Fate and Destiny

Chapter 14

Gellert Grindelwald was surprisingly busy over the next few days, even when compared to his usual schedule and plans. Knowing that he was busy and would likely not be sitting down to flick through their little matching and magically connected books, Cassie wrote a message on one of the pages. She wasn’t sure when he would find it, but hoped he would find it within the next few days.

The message read:
“Gellert, you are a wonderfully intelligent man and wonderful in so many other ways. While you are busy, I thought I would write this to make you smile. You are brilliant and I miss you so much already, my heart is yearning for you, and my brain is eager to see if you will still lose at Wizard’s Chess.”

It was certain to entice him into playing another game of Wizard’s Chess with her, and that meant he would spend at least an hour with her sometime soon. Cassie mostly hoped he would smile at the little message.

The next time he visited, there wasn’t a meeting. It surprised her but she didn’t mind.

“I saw your little message,” he said with a grin. Cassie looked up at him as she wrote in her journal. He was looking at her copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. They had each had their own copy filled with notes and ideas. She wondered if he still had his copy hidden away somewhere.
“You did?”
“Yes,” he said. He closed the book and put it back on the shelf before walking over to her. “I liked it. Well, small understatement. One of our followers saw my smiling so much he thought I’d been jinxed.” Cassie set down the quill, laughing as she did so.

“Well, I’m glad to know I succeeded.”
“Succeeded? With what? Making people think I’m insane?” he asked.
“I don’t think you need other people to do that,” said Cassie. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “Some people already think you’re mad. There’s rumours, there’s always rumours.”
“What sort of rumours?”
Cassie shrugged. “It depends on who you listen to. Some think you’re mad and won’t get very far, some think you will, and some are contemplating whether you’re right, whether they should join and agree with you.”

His brow furrowed as he leaned on the desk. He looked down at the journal and then looked back at Cassie. He didn’t look long enough to read any of it properly.
“I have something I need to tell you,” he said quietly.
Cassie frowned. “What is it?”

“I’m a Seer,” he said bluntly. “I’m not sure what to do about it really.”
“Gellert…” Cassie trailed off, unsure of what to say. Seers were rare. “How long have you known that?”
“It happened every so often when I was younger, but I didn’t really understand it. I discovered my grandfather was a few years ago and it all made a lot more sense then.”
“How did you not know before that?”
“Well, divination isn’t exactly a subject most people are fond of, especially Durmstrang,” he said. Cassie frowned but nodded in agreement, remembering how divination was the subject that was always mocked, though she hadn’t taken it herself. “Even Albus doesn’t know.”

Cassie looked down at her journal, thinking of all the times she had tried to contact Albus. Several times she had pleaded with him to help and he had not answered or helped.
“Well he doesn’t have to, not unless you want him to know,” she said. Her eyes met Gellert’s and he smiled. “And either way, I have nothing to say on it but I do hope he doesn’t find out, not any time soon at least.”

Gellert’s hand reached out to caress her cheek, tucking a lock of her brown hair behind her ear as he did so. He was smiling and suddenly, Cassie felt like she was fifteen again, crushing on the pretty blond boy who she’d recently made friends with.

“He won’t.” He spoke softly and Cassie smiled a little. “You know, I’ve missed you more than I expected to.”
“You weren’t expecting to miss me?” she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
“I wasn’t expecting to miss you this much,” he said. “I knew I’d miss you, but I didn’t think I’d miss you as much as I have. If you’ll let me, I’d like to stay the night again.”
“Of course you can stay, I’d love you to.”