Albus and Severus had been met at the Ministry by Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley. Arthur, now a very busy man, couldn't stay long, but he had his son, Percy escort them all to the Department of Mysteries: The Regulation of Dark & Questionable Potions Division.

"Madame Obviansk will be monitoring the De-Aging process," said Percy officiously.

Percy, whom many thought might get caught up in the corruption that had run rampant through the Ministry, had actually turned into a central figure during the Ministry upset. In his own way, Percy had redeemed himself to his family, by having kept dozens of secret documents, photographs, and recordings of the corrupt regime. Cornelius Fudge's intricate dealings with Lucius Malfoy and other top Death Eaters were one of the secrets Percy kept, as well as a properties and assets theft scheme being run by Dolores Umbridge and everyone under her. Both of them, along with several other officials, now sat in Azkaban, or six feet under the ground after they'd been Kissed.

Percy was the only Weasley Severus had liked as a student. As a boy, he had been very studious and adhered to all the rules and paid attention to his teachers. He wasn't brilliant at Potions, but had that been a discipline he'd wanted to pursue, he would have been an adequate Potions Master. What Severus had liked most about the boy was that despite being as nervous around the 'git of the dungeons' as any other child was, when Percy needed help, he ignored any fear he might have, and asked for help.

Something that many students didn't understand was that Severus did appreciate students who were genuinely interested in learning. His temper was awfully short when it seemed the majority of students wanted to learn how to do pranks- damn those twitterpated Weasley twins!- or make the biggest possible explosion. He never turned away any child that asked for help. There were many times he had wished that Harry the teenager had shown at least some interest in learning. Had the boy ever asked for help, he would not have ignored him. The problem was, Harry had never shown any interest in any of his courses with the exception of Defense and even there he had gone off on his own, never once thinking of asking an adult for help.

Little Harry, on the other hand, wanted to learn about everything. At first Severus thought he might go mad with the sheer amount of questions the little boy had filling his small brain, but when Harry asked a question, he always made his best effort to listen to the answer. Severus had been so quick with his desire to ignore 'prattling questions from babes' that it took him a few days to realise that Harry's questions were actually worth listening to. Of course, he did manage to knock his father mentally off balance every once in awhile with questions like: "what came first? The chicken or the egg?"

Harry, was sure the egg came first, whereas Severus was adamant it was the chicken. On the other hand, it was Echo who'd stopped the ridiculous argument cold when she quipped, "Without a rooster, you have neither." Who could argue with that?

Harry enjoyed flying on his broom, but he had a certain, creative fascination for Potions that teenage Harry had never shown. Harry would get silly sometimes but that was part of what Severus enjoyed about brewing with his son. His eyes glinted as he recalled the other day when he and Harry were brewing one of his Dragon Pox potions that called for Mink Fur Caterpillars. He and his son had spent a ridiculous break trying to each keep a dried caterpillar on their upper lips for 'caterpillar 'staches'.

Who would have thought the 'greasy git of the dungeons' had enough of a sense of humour to hold a dried caterpillar on his upper lip for the entertainment of his son?

Percy Weasley led them into an inner chamber within the Department of Mysteries. In the chamber was a lounger, obviously for Dumbledore, surrounded by several chairs. A tall, very slim woman with light grey hair in a tight braid down her back and wearing a monocle in her left eye, walked over to them and bowed slightly.

"I am Madame Greta Obviansk, head of the Department of Mysteries: The Regulation of Dark & Questionable Potions Division. Mr. Dumbledore, if you'd please settle on the lounge, we'll begin as soon as I inspect the potion."

Minerva helped Albus to sit upon the lounger and she took a chair on the opposite side. With his hand shaking slightly, he reached out for Minerva's hand. She wrapped her hand around his and moved her chair a bit closer so they were both comfortable.

Severus removed the potion, in a clear, faceted crystal phial, and gave it to Madame Obviansk. Taking the potion she held it up to the light. "Second Chance Potion is supposed to be a shimmering crystalline blue, from what I read. Why is this the wrong colour, Master Snape?"

"It is the correct colour," he replied stiffly as the older woman held the nearly opaque, cobalt blue potion to the light. "The Second Chance Potion wipes out the memories up to the point one is de-aged to. Albus wished to retain his memories, so instead of destroying the Gingko Biloba leaf, I preserved its integrity in order to preserve the integrity of Albus' memory. An addition of Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, just the seeds, hulled, will aid in sharpening his recollection."

Madame Obviansk glanced sharply at the Potions Master. "I have heard of your skill at modification. You feel confidant in this potion, Master Snape?"

He only nodded, not deigning to answer. He had brewed many variations of the potion in order to create just the perfect one. He had absolute confidence in this one.

"How many years shall Mr. Dumbledore be de-aged with this formula?" she asked as she turned to the elder wizard.

It was Dumbledore who answered, but he was looking at Minerva as he replied, "I have chosen the age of 75."

The Head of the Department of Mysteries: The Regulation of Dark & Questionable Potions Division missed the shared smiles between Dumbledore and Minerva, but Severus saw them and it confirmed what he'd suspected almost from the time he'd been a seventh year at Hogwarts. He smirked at the elder witch and wizard and was pleased at the light blush that coloured his colleague's cheeks.

"Let us get started then." Madame Obviansk handed the potion back to Severus and he took the chair at Albus' head and gave the wizard the potion.

"Harry? Wake up child." A soft voice of silk gently filtered into his dreams of running and flying. He turned in his bed, yawning from his interrupted nap.

"Daddy?" Harry yawned again. "You're home?"

"We're home, Harry. Come out and see your grandfather, child."

While Harry made a great production of leaving his cozy bed, Severus stuffed the boy's feet into his slippers and with a wave of his wand, had Harry's bathrobe about him. Harry then took his father's hand and with another yawn he followed his father out of his bedroom and out to the living room.

Harry's eyes widened as he saw the tall, straight-backed wizard in his red and blue robes. His hair and beard was as long as ever they had been, but the white was shot through with strands of ginger.

"What do you think, my boy?" asked Albus with a wide smile as he held out his arms towards Harry.

Harry's hand tightened on his father's for a moment, and then he let go, and walked carefully towards the much younger looking wizard. He gently brushed a few of the ginger strands in Albus' beard. "It looks pretty, grandpa." He craned his neck back to look up at his grandfather. Albus immediately crouched down to Harry's height; a movement he'd not been able to do in years. Harry whispered, "Are you all better now?"

Albus nodded. "I am very well, Harry."

Happy to hear that, Harry threw himself at his grandfather, wrapped his arms around his neck just as Albus toppled backwards. Echo quickly cast a Cushioning Charm before Dumbledore cracked his skull on the floor.

"Harry!" shouted Severus. He stepped over and picked the little boy up around his waist, and promptly swatted the boy's backside. "Do be careful!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" Harry began to sniffle.

Minerva helped Albus back to his feet and the ex-Headmaster took the contrite child from his father's arms. "Shhh, don't start with those sniffles, my boy. I'm fine. Truly. Now, why don't we all go down to the beach and have ourselves a lovely little picnic?"

"Yes!" crowed Harry, immediately forgetting the swat. He leaned over and kissed his grandfather's cheek. "Hi Aunt Minnie!"

Minerva leaned over and kissed Harry. "Hello, sweet boy." She smiled and followed as Albus took her hand and they left the cottage.

Echo nudged Severus as she glanced at the clasping of hands between Albus and Minerva. "Is there a budding romance there I wasn't aware of, Severus?"

"Budding, no," he replied. "I do believe that Minerva and Albus have kept their feelings to themselves for a very long time." He smirked. "I had been curious as to why he chose the age of 75, but Minerva seems to be the answer."

"Really. So Minerva is 75, also?" asked Echo.

"She turned 72 this year." Echo smiled and chuckled.

Minerva and Albus sat beside each other on the sofa in the living room. The fire was burning very low and not throwing off any heat. In the glow of the fire's flames, Minerva turned her hand this way and that way, watching the sparkle of the ruby ring Albus had just given her. The beautiful ruby gem was entwined in a gold setting in the shape of a thistle.

Albus caught Minerva's fingers and drew her hand to his heart. "I am a very fortunate man, Minerva," he kissed her cheek.

"I believe I am just as fortunate, Albus," the usually stern Deputy Headmistress smiled the smile she had not shown to anyone in decades.

Albus had begun his career as the Transfiguration teacher in 1937 at Hogwarts. His very first year he met the very talented Minerva McGonagall. She was a girl that laughed easily and bestowed her smile only upon the worthy. In her fourth year at Hogwarts her childish precociousness had faded to show her true beauty.

There were many boys, from all the houses, that fell in love with the Highland Princess with her auburn brown hair that fell in luxurious waves down her back. She had expressive, dark amber eyes, and flawless skin of cream. Minerva had been wooed by Gryyfindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Slytherins.

Albus was certain he'd lost his heart to Minerva then, but he knew he was an old man nearing 50, and her teacher, as well. He kept a tight rein on his feelings, and so when he learned that the Highland Princess had become engaged to a handsome Muggle in the British military, it didn't hurt as much. It mattered more that Minerva was happy, and at her wedding after she finished school, he saw that she was deliriously so.

Minerva's happiness was short-lived as her husband became one of the last casualties of the second World War. Her grief drew her down so deeply that she had thought of following her beloved to the other side of the Veil. She received a kind letter from her old Transfiguration professor who offered her an apprenticeship in Transfiguration.

Being the smart woman she was, she pulled herself out of her mourning and accepted the offer. There was never any impropriety, for she still mourned her loss and Albus respected this. They became very good friends and some years later, when Albus became the Headmaster of Hogwarts and offered his friend the position of Transfiguration teacher, she accepted.

That was the way it was between Albus and Minerva. Good friends. Only, when Minerva began to fall in love with her friend, she felt it wasn't proper since he was her boss, and so she kept her feelings to herself.

Their friendship shifted, only slightly, the night that Harry's parents, Lily and James were killed by Voldemort. Deep in the shadows of the very late evening, hours after she and Albus had left the baby Harry on the doorstep of his relatives, Minerva finally allowed herself to grieve over the loss of the young woman she'd often seen as her own daughter, and the charming James. Albus held her in his arms until the sun rose over the castle. As she was drying the last of her tears, she and Albus looked into each others eyes and a spark passed between the two of them, and for a half a breath they almost spoke of it, but in the end, nothing was said.

After the final battle, as Albus lay in the hospital recovering as best he could, Minerva came into his room. He thought it was a simple visit, of two friends pleased to see the other had survived, but Minerva literally took his breath away as she kissed him in a way he hadn't been kissed in a very long time.

"Severus, I'm over a century plus old. Maybe it's just time," Albus said to the Potions Master as he visited the older wizard just after he'd retired his position as Headmaster.

"It isn't time!" Severus said through gritted teeth as he rose to pace. After a few minutes he spun angrily and glared down at his mentor. "Don't try and fool me into believing that curse has you feeling this way, Albus. You've been complaining of weary bones and feeling your age for nearly six years now. Why must you insist upon giving up when there's something I can do?"

"I just think it's futile, my boy," said Albus adjusting his lap quilt.

Severus, seeing the tremor in the older man's hands increased the temperature of the fire by waving his wand, even though the added heat made him more uncomfortable.

"The Department of Mysteries has locked down the Second Chance Potion with so many penalties, plus the upset and corruption going on... Severus, don't you see that just brewing that potion could put you in a very precarious position? That harridan, Dolores Umbridge is out for your blood and she'd love any excuse to throw you into Azkaban."

Severus sneered, "That Pepto Abysmal monstrosity has a rather limited shelf life, Albus. I wouldn't be concerned about her at the moment."

"I'm not concerned about her, but you. You're a new father, Severus. You're the world to Harry..."

Severus snapped, "As if I asked for that!"

Albus' generally blue twinkle suddenly blazed and Severus dropped into his chair as he backed away from the older man. "Severus Snape, don't you dare ever let me hear you say something like that again! You are not a thoughtless man and to make a remark like that after what you and Harry have been through is unworthy of the young wizard I know. Do you understand me?"

"Albus, please, I am sorry. I truly did not mean that. I'm just... I'm frustrated and I am..." his voice dropped almost to a whisper, "I am not ready to let you go."

Albus leaned forward and placed his hand on Severus' knee. "I am not willing to place my desires between you and Harry. I was broken-hearted when I learned what Harry had done to himself, but after seeing the two of you together, I see his de-aging as the two-fold blessing it was meant to be. You both need each other. I insist that if you decide to brew that potion, then you must go through the proper channels in the Department of Mysteries. You must promise me, though, Severus, that you shall abide by what they decide."

Severus was about to protest, but he knew it was a lost battle. Bowing his head, he placed his hand over Albus' and nodded. "I promise."

Later, when Severus had informed Albus that he'd requested a special dispensation to brew and administer the potion the ex-Headmaster held little hope of being alive by the time a decision was made. However, he made certain never to show that he wasn't hopeful. So, when he and Severus were notified that the request was granted, he had written to Minerva, asking her to be by his side when he took the potion.

Tonight, though, Albus had another request to ask of Minerva. Taking her hand in his, he had said not a word as he did a bit of wandless magic that produced the ruby thistle ring she now wore.

"I love you, Minerva," he said softly, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Minerva placed her hand against Albus' cheek and kissed him. "Yes, Albus," she replied to the unasked question. "I love you, too."