" I knew you'd be up here, lad" Came the soft, almost whispering voice from the stairwell. Harry

knew she'd find him eventually, and in truth he did not mind. But he did wipe the tears from his

face. He'd be damned if he'd let anyone see him cry, even over..over..

" Albus did not regret it. He knew what he had to do, though I doubt it did not cause him grief

to know what the effect would be..." A wrinkled, yet still powerfully delicate hand covered one

of his own, her grip tight and reassuring. Harry leaned into her sholder, calming himself with

the effect her light perfume had.

" Ah, but I knew that already. I knew it twenty years ago when it hit him. I knew he'd not be

able to fight off illness and age as well as before, my dear friend." He heared her sniff and, pushing

his half-moon glasses up with his free hand, turned to see Minerva looking at him with a mixture

of exasperation, slight shock, and saddness.

" What?" He said, worryied suddenly that he'd been, as Hermione termed it " A Ron-sized git".

She shook her head wistfully, smiling just a little, so only he would have known it.

" You sound like him. Hardly related and you act so much like him."

"I'm not sure if thats a compliment or not..." Harry said, putting confusion into his tone while

he titled his head in a very Albus Dumbledore-like manner. Minerva sniffed, smiled, and cried all

at once at this haunting reminder. But it wouldn't change. Harry was Harry, and Harry had been

around the old Headmaster for thirty-eight years, long enough to take in his mannerisms.

" But it still hurts to lose him suddenly. And in a hospital bed, not in his own, with us all

around him. Just you and me." A tear escaped, but this time he made no move to stop it.

She looked at him, and knew what he struggled with. Like herself, this boy...this man, had

once blindly admired Albus, had argued with him, fought with him, forgiven and once again

seen his goodness. He was wondering if he had missed doing something, saying something

he should of. For her, it had been " you are my life". For Harry, it was simply " thank you".

There was always that feeling, but he'd work to blend it into his life. To remember all the

ridiculous things Albus had done. To appreciate and thank his memory for all those times

they stood side by side. He had to, because he had life. And he'd put faith into the most famous

words the old wizard had said to both of them when death became an event in their lives.

" Death is but the next great adventure.."

They looked at each other, both recalling the words and knowing the other did as well. She smiled.

They'd move forward to him, they all would.

FIN

dedicated to a fellow AD/MM shipper Kassandra, called Kassie, who I regret I never got

the chance to meet before she passed away last Saturday. Also for KayleeLupinTonks, cuz

she's my friend who needs support. Also to Kassandra's sister hug