Beauxbatons: Unmerited accomplishments
Year: 2
Mandatory Prompt: [genre] drama
Additional Prompt: [word] hopeless
Holyhead Harpies
Beater 2: Write about someone two-faced.
Prompts: [dialogue] "You're better than this."; [word] whisper
Word Count: 1539
Beta: MissyAndTheDocs, LadySloane, loverloverlover, JanieOhio, The Cinder Crown
"You are not a good man, Albus," Aberforth said—no, begged. "I am asking you, please don't do this. Please, do not try to play god."
"Abe, who else will if not me?" Albus shrugged, his eyes already had a look of resigned defeat.
Aberforth groaned. Albus did this; he was purposefully obtuse about everything. This was beyond normal human comprehension. Aberforth knew that Albus loved Gellert, but honestly, anyone could tell that the feelings were not reciprocated.
"That is beside the point. This is about more than just you, him, and the greed that takes you both on wild adventures. We are no longer children. Please." The last word was said in a whisper that echoed around the empty pub.
Albus sighed. Aberforth knew why; conversations between them tended to be either boring or painful. They had too much history together, even as siblings. It made it difficult for them to talk to each other, but no one else was going to prioritise Albus' well-being, and Aberforth couldn't lose another sibling.
"Have you ever loved someone, Abe? Beyond the requirements of filial obligation?" Albus asked.
Aberforth took off his apron and sat opposite his brother. "That isn't a fair question. I loved Ma and Ari and you, even when your selfishness and hopeless ambition begged me to look the other way. You saw all our important things as familial obligations or things that have been holding you back in life, but we really did need you."
Aberforth did not know who Albus was trying to convince, because all that effort was certainly wasted on him. Albus never listened to him. A common trait, for someone like Albus, who was so excessively praised the way Albus was. People like Albus never got told about what they couldn't do. They didn't get boundaries placed on them the way other children did. They never got their wings clipped or their hopes snatched away from them.
It made Aberforth furious that he had to plead and whisper in order for his brother to listen to him. However, this was something that he couldn't allow Albus to do. He couldn't allow Albus to face Gellert, not when Albus once loved the man so deeply he was willing to give up everything for him.
Albus was a selfish man, and Aberforth knew this well. He made sure to iterate those words to his older brother often because no one else would tell Albus when he was wrong. Regardless of how the world glorified his brother and the achievements tied to his name, Aberforth knew that his brother was human.
Whether the Ministry liked it or not, his brother was blood, bones, and magic, like any other wizard, and he'd fallen in love hard with the first unattainable man he'd come across. Aberforth knew that he had to protect his brother, because Albus was all that Aberforth had left — even if neither of them wanted to acknowledge it.
God, he wished Ari was here to talk some sense into Albus.
Albus had never hesitated to listen to the whisper that was Arianna's voice. Aberforth looked at the portrait of his sister and sent her a pleading look to back him up. As usual, much to Aberforth's disappointment, Ariana gave Albus two thumbs up, an indication that she agreed with him. If this was a family vote, Aberforth's opinion would no longer hold any weight.
This was Albus' battle to fight. Albus, the proud Gryffindor and prodigy. Albus, the lover who was now forced to become the foe.
Albus tapped his wand on the sink faucet and made every dish in the pub rewash itself again. Aberforth could tell his brother was keeping information away from him but knew better than to ask. Albus was never good at keeping secrets from him, not even when he was angry.
"Abe," Albus said softly, the whisper of the words echoing across the pub. "I think I messed up."
It took a few seconds for Aberforth to make sure he had heard correctly. Albus very rarely admitted to being wrong. "You're the Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. You aren't allowed to be that selfish or greedy. Ma and I have told you for years you aren't allowed to mess up. We aren't allowed to mess up; father made one mistake. He acted out of protection and, because of that, we aren't allowed to be anything less than perfect. The world wouldn't allow us to exist otherwise."
Aberforth didn't bother to keep his scolding to himself. Albus could not even entertain such foolishness after Gellert. His mistakes were greater than himself — and, while this was true, he was only human. He was just like any other creature.
"I am truly sorry for my actions, but I did. I did mess up. It's not all hopeless, but I hoped you would understand," Albus corrected, trying to keep his voice gentle.
"You don't get to talk to me about hopelessness, Al! I took the fall for Ariana remember? When everyone praised you for staying, they seemed to forget that I never left. You make the mistake, and I take the fall. I do it to protect you, but you said 'no more' after Ari died. You promised on her grave — no more!" Aberforth ranted, too caught up in his emotions.
Albus cut in, his voice no louder than a whisper. "The night we made plans to leave Godric's Hollow, Gellert and I promised we would never harm each other with magic."
Aberforth watched as the words tumbled out of his brother's mouth.
There was a beat of silence between them, and Aberforth realised how hopeless the situation was.
"You married him?" Aberforth asked, hoping that the answer was the one he wanted but knowing it wouldn't be. "You're better than this."
"We used a modified Unbreakable Vow, but I shared his vision then. I thought we were going to be forever." There was hurt in Albus' voice and an unmistakable undertone of regret.
It would have fooled anyone but Aberforth. He and Albus had known each other for years. They had been each other's first friend. However, even Aberforth had thought Albus incapable of something this stupid.
"I saw the signs, Al. I warned you; we lost Ari over this, over your obsession to put him and his vision above everything else. Why couldn't you, for once, do what I told you to do? Why weren't Ari and I ever enough to make you stay?" Aberforth's voice cracked, and he jabbed his wand. The dishes stopped washing themselves and fell into the sink with a clash. In the dim light of the pub, he realised what exactly his brother needed of him. "You want me to face Gellert, don't you?" Aberforth asked, staring into Albus' blue eyes. The ones they shared.
"If it isn't too much trouble."
Aberforth nodded, knowing that he wouldn't say anything else against this idea. Gellert was evil, but he had also tied Albus' hands. Aberforth was not naive or selfish enough to subject the world to Gellert's regime, not when he had the ability to stop the man.
It was a well-kept secret that the better duelist between the Dumbledore boys was Aberforth. It had always been Aberforth, but neither the Ministry nor Gellert knew that. Aberforth stood in front of Gellert with his brother's face. He saw the tenderness in Gellert's eyes and wondered if it would be worth it to shatter the lie. Gellert clearly thought Aberforth was Albus. Aberforth couldn't help but be disappointed. Did this man not realise that he wasn't Albus? While the Polyjuice potion had physically turned him into his brother, Aberforth thought that Gellert would know better.
Aberforth stopped himself from revealing too much as he faced Gellert in a duel to end all duels. His first move had caught Gellert by surprise, by the time Gellert realised something was wrong, Aberforth had a large first-mover's advantage. He knew this battle would go down in history, but he wasn't greedy for accolades or awards. Besides, it was better like this. Gellert deserved to think that the man who loved him was man enough to meet him as an equal on the duelling field. The lie would destroy him.
Albus received the Order of Merlin while Aberforth went back to his pub. They lived separate lives and never spoke about this favour again.
When a new Dark Lord rose, Albus didn't ask his brother for help. Aberforth had made it clear that they no longer shared battles. Aberforth had done enough for Albus in terms of loyalty, even allowing his older brother to take his achievements. Albus was getting old, and Aberforth was tired of begging him to stay. It was selfish for Aberforth to want more from their relationship, but he was greedy for the ease of their early childhood back when he wasn't responsible for keeping his shrinking family together.
Aberforth had only stepped away from his brother once – out of selfishness – during the second rise of Voldemort. He had lost Albus to Voldemort because of it. It wasn't fair nor was it right, but that was just the nature of living a long life.