Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all the poor characters in. Everything else belongs to somebody else who could hire loads of scary lawyers to make my life as hellish as I make other fictional characters'. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Special Note: The war crimes, nickname, etc that I attribute to Gellert are a product of my own imagination and should not be considered canon. Though they will be steeped in actual Muggle history I have no idea if Rowling's timeline choice was deliberate or not.

A New First Meeting

Gellert never took his eyes off Albus as the Headmaster droned on a little more before telling the exchange students to take seats. Albus and Potter moved together to take seats beside a girl who apparently had been saving the spots for them. She obviously knew them, and Gellert recognized her as the daughter of the international Quidditch player Victor Krum, Nikolette.

Thankfully the table they were sitting at was close enough for him to observe but not call attention to his interest. Ignoring the food that appeared in front of him Gellert had eyes only for two. They were certainly close, Gellert noted, watching the Potter boy and Albus fill their plates and each others, apparently knowing what the other would and would not eat. There was an ease about them, a sense of unity that was visible even from a distance. Close friends or lovers though? That was what interested him the most. Body language from this distance told him nothing, and they could just be being discreet. He knew they were both gay after all. He knew intimately that Albus was, and there had been a large media frenzy a year and a half ago when pictures of Albus Potter kissing a man had appeared in all the Wizarding tabloids. That Harry Potter, the boy's father, had stood beside his son and freely admitted to his son's sexuality had impressed Gellert and had done a lot to lessen the shock waves. If the Chosen One was okay with it then no one else wanted to openly admit that they weren't. Not that things had been as bad then as they'd been when he and Albus had been their present age but still, the homosexual and transgendered people of the Wizarding World certainly loved the Chosen One for making that one statement that had had everyone rethinking their longstanding beliefs on the subject.

He needed more information, and just his luck, he was sitting beside someone who would know them both. Turning his attention to Scorpius Gellert raised an eyebrow upon seeing that Scorpius had been imitating him without his knowledge. There was no food on his roommate's plate and the man's eyes stared over at the same table and the same two men. Interesting.

"Malfoy." Gellert waited until Scorpius turned his head before continuing. "What do you know about the redhead sitting beside Potter?"

"Wimbledon?" Scorpius sneered, venom dripping with that one word. "What about him?"

"What can you tell me about him?" Gellert returned, getting the distinct impression that Scorpius didn't like Albus. But that hadn't been hatred in the other man's grey eyes as he'd watched the two. The two. Light dawning Gellert slide a covert look in the direction of the other table once more. Scorpius hadn't been looking at Albus but at the man sitting beside Albus. That was who held Malfoy's interest. And wasn't that interesting.

"Wimbledon is a know-it-all teacher's pet." Scorpius informed him, drawing Gellert's attention back to the conversation. "All brains and no brawn. He's Potter's shadow, you never see one without the other. They're practically joined at the hip. Best friends." He added, though Gellert plainly heard the doubt in those two words.

Hmm, so Malfoy and Potter had a history and Albus had come between them? And there was definitely history between the two, Gellert could hear it in the other man's voice. You weren't that emotionally involved unless there had been, at some time, some sort of actual connection. He'd think about how he could use that later.

"Does he have a large family like Potter?" Gellert asked, hoping that this time around Albus was an only child. The less ties his former companion had to anyone the better.

"He's an only child, his parents are older. His father is a retired Auror and his mother worked at St. Mungo's as a healer I think. The Potter/Weasley clan consider him one of theirs though. He's invited to all their family gatherings and holiday trips. They're always together."

Figures. Two siblings had been bad enough, now Albus had to have a whole clan? Things never went his way when it came to the skinny redhead.

"Why do you want to know about him?" Scorpius asked, finally seeing through his hazy of jealousy long enough to wonder why Gellert would have any interest in Wimbledon.

"I think I might know him."

"Oh. Well my advice would be to start studying if you want to stay first in our year. He's as smart as he is annoying."

And sick of talking about Wimbledon Scorpius forced himself to load up his plate and start eating. He did not want to think about his past history with Albus Wimbledon. That would mean thinking about his past history with Albus Potter, which haunted him enough as it was.

)

Letting himself be dismissed Gellert turned his attention to plotting his course of action. Now he supposed that most reasonably intelligent people would think he would want revenge against Albus for beating him and seeing him imprisoned for a good half a century. It was a logical enough assumption, especially since there were few people whose minds were twisted enough to understand his. In actual fact he bore Albus no grudge for any of that. That had just been business. He was not a sore loser and respected Albus for coming after him, even though it had taken the man a lot longer than he'd thought it would. All actions, particularly ones frowned upon by society had consequences. He'd always known failure, death or imprisonment were good possibilities. That he'd been brought down only by Albus was actually somewhat of a comfort to him. He'd have never lived down being beaten by someone inferior to him and Albus had always been his only equal.

He would seek out Albus not for revenge but because Albus represented what was missing in his present life. These past seventeen years of his new life had been meaningless, without any direction or purpose. He was not a man accustom to this. In his past life he had known from birth why he had been brought into the world. His parents had made sure of that. He had grown into a man with only one objective and goal in life. Bringing about the downfall of the Muggle race. He'd studied, trained and schemed for that alone, it had been his entire existence up until seventeen. At seventeen he'd found himself deviating from that one thing, discovering two new pursuits that were not a duty or responsibility but which called to him just as strongly.

The first had been the quest for the Deathly Hollows. The wand and stone had become a passion for him, a foreign feeling as he'd never been passionate about anything. But the way the treasure hunt had challenged him mentally had ensnared him, driving him to forgo his plans for a summer of searching. It was through his searching that he'd found the third. Albus. Albus Dumbledore, the man he'd assumed could not exist. He'd always felt alone, apart from everyone else. No one had his intelligence, could keep up with his thought processes and ideas. No one till Albus, and that had been like a drug. He'd become addicted, hadn't been able to stay away. He had formed a bond with another human being for the first time in his life, and been so enamored he hadn't cared. Hadn't remembered how dangerous such bonds were said to be.

That bond had costed him dearly, but it didn't change the fact that Albus remained the only passion he had left worth pursuing. He had no interest in subjugating the Muggle race anymore, and the Deathly Hollows was a case of been there, done that, got the Elder Wand. Plus the Chosen One was said to have had had all three, which negating the thrill of being the one to finally unite them. That left Albus. He knew better now, Gellert assured himself, had spent a great many years in his cell rethinking how he should have handled his relationship with the other man. This time around things would be just as they'd been that summer with one difference. There would be no trust on his side. He would not let Albus make him think he was special to him again. He would have Albus's mind and body and give the same, but he would not trust, and he would not assume, even for a moment, that Albus wasn't capable of turning on him again.

Now he just had to figure out how to trap Albus, as he was willing to bet his bank that Albus would not be receptive to the idea of becoming involved with him again. But he wasn't worried, they hadn't called him The Spider without reason. He was unmatched when it came to spinning traps so fine that no one knew they were there until they became ensnared. Then they were caught and they didn't leave until he was done with them.

And he would never be done with Albus.

)

Carefully slipping out of the crowd encircling Al Albus wandered off to the side after dinner, his attention elsewhere. Besides, it wasn't like they really wanted to talk to him anyway. He was just another student, while Al was the son of Harry and Ginny Potter, the Chosen One and a former Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. And the distraction would do Al some good. His poor friend was still reeling from the shock of learning that they would be rooming with Scorpius during their stay. Apparently the Headmaster was completely unaware of the fact that Al was the reason Scorpius had left Hogwarts in the first place. He'd thought they'd be just delighted to know they'd be rooming with someone they'd gone to school with previously. The other roommate was the headmaster's grandson, who was apparently the school's most gifted student. Albus could only hope he and Al could win the grandson over to their side so that between the three of them they could keep Scorpius away from Al as much as possible.

Leaving Al to his admirers Albus walked across the hallway and over to stand in front of a wall near the main entrance. The symbol there had been carved over a century ago, but it remained there for all to see. He always expected someone to blast it off, especially in this part of the country, but it still remained. Perhaps it was considered a historical marker now, Albus thought as his eyes took in the familiar symbol of The Deathly Hollows. What was to have been their symbol. A symbol that inspired fear and loathing as few remembered its original meaning. Even today, it meant Grindelwald to all but a few scholars.

Reaching out Albus's long fingers traced the symbol, closing his eyes as he pictured the boy who'd carved it in his mind. Would Gellert be pleased that it remained even now? Did he even know that boy well enough to know what he would have wanted? He didn't know.

Arms suddenly wrapping around his waist Albus froze as a familiar voice spoke seductively in his ear. The muscular arms and body might be foreign, but the rich, accented voice was etched into his mind forever.

"Admiring my handiwork, Albus?" Gellert asked, just able to rest his chin on Albus's shoulder as he held his former lover against him. Of course the fates would only make him taller, Gellert thought darkly, not appreciating the fact that he now had to step up on his toes to whisper in Albus's ear.

Turning his head slowly Albus's blue eyes clashed with eyes the color of milk chocolate. The face was so similar, though it gave him a jolt to see Gellert's face without the long blonde curls he'd loved to play with. Instead the blonde hair was cut short, his hair tightly curled so that from the chin up Gellert resembled an ancient bust of a Greek god. The features were a little finer, the eyes a lot older, but he recognized instantly that he had not been the only one to choose rebirth. Gellert was alive. Gellert was here. He was in Gellert's arms again. OH. DEAR. HEAVENS!

"How can you be here?" Albus finally got out, unable to move. Couldn't make himself move. In the rational part of his brain he knew he should break free, should attack, should do something other than stand there like an idiot. But Gel was holding him again and it wasn't a dream.

"I could say the same." Was Gellert's reply, his eyes not betraying for a moment the pleasure he felt at holding Albus in his arms again. The coltish body was as familiar to him as his own, and despite the difference in size Albus's body felt like a perfect fit for his. There were small differences between this Albus and the man he'd known, but the hair and skin remained the same. How he'd loved the combination of Albus's flame colored hair against skin as pale as fresh snow. Just remembering what Albus looked like with his hair down and his chest bare was enough to have Gellert thinking about saying to hell with his preliminary plans and just use sex.

"Albus?"

His head whipping around in the opposite direction this time Albus's conflicted eyes met Al's confused ones. Help, Albus's eyes cried out to his friend, who'd come over to see what he was up to. Save me from him. From myself. Please!

A blur of motion Al had his wand pressed up against the side of Gellert's throat before the former dark wizard saw him coming.

"Let him go now." Al ordered, his tone making it clear that Mr. Nice Guy was taking a break and Mr. Ass Kicker had taken his place. Al might have been one of the most easygoing members of his family but he was still the son of an Auror. He knew how to draw blood and would if need be. No one hurt Albus.

More amused than worried Gellert dropped his hands from around Albus's waist, taking a couple steps back before turning to face his challenger. "You can put that away, you know. I haven't hurt him."

Not done yet Al kept the wand pointed at Gellert as he moved to stand between the two men, forcing Albus to back up a little as Al put himself firmly in front of him. With their height difference of six inches he wasn't the best shield for Albus, but it was the best he could do. "Now who are you and what do you want with Albus?"

"We're old friends."

Confused, both by the man's words and Albus's reaction, Al's eyes scanned the other man from head to toe. He saw a man a littler taller than himself who had a physical build that would suggest a serious athlete. He was well muscled, but not so much that he looked like a body builder type. He'd bet on a six pack under that school uniform though, Al noted with reluctant admiration. The guy was blonde after all and he'd always been a sucker for them. Definitely a hottie, and totally his and Albus's type. Could it just be that Albus had crushed on the guy before and didn't know how to handle the guy's interest? Would Albus really panic this much over some crush though? He was usually pretty self composed. And the guy looked sorta familiar now that Al thought about it, though he couldn't place him for the life of him.

Free of Gellert's hold Albus finally saw the situation for it was. If it were possible for someone of his coloring to go pale he would have. Grabbing Al's arm Albus yanked his best friend behind him, now the one acting as shield as he stood between Al and his former lover. 'You will not hurt him' Albus's eyes conveyed plainly, darkening as tensed up, prepared to attack or be attacked. As long as Al was okay, that was all that mattered. He would not lose him too.

Getting the message loud and clear Gellert simply crossed his arms in front of him, making it obvious he had no intention of going for him wand. "I had no intention of drawing on him, Albus. No need to look so worried."

"If I'd been more worried back then than maybe innocent blood wouldn't have been shed, Gel."

Gel? The light dawning Al stuck his head out from behind Albus's shoulder, really looking at the other man now that he knew who to compare the face to. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Al swore, his mind whirling as he realized it really was a bulked up Gellert Grindelwald standing in front of them so casually.

"Well isn't he eloquent." Gellert's drawled out, even as he processed the fact that Potter's reaction would suggest he knew that this wasn't the first life Albus had lived. "And to think you used to scold Aberforth for saying damn."

"Just go." Albus ordered, his hands fisting at his side.

"All right, though you should know it's pointless to try and stay away from me. The Headmaster, who's my grandfather by the way, put you two in the same room with Scorpius Malfoy, thinking you'd like the familiar face. Malfoy and I have been roommates since he came here and that hasn't changed."

A small smile of victory on his lips Gellert nodded his head in acknowledgement before turning on his heels, heading off in the direction of the dormitories. He'd be waiting in their room when they were ready to accept the inadvertable and face him without wands drawn. He couldn't wait for the next round.

Stepping out from behind Albus Al set what he hoped was a comforting hand on Albus's shaking shoulder. "We're rooming for five months with our exes from hell." He said slowly, needing some comfort as well. "You and I must have ransacked villages, committed mass genocide, and kicked a lot of puppies in our past lives to deserve this."