So sorry about the wait... School has been Hell... it still is actually. But here's the last chapter! Enjoy!

They sat down in each their chair in the living room and Minerva conjured a cup of tea and a cup of cocoa for them. For a while they were just looking at each other, neither saying a word.

"Minerva, that night," Albus finally began. "That night when we first… when I admitted my love for you, something about that whole plan changed. And yet, it couldn't. No one could know. No one did know but myself and Severus. I'm sorry, Minerva, for everything I have done, for all the pain you have felt, I am sorry for leaving you like that but I am afraid it was necessary."

"Necessary, Albus! Necessary to leave Harry, leave the school, leave the entire wizard community! To leave me?" she ended in a whisper. Her eyes filled with tears and she berated herself for not having more control of her own feelings.

"Minerva, please! Even now, I cannot tell you the reason but I beg you, I beg you, Minerva, from my heart, to understand that there was something that needed to be done!" Tears glittered in his eyes as well, as he spoke these words.

"Albus, the last time you couldn't tell me something, you died. Rather, you pretended to die, to get murdered! At least, tell me how you did it. Harry saw Severus cast the Avada Kedavra."

"It was quite simple actually. I used an illusion and just as Severus cast the Avada Kedavra, he also cast a non-verbal Banishing Spell."

"A BANISHING SPELL! Severus 'banished' you from the top of the Astronomy Tower! Albus, that could have gone horribly wrong! I'm surprised you're still alive!"

"I know, my dear," he said with a small smile. "If you'll allow me to continue?" Minerva nodded. "You see, half way down, I created an illusion, a duplicate, so to speak, of myself, which would land on the ground beneath me. I simply lifted the Anti-Apparition Jinx for a short while and Disapparated."

"You… Disapparated," Minerva stated, dumb-struck.

"You know, being in control of the Anti-Apparition is, shall we say a perk for the Heads of this school, as you've surely noticed."

"Well, yes. That… that evening, I cast an Anti-Apparition Jinx on the castle, not quite sure why but it just felt right."

"I am a skilled Legilimens," he chuckled. "I hoped you'd catch my message."

"And I did," Minerva smiled.

"You know, Minerva, I had, truth be told, nearly given up any hope last year. People have always said that I have fought the dark forces untiringly but I admit, at that point I… I hadn't much left to fight for. Oh sure, the wizard world and my students but you gave me another reason. You gave me a cause to fight for. I never thought I'd have your love, Minerva and when I realised that I, indeed, did have it…" He could find no words for what he felt and looked at Minerva helplessly.

"I understand, Albus. But I also need you to understand what you did to me. Do you have any idea how I felt when I was told that Severus, of all people, had killed you? We always thought you had a good reason for trusting him and… Oh, Albus, do you have any idea what's been going on here!"

"No. No idea whatsoever. The Daily Prophet doesn't write about daily life at Hogwarts or in the Order, I'm afraid."

Minerva chuckled slightly at his response.

"Well, for starters, on the night you 'died' Bill Weasley was bitten by Fenrir Greyback." As Minerva said this, Albus jumped up from his chair.

"He what!"

"Oh, no, you're misunderstanding me. Greyback was not transformed at the time. No one really knew what was going to happen to poor Bill. And Remus finally got over his troubles concerning Nymphadora. I believe they are to be married."

Both of them noticed but neither of them commented on how easily they seemed to have slipped back into their old rhythm. Minerva told Albus everything that had happened the past year, told of Bill Weasley's marriage to Fleur Delacour, of Fred and George Weasley's still more successful shop, of Kingsley Shacklebolt who had gotten injured and had fallen in love with a petite medi-witch from St. Mungo's, of Harry's search for something he had continuously refused to tell her what was. At this, Albus held up a hand.

"Yes?"

"My dear, Harry has been searching for Horcruxes. That's why he could defeat Voldemort; he had already destroyed six sevenths of his soul. To use a syllogism: All men are mortal, Voldemort is a man, however evil he might have been, and therefore Voldemort is necessarily mortal."

Hours passed and finally Minerva said that she would retire for the evening. As they stood, she grabbed Albus' arm.

"Albus, I'd like you to know, that I forgive you. I know you may not need my forgiveness but you have it. And I will work on forgetting it."

"Minerva, I do need your forgiveness," he replied. Then he asked hesitantly, "Are… are you still mine to love?" Minerva smiled softly.

"Always, Albus. Nothing can change that." She stepped into his embrace and savoured the warmth and the feeling of safety that she had missed so much. "I love you, Albus," she whispered as their lips met. And as they parted, "But you're sleeping on the sofa tonight." This brought a chuckle from Albus and she could feel it rumble in his chest.

Albus was just making himself comfortable on the couch, which he had made slightly bigger, when Minerva entered the living room again, wearing her tartan dressing gown. She sat down on the edge of the make-shift bed.

"Not so fast, Albus."

"I beg your pardon, my love?" Minerva registered the use of endearment and smiled.

"You're taking up all the space and though I was counting on snuggling close to you, I was hoping for a little more room."

Albus happily scooted over and Minerva took off her dressing gown before lying down next to him. His warmth and his scent were soothing and his arms were around her, holding her close to him. Her last words before falling asleep were: "Tomorrow is a new day."

THE END

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