Happy Easter
So, HAPPY EASTER F-LIST!
To celebrate, I'm handing you slash (what a surprise). Have fun!
Pairing: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Rating: R
Word Count: 1665
Disclaimer: Characters are so not mine. But they are canon!
Notes: Let’s pretend they didn’t split up in, like, three months time. Let’s pretend they spent nine months planning how to conquer the world and similar frivolous matters. Let’s pretend they got to spend an Easter together. This is mere fluff. I take no responsibility in any diabetic problems it might cause.
Written for the “Happy Zombie Jesus Day Fest”.
Čestit velikden
The knock on the door had Albus raise his head from the mountain of laundry he was folding and piling into three separate stacks. He smiled to himself and caressed his bearded chin while he went to open the door. And certainly, there stood Gellert, beaming back at him. The wind caught in his blond curls, giving him a careless, almost wild appearance, and Albus suddenly felt ridiculous bothering about housekeeping and laundry. He straightened his shoulders instinctively.
“Čestit Velikden!” cried Gellert, hugging him shortly and slapping him on his shoulder. “Or Happy Ostara, if you prefer!”
Albus smiled a bit wider.
“Happy Easter to you, my friend. And thank you for coming by this morning, for I had completely removed the memory of this beautiful, festive day from my mind!”
“You’re too busy managing worthless tasks,” replied Gellert, waving a hand. He leaned forward, looking both ways before asking “May I?”
Albus moved back a step, but looked sideways uncomfortably.
“You may, but I’d rather you didn’t,” he whispered. “Aberforth is in.”
Gellert looked put off, but didn’t say anything. He simply huffed and leaned against the doorframe, staring back at him expectantly.
Albus stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do with his hands, then tried to look relaxed as he said “Just come in for a second, I have something for you.”
He made his way towards the kitchen, listening carefully for the clang of the closing door and knowing that Gellert was following him, then retrieved something from a small basket on top of the pantry.
“Here, I made this for you,” he said eventually, holding out his small present.
Gellert took it and examined it rapidly. It was an egg, painted in red and finely decorated.
“Thank you,” murmured the boy, who seemed perplexed.
“It’s just an egg. It’s traditional, meant to bring prosperity,” explained Albus.
“I know,” replied Gellert, turning the egg in his fingers. “We have the same tradition. Is it…” He wavered, then asked “Is it a snake egg?”
Albus looked surprised.
“No,” he answered, furrowing his brow. “It’s just…a chicken egg.”
“Oh.”
Albus stared at him silently.
“Are you disappointed?”
“No,” answered Gellert readily, raising his light green eyes with a tiny smile on his lips. “It’s just an older tradition I’ve seen in Bulgaria.”
“You used to give people snake eggs, back there?”
Gellert shook his head, grinning.
“Not commonly, no,” he said, giving him one of his wicked, knowing looks, “but if it was a special gift… They’re a symbol for eternal life, you know? Resurrection.”
“I would have chosen a phoenix egg then; that would have been more appropriate,” Albus laughed, then added “Consider it a snake egg, by all means, if that’s what you would have deemed a special gift.”
He swallowed, averting his eyes, self-conscious of his own words.
“It is special, just because it came from you,” replied Gellert, and Albus’ eyes widened, because his lack of bashfulness made him feel ill at ease, and he couldn’t see how the other wouldn’t. But he didn’t, and that was a fact, because when he dared to look up Gellert was smiling gallantly at him and only then did he put away the egg, hiding it between the folds of his cloak.
“So, talking about eggs,” Gellert resumed the conversation casually, as if Albus hadn’t blushed a shade of red that highly resembled his auburn hair, “are you going to take part in the scavenger hunt this afternoon?”
“Scavenger hunt?”
Gellert shot him a definitely amazed look, this time.
“I can’t believe you haven’t heard of it!” he cried. “They go hunting for painted eggs, back in the woods, just outside the mill!”
Albus lifted his eyes, suddenly recalling another tradition, once dear and much awaited for.
“Oh, Merlin, I’m losing track with reality, I swear!” he bemoaned.
“Don’t get all worked up about it, I was just joking,” Gellert giggled, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I bet you’re a bit too grown up for that.”
“I am, but Aberforth might have liked to join the fest,” Albus grumbled, casting down his blue eyes.
Gellert didn’t give him time to brood, anyway.
“He’s too old for that kind of childish activities, too, and this makes me think… If he’s staying home this afternoon he can look after your sister, while we…”
“I don’t know, Gellert,” Albus put in. “Ariana has been nervous lately and I can’t ask this of him…”
“Oh, sure you can!” Gellert almost shouted, getting a pretty angry look from his friend. “You’ve played the housewife long enough for today. We’ll go wandering through the woods, where we can talk undisturbed, and no one will listen.”
Albus wished he had the strength to decline the offer, but it was just of a few hours they were talking about and he did deserve to leave that sickening prison, so he just tilted his head to one side and smiled.
Gellert looked delighted.
“I’ll wait for you under the oak,” he murmured, “when the church bells strike two.”
“And I shall be there,” Albus whispered.
Minutes later he was still standing in the kitchen all alone, daydreaming about long spring afternoons in the sun and a green bower granting shelter and secrecy.
“So, about those issues I was illustrating to you yesterday…”
“Albus,” Gellert interrupted the other’s enthusiastic but inane conversation, “do you know what Easter is? Its meaning?”
Albus glanced at him puzzled, wondering where his friend wanted to lead him with that question.
“It’s about resurrection, isn’t it? The eggs, and…”
“No, I mean anciently,” specified Gellert. “Before it was even called Easter.”
“It was a spring festival,” he answered.
“The festivity of Eostre, the goddess of life,” explained Gellert. “It was about love. And rebirth.”
Albus felt himself blush again at that simple and innocent mention of the word love. It was strange and destabilising, how nothing Gellert ever said sounded truly innocent to the core.
“Of course,” he admitted then. “That’s the original spirit of the day.”
They walked lazily for a couple more seconds, before Gellert stopped and turned on the spot.
“I’ve wanted to discuss this matter with you for quite some time, Albus,” he said, choosing to be direct instead of using long turns of phrase, as usual. Albus stood rooted on the spot as the young man put a hand on his forearm.
“Really, Gellert, we’ve been discussing any sort of matters every day, and often until late at night. What’s the subject troubling you so?”
He had the clear sensation he knew what his friend was talking about, but he cowardly attempted to put off the inevitable question. He had been racking his brains - and torturing his soul - for weeks and months, smelling the tension in the air like rain approaching, and still he felt unprepared for the storm coming. He was conscious, though, that he couldn’t lie much longer, not to Gellert.
“Please, don’t look that taken aback. You know what I’m talking about.”
Albus paused, then murmured “Yes, I do.”
“We spend all our time planning our future, and it will be glorious, but we’re supposed to be together in this. Together.”
“I’m with you, you know I am,” Albus muttered, his soft tone clashing with Gellert’s animated words.
“But I want more.” Gellert paused, then added “And I know you do, too.”
Albus sighed.
“It’s dangerous, what you’re talking about, and… This feelings you stir in me are different from anything I’ve ever felt. I’m not sure this would do us any good…”
“Not sure?” Gellert repeated his words with unmistakable sarcasm. “Are you not the one who told me love is the strongest of powers?” Again he paused, whispering after a while “I do feel more powerful, when I’m with you.”
Albus suddenly looked up at him: he stared into his clear eyes and sought there tenderness and complicity. He felt his heart race faster when he found it all, and more: he saw green eagerness, resolution and desire. Gellert was like that, wild and aggressive, and that was what made him lose his mind.
“Gellert…” he moaned, barely a breath.
“I’m not good at waiting, especially for good things to happen.”
Gellert grinned, the faintest shade of pink finally colouring his cheeks, and Albus felt any defence between them crumble forever. Therefore he leaned down on Gellert and, without thinking twice, he kissed him on the lips. Gellert’s arms wound around his waist seconds later, and Albus drew up a hand, only to lose it between his companion’s soft curls. He savoured the smooth tenderness of his mouth and the pleasant warmth of his touch under his tongue, and felt it reverberate all through his body. It was the first time in his life, after meeting him, that he had ever felt alive, connected and truly powerful. Exactly as Gellert had said.
As they parted slowly, Albus kept his eyes closed, lingering on that delicious moment, unwilling to come back to reality; but then he heard his companion giggle and he finally looked at him. His light green eyes still stared back at him with mischievousness and a bit of insolence, but his face was glowing with unmistakable joy. Albus smiled and caressed Gellert’s hair with tenderness, not certain about what to say.
“You kiss like you speak,” Gellert whispered, his voice warm and caressing. “I wish to hear more about this.”
“You will…” murmured Albus.
Gellert grinned and took a step back, then another.
“Let’s play hide and seek,” he said, and his voice had turned wicked and deeper. “And maybe, if you catch me, I’ll give you my own Easter present…”
Albus licked his lips briefly, as the other took another step back. Then Gellert sprang into a wild race, his slender figure bolting through the trees like a deer, and Albus promptly ran after him. While the wind dispersed his gleeful laughter, he thought again that he felt powerful. And free.
To celebrate, I'm handing you slash (what a surprise). Have fun!
Pairing: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Rating: R
Word Count: 1665
Disclaimer: Characters are so not mine. But they are canon!
Notes: Let’s pretend they didn’t split up in, like, three months time. Let’s pretend they spent nine months planning how to conquer the world and similar frivolous matters. Let’s pretend they got to spend an Easter together. This is mere fluff. I take no responsibility in any diabetic problems it might cause.
Written for the “Happy Zombie Jesus Day Fest”.
Čestit velikden
The knock on the door had Albus raise his head from the mountain of laundry he was folding and piling into three separate stacks. He smiled to himself and caressed his bearded chin while he went to open the door. And certainly, there stood Gellert, beaming back at him. The wind caught in his blond curls, giving him a careless, almost wild appearance, and Albus suddenly felt ridiculous bothering about housekeeping and laundry. He straightened his shoulders instinctively.
“Čestit Velikden!” cried Gellert, hugging him shortly and slapping him on his shoulder. “Or Happy Ostara, if you prefer!”
Albus smiled a bit wider.
“Happy Easter to you, my friend. And thank you for coming by this morning, for I had completely removed the memory of this beautiful, festive day from my mind!”
“You’re too busy managing worthless tasks,” replied Gellert, waving a hand. He leaned forward, looking both ways before asking “May I?”
Albus moved back a step, but looked sideways uncomfortably.
“You may, but I’d rather you didn’t,” he whispered. “Aberforth is in.”
Gellert looked put off, but didn’t say anything. He simply huffed and leaned against the doorframe, staring back at him expectantly.
Albus stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do with his hands, then tried to look relaxed as he said “Just come in for a second, I have something for you.”
He made his way towards the kitchen, listening carefully for the clang of the closing door and knowing that Gellert was following him, then retrieved something from a small basket on top of the pantry.
“Here, I made this for you,” he said eventually, holding out his small present.
Gellert took it and examined it rapidly. It was an egg, painted in red and finely decorated.
“Thank you,” murmured the boy, who seemed perplexed.
“It’s just an egg. It’s traditional, meant to bring prosperity,” explained Albus.
“I know,” replied Gellert, turning the egg in his fingers. “We have the same tradition. Is it…” He wavered, then asked “Is it a snake egg?”
Albus looked surprised.
“No,” he answered, furrowing his brow. “It’s just…a chicken egg.”
“Oh.”
Albus stared at him silently.
“Are you disappointed?”
“No,” answered Gellert readily, raising his light green eyes with a tiny smile on his lips. “It’s just an older tradition I’ve seen in Bulgaria.”
“You used to give people snake eggs, back there?”
Gellert shook his head, grinning.
“Not commonly, no,” he said, giving him one of his wicked, knowing looks, “but if it was a special gift… They’re a symbol for eternal life, you know? Resurrection.”
“I would have chosen a phoenix egg then; that would have been more appropriate,” Albus laughed, then added “Consider it a snake egg, by all means, if that’s what you would have deemed a special gift.”
He swallowed, averting his eyes, self-conscious of his own words.
“It is special, just because it came from you,” replied Gellert, and Albus’ eyes widened, because his lack of bashfulness made him feel ill at ease, and he couldn’t see how the other wouldn’t. But he didn’t, and that was a fact, because when he dared to look up Gellert was smiling gallantly at him and only then did he put away the egg, hiding it between the folds of his cloak.
“So, talking about eggs,” Gellert resumed the conversation casually, as if Albus hadn’t blushed a shade of red that highly resembled his auburn hair, “are you going to take part in the scavenger hunt this afternoon?”
“Scavenger hunt?”
Gellert shot him a definitely amazed look, this time.
“I can’t believe you haven’t heard of it!” he cried. “They go hunting for painted eggs, back in the woods, just outside the mill!”
Albus lifted his eyes, suddenly recalling another tradition, once dear and much awaited for.
“Oh, Merlin, I’m losing track with reality, I swear!” he bemoaned.
“Don’t get all worked up about it, I was just joking,” Gellert giggled, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I bet you’re a bit too grown up for that.”
“I am, but Aberforth might have liked to join the fest,” Albus grumbled, casting down his blue eyes.
Gellert didn’t give him time to brood, anyway.
“He’s too old for that kind of childish activities, too, and this makes me think… If he’s staying home this afternoon he can look after your sister, while we…”
“I don’t know, Gellert,” Albus put in. “Ariana has been nervous lately and I can’t ask this of him…”
“Oh, sure you can!” Gellert almost shouted, getting a pretty angry look from his friend. “You’ve played the housewife long enough for today. We’ll go wandering through the woods, where we can talk undisturbed, and no one will listen.”
Albus wished he had the strength to decline the offer, but it was just of a few hours they were talking about and he did deserve to leave that sickening prison, so he just tilted his head to one side and smiled.
Gellert looked delighted.
“I’ll wait for you under the oak,” he murmured, “when the church bells strike two.”
“And I shall be there,” Albus whispered.
Minutes later he was still standing in the kitchen all alone, daydreaming about long spring afternoons in the sun and a green bower granting shelter and secrecy.
“So, about those issues I was illustrating to you yesterday…”
“Albus,” Gellert interrupted the other’s enthusiastic but inane conversation, “do you know what Easter is? Its meaning?”
Albus glanced at him puzzled, wondering where his friend wanted to lead him with that question.
“It’s about resurrection, isn’t it? The eggs, and…”
“No, I mean anciently,” specified Gellert. “Before it was even called Easter.”
“It was a spring festival,” he answered.
“The festivity of Eostre, the goddess of life,” explained Gellert. “It was about love. And rebirth.”
Albus felt himself blush again at that simple and innocent mention of the word love. It was strange and destabilising, how nothing Gellert ever said sounded truly innocent to the core.
“Of course,” he admitted then. “That’s the original spirit of the day.”
They walked lazily for a couple more seconds, before Gellert stopped and turned on the spot.
“I’ve wanted to discuss this matter with you for quite some time, Albus,” he said, choosing to be direct instead of using long turns of phrase, as usual. Albus stood rooted on the spot as the young man put a hand on his forearm.
“Really, Gellert, we’ve been discussing any sort of matters every day, and often until late at night. What’s the subject troubling you so?”
He had the clear sensation he knew what his friend was talking about, but he cowardly attempted to put off the inevitable question. He had been racking his brains - and torturing his soul - for weeks and months, smelling the tension in the air like rain approaching, and still he felt unprepared for the storm coming. He was conscious, though, that he couldn’t lie much longer, not to Gellert.
“Please, don’t look that taken aback. You know what I’m talking about.”
Albus paused, then murmured “Yes, I do.”
“We spend all our time planning our future, and it will be glorious, but we’re supposed to be together in this. Together.”
“I’m with you, you know I am,” Albus muttered, his soft tone clashing with Gellert’s animated words.
“But I want more.” Gellert paused, then added “And I know you do, too.”
Albus sighed.
“It’s dangerous, what you’re talking about, and… This feelings you stir in me are different from anything I’ve ever felt. I’m not sure this would do us any good…”
“Not sure?” Gellert repeated his words with unmistakable sarcasm. “Are you not the one who told me love is the strongest of powers?” Again he paused, whispering after a while “I do feel more powerful, when I’m with you.”
Albus suddenly looked up at him: he stared into his clear eyes and sought there tenderness and complicity. He felt his heart race faster when he found it all, and more: he saw green eagerness, resolution and desire. Gellert was like that, wild and aggressive, and that was what made him lose his mind.
“Gellert…” he moaned, barely a breath.
“I’m not good at waiting, especially for good things to happen.”
Gellert grinned, the faintest shade of pink finally colouring his cheeks, and Albus felt any defence between them crumble forever. Therefore he leaned down on Gellert and, without thinking twice, he kissed him on the lips. Gellert’s arms wound around his waist seconds later, and Albus drew up a hand, only to lose it between his companion’s soft curls. He savoured the smooth tenderness of his mouth and the pleasant warmth of his touch under his tongue, and felt it reverberate all through his body. It was the first time in his life, after meeting him, that he had ever felt alive, connected and truly powerful. Exactly as Gellert had said.
As they parted slowly, Albus kept his eyes closed, lingering on that delicious moment, unwilling to come back to reality; but then he heard his companion giggle and he finally looked at him. His light green eyes still stared back at him with mischievousness and a bit of insolence, but his face was glowing with unmistakable joy. Albus smiled and caressed Gellert’s hair with tenderness, not certain about what to say.
“You kiss like you speak,” Gellert whispered, his voice warm and caressing. “I wish to hear more about this.”
“You will…” murmured Albus.
Gellert grinned and took a step back, then another.
“Let’s play hide and seek,” he said, and his voice had turned wicked and deeper. “And maybe, if you catch me, I’ll give you my own Easter present…”
Albus licked his lips briefly, as the other took another step back. Then Gellert sprang into a wild race, his slender figure bolting through the trees like a deer, and Albus promptly ran after him. While the wind dispersed his gleeful laughter, he thought again that he felt powerful. And free.