Disclaimer: We would like this to stay a splinch-free zone so please remember that the world, life and characters of Harry Potter belong solely to JKR. We are merely borrowing them to satisfy the muse that guides us.

Beware-If flames are sent our floo powder is ready.

~~A Glorious Wedding Day~~

Weeks and weeks of preparations had finally culminated in this one supreme day. While Minerva had overseen the details for their small reception and a few other minor details, Albus had insisted on making the arrangements and decorations for the location of the ceremony. After several scolding words and a great deal of advice from Minerva on what she did not want to see as she walked down the aisle, she had agreed to let him have control of the ceremony itself. He promised to keep it tasteful and beautiful, but that was all he would tell her. She would have to wait until her wedding day for more information.

The morning sun welcomed the bright June day with radiant beauty. Feeling more excited than he could ever remember, Albus quickly rose and downed a small breakfast in his chambers before setting on his journey. He had a great deal of work to do this particular morning, plus he must allow himself time to prepare for the big event. If he was late for their nuptials, he was sure Minerva would hex him!

Silently making his way across the grounds of Hogwarts, Albus could not help but take in the absolute wonder of the day. The birds were chirping happily, the sky was the most spectacular shade of pale blue, large fluffy clouds were lazily floating across the sky, the grass was a sea of emeralds…it was the perfect day for a wedding. But not just any wedding…his wedding to the woman of his dreams…the woman who had stolen his heart. Those types of thoughts spurred him towards finishing his task with the utmost care. He wanted everything to be perfect for Minerva and time was not on his side.

Upon reaching the prickly thorn bush, where they had first learned of their connection to Godric and Rowena, he sighed in contentment. In his heart, he knew that this was the ideal spot. Quietly speaking the incantation, the plant again transfigured into the stunning sight he had witnessed with Minerva. This time, however, the tree was in full bloom and the flowers seemed to display more dazzling colors than before. Taking a moment to relish in the beauty before him, he smiled and noticed that Fawkes had come to offer assistance.

"My dear Fawkes, this has to be the happiest day of my life. I trust that you are ready for the event and that you understand your duties?" Singing a perfect note of assurance, Albus nodded and tossed a treat into the air for his familiar, then set about to finish the task at hand. It wasn't long before he had created a masterpiece.

The tree had cooperated and was shining brighter than the sun, complete with the multi colored leaves. Once again, he had transfigured a small, white wooden bridge that arched over the multitude of flowers surrounding the tree. At the base of the golden trunk, a carpet of pure white silk had been gently placed. Albus could picture them standing before Armando Dippet and the butterflies began to swarm in his stomach.

A few seats had been conjured for their guests and an aisle made of the most delicate red and white rose petals created a pathway between the chairs. Upon first glance, the petals resembled colored bits of glass that had been crafted into a stone walkway.

Spaced evenly along the pathway were several lanterns. Since the wedding was scheduled to take place at twilight, when the sky was at its' most dramatic, Albus knew that a little extra lighting would be required. Conjuring the ornate fixtures had not been a difficult task. The truly hard part was in creating shimmering lights to flutter about inside them to resemble the lightning bugs Minerva loved so much. Sitting down in one of the chairs, Albus surveyed his work and seemed pleased. He could picture his bride, as she slowly made her way to him. It wasn't until a trill from Fawkes snapped him from the daydream that he realized the time. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was well past noon, and if he didn't hurry, he would be in serious trouble with his wife to be and the small wedding party.

Inside the castle, Minerva McGonagall was attempting to control her nerves. She knew that Albus was the man of her dreams and that by nightfall she would be his forever, but that did nothing to help her frazzled state. She silently worried that things would go wrong or that something important had been forgotten. When her mother came into the bedroom to help her dress, she found one very uptight young woman.

"My dear, whatever is the matter? You should be a bundle of pride, joy and laughter …not a bunch of nerves."

"Mother, please. I am perfectly fine. I have just got a lot on my mind at the moment. This is the most important day of my life and I want it to be perfect."

Athena crossed the room and pulled her daughter in a tight hug. After releasing her, she motioned for Minerva to sit down on the couch and close her eyes. "Listen to me, my dear. I want you to visualize what I am about to say to you. Do not speak a word until I ask you to do so. Just think of the things I say. Do you understand?" Without a word, Minerva nodded and her mother began.

"Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Now, picture Albus' face in your mind. Do you have that image?" Assuring her that she had done as requested, the older woman continued. "Now, tell me…what is the one feature that you love the most?"

It took almost no time at all for Minerva to respond to the question. "Oh mother, it has to be those caring, twinkling, crystal blue eyes." A smile curled upon her pink lips as she started to speak again. However, her mother intervened before another syllable escaped.

"Think of your first official date. Remember how you felt when he finally kissed you? Try to relive that moment in your mind." Athena could tell by the blush in her daughter's cheeks that it must have been a powerful kiss since the memory had caused such a strong reaction. Suppressing a quiet giggle of her own, she continued.

"Now think of the moment he asked you to marry him…and all the wonderful days since." Taking a minute to let the flood of images run through Minerva's mind, she ended the activity. "My dear, now how do you feel about your wedding?"

Gracefully rising from her seat on the couch, Minerva turned to pull her mother into a loving embrace. Tears streamed down their faces as Minerva assured her mother that her butterflies were gone and that she had never been more certain of her love for Albus and his love for her. With that declaration, the two began the hustle and bustle of dressing for the day. But the quiet moments were not to last long.

"Mervie, ole girl…it's about bloody time you finally took the plunge and made an honest man out of him!" An exasperated sigh flowed from Minerva's body as she welcomed her best friend and bridesmaid, Xiomara Hooch.

"I will have you know that he is already an honest man and I fully intend to spend the rest of my days with him." It was a good thing that Hooch was standing so close to Minerva or she might have missed the two mumbled words… "and nights…" A fit of laughter overtook them and Athena left them to their own devices while she went to check on Harold.

"Really Minerva, I am so happy for you both. You deserve true happiness and I think you will have many wonderful years together. Just don't forget about me. And for Merlin's sake, you must owl me after your honeymoon with all of the juicy details!" A proper scolding and a playful slap on the arm was the only response she received to her comments but that was enough. The two hurriedly dressed and before long, Minerva was greeting her father on the outside steps of Hogwarts.

As per Albus' detailed request, Minerva had assembled with her mom, dad, and Hooch and anxiously awaited her next instructions. She didn't have to wait long before the beautiful red and gold phoenix appeared clutching an elegant looking piece of parchment bearing Albus' neat but flamboyant handwriting. Releasing the note from his leg, Minerva began to read aloud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My love, it is time. Please meet me where the sun and moon pale in comparison to thee. Meet me at our sacred tree where I shall pledge myself to you and you to me. I have taken the liberty of assembling our other guests and we joyfully await your arrival.

All my love~

Albus

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Confused looks graced the features of everyone but Minerva. A single tear was tracing a path down her cheek as she briefly explained about the tree planted by Godric for Rowena and how the bark from that same tree was used to create special wands for them. She went on to explain that somehow, she and Albus had obtained wands made from the same tree bark, how rare they were, and that they were connected both by their wands and a binding love.

As she looked around, she noticed that Fawkes was circling overhead, to lead them to the spot where the incantation should be spoken. Taking her father's arm, the group made their way across the grounds and stood in amazement as Minerva recited the incantation to reveal the most unbelievable sight.

As Athena and Hooch made their way down the rose covered path, Albus could feel his heart beating hard in his chest. A steadying hand from Aberforth on his shoulder helped Albus control the rising tide of emotions as he nervously waited for a glimpse of Minerva. Taking her place at the altar with the groom, Hooch winked causing Albus to relax slightly. Looking at their guests, which consisted of the wedding party, the Flamels and Hagrid, he realized that before long they would be the only witnesses to the single most important event in his life and that he was thankful for such wonderful friends. His musings, however, were cut short by the arrival of Fawkes at the head of the newly created walkway, announcing the arrival of Minerva and her father.

At the first sight of Minerva, Albus lost his breath. She was the most stunning woman he had ever encountered. Her long, dark hair had been carefully arranged into an intricate design pulled to the back of her head and a flowing curl on either side of her face was lightly touching her cheeks. A simple golden crown on top of her head held her veil in place, as it floated carefree down her back. Her face was glowing and the last rays of the sun lightly caressed her features, adding to her beauty. He had never seen her look more lovely or happy.

Minerva had chosen to wear her mother's wedding gown and it looked as new as the day it was purchased. It was made of the purest white satin and hundreds of tiny pearls had been woven into the fabric, creating the slightest hint of a design. The dress was a perfect fit and seemed to accentuate every delicate curve of Minerva's body while the off the shoulder neckline allowed onlookers a glimpse at her creamy complexion. In her dainty hands, she held a small bouquet of flowers, a mixture of roses and lilies and in the center of the bouquet was the pendant that had once been her engagement ring.

Before he had time to catch his breath, Albus was standing face to face with the most astonishing woman he had ever seen. A quiet moment passed between them, as they looked deep into each other's eyes. Before turning to walk hand and hand across the wooden bridge towards Armando Dippet, Minerva was kissed on the cheek by her father and Albus was given a small piece of advice from Harold. "Love her forever, protect her as a treasure and make her happy." And with that, he joined Athena as the ceremony began.

"It is my great honor and privilege to join you two in the bonds of matrimony. Before all that is sacred and your chosen witnesses, you must now pledge yourselves to a new life and an undying love. Albus, please make your vow to Minerva."

As he took both of her hands in his, Albus raised each one to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon them. "Minerva, with all of my heart and soul, I pledge to you my undying love. I stand before you today as the man who wants to make you happy for as long as we both draw breath. I vow to love you and cherish you above all others, keeping you first and foremost in my heart and mind. I love you."

Turning to Minerva, Armando requested the same vow be made of her. "Albus, with all of my heart and soul, I pledge to you my undying love. I stand before you today as the woman who wants to make you happy for as long as we both draw breath. I vow to love you and cherish you above all others, keeping you first and foremost in my heart and mind. I love you."

With those simple declarations and an ancient binding spell cast by Armando, Albus and Minerva were joined in the bonds of wedded bliss. "Albus, you may now kiss Mrs. Dumbledore."

For weeks, Minerva had forced Albus to practice their first kiss as husband and wife. He told her it was a terrible burden but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make to keep her happy. She had wanted it to be a simple touching of the lips, nothing too involved but each time they had tried that approach, Albus always seemed to deepen the kiss causing a flustered Minerva to demand that they "try again." Much to his delight!

As her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him close, all those weeks of practicing the perfect kiss fluttered out of her mind. As he gently pressed his mouth to hers, he was a bit surprised at the intensity of her kiss but he was never one to complain. Taking his cue from his new wife, Albus tightly hugged her body to his as his warm tongue entered her moist mouth in soft exploration. A small sigh hung in the back of her throat as she relished the sensation of his lips on hers and for an instant, they were lost in the moment. There were no rushed movements only the sweet feeling of excitement. When their lips reluctantly parted, Albus leaned closely to her ear and whispered that he was certainly glad that all those weeks of practice had been beneficial.

Just then, the tree seemed to bless their union as a shower of glittering gold flecks, resembling snowflakes, reigned down upon them. Looking towards the tree, an unfamiliar bit of parchment was glowing beside the one for Godric and Rowena. Nearing the tree, Albus and Minerva realized that the note was for them and together they read the words.

Where there were two, now stands just one

And never far apart

You've bound your lives by vows you've made

And the love within your heart

Through the laughter and the tears

Through sunshine and through rain

Always hold your true love's hand

And remember this refrain

When dark clouds are upon you

And life is more than you can bear

Seek solace in this secret place

Where hope repels despair

Hold each other daily

Bask in my golden glow

I'll guard your secret through the years

While I watch your deep love grow.

Albus & Minerva Dumbledore ~ June 25, 1960

The newly married couple turned to each other and their eyes locked. There were no words to describe the cascade of emotions passing between them. The guests looked on in amazement and wonder as the newlyweds removed their wands and touched the tree. A brilliant light surged between the tips of their wands and the golden trunk until the couple was completely engulfed in a halo of white and a single beam of blue light connected their wands. When the spell had ended, more flowers began to bloom and new leaves graced the sturdy limbs as a flock of doves took roost in the topmost branches. Feeling that they had been truly blessed, they thanked the tree for its gift before starting their new life together.

Finite

A/N: Wow! Writing this story has been a ton of fun for us and you have helped make it that way. Thanks to your reviews, we were encouraged to take this story farther than we had originally planned. Also, we sincerely appreciate each and every one of you for taking time to stick with us to the end. But this really isn't the end. We have a sequel planned for Worthy Undertakings so look for it in the future.

At the moment, we're working on another piece that takes a different approach to Albus and Minerva's meeting and falling in love in addition to several one-shots. And Ang has started writing a story with Minerva's Quill, which will be posted sometime in the near future. Again, thank you for making this so much fun and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on our upcoming endeavors. THANKS!