When he reached her door, he knocked gently.  The door stood ajar, but he couldn't take the chance of catching her off guard.  He peered inside and saw her in her chair near the window, head in her dainty hands.  She was sobbing.  Large, heavy tears fell from her eyes and joined a gathering puddle before her feet.  He wondered how long she had been crying. 

            "Minerva?" he said as he ventured into the room.  Her gaze snapped up, surprised to see him there.

            "Albus!  I-I didn't s-see you come in!" she said, attempting to wipe her eyes with her hands. Dumbledore produced a handkerchief from his robes and handed it to her as he sat down beside her. 

            "You know, I was remarking to a gray cat last night, that was having some trouble sorting out my feelings for someone," he said gently. 

            "Albus, I'm afraid I haven't been very up front with you," she whimpered, trying to head him off.  Albus simply continued as if she hadn't said a word, "Oh, yes you were.  You were there when I needed you.  Albeit, you were a bit sneakier than I expected,"  She laughed a bit at this.  She looked up at him and his smile lit his face. 

            "Ah, yes.  Those *are* kitty's eyes," he said, using a finger to lift her chin, bringing her eyes to his.  His soft voice made her insides flutter as he looked intently at her. 

            "You do realize that I've never said anything like this to anyone," said Albus.  Minerva nodded, still sniffling back tears. 

            "I am so in love with you," he said softly, now lightly wiping the last tear from her porcelain cheek.  His tone was almost reverent.  He had leaned closer to her in the past few seconds and heard perfectly clearly when she found the courage to reply.

            "You had me from hello," she whispered, "I love you, too."  Carefully, she curled a finger into his beard and smiled.  Her eyes still glistened like sapphires as she looked at him, her heart beginning to pound.  Albus brought a hand up and cupped her face, gently guiding it to his.  Their lips met, and for a few moments, the world seemed to tip off its axis.  Slowly, Minerva leaned into this kiss, letting Albus pull her closer.  

            "Well, Deputy Headmistress, would you care to join me in a mug of hot chocolate?" Albus said, smiling as Minerva laughed. 

            "Why not?" she said, "But isn't it going to raise a bit of suspicion if the headmaster is seen sneaking about the castle at night with another professor?" As usual, Albus had a solution to this as well. 

            "Well then, turn yourself into a cat and I'll carry you down.  The students are all in bed, and any staff member still awake thinks that you are just an ordinary cat," he said.  Without any further objection, Minerva's shape melted into that of the gray tabby cat that Albus was used to spending his evenings with, and she leapt up into his arms, purring loudly. 

            After their milk and hot chocolate, Albus carried Minerva back upstairs with him.  Except this time, he didn't stop at her quarters.  He slipped down the opposite corridor and up the stone staircase with the gargoyle as he said "Fizzing Whizzbees".  Minerva meowed loudly in his arms.  Where did he think he was going?  Albus chuckled.  That night, the portraits in the headmaster's office all turned their backs or turned their chairs around.  They wanted nothing to do with what was going to happen in Dumbledore's living quarters as the cat he carried in the door with him stretched and grew into the emerald clad Professor McGonagall.

            The rest of the school year seemed to fly, and soon many of the teachers were packing to take their summer vacations.  Minerva was packing her lighter summer dresses and robes when there was a knock on her door. 

            "Minerva?" said a voice.  Minerva smiled and turned to face him. 

            "I've been expecting you," said Minerva, letting him pull her close. 

            "I've planned a trip to Italy for some much needed down time.  Would you care to join me, Professor McGonagall?" Albus teased.  Minerva smiled broadly. 

            That summer flew by.  Before Minerva knew what was happening, she was whisked away to Italy with Albus, traveling by train and sometimes on foot, going from one place to the other with the attitude that the adrenaline rush of adventure was driving the need for discovery. 

            The two discovered a church in Venice that took their breath away.  Minerva, do you think they still hold ceremonies in this church?" Albus asked. 

            "What are you thinking?" Minerva teased, squeezing his arm as they walked.  He turned to face her as they stood beneath a figure of Saint Joseph. 

            "Minerva, will you marry me?" he asked. 

            "Yes!" she cried.  She had not hesitated more than a second. 

            "Today?"

            "What?" she burst, "You can't possibly put a wedding together in less than a day!"

            "There's a first time for everything!" he said.  It was back: the adrenaline rush.  She readily fed it the fuel it wanted.

            "Let's do it!"

            Hours later, the two had located a minister, a dress and a tuxedo.

            "You planned this!" Minerva said as Albus got an owl back from a second fellow staff member who said that they could come to be a witness.

            "I did no such thing.  This is completely spontaneous," he insisted, popping another lemon drop into his mouth. 

            "Our parents won't even be here!" said Minerva, pinning her hair up.  She wouldn't let him see her dress until later. 

            "We'll take lots of pictures," Albus said, kissing her neck.  She smiled in excitement.  She couldn't believe that this was happening.  That evening, a minister joined them as man and wife in that unbelievable church in Venice, and Albus slid an emerald wedding ring onto her hand. 

            The rest of the summer melted into one adventure upon another.  Touring, getting lost in Paris, making love for the first time as man and wife in Madrid (they would have taken care of this delicate matter in Venice when they were married, but they were so excited that their marriage bed was the last thing on their mind at the time.) strolling through the country sides of Scotland, Minerva's homeland, and hunting for leprechauns in Ireland before returning to England and to Hogwart's, just in time for the beginning of the year preparations.  They had never been so happy. 

**Years and years later**

            Minerva McGonagall Dumbledore lay on her bed sobbing.  She wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation that she was in.  She was stretched out on her bed, a pillow beneath her to catch the tears.  In one hand she clutched her glasses, the other hand was wound around that of her old school mate, Helen Hooch.  Near Helen was another of her friends from school, Stella Sprout.  Even Sibyll Trelawney had come and for once, was scrupulously silent. 

            "And I just don't know how much more of this I can take!" Minerva wept.  Her friends were flabbergasted.  They had had no idea that Albus and Minerva were married in the first place.  They had kept it a secret for so long that all the original staff from that time had gone, and now they were putting two and two together: Minerva's emerald ring, Albus and Minerva sneaking off to spend time together or tiptoeing about at night.  It all made sense now. 

            "We always made such a perfect team.  But I feel like I'm always the one who has to be serious.  I get to come down with the heavy hand when he decides he doesn't want to deal with something or someone.  I'm always made out to be the wicked witch!" Minerva sobbed, "I just wish that for once he would take responsibility for something.  When he decides to have fun, I'm the one who's left to clean up after it!" 

            "I still can't believe that you two eloped and have kept it secret all this time!" said Professor Sprout, scooting her chair closer to the bed.  Minerva collapsed into tears again and Madam Hooch, seated on the floor, got closer and squeezed Minerva's hand.  Professor Trelawney, who sat beside Minerva on the other side of the bed, wrapped her hand around Minerva's shoulder. 

            "I shouldn't have kept it from you, girls, I really shouldn't have…can you ever forgive me?" Minerva wept.  All present company nodded. 

            "Min, can I get you a glass of water, dear?" Sprout asked, "You'll have hiccups until next week if you keep that up."  Minerva shook her head. 

            "Stella, my marriage is over, the last thing I would like is water!" she whimpered, "I just can't keep from thinking that somehow this is all my fault!"  

            Outside the door, there was another audience completely.  Argus Filch, the groundskeeper, stood with his ear against the door.  His rumpled, pock-marked face soaked in tears.  He was having a hard time of wiping tears from his eyes and keeping a hold of Mrs. Norris, his precious cat and only companion.  Fed up, the cat jumped down from his arms and stood at his feet, meowing angrily as he blew his nose on his dingy handkerchief.  Beside him, bracing himself on the wall for support and sobbing just as hard, was Severus Snape.  Even the cold, pale potions master couldn't muster the guts to not cry at such a speech. 

            "Oh, Minerva!" Snape muttered to no one in particular, "This couldn't possibly be your fault!" Filch nodded in agreement.  Nearby, Nearly-Headless Nick floated inches off the ground.  He too was sobbing uncontrollably.  He wanted desperately to go right ahead and pass through the wall and comfort Minerva, but Snape threatened to report him to the Bloody Baron if he did.  So instead, there he stood, a translucent puddle of tears gathering on the floor below him.  Between them, only tall enough to see through the keyhole, was Professor Flitwick, who could barely keep his squat form from falling over.  He sneezed rather easily when he was upset.  Every so often, Snape would conjure a new box of tissues and place it between them.  Snape now had to sit down on the floor.  The misery was just too much. 

            Walking by on her way for a walk on her break, Madam Pomfrey saw the commotion going on near McGonagall's quarters and stopped in curiosity. 

            "What in heaven's name?" she demanded. 

            "Poppy, you have to see if Minerva is all right.  Perhaps she needs one of your happiness potions or something…" sobbed Snape.  Pomfrey looked about her in confusion.  What sort of condition could make four grown men cry? 

            "You can't tell her we're out here!" snarled Filch, holding Pomfrey's arm.  Mystified, Poppy pulled her arm free and knocked before coming inside.  She caught sight of the scene around Minerva's bed and couldn't help the déjà vu.  This reminded her of a scene from when they had all been girls.  Minerva had tried to ask out a dashing fifth year boy in Ravenclaw and he had turned her down flat.  She wouldn't eat for days and cried for a week.  Poppy approached the group and they told her the story.  It was the hardest thing in the world for Poppy to keep from telling them that they had a whole other audience out in the hall.  In the next room, listening with a pair of the Weasley's extendable ears, was Albus Dumbledore.  Part of him was still furious with Minerva.  Their last fight sent them both away in tears.  He knew full well that half of the staff was outside Minerva's room listening to the conversation and the other half was actually inside the room, comforting his wife.  Part of him was still fuming with anger.  How dare she make such accusations?  He never once made her out to be such a terrible person, and since when did he ever dodge responsibility when it called?  He had half a mind to go in there and straighten her out right now. 

            Outside the room, Professor Snape knew that Albus was listening.  He knew Albus too well to think that he would be doing anything other than that. Snape pulled open the door to the room, the other staff members hot on his heels and confronted Albus. 

            "You have to go in there and say something to her," said Filch. 

            "How can you take her side in this?  She blubbers on in nonsense and everyone falls at her feet!" Albus bellowed.

            "Shhh!  They'll hear you!  Now, Albus, let's be men about this," said Snape, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes. 

            "With all due respect, Severus, you are the last one to be talking about handling things like a man right now," Albus said.  He immediately regretted saying it.  It was out of character for him to say things like that. 

            In Minerva's room, Madam Hooch was dabbing Minerva's eyes for her. 

            "Min, do you love Albus?" she asked gently.

            "Of course I do!  I couldn't love anyone like I love him!" Minerva replied. 

            "Then why don't you let him know?" said Trelawney, coaxing an errant strand of Minerva's hair back into place. 

            "He's avoiding me.  He's treating me like we never fell in love," Minerva replied.  The other women couldn't resist it anymore.  Poppy sank to the edge of the bed and draped an arm over Minerva herself, shedding tears of sadness over her poor friend just like all the rest. 

            "I'm surprised that the two of you never had children in all these years!" said Professor Sprout. 

            "We always wanted to.  I—I was pregnant once, but I miscarried very early.  Albus never knew.  No one did," Minerva said softly, tears falling again.  A hush fell over the room. 

            "To tell you the truth, I've felt that same queer sort of sickness for the last two weeks, but I haven't…" Minerva was interrupted by an avalanche of her friends.  Madam Pomfrey shooed them all out into Minerva's office while she took advantage of her nursing skills to determine the truth.  It wasn't long before the waiting group in the office heard ecstatic laughter and squeals of excitement. The women burst back into the room in time to hear Madam Pomfrey cry, "Oh, Min!  You're pregnant!!  You're having a baby!" 

            "But Minerva loves you!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, "You heard her say so just now!"

            "It's highly inappropriate for staff to be spying on administration," Albus retorted.

            "It's bad enough that administration are keeping things from the staff if you want to get that technical," said Filch, "You married Minerva all those years ago and never told us!"

            "It was no one's business but ours!" Albus pleaded.

            "We could have been more understanding in scheduling matters if we had known!" snapped Professor Snape.  Albus collapsed into a chair.  He knew that they were right.  He loved Minerva and that was that.  But how to tell her after he had been so awful to her?

            "Well, are ya gonna tell 'er or not?" sniffled Hagrid, nearly breaking one of the large stone benches in the corridor.  He, too had been sobbing along side Nearly-Headless Nick, and a puddle twice the size of Nick's flooded the floor.  The staff had a tradition of awarding comical awards at the end of the year staff meeting, and one year, Hagrid had won the "Moaning-Myrtle Award" for the best crying fit.  He had nearly flooded his own hut when he discovered a dead bunny in the courtyard that had been attacked by a fox.  Professor McGonagall had been correcting papers beneath a shady oak tree and had to move when the stream of salty tears had reached her and nearly ruined one of her favorite skirts. 

            "Yer goin' in there if I gotta drag ya," said Hagrid to Albus.  When Albus only removed his hat and ran his hands through his hair, Hagrid got to his feet.

            "I WON' LET YA BREAK THA' WOMAN'S HEART!" Hagrid screamed.  The other male staff members rushed to Hagrid and patted his back and took hold of his arms in an attempt to calm him but they all knew that it any resistance was futile once Hagrid was angry. 

            "SHE'S LOVED YA EVER' DAY EVER SINCE SHE GOT HERE AN' ALL YA CAN DO IS SIT THERE AND FEEL SORRY FOR YERSELF!" Hagrid ranted. 

            By now, all of the women were sitting up and listening with wonder in the next room.  Hagrid was rarely so upset, and he was clearly talking about Minerva. 

            "Have they been listening all this time?" Madam Hooch whispered. 

            "I'm afraid that they have…" said Madam Pomfrey.  All present looked at the nurse.  She blushed crimson red and smiled, "You've had quite a captive audience, Minerva McGonagall…or is it Dumbledore?"

            "Define captive," said Madam Hooch.

            "Every man on staff and one ghost is out there at this very minute hanging on Minerva's every word and sobbing!" said Madam Pomfrey. 

            "Is that what's got Hagrid in such a state?" asked Professor Sprout.  Pomfrey nodded. 

            "Well, someone's got to bring this scene together," said Madam Hooch, lifting herself up off the floor. 

            "Helen, no!" Minerva cried but it was too late, she was out the door and in the next, returning with the rest of the staff, Hagrid dragging Professor Dumbledore by the collar of his red dress robes. 

            Silence.  Not a word. 

            Man and wife stood looking at each other with their staff members behind them like some human barrier meant to force them to work this out.  Finally, through a shimmering film of tears, Minerva spoke, "I miss you." Albus chocked on his own feelings. 

            "I've never felt so alone as I have that past weeks," he said. 

            "I miss working late nights and falling asleep with you," Minerva said.

            "I miss having hot chocolate and watching the snow fall with you," Albus replied, fighting tears. 

            "I miss getting lost in Paris with you," Minerva said, laughing a bit.

            "I miss the way you looked standing on a hill in Scotland," Albus said, his voice softening.

            "I miss breaking the law in Spain with you," said Albus, he and Minerva exchanging embarrassed laughter.  The other staff members exchanged looks of confusion.  Broke the law?  On second thought…they didn't want to know.

            "So where does this leave us, Minerva?" Albus said, suddenly looking serious.  He ran a hand over Minerva's cheek, his blue eyes glinting with sincerity. 

            "At the beginning?"  Minerva offered.  Albus' head gained a curious tilt. 

            "The beginning?" he asked.  She took his hand and placed it on her middle. 

            "Yes," she said, "At the beginning," Sudden realization send his thoughts reeling. 

            "Is it true?  Are we really?" he stammered.  She nodded, crying once again.  Shock melted into happiness as he laughed and swept Minerva into his arms.  The staff cheered.  Things at Hogwart's were on their way back to normal.  At least for a while…

The End