Don't Let Me Go,
Chapter 9, I've been licking my wounds, but the venom seeps deeper
Vinda Rosier was off to Little Hangleton to kill Tom Riddle Senior and Merope Gaunt in under two days. After snapping and killing Carrow, Blaise came to the conclusion that becoming indispensable to Gellert was the best way to prove himself. As such, he offered to craft a poison for Rosier to use on the future parents of Voldemort.
With the application of poison, she could avoid using magic, and thus avoid detection. To his surprise, Gellert was pleased and even grateful for the offer. Gellert even sent one of his followers to an apothecary for the ingredients Blaise required so that he wouldn't have to go out himself. To Blaise, this spoke to the fact that somehow Gellert still trusted him and this gave him hope that he was on the right track to gaining the blond's love again. Well again for him at least. This hope...or goal rather, gave him a bit of much needed stability to which he could cling.
The poison he concocted was in powder form. Rosier had only to shake the hand of her intended target with a bit of the poison on the hand of her glove. It would sink into the hand of said victim and they would die within the hour. The slow death ensured she would not be suspected as she might've if they died just after touching her. Of course Gellert hadn't trusted her with the entire story, simply telling her that he'd had a vision that these two people would eventually pose a risk to his life were they left alive themselves.
With her off on her assignment to make certain Delphini never existed, they were free to return their attention to the goblins. Though they'd agreed to working with Gellert for their equality in magical society once he won in exchange, they did wish for an emissary to meet with him rather than just speaking to Kereston on his behalf. As she'd originally asked for Griphook, he was the one assigned to accompany her to meet with Gellert.
"How am I supposed to interact with this goblin," Gellert asked Blaise as they waited in the Nurmengard library for Kereston and Griphook to return..
"According to you, I have a good working relationship with them in the future."
"In the future, you call them gob-gobs, but as you haven't quite built that special relationship just yet, I'd advise against risking that now," Millicent snarked.
She sat across the room on a long sofa with Wolfgang.
"I didn't ask you, Troll," Gellert shot back, giving her a pleasant, amused smile.
He and Blaise sat side by side in arm chairs near the fire, and if he didn't think about things too hard, Blaise could almost pretend they were on some vacation in twenty-twenty two and that things were normal.
"You shouldn't have told him he called you 'Troll' if it bothers you that much," Blaise pointed out dryly to Millicent's glare.
Before that most fascinating conversation could proceed, Kereston apparated in with Griphook. Blaise felt his eyes widening slightly because the goblin looked so much younger. He hadn't thought of Griphook as particularly old before but now he certainly looked younger like a fresh faced kid!
"Oh my god, it's baby Griphook," Millicent cooed.
As one might expect, Griphook made a sour face.
"But gods, how old is your nephew! The one responsible for the magic stripping potion," Blaise exclaimed.
That particular goblin, Grimlock his name was, looked nearly as young as Griphook did now in the year twenty-twenty two.
"He's just starting school this year," Griphook said.
"He's a bright lad, and he has always been fascinated by potions. He believes he could concoct something to remove magic if given enough time."
"But he's a child," Gellert groaned.
"A very bright one," Griphook assured.
Gellert wasn't happy. His expression was tight and pensieve, his eyes vaguely stormy as he shifted slightly in his chair.
"This could take ages!"
"Yes, but if we'd waited until twenty-twenty two, it would take even longer," Kereston pointed out reasonably.
"Not to mention," Griphook interjected, "if you lot return to your time, it will surely be done by then. It should be done long before then by all rights, and when you're back home, the Muggles should be in far lesser numbers making it far easier for us to take things over and set the wizarding world to rights again."
He fixed Gellert with a piercing glance, somehow managing to look down his long nose at the far taller blond.
Even seated, Gellert was still taller than Griphook with the goblin standing, but the goblin did not appear to mind and wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"I'd honestly hoped to see things set into motion before I left," Gellert admitted unhappily.
"Now I have no way of knowing if things will turn out properly. In the year two-thousand-and-twenty two all my followers shall be old and likely scattered to the bloody winds without guidance!"
"Then leave someone in charge to guide things," Griphook suggested and Gellert's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"You?"
Griphook looked startled and Gellert smiled.
"Yes, perhaps you."
"Your human witches and wizards will never listen to a goblin," Griphook said, his upper lip suddenly curling into a sneer.
Gellert shrugged.
"They will if I tell them to. Call it a mark of good faith that I shall keep my promise in nearly a century when we meet again. With the Muggle population diminished, I will restructure magical society and goblins shall have their equal place in it."
Griphook hesitated for several long seconds before replying. His expression was tense and clearly conflicted as he struggled to make a decision. When at last he nodded, Gellert smiled.
"But why," Griphook suddenly demanded.
"Why leave everything in the hands of a goblin rather than one of your most trusted humans?"
"Because you're more powerful," Gellert said simply.
"My followers respect power. They respect my power and with my stamp of approval, I promise, they shall also respect yours."
After a moment of consideration, Griphook nodded.
"Very well."
"As soon as my emissary has returned from ensuring the deaths of my enemies, I shall convince all of my followers and make the announcement. I will require you to be present, of course, so that they might meet you."
Griphook nodded.
"You know how to get in touch."
"Wow," Millicent laughed as soon as Kereston and Griphook had apparated away.
"I bet he's shitting himself right now! Imagine how the older goblins in charge of Gringotts shall react to you handing all that power to little Griphook! Of course in our time he's large and in charge, at least figuratively, but now he's probably not shit at the bank."
Gellert chuckled.
"You do have a way of putting things in perspective. Indeed it would be a pleasure to be a fly on the wall when the others at Gringotts receive the news. I figured if I trust him later, I can trust him now. Better to leave things in his hands rather than another goblin about whom I know nothing simply because that one is older."
Wolfgang smiled, speaking up for the first time.
"That is sound thinking indeed, friend."
Kereston was back before long, and the group went out alone for a celebratory dinner at her suggestion.
"Nothing has truly changed yet, but things are well on their way, and that bears celebrating," she said.
"We're at least one, perhaps two, steps closer to getting home, and hopefully to a better and far safer home at that!"
To Blaise's surprise, Gellert wasn't only willing to go out for dinner, but he was nearly as cheerful as Kereston about their progress in spite of his earlier frustrations.
"We may be taking longer to get things done, but I won't be dead or in prison, so in the very long term, it will truly be better," he commented expansively as the group strolled along a snowy street toward a brightly lit restaurant a few miles from Nurmengard.
"Thank you for seeing reason," Kereston told Gellert warmly and Gellert poked her in the shoulder with a merry laugh.
"Don't push your luck, Little Minister."
For once since traveling back to the bloody nineteen-twenties, Blaise truly felt as if things just may be alright after all. As they entered the restaurant, he was surrounded by a warm haze of well-being. Everyone else must have felt the same, for the mood was charged with excited high energy all night.
Even the normally stoic Bramble laughed and joked. The food was delicious and everyone washed their meal down with several glasses of strong yet sweet Port. They sat at the table long after the dessert was finished, stretching out the conversation over more drinks. Blaise was surprised that Gellert chose to imbibe as he'd told Blaise more than once that he'd never had time to indulge in such when running the revolution.
The fact he did so tonight showed that things were truly different for him now. He trusted them enough to relax and have a night out, confident that all would be well and that he'd have their backing if anything went wrong. He'd said more than once over the years that even though he had followers, in the end it was just him with no one to truly count on. His followers were devoted, but he never felt he could afford to show weakness in spite of that and being drunk could present a weakness.
Now that they were all perhaps more than a little drunk, Blaise allowed himself to hope for more from Gellert when they returned to the castle. As they left the restaurant, he noticed that the place was nearly empty. It was rather late and most of the other diners had taken their leave some time ago.
"It was good to get out," Millicent said happily. as they began to walk up the long street that led to the high hill on which Nurmengard stood.
"It truly was," Gellert marveled, as if just discovering that, and Blaise smiled.
"You told me you never had time to party during this period of your life," he said and Gellert nodded.
"Revolutions don't lend themselves to such frivolities."
"Shit," Millicent laughed.
"I bet the French revolution in the seventeen hundreds had tons of partying...or was it beheadings?"
"In case you haven't noticed, we aren't in France," Gellert told her dryly.
Once back at Nurmengard, everyone headed to bed, merrily wishing one another good night as the hour was late. Gellert and Blaise paused in the hall between their rooms, neither speaking as they regarded one another in the dim light. Gellert was the first to speak.
"Well, goodnight, then."
Blaise reached out and caught the other man's shoulders, drawing him close and kissing him hungrily before he could protest. Gellert sank into him with a sigh as they clung to one another. Blaise reached behind him for the door to Gellert's room and they practically fell inside. Blaise pushed the door closed and even somehow had the presence of mind to hex lock it with wards before turning hungrily to Gellert once again.
"I don't think this is a good...idea," Gellert managed between their impassioned kisses.
"I'll show you what a good idea it is," Blaise promised thickly.
Holding Gellert close, he ran trembling hands through the blond's silken locks. Gods but it felt good to hold Gellert close again. Good and more than necessary.
"I love you so much," he said, hearing the raw plea in his own voice and unable to keep it in check.
Gellert's eyes were wide as they stared into his, fiery blue on Blaise's ice blue.
"And that terrifies me, because..."
Gellert drew in a shuddering breath.
"Because I've never felt as connected to anyone else in my life. I want things from you that make me feel out of control...and even worse I like it...a lot."
Blaise chuckled against Gellert's mouth as he practically dragged him to the bed.
"I know how you feel. When we first got together in the late nineties, I was terrified, and you were the cool and confident one."
"Cool and confident? Are you saying I seduced you," Gellert asked incredulously.
Blaise laughed, shaking his head.
"Oh no. That was all me, but you were far more at ease with the feelings bit than I was."
Conversation gave way to more impassioned kisses then as they tumbled onto the bed. Blaise reveled in the familiar shape and fit of Gellert's body against his as they clung together. Eventually kisses weren't enough and clothes began to come off. Blaise kissed his way down Gellert's neck and chest before sliding lower. When he drew Gellert's impressive erection into his mouth, the German wizard gave a cry, back arching.
"Oh great gods!"
Blaise chuckled, drawing back ever so slightly.
"I told you we were amazing together."
He trailed his tongue down the length of Gellert's shaft before drawing him fully back into his mouth once more. As Gellert writhed under him on the bed, Blaise slipped a finger inside to stroke the other man's gland as he worked him with his mouth. Hands clutching Blaise's shoulders he gave a shout of ecstasy as he spilled his release.
Blaise sat up, a small smile playing over his face. Before he could fully relish Gellert's reaction, though, the blond was straddling him, pushing him back on the bed, trailing kisses down his body. Blaise sighed in pleasure, eyes drifting closed as Gellert's warm mouth fastened hungrily onto his throbbing erection. And so it went all night with the two ravishing one another, neither being able to get enough. Though Blaise would've believed it impossible, the single night in Gellert's arms seemed to heal the scars his death had caused. Gellert was very alive now, after all, and he would remain that way.
What Blaise was not expecting was to wake alone. If that wasn't bad enough, the note on Gellert's pillow made things worse.
Blaise,
Our night of drink was unwise and led to unwise decisions on my part. I told you we could not indulge this insanity between us. If you come near me again I will not return to your future with you. As it is, I already have my doubts as to the wisdom of such a drastic move. You cause me to forget all that I value, and I can't have that. You may remain here, but keep your distance from me unless in a working capacity.
Gellert
Blaise blinked in shock, his heart sinking as he read the letter again. Nearly numb with disbelief, he had to read it a third time, when the second time didn't clarify matters. How could Gellert still think that they were bad for one another when they were so much more together? How could he do this when he knew what Blaise had already gone through at his loss? How could he claim to care for him and still do this?
Closing his eyes, Blaise forced out a slow breath, struggling to shake the horrible numb shock that gripped his mind. When it faded, though, it merely turned to misery instead. How could Gellert treat him this way? Had he ever truly loved him, or had it all been a lie even from the beginning? Did he even truly know the blond at all? Flicking his wand at the letter, he cast a fire charm. The parchment was nothing but ash in an instant. Though the empty misery was growing wider within him, at least the cruel cold letter would be out of his sight, Blaise thought darkly.