So this is the last chapter of the story! I hope you liked it, please let me know! I'm also considering to write a bonus chapter, if anyone is interested.
I don't own the characters or places!
He'd expected many things to happen when Gellert reached for him. Angry yelling, for example. Maybe Gellert shaking him furiously. But not this.
Gellert's lips on his felt incredibly soft and Albus inhaled sharply, overwhelmed by this sudden action. He'd fantasized about the other man kissing him many times, but he'd never expected it to actually happen. Before Albus could fight himself out of his frozen position, however, Gellert suddenly pulled back, his eyes opened wide.
The realization that Gellert thought Albus didn't want this hit him with full force and he closed the distance between them quickly, wrapping his arms around Gellert's shoulders. Their lips collided again and this time, Gellert made a sound that nearly sounded like a pleased sigh.
When he pushed Albus against the wall this time, it was much softer than before. Both of Gellert's hands were on Albus' waist and he could feel their warmth through his shirt – Elphias had forgotten to bring him a cloak – making him shiver. He tightened his trip around Gellert's shoulders, deepening the kiss.
Kissing Gellert was something he would never get tired of, Albus knew that. The movement of his lips against Albus' was demanding, but at the same time so soft that it made his head spin. He'd never expected Gellert to be soft, with the way he seemed to take everything in life as a challenge. It was a pleasant surprise.
Far too soon, Gellert pulled back again, a wide smile on his lips. Only when he glanced to both sides did Albus remember where they were and what they just did. Anyone walking by could have seen them in this position. He felt himself blush and wanted to move, but Gellert's hands were still on his waist, holding him in position.
"No one saw us. And I doubt that anyone will walk by, I don't even know where we are myself." Gellert looked amused, as if it had never happened to him before.
"Not many people use these corridors." Albus realized that he sounded a little breathless. "They don't really lead anywhere."
"Better for us, then." Suddenly, Gellert's smile was replaced by a frown. "I didn't hurt you, did I? With your injury –"
Albus couldn't help it, at the worry in Gellert's eyes, he leaned in to press another kiss on his lips. "Completely healed. Stop worrying."
"You're not making that very easy…" Gellert muttered. "You have a tendency to bring yourself in danger, Albus."
He raised his eyebrows. "If you're talking about what happened yesterday, it wasn't my fault that those nymphs learned from their mistakes. I'm sure if I hadn't been last, nothing of this would have happened."
"I'm not talking about that, even if you should have used that spell with the fire much earlier. Remember the day those kids stole Dietrich's journal?" Albus was confused that he brought it up right now, after they'd just kissed, but he nodded. "You were lucky that he didn't attack you the moment you stepped in front of his wand. What were you thinking? It took me all my self control not to disarm him before he could hurt you."
Albus stared at Gellert in surprise, remembering the stormy expression on his face during said encounter. "You…?"
He didn't get a chance to finish his question. Footsteps sounded to their left, followed by giggles and quiet words.
It ripped them out of their small bubble. Gellert stepped back quickly and Albus gestured to their right. "Come on, I know a way out of here." They would have to leave through the clock tower, which was like a labyrinth to anyone who didn't know the surroundings, but Albus had been here before. "Most probably, that was just a young couple, they like to come to those abandoned corridors sometimes. Especially if they're not from the same house. It gives them at least some privacy."
Which was the same thing he and Gellert had just done, he realized. It made him chuckle and for a moment, Gellert looked at him curiously. Then he grinned, having figured out the reason for Albus' amusement.
"You should smile more often." Albus said before he could think any better of it. "It suits you."
Gellert's expression softened. "Thank you."
They walked in silence for some time, getting closer to the ground level again. It was a long way and Gellert often looked around, probably trying to figure out where exactly they were. "The first time I was here, I got lost." Albus explained. "I had to come back two more times to remember the correct way."
"Curiosity brought you here?" It didn't sound like a question.
He nodded. "I like exploring new places."
"Me too." Gellert looked thoughtful. "Though I'm sure you wouldn't like Durmstrang Institute. We don't have as many abandoned corridors or towers as Hogwarts."
"Surely also not so many secret passageways." He threw in with a smile.
Gellert quirked an eyebrow. "You have secret passageways? As in more than one?"
He nodded. "We do." He didn't give Gellert the satisfaction to say how many there were, though.
When they could hear faint voices in the distance, indicating that they'd nearly reached the more crowded parts of the school, Albus slowed down his steps. "So what are we going to do now?"
"I would suggest that we find somewhere private to talk." For the first time since he'd met him, Gellert looked insecure. "If that's what you want."
Albus smiled and reached out to take Gellert's hands. "I'd love that, actually. And I know the perfect place."
Slowly, Gellert returned his smile and squeezed Albus' hands. "I hear a but in those words."
"Most probably, the others are looking for me. It's been over an hour since we left the Hospital Wing." Albus would have loved to spend more time with Gellert right now. He had so many questions that needed to be answered. Most importantly what this thing between them was. Unfortunately, it had to wait. "And I'm sure Professor Fig has heard that I'm fine again too."
"Ah yes, that admirable professor of yours." Gellert's lips twitched. "He was the first one to notice that you got injured yesterday."
"Let's meet again this afternoon." Albus suggested. "On the stairs to the seventh floor, maybe?"
Gellert raised his eyebrows. "Should I be worried that you want to visit another lonely corridor?"
Albus grinned. "No, the place I have in mind is better."
When he came back to the Gryffindor common room, Elphias and Minerva were sitting on the couch closest to the fireplace. She was reading a book while he played with the small wooden figure Albus had gotten him for Christmas. It was a Hippogriff, Elphias' favourite magical creature.
His best friend looked up first once he'd heard his footsteps. "I assume your conversation with Grindelwald went well?" He asked in a low voice, looking at Albus curiously when he sat down in an empty armchair close by.
"He was just worried." He said with a shrug, hoping that it looked casual.
"Of course he was." Minerva muttered, closing her book with a thud. "This arrived for you." She held out a small envelope and Albus recognized Professor Fig's handwriting. "He looked worried when he noticed that you weren't with us."
"We told him that you were fine and just needed some fresh air. To forget about this near death experience. He seemed to believe it." Elphias added and frowned. "You're really feeling better? He hasn't been too hard on you?"
"I'm fine. And I can deal with Gellert, you don't have to worry about that." By now, he was fairly sure that they would also be equals when it came to their skills with a wand. Albus hoped that he'd never have to fight him, though.
"Stop acting like a concerned mother hen, Elphias." Minerva scolded him. "Albus can take care of himself." She looked completely calm, but the gleam in her eyes when she watched him gave her away. She was more worried than she wanted to let on. He gave her a reassuring smile. It didn't make her look any less anxious.
"I know that." Elphias threw in. "I just don't trust Grindelwald around him. Not that I want you to stop spending time with him, Albus. If you trust him, that's enough for me. But be careful."
"I always am." He leaned back and closed his eyes. So many things had happened in the past two days, he knew that it would need some time for him to fully understand it all. He could live with being injured during the tournament. He'd known all along that it was a possibility. The change in his relationship with Gellert was the real surprise. He'd dreamed of it for months, but now that it happened, he had problems wrapping his mind around it. The kiss still felt like a dream. He'd tried so hard to convince himself that he didn't have a chance when it came to Gellert. Things felt surreal now.
"Your brother was here as well." The words ripped him out of his thoughts and he opened his eyes to see an uncomfortable expression on Elphias' face. "He wanted to know where you are. When we told him that we didn't know, he left. Looked quite furious, I have to say."
"Most probably because I've been injured." Albus sighed. "He would never forgive me if I died during this tournament." It would upset Ariana, something Aberforth wanted to prevent at all costs.
"Maybe you should talk to him later." Elphias suggested carefully. "Just to let him see that you're alright." His best friend was the only one at Hogwarts he'd ever told about his family. Even Minerva didn't know all the details.
"I've got to visit Professor Fig first." He gestured at the letter he'd placed on the armrest. "He wants to talk about the second task."
Minerva scoffed and crossed her arms. "He wants to make sure that you're alright. He's waited with us in the Hospital Wing for hours, watching over you. I don't think he'd want you to relive what happened yesterday. At least not yet."
"He's very protective of you." Elphias agreed. "Wouldn't let anyone else bring you back to the castle."
Not knowing what to say to this, Albus just shrugged. "Maybe I'll see Aberforth at dinner. Then he can see that I'm completely fine."
He didn't have to wait for dinner to see his brother. After staying with Professor Fig for more than an hour in which they simply drank tea together and enjoyed each other's company, Albus stepped out of his office and made his way towards the stairs on the sixth floor where he'd meet Gellert. He didn't come far when Aberforth stepped around a corner, staring at him with a dark look on his face.
"Seems like you're all healed, considering you can already run around again." Aberforth muttered and shook his head.
"Good to see you too, brother." Albus greeted him with a sigh. "What do you want? Telling me that getting injured was stupid? I know that, so no need to say it again."
"You should have been better prepared."
It was so much like Aberforth, always trying to blame Albus for everything that went wrong. He'd done it since they were children. First because Albus was older and he'd been jealous. Once Ariana was born, he'd done it to protect her. It was better if Albus took the blame than their little sister. Aberforth loved her more than anyone else. With time, Albus had accepted that for his brother, he was only one more person around who could cause Ariana sorrow.
Suddenly feeling incredibly tired, he leaned against the closest wall. "I was prepared. We had a whole strategy figured out. Swamp nymphs are intelligent creatures. No one could have expected them to figure out how to take down a wizard that fast. They learned from their mistakes. It was bad luck that I had to go out there last."
"Bad luck." Aberforth frowned. "So next time you'll get hurt, it will also be bad luck? Is that what you want to tell me? That I might need to tell Ariana you won't come back because of bad luck?!" It was obvious how much self-control it took Aberforth to keep his voice low. They were still close to Professor Fig's office and the main stairwell. Anyone walking by could hear their argument. While it was open knowledge that the Dumbledore brothers weren't that close, they'd always tried to prevent arguing out in the open. It would only cause more problems than they already had.
With a sigh, Albus began to walk in the direction of the stairs once more. He didn't want to be late for his meeting with Gellert. "It won't happen again." He said simply. "We already know what the third task will be. No dangerous creatures there." It was a tradition that the champions had to enter a labyrinth as the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. The challenges they had to face there always varied, but the main surroundings were the same.
"Doesn't mean you'll make it." Aberforth grabbed his arm as Albus tried to walk past him. "While many people don't make it through the first and second task, it's the labyrinth where most champions vanish." For a second, Albus thought that he could see actual concern in Aberforth's eyes, but it was gone again in a heartbeat. "You can't do this to us. To her. If you die –"
Suddenly, someone close by cleared his throat, interrupting what surely would be another accusation. "If I were you, I would let go of his arm and take a step back."
Albus would know that voice anywhere. While Aberforth whirled around to face Gellert, he turned more slowly, forcing himself not to touch his arm where his brother had grabbed him so tightly that he thought it might actually leave a bruise. It would only make Gellert's anger worse. And he was angry, he'd already heard it in his voice.
The look on his face made it even more obvious. There was open hatred on Gellert's face while he narrowed his eyes at Aberforth like he was a problem he needed to get rid of. He hadn't reached for his wand yet, but Albus knew that it would only be a matter of seconds if he decided to do that. Gellert was incredibly fast.
"What do you want?" Aberforth asked gruffly. "Didn't you see that we had a private conversation?"
Gellert snorted. "A conversation I could already hear on the stairs. You didn't even try to keep your voice down, unlike your brother." His eyes flickered to Albus for a heartbeat. "To me, it also didn't look like Albus wanted to talk to you any longer. He only stayed because you held him back."
"Mind your own business, Grindelwald. It's bad enough that you're competing against him in that damn tournament. You don't need to harass Albus in his free time as well." For a moment, he wondered if his brother was indeed that courageous or if he was a fool, challenging Gellert like that.
"Alright, that's enough." Albus stepped between them before Gellert could open his mouth and form a reply. "Aberforth, go back to the common room. Write a letter to Ariana, or whatever it is you like to do in your free time. Don't challenge someone against whom you won't stand a chance."
"You don't even know –" His brother began to protest, but Albus shook his head.
"I do. You don't need to protect me. Not from him." He glanced at Gellert. "Stop even thinking of cursing him."
Gellert's lips twitched, even if there was still fury in his eyes. "Who says I'm thinking anything of that nature?"
Albus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just drop it, Gellert."
Aberforth's eyes flickered between them, growing wider with every second as he seemed to realize that they knew each other better than mere rivals from different schools. "You…"
"Maybe you should leave, Ab." Albus said, voice softer this time. "Say hi to Ariana from me."
In a matter of seconds, Aberforth's expression turned to stone. "Why don't you just write her yourself? Or don't you care about her at all?"
"You should really leave." Gellert cut in sharply. "Or the next time we'll meet, your brother won't be there to protect you." His patience was hanging by a thread, Albus could see that.
"Don't do anything stupid." He warned his brother and headed for the stairs, Gellert one step behind him.
Only when they were on the next floor with no one else around did Gellert speak again. "I understand why you don't spend much time with your brother. He's a nuisance."
"He's just worried." Albus threw in mildly. When it made Gellert frown, he continued hastily. "Not for me. But for our younger sister."
"The one back at Godric's Hollow?" Gellert asked in surprise.
He nodded. "Long story. Let's get somewhere more private and then I'll tell you about it."
Gellert's lips twitched. "Ah yes, that mysterious place you want to take me."
By now, they'd reached the seventh floor and Albus began to head through some corridors that were mostly empty. "You have to promise never to tell anyone about this place. I stumbled over it by accident one night a few years ago."
"I won't tell anyone." Gellert said seriously.
He smiled. "Wonderful. Stay right here." They were in a deserted corridor on the seventh floor now. Since it really led nowhere, they were all alone. Even the constant sound of voices that could be heard all around the castle was gone here. Albus began to walk along the wall slowly, always turning around after a few feet and changing the direction. He could feel Gellert's eyes on him, but didn't look at him. Instead, he kept thinking of what he desperately needed. A place where they could talk in private, without the risk that anyone saw them.
After he'd passed the wall a third time, he heard Gellert gasp quietly and knew that it worked. Slowly, a door was appearing on the spot he'd walked past. When it was formed completely, Albus reached for the door handle and entered, curious about what he'd see.
The room looked like a cozy living room, with thick red carpets on the floors, a fireplace and a big couch. There were bookshelves on the walls and two other doors. One led to a bathroom and the other one to a bedroom, at least Albus thought that it was a bed he could see through the doorway.
"What is this place?" Gellert asked quietly once the door was closed behind them. He also looked around curiously.
"It's called the Room of Requirement." Albus explained. "Not many people know about it. It always appears in the form you need most. I found it three years ago, when I couldn't sleep and sneaked out of the common room at night. It's not allowed to move through the castle at this time of day and back then, my disillusionment charms weren't that strong yet. One of the Prefects nearly caught me and I desperately needed a hiding place."
Gellert raised his eyebrows. "What did it look like then?"
"Seriously? A broom cupboard." Albus said with a slight smile. "I only came back to look for the room again because I'd never seen a door before. Turned out I was right. It took me a while to figure out how to make it appear again."
To his surprise, Gellert laughed. "The room turned into a cupboard because that's what you needed most?"
Albus felt his cheeks turn red. "I needed somewhere to hide. That's all." He decided to make the best of how the room appeared now and sat down on the couch. Gellert followed his example without hesitation, though he left a small distance between them.
"Are you terribly disappointed if I admit that I wanted to kill your brother back in that hallway?" He stared at the fire while he asked the question.
"No." Albus' simple reply made Gellert look up. "I already heard it in your voice. He didn't hurt me, by the way."
"He'd grabbed you so tightly that his knuckles turned while. You can't expect me to believe that it was nothing. After yesterday –"
"My brother might be many things, but he's not a terribly person. Me taking part in the Triwizard Tournament is a risk to someone else for him and that's why he hates it so much." Ariana's face appeared in his mind. Maybe he really should write her a letter. He didn't do that in ages.
"Your sister." It wasn't a question. "They say she's sick. That's why she isn't at Hogwarts."
Now it was Albus' turn to quirk an eyebrow. "You asked your aunt about my family?"
"I was curious." Gellert said with a shrug, but avoided Albus' gaze. "I know that I could have simply asked you about it. But I know complicated families and it's never that easy."
Albus sighed. "No, it isn't. Ariana can't control her magic. That's why she stays at Godric's Hollow. After what happened with our father, we thought it best to keep her away from the public."
"My aunt wrote that she's a lovely girl."
"She is." He smiled. "She's sensible and clever, but the lack of control also makes her insecure. She's everything to Aberforth and he fears that she might be upset if something happens to me during that tournament. When she has strong negative feelings, she tends to lose control. Terrible things happen then and Ab fears she might hurt herself."
"What do you think?" Gellert's voice was soft.
"Hiding didn't do her any good." Albus muttered. "Maybe it was a mistake not to try and teach her."
Gellert placed a hand on his arm, the same spot where Aberforth had held him. But while his brother's touch had hurt, Gellert's felt incredibly soft. "Some people can't be saved, once their magic gets out of control. I'm not saying that it isn't worth a try. But you shouldn't get your hopes up about this."
Albus smiled. "Thank you, Gellert. And I know that it might not work. That's why I agreed to let her stay at home instead of going to Hogwarts. I also don't want her to get hurt."
"You shouldn't let your brother talk so badly about you. It's obvious that you love your sister." A hint of the anger was back in Gellert's eyes.
He decided that they should change the subject. "What about your family? Do you have someone next to your aunt at Godric's Hollow?"
Gellert shook his head. "No, just her. My parents have been gone for a long time."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I've never really known them. They were always traveling a lot and one day, they just didn't come back. I was already at Durmstrang then." He shrugged. "Life goes on even without them. And I'm getting along well."
"No one can stay alone forever." Albus argued quietly. "What's life without a little love in it?"
Gellert looked at him thoughtfully. "Indeed… Albus, about earlier –"
"If you decide that now is the right time to apologize for kissing me because you've started to regret it in the past hours, please don't." He interrupted him softly. "Then just drop it, Gellert."
"Who says that I was about to apologize?" He tried to hide it, but Albus could see relief on Gellert's face. It made his own heart beat more lightly. "I rather wanted to make sure that you don't regret it. After all, those past two days have been very emotional for you. I would understand –"
He didn't get any further than this. As soon as Albus was sure that Gellert didn't regret their kiss, he grabbed his shirt to pull him closer and crashed their lips together. This time, Gellert didn't gasp in surprise. Instead, he opened his lips, nearly begging for their tongues to meet. When they did, it was Albus who couldn't hold back a pleased groan.
Both of Gellert's hands were on his arms now, holding onto him. His grip was light and a small part of Albus' mind thought that he tried to keep himself from holding him too tightly. But then the hands wandered to his back while Gellert moved closer and all coherent thought left him.
Somehow, Albus' hands found their way into Gellert's hair and he ran his hands through the soft strands. Gellert hummed against his lips, clearly pleased by the movement. It encouraged Albus to keep going. They were close to each other now and Albus was nearly sitting on Gellert's lap. He didn't mind being so close. In fact, he'd longed to get even closer to the other man.
But in the end, they both needed to breathe again and they pulled back, gasping for air. Gellert's eyes were shining and his cheeks were red. To Albus, he'd never looked more beautiful. He knew that he wasn't looking much better himself. Gellert didn't seem to mind. Instead, he reached out and touched Albus' cheek carefully.
"The moment I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful person I'd ever seen." Gellert whispered, voice sounding rough. "It took me all my strength not to stop and keep staring at you."
"You did stare." Albus reminded him. "But instead of seeming fascinated, you looked as if you would curse us any moment."
Gellert chuckled softly. "I was mad at myself. I didn't even know you and you already made me lose control."
"Is that why you couldn't stay away from me? Because there was some kind of pull between us?"
"You felt it too?" Gellert looked surprised.
Albus nodded. "It drove me crazy. I couldn't understand why you hated me so much."
"I didn't hate you. I tried, but it wouldn't work. You were far too fascinating. People were talking about you like you were the most brilliant person in the world. I thought it couldn't be true, someone could never be this stunning and smart. The first times we talked to each other, you didn't reveal that much of yourself, for which I can't blame you. But even then, I already knew that there was something about you that I couldn't get enough of." Gellert ran his fingers over Albus' face carefully. "I'm not sure why I tried to provoke you at first. Maybe to prove myself wrong and show that you weren't so perfect, after all."
For the first time, Albus felt like he understood Gellert completely. He'd started to like him in the past months, he'd even fallen for him, but Gellert's behaviour in those first weeks had still been a riddle to him. He smiled slightly. "You could have just talked to me. Without all those insults. Or would that have ruined your reputation?" He raised his eyebrows at this, still smiling. By now, he knew that Gellert didn't exactly like the way people talked about him. Yes, he didn't mind and often used it for his own purposes, but accepting something was different than really wanting it.
"I've never wanted anyone like this, Albus. Least of all another man." Gellert swallowed thickly. "Honestly, I didn't know how to act around you."
"Who would have thought that? Gellert Grindelwald was nervous around me!" He tried to sound shocked, but from the way Gellert rolled his eyes, Albus knew that he failed.
"Don't tell me you weren't feeling the same. I've watched you those first weeks. You've been looking for me, despite everything I did." Did he imagine it or was Gellert sounding pleased about that?
Albus leaned back on the couch and took Gellert's hands. "As I said, you were confusing. I didn't know what to think of you and the realization that you're not so bad only hit me when we really started to talk to each other."
"You mean on the Astronomy tower, when you told me about the nature of the first task." Gellert looked at their entwined hands. "You didn't have to do it."
"I wanted to." He replied softly. "We might not have been friends back then, but I knew that I couldn't let anything happen to you."
Gellert looked up at him. "You also told Victoire."
Albus shrugged at this. He'd never regretted sending her the letter. "Because it would have been unfair for her not to know about it. It was only fair to start the tournament as equals."
"You're incredible." Gellert muttered and shook his head. With a smile, he leaned in to press another kiss onto Albus' lips. "So we're friends?"
"We are lots of things. What do you want us to be?"
He narrowed his eyes. "That's an unfair thing to ask, Albus. What I want most is for everyone to know that you're mine. That we belong together. But since we both know that it's not possible and never will be, I think friends would sound good. At least in public."
"Do we?" Albus asked quietly, thinking about his words. When Gellert looked confused at his question, he asked another. "Belong together?"
Gellert's expression turned incredibly soft at this. "If you want us to. But you don't have to ask me about this, Albus. My heart belonged to you from the moment we met." As if to prove his words, he placed one of Albus' hands on his chest to feel his rapidly beating heart.
"I didn't even realize I was falling in love with you at first." Albus replied quietly, his eyes never leaving Gellert's. "Some people don't believe in fate, but I think we were meant to meet each other and be champions in this tournament."
"I still can't believe that you threw your name into the Goblet of Fire." Gellert muttered disapprovingly.
Albus lifted his chin. "Would you have noticed me otherwise?"
There was a gleam in Gellert's eyes. "Do you really think that I could have stayed away from you for long, Liebling? You don't need to risk your life just to prove something to me."
The term of endearment, or at least Albus thought it was that, made him smile. Instead of answering, he kissed Gellert again. It didn't stop with just one kiss. One turned to two, then to ten. Hands began to wander over clothes, open buttons and then over bare skin.
At some point, Albus found himself lying with his back on the couch, Gellert above him on his knees. "If you want me to stop, you need to say it now. Otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to." Gellert muttered, his hands still wandering over Albus' chest aimlessly.
"Don't stop." Albus let it sound like a command and Gellert obliged, his hands continuing to explore his body. Albus ran his own hands up and down Gellert's bare back, enjoying the feeling of the other man above him. The skin to skin contact. The feeling of his furiously beating heart.
Then Gellert started to place kisses on Albus chest, moving lower and lower… That's when he stopped thinking entirely.
They both didn't make it to dinner that evening, too lost in each other's company and content to forget the rest of the world for a while. In the end, they found themselves lying on the couch together, a thick blanked covering them both.
"We need to get back soon." Albus muttered reluctantly while Gellert drew random patterns on his arm. Aberforth's touch had indeed left a bruise and for a short moment, Gellert's eyes had lit up with fury once more. But then he'd placed a kiss on the skin and soon, the argument had been forgotten again.
"Or we could stay here. I'm sure no one would notice." Gellert muttered, his lips on Albus' shoulder, placing kisses there.
Albus sighed. "I'm sure everyone would notice. Your ship isn't the biggest and Elphias will know when I'm not sleeping in my own bed tonight."
"How I hate it when you're right." He sounded resigned. "Maybe we could meet here again soon?"
"As often as possible." Albus agreed with a smile. Then something else came to his mind. "Next weekend, we're allowed to go to Hogsmeade again. Maybe we could go together?" Some of the students from Durmstrang had already accompanied them to Hogsmeade during the last weekend in February, but Albus hadn't seen Gellert among them.
Gellert smiled. "I'd like that. But I should warn you, people will be terribly shocked when they see us together. We're supposed to be rivals, remember?"
"I'm sure we can find something to argue about." He touched a strand of hair which had fallen over Gellert's eyes. "This tournament isn't just about who wins. It's also about getting to know each other. Forming friendships. Or, in our case, even something more."
"You sound just like your headmaster." Gellert rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.
"It's not long until curfew and we should both be back by then. I won't get in trouble for walking through the castle at night, one of the perks of being Head Boy, but I don't want it to cause you any problems."
"How honourable of you." Reluctantly, Gellert copied Albus' movements when he started to get dressed again. From the corner of his eyes, Albus watched Gellert as he got dressed, the feeling of his body against his own still fresh on his mind. He noticed that Gellert did the same and when their eyes met, they both grinned.
"We need to make a detour before you go back to your ship." Albus said quietly once they'd left the Room of Requirement. "We both didn't get any dinner."
Gellert rolled his eyes. "Don't say you know how to get into the kitchen as well." When Albus only grinned, though, he stared at him. "Oh I should have expected that!"
It was surprisingly easy to get a late meal from the house-elves in the kitchens. Gellert kept looking around curiously the whole time. It made Albus suspect that food at Durmstrang Institute was prepared in a different way. They kept talking about it for some time, but far too soon, they couldn't find any more excuses for not going back to their sleeping places.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Gellert asked before they departed in the entrance hall.
Albus smiled. "I'm planning to study at the lake after class."
"Then I'll find you there." With another smile, Gellert turned around and left.
He looked after him for some time before he made his way back to the Gryffindor common room. Surely, his friends would have lots of questions.
A few days later, Albus found himself sitting under a tree close to the lake when someone approached him. His first thought was that Elphias had decided to join him outside, but the footsteps sounded far too determined for his best friend. It also couldn't be Minerva, the fifth years had Apparition lessons this afternoon. And by now, Albus knew Gellert's footsteps well enough to know that it it wasn't him getting closer.
He closed the book he was reading and turned around curiously, only to raise his eyebrows in surprise when he recognized the person now standing close to him.
"Victoire, what a surprise to see you." Albus greeted her politely and made an attempt to stand up. However, she held up her hand to stop him.
"Mind if I join you?" When he shook his head, she sat down in the grass next to him. To say that her visit was a surprise would be an understatement. They hadn't talked much ever since that first day when Selena and Albus had given the exchange students a tour of the castle. He knew that Victoire and Selena met from time to time, but he'd never joined them for those conversations. He'd been far too busy spending time with Gellert.
"What brings you here?" Albus asked curiously. "Not that I mind your company, of course. It's a pleasure to have you around."
She chuckled. "You're always so polite, Albus." He noticed that her French accent wasn't that noticeable anymore. Maybe she'd been practicing her English in the past months. "I wanted to talk to you about the tournament. I know what you did before the first task."
He raised his eyebrows, keeping his face calm. Of course he'd considered the possibility that she might find out who'd sent that letter, but Albus hadn't expected her to confront him with it. "What do you think it is that I've done?"
Victoire scoffed. "Can we agree to be honest with each other? You told me about the Chimaera. Who else should have done it?" She crossed her arms then and looked at him so intently that he sighed.
"So let's assume I did that, why would you want to talk about it?" He couldn't figure out of what use it would be to her to mention this now.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you yet." Victoire said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That letter saved my life."
Albus shook his head. "I'm sure you would have made it anyway. You're a skilled witch."
"If I hadn't known, I'd have frozen as soon as I saw that creature." She wrapped her arms around herself to suppress a shiver. "I've never seen anything this scary."
"I think those nymphs were even scarier." He muttered without thinking about it.
It made her smile. "Thank you, Albus. For your help." She hesitated. "You also told Grindelwald about it." It wasn't a question.
"I wanted us all to be equals during that first task." Albus said simply.
She looked at him thoughtfully. "There are rumours that you figured out the riddle for the second task together. In fact, you've been seen together quite a lot lately."
He kept his expression neutral. "Just because we're all champions for our different schools in this tournament, it doesn't mean that we can't also be friends."
"This man can't have friends, only subordinates." Victoire wrinkled her nose. "You should better stay away from him."
Albus smiled mildly. "I think you're wrong about him."
"Which proves that he has already fooled you with all his lies." She stood up in one fluid movement. "Just be careful, Albus. He's going to break you one day."
"You don't need to warn me, I've had enough of that already." He copied her movement. "In my opinion, we should rather spend our time figuring out how to make it through the third task instead of talking about Gellert Grindelwald. What's going on between us is no one else's business."
Victoire looked at him doubtfully, but she nodded. "Who knows, maybe we can be friends someday."
Albus smiled at her. "I'd like that." He watched her walk away and for a while, his thoughts kept circling around the conversation they just had. Only when he heard someone clear his throat behind him did he realize that he wasn't alone anymore.
"Was that Victoire talking to you?" Gellert asked and settled down in the grass, grabbing Albus' wrist to make him sit down as well. "What did she want?"
"Thank me for that letter about the first task." Albus explained and resisted the urge to move closer to Gellert. They were outside and everyone walking by could see them. "She also warned me about you."
The weariness on Gellert's face made his heart ache. "So nothing new about that."
Albus couldn't stop himself and brushed Gellert's hand with his own. "If you worry that I'll believe them one day, you're wrong. You aren't a bad person, Gellert."
"I can be, if I want to. I did some terrible things in the past, Albus."
"And you regret them all." He pointed out. "That's enough for me. Why dwell on the past when we can change our future?"
Gellert smiled. "You're too good for me."
"I disagree." Albus reached for the book he'd been reading. "Look what I found in the library yesterday. It's a history of Godric's Hollow."
"What does it say?" This caught Gellert's interest and he laid back down in the grass while Albus read interesting passages to him.
The Hogsmeade weekend came faster than expected and on a cloudy Saturday, Albus stood in front of the castle together with Elphias and Minerva. They both looked a little uncertain and he couldn't blame them. After all, he'd asked them to accompany Gellert and him to Hogsmeade instead of going alone.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elphias asked for the third time. "You could just go without us, no one would blame you."
"Stop asking that question." By now, Minerva sounded a little annoyed. "Albus wants us to meet Gellert, I'm sure it's also not that easy for them."
He'd asked Gellert about it two days ago, after a very intense lovemaking session in the Room of Requirement. The words had just left his mouth while they'd made plans for the weekend, surprising both of them. What surprised him even more, though, was that Gellert accepted with little hesitation. Only if Elphias and Minerva agreed to spend time with him, of course.
So here they were, ready to leave together. Albus hoped that everything would turn out alright and that his friends liked Gellert. He wanted to show them that, despite all the horrible stories people told about Gellert Grindelwald, he wasn't so bad, after all.
"There he is." Elphias muttered quietly, but Albus had already noticed Gellert's presence and took a few steps towards him.
"I'm glad you could make it." He greeted him with a smile.
Gellert returned the gesture, but he didn't look as relaxed as when they were alone. The guarded expression he wore around other people was on his face. "Good morning to you too, Albus." His eyes wandered to Minerva and Elphias. "It's a pleasure to meet Albus' friends. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you today."
Elphias looked taken aback by these polite words, but Minerva beamed at him. "Albus has already told us so much about you, Gellert. We couldn't possibly say no to spend the day with you."
Merlin, this is going to be a long day, Albus thought when he took in Minerva's expression. Surely, she was going to try to find out as much as possible about their relationship.
Gellert only quirked an eyebrow, looking amused. "Oh my, Albus. Did you already spill all our secrets? What a shame. And I thought everyone still thought we were rivals." With a slight smile, he gestured for them to lead the way to Hogsmeade.
"Maybe I like him, after all." Minerva whispered while she walked next to Albus.
Albus only grinned.
In the course of the day, it turned out that Minerva and Gellert got along well. Albus wasn't sure if they could become good friends one day – they made far too many nasty comments for that – but at least they didn't try to rip off each other's heads. Elphias remained quiet most to the time, though Albus knew that he was watching every movement Gellert made.
They walked through Hogsmeade aimlessly, visiting a few shops Gellert might like. Elphias also wanted to go to Honeydukes, something that made Gellert shake his head in disgust. Albus had already noticed that he didn't like sweets. However, he was very fascinated by the stores that sold potions and spell books.
In the end, they also considered going to the Three Broomsticks to drink a Butterbeer. It was a must during a Hogsmeade visit, Elphias and Minerva were very insistent on that. Unfortunately, the place was full of students already and many recognized him and Gellert immediately, so they decided to do that another day.
"Your friends aren't that bad." Gellert said quietly after they'd said goodbye to Elphias and Minerva. "I still don't like that they're staring at me as if I'm a threat to you when they think no one's looking, but otherwise they're quite alright."
Albus smiled. "They're just worried."
His expression remained serious. "They shouldn't worry about me. I could never hurt you, Albus."
"I know that." He replied softly and touched Gellert's hands. "Give them time. A few weeks ago, they still thought that you're a horrible person. It's not easy to understand how everyone could be so wrong about it. I'm speaking out of experience." He winked, making Gellert chuckle.
"I'm glad you decided to trust me in the end." Gellert's smile turned soft. "I'll see you tomorrow?" It was part of their routine now, Gellert asking this question when they parted ways.
Albus nodded. "Always."
"Stop looking so nervous." Minerva hissed at Elphias during breakfast on the morning of the third task. "You're staring at your food like you're going to vomit any moment. And you're not even the one who has to enter that labyrinth!"
"Sorry." Elphias muttered, glancing at Albus. "I'm just worried that something happens to you again."
"I'll be fine." Albus smiled at him reassuringly. "No dangerous creatures, remember?"
Minerva sighed. "Unbelievable. You shouldn't reassure us, Albus. It should be the other way around!"
"From the looks of it, you're more nervous than he is." Someone behind them said and seconds later, Gellert sat down next to Albus. "Albus is a capable wizard. This won't be like the second task." He wondered if he really felt as calm as he sounded. Because the previous evening, Gellert had forbidden Albus to get hurt again numerous times, all the while looking pale and concerned.
"What are you even doing here?" Elphias asked. "We're not allowed to sit at other tables."
Gellert smiled slightly. "Technically, I'm not a student here at Hogwarts and I don't have a house table." He turned his attention to Albus. "We'll all enter the maze from different sides today, so this might be the last chance for us to speak. Be careful. Remember what we've been talking about. We have a whole strategy figured out."
He nodded. "You too. As I said before, no one will die this time."
"Your wish is my command." Gellert bowed his head lightly.
"Do we even know what is waiting in that labyrinth?" Another voice asked and Victoire sat down opposite from them. Her skin was pale and she had dark rings under her eyes, surely from a sleepless night.
"What should this be? A not-so-secret meeting of the champions in the middle of the Great Hall?" Elphias shook his head in disbelief. "Everyone's staring, you know that?"
They all ignored him.
"No dangerous creatures. But they say that the walls can move and dangerous plants can be found inside the labyrinth." Albus explained quietly.
"Fire won't work on all of them." This time, it was Professor Fig who sat down next to Victoire. Now they were all staring at him, Elphias even with his mouth open. "Stop looking at me like this. Officially, I'm scolding you for sitting at the wrong tables." His eyes gleamed mischievously, even if his expression remained serious.
"Are you even allowed to sit here, Professor?" Minerva asked curiously.
"No." Professor Fig's lips twitched. "So we don't have much time." He turned to the three champions. "Fire won't work on all the plants, so try water first. Or freeze them and run away. No panic when the walls start moving. Keep looking at the ground, there are roots which might make you stumble. Oh, and I've heard from Professor Garlick that a Venomous Tentacula is somewhere in the labyrinth." He stood up, raising his voice. "Return to your own tables now, please." After winking at them, he stood up and walked back to the teacher's tables. Albus thought he could see Professor Dippet smiling, but it might not have anything to do with Professor Fig's doings.
"Good luck to you." Victoire said before she stood up and headed back to the Ravenclaw table, head held high as if she didn't do something that had never happened before in the history of the Triwizard Tournament. In all the stories, the three champions were known as rivals who tried to manipulate each other outside the tournament as well.
"I'll see you later." Gellert whispered into Albus' ear, squeezed his hand under the table and headed out of the Great Hall, ignoring the incredulous looks his fellow Durmstrang students were throwing in his direction.
"When did our lives become so strange?" Elphias asked into the silence the others had left.
Albus smiled at him. "Normal would be boring." And with that, he forced himself to eat the rest of his breakfast.
Entering the labyrinth was a strange sensation. One moment, Albus could still hear the sound of the crowd cheering in the distance. They even had musicians there to play for the people while the champions completed the task. The maze was the only one of the three tasks where the crowd couldn't see what the champions were doing. They had to wait until someone touched the Triwizard Cup, which would automatically end the challenge.
The moment the walls closed behind Albus, all sounds disappeared and an eerie quiet settled above the area. He drew his wand, muttered "Lumos!" and began to move carefully. His heart was racing and after a short while, it already felt like the walls were closing in on him. Every cell in his body urged him to move faster and start running, but he resisted that urge. Even the smallest loss of control could end fatal in the labyrinth.
While it had been daytime when the task started, it was dark inside the maze. The hedges were so high that he could only catch glimpses of the sky. Of course it was intentional to make the third task even more difficult than it already was. In Albus' opinion, a little more natural light would have been great.
For what felt like hours, he simply walked around, trying to choose his steps carefully. He reached dead ends a few times, having to turn around and hope that he wouldn't start walking in circles. If he wasn't already doing that. He'd cast a spell which let him know where the north was, but he wasn't sure if he could trust it in this maze.
When he heard an explosion close by, Albus nearly felt relieved. Slowly, the quiet had started to make him feel uneasy. A second blow followed the first, indicating that someone was in trouble. Worried that it might be Gellert, Albus finally let go of his patience and began to run. Then there was a pained scream – female – and he knew Victoire was in danger.
Only lots of luck let Albus arrive in time to see her on the ground in front of a gigantic Venomous Tentacula, ready to spray acid at her once more. "Confringo!" Albus shouted, his spell hitting the plant when it began to move again.
Unfortunately, Professor Garlick seemed to have given her biggest plant for the third task because it continued to move even if he'd set it on fire, this time focusing on Albus. He managed to cast a protection spell in time not to get hit by the acid himself and then he ran towards Victoire, knowing that he needed to get her away from the plant as fast as possible. When he saw that the acid had hit her face, he nearly stumbled in his movements, but it also made him see red.
Furiously, he pointed his wand at the Venomous Tentacula again. "Bombarda!" In his mind, he remembered a lesson during which Professor Hecat had explained never to use this spell in restricted areas because the risk that it also hit yourself was too high. Albus didn't care now, though. He threw himself over Victoire and cast another protection spell, just as the explosion shook the ground all around them. Maybe casting the spell feeling angry hadn't been the best of ideas, after all.
When the smoke all around cleared, Albus saw that the plant was gone – and with it parts of the hedges. There was also a huge hole in the ground, indicating that he'd also burned the roots of the plant. He wondered if the sound of the explosion had alarmed anyone else. In the sky, he could still see smoke rising.
But he had more urgent problems right now. "Victoire, are you alright?" He helped her to sit up and tried to remain calm when he saw her face. The acid had hit her left side and the skin was red and swollen. "Did it also hit your eyes?"
When she blinked at him slowly, he was glad to see that her eyes weren't red. He summoned water to clean them anyway. Most probably, the acid would leave scars on her face. Professor Garlick had once told them that no magic could completely heal injuries conjured by a Venomous Tentacula. He didn't want Victoire to lose sight on one eye as well.
"Albus…" She whispered after she'd let him clean the wounds silently. "Now you saved my life twice."
He forced himself to smile at her. "Not yet, Victoire. First, we need to get you out of here. Can you stand?"
She nodded and let him pull her to her feet. "I can keep going. I've 'ad worse."
Knowing that it wouldn't be of any use to disagree, he nodded. "Then lets keep moving. We're not safe here." Who knew what was going to happen here next?
"Why are you 'elping me?" She asked while they continued to walk. One of Albus' arms was around her waist to steady her, while his other one grabbed his wand tightly. "You could just leave me behind to win."
"No one will be left behind." He replied simply. She was in no state to defend herself right now, he couldn't simply leave her there. Ironically, he remembered Aberforth's words in this moment. While many people don't make it through the first and second task, it's the labyrinth where most champions vanish.
In the distance, it sounded like someone was shouting, but the sound was drowned by the hedges of the labyrinth moving again. Albus had noticed it before, but it had never happened this close to him. "They try to block our way." Victoire muttered. "They led me to the…" She didn't finish her sentence and Albus knew that she meant the Venomous Tentacula.
"We'll find our way out of here." After some more time, Victoire was able to walk on her own again. If her face hurt, she didn't let it show. Albus had tried to cast a spell on the wounds, but it hadn't helped that much. The poison was strong and she'd been lucky that it didn't hit her a second time.
Their way was blocked by Devil's Snare not much later, but Albus had seen it in time and cast a spell that summoned some light, making it possible for them to hurry past it. Only a few meters after they'd passed the magical plant, Victoire suddenly stopped. "Do you 'ear that?" She asked with a frown. "It sounds like footsteps."
She was right. In fact, it sounded like someone was running in their direction. Did they let any more creatures in the maze or could it be Gellert? Albus tried not to get his hopes up. "Stay here, I'll see what it is."
"We shouldn't part ways." She disagreed. "A wall could appear between us." It confirmed his suspicion that she also didn't want to continue walking through the labyrinth on her own.
He nodded. "Then stay behind me." The sound seemed to come from the right and Albus stopped right behind a corner, listening closely. When the footsteps got closer, he whirled around and raised his wand.
When he found himself eye to eye with Gellert, his wand also raised, Albus froze. For a few seconds, they stared at each other in silence. Then Gellert's eyes began to wander over Albus' body frantically, clearly searching for injuries. It occurred to him then that Gellert had heard the explosion. Most probably, he'd also been the one shouting for them. For him.
As soon as Gellert had lowered his wand and Albus was sure that he wasn't hurt, he closed the distance between them and pulled him into a tight hug. "Are you alright?" Gellert asked, his tone demanding. He looked pale and concerned. "I heard an explosion –"
"That was me." Albus said and stepped back to reveal Victoire still standing behind him. When Gellert saw her face, he growled angrily. "What –"
"Venomous Tentacula." Victoire explained. "Albus saved me."
"Of course he did." Again, Gellert looked at him closely.
"I'm fine." Albus assured him and placed a hand on Gellert's arm. "And you –"
"I've been running around this damn maze for what feels like hours now." Gellert sighed. "A few dangerous plants, once the hedges wanted to crush me and I thought that I saw something moving once, but when I wanted to have a closer look, it was gone."
"So what do we do now? Keep going together?" Victoire sounded anxious, as if she was afraid Albus and Gellert would leave her alone.
They both nodded at the same time. "We should take the path no one came from." Gellert pointed to Albus' left. "We've been in here for so long, the middle must be close."
So they carried on together, always trying to watch out for danger from all sides. With three people, it worked surprisingly well.
Albus caught Gellert glancing at him from time to time, as if he wanted to make sure that he didn't vanish. "When I heard the explosion…" Gellert shook his head. "I was scared, Albus." He was whispering now, surely afraid that Victoire might hear his words.
"Me too." He admitted quietly. "Before I heard her scream, I thought it was you."
They didn't get the chance to say anything else because suddenly, Victoire stopped with a quiet gasp. She'd taken the lead for now and both Albus and Gellert stepped closer to see what had caught her attention.
In one direction, there was a faint glow. Albus was sure that it came from the Triwizard Cup. On their other side they could see a shadow moving closer. It took him a moment to realize that it was a –
"Minotaur." Gellert whispered in alarm. "That's the shadow I've seen before. He's guarding the labyrinth."
"How about we run towards the light?" Victoire asked, looking around hectically.
Albus considered their chances to outrun him. When he remembered what he'd read once, his heart sank. "Once they start running, they're incredibly fast. There's no chance we might make it in time to reach the cup."
"So we fight it." Gellert concluded, a dark look on his face.
"Won't be easy, with so little space in here." He threw in thoughtfully.
"It has already seen us, so we don't have a choice."
"Then let's do it." Victoire interrupted their quiet discussion and raised her wand. "I'm tired of this place."
Gellert's lips twitched. "Can't argue with her about that." He also raised his wand and took a step into the passageway and towards the creature.
Albus glanced at Victoire. "Are you sure that you want to stay with us?"
"Equal chances at winning, remember?" She asked back and then the time to talk was over. The Minotaur started to run towards them, his axe – because of course he had a weapon – raised. It growled loudly and the sound made Albus' ears hurt.
Instead of attacking all at once, Albus let the others cast different spells first, watching the reaction of the Minotaur. From all the stories, he would have thought that it wasn't good at sidestepping attacks, but it seemed like the literature had been wrong. Because after it was hit by a spell once, the creature simply dodged and continued its sprint towards them.
"Now would be a good time for one of your brilliant spells, Albus." Gellert muttered, already moving out of the way.
"If it won't work, we have to run." He warned them and then cast a spell he only knew in theory. When the ground in front of them turned to what looked like sand, he cursed.
"It wasn't supposed to do that?" Victoire's hand was shaking when she raised her wand again.
"I wanted quicksand. Not that." Albus felt that the spell had exhausted him, but he tried once more anyway. When he swayed slightly afterwards, he felt a hand on his back. Gellert.
Luckily, the spell had the desired effect. Or at least partly. The Minotaur sank into the sand and it slowed him down, but he still kept moving. It growled again, this time sounding even angrier.
"Now we should run." Albus muttered and together, they began to run in the direction of the Triwizard Cup. He glanced over his shoulder from time to time, hoping that his spell might have slowed the Minotaur even more. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and slowly, Albus' own strength started to leave him.
When the growl behind them sounded closer this time, Albus was suddenly pushed out of the way. He landed on the ground, nearly colliding with one of the hedges. He heard Gellert gasp and Victoire scream. Albus ignored the pain in his body from hitting the ground and sat up as fast as possible. What he saw nearly made him freeze.
Gellert was on the ground where Albus had been moments before, his back red with blood. Victoire stood over him, trying to fend off the Minotaur with different spells. He crawled over to Gellert quickly, relieved to find him still breathing. "It's alright." Gellert muttered, trying to stand back up. "Just a scratch." His knees gave in, though, and he coughed.
"Victoire, we need to stop the bleeding!" Albus was already tearing fabric from his cloak to press them onto the wound. "Take over, I've got this."
She'd managed to distract the Minotaur with a spell conjuring light and they changed places quickly. "Don't you dare die on me now, Gellert Grindelwald!" Albus warned him as he raised his wand, ready to fend off the creature once more.
What happened then was difficult to explain later. Albus wasn't so sure how he did it himself, but he managed to defeat the Minotaur. No, he didn't just defeat it, he tore it apart. All he did when he stood there, ready to risk his own life for his companions, was feel. He didn't think about the spells he cast. He simply let his emotions take over. Rage. Fear. Pain. Panic. Love.
Victoire said later that it looked like he set the Minotaur on fire and hit it with lightning afterwards. One moment, it was there. The next, they were alone in the maze again.
Albus didn't care how he did it. All he could think of in this moment was that he couldn't let Gellert die. He needed to save him, even if it might cost him his own life.
"Albus." Gellert's voice was quiet and he sounded like he was in pain, but he was still there. Still talking to him. Even sounding a little concerned.
Albus didn't even realize that he'd fallen to his knees again after casting the spells. His head was spinning and he rushed over to Gellert's side, nearly falling over his own legs in the process. "You…" His eyes met Gellert's. Glassy with pain, but still shining. Still able to narrow at him.
"I've stopped the bleeding. But he needs to see a healer." Victoire looked at him with wide eyes. "What you did…"
"We need to get out of here." Albus cut her off quickly and focused on her. "Go and get the cup. Then you win and they'll get us all out."
She looked uncertain. "You should be the winner, Albus."
When Gellert suddenly reached for Albus' hands and entwined their fingers, he smiled. "I've already won."
"Stop looking so sad." Minerva scolded him. "You won't see each other for three weeks. Not a lifetime."
Elphias glared at her. "You're being insensitive, Minerva. It's clear that it will be hard for Albus to say goodbye. So stop rolling your eyes at him."
"Gellert will spend most of the next year with you two, traveling around the world. Maybe you should be the one rolling your eyes right now. Or be annoyed. Or anything at all. You didn't even argue when they asked if he can accompany you on your travels." Once they'd told her about their decision to travel around the world together with Gellert, Minerva had decided that they'd all lost their minds now. Because being friendly to Grindelwald was one thing, but Elphias on a journey around the world with the couple? Absurd.
"Alright, you two, that's enough." Albus cut in mildly. "Gellert and I asked Elphias if it is alright for him that he accompanies us on some parts of the journey. Not the entire time. That was Elphias' idea."
"I don't mind him coming with us. He's really not so bad." In the weeks after the third task, they'd gotten along surprisingly well.
In fact, so much had happened during those weeks. After Victoire had touched the Triwizard Cup and the tournament had officially ended, both she and Gellert had spent a few days in the Hospital Wing. Albus had also stayed there, simply because he'd used all his energy to defeat the Minotaur and the nurse wanted to keep an eye on him. He was allowed to leave after one night, but he'd spent most of his days with the two of them anyway.
The ceremony to announce the winner had been postponed until all three champions could participate. Until then, Albus was also freed from all his classes, something he had thanked Professor Fig for later. Of course the teacher for Magical Theory had looked at him in surprise, but the gleam in his eyes had given him away.
Victoire's skin would heal completely from the acid of the Venomous Tentacula, but she would keep scars on her face. She'd taken the news like a champ and without so much as blinking. But when the nurse had left, there had been tears in her eyes. Albus had held her while she cried.
The injury on Gellert's back could have been far worse, if Albus and Victoire hadn't reacted so fast and stopped the bleeding in time. Nothing vital was hit and he'd be able to move again without problems within a few days. When he'd received the news about the scar, Gellert had simply shrugged.
They'd talked a lot about what happened during the tournament in those days. No one could explain how exactly Albus had defeated the Minotaur and Professor Fig made it his personal task to figure it out. He was sure that it had something to do with the strong feelings Albus had let loose in these moments, but without more research, he couldn't be sure. Albus let him talk about all his theories in silence, simply happy that the Triwizard Tournament was finally over.
In those days, something shifted between the three champions. Victoire had figured out the nature of Albus' and Gellert's relationship in the labyrinth, but she didn't care. In fact, she was happy that they had found love during their time at Hogwarts. In return, Albus and Gellert learned more about her. She had an amazing sense of humour and could talk about books endlessly. Just like Albus. When they found out that they also loved to read the same genre, Gellert had covered his face with a pillow and groaned in frustration. But she also loved to talk about politics and her big dream was to make the world a better place for everyone. This was something they all had in common.
In short words, they all became friends during those days.
Of course they were often visited by others as well. Elphias and Minerva spent every free minute with them and sometimes, Selena stopped by to see how Victoire was doing. Students from Beauxbatons were also visiting frequently.
The only ones missing were Gellert's fellow students from Durmstrang. He didn't seem to mind that they stayed away, though. "We've never been that close." It was all he said when they'd asked him about it.
When they were finally all free to leave, there was a big ceremony in the Great Hall during which Mr. Pettigrew announced the winner. Victoire Auclair had won the Triwizard Tournament. In her speech during which she officially accepted the Triwizard Cup, however, she also thanked Albus and Gellert. "Without your help, I would have never made it this far." They'd smiled at her from their seats at the Gryffindor table then. (No one had dared to say a word when Gellert simply sat down with Albus once he was out of the Hospital Wing)
The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had stayed two more weeks before they'd head back to their schools for the last days of the school year. After that, Gellert would move to Godric's Hollow, where he'd see Albus again and they'd prepare for their journey around the world with Elphias.
"There he is." Minerva said suddenly, ripping Albus out of his thoughts about the past weeks. When his eyes fell on Gellert, leaning against a wall outside, his heart began to beat faster. By now, he was sure that the other man would always have this effect on him. "Don't take too long, Albus. We'll wait for you at the lake." They both waved at Gellert before they left.
"You look sad." Gellert noted. They began to walk away from the other students saying goodbye, silently agreeing that they wanted some privacy.
"You're leaving." Albus replied simply.
Gellert's expression softened. "We'll see each other again in three weeks. It's not that long. And then, we'll spend the rest of our lives together. If you won't get tired of me soon."
"As if I could ever get enough of you." When they were far away from the others and no one was in sight, Albus placed a hand on Gellert's chest. "I can't wait to have you all to myself, Gellert."
It made him chuckle. "Should we tell Elphias that we don't want him to travel with us, then?" There was amusement in his voice.
Albus laughed. "Maybe he'll have enough of us soon."
Gellert wrapped his arms around Albus' waist, pulling him closer. "As tempting as spending time with you is, Liebling, you planned this journey with your best friend. We can't just exclude him from it."
"True." Albus said, leaning into Gellert's touch. "But I'm sure we'll find enough opportunities to get some privacy on the journey, Darling." As soon as he'd found out what the German term of endearment Gellert liked to use meant, Albus had decided that he also needed one. To his surprise, Gellert's eyes had darkened when he'd first called him Darling. It had led to one of the most amazing kisses they'd ever shared, which made Albus think that he liked the term.
Gellert chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I like the way you think, Albus." He closed the distance between them and kissed Albus then. It was just a short kiss, but since he knew that they had time for more, Albus smiled.
"Try not to make any more enemies during your last days at Durmstrang."
"I'm sure they'll all be mad that I didn't leave you and Victoire to die and get the Triwizard Cup for myself." Gellert frowned in annoyance and his grip on Albus' waist tightened. He'd confessed how afraid he'd been that Albus would die back in the labyrinth. He didn't even need to think of throwing himself in front of him for long. A heartbeat, that's what it took to make the decision.
A heartbeat, that's what it took for Albus to fall in love with Gellert Grindelwald. He knew that we would never love anyone as much. Most probably, he'd never love anyone else at all. His heart had been lost the moment they met, he just didn't realize it.
"I love you." The words had been on the tip of Albus' tongue several times by now, but he'd never said them. There hadn't been the right moment. Until now.
Gellert's eyes widened at this, but then he smiled. "I love you too, Albus." He leaned in for another kiss, much softer this time. When they pulled back, Gellert pressed their foreheads together. "You don't have to worry, I can deal with the others at Durmstrang. And we only have three more days left, then the school year is over and I'll never have to see them again."
"Please be careful. I didn't just risk my life to keep you alive, using magic no one really understands, so you can get yourself killed at Durmstrang simply because you didn't win the Triwizard Tournament." His hand travelled to the new scar on Gellert's back.
"You could have done it yourself." Gellert sounded thoughtful. "After the Minotaur was gone, you could have let Victoire stay with me and get the Triwizard Cup. You should have been the winner, Albus." They'd never spoken of this before.
Albus only smiled. "As I said, I've already won." He placed both of his hands on Gellert's chest, right above his heart. Then he leaned in to kiss him again.
