Love is greater than our cause

Chapter 63: Lifeafter

Gellert POV:

It was a gloomy day like any other in my life as I held fear in my heart just thinking about where Albus might be now. If something has already happened to him and I don't know. And I can't do anything about it. I held the photo of him in my arms as I cried over it time and time again just hoping that maybe, just maybe he would walk through that door again..........he never did.

Antonio comforted me, perched on my knee he let me cry over my pictures as he too whimpered a little at the beautiful sight of my ex-lover. He must have understood. It had been hours and I was still crying, Antonio tried to cheer me up by getting off me and rolling around on the floor but it didn't help and he soon gave up, realising I was so upset he could do nothing to help. I did put the photos away after awhile in an attempt to calm myself but it was almost a year since he visited me and I feared I would never know the exact day he died.

Antonio crawled up me to sit on the link between my shoulder and neck like he usually does to sleep but instead balanced himself on my cheek and licked away my tears as I cried. I chuckled sadly, picking him off my face and holding him in my hands.

'Oh Antonio,' I sniffed, 'You're all I have left are you not?'

He growled, also sadly, as he nibbled my hand.

I gripped the blood pact that was still strung around my neck and held it close to my heart, 'I still have him,' I whispered, 'His blood and mine vill be here forever,' tears continued to fall down my face as I let go of the pact and instead put my hand on my heart, 'And the memory of him vill stay here too...even vhen I'm dead...I vill never let him go,'

A few minutes later, Antonio began to behave very strangely. Suddenly, he jumped off my hand and began growling at absolutely nothing. I'd had him for years and he had never done this before, 'Antonio?' I called, 'Vhat is vrong?'

He ignored me and continued to growl at what I first thought was nothing but then realised was a faint flame that was somehow dancing in midair. This flame grew brighter and brighter until suddenly it turned into a Phoenix as if a portal had opened and it had appeared. I was so taken aback I had half the mind to call my guard to get rid of it but I didn't. I was curious as to how and why this bird was here.

I was very concerned as it stared at me almost as if it knew who I was or something. That's when I remembered there's only one person I know has a bird such as this one, only one person I know has a Phoenix, only one person I know who would think to send one. I stood up, tugging down the feather I had hanging in the middle of my room, the thread of Albus' hair coming with it as I presented it to the bird. It bowed its head in understanding, telling me it is who I think it is. I tied the feather back up so to distract myself as to why Albus would have sent me this bird or maybe...the bird came to me itself because.....because...

I had to know I thought, 'Albus...Albus.....is he?..........is he dead?'

The bird paused for a moment before bowing its head again and squawked.

I tried to choke back the tears but I couldn't as they uncontrollably fell from my eyes before I could even realise. I began picturing him dying in a million different ways. Maybe he was cursed or poisoned or he fell or all of them, oh Merlin. My sobs echoed around my soul as I gripped my heart that felt as if it had physically shattered. This was more painful than anything I had ever felt, more painful than seeing his sister die, more painful than being apart from him for years, even more painful than my father telling me I was a curse myself. Because the only person I've ever truly loved has just died and I will never see him again.

'No,' I whispered, my whole body shaking with despair, 'He can't be dead, he can't be dead,' I repeated to myself, 'HE CAN'T BE DEAD,' I screamed, my hands now gripping the roots of my hair as I collapsed onto the floor as if I was going mad, 'NO!' I continued to scream as loud as I could, even if my throat was burning, begging me to stop. I wouldn't, I couldn't, I refused to accept that fact I would never feel Albus's touch ever again, never see the twinkle in his eyes that were always so full of life, never hear him say I love you. I screamed as much as I could in denial hoping that I could die myself, wondering if I could find a way to jump out of my window, break through the forcefield and fall to my death so I didn't have to live with this.