Her Heart Decides

Storming into Conall's office, Minerva made no attempt to hide her outrage as she slammed the door and yelled the silencing charm through her clenched teeth. "How in the name of Merlin can you justify what just happened in there? Albus had clearly called a truce to the mock duel and yet you intentionally fired one more curse at his back! HIS BACK, Conall! You should consider yourself lucky that it appears he has only been knocked unconscious and should be well soon or else I shudder to think of the ramifications of your grievous lack of judgment! And the more serious matter at hand is that you willfully endangered the lives of every single student in the room with your antics! Did you ever stop to think that you could have permanently injured one of them…or worse?"

Fearing her wrath but still desiring to win her heart, he took several bold steps towards her with outstretched arms. But before he could place the first finger against her robes, he was met with a frosty glare and a demand for answers.

"Surely you do not think that I did that on purpose, Minerva. He called the cease-fire at the same time I cast my spell. And are you honestly going to blame me for a spell that went astray? It was an accident. And unfortunate accident!" He had hoped that she would be swayed into believing it was an ill-fated blow but as she continued to stare at him with pursed lips, cold eyes, and a rigid, slender frame, he had to admit defeat. Maybe if he confessed all to her, he might still have a chance. It was a risk he was willing to take!

"Fine Minerva. I admit it! I did cast that spell on purpose. I wanted to get back at him for all of the things he has done to you. All of the neglect, the hurt, the way he pushes you aside and draws you near at his fancy. I am in love with you, if you haven't already guessed, and it pains me to see you toyed with that way. I thought that by showing you how powerful I am and how well I can protect you that you might learn to love me. That's all I've ever wanted, my dear. And I would never harm a hair on any of our students' heads. I never meant for the spell to hit anyone but Albus."

"Do not EVER call me 'my dear' for as long as you live! There is only one man in this world that has the right to use that phrase with me and you have seen to it that he's in the hospital wing at this very moment!" No longer willing to control her anger, she continued her tirade. "Furthermore, I have never loved Albus for his powers or protection. My feelings for him run too deep for you to understand. I doubt that your sinister heart could even begin to comprehend them. I am sorry I wasted so much of my precious time with you! You have been deceitful and have proven yourself untrustworthy."

As he reached out to touch her arm, Minerva dared him with her body language to move any closer. "As Deputy Headmistress I am demanding your resignation immediately! You may site any reason you deem appropriate, with my approval of course, and I expect it to be on my desk within the half hour. Within the hour, you are to have yourself and all of your belongings removed from these grounds. Do I make myself clear?"

He tried to reason with her, tried to make her understand but she was firm in her directions. "I will inform Albus as to the true nature of the events as well as the terms of your removal from the property. I suggest you begin packing, Professor MacGregor. The clock is ticking." Those were the last words he ever heard her utter to him and in one brief speck of time he had managed to lose his heart, his love, and his job. All that was left to do was write a formal letter of resignation and pack his personal items.

Her long walk back to the infirmary gave her time to collect her thoughts and cool her flaming temper. When she stepped through the hospital doors, the medi-witch made sure that Minerva was calm and collected before allowing her to see the patient. After assuring the Deputy Headmistress that Albus was indeed merely knocked unconscious, she heard Minerva utter a word of praise and thanks to the forces that had protected him.

"How long will it be before he wakes?" Minerva had already decided that no matter what the healer said, she was not going to leave his side until he knew that she was there and that the appropriate actions had been taken to ensure the safety of the children.

"I have cast a rather complicated spell on him that will allow his body time to heal and leave him with no pain once he wakes. But he needs to be monitored so that he doesn't try to move around too much. If that wasn't the case, I would allow him to be transported to his own rooms, where I am sure he would be more comfortable."

"I will take full responsibility for monitoring his care. I will levitate him to his own rooms and stay with him until he is able to visit you tomorrow. Will that be acceptable?" Making certain that she fully understood her orders, the medi-witch released Albus into Minerva's capable care.

Once inside his bedchamber, Minerva wasted no time in transfiguring his day robes into suitable nightwear, removing his half moon spectacles from his face and tucking him snugly into his warm bed. Then she pulled up a chair and made herself comfortable for the long night ahead. As she watched the slow rise and fall of his chest and the peaceful expression that blanketed his face, she found herself thinking back over all of their years together. And one single thought came crashing to the surface…I can never love another the way I love him. He is my all in this world. Slowly her eyelids closed in sleep and she dreamed of the night they had watched the sunset beyond the mountains.

The next morning when he awoke, Albus was lying in his own bed in the darkened room. He tried to remember what event had led to his sudden headache and then it all came flooding back to him. He remembered dueling with the professor and then as a truce was called he saw a beam of light headed towards a young second year. He dove to shield the child and then his world went black. But a soft hand brushing across his forehead broke into his musings.

"Minerva?" Assuring him that indeed she was there in the flesh, she carefully situated his glasses on his nose and tenderly swept the hair back from his face, feeling a spark of electricity pass between them as their skin touched. When he began questioning her about the incident, she proceeded to answer all of his questions openly and honestly. It seems that Albus was not surprised to learn of Conall's ultimate desire to have Minerva for his own. Yet he was upset to learn at what extent it has almost cost them. If he had not acted as a human shield for the student, she would have been hit in the chest with more powers than her body could have handled. But one lingering thought escaped his lips.

"Why would he attack me if he wanted you, Minerva? I have never made any outward claim on your heart." Albus looked saddened as he admitted the one thing that caused him the most grief. Yet somehow he felt relieved to finally admit that maybe there was more to his feelings than a deep sense of companionship.

"You see, Albus he thought that by proving to me how powerful and protective he could be, that I would forget all about you and fall into his arms. He never really understood me at all, I suppose and as I told you earlier, I have seen to it that he has been removed from the school." Casting her eyes downward, she stared at her delicate hands now folded in her lap and debated on whether or not to share her own feelings with him. In the end, she never had the chance to do so because he began to speak first.

"My dear, I am sorry that you have had to go through such an ordeal and I am sure that you must be hurting. If there is anything at all I can do for you, all you have to do is ask and it shall be done." Her eyes sprang to life as he called her 'my dear'. It was at that moment that she found the courage to pour out her heart and soul to the man who had always occupied her deepest thoughts.

"When you were injured, I rushed to your side and it was then that I realized how my life would be if something were to happen and you never knew how I felt. That's when I decided in my heart to tell you everything and take a chance on rejection." With a steadying breath, she uttered the words they had both longed to hear and say. "I am in love with you and I believe I always have been."

Reaching out to her, Albus was pleased when she accepted his outstretched hand within her own. "Minerva, I have loved you from afar since the moment you stepped back into Hogwarts after your graduation and I cannot imagine my life without you. When you started spending more and more of your time with Conall, I became upset, jealous even. I felt as if I were losing you before I had a chance to love you. I know that it would've been my own fault if you had fallen in love with another but never did I realize how deep my feelings actually are for you until I too was faced with the possibility of never having told you how I feel!"

With open arms, Albus eagerly waited for a response. In a mere second, Minerva had risen from her chair and fallen into his warm embrace as they clung tightly to the other. Albus soothingly rocked her back and forth, longingly rubbing his hands up and down her back while tears of joy flowed freely from their eyes. Pulling back slightly, their eyes locked and once again, everything around them faded away.

As he tenderly cupped her cheek within his large hand, she could not hide the pleasure she felt with his every touch. Leaning into his embrace, she closed her eyes and inhaled his familiar scent. Delicately, his thumb traced the path of her high cheekbone, sending her senses into an upward spiral. In a voice, barely above a whisper Albus posed a simple question. "My dear, is this what you truly want…us…me?" He didn't have to wait long for her soft voice to caress his ears with her response.

Taking his face with her hands, she traced his mouth with her elegant finger before lowering her head to his. "My sweet I have fantasized about this for so many years. Please make my fantasies a reality." As she playfully rubbed her nose against his in a seductive way, he felt every word she spoke as her breath landed warmly on his face.

While he began to explore the curves of her body hidden beneath emerald green robes, ever so slowly their faces inched closer and closer together. With their lips almost touching Albus softly whispered that he had often dreamed of giving her a proper kiss and she responded with desires of her own. As if in slow motion they both moved to close the remaining distance separating them.

At first their lips barely touched. Albus teasingly pulled at her lower lip with his own mouth and relished her strawberry sweet taste as she stifled a low moan of pleasure. Feeling more confidant with his every touch, Minerva began to lightly caress the back of his neck with her fingertips, causing waves of desire to crash inside him as her tongue skillfully embraced his in a sensual battle. Moments passed unnoticed as they allowed decades of love to pour from their souls until the desire became almost too wonderful to bear. Reluctantly, they broke apart and made futile attempts to control their ragged breathing and racing hearts.

Sunlight streamed in through the window and Albus had never been more certain of his love for her. Her face was painted with an attractive pink flush, her eyes sparkled with longing and desire, her long hair was mussed and yet she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Deftly, his hands removed the pins confining the remaining locks of her hair, allowing it to cascade freely about them. Running his hands through the silky locks, she stifled a long sigh and snuggled close to him, planting heated caresses about his neck.

Now nestled safely in his arms, Minerva ran her long fingers through his hair while he gently held her closer than he ever dared dream. Long passionate kisses were interrupted briefly for whispered words of need and longing as the day slowly slipped away. They remained snugly wrapped in the arms of the other until they were completely exhausted and content.

Suddenly, Minerva remembered her promise to the healer that had allowed her to bring Albus to his own rooms. After they were robed again, she accompanied him to the infirmary where he received a clean bill of health, although the healer was puzzled at several odd red markings found on his back. Smiling knowingly at each other, he professed ignorance of the cause and chalked it up to a reaction to something new having been introduced to his system. "I assure you that I have felt nothing less than sheer bliss since waking this morning." With Minerva by his side, Albus walked from the infirmary with a new spring in his step.

"You certainly are a creative liar, Albus. Reaction to something new to your system! Honestly, you never cease to amaze me." Looping her arm through his, she allowed him to lead her out onto the grounds as the sun began its' nightly duty and disappeared. "By the way, my love, I am sorry for the markings on your back. I suppose I got carried away and didn't realize…"

"Minerva, my life and love, there is no need for apologies. I enjoyed bringing you to such abandonment and pleasure and I look forward to our future adventures. I would not change a single moment of our time together. It was beyond my wildest dreams. Let's just be thankful she didn't see the revealing signs of our love on your body. Now, my dear, would you care to join me in a picnic as we watch the sun fade and the moon rise?" Placing a delicate kiss on his cheek, she whispered that nothing would please her more.

Later that evening, as the stars shone brightly overhead, Albus and Minerva walked hand and hand around the lake. As the moonlight shimmered brightly across the water, they remarked on the romantic scene before them. It was so surreal and neither wanted to waste another minute. Quietly, Albus transfigured a bunch of wildflowers into a brightly colored blanket and conjured two mugs of hot chocolate. As they settled down on the comfortable blanket, he took Minerva in his arms and kissed her soundly. All the passion he had been holding deep within his heart poured onto her lips for the hundredth time that day and she responded with her own desires and longings. As the night wore on, the two lay in each other's arms, kissing …touching…loving…laughing with a new hope for tomorrow.

Finite

A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review this story! We are pleased that you enjoyed it. Hope you'll continue to read our other stories and we've got several more in the works so be on the lookout for those!