Aberforth burst into Albus' room. He was absolutely furious, his brother's wretched 'friend' had gotten Ariana riled up again and Aberforth had only just gotten her to bed.

It was well past midnight but Albus was still awake, scribbling a letter, to 'him' no doubt.

Albus looked up, flicking his shaggy hair from his widened eyes, as though he didn't know what he had done.

Aberforth stormed over to where Albus was sitting at his desk and wrenched the letter right out from underneath his quill so he wouldn't ignore him or get distracted like always.

Albus protested, getting to his feet, but Aberforth pushed him back into his chair then slammed his fist onto Albus' desk.

"Listen for once in your life!" Aberforth commanded harshly.

Albus fell silent and simply sat back and took on an annoyingly patient look he'd adopted since he'd met 'him'.

"I don't ask for much, and I don't give a damn what you do with that horrible man on your own time, but you keep him the hell away from Ariana. He's dangerous. I don't care what he does to me but he can't go near her again."

Albus sighed and Aberforth knew he didn't get it.

"I know you are upset by what happened today but Gellert truly didn't mean to frigh-"

"You're still not listening!" Aberforth roared pacing the length of Albus' room back and forth "You still don't see what's right in front of your eyes! I know you have some weird obsession with him" he sneered while Albus flinched "but that's no excuse to let Ariana suffer! You're supposed to be the smart one... so why can't you see what he's doing to us? Why can't you see that he's rotten?"

At this point Albus lost his temper, he got to his feet, knocking his chair over carelessly then stood so he was almost nose to nose with his little brother.

"You don't know anything about him! It's you who don't see him clearly, not me! He's brilliant, someone I can identify with, someone I can finally talk to and be listened to, someone who values my thoughts and ideas! You have no idea what it's like being this alone and raising a family."

Aberforth started laughing humourlessly "You're deluded if you think you're the one raising Ariana and me. And him! He's evil, and given the chance, he'd try kill us both! Anything to get his precious Albus all to himself" Albus pushed him.

He didn't mean to do it; he didn't even know what he'd done until Aberforth crashed onto the wooden floor, scattering stacks of books across the room.

Aberforth's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed in anger just as quickly.

Albus gaped, unable to comprehend what he'd just done.

He'd never laid a hand on either of his siblings in his life.

"If you love him so much then go be with him! We don't need you here! I can look after Ariana by myself!" Aberforth scrambled to his feet and stormed to the door, passed a visibly shaken Albus, but he paused when he reached it.

"Keep him away from Ariana" he hissed "and you stay away from her too!"

Then he threw the scrunched up letter to Gellert on the ground, slamming the door as he left.

Albus turned slowly and scooped up the half-finished letter.

His knees gave out, connecting painfully on the floor, but he barely noticed.

Albus plucked up a quill from his desktop and began to write.

He told Gellert everything while tears slid slowly down his face, dripping onto the parchment, dampening it considerably before sending it across the street.

He didn't know that Gellert would charge right over to confront Aberforth.

He didn't know he was about to realise his brother, who he always thought he was more clever than, was so right.

He didn't know that this was the night that he'd lose his sister.

And, in a way his, brother.

Thank you for reading :)