The Tenebrae Festival
Albus' POV, July 27:
Albus descended his stairs to attend Ariana who was painting with Phoenix ash. Ariana had had a small fitt yesterday, and Albus hadn't been there as he'd been on Ms. Bagshot's roof with his now boyfriend. Aberforth had been so disappointed in Albus when he came home, and so had Albus.
"What are you doing?" Albus asked carefully.
"I'm painting how it feels like having the Obscurial inside me."
At that, Albus was close to tearing up; the paper did not look nice. Then he remembered what Gellert thought about Ariana's conditions; If Albus ever wanted to get out of this village, he would have to try and heal Ariana.
"Ariana-" Albus sat down on Ariana's left side. On her right side was Fawkes. "You know me and Gellert are quite close friends?" Ariana smiled slyly at that.
"'Friends'..." Ariana said ironically and Albus stared at her.
"Excuse me?" Albus asked, bewildered.
"Did you know I see Gellert climbing over my window every time he climbs into yours?" Albus gaped.
"Shouldn't you be asleep at that time?" Albus asked.
"Shouldn't you be asleep then?"
"Right." Albus thought a change of topic was at place, "We've been talking a bit about your health." Ariana slowly looked up at Albus.
"He knows of my condition?"
"Yes -- Listen; Gellert means a lot to me, and we're planning on maybe leaving this village one day with you -- A day when your conditions are healed."
"I didn't know I could be healed." Ariana said quietly.
"Neither do I, but it's worth a try."
"So what's your plan?"
"To introduce you to magic gradually. You've never had a good relationship with magic, and we, that's me and Gellert, want to give you the chance to start over."
"I don't know..." Ariana said, obviously startled by the idea, "I hate magic."
"But that's not true -- You love Fawkes, and he's magic."
"That's different, Fawkes understands me... But I guess it's time for me to start working on my problems. I can't be in this house until I'm 70."
Albus hugged his sister.
"I'm so proud of you. You're very brave. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you yesterday, I promise it'll never happen again. Though, can you promise me not to tell Aberforth of what we've just talked about, I don't think it's a good idea for him to know."
"Yes." Ariana sniffled.
***
Gellert's POV, July 27:
Gellert climbed in Albus' window, disappointed to find the room empty of his boyfriend. Trying to find something to do, Gellert picked a book from Albus' bookshelf and started reading it on Albus' bed along with a cigarette.
After ten minutes, the door opened and Albus stepped in, smiling when he saw Gellert. Albus' hair was still damp from taking a shower.
"You're reading a Muggle's novel." Albus said, looking pleased.
"I suppose all your endless speeches of how brilliant certain Muggle authors are have affected me."
"The Portrait of Dorian Gray?" Albus asked, sitting down.
"Indeed, but let's talk of something else." Gellert pulled Albus into a kiss, and they fell back against the pillows.
"Did you climb up the window again?" Albus asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"My sister has told me she sees you climbing over her window every time."
"Oh... Do you think she knows?"
"Knows we're more than friends? Definitely. But so does Aberforth and Bathilda as well. We haven't been all that discreet, you know."
"Shouldn't Ariana be asleep at this time?"
"That's what I said!" It started raining and Gellert held Albus in his arms.
"Did you speak to her about our plan?" Gellert asked, "How we intend to show the beauty in magic to her gradually?"
"I did. She didn't seem all that excited by the idea, but she agreed. I think we should work in the barn with her once every other day. Aberforth will wonder, though... He's so protective over her, and he'll definitely notice if Ariana starts going to the barn all the time. What should we say to him when he starts wondering?"
"Forget speak to him, I'd rather punch him in the face." Albus laughed heartily.
"Well that's not going to help."
"Have you ever hit your brother?"
"What? No."
"Has he hit you?"
"Some times." Albus sighed.
"I don't understand, you're so... Low-tempered. I think that's good; I've always been bad at controlling my anger, and I have a feeling it's good for me to have you on my side as we try and reform the world." Albus reached for his wand, "I've already pulled up a Silencing Charm."
"Good." Albus said breathy and climbed over Gellert, kissing him on the lips and neck, "Just leave the infuriating tasks to me. I won't lose my temper." Gellert groaned when Albus started stroking his bulge through his trousers.
"Albus..."
"Mhm." Albus was unbuttening Gellert's shirt and pecked him from his tanned chest to his strong stomach. Gellert felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. when he opened his eyes, Albus had pulled down the zipper of Gellert's trousers, "Is it okay if I-"
"Please." Gellert said and threw his head back against the pillows as Albus took his length in his mouth.
After each bob of Albus' head Gellert let out a helpless moan. Gellert had been together with many men at Durmstrang, but none of them had been like with Albus.
Gellert stroked Albus' dark red hair that always smelled so good, and all of a sudden, could feel how he wouldn't be able to last much longer.
"Albus, I-"
When the climax hit, he couldn't remember what day it was or even where they were. All he could do was moan loudly as satisfaction washed over Gellert's entire body. Then Gellert was left with a relaxing sensation close to sleepiness.
Gellert had been sleeping much better after he and Albus got together.
When Albus got up again, Gellert pulled Albus in a lazy kiss, then they held each other in a tight embrace.
"I promise to be more discreet while climbing up your window from now on." Gellert said, getting an idea.
***
Albus' POV, July 29-30:
"You're mental!" Albus laughed at what he was seeing; Instead of Gellert usually climbing into his window, Gellert was now on a broomstick outside of his window.
"You told me to be more discreet." Gellert responded.
"And you think riding a broom in a Muggle village will do that for you? What ever should the Muggles think if they saw you?"
"They won't," Gellert reassured, "Now stop being a stickler and hopp on." Albus pulled on a dark blue cloak, sat behind Gellert, and pulled his arms around Gellert's waist.
It was one of the very few times in Albus Dumbledore's life when he was feeling truly happy; He was with the man he loved, and he was positive they would be together until the end of time. He felt like things with Ariana would eventually work out in the end, and what ever problems Albus had did not matter in that moment, not when they were flying under the stars.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To the Tenebrae Festival."
"You're kidding!" Albus exclaimed. He had always heard of the Tenebrae Festival, but had never been to it, "You could have told me!" Albus swatted Gellert's arm, "I would have dressed up a little better for the occasion."
"I think that cloak suits you."
Half an hour later, Gellert had landed next to a statue of a witch and knocked on her hat in a pattern. The witch opened up a door behind her that hadn't been there a second ago. Albus and Gellert approached the door, and realized it led to some stairs. They descended down the stairs until they were underground where they, funnily enough, found a festival that looked to have a sky. Albus supposed the sky wasn't really there, but was a magic illusion.
The festival was wonderful, and Albus realized he had never seen anything like this; a place only meant for Wizards and Witches to have fun. Albus had been so used to the Muggle community, and the only magical place he had really been to was school. He could see kids playing with magical toys, a fake dragon made out of sparks flew past them in the air, dressed up Wizards were flying in bubbles in the air, Witches were doing tricks with fire, and everywhere they went people offered them food and drinks.
"This is amazing!" Albus said to Gellert who passed him a funny looking drink.
"Come, I want to dance with you." At that, Albus started feeling nauseous again.
"I don't know, people might think we're..."
"Together? Well isn't that what we are?" Albus laughed, Gellert always seemed to be able to persuade Albus into what ever.
"Why not?" Albus said, and they approached the dance floor where not a single pair were made out of the same sex.
Trying to suppress his nerves, Albus tried to focus on Gellert only as they started walzing. Gellert, coming from a pureblood family and all, was very good at dancing. After the dance, both of them were panting. Only now did Albus realize people staring at them, but he could not find it in him to care. Instead, both Albus and Gellert started laughing.
For every drink they had, it got harder and harder not to take another one, and another one. After about an hour of the festival, both Albus and Gellert were drunk.
"Two firewiskies, bitte." Gellert asked a bartender, out of balance, and the bartender looked between Albus and Gellert critically.
"No." The stern woman said, "You may have a glass of water."
"Oh come on!" Gellert said amused, "This isn't some sort of fine restaurant. You're supposed to get drunk on festivals!" Albus started laughing, because he suddenly realized how strong Gellert's accent was while drunk, and when he had started laughing, it was hard to stop.
"Bitte." Albus pleaded.
"No. Not this drunk."
"Okay. Let's make a deal;" Gellert said, but Albus noticed how more workers started approaching them, "I pay of double the price?"
"It's time for you to leave." A tall guard said, there were now five guards, and many others were now watching the scene. When many eyes watched Albus and Gellert, Albus had a strong desire to kiss Gellert in front of all of them; show them all that Gellert was his.
"Tripple?" Gellert offered, and Albus laughed before pulling Gellert into a kiss. However much the people around them gasped, Albus could not hear.
"If you don't leave now we'll have you escorted!" A guard yelled.
"You think you could overcome us by force?" Gellert laughed, but Albus took the hint and dragged Gellert of the scene -- They were now holding hands while running and laughing.
After a while they reached the end of the festival and into the woods. Then pulled out the whole bottle of firewiskey the bartender had tried keeping from Gellert. Albus only laughed even more.
"Why did you even bother yourself with conversation if you could've just stolen that from the beginning?"
"Because it's fun." Gellert said and pulled them into a kiss, "Follow me."
Albus and Gellert stumbled foreword until they reached a swamp that seemed to glow cyan. It was really beautiful. Albus could identify certain animals he knew didn't exist in the Muggle World.
"Can you see the Thestrals?" Gellert asked, still not being able to cease his accent.
"No," Albus looked up at Gellert, "But you do?" Gellert nodded nonchalantly.
"It's nothing you need to be worried about, I'd guess most Durmstrang students would be able to see Thestrals." Albus stumbled a little at that.
"Did-" Albus began, "Did someone end up dead at Durmstrang while you were attending?" Gellert sighed.
"Doesn't matter." He said, and sat down to pet a beautiful looking bird. It made Albus think of Fawkes, and that made him think of Ariana.
"Gellert, what if something happens to Ariana?" Albus sat down with Gellert near the water.
"You're an admirably caring person."
"No I'm not. Aberforth would do anything in his power to care for her."
"You need to stop comparing yourself with others; Can't you see you're a wonderful person?"
The conversation went on a bit like that for another half hour before they apparated back to Ms. Bagshot house, where they threw up in her bathroom.
***
Bathilda's POV, July 30:
Bathilda went up the stairs to Gellert's room. Gellert had been in there the entire day, and the time was now 2:PM. Bathilda approached her nephew's door to wake him up when it opened. But out came, not Gellert, but Albus Dumbledore, who stopped in his tracks as he saw Bathilda. The sight was immensely amusing.
"Good day, Albus. Did you have a good night?"