Post by Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥ on Jan 22, 2009 15:03:41 GMT -5
Summary: Five months after Albus Dumbledore's death, four people sneak onto the grounds in the dead of night. The children have no clue who their father is or why their mother has never said a thing about him. But when a stranger, claiming to know their father visits Annabeth in her dreams, the secret which has kept them hidden for thirteen years test their safety of the hallowed walls of their new school.
Party AU and a little angsty.
Rating: K+ for a bit of swearing and sensuality.
Chapter One – Homecoming
There was no moon and an eerie glow shone from the lake as a boat bumped against the shore. One person inside the boat stood, jumping lightly from the boat to the shoreline. Water splashed up around their ankles and they tossed a metal stake into the ground, then a cry as the boat slipped free of the rope and drifted towards the lake’s center. A second person jumped from the boat, landing in the water, up to their waist as they helped the first person on land pull the boat towards the shore.
“Grab onto the bow Annabeth,” the second person instructed, pulling their long, loose hair into a loose bundle at the base of their neck. They leaned forwards, lifting a rucksack from the bottom of the boat and tossed it asides besides the stake. Reaching back, she pulled a girl about eight years old from the floor and swung her lightly to the shore. The girl giggled, holding tightly onto her mother’s shoulders, her curling auburn hair swinging in the light of lantern Annabeth had lit. She settled herself in a woolen blanket from the rucksack and leaned against a tree, curling the blanket tight around her shoulders.
“Mum, give me Ariana, I’ll take her,” Annabeth said as her mother lifted a bundle from the boat, cradling her in arms. The woman turned, handing her six-month old daughter to Annabeth, “Hold tight to her, Annabeth Kendra.” She slung the rucksack over her shoulder and took Morgan’s hand, leading them towards a small hut-like shack that was half-hidden in the shadows.
The hut itself had two rooms, a main room and a small bathroom. Along the entrance wall, there was a dresser, table with three chairs and a bunk bed with woolen blankets and thick black sheets. The bed mostly took up the wall but a small crib, also with a woolen blanket and the black sheets, occupied space at the foot of the bed. Besides the crib, there was a door leading into the bathroom. Opposite the door, there as a small fireplace, cupboard and a second bed, exactly like the bunk bed. At the foot of the second bed, there was a small trunk, filled with scarves, hats, mittens, outer cloaks, and sweaters – all with the same peculiar crest on them.
“Mum…?” Annabeth lay Lindsay in the crib, wrapping the woolen blanket tight around her, “do you think someone knew we were coming?” She sat on the bottom bunk besides Morgan, who had burrowed under the covers, “I mean, you only had Lindsay a few months ago, how would anyone know that?” Her mother turned, tears were glistening in her emerald eyes, as she sank into a chair.
“Annabeth,” she paused, “I used to work here. When I discovered I was going to have Lindsay then I began fixing this place up. It was originally made for you, Morgan and Lindsay. But when I left here, then I made sure that when I came back, I could live here with the three of you. Now,” she rose, pulling a small bag from the rucksack, “who’s ready for bed?” Morgan jumped up, throwing the blanket against the wall as she ran towards her mother.
“Me!” Her curls bounced joyfully as she raced into the bathroom, her toothbrush clattering in the sink as she tried to reach the sink knobs. She turned back, “Annabeth! Help me puhweez!” she whined, waving the toothpaste over her head. Annabeth shrugged, somewhat reluctantly following her sister’s complaints and followed her into the bathroom, totting her own toothbrush.
Their mother watched sadly as her two middle children carried on about who was going to have prettier teeth when they were done brushing. It pained her to see them grow up in her world without any clue on whom their father was. Her eyes sought the lakeside opposite the tiny boat they had used to enter the grounds, and at an even closer look, a white marble tomb. Tears began to make their way down her cheeks and she twisted a golden band on her finger, the ring was a promise, sealed with two gemstones, one emerald and the other blue, and it was her life.
Annabeth came from the bathroom, toothpaste coating her upper lip, she looked at her mother then wiped her lip on her sleeve, leaving a white strip of toothpaste there. She wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulders and sighed, “Don’t cry mum, we’re here.”
Her mother turned, placing a hand on her daughter’s, “I know dear, and we are home, safe – forever.”
“Not to be rude mum, but where are we?” Annabeth looked confused as her mother’s eyes twinkled slightly.
“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” she smiled, “my home since the day I married your father.”
Chapter Two – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
She slept fitfully that night, her dreams filled with twinkling blue eyes and a pair of strict-looking emerald ones. Tossing and turning, she kept hearing the words, “you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me*.” Then, as if in a dream, a person was coming towards her.
He had a long silvery beard with hair just as long. He wore pale sky blue robes and his cloak was deep midnight blue with emerald embroidering on it, a phoenix feather and wand crossed, with blue and green sparks shooting from the wand’s tip. His eyes were a magnificent dazzling blue and seemed to twinkle when he smiled and his nose was crooked as if it had been broken a few times. He conjured a large, squashy, emerald green chair and sank into it, conjuring a second and gesturing for Annabeth to sit in it.
“Hello,” Annabeth smiled nervously at the man, who was looking her over, nodding as if satisfied with something. He seemed to ignore her and he pulled a photograph from his robes, nodded again and tucked it back in his pocket.
“Annabeth?” His voice sounded like the man who had been calling out in her dream earlier, “Are you Annabeth?” She nodded, who was this person and why did he know her name? He continued, his eyes twinkling, “And you have sisters? Morgan Catheryn and Lindsay Ariana, if I’m not mistaken.” Nodding again, Annabeth looked curious.
“Who are you? What do you know about my sisters and I? What do you know about my mother? Do you know my father? Who is he? What is my family doing at Hogwarts? Is my father ––” The man held up his hand, smiling.
“Patience Annabeth,” the man’s voice held a bit of humor in it, “I will answer most of your questions, some though, I will leave for you to ask your mother. There are some stories that just can’t be told. The relationship between your mother and father has been one of those stories that can’t be told. Some information about your mother can be told. Only, I don’t feel I have any right to inform you of your father’s past, or even his name, without the consent of your mother.” He paused, “I have the ability to visit people in dreams – maybe tonight, I can speak to your mother and find out what information I can give you.”
“But I will tell you a little about your mother,” the man leaned back, “– but first, I must introduce myself,” he held out a hand,
“Albus Dumbledore.” Annabeth took his hand, grasping it and smiling.
“I’m sorry Mr. Dumbledore, what exactly do you do in the Wizarding world?” Annabeth tried to look apologetic, “Mum just told me that I was a witch a few days ago, then we’ve been traveling to Hogwarts since then.” Albus nodded, his eyes softening, “I was Headmaster at Hogwarts, and yes, I am dead. I taught your mother and her friends, Voldemort, later even Harry Potter and his friends just before my death. Right after your mother finished her schooling, I was able to defeat Grindlewald, he was a Wizarding counterpart of Adolf Hitler, I’m sure you know who that is…am I correct?”
“Yes, but I don’t know much about the world history as I left school after fifth grade. But please, tell me about my mother.” Annabeth whispered eagerly.
“Almost a week before the – as some would say – downfall of Grindlewald, your mother was married. I was one of her closest friends, even though I was her teacher while she was in school, and the day she was married, she looked the happiest I had ever seen her. She applied for a job with the Ministry and became one of the Aurors on the Alpha-Hit Squad. To be quite honest, I never saw your father more worried the day she was asked to go after Grindlewald. You see, she had the job before she was married then returned to her work. When Armando Dippet died in December of 1956, I became Headmaster and was in need of a new Transfiguration teacher. I owled your mother and she left her job at the Ministry and came to teach here within a week.
“I appointed her Gryffindor Head of House and Deputy Headmistress in 1991 after our previous Deputy, Gryffindor had retired from his place as the Muggle Studies teacher, when I also employed Charity Burbage to replace him.” Albus paused, looking up, “Well, I’ll stop there for tonight, that was about three years after you were born, and Morgan had just been born, I assume. I will try and ask your mother somehow soon how much more I can tell you. Good night Annabeth.” Albus rose, helping Annabeth up.
“Goodnight Mr. Dumbledore, thank you for telling me about my mother.” Annabeth gave Albus a smile. Albus returned her smile, his eyes twinkling, he closed his eyes thoughtfully.
“My pleasure, Annabeth. Minerva McGonagall was one of my best friends and I valued her friendship very much.” Albus gave one last wave as Annabeth faded into a dream. She sighed, resting peacefully as she awoke.
* CoS - US Edition pg. 264
Chapter 3 – I Love You
Minerva closed her eyes; her children had been sleeping for a while as she sat by the dying fire, reading. Snuggling under her covers, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
The room was dimly lit and smelled faintly of parchment and lemons. Blinking open her eyes, Minerva realized she was dreaming – and someone with twinkling blue eyes had been watching her. She sat up, throwing her arms around the man before her, all tiredness forgotten. He held her close to his chest, running his fingers through her long, wavy curls.
“Minerva,” he breathed her name, kissing her forehead, “I’ve missed you.” She whimpered quietly, looking up to face him, “Albus, tomorrow, I’ll wake up and find this is all dream. Stop,” she pulled herself backwards from his chest, and slid from the squashy chair she had been in.
“Mina, will you listen to me?” Albus grasped her wrist, pulling her besides him on the chair, “Please?” Minerva sighed heavily, closing her eyes and looked up, staring into his eyes, “You want to talk about our children don’t you?” Her smile faded, “Albus please, it’s hard enough raising them on my own, but I don’t want to follow some plan you’ve drawn up for their future. I want them to be happy, without knowing who their father is.”
“I’m afraid that is quite impossible my love, you see, I met Annabeth in her dreams tonight. I told her that I would try and tell her everything I could. She is old enough to understand what happened between us. I only told her that we were friends and she has no clue who her father is.” Albus explained.
“Good, I want it to remain that way.” Minerva snapped, “I didn’t want them to know anything about you, and now, Annabeth is going to badger me about our ‘friendship’. Honestly Albus, where was your head?”
“Where it has been the past one hundred some years, firmly attached to my body.” Albus frowned, “Mina, I really think –”
“If you’re going to say anything about what Annabeth should know about us, it can wait. I will tell her when I am ready, and when she is the age I was – when I first realized I was in love with you. No sooner, no later – I am her mother and I alone am going to tell her.” Albus’ excitement at seeing Minerva faded quickly, hurt and anger replacing it.
“Minerva, please – don’t be like this. I think we –” Albus was cut off as Minerva pressed her lips gently against his, her arms winding their way around his neck. Giving in, Albus pulled Minerva off her feet, kissing her with everything he felt. He wound his hands in her hair, breathing in her sweet scent of mint, and lilac.
“Albus,” Minerva pulled back, resting her forehead against his chin, “please. I really think I should be the one to tell Annabeth, not both of us.” She paused, “It’s not that I don’t want you to tell her. But I want both of us to tell her – together. But that wouldn’t happen until my death …” she faded away, gazing towards the mat she had been laying on. Albus sighed, “No my love, we can tell her together, now,” he paused, “besides, if you tell her the day you realized that you were in love with me, you won’t have to wait long. If I remember correctly, I remember there was a certain first-year Gryffindor who was very taken with her handsome Transfiguration professor from her first day of class.”
Minerva swatted Albus’ arm playfully, “Shut up,” she laughed, a blush forming on her cheeks. She rested her chin on his shoulder, pulling herself onto his lap. Leaning forwards, she pressed his lips to Albus’ ear and whispered, “Now, I’m going to leave now. And I forbid you to tell Annabeth anything about us. Ever.” She pulled herself from Albus’ arms, fading away slowly as she left the dream-world in which she longed to stay.
