"Good morning, Minerva," Albus whispered into his sleeping wife's ear and rose to take a shower. He chuckled softly to himself as he looked at her, one arm hanging off the bed, her mouth gaping and a puddle of drool forming on her pillow. Her hair was extraordinarily messy and her nightgown had slipped a bit during the night showing a creamy swath of shoulder. No one would believe that this dead asleep woman was the strict transfiguration teacher the students knew and disliked because of her severity. No, they would never believe.

After he was done with his shower, he went downstairs to his study and set the coffee going. He'd have conjured it himself, but he never made it strong enough for her liking so he set the machine running, which she seemed to prefer and he had a feeling she'd need it stronger this morning than most. When it was done, he conjured a cup of tea for himself and sat down at his desk to look over papers from the ministry as if he didn't already have enough things to do.

She'd be along any minute. Her alarm clock went off and stopped. Ten minutes later, her alarm clock went off again. It stopped yet again. Her alarm clock went off a third time ten minutes later. He looked up curiously to see what would happen as it rang longer this time than it had previously. Suddenly, he heard a loud crash and the alarm clock stopped abruptly in mid-ring followed by what he was sure had been a cuss word.

"Ooooo ,this is going to be one of those days," he said softly to himself as he took another sip of tea. His wife was soon at the bottom of the stairs, bare-footed and nightgown askew. She looked like a grumpy child just woken up from a very sound nap even at her age.

"Bloody… alarm clock…"

"Good morning, darling," he said kissing her forehead and placing a cup of strong coffee in her hands.

"Speak for yourself," she said rubbing the sleep out of one her eyes, "The alarm clock's broken."

"Yes, I heard,"

"Oh!" she said looking down in her hand, "coffee!"

"Yes…"

She took a sip, "Strong coffee… good…"

"I made it just for you."

"Thank you!"

"The first civil thing you've said this morning,"

She grimaced as he opened the blinds, "I'm sorry, darling… Ooo, my head… what happened last night?"

"You mean this morning?"

"Hmmm?"

"You got scathingly drunk,"

"I did what?"

"You got very drunk, dearest."

"Oh. Is that why it feels like someone has taken a jackhammer to my skull?"

"I believe so,"

"Oooooh, never let me get that drunk again…"

"But you were a very cute drunk,"

"Al- Albus," she said yawning in a whiney voice. She stretched and stopped, "Wait, what?"

"I said you were a very cute drunk," he said with a look of pure mischief.

"Albus… did I… I mean… what… what…?"

"Yes?"

"What happened last night? Is there something…er… that I should … uh… remember that I don't?"

"Darling Minerva, whatever do you mean? Oh you mean what happened last night? As in, what happened last night when you got back to the room, then?"

"Yes, yes… that's what I mean,"

He laughed, his eyes twinkling, "Nothing,"

"Oh that's a relief." She said with a relieved sigh.

He laughed again, "You're a silly kitten, m'dear,"

She scowled at him, "I'm hardly a kitten."

"So you wouldn't want anything to happen?"

"Not without my knowledge," she said into her cup.

"You never cease to surprise me. Married for how many decades and you're afraid of being seduced by your own husband," he said with mock surprise.

"Ugg, that is not what I mean. I'd like to remember making love to my dashingly annoying husband who, by the way, I am very happy is back," she said smiling drowsily.

He smiled gently at that, "Did you miss me?"

"Terribly," she said holding his gaze, "Damned ruddy woman near ruined the whole school with her stupid rules and idiot group of spies. Couldn't have picked a worse group of informers if she had tried. She's not even all that good at magic."

"She got you pretty well," Albus said sadly, "scared me half to death."

She nodded with equal sadness, "It was close wasn't it? But then again, she had help."

"You're a very noble woman," Albus said with admiration.

"No, just a very stubborn one," she said yawning again, "And right now a very sick one."

"Go back to bed, Minerva," Albus said sympathetically.

She shook her head, "Too late, I'm up now. I'll take a nap later if I need it."

"You're funny,"

"And you're the only person who ever says that…"