PROFESSOR

7.2/2 - Dwelling & Dueling

    As Gellert laid on the ground of the Forbidden Forest, watching as his life saver walked away, he turned his head to look straight up into the sky that darkened more and more as the night went on. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let himself rest as his mind raced. Who was his attacker? Who saved his life? Was Albus really dead? Why did his savior leave so soon?

    He took a deep breath, feeling weaker than he'd ever felt before. He had no motivation to get up, nothing to keep him going. Without Albus, he had no one.

    Hearing a stick snap nearby made Gellert turn his head, thinking his attacker may be returning, but when he opened his eyes, he was met by a mysterious fog-like mist. Within the mist appeared a tall tower. One that seemed oddly familiar. Pointed roof, a ledge off the side, a stairway leading up to it. Gellert sat up as quick as he could, realizing the mist was showing him the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. As he looked on, the scene the mist presented moved to show someone was up in the tower, but who it was remained unknown.

    As the fog-like mist began to fade away, Gellert moved to his knees, speaking to whatever, or whoever, brought him the scene. "No, please..who is that?" he asked, wanting to continue watching to find out more. "Why are they there?" he asked once more as he watched a faded view of the person in the tower. The person was unable to be recognized due to being wrapped in a large brown blanket, with a bowl of bread sitting beside them. "Do they know where I can find Albus? To...say goodbye." Speaking that line, he felt his heart break just a little more. Knowing he would never be able to see his boy smile again, or hear him laugh. Never able to, lovingly, annoy him to the point Albus had no choice but to give in to whatever it was Gellert wanted him to.

The mist was gone.

Gellert took another deep breath as he examined his body, seeing no traces of the spell that nearly ended his life. Slowly but surely, he was becoming normal again.

    Holding back his heartbreak and emotions, he got up and grabbed his wand. "Where do I go?" he asked himself. "I don't know what to do.." As if on cue, an owl swooped down, snatching his wand from his hand.

"Hey!" he yelled, watching as the owl flew off. He followed it.

    The owl flew just high enough to be out of Gellert's reach, but low enough to be seen even in the dark of the night. Running the best he could, Gellert tried not to lose sight of the bird. He soon found that the owl had brought him back to the school. Stopping for a moment to catch his breath, the owl continued to fly, resulting in him losing track of where it went.

"Great." he groaned, beginning his walk around in hopes of finding the owl. "I'm never gonna find you!" he called to the bird. The owl screeched back.

"Please, just give me my wand so I can go." he begged, still unsure of where the owl went. The bird screeched again.

The echoes of the screeches made it nearly impossible to know which direction they were coming from. Gellert stopped, nearing the point of giving up. "I don't know where you are! Please, let me go."

"Gellert?" a voice asked. It was a man's voice. A familiar voice that gave one the feeling of comfort when hearing it.

Gellert turned his head, looking every direction but finding no one. "No...it can't be." he spoke to himself.

"Gellert, is that you?" the voice asked again.

He then heard a small noise. A noise that sounded like it could be a stick, or perhaps wand, being dropped. Gellert took that as his best bet of finding his wand, and the familiar voice.

    "There you are, stupid bird." he groaned, finally finding the owl sat near the bottom of the Astronomy stairway. "I'll be taking this now." he spoke as he picked his wand up from the ground. The owl screeched again before flying away. He watched it leave, then made his way up the stairs.

    Once at the top, he stood still and silent, watching the unknown person wrapped in a blanket.

"Excuse me?" he asked quietly, his eyes locked on the person whose back was toward him. He took a step closer. "Excuse me, I'm-" Gellert stopped, watching the person take off the blanket and turn to face him.

    "Albus!" Gellert screamed, running to hold his boy in his arms. He hugged him tight. "Albus, you're here! You're here, and you're safe...and ALIVE!" he cheered, nearly letting himself cry as he ran his fingers through Albus' hair, then moved his hands to cup his face. "He told me you were dead, and I-" he stopped, noticing Albus wasn't acting his normal self. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice now soft and gentle.

Albus avoided eye contact.

"Talk to me. What's wrong?" Gellert pleaded, trying to look in his eyes but Albus stepped away.

"I can't do this anymore." Albus mumbled, his voice shaky as he tried to hold himself together.

"Do what? Stay up here in the tower? You don't have to-"

"I can't do THIS anymore. Us. I can't keep doing this, Gellert." Albus whined, continuing to avoid eye contact.

Gellert felt his heart break for a second time. He stepped back, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Us? What's wrong with us? I thought-"

"You know what's wrong, Gellert. Don't tell me you don't." Albus huffed. He too were broken, but he knew this was for the best.

"I don't-"

"The letters. The sneaking around. The never coming home or STAYING home."

"Albus, what are you-"

"I heard you, Gellert. I saw you. You were in your classroom, with another man, and you..." he paused, taking a moment to keep from breaking down. "You're in love with him."

"Who?!" Gellert asked. He had nearly no memory of the night Albus was talking about. "In love with who, because I would never-"

"I don't know WHO, Gellert, but I saw you in your classroom, on your knees, professing your undying love for a man who...isn't me." Albus' voice broke a little more. "You've been going to the flower shop. You've given him candy. You continue to sneak around and hide things from me, even when I tell you how it makes me feel. You're in love with a man who isn't me, and that's fine! I won't be in your way anymore."

The two finally locked eyes. Gellert didn't know what to say.

"Goodbye, Gellert."

"Albus..."

Albus moved by him, meeting Minerva at the stairway. He walked passed her, leading the way down the stairs. Gellert and Minerva looked at each other, but neither said a word.