Grindeldore // The Hallows That Divide Us

~11~

Gellert sat up. His bare chest was covered in red marks, but the hair above his torso was stuck tightly to his skin by the glistening sweat that remained from the night before.

They'd moved to the bedroom further on into the evening. He remembered everything. The touch, the feel, the smell...

It was all coming back to him.

Gellert leant against the headboard of the poster bed and looked down at the sleeping man next to him. He was lost in his dreams, most likely about the two of them together. It was sweet.

Gellert grimaced.

For a cold-hearted criminal, he couldn't be known for having the emotional deficit of 'sweet'.

He quickly got up. Making sure he didn't stir Albus from his temporal void. The floor was wooden planks, so he also took extra care to not make a sound as he trod across the room to retrieve his clothes from the doorway.

They were scattered across the floor like wildfire. His in a mess with Albus'. It took him a while to detach a belt that had snagged on his trousers. He wasn't even sure who's it was.

Albus was stirring in his sleep.

He knew it was early, but even as teenagers, Gellert remembered him rising at a similar time to himself. He knew he wouldn't have much time.

When he'd put his clothes back on in a relatively respectable manner, he gave one last look at the soundless Albus. His arms were resting comfortably on the pillow, and his closed eyes faced Gellert, quietly humming to the piano piece by James P. Johnson.

The affection was still there. He felt all of it. But when he apparated away, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. But he wasn't sure whether it was good or bad.

Whatever it was, as soon as he'd reached the auditorium again, his mind was swiftly brought back to the present. How easy it was to move from one place to the other without having to worry about time or transport.

Gellert had made his way to the outer part of the auditorium, almost slamming against the bricked wall as he collided with the reentry.

His collared shirt was still open. Feeling the breeze on his chest was a stab from the early morning breeze. He took this as an inclination to button it back up.

He took a few breaths. It was always bumpy apparating from place to place. It had almost been 24 hours since he last did it. Maybe waiting out in the school all day hadn't been the best idea ever...

"And where have you been?" A curt, harsh voice spoke from behind him. Gellert being the master of his own doings knew that only two people had ever talked to him in that temperamental tone, one of which he'd left lying fast asleep in bed, so deduction eluded him to the only other person.

"My, my, my, Miss Rosier. Have you been spying on me?" He slurred in a provocative tone.

Vinda Rosier, his most loyal follower. In some cases, he felt she had larger visions, even more than himself. In her mind, the non-magic of the world were to become the servants of the magic world, ruled over with precision and respect. She knew what she wanted, and better yet, was willing to follow Grindelwald into any battle commenced to ensure this fate.

Gellert needed her manner and prestige to steer him straight. To make sure he followed his plans, even though there was no plausible reason for him not to.

"That is rich coming from the man who, by the way, was 'spying' on his ex, before god knows what! And no, I don't want to know what happened." She was giving him a look that was meant to make him feel guilty.

It wasn't working.

Gellert smirked back. "He's not my ex," He was still buttoning up his shirt as he walked towards the tunnel that intersected the outer part of the auditorium to the inside. Vinda followed at a swift pace, her heels tapping against the cobbled floor.

"Oh, I can see that!" She said from behind him.

"Please tell me you're not buying into his fantasies of what 'the right thing to do' is!"

"On the contrary." Gellert said. "He's buying into mine." He'd walked the length of the tunnel and was now entering the arena's vast, atmospheric aroma.

As he'd continued to walk to the centre, Vinda had stopped by the opening. "What are you talking about?" She said

Gellert walked up the steps. He felt at home again. A large surface area to surround his ultimate ego of attention. For when he stood in the centre of the room, whatever eyes were on him, or not, in this case, he was the master of all. The man to lead the world in the right way.

He breathed it all in, before facing Vinda. Now he held the curt look that made her feel uneasy. "The greatest threat to our cause was the man that you called a coward," he shouted. She felt worriedly threatened.

"That man was to stop the eventual plans of the world. To stop the rightful place of muggles and wizard-folk alike. Yet now...he is but in the palm of my hand." He clenched his fist tightly to indicate the growing power.

"Albus Dumbledore. That man has given me pleasure as I have given him in more than the physical touch. We started this together 30 years ago. I will not finish it without him. And now, his loyalty is undeniable to my every will."

Vinda was shocked. Her words had not formulated properly, because when she spoke to respond, it came out in a flourish of murmurs, followed by a question she couldn't remember thinking. "...but why is that?"

Gellert's smirk had become his trademark. To know something that nobody else did made him feel even more powerful. And now, the feeling of definitive victory was as gracious as the man who told him, 'I would do anything for you.'

He spoke low and slow and chose his words carefully. "Because of his undying love for me."

When he spoke, it felt like another weight off his shoulders. He felt exasperated. More so, than when he had made love to the man again, not hours earlier. It was relief.

"He will join us, Miss Rosier. Mark my words. He is susceptible to my persuasion. It is his only weakness."

His voice was echoing around the room. An empty audience was better than nothing. It was empowering, and he found himself walking in circles to engage in the aroma of the auditorium.

But when the silence filled the room again, all attention fell to the brief fluttering coming from the tunnel behind Rosier. She inclined her head, and moved out of the way of the tunnels arch, to allow the bird to enter the room.

A barn owl, no less, entered through the arch, obviously tired by the way it was flying with its wing barely in tact.

Gellert knew it was from Hogwarts. Albus had clearly tried to be as discrete as possible, almost killing the poor bird in the process.

When it flew up to him, and landed on his outstretched arm, it almost collapsed onto the floor. Gellert smirked and carefully removed the letter it was carrying from its claws. 

It read:

I heard you leave, that was hardly the morning after I'd hoped for. But never mind, you clearly had a better place to be.

Knowing you, you've hidden out somewhere and are no doubt untraceable, so I sent this owl as soon as you left. I hope I haven't killed the poor thing...

Anyway, I just wanted to say it was a pleasure to see you again. I missed you. And I hope we can have more days like that...

And yes. I will join you again.

But only for 'the greater good'.

Albus

~~~
Another chapter done.
What do you think will become of Albus now that he's decided to join back with Gellert?