At the edge of a Muggle village, where no one would pay any mind to two young men in their early twenties wandering the night, Albus met up with his partner, as he had many times since winning his freedom.
"I've managed to take up post at Hogwarts," he mentioned lightly, falling into step beside the younger man. "They were all too happy to have me."
"So I've heard," Gellert responded in a disinterested drawl. "Though, I have to wonder why you've turned down the Ministry. They seem rather persistent that you join their ranks."
"We don't need the Ministry. In time, it will fall on its own. Pull a string here, a thread there, and it'll unravel rather easily." Albus paused as they passed a Muggle couple to ensure they wouldn't be overheard. They turned down a shadowy side street and he continued, "But the real affront to our plans, the place we need most of our attention, is the next generation."
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart."
Albus stopped walking and turned to face the man beside him, studying him carefully. He was a superb specimen of a wizard, and just when Albus was sure he had him figured out he would do something unexpected.
"You seem surprised to find that I would have spent time studying Muggles," Gellert said, and Albus noted the amusement in his tone.
"I suppose I imagined you would be sinking the majority of your time into setting our plans in motion." Albus started walking again, slower this time, and Gellert kept pace.
"You say it like they're mutually exclusive; I've done both."
From the folds of his robes, Gellert produced a radiant, white wand. There was no mistaking it; Albus identified it immediately. 15 inches long, carvings etched into it, core made of the tail hair of a thestral. The Elder Wand.
"You've found it," Albus whispered, reaching a hand towards it. He stopped with his fingertips just short of actually touching the wand.
"Yes. Quite remarkable isn't it?" Gellert ran his fingers over it delicately, with all the respect a relic deserved. "I presumed the old dimwit was simply boastful. Imagine my surprise when he did, in fact, possess the wand."
"And Gregorovitch?"
"Alive. For now. There was no need to kill him; a simple stunning spell sufficed."
Albus raised his eyebrows as he tried to read his partner's mind. It was futile. This was the one man on Earth that he could never figure out.
"You seem surprised, again." A faint smirk tugged at the edges of Gellert's lips. "Weren't you the one who said only as much force as necessary?"
Gellert was toying with him. Albus was ensnared in a small game of cat-and-mouse; everywhere he turned, Gellert was one step ahead. But he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I did. And the Muggle studies?"
"Have to know them to rule them." Gellert shrugged, tucking the wand safely back into his robes. "Oh, but I've brought you something. Muggles use these to create god-awful sweaters and scarves. It seemed right up your alley."
Gellert pulled two long needles and a ball of yarn out of his robes and handed them to Albus, who studied them for a minute.
"You'll have to figure out how to use it yourself. I couldn't be bothered. It'll give you something to do as you sit in your nice, cushy office while I do all the work."