Closer Than Brothers

The Funeral

It had been a few weeks since the fight, and Albus had barely slept at all. He had been busy trying to help Bathilda plan the funeral, sending out letters to Elphias and a few others, those who knew of Ariana's existence, telling them that she had died unexpectedly due to her ill health. Only himself and Aberforth knew the truth.

Well, himself, Aberforth and Gellert, of course. But Gellert was long gone. Albus dared not ask Mrs. Bagshot what had happened with Gellert, but he knew enough. Gellert was gone, most likely far away by now, following the lead they had come across concerning the Elder Wand.

Albus should be relieved that Gellert was gone. Should be happy that the wizard who had tortured Albus' siblings right before his eyes had left for good. But he couldn't lie to himself; he was desolate.

Albus looked a mess. His eyes, already with bags under them from lack of sleep, were red and raw; not only had he been rubbing them raw due to the pain and stress of Ariana's funeral, but he also hadn't been able to stop the silent tears he shed every night. The nights where he did manage to fall asleep, he was shaken awake again by nightmares. There was no escape from his tragic reality, and it showed. It showed in his unwashed hair, tangled from the many times he had run his hands through it; it showed in his dulled blue eyes that had lost their usual twinkle. But however bad he looked, he was nowhere near as bad as his brother Aberforth.

Aberforth looked like a living ghost, and that was putting it lightly. His skin an odd greyish colour and his eyes swollen and bloodshot, Aberforth looked more like an  inferius, the rare times that Albus did see him. Aberforth spent most of his time shut away in Ariana's basement room, only stumbling up for water and to pick at the odd meal every once in a while. He couldn't even bring himself to help at all in Ariana's funeral.

Albus couldn't blame his brother. Ariana had been the only one who had really listened to Aberforth; the only one who had really cared. Albus certainly hadn't. He had been a terrible brother, and he had payed for it. With the innocent life of his sister, and with the loss of the only love he had ever known.

If that had even been real. It had certainly felt real, but Gellert had always had Albus wrapped around his finger, believing everything he told him. Aberforth was probably right; Gellert had most likely just used Albus and his lovestruck vulnerability to his own advantage, to achieve his own ends.

The worst part was, Albus had always known what Gellert had been capable of, but had brushed it aside, never wanting to focus on the potential darkness that brewed within his friend. He had foolishly hoped that he might have been able to 'save' Gellert and make him into a better person, and for a period of time he had really thought it had been working, but all the while it had been the other way round. Gellert had been bending Albus to his own will.

It hurt, knowing that the summer he had had may have all been a lie. Merlin, it hurt a lot. But there was nothing he could do. The best thing was to just carry on as best he could, and try to forget his broken heart.

He didn't want to, strangely. For some reason, he didn't want to let Gellert go.

But he had to.

Albus sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily, and looked back at the letter he was supposed to be reading.

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The day of Ariana's funeral had arrived all too quickly.

Now it was here, Albus didn't want to attend. He didn't feel like he deserved to be there; he felt too much like Ariana's death was his fault.

But he did attend. He had to.

The small clearing in the woods just next to the graveyard had been laid out with a few chairs, and the coffin that held Ariana's frail body at the front.

She had been so young when she died. And she had never really lived, always kept safe in the basement, never able to experience what life could have offered her.

Albus felt the pain rise in his throat, and he looked away from the coffin, instead focussing on seating himself at the front next to Aberforth.

Aberforth had actually made an effort with his appearance, wearing a slightly shabby but smart looking shirt, and had obviously tried to comb his wild reddish hair. He still looked like a corpse, though, and glared with deadened eyes at his brother as he sat down next to him.

Once the small gathering of people had arrived, and Albus had greeted Elphias, he stood up at the front, ready to speak.

Albus cleared his throat. "My sister Ariana died far too early. Her accidental death wasn't fair, and I would give anything to still have her here with us. If only—"

Aberforth stood suddenly, glaring daggers at his brother while a tear slid down his cheek. "If only you had listened to me about him. Her death was your fault, Albus. If it weren't for you, she'd still be alive and happy! Don't you understand what you did? She meant everything to me. Everything..." his voice broke, but he carried on, "she's dead, and it's YOUR FAULT!"

Aberforth suddenly swung a punch at Albus' face. Even though he could have easily blocked the clumsy punch, he let it hit him. There was a sickening crunch as he felt his nose break, and blood began to pour down his face. Tears stung the corners of his eyes from the pain, but he let it wash over him. He deserved this pain.

As the agitated murmurs of the small audience turned into worried conversations and gasps, Aberforth lowered his voice so that only Albus could hear. "You will never understand my pain. You never cared, not like I did."

Albus wiped his bloody nose, not reaching for his wand to fix it, although he easily could have. "Aberforth, I did love her—"

"—Not enough, you didn't. Sure, you'll be sad for a while, but then you'll finally be free of your burden. I will never be free, thanks to you and your...friend. I lost the person I cared about the most. You only lost a sister."

"I'm so sorry. But I lost more than just a sister, Aberforth," said Albus. A sharp pain rose in his throat and he swallowed it down. "You have to remember that I didn't just lose one person, Aberforth, I lost two." His voice broke, and he turned his face away from his brother, a single tear sliding down his bloody cheek.

Someone cast a shield charm between them, and Albus sat back down quietly, still not making eye contact with Aberforth.

———————————————————

The rest of the funeral passed far more quietly, and soon it was over.

Albus was now sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall.

He hadn't fixed his broken nose, and although it hurt like crazy, he resisted the urge to straighten it again. He wanted to remember what he had done. Aberforth was right; it was his fault that his sister was dead. And now Gellert was gone, too. The safety of his friend's presence was now no more, and suddenly he felt very alone. Around Gellert, Albus hadn't been afraid to be himself.

But now he was afraid of Gellert. Of what his friend may have seen, about who had shot the spell who had killed Ariana.

Albus looked up at his reflection in the mirror opposite his bed. Yes, some scars were worth keeping. He looked down at the faint scar on his palm. The scars may bring back painful memories, but Albus needed to keep them. He needed to remember his mistakes.

Gellert had the blood pact. What would that mean in the future? Would it be if significance? Maybe, if the plans that they had made came into fruition.

For the first time, Albus regretted that blood pact.

But one cowardly part of him was glad that Gellert had it. It meant that if it came to it, Albus would not be able to fight his friend, would not have to come face to face with his first love ever again.

Because, despite how many times he tried to tell himself he didn't, Albus was still in love with Gellert, from the bottom of his sorry little heart.

He didn't think that he'd ever stop loving him.

..And that's the end. I hope that y'all enjoyed my first fanfic, I certainly did. Adieu.