Chapter Nine

Note: Not DH compliant. Disregards DH entirely.

Chapter Nine

Minerva watched as Albus sauteed the onions and chicken in a large pan. Eggs and a cannister of flour stood next to a mixing bowl on the table.

"So what are we having for lunch, Albus?"

"What I had planned for last night's dinner, my dear. Chicken paprikash with spaetzle. Spinach, as well, as that appears to be your preferred vegetable."

"Mmm, I adore spaetzle!" Minerva said. Their breakfast, to her mind, had not been particularly filling.

"I am glad – do you know how to make it? No? Well, I'll make the batter and let you drop it in the water. That's fun," Albus said.

"I don't know if you should trust me with it," Minerva said with a frown. She didn't want to ruin Albus's meal.

"Nonsense! It will be fine, my dear. Now, there should be a crock of sour cream in the cool cupboard. Could you get it for me?"

A short while later, they were sitting down to their meal. After making just a little bit of a mess in the beginning, Minerva had caught on to how to drop the spaetzle through the holes of the spaetzle maker, glad of her wand to keep the batter from pouring too quickly, and the spaetzle looked as pretty as any she had ever had – other than a few rather large blobs of noodle, but they would taste fine, Albus had assured her.

"Eat well, Albus – you'll need your strength for what I have in mind for you!" Minerva said jokingly. She had won the backgammon game, though it was a good deal closer than the previous three, and Albus had only four pieces remaining on the board when she had declared victory.

"Of course, my dear," Albus replied. "But I had thought we might go out to see the tumulus and the standing stones now that the rain has stopped."

"I think a walk would be nice, myself," Minerva agreed. "But I am feeling just a wee bit sore, muscular and, um, otherwise. I think I need just a nip of the pain potion before we go out."

"Perhaps it might be best just to . . . let the soreness work itself out naturally," Albus suggested.

"I doubt I will enjoy the walk as much, though, or the later activities I have planned for us," Minerva said.

Albus nodded. "Very well, before our walk. We might both benefit from it, then. And after it all, we can take baths with some of the other potion in the water. It is quite effective for the more superficial soreness and chafing."

Minerva detected some reluctance on Albus's part. She reached across the table and placed her hand on his, smiling. "We will have fun today, Albus." Her eyes sparkled. "I am quite looking forward to it."

Albus returned her smile and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it. "I am glad, Minerva."

An hour later, Albus dressed once again in his walking robes of soft greens, browns, and blues, and Minerva in mossy green with rust-coloured swirls, the two left the cottage and headed up the slope, north toward the hills and following a burn that leapt south over water-rounded rocks, full and splashing after the long rain. Minerva could see flashes of silvery fleeting fish in the fast running stream, and Albus told her that there were several kinds of fish in the streams on the island, including trout.

"Aberforth used to fish. He fixed me fresh trout when I would visit. But I don't fish. I am satisfied to have others do that aspect of my food preparation for me."

Minerva chuckled. "Squeamish about catching a few fish, but willing to eat them?"

Albus shrugged. "I just can't bear to see them flopping about out of water." He grinned at her. "They are delicious, though!"

After they had walked for about forty minutes over the rolling braes, Albus suggested that they Apparate the rest of the way.

"Just to the top of the hill," he said, "Then we will have a nice view of both the tumulus and the menhirs in the stone circle, and we can walk down"

Minerva agreed, and Albus put his arms around her. As he kissed her, he Apparated them both to the top of the smallest of the three large hills – or small mountains, depending on one's perspective. Minerva turned in his arms, leaning back against him, and took in the view. To the west, the afternoon sun cast shadows behind the standing stones, a perfect circle, it appeared to Minerva, with more smaller stones creating a lane leading eastward from the break between the hills to the stone circle. Albus turned them slightly so that she could see the burial mound, a small, slightly flattened hill to the east of where they stood, and not within view of the stones.

"Which would you like to see first?"

"I think viewing the tumulus from here is sufficient," Minerva said. "Let's go down to the stones – shall we walk?"

Albus bent his head and kissed her just above her ear, then he whispered, "A bit nervous about disturbing the dead, Minerva?"

"Well, we wouldn't disturb them, even if they could be disturbed. And there really isn't very much to see that we can't see from here, I'm sure. But . . . just as well to leave the dead to the dead, I think."

Albus laughed.

They spent the next hour walking around the stone circle, Albus explaining their age and some of the ritual purposes people supposed they might have served. "Of course, this was many thousands of years before there was any separation between the magical and the Muggle, but it is assumed that as long as there have been human beings, there have been those with magical gifts, gifts which became stronger in some until, after millennia, there were two distinct classes of people, the largest number of which had no magic whatsoever, and it was they who multiplied."

As they walked west down the lane, Minerva asked, "But there used to be more of us – of us in the wizarding world – weren't there? Even a hundred years ago. From what Hogwarts, A History, indicates, classes were larger, there were more students, more teachers – even Hogsmeade was larger. And Hogwarts didn't used to educate such a large proportion of wizarding children, either. That seems to be a relatively recent development. That must mean that there were far, far more of us earlier than there are now, and our population is shrinking even as the Muggle population is exploding."

Albus nodded. "That is true. There were almost twice as many students at Hogwarts when I was a boy than there are now, and a hundred years before that, another quarter more," he said. "And you are correct that it is only in the last few hundred years that more than ninety percent of wizarding families chose to send their children to Hogwarts, or any other wizarding school, yet at the same time, fewer Muggle families are willing to send their Muggle-born witches and wizards to Hogwarts, meaning that there are more completely untrained and magically unsophisticated Muggle-borns walking around in the Muggle world." Albus sighed and shook his head sadly. "Many of them do fine in the Muggle world. Their magical gifts, while they never completely disappear, atrophy through disuse and suppression. Others, though . . . they end their lives as alcoholics, or in Muggle asylums. Some do find their own way into the magical world, once they are of age. But they are untrained, completely and utterly untrained, not merely unschooled. If they remain in the wizarding world, they must take menial jobs, pick up what magic they can, learn to use a wand from kind friends and strangers. An unschooled Muggle-born witch or wizard in the wizarding world is actually worse off than a Squib in many ways. And, of course, the pureblood prejudice against Muggle-borns is simply reinforced by their presence in our society. I hope that in the next few decades, I can change the trend, convince more Muggles to send their young witches and wizards to Hogwarts. I had some success as Dippet's Deputy. I hope that in the next years, I will be able to improve the trend even more."

Their conversation drifted from Hogwarts to the history of magic, and they soon reached the last of the standing stones. Despite being in a valley between the two hills, they were still well above sea-level, and they had an excellent view of the shore and the sea.

"It truly is beautiful here, Albus," Minerva said, squeezing his arm. "Thank you again for bringing me to your island and indulging my whims. I really do appreciate it."

Albus kissed her temple. "You are most welcome . . . and it is your island too, now, or will be once we reset the wards." He paused, gazing out over the water. "And I will indulge your whims later today, too, as you wish." He glanced down at her, his eyes soft with affection. She hadn't seemed to associate their wager with the sorts of exchanges he had made as a dissolute youth, and, he reassured himself, it would be different with Minerva. He would do as she pleased regardless of any wager; it should make no difference. Nonetheless, he was slightly nervous about the associations that might arise in his mind and the possible affect that might have on their relationship, on the dynamic between them. But his feelings toward her could not change . . . they could not change. He would not allow them to change.

"I love you, you know, Minerva," he said softly.

Minerva looked up at him, a brilliant smile on her face, "Yes, I do know it. And I love you."

She put her arms around his neck and drew him down for a kiss. She snuggled against his chest, and they stood there for a while, surrounded by the sounds of the sea, the wind, and the birds above.

Finally, Minerva said softly, "Let's go home now, Albus. Let's have our tea."

Albus kissed the top of her head and Apparated them back to the main room of the cottage.

"Let me fix the tea, Albus. You have done so much cooking, and as much as I would like to offer to do more, well, this morning's breakfast was the height of my culinary skills."

"That's fine. There are some nice chocolate biscuits in a tin in the same cupboard as the flour. Those would be nice."

"Hungry for anything more? I can do sandwiches," Minerva said.

"No, just some biscuits, thank you."

A few minutes later, they were curled up together on the sofa, sipping their tea and munching their biscuits.

"Up for more backgammon?" Albus asked.

"No . . . but I'll have to bring my set from home. We can play at Hogwarts."

"There are other games here. Draughts. Chess. Playing cards. Snap. Exploding snap, but the charms are going. It's more sort of 'sparking snap' now," Albus said with a chuckle.

"Snap's more fun with a lot of people and when you're a bit tipsy," Minerva said. "Otherwise, it's rather dull. And I don't feel like playing that sort of game, anyway." She set her teacup down on the low table in front of her. "I feel rather . . . like . . . another . . . sort . . . of game." Minerva had begun to kiss Albus in whatever place she could easily reach and was playing with his beard. She slipped her hand under his beard, running it over his chest. She looked up at him. "If you're finished with your tea, I think I will collect on our wager now."

Her fingers crept toward the Charmed shoulder seam whose secret she now knew, but Albus caught up her hand and kissed her fingers. "I think one more cup of tea. Then I should . . . freshen myself for you."

"No need for that, but have another cup of tea, if you like. We can still start now." She smiled at him. "I do love to watch you, Albus, no matter what you are doing. So I shall sit here and watch you drink your tea and think how marvellous life is and how wonderful you are and how very, very lucky I am."

Albus poured himself another cup of tea, but after two sips, he set the cup down. "I don't suppose I was as thirsty as I thought." He nodded at her. "Unless you would prefer that I finish it."

Minerva laughed. "No, not if you don't want it." She leaned forward and kissed his lips lightly, pretending not to notice that he seemed nervous. This would work best, she thought, if she simply proceeded as though she had no notion about his nervousness or the cause of it.

"Let's go upstairs," Minerva whispered.

Albus nodded. He wondered if he should ask her whether there were some ground rules they should set, but that might make it seem as though he didn't trust her, and he did.

Minerva took his hand and led him up the stairs to their bedroom. She kissed him again, then said, "I think I'll use the loo, then if you'd like to take a turn, that might be best. No interruptions once we get started, then."

After Albus had used the loo, brushing out his hair and beard and washing his hands, face, and other bits he thought might need it, he returned to the bedroom to find that the bedclothes were turned back and that Minerva had conjured a settee or, more properly speaking, a chaise longue, a sort of fainting couch. Minerva was simply sitting on it, leaning against one arm and waiting for him to return. He paused outside the bathroom door, unsure what she expected of him, then he reminded himself that this was Minerva. Nothing there had changed. And the settee was certainly one of her more imaginative bits of conjury.

He smiled at her and said, "Very nice, Minerva."

"I thought you might approve," Minerva said, pleased.

The upholstery was flowered, Albus noticed just then, with hummingbirds and bumblebees drinking the nectar from open blossoms of dusky red. Rather . . . suggestive in this context, he suddenly thought.

"So, I am at your disposal, my dear!" Albus said, sketching a slight bow.

"'Disposal.' I don't think I like that word," Minerva said with a frown. "Makes you sound like something I'd discard in the bin when we're through." She looked him up and down. "You are most assuredly not disposable. But . . . as far as what I would like . . . first, I would like you to undress. And take your time."

Albus sat at the end of the bed and removed his shoes and socks, then he stood facing Minerva and placed a finger at the Charmed shoulder seam. The charm released, and the seam opened down the shoulder then down the side of the chest, then continued down to the hem. There wasn't much he could do to take any more time with it, but he pulled back the front of his robes, then pulled them off, sending them to drape across the back of the rocking chair.

Minerva beckoned to him, and he took a few steps toward her. She held up her hand and stopped him, then she stood, looking him up and down. Although not completely flaccid, his penis was not erect, either, but that didn't bother her.

"Turn around," she said softly.

Albus obediently turned away from her and waited. He felt her hands on his shoulders, smoothing over his muscles, then down his arms.

"Beautiful," Minerva murmured. "Beautiful." Her hands moved back up to his shoulders, then she ran them under his hair, over his back, down to his waist, then back up again. "So beautiful."

She kneaded his muscles gently and briefly before again pressing her hands against him and slowly drawing them down his back. This time, she did not stop at his waist, but proceeded to feel his lower back, her fingers splayed as she drew her hands over his skin. Then her hands were at his buttocks, kneading and caressing. Then her arms came around him, and she felt his chest, stroking her hands over his pectorals then down over his ribs, all the time murmuring words of praise and appreciation for his masculine form.

"Such a treat, this, Albus, such a treat." She ran her hands over his stomach and down to his now-growing erection. She kissed the centre of his back as one hand explored his penis and his balls. Without turning him around, she said, "Go lie down on the bed. On your stomach, facing toward the bathroom door, please."

Albus did as she asked, but he was somewhat puzzled about what she intended. He hadn't had any specific expectations, but he had thought that by this point, he would be pleasuring her in some way. It certainly wouldn't have been onerous, and bringing Minerva pleasure was in itself a pleasure and quite exciting, even if he received no direct stimulation himself. The only difficult thing about this for him was not being able to look at Minerva. He did so love to see her, especially when she was aroused. That morning, watching her face and her breasts as he pleasured her with his tongue . . . the mere thought increased his erection. He could hear Minerva moving about the room, and he raised his head.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Minerva said admonishingly. "No peeking! And scoot over to the centre of the bed, please."

Albus "scooted" as she had directed, and the friction of the sheet against his penis brought him almost to a full erection. He briefly pressed his hips into the mattress, then he felt Minerva's weight beside him.

"Comfortable, Albus, darling?"

"Yes, quite."

"Good, I'm glad."

A pleasant scent met Albus's nose. Rose and some warm spices, he thought. Then he felt Minerva's hands on his shoulders again, and a warmed oil being rubbed into his skin.

"I'm sorry if it's a bit more floral than what you might prefer," Minerva said softly, "but I rather like it, and it's what I have with me."

"It's very nice, actually." And there would be no one but Minerva to notice him smelling like roses.

As her hands rubbed his shoulders and back, Albus grew puzzled. "I am sorry, my dear, but you did win that last game, you know. The wager was that I would be at your service, that I would do whatever you like, that you would have your every desire met, every pleasure given."

"And you have done admirably to this point," Minerva said, working the muscles in his lower back. "But we are not nearly done. And, should you have any doubt, this is my desire and I am taking great, great pleasure in it." She began to massage some of the oil into his buttocks, kneading the muscles. "Now, you just lie quietly, relax, and allow me to enjoy this. In fact, I believe some music might be in order."

She summoned her wand, and a moment later, Ravel wafted through the room, as though there were musicians set up in the corner.

"I do very much like the musical box, Albus." She kissed the back of his head. "I am going to enjoy it a great deal, I am sure. If your neck is getting stiff, you might want to turn your head," she added.

Albus did as she suggested, but he still was unable to see her, as she now straddled him, and he could tell that she must have disrobed at some point. Completely disrobed, he thought, as he felt her over his buttocks as she began to massage his shoulders again, this time working her way down each arm, not neglecting his fingers, massaging each one individually, and pressing her thumbs into the palms of his hands.

"You have such lovely hands, Albus," she whispered.

"Old. Old hands," he replied.

"Lovely," she countered.

"The oldest part of me, I think."

"Shush. None of that, now."

She turned, still straddling him, and began to massage his legs. "And wonderful legs. Strong, long, beautiful legs."

Minerva finished with his feet, separating the toes and massaging each one, pressing her fingers into his arch, and finally eliciting a moan of appreciation.

"Well, that's good – I was beginning to think you don't enjoy massages, and I did hope I wasn't the only one enjoying this!" Minerva said.

She moved to one side. "Now, roll over on your back." As he did, Minerva saw his erection and smiled. "And that is a welcome sight." She reached out and touched it with one finger.

"Now, is this spell of yours difficult to learn?" she asked

"It might be," Albus replied. "I didn't get it right the first couple of times I tried it, then once I did get it right and I understood better how it worked, I translated it from Pali, and that seemed to make it easier for me to cast."

"Pali? Where did you learn it?" she asked, casually stroking one finger up his cock and back down again.

"When I was with Master Nyima. It was in one of the texts I studied when Mother Dragon and I were neighbours," he explained. "Naturally, I was curious." He blushed. "And, naturally, I had no one to, um, practise with. But I did get it to work. It is not very enjoyable, odd as that might sound, when you're on your own. Sort of a case of, um, . . . once is enough, if you know what I mean. And as I . . . as I became more devoted to my work . . . I had no particular occasion to use it again for a great many years." Albus stopped. He really did not want to talk to her about any occasions on which he might have used it before he was with her.

"Well, perhaps today is not the best day for me to learn it, then, if it takes practise to cast. And," she added with a smirk, "if this is the only wand one uses." She grasped his cock and squeezed it gently. "Cast the spell on yourself, please, Albus."

Albus did as she asked.

Minerva nodded. "Very good. I will let you know when you may release the spell – although if you become uncomfortable or have some other difficulty, you must let me know!"

"I will," Albus promised.

Minerva put more oil on her hands and began to rub his chest, making her way down his abdomen, avoiding his penis, then massaging the fronts of his legs. As she finished, she ended with her head near his stomach, and she bent and kissed the tip of his penis.

"Mmm, it is lovely." Her tongue flicked out and stroked across the head of his cock. "And I know what I would like to do with it. With your assistance." She turned her head and looked up at Albus, a grin on her face.

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm." She was looking at his erection again, lazily running her fingers over it. "I have noticed," she said slowly, "that you seem to have something of an appreciation for my breasts, am I right?"

"You are. You have the most beautiful breasts, such delectable nipples," Albus replied, his eyes moving to gaze at them.

She looked back up at him. "Fuck them," she said bluntly.

Albus blinked. "What?"

"You work out the details. But," she said again, "fuck them. Until you come."

"Well, um, all right." He swallowed. He wasn't entirely sure how to go about it, but the thought of his penis rubbing against her breasts caused his cock to twitch. "Could you sit up? At the head of the bed?"

Minerva moved to sit where he indicated. Albus straddled her legs and reached out to fondle her breasts. Her nipples were peaked, and he brushed his thumbs over them. He raised his eyes and met hers. "I don't know how well this will work, but I will try."

He put more pillows behind her. "Now, just lean back."

Albus moved forward until the tip of his cock was brushing her skin, then he rose up on his knees until his cock was between her breasts. He looked at Minerva's face again. She was simply watching him, though she had placed her hands very lightly on his thighs.

"I don't know how much pleasure you will get from this, my dear, and if you are uncomfortable, you must tell me."

"I am fine. Just . . . pleasure yourself against me. Let me feel your length between my breasts, let me know what you are feeling, that you are enjoying it. I want you to take pleasure in this."

"You know, when you win this sort of bet, you are supposed to take advantage of it, Minerva. I don't think you quite understand the point," Albus said.

"Mmm, I believe I do. You are my sex slave for the rest of the day." At his expression, she amended, "Well, until we get hungry for our supper, anyway!" She grinned up at him.

Albus chuckled and lowered himself to kiss her.

"Mm, that was nice, Albus, but not what I requested," Minerva said. "Not that I'm objecting, of course. But . . . you are supposed to be fucking my breasts, those breasts you find so delectable."

Albus fondled her breasts again, then rose up on his knees and pressed her breasts on either side of his erection. Minerva kissed his stomach, and he began to move between her breasts, but he was still nervous and slightly uncomfortable about what he was doing, and he didn't think he could come like this. With the spell in place, perhaps he could fake it, he thought, and she wouldn't know the difference.

"Look down, Albus," Minerva said softly. "Look down and see your penis between my breasts, moving between my breasts. I love your cock, Albus, both soft and hard, so long and firm, and you're fucking my breasts with your hard cock," she whispered. "I love it when you fuck me, Albus, and I love it when you come; I love to know that you are in the ecstasy that I feel when you fuck me and I come."

Albus let out a moaning sigh as Minerva spoke, and he could feel his arousal building as he looked down at his cock between her breasts and listened to her talk. He didn't think he would have to try to fake it, after all.

Minerva looked up at him and continued. "I sometimes can almost come just listening to your voice, you know, Albus. I cannot count the number of times I have had to go and wipe myself dry because your voice aroused me so. And that is just your voice, but your touch . . . when you touch me, I never want you to stop, and I want you to continue to touch me, to stroke me, to feel my wetness, to put your fingers in me, deep in me."

Albus gasped as he began to come between Minerva's breasts, pushing against her chest as he came. He rested his forehead against the wall and let go of her breasts, placing his hands on her shoulders until he caught his breath.

"Come, now, sit beside me," Minerva said, patting the bed next to her. When he did, eyes closed, leaning his head back, she took hold of his cock. "Very nice job with that spell." She smiled and looked up at him. "You didn't think you could do that, did you?"

He turned his head. "You are a little vixen, Minerva." Albus said, his eyes smiling down at her.

"Yes, I believe I am," she replied, and with no further ado, she rose up and in one fluid motion, swung her leg over him and lowered herself onto his cock, moaning as he filled her. She pulled his head to her and began to kiss him as she rode him, pleasuring them both until she came, her hands gripping him hard as she pounded down on him, her clit rubbing him, feeling her orgasm through her entire body, and finally going entirely limp against him. She turned her head just enough to whisper to him, "Now take me again, hard, hard, Albus, very hard, until you come."

Albus rolled them both onto the bed without pulling out of her; with Minerva on her back with her head near the foot of the bed, he began to pump – hard, as Minerva had requested. He raised her up so that her shoulders were still on the bed, but her buttocks were supported by a spell, and he continued to thrust into her, hard and fast, one finger flicking over her clit as he did, and Minerva came again, crying out as her orgasm overwhelmed her, and Albus followed on, another deep but dry orgasm pulsing through him.

Albus released the spell holding Minerva up, and he lay beside her as they both caught their breath.

"I love you, Albus," Minerva murmured, reaching out with one hand and letting it come to rest on his stomach. "I love you more than life itself. You are my life, my darling Albus."

Albus kissed the side of her head. "You said not to release the spell until you told me to, so . . . I am still . . ."

Minerva smirked. "Good. When you have caught your breath, then, you can do the same again. But from the back this time, I think. That always feels very nice, though it is a bit of a trade-off as I cannot embrace you or see your face." She rolled over onto her side.

Albus Summoned his wand. "I can fix one part of that for you, my dear."

He waved his wand, and facing her on the bedroom door, there was now a large mirror in which Minerva could now see them both.

"I'm not sure how I feel about seeing myself . . . but I will focus on you and your face," she said.

"And I will look at you as I embrace you from behind and watch as I fondle your breasts as I make love to you."

"You may release the spell this time, by the way," Minerva added.

Albus lay behind her and embraced her, caressing her breasts, her stomach, and her crux as he kissed her shoulders. When she seemed to be ready for more, he urged her to bend her legs, and he slipped into her.

"Oh, that is good, Albus, that is very, very good . . ."

He continued to caress and kiss her as he slowly moved within her, moving in rhythm with the music, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

"I love you, Minerva, you are my love and my light. I love you so, my sweet flower, my darling," he whispered as he thrust, slowly at first, then as Minerva's breathing quickened, increasing the force and speed with which he pumped into her. "This is so good, Minerva, making love to you is so good."

"Yes, make love to me, Albus, make love to me forever . . . make love to me with your eyes, your hands, your cock, your mouth, your soul! Love me, Albus, love me! Yes, yes, Albus, yes . . . oh, I love you, I love you, my darling, most dear Albus." Her words became moans, and she came as her orgasm rushed through her in waves, seeming to enter her very breath; she saw only stars and felt nothing but Albus behind her and her orgasm within her.

A few minutes later, she became aware that Albus was just holding her and kissing her shoulder gently. From the dampness she felt, she assumed that they had both climaxed.

"Was that all right, Albus?" she asked.

Albus chuckled softly, then his chuckle became a laugh. "It was marvellous, Minerva. It was wonderful."

"Good," she said with a sigh. "I am rather tired now."

"So am I. What do you say we turn around, put our heads on the pillows, pull up the covers, and have a bit of a snuggle?"

"Excellent suggestion." Minerva yawned. "Then we can get some supper . . . once we've rested some. And perhaps play more backgammon. But I don't want to miss the sunset – we haven't missed it yet, have we?"

"No, but we shall if we take our nap and have our snuggle," Albus replied.

Minerva was torn, but she sat up. "Snuggle after sunset. After all," she said, Summoning her robes and looking back at him, "how often will we have a sunset here? And now that the rain has completely passed, we should have a good view of the horizon."

They Apparated to the top of the tallest hill and looked out to the west. Albus waved his wand and conjured a glider for them.

"We can still have a bit of a snuggle while we watch for Ablach," he said.

"You always have the best ideas, Albus!"

They gently rocked back and forth in the glider, Albus almost falling asleep as the sun began to disappear, seemingly slowly swallowed by the black sea, when Minerva suddenly sat up and pointed.

"Look, look, Albus!" She shook him. "Look! Three hills! And . . . and some kind of building on the top of the highest one! And the island's green, I think! Do you see? Do you see it, Albus?"

Albus squinted. "Um . . ."

"There . . . look there, before it disappears again."

"I think I see a darker shadow, perhaps a dark cloud on the horizon?"

"No! Don't you see it? It's clear as . . . clear as anything . . . but now it's gone." She sat back into the swing and turned to look at Albus. Puzzled, she asked, "You really didn't see it? It was so clear. There was a building, and there were standing stones, too, I think. And I could see the shape of the entire island."

Albus shook his head. "I didn't see it. As I said, there was a darker patch there, where you were pointing, but . . . it could as easily have been a cloud as an island. I don't doubt, however, that you saw it, my dear."

"Well, that's good, as I certainly don't doubt it. At least . . . I don't think I doubt it. But why could I see it and you not?"

Albus shrugged. "Perhaps my state of mind was not right. And as I said before, women seem to see it far more frequently than men do."

"Oh, well, next time we come, we will do the same again. I want you to be able to see it one day, Albus. And now that I've seen it once, I want to see it again."

Albus smiled. "Very well, my dear. Though it may be a very long wait."

"I don't mind. I am very patient." She returned his smile. "After all, look how long I waited for you!"

"And how long was that, my dear?" Albus asked.

"Years and years, Albus, years and years . . . a lifetime or more." She stood and said briskly, "Time for our supper, Albus. I am hungry after all of our activity!"

Albus nodded. He would never deny Minerva anything if he could grant it, he thought as he took her in his arms and Apparated them both back to the cottage. He would love her and protect her for the rest of his life; however her feelings for him might change, he would always love her and protect her. Always.

I'm glad you're enjoying this story!