The next chapter! It's shorter than the previous ones and I hope you don't mind that. I hope you like it and thank you for your support, it helps me to write more. Please let me know what you think about this chapter too! And it might be good to keep Dimitri in mind, maybe we'll meet him again in later chapters.
I don't own the characters or places!
When Albus woke up, he felt warm. And comfortable. Very comfortable, to be exact. He was lying in a warm bed; it was a little too hard to be his own, so it had to be Gellert's. Next to him, Gellert was still asleep and his constant breathing made Albus smile. It was a rare thing when Gellert was this peaceful. He had his arms wrapped around Albus' waist tightly, just like he feared that Albus might run away.
That's when the events of the previous night hit him with full force. The visit of Gellert's friend and their talk about ruling the world. How Albus ran away and Gellert followed him. Gellert's explanation of the true meaning behind the Greater Good. There had been a promise. Today, I'm going to make a new promise to you. Gellert had said. And Albus believed him that he meant it. The serious look in Gellert's eyes had been prove enough. And then, Gellert had broken down in his arms and cried. Something Albus had never expected to happen.
The sun had already been rising when they finally left the forest. Albus had been worried for Ariana, but Gellert had promised him that Bathilda had taken care of her. In that moment, Albus wanted to cry again. This time, out of happiness. Somehow, neither of them needed to ask where they would spend the night – well, the morning. They had just walked to Bathilda's house and, after getting rid of their wet clothes, collapsed on the bed.
Albus inhaled sharply and stiffened when he remembered all the things he'd said to Gellert. How could he even tell Albus that he loved him after that? He'd accused Gellert of terrible things. And he didn't trust him, even if he'd always told him just that…
"Would you please stop thinking about everything so hard? I can hear your mind rattle." A tired voice behind him whispered and Albus inwardly cursed himself that he didn't notice that Gellert was awake.
Suddenly, Gellert tightened his embrace around his waist. "What's wrong, Albus?" The concern in his voice made Albus' heart beat faster.
"About last night…" He began hesitantly, but Gellert interrupted him.
"Let's not talk about it." He muttered and Albus sighed.
"But we have to talk about it sometime, Gel."
"That doesn't mean we have to do it now. Can't we… Why can't we just enjoy the moment? Alright?" Somehow, Gellert's voice sounded insecure. And pained. For a few seconds, Albus wondered why. "Albus?" Suddenly, he understood what was going on. Gellert was still afraid that Albus didn't trust him. That he didn't want to be here, with him. Maybe Gellert even feared that Albus would tell him to leave, just like he'd offered last night. And I'll leave, even forever, if you want me to.
Slowly, Gellert loosened his grip around Albus' waist and moved away from him, probably to give him some space. However, that was the last thing he wanted right now. He turned around quickly just to see the sad expression on Gellert's face. He tried to hide it, however Albus knew him well enough to see when something was wrong.
Albus touched Gellert's cheeks lightly and his eyes widened in surprise. With a smile, Albus leaned down to kiss him. The surprised gasp of Gellert and the way the others hands grabbed his shoulders tightly, told him that he didn't expect Albus to kiss him. And especially not this passionately. To Albus, it seemed like they kissed for hours, not able to get enough of each other. After a few long moments, Gellert relaxed and his hands began to explore Albus' body. He knew exactly where to touch him and Albus enjoyed every moment of it.
Nevertheless, they still needed to talk. The sad expression on Gellert's face had made it even more clearly.
"I love you." Albus whispered in between the kisses and he felt Gellert smile against his lips.
"I love you too, Albus." And suddenly, Gellert's hands rested on Albus' back and he drew back from the kiss. Now they were able to look into each other's eyes.
"I know I shouldn't apologise, but I'll just do it again. I'm so incredibly sorry for all the things I said, Gellert. I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise. It was just…"
"It's alright, love. I understand you; you don't have to explain it." Gellert whispered softly, but Albus shook his head.
"Please, just listen to me." When Gellert nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face, Albus continued. "I said some terrible things to you, Gel. I know I can't take them back, but at least let me explain. And I am really sorry for not trusting you enough –"
"Albus, I know." Gellert interrupted him softly and touched his cheeks. Somehow, it didn't make it easier to tell Gellert how he felt last night.
"I was scared." Albus whispered. "When I heard you talking to your friend." Dimitri. His name was Dimitri, however Albus couldn't bring himself to say it. "All those things… Making the world a better place, having power over others. They were just like the things we used to talk about right after you came to Godric's Hollow. And wasn't that what you always wanted? And the way he talked about everything… I knew that his intentions weren't good." He laughed dryly. "You told me once that you might not be able to resist the Dark Arts and the Hallows forever. That's what came to my mind when I heard him talking. I was scared that you'd just leave Godric's Hollow, probably forever. That you were leaving me… behind." The last word was barely a whisper and Albus felt guilty when he saw the pained look on Gellert's face. However, he didn't speak. "You never promised me to stay, maybe that's why I freaked out. Gellert… I really don't know what I should do without you. I love you more than anything. When you told him about the Greater Good, I thought your decision has already been made. Because all the plans for the future had been about this, before the incident with my brother. Maybe it really hadn't been permanent, these past months of peace. Of happiness." Albus sighed. "I have been so foolish."
Slowly, Gellert shook his head. The pain in his blue eyes made Albus' heart ache. "I already told you that I understand it. It hurts to know that I caused you so much pain, Albus. I really wish you didn't have to listen to those things Dimitri said." At the mentioning of his former friend, Gellert's expression turned angry. "And I already told you last night that my reaction was wrong." He reached out with his hand and touched Albus' cheek. "If someone has to apologize, it is me."
"We both know that's not true. After all, I didn't trust you. And I've always promised to believe in you, Gel. I really do, I can't explain what happened yesterday."
"We all have doubts sometimes, Albus. And sometimes, they're so strong that they nearly tear us apart. And in those situations, it's the most difficult thing to just remain calm. I don't blame you for the things you said."
"But maybe you should." Albus whispered, the guilt weighing heavily on him. Why was Gellert so nice to him after everything that happened? Albus simply couldn't understand why he still trusted him.
The hard look in Gellert's eyes prevented Albus from saying anything else. He just swallowed and looked at him silently. "Albus, if you ever say something like that again, I'll hex you." Slowly, his expression softened. "My love, I could never blame you for this. We all make mistakes. And we both made them last night."
Slowly, Albus reached for Gellert's hand on his cheek. For half a second, there was insecurity in Gellert's eyes and Albus knew that he feared that he'd push him away. However, Albus just squeezed Gellert's hand and smiled at him.
"You're right." He said slowly. "Can we just forget about last night?"
To his surprise, Gellert nodded. "Just promise me never to forget the things I said to you. I'll stay with you for as long as you want me to. I could never leave you, Albus."
"I promise. And you have to promise me something as well." Slowly, Gellert raised his eyebrows. "Never to forget that I love you. And that I trust you. I'm so sorry that I forget that for a moment yesterday."
"I already know that, love. But if it makes you feel better, I will make that promise." Suddenly, Gellert wrapped his arms around Albus' waist and pulled him closer. "I promise you that I won't forget that you love and trust me."
The smile on Gellert's lips and the way his eyes were shining made Albus' heart beat faster. Suddenly, a worried expression appeared on his face. "I didn't ask you how you feel today. After all, you've been outside all night. And it was raining. And cold."
Albus couldn't stop himself from chuckling softly. It was still a new experience when Gellert was this worried. "I'm fine, really. Maybe I feel a little stiff, but that's all. What about you? You've been out there too."
"I'll live." Gellert replied and the concerned look on his face was replaced by a wide smile. Then he leaned in to kiss Albus.
When they left Gellert's room two hours later, they were both smiling happily. Gellert held Albus' hand tightly. When they were on the middle of the stairs, he stopped suddenly.
Albus just wanted to ask what was wrong, when he heard voices. "That's right, my dear. Just like this."
"I don't want to hurt him."
"You won't. Just try it again."
"Alright."
Albus and Gellert looked at each other silently. Apparently, Gellert was just as surprised as Albus to hear that Bathilda and Ariana were there.
Albus bowed his head slightly. You didn't know about this? the gesture said.
Gellert shook his head. When Albus wanted to let go of his hand, he just tightened his grip.
Albus raised his eyebrows, but Gellert just smiled slightly. "I'm sick of hiding our relationship from them." Gellert whispered into his ear.
Suddenly, Albus remembered another detail from the previous day. I see the way you look at each other. Ariana had been genuinely happy for them. In short words, he told Gellert about his conversation with Ariana. Of course he didn't mention the Christmas presents.
Instead of being surprised, Gellert just smiled widely. "I think my aunt suspects something as well. She won't tell anyone, I promise."
Albus just smiled. "I know."
They continued their way downstairs, still holding hands.
When they entered the living room, Bathilda was sitting on the couch, while Ariana sat on the floor. The white cat was sitting on her lap and Ariana tried to brush her fur. It didn't seem as if the cat liked it very much.
"You're late!" Ariana said loudly once she saw them. The cat on her lap protested loudly and tried to run away. Ariana got hold of her in the last moment and tried to calm her down again. In the meantime, Bathilda stood up and gestured them to follow her into the kitchen.
Once they were there, she shut the door and – to their surprise – placed a silencing charm on it. "It's good to see you two again." After hugging both of them tightly, Bathilda smiled. "And it was time that you told me about your relationship." When she saw the surprised looks on their faces, she laughed. "I may be older than you, but I'm not that old. I still see many things. And it's not hard to miss when you're together." Albus exchanged a look with Gellert, but he just smiled slightly. "Don't look so guilty, Albus." Bathilda continued. "I'm happy for you. Everyone needs some love in their lives. And to be honest, someone needed to tame him." When Gellert ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, she laughed again.
Knowing that he didn't have to hide anymore – at least not in front of Bathilda – Albus wrapped an arm around Gellert's waist. "Don't look embarrassed, she's just teasing you." He whispered and kissed Gellert's cheek. Then he looked at Bathilda questioningly and pointed at the door. "What's that about?"
"I thought that maybe you want to know the story I told Ariana. About last night. Because I'm not sure if you want to tell her what really happened." She looked at Albus and Gellert silently for a few moments. "And I'm not sure if I want to hear it as well. I've been worried for both of you. And especially for you, Albus. Gellert was devastated when he came here to search you last night."
When Albus turned to look at him, Gellert avoided to look into his eyes.
"I've been at your place the entire night, Albus. I've helped Ariana with the cat. And we had dinner together, it was quite nice. She even asked me if I'd like to come around more often, maybe once a week. And the two of you were here at my house. A friend was here to visit Gellert and you had an argument. Albus brought the cat to Ariana because he didn't want her to get hurt. Afterwards, you went back here to stay with Gellert, who was still angry and upset." Bathilda smiled, satisfied with her explanation. "And this morning after breakfast, I came here with Ariana and the cat. Don't worry, Ariana wasn't suspicious of you sleeping for so long. She was too busy with the cat."
When they just looked at her in silence, Bathilda crossed his arms. "Would you please tell me what you think?"
"That's it?" Gellert asked simply, his tone surprised.
"What do you mean?" She frowned at him.
"A friend visited, we had a fight and Albus came to stay with me." Gellert summarised the story. "And Ariana didn't even ask what the fight was about? Or why we didn't come over? And why you stayed the night with her?"
Bathilda nodded. "That's right."
Albus had the same doubts as Gellert. Nevertheless, he smiled at Bathilda. "Thank you."
She smiled at him. "Don't thank me for that, it's nothing."
"You know it isn't." Albus replied.
"When you're hungry, there's still some food left. We had sandwiches this morning, Ariana insisted to bring them for you." Without saying anything else, Bathilda removed the Silencing Charm from the door and went back to the living room.
Albus and Gellert watched her leave in silence. When she was gone, Gellert wrapped his arms around Albus' waist and buried his face in his neck.
"Did I ever tell you that your aunt is an amazing woman?" Albus asked quietly and Gellert chuckled. Slowly, he moved backwards so that they could look into each other's eyes.
"She can be exhausting too." He muttered darkly and then they both laughed.
"I'm still not sure if Ariana believed her the story about last night."
Albus nodded thoughtfully. "We'll just tell her the same, I think she trusts us enough not to ask questions."
Gellert nodded slowly. "And now let us get some food, I'm starving."
After they'd eaten, they went to the living room. Ariana was still sitting on the floor with the cat while Bathilda watched them. When Ariana saw their entwined hands, she smiled at them widely. Then she explained them how to take care of a cat. She had named her Snowflake because of her white fur.