AN: Written for the Last Kiss Competition on HPFC. I chose Dumbledore and Grindelwald. This is Dumbledore as he narrates to Remus Lupin around 1996, (each break is another memory as he tells Remus about his love )but at the last section he's no longer talking to Remus and it ends a little odd but I think you'll get it ;) The title is, obviously I hope, from the Beatles' song of the same name. I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything related to it, that's Jo's pleasure. I hope you enjoy this story and please review!
All You Need Is Love
"Remus, love really is the greatest magic," I said smiling at the young man as he furrows his eyebrows and sighs at me.
"Sir, you've been saying that forever, I remember you telling Lily and James that very same thing, but you've never seemed to actually have a love. If I didn't respect you so much I'd call you out for preaching something that's totally unknown to you!" he said, as he waved his hands and shook his head.
"If I told you about my love would you believe me?" I asked, hoping that he would rather not hear what I had to say.
"Of course sir," he said his face free of any emotion.
I should have known that he would accept my offer; he was a smart man and would see if I was making the stories up. I decided to take him into my Penesive and show him my only love rather than tell him.
I led him to the Penesive as I took the memories out of my robes; I always kept them close to me. I dropped them into the Penesive and dove in with Remus, ready to take him through my life with my only love.
Meeting
The memory started with a young girl and an older boy in a bedroom. It was summer and both looked a little worn out but the girl was obviously happy with life. The boy was quite the opposite as he looked to be mad and possibly even suicidal.
"Albie, a new boy moved next door," a little girl said to an older boy with auburn hair who was sitting on the bed.
The boy looked at the girl with a puzzled look, an older woman lived there and he hadn't seen her moving out so his sister must just be pulling his leg. He saw no way that there would be a boy next door as the woman was also childless. He decided to ask his brother to see if he had heard anything of this so-called "new neighbor".
"Aberforth!" he called down the stairs.
"Yes," a younger boy, who looked similar to the first only about 16 years of age, answered.
"Ariana told me that a new boy has moved next door, is that true?"
"How should I know, Albus?" Aberforth answered before adding, "Check, yourself."
Albus really shouldn't have left his sister and brother in the house alone but he did it anyway. He felt the upmost need to know if there really was a new boy next door. As he left the house he looked to the house next to theirs and he saw a boy with longer blond hair talking to the older woman who lived at the house.
The woman waved at Albus and gestured for him to come over and meet the boy. Albus bit his lip, contemplating whether or not to meet the boy; he decided to go ahead and do it.
"Hello, Albus Dumbledore," he said holding out his hand.
"Gellert Grindelwald, you live next door?" the boy asked accepting Albus' hand.
"Yes, with my younger brother and sister. Are you moving here?"
"I am. I will be living with my aunt here for the summer."
"That's great, Gellert. I hope this can lead to something. In the meantime, though, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave as my sister needs to be cared for and my brother is unable to do so properly," Albus said with a small smile before heading back to his own house.
Gellert smiled as Albus entered his garden and muttered, "I'm sure it will" before also going to his residence.
The memory faded out as the next began to come in.
Magic
The next memory faded in and the same two boys were sitting on the bed in Albus' room. They had a book on the bed in between the two of them and their wands were out.
"I can't believe that we've known each other a whole month!" Albus said to Gellert excitement evident in his voice.
"Me either, now we just need to acquire the Deathly Hallows and we can rule the world," Gellert said a sneer on his face.
"We will rule the world and the hierarchy will be set up the right way; Muggles on the bottom and Wizards on the top!" Albus exclaimed, his eyes twinkling and an evil smile placing itself upon his face.
"Of course, why would we have it any other way?" Gellert laughed.
As Gellert laughed Albus leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. Gellert stopped laughing and looked at his friend in surprise.
"I'm sorry, if you didn't like it then we can just go back to being friends, we can still rule the world, there's no need for you to pretend," Albus babbled on before he was interrupted as Gellert kissed him back.
The memory ended with the two boys speaking about the Deathly Hallows and the numerous places where they could be and Albus sneaking a kiss in every now and then. An outsider could see that Gellert did not truly return Albus' feelings but Albus was sure that Gellert was as much in love with him as he was with Gellert.
Murder
The next memory faded in with the two boys in the backyard having an obvious duel, though it seemed to be faked.
"Expelliarmus!" Albus yelled at Gellert, the latter blocking the spell.
"Stupefy!" Gellert yelled back.
As the spell hurdled towards Albus, Aberforth burst out of the house shouting.
Albus quickly blocked the spell before turning angrily towards his brother.
"Abe! You idiot, I told you to wait until Gellert and I were done dueling to come outside!" Albus yelled at his brother.
"Albus, I am not the idiot! You're the fool. He's using you! He doesn't love you; he's only using you for your powers!" Aberforth yelled as he lunged at his older brother.
Gellert began to shoot spells at Aberforth as soon as he had lunged himself at Albus and he hadn't stopped. Albus entered the duel shooting spells at his brother; who shot them back at both older boys.
"Albie, Abe, I got hurt," Ariana started as she entered the garden but was cut short as a spell hit her.
The young girl fell to the ground and both Dumbledore brothers ran to her. Aberforth got to her first and felt her wrist. Finding no pulse he looked to Albus and pounced on him once again. As the two boys were fighting Gellert disapparated; without even acknowledging either brother. Aberforth ended up breaking Albus' nose twice while Albus did little damage to Aberforth at all.
Mastery and Defeat
The next memory was evidentiary years later as both men in it were no longer young boys chasing a dream. It was, in fact, obvious that they were now adversaries and they were ready for a battle; possibly to the death.
"I watched your destruction around the world, Gellert," Albus screamed across the square.
"You could've been there with me, Albus. We could've ruled the world together, instead I'm ruling it alone it seems," he smirked.
"You're certainly not ruling the world. In fact, it seems, you only have one of the three Hallows," Albus said with a raised eyebrow.
"And it seems you have none," Gellert teased.
"Aw but I do not believe them to be the upmost importance while you still do. I promise you that I will be the victor today," Albus said with a sad smile on his face.
The two men began to shot spells at each other with the highest concentration. The duel went on for about an hour before Albus shouted "Expelliarmus" and Gellert's wand flew into his hand. He then stunned Grindelwald and walked over to him with heavy eyes.
"I still love you, Gellert" he whispered to the unconscious man before kissing him and walking away, leaving him to the guards who were to lock him up in his own prison for the rest of his life.
Remus and I were pulled out of the memory and back into my office. He looked at me with a more puzzled look then he had displayed before the memories.
"Sir, I don't get it" he said.
"What do you mean, Remus?" I asked.
"Well you say that love is the greatest magic but you and your only love was Gellert but obviously your love did not conquer all."
"Yes it did," I insisted.
"Sir, I don't see how your love conquered anything," he shook his head at me.
"My love for him conquered his evil ways. I like to think that he loves me too but I'm not as sure about that part."
"Sure, sir. I'm sorry I must be going now," he said with a small smile as he exited my office.
"Please do tell Nymphadora how you feel becauseā¦" I started as he left.
"I know, sir, love is the greatest magic!" he yelled back as he descended the stairs.
The End
"Albus, you're here!"
"Yes, Gellert, when you die you are met by someone who was close to you in life. I was met by Ariana, she forgives us."
"How am I here, though? I was sure that I would end up in Hell with all the horrible things I've done."
"You've repented especially when you didn't tell Tom who had the Elder Wand."
"He found out anyway, so the only thing that got me was death."
"Do you regret that though?" I ask.
"Not at all. During those years I was all alone I realized that I really had loved you Albus, and I still do. Will you accept my love?" he asks in the most sincere tone I had ever heard Gellert Grindelwald use.
"Of course," I answer kissing him as we walk towards our Afterlife in which we will have the luxury we didn't have in Life; we will be together with love.
