Ripe as Summer Quinces

[starfishstar]

RIPE AS SUMMER QUINCES
(Part 2 of Golden, Ripe and Rotten)

Summary: “Albus, my white knight,” Gellert said, and something in Albus’ chest loosened and blossomed, as it always did when Gellert spoke those words. “What shall we do today, with all the world at our feet?”

Characters: Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, Aberforth Dumbledore, Ariana

Comments

[gilpin25]

Apologies for taking so long to get here - I should NEVER have tempted fate by saying my computer was hanging in there because it promptly gave up for good! Grr.

Anyway, I'm loving this slow seduction in the warmth of the summer sun, nearly as much as Dumbledore. You've created some lovely images: the green lushness of the countryside, the light that intensifies around Gellert and the continuing theme of the fruit - it really is a seduction of the senses. And Dumbledore, in his intoxication with Gellert and the magic he brings, and despite his apparent conviction that he will become a ruler of great wisdom and benevolence, is failing to spot that his moral compass is also shifting. The excuses have already started when it comes to Aberforth and Ariana; the unkindness about Professor Bagshot allowed to go by without a word.

At the moment, it feel as if it's very much Gellert in control, what with his smirks and his words about 'your' England's 'polite greenness', suggesting that they don't rate much next to his mountains and his world. But I can read him calling Dumbledore his 'white knight' in two ways - even if he'd like to tarnish that whiteness considerably - and he may have all those many friends he talks about but can any of them give him what Dumbledore can?

Lovely, lovely read. Can't wait to see what you plan to tweak, if that's still the case, and what the next chapter brings.

[starfishstar]

Hi! Oh, so sorry about your computer - that happened to me a couple years ago (laptop died completely, at a time when I hadn't had a chance to back anything up in a while) and it was Not Fun. Hope you're able to get things sorted out...

Thank you for these comments, which are very helpful and timely, as I'm pondering and revising this fic. HMM, interesting that you're in fact already getting out of this version all the things I wanted the reader to get out of it (Gellert in control, smirking, always a little superior; Albus abandoning himself to this seduction and not seeing - or allowing himself to see - what he's losing hold of in the process) - maybe I don't need to revise/add as much I as thought I did! (I'm about to do a last read-through of the revised version I'm going to post.)

it really is a seduction of the senses

I'm so pleased you said this, because that's what I'm working on most at the moment - incorporating more physical and sensory/sensual details.

But I can read him calling Dumbledore his 'white knight' in two ways

For my own thought processes as I'm working on these stories, I'd love to know what two ways you interpret Gellert's phrase!

Thank you for reading and commenting. :-)

[gilpin25]

Re computers - fortunately back ups were up-to-date, but currently having to share Mr Gilpin's isn't much fun. Though he's probably suffering the most! But it's just not my keyboard or my screen, daft though that sounds, and I miss my old one. Getting a new one in die course may cheer me up, lol.

For my own thought processes as I'm working on these stories, I'd love to know what two ways you interpret Gellert's phrase!

Well my first thought was how much Gellert would get a kick out of tarnishing this white knight; he's mocking the goodness in Dumbledore (does he see himself as the black knight in that case?). But then the white knight is frequently a saviour, a rescuer of someone in distress, and it made me wonder if Gellert is aware of that on some level. And whether he's grateful, resentful or even a little admiring of what he doesn't possess, almost in spite himself.

Hope that helps and I'm not miles off what you were going for! :)

[starfishstar]

Neat! You've thought of things beyond what I'd thought of - but I like that! Here are the thoughts I'd had:

-First, just the straight-up play on their names: "Albus" means white, as Gellert mentions playfully in the first story.

-Also in the first story, Gellert calls Albus the "white knight" who will rescue magical England from being subjugated to Muggles... So in some way I think maybe Gellert does see Albus as a protector/rescuer on the side of "good," because of course Gellert considers his own side the right one...

-Also, here in this second story, I was thinking Gellert does kind of think of Albus as his "knight" in the sense of vassal, underling - Albus is an important part of his world-domination plan, yes, but not quite as equals; it's Gellert who will rule, Albus is (just) his right-hand man.

I'm tending towards thinking that Gellert does *not* yet feel any inferiority or admiration for the qualities Albus possesses and Gellert doesn't; that that won't come until much later in life for him.

But that's just my personal interpretation of the moment! There are so many ways to look at their relationship, which we only get tiny hints of in canon.