A Lifetime Of Dances-by Clayre and Ang

For the next few weeks, Albus and Minerva were practically inseparable. Minerva used the excuse that he was still recuperating from his duel with Grindelwald and he needed some assistance. But they each knew better. Albus was enjoying spending his time with the woman of his dreams and now that he had confessed his heart to her, he found even more pleasure in her company. It was his desire to treat her extra special that prompted him to suggest an outing to Hogsmeade for some light shopping and maybe even a nice dinner. Then he thought he might bring her back to his cottage and spend some quiet time alone with her before his hectic schedule of teaching and other duties demanded his precious time.

They had apparated to a quiet spot just outside Hogsmeade. Minerva looked around at her surroundings and smiled softly, they were standing in a small clearing that was surrounded by tall trees. She gasped slightly as she felt Albus strong arms snake around her slender waist and hold her close to him in the privacy of the clearing

"It's beautiful up here, isn't it my dear? It's so peaceful and quiet. I wish our lives could be this calm and that we could walk hand in hand through the town." He paused to let his words filter through her mind like a summer rain. "I love you," he whispered against her neck softly.

"There may be a time when we can, sweetheart," she said softly as she leaned back against him, her hands resting on his arms. "The ministry is already doing a great job of catching his rogue followers."

"Yes that's true...but let's not dwell on those things. I want to spend the day with you. Besides, I want to hear all about how my dear but slightly odd brother entertained you in my absence. I asked him but he said to ask you," he smiled brightly at her. "So, would you care to tell me how he occupied your lonely hours without me," he teased?

She turned around in his arms and stood on tiptoes so she was able to kiss him lightly. "Your brother witch sat me by taking me out for dinner, showing me his lovely goats and he even took me dancing."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her to him. "Dancing you say? I hope it was of the formal variety and nothing too involved or I shall have to have a word with him," he chuckled. Seeing the light in her eyes he knew that his brother had treated her wonderfully and for that he would be eternally grateful. "Now, tell me more about your adventures with the notorious Aberforth Dumbledore. Surely there are more details than just the bare facts."

"Well, I fed a baby goat, which was certainly an experience. I'd never done anything like that before," she told him before adding quietly, "we danced the tango."

"I see," he commented. "I believe my brother was enjoying his time with you if he allowed you to feed one of his precious goats AND took you to dance the tango. Maybe you should elaborate more on your adventures. Then again Miss McGonagall, do I have a rival for your attentions?" he questioned with a look of mischief.

"We got on very well," she told him. "No need to worry about my affections wandering from you, my love."

"Ahh, that's good to know. Now give me a quick kiss before we have to venture from this lovely place into town. And if you're really nice to me, I'd like to replace the memory of my brother dancing the tango with one involving me. Would you do me the honor of a date this evening in muggle London?"

"I would love that Albus," she said before brushing her lips against his softly.

The two slowly made their way through the streets of Hogsmeade and were frequently approached by witches and wizards of all generations to offer their thanks to Albus. Minerva noted how he graciously accepted their words of praise but he always made sure to tell them that it had been a group effort and he could never have accomplished it on his own. It was just one more reason she adored him...modest to a fault.

Throughout the day, she had caught him stealing several long looks at her. It made her feel like she had never felt before. She had been the object of several men's desires but this man was different. When he looked at her, he saw past her outer facade and focused on her inner beauty, her true self.

If she could have wished for one thing in the world, it would be for them to walk hand in hand through the busy town. Showing everyone that they were together and in love. But the time for that would come some day. She noticed a friendly looking woman running towards Albus, her red hair flowing in the hair behind her.

Albus chuckled as he watched Minerva stiffen as the woman approached. He felt somewhat proud that she could get so protective and possibly even jealous of the women who kept greeting him and this woman had something the others didn't. She had a determined look on her face and that meant that unlike the others, she would be presenting herself to him. Leaning over he whispered that she had no need for concern. The woman approaching was his aunt and it just so happened that he had always been her favorite nephew and he hadn't seen her in quite a while.

"Oh my brave Albus, come and give me a cuddle," she announced, speaking to him as if he were a child. "I knew you had greatness in you."

"It's good to see you to Aunt Constance but I believe you give me too much credit." He managed to pry himself from her vice like grasp and turned to his companion. "May I introduce Minerva McGonagall? She was a great help in the defeat of Grindelwald and she too is destined for greatness."

"Oh I know this young filly, Aberforth's girl, isn't she?" gushed Constance as she eyed Minerva with awe.

"Actually, she's not dating Aberforth at all. She was keeping an eye on my dear brother for me while I was off tending to other matters. I owe her a great deal for keeping him out of trouble, especially with his goat experiments!"

"Oh, that is such a shame. They made a delightful couple…we all thought so!"

Albus tensed up at the images that floated through his head. He could see Minerva being wined and dined by his brother, her laughing at his oddball jokes, and the dance...the most romantic of all dances...the two of them dancing the tango. He had never thought himself to the be the jealous type but he had in fact envied Aberforth for spending so many pleasant evenings alone with her. Just then, without Constance ever being made aware, Minerva's hand brushed up slightly against his and he felt the sparkle of electricity flow from her hand to his.

Snapping from his thoughts he managed to make a weak reply. "Well, sometimes looks can be deceiving, Aunt Constance. It was wonderful to see you and do stop by to see Aberforth at the house. We really have to be on our way, though."

Constance kissed Albus goodbye and smiled pleasantly at Minerva before walking away into the crowd. Albus and Minerva continued their walk through Hogsmeade, popping into a few shops on the way. They walked into Honeydukes and Albus quickly made his way over to the counter, his eagerness to get his beloved sherbet lemons amused her.

"Ah, Minerva, you have no idea how much I missed these. Would you care to try one my dear," he asked offering her one of her prized treats. She vehemently nodded her head and quickly grabbed a tin of ginger newts.

"These are more to my liking, Albus. Although...," she started to say shyly, "I did try one of your treats while you were away. I was thinking of all the things about you that I missed and the one thing that kept forming in my mind was the way you always smell of sherbert lemons and chocolate. So, I tried them and I'll just say...I'll stick with my ginger newts, thank you!"

Albus let out a loud chuckle that caused most of the occupants of the shop to turn around and look at him, causing Minerva to blush slightly. "If you are sure, my dear. Are you sure I can't tempt you?"

"Albus, please, just pay for your little confectionaries so that we can go. After all, you promised me we would have a nice romantic dinner and go dancing this evening. Or have you gone off that idea like I have those sherbert lemons?" she teased somewhat boldly.

"We will eat, dance and be merry tonight my dear," replied Albus with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Albus Dumbledore, what do you have planned for this evening," she asked warily? "I've been around the Dumbledore men enough to know that when that mysterious twinkle appears, I am in for an adventure to say the least." She let her words sink in and then she added, "of course an adventure with you would certainly be more…exciting."

"My lips are sealed until tonight Minerva. You cannot get it out of me till then," he told her with a grin. "Now, where do you need to go now?"

She gave him a mock pout in the middle of the street, complete with folded arms and a tapping foot but he did not give in to her request. "Well, since I'm unsure as to what our plans are for this evening, I suppose it would be wise for me to back to my cottage and get ready for Merlin only knows what. That will give you enough time to get back to the school and floo to pick me up for tonight."

"I'll pick you in two hours," he told her softly. "Are you sure you don't want a sherbet lemon?"

"As tempting as that sounds, no thank you!" she answered sarcastically. "Albus, I love you but I need to know some details for tonight so I can dress properly…or should I just wear some old robes? You know, your brother was very partial to the way I dressed. Of course, he told me where we were going," she reminded him teasingly.

"Will will be 'tripping the light fantastic' in muggle London," he told her with a wink. "Hope that helps with that." He walked away from her and disappeared into the crowds of people leaving her standing in the street utterly speechless and bewildered.

After a second or two to process that he had walked away, she ran after him, almost knocking over a witch with a load of parcels in her path. When she caught up to him, she was almost breathless. "Then I suppose I shall have to knock the socks off of the Great and Fearless Albus Dumbledore," she challenged and sped away from him towards the hillside where they had started their day.

Albus watched her run away from him and toyed with the idea of going after her but decided against it because he needed to prepare their evening. Tonight was going to be a night that Minerva would never forget. He intended to sweep her off her feet that evening.

Minerva was thankful that they had left Hogsmeade earlier than planned so that she could take her time in getting ready for her date with Albus. Her lavender scented bubble bath had taken almost an hour and then she was left with the horrid decision of what to wear. Aberforth had complimented her on the dress she wore on their outing on the town but she wanted something special…something just for Albus. Finding nothing in her wardrobe to suit her mood, she hastily decided to create her own masterpiece.

Half an hour later, Minerva stepped back and admired her creation. She was no dressmaker by profession but she had made a stunning dress. She had chosen a light material, almost like silk but much softer, if that were possible. It was very fitted and hugged her body in all the right places, accentuating her very womanly hourglass figure that stayed hidden most of the time in wizarding robes. The deep maroon color of the off the shoulder dress contrasted perfectly with her creamy complexion and her long, luxurious locks were swept away from her face in an elegant arrangement.

The hem of the dress fell just at the knee, allowing her the opportunity to show off her shapely legs and the shoes were a perfect match in color and style to the rest of the outfit. A single pearl on a thin golden chain was the only jewelry she wore for the evening and she noted, with somewhat of a smirk, that it dangled just above her cleavage, drawing attention to her more feminine side. As she stood in front of the mirror, the butterflies began to swarm as she heard the faint noise from the fireplace in another room that could only mean that Albus had arrived.

Albus walked around the living room. It could only belong to Minerva McGonagall. It was furnished with an array of deep rich red mahogany furniture ranging from bookcases to the grand looking grandfather clock that dominated one of the corners. The large painting over the fireplace was one of her family, much like what hung over the mantle at Dumbledore Estate. He reached out and dared to touch the face of the young witch in the frame…the one with stunning eyes, the one that had captured his heart.

Minerva walked to the doorway and stood for a moment, watching him mirror her actions from a few weeks prior. She had traced his image lovingly, just as he was doing now. She watched in silence, hoping he would turn and see her but her patience and her nerves would not allow her to remain silent. "See something you like, Albus?"

"Ohhh, Tabby," he gasped as he turned around at the sound of her voice, "you look beautiful."

She blushed at his compliment and inwardly thanked her lucky stars that she had been granted the gifts of transfiguration and charms. Had it not been for her highly developed skills, she might've ended up wearing one of her dresses from Madame Malkin's. "Then you approve of my attire?" she asked nervously while spinning around for him to appreciate the low cut of the back. "I wasn't quite sure how formal we were to dress but I can change…"

"No, no don't change sweetheart," he told her and he mentally thanked the gods for creating her. "What you are wearing is perfect."

"If you are pleased, then I am pleased," she smiled sweetly and trying to hide her excitement at his reaction. "So, my dear suitor, where are we to dine this fine evening? I'm starving and I'm led to believe that this is going to be some wonderful evening based on your secrecy." He looked at her a bit confused and she couldn't stifle the giggle. "Your brother told me that when you were little, you used to plan little outings for your family and the more secretive you were about it, the more fun he had."

"Ah, I see my dear brother has been revealing family secrets," replied Albus with smile. "One year I made the fatal mistake of taking him to a muggle farm and so was born his love for goats! Anyway, getting back to our evening, we shall be eating at a very exclusive place and then, my dear, we are going to dance the tango."

Minerva was at a loss for words and at first she couldn't believe her ears. Ever since Aberforth had convinced her to dance that particular one with him and she had imagined Albus holding her, she had dreamed about the day when he might actually make her dreams a reality. And so it would seem, that this was to be the night where dreams came true.

"Sounds like a wonderful evening so what are we waiting for? You're not getting any younger and I'm not getting any prettier," she teased with a sparkle in her eyes. "Besides, we're wasting valuable time. The sun won't stay in bed forever."

Albus pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly as she felt a familiar pull in stomach as they traveled to muggle London using a portkey. The outside of the restaurant looked rather warm and inviting and the owners were more than happy to see their favorite patron and his special lady friend. He had taken her to his favorite restaurant, one that specialized in Italian foods, and that was very popular among young courting couples very much in love. He hoped to set a romantic mood for them, from the dinner, to the dancing, and even into the remainder of their night.

A quiet table for two had been set in a secluded section of the restaurant and a fresh bouquet of flowers had been placed gently in Minerva's chair. A bottle of wine was chilling in a bucket beside their table and two tall candles flickered brilliantly as Albus held the chair for her to sit. After a brief explanation of the specials for the evening, the waiter took their orders and left them to enjoy their evening.

Albus watched Minerva as she looked around the secluded area, her emerald green eyes sparking with delight. "Does this place meet with you approval?" he asked. "I come here whenever I am in London, which is quite a lot."

"It's perfect and yet it saddens me to think of you sitting her all alone in this truly romantic atmosphere." She hesitated and then decided to tease him a bit. "Or do you bring all of your love interests to this location? I noticed they had everything prepared, as if you had done this dozens of times before. Am I just a passing phase in your life, Albus Dumbledore?"

"I am shocked that you would even think that, Tabby," replied Albus in mock distress. "I would sit here alone most evenings wishing you were here with me."

"Awww, how very sad, but it does a girl's heart to hear such things from the man she loves." Her eyes flashed with so many emotions, Albus had trouble discerning them all but the one he did catch was an overwhelming amount of love that matched his own feelings. "Oh good. Dinner is here and I'm starved."

They ate their dinner and sipped their wine as they spoke words of love and of their future. They fed each other spoonfuls of chocolate dessert and Albus even kissed away the cream that had dripped from his spoon and ran down her bottom lip.

Minerva had never been happier than she was this particular evening. She had opened her heart to Albus and had found that his arms were waiting for her to occupy them. As the meal ended, Albus helped her from the chair and kissed her lightly on her lips. "Let's paint the town red, my dear. I want to show you off to the world."

He led Minerva through the busy muggle street and she held on to his hand tightly. He led her down a side street until he came to a stop in front of a brightly colored building with salsa music playing loudly from inside. "This, my dear, is a very exclusive club. One has to know certain people before being invited in and it just so happens that I am friends with the owners." He kissed her passionately on the lips before leading her into the club.

The room was large, massive in fact and a huge dance floor was littered with couples. From the look of the couples, this was another frequented spot for courting and when she felt his strong arm circle her waist, she felt a surge of pride in her heart. Out of all the witches in the world, he had chosen her to hold his heart and she vowed to keep it safe until she died.

After ordering a round of drinks, Albus led Minerva to the dance floor and they shared the first of many dances that evening. Some of them were fast paced ones that got their hearts racing frantically. And then some were extremely slow, that made her want to melt into his arms and never leave.

Albus pulled her close to his body and hummed along to the tune that was filling the room as well as nipping playfully at her ear lobe. Albus was the happiest man in the room, in the world even. For the first time in years, his heart loved and was loved in return.

As the evening wore on, they took spells of dancing and then sitting out a few to huddle in a corner and share dozens of kisses, ranging from the light peck on the cheek to the more involved ones that they could not share openly in the wizarding world. It was during one of the more involved kisses that Albus faintly heard the bandleader announcing the last dance of the evening…the tango.

"I believe this is our dance, sweetheart," he said as he stood up and offered her his hand.

She tried to play coy about dancing such an intimate dance but in her heart she knew that his was the moment she had dreamed of for weeks, ever since Aberforth had talked her into it. Yet she had the feeling that this was to be so much more…involved…than the one weeks earlier. "I would be honored to share the last dance of the evening with you. And the fact that it's the tango only makes it that much more exciting."

He kissed her once more before the music started. The dance floor filled with couples each wanting to dance one of the most intimate of dances. Albus and Minerva moved to the music and became lost in it. Suddenly, in their eyes, they were the only two people in the club and the music was playing for them. Albus was an incredible dancer, much better than Aberforth had been but Minerva put it down to the fact that her feelings were different and she was throwing a lot more than dance moves into this display. She was throwing in her heart.

At first Minerva had been a little shy about her movements within the dance, especially the more intimate ones. With each brush of his body against hers, she knew that this was more of an expression of real love than a twirl on a crowded dance floor, a fact that caused her to flush a flattering shade of pink. Locking her green eyes with his blue ones, all of the world faded away and the perfect moment was born.

Albus knew that the time had come for him to act on his feelings. He caught the eye of Francilla Meltz, one of the owners of the dance club. She smiled softly and with a nod of her head, she walked over to where Albus and Minerva were dancing. She handed Albus a beautiful plump red rose. Francilla smiled at Minerva before walking away from the happy couple.

Minerva never lost the rhythm she had with Albus as the woman presented Albus with the rose. And she giggled aloud when he placed the flower between his teeth and pressed his nose against hers. Minerva felt as if she was in a dream, some wonderful fantasy and her heart sang in perfect harmony with his as he smiled down at her with an overwhelming amount of love in his eyes. And then the dance ended…with a glorious dip by Albus as his hands held her tightly and a squeal of excitement from Minerva.

Albus smiled down at her, the rose still in his mouth but held between his pearly white teeth. He pulled her up so she was standing face to face to him. He took the rose from his mouth. "A rose for you my darling, Minerva."

She blushed a perfect shade of pink as he offered her the rose and her trembling hand accepted it. Her eyes locked with his and she brought the rose up to her nose and inhaled the sweet scent as the petals danced across her lips. And then something sparkled, catching her eyes and tearing them away from his and down to the center of the rose.

Albus watched with baited breath as she used her dainty fingers to reach into the delicate rose and retrieve the tiny ring she found inside. A tear of happiness fell from her eyes as she looked at him questioningly. "Albus, it's beautiful. I've never seen a diamond shine with such brilliance and the emeralds are so green. But…what…what does this mean?" She held her breath and waited for what she hoped would be the words she had longed to hear but dared not dream.

"I have never loved anyone or anything as much as I love you Minerva. I truly feel that my life is complete with you in it and I don't ever want to lose you. You are my world, my sunlight, my everything. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"YES…YES…YES," she half laughed, half cried from the happiness bubbling in her heart. "I love you so much…you are everything I have ever dreamed of and more." The passionate kiss that followed could only be described as mind numbing and body melting as the two paid no attention to the loud cheers and clapping from the other couples in the room. This moment was theirs and as he swept her off her feet and twirled her around, he smiled.

Pulling back from her he traced her swollen lips with his fingertip and looked out into the crowd. "Did you hear that? She said…YES…" And then he captured her lips again for the first of many kisses to follow.

Finite Incantatem

A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review our story. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have! Until next time…