Our love is our curse

Dark Desire ~ Ending 1

Love is something wonderful. It lets you experience what it means to be loved and what feelings this brings with it. You can blossom in it and give yourself to lust. It is magical and indestructible. But can once blossomed love survive coercion, torture, betrayal and death. Or is it so shattered and they shards wrong or even right arranged that one gets a new understanding of it. It would have become dark, it would have become sinful, forbidding and deviant. The one heart fearing to be left alone, out of its own despair, forces its lover to stay with him. He locks it up because in his mind there is no other way. He knows that his heart hates him for what he has done, but he cannot understand why. He would have no, he would give his lover the world. He would only have to say ,, I belong to you" and his heart, veiled by dark power, would have stopped immediately. He would have released him from the shackles that chained him to the wall. He would have taken away his pain. He would have gently blown to him. He would not have given him amortentia. He would have loved him idolatrously. But what if love had been different? What if the plot had gone differently because of the butterfly effect. What if Albus had hesitated instead of Gellert and thus had steered his fate in a different direction.
If everything had turned out differently and Albus had given in to his own love and his own desire. Gellert would have taken his chance at eternal love and power and would have cast the spell that would bring Albus down. But the blue eyes of Dumbeldore seemed dull and in his own mind the world seemed for a moment in order. Buthan would have been the place where the choice would have been different. In their duel of interdimmension, Gellert would have won and then....
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The whole world seemed darker. Everything seemed changed in his heart. His victory was sure he could feel it. He could feel the power of the Elderstabs. He could feel his own dark desire. He expected his heart to kneel before him sooner or later, and yet there was hesitation in his actions. Something in his head told him it would be different. The snow fell softly on Nurmengard and Gellert stood at the window of the great room. His uneven eyes watched Aurelius. The boy stood outside the castle despite the cold and seemed to be communicating with his phoenix.
But it did not matter his weapon had failed him. But he had let him suffer, he could remember the beautiful image in the night, his secret which he shared with Graves and Aurelius.
He turned away from the window and suppressed a sigh. It was a shame that Graves had left him. Whether the auror was looking for help or drowning his sorrows in whiskey over his actions, he didn't know. But there was no point, no use for him. Either way, he would be at the top of the wizarding world in Bhutan in no time. And if the Auror stood in his way, he would simply kill him. It would be once that he settled a though not potential danger as well as Aurelius to the point in which he could make the young either his or in whose desperate search for love Anton could give.
Briefly, a memory flashed before his inner eye. "Das silber Nest " ( The silver nest) . Berlin's most exclusive brothel managed by no one else and the entire red light district belonged to him. Anton Vogel was the German Minister of Magic. Gellert admitted that Anton had political power as well as something else special. He was as deft with his words as the spider and charming. They were both powerful. But Graves was also powerful, once an auror in the highest department of the ministry. Eloquent and he knew how to bind his heart. He just had to love him, and loving Aurelius, who craved physical closeness, was so incredibly easy. The three of them embodied power, they all possessed political power as well as magical power and the power of words. But they all had a weakness that was like a thorn in their heart. Like a dagger that was stuck in one. To pull it out and throw it away would be suicide. They would break because of no love. But if they left the dagger in, they would not die immediately, but they would always live with the knowledge that they were vulnerable through their heart. Gellert Grindelwald's greatest weakness, besides his own fear of being alone, was losing Albus Dumbeldore. Not knowing he loved him, he couldn't bear the thought.
Percival Graves became weak, his cool calculating side could easily be broken if you hurt his innocent and joyful Credence Barebone, better known as Aurelius Dumbeldore. Anton Vogel was a slave to his own greed and jealousy, but his heart was also his greatest enemy. Helmut was not as fragile as Credence, he didn't whimper and he didn't just break at a certain point. He was also not like Albus who could be lured with a few clever words, accusations and light touches. Helmut was partly his own master. Anton didn't want to lock up his little bird, he wanted to keep him safe and always seemed to be waiting for a moment before he could close the cage to remind Helmut what he owed him. He loved to hurt Helmut and he did this a lot. It was a relationship of love and violence, hitting and kissing. But the one who always ended up on his knees was Helmut. But Helmut was stubborn and sometimes Gellet described him as a whore, but this was true for both Aurelius and Albus. Helmut, however, allowed himself too much and if Anton let his heart continue to do so, his whole illeages business would be exposed and everything would be over. His job, his love, the press would tear him apart and he kept letting it happen. They were all in a fight between love and their own desires and power desires. He could feel the power of his weapon, both for Aurelius and the Elder Wand, and yet he was disappointed. He had seen so much potential in the young man. If he had not fallen in love, all this failure would not have happened.
As it said before, he and his followers were in Bhutan a short time later. The walk of the Qilin was over and as he had planned, Anton proclaimed him as the new leader. Everything seemed perfect the cheering crowds the magicians who called to him. The sign of the three hallows of death appearing again and again in the sky. He enjoyed torturing the worthless muggle in front of him. He enjoyed the suffering and he would bring so much more if it had not come otherwise.
If Albus and his followers had not died, he would have won. With disgust he watched the magical animal that went to Santos and proved her worthy. Anton protested by pointing at the wrong animal, but this too was quickly stifled. ,, The animal is dead, it is dying, it has been killed," he heard the weak voice of Aurelius, who climbed the stairs and, as if he had a connection, the dead Qilin lost its magic and only the corpse remained. He saw the unrecognizable expression in Anton's eyes, but to his surprise, the German Minister of Magic remained with him at the top of the temple. Although Aurelius had unmasked him, something inside him screamed at him to take a better look. There seemed to be a certain static in the air. He knew it was coming from Aurelius, if at all, but why? He would not dare an open attack without probably getting killed himself. His eyes searched the crowd before he saw it. He saw something he could not stand. Even back in New York, Newt had been a thorn in his side. He was with Albus all the time and Albus seemed to adore him. His anger at his defeat made his blood boil. He wanted to see Scamander dead. The Elder Wand slipped into his hand and he fixed the zoologist. He saw the warning and foreboding look of Albus. His heart begged him not to cross the line. ,,That's enough!" came a clear and authoritative voice from below the stairs, and Gellert's face distorted briefly at what he thought was his defeat. Percival Graves came back to his heart with a considerable number of aurors as far as he could tell. He knew he should have killed him when he had the chance and now it was over. But what brought some hope to everything was the appearance of Helmut who had apparated next to Anton. He saw out of the corner of his eye how the two whispered something but could not quite interpret it. Anger and hatred blinded his mind.
He weighed the situation and no matter how he turned it, he would lose. Even if Anton and his lover were on his side, their only option would be to flee. A hopelessly desperate situation.
But when you push a beast into a corner it eventually strikes. He raised his staff again before the wordless death curse shot towards Newt. What drew him further into the darkness was that both Albus and Aberforth, as well as the witch with the suitcase and the real Qilin inside, cast a protection spell. The four spells collided and his uneven eyes went from the blue ones of Albus to their common blood pack.
He felt it, he felt the chains give way. He could feel the powerful magical pack slowly breaking. The shackles that would wrap around his magic if he even thought of hurting Albus while wearing the blood pack. The silver vial shattered and when the pair of eyes met they knew what was coming. Albus came up to him before he formed a magical dimming to minimize the damage to their duel. Gellert felt he could move against Albus unhindered. He would be able to defeat him. Their spells collided, making the magic in its purest form real. The ground was churned and blasted by some spells. Then a turn and they were as close as they had been on their last night together. They both had their hands on each other's chests. Gellert felt the fabric under his hands, the warmth of Albus' body intoxicating. Knowing the heartbeat beneath, beating only for him, unrestrainedly demanding. He perceived the bewitching smell of the hair that had gone from red to brown over the years with the gray strands. The determined but gentle expression in the bright blue eyes. These infinitely blue beautiful eyes of his Albus. His heart, his property, his Albus was perfect. What he did not miss, and apparently Albus did not notice, was the battle raging around them outside. Something seemed to have happened outside but what was true the question was who was fighting who neither of them knew. The magic that was unleashed was powerful and something seemed to tell the two that it was not just Aurelius. But this was beside the point as the two hearts focused only on each other. Time ran differently, the world ran differently and with a flap of a butterfly's wings in the distance, fate seemed to run in a different direction. It was Albus who first lowered his wand slightly. Gellert could feel his hand exerting light pressure on his chest. He knew Albus wanted his heart. He knew he needed him. He knew he desired him. ,, It only ever beats for you," he assured Albus in a soft tone and saw the broken melancholic expression in his blue eyes. ,,Mine has never stopped beating for you, Gellert," Albus replied and Gellert saw the honesty in his eyes. ,, I know Albus...you feel the magic too," Gellert said softly and his hand slowly moved from Albus' chest to his cheek for fear of scaring him. Gently he stroked his cheek and Albus seemed to resist the urge to surrender to Gellert's touch. ,, Stay with me Albus," Gellert tried with a last plea, a last sentence, afraid he would end up alone. He did not want it without his heart, without Albus it would mean nothing. But to his horror and what made his heart break, Albus broke away from him. He felt Albus move away from him and he walked away from him. But who had lost?
Was it Gellert whose heart left him or Albus who shamefully covered his love. ,, Who will love you now Dumbeldore. You are all alone!" he called to him with a knowing, arrogant smile after the dimension had dissolved. The battle was decided and it was clear who had lost. Albus group was at the end Newt leaned on his brother, Lally was with Karma holding her bleeding arm, Queenie tried to protect herself whilst Aberforth tried to look at his brother but stood with Jacob and Queenie and Albus eyes were filled with shock. The shock of his defeat. The two Scamander brothers were held in check by Helmut, who had taken their wands. On the face of the German Auror was satisfying amusement. He had done his duty. Anton, on the other hand, continued to hold his wand on Karma and Lally, and he too seemed to have a satisfied smirk on his lips. But what surprised Gellert was that Graves was watching Aberforth, Queenie and Jacob with his wand, backed up by Aurelisu who had released his Obscurial and was hovering dangerously over the three. The rest of his followers and the aurors of Graves had killed other like beings.
Gellert's uneven eyes went to Albus as he seemed to stagger backward a step, but caught himself again and saw Albus' hand wrap tighter around his own staff. But Gellert also knew that Albus would not be so foolish. ,, Let's not let any more blood flow, shall we?" he asked, pointing to the blood of the slain rebels that turned the stones a dark red and flowed down the stairs like a form seeking help.
,, What have you done?" said Albus in horror before his gaze went over the many torn and killed people. Gellert, on the other hand, just smirked before he began to walk around Albus. It was all so utterly perfect. His victory. His power. His heart. Just everything was on his side.
He saw the incredulous expression on Albus' face and almost felt pity. He knew how it felt to lose. Albus had actually believed he could stop him - how pathetic. Of course, Gellert knew that he had only managed to win with Graves, Aurelius, Helmut and Anton's help. Otherwise he would be the one who would probably look shocked at his comrades-in-arms. ,, The question is what have you done Albus. I mean, look around you," he paused briefly before continuing to roam around Albus, who let his blue eyes wander over his friends. ,, You put them in this position because of you they are now trapped...dead," he said softly, audible only to Albus. Gellert's fingers gently, yet with a certain pressure, stroked the spot on Albus' arm where he had carved the word "love". It was so easy to play his heart. ,, They were aware of the-" Albus stopped when he was interrupted by Gellert. ,, They were aware of the danger," Gellert finished Albus' sentence and gave him a knowing smile. ,,That may be, but it's your fault Albus, you're such a narcissist that you had to involve innocent people, I mean, can you handle that they will die for you?" Something in Albus seemed to awaken at the question. Whether it was a protective instinct or just his desperation was unknown.
He saw his heart thinking about how to get himself and the others out of here. ,, You can't, Albus...it's over," he assured him before coming to a stop behind Albus. He leaned forward slightly so that he could have placed a kiss on Albus' neck.
Instead he put his hands on Albus' shoulders before whispering to him. ,, Who should be first ? The annoying zoologist or his war hero brother ? The teacher and or the last of the family ? Your oh so beloved brother ? Or our flower with her disgusting husband ? Find one  Albus and only one has to die. The greater good ". He felt Albus tense up and think feverishly. As if Gellert was speaking telepathically to the others, the ropes wound tighter around the necks of the disadvantaged. Helmut already seemed to have a saying on his lips, Anton's smile became almost sadistic, Graves' expression was rigid yet satisfied, and Aurelisu seemed to be waiting for Graves' command. ,, Tell me, Albus, I need an answer," Gellert demanded, almost pressing himself against him, greedily waiting for the answer. ,, I-I can't say it I-kill me my life so that their hearts can beat on," came a soft breath from his lips and Gellert's smile disappeared. Incomprehension appeared in him and his eyes reflected disbelief. He did not understand, he was not able to understand. Because in a different ending he did not know what it meant that his heart would prefer him to death. ,, Why are they so important, you only need love, you only need me," he said, unintelligibly and snappishly, and his hand clasped a curled strand of Albus' hair. Like so many times before, this seemed to throw Albus off track. His lips opened and closed again before his blue eyes darted around. ,, You know I won't do it Albus," he demanded and he felt the tension for the answer. ,, Kill me and let them go," Albus said, but was interrupted when a pained gasp escaped him.
Gellert had pulled Albus' hair and forced him to look at each of his friends and companions. Gellert's patience was wearing thin, and when it did, he became ruthless and narcissistic. He wanted to finish and spend time with Albus. Share his dream with him, share their dream. He wanted to finally have him to himself again. He wanted to feel the love. ,, One answer Albus or they all die!" came a hissing truth from Gellert and his uneven eyes reflected hatred. But the blue-eyed man didn't say a word, only lowered his head, indicating that he had accepted his defeat. ,, Kill me - spare the others!" came from Theseus and he took a step towards Helmut. Helmut, on the other hand, held a magic wand to his neck and one spell would be enough to kill him. ,,No!" Newt shouted, but was stopped by a threatening look from Helmut. ,, I want to keep him," Helmut suddenly announced, his blue eyes boring into Theseus'. Gellert saw Anton's disapproving look about the overestimation of his heart, but left it uncommented. Gellert considered before he sighed and briefly flew with his eyes over the sky. ,, How about this, for the love of Albus, I'll let everyone go except Theseus, we don't want to take away his toy, do we Anton?" But Gellert did not get an answer from the German Minister of Magic. ,, As I said, I'll let them all go, you just have to promise to stay with me...forever," the words slipped over his lips and he feasted his eyes on Albus' uncertain expression. It seemed to take an eternity until Albus put his wand back into his cloak and looked down, defeated. ,, Go now," Gellert ordered, and his followers let the prisoners disappear. Only Theseus stayed behind with Albus, and the older Scamander brother did not seem at all pleased with the outcome. But who could blame him. His uneven eyes followed Anton, who showed an irritated expression, but didn't make a move towards Helmut. Jealousy and hatred.
His eyes went back to Albus and he felt love fill him. ,, You are forever mine Albus," Gellert whispered to him before taking his hand. He lifted it before placing a soft kiss on the back of his hand. ,,Smile for me," he asked his opposite and after a short hesitation he received a tender smile. ,, Our dream, Albus, has finally come true," Gellert rejoiced before ordering his followers to go their separate ways. Only after they were alone did Gellert take another step towards Albus and notice him. ,, Do you feel it?" he asked and his eyes wandered over Bhutan. ,, The magic or your madness?" Albus mocked, but received a contemptuous look. ,, Madness Albus, you are the one who drove me into this madness. Our dream, I've transformed it for you...we'll soon rule the entire world," Gellert said, but it was the madness in it that worried Albus. You may control the world, but not me. You can't control love," Dumbeldore countered, thinking he had found a weak spot. ,, Even love, Albus, can be forced sooner or later, and we both know that your heart still beats for me," mocked and yet a threat left Gellert's lips. His fine-lidded hand wanted to lay on Albus' chest again as proof. But when Albus backed away and had a disappointed look in his eyes, it hurt him more than he thought. ,, Are you sure about that?". ,, You overestimate yourself Albus, your friends are gone. But the world is mine and their lives can be destroyed in the blink of an eye," Gellert said, knowing that he had Albus the way he wanted him. ,, Say you always wanted to go to the Alps, how about I show you our castle, this time not just one room, but everything," Gellert offered before holding out his hand. Albus was confused by the sudden change, but grabbed the hand of his heart before the world around him turned.
A few moments later they arrived in front of the metal gate of Nurmengard. ,, For the greater good," Albus said, and there was so much bitterness and irony in his voice before he turned his gaze away and let it wander over the Alps. ,, Come," Gellert said softly, and Albus heard joy in his voice. He noticed how Gellert put a hand on his back and the two of them walked towards their new home like the couple they were always meant to be. ,, Do you like them?" Gellert asked with an affectionate smile as he saw Albus looking at the white roses and lavender. ,, When did you plant them?" asked Albus, and at Gellert's request, he stepped away from him. The brown-haired man knelt down in front of the flowers and his fingers ran over the purple lavender. ,, I got the idea after I sent you the letter. The two flowers harmonize beautifully," he confessed.
,,You see," the white-haired man said appreciatively, picking a lavender flower without breaking it. Albus, on the other hand, picked a rose and didn't hurt himself on the thorns. They both knew how to deal with the other to either hurt them or love them. With a wave of his hand, the front door opened and they both walked in. He saw how Albus was still tense. ,,Don't worry, we're alone...our followers are at their private residence," he assured Albus, who nodded mutely. Gellert wordlessly took the flower from Albus before he wordlessly floated his and Albus' to a small glass dome. The glass opened and took the two flowers inside for viewing. ,, They will remain beautiful forever," Gellert purred before he walked around Albus again and began to undress him. He was about to pull the cloak from Albus' shoulders when he felt Albus' hand on his. ,, I'll do it myself," Albus informed him, and Gellert stepped back. There was brief hurt in his eyes at the refusal. ,, Would you like some wine?" he asked instead, pointing to a carafe of dark alcohol. ,, No," Albus rebuffed him again, before hanging his cloak and hat, along with his scarf, on the hook. Gellert's eyes ran over the new appearance before he tore himself away and went to the carafe. After filling his glass with the red liquid, he made an inviting motion into their shared home. ,,After you, please," he encouraged Albus, and Dumbeldore led the way. They walked through the large common room and he had to smile when Albus stopped at the large window and looked out.
Albus put his hand on the cool glass and his blue eyes were filled with admiration. "I wish he would look at me like that," Gellert caught himself looking. From the large room they went up one floor to the shared bathroom. ,, I hope it suits your taste," Gellert said, secretly hoping that Albus would notice the glass window. The blue eyes quickly ran over the furnishings and lingered only a little longer at the window. ,, It takes after you, Gellert," he said, and Gellert took only a sip of his wine before continuing with Albus. Albus headed for a closed door and raised an eyebrow that made Gellert smile. ,, This is a surprise, the room isn't ready yet," Gellert waved him off and steered Albus back downstairs. When the two stood downstairs again, there was silence. ,, Why all this?" asked Albus, and the question seemed to have been on his mind for some time. Gellert gripped his glass tighter and took the last sip. ,, Why? Albus, I have won. Our dream has come true and it will begin in the next few weeks". ,, That's not what I mean...and you know it," Albus said, shaking his head, and Gellert let the glass float to the table. ,, Albus, what is there to talk about? You are my heart, my love... my weakness. We both know that there will always be enemies and you would be the only one who could kill me," he answered Albus' question before stepping closer. ,, So you're locking me up out of fear?" Albus turned the question around, but stopped and didn't back away. ,, I'm locking you up out of love, Albus. I can't risk you being killed...I couldn't bear to lose you," Gellert confessed and his hand went to Albus. As with their blood pact, it was Gellert's hand that closed first to bind Albus to him. But when his heart did not respond and even loosened, it inflicted another painful sting. ,, Rest too, it's been a busy day," Gellert said, but you could hear the anger behind it clearly before he took quick steps away from Albus to go to the cellar. His anger his feelings his calm his patience. Everything seemed out of balance. Nothing seemed to be as it should be. He hated that Albus rejected him. He hated that Albus didn't understand what his sacrifice had been. He hated that Albus didn't love him. At least not the way he once had.
The darkness enveloped him and with a quick wave of his hand, the torches flared. The painful sounds emerged and Gellert's anger was only further confirmed. ,, Don't act like that," he murmured at his figures. He heard the rattling of chains as his captives pushed away from the bars and into the dark cell. Some were true politicians, others were supposedly powerful wizards, but the battles he had fought with them were sobering. He opened one of the cells and the figure whimpered. He took the Elder Wand in his hand and knelt in front of his captive. ,, Today is the day I will redeem you," he said softly, and his captive made a whimpering sound. ,, Redeem?" said the man, coughing heavily due to lack of water. His skin was covered with dirt and his hair was partly torn out. Deep untreated flesh wounds that had festered in the meantime stretched over his arms and legs. His back was chafed. He was already as good as dead. ,, Yes, I'll let you go, come with me," Gellert demanded and loosened the chains. He waited a moment, but he had done such a good job that he didn't need to expect any resistance from him. Gellert walked down the hall and heard the whispers of his captives. It was always a speckackel when he showed mercy. His captive, dressed only in a rag of a shirt and torn pants, flitted from shadow to shadow. Shunning the light as if it would burn him. Gellert extinguished the flames and climbed the stairs with his captive. He took his cloak from his heel before looking into the large room. Albus had meanwhile sat down at the table and seemed deep in thought. But when he felt Gellert's cold gaze on him, he turned to him. In his blue eyes there was something foreboding and foreknowledge of what would happen. Then, to Gellert's delight, Albus stood up and put on his coat and hat as well as his scarf. ,, Just out of the door," Gellert encouraged his downcast prisoner, who didn't dare look at his owner.
He opened the door for the prisoner with the help of magic and the three of them went into the big yard. Despite the fact that it was not deepest winter, the weather around Nurmengard seemed to have a mind of its own. It slowly began to snow and the sky was gray and desolate. As if on command, cawing ravens appeared out of nowhere and settled on the iron gate with interested and knowing looks about what was about to happen. The nameless man stumbled slightly forward before landing on his knees on the stone. To Albus' shock, however, the man began to laugh. With joy. He had his freedom back after several years of torture and pain. ,, Run, come on, run," came a smirk from Gellert, who could hardly contain his anticipation of his reward. It would not only bring him peace but also teach Albus what can happen if you don't stay with your heart. The man looked dazedly at Gellert before he muttered something unintelligible and began to rise before he slowly walked towards the iron gate full of fear of being betrayed.
With each step he left bloody footprints on the white pure innocent snow. ,, Don't do it," Albus demanded softly, admonishing his heart. ,, Try to stop it," Gellert countered before taking his wand in his hand. ,, Inferi," Gellert said, and he saw Albus' scowl. His captive did not seem to hear them. The nameless one just seemed to be fixated on the gate. He was halfway there and the snow seemed to start sticking to him. Only when suddenly out of the snow emerged a rotten black hand, the nameless man seemed to realize that something was wrong. The rotten Inferi rose from the white snow. ,, How many did you...kill?" Albus asked in shock as the entire courtyard began to fill with Inferi. But Gellert's answer was interrupted by the terrified scream of the prisoner.
The Inferi began to tear at the prisoner and they could literally hear him being torn to pieces. Albus averted his eyes before the brown-haired man himself reached for his wand. ,, Intervene and your friends are dead," came the cool warning from Gellert, and Albus continued to watch as the nameless man collapsed in front of the gate, torn apart. The Inferi tore at the body parts before hardly anything could be concluded to be human. ,, That's enough," Gellert decided and looked at the deep red snow that had become discolored with the blood of the intestines and the body. ,, This is disgusting," Albus muttered, turning away. Gellert's hand, however, shot to Albus and pulled him to him. ,, It may be abnormal, but don't pretend you didn't know. You could have attacked me in the castle itself. But you didn't, Albus. Despite the fact that the blood pack is broken, your heart can't fight me," Gellert told him the truth, and his blue eyes were full of shame. Gellert gently put a finger down Albus' chin and forced him to look at him. ,, Don't be ashamed, my heart, it is only natural that you surrender to your love, to your desire to be loved," the white-haired man said, and there was a certain satisfaction in his voice. The knowledge that despite everything that had happened Albus still loved him. However, Albus once again withdrew from Gellert's grasp and went back into the castle. Gellert cast one last contemptuous glance at the bloody thing before disappearing into their shared home. It had been quiet in the castle since the incident. Gellert took care of his personal belongings. He sent and received letters and made important decisions. After all that happened, he still had to take care of the world of magic. Among them, he noticed a letter with the eagle symbol. Anton Vogel. Curious, he put aside his current letter and reached for the one from the Minsiter.
With the opener he cut the seal and the letter unfolded. His uneven eyes were pleased to hear that the minister was still in control of his ministry and had eliminated those who opposed him and what Gellert stood for. What gave him pause, however, was the invitation to a meeting of all the important political leaders, or at least the most important sympathizers.
"Always so capable," Gellert smiled at the thought, but was slightly unsure of what was happening to Albus. Gellert was not stupid, he knew that Albus would take any chance to escape. What he didn't know, or couldn't calculate, was what the situation was with the fighters. He knew that Albus' group would find each other and would try to overthrow him, but when was another question.
His pen was dipped in black ink as he wrote the reply letter.
,, Come here," he said into the room and a few moments later a black owl pecked at his window. It was not necessarily his owl, it flew to him one day as if it had sprung from Nurmengard itself. He stroked the animal over its black feathers and had a gentle smile on his lips when he saw the blue and brown eye of the owl. The animal took the letter in its beak and flew away at the behest of its owner. He was eager to get results on how his plans were going. He glanced at his clock and did not notice the ticking until it struck just after nine o'clock in the evening. Sighing, he rose and decided to check on Albus. His hand slipped into his pocket and he found the object that would bring him good deeds. It would bring him a heart. It would bring him his heart. It would bring him Albus' heart. As he stepped out of his office, he immediately heard the silence broken. "The piano," he noted, and his footsteps carried him into the purpose-built music room. It was relatively large and contained high walls with shelves of books on various instruments, musicians and biographies. There was also a fireplace with a couch in front of it and a splendid carpet underneath. The two huge windows that meanwhile let in the moonlight were unmistakable. Like an angel, like his personal guardian angel, Albus was illuminated by the light as his fingers deftly ran over the black and white keys and sounded the melody. Wordlessly, Gellert approached before he used magic to pour himself two glasses of wine.
With these he went to the piano and placed one of the two glasses on the instrument while he sipped the other and looked at his heart in the moonlight. ,,Please keep playing," he said after Albus had stopped after Gellert had joined him.
,, When did you learn to play like that?" he asked instead, and Albus smiled sadly. ,, I've always been able to do it, I just never told you". Gellert nodded understandably, his eyes lingering on Albus' blue ones. ,, Can you teach me, please?" he asked and Albus surprisingly quickly made room on the chair. Even though it was a bit tight, he felt the other person against him and this was reason enough to be grateful.
,, Try it yourself first," Albus advised him, and Gellert's hands ran over the piano, unpracticed and sounding out of tune. He could even see a smile from Albus in his corner of his eye.  ,,Are you laughing at me?" Gellert asked, playfully indignant, but only got a brief grin. ,, You have to do it gently," said Albus before Gellert felt his hands on his. Albus' hands were gentle on his and yet the brown-haired man was leading the way. Gellert let go for what felt like an eternity.
It was strange and yet comforting to know that Albus was not hurting him. The gruff melody turned into a gentle, loving one. Which, however, brought with it a certain fearfulness. It seemed as if his heart was speaking, as if Albus was begging him to let him go, as if he could not bear the touch. But before Albus could pull away, goosebumps formed on his body as Gellert slowly moved up his arm. ,, Just let it happen," Gellert whispered to Albus as his delicate fingers caught on the scar. Love.
The word he had forcibly carved into his arm lay beneath the white shirt. It was a moment that decided fate. The feeling of love when Albus had surrendered to him. Albus had offered himself to him, sacrificed himself. Giving in to his lust and accepting Gellert's feelings. It was an addictive moment. He could almost taste the sweet blood on his tongue.
His fingers tracing the individual letters dissolved the light texture with the help of magic. He noticed the short twitch on Albus' arm. The short gasp as the blue eyes showed pain for a fraction. Before the white fabric of the shirt began to turn red. Gellert's fingers moved to the buttons on the shirt sleeve and deftly undid them. He pulled the fabric up and the open wound appeared. ,, You have given yourself to me, you have sacrificed yourself. It was intoxicating," Gellert confessed, overcome by the wistful sound of his voice. ,, It sounds like it hurts you," said Albus, who had noticed the sadness in his voice. ,, Was your love so strong that you had to abuse me for fear that I would ever betray love and you, Grindelwald?" The words cut deep into Gellert's understanding and he had to admit that to Albus. He knew how to play. They both could read people, but Gellert was getting better at manipulating them the way he wanted. ,, It never lost weight, it manifested itself into an obsession Albus" he gave effect to the words by painfully grasping the bleeding wound. He felt the warm blood running along his fingers. He would have loved to taste it and feast on it. ,, It was your fault, if you had stepped through the flames then, everything could have been different and you know it and you hate yourself for it, that's the only revenge you ever had", cool hurtful words with too much truth. Gellert saw how Albus' heart was struck and the blue eyes held a storm that seemed to engulf everything around him. ,, No, the only thing I regret is ever having loved you," the piano sounded as soon as these words were spoken. Gellert jumped up, grabbed Albus by the back of the neck and slammed his head down on the piano keys, producing a shrill sound that slowly faded away. The fading sound released the heavy breathing of the two. He saw Albus trying to look at him, which was only partially successful because his head was still pressed into the keys. What gave him the first satisfaction, however, was the hurt expression of Albus behind which there was a certain gleam. Gellert saw red he saw anger he saw betrayal he saw hate. ,, Lie! Lie Albus you know that!" he hissed at him and pressed himself lightly against Albus' hunched body from behind. He closed his eyes and gasped. Gellert could not tell whether he was in pain or even in pleasure. His left free hand slid along Albus's upper body, briefly playing with one of the dark strands. He felt Albus tense up and give him everything he wanted to know. Gellert's delicate fingers continued downward and only when he put his hand on Albus' cock did he feel the twitch go through Albus' body. Albus tried to rebel against him and to free himself from his grip. This, however, only led to Gellert pulling Albus up short and hammering him again on the keys. ,,Stop the lies, my heart," Gellert whispered into Albus' ear and gave the brown-haired man a quick kiss on the neck. Gellert's hand was again on Albus' cock, which was covered by his pants. But when he felt the twitching and the slight swelling, a knowing smile came to his thin lips. ,, Your body reacts to me like a whore to money. Are you Albus? Are you my whore?" Gellert said seductively and time seemed to stand still around them. When he didn't get an answer he pulled Albus up slightly before kissing him deeply. He felt Albus struggling with himself, he could feel the pain but also the body that wanted to give itself to him. It was an erotic dance of the mind. But when he felt Albus seemingly fall victim to his own lust, Gellert pulled back. He rose, but continued to press Albus against the piano. Always as a small reminder that Gellert was watching him. ,,A whore Albus, a miserable whore is what you are. A pathetic whore who loves the most powerful man and mass murderer Gellert Grindelwald," he said with cutting disgust and amusement before letting go of Albus. What made him smile spitefully was that Albus didn't dare look at him.
Gellert took his wine glass and first looked at the red liquid before slowly pouring it over Albus. The red shirt took on the tone of the wine and he followed the drops that disappeared into the clothing and traveled along Dumbeldore's body. The fact that he soiled the piano and the carpet was irrelevant. When he was done, he lifted his head, which was still on the piano, and said disgustedly, ,, Clean yourself up, you look pathetic," before letting him go. Gellert took Albus' wineglass and walked with it towards the door. ,, You've been here less than a day, Albus, and look what you've become," were Gellert's last cutting words before he slammed the door behind him. He could feel the adrenaline, the desire, the addiction. He could feel Albus completely again. He could have him for himself. Possess him. Lock him up. Desire him. Albus was his. His footsteps echoed in Nurmengard as he retreated to his own office.
The room seemed darker, both because it was nighttime and because it was lit only by candles. His uneven eyes continued to flit over the papers and documents. But inside he was contentedly calm. He knew that Albus belonged to him, although Dumbeldore tried to deny it. But just the thing in the music room at the piano spoke for itself. But even when Albus gave himself to him, there was something in him that rebelled against Gellert. It had to be crushed in the beginning before he had to force Albus to love him with more than just violence.
The night passed quickly and even though Gellert had spent it in his office, he found Albus lying in his bed sometime in the early morning. His blue eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell slightly. ,,So beautiful," Gellert said softly as he brushed a strand of hair behind Albus' ear. He seemed so vulnerable and yet graceful. His heart was irreplaceable. His fingers continued to gently stroke his cheek and lips. They were soft and warm, gentle yet pretty. Albus was unaware of the touching, yet somehow he seemed to perceive it.
Gellert, however, tore himself away from his search for love for Albus and rose from the bed. He went to the window and pulled aside the red velvet curtains so that the first rays of sunlight shone in. Before the room was bathed in a soft orange. He noticed how Albus moved and seemed to wake up. ,, Good morning, my heart," Gellert said softly, but decided to give Albus his space. He sat down at the end of the bed and saw the blue eyes briefly show confusion. "He thought it was a bad dream," Gellert realized, and his insides ached. ,, How did you sleep?" he asked, stroking gentle circles over the white bedspread.
Albus meanwhile sat up and looked at him with tiredness. ,, It was pleasant, but I have a headache," Albus complained, and Gellert almost regretted beating him so hard on the piano. ,, I will prepare something. In the meantime, would you slowly get ready, we have something to do today. Anton Vogel has invited us to a gala and we are going to go," Gellert announced, but he received only a disgruntled and dissatisfied look.
Gellert disappeared into the kitchen of the house, humming a tune as he took out the ingredients for breakfast. He mixed the ingredients with the help of magic before turning on the stove and placing a pan of butter on it. The smell of pancakes and fresh coffee filled the house. Gellert loaded the food onto a silver tray and made it float before walking towards the room. He opened the door and found Albus standing at the window. His blue eyes seemed to wander over the white alpine landscape. ,, You like it, don't you?" Gellert said and put the tray on the small table between the two armchairs.
Before he went to Albus and hugged him from behind and kissed him gently on the neck. He was pleased that there was no swearing reaction. But he knew that Albus was far from surrendering. The Dumbeldore was tough, but if he was treated gently and properly, he would become obedient. He pulled him close, inhaled the smell of the other and enjoyed it. "If only it would stay like this forever," he thought and placed another soft kiss on his neck. ,,It is endless that knows it seems indestructible and yet the light of a phoenix can destroy it," he heard Albus and Gellert smiled at the allusion. ,, I brought you a potion against your headache," Gellert murmured and gave Albus a last kiss on the neck before the white-haired man withdrew. He watched Albus sit down in the chair before he examined the potion. ,, I would never poison you, Albus, you know that," Gellert said, but there was impatience in his voice. He took it personally that Albus believed him. He slammed the door and went back to his office. He sat down on his black leather covered chair and went through the documents. More and more letters and documents had come to him and soon he felt the headache coming on. Sighing, he pressed lightly on the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. It was quiet in the house and he gave a knowing smile. Albus probably never dared to go back into the music room after what had happened. Gellert looked at his hand with which he had hit Albus on the piano the night before and briefly flashed the image of the blue eyes.
The slight pain, the lust, the love that Albus had felt. A work of art. Gellert looked at the clock and they both still had a few hours before they had to finish. He went with precise steps to the upper part of Nurmengard. He unlocked the dark wooden door and entered his studio. He opened the windows before going to his canvas. Painting was something soothing. One could express destruction with it in addition, love. Or in Gellert's view, you could capture the desire and lust for a person as well as you could.
He stood in front of his canvas before he took a brush and the colors began to float.
He dipped the brush into the dark purple and began to paint the flowers. It would become one of his works of art when it was finished. He had created it just for Albus to show his love for Albus as he saw him.
It took a while, but when Gellert finally stepped back from the canvas, he was a little closer to his masterpiece.
,, What is this?" he heard the interested voice of Albus. He turned around with the brush in his hand and saw the interested look of the blue eyes. ,,Painting Albus, as you can play the piano, I have taken up painting," he explained proudly, stepping slightly to the side to make the canvas more visible. Albus stepped a little closer and his eyes seemed to light up when he saw how much work his heart had put into it.
,, What's going into the cage?" came the question that Gellert had been waiting for. Gellert, however, just shook his head and let Albus tap in the dark. ,, I will tell you when the time is right," Gellert promised, and the anticipation of the thought made him happy. Gellert put the brush on the easel before heading out the door. ,, I'm going to take a shower Albus...will you join me?" Gellert purred and hoped Albus would follow him. Perhaps he had been extra careless in using the color to ask his heart. But who could say.
The bathroom was warming up and steam was gradually rising from the shower. Gellert, on the other hand, had undressed and his new clothes were already ready. Naked, vulnerable and so beautiful, he stepped under the hot water that splashed down from the showerhead. It was darkened by the stone around him, but the gentle smell of lavender hanging over the shower was relaxing enough. The color ran off his body but was swallowed up by the black stone. His eyes opened as he heard the door open quietly. His lips formed a knowing smile as he realized he was holding Albus in his hands again. He heard the rustle of clothes sliding to the floor before new ones were placed somewhere. ,, You're not going to use the tub with our time pressure, are you?" Gellert said, and he thought he saw Albus twitch for a moment. ,,Maybe I want to be late," he suddenly heard and Albus stood before him naked. He was the most beautiful thing Gellert had ever seen. He was his drug. Albus was his heart. Fearful and almost frightened, Gellert reached out his hand to Albus. He put his fingers on the chest of the same-aged man and felt the slightly increased heartbeat. He saw Albus do the same, it was a gesture of understanding. ,, Our hearts beat the same," he heard the words and nodded. ,, So beautiful," Gellert whispered as he stroked up the chest, lingering briefly on the neck. His fingers felt the carotid artery and how the blood was rapidly pumped through it. Before he put his hand on Albus's cheek and he laid into it lightly. ,,So obedient" the words that appeared in his head seemed to fill Albus with pride. He saw the short, almost obvious nod and would have liked to kiss Albus. But he held back, he wanted Albus to come to him himself. He wanted to see Albus kneeling in front of him, freely giving himself to him. When the blue met the white and the dark, something seemed to happen. As if Albus knew what he had to do and Gellert seemed to overlook something. But neither of them noticed it. But then Albus took a step closer before he slowly bent over to Gellert, squealing. ,, P-please," Gellert heard the whimpered word and he felt his blood rush downward. Then, in one swift movement, he had grabbed Albus by the back of the neck and had overcome the distance. Their lips met and he could finally feel Albus again. He felt Albus give himself to him, he could feel Albus' hands clinging to him.
He felt Albus becoming more demanding he wanted him just as he wanted Albus. Just as Albus loosened his grip and began to leave touching kisses on Gellert's neck, the white-haired man pushed him slightly away. Lust and uncertainty were in the blue eyes. ,, Kneel Albus," Gellert instructed him, and Albus seemed to understand. Slowly, the brown-haired man knelt down and looked at Gellert with his head raised.
This sight alone could have brought Gellert to his climax. ,, Be good for me, my heart," he said to Albus, and the eye contact broke off as Albus turned his gaze to the aroused cock in front of him.
With a satisfied sigh, Gellert closed his eyes and his fingers found their way into Albus' wet hair. It took a moment for Albus to get used to his new task. But for Gellert there could have been nothing better. ,, So good for me...fuck" he gasped and his fingers played lightly with the strands of Albus' hair. He felt Albus make a pleasurable sound, but it was smothered. He was aware of Albus' hands lightly holding on to his thighs so as not to lose his grip. How the fingers scratched lightly over the skin and Gellert got a shiver from it. After the initial acclimation, Gellert grabbed Albus' head a little tighter and began to set the pace. He noticed the slightly louder breathing of Albus as he tried to follow Gellert. The fingers digging lightly into his skin, yet he stayed down and continued to suck his cock. "A whore," Gellert thought before a throaty moan escaped him as Albus took his entire cock in his mouth. ,, Just like that, my heart," he uttered, and he felt his own breathing quicken. His uneven, lust-veiled eyes met Albus' blue ones, soaked with the same lust. He continued to praise Albus and with each word Albus seemed to get better and better. But Gellert did not miss the fact that Albus pressed his legs together slightly. "A lustful whore, a demon," the words popped into his head, and it couldn't have fit Albus any better. His fingers dug harder into his hair and he thought he heard a whimper from Albus. He would have loved to hear more of these sounds. Especially these sweet sounds echoed perfectly in a bathroom. Sometimes he wished Albus could see himself in all his beauty. He felt his own climax coming closer. He could increasingly feel the slight tingling in his lower region. This was probably not least due to the sight of Albus. A deep moan escaped Gellert as he forgot everything around him for a short moment. His eyes rolled back and his grip on Albus' hair tightened again. His breathing gradually recovered and when he came to, he couldn't help a small, victorious grin. He tore Albus away from his fallen limb and saw that he seemed to be waiting for something. ,, What you do with it, I hope you can decide for yourself, or do I have to tell you whether to swallow or spit?" Gellert huffed before finally letting go of the hair. Heedlessly he walked past Albus and grabbed a towel and his clothes before pausing. ,, If you can't decide, swallow Albus, we don't want to waste anything," the door of the bathroom opened before it closed, leaving a kneeling Albus blinded by lust and love.
Evening had fallen and the sun was beginning to set. The bright red orange rays were swallowed up by the large mountains. Gellert, on the other hand, stood almost impatiently in front of the window and looked at the bacon tackle.
He saw Albus coming into the large living room in the reflection of the window. ,, You look beautiful," Gellert praised him as he looked at Albus. While Gellert was wearing a black suit with a black shirt and his lavender tie. Albus had chosen a gray suit with a white shirt and black tie with white little roses on it. ,, Say, is that my tie?" Gellert quipped and got a ,, And even if it suits me better " from Albus. The two strode to the front door and Albus put on his hat, which Gellert found so charming. The cool evening greeted them, but it was still pleasant. They walked side by side and left the house. Gellert saw Albus looking down at the ground, afraid that the Inferi would do the same bloody thing to him. ,, They're just following my orders, don't worry," Gellert told him before grabbing Albus' hand and the two of them disappeared with a noise.
Only a moment later they appeared in front of a large building. They both knew it, they had been here several weeks ago, but with different intentions. Now they were here to do something together. ,, If you please," Gellert said, and Albus hooked Gellert's arm before the two of them went inside. The door in front of them opened automatically and as soon as they were inside they were greeted by classical music, inviting light and a cozy but rich atmosphere. ,, Gellert Grindelwald and his partner Albus Dumbeldore " sounded from somewhere and Gellert sighed inwardly at the unnecessary announcement. Although, like the first time, there were not so many people there, the building was not empty. The two walked on and Gellert recognized some faces. Old allies, old friends, others he did not recognize and some he was surprised to see. ,, They are all looking at us," he heard Albus say, who seemed to want to be somewhere else. ,, No, they are all looking at you," Gellert corrected and a slight smile appeared on his face. They moved forward and Gellert's eyes continued to wander over the guests. The feeling that something might happen never left his mind. It all seemed too easy. But maybe he had become too paranoid in this part of the story. The two lovers walked up a flight of stairs to the floor above the gala and stopped in front of a door. With a glance at the guards, the door was opened and the two entered the private room. ,, You are here earlier than expected," said Anton, who was standing at the large black wooden table in the middle, looking at the end of the head before rising. ,, We had something to finish, actually I thought we would be late," said Gellert and Anton seemed to understand. The German Minister of Magic's eyes lingered briefly on Albus. They seemed to be watching him closely. As if he saw something that none of the others could see. " The eagle watches its prey," thought Gellert, breaking the eye contact by saying, ,, Where is your songbird ? ". In fact, the eagle's eyes dropped and went to the unequal Gellerts. They narrowed for a fraction of a second. ,, He has something to do...one of his dolls needs to be worked on" he said harshly and Gellert had to stifle an understanding smile. He knew what Anton was talking about and he knew even more that the surprise Albus was about to get was even bigger. The German wore his distinctive black coat with fur. Underneath, he wore a black suit with a white shirt and, to Gellert's surprise, leather gloves. But he was not yet aware of why. His eyes lingered briefly on the staff he had in his hand, but hardly used for walking. He knew that Anton did not need it, he was not fragile. And yet everyone in the German red-light district knew who the staff belonged to. And Gellert had to smile slightly when he saw the silver eagle and how Anton's fingers nestled around it. ,, Please, some wine or whiskey?" asked Anton who went to one of his shelves. ,,Albus, what will you have, dear?" Gellert asked, and as if to pull him out of his thoughts, Albus jerked away from one of the pictures. ,, I'll take Whsikey " said Albus, who then sat down at the table before the glass flew over to him. ,, That's a beautiful picture," Gellert commented as his eyes went to the picture Albus had been observing.
It showed Anton proudly with a staff in his hand, his hand nestled around the silver eagle extending from the handle. Next to him was Helmut, whose neck was adorned with a black leather collar. The chain that stretched along it was in Anton's free hand. Two hearts in their true inner form. ,, I am working on a similar picture myself," he began to tell and Anton listened carefully. ,, What does your heart say about it?" said Aton and looked at Albus, who was sipping his whiskey. ,, Well, it will be a special surprise, that's for sure" and he couldn't help but smile. Otherwise, the room did not have much to ask. Besides the big table and the wine racks and the whsikey and the picture. Large window panes were on one wall. Gellert stepped up to them and from there one could look directly down on the large hall below them. The people did not even seem to notice that they were being watched. "A truly beautiful arrangement" he thought and took a sip of his wine. ,, Percival Graves and his lover Aurelius Dumbeldore," he heard, and the three in the room looked at the door. His uneven eyes saw Albus tense up. He didn't blame him, he would see his nephew again for the first time since the incident in Bhutan. But what the three of them saw seemed to be another work of art from two perfect hearts.
Percival Graves wore a black suit, a white shirt and a black tie. Which was again held by two phoenixes with orange red stones. Over his suit he wore his dark cloth coat. As always, there was an emotionless, unclassifiable look on his face. But it should not be about him but about his angelic companion. Credence Barebone or Aurelius Dumbeldore seemed to have made a complete change. Instead of a suit or something similar, his rather graceful body was adorned with a black dress made of silky black fabric that was easy to see through. His arms were visible while the black fabric stretched over his upper and lower body. Over the upper body was a golden harness with small red stones and made of leather. It enclosed the delicate upper body perfectly and gave him a certain dominance. The black shoulder-length hair was open and played around the pretty face. And as far as he could hear, the youngest in the room was walking on cane shoes. But what seemed to fascinate Gellert and the others was the light orange on the right arm of the young man. In the left arm, the luminous something was apparently only through the veins and others. Since these were covered in spite of the see-through fabric, one could see the difference. Only when the two came closer to them did Gellert have to take a sip of his wine to keep any emotion from showing. The right hand he had been hiding behind his back came out and gave away a secret of power. The hand once made of flesh and blood was gone. Instead, a hand made of the obscurial now stretched along. The black mass did not move, on the contrary, it seemed to be completely controlled by Aurelius, who reached for a glass and held it perfectly.
"He is slowly rotting from the magic," went through Gellert's mind, knowing and yet slightly surprised. It was true that Aurelius was doomed to die, and yet he did it in all his glory. He was and is beautiful.
,, Aurelius" the name rang out and Gellert only now saw that Albus had gotten up to go to his nephew. Because of his high heels, Aurelius was about the same height as his uncle. ,, Uncle," he said coldly and the angel took a sip of his wine. He saw Albus struggling with himself. He knew he regretted not helping his nephew earlier. But it came as it had to come. ,, You look lovely Credence " Gellert said and he saw the short glow of the black mass. It seemed that the boy had overcome his shadow, but Gellert wanted to see if it was true.
He saw the dark eyes lingering on Albus' tie and he couldn't help it. ,, I hope you haven't given in to the sin of lust again," Gellert said in a low voice and almost too quickly put his hand on the boy's shoulder. ,, The rose will always support you," he added, enjoying the young man's traumatized expression. Aurelius walked away from the two of them, almost cursing, and stood next to Graves. Graves gave Gellert a warning look. ,, What are you talking about, Gellert?" asked Albus, who knew nothing about the affair between the three. ,, A long story not worth telling...at least not yet," he said and his fingers lightly ran over his rose tie. ,, Helmut and his doll" sounded and the doors opened. Helmut came in in an almost too underdressed tone. He wore a simple white shirt and over it a dark red suit vest. While black pants clung to his lower body. But what got Albus nervous was Theseus. The once good-looking and handsome man seemed to have changed. The white shirt adorned his body and the black pants seemed to be covered by something. Gellert could not quite make it out, but it seemed almost shiny. In the right light, one could see bandages and other things clinging to Theseus' body. He saw the tired and yet struggling look of the younger. "An artist through and through," Gellert thought to himself as he looked at the younger man. What seemed to shine like this stretched all the way up his left arm. It was not the arm, it was metal. Theseus' left arm that once consisted of flesh, muscle and vein. Was now a protesis of a shiny beautiful silver metal. With fine inlays of flowers and runes. Apparently, the metal seemed to stretch across the back and invade the spine. It was a brutal and yet beautiful art. ,,Theseus" came a cautious and worried voice from Albus, who approached his friend. But he didn't say anything, he looked away in shame and hid his left side, or at least he tried to. Gellert, on the other hand, found it more interesting to watch Anton's reaction. If a look could kill, Helmut would already have been killed. The hand on the staff enclosed the eagle tighter and he was almost worried that the statue would break, so tightly did Anton press.
The older man's dark eyes met Helmut's blue ones, which became fixed. They spoke in German and he saw the confused look of Percival and Aurelius who did not understand the language. At least Graves seemed to have some idea, but he was not surprised. ,, Nach allem was ich getan habe so dankst du mir " ( After all I have done, so you thank me ) he snapped, and he continued to watch the spectacle with interest. Despite the relative silence, which was only broken by Anton's grumbling, Helmut's defending and the classical music, Gellert could not understand everything. ,, Bitte was hast du den schon für mich getan ? "
( Please, what have you done for me ) came from Helmut and he saw something breaking in Anton. Whether it was his heart or his rage, he could not say. But he saw the disgust in the dark eyes for the younger. The silence was shattered by a slap and all eyes in the room were on the two Germans. Anton had lashed out and punched Helmut in the face, who looked to the side from the force of the blow. But before the younger could say anything, Anton had grabbed his jaw by force and pulled him slightly towards him. ,, Wie kannst du es verdammt nochmal wagen ! Soll ich dich daran erinnern was du warst ? Du warst ein nichts ein gebrochener Soldat. Du kamst angekrochen zu mir bettelnd wie eine Hure. Alles verdankst du mir. Du gehörst mir !" ( How fucking dare you! Shall I remind you of what you were? You were a nothing, a broken soldier. You came crawling to me begging like a whore. You owe everything to me. You are mine! )he almost shouted at him before he threw him to the ground with a force that made Helmut land on his knees.
Anton's hand forcibly held Helmut's hair down before he hissed something to the younger before letting go. ,, Я тебе не принадлежу, ублюдок" (You dont own me bastard ) came from Helmut and Gellert was surprised that he seemed to have Russian background. He saw Anton pause in his movement and there was pure hatred in his dark eyes.
,, Du gehörst mir nicht ? Bist du dir sicher schlampe ? " ( You don't belong to me? Are you sure whore? ) Anton asked and Gellert was slightly surprised when Helmut did not move. But he did not miss the slight movement of Anton's hand before the younger's wand flew out of the vest to the older. ,, Das sagt mir aber etwas anderes. Du bist mein Eigentum du bist mein Vogel du bist in meinem Käfig und nur weil mein herz dir gehört ist das der einzige Schutz den du hast. Den glaub mir ansonsten wärst du schon längt in irgendeiner Gosse verreckt " ( That tells me something else. You are my property, you are my bird, you are in my cage and only because my heart belongs to you, that is the only protection you have. Believe me, otherwise you would have died long ago in some alley ). Anton said in a cold voice and his dark eyes ran over the runes on the wand. "A contract," Gellert noted and could not help smiling. Everything was darker and better. ,, Lass mich gehen " ( Let me go ) came a strained voice from Helmut, who tried to break away from the contract. But when Anton tilted his head slightly and smiled a sadistic smile, everyone in the room seemed to have recognized something. Anton Vogel had been hiding behind a distinguished role the whole time, holding back the true monster. Helmut seemed to recognize this as well, his blue eyes showing fear. Anton chuckled, ,, Gehen lassen ? Ich könnte dich niemals gehen lassen mein hübscher Vogel. Ich meine dachtest du wirklich ich hätte dich nur weil dir mein herz gehört frei gelassen. All die Jahre hab ich dir nur einen größeren Käfig gegeben " ( Let you go? I could never let you go my pretty bird. I mean, did you really think I would have let you go just because my heart belongs to you. All these years I've only given you a bigger cage ) came the truth and this seemed to hit Helmut harder than any blow. ,, Und ich dachte du hättest nach dem letzten mal etwas gelernt " ( And I thought you had learned something after the last time ) he said casually and saw a short painful twitch go through the younger man's body. Gellert knew about the other side of Anton, even if he had seen it only a few times, it was frightening and fascinating at the same time. He could only guess what he had done to Helmut last time. But it was certainly not painless. And the way he treated Albus was nothing like Anton and his little bird Helmut. Almost tenderly he stroked over Helmut's light brown hair as if he wanted to calm him down. ,, Ich werde gut sein versprochen Sir " ( I'll be good, I promise, sir, ) came from Helmut, who looked up at Anton. But the begging, which sounded so fragile, elicited only a smile from the older man. ,, Ich weiß das du es wirst. Ich weiß das du immer gut sein wirst ich weiß das du mir gehörst-" ( I know you will. I know you'll always be good, I know you're mine-" he paused for a moment and his eyes fixed on the blue ones. ,, Aber eine Lexion muss her mein Herz das weißt du doch oder ?" ( But a lesson must be given my heart you know that don't you? ) he finished the sentence softly and his hand passed slowly over his cheek. ,, Bitte nicht ich werde alles tuen bitte " ( Please don't, I'll do anything, please ) Helmut cried, his tears dripping onto the floor. ,, Ich weiß das du alles tuen wirst mein Eigentum und dafür werde ich dich auch belohnen " ( I know you will do anything my property and I will reward you for it ) he assured his whore and tried to calm him down. But Helmut didn't seem to want to calm down, he kept crying and whimpering before a sob broke out. Followed by another punch before it stopped immediately. Anton had hit Helmut again and apparently made the man stop.
,, Das ist ein guter junge " (That's a good boy )Anton praised and gave the kneeling man a smile. Which disappeared shortly after and was replaced by a cold, pitiless one. ,, My dear friends, let me ask you something, left or right?" he asked and his guests looked at each other in confusion. ,, We'll take the left," Aurelius announced and looked at Graves who nodded. ,, Then we'll take the right, don't we Albus?" he said and looked at his heart. He nodded, shock in his blue eyes at what he had just seen.Theseus was completely left out by Anton as if he didn't even notice him.
Anton nodded almost happily before his eyes returned to Helmut. ,, Da haben wir wohl ein Problem. Wo war die strafe das letzte mal ?" ( We seem to have a problem. Where was the punishment last time? )came the harsh question and he played dangerously painful with the brown hair. ,, R-Rechts " (R-Right) Helmut gasped and his blue eyes begged for forgiveness. ,, Ah ja ich erinnere mich du sahst so schön danach aus " ( Ah yes, I remember you looked so beautiful after that ) Anton murmured and he walked around his heart before running his hand over the right part of his back. Gellert saw Helmut twitch and give a painful gasp. ,, Also das linke " ( So the left one )Anton announced cheerfully before positioning himself away from Helmut. Gellert's uneven eyes watched as the minister slowly removed his leather gloves and levitated them with magic, as he did with his handmade staff. ,, Ich hoffe du weißt das es mir genau so weh tut wie dir " ( I hope you know that it hurts me as much as it hurts you ) he said before holding Helmut still with his left hand through the contract while he moved his right hand toward his left eye. He saw Albus trying to hide Theseus behind him. How Graves looked with disgust at the love before them. How Aurelius had a mesmerizing gleam in his eye. As if he was about to experience love again. And he himself could not help but smile - everything was perfect. In the now silent room, a slight smearing sound was heard, followed by Helmut's growing sounds of pain. Then a plop and with a last almost agonizing tearing Anton held the eye in his hand. This was only interrupted by the horrible screams of Helmut whose bloody tears joined the innocent transparent ones. They dripped like saliva from Helmut's mouth through the pain to the floor as Anton released Helmut from the position and the younger slumped slightly as he fell forward. Although the German covered the hole with his hand, the blood continued to run from between his fingers. Anton had an interested and almost amorous look as his blood-stained hand admired the eyeball. ,, Das blau deiner Augen ist wunderschön " ( The blue of your eyes is beautiful ) he commented before carrying the eye to a shelf where he took something out and put the eye in a liquid filled glass. ,, Ich liebe dich mein Herz " ( I love you my heart ) he purred to the younger one. His hand that was stained with the blood of the younger one was still within reach of his eye. What confirmed Gellert's knowledge of the German was when he held his hand in front of Helmut's lips. ,, Leck es weg dein dreckiges Hurenblut " ( Lick it off, your filthy whore's blood ) Anton admonished in a sharp voice that made Helmut wince again. But he did it, he obeyed him and sucked the blood from his hand. Anton stroked Helmuts hair again before putting his gloves back on and taking his staff back. ,, Excuse me, my friends, but you know that lexions have to be carried out," he said cheerfully and immediately the German politician was back. The sadistic side of the monster, however, seemed to have disappeared completely. ,, Please sit down so we can start and don't pay any attention to him," he said charmingly, pointing to the table and ignoring Theseus and Helmut. Anton sat down at the head to his left Graves and there next to Aurelius. To Anton's right Gellert and there next to Albus. Gellert saw that Aurelius seemed to be more busy with his drink than Graves. But he was not surprised. He wouldn't be surprised if Aurelius had only come along to act as an angel. ,, So the real reason why I invited you is you Gellert. You are our leader, our leader of all, and we are your most loyal allies, what do you intend to do?" came the crucial question, and Gellert knew that it would have to be asked sooner or later. He briefly glanced at Albus, but he still seemed to be affected by the events, or he was just playing at it. ,, A war as I have announced. The vision in Paris was real. The non-magical ones will start a world war and we will win it from within," the explanation was simple and yet difficult to implement. ,, I mean, you're both in high positions, you're the German head of magic and you're Graves, the American president of the MACUSA, I guess I don't have to explain much, do I?" he asked, but got no answer. ,, I will gather my troops soon in the coming days, I will send them to the biggest points all over the world and infiltrate everything. But Anton, I think you can take care of the non-magical leader. ,, Of course, it's as good as done, believe me," came his cheerful reply. ,, What about the rebels? They will hardly be a threat and yet, wars have often shown what a single person can do", Graves added and he let go of the black strands of Aurelius' hair. ,, Helmut, did he say anything?" came loudly from Anton who was waiting impatiently for an answer. ,, N-No, he didn't," Helmut said and struggled to stand up again. ,,I trust my whores so much that I know they won't lie to me. We just have to kill every single one of the rebels," Anton said directly and a short smile came to his lips. ,, The-Theseus" sounded the name and Helmut waited for his doll to come to him. Wincing, Theseus approached Helmut, who was fiddling with his arm, but only the creator himself seemed to know. ,, And what do we do with-" Graves was about to say when the building began to shake. ,,What was that?" came a quiet but immediately alarmed Anton. Once again, a shaking passed through the building and people jumped up from the table as the chandelier above crashed onto it. ,,What is-?" Graves began, but was interrupted when the door flew open and a group of people all too familiar came in. It seemed to happen in slow motion. The first spells were cast and yet Gellert had eyes only for Albus. He didn't even pull out his wand, no, his hand wanted to reach for Albus, but he didn't reach him. Albus didn't even think, he ran towards the group and didn't even look back at him. His uneven eyes saw Theseus and Albus being saved. They had been saved and he ? He only felt his heart bursting with cracks. Love had betrayed him and stabbed him in the back. The pain that ran through him was incidental, as was his flight. Some spell had hurled him through the air backwards towards the windows. But for Gellert, there was only the painful feeling of betrayal. Albus had forgotten him just like that. Left him behind. Left him alone. The shattering of glass could be heard as he crashed through the window with his back and fell down one floor. Just before hitting the ground, he apparated to stand.
His uneven eyes showed rage, anger and above all hatred and death. ,, You'll come back to me, my heart, I'll make sure of it," he called after Albus before apparating back into the room. The devastation was an understatement, the table broken, the walls cracked and full of red wine flowing along them. He saw Helmut leaning against the wall next to him Anton who had again taken the caring role. Aurelius who called back his obscurial and seemed again the angel himself. Graves stood silently by his side with spots of blood splashed on his white shirt. And the spider had changed its mind. Gellert wanted only one thing from Albus.
,, I will contact you as soon as I have decided," was the last thing he said before he disappeared, knowing that thousands if not millions would die to get Albus back.
He reappeared in front of Nurmengard with a bang and disappeared directly into his cellar. He took the Elder Wand and without any remorse he hurled any curse at his inferior prisoners. Only the green flashes lit up the dungeons before the dripping of blood could be heard.
Which dripped from the walls and represented the last remains of the torn dead. Gellert, however, was the only one to emerge from the dungeon. Covered in blood, he left bloody traces. But all this was beside the point. He knew inside what he had to do and that was to get rid of the traitor. Starting with his allies, because your best friend is always your enemy. They stood between him and Albus, that's what he saw behind his unequal eyes. Betrayal everywhere. Once the heart is broken, it can't be repaired, and when the heart breaks, so does the mind.
The light in his office would stay on all night and four letters would be sent out during the night. Four letters that would end the fate of four people. It was dark when Gellert rose from his chair and walked through his hallway. Everything was silent without Albus and nothing could be heard from the basement. Even though he imagined he could still hear the dripping of blood from time to time. He stopped in front of the door that hid a surprise behind it. A room he had built especially for Albus. A room in which he could look at him forever. A room that resembled his heart. Full of love and desire for Albus. But this was not the right time, it was time to change the first destiny. To end a life and destroy love. He disappeared from Nurmengard when the first drops of rain wetted the white roses. And the beauty of the flower was drowned so that it would already lose its blossoms. It was raining heavily when he reappeared in the alley, but the weather only played into his cards. The birds must be torn out the wings, otherwise they could sound the alarm. And to close the cage, at least the first one, was too easy. His four allies trusted him and the betrayal he had suffered must be felt by them as well. If I suffer, so should everyone else. Gellert walked out of the alley and found himself in an old remote village somewhere in a German town. Of course, there were no rebels or secret groups here who wanted to take action against him. But this his victim did not know and so it should remain. A flash of lightning flashed through the night and Gellert could see the approaching figures. Helmut the Auror and his team. The mission was to find and kill. He hid in the shadows again and waited until the group arrived at the entrance of the village. He heard Helmut say something in German, but he could not understand it because of the distance. What he did feel was the magical presence of the group slowly spreading out in hopes of killing the resistance. Then he saw it in the dark alley he had a good view of the way through the village. The spider began to spread its web. And it was going to be so damn easy. Shortly the green beam lit up and with the rumble of thunder the first one went down. Mud and sludge that had risen up staining the dead. Gellert touched the corpse with his foot and felt nothing but hatred and disgust. "They will all pay for this" he thought as he moved back into the shadows and let the body sink into the ground. Another soaldat for his Inferi army. One by one they went down and were either swallowed by the wall, the mud or the darkness. They were all dead and they had not suffered enough. No one was left but Helmut alone and without any protection. The hawk was trapped in another cage - what sweet irony. Grindelwald, who was still lurking in the shadows, had meanwhile driven Helmut into the relatively open village square. Better said, he had used his new inferi to drive the man to the point where he thought he was dealing with a low resistance. The blood that wetted Gellert's clothes and face was washed away by the rain. Only the insane look remained waiting for a new victim to take Albus. He saw Helmut trying not to retreat from every noise. How his blue eye darted back and forth, trying to see everything. He saw his brown hair sticking to him because of the rain. He saw the exhaustion. He saw the pain.
He raised his staff and waited for the right moment. The prey you have to hunt beforehand tastes so much better than the prey you buy. Only when Helmut turned away from him, so that where once his left eye was, he could see the side, did he fire the torture curse. And he hit exactly his target. Helmut had no chance to see this, he was blind on his left eye and would have had to turn completely, but he was too late for that. He went down and turned under the pain until Gellert came to a stop in front of him. Helmut's screams were soothing sounds. Only when his eyes fixed on the writhing body and he took Helmut's words did they stop. ,,You-you did it " came a powerless cry from the younger man who had struggled to his knees and was now finally standing again, even if in a bent posture. ,, You are smarter than you look," Gellert admitted openly and was glad that he did not have to explain. To his surprise, the younger soldier seemed to have greater fighting courage or was just foolish. He hurled a spell at Gellert, who simply blocked it and directed it into the nearest empty house. This gave way with a crash and individual pieces of wood and stones flew around. "Let's see how long he can hold out," thought Gellert and the spider licked blood. A game before they would poison their prey would certainly be fun. Since Helmut seemed to know that if Gellert attacked he would have little chance, he hurled one spell and curse after another at the older one. From simple to highly complex spells everything came at Gellert. But he either deflected them into the surrounding area back to his user or they deflected off his shield. But Gellert wanted to see how far he could push the younger one to surpass himself. ,, Fiendfyre" crossed his lips and instantly everything seemed to heat up. He saw the realization in the blue eye of Helmut as he looked at him. An animalistic growl could be heard as the flames bundled and slowly formed into a beast. The majestic creature rose and the fire dragon appeared. As soon as the beast came into being, the flames chased Helmut without pity. Gellert was sure that it was only a matter of seconds before he would find the corpse. But before the flames hit the German, he saw a quick movement with the wand. Something was wrong, but what?
He hardly believed that Helmut had withdrawn from the fight. He was too proud for that and on the other hand he probably would have lost the favor of Anton completely. What had it been then ?
Only when a squeal reached his ears did he see something silver flashing from inside the fire. Before his dragon gave a roar and retreated from his victim. No, he did not retreat, he turned under the burns. His own dragon burned slowly but surely by the silver flames. ,, What is this?" Gellert muttered and was about to take a step towards the silver something when he felt a burning pain on his hand. Confused, he took a step back and looked at his skin. A small flame the size of a raindrop had settled on his skin and burned it slightly. Since he had taken down his shield, it was clear that he could be hit, but where did the flames come from?
As his eyes went skyward, shock and disbelief formed in them. Helmut had not just created his own fire. He had set the entire sky on fire with his silver flames. The rain itself was burning and everything around them was gradually going up in flames. He could feel more and more burning on his free body parts and it was as if his body was burning from the inside out. It hurt immensely and slowly Gellert decided that killing four hearts and thus destroying love completely might be more difficult than he thought. But he didn't have much time to admire as he saw out of the corner of his eye how a bundled flame of the flame-born hawk raced towards him. At the last moment, he pulled his own fire in front of him for protection, and thus fought off the fire. He felt the painful heat in front of him and saw how the silver ate through the blue flames and continued to reach him. ,, I underestimated you! "Gellert called out to the younger man, which he honestly meant. He would never have thought that one of Anton's birds had much strength. But on the other hand, Helmut had probably learned so much from Anton. Not only pain to endure but the relationship of the two spoke volumes. They were a powerful couple, but how much power did they really have?
,, Yes, that's what they all say until they kneel before me and beg for mercy!" came from Helmut who seemed to be completely absorbed in the fight. But even this did not surprise Gellert, he knew that Helmut was a celebrated war hero, at least in the ministry. So it was clear that he would not be easy to kill.
Gellert was proved right as the silver flames of the hawk ate further and further into his dragon. The silver flames of the mystical beast seemed almost suffocated and the wings of the bird seemed to merge with the burning sky.
But that was exactly what his opponent wanted. To burn everything down.
He probably knew that it was his last fight and yet the younger one seemed to have hope. The blue in his remaining eye seemed to glow. To glow in the hope of winning. To shine in the hope of impressing his Anton and getting him back.
But the greatest weakness that both of them were aware of was that Helmut was missing his left eye and Gellert had the elder staff, so there could only be one outcome. Death.
The silver flames did not stop raining from the sky and even if Gellert did not want to admit it, he never managed to watch two opponents at the same time. He came from a time when it was at most one against one. Not one against a whole army of fire while your own is being suffocated.
That was where the younger war hero had the advantage. He didn't even want to think about what Helmut had experienced during the war. But Helmut seemed to have little problem concentrating on Gellert his hawk and the fire. Gellert kept the shield upright above him, but from time to time a few drops broke through. ,, Who taught you this spell?" he asked through the flames and his uneven eyes searched for the younger one he had lost sight of due to the heat and the fast back and forth. ,, An old friend invented the rain-," he heard the voice from far away and directed his fire at the empty houses before blowing each one up. The wreckage flew through the air, causing even more destruction along with the flames. ,, And I the fire!" Gellert heard behind him and saw how the younger one apparated behind him. He didn't have to look at the younger man's lips to know what spell was on them.
The green lightning twitched out of the tip and came greedily towards Gellert. The latter apparated backwards and snatched up the Elder Wand in a blocking move. Only thanks to the Deathly Hallows was he not dead. But he didn't have time to recover, because when he heard a ,, Bombarda Maxima!" he had to fend off several explosions at once. The ground broke open by the bomb-like explosion and he felt the vibration under his feet. Stones, earth, wood all flew through the air and were directed by Helmut at his opponent. Gellert, however, slowly ran out of patience, whether it was because he had underestimated his opponent or because he seemed to be stronger, he did not know. ,, That's enough!" he hissed and with a few last shields the attack was over. He would finish it slowly, he had played enough. Nevertheless, he could not underestimate Helmut. The younger looked like a cornered predator. His breathing was restless, almost shaky, and he occasionally screwed up his face. There, where once his left eye was, a hole gaped which was scarred around the hole. A simple healing spell and yet it looked painful. If Gellert made a mistake, Helmut would take advantage of it and kill him. But the power due to the battered body gradually passed. He became weaker. ,, Protego Diabolica" came from his lips and the beautiful blue flames formed around the two of them. They encircled them and did not let anyone out or in. They were all devouring. The silver hawk, made of fire, had managed to devour Gellert's dragon in time and only grew larger. But when Helmut, in a futile attempt, directed all his fire at Gellert, it was relentlessly devoured by the blue flames. The hawk turned and screamed its last death cry before falling silent and the silver rain stopped. As it did, Gellerst's mismatched eyes watched the younger and a small smile of satisfaction formed on Gellert's lips. When he saw the shocked expression on Helmut's face. He seemed to be sure that he would make it through the flames. ,, You have so much potential in you," the spider said, trying to make the gentle manipulative words work. ,, Save it for someone weaker!" Helmut interrupted him barking and the anger and fear spoke out of him. The chance that existed a few minutes ago was destroyed. He was aware of his defeat and yet he seemed unwilling to accept it. He again hurled one spell after the other at Gellert. The latter, on the other hand, came closer and closer with each block. With each step the frustration and fear grew in the blue eye and he seemed to hate himself for it.
Only when Helmut wanted to use the death curse again, the spider saw the chance to show the younger a lexion.
The words came over his lips and the younger seemed to know that it would be his last spell.
,, Too slow" it came and a bright hiss broke through the green before it hit its user. Then it was deadly silent. There was lightning and thunder above them and the rain was implacable. Suddenly a pained, almost incredulous laugh was heard.
Helmut held his right wrist with his left hand and looked incredulously at the ground. There where a few seconds ago his right hand should have been was only a bloody stump to see. Severed by the Sectumsempra spell, it lay there in the dirt. Blood flowed unrestrained from the arm stump and covered the floor and pants of Helmut. After the laughter came gradually the sounds of pain as he staggered slightly forward only to catch himself again.
,, Why-why all this?" he asked and his hand still held his right arm shakily tight. But instead of an answer Gellert let speak again the torture curse and Helmut turned under the tortures. The older man did not care at this point. The game was over, the blue flames were extinguished, and only the sad image of the younger man showed itself to him. Pathetic.
When the game was over, there was only the mission he had set for himself. To kill all those who stood in his way. ,, What do you want?" came the next question and Gellert was getting tired of playing. ,, Your relationship with Anton, how is it?" Gellert asked instead and the blue eyes showed uncertainty. Helmut hissed through the pain. He removed his left hand from the right wrist and, with watchful eyes seeking Gellert's confirmation, cast a simple healing spell sufficient for the moment. The spider only allowed him to do this because he needed him for a moment before he would kill him. ,, She is-" he fell silent and the spider had its next victim. ,,She is?" Gellert asked, and began to walk around Helmut before coming to a stop behind him. ,, She is complicated and affectionate," he said softly, so that it was almost impossible to hear because of the weather. Gellert's amused laugh came out and made Helmut cringe for fear of getting the curse again. ,, Lovingly, then...but do you really love each other?" was the question that made the German look down. His heart was broken. ,,This doesn't look like love to me," he announced before almost gently sliding Helmut's coat off the muddy ground. Before his fingers buried themselves in the white shirt and tore with a jerk. The light back appeared and what he saw was another form of love. ,, Is it really necessary to be so cruel...mhh he couldn't have been more gentle, could he?" the sweet words echoed like thunder through the night. On Helmut's right back were both burned and carved runes. They were the short form of a contract that every whore had to sign in the silver nest. The younger one was at the end of his strength. He was condemned to die.
,, It hurt so much," he heard Helmut whimper softly, and his delicate fingers gently stroked the engraved letters.
Before they landed on Helmut's shoulder and gently pushed him to his knees. Helmut complied and Gellert walked around him again so that he was standing in front of him. ,,The blue was so beautiful," Gellert purred and stroked the scarred edge of Helmut's former left eye. ,, He took it from you and tore it out. Is that love?" The words cut deep into Helmut's heart. ,,No" came a defeated voice from Helmut, who had accepted the truth that he was never loved by Anton. ,, No. You wished it all, you let it all happen to you. The torture, the pain, the sex, all for love. So pitiful. Shall I clean you from it?" came the decisive question. ,, Yes...please" came a whisper and Gellert's uneven eyes showed no semblance of mercy. ,, Give it to me," he ordered, and Helmut shakily reached into his coat pocket before handing Gellert the collar. ,, I guess I was never meant for love, was I?" came the infinitely sad-sounding question and bloody tears ran down his cheek. ,, No, you weren't, but I'll free you from the pain forever," said Gellert and raised his magic wand to Helmut's head. ,, May I ask you to please. Tell Anton that despite everything I loved him," was the last wish and Gellert replied, ,, Of course".
Then it was quiet and Helmut turned his gaze towards the sky where the rain wiped away his bloody tears in an act of tenderness. Then a green glow and the body in front of Gellert collapsed forward to the ground, dead. ,, The first one is dead, three are missing," Gellert muttered before grabbing Helmuts staff and disaparating to the corpse without another glance. His next victim was already waiting for him and he would destroy this heart as well.
It was easy to destroy a heart. Helmut was not stupid but after the loss of his eye he was weakened by his love. He would have separated from him sooner or later anyway and probably planned something similar. But with Anton Gellert did not make the effort for a plan. He had to go through with it before his lust for murder subsided. He just needed to taste more blood. He needed to know that no one would come between him and Albus. The German Minister of Magic already seemed to know that something was wrong. At least that's what Gellert suspected, since he had known him for years. He knew how clever Anton was. He hardly ever made a mistake, but since he had lost his heart to Helmut, it seemed to have happened to him.
She asked Gellert what would have happened if Anton and Helmut or Aurelius and Percival had taken over the reign. Would they have gotten rid of their closest allies?
But these were questions for another time, and as he emerged into the alley near the German Ministry of Magic, he felt for his staff. He could feel the heated magic. The death curse lay on the wood and seemed to be waiting for its next victim. Although there was no storm in Berlin, it was still a thunderstorm that was moving across the city. He went through the people who gave him no attention just as little as he watched them. There was no reason they were not yet in his way and otherwise no one would stand at the end of the day him in the way. The only thing that would be left at the end of the day would be him and Albus. The couple they were always meant to be for eternity ruling over the new world. For the greater good. The walls of the Ministry opened and a few seconds later he found himself in the building that was to house the next victim. It was clear to him that either he or Anton would buy into a trap. But even if he was, he was the strongest mage the magical world had ever seen. Everything would submit to him with the right means. He didn't miss the interested and fearful looks that were fixed on him.
Probably everything down here was under Anton's control anyway. "The imperius curse" ran through his mind and under other circumstances he would have praised Anton for this high number of puppets. The German Minister of Magic would not dare to lift a finger himself. Why beat your own hands bloody when others can do it for you. And he was right to do so. As soon as he took the first steps into the building, he saw the hundreds of witches and wizards stop. ,, How nice to see you again, old friend," he heard Anton's voice from somewhere. ,, I wish I could say the same," Gellert replied, his fingers gripping the Elder Wand. ,, Just give me the information I need and I'll make it quick, I promise," Gellert assured him, his uneven eyes darting through the hundreds of aurors of the Ministeriusm in hopes of finding Anton. ,, Oh, I know you will do it quickly, but you have made a fatal mistake. You shouldn't have killed Helmut," Gellert noticed the clearly sad and hurt tone. But maybe it was the pride that drove him to his next words, because he said, ,, As if a little bird would upset you so much, he was nothing but a whore. He begged me on his knees to kill him. The most foolish thing was that he actually believed you loved him". No sooner were the words spoken than the first spells struck him. He was hit by two of them, but fortunately they were not the death curse. It still painfully hurt for a moment before the shield closed around him. He didn't know exactly how Anton had managed to get hundreds of his employees under the curse at the same time, but it wouldn't make any difference at this point. The shield that surrounded him was able to withstand the hundreds of spells for the time being, but for how long? The huge hall he was in was illuminated by the many spells. It was almost blinding, but in this sea of lightning Gellert was still trying to find the German Minister of Magic. ,, Where are you?" he shouted over the spells and noticed the first cracks in his shield. And you are the strongest wizard of our time, I thought you had more to offer," he heard the German's belittling words. With these words, the first part of his shield began to crack and he ducked to avoid being hit by a Bombarda. The spell crashed into the stone wall and the chunks flew through the area. But he was right. He is the most powerful. But what Anton could do, Gellert could do better. While holding up the shield with his hand, he began to draw the runes for the incantation with his wand. "I have more to offer," Gellert thought to himself before the black magic poured out of the runes and the magic spread throughout the ministry. His eyes darted through the crowd and with a minimal smile he saw the black musty rotten corpses attacking and killing the first puppets. The Inferi his army he once wanted to create now had to serve well. Although the firing on him did not stop, it became less so that he could cast spells himself.
One forbidden curse after another was thrown at the will-less wizards. They fell to the ground dead. Bloodied and torn apart, half eaten by the Inferi. They all fell slowly but surely and his power had never felt more real. Again and again the words came over his lips. Some puppets dodged, others went down dead. Others continued to fire spells at Gellert, while others missed him and smashed even more into the walls of the ministry. He was aware that as long as fire didn't play a role, he would kill all but the last of the puppets.
,, He was a waste of talent. I could have molded him into something wonderful...I could have made him mine. He looked at me so pleadingly. So full of hope until I had him where I wanted him, dead at my feet!" Gellert said, trying to lure Anton out. He didn't want to and didn't have time to deal with each of the puppets, he needed the right one and he needed it fast. Every second that Albus was not his, his heart and mind seemed to break further. It was painful. But it seemed to be fate that put stones in his path. Or the pain of the German who took it. ,,Burn in the fire" he heard the words and he strengthened his shield. The sound of metal coming loose sounded and soon drowned out the words and screams of the fighters. He heard an animal screech followed by a clash of metal. The metal that Anton had called became a giant metal eagle as a result of the spell. Gellert could see the red glowing fire inside the beast. A bittersweet irony, this bird too would have its wings torn out. The hawk falls and so does the eagle.
Only moments later, the animal screeched before the flames ate through the room. It seemed to be driven by pure hatred. The bright flames ate through the Inferi writhing in pain before they fell to the ground, dead. But so did the puppets. Everything that stood in the way of the will of the fire was destroyed. There was no exception. And there knew that Anton wanted to see him dead. The eagle screeched again and only more fire spread. Gellert fought off the flames, trying to avoid the puppets. He felt he had hardly any Inferi left and cursed himself for not building his army further-he was foolish. But he knew that attacking a ministry would not be easy. Especially not when the minister didn't even care about his own people. The eagle that had been soaring in the air came crashing to the ground. Its pointed beak drilled into the inferno and black masses of dead beings announced their death. It was frighteningly beautiful. He wondered if he should use his Animagus form himself, but decided against it. Fighting fire with fire only worked to a certain extent. Only when he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder did he know that this spell did not have to come from any of the puppets. It was too precise and painful for that. ,, There you are, old friend," Gellert hissed, anger swinging in his uneven eyes. The rage of being foolishly hurt. The rage of not having been more careful. The rage to see him still alive. Anton stood several meters away from him with a cold angry look while the fire raged around them both. But instead of an answer he only got curses and spells thrown out of him. The power behind it was considerable and impressive. But he had not expected anything else from the German magic minister. The spell that had hit him hurt like hell and he didn't even have to look at his shoulder to see the bleeding wound. He clearly detected the metallic smell of blood.
Gellert directed the next spell back to Anton before he added the death curse. He had to finish the fight, he was only losing time. What surprised him, however, was that before the spells even hit, the metal of the bird loosened slightly and began to act as a shield. This blocked any further spells from Gellert. And with each blocked spell, his rage grew. His heart had to return to him.
Turning away from Anton, he created his shield to block him before hurling his own Fiendfyre at the eagle. The brighter fire buried itself in the metallic bird. The screech rippled through the building and with a roar from his dragon, the eagle melted through Gellert's fire. The metal sank to the ground and remained molten. The same happened to Anton's shield and Gellert took his chance. Anton, hit by his destroyed beast, did not react quickly enough and the curse hit him. The German auror went down. Gellert seemed to have won and destroyed the second heart. ,, You have lost," he said the obvious and his staff went to Anton's sleep. He could feel his second victory. The second heart would be broken. But when the curse was already on his lips, the person in front of him began to squirm. Anger and hatred were in Gellert's ungleish eyes as he realized Anton was not there. "That wretched tramp" ran through his mind and he directed his fire at the person in front of him. He burned screaming and ashes remained. The fire around him was under his control. With a glance over the surface he saw the destruction. Blood, stones, corpses, fire and the black mass of the Inferi as well as the metal lay spread everywhere. The chaos was under his control. With a flick of his wand, his dragon dissolved and the room appeared darker. His fine fingers ran through the remaining Inferi mass, he could still feel the residual magic, disgust and hatred at the waste of soldiers gripped him and he continued on his way. He knew where Anton was. It seemed so simple and yet he had allowed himself to be distracted. The hallway in front of him was carpeted in red velvet and the walls were hung with pictures. With an unspoken spell, he adjusted his clothes and straightened himself. It is true that hatred and the desire for victory burned within him. But something inside him insisted on having one last conversation with an old friend. He stroked his tie with the lavender before grasping the doorknob and opening it. A completely new compartment opened. The private compartment of Minister Anton Vogel. He opened the next door to reveal the minister's private room. It was large, chic and expensively furnished. A fire burned in the fireplace and gave a pleasant atmosphere. The pictures next to the wine racks were lit and darkened from time to time by the twitching shadows of the flames. The large four-poster bed was covered by a dark red bedspread with golden embroidery, and the curtains hung firmly on ropes from the four high bedposts. ,, You have finally found me...it took you longer than I thought, old friend," he heard the voice before the chair behind the desk turned and revealed Anton. Gellert took off his gray coat and hung it on a gilded coat rack with the help of magic. It seemed as if two old friends were meeting again for a long time. Gellert saw the minimal hesitation when Anton rose from the chair. He was pleased to see that "it was a great burden for him after all". He himself would probably have had problems to get such a large number of wizards under the curse. But Anton's skill was always impressive. ,, And you're not as strong as you were a few decades ago, old friend," Gellert stated, deciding to go for the sore spot next to the death of the heart. The short look away and the crossed arms were enough for him. ,, Well, age catches up with you sooner or later, doesn't it?" a rhetorical question that the white-haired man answered with a nod. ,, Your eagle was impressively precise and yet seemingly uncontrollable," he began the conversation, letting his gaze wander. He heard Anton open one of the wine cabinets and take out a bottle and two glasses. ,, It has its advantages to be a minister, but thank you, I wanted to work a little on the efficiency," Anton said, and one could hear a certain dreaminess in his voice. As if he was imagining the future and how great it would be. He took the glass from Anton's hand and noticed the brief contact of their fingers. If for Gellert there was nothing but cold, there seemed to be something in Anton's eyes, something undefeatable. ,, It's been a long time," Gellert began, taking a sip of the wine before his eyes wandered over the brown-haired man. He saw the grayish strands in his hair and yet he still occasionally saw the young features of the German auror who once had the dream of becoming a minister. ,, Staring is impolite. What are you thinking about?" Anton interrupted him and a knowing smile was on his lips. ,,A young auror who once had the dream of becoming a minister and you?" came the question and he couldn't help smiling. ,, I remember a young idealist who once wanted to improve the world, but it all seems so long ago, and yet I still see it in you," the words came calmly from his lips and Gellert moved towards the fireplace where he sat down in one of the armchairs. ,, The same is true for you, my dear Anton, and yet the conflict in you has never subsided, has it?" knowing words and a brief sad smile could be seen when Anton came to him with a small silver tray. ,, The good in me will always help you, but the monster will hate you forever for killing my heart," he hissed before Anton grabbed a knife and with a quick precise cut cut through Gellert's white shirt. Gellert allowed it to happen, he didn't care. He trusted his old friend so much that he knew he would not kill him with a man-made object. This would completely destroy the work of art, according to Anton. A painful gasp escaped the white-haired man when he felt the burning on his arm. Anton had taken a cotton swab, soaked it in alcohol and slowly applied it to the wound. The alcohol burned and seemed to eat into him. ,, It does not hurt even a fraction as much in me Gellert. You have taken away the only heart I have ever loved," the German's voice seemed almost brittle and he could hear the pain in it. ,, Are you sure? There were so many little birds in your violent cage and yet you tore out all their wings, it's your own fault," he said coolly. Anton dropped the small silver tray on the small wooden table before sitting down with his wine on the other armchair. ,, I loved my beautiful birds," he replied snappishly and received only a derisive laugh from Gellert. ,,Of course you did. Anton, your cage, your love was a double-edged sword. You could love only him, this one. The others you tortured, you used them as a valve for your works of art, don't be ridiculous," came a cool laugh from Gellert's mouth. But Anton only looked into the flames, but his look showed that Gellert was right. ,, And you Gellert? Don't tell me that you are so blind that you don't see it yourself. A genocide for one heart. Don't tell me that you have sunk so low", once again these were true words, but Gellert averted his struck gaze. ,, It didn't matter who had to die. He belongs to me as Helmut belonged to you and I believe that your love is the best example of what happens when you don't have your heart with you". Anton's mood did not improve, on the contrary, he emptied the goblet before thundering it a little too hard onto the small table. ,, Then you know what I'm talking about. As far as I know, Albus is not with you, or have you already killed everyone, you wahnsinniger ?" ( lunatic ) The voice was sharp and hate could be heard. ,, No, there are still a few Anton and a lunatic missing, perhaps," came from Gellert who, however, kept his cold appearance. ,, How did he do?" came from Anton, who stood up and practically moved away from Gellert. ,, You should have seen your beautiful pet. I myself admit that I underestimated him. You made him a true work of art, your heart. I mean, the burning sky was beautiful," he said honestly before rising. His lightly treated wound still burned but he ignored the pain. He ignored it like he ignored every other damn human or witch and wizard that got in his way. They would fall under him sooner or later anyway. ,, A true masterpiece then," Anton murmured and his gaze went to one of the many pictures. ,, He was good and obedient to you until the end," Gellert said quietly as he stood directly behind Anton. He took out the collar and put it lightly around his neck, but did not close it. Anton's hands lingered on Gellert's and they both seemed to reminisce. They had not had a relationship, but rather a deep understanding of each other. They were both similar and yet so different. But they both knew that they had a brutal idea of love. Because once you had broken a heart, you could put it back together however you wanted. His property, his new heart.
,, Is it really over already?" Anton asked and a certain sadness was in his voice. ,, I'm really sorry, Anton," Gellert said in a whisper, and Anton turned to him. The eyes looked at each other curious what the other would do. Then Anton came closer and his lips were only a few centimeters away from Gellert's lips. ,, Do you really love only him?" came the question before Anton tried to kiss Gellert. Two hearts, two predators too close to each other, two monsters, two blinded by love. They were all like animals that fought to death when they got too close.
Both men gasped painfully Gellert had recognized Anton's attempt to kill him at the last moment. Gellert had taken Helmuts staff and said a curse wordlessly. Anton took the knife and stabbed Gellert in the back. ,, I loved only him," said Gellert, supporting Anton so that the German sank into his chair. Blood seeped through his clothes from the deep cuts that had cut into his body. Anton, in pain and trembling slightly, reached out a hand for Helmut's staff. Gellert handed him the staff before reaching over his back and pulling out the knife with a hiss. ,, He looks so beautiful, doesn't he? Back in the club he was so...inexperienced and unbroken," came a gasp from Anton before he contorted his face painfully. ,, He was so good to me, he knew the real me, he loved me, he locked me up," Anton continued and a tear ran down his cheek. Gellert listened silently like an old friend, knowing. ,, He was so sweet, he was a masterpiece, my only masterpiece. He was so perfect and lovely," his eyes lingered on the staff he held almost lovingly in his hand. ,, Ge-Gellert tell me one thing before I go to my heart. Did he ever love me sincerely and with all his heart?" the question sounded so desperate as if he was afraid of a wrong answer. ,, He always loved you, Anton, your Helmut was yours until the end " Gellert said, looking down at Anton. The German wizard smiled faintly and knowingly before leaning back in his chair and bringing the staff to his lips. ,, Thank you old friend" were his last words before he kissed the staff and his last strength left him. Then it was quiet and only the ticking of the clock and the dripping sound of blood could be heard. ,, Take care old friend, I hope you find each other down there," Gellert said before healing himself with a spell and calling the information to him. The paper with the records to Albus aufenthallt, however, showed only the next further informant. Two hearts left to give him what he hoped to get. Information. Two hearts are two betrayals and betrayals must die. With one last look at his old friend, Gellert apparated out of the ministry to his next victims.
He knew he could not give up because to get out of all this he would have to die. His life would have to end or he would be forced by his own desires to find Albus. His body ached and seemed exhausted, which was not surprising given the amount of magic he had to use in a single day, including the few hits he had taken. But all this was ignored it was unimportant. All he needed was to find Albus and bring him back. For that, he needed clues, which he hoped to find in the last two hearts, and quickly. A small bang was heard before he disappeared from the streets of Berlin. His mind was clouded with only one goal: to get Albus back. Two hearts were left, two hearts that had to be broken.
Everything in him cried out for rest and recovery, but his mind, his obsession with Albus, kept him in his own cage. The strongest wizard of his time apparated near a church. He knew where the two were holed up and it was easy to find them with the help of a locator spell. But he had to admit that Graves' spells were powerful. But someone who is driven by his instincts and drives simply tears spells like this apart. The risiege building seemed several hundred years old and yet it had a beauty to it. The night enveloped him and the church and yet he saw that some light was burning in the building. The large stained glass window with the holy persons shone beautifully. Shortly a thought a wish. He wanted to marry Albus into a church one day and make him his own. He walked up the path to the church and saw the iron fence that swung around the church grounds. His hand grabbed the handle of the gate and was about to push it straight down when a strong electric shock went through his body. A burn caused by the electricity appeared on the palm of his hand. "So they know," Gellert thought, and once again he cursed himself for not having turned off the four earlier. Even if Helmut and Anton were strong mages, Graves and especially Aurelius were not to be underestimated.
It seemed that the longer he took, the more damage he would have to suffer for Albus. But for Albus he would have done absolutely everything...just everything.
He drew the Elder Wand and cast several spells on the gate. Under a final protest it collapsed with a crash and a creak, giving way to Gellert.
With the staff still in his hand, he strode across the gate and toward the great church. With every step he could feel the tingle. He knew exactly from whom this extraordinary tingle emanated. Aurelius Dumbeldore.
He opened the double doors of the church and stepped inside, his whole body seeming to be surrounded by static energy. It stretched through the building like a cloud or cube and seemed to discharge at the slightest movement. ,, You're not going to let that happen, are you, Credence?" asked Gellert, his uneven eyes going to the high, dark ceiling of the church. Credence, in his obscurial form, had spread to the ceiling of the church and was armoring along it. The black sand-like mass had red bright flashes that flashed through it again and again. " Beautiful and yet so deadly" he thougt and looked at it. ,, Don't call me that," he demanded with a hiss, and a flash of lightning passed through the mass. The elder felt how the air continued to build up static, it was a crushing feeling. ,, I don't, but he does, he can call you something else or do you prefer to be called a whore by me " came a slightly amused Gellert who knew exactly how far he was allowed to go.
Another flash of lightning passed through the crowd before the beast pounced on Gellert and the air seemed to ignite at any moment. ,, That's enough Credence" came from the altar of the church and at the last moment the mass stopped in front of Gellert. "He still has him under control," thought Gellert and turned away from Credence to look at Graves. ,, Where there is a sinner, there is always a priest," Gellert said and Graves looked at him contemptuously. But Credence came to Graves and resumed his human form. A black silk top that slightly showed off the boy's pale belly was visible while his lower body was covered by a long skirt. He seemed to have only increased his angelic beauty. The obscurial had meanwhile taken his right arm and the black mass had replaced it. The left hand, meanwhile, still seemed intact. But what made the boy appear so angelic were the black wings made of the mass of the Obscurial. These seemed to have broken through from the shoulder blades and made one think that he was the real Lucifer. ,, He's beautiful, isn't he?" Graves asked the question, and Gellert didn't quite know what to make of it. But Credence seemed to revel in the praise and attention. ,, We know why you are here," Aurelius announced, his wings twitching. ,, You just have to give me the information and I'll do it quickly," he promised, and he felt them getting too annoying already. He had no time for such things, they were not helpful. ,, You killed Anton and Helmut, I doubt you'll do it differently with us," Graves estimated, his face still showing no emotion. "Oh, you have no idea," Gellert thought, raising his wand. ,, I wish it were so," he said before the first spell was cast on the two. But before it could even reach its target, it was extinguished by the stately electricity in the church. Again he fired and again he had no time for it and yet he wanted to make the two suffer. But with each spell it was the same, they were simply taken up by the lightning.
He had no time and no patience for that, he wanted his property back. He wanted Albus back and the two hearts only stopped him.
He knew exactly what he had to do to break them both slowly and full of pain. ,, Legilimency" came silently from his lips and the spell made its way through the field. Fortunately for him, the electricity did not seem to warn him. What brought a knowing smile to his lips was the cry of Aurelius. He had hit.
Gellert saw it clearly in his mind's eye as the various fragments gradually formed into images. The screams of the younger man, who was desperately trying to get Gellert out of his memories and out of his head, came muffled to his ears. The poor boy had no chance despite his immense power he would not be able to free himself from it. In his mind's eye, he searched Aurelius' memories while continuing to keep Graves away from him. ,, You will pay for this!" Graves hissed and the spells hit him with fury. The Auror was not to be underestimated, Gellert knew that. While he continued to fight Graves, he also searched Aurelius' memories. He saw the fragments slowly forming into something.
He saw the children's home, it was old and brittle. He moved forward and felt the memory dripping with sadness and pain. It seemed to hurt the younger man incredibly to remember. Only when he heard a stifled scream did his gaze go up. He climbed the wooden stairs and reached the top floor. There he saw Credence had clawed at the banister and his once white shirt hung torn from his back by the blows. The blood flowed down his back and soaked the white fabric blood red. ,, Mama" came a whimpering from Credence and he looked over his shoulder to his governess. ,, I'm not your dirty whore mother!" she hissed and the belt hit his back again. A truly sad memory that reflected the pain, but that was not all. ,,The pain is only my love," she said as she came closer but did not touch her foster son. ,, Mom, please," he whimpered and his hand detached itself from the railing to reach for her. A clap broke the silence and Credence's head flew to the left. She had hit him out of fear and disgust of being touched. ,, Don't touch me you whore!" she almost shouted at him before grabbing his neck and whispering something to him.
"How far can the heart go," Gellert thought before continuing to search his memories.
His shield shook under the Bombada Maxima Graves hurled at it. Gellert knew that Graves was trying to throw him off his game. If Gellert dismissed Aurelius, they might have a chance against him, and he had to prevent that. He fought off the spell and deflected it into a wall before hurling the chunks of stone at Graves.
He watched as Graves blasted all the boulders away and then hurled them back. But what Gellert saw made him smile again. Aurelius was fighting with himself and his wings were already beginning to destroy the surrounding area. Slowly but surely he lost control.
Back in Credence's mind, he saw the reason for the plague in his heart. You sin.
There were only fragments, but what he saw clearly was Credence, who was latching on to all kinds of men and giving himself to them. A bar, a club, a brothel, he seemed to be everywhere. But in the dark eyes were two things the lust and the pleasure. The pleasure of lust and to forget the pain and everything else in it. The sin of pleasure was wrong, he knew that. The sin of his mother's pain was the only love he needed. "Always a whore," Gellert thought. It explained a lot about the psyche of the boy and the understanding of love. He had always longed for contact and to be cared for. A whore was a nobody and yet he was loved for the night until Graves came and took the abused boy in. Gellert wanted to go deeper again when he felt a pain. Momentarily he was torn from the thoughts and memories of Credence and was back at the church.
His shoulder hurt and Graves had a knowing expression in his eyes. ,, Credence, calm down," came the soothing words from Graves, who tried to calm the obscurial, which had erupted in the meantime. Gellert's plan worked, the spider spun its web through the static charge and the poisonous bite was set.But the black mass was out of control and was already destroying the church. ,, Come on Credence, show your uncle what you can do," Gellert said spitefully, casting the first spell on the younger one. But as Credence raged on, Gellert fought off Graves' spell. ,, He is not yours," Graves hissed, and he could feel the anger and jealousy. He cast another spell before apparating out of the way to avoid being hit by Credence's black obscurial mass. His hand went into his pocket and he realized with relief that the two vials were still with him. It would be another work of art. Four artistic deaths in one night.
He apparated to Graves to get away from Credence. The spells clashed and he could feel Graves' power. The former Auror, like Helmut, was not easy to defeat. Graves made a move with his hand and the fallen chunks of stone flew towards Gellert. He jumped away and decided to put his plan into action. ,, You just have to tell me where the resistance is and I don't have to do it," Gellert said, grasping one of the vials. ,, You'll find them anyway and slaughter them," Graves countered, warding off a spell. But he had no time for that and Gellert apparated away from Graves to Credence. The black mass caught him immediately and raced toward him. Graves retrieved the vial before throwing it at Credence. The spell from his staff destroyed the potion and dispersed it in a pollen-like cloud. The black mass turned under the potion and slowly returned to its human state. Credence had leaned against one of the large pillars in the church and seemed to be struggling with himself. ,,Credence!" Graves shouted and apparated to his heart, fully aware that he had left his guard open. But Gellert didn't even think of attacking him because what would follow would be all the better. The older man tried to see what was going on and lifted the younger man's head, which was looking down. But when he saw what had happened, he let go of Credence with an exhale. ,, What have you done?" came a stunned Graves and he could hear the knowledge of what was coming. ,, Come here," said Gellert and Credence moved towards him in obedience. He almost nestled against Gellert's side. A obedient whore. Gellert's hands ran through his black hair and an appreciative sigh came from the younger man. The Amortentia drink seemed remarkably strong.
Graves seemed to know that he had lost his heart for a while. ,, What do you want?" he said grimly, anger at his own failure resonating in his voice. ,, I want you to drink this, it won't kill you but it will make things easier," Gellert assured him and took out the second vial. But Graves was no fool, Gellert knew he would refuse. With a quick movement, he levitated the vial while reaching for his staff and his right hand reached into the black hair and yanked the younger man's head back slightly. The Elder Wand pressed against the younger's neck with a certain fury. ,, You are not weak, Graves, only your heart is your greatest weakness. It has always made you soft," Gellert paused and pressed the staff even harder against Credence's neck. Credence, however, only gasped and did not move. ,, Shall I put you out of your misery?" asked Gellert and the grip on his hair strengthened. ,, No," came the defeated reply from Graves, who looked struck at his heart. The Auror knew when he was beaten and Gellert could see that the black-haired man could see his and his heart's fate. He knew that death awaited them. Graves took the vial out of the air and eyed it, the glass vial showing nothing but the shimmering green liquid.
Graves' dark eyes passed over his heart to his angel and it seemed as if he wanted to touch it for a moment. He pulled himself together, pulled the cork off the vial and drank it. It took only seconds before Graves began to cough and gasp. The auror grabbed his chest painfully as if there was something inside. He stumbled backward and crashed lightly against the stone pillar before regurgitating something. Between Graves' fine fingers covered in blood and saliva was a rose petal. The inner blossoms were a dark red reminiscent of Credence's near-death Phenix and the outer blossoms of Graves' black hair. The perfect mix of two hearts. Fascinated and yet with disgust he looked at the leaf before letting it slide to the ground. ,, The hanahaki potion," Graves said, and Gellert nodded appreciatively. He was pleased with the effect and Graves seemed to know exactly what would happen to him in the near future. Graves suppressed a sigh and gasped again another rose petal seemed to form in his lungs. It was a gruesome and slow death, but once dead, Graves would be a work of art. While Graves struggled with himself and tried to get some air into his body, Gellert headed toward the altar with Credence. The boy clung to him like a whore, something he had been all his life. Gellert wanted to know, he wanted to understand the boy completely. He wanted to understand the nephew of his beloved and see if he was worth something.
The pupils of the younger one were widened and not a single protest came from him. Gellert gently pushed the younger against the altar and saw the loyal look. Credence was taken by the potion and even if in his dark eyes there was a certain resistance. ,, You will endure," Gellert said, stroking the younger man's cheek. This was met with a hopeful sigh from Credence, who leaned into the movement. Gellert let go of the younger one, pointed his staff at him and spoke, ,, Legilimency". He again broke into the memories and thoughts of Credence. He recognized the memory of his mother's blows, but he wanted to go back further. He saw him the little boy who was brought to New York. Alone and abandoned without family, not knowing what blood he carried.
Arriving as an innocent little boy in an orphanage, hoping to be adopted by a family. Not knowing how cruel the world could be. But what the little boy saw even then were the looks of the people. Not only deprecating, not only pitying, but also lustful.
Even if he did not understand them, he would soon understand that love is pain. Pain is love. Something his mother made him understand.
But an innocent boy, not quite a grown man, was desirable in the brothels of New York. But what gave Gellert confirmation was that at some point the boy did it willingly. The touches the sweet worthless words the atmosphere the boy realized early what the world cared about. About nothing and no one only the dark desires that could be bought with money were worth something.
But when he went forward a little he saw the moment when the boy was something else except the object of satisfaction. It was the moment when he met Graves.
Love broke through his heart and showed the boy the feelings of love. It seemed that the boy had a new experience. A new saint, a new person next to his mother. But he saw the ambivalence in the younger one. Why doesn't he hit me? Why doesn't he love me like mother? Why doesn't he sin for me?
The young man's questions were so pathetic that Gellert felt sorry for him, but how could Credence know better. If his disgusting father had taken him in, perhaps none of this would have happened. No, if Albus had taken his nephew and gone with Gellert, they could have raised him together.
But these were only wishful thoughts and Gellert knew it.
He went on and on, skipping over the events in New York, which he knew so well, and the events in Paris, which he also remembered well. Before he arrived at the events in Bhutan. He knew that the boy had not told him some things and neither had Quennie. It was a shame, but she too would pay for her mistake. He saw the grief and pain the boy had never felt so bad. He missed his mother, the beatings, he questioned his heart and everything. But at the same time he threw himself every night crying and shaking in pain to Graves his only anchor to not be pulled into the dark cold pitiless sea. And Graves his heart he gave his angel everything. He gave him love, affection, kisses, sweet words, a simple hug, a simple smile, he gave him sex...he gave him pain. He did everything so that his angel would not be banished from heaven. ,, A tragic whore is another tragic piece in this chess game, isn't he?" said Gellert, addressing Graves who was leaning on one of the wooden benches in the front row. ,, No whore an angel my heart even if another piece stands out " he seemed to want to say something as he coughed again and threw two rose petals to the ground. ,, And you, just like your heart, are another figure in this war," Graves affirmed, spitting the blood on the ground. ,, Have the first tendrils formed?" came the rhetorical question and another gasp and retching confirmed it. Graves, however, choked up a complete blossom instead of a leaf and looked contemptuously at the rose blossom covered with blood and saliva. ,, If you won't do it for me, at least think of your heart, he would never forgive you for killing his nephew," Graves affirmed, a smile on his lips. Gellert's mismatched eyes showed anger and yet he knew the Auror was right. He knew that Albus would never forgive him for killing his nephew and brother. But as much as he hated it, he knew that Albus would hate him forever. But their love was stronger than hate, wasn't it?
And when Albus was at the end of all his friends dead then he had to find Gellert it was only natural that he came to his heart. He would learn to love him.
Credence, on the other hand, seemed to understand only bits and pieces of the conversation. But Gellert was not surprised that the Dumbeldore was still able to do this. ,, Pe-percival" came brittle and painful from his lips, and the obscurial broke through his back like wings. Gellert's hand found its way back to the young boy's pale cheek and a twitch went through his body. ,,Your angel is impressive even under the effects of the potion," Gellert said appreciatively, continuing to stroke the younger man's cheek. The boy seemed to know who he belonged to, but he could not completely escape the potion. The black mass seemed to fight as if Credence would turn against himself because he could not decide whether to go against Gellert or not. ,, You are faithful to him, aren't you Credence?" he asked the younger one and his finger ran over Credence's lip. What made him angry, however, was when Credence bit him. Hissing, he withdrew his hand before punching Credence in the face. Again the head flew to the left and a mix of gasps and groans came from the younger man. The obscurial twitched and stretched over Gellert and Percival. Gellert watched the black mass, each intent on grabbing his staff and killing the younger instantly. ,, You're afraid of him, he's just as much a Dumbeldore as Albus," came an amused voice from Percival , who paid no attention to the obscurial.
He didn't see the bundled magic as a threat, he saw it as part of his angel. ,, You're afraid of a whore," Graves laughed, but immediately cried out as the torture curse took hold of his body. Besides the screams of pain, another heavy coughing and vomiting could be heard. A small satisfaction for Gellert who knew that it was over with the former Auror. ,, You should make sure you don't choke to death," Gellert hissed and the satisfaction could be heard in his voice. What Graves didn't expect was that Gellert came up to him and kicked him in the side with a force. Again the Auror cried out and arched even more.
The unequal eyes watched the torture in front of them and feasted on the feeling. Madness.
,, Lunatic " gasped Graves who saw on his knees and the curse was taken away from him. But hardly later he retched again and threw up several flowers. ,, That may be, but even if you are dead anyway," said Gellert and briefly looked at the flower. He picked it up from the ground and went to Credence. The younger one was still standing at the age and his obscurial was hanging over the three of them. ,,Is it beautiful?" asked Gellert as he handed the flower to Credence. In the one pale hand of the younger, it only looked more aesthetic. Credence looked at the flower before crushing it with his hand and letting the leaves fall to the ground, saying, ,, Now it's pretty".
Gellert's mismatched eyes went to Graves, who resisted and leaned against the wooden bench.
His hand wandered down the exposed neck, running along the glowing veins and arteries. Pressed harder in some places and explored the younger. All under the watchful, rage-filled gaze of Graves. ,, Kill us and don't abuse him anymore," Graves hissed, but immediately rasped again. ,, I just have to kill him, you're going to die anyway," he said, amused, and turned to Credence. ,, Your past is still in you, isn't it? What did you expect from your family once you were united with your uncle and...father Aurelius?" At the names Aurelius looked at Gellert with an almost uncertain look. Gellert's hand grabbed the back of Aurelius' neck and pulled him lightly, almost like a father. ,, The past never lets go, but it doesn't define us...only if we let it. I hoped they would-they would take me in and acknowledge me-the loneliness hurts," he confessed, and Gellert thought he heard a whimper followed by a sniffle. He cried.
,, The pain, Aurelius, he has relieved it, he has loved you, he has cared for you, your heart," Gellert said softly, as if to calm him down. A whimper came from Aurelius and in his condition he seemed to be somehow happy about this realization. ,, Let me beat it out of you," said Gellert before his lips found their way to Aurelius and kissed the younger one. In the dark eyes of Aurelius there was disbelief and yet a certain affection due to the potion. In his presence he had to think that Gellert was his heart Graves sad and yet not true.
,, Kill him, stop torturing him," Graves gasped and tried to reach for his staff. This, however, was prevented by another coughing seizure. ,, I'm not going to torture him, he's enjoying it too much right now," Gellert purred and saw the confirmation in Credence's dark, torn eyes. ,, The desperate forced belief that I am his heart is nice, let him believe that or do you want him to see you suffer like this?" The question was justified and yet Gellert felt Aurelius struggling with himself. ,, Just end it...please," Graves managed to plead, wiping the blood and saliva from his mouth as he regurgitated another blossom. ,, Do you want me to end it, Aurelius? Your suffering, your life, your love...your family?" he asked the younger one, letting go of him and not touching him. ,, N-No" came softly like a whisper from Aurelius and for the first time he looked at Graves and not Gellert. The white-haired man saw the pain in the dark eyes of the other two, it was oppressive and beautiful. But it was not what it was supposed to be. He should be united with Albus and not these two. ,, Oh Credence my heart," Percival said in pain and leaned upright against the bench. To Gellert's surprise, the Obscurial moved toward Graves. It enveloped him as if in a cloud, making it dance around him. The black mass seemed to embrace Graves in a friendly, almost loving way. He did not hurt him, he loved him, because Credence could not.
Gellert watched what was happening and a pain bored into his heart. He needed his Albus back, he had to have him back. ,, It's time," he announced and saw Graves let out a rasping sigh. Graves, still in the obscurial, went to Aurelius and lifted his head slightly. Their eyes met and the love that could be seen in them only caused Gellert more pain. Then one last kiss and Gellert averted his eyes he hated it. ,, He can't kill you even if he wanted to, his love prevents it and the other way around," Gellert said as he saw the obscurial condense but dissolve a few moments later. ,, A tragic suicide for love has something romantic about it, doesn't it?" asked Graves, stroking Aurelius' cheek affectionately.
,, Yes, it would have," replied Gellert, even though the question was addressed to Aurelius.
,, You already have a work of art in mind...is it at least beautiful?" Percival asked Gellert with hope in his eyes. A smile played around Gellert's lips as he was pleased with Graves' knowledge. He took his wand and levitated Aurelius slightly. ,, One last kiss," Gellert prompted the Auror. It was the last kiss of the two hearts and love blossomed one last time.
Then he released Aurelius from his heart and let him float to the cross that stood behind the altar.
At the same time, as if Graves sensed that death would come any second, another violent attack overtook him. He fell to the floor where he remained on his knees, looking up at Aurelius.
Then a painful scream rang out like the holy figure in the book, and he nailed the boy to the cross with the metal of the cross piercing through his hands and feet. The black blood immediately dripped out and wetted the stone altar. The black clothes on his body seemed to hang on him like a tunic. A true angel. Born to sin and raised to kill.
,, My angel, my heart, my Credence and Aurelius...I love you" he heard Graves probably last words.
The addressed man weakly opened his eyes filled with blackness and black tears rolled down his pale cheek. ,, My Lord, my heart, my Percival Graves... I love you," he replied and continued to look down at his light. But the eyes went blank and with a last loving look Aurelius died crucified in the knowledge of having been sincerely loved.
Gellert felt as if from somewhere a powerful source of magic was emanating, as if something or someone sensed exactly what had happened. "So you feel it?" thought Gellert and looked at the younger one.
,, Beautiful even in death," said Graves and his gaze wandered over the dead body. ,, Where is the resistance?" asked Gellert as if he had completely lost interest. A rasping laugh came from Graves whose gaze did not leave his heart.
A screech broke the brief silence as the phoenix flew from Aurelius into the church, seeming to come from nowhere.
The flames on it resembled burnt-out embers and its feather fell like ashes from the sky before the animal sat down on the indentation of the shining stained glass window and looked at its owner with dark, sad eyes. A last wing beat and a last sad look before the magical animal became ash. But just as its owner was dead, nothing rose from the black ashes. Dumbeldore, who had been thrown away, and his phoenix were dead. The youngest flower of the Dumbeldores was dead, the fire was extinguished and would never be rekindled. ,, They are in the underground in New York, at least that's what my sources from the ministry say...now leave us alone" came a weak voice from Graves and he stretched out his hand in the direction of the cross. Gellert nodded and looked at the picture in front of him before turning around and walking to the large double door. ,, A true work of art," he said, and he heard the last heavy gasp of Graves before the magic of the former Auror died and Gellert closed the door behind him. They were dead. The last two hearts dead, and with them, the deceivers in his eyes were gone. The four hearts dead and yet united. His body only seemed to ache more and once again it became clear to him that he had to end it. With one last look at the church, he apparated in the direction of his next destination. New York.
It seemed like years since he had been there and yet nothing had changed as it should. There was no more Obscurial and also the MACUSA was infiltrated. Only the hiding place of the resistance was missing and then he would have Albus for himself again. Going underground he soon found himself in the great vault complex beneath the city. But instead of finding a dirty old tunnel system there was a network of black market and illegal trade of the wizarding world. Nothing new for Gellert, and yet his eyes lingered on every possible one of the rats. It seemed like any second he could have run into Albus or one of his friends. Only when he passed an illegal pet shop for magical creatures did he catch sight of a curly blond-brown head. "The magic zoologist" went through his head and he hurried after him. When he caught one, the system gradually collapsed. Turning the corner, he actually found Newt looking at him with an uncertain look. Without hesitation, Gellert drew his wand and fired the Death Curse at Newt. He hastily apparated out of the way and fled from Gellert. It was a trap, of course, but a predator driven by lust and sorrow, love and his own desires, it was a trap. The pain of its mental and physical suffering spurred it on even more. The predator hurried after him and hurled one curse after another at him. It was only when the younger one disappeared into the darkness of an alley that Gellert realized he had them all where he wanted them. Trapped in another cage that had no door. The alley ended in front of a stone wall with the mark of a single lavender blossom. "Albus" thought Gellert before he put his hand on the wall and recognized this magic and opened for him. But as soon as he stepped through, he could feel the magic in his heart. ,, Albus" he called out, and although he knew there would be no answer, he knew he could hear him. He pushed forward and found himself in a circular interior. The rooms of the rebels snaked along the wall like a snail's shell, and their occupants stood at the stone precipice looking at him. The rats were sure to be superior to the spider in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand. ,, You killed them all, didn't you?" Gellert heard Albus' question and looked around for him. But everywhere he looked, only the evil glares of the Resistance met his eyes. ,, I did, it was necessary, they would have stood in my way sooner or later. They didn't understand how far you could go, I mean, they were beautiful, their four hearts, but nothing equals you, my heart," Gellert purred and he knew how he was straining everyone's nerves. ,, But you should have seen your nephew, beautifully crucified like an angel," he said, barely finished, when a spell came hurled at him from the darkness. Gellert fought it off, but misjudged and slammed into the stone wall. He was my son!" Aberforth shouted at him and Gellert realized why the spell was so strong. Love. ,, You are not the brother I want!" Gellert hissed at him and he spat the blood that came from the impact to the floor. ,, Then you must defeat us first!" intervened Theseus, who came down with the others. The metal on his body still shone through and Gellert thought it was almost a shame to have killed Helmut. To waste such a work of art but Theseus would serve as the final work of art. Again the spells flew at him but this time Gellert dodged them. But the predator knew once you kill the weakest one falls one by one. And so the flower had to be brutally torn away first. His uneven eyes met Queenie's and they showed a shocked expression of fear. It was macabre that the mind-reading flower knew its death was imminent. Gellert raised his staff and hurled the death curse at the blonde woman. The flower remained rooted to the spot out of fear and panic. Only when she was pushed out of the way by her black-haired sister did she regain consciousness. Tina protected her sister before she degraded Gellert with several spells. But his rage wouldn't let him hide the shield around him, he hurled Aberfroth Theseus Tina and Newt through the wall and stopped them from coming to him with the last of his once great Inferi army. He could hear the pained sounds of the four. But everything was only temporary and he had to use this time to tear out his flower. Because you should keep the beauty when it is most beautiful. The woman who was standing again backed away from him and held her staff with the mother-of-pearl colored end directed at him. ,, You-you won't win," she said, and she threw her own spells at him. Without any effect and not caring about Gellert, he continued to walk towards her before she stood with her back against the wall. ,, You know how it ends, my flower, you've already read it," he said, pointing to her head. What puzzled Gellert was the slight, short, sad smile. ,, You really believe it?" she asked him and Gellert didn't quite know what she was getting at. ,, I...feel so sorry for you," she said softly and it seemed that for a moment she was thinking about giving him a hug. ,, He doesn't love you, your heart...Albus doesn't love you," she said as soon as she had uttered the words and was lifted into the air and thrown against the nearest stone wall. His heart continued to shatter, and the bitter taste of it was that he knew what Albus was thinking. ,, He hates you for what you did to his nephew," she gasped as she stood up again, her blonde hair falling lightly into her face. The pink clothes were distressed and yet she looked beautiful. Beautiful and strong in her own way. ,, Stop it" came from Gellert and he hurled a curse at her. Nimble as the wind, she dodged it and took her staff again to protect herself. ,, He felt it when you killed him, and that's when I saw you break his heart," she continued to stab at his insides, and Gellert's anger at the woman only intensified. ,, You lie nothing but lies!" he shouted at her and broke through her shield with his spell. But she evaded him and told him again and again about Albus' thoughts. With every word that left her lips his heart broke more and more. ,, You should have seen him, he hates you, he even took away his scar because he couldn't stand the sight of it," fear was in his uneven eyes for a fraction. "He doesn't belong to me anymore", he heard his own inner voice and he painfully pulled his face away when Queenie took advantage of the moment and hit him. When he looked up again she had disappeared and Gellert cursed. Only when she heard her voice again and he blinked his eyes shut for a nanosecond did she suddenly seem to be everywhere. A simpler but effective illusion spell. But the words she spoke made it that much more effective. He destroyed one image after another and each went down in a shower of pink blossoms. The floor was covered with them after a few moments and formed a beautiful contrast to the dark walls around them. ,, You lost him after the fight and the death of his sister " came the deep wound and Gellert would have liked to cover his ears. But it was too much, he could no longer bear the sight of the flower. The pink had become unsuitable in his eyes, he didn't need her anymore and her words were nothing but lies. Lies lies lies lies from a miserable liar. Lies lies lies he knew nothing but lies. ,, Do you know, my flower, what is most deadly for you?" he asked her with a smile that reflected the broken state of his psyche, but got no answer. He put his staff back in his coat pocket and spoke the words he knew. The air around him began to heat up and the flowers on the ground began to turn to dust after they caught fire. The air around him began to shimmer and Queenie could not recognize him. ,, The answer is fire" was the last thing she heard before an animalistic howl was heard. A dragon emerged from the flames of the flowers. The animal formed its animagus shape, something that had cost him a lot of time, but it had all been worth it. The animal with its dark scales which shimmered slightly white was beautiful. The eyes unequal and yet it rounded off the image. The mouth of the beast opened and it looked at Queenie who could not cast her spell out of fear. The bright blue fire gathered and with one last look and a bloodcurdling scream from Queenie, all hell broke loose. The flames instantly ate through the remaining doubles, hitting the stone walls and shooting upward. They burned everything on their way there and the fire completely surrounded the blonde. But the rage in him let him continue to spit fire at her. It did not seem enough she would have to suffer even more. Only when he felt his Inferi defeated, he moved his head towards the destroyed wall and saw the four. The dragon made a hissing sound as smoke came out of its nose. He took another breath before the blue flames hit the four. He noticed the metallic flashes, but what he didn't expect was to find Theseus standing in front of his friends, unharmed. The dragon turned back and Gellert looked at the dead Queenie with a glance over his shoulder. ,, And so the flower fades and the first dies," he said when he saw the burnt body. Only the eye, which brought forth a tear, kept its former beauty. ,, I see he has made a true work of art out of you," Gellert turned to Theseus. The younger took down his modified arm. What he saw was that it had absorbed Gellert's magic and fire. ,, Queenie!" Tina screamed instead, and was held back by Newt, who looked with shock at his dead friend. ,, I am your opponent!" Theseus shouted at him before extending his arm again and shooting Gellert's own fire at him. His uneven eyes watched Tina tear herself away from the zoologist and apparate to her sister. Deflecting the fire, he focused again on Theseus. ,, You are a relic from his collection," he said dismissively before hurling curses at the younger man. He knew that Theseus was a celebrated war hero, but that his arm probably didn't give him the full strength or the other way around. "It will be interesting to see how much the master has given to his work of art," he thought, and the image of Helmut briefly flashed before his inner eye. He hurled one curse and one spell after another at him, but no matter what, they were always absorbed. It seemed that the more spells Gellert cast, the more often Theseus fired them back. ,, A war hero should be able to do more," he said disparagingly and seemed to have hit a point. Theseus spoke a spell and the air became humid, otherwise Gellert could not have interpreted it. He waited with his shield around him. He saw the black-haired woman mourning her dead sister. Insignificant and not important. But what brought him back was a pain on the back of his hand. Like with Helmut, his gaze went up and he saw that rain clouds had formed. But it didn't seem to be rain, it was acid eating through his shield and leaving an ugly pulling pain on his hand. "So that's your friend, interesting," thought Gellert, thinking of Helmut's words. ,, It must have been terrible to see an old friend lose his life like that, I killed him personally, he even used the same spell" Gellert smiled and saw Theseus coming out of the mist. ,, Then he abused you as well, what a shame, or was there something more behind it," he guessed and got an answer. Theseus bundled the liquid and hurled it at Gellert. The shield melted and Gellert saw the danger behind it, just as Helmut did. A cornered animal was always dangerous. He was about to unhook it again when something sharp cut his hand, causing his wand to fall out of his hand. ,, Don't underestimate him" came a woman's voice and Gellert looked at a woman. "The teacher," he remembered, and he saw the paper fly back to her book. ,, Oh no, my dear, I've only just begun, I'm going to kill him just like I killed his friend," Gellert smirked and closed the circle of blue flames around them. He wanted to take his time and make them all suffer. Push them off their thrones and show them the truth. That they had all lost. The acid pelted the fire, and more and more fog rose and hissed. Despite this, he kept the shield up over and over again. While the witch threw her sharp pages at him, Gellert let flames burn them one by one. Annoying and yet not to be underestimated. ,, Fiendfyre" crossed his lips and the blue-flame dragon emerged before lunging at the teacher. ,, I am your opponent, boy," he told Theseus and began to hurl spells at him again. But of course they did not get through, but death like Helmut would befall him. ,, How deep was your relationship?" he continued to prod, and his opponent was filled with blind rage. Whatever the two had, it had left a crack in Theseus. Theseus tried to absorb the blue fire, but he could not. ,, It does not obey you," Gellert warned, dodging the younger man's flying spells. But he kept his promise to kill him like Helmut. The acid came at him one last time in a bundle and ate into the wall behind him. ,, Finish it," Gellert said, and he saw Theseus glance briefly at the woman. ,, I'll make her suffer, don't worry," Gellert assured him, and he saw that it was the last thing to break the younger man's sanity. The green death curse was on his lips and Theseus said, ,, You die now" before firing it. ,, Too slowly" came the words over Gellert's lips before a dull thud was heard. Theseus cried out and stumbled back as his metal hand held his stump. The war hero stammered something but Gellert did not hear it. ,, I told you you would die like him," he said, standing in front of the younger man before pushing him to the ground on his knees. You lost, you shouldn't have gotten in the way," he hissed at him before putting the Elder Wand to the back of the younger's head. ,, Any last words?" he granted the younger one. ,, You die!" yelled Theseus before spinning around and firing the spells back at Gellert with his mechanical arm. At least that was the younger one's plan. ,, So predictable you can't even begin to get close to your master," he cursed disappointedly as he stopped the movement with a spell. Wordlessly and with emotionally averted eyes, Gellert's finger ran over the metal of the arm. Theseus tried to pull it free, but he did not succeed. "So he did abuse him," Gellert said when he saw the pleading in his eyes. ,, I just need that it might hurt a little," he said before taking his staff and slowly starting to cut the metal off Theseu's arm piece by piece.
The screams of the younger ones were deafening and even the teacher who was still fighting the dragon begged him to stop. Only when he had torn the metal from the shoulder did Theseus fall to the ground, barely breathing. You would have made a nice birdie," he paused for a moment before turning his gaze to Newt, ,, although he certainly could have been a nice birdie". With his last ounce of strength, the younger Gellert spat the blood at his feet before the older ended the suffering with the death curse. ,, The war hero death and the second death " he announced. ,, Albus, I'll stop when you come out," he said, but to his regret no one came. Turning to the woman, he raised his wand and was about to catch her in a careless moment when suddenly his wand was snatched from his hand. Annoyed, he saw the Niffler running away with the staff. The spells stopped and Gellert realized why. The magical animals of the zoologist were no longer cute animals, they seemed to be hideous monsters. The animals' eyes were full of hate and Gellert hated them. They meant nothing but wasted time. ,, You will pay for the deaths!" he heard Newt say, opening his suitcase and calling his monsters. But Tina also seemed to have only one goal: to kill him. He ripened his dragon and let his fire do all the work. The blue flames ate through one beast after another. Which left him well alone with Lally. The latter, visibly upset by the death of Theseus, went back but hurled the papers at him. ,, A cute spell" he commented, but his smile disappeared when she replied ,, You think so". The papers increased and soon he was surrounded by them. ,, Choke on it!" she hissed and he couldn't get the sheets off his body. The fighting stopped briefly as the sheets exploded and the room lit up. ,, Is it over?" Lally dared first and stepped towards the leaves. They fell like rain from the sky, even if tattered and charred by the flames. ,, For you," came a voice from the darkness before an ,, Imperius" followed. The curse hit exactly its target. The woman's body gave a twitch before she turned her empty gaze to Tina. ,, Kill her" said Gellert who had taken off his coat at the last moment and was now in his white shirt. She obeyed and began to fight with the woman before Gellert turned to Newt and his beasts. ,, You will pay!" he shouted at Gellert, and he had never seen the younger man so angry. The monsters that had not yet perished in the flames returned to their owner, waiting for the order. Gellert, who did not have the Elder Wand, had to fall back on his old one. And for a moment it seemed that he was again the younger revolutionary with a clear goal. ,, Then show what you can do," he said before pointing his staff at Newt. While Newt cast the spells, the animals tried to tear him apart with their claws. But although the zoologist was magically gifted, Gellert knew that his knowledge was spreading to the animals. He threw one of the beasts against the wall with a spell before letting the chunks of stone crush it. Turning back to Newt, he narrowly avoided a curse and felt the magic whirring past his ear. When his uneven eyes saw the niffler, an idea came to him. The imperius curse was cast and hit the defenceless animals. Newt, noticing this, called the ones that had not yet been hit back to his case. ,, Mr Scamander, your animals don't seem to like you any more," he said, amused, and the beasts made for their owners with bared teeth. But Newt seemed to know that he had lost and hurled the last curses and spells at Gellert, which he dismissed. ,, You have to kill your animals or you'll get it yourself," Gellert reprimanded and let some of the beasts snap at him. At first the zoologist resisted fighting back or hurting them, but at the latest after teeth had bored into his side and left him with a badly bleeding wound, he fought them off. ,, I'm sorry," he heard from Newt before the zoologist began killing his animals one by one. Gellert saw the torn look and the pain behind it. It wasn't long before Newt was standing between the dead bodies, covered in the blood of his beloved animals. ,, Very good, Mister Scamander," Gellert praised, even though he saw the zoologist's tears. Newt hissed as he held his bleeding side. ,, That looks painful...it's going to be fatal," Gellert said and slowly strode towards the zoologist. Newt, however, continued to fire curses at Gellert, but he dismissed them. ,, It's over, Mister Scamander," Gellert said before pointing the staff at Newt. ,, Come here," Newt said before the little Niffler crawled onto his lap. He saw the anguish in the eyes of the beast, which seemed to be silently begging for mercy. The green curse flashed and the two figures slumped together, dead. Gellert eyed the two. ,, The zoologist is dead and so is number three," he announced and his gaze went back to the two women. Tina had a lot to do with Lally but in the end she seemed to have the upper hand. Gellert took the curse from the teacher, who fell dazedly into Tina's arms. ,, You will pay for everything" Tina spat at him after letting go of Lally who had sat up again. ,, Isn't it enough that I've already killed so many Albus, just come out and I'll let the remaining three live" he said and igborated the two women in front of him. ,, He hates you, he won't come to you," Lally snarled at him and he pointed the Elder Wand at her. ,, You don't know what you're talking about!" he said bitterly and again the fighting broke out. The two women driven by revenge for their friends and loved ones. Gellert driven by the madness of his heart to get his Albus back. Gellert admitted the two were strong, very strong and even one hit might have meant his end. But Lally still seemed to be slightly wounded, so her shield broke after Gellert fired at it. The torture curse hit the witch and she went down writhing. Gellert let go of her after a few seconds when he felt a sting on his side. He spun around and knocked one of the beasts off him with his spell. The beast with wings he didn't know curled up and came back to Tina to cling to her hand. It annoyed him, everything was delayed and he had had enough. The intention was to kill them both. "This is ridiculous," he thought as he glanced at his staff. The Elder Wand could do so much more, the power was his. Shaping his shield to block the spells he began to speak the dark senses of the Necromanti. His uneven eyes watched as the corpses of the three and the animals slowly rose again. One could hear the bones break and the bodies put themselves back together again hurriedly. ,, There you have your darlings," he announced before leaving the work to his new inferi. As he had thought, fear and shock had struck them both. Too late they realised that they were not the ones they once knew.
The Inferi slowly pulled them to the ground before they began to tear them apart. ,, I am not a monster," he said coolly and pointed the staff at the two. ,, You were all worthy opponents until the end," he announced before the two women were executed by the death curse. He made the Inferi disappear, adding Tina and Lally as pieces in his army.
,, Is this what you wanted, Albus, the death and destruction of your friends?" he asked and resumed his place in the middle. ,, He won't come to you," came Aberforth, who had apparated to him from one of the rooms. ,, You took him away from me then, if you hadn't been in the way, this would never have had to happen," Gellert reproached the younger brother. He saw that he had found a sore point. But the same was true for himself. ,, No, you could have lived a normal life without your plan. The greater good never existed". ,, It does exist, Albus and I can see it," Gellert hissed, desperately trying to cling to the last bit of himself. ,, After you killed Aurelius...we both felt it. It destroyed him, he believed in you until the end, that you would come to again, Gellert. And even though I never wanted to admit it, part of me was happy for him then that he had found love. But anyone else would have done better than you, you killed my son," he said before Aberfroth hurled a spell at Grindelwald. The injured man fought it off and deflected it into the wall. ,, You are as big a liar as they are!" he said in a hiss before the two spells met. There was a crackle and a smack and neither wanted to give in. But Gellert knew what duel he would have, his staff won everything. Slowly and with effort he directed the magic to Aberfroth's side. He saw the desperation in the younger man's eyes. It was delicious. It would only take a few more moments and the penultimate Dumbeldore would be dead. Then he would have Albus to himself. But then a single shot rang out in the background. Wondering where the sudden pain at his side came from, Gellert looked down at himself. Blood that wouldn't stop gushed out of his side and stained his white shirt red. He pressed one hand on the bullet wound but the blood also ran through his fingers. ,, That was for my friend," he heard the human's voice. " The inferior muggle " he realised and hissed. He staggered slightly forward but held his ground. Only when a spell hit him did he stumble back. Forming his shield, he lost all patience and all sense. Madness was in his uneven eyes as he looked to the muggle. A death curse was enough and the human would be dead. With magic he snatched the weapon from the younger man's hand and pointed it at him. ,, The world must be cleansed of you" were his words to him before the gun sounded again. The man was killed instantly by the shot to the head. The body slumped to the ground and lay there bleeding out. Aberfroth's spells struck the shield and Gellert felt the power behind it. He turned to Aberfroth who had a shocked expression in his eyes. ,, No one can help you," Aberforth muttered and Gellert could only give him a look of contempt. Gellert's curse had surprised the younger Aberforth, who flew through the air and remained on the ground. Anger was nothing but a waste of time in the mismatched eyes.
He was about to fire the Death Curse at the younger Dumbeldore when he heard footsteps. ,, What have you done " he heard Albus' voice, driven by fear and shock. The older Dumbeldore came out of the shadows of the room before apparating next to his brother. ,, My heart," Gellert said and immediately felt his heartbeat increase. ,, Come with me, my heart," Gellert said and slowly walked towards Albus. But he stopped when Albus drew his wand. ,, Are you so blinded by your madness that you do not realise what you have done?"
Albus said, his voice attacking Gellert's heart. ,, Madness? Albus do you actually know what I have done? "Gellert said rightly before he defended himself against Albus' first spell. Rather, he deflected it into the wall and stumbled backwards from the force. He saw the rage in Albus' blue eyes.  And Gellert saw something inside himself for the first time. Incomprehension. Why didn't Albus realise what he had done just to get to him?
But he didn't have time to think, because Albus had no intention of stopping. ,, I don't care what you've done, you're insane, don't you see what you've done?" Albus snapped at him and let chunks of stone fly at Gellert. The white-haired man fought them off and hurled curses at Albus. ,, What have I done but love you?" Gellert shouted back and apparated out of the way to avoid a spell. Albus was about to scold him when Gellert apparated in front of him and grabbed him by the collar. ,, You killed my nephew and my friends," Albus said to him before the brown-haired man apparated away. Gellert, who had been dragged along, tried to pull him to the ground but could not. It was only when he hit the cold stone and Albus pressed his wand to Gellert's neck that the white-haired man slowly came to his senses. ,, I only did it because I lov-". ,, Stop it," Albus interrupted him and when Gellert saw Albus he saw the tears in his blue eyes. ,, Stop it Gellert, I don't want to hear it" Albus said and Gellert felt Albus' hand loosen slightly on his neck. ,, You don't understand or you killed my family, my friends and you did it for love," Albus said, hoping to get something out of Gellert. But what made Albus flinch was when Gellert placed his bloodied hand on Albus' cheek. ,, Yes, for love of my heart," Gellert said and there was tenderness in his gaze. Gellert leaned forward and gave Albus a chaste kiss on the lips. But instead of Albus returning it, he let go of Gellert and drew away from him. Albus mumbled something before his fingers touched his lips as if to check that it had just happened.
A pained sound was heard and Albus was jolted out of his belief. Gellert had apparated to Aberforth and pulled him up painfully by the hair. ,, Give up or I'll kill him," Gellert said coolly and seriously. ,, Don't do it Albus," Aberforth tried to protect his brother, but fell silent when Gellert pulled his hair again. ,, You don't have to do that Gellert, you know that," said Albus slowly coming towards him. ,, Yes I do, I have to, because if you have him then you have someone else and that someone else isn't me," Gellert made his point clear. ,, You are consumed by jealousy," came a stunned reply from Albus. ,, No, of love for you Albus, I told you everything I did was for you. All the deaths, all the suffering, all the pain I've had to suffer just for you " Gellert said, and his face distorted briefly as pain ran through his mind. ,, Just stop it, Gellert, you're just torturing yourself, please," Albus tried to convince him again. ,, You see, inside you can't deny it, you're worried about me, admit your weakness and come with me". Albus, however, shook his head slowly, sadness in his blue eyes. ,, If you kill him, I will never forgive you," he said seriously and Gellert felt his heart tighten. ,, It broke my heart when you killed Aurelius and abused him. He is my nephew but this is my brother, my last family, don't you dare". ,, So be it," said Gellert before he pressed the staff to Aberfroth's head and said the curse. The curse collided with a protection spell and it fizzled. ,, You lose Albus, you always have it," Gellert announced before a crack could be heard before Albus was thrown back. He came to a crashing halt in front of the stone wall, his vision blurred by the power of the Elder Wand. ,, Aberforth," came faintly from his lips. ,, You did not love him enough as a brother. You secretly hated him, didn't you since then, but now he is no longer in our way, my heart," he heard Gellert's voice ringing in his ears. His blue eyes fell on the dead body of his brother lying on the ground. ,, No, no, you monster," Albus said to Gellert and tried to stand up. ,, You have lost Albus you are mine alone deal with it it makes things easier" said Gellert coming up to him and looking down at him. ,, I don't love you," he said to him as best he could. ,, Lies, Albus, but you will come to your senses, believe me, my heart, you just need a little discipline," Gellert murmured, pointing his wand at Albus. ,, Everything will be alright now, I promise, when you wake up everything will be better," he said before the spell hit Albus and he fainted.
This time it was completely silent, no crying, no screaming, no shots, no lies. ,, Just silence. It's over," he heard himself say before he went to his tattered cloak and picked it up. "A shame," he thought before throwing it over his arm. His uneven eyes lingered on the corpses that had not yet become Inferi. ,, I have been merciful all this time, don't you think?" he asked Albus, who of course couldn't answer.
Gellert sighed before he used his wand to make the bodies disappear before he went to Albus and stroked his hair. ,, You will learn to love me inside you have never stopped, I know it," he told him before the two apparated. So many had to die only so that a madman gets what his obsession does not want. Love. It was night when the two appeared again in front of Nurmengard. The moon shone brightly over the property and this time it was the only witness above the two. None of the enemy's patrons were still alive, all were dead. Killed in the name of love.
Gellert let Albus float behind him while his uneven eyes passed over the two flowers. The white rose had overgrown the lavender. Even the thorns were piercing the beautiful purple flowers by now. The lavender was trapped and at the end.
The door opened before the two went in and with a dull sound again to much. With a wave of his hand, the candles automatically went on and lit up the huge house. Gellert put the broken cloak over a chair before he went with Albus to the specially built room. The golden knob was grasped by Gellert before he opened the door. The golden candlesticks on the white-gold walls reflected the main focal point in the relatively large room. The cage.
An oversized round bird cage as if made for his own treasure. He opened the magical lock and placed Albus in his arms before going inside. The large four-poster bed with the dark blue curtains was the centerpiece of the cage. He carefully placed Albus on the bed and stroked a strand of hair from his face. ,, So beautiful," he murmured as his uneven eyes ran over his body. He released Albus from his grasp and drew the curtains of the bed before removing himself from the cage and taking Albus' wand. The black wand lay cool yet slightly heavy in his hand. The silver decoration reminded him of their common sign. A brief smile came to his lips before he gripped it tighter and closed the cage with magic behind him.
The door opened and he stepped back out into the hallway. A brief smile crept onto his lips before he sucked in the air. It smelled of Albus after his whole self. After his blood. A stimulating thought ran through his mind. But he had to hold back, he was not allowed to live it out yet. Moving away from the room, he went into the large bathroom, exhausted yet balanced. As in the weeks before, images of lust flashed through his mind as he looked toward the shower. Albus pleading look the reddened lips the light tears in the blue eyes. Beautiful.
Stealing in front of the mirror, he undressed again slowly but attentively. The white shirt which was soaked in blood was slowly removed from his battered skin and he suppressed a pained sound. ,, Such a shame," he muttered before grabbing his staff and using it to close the wound. However, he decided to keep the scars. "Not like Albus," his cutting voice reminded him. Anger crossed his uneven eyes. "I will teach him to love me," he reminded himself and he exhaled slightly shakily. His battered hands and arms ran over the new scars. Bright stripes of the battered tissue stood out on his pale skin. Beauty and the maltreated love. Naked and vulnerable he stood in front of the silver mirror examining his maltreated body. ,, All for you," he said, thinking of his heart.
The bath tub was filled with hot water and he went in. A throaty sigh escaped him as the water surrounded him and the heat seemed to ensnare him. A heat he had felt too often in the last few hours. His own fire that of Helmut so much fire. He dipped his head under water and the world grew dull around him. Until it became almost too hot and he raised his head out of the water. The drops made the water vibrate and the tub had turned red. It seemed watery and struggling with the transparent water. Whether it was red or transparent. But after washing the dried blood from himself, he rose from the tub. The last slightly red trickles flowed along his body before he got out of the tub and dried himself with the help of magic. He longed for sleep and rest and yet it was not enough. He wanted more, he needed more, he needed him. He wanted to feel Albus and convince himself that he had him back. He wanted to love him, to own him. Make his heart beat. Make him his at last. The black trousers on his legs matched his white shirt, which was slightly open. He himself thought it unnecessary to put on the complete clothing. He knew that he would take them off anyway.  Moving back to the room, he opened it. As soon as he entered and the candles were lit, he noticed the bright magic of Albus. ,, You are awake," he noted, not entirely surprised, and walked towards the cage. The gold shimmered slightly from the candles and he saw the fire burning in Albus' blue eyes. ,, Let me out!" Albus snapped at him. Anger was not the first thing he expected and yet it was logical. A mejestic phoenix would never give up so quickly. The fire would only go out when its counterpart died. ,, And where would that lead? To your escape to...your family?" he asked and he enjoyed the pain that went through Albus at the words. ,, You killed them," the brown-haired man said more quietly, as if he was slowly becoming aware of what had happened. ,, Yes," the white-haired man said, only he knew that no explanation was needed. Albus knew it either way, he knew that the magic of his friends had been extinguished. They had been killed and would never come back. Now there was only him and Gellert. The two had finally found each other again. He stepped closer to the cage and his hands were about to clasp the golden bars when Albus came out. He tried to grab him somehow and smash him against the bars. But without success. ,, I hate you Gellert," he told him coldly, yet full of pain. ,, Hate only drowns out your love, Albus," the other said, his hand in front of the cage as if to stroke his cheek. ,, You just have to learn to love me again," Gelllert suddenly said before he drew his first real wand and held Albus with it. But he did not approach him, instead Grindelwald moved away and went to the small chest of drawers that was the only piece of furniture in the room. He opened it and took out a camera. It took only a few moments before it was on a tripod and pointed in the direction of the bed. The lens reflected the bed and what was happening in front of it as well as what was to come. Albus' blue eyes showed something like foreboding, even if he did not believe that Gellert would go that far. Would he go so far as to...force himself on him?
Gellert bent down and looked through the camera. He saw the image of Albus not moving. ,, A film Albus can record so beautifully, can't he?" he asked and a short, almost sad smile came to his lips.  The camera was running and recording one of the centerpieces of the trial. It would record the pain and the beginning of their love together. He opened the cage again and stood in front of Albus, covering him. His hand rested on Albus' cheek and he could feel the brown-haired man tense up. ,, You really hate me so much," Gellert stated, but he did not release Albus from the spell. Instead, he pulled a vial from his pocket and saw from his shocked expression that Albus recognized the potion. ,, Not quite for you, my dear...for both of us," he tried to get the distressing words through to Albus. He pulled the cork and it fell to the floor with a dull thud. His uneven eyes looked at the liquid for a moment before he put it to Albus' lips. ,, You will love me again," he assured him before lifting the vial and letting the Amortensia potion run into Albus' mouth. He saw the pleading expression of the blue eyes. The tears that gathered, the silent miserable plea that he should not cross this border. And yet he did. The empty vial fell to the ground where it broke with a clatter. It shattered like Albus' heart. Two broken hearts held together by something they had long lost. True love.
Demanding and greedy, Gellert began to kiss Albus, who was slowly coming under the effect of the love potion. What Gellert didn't expect was that Albus pulled back slightly. Not completely, since the spell still held him, but far enough for a slight distance of a few centimeters to come between them. ,, Just let it happen," Gellert tried, but the warning tone was clearly audible. He should have known that Albus would not go down completely without a fight...but this would no longer matter in the next few minutes at the latest. As he kissed Albus deeply, smelling his scent and finally surrendering to his love, he felt a sharp, quick pain. Instead of returning the kiss or deepening it, Albus had bitten his lip, which had split open slightly and was now staining his white shirt with blood. Anger and impatience were in the unequal eyes before Gellert rolled out his bare fist and punched Albus in the face. It was a dull sound and yet he could hear the painful groan. He wanted more of it...he needed more of it. ,, I'm going to enjoy this," he said, though it was more of a thought spoken aloud. Instead, he released the spell and grabbed Albus by the neck before he had a chance to push him back onto the bed. The fisticuffs and the blows would all follow. But now they had all the time in the world. He was his forever and ever. Albus was finally his. He felt the more seconds and minutes passed, the less Albus tried to free himself. He saw how the blue eyes looked at him almost tenderly, but only almost, because there was nothing but hatred behind them. Pure hatred from Albus. Despite this, when Albus tried to rush past him, he grabbed the brown hair and pulled him back. A painful sound escaped Albus before Gellert tied him to the bed with the rope spell as before. But this time there were no protests, rather an unexpected plea for him. He knew that the potion made Albus do it, but for a moment he imagined he was actually saying it to him. His eyes briefly slid to the camera that continued to record everything. ,, So much I had to suffer for you Albus," Gellert began before standing next to Albus so that the lens could see Albus. He unbuttoned his white shirt and the individual scars and superficial injuries appeared. But he wanted the scars to remain, he wanted to remember the pain if he ever went soft. The pain would bring him back to his current path.
,, All the pain Albus, it's only right that I pay you back, isn't it?" he asked, and as if in a trance, he nodded slowly. A short smile played around Gellert's lips before he gently stroked Albus' cheek. ,, I know you will endure all this," he said and Albus nestled into his hand. But he pulled it away, instead moving away from the camera and finally out of the room altogether. Only when the lock clicked as he closed the room did he feel the slight trembling of his hands. "He is finally mine again," he heard his inner voice say before he picked up the tools to put Albus through what he had to go through for himself. Killing everyone was not his original plan, he had to change his mind a bit, but he would still enjoy it. He took his time, knowing that it would be at least a little torture for the potioned one. As he made his way from the upper floor to the basement, he hummed softly to himself as his fingers ran over the weapons. He remembered how many he had tortured and killed. His victims until they forgot their names and begged for mercy. Beautiful.
He took the weapons with him before going back up the stairs and into the room. ,, Gellert" he heard the heavy breathing of Albus. ,, Do you know what the first of the injuries was?" he asked and saw Albus shaking his head slightly. When he came closer he saw that the brown-haired man was sweating. It was slightly warm in the room and it smelled like candle wax and Albus. A stimulating smell, but if the last smell would follow it would be almost perfect. ,, When you escaped from the Ministry, Albus, one of your friends threw me through the glass," he said, almost sweetly, as he magically picked up the pieces of glass that had been prepared. ,, When I flew through the glass, you know, I hardly felt the pain. The pain of you leaving me was so much greater," he said before grasping the first shard. The glass laid against the fabric before tearing through it. The torso was exposed and he felt the anticipation. Then, in a moment of silent pleading and the beating of their hearts, he rammed the first shard into Albus' still unwounded body. The latter hissed, but did not try to get free from the shackles. ,, Each of these spilt Albus has drilled into my heart. Everything I had to suffer was your fault Albus!" he released his feelings and accusations on Albus. He saw the painful but relieved obsessive expression of the blue eyes. As the first layer of wet cold sweat covered his body. There was so much more to come. ,, You know, after you left, I did everything I could to get you back. I realized that those closest to me were the greatest danger," he continued, reaching for the next shard. The one he had framed earlier in Albus' side released the first blood onto the white bed cover. A small flow of many that would follow. Again he placed the shard and slowly he cut the skin with it. The glass that was stained with blood bored into the side like the other one. ,, It hurt so much Albus. You just left me. I was here with you, I enjoyed it, and you lied to me," was what engulfed him in the end. All the injustice and the pain was unbearable. The candle wax burned down more and more in the next hours. The white wax dripped down and so did the little rivulets of blood that continued to flow from each of the wounds caused by the shards. The glass was almost shimmering in the gleam of the candle when Gellerz pulled away from Albus for the first time. His uneven eyes were fixed on his first small work of art. More than a hundred of the glass shards had been framed into his torso. The small rivulets covered his body and the white bed linen. ,, You see in the pain is beauty," he said, his fingers almost gently running over one of the shards. A reverberated hiss came from Albus. The blood on Gellert's finger was licked greedily. A sigh escaped him. ,, Sweet Albus, still so sweet," he praised the brown-haired man. ,, N-No," Albus said in surprise. Immediately, the mismatched eyes slid to the blue Albus. The feverish glow of the potion was almost gone. "He must have sweated it out," Gellert realized. ,, You're back to your old self again, so I can enjoy it even more," he said, his words being rather loud. He took hold of one of the shards and with a mewling slow joy he removed the shards one by one. He watched every expression, every twitch, every sound Albus made. ,, I deserve at most the pain of having killed my friends," he heard Albus say. Gellert nodded, but he knew that Albus was right. ,, If you had chosen me from the beginning, they would all still be alive, Albus. They wouldn't be dead now," he pointed at the wound and Albus closed his eyes painfully. Gellert took his time and pulled out the slices. The blood now flowed a little more from the wounds, but hardly fatal. He watched as the blood dripped from the glass before he carelessly threw the slices to the ground. ,, The next time I was injured was by Helmut. You remember him, don't you?" it was a rhetorical question, but Albus nodded. ,, He was good, almost too good for my taste. He had a really good bird with him," he rambled, but saw that Albus was somehow trying to free himself from the ropes. With a sharp painful squeeze on the wound, Albus refrained from doing so. ,, At most, you've slaughtered him," Albus hissed in pain. He smiled briefly, ,, Perhaps I would call it a hopeless duel, even if it was impressive," Gellert countered. He reached for the knife, it was actually magic that had injured him, but magic could not make someone bleed so beautifully. Then, without waiting for Albus to respond, he plunged the knife into the prone man's shoulder. He felt Albus tense up and try to escape the pain. Before he pulled it out and watched the blood fall. The blood flowed down over his shoulder and disappeared into the white paint. ,, It hurt, Albus, you can feel it. That was the pain inside me, you just shouldn't have left me," came the white-haired man as a matter of course. ,, You don't have to do it. Yes I do, I want you to feel all the pain and suffering I felt!" Gellert hissed as he painfully grabbed Albus' jaw to force him to look at him. ,, The fire, Albus, it hurts just like that, it's hot. It burns the flesh from the bones within seconds," the white-haired man philosophized.
He wasn't burned badly, but Anton and Helmut together would be enough. ,, It's overwhelming, but even I don't think I could contain it...and neither could your phoenixes," he added before reaching for his real staff. He held it dangerously close over the not yet damaged skin. He saw Albus tense up and his breathing quicken. ,, You hold it too, my phoenix," he said before the flame at the tip of the wand heated up and Gellert slowly drew it across his skin. It was not a high grade burn, but there was a sickening smell in the room as he pulled back. Deep red skin with a few burn patches showing. At first Gellert thought to simply cool the wound with ice, but in the worst case Albus would faint from the shock. ,, Your phoenix Albus, you could have used it and yet you did not. So many flaws in your eyes, which for me is just proof," he cursed and ran his hand over his still heated skin. He could feel the pulsating heartbeat, a symphony of its own. He took the knife again and put it to the other shoulder. ,, Anton got me there. His Imperius Curse is impressive, it beats even me," he confessed, telling Albus as if it were just a normal conversation. ,, He saw you right away," Albus said slowly, as if even talking was too tiring. ,, Yes, I guess he did, we have a common past, you know. Don't worry, nothing intimate, at least not that I would see it that way," he said and a sad but knowing smile formed on his lips. Albus, however, did not quite know how to interpret it. Then he tightened his grip and rammed it into his shoulder. The blood continued to flow over the bedspread and was absorbed by the mattress. He saw the trembling of Albus' muscles and his body slowly gave way. ,, Believe me, we are far from finished Albus," he murmured to the brown-haired man before his lips gently placed a kiss on one of the cuts. It seemed hours passed Gellert did not know how many times he had renewed the candles with magic. How many times his fist collided with Albus when he tried to faint. How often Albus had screamed and gasped and cried. How many times he had had to restrain himself from cutting too deep. It was a masterpiece and all of this was caught on camera. He pulled away from Albus the torture seemed over at least for today.
Gellert knew that Albus's body was giving way, and several times he had to pull him back from unconsciousness and prevent him from escaping. Blood seemed to be all over Albus' body, Gellert's clothes and hands. The floor and the golden metal rods showed blood. Albus' fighting spirit, however, did not diminish. He still hated Gellert. ,, All the pain must be rewarded for both of us, Albus," Gellert began to speak again after an eternity of silence. ,, You are the bringer of pain, Gellert. It was the madness of rejection that made you like this," Albus replied, his blue eyes almost dropping with hatred. ,, Say it however you want, you have no choice Albus. Everyone you know is dead Albus, you have no one left but me!" came the truth from Gellert's lips as he dropped his white shirt to the floor and took the last steps before sitting on Albus' hips. Albus made a painful sound as he did so. What caught his attention, however, was the slight shift in Gellert's weight as he leaned forward. Gellert's delicate fingers gripped Albus' jaw and forced him to look at him. ,, Just listen, Albus, face it, you've lost. You have no friends left to save you. You are alone, you have no one but me. So at least give yourself to me," he murmured to him before Gellert gave Albus a kiss. To his satisfaction, Albus did not bite, but neither did he return the kiss. He seemed to have finally realized that he had lost. He lay there and just let the kiss happen as if he knew that no matter if he resisted or not. To give himself to Gellert or nothing. He knew that whatever he did would not change his situation. ,, I am the one who has lost," Albus muttered, but Gellert paid him no attention. He had what he wanted, whether Albus followed him or not. Everything was his and his heart was with him. Egall whether broken or not. It was Egall because he had power.
Instead, he kissed Albus' lips again before kissing his way down his jaw to his neck. He could feel and hear the increased heartbeat. He walked almost slowly despite all this. As if something had been triggered in Albus with the arrival of reality. He sucked on the living spot and felt the goose bumps on his battered skin. Despite the fact that Albsu's mind did not react, his body did, whether its owner wanted it to or not. He looked at his work. The dark spot would change color in the next few days, but it would remain for the time being. ,, So beautiful Albus as always perfect for me," Gellert murmured the sweet words but got no response.
Kissing his neck further, Gellert's free hand clasped Albus' neck, slowly cutting off his air more and more as he bit into the bruised skin of his torso with his teeth. The wounds that had stopped bleeding from the shards started bleeding again. He tasted the blood in his mouth the sweetish blood with the slightly metallic smell in connection with the atmosphere. Asthetic.
He heard the soft gasp of Albus, his neck was sore from the screams, but he had not lost his fighting spirit. His tongue licked away the blood and he could feel the deep cut. He felt the desire to inflict more on Albus. But he had already done enough for today. If he overdid it and went mad, he would kill his heart with his own hands. He let go of the wounds and looked at the work in front of him. Albus shivered slightly, his breath quickened and the film of sweat was visible on his skin in the dim light. He moved back a bit before he pulled Albus' pants and underwear off with a jerk. It was a bit awkward, but when he was lying naked underneath him, it didn't matter anyway. ,, Shall we finally come to the big climax Albus?" he asked the ambiguous question and his hand took hold of Albus' cock, stroking it lightly. Besides a soft gasp, Albus said nothing. Gellert felt his patience wearing thin, he had sacrificed too much to argue with Albus' feelings now. Instead, he took his hand from his neck and jammed it painfully into the wound on his shoulder. Instantly, the hand was covered in warm blood and reopened. Albus cried out and contorted his face painfully. ,, Just...do it," Albus said shakily and looked at him again with hatred.
He withdrew his hand from the wound and smeared the blood on Albus' cheek. ,, As you wish" he purred before he went down from Albus surprising him. Albus tried to escape and Gellert let him down from the bed, but when Albus' hands grasped the golden bars, he flinched painfully. ,, Albus, you are my bird, did you really think I would let you go?" he asked, amused, before looking at the newly frozen man. But he saw that Albus was looking directly into the camera, something that gave Gellert goosebumps. He would watch this hopeless expression over and over again. He walked up to Albus and hugged him from behind. He didn't even have to force Albus to look into the camera, he did it without hesitation. ,, You've lost...let me take your worries away," Gellert purred and grabbed Albus' wrist. He didn't even have to drag him to the bed, it seemed that Albus followed almost by himself. What made Albus pause, however, was when Gellert ordered him to the end of the bed. He placed a gentle kiss on Albus' neck before grabbing him firmly and forcing Albus back onto the bed. The memory of the scene in the music room flickered briefly. How he hit Albus on the piano. The rapid beating of their hearts. Soon their hearts would beat together again. Albus, who was now at the end of the bed, seemed to have fallen back into his old pattern. His blue eyes were aversive, he withdrew into his thoughts, but his body was willing to surrender to Gellert. Albus's white open shirt covered his back. Although the blood had discolored the fabric there as well, he spared it. He had more than enough time to break Albus the way he wanted. ,, Look into the camera for my heart," Gellert purred as he positioned himself behind Albus. He bent over and wrapped his hand around his lover's neck before lifting his head ever so slightly. ,, That's it," he praised before his hand pulled back from his neck and ran over his side. He noticed the short twitch and gasp. "Sensitive," Gellert thought grimly before opening his pants. ,, Just look at the camera and relax," Gellert murmured and his hand went back to Albus' cock. Within a few movements it was hard again. He placed a quick kiss on the back of Albus's neck before thrusting into him without pretension. Albus gave a pained cry that was mixed with a moan. Gellert's hands, on the other hand, tightened on Albus' hips. Like any other action that night, it would leave a trace. ,, So good for me," came from Gellert, who had missed their togetherness. All this seemed too long ago and yet he did not want to take himself back. His thrusts were drenched in lust and desire. Albus, who was involuntarily making lewd noises, pushed himself more towards him and his fingers sought a hold in the bloody bedclothes. The candles reflected their shapes. Their shadows danced and yet they both seemed to be fighting for something, for dignity and love, and yet their hearts beat in unison. Gellert praised Albus for everything nothing but love spoke through the white-haired man. But Albus, even when he made the lustful noises, cried silent tears. They ran down his cheeks like shooting stars from his blue eyes before they were drawn up by the blood. But the blue eyes veiled by tears looked into the camera as commanded. But what Gellert did not see was the almost shcon changing glowing and sometimes dull expression of the eyes. It seemed as if the last phoenix would give up its spirit. Giving up. Giving up hope. Gellert surrendered to the pleasure his thrusts became stronger more irregular. He needed and wanted more.
He felt that he was close to his climax, but it seemed to be a double-edged relief. He had Albus to himself and he would remind him that their love was endless. One of his hands detached itself from Albus' hip and placed it on his shoulder, causing the wound to bleed again. With Albus' cry, Gellert came to his climax. Heavy breathing went through the room and yet the heartbeat seemed to echo off the walls.
His hand, once again stained with blood, ran through Albus' hair. A simple but loving gesture that was not returned. He pulled out of Albus, zipped up his pants and buttoned up his shirt. Of course, it too had bloodstains on it, but not nearly as bad as Albus'. The blue-eyed man didn't move, he was exhausted, but his eyes looked straight ahead. ,, Sleep is best," Gellert suggested before leaving the cage and turning off the camera. He would take care of the rest later. He had all the time in the world, Albus was his. Forever and ever. However, he did not dignify Albus with a glance, he did not deserve it. Because the pain and suffering was far from being paid for. As soon as the door closed, the room became its own floor. Magic had its advantages. It seemed that despite the cage, Albus, like Helmut, was trapped in only one larger one. To imprison for love what one desires is only fair, isn't it?
How long had it been now hours days weeks months or even years. He didn't know how to tell, everything before the great suffering seemed blurred. Who were these people who kept appearing in his dream? Did he know them or were they even family members? Had he had a brother or even a whole family? What had he once been ? Albus didn't know how to tell, he didn't seem to know anything anymore. What he did know was that pain was only something temporary. His heart had taught him that. After it broke, it was he who had patched it up. Piece by piece Gellert had picked him up and made him what he was now. His heart in full love. Gellert's shirts echoed through Nurmengard, it was a cool afternoon and the first snowflakes came gliding down the sky. His heart was calm and everything seemed so peaceful. Everything was perfect and in harmony. He had reached his goal. He had everything he wanted. He was perfect.
He felt it in his heart, he knew where Albus was and he followed the quiet beating of his heart. His shields led him up to the walls between which he could walk. ,, I knew I would find you here," he said when he saw Albus looking towards the setting sun. ,, You know me too well," Albus said with amusement, glancing briefly at Gellert. The blue eyes had regained their shine. They seemed to bring out the old Albus again. Something that Gellert appreciated incredibly. It proved to him that Albus truly loved him. Gellert stood next to Albus and they watched the sun. Gellert's hand moved to Albus and their fingers intertwined. It was so good and peaceful it could have been forever if Albus had not said those certain words. ,, Gellert, did I ever have any friends?" came the seemingly simple question from him and he continued to look at the sun. Involuntarily Gellert tensed and his uneven eyes looked at Albus. ,, What makes you think that?" he asked the question instead, releasing Albus from his grasp. His uneven eyes tried to detect a sign of a joke, but nothing suggested it. ,, I dreamed of shadowy people. It was as if I knew them. One in particular seemed so familiar as if I knew him," Albus said, not seeing the look of rage and hatred in his eyes. ,, You have no one but me, Albus," he said carefully, not wanting to yell at him. ,, Yes, but what if they were friends?" he began, but was interrupted when Gellert spun him around, grabbed his neck and pushed him against the wall. Albus from the force protruded lightly over the wall. The wind that came up played with her hair. ,, How many times have I told you. You have no one but me! No one but me, your heart Albus!" he shouted at him and his grip tightened. He realized that he was beginning to hate the glamour. It had happened too often that he asked the same questions and even if Albus always forgot, the hatred and impatience grew in Gellert.
Albus' hands went to Gellert's wrists and tried to free himself. ,, I'm so tired of this, Albus," he hissed and removed one of his hands from his neck. With the help of magic, however, he held Albus in place. He pushed up the sleeve of Albus' arm and his fingers ran over the unscarred part of his skin. ,, Do you remember what was once there?" he asked and his uneven eyes met the blue ones. At first confusion ran through them before something like realization and then pure shcock set in. ,, You-what-what have you done Gellert ?," Albus said in shock as the events of the past recalled everything. ,, You just have to forget about it!" Gellert spat back at him and pulled out his wand. ,, The word what was it Albus!" he demanded and choked the set stronger. ,, Love," he croaked as if he knew what this word would mean. ,, Exactly love and you ruined it, you just have to love me!" Emotions and years of good faith seemed to be for nothing.
He gripped the wand tighter before applying it to the only undamaged part of the skin. Again Albus made a pained sound as the magic ate through his skin and the word formed again on his arm. Bloody and beautiful, the letters stretched along his forearm. ,, You should have just loved me," Gellert said. ,, I will never be able to do that again," he heard Albus reply, and he heard the sadness. ,, I know," Gellert said with a sad smile before he unceremoniously released Albus from the magic and threw him over the wall. But it remained silent, only the wind passed them by. And for the first time it seemed as if Gellert could breathe again. He seemed to be free of love for a moment. And yet he stood on the wall and looked down from the sun and he saw the blue eyes. He saw the infinite beautiful blue. And yet he knew what connected them both forever. Like an unspoken curse. Their love. So he jumped after them and felt the cold air around him. Wordlessly he reached Albus and he saw the rocks coming closer and closer. ,, You can finish it," Albus said, looking at him hopefully. ,, Yes, I could," the white-haired man replied. His hand clasped Albus' and for a moment it seemed perfect. ,, But you know for love-". ,, You do anything " Albus finished the sentence before Gellert apparated himself and him back to Nurmengard just before the impact. They reappeared in the cage and the blood that had formed over the years was already forming its own dark color that still shimmered in the light. Without a word, he let go of Albus and stepped back from him. Instead, he placed the vial with the Amortensia potion on the small table and left the cage. ,, Take it Albus or I will pour it into you again. Because believe me, one more time you won't be able to ask any more questions," he threatened and they both knew that Gellert was serious. There would not be another time. Another time would mean the death of them both. He looked one last time into the real blue eyes of Albus. One last time he saw the boy from Godric's Hollow. One last time he looked at the purity before he closed the door behind him. But Albus didn't do it, whether he hated him so much Gellert didn't know, but it didn't matter anymore. Time passed, and the next time Gellert's voice was heard through the walls, there was something different about it.
His path led him, as it had thousands of times before, to his cage. It contained his bird. His property. His heart.
There in the candlelight in the almost run-down room was something in the cage. Someone who was once someone great. A symbol of hope. Now he was nothing more than a shadow of himself. The imperius curse and the countless amortensia potions had caused his downfall. He saw himself kneeling in the middle, his hands behind the rücek were held together by chains and his gaze was directed to the ground. ,, Hello Albus" he greeted him as he opened the cage and approached him. But he did not answer why it was not necessary. It was only necessary when the white-haired man gave the order. Gellert looked down at Albus and he slipped a finger under his chin, forcing him to look up at him. The iron collar on his neck made a slight clinking sound. ,, That's better," Gellert said, stroking his brown hair. A sigh escaped from the lower one. Everything seemed perfect, so unbelievably perfect for him. But there was one thing that had changed. One thing he hated so much. ,, Your eyes," Gellert murmured as he looked at the bright blue.
Where once was the beautiful living life was now nothing comparable. They were dull and dull they seemed almost dead so infinitely far away he seemed. But this was the price he had to pay when love was forcibly seized and kept with him. Gellert did not move away, he knelt down in front of Albus and took his face in his hands. ,, You know I'm doing all this because I love you, Albus," Gellert said, not waiting for the answer. Instead, the brown-haired man nodded slightly before Gellert parted from him. With the help of magic, he had developed the film on the camera and put it on a projector. The tape was automatically set up and the image was projected onto the wall. It would only take seconds for the film to show the first true essence of Albus. As the film began, Gellert stood behind Albus, watching his dull eyes take in the footage. ,, Tell me, Albus, do you love me?" a question that seemed so foreign between them that it sounded almost ridiculous. A brief smile of satisfaction came to Gellert's lips when he heard the dripping sound. The first tears had formed in Albus' dull eyes. In tears, recognizing his renewed situation and despite the curse and the potions, he answered truthfully and not under duress, ,, Yes...I have never stopped loving you". The answer from the true heart was what made Gellert realize that everything he had done was not in vain. In the end, Albus realized that he would always love Gellert. For even if Gellert was consumed by dark desires and love, they had never gotten rid of the curse of love. It had erased everything of Albus. Nevertheless, the last Dumbeldore still loved him. One will do anything for love. And so it remained that Albus watched his tormented self on the film in silent tears and Gellert gently stroked his hair. But what Albus did was he longed for Gellert more than he wanted to admit. When you had no one left, you had to love what you had. Even if you were covered with scars, because if you had love, it was the only thing that kept you from breaking in the face of harsh reality. This time he had to insist on his own well-being. Albus's own well being was to finally give himself to Gellert of his own free will. To love him and to let himself be loved. They were connected with destiny and only death would separate them. If they could not in their sick delusion also this immediately. But the carved words on his forearm showed what had caused all the suffering, the deaths, the murders and all the pain. Love. Their love. The love between Albus Dumbeldore and Gellert Grindelwald.