The Way It Was In Between

Chapter Six: July 1991

"I'm sorry, can you please repeat that?" Minerva asked, her hands tightening on the arms of her chair. "Exactly what plans do you have for this school year?"

Albus sighed but did as his wife asked. "Nicolas and Perenelle have reason to believe someone is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. They have been attacked over the years, but the frequency and severity of these attacks have grown in the last six months. I have convinced them to move the Stone to a vault in Gringotts for the time being. However, the safest place in the world for items like these is here, at Hogwarts."

"Where there are hundreds of children present?" Minerva crossed her arms. "I don't relish the idea of someone attacking the castle and its underage inhabitants."

"No one can reach Hogwarts." Albus leaned over his desk intently. "Between my magic, the ancestral wards, and your own magic, this place is unreachable."

"Every place is unreachable until, inevitably, someone reaches it," Minerva muttered. She cleared her throat. "I concede that Hogwarts is safe, but why not place the Stone where there aren't any children? Your cottage, for example? Or even McGonagall Manor?"

Albus raised an eyebrow. "You'd let me use McGonagall Manor to keep Nicolas safe?"

"To keep Perenelle safe, yes." Minerva flashed her husband a sly smile. "I am very fond of Perenelle."

Albus chuckled. "I know you are. However, the point remains, Minerva, that if someone is so desperate to find the Philosopher's Stone, nowhere is safe."

"So, why choose a place where children are running about, Albus?" Minerva couldn't help the exasperation that showed through her voice. "For the love of Merlin, why?"

"Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world—Muggle and magical. This way, it's safe, and I can keep an eye on things."

"That's what this all comes back to, isn't it?" Minerva closed her eyes and clucked her tongue. "You want the control."

"Minerva—"

"Albus, we both know you don't need my permission to bring the Stone here. So why are you telling me?"

"You're my wife. Besides, I know how you feel about secrets."

"I am your wife—but if you were telling me in my role as your wife, you would have told me this in my quarters or at home. Instead, you're mentioning this at the end of our yearly prep meeting, where we're both decidedly in our professional roles. So, why are you telling the Deputy Headmistress about your plans?"

Albus sighed. "You need to be aware in the event that anything happens whilst I am away from the school. Moreover, I will need your help to safeguard the Stone. I was thinking you could Transfigure an obstacle or two?"

True to her Animagus form, Minerva practically growled. "I will come up with something only because I want to protect the students."

"Thank you." Albus tipped his head in gratitude. "One last thing: Harry's letter is set to be delivered next week, yes?"

"Yes. I wish you would let me deliver his letter, seeing as he is living as a Muggle—"

"Minerva, Petunia and Vernon are more than capable of explaining Hogwarts to Harry."

"You have more faith in them than I do," Minerva grumbled. "Just promise me one thing, Albus."

"Yes?"

"If anything goes wrong with the delivery of Harry's letter, promise me you won't get mad at how I choose to rectify the situation."

Albus chuckled. "I'll do my best, my dear."

Two weeks later, after one lovely week at the Manor during which Albus and Minerva were allowed to be spouses again, Minerva was summoned to the Headmaster's office.

"You wanted to see me, Albus?"

"Yes, I did." Albus gestured to the seat across from him. "Please sit down."

"Why am I here, Albus?" Minerva shook her head as she sat down. "You summoned me to your office—while we were both home, might I add—so I must admit I am very curious as to why we had to come to Hogwarts to have this particular conversation."

"Filius was here, preparing for the autumn, when he went to send an owl. He discovered that he couldn't."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Minerva, how many owls did you send to the Dursleys when you noticed that Harry hadn't received his letter?" Albus answered with a question of his own.

"Why?"

"Because our entire owlery is devoid of the school owls."

"Ah. I was rather hoping you wouldn't notice."

Albus sighed. "Was it entirely necessary to send seventy owls to Privet Drive?"

Minerva crossed her arms. "I thought so, yes."

"You didn't think that the appearance of seventy owls in a Muggle street would be conspicuous?"

"I wanted our grandson to receive his Hogwarts letter. I didn't give a damn about the look of the thing."

"You're lucky that no one on the street filed a complaint."

"So how did you find out? I doubt Filius knew to Apparate to Privet Drive."

"Arabella. My sister-in-law thought it best to inform me."

"I see. Four months of being a Dumbledore, and her allegiance has already shifted from me to you."

"Minerva, that's unfair. Arabella correctly assumed that they were Hogwarts owls, and she sought to inform me."

"Fine. Perhaps sending seventy owls to descend on the Dursleys was heavy-handed. But it didn't work, Albus! Can I deliver Harry's letter to him myself?"

"No, I have another candidate in mind."

"Who?" Minerva asked, laughing sardonically. "It should be me! It's my job!"

"It must be Hagrid," Albus countered firmly. "I need Hagrid to go to Gringotts for Hogwarts business—the business you know and dislike."

"You're going to send Hagrid to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone while our grandson is present?" Minerva demanded, easily following his train of thought. "Are you kidding me?"

"It's safer for Hagrid to not be seen making a separate trip to the Flamels' vault," Albus argued.

"What about Harry's safety?"

"Harry will be fine," Albus promised. "He'll be surrounded by the goblins' enchantments and spells, and Hagrid would die to protect Harry."

"I simply wish," Minerva said dangerously, her eyes glittering, "that you would entrust Harry's safety to one of us before involving members of our staff."

"Minerva, please."

"Ask Hagrid to keep me informed, please," Minerva murmured. "That's all I'll ask. I would like to hear what happens directly from his mouth."

"As you wish, my dear." Albus smiled. "Now that this unpleasant Hogwarts business is over, are you still visiting with Ro and Poppy tonight?"

"Yes." Minerva stood. "In fact, Headmaster, I plan on bitching about my husband."

"Minerva, that's—"

"And I will tell my dearest friends that I'll allow my husband to make it up to me, but I intend to make him work for it," Minerva continued as she walked towards the door. When she reached it, she turned back to wink at him. "I expect you in my rooms no later than midnight. I'd take a nap, if I were you. I'm not feeling very merciful."

Albus swallowed roughly as his trousers suddenly felt rather tight.

Later that evening, Ro and Poppy visited Minerva's quarters. Poppy and Ro summered at their home in Wales, but returned for at least a week each summer to ensure that the Hospital Wing's stores were in order for the school year ahead. Usually, Poppy and Ro tried to coordinate their time at the castle with Minerva and Albus, which thrilled Minerva.

"Do you want me to go and kick Petunia's arse?" Ro asked over a glass of wine. "Really, we're so close to finally reuniting you with Harry. We're not giving up at this point."

"Of course we're not giving up!" Minerva scoffed. "Besides Harry being my grandson, I'm unwilling to let any child's magical education be waylaid by a stubborn Muggle!"

"Why don't you deliver Harry's letter?" Poppy asked softly. "You do it for all of the Muggle-born students. This situation really isn't that different."

"Albus," Minerva spat, indulging herself in a moment of the bitchiness that she had promised her husband, "thought that it might be too much for me. Instead, he volunteered Hagrid for the job."

"Hagrid?" Ro's tone was disbelieving. "Really? Why not one of us, for heaven's sake? Or Filius? Filius holds the wards when you and Albus are away; I would have thought he would be your natural successor, if you will."

"Albus entrusted Hagrid with this task," Minerva repeated. The look on her face demonstrated her displeasure at the idea. "After Lily and James died, the key to Harry's Gringotts vault was bequeathed to me. I had originally intended to send it with the owl delivering Harry's Hogwarts letter, but I'm glad I thought better of that. In the end, I gave the key to Hagrid so he could take Harry shopping. Harry will be none the wiser that this isn't normally in Hagrid's duties."

"Does he have access to all of the Potters' funds?" Ro asked. "That seems like a bit too much freedom for an eleven-year-old with no magical guardians."

"He will have access to it—eventually. Lily arranged for a yearly allowance to be deposited into his vault. I must admit that I added some money from my vault, as well as Albus'. I feel bad about disobeying Lily's wishes, but—"

"—but you're his grandmother," Poppy finished, smiling. "I would have done the same thing."

"Besides, you're his rich grandmother," Ro added. She grinned. "Giving Harry extra funds won't hurt you."

"I suppose not," Minerva replied frostily. "Honestly, Ro, I just wanted to do one nice thing for him."

Poppy elbowed her wife before she could upset Minerva even more. "Any news on the home front, Min?"

"Iolanthe and Charlus are apparently moving back to England," Minerva said. She smiled at the thought. "I am happy to hear that, I must admit."

"Why would they suddenly move back after all this time?"

"Apparently, Esmé and her new paramour are moving to London to work for the Ministry. Eléa is also moving this way—to Belfast to complete her mastery. Now that Callum is alone and their children are returning to the United Kingdom, Iolanthe and Charlus see no reason to remain in France. They're established enough in their careers now to be able to move freely."

"How is Callum?" Ro asked gently. "I don't receive very many responses to my letters."

Minerva sighed. Callum rarely left the house after his wife, Lucy, had died during Voldemort's rise to power. "He's still finding it very difficult to cope. Iolanthe and Charlus will live with him when they first arrive; I think Iolanthe wants to ensure he's doing as well as he can. She's worried—I am, too."

"It's been eleven years," Poppy murmured sadly. "I wish he'd come out of the fog. Surely you can help him, Min—you've been through the same thing."

"Yes, but to my chagrin, Callum sees the circumstances as vastly different." Minerva bit her lip. "I don't entirely disagree with him, to be truthful. I loved Aidan with all my heart, but we had only been married for a few years, and I had someone else to whom I was already bonded. I also had a young child to raise—something to get me out of bed in the morning. Callum and Lucy were married for decades, and their grandchildren are grown and gone, never mind the girls. I may understand the loss, but Callum doesn't think they're comparable."

"That's a bloody awful thing for Callum to say to you," Ro said, raising her eyebrows. "He shouldn't diminish what you and Aidan had."

Minerva smiled gratefully at her friend. "I don't think he means it quite like that. I think he simply wants to be alone in his island of grief."

"That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard," Ro scoffed. "I have half a mind to head to Peverell Manor and—"

"Ro!" Poppy admonished. "Honestly, that's not your job."

"Callum has been my brother in all but blood since I was a child. It very much is my job," Ro corrected. "I tried to help Min, but I wasn't nearly as useful as Albus was." She grinned at Minerva. "And now, it's my responsibility to help Cal."

"Thank you," Minerva told her friend gratefully. "I don't have much else to say, but thank you."

"It's what sisters are for," Ro replied. She reached over and squeezed Minerva's hand.

"Let's toast before we all start crying, shall we?" Poppy joked, raising her glass. "To Hagrid's success in delivering Harry's letter!

"And, in the event that he fails, Min here will be more than happy to kick some Dursley arse!" Ro laughed. "To Hagrid's mission!"

Minerva rolled her eyes, but clinked her glass against theirs.

At that moment, Albus came through the passage connecting his rooms to hers. "It's a quarter to midnight, my dear—oh, hello, Ro. Poppy."

"Albus." Poppy stood and kissed Albus' cheek. "I shouldn't be so nice to you after you prohibited Min from delivering Harry's letter, but you did save Ro's life, so..."

"You can't use that to let him off the hook for everything," Minerva laughed. "You'll make his head even bigger than it is now."

"Yeah, especially since now you're keeping Minerva from Harry, and everyone with a brain knows that you can't keep Minerva from her family." Ro wiggled her eyebrows. "I'm still shocked she let you get away with it."

"That's actually what I'm here about. I believe Minerva needs to mete out my punishment for upsetting her. She said she wasn't in the mood for mercy." Albus' eyes sparkled over his spectacles. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Albus!" Minerva gasped, scandalized. "Do you really have to say that in front of these two?"

"It's not like we've thought you're a nun, Min," Ro snorted.

"I thought it would be fun to watch you blush," Albus replied, ignoring Ro. He watched as Minerva's cheeks flushed. "You are ever so pretty when you blush."

"Oh, the games lovers play," Poppy chuckled. "Don't worry, Min. Ro and I have our fair share of moments like these. We can see ourselves out. Come on, Ro. These two need their alone time."

Ro smirked. "Evidently. Thanks for the chat, Min. Have fun, Albus!"

"Honestly, Ro," Poppy said, shaking her head. She ushered her wife out the door. "Bye, you two!"

When the door shut, Minerva turned to Albus with her hands on her hips and said, "Was that really the best way to make an entrance?"

"I wanted to ensure you knew I was on time and prepared for my punishment." Albus smiled. "Although, I must admit that I'm surprised you even want to punish me after this afternoon."

"Let's just say that after nearly twenty-four years of marriage, I have learned how to use your deficiencies to my advantage," Minerva said, smiling herself now. "Come with me, will you?"

Albus squeezed her hand as he followed her to their bedroom. "I do love you so. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, my love. I know."

"You wanted to see me, Hagrid?" Minerva asked the gamekeeper outside of his home. She had travelled to Hogwarts from the Manor specifically to hear what Hagrid had to say about Harry.

"I jus' wanted to tell yer that Harry'll be comin' to Hogwarts. We went shoppin' in Diagon Alley, and he'll be on the train next month."

Minerva felt a weight lift from her shoulders. "That's a relief. Thank you, Hagrid. I appreciate you letting me know."

"Er, there's somethin' else I need ter tell you." Hagrid rubbed his neck. "Yer not gonna like it."

"Oh, really?" Minerva looked at her former housemate expectantly. "What is that?"

Thirty minutes later, Minerva had returned to the Manor and found Albus reading in the library.

"Albus!" Minerva growled.

"What happened at Hogwarts?" Albus frowned. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, everything's fine. With the school, that is. No, I spoke to Hagrid. He told me," Minerva whispered dangerously, "that Harry had absolutely no idea how James and Lily died."

"Minerva—"

"The Dursleys told Harry that they died in a car crash! Did you tell them this lie in that letter of yours, or did they invent this tale on their own?"

"Minerva, give me some credit. I told Petunia the truth. I had to; I needed her to understand the importance of her being the one to take Harry in." Albus' eyes had hardened. "I would never deny our grandson the truth about his parents' fate."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Minerva replied, her voice wobbling. "I'm just so angry."

"I know," Albus whispered. He walked towards her, leaving his book behind. "I know. But soon, all will be well. We have protected the Stone, and Harry will be with us soon."

"Soon," Minerva repeated. She wrapped her arms around Albus. "Soon, we'll be able to tell Harry the truth. The entire truth."

Albus kissed the top of her head, unwilling to remind her that they couldn't do that. "Harry will be home. That's what matters."

"Soon," Minerva whispered. "Soon, we'll have him home with us."

FIN.