Jun-55

Chapter Thirteen: June 1955

A year later, the custody case was finally coming to an end as the Minister of Magic, Kermit Gamp, banged down the gavel.

“Custody of the child is granted to Colleen Longbottom Travers,” he declared.

Albus glared at Colleen, who stood with Albert, her arm possessively draped around her son’s shoulders. He walked over to Albert, and, bending down, extended his arms. Albert stepped into them, crying.

“Goodbye, Albert,” Albus said, wiping away a few stray tears.

“Goodbye, Daddy,” Albert said, sobbing.

Colleen pulled her son out of Albus’s embrace.

“Goodbye, Albus,” Colleen said, a gloating smile on her face.

“Goodbye, Colleen; goodbye, Albert,” Albus said. “I love you, Albert.”

“I love you, Daddy,” Albert replied as his mother pulled him away from the man he had thought was his father.

Albus stood there and watched as his son and his ex-wife Disapparated. After they had gone, Albus Flooed back to their living room at Hogwarts, where his wife and daughter were waiting for him.

“I lost the case,” Albus said sadly, tears still slipping down his face. He joined Minerva on the couch and rested his head against her shoulder.

“Oh, Albus,” Minerva sighed, stroking his hair lightly. She could feel his body shaking with sobs. Marlene looked at her parents before standing up and exiting the room quietly. Marlene went to her room and flopped down on the bed, crying.

She missed Albert – he had been her best friend. And now she would never see him again; well, until they started at Hogwarts. But that was a year away from now! Marlene had never been good at making friends, but she and Albert had been close from the moment they had met. Why did Colleen have to win the custody case? It was not fair – to Albert, to her, or to her father.

“Oh, Albus,” Minerva said, stroking his hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“I can’t believe I lost...” he said between tears.

“I know, darling,” she soothed him. “I am sorry.”

“Minerva, promise that you and Marlene will never leave me,” he begged her.

“I promise, Albus,” she said. “We’ll never leave you.”

“Thank you,” Albus said, his tears slowing a bit.

“Let’s go to bed, hmm?” she asked, and he raised his head, tears streaking his cheeks. He nodded, and she stood, extending her hand to help him up. He held her hand to her cheek for a moment, closing his eyes.

“I love you, Minerva,” he said.

“I love you, Albus,” she replied.

She led him into the bedroom, and he kicked off his shoes while she turned down the covers. Crawling between the sheets, he looked up at her.

“Go to sleep, Albus,” she said. “I’m just going to talk to Marlene; I’ll be back shortly.”

“All right, Min,” he said. He closed his eyes, and she kissed his forehead lightly before exiting the room.

She knocked lightly on Marlene’s door.

“Go away,” her daughter said.

“Marlene, I need to talk to you,” Minerva said.

“Fine,” Marlene replied.

Minerva opened the door and saw her daughter stretched out on her bed, tears in her eyes. Minerva sat down next to her and began to stroke her daughter’s hair.

“I’m so sorry, Marlene,” Minerva whispered, and Marlene began to sob in earnest, flinging herself into her mother’s arms. “Shh, darling, it’ll be all right,” she soothed her child, rubbing her back. They stayed there for quite a long time, until Marlene finally fell asleep. Minerva tucked her daughter in and, kissing her lightly on the forehead, went back to her bedroom, to check that her husband was still sleeping. He was, and she went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

Sitting down at the table, she sipped her tea, trying not to think about losing Albert. Colleen didn’t deserve such a wonderful son. Colleen was a horrible woman, and, though Minerva tried not to hate anyone, she made an exception for Colleen. She was a class-A bitch, and she had done her best to ruin their lives – and she had been quite successful in her attempts, too. But Minerva vowed, then and there, that she would do everything in her power to make sure that Colleen would never hurt them again.