It had all been arranged.
Severus had his instructions and was ready to execute their final gambit against Tom Riddle. His estate had been put in order and he'd left clear instructions for Minerva, and a rambling self-indulgent letter for Aberforth and he was rather hoping that Tina Goldstein might step in as the head of the International Confederation of Wizards and had put some cogs in motion in that arena as well.
Now there was nothing to do but to wait, and to do his best to accept this somewhat bitter reminder that even after everything he still hadn't learned his lesson.
He wondered if that meant that a trip to Numengard was entirely out of the question.
After all this, for once, was not Gellert's mess and it could be argued that he deserved to know that his soulmate was dying. Or perhaps that he deserved the chance to brace for the pain of their soulbond being severed by the killing curse.
Perhaps he deserved to know that Tom Riddle, would likely seek him out. Torture him. Maybe even kill him, simply because he could.
Gellert was completely vulnerable, alone, isolated from the outside world.
The last time he'd stolen a pen had been a full twenty years ago, and Albus was ashamed to admit, even just to to himself, that he'd cried when the last of the marks faded away for lack of refreshment.
It had just been such a very long time and he ached in that peculiar way that let him know that he hadn't been to Austria in too long. It was a good ache, in a peculiar way. A reminder that his isolation was self-imposed and that the universe had never actually intended that he be alone through the long years of his life.
Albus sighed heavily, no, last days or not, fair or not, it was best for everybody that he stayed well and far away from Numengard. He was as or more susceptible to Gellert's charms than the average witch or wizard after all.
But after all these years he still loved the terrible mad fool.
He wondered if Gellert knew that.
Perhaps Albus would write it down for him one of these nights.
Perhaps not.
a/n: done for the soulmate!au challenge on HPFC, let me know what you think!