"Tell me again why you took so long to change Albus?" Aberforth asked as they walked towards Bathilda's house. Albus opened his mouth to answer, but Ariana was quicker.
"He couldn't find pants that actually fit" she answered dryly, and Albus nodded.
"Exactly. Thank you little sister"
"And what about your loose hair?" Aberforth asked again, looking at Albus. "You never leave it loose. Why is it loose today?"
"Oh shi..." Albus put his hand over his hair and groaned. "Oh god damn it! I forgot to tie my hair!"
"It looks fine just like it is Alb" Ariana said, slapping Aberforth on the arm to try and make him shut up. Albus, however, did not seem as if he agreed. "Do you want my ribbon?"
"What?"
"My ribbon" she pointed to the bow on the back of her head. "If you want we can stop so I can tie your hair with it and then we can go to Bathilda's house. What do you think?"
"Stop again?! Really?" Aberforth growled, and Ariana just sent him an annoyed look. Then she turned to Albus again and smiled.
"Come on. Sit down on that bench, I will tie it up in a second" she said, undoing her bow and letting her hair hang loose. Albus bit his lip and then walked to the bench, sitting down so she could reach his head.
"Are you sure you don't want to keep it Ari?"
"I don't mind my hair loose" she assured, holding the ribbon and Albus' hair. "Do you want a braid, a ponytail, a bun?"
"No no, just the fringe" he said, showing her the front of his hair. "Just pull these together and tie them behind my head. You can leave the rest of the hair loose, it just bothers me to walk around with hair on my face"
"You should cut it" Aberforth said as she began tying it up. "Like seriously Albus, your hair is down to your lower back. Soon, it will reach your ass."
"It won't" Albus rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I like it long."
"I have long hair" Abe insisted, waving his locks around. His hair went down to his shoulders, curled and with a fancy waved fringe to the left. "Your hair is absurd. Not even Ariana has such long hair."
"I don't let it grow further because the tips get really dry" she explained, and Aberforth rolled his eyes once more. "Albus has good hair. Its soft to the brim"
"That's women talk."
"Men should take care of themselves as well."
"Ariana, is it done?"
She and Aberforth looked down at Albus, and nodded slowly, letting go from his hair. It was nicely tied on the back, going down to the middle of his lower back, almost at his hips line. He nodded, turning towards the house and walking in front of them both, silent.
"What's up with him?" Abe asked, confused and slightly worried, but Ariana just hit his arm again, making him groan. "What?!"
"Sometimes you really can be an arse" she huffed and ran after Albus, leaving a confused Abe behind to follow up their steps quickly after.
Sooner rather than later they reached the house, and Albus cleaned his throat before knocking on the door. Ariana felt a sudden fear rush up to her, but she moved closer to Aberforth and it quickly vanished, leaving her only nervous. After a few seconds, the door opened, and Bathilda gave them a big smile.
"Oh sweethearts! Come in, come in! Its so cold out! You must be freezing!" she said, urging them in. The three Dumbledores made their way inside, looking around and removing their coats at the warmth of the house. "I'm so glad you could come!"
"You're welcome miss Bagshot" Aberforth said, smiling and handing her the jar of cookies he had been carrying. "This is for you."
"Oh sweetheart thank you!" she took the cookies and nodded around. "Feel free to sit down, I will be right back!"
She disappeared into her house and slowly they made themselves comfortable, with Ariana and Aberforth sitting on the smaller couch, while Albus asserted himself in the bigger one, leaving the single chair for Bathilda. After a few minutes she returned, smiling brightly.
"You know children, I'm so glad you could make it because I have someone to present to you" she said, seeming overly excited, and then stepped to the side. "This is my grandnephew Gellert!"
The boy came out from the corridor and stopped next to her, smiling to the family in front of him.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you" he said, always politely, all of them having to pretend they didn't know each other already. He nodded to Ariana and Aberforth, who nodded back, both slightly uncomfortable for very different reasons, and then his eyes locked with Albus', his smile turning more into a smirk. "You must be the Dumbledores, if I'm not mistaken. My aunt has told me a lot about you."
"Weird, she told us nothing about you" Aberforth said suddenly, standing up and calling everyone's attention to him. He approached the blond boy and lifted his hand. "Aberforth Dumbledore."
"Oh Aberforth!" Bathilda chuckled, as Gellert slowly accepted his handshake. "Don't worry Gel, he has always been suspicious this boy... Abe, sweetie, Gellert is a good man. You don't have to worry!"
"I am sure I don't" Aberforth said, but their eyes were still locked, sparks flying between them. "Do I?"
"Not at all, Aberforth" Gellert said, his voice calm as he shook the younger boy's hand. "You can trust me."
"Sure thing"
"Well, now that you two have already shaken hands, Gellert, come meet the other Dumbledores" Bathilda said excitedly, and Aberforth let go from his hand, returning to his sister's side without taking his eyes from the blond. "That is Ariana, the sweet Dumbledore girl."
"H-hello" she said, waving, and he waved back, not approaching. She was thankful for it, moving closer to Aberforth just for reassurance, but seeing no immediate threat on Gellert.
"She's very shy that one" Bathilda said, winking, and Ariana smiled at the old lady. "And that is the eldest, Albus."
They walked closer to him, and Albus stood up, his cheeks rosy. He cleaned his throat and lifted his hand for a handshake, a shaky smile on his face.
"Hello Gellert. It is a pleasure" he said, trying to keep his voice steady, but unlike with Aberforth, Gellert took his hand and pulled it up to his hand, kissing his knuckles, piercing eyes digging into Albus'.
"The pleasure is all mine."
Albus went red like his hair, and Bathilda giggled to herself, shaking her head.
"Oh Gellert, you and your Hungarian ways... don't worry about it Albus, he just likes to make people embarrassed. A little trickster" she said, fondly, and Albus coughed weakly, nodding and looking away.
"Y-yeah sure" he mumbled, sitting back down and crossing his legs as he looked as far away as possible from anyone in the room. Luckily for him, because Ariana was holding back a laugh while Aberforth seemed to be killing Gellert with his eyes. Bathilda clapped her hand and smiled at the guests.
"Well, I will go to the kitchen check on dinner. Please make yourselves comfortable" she said, walking away, and leaving Gellert to sit down next to Albus on the biggest couch. Aberforth did not seem to like that even slightly.
"So, Gellert" Ariana said, before Abe could even say something, smiling at the older boy "you are from Hungary?"
"Actually, no" he said, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back against the couch. "I was born in Servia, but I spent my whole life in Hungary."
"Wow! And what were you studying?" she asked, even more interested, since Albus seemed to be trying to leave through the window with his mind and Aberforth was almost buffing against her ear out of anger.
"I had just begun my major in medicine" he explained, shrugging. "But I gave up, and my parents sent me here to start again."
"Oh! And are you going to try medicine here?" Ariana asked, even more curious, and Gellert sighed.
"Not yet. I am unsure. I will take this year off to get used to Britain, to Godric's Hollow, and maybe begin working to help my aunt. Then I will begin to worry about college."
"You don't need a year to get used to Godric's Hollow. Two days is more than enough" Albus said suddenly, voice quiet, showing that he was actually paying attention to the conversation. Eyes turned to him and he slowly looked over, blinking in surprise. "W-what?"
"What did you just say?" Aberforth asked, narrowing his eyes, and Albus frowned.
"I... said something?"
"I think you thought out loud" Ariana said, smiling, and Albus blushed again, nodding slowly.
"Yes, probably" he mumbled, looking away again. Gellert's eyes stuck to him for a little longer than necessary before he turned back to face Ariana.
"What about you?" he asked, looking also to Aberforth. "What do you three do?"
"Well actually I don't do anything" Ariana said, chuckling to herself. "I take care of the house, the barn and the garden, and sometimes I work for your aunt, but I am homeschooled."
"I'm in high school" Aberforth said, dryly. "And I work part time in the town's library."
"And Albus works in the supermarket and-"
"And study" Albus said, suddenly, and Ariana looked at him furrowing her eyebrows as he looked back at Gellert, seeming extremely nervous. "I study. It's not a university, more like a class, and it's a bit far away, but that's what I do. I study"
Ariana and Aberforth stared at him as if he had two heads, completely confused, but luckily Gellert was staring at him and not them.
"Or, and what is this class about?" he asked curiously and Albus breathed in, nervously.
"Ancient history!" he said, loudly, as he saw a book from Bathilda's collection just in his sight about Atlantis. "Ancient history... it's what I like the most, it's... amazing really!"
"Oh, just like my auntie" Gellert said, seeming content, and Albus breathed out slowly, giving him a smile.
"Yes... just like her"
"Children! Dinner is ready!"
The four of them looked up and Gellert smiled, standing and nodding for them to come with him. Albus stood up and so did Ariana and Aberforth, both of them approaching their older brother.
"Why didn't you tell him you worked at-" Aberforth tried, but Albus shushed him with his hand.
"Don't say anything about the kindergarten" he whispered, and when Abe opened his mouth again, Albus covered it up with his hand. "Just don't! Okay?! I will explain later"
And just like that he walked to the kitchen, leaving the two younger Dumbledores confused and a little concerned.