What lies within?

Chapter 13: A dream come true

Gellert POV:

The pain inflicted on my back wasn't severe, I was more confused as I looked deeply into the emotional, brown eyes of Aberforth.

'Vhat on Earth are you doing? You mad man-'

Aberforth didn't seem to have time for my reaction as he cut me short, 'What did you do to him? What did you do to Albus? I will kill you with my bare hands you scumbag,'

'Vhat are you talking about?' I widened my eyes in surprise, 'I haven't done anything to your brother,'

'Liar!' Aberforth breathed, 'I'm not a fool, I never will be taken for one ever again so tell me why my brother is in his room crying again,'

I glared at him, hating his ignorance and, by definition, him, 'Your brother often cries, it pains me to say it but it's true. So perhaps instead of being down here criticising me for trying to help him, you should actually be vith your beloved brother who you claim to love so much-'

I was slammed against the wall again, 'You are treading in very dangerous territory Gellert,' Aberforth warned, 'I know you did something to him so you might as well-'

'Vhat? I might as vell vhat?' I argued back, 'let you push me around like he lets you? I'm sorry dear, dear Aberforth but I vill also not be taken for a fool or has it escaped your knowledge that you're actually in my house vith my family too. You may not like me but I happen to regard your brother as a very close friend of mine and do not intend to let you ruin that nor accuse me of something that is simply not true. Now, if you don't let me go then I'm afraid I vill have to inform my aunt of this little chat and let's just say I vould be my aunt's priority, especially vhen it comes to my safety. If it vas between you and me?' I unpinned his arms from their grip on my shoulders and leaned in aggressively close to him, 'It vouldn't even be a competition,'

With the threatening tension hanging in the air, I left swiftly leaving an even more agitated Aberforth behind to return downstairs to my aunt. Then the unsettling truth sunk in.

Albus was terribly upset.

Convincing myself to put it off until dinner, I returned to my aunt with the stationary as we finished the invitations; mailed them; and then began to plan it from decor to appetisers.

After a dinner with all dumbledores absent, which I excused again to my aunt with a loss of appetite, with food prepared by the new maid (Her name's Ethel and, thankfully, her cooking and cleaning is much better than Mary's) I finally managed to bring myself to go up to the third floor.

My hand just about to knock, it hovered in a fist before I let it fall to my side. I've probably been set back a few stages on the trust front.

I sat on the floor in front of the door like I used to and thought of something appropriate to say.

'If you can hear me, Albus, I'm sorry,' I started, not usually accustomed to such intimate talk. It was new to me, 'I didn't mean to frighten you a few days ago...I feel deeply guilty about causing you such discomfort. I understand you do not feel the same vay about me as I do you...I'm sorry to have thought that maybe you did and-'

To my surprise, the door opened to reveal the meek and nervous presence of Albus. His face red and blotchy with tears which he tried to rub away as he said, 'P-please...s-stop t-talking,'

I did as he asked but that only led to a few seconds of awkward silence before Albus walked away from the door but leaving it open. I guess it was his way of implicitly inviting me in. I took the offer and closed the door behind me to be met with more awkward silence.