Chapter Text
„I hate do to this … as I do not like you.” Both Travers and Albus grunted when suddenly two small bracelets closed around Dumbledore’s wrists. At once he felt disconnected from his magic, as if something stood between him and the power, he normally called to aid him.
“Consider those a present from the Ministry. They were specifically crafted for a mage of your … stature. Those will be taken of as soon as Grindelwald is imprisoned.” With that he turned around and motioned for his Aurors to follow him. They left Dumbledore behind who stared unbelieving at his wrists.
The door closed behind him with a loud clack and for a second there was silence in the room as Albus felt fear climb within him. He had never felt like this, this helpless and defenceless. He had to talk with the headmaster, in this condition he was useless as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Someone else would have to take over for him until the Ministry decided to set him free again, if they ever did.
He also needed to spend more time with his fellow professors, only they could help him now should Grindelwald send some goons after him. And he knew that it was only a matter of time before word would leave the castle. He threw open the door and stormed down many of the corridors until he came to a halt before the headmaster’s office. Taking a deep breath, he went inside.
The headmaster was furious with the Ministry and had snarled at the bracelets, but he also had gathered the other attendances of the castle and had explained the situation to them and how they would proceed. That no students were to be informed of the truth just yet and that any unknown person that was spotted on the grounds needed to be reported. Additionally, Albus Dumbledore was only allowed the minimum of private time and otherwise needed to be with at least another professor.
That evening, after new protection and detection spells were placed on his quarters, when Albus finally was allowed to retire for the evening he stared up towards the ceiling and wondered just how much time he still had. He knew that Gellert wouldn’t come personally to kill him, as he couldn’t harm him, and he felt both remorse as relief. Remorse for he knew that he would die without seeing the person he loved one more time and relief for the thought that he wasn’t killed by his beloved Gellert, that his hateful face wasn’t the last thing he would see.
However, he wasn’t afraid, for he knew what awaited him in the following month. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Gellert would send his man after him.
Two months went by in which the news from France and now Spain grew worse. The day on which the French Ministry of Magic exploded, and many witches and wizards were killed, was still fresh in his memories. The following day was the day that Grindelwald spoke to the muggles for the first time. He told them of the magic society which had lived in shadows for so long and would now take its rightful place within the light. Told them that, if they wouldn’t fight against the magi then they wouldn’t have to fight back.
In the following weeks there were many raids among muggles and magi alike. Within two weeks one third of the muggle in France had died. After those two weeks, who came to be called the red weeks, things settled down as the muggles accepted their place. They were servants, not slaves, to the magical society.
After the red weeks the attacks had begone. At first there were single witches and wizards that tried to enter the grounds or the castle. Then their groups grew, and they pushed forward.
The day the first one entered the castle the headmaster had to send letters out to the families, warning them of the attacks. Yet, before any students could leave the castle, Gellert Grindelwald himself appeared in Hogwarts.
No one knew how exactly he had gotten inside but he marched in through the main door during dinner one day. A group of his followers behind him. Albus, who sat to the right of the headmaster nearly choked on his food.
At once the students fell silent as many of them stared in fear at the intruder.
“Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, Students of Hogwarts. Rest assured I am not here to harm any of you.” Gellert’s voice echoed in the now quiet great hall. The teachers around him jumped from their chairs and whipped out their wands, for a second Albus yearned to follow them before remembering that it would be useless. So, he stayed seated, trying to fade behind the row of wizards.
However, he felt the burning gaze of a pair of mismatched eyes on him and found himself to stare at Gellert whose eyes only remained on him.
“So, it is true? The great Albus Dumbledore chained like a dog by the Ministry of Magic. As helpless as a muggle. You should have told me that you are into those things, Mein Schatz1, I could have had something arranged.” Gellert’s voice rang out as he began to march towards them and many of the students turned questioning eyes on him. Albus felt warmth colour his cheeks as panic began to grow within him. He knew that none of his colleagues could cast a spell on Grindelwald without risking hitting the students.
Gellert only stooped when only two rows of students were between him and the teacher table. From this close Albus had a better view of him as he took in the man before him. He reminded himself to keep concentrated but to what use? He couldn’t use any magic.
Too late he registered the smirk that stretched on Gellert’s lips and his quick drawn wand. “Accio!”
The spell normally only worked on objects, then why was he suddenly flung through the air and landed rather graceless on the floor before Gellert. Before he could find his bearing, he was picked up by two string arms and firmly pressed against Gellert’s chest.
The aery silence was interrupted by both panicked students and teachers.
“Silence! Grindelwald, you will unhand Dumbledore at once!” Silence returned and was, once again interrupted by Grindelwald’s laugh. It was a deep laugh that Albus could feel vibrate in the other’s chest.
“Or what? Headmaster? You are going to kill him?” Gellert laughed but stopped when a flash of green shot past them and hit one of his followers.
Albus was pulled away from the blast, to Gellert’s other side and felt a quick, checking glance on himself before a tip of a wand appeared before his eyes.
“Forgive me, Liebling2. This won’t take long, I promise. Imperio!”
Then all went black.
The next thing Albus can remember is that he lies on something soft and warm. Opening his eyes, he can make out a canopy above. A bed then. Looking to his right side he sees a small table which holds an unlit candle and a stone wall with windows that show clouds outside.
Behind the foot end of the bed were two doors, through one, the left one he could hear water running.
On the left side, next to him he saw crumpled bedsheets as if someone had laid beside him not long ago. On that side of the bed stood an identical table with a candle, however, there too was a small picture frame.
Leaning over he turned the frame in his direction and was shocked when a picture of himself glared back at him. It was a rather new picture of him from some newspaper. He turned the frame back in its original position and continued to look around the room. What was left was the wall to his left. There was another, a third door, but no windows inside this wall.
Sitting up against the pillows that littered the headboard he was surprised when suddenly long strands of silver-red hair fell over his shoulders. Curious, the last time he remembered his hair was short and dyed dark brown.
Then, out of nowhere, the memories of what happened after the unforgivable course had struck came to him.
He remembered turning around and leaving the great hall, striding past Gellert’s followers who parted for him. He marched through the castle and out front and only stopped after he had crossed the boarder of the grounds. There a portkey was pushed into his hands and he was gone. He regained balance in a large corridor which opened to a great room with a chimney in it’s middle. From there he went up one staircase and through many corridors until he entered the room he was in now.
He had been followed by a witch with light skin and black hair. She had followed him inside and through the left one of the two doors.
Behind that one laid a bath and she had casted spells on him before leaving the room.
Once she was gone, he had undressed, leaving his clothes in a heap on the floor. Then he had turned to the bathtub which had been filled with streaming water and he had lowered himself inside. Mechanically his hands had begun to wash his body and hair and the water turned brown as the hair dye must have been washed out.
During that bath his hair must have grown long as well, for when he left the bath his hair laid long and red on his back. The woman entered again as soon as he had bound a towel around his waist and dried his hair with another. She had burned his old heap of clothes and laid down a new set for him. This time she only turned around while he dressed and trimmed and shaved his beard afterwards.
Then, freshly bathed and dressed he had laid down on the left side of the bed and had fallen asleep.
He was startled out of his memories by the opening of a door. It was the one that lead to the bath and he wasn’t surprised as Gellert stepped out. Yet, he was surprised by the others state of undress as well as his return to his natural blonde hair colour. Both were pleasant surprises however and he had to warn himself to concentrate again.
“Good morning, Liebling2, how did you sleep?” Gellert greeted him, his voice far to cheerful for the current situation.
For a second Albus considered lying to the other wizard but considered that he would live longer if he didn’t. “I slept well, all things considered, thank you.”
Gellert smiled at him, not just a smirk but a genuine smile, and he moved towards him, still only dressed in a towel.
As he came closer Albus saw that he had trimmed his formerly scruffy beard into a neater version and he tried to move his eyes away from the others face only to have them land on a well build, very naked chest.
A warm chuckle filled the chamber and he looked back up only to be met with a pair of lips in a chaste kiss. At first, he tried to recoil, to move away from the other man. The same man who had murdered thousands. But he found that Gellert had one hand in his hair and pressed him forwards. And the longer the kisses continued the more his love for the other man, which he had tried to push down during the last years, resurfaced. Finally, he led himself sink into the kiss and felt Gellert push him backwards.
They broke their kisses for a second and he turned scarlet under the others wandering gaze. “You have no idea how divine you look right now? Or for how long I have yearned to taste your lips again, my Albus.”
Their lips meet again and Albus felt a hand rove over his clothed body just as his own explored the half-naked one before him.
They were interrupted by three sharp nocks on the door and the woman from his memories entered. “My Lord, words have reached us from our men in London. Their numbers are growing, and they say that we should be able to infiltrate the Ministry in about three weeks.”
She patiently waited for an answer, but none seemed to come, so he returned his gaze onto Gellert who still leaned over him. He found that the others mismatched eyes were still studying his face.
Another minute ticked by and he was surprised and shocked when it was him who was addressed instead of the woman. “How about it Albus? Want to join me in the raid of the Ministry?”
He felt faint and his head shock before he could even bring forth any words, “No, Gellert, I won’t- I can’t- I will not fight for your cause, I could never-“
He was silenced by another kiss and a gentle hand in his hair. He was shocked by the gentle look on the other’s face. “Might be better this way, Darling. At least then I know that you are safe while I am away.”
The shock must be written on his face as Gellert’s face fell. “Did you think that I would harm you or see your belief as weakness?”
Albus only turned away as shameful tears burnt his eyes. A warm hand turned his face back towards the man above and quick kisses were pressed on his eyes and forehead. “Oh, my beloved Albus, how could you think so lowly of me?”
He couldn’t answer for he didn’t know what to say.
The blonde wizard sighed before continuing, “But why should you think of me any different after what I have done to you. But please, you must believe me when I tell you that I am sorry. For I truly am.” Tears had formed in blue and black eyes and one dripped down and hit Albus cheek only to be quickly whipped away by warm fingers.
Words still evaded him so he could only stare back into those wonderful eyes and lean up into another kiss. While he had planned it to be only a soft peck he was not expected to be devoured so by the other. Feverish hands continued where they left of and within seconds his robe fell open. He would have forgotten the woman by the door if she had not loudly cleared her throat after the first kiss had fallen on his neck.
“Yes, Vinda?” Gellert did not move from his position, did not even raise his head, but his voice held a chill as he addressed her.
“My Lord, our men in London-“ she hadn’t dared to stutter but she sounded muted as she repeated what she had said only to be interrupted by Gellert.
“Will be ready in two weeks, I am aware. You may leave now, Mrs. Rosier.” The chill was still there as he ordered her, but it was nowhere present when his tongue lapped at the side of his neck.
The closing of the door, more forcefully than necessary, drowned out the embarrassingly loud moan that left him as Gellert latched onto one of his nipples.
“You have always been sensitive, Mein Geliebter. Lass mich dir zeigen, dass ich nichts von dem vergessen habe was wir damals entdeckt haben.3“
They spent the next hours or so in intimate embraces and he found, at times, embarrassing how easily he would come for the other, or shameful how readily he parted his legs. However, Gellert was gentle with him, mindful of his inability to cast any spells and considerate that Albus didn’t need to do anything except lie there.
More then once Gellert held whole hymns of praise in jumbled German for him other times he was near silent with only small words of endearment leaving his lips.
Some time later they dozed off, the bedsheets a crumbled mess around them and the pillows thrown around on the bed. Some had fallen to the floor and littered the space around the bed.