Hello everybody! I can't believe that this is the last chapter before the epilogue! Thanks to everybody reading it, I appreciate you all a lot. I'd like to hear your opinion on the Story to improve as a writer and just to hear your thoughts. By the way for all the Germans hear... I have been working on a Translation, so stay tuned if you'd like to read it!

xoxo Leviosa

Chapter 31

"You know it, don't you?", he asked her, a cup of tea in his hands. "I am not going to tell you, if you mean that. Knowledge has killed too many, I don't want you to be one of them. Besides, you wouldn't understand me", Eulalie Hicks whispered, staring into her tea, as if he would answer her questions. "But I am incredibly good at understanding, Miss Hicks. I have heard of your sister and I understand you better than anyone", Albus tried to make it clear, but Eulalie just laughed at him. "As if you would understand anyone. As if you would really believe in people. Just a mask out of lies and manipulation, you're nothing more. I don't believe you understand me because of who I am, you just understand me because we both had a sister. And because Grindelwald destroyed both of ours lives. You don't understand me because I am who I am, but because you believe I can help you. Help you play people and then tell them you're their savior. Do you really think I would... I learned that it is better to keep myself out of wars and broken hearts business", she said. "I... I apologize", Dumbledore stuttered. "I didn't want to hurt you, I know what everybody says, but... I can't tell you about your thing with Gellert Grindelwald... I could change time with this and I've learned my lesson, I won't tell anyone too much Knowledge, Knowledge that took me my sister. But I can tell you... There is no cure and there never will be. The only person able to fight against the obscurus is the obscurial. Grindelwald hasn't won anything, Dumbledore, there is still a little hope left. May you use it wisely and let your weaknesses not take over you", Eulalie whispered. Albus almost spat out his tea. He had been right, all this time. There had never been a cure, the key was Credence. His belief could fight it, his own will of controlling it could cure him. It had been inside Credence all along.

He wanted to forget, he wanted to do something against this feeling. Was he suffocating or was this blood running out of him? He would die, he would die and it was more painful than in any of his nightmares. Jacob would have accepted it, but why did death had to hurt so much? He did not want to leave Queenie now, and he did not want to bleed out. He was a muggle, but why had a normal lion try to kill him? Technically, he was dying right now. But if he was dying, why could he still see Queenies beautiful face. Even if she was crying, she was still beautiful to him. More beautiful than any other person Jacob had ever seen. "Don't worry about me. You can fight against Grindelwald and then... I'll get better.. Somehow. Don't do something you'll regret later", he whispered. "If you do something for the right cause, it's not important if the thing is wrong. I don't want you... You will survive. Don't embarrass me right in front of Grindelwald", she said, laughing. But Jacob knew that she was just laughing because she did not want him to see her laughing. "You really sound like Grindelwald sometimes" "As long as I can save you, I don't care if I sound like Grindelwald, darling" Jacob did not know if he really heard her tears in her voice. As if she tried to express her emotions through just simple sentences. Jacob did not want her to call him darling. It made him think of everything he had to go through, just to be together. And now he was dying and destroyed everything they ever had. His eyes became too heavy, he had to close them. Maybe dying really did not hurt, maybe it really felt like sleeping in. Except that he would not wake up this time. "I am not going to let you die just right in front of me, while I remember that I am actually a pukwudgie and that I should be able to heal you. But I can't. Jacob, I listened to people all my life. I heard tragedies, stories and I swore myself every time that I would never let one of these things happen to me. And now I'm here and I can't do anything... I never felt so useless, ever", she whispered and her tears fell down on Jacobs jacket. "You aren't useless", was Jacobs response, but it was nothing more than a weak whisper. "I'll do whatever you want", echoed through his head. He could not fight it any longer, he felt too weak, he needed blood and something that could stop these wounds from tearing him apart.

But he still woke up.

"Hey. We all survived. I didn't... I did not believe that we would, but we did it", Tina whispered awkwardly. "I don't regret anything. I don't regret anything I said, I would say it again and again. Just so you know. I love you, Porpentina Goldstein. I love you sounds good but kind of wrong. Not that I wouldn't love you, but... Love seems so small. I don't think love is enough. How am I going to say this? Tina... I don't have to protect you, I don't have to save you from everything, you are strong enough on your own. You don't need me, because you are yourself enough. You can take care of yourself, you know what you are capable of. You are my heroine, Tina. And I love you, I love you for every time you came after me, even though I totally told you not to do so, because you knew that it would just get me in trouble. And you know what I love most about you? It's not that you're beautiful — don't get me wrong, you are the most beautiful being on this planet, but I love you because you are yourself. And I want to have you next to me, every day, every second of my life. I don't know why. Probably because I hope that you forget what stupid things I've done for others in my life. Others that did not love me back. I know you don't need me, but I need you. And if you ever... If you ever need me... You can come to me and hug a niffler or me. I know you'd prefer to hug the niffler. Anyway, I... I am telling you this, not because I've got the courage to do so, I'm actually sweating and not ready to talk about my feelings, but I've realized... I've realized that it would be an egoistic decision to not tell you about it.", Newt tried to stop the stutter in his head, but he slowly didn't care about it anymore. With every word, Tinas eyes widened, just like her smile. Tina was not beautiful, not like Leta. She was more than that, every time she smiled, her eyes smiled with her, just like the whole universe around them. She was a new kind of beautiful, a better kind, her own kind. And he did not want to let her go, he did not want to wait and watch her marry someone else. "You're right. With everything. Except I'd prefer to hug you, not the niffler. And I love you too. I love you a lot", Tina said, while looking right into his eyes. Newt knew that she had not been sure if he would survive, that she had worried about him, that she had taken Leta, her sister and Jacob out of the situation, not to save herself, she could have fought if she wanted to, but she had rescued his former best friend, because she had known that he wanted them to be save, and she believed that he would get out of it alive without her help and that he wouldn't want her to stay. Newt had no idea how he could think so much, even though he was actually just staring at Tina. Everything about her was tina-ful, the new kind of beautiful. Everything, from the way she tried to fix her hair, her awkward but pretty smile, how she lifted her eyebrows when she did not understand something. Her intelligence was tina-ful, just like her courage and her need to be a rebell, to have adventures or break the rules to do what was right. Tina could do so many things at once and still had the time to stand here and smile at him. The words flooded out of him like a river, all stutter gone: "I'd prefer to kiss you now. If you don't mind" "I'd like that. I'd like that very much", Tina stated, laughing a little. And now, as it all was said and done, the only thing that was left to do for them was to wait for what was about to come, what would happen next.

"Are you okay?", was the first thing he said, after he woke up. He felt dizzy and almost wanted to sleep in again, but he remembered that he had slept enough. "Yeah, I am. But how are you, darling?", Queenie asked him. Jacob noticed that she was more pale than usual and that her hair was completely messy. She was still beautiful, no matter if she wore make up or not, no matter how often she comed her hair, no matter if she smiled or was sad. It did not change the person she was, the person Jacob saw in her. And he saw her as someone deep, someone who could understand others better because she had dealt with pain and even though she had seen so much, she was still able to enjoy her life, she had still the ability to smile, to let the sun in herself shine, even though it rained outside. Jacob would have never thought that he would find out that they were wizards, he would have never imagined that he could fall in love with someone who saw him as the person he really was, someone who could care for herself, but it helped her that he was with her. He would have never thought that he was able to love someone who was so different from him, but still in his heart, they had a deep understanding of eachother. "I am fine, considering that I almost died. But you... You sacrificed a part of yourself, just to save me? I mean... I love you no matter what, but... You shouldn't have to make a trade with Grindelwald, Sunshine. I am sorry, it's my fault. But we will deal with it somehow. I am not going to leave you, no matter how bad everything gets", Jacob said, even though his throat hurt. But in the second as he heard Queenie giggle, he knew that something had happened. She was so full of happiness, as if all her worries had faded for a little while, for the moment that he glanced at her. She was the old Queenie again. The Queenie, that was not scared that he would die, the Queenie who was fascinated by the way he was, the Queenie that had fallen in love with him. And he was grateful that she was back, because he loved her, just like he had loved her from the moment he had seen her. "I love you too Jacob, but I listened to the words of my sister. She says I should see my abilities as a gift, not as a curse. I did and it turns out that being a smart independent woman would pay off some day. I didn't really lose my mind reading abilities, I am not sure if that is possible, and if it is, it would take a little more than just taking a memory out of my brain. Grindelwald now possesses a memory from when I was a little child. I used to sing a lot, but I gave it up someday. I hope he will never get over my favorite song and I hope it gets stuck in his head", She smiled at him, her smile was like the sun, but brighter. Jacob felt proud, proud of the person he loved most in the world, the person who had been smart enough to save him and still escape from all the terror. "You are a miracle, Queenie", Jacob told her. Queenies smile felt like chocolate melting on his tongue, he could never get enough of it. "Seems like we really get a happy end after all", Queenies words would stay in his heart forever. Remember him that they would be together and that there was nothing and no one able to tear them apart.

There were moments in his life he wanted to take pictures of and hold them inside him forever, moments he wanted to replay again and again when he felt low. When Albus laughed and then looked at Gellert, with pure joy in his eye, he saw him as he was. Gellert wanted to kiss him in that moment, he wanted to make this moment last forever. He was smiling like a fool, and he secretly hoped that Albus knew what he was thinking. It was too obvious, there were too many things he had said and done. But he tried to convince himself that he did not want it, even though he did. A future ruler should not bite his lip because he was thinking about the boy in front of him too much. Maybe he was cursed, cursed of wanting too much. He knew that loving Albus Dumbledore was bad for him, that he did not deserve him in any way. Love ruined his life, love ruined everything he had ever dreamed of. Villains did not fall in love with the heroes. Albus Dumbledore was his complete opposite and even though he now believed in his theories, there would be a point where he would realize that it was not the right thing to torture non magic people. Albus Dumbledore would always do the right thing, no matter what. And Gellert liked to pretend that this summer could last forever, that he would never have to move on, that Albus would never see what an awful human being he was. And if he had told him right now, he would have tried to persuade him that he was good, that someone with so many insecurities could never be evil. But Albus was wrong, for the first time in his life. "Gellert", his own name from Albus voice made him almost squeak as he was torn out of his thoughts. "I am currently thinking about my world domination plans, Al. This is important, don't disturb me", Gellert whispered. Albus rolled his eyes at him. "No you're not. You look like a dreamy teenage girl. I don't believe you." He hated hearing that Albus was almost about to laugh. He shouldn't care about these little things, he shouldn't care about Albus at all. He should not care about others in general, he should care about himself the most. There were two Grindelwalds inside him: the one that wanted to rule a better world, who was the one that wanted things to change, and the one that wanted to be good, the part who was totally in love with Albus, the kind person in himself. Normally, he would have not liked to admit it, but he liked being kind. He liked when people smiled at him, when someone was happy because of him, when he could help others. Especially Albus. Maybe that was the reason he was not a dictator, the reason why he manipulated others with kindness. It was frightening, even for himself, that he could combine these two Grindelwalds so good."If I had to be honest, I'd say that I thought about the reason you did not already leave me crying under my bed, why you did not already realize that I am not the one you want me to be, that I am not good enough, that I am not a good person. And still you are here. I don't understand you, even though I want to", Gellert said, while he wanted the rain outside to flood in and carry him and his feelings away. Albus played with his long auburn hair, which woke the desire to touch it in Gellerts brain, before he tried to wash this thought away. Gellert had no idea how he could love this boy so much, how he loved the way he bit his lip now, how he wanted to look away, how he tried to decide if he was really ready to share this piece of himself with Gellert. The only thing Gellert would want to last see while he was dying was Albus face, Albus eyes and Albus smiling beautifully, just like he was doing it right now. It was terrifying how beautiful this smile was. "I see it in your eyes. Right now, in both your eyes. You try to hide it, you try to overcome and control your fears, and it works most of the time. But I can see it. I see the fear in your eyes. It's not about your fear of failing, what I see in your eyes is your uncontrollable fear of being good. You are scared, Gellert. Scared, that you could be someone you did not plan to be, scared of losing the control of the things you want to be. You are scared that I win. You really fear that I am able to change you, that I can make you give up the dark inside yourself. As long as I know this, I can see the good inside you, all the things you told me, all the times you were weak. All these walls you try to build around your heart, they don't work for me. And I love you, I love you for all the lies you did not tell me, every time your heart won over your mind. You can't do anything against love, Gellert Grindelwald. And I truly love you"