Chapter Ten: October to November 1953

Chapter Ten: October to November 1953

After making love, Albus and Minerva got dressed and went out into the kitchen of the cottage, where they found the note Marlene had written for them. Minerva read it aloud: "Dear Mummy," she read, "I went out for a walk along the shore. I love you, Marlene." Minerva finished reading the note and set it back down on the kitchen table, turning to Albus.

"What are we going to do next?" she asked him, sitting down at the table, her head in her hands. "Are we going to tell Marlene the truth about what happened?"

Albus sat down as well. "I think that we should tell her the truth, Minerva," he said, taking her hand.

She looked at him. "What are you going to tell your wife? When are you going to tell her? And what about your son?" she asked him.

"As soon as we tell Marlene, I will go back to Hogwarts and tell my wife what happened. As for my son – I'll tell him the truth, I suppose. I'm not sure what I'll tell him. And then I'll come back. But what will happen with us? I need to be at Hogwarts – I have a house in Hogsmeade that you could live in, I suppose, but I'm not sure how much you would enjoy that."

"And I have my job here, as a teacher," Minerva said.

"We can figure it out when I return," Albus suggested.

"All right," Minerva acquiesced. "Let's go tell Marlene," she said.

Albus nodded, and he stood up, extending a hand to help her up from her chair. She smiled at him, and she grabbed a shawl from the hook near the front door. Wrapping it around her, she opened the door and took his hand, walking towards the shore, where they found Marlene sitting on a large rock, looking at the waves crashing on the shore.

"Marlene, sweetheart?" Minerva called as they approached the rock.

Her daughter looked up. "Yes, Mummy?" she said, hopping down from the rock and approaching her mother and her father.

"Marlene, your mother and I have something to tell you," Albus said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I left you and your mother not out of my free will, but because I was under the Imperius Curse. It was cast on me by one of my closest and most trusted friends, because my mother" he spat out, "hired him to try to kill your mother, and hired him to cast the Imperius Curse on me so that I would marry my wife. But," he continued, "I'm going to divorce her and marry your mother."

Marlene nodded. "So, will we stay here?" she asked her parents calmly.

"We're not sure yet, sweetheart," her mother said.

"All right," Marlene replied.

Her mother embraced her, letting tears drop into her daughter's bright auburn hair. "Thank you for taking this so well, darling," her mother told her.

Marlene hugged her back. "I love you, Mummy," she said.

Her mother kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, my darling."

Marlene pulled back from her mother's embrace to look at her father. "I love you, Daddy," she told him, causing tears to come to his eyes.

He hugged her. "And I love you, Marlene."

An hour later, Albus left Minerva and Marlene at their cottage in the Hebrides and Apparated back to Hogwarts. He walked up to the chambers he shared with his wife and son and threw open the door. His wife was sitting on the couch, her hands folded in her lap, and his son was nowhere to be found.

"I want a divorce, Albus," she said.

He stared at her, completely nonplussed. "All right," he agreed. "On what grounds?"

"Infidelity," she stated. "I know that you were with that McGonagall girl for the past few days – and I won't stand for it. And I know that you have a child with her. I'm not going to be 'the other woman' in your life – I'm leaving you, and I don't ever want to hear from you again," she told him.

"I want shared custody of Albert," Albus said.

"Fine," she said. "You can see him during the summers, but that is all. And don't try to fight me – your mother is on my side, and if we go to court, then you won't get custody at all. And I want alimony," she said.

"All right," he told her, agreeing with her demands, knowing that he had no other choice.

"Good," she said, standing up and entering their bedroom. When she returned, she had several carpetbags floating in front of her. Opening one, she pointed her wand at several items in the sitting room, and they flew in to her bag. "I've already packed Albert's things," Colleen continued, "and we'll be going to my parents' house. Don't try to come see us."

"Can't I say goodbye to Albert?" Albus asked.

"All right," she agreed reluctantly and entered Albert's room. She emerged with their son in her arms.

"Albert, we're going to live with your grandparents for a while," Colleen told him. "Say goodbye to Daddy."

"Goodbye, Daddy," Albus's son said, giving him a hug. Albus choked back tears and kissed the top of his son's head several times.

"Goodbye, Albert," Albus said. "I love you so much."

Colleen took Albert out of Albus's arms and Summoned a quill to her, touching it lightly with her wand and saying "Portus." It glowed blue for a moment before she picked it up. "Goodbye, Albus," she said, and she and Albert disappeared before Albus could respond.

Albus went to his desk and wrote a letter to Minerva.

My dearest love,

Albus.

Tapping the note with his wand, it glowed blue, turning the note into a Portkey. He stroked Fawkes's plumage before handing him the note. Fawkes took it in his beak and rubbed his head against Albus's hand before disappearing in a flash of flame, reappearing in Minerva's kitchen, where she and Marlene were having lunch.

"Hello again, Fawkes," Minerva said, taking the note from his beak. He cooed, flying over to Marlene and rubbing his head against her shoulder. She stroked his plumage while her mother read the note from Albus.

"Sweetheart, I need to go to Hogwarts for to talk with your father," Minerva said.

Marlene looked up at her calmly. "All right, Mummy," she said.

"Will you be all right here, darling?" Minerva asked.

Marlene nodded. "Prossy will be here if I need anything," she reassured her mother.

"All right, dear," Minerva said. "Hogwarts!" she said, tapping the note with her wand. She felt a pull behind her navel and disappeared, reappearing at the gates of Hogwarts.

Minerva was overwhelmed by the memories that she had of this place as she walked up the path to the castle. She had spent some of the best years of her life here, and she realised just how much she had missed being a part of the Wizarding world.

Albus met her at the top of the main staircase.

"Hello, my dear," he said, kissing Minerva lightly on the lips. He extended his arm, and Minerva linked hers through his, smiling up at him. He led her to his chambers, and they settled themselves in his parlour.

"I want us to move here with you," Minerva said.

Albus smiled broadly. "I want you two to move here, too," he said, beaming at her. "I want us to be a family. Can you move in tonight?" he asked her excitedly.

"Yes," she said, smiling as he took her hand and kissed it. "I love you, Albus," she said.

"And I love you, Minerva," he replied. "I love you."

He began kissing her, pulling her towards him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kisses. He pulled her robes away from her body and began kissing her bare skin.

"I love you so much, Albus," she whispered, moaning as he completely disrobed her and began fondling her breasts. She did the same, pushing his robes off his shoulders, and began to stroke his bare chest.

"Minerva..." he groaned as she flicked his beard over his shoulder and trailed one hand down to his erection, stroking it lightly. "Oh, Minerva..."

She pushed him back against the couch and straddled him. He gripped her hips tightly and pulled her down on top of him. Placing her hands on his chest, she began to rise and fall on top of him.

"Oh God, Albus, Albus, Albus!" she cried as she began to come.

"Minerva!" he cried out as he pulled her down on top of him one more time. She collapsed on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him.

"I love you, Albus," she whispered.

"And I love you, Minerva," he replied. "I love you."