Fate and Destiny

Chapter 4

She sighed, knowing he had visited again.
“If you’re going to be visiting this regularly, should I start cooking for you?” she asked bitterly.
“Well, if you’re offering…” he said. He chuckled and Cassie turned to face him.
“I’m going to warn you, my food is barely edible unless it’s desert.”
“Is your desert worse?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
“No, it’s the only thing I can make taste nice.”

He smiled and looked over at the cookies on the tray. She had taken them out a while ago, she was checking to see if they had cooled enough to eat.
“I miss what we had, Gellert,” she said as she reached for one of the cookies. They were still a little warm. “I do miss it.”
“So do I,” he said as he walked over. He reached for one of the cookies but paused, looking at Cassie. She nodded and he picked it up. He bit into it and smiled. “This is your grandmother’s recipe, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I know you’re not here to reminisce with me.”

Once he finished eating the cookie, He leaned against the kitchen counter and looked at her.
“I’m not, no.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked once she finished the cookie. “I don’t know anything else about the Hallows, I’m no use to you any more.”
“That’s not true, Cassie,” he said. He reached forward and took her hand in his own. “I could use a brilliant mind like yours, join me.”
“I’m not doing that, I’m not being part of your stupid army of followers.”
“No, I’m not asking you to follow me,” he said, shaking his head. “I want you to join me.”

“Gellert…” she sighed.
“It was going to be me and Albus, and then I met you and you ended up joining us. Then it would have been the three of us, but after Aberforth and Ariana…” He trailed off again, looking down for a moment. “Well, Albus has made his position very clear as he hides away at Hogwarts, but you can still help me, you can still be part of this.”

“You want me to be your equal?” Cassie asked, unsure of what exactly he wanted her to do. He nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Yes. I won’t kill you, or use imperio. I’ve already used crucio, and I’m sorry for that. If you wish, you’re welcome to use it on it.”
“I don’t want to crucio you,” she whispered. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. “But I can’t hurt people.”
“Sometimes the means justify the ends,” he said. “But if that’s how you feel, I won’t ask you to hurt anyone.”

Cassie sighed and pulled away from him. He had tortured her and yet he still thought of her as his friend. And now he was asking her to help him, to be his equal.
“You used an Unforgivable on me,” she said, stepping away from him.
“I know, I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he said, raising his voice slightly. “Cassie, if you want to use that one on me, go ahead.” She looked away, staring out of the window. She could see the garden bench outside.
“And if I don’t want to?”
“Crucio me?” he asked.
“You know what I mean.”

“I regret what I did Cassie, I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. She looked back at him. He hadn’t changed too much since she had met him, though they were both older now. She was sure she had changed more than he had. “There is no neutral ground and I don’t want to face you. Albus can’t protect you, he can’t even face me. But it’s your choice.”

Cassie took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment.
“It’s not really a choice, is it?” she asked. Gellert nodded and turned to leave. “Where are you going?”
“You're not going to work with me.”
Slowly, Cassie shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”

“What?” he asked. He looked confused as he turned back to face her. She shrugged.
“Albus couldn’t be bothered to help me, Aberforth shut the door in my face,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone and I don’t want the public to know about me. But I’ll help you, with finding the Hallows.”
“Thank you, Cassie.”

“You missed a lot of birthdays and Christmases,” she said, laughing a little.
“So have you,” he replied as he pulled her into a hug. She hugged back. “It’s not like I can buy you a drink, can I?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. She had vowed never to drink after a comment Albus had made. “But what do you drink?”
He shrugged. “Surprise me.”

Cassie smiled at him. She hadn’t expected this to happen, but Albus didn’t want to help her and Aberforth even more so. If she sided with them, she would be alone. If she helped him, she’d have a friend again.
“I’ll see you soon, I have some things to attend to,” he said, his smile widening. “I’ll visit soon, promise.”
“You better, last time someone promised something, I never heard from them again.”
He furrowed his brow? “Albus?” Hesitantly, Cassie nodded. “Well, I’m not him.”

“I know,” she said. “You’re welcome to take a cookie or two with you.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer, they’re delicious.” Cassie smiled again. She’d missed him, he was like he was before. Ambitious with grand dreams, but with a way of accomplishing them. He always had a way.