FIC: "A Night to Remember" for the HP Beholder Community Recipient: The hp_beholder Community Author/Artist: ??? Title: A Night To Remember Rating: R Pairings: Amelia Bones/Rufus Scrimgeour, a touch of Albus Dumbledore/Minerva McGonagall Word Count: 1,650 Warnings/Content Information (Highlight to View): *near public/voyeurism*. Summary: The night of the Yule Ball is special, indeed, for two couples.
"There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable." - Mark Twain
He was not sure if it was her perfume, the fairy lights shining on her short, silvered grey hair or the feel of her pressed against him as they twirled about the dance floor, but Rufus found himself thinking thoughts most impure as he danced with Amelia.
Scrimgeour was not a fanciful man by any account; Aurors required keen powers of observation. So he knew what most thought of him; too thin, fading hair still a touch tawny but with liberal amounts of grey and a rather dissipated air about him.
He also knew what others thought of Amelia; he'd heard her described in disparaging terms since they were still in school. Most saw a short, fat witch with thick eyebrows and a heavy square jaw and her hair had never been long and had always been a faded shade of blonde. Early crone edging to hagdom one of his dorm mates had once said and he'd given an obligatory chuckle in the presence of the rest of his friends and hexed him with troll teeth the next time he spied the spotty oik alone.
To Rufus Scrimgeour, Amelia Bones was strong and warm and reassuringly solid. She was refreshingly direct, unfailingly polite and honest to a fault. She was a highly intelligent, powerful witch he had never felt fear for because of her prowess with wand and wit.
They had been the best of friends throughout their school years, sweethearts as hormones exerted their changes on their adolescent bodies and had exchanged virginities as soon as each came of age and never had he been gladder to be but two weeks younger than her! She only grew more beautiful to him as time passed. If he had been a shopkeeper or she had been a minor Ministry worker, their lives could have been so very different. He never truly regretted his career or her own drive for same - after all, why should a witch stifle her abilities for anyone? He merely regretted the circumstances that would not allow them to marry.
He was head of the Auror Office. She was head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a member of the Wizengamot itself. They could be friends without raising eyebrows, but a relationship, much less marriage would create a serious conflict of interest and so they kept their feelings private and their careers intact. Neither resented the situation and both easily set aside all thoughts of the Ministry or their jobs when they came together as witch and wizard.
The slow music from the band finally began to show signs of fading and Rufus slowly edged them both off the dance floor and, only incidentally, toward the nearest exit. In a dignified way, of course; it would not do for rumours to start, and even while he was positive none of the students gave the slightest consideration to the love lives of the adults chaperoning the event, it would not do for any of the adults at the Yule Ball to become aware they were involved. Some knew they had been a couple in their final year at school, but most assumed they were now merely good friends.
The song ended and he pulled back from her and gestured toward the refreshments.
"Shall we?"
She smiled and nodded and he led her to the table, handing her a cup of punch and gulping one down himself, having built up quite a thirst.
"Rufus, dear?"
"Yes?"
"I hope you won't be too disappointed," she began, making him feel suddenly anxious. Would she want to leave? "My legs are really very tired."
He nodded, crestfallen. "Of course. You'll be wanting to--"
"Find a lovely dark corner where I could perch and we could have a mad snog."
"What?"
He blinked, uncertain if he had heard her right. Her smile was seductive and made him gulp.
"Or perhaps we could share some other mad thing starting with an 'S' and ending with a 'G'."
"Merlin," he breathed, adjusting his suddenly too-tight cravat.
"Let's, Rufus," she urged, suddenly giggling like a school girl. "We haven't had one off in the school since we were spotty teens."
He managed a respectable exit from the ball room, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. If anyone had glanced at his trousers, however, they might have guessed at their intentions.
~*~
Their old favourite place was taken, as were their second and third favourites.
"Such a pity. The stars are lovely and the moon is enchanting."
He smiled at this and considered their situation. "I'm guessing a slog up the Astronomy Tower is more than you're willing to attempt."
"Too right! What about that alcove with statues just beyond that set of stairs to the Dungeons?"
"That's clear on the other side of the castle," Rufus groused.
"Exactly. No one's likely to be there and it doesn't involve climbing."
~*~
"Whatever are those two up to?"
Dumbledore considered the pair hurrying down the hall past their adjacent corridor where they stood, and shrugged. "Perhaps it is urgent Ministry business?"
Minerva chortled. "Are you serious? Those two have been thick as thieves since their student years. Did you see the way they were dancing?"
"No, but then, my dear - I was only watching you."
She gave him a look of heated regard at this, before glancing back in the direction Scrimgeour and Bones had disappeared.
"Mayhap we'd best look into this... behaviour."
~*~
Amelia's idea had been an excellent one. The main statue of a centaur shooting an arrow created a deeply shadowed alcove that held a casement with a deep ledge that could serve as a seat.
She had wasted no time, using her wand to cast a Heating Charm by the window, as well as a Cushioning Charm on the ledge. Then she used it to divest them of clothing which folded itself onto one corner of the ledge as she slid onto the other corner and presented herself to him before the panoply of stars sparkling through the windowpane behind her.
Rufus lost all power of reason and thought beyond how very beautiful she was and how very lucky he was. He moved to stand between her legs and took her in his arms, kissing her deeply.
When they were eighteen, their trysts such as this had been furtive, quick and fraught with worry over discovery. Now in their respectable middle-age, their tryst was heated and impassioned with full awareness of what could happen were they discovered, but ready to take their lumps if needed.
Life was short enough, he thought as he felt her position him to afford them both the most pleasure and then stopped thinking entirely to lose himself to the feel of the woman in his arms, the smell of her warm silky skin and the sound of her soft gasps.
"Rufus, my love," she whispered, stroking a hand through his hair even as she pressed their chests together, thrilling at the sensation.
"Amelia... Amelia..."
"Yes, my love."
She pulled him closer still, running her hands along his strong, lean back, enjoying the play of muscle. Rufus might look a bit weedy, but he was wiry and strong and she was glad of the Cushioning Charm she had cast. His thrusts were powerful and she wrapped her thighs about his hips.
"Oh!"
Rufus had nearly lost himself at the feeling of her muscular thighs pulling him deeper into her. He moved faster now and a bit harder.
"Yes!"
The feeling of her fingers digging into his shoulder and back made him lose control and his eyes shut as his body shuddered through his profound pleasure at knowing she had achieved hers.
"My Amelia..."
The feeling of her hand stroking his hair back from his face made him nuzzle her palm and then kiss it. Then he opened his eyes to find her beautiful blue gaze watching him with great warmth and affection.
"I do love you, Rufus Scrimgeour."
"And I you, Amelia Bones."
~*~
The two shared fond smiles, but made no other noise until they were half a corridor away from the alcove they had briefly peeked into.
Then Minerva turned to Albus and whispered, "And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon."
Albus lifted a brow. "Pray tell who wrote that?"
"Edward Lear. From "The Owl and the Pussycat.""
"Muggle, I take it?"
"Some think so, yes."
He considered this. "Well, a fine quote, but there is no sand."
"I do believe that statue is sandstone."
"Ah. Well observed, then, my dear."
"I should like to be," she murmured, a seductive tone in her voice.
Albus eyed her, the warmth in his expression growing quite heated, indeed.
"Shall we retire then, my dear? This hallway is a mite draughty for such purposes. Let youth and the impetuous stave off the chill with chancy calisthenics."
"Albus, we are neither old nor free of impetuousness or have you forgotten that time in Greenhouse Five?"
Instead of looking chastened his expression suddenly brightened and he took her hand in his, striding down the hall.
"Albus, where are we going?"
"Greenhouse Five. You reminded me that I had determined our former experiment could work if we but use a Featherlight Charm instead."
His smile widened as Minerva suddenly began to move with great haste, practically pulling him along now. Her tone was light and gay.
"Last one there wears the fig leaves!"
Then she laughed merrily as he let go of her hand to suddenly sprint down the hall with the quick step of a much younger man.
Minerva's laugh turned to a reminiscent smile as she continued down the hall at a more natural stride, fully aware of the consequences of her decision.
It was definitely going to be a night to remember.