Summary: Dumbledore's daughter – Aly's life including her best friend Lily, the impossible Marauder's, and her life with her father as headmaster.

Disclaimer: ok, we all know I don't any of the characters you recognize or any of the settings – they are J.K. Rowling's. I do claim Alyson though.

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Albus Dumbledore slowly opened the door to his office and Minerva McGonagall walked in. She couldn't read his face because of the dark shadows in the usually beautiful room.

"Albus, what's wrong?" she asked.

After a long pause, he said, "Patricia," he paused and took a breath, "Patricia," he paused again and with some difficulty continued, "Minerva, Patricia's dead."

Minerva's heart immediately went out to the tall man before her. She knew how much he loved his wife. She thought back over the course of their marriage. Patricia had been a student of Dumbledore's. Minerva remembered her very vividly: young, beautiful face, long, dark, curly hair and always covered with bruises when she came back from summer break. Patricia's father beat her and she had found comfort in her Transfiguration teacher. After she had graduated, she had come back to Dumbledore because the abuse had become too much. Eventually, they had fallen in love and even with the 40 years difference, they had wed. After 30 years of being happily married, with a cozy cottage in Hogsmeade (so Dumbledore could still teach and still be close to Patricia), Patricia decided that she needed more. She took a very big step and went to a muggle fertility clinic and was artificially inseminated. Now, it was nine months later and she was dead.

"How?" Minerva ventured.

"Complications," Dumbledore replied simply looking out a window aimlessly.

"And, well, and the baby?"

He turned slowly to look at her and a slight sparkle entered his eyes. He nodded toward his desk. On the beautiful mahogany sat a small bassinet. "Alyson Patricia," he said and a slight smile slipped onto his lips.

"Alison?"

"With a 'y'," he informed her. "Patricia wanted it with a 'y'."

Minerva nodded and slowly made her way over to the small bassinet and looked down at the small sleeping baby. She watched the rise and fall of her chest. Dumbledore turned back to the window and stared out it again.

After some time, the child stirred, but did not cry. She looked up at Minerva with large clear, blue eyes. Alyson waved her arms around and began to kick, but still she didn't cry.

"Um," Minerva started at Dumbledore. He turned slightly and she saw tear stains on his cheeks, so she picked up the baby and began to rock her.

"There, there, everything's going to be alright," she whispered soothingly to the baby.

"How can you say that to her?" Dumbledore started. He turned to face her, "You know it's not true. I can't even begin to understand why this happened." His voice was soft, but very flared none-the-less. "Nothing is going to be ok. I just got appointed headmaster. How can I possible take care of a child with all this stuff already on my plate?" He stopped and looked at Minerva as if daring her to give him an answer.

"Everything will be alright," she said forcefully, "Alyson has you, but most importantly, you have her. That's all you need. Trust me, Albus. Whether or not it seems like it now, when you need help through something Alyson will be the one to give it to you, no one else," she said. "She'll be there for you, now, you have to be there for her. She needs your help physically. She'll help you without doing anything. Albus, you have to strong. Not for yourself, but for her. For Alyson. For your daughter. Your last bit of Patricia, her legacy." She finished and looked over at Dumbledore.

"You're right," he said. "Here, give me my daughter." He took the child in his arms. "You're right, we will be okay." He rocked the child until she fell back to sleep. "We really will be alright," he said to his sleeping daughter.