Chapter 6: Old Dumbledore Traditions

Minerva and Albus had been happily married for three months, minus a few short days. They had been the most glorious weeks either had ever known as they slowly began to adjust to married life. Yet the winds of change were blowing ever so softly around them. The signs were there. Only they were so preoccupied with their love that they failed to notice them, however apparent they might be.

Albus continued to teach his classes and even his students noticed a distinct change in his jovial attitude. Since his secret marriage to Minerva, he had grown more comical, more lighthearted and his students only knew that their professor was extremely happy with life. Even when they were caught doing things against the rules, he tended to be more lenient on them, especially after the weekends. No one really knew the reason but rumor had it among the students that one could get away with murder on Monday and Fridays as long as it was Professor Dumbledore that caught them. He seemed to have a spring in his step on those days and an unusual twinkle in his eyes that screamed of his happiness.

After a lengthy discussion or two, Minerva had managed to persuade Albus that despite their marriage, she wanted to continue working for the ministry as an auror. She had already discussed the possibility with Alastor Moody who offered her his assistance in any way. They had agreed that if Albus could be persuaded, that Minerva would not be given any assignments for lengthy periods of time and that most of her work would be based in and around the United Kingdom. She had felt that with those stipulations, Albus might agree more readily to her continued work. Plus, it also gave her the added bonus of being with Albus nearly every night at the castle while being slightly independent from her husband.

Thanks to the Headmaster and with the special permission of the Minister of Magic, Albus and Minerva were allowed to live together in his private quarters, provided that they kept a low profile and did not draw any attention to themselves as a couple. If anyone asked, Miss McGonagall was at the castle on official business in her capacity as an auror and that no further questions would be tolerated. Only a select handful of professors knew the real reason.

So, their days and nights passed quickly and quietly, as they tend to do when one is so much in love. And now, here they were approaching their three-month anniversary. Albus had arranged to transfigure their living quarters into a recreation of the summer cottage as it appeared on their wedding night. He had put in a great deal of time and effort into making this night perfect for her and he was certain that she would be overwhelmed by his efforts. She had promised to return home by seven o'clock and as the clock chimed six-thirty, his heart began to flutter with anticipation.

As Minerva stepped into their private chambers, the sight before her made her want to weep tears of joy. Albus had done a spectacular job in transforming their comfortable bedroom into the scene that had been playing in her mind all day long. She had eagerly anticipated this evening for days. It wasn't a milestone anniversary by any means but everyday with this man made her thankful that their paths had crossed.

"Ah, I see that you've made it to our little makeshift cottage right on time, my dear." As his smooth voice caressed her ears, she began to smile. But before she could turn around to face the man who owned her heart, she felt his arms encircle her waist and his lips begin to lightly graze the side of her neck, just below her ear. Leaning back against his warm body, she sighed deeply at the amount of love and attention he was pouring over her.

Several minutes passed as Albus took his time in showering her with his warm lips and hot breath across her neck and the sides of her face. When his teeth slightly nipped at her earlobe, she could not contain the moan of happiness that came from the very depths of her soul. Pressing more heavily against him, Minerva noticed that she was not the only one feeling the effects of his touches and she began to move her lower body seductively against his, eliciting a groan of pleasure from him.

"Albus, I think now is a perfect time to move to a much more comfortable location and I know the perfect spot. I believe it will be rather large, with white satin sheets and rose petals. Am I correct?" He did not answer her with his words, but instead he scooped her into his arms and carried her off to their bedroom for an evening of romance.

Taking his time in undressing the goddess before him, Albus marveled at the beauty of her body. However, he also noticed some slight changes. As he continued to bathe her body with his kisses and movements, he could not help but notice that her breasts seemed slightly larger. He had noticed it before but as he massaged them and she expressed her desire for him to continue, she also told him how they ached and yet his touch made her want to scream in satisfaction. Lowering his head to her exposed body, he spent several long and leisurely minutes bringing each to its' beautiful peak of perfection. Much to the delight of the woman writhing beneath him and pressing his head even closer to her body.

Moving lower down, he brushed his face and beard against her bare stomach. He remembered how she said it caused an erotic feeling to stir within her as his hair tickled her skin. By this time, she had begun to purr in delight. Running his hands along her sides and back up to her breasts, he could tell that Minerva had gained a pound or two around her waist but she was still the most attractive woman he had ever seen.

As their lovemaking continued, Albus realized that she had been more forceful, demanding even, in bed. She seemed to devour him and still beg for more, a change he was pleasantly surprised to discover. The more he kissed her, the more he moved against her, the more he pleased her, the more she seemed to want…no, need him. At one point he felt that he would certainly die from the absolute blissful feelings she was creating within him as her body reacted to his. Utterly spent and exhausted beyond all belief, the two finally succumbed to fatigue and drifted off to a much-needed and much-deserved rest.

Before Albus woke the next morning, Minerva's eyes popped open as a wave of the familiar feeling swept over her. She was wrapped in the arms of her husband and was so comfortable but the desire to run to the bathroom was almost overpowering her will to stay in the warm bed. After another rush of nausea hit, Minerva knew the inevitable was near. Extracting herself slowly from him, she rushed to the bathroom and not a minute too soon. Feeling the sudden loss of the smooth body pressed into his, Albus woke and noticed that Minerva had disappeared into the bathroom. To him, there was nothing odd about the situation, until he heard the sounds of Minerva being sick.

Rising quickly, he wasted no time in pulling on his dressing gown or his slippers. In a matter of seconds, he was kneeling beside her shaking body as another wave of sickness swept through her. Summoning their robes, he helped her slide into hers in an attempt to stave off the cold and then did the same for himself. Half an hour later, he gently scooped her weakened body into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

"My dear, I want you to lie here while I go get Poppy Pomfrey. You remember her don't you? She's our new medi-witch and I want her to take a look at you." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead and went to walk away but her hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

"Albus, I will be fine. Just give me a few minutes to rest and I'll be good as new. I think I have some sort of cold because this has been happening for days now. Usually if I am really still, it will subside." Pulling on his arm, she could not help but notice the concern in his eyes. "Please come back to bed and hold me. I'm sure that'll help more than any medi-witch and her vile tasting potions."

Looking deeply into the soft green eyes of his wife, he knew that he could not deny her anything. Against his better judgment, Albus slipped between the sheets and immediately wrapped his arms around Minerva's waist as his hands soothingly rubbed her back. Within minutes, she had drifted off to sleep and he decided that a trip to the hospital wing was in order. Carefully and quietly, he got up, dressed, and set off to find the help Minerva desperately needed.

When Poppy arrived, Minerva was not amused to see that Albus had gone against her wishes for medical treatment but once he explained how worried he was, she felt that the only way to ease his fears would be to prove him wrong. So, she allowed the skilled healer to perform the necessary tests and evaluations as Albus waited impatiently in their sitting room.

"Minerva, I have completed my tests and I know what's making you ill." Raised eyebrows were enough to spur the woman into speeding up her diagnosis. "Congratulations are in order for you and Albus. You're going to have a baby. By my calculations, you are right at three months. I can't believe you didn't think of that possibility yourself."

"Madame Pomfrey, you can't be serious! We've only been married for three months. If what you're saying is true, then that would mean that we conceived on our wedding night."

"Minerva, I've heard of stranger things. Besides both of you are powerful and I think that extends to activities other than just magic." A blush crept over Minerva's face at the remembrance of their fierce lovemaking from the night before. Feeling a bit more confident, she began to ask thinly veiled questions about her increase in appetites, both with food and the attentions of her husband. And over the course of the next half hour, Poppy briefly explained that what she was feeling was normal and after she and Albus had discussed it, they should stop by her office. She would need to examine Minerva and they could discuss any questions at that time. "But for now, there is an anxious man waiting in the next room that needs to be told the happy news. I'll leave you two alone but don't hesitate to send for me."

As Poppy opened the door, the man on the other side made no attempts to hide his eagerness at seeing his wife. Walking briskly to her side, he carefully sat beside her on the bed and kissed her delicately on the tip of her nose. "So, my dear, what did she say?"

"Sweetheart, do you remember what you said to me on our wedding night?" Assuring her that he said many things that night, most in the heat of passion, he asked her to be slightly more specific before he answered. Otherwise, his words might lead to deeds and he felt that she probably wasn't up for that adventure this particular morning.

"Sorry. We were making toasts to each other and there was a slight mention of children. Now do you remember?" A broad smile had started to form on her lips and she saw the bright twinkle return to his eyes.

"Are you trying to tell me what I think you're trying to tell me? I mean, Minerva, are we going to…are we…a little one of our very own?" Shaking her head was all she could do in answer to his half spoken question. Tears of joy were streaming down their faces as he kissed her passionately before pulling back to stare into her face.

"My love, I always thought that it was an old tale passed down from generations before me. Never did I realize the truth behind it. But now it all makes sense and I couldn't be happier! Our very own tiny Minerva…"

"Or a tiny Albus…and would you care to enlighten us about what you meant by your comments about truths behind words and things making sense?"

Pulling her tightly against his body, she snuggled against his chest and felt every word as it reverberated within him. "For generations, back as far as anyone can remember, the Dumbledore men have carried their new wives to the summer cottage for the first night of their honeymoon, just as we did. The cottage changes to reflect the desires and the tastes of each couple. Oddly though, approximately nine months later, that couple is blessed with the birth of a child. I am told that is where I was conceived. There has only been one exception."

A silence descended upon them until Minerva couldn't stand the suspense. "Well, Albus finish the story!" He went on to tell her that over the years only one couple had failed to conceive but it had later been discovered that the couple did not consummate their marriage until the following evening, in a different location entirely. Seems they got into a minor argument over something neither of them could remember later and he spent the night on the floor. Albus then went on to explain to Minerva that he had noted several changes in her body, beginning with her slightly larger breasts and tummy. Nuzzling into her neck he also pointed out that he had been utterly blown away by her bedroom antics and their frequency.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in bed as they spoke of their unborn child and all of the possibilities. By nightfall, it was determined that Minerva would resign as an auror the following Monday and they would both go to the Headmaster and inform him of their wonderful news. But for this one day they wanted to keep the news to themselves and enjoy their secret.

Late at night, six months later, Minerva was awakened by a sharp pain. She tried to remain calm as she roused Albus from his deep sleep and explained to him that she needed Poppy. It was time for the birth and she would need all the assistance she could get. With a tender kiss upon her lips and a promise to return shortly, Albus was gone in a swirl of robes to tell their friend that it was time.

The delivery was not as hard as Minerva had anticipated. With Albus caringly rubbing her back and whispering soothing words to her, she had little difficulty with the birth. Hours later, Minerva and Albus were holding their little bundles of joy as Poppy finished cleaning up the room. None had been more surprised at the prospect of twins as the medi-witch when she first performed the charm telling her the sex of the baby. She had doubted the results and ended up casting the charm twice more before she was confident in telling the parents to be that they would be welcoming a boy and a girl to the world.

Upon learning the shocking news of twins, Albus and Minerva had decided to each name a child. Albus wanted the honor of naming their little Minerva and that left Minerva to name their tiny Albus. But, they also decided to keep the names a secret until the day of their birth, even from each other.

"Albus, are you ready to officially name your daughter?" Minerva practically beamed as she took in the sight of her husband holding a tiny little girl wrapped in a pink blanket.

"I thought and thought of a suitable name for our little lass and one set of names kept popping into my head. I would like to introduce you to your daughter, Mirabelle Athena McGonagall Dumbledore." Warm tears trickled down the bright cheeks of Minerva as she looked into the tear-streaked face of her husband.

"Albus, did you realize that you have chosen the name of my favorite grandmother and my mother and combined them?" He wasted no time in telling her that he wanted to honor the most important women in his life by naming their firstborn girl after them.

"You see, my dear those women must've been amazing, just like you. Their influences on your life have given me the most precious gift of all…a loving wife that is more radiant than the sun, more knowledgeable than a library, and softer than the new fallen snow. And just like her name, our daughter will be just as extraordinary as her mother." Placing a warm kiss on her lips, he allowed all the love in his heart to flow from him and into their embrace. As she pulled back, she smiled sweetly and looked down at their son.

"Well little lad, I think it's time I introduced you to your wonderful father." Shifting slightly so that Albus could see the face of his newborn son, Minerva continued. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore I would like for you to meet your son, Elias Aberforth McGonagall Dumbledore." Shocked at her declaration, Albus struggled for words. "I too, chose the names of men that are important to you. I wanted to honor your family by naming him after his grandfather and his uncle."

As the sun reached the noon sky, the happy family took a moment to thank the gods above for enlarging their family in such a remarkable way. As Minerva, tired from the delivery and emotional events from the past few hours, drifted off to sleep, Albus stayed awake and cuddled each of his children. After they too had fallen into the land of dreams and rest, he gently placed them into their cradles and returned to Minerva.

As she snuggled against his chest, he felt an overwhelming amount of pride and joy. Kissing the top of her head, he vowed to make their lives as special and exciting as possible while always protecting them. Drifting off to sleep, he heard Minerva whisper to him.

"I love you Albus. Give me a few weeks and we can start working on number three!"

He couldn't help but chuckle at her remark. Maybe tomorrow would be a good time to inform her about the old saying regarding the Dumbledore men and the first wedding anniversary! "I love you too, my Minerva. Sleep well."

Finite