Excuse me for the completely unoriginal title. Written for the Hogwarts Funfair.

Jukebox: 80's: Tainted Love (Soft Cell)

Word count: 534


I've got to get away, Albus thought for the umpteenth time that day.

His Hogwarts trunk was not yet unpacked and the house already felt stifling. He glanced at his desk: awards and trophies lined the top, the rest littered with letters to and from Gellert.

He loved his family, he loved Ariana, but sometimes he felt as though he should just run away, leave the dysfunction behind him. Why should he be punished for his family's madness?

Sighing, he climbed back into bed to read Gellert's latest letter, letting his friend's owl fly back to his master. Even though he could see Gellert's bedroom window from his own, sometimes ideas couldn't wait. "That's the price of genius", as Gellert always said.

Albus could tell that Gellert was getting impatient. He wanted to travel the world, share their ideas, do something - anything! He wouldn't wait for Albus much longer. His newest letter said as much.

He sighed again, not having the energy to reply once more. He loved his family, that was true, but he would leave in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. He extinguished his wand and tried to settle down to sleep.


Six hours of tossing and turning later, Albus walked down the stairs to the basement. It was time to bring Ariana her breakfast. Aberforth hated it when Albus said that. He thought Albus treated their sister no better than he treated Aberforth's goats.

Aberforth had always been closest to their younger sister, Albus mused, pouring the porridge into a bowl and sprinkling it with some oh-so-rare sugar. In actual fact, he had duplicated the grains as soon as their family had managed to get their hands on some. Sugar didn't really go off, or at least it hadn't yet.

And Ariana loved it so.

Aberforth was wrong. Albus loved their sister, so much that it seemed to drive a stake into his heart every time he saw her, saw how twisted her magic had become and how it tainted their whole family.

He loved Adriana, but it was a tainted love, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep giving.

It was alright for Aberforth. He was…slow, to put it bluntly. If Albus could, he would leave Ariana in the care of his sweet, sweet brother. He could make things right in a way that Albus never could, never hesitating to hold the little girl tightly whenever her magic acted up.

Albus could never bring himself to. He couldn't stand to touch Ariana knowing what had been done to her, something that could be happening anywhere, anytime, even now.

Albus's problem was that he was an intellectual, first and foremost. Aberforth might pray for a miracle, but Albus preferred practical solutions. He had given their family all the love he could give them and it still wasn't enough. So he would leave Aberforth with his high and mighty ideals of love and go to educate the Muggle population with Gellert.

Albus started, realising that he had made his choice.

He could stand being with his family and their tainted love no longer. He had to pack his letters and go.

For all of their sakes.