Chapter two

The first rays of the sun started to shine over the horizon and Ariana slowly opened her eyes. A slight smile played over her lips. Today she would ask her brother to help her with her magic.

She loved her family. Albus was her brother and she cared about him, but he couldn't have Gellert. Albus had a great future, she knew it for sure. But Gellert wouldn't be his mate in his journey. She would never allow it.

She sat on her bed and rubbed the back of her neck. Her love would guide her where she needed to be – with Gellert Grindelwald. She changed her clothes and still sleepy she walked into the dining room. Her mother and her brother, Aberforth, were there. "Morning," she said with a smile.

"Morning, sweetie," her mother said softly, kissing her forehead.

Albus joined them a couple of minutes later. He placed a kiss on his mother's forehead and sat on the table.

"Good morning, sleep head," Aberforth smirked.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Good morning, Aberforth… Ariana…" he kissed her forehead.

"I need to go, I'll help Francesco and Lucy with their new home," Aberforth sighed.

"And I'll help my sister with the baby," Kendra Dumbledore said. "Poor Honoria…"

Ariana smiled. With her mother and middle brother out, she could ask Albus to help her to use her magic.

Later that morning

"What?" Albus asked in disbelief. He never wondered his sister would ask him help to use magic again. After everything that happened, Ariana became very traumatized and her magic unstable. "Ariana, I don't think this is a good idea…"

"Why not?" she shook her head. "Please, Albus, help me… I want to feel normal again. I don't wanna be this person trapped in a life full of fear… You're a great wizard. You'll graduate this year… And me? What will happen to me?"

Albus looked at his sister in awe. He had never heard her speak so clearly. Ariana was always so silent and seemed to live in her own world. It was a change of heart.

He just didn't know if it was a good thing.

"I have powers, Albus… I need to know how to use them… properly," she said.

Albus sighed heavily. His sister was right. "Okay, Ariana… I'll help you… But you can't tell this to our mother or Aberforth," he warned her.

"Okay…" she said happily.

"It's leviosa… Not leviosaa," Albus smirked. They started to practice in front of their house. Albus thought it would be safer, since Ariana's magic always seemed out of control. He took their father's wand to practice with his sister. Even if it wasn't the ideal, he was quite surprised how it worked so well.

Ariana took a deep hard breath. It was a simple spell, but she would do it right.

"Wingardium leviosa," she said and smile formed on her lips, as the feather flowed into the air.

"Well done, Ariana!" Albus hugged her sister tightly. And suddenly he wondered if their mother made the right decision when she decided to hide Ariana from the rest of the world. Maybe her sister only needed some help to come to terms with what happened to her. Instead, her mother moved to Godric's Hollow and isolated his sister from other people. It was quite unhealthily and certainly made Ariana suffer even more.

"Thanks, Albus," she said softly. "Your help means a lot to me," she said truthfully.

Ariana started to wonder how much she lost because of the damn Muggles. Her magic, her father… She was born superior to them and she would never let them attack her again.

"You're welcome, my dear," he said, caressing her face.

"What are you doing?" Gellert asked curiously, walking to them.

"I'm helping my sister to use magic," Albus said proudly. "She's doing very well…"

"Oh," Gellert said. "So… I'll go… and we can talk tomorrow."

"No," Albus frowned. "We're already finished here; right, Ariana?" he turned to her.

Ariana cleared her throat. She could see in their eyes the love they felt for each other.

Love.

"Of course," she quietly nodded, jealousy running through her veins. "I'll go to my room…"

"She seems happy," Gellert said, as she walked away from them.

Albus nodded. "She seems pretty well… I don't know, Gellert… I think my family failed my sister, I think I failed my sister," he muttered.

"Don't get so hard on yourself," Gellert rested his hand on Albus' shoulder. "You love your family. You were too young when everything happened. It's not your fault."

Albus sighed heavily and caressed Gellert's face. "Thank you… You always find a way to make me feel better…"

He could still remember when Gellert Grindelwald first apperead in Hogwarts. He came transferred from Durmstrang, a wizard school with a dark reputation. The students started to fear Gellert, as rumors about why he was being transferred ranged wildly.

He's too powerful and dangerous.

He killed another student.

He's evil; he tried to kill a teacher.

Everyone thought the Sorting Hat would place him him in Slytherin, but then the enchanted hat surprised the students.

"Gryffindor!" the hat said out loud and all the students became silent.

Then Albus learned that Gellert wasn't evil. He was generous and brilliant. He had amazing magical skills, a strong soul and a great heart.

He crossed the ocean to steal Albus' heart.

"Everything is gonna be okay," Gellert pulled him out of his thoughts. "We'll graduate this year and then we'll take our Grand Tour of the world."

"Together," Albus said.

"Together," Gellert kissed him.

Little did they know that soon their lives would change completely.