TDM Hedwig's Nook Oneshots

Forever and Always

*Fifteen Years Ago*

Gellert got excited as he ran up to his dad. "Dad! I'm so excited to go fishing with you today!" At 8 years old, the boy was joing his dad for his first fishing trip. He didn't notice as another little boy came up holding his pole, auburn hair covering his left eye. George looked down to the little boy and smiled. "We can't leave him behind. Son I know you don't want him to go, but someday you'll change your mind. " Gellert started to pout. "Take Newt Scamander, take Elise Woodstock, take my best friend Joe! Take anybody that you want as long as he don't go! Take any boy in the world! Daddy pleeeeeeease don't take the boy!"

*Ten Years Later*

Gellert held Albus close to him as they watched a game of Quidditch. He kissed the other boy's lips lightly and turned back to the game. Suddenly, Albus was ripped away and a man holding a wand growled. "If you do what I tell you to, there won't be any harm." Gellert teared up seeing his boyfriend in so much pain. "Take my money, take my wallet, take my Gringotts Key. Here's the watch that my daddy gave me, here's the key to my home. Mister give it a whirl, but pleeeeeeease don't take my boy!"

*Five Years Later*

Gellert Grindelwald sat on his sofa, eyes closed and back arched in order to pop it. His husband, Albus, was off at a checkup. They'd managed to successfully conceive, and upon finding out, were beyond ecstatic. So much so that Albus had been in his female form for nearly 8 months, in order to ensure that their little boy and girl stayed healthy. They'd decided together that their daughter's name would be Ariana Marie Grindelwald and their son would be Percival Gellert Grindelwald. The names had been important to both, and as Percival would be their firstborn son, it was important that he continued their legacy. After being let out of prison for his crimes against wizard kind, he'd changed entirely. Especially once finding out the pain that he'd caused the man he was ever-so-in love with. Albus had taken to qorking as headmaster from home, his maternity leave having begun at 5 months along when the doctor demanded bedrest.

Gellert stood and hurried up to the nursery that he'd been preparing. It was connected to their room by a single door, and had everything in it ready to be put together. This led to the current situation. Gellert had been bent over the cribs, putting them together. Their bed was prepared to house the twins for the first two years of their lives, a mesh covering over the spot where the angels would lay in the bed. This, of course, would be moved in time for their sweetest babies to take their rightful place.

It was when Gellert had finished painting the walls of the nursery a pale yellow almost the color of sunshine on one side, and a pale pink the color of the sunset on the other, that he received an emergency phone call. Albus was preparing to apparate home when his water broke.

Gellert grabbed the pre-prepared bag that sat beside the door and hurried to the hospital, joining his lover. Their angels would be here soon enough. Once inside, Gellert raced up the stairs and to their delivery room, dropping the bag by the door and taking Albus' hand. "I'm here love." He whispered.

The healer came in with a sorrowful face. "The babies are fine, but you'll have to leave. Their Momma's fading fast." And Gellert hit his knees and there started to pray, "Take the very breath you gave me, take the heart from my chest, I'll gladly take his place if you'll let me, make this my last request. Merlin, take me outta this world, but pleeeeeease don't take my boy."

Two day later, Gellert left the hospital with two little ones in his arms. His precious husband, his most prized possession, had fallen into a coma. The twins were perfectly healthy, and the perfect little angels, but he'd be leaving them with his mother until he was forced from Albus' side by the healers. He prayed every time he could that the man he loved so dearly would wake up. He couldn't live without Albus. He dropped the twins off with his mother and rejoined Albus in the hospital, gripping his hand tightly. "Please baby... You have to wake up... Our little twins are so precious... Percival has your hair, the little auburn locks... Ariana though... She looks like her auntie... She looks so much like your baby sister..."

Meanwhile Albus was deep into his mind, talking with his sister. "They're so perfect... I wish they would've been able to meet you. You'd have been a perfect aunt Ariana. I should've left you with Aberforth at the house when Gellert and I left. I shot the spell that took you away from me. I don't know... He deserves so much better."

Ariana gently but harshly slapped her older brother across the face. "Albus... Snap out of it. You ended my pain and my suffering. Yes, I had to leave you behind, but Albus I'm better now. I'm not ill. I have my own magic." She placed a lily behind his ear, in the locks of his hair. "You saved me. And as for Gellert, would you like to see your family's future if you stay with me? It's not your time."

A screen appeared before them, and Albus saw Gellert sobbing at his bedside as the spell showed a flat line. Then it skipped to several months later, his husband holding onto their children like a lifeline as his mother attempted to take them from him. He saw him drive their home into the dirt, a small nursery being changed only when necessary to keep the kids happy.

The next thing he saw shattered him. He saw two thirteen-year-old children standing in front of a coffin with their father inside, graves on either side showing the names of their aunt, grandmothers, and grandfathers, as well as their mother. He saw them living with Aberforth, their clothes dingy and their faces all covered in dirt and soot. They looked as though they'd not had a bath in many months.

He saw the kids going to Hogwarts, keeping to themselves, afraid to be left alone again. He saw them mourning day and night for their lost parents. He saw the boy leaving as the girl, only 16 years old, begged him not to join Tom. He saw the girl starving as her brother held his wand up and whispered an unforgivable.

What he'd seen was his family's future. His husband would join him in thirteen years, then his daughter three years later. He knew deep down that he couldn't do that to his family, so he fought for his life. He fought to save his own life, and fought harder to wake up. When he did, his husband was fast asleep beside him. He stroked the man's hair and played gently with it. "He didn't take the boy."