Love is greater than our cause

Chapter 24: Aurelius

Gellert POV:

The ministry had infiltrated my rally as suspected, I had anticipated it...what I hadn't anticipated was them managing to escape quick enough. I watched Credence through the crack in the slightly ajar door, he looked out at the mountains before casting a spell which smashed them with the new wand I had given him only weeks ago, when I told him he was a Dumbledore. Of course he wasn't actually. I had tricked him into thinking that to give him a motive, so he would agree to fight Albus. To make him think he was getting revenge on his brother for not looking for him. To give him emotional reasonings. When I got Abernathy and Vinda to move the Lestrange family tree to the tomb, they had tampered with it to make it look like Corvus is dead. He is Corvus Lestrange. But no one else needs to know that other than my most trusted Acolytes, Vinda and Abernathy. Both have shown me great loyalty. Which is what I value most. I walked back into my main office at Nurmenguard and reached into my pocket. Nothing was there. Panicking, I fumbled through all my pockets before taking off my coat and shaking it desperately. Nothing was there. Putting it back on I sat down in my chair. Someone has taken it. That means he has it, that means he can destroy it. We will then be able to fight and one will defeat the other. I tried my best to stop any of this from happening but it turns out it wasn't possible. Resting my head on my hands stress filtered into my head causing an unbearable migraine. I gripped at it, it felt as if something was squeezing my skull as tight as possible.
'Grindelwald?' Vinda called.
'Vhat!' I spat, trying to hide the fact I was in pain.
'Queenie made food...I wondered if you were coming to eat with us today-'
'Can't you see I'm busy!' I snapped.
'Yes, sorry sir, never mind.' She bowed her head, running off. My anger was worse than usual today with all of this unnecessary stress now with the blood pact gone. That thing was the closest thing I had to him, his blood, swirling next to mine. Something we made because of a deep affection we felt for eachother. We could try and deny it but it was true, I loved him. I never thought I would grow to care for someone as much as I cared for Albus. I love my aunt but...that was different, she's my family. With Albus I wanted us to take over the world together, I was willing to share my plans, my knowledge, my life with him. And he betrayed me, but almost worse...I lied to him. I lied to him and made him think I never loved him. Why would I do such a thing. Aberforth. I grimaced and the memory of that stupid boy shoving our plans at us and convincing Albus he was right. All the times he judged us, all the times he spoke harshly of me, all the times he spat at Albus. He sickened me. He still does. My migraine softened into a hard hitting head ache, I reached into my drawer and pulled out a photo of us. One I hadn't told him about, I hadn't told him about any. But I knew he knew about them, because Auntie would of let him take things from my room. And they were in there, the ones I had left especially for him. I wonder if he still has them, if he still looks at them now...probably not, why would he want to remember? I watched as I wrap my arms tightly around his waist whilst he's sat on my lap reading. I wonder if he still likes to read as much as he used to, if he still has all those books. I closed my eyes. Abruptly opening them seconds later. No no no no no. I apparated to where Abernathy, Mrs. Carrow, Queenie And Vinda were eating strudel.
'Grindelwald are you ok?' Queenie asked, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I didn't throw her off.
'I had a vision.' I murmured.
'Of what?' Asked Carrow, she flicked her wand, which caused the tea pot to pour tea into a cup and float over to me. I sat down and accepted it, taking a sip.
'Aurelius is going to succeed.' I said sternly, taking another sip.
'That's great news!' Vinda grinned.
'Yes...' I nodded, swirling my tea, not telling them specifically what happens.
'Aren't you glad?' Queenie pouted, confused.
'I am...my head just...' I rubbed my temples in pain.
'Here!' Vinda took some pills from Abernathy and put them into the tea.
'Are you sure that will work?' Carrow asked
'Courssse.' Hissed Abernath, his new tongue giving him a snake like voice which he wouldn't speak often.
I drank all the tea, listening to my Acolytes conversations as it began to take affect, removing the pain.
'Thankyou.' I said to Vinda and Abernathy.
'There are people.' Aurelius spoke hesitantly, appearing through the door, poking his head out. Queenie rushed to him, linking their arms as Abernathy followed, Vinda and Carrow apparated as did I. We all ended up at the huge window to see ministry officials attempting to break in. I transfigured myself quickly into Tina before apparating outside. They pointed their wands at me and I raised my hands in surrender. 'Tina Goldstein? The Auror?' One of them asked.
'Yes,' I nodded, they lowered there wands and I put down my hands, 'I just searched the building and Grindelwald is no where to be found.'
'We didn't know an American Auror was coming to search the premises...surely someone would have told us-'
'We wanted the information to be safe, anyone can intercept an owl and if the letter saying I was coming had got into the hands of the wrong people it wouldn't have ended why.' I explained.
After some thought he replied, 'very well...we will be heading back.' Tipping his hat to me they apparated. I waited a few minutes to make sure there were no watchers before apparating back inside and turning back into me.
'Well done.' Vinda smiled, pleased that I had managed to fool the ministry once again.
'Those stupid, filthy blood traitors are just a thick as mudbloods.' Carrow spat, crossing her arms. In truth I didn't agree at all with the way they talked about 'mixed blood' and 'blood traitors' I thought it was completely fine for a witch to love a muggle, a witch to love a wizard and even a wizard to love another wizard. Yes, I think muggles are of other value to us and that we should rule over them because that's exactly what they have done to us, for revenge. But I put up with their opinions because I know most of my following are Purebloods, they see my cause as a way to get revenge on blood traitors and kill mudbloods. Queenie on the other hand-
'There is nothing wrong with muggle borns, there is only love.' She shook her head in dismay at Carrow.
'How can you let her talk like this?' Carrow hissed at me.
'Now now, lets not forget that ve fight for freedom.' I tutted, walking past the quarrelling pair and facing the mountains, 'Aurelius...come.' I called to Credence. Anxiously, he came over, standing beside me but still kept his distance. 'Leave us.' I dismissed my other Acolytes. When they had left, we stayed in a comfortable silence as I decided to try and be gentle towards him, to not frighten him. 'Aurelius...I'm sure you vant to know about your family.'
He looked nervously towards me, nodding he said, 'I want to know everything about who I am.' He then stared back at the mountains.
'And I vill.....Your eldest brother, Albus, and I vere very close once...but he betrayed me and now I need you to help me fight him.' My bluntness made me realise that it simply wasn't in my nature to be gentle.
'What did he do?' Credence asked, gazing up at me, longing for all the knowledge of his past as well as his family's.
'He chose your brother Aberforth over me, vhen he did nothing but-' I stopped myself realising I was getting off topic, 'I didn't particularly like Aberforth, he was alvays holding Albus back. Your sister on the other hand, Ariana, vas quite different. A lot like you in fact.' I didn't really know why I was bothering to tell him all this, perhaps it was to strengthen his emotional connection to Albus so he'd be more willing to fight him, perhaps it was because I was finally able to vent. 'She had an obscuris too, but she was a sweet girl.' I smiled, remembering the time I danced with her, how almost happy she looked. Almost.
'What was Albus like?' Credence asked, fiddling with his hands, I could tell he was finally getting what he had always wanted. Knowing who he was.
'Albus?...he was very clever, alvays reading books but very head strong, stubborn. He had a love for sweets, sherbet lemon, strange I know but I'd alvays get them for him.' My heart began to swell up just thinking about him. 'He had dreams to go travelling...your parents died so he had to take care of your siblings, so he never did...' something was swirling around my mind, desperately trying to get out. I didn't let it.
'But...why did Albus have to choose between you and Aberforth?' Credence asked, furrowing his brows.
I placed my hand on Credence's shoulder, turning him to face me, staring into his eyes I saw only sadness, sadness I had only ever seen in one other persons eyes. Ariana. Patting his shoulder, I walked away, leaving his question unanswered.