Cock Roach Clusters

Chapter 8: The Room of Requirement

Hey it's been a while haha but here's another chapter of this! I've got other pre-written chapters other than this but I need to write more before I post. Thank you so so much for reading :)

Albus POV:

'Vhat are you doing here?' Gellert asked, looking me up and down, 'Are you ok?'

My hair was frizzy and sticking out at all angles and my eyes were bloodshot. I'd stayed up all night trying to figure out the next task so that I could help Gellert and so The Durmstrang headmaster would let me be near the guy.

Luckily Gellert was alone in his quarters but even him seeing me look this deshevlled was embarrassing enough. I dumped some books on the desk and glanced up at him.

'The next trial,' I collapsed down into the office chair, letting the sifts leather pull at my back as if trying to drag me unconscious, 'The ghosts,'

Gellert frowned, 'Ghosts? Albus, are you sure you're alright?'

My finger weakly pointed towards the open page, 'Ghosts, you're going to be paired with a ghost,'

'Vhy vould they do that?' Gellert asked absentmindedly, unsure I was even making any sense.

'Ghosts can go through walls,' I croaked, sitting up straight, 'There'll be some kind of puzzle and you all get a ghost and you have to work together to find the next clue to the last trial,'

Gellert paused, sipping his vodka bottle and grimacing a little as it slipped down his throat, 'How do you know?'

'Well I was up for hours doing pointless research,' I hit the book shut and sighed, 'I was so tired I rolled out of my chair and crashed to floor,' Gellert was wondering where this was going, 'But when I did, a piece of paper fell out of my robes, the ones I wore when I was under water,' I took it out and opened it.

'Praising the mortal error

Of birth and death, the two sad knaves of thieves,

And the hunger's emperor;

He pulls the chain, the cistern moves.'

'My English May be good but,' Gellert shook his head, 'I'm no Shakespeare,'

I traced my thumb over the words, 'Well, mortal meaning you and birth and death- which ghosts are neither and two sad knaves? The both of you. And then it uses a metaphor at the end which could be a double meaning.....' My eyelids started to close but they snapped open when Gellert stroked his warm hand across my cheek.

'Vhy are you helping me?' He questioned, 'I appreciate it but I'd rather you get the rest you deserve than stay up all night and fail Hogwarts,'

I shrugged, 'Because I want to see you succeed and if I can help then why wouldn't I?' I yawned, the very action almost wiping all the energy from my body.

'Oh Albus,' Gellert chuckled, caressing my cheek with his hand again affectionately, 'You're too sweet,'

I had no time to process what was happening nor did I have the consciousness to be awake enough to hear the door open. But I did sense Gellert pull away.

'Zelig? You're back late.....or early,' Gellert raises his eyebrow.

'Come on, you can't tease me vhen you're here vith your infatuation here,' Zelig sniggered as I fell asleep on top of the pile of books I'd left.

'Shut it,' Gellert demanded.

'Vhat? He's not awake!' Zelig protested, 'he's definitely looked better.....did you keep him up all night then?'