"Here's a nice spot," Albus said, turning back to look at Gellert. "I often stop here, by the river."
Gellert was walking a little distance behind Albus, observing the scenery, their broomsticks tucked under his left arm.
"A good choice," he agreed, with a nod. "Let us set up the picnic here."
After returning to Bathilda's house to pick up a couple of broomsticks and some food, they had flown into the hills cradling Godric's Hollow and landed in one of Albus' favourite places: a wide, sunny glade bordered on one side by a burbling stream and on the other by bright woodland.
Stooping, Albus spread a blanket over the ground and placed a picnic hamper on it to stop it from flying away in the wind.
"Why are you doing this with your hands?" Gellert asked, the breeze tugging at wisps of his flaxen hair.
"My father said we oughtn't to use magic for menial tasks," Albus replied, spreading out another blanket. "He said that magic should be treated with respect and only used for important things. Also, doing things manually gives us exercise and helps keep us fit."
"I see." Gellert stacked the broomsticks in one corner of a blanket and arranged a couple of hampers on the other end. "This looks nice and cosy." He took a bottle of wine and a couple of wineglasses from one of the hampers, popped the cork and filled the glasses almost to the brim. "Here," he said, offering one of them to Albus.
"I don't usually drink," Albus said.
"It was chilly up in the sky. Flying a broomstick always makes me cold. Drink this glass of wine all at once, it will make you warm and to feel nice."
Reluctantly, Albus took the wineglass. Grasping it by the stem, he held it aloft and watched the sunlight filtering through the pale yellow wine, bubbles fizzing and rising through the liquid to burst on the surface.
Gellert downed his wine in one gulp, licked his lips appreciatively and refilled his glass from the bottle. "Come now, what are you waiting for?" he said, when he saw that Albus' glass was untouched. "Are you afraid of wine? Don't be like a girl."
"I'm not afraid." Albus brought the glass to his lips and drained it in one swallow. The wine burned as it slid down his throat, making him cough and splutter.
Gellert laughed and thumped Albus on the back. "Go easy now. You don't have to force yourself. I was just teasing you, I already know you are brave." Gellert made short work of his second glass, smacking his lips. "Even your wines are tasting nice here. Have some more," he added, thrusting the bottle in Albus' direction.
"No, thank you."
"I insist! What, are you a little girl?" He refilled Albus' glass. "Drink it in one. And try to keep it down this time."
"I really don't know…"
"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"
Albus upended the glass and tipped its contents down his throat. Although it burned, he was careful not to show any discomfort this time.
"There!" he said, absurdly proud.
"Wunderbar!" Gellert beamed and thumped Albus on the back again, almost knocking him off his feet this time.
"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Albus asked.
"Maybe," said Gellert, with a mischievous look. "I wonder what you would be like when you let down your guard."
"Well, you can keep wondering," Albus said, placing his wineglass on the blanket. "I've had more than enough to drink for today. Let's go for a walk in the woods now. I can show you how wonderful this place is. Once we've worked up an appetite, we can come back here and have lunch by the stream."
"Lead on, my boy. Wherever you go, there I shall follow you." Gellert took a long swill from the bottle before corking it and dropping it by his feet.
"Gellert, that's unhygienic." Albus made a face.
"What? You said you are not drinking any more. Besides, our lips already touched, so why can't we share a bottle?"
Albus shook his head, moved to Gellert's side and grabbed his hand. "Come on. I can see I'll have to keep you busy, or else you'll destroy the whole picnic." Albus began to march, pulling Gellert after him.
"Well, well," Gellert said. "How bold you are becoming, Albus! I suppose the wine worked, yes? Dragging me by the hand as though I'm your house-elf? Interesting, I like this side of you. Now you are starting to show a bit of spirit."
"I have plenty of spirit, Gellert."
"Good. Show it to me."
"When I'm ready. There's a time for everything under the sun. One has to be patient."
"Bah. Being patient is boring."
"That's too bad, you'll just have to live with it."
They crossed the glade, crushing the lush, springy grass under their boots, and entered the forest. Albus felt his heart lightening as it always did in these beautiful surrounds. The hot midsummer sun blazed through the leafy canopy and dappled the forest floor, filling the woods with jade-tinted light. The air, perfumed with rich fruity and flowery scents, hummed with colourful insect life.
"Summer is a beautiful season," said Albus. "Not quite as pretty and colourful as spring, perhaps. There aren't as many wildflowers, because the deer eat them. But in summer the land is heavy with life. Look at all the vibrant shades of green."
"Look, a rabbit!" Gellert pointed at a small brown creature sitting atop a fallen log.
"That's not a rabbit, that's a hare."
"What is the difference?"
"Well, they actually have quite different lifestyles. A hare is a creature of the open spaces. It lives its whole life above ground. It flees danger by running, and it's one of the swiftest animals around. The rabbit, on the other hand, is an underground creature. When danger threatens, it flees to its burrow. It's not quite as fast as a hare, but it's much better at digging. You can spot the difference pretty easily, with a bit of practice. You see, the hare's body is long and streamlined to suit its running habits. It's also a bit bigger and lighter in colour, and its ears are longer and tipped with black. The rabbit is smaller, rounder and darker."
"Interesting," Gellert said. He drew his wand and pointed it at the hare.
"What are you doing?" Albus asked, frowning.
"Hunting."
"What? No!" Albus grabbed Gellert's wand arm and tried to drag it away. The hare, startled by the sudden movement, streaked away like a bolt of furry brown lightning.
Gellert said, "Now it's gone away! What's the matter with you?"
"What's the matter with you? I didn't bring you up here to hunt!"
"But you said we were going to see a lot of interesting animals."
"Yes, but not to kill them."
"What are we going to do, then? Just look at them?"
"Yes!"
"Where is the fun in that?"
"I don't see the fun in wantonly destroying lives!"
Gellert shrugged. "As you please. I am your guest."
"Put your wand away. You won't need it." Albus watched sharply until Gellert's wand was safely stowed in his pocket.
"You must have studied specimens of animals before. Why are you afraid of killing them?"
"It's one thing to kill for food or science. That's bad enough, but it can be justified. Killing for sport is inexcusable. When we came to these woods, my father always said we should respect Nature."
"They're just animals."
"So? They have a right to live, same as anything else."
They walked on in silence for a while.
"You have a lot of respect for your father, don't you?" Gellert said.
Albus glanced at Gellert. "Yes, I suppose I do. Why do you ask?"
"This is the second time you have quoted his advice."
Albus walked a little faster, stirring fallen leaves and watching the bright blue damselflies dance through the air. It was painful to be reminded of his father, especially in this place. "Percival Dumbledore was a very good man," he said. "Kind, wise, gentle and loving. He loved life and respected all of it." Albus wouldn't cry. Not today, not now.
"Lucky for you," said Gellert. "My father was a complete bastard. He was drunken, violent and cruel to his children. I was glad when he died."
Albus was taken aback. "I'm sorry," he said, looking at Gellert in surprise, but as usual Gellert's expression gave nothing away. He might as well have been talking about the weather.
"Don't be sorry. Sometimes I think he was not even my real father. He did not look like me. He was ugly and stupid. I think he hated me because he thought my mother had an affair, and I was someone else's son. Also… he was Hungarian. And I look German."
Albus was puzzled. "What do Hungarians look like? Surely not so different from Germans?"
"They are short, dark and dirty. I am tall with yellow hair and blue eyes."
"I'm sure some Germans have dark hair, don't they?"
"They are not pure Germans. They must be mixed with invaders like the Turk, Mongol and Gypsy."
Albus was silent, but privately he thought that Gellert's racial theories had little basis in reality.
They moved deeper into the forest, Albus keeping an eye out for all the different plants and animals.
"Cheeky little things," Albus said fondly, pointing out the red squirrels scampering through the branches above, displaying incredible agility. "They love nuts. They hide them in autumn and somehow remember exactly where they are when spring comes. Here, let's feed them." He took a paper bag of walnuts from his pocket and tipped them into his palm. "They're very shy, but one or two of them are pluckier than the rest."
He left the walnuts at the base of a tree and waited in silence for a few minutes, while the squirrels watched suspiciously from overhead. Eventually, a few of them streaked down to the ground and gathered the walnuts, chittering excitedly. Albus was enchanted.
"Aren't they lovely?" he said.
"Yes," said Gellert, but when Albus turned his head, he saw that Gellert was watching him rather than the squirrels.
Albus felt a flush creeping into his cheeks. "Let's keep moving."
There were all kinds of birds twittering, chirping, singing and screeching in the trees: thrushes, sparrows, swallows, finches, tits, jays, cuckoos and others.
"I love the swallows," Albus said. "They have those two amazing streamers that trail from their tails. They're such acrobatic, swift flyers. They're harbingers of spring, too. You see, they all fly away to Africa for the winter and come back for the warm spring weather. So when you see the first swallow of the season, you know that winter is over and the new year is on its way at last. The best part is, they often build nests in barns and other wooden buildings, so you can watch them from up close. We had a nest in our barn last year. The baby swallows are the tiniest little things." Albus smiled at the memory. Ariana had loved to watch the swallows too. It was rare for Albus and Ariana to share an interest, and the two of them had become quite close over it, much to Aberforth's jealousy.
Albus looked at Gellert. "I'm not boring you, am I?" he asked anxiously. "If you're not interested in all this, just say the word."
"Not at all!" Gellert took Albus' hand. His hand was bigger and warmer than Albus', enfolding it like a glove. "I did not know all these things. Show me more."
Albus beamed. How many times had he walked these beautiful woods alone? Now he had someone to share this precious place with, it seemed even more wonderful than before.
"You know what would be good, if we could camp out here at night," he said excitedly. "There are lots of owls around here. My favourite are the barn owls. They're so beautiful, with their heart-shaped faces, their elegant little beaks and their pale feathers. Have you seen a barn owl before?"
"I don't know. I don't know what the German name for barn owl is. I have seen owls before, but they were ugly."
"Those weren't barn owls. If you'd seen one, you would've known. They are the nocturnal angels of the owl world." Albus craned his neck, staring up at the sky. "Sometimes you can see kestrels flying overhead. They're nice birds, too. They're birds of prey, of course. They eat all kinds of rodents and smaller birds. The males are my favourite. They have these gorgeous grey-blue heads."
"Yes," Gellert said with a laugh. "You like the males, yes?"
Albus glared at him, embarrassed. "Male birds. They're usually brighter and more colourful than the females. The females are usually drab and brown."
"And what about male humans? Do you like them also? Are they more beautiful than the females?" Gellert's face wore a cheeky grin.
"I'm going to ignore that," Albus said huffily.
"What about me? Do you think I am beautiful?"
After a pause, Albus said softly, "You don't have to ask me. You know you are. Everyone says so."
"But I am asking what you think."
Albus shrugged. "Not too bad, I suppose."
"Not too bad! Is that all?" Pulling on Albus' arm, Gellert drew Albus into his chest and clamped his arms around him.
"Let me go," Albus protested, struggling to break free, but Gellert's arms were far too strong.
"Not yet," said Gellert. His face was ruddy and his breath smelt of wine. "You have hurted my feelings, Albus. Now I am offended."
"Oh, come now," Albus said. "What will it take to make you let me go?"
"Tell me how very handsome I am."
Albus snorted. "You have a huge ego."
"That is true. Also, I have a huge…"
"Gellert!"
"Yes? I was going to say 'wand'. I don't know what your dirty mind was thinking."
Albus had to laugh. "You are a character, you know that?"
"Still waiting."
"All right, I'll give you what you want. I think you're very handsome. There, are you satisfied?"
Gellert leaned Albus against the trunk of a nearby tree. He was somehow even more gorgeous with his face all red and his hair scruffy. He leaned in until his nose was barely touching Albus'.
"There," Gellert said. "Was that so hard?"
"You know what else is so hard?" Albus said.
Gellert drew back a little in surprise. "Albus!"
"What? I was going to say 'this tree'. I don't know what your dirty mind was thinking."
Gellert laughed uproariously. "I like you, Albus."
"I like you too."
Gellert leaned in and brushed his lips against Albus'.
Albus turned his head away. "You smell like wine."
"Albus, I am starting to think you are not liking me. Any girl would kill for a chance at kissing me, and all you can say is I smell like wine."
"Well, it's true." Albus didn't know if it was the two glasses of wine he'd drunk or Gellert's touch, but he felt incredible. His blood was boiling and energy was surging through him. He felt like laughing, singing, jumping up to touch the sky. He felt on top of the world, like he could do anything. "Catch me if you can," he said, slipping away from Gellert and running off.
He heard Gellert curse and give chase, his footsteps crashing loudly on the forest floor. Gellert would almost certainly be faster in a straight line, but Albus was weaving through the trees, and he knew this forest better than Gellert did.
"Come on, slow coach!" Albus called. He could see Gellert moving out of the corner of his eye.
"You wait, Albus! See what I will do to you when I get you."
"You'll have to catch me first. Doesn't look as though you will, at this rate!"
Albus raced along the forest floor, kicking up sprays of dried brown leaves, darting through clouds of many-hued butterflies, leaping over a small pond and ploughing through a patch of wild strawberry bushes. He ran until his heart was pounding in his chest, before coming to a stop and turning around.
"Gellert?" he said. There was no reply. Before him, the forest was filled with insect and bird life, but there was a distinct lack of blond German boys. Albus took a few steps forward, looking around in every direction, but as far as he could tell, he was the only human being in sight. "Gellert!" he called again, worried now. What if Gellert had gotten lost? Albus would have to go back and look for him. He took a couple more paces forward.
"Raar!" Something roared and barrelled into Albus from behind, making him yelp with fright, knocking him to the ground and sending him tumbling through the leaves. Coming to a rest on his back, he blinked a few times to clear his vision, and realised that Gellert was on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
"Hah! I have caught you."
Albus squirmed. "What are you doing, Gellert? You scared me half to death!"
"I am hunting. The rabbit ran away, but I have caught an English boy instead. Now I shall eat you for lunch. Haha!"
Gellert buried his face in Albus' neck, kissing him hard. Albus closed his eyes and sighed as Gellert's mouth pressed into the sensitive skin of his neck, moving to his throat and his shoulder, sending shivers through his body. He felt Gellert's teeth grazing softly against his skin, when suddenly –
"Ow!" Albus' eyes flew open. "Gellert, you bit me! That hurts!"
"Yes," Gellert growled. "It should hurt. Now I will punish you for running away."
"I wish you wouldn't bite me. Stop that."
"I don't care what you wish. You are mine now."
"What's that supposed to mean? I don't belong to you."
"Do you not? Look in my eyes, Albus."
Albus did as he was told. Gellert's eyes were cold as ice, so cold they sent chills piercing through Albus' abdomen. Albus trembled and his body went limp, subsiding into the soil. He took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of Gellert's body, a surprisingly strong, pungent smell with musky overtones that bludgeoned his nostrils and went straight to his brain, making him feel light-headed. It was a scent that perfectly matched Gellert's personality: bold, overpowering and aggressively masculine.
Albus felt himself growing hard. He twisted himself sideways, embarrassed by his body's betrayal of his self-control, trying to hide the signs of his arousal.
He said, "Gellert. Let me up now, you've had your fun."
"The fun is just beginning."
"I mean it, Gellert. Let me up. I want to show you something special."
"So do I." Gellert nuzzled the side of Albus' neck. "Touch me, Albus," he murmured.
"No. I don't want to."
"Another lie. Your body tells me the truth. You want to touch me."
Albus closed his eyes, savouring the hot weight of Gellert's body pressing against his own. "No," he said weakly, but he didn't sound very convincing, even to himself.
Gellert's hand closed around Albus' and guided it along Gellert's body, pressing it against the fabric of his robe. Through the cloth, Albus could feel something hard and warm.
"I bet my surprise is better than yours," whispered Gellert. He slipped Albus' hand under his robe and into his underwear.
Albus felt something hot, long, hard and fleshy under his palm. Gellert began to pull Albus' wrist up and down, up and down, rubbing Albus' hand against his cock.
It took Albus a few moments to understand what was happening. When he realised that he was touching Gellert's… well...
"Gellert!" He tried to pull his hand away, but Gellert's fingers were tight around his wrist.
"Keep going, Albus," Gellert said in his ear. "You know you want to."
"No! I told you, I don't want this. Not so fast. Please."
"What are you scared of?"
"I don't know!" Albus shouted. "Just let me go!"
Gellert ripped Albus' hand out of his robes and let it drop to the ground. He rolled off Albus and rose into a crouch, slamming his fist on the ground in anger.
"This is the second time you stopped me!" he roared, his face twisted with fury. "I ought to bend you over and fuck you right now, like the little bitch you are! I am very… frustrated. Make up your fucking mind, Albus!"
Albus rolled away and rose to his feet, his eyes wide. He wrung his hands, watching Gellert nervously. Gellert was frightening when angry, and he had never spoken so harshly to Albus before.
"What are you talking about?" Albus said, torn between concern and fear.
"You are a little tease!" Gellert snarled, stabbing an accusing finger at him. "Just like all those bitches. You think this is funny, you think you can play games with me? I'll teach you a lesson like I taught them. I'll snap you like a twig, you little bitch!" His blue eyes were narrowed to wolfish slits of rage, his lips curling back to reveal clenched white teeth. Hunched over in his crouch, he looked like a wild beast ready to lunge.
Albus took a couple of steps backward, the urge to run growing stronger by the second. "I don't know what you mean, Gellert!" he said wretchedly. "I thought we were coming up here for a picnic and a walk in the woods, that's all. I honestly don't know why you're so angry with me." He couldn't stand Gellert being mad at him.
"Yes, a walk in the woods," Gellert spat. "Just the two of us. As if you don't know what that means!" He paused and blinked. "Oh. You… you really don't know what that means, do you?" Slowly, the anger began draining from his face like water swirling from an emptying sink. "You have never done this before. I forgot. Oh, gods. What have I done?" He exhaled slowly and seemed to deflate slightly, rubbing his face with his hand. Heaving a great sigh, he said, "Forgive me, Albus. I thought you were doing it on purpose, but… it was my mistake."
"Are we still quarrelling, Gellert?" Albus asked timidly. Gellert might be slightly calmer than before, but he still had an edgy, dangerous look on his face that Albus didn't like.
"No. It was a mistake on my part, I had too much wine. When you said you will show me something special, I thought..."
"I was going to show you a special place, where the deer browse. I still will, if you promise not to hunt them."
"All right, then." Gellert sighed and lay back. With his right hand he fingered the crotch of his robes. "I am still feeling frustrated," he said grumpily. "I suppose you won't help me… relieve myself?"
"No," Albus said firmly, sounding braver than he felt.
"Fine, then. You go an ahead to the deer place. I will meet up with you soon. I need a few minutes to myself."
Albus hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go now. If you stay, I won't be responsible for what will happen."
That was all the confirmation Albus needed. For the past few minutes, his gut had been screaming at him that he should be far away from Gellert right now. He turned and half ran, half walked away, refusing to let himself look back despite the temptation.
He thought, Lot's wife might have disobeyed God, but she would have listened if Gellert had told her. And a pillar of salt is nothing compared to what Gellert might do to me if I look back.
Author's Note:
Next Update: Plan to have it up on Saturday 31 December. May be sooner or later depending on circumstances. Currently having family issues.
Thank you to all those who left kind reviews. Without you, I would have run out of steam long ago. Please keep reading and reviewing, it helps keep me motivated.
I was giving myself two weeks to write a longer chapter, but I decided to split it in half and publish the first half now. Partly because people were sweet enough to say they were eagerly waiting for an update, especially Em, who said she was checking every day.
I don't think Albus should be with Gellert. Run, Albus, run! You stupid boy.
ThisLittlePiggyStayedHome: Thank you so much. I'm usually pretty detached from my stories, but I'm getting into this one and now I feel sorry for Albus too. He needs a good friend to tell him that Gellert isn't good enough for him.
Mystic Eye Girl: Wow, I've never set the standard for anything before, except being a lazy slacker. I'm flattered. Re:smex, hmm, what is it with ffnet and horny readers? I have been remiss with the romance, it's true. I made you guys wade through 30 000 words and it's only just hotting up now. You could sue me for false advertising, because I labelled this Romance/Drama, but it's been more like Drama/Action so far. Sorry, I can't promise loads of juicy erotica immediately, because Albus is repressed and even a rampaging sex god like Gellert probably will take time to crack his shell, but let's keep our fingers crossed. Thank you for your kind comments.
KnightKat: In your review for chap 12, you gave me some really great advice on writing, beautifully expressed. I really needed to be reminded of that. Thank you for always being there to encourage me. Don't worry, although I love hearing feedback from readers, at the end of the day I'll always write the story the way it feels right to me, for better or for worse. I know that I have to write my own story, not someone else's. Some readers will like one chapter more than others, because we all have different tastes and my writing is not everyone's cup of tea. Thanks again for everything.
Em: Your review meant so much to me. It put a huge smile on my face. You really know how to make a writer feel fantastic with your lavish praise. I'm publishing this chapter early for you, though once you've read it, you might wish that I had waited, because now you'll be wondering what'll happen next... I'm evil like that. Mwahaha. Thanks again for being so generous with your reviews.