with her head bare, and a picnic basket floating behind them, the two left the cottage and headed down the same small path he had brought her on the evening before.

"How do you maintain the paths?" Minerva asked as they walked south to their starting point on the seal beach.

"I don't – well, I do, some of them, particularly the ones on the hills that tend to get somewhat washed out or have debris fall on them. But essentially, the deer keep them up for me. We just use the same paths. There are a few that they don't use, but very few, actually."

They reached the beach, and Minerva insisted on stopping and casting a green "X" on a large flat rock, so that they would know precisely where they had begun walking.

Albus smiled and humoured her, but then he said, "Are you sure that's an 'x,' my dear?"

"Of course it's an 'x'!" It was a perfect, symmetrical cross to mark their spot.

"I suppose it depends on what direction you are looking at it from," Albus said.

"Mm, I suppose," Minerva replied impatiently.

"I don't know . . . what do you think, Minerva?"

Minerva turned back, her mouth open, ready to tell him to stop blathering about her mark so they could start their walk, but the words didn't emerge. She saw the rock. The silly wizard. The dear, silly wizard. She chuckled.

"Well, I suppose one could look at it like that," she said. She walked up to him, put her arms around him and looked up into his eyes. "You are the silliest, most adorable wizard in the world." She kissed his lips, then looked down at the rock again.

Instead of an "X," it now read, "Albus + Minerva," and was surrounded by a giant red heart-shape.

"I would like to be able to shout it to the world, Minerva," Albus murmured in her ear, nuzzling her, "but since I can't . . ."

Minerva slipped her arms down and took his hands. She nodded, smiling up at him. "Let's go take our walk, then."

They started off, Minerva glad of her stout short boots, though they became somewhat warm, and she had to cast a cooling spell on them. Albus's boots apparently had some kind of automatic charm to keep his feet just the right temperature regardless of the weather or his exertion, which Minerva thought would be quite handy.

Two hours later, they weren't even half-way to their goal as they climbed up and down, occasionally having to look for a detour around some particularly jagged rocks or an impossibly steep slope. Minerva had had to shorten her robes to clamber over some of the rougher terrain, but she was determined to do the walk with no magical assistance, though she did comment to Albus that she didn't think it would be cheating if she were to transform into her Animagus form for some especially difficult and narrow way.

"I'd still be walking, not Apparating," she said as they stopped for a breather and to look out over the ocean, watching the birds diving for fish.

"And does that mean that I could Transfigure, as well?" Albus asked with a grin.

"That's different. That would be cheating. You could fly all around the island with no more effort than it takes to fly anywhere else. Beside, I did say 'circumambulate,' not, not circumaviate, or whatever flying would be," Minerva said.

"Yes, my dear," Albus answered, not arguing with her logic.

"But I think I'd prefer to do it all in my ordinary form, anyway. I can do a little exploring in my Animagus form some other time," Minerva said, deciding that it wouldn't be precisely fair to Albus if she were to have an easier time by going on ahead in her Tabby-form.

"If you do decide to, be sure to tell me. Most of the animals on the island wouldn't bother you, but some of the predator birds might mistake you for their next meal. And there are a few others you might not care to run into. I'd like to be aware, just in case."

Minerva agreed, and they continued on their way, stopping occasionally to look at the view, Albus's arms around Minerva, or to examine a plant or unusual rock. Finally, Minerva decided that they were at least at the half-way point, and there was a nice flat rock, warmed by the sun, where they could sit and make their picnic, the scent of the sea blending sweetly with the aroma of the nearby juniper.

After they had eaten their simple picnic lunch of hard-cooked eggs, cheese and mixed pickle sandwiches on crusty bread, and fresh tomatoes, washed down with cold lemonade, Minerva stood and brushed herself off, then began returning things to the hamper.

Albus looked up at her, watching as she packed up.

"I can't fold the blanket while you're still lying on it, Albus."

"So we aren't having a rest?"

"We just did," Minerva replied. She paused. Perhaps he needed a rest. He was more than eighty years older than she, after all, she reminded herself, even if he did act like a little boy sometimes. And make love like a young man. No, better than any young man. "Of course, if you're tired – "

"No, no, not tired," he said, standing, "just not as determined as you are, I suppose." He grinned at her. "You really have taken this on as a mission, haven't you?"

"Well, not a mission . . . but it's good to have a goal and head towards it. And to complete what one begins."

"Yes, but one should also enjoy the journey there," Albus replied, "otherwise . . . why take time making love? Why not just do it fast, get it over with?"

Minerva laughed. "I do see your point, Albus. But I am enjoying this. I like the exertion. And we do stop and look at the view. Although the best part of that is having your arms around me, holding me securely." Minerva emphasised that point by putting her arms around him and kissing him. "But I would like to finish this walk today, and it's taking longer than I thought it would."

They had left the cottage at almost eight-thirty, and it was four-thirty before they rounded the large boulders that marked the beginning of small cove where the seals played and the sand was soft. Albus let Minerva go on ahead. He sat down on a rock, watching her make a bee-line for the rock they had marked that morning. He took of his boots and his socks, putting his socks inside the boots, then lining them up carefully on the rock, then he placed his hat beside them, securing it with a charm so it wouldn't blow away. Albus stood and waved back at Minerva when she reached the rock, touched it, then turned and waved energetically at him. She beckoned to him and he started across the sand to her, enjoying the feeling of the warm grains between his toes. As he walked, he began to undo the buttons on the front of his robes.

Minerva met him partway and said, "Come on, Albus! Finish the walk!"

Albus reached for her and drew her closer. He looked down into her eyes, smiling. "In a bit, my love. We have time." He kissed her softly.

Minerva responded to his kiss, then she broke off and said, "It's just a few more yards, come on, Albus!"

"Not yet," he replied. He began to unbutton his robes again. "Let's enjoy the sand and the water."

Minerva looked out. "It must be cold."

Albus chuckled. "When you first get in, yes."

"I haven't a bathing costume." She looked down at her robes. "I could Transfigure my robes, I suppose."

Albus laughed. "Why?" He unbuttoned the last button then dropped his robes onto the sand.

Minerva couldn't keep herself from reaching for him, without thinking, and touching his partially-erect penis. It twitched beneath her fingertips.

"Mmm. Later, my dear," Albus said, taking her hand and kissing it. "Now undress! Or do you need help?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been swimming in the nude since she was about ten. She shrugged off her loose over-robe then turned around. "You could take care of the hooks in back," she said, deciding that perhaps Albus had a good idea, after all. She grinned to herself as he touched the Charmed hooks on the back of her robes, releasing them. Anything to be naked together with Albus.

Minerva took her robes and Albus's and Levitated them over to the rock where he had left his shoes and the picnic basket. She took his hand and led him over to another rock, where she sat and removed her own shoes and stockings.

"I guess I could go in like this," she said, standing. She was still wearing a hip-length chemise and her knickers.

Albus smiled sceptically, his eyebrows raised. "If you wish. But it is just the two of us – and a few seals and porpoises. I doubt they will care. And I certainly like to see you, and touch you, when you are wearing even less."

Minerva took out her hairpins, dropping them into one of her boots. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I suppose this will be better for swimming." She looked out at the water again. "It does look cold. And you're certain there are no unusual currents or whirlpools?"

"None in this cove. It's one of the best places on the island for swimming, and although it is cold, it's still not too cold to go in. If you don't want to join me, though, you don't have to," he said, beginning to walk backwards away from her and toward the water.

"I'll join you for a little while," Minerva said.

She began to unbutton her chemise, noting that Albus immediately stopped to watch her, his eyes seeming hungry as she bared herself to him. After putting her chemise on the rock with the rest of their clothes, she pulled off her knickers. She walked toward him and noted that by the time she reached him, his cock was fully erect. Minerva eyed him, smiling.

"Are you sure you want to go swimming?" she asked, reaching out and brushing the tips of her fingers against the head of his penis. She licked her lips.

Albus let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Oh, yes, I'm quite sure of it – and the cold water will take care of this . . . distraction."

Minerva licked her lips again and stroked upward from his balls to the tip of his cock. "What a pity."

"Well, I'm sure that I will recover quickly," Albus said, his eyes roving over her breasts.

"Really? Are you certain you want to take that risk?" She closed her fist around him and stroked upward.

Albus moaned and closed his eyes, then he opened them and took one step toward her. He reached out and caressed her breast. Without another word, he put one arm around her, drew her close, kissed her mouth, and sank to his knees in the sand, bringing her with him. He pushed her back and began to kiss her neck, licking and nipping as he brought both hands to her breasts. He made his way down her body, kissing and licking, until his lips closed around one nipple. Minerva's hand still stroked his penis, and he broke away gasping.

"Gods, Minerva . . ." He removed her hand from his cock, closed his own around it, and, his eyes shut, cast the same spell as he had the night before. Suddenly he looked down at her. "If that's all right – if not, I can release it immediately – "

"I do like that spell very much," Minerva murmured. "In fact, I insist that you test its efficacy immediately." She rose up on one elbow and whispered in his ear, "Fuck me, Albus Dumbledore. Fuck me till I come screaming."

Albus moaned, but he pushed her back into the soft sand and held her down, his hands at her shoulders. Without any further prelude, he raised his hips, then lowered himself, the head of his cock sliding down over her clitoris and finding her entrance. His eyes widened as he began to press into her.

"Already so wet? So hot and wet . . ."

"Sometimes, I can almost come just listening to you laugh," Minerva replied, lifting her hips as he slipped further into her. "Oh, gods, such a cock . . . gods, yes, Albus!"

Albus began to stroke within her, watching her face. "You want me to do this until you come screaming? You do?"

"Yes, yes, Albus, please, yes, yes," Minerva moaned and moved with him. The sand was soft yet gritty beneath her, but she hardly noticed that, only feeling his large, firm erection within her as he pumped, stroking in and out, in and out. "Oh, gods, more, Albus, harder, more, harder!"

"I'm going to come, Minerva, if I give you more. Do you want more?"

"Yes, come, give me more, come, oh, gods, Albus, come!" She could feel her own climax mounting as he thrust in and out.

"Ah, ah, aaah! Minerva!" Albus thrust harder and faster and came, a dry, but pulsing orgasm, and Minerva watched as his eyes closed and his head went back.

She rolled him over and began to ride his still erect cock, sliding her clit back and forth against him, and she came, clenching around him, gasping for air, then collapsing on top of him. Albus kissed the side of her head, then her ear. His tongue went out and licked it all around, then he drew her earlobe between his lips and sucked, before whispering, "I'm ready for more. Are you?"

Minerva raised her head and looked down at him. That spell certainly was something.

Albus pulled her down to him, kissing her, then he rolled her over onto her side and slipped out of her, as large and erect as he had been when they had started. He pushed her gently on the back of one shoulder, encouraging her to face the sand as he put one hand under her belly and pulled her up on both knees. He moved his hand to her breasts, and with his other hand, he guided himself into her again, thrusting hard, then he began to fondle her clitoris and he began to pump into her from behind. She raised her buttocks and lowered her shoulders, moaning as he caressed her nipples and her clitoris as he stroked into her vagina, hitting just the right spot over and over again in time with his fingers pulsing against her clit. Minerva began to come, moaning his name, and as her moans became shouts, Albus came again, still not releasing the spell, but pushing hard into her, the contractions of her vagina around his pulsating cock increasing his pleasure.

They both collapsed, exhausted, onto their sides. Minerva caught her breath first and looked over at Albus, his skin pink in the sun, and his penis, still long and heavy, resting on his lower abdomen.

"My gods, Albus, you're still . . . you're still ready."

Albus opened his eyes. "I am very glad I didn't know of this spell when I was young. I don't think I would ever have recovered. Each time is like new, and each one is stronger than the previous one, and then the final one last night . . . it was inexpressively good. It was complete and utter euphoria."

"Haven't you used it before, then?" Minerva asked. She had begun fondling his cock, happy to feel it in her hand and to have it jump in response to her stimulation.

Albus closed his eyes and swallowed. "I have used it only a few times. But never for more than two or three . . . orgasms at a time. And somehow . . . somehow it wasn't the same. It wasn't as good."

Minerva wanted to ask who he'd been with at the time, since he had not known the spell as a young man, and she knew that he had spent much of the last several decades in chosen celibacy. But she didn't want to bring up anything uncomfortable for him. And perhaps he hadn't been with anyone and had just been trying it out by himself. That would be embarrassing for him to admit, Minerva thought, so she didn't say anything.

"What do you think the cold water would do to it?" Minerva asked curiously.

"I don't know. Just because the orgasm doesn't bring about a . . . um, a resting period, it doesn't mean that nothing could affect the erection, I suppose," Albus said.

"Shall we see? Provided you still want to go into the water, of course."

Albus looked up at her and smiled. "Yes, I still want to go into the water. And I'm sure that if I suffer a bit of deflation, you could have me in good shape in no time!"

He stood, reached out his hand, and helped Minerva to her feet. He kissed her, then pulled her toward the water. "Come, Minerva, let's go swimming!" He let go and stepped back away from her, smiling.

Albus turned and ran lightly across the sand, and Minerva admired his long legs and the way his hair flew out behind him in the breeze. He was gorgeous. Albus splashed into the water with a shout, then when it was up to his waist, he began to swim, swimming out several yards, then turning and swimming parallel with the edge of the beach. He paused, rolled over onto his back, then called out to Minerva and waved.

"Come in, Minerva! Join me!"

Minerva laughed and ran toward the water, ready to join her lover in the sea.