Love is greater than our cause

Chapter 23: Silver Rings

Albus POV:

I walked into a spare classroom to find Leta, her hand traced over some initials that were inscribed on top of one of the desks. Smiling to myself as I saw it spelled 'L+N' I walked over to her. 'Hello Leta.' I announced myself. She slowly put down the desk top and stood up, turning to face me.
'You don't have to pretend, I know you don't like me.' She frowned.
'On the contrary, you were one of my brightest students.' I argued, my hands buried themselves in my pockets as Leta stared back at me.
'I'm intelligent enough to know you're lying.' She shook her head in annoyance as I said nothing, 'no response?' She stepped past me, 'I knew you never liked me.'
As she walked away I protested, 'That's not true...I never thought-'
'The same as everyone else? They were right...I was wicked.'
'Leta, you need to acknowledge the rumours about your brother-'
'No, he is dead...you don't know how that feels.' Her eyes filled with despair.
'In my case it was my sister.' I reminisced, trying to get through to her.
After a pause she replied, 'Did you love her?' Pain inflicted upon my heart as the question repeated itself in my head. Did I love her?
'Not as much as I should of done.' I said, remembering I had caused her death, my thoughts gripped painfully to my head but I tried to quieten them down. 'Listen, you may find a confession helps to calm the burden you must carry everyday.....regret is my constant companion...don't let it become yours.' I shook my head, leaving the room and walking back through the corridors. My chest was pounding, my brain forcing myself to re live that summer. The summer my sister died. I found myself walking towards a blank wall, or at least that's what it looked like. Closing my eyes as fear burned throughout my body, the unwanted anticipation causing my heart to beat faster. I opened my eyes to see the blank wall had formed a door. I pushed it open and walked inside, it quickly concealed itself so it looked as if there was no exit. My eyes fixed to an object in the middle of the room, controlling my breathing, I approached it, the silence filled with the sound of my shoes on the smooth stone floor. My hand clasped around the black satin cover, I sighed, pulling it off and letting it drop to the floor. Staring into my own eyes my fists clenched. What have I become? As I looked into the mirror, a faint image of me and Gellert in our youth appeared. It slowly became clearer. My eyes looked over my younger self, in pity, self loathe, how naive. I grimaced as we had slit our palms, pressing them together to form our pact. So then what is my desire? Just as I remembered it, the drops of blood rose from Gellert's hand, enclosed by the case. The image changed to Gellert, as he is now. His eyes staring into mine, my heart fluttered, I looked in sorrow back at him. Then I realised. I touched my fingers against the mirror, as if they were touching Gellert's. But it was just an image. Hot tears began spilling from my eyes and my legs gave way. Sliding my hand down the mirror as I collapsed onto my knees, sobs erupted from my throat. Why? Why do I feel like this?

Since the ministry sacked me I've been having trouble with finding things to occupy myself. Yes, the stress of marking, planning lessons and dealing with hormonal teenagers had gone but that was replaced with boredom. I had too much time, before, I had been able to block out my thoughts with distractions such as teaching. Now that was gone...every day just because increasingly hard to survive.

Walking along the Hogwarts corridors as usual, I clutched books in my hand. Not my usual ones...was that Tales of the Beedle and the Bard? I didn't know where I was going but I opened a door, I was in Headmaster Dippets office, or rather my office. Putting down the books, I looked up and was faced with a mirror. My long grey locks, my wrinkled skin, the glasses on my nose, my long beard. I was old? I walked over to my desk and sat down in my chair, looking down at my lap to see I was wearing purple robes. Suddenly, the door opened and my head shot up. Standing there was another man, his short, grey hair spiked up and his skin had wrinkled with age.
'Gellert?' I whispered, my voice deeper than usual.
'Albus.' He smiled, walking to my side, his hands behind his back as I felt the touch of his lips on my cheek.
'What are you doing here?' I asked, if the ministry were to find him-
'Vhat do you mean? I teach Defense against the Dark Arts!' He chuckled, amused, 'Already losing your memory?'
I crossed my arms, 'I'm not that old!'
'No...only 115!' A smile plastered across his face as my mouth opened in shock.
'Well you're not far off either.' I mumbled, looking down at my hands, I noticed a glistening silver ring on my left.
'Don't get so sensitive about it...I love you no matter how old you get.' His hands ran through my grey locks, he too wore a silver ring, as he pulled me towards him.

I sat bolt up right, holding my head which pounded. A dream? As my eyes adjusted, I recognised the warm, soothing familiarity of the duvet against my legs. His duvet. Wrapping my arms around it I picked at a loose thread to calm myself down. I went over the dream in my head, everything seemed so perfect except.....Panic rose in my chest, I quickly got out of bed and rushed to my mirror. My usual self stared back at me, my short hair, my slightly aged skin. I was still 47. Sighing in relief, I got back into bed, pulling the duvet tightly around me. I wish that's how things had turned out...I looked longingly at the empty space next to me. I could go travelling...that's what I wanted to do. I wonder if Elphie would be up to it? I best not bother him, he's busy writing articles on places he's been. He has better things to do than go travelling with his old school friend who's recently been fired. As my eyes began to close, I thought, old Gellert would've said yes. I often think about how I can possibly care for him after everything he has done, the answer is simple. It was my fault my sister died, not Gellert's. I don't know who killed her directly but the blame should be on me, no one else. It's my fault Aberforth found our plans and we duelled, I could have prevented it and I didn't. I'm not saying what he did can be justified, I know what he has become, I know what he is. I see it now.