Goodbye, by tomoyohime8
disclaimer: i do not own harry potter, and i do not profit from the writing of my stories.
"So, you have come. Should I have been surprised?"
"Good evening, Gellert."
There was a pause between them, negligible, but the hesitation all the more evident as they looked at each other. He's the same, and yet so very different, Albus thinks. His former comrade's hair, so gloriously golden even the white strands of hair could not stop its glow beneath the afternoon sun.
His friend's eyes, once fervently bright with their shared ideals, now, however, glowed with something else he wished he could ignore.
"How long has it been, Albus? Ten, twenty years? You look tired. Come, sit. I've prepared us some tea."
Albus Dumbledore strode from the doorway into the sparsely furnished room, easing himself into a large chair by the windowsill.
For a few minutes, they both busied themselves with their tea. Albus focused on the ritual, wondering what to say, how to say it, wishing he didn't have to and yet knowing that this sacrifice was demanded of him, begged of him.
"So Albus," Gellert then said, "what has brought about this unexpected visit?"
Albus puts down the cup and looks straight at Gellert.
"You know, as well as I do, why I've come."
Each word a stab, the double edged sword driven deep into his soul.
But Gellert only leans back against his own chair and gives his old friend a flashing, and slightly dangerous grin.
He remembers his grin all too well.
"Enlighten me."
Albus stands and goes outside to the courtyard. Gellert follows him. "This has got to stop, Gellert – do you realize what you've done? How many people have died – how many innocent people have you murdered – for the sake of your cause?"
"My cause?" He seems out of words, and Albus senses an explosion coming. "For the greater good, Albus! Or have you forgotten?" Gellert nears him and stares him in the eye.
The air between them thickens, tenses. Albus could feel the magic swirling around them, prickling at his skin.
He knows that with his next words he has sealed Gellert's future, and his own in return.
"I've forgotten nothing, Gellert – or is it you, who no longer remembers?"
Albus draws out his wand and points it at him, his grip unshaking, his expression set. But his eyes, his eyes said everything that he could not say.
Gellert draws out his own wand. His smile is sad, worn.
Wistful.
He looks at his wand and gestures for Albus to look at it.
"This is it you know, Albus. This is the elder wand."
"I no longer desire it." He's already lost everything he could ever want.
"Then… this is the last time we will ever see each other in this lifetime, isn't it, Albus?"
"I'm afraid so."
"I'll have you know then, that the months we spent together were the happiest I've ever had in my life."
"I know."
Goodbye.
end.
A/N: I'd never imagined I'd write this. Old men… aren't exactly included in my list of fetishes. But after the nth rereading of DH (deathly hallows), I found myself wondering what they would have said to each other.
I'm a sucker for starcrossed love. Oo