Snape Appreciation, amortentia: Write about a first love.
Prompt of the Day: roses
Gobstones, black stone (reunion): Leaky Cauldron, fuchsia, Galleon
Disney, Bert: Write about two people who have been friends for a long time
Amber's Attic, inspirational quote: Write about receiving advice
Sophie's Shelf: AlbusElphias
Film Festival: wearing white
Word Count: 441
Elphias is surprised to find Albus at the Leaky Cauldron, peering down at a glass of amber liquid. Roses rest on the bar beside him, and Elphias can guess. The funeral for Ariana had been a week earlier. Elphias assumes Albus is still grieving, that he will lay the flowers upon his sister's grave upon returning to Godric's Hollow.
Elphias lingers in the shadows, unsure whether or not he should approach the other man. Though he and Albus had been the best of friends throughout their Hogwarts years, it feels like an eternity since they've seen one another. After Kendra Dumbledore's death, Albus had been forced to put his life on hold. His and Elphias' paths had diverged.
But here they are, together in the same pub. Though it may be a coincidence, it feels more like fate. Since learning of Ariana's death, he's wanted to reach out to Albus, but he's been uncertain of how to proceed.
Still, he's nervous. There's no denying how handsome looks in his white robes. It makes Elphias feel like an eleven year old again, blushing and bumbling upon meeting the first and only person he's ever loved.
"Elphias, dear friend," Albus calls, making the decision for him. "How long has it been?"
"Too long, I'm afraid," Elphias says, smiling as he approaches the other man. He calls out his drink order and places a Galleon upon the bar.
…
Catching up is easy. Everything feels so natural, as though no time has passed at all. Elphias finds himself falling in love all over again.
"I'm sorry to hear about Ariana."
"It's my fault. I let him into our lives…"
Albus tells him about a man named Gellert, and how Albus had fallen while the other man manipulated him. The guilt and shame saturate his voice, and Elphias feels his heart breaking.
"You mustn't blame yourself, Albus," he says softly. "You followed your heart, and there is no shame in that. You fell in love with the wrong man. It is not your fault."
"It is my heart's fault," Albus counters, picking a bit of fuzz from Elphias' fuchsia robe sleeve. "How can I not blame myself for its carelessness?"
"It is easy to be misled by our hearts." Elphias swallows dryly. He knows he can never have some blissful romance with Albus. It has pained him for years, but he has forced himself to carry on. "Mistakes do not define us."
…
They are drunk by the time they reach the graveyard. Albus lays the flowers on his sister's grave as he weeps.
Elphias wishes he could comfort him as more than a friend.
