#ofdumbledores

[wizardingvisionary]

It took him weeks, if not over a month to have a general idea of where Albus could be hiding. While during the events in Paris he couldn’t have done much thanks to the Admonitors the Ministry gave him, Gellert was trying to make due ever since getting rid of them. Still, the damage was great - they had lost Leta, Albus escaped, so many were dead. The one positive thing was that Newts Niffler somehow managed to steal the Blood Pact from Albus, the small vila safely stored away now and out of Albus’ reach as Gellert apparated to Austria, to Castle Nurmengard. 

He didn’t manage to make two steps towards the large castle made out of black stone before Albus’ acolytes took hold of him. Gellert didn’t struggle, nor did he say a thing. he knew that they’d bring him straight in front of the man he almost dreaded to see again - the Mirror of Erised being the only instance of him seeing how Albus might be looking now. But he had a mission. He would try to talk reason into him, see if more damage could be prevented.

Gellert was shoved inside the room Albus was in once they reached the destination, heterochromic eyes fixed on his once lover. “Albus.” He said simply, voice sincere, underlined with the smallest hints of longing.

@ofdumbledores

[thatsecondsalemboy-a]

@ofdumbledores continued from here

He had come willingly. And he was tired, oh so tired. Not physically as such, but mentally. Everything that had occurred lately had quite frankly been exhausting and right now...right now, he’d quite like to rest for a very long time and stay away from any sort of ordeal if he could manage it. His hair had long since grown out, almost gracing his shoulders now, but his features were still pale and drawn.

Somewhat warily he watched the new man approach, uncertainty clear in his dark eyes. This...this was ham, wasn’t it? The man that Grindelwald had told him about. Grindelwald had said a lot about him, that he wanted him dead amongst other things, that he would have to fight him. But Grindelwald had been full of lies and he didn’t know where those started or ended. 

The hug was...a surprise. Slowly he found himself leaning into the gesture, seeking out the physical touch, eyes half closed. When the other pulled back, he restrained himself from following it, swallowing roughly, opening his eyes again, “I...I don’t know who I am anymore...”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ i thought you knew. ”

“Knew what? That you still love me? That you long for the good old days when we were nothing but teenagers with a dream of finding the Deathly Hallows, to conquer Lady Death herself and be the young leaders of the revolution that would bring us a better world?” They were on their own, which was the sole reason why Gellert spoke about the days past in the first place. He, too, at times found himself thinking about those days, having thoughts on what would have happened if the three way duel never happened, or if he had given up on the idea of the Greater Good. Albus’ presence, in truth, didn’t make such things any easier.

“Trust me, Albus. I am well aware of that.”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ you can’t expect me to believe nothing happened, not when you flinch everytime something touches you. ”

“Oh stop pretending as if you care, Albus!” There was nothing but bitterness in his voice, a deep frown settling on his face. No, he wasn’t about to let him have this little moment of triumph while he was this vulnerable. Dumbledore might have won this fight, but not the war, and Gellert would do anything to make sure he was the one to witness and bring about Albus’ downfall.

“Spare me the fake sentiment and stop playing as if you don’t know what this is all about. You honestly think that this is the work of others? That you, the saint, didn’t have a part in all this?” Bitterness was now replaced by anger, the frown turning into a glare that could kill. “This is all you, my dear. Every flinch, every jump - all your doing.”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ i don’t feel like the same person i was before it happened. ”

Ah, the always overly emotional Albus. That’s how he knew him for the longest time, and that’s how he remembered him. Whenever something bad would happen, he was always the one who felt sorry for what happened and tried to make things right. Gellert learned from him, but he learned the opposite. Emotions could drive a person to new limits, or hinder them to continue on their path. While Gellert was the former, he could easily put Albus as the latter of the two.

“I believe nobody would after killing their own sister.” Yes, he stabbed him right where it hurt the most, knowing that it still had to hurt. In a way, it hurt him as well. Ariana, while being as introverted as possible and having her bad days where things would escalate, was still a good girl, not really the easiest to talk to, but she grew on him the more time he spent with her. “You’re still haunted by it, aren’t you? Even after so many years.”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ i deserved worse. ”

Mismatched eyes focused on Albus, who was lying on the cold and wet ground of one of the cells in Nurmengard. So far taking him, or well, technically, kidnapping him from the battle field, proved to be one huge fail on his part. With the blood pact still no where in sight, thoroughly and well hidden by his former lover, there was only so much Gellert could actually do to him, which, albeit, wasn’t much to begin with. Still, Albus was dying, otherwise the phoenix that usually never left Aurelius’ side wouldn’t have left to go to the Dumbledore in their time of need.

Perhaps it was an act of mercy, maybe there was lingering sentiment in him still, nostalgia, if you will, that pushed Gellert to use his healing magic on Albus, thus keeping him alive all until he could finish him off. “Oh, I know you did. I could have left you to die, but I didn’t. I won’t give you the satisfaction of dying without my involvement in it.”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ the problem is you keep thinking i’m a good person. ”

“Do I?” Was the question that came from him instead of a reply, eyes narrowed a bit as he studied Albus very carefully. Once, that was more than true. Not only did Gellert think of him a good person, but he thought the world of him, he loved and respected him more than anybody else. Once he thought Albus to be a good person, pure of heart, with altruistic intentions. “I’m afraid you’re deeply mistaken, Albus. I used to think that you are a good person. But ever since the tragic accident and the loss of Ariana... You and I both know that you being a good person is far from the truth.”

[wizardingvisionary]

“ is this my fault? ”

Was it? Was it really Albus’ fault that Gellert turned out to be the way he did? Partly, at least in a way. In truth, it never struck him that much, and Gellert never really thought about it as much as he probably should have. He had his agenda, had a vision he was not willing to give up when things got a bit more bloody. Grindelwald, unlike Albus, never thought about giving up or backing away from the idea of the Greater Good. And then there was Aberforth, the younger brother who always interfered, dare he say it, even poisoned his older brothers mind with lies about him, how Gellert was bad influence on him, how he should stop fostering the friendship, or well, by that point relationship, with him.

“Maybe.” Gellert replied, letting Albus cook up a bit longer on that answer. “If you’re referring to dear Ariana’s death, then yes. It is your fault. But if you mean our duel that turned out to be a three way one, since your brother had the nerve to get involved, like with anything we ever did together, and everything else that followed, then partly. Aberforth takes most of the blame for that one. he was the one who constantly told you off from being anywhere close to me, wasn’t he?”