Grindeldore // The Hallows That Divide Us

~10~

Godric's Hollow (1898)

It had been mere days since their first embrace. Albus sat in his living room, taking in the glowing blaze of the fire from the other side of the room. He shivered.

He now understood what love truly felt like.

Well, he'd understood what it was like before, but to be reciprocated by the other was the true feeling, for he now had the other boy to share his feelings with.

Sitting in the house, alone, with Gellert, was something he thought he'd never have. For now in Godric's Hollow, he actually felt joyous. A feeling he'd once thought to surpass because of his bad memories...

He believed in the love, yet he didn't believe in himself.

Gellert strode in from the other room and poised by the fire as if he were talking to the flames. His silhouette a purposeful aroma of the room that succumbed the two boys like a prison.

A comfortable, habitable prison at that.

But even though Gellert held a warm feeling in his gut, the frown on his face showed his true form. A concrete shell that nobody could penetrate, except Albus.

He'd been suffering from headaches. They had shown him visions. A blurry capture of dust and broken buildings. But that was all he ever saw...

Never anything about his life, but he didn't know what they meant, or whether the visions were even about his future.

Yet he continued to frown into the fire. Attempting to deduct the significance. Ignoring Albus who was clearly upset.

"...Gellert," Albus whispered. Not wanting to stir the boy who stood in front of the fire, too much. "Would you mind coming here...?"

He strode from the warmth and sat down next to Albus who'd perched at the bottom of the sofa on the floor. He wrapped his left arm around the shivering boy, not daring to point out how stupid it was that he was sitting metres away from the obvious heat in the room.

Albus leant his head against Gellert's shoulder. He would have been happy lying with him for the whole summer. But even with that happiness, he still found himself closing his eyes, and letting them drain with wet tears that fell onto Gellert's sleeves.

His comforting techniques had surpassed him. Gellert was unsure how to properly go about being sympathetic as he had no empathy.

But he had some compassion for Albus alone, so managed to confidently ask him, "Are you okay, Albus?"

A stupid question, he knew, yet it seemed to always get a response. Because people always want to talk about their problems, but this time, his sociopathic mind actually wanted to listen. Wanted to help the boy that was crying in his arms.

"It's okay...you can talk to me." He stroked Albus' brown locks cascading down his cold forehead. Trying to heat him up from holding him close to his chest.

Albus turned his face further into Gellert's shoulder, and mumbled, "What will become of us, Gellert. What will become of me?"

He continued to stroke Albus' hair through the mass of wet strands sticking to his forehead. Reminding him of when they kissed.

He then pulled round Albus' hand that he'd loosely wrapped around Gellert's neck, who brought it to his own lips. Between kisses of his fingers, Gellert spoke to Albus, sincerely.

"You will do great things, Albus Dumbledore. Brilliant things. With or without me. You must believe you can do anything you wish to set your heart on, without relying on me for the rest of your life."

With the tentative tone of his voice, Albus had wiped away the sodden tears and looked at Gellert. His pale eye, a mirror of glass that showed him not only his true self, but what could become in the future.

"I will always be here," said Gellert. Placing his warm hand on Albus' frozen cheek. "But I do believe in your individuality. And you should believe in it too."

From Gellert's point of view, he could not have told anyone whether that brief speech to Albus had meant anything to him or not. If it had helped, he was uncertain. Yet, when the tears began to fall again on his cheeks, Gellert knew he had helped. He had inspired. And he had made a friend, and a lover that would not only be himself, but would join with him in a matrimony of conquest.

Albus' tears had turned into quiet laughter. He now felt happy. Now knew that Gellert was always right. And would always be right for him.

"I've been looking, Gellert. And I think we can find the elder wand. It's possible that it lies not far from here..." he paused.

The look on Gellert's face had changed. It was unprecedented attention to the boy who just spoke. He ears had pricked up, and he eyes were glowing in the brief light that lit the room from the far corner. Albus shivered.

"We should get closer to the fire, you're freezing!" Said Gellert. An almost over enthusiastic tone, as he pulled Albus up with him, rubbing his shoulders, before grabbing his hand and pulling him over to sit in front of the fire with him.

By this point, the flames had died down quite a lot, but the heat was still present enough to warm Albus.

Gellert continued to hold onto his hand. It felt nice, but it was obvious he wanted Albus to continue. "You were saying!?" He replied, as if he could have read Albus' mind.

"Yes," He shivered again. "It's a possibility that the elder wand lies in the hands of a Mykew Gregorovitch. Still in the area of Europe, he is a wand maker that acquired it...from unknown."

Gellert had beautiful sad eyes that were telling Albus he had done well. Very well in fact, because next thing he knew, he was getting kissed on the mouth, thrust on by Gellert.

Wrapping his arms around Albus, he kissed him again and again. Sodden with happiness, and awe.

Albus stopped him to speak. "I still don't know where this man is, you know. Exactly where he is..." Gellert stopped him. He put a finger to Albus' lips who kissed it in response. Gellert smirked.

"It doesn't matter. It's a start. And you found it, Albus. I knew it, I knew we could do this together...we're going to rise up and finish the quest for the deathly hallows. Together!"

Albus smiled back at Gellert's smirk. He was happy, Gellert was happy, and now that he had found the first lead, nothing was going to stop them.

Besides, its all for the greater good.

~~~
I really enjoy writing this. I've always thought that Albus and Gellert were a couple in their childhood.
Let's hope J.K delves deeper into their relationship in the coming films!!!