A simple walk in a muggle park. That’s what it was supposed to be—an hour of silence and peace. But no , they had to be surrounded by running, screaming children chasing birds, or throwing tantrums for a scone of ice cream. Gellert felt like screaming as well, while Albus never looked more ecstatic. It was easy to tell which one worked with children and liked it- spoiler, it wasn't Gellert. The two sat on a bench overseeing a tiny lake with ducks and other insignificant animal life.
They couldn't sit as closely as they would've liked to, muggles always gave them strange looks when they did- and it surely wasn't because of Albus’ disastrous fashion sense. Despite him being more versed in muggle culture than Gellert, he still insisted on mismatching his suits. On that fine Sunday evening, he thought it appropriate to mix a baby blue jacket with an orange tie and a yellow shirt. At least the socks matched the tie. In contrast, Gellert wore his signature all-black attire, the only color being the baby blue tie belonging to Albus’ suit.
“Aren’t they just adorable?” Albus looked at a group of children picking flowers.
“The sign says clearly: Do not pick the flowers.” Gellert rolled his eyes and pretended to be busy reading a muggle newspaper.
“Oh, come on! We were once young too. Carefree. Full of life.” His partner sighed with his thoughts deep in nostalgia. “Think of it…how would it be to have a small bundle of joy around?”
“Loud and obnoxious.” Gellert folded the newspaper neatly. “What’s gotten into you lately? Is this some weird quarter-life crisis?”
Albus laughed so hard that parents turned their heads in their direction.
“What’s wrong with wanting a child?”
“Do you even hear yourself? Most of the year you ain’t even home! And you want a child? Who’d raise it? Your siblings?” The blond looked at his husband incredulously, which only caused Albus to laugh harder.
“ We would raise it, silly! It'd be our child…. Wouldn't you like that? To have our family complete?” His blue eyes were wide and pleading and his smile, soft and innocent, could've moved mountains. Gellert had to look away, grumbling away in German- most likely not-so-nice things.
“I think I’ll write to Abe- your behavior is becoming quite concerning,” he grumbled. Albus sighed, pouting like a child.
They sat in silence after that, although not an uncomfortable one. An hour went by before they decided to leave the park and wander around the city. The streets were packed with muggles returning from Sunday mass. Cars zoomed passed them relentlessly. A cacophony of sounds, yet so little color- it made the two wizards stand out even more than usual. Though it was totally because of Albus’ horrible outfit if anything.
They waited by a crosswalk to get to the other side, where a large group of children, led by an old woman, were walking hurriedly. Their ages ranged from 4 to maybe 10, it was hard to tell given the terrible shape they were in, dressed in hand-me-downs either far too big or far too small and all sporting the same resigned look on their faces, especially the older ones- truly deplorable.
Gellert didn't even need to look at Albus to guess his thoughts: ‘Oh, those poor children! How I wish to help them! Sweet, little babies!’ He rolled his eyes and glanced around just in time to catch a small boy’s eyes- hair black as coal, skin snow pale, eyes pools of darkness. He was used to children staring curiously at him because of his looks- but this one seemed to stare right into his soul, from across the street. His small face devoid of any emotion was a bit unnerving if Gellert were to be honest. Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a car losing control and swerving towards them.
“Al-!” he dragged his husband by the arm right as the car was about to hit him.
“Gellert-” Albus latched on, his face buried in his partner's chest and he was breathing heavily. How could he have missed that danger?!
They didn't get to say more to each other as something else caught their attention- the old woman was yelling at the boy.
“Damn, devil spawn! You did it again, didn't you? Don't think I didn't see you staring! You made it happen, you little freak! I know it!” She kept berating him as she dragged him along- the rest of the group had hurried ahead, entering the building where they most likely lived, probably used to her outbursts. The boy, looking barely older than 4 but he could've been older, just followed, trembling from head to toe.
Gellert and Albus exchanged worried glances, both drawing the same conclusion: that was a magical child in front of them.
Something inside Gellert twisted uncomfortably as he watched the scene unfold. He swallowed hard and took Albus’ hand into his, not caring for the stares given by the other pedestrians. They swiftly walked to a secluded space, between two shops, and apparated home.
Albus’ expression was as pained as Gellert’s- neither of them liked the reality of how miserable wizard lives were in the muggle world, especially young ones.
“We’re getting him out.”
Albus looked at Gellert as if he was seeing him for the first time. He blinked a few times, dumbfounded.
“What?”
“ You said you wanted a kid! We’re getting a kid. Right now.” Gellert deadpanned like he had planned this all along, which he didn't, but he suddenly felt the undeniable urge to get that boy out of that hell hole- and he was quite the impulsive type.
“But- but- ah… how do you even propose we do it? That lady doesn't seem the kind to hand two men a child.”
“Firstly, go change. I'm not going anywhere with you while in that atrocious outfit- make yourself presentable. Then we’ll see.” And without waiting for a reply, the blond left the room, going upstairs. Albus could only follow, still perplexed by his husband’s change of heart. The confusion grew even more when Gellert wasn’t in their shared bedroom. Albus sighed and started changing out of his clothes. He hated choosing one singular fit, that's why he always mixed them, but maybe just once he could make an exception and dress ‘presentable’.
An hour later, the redhead sat patiently on the living room couch, awaiting his partner. He glanced at the big grandfather clock, wondering what it was taking him so long. Sure, Gellert was a total peacock, adoring his own reflection, but never did he take so long to get ready. Finally, footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. But it couldn't be- why did it sound like the clanking of heels?!
“What do you think?” a strangely feminine voice called out. Albus’ mouth fell agape as he took in the sight before him: it was Gellert, but wasn't. The person before him had long golden hair, pale porcelain skin, mismatched eyes, and a soft jaw freshly shaved- yes, it was totally Gellert but so many things were wrong. He sported a bold red lipstick and, was that a fake mole?! Albus didn't know if he should laugh or be mortified. He had expertly done smokey eyes with the sharpest winged liner and he very much looked like a woman. Gellert already had a more feminine charm to him ever since their youth, but never did he lean into it so much. What was even more confusing was his attire-
“...is that one of Ari’s dresses? And heels? And her hat ?!”
Ok, Albus could accept the suddenly long hair and the makeup, but what on earth was Gellert planning to do dressed in his sister’s clothes? The dress was beautiful, of course, black with red accents- gifted to her by Gellert himself so obviously it matched his color scheme, the heels were high and sharp, and the fur thing Albus never understood the usage of, gave the whole look an aristocratic flare. The extravagant hat was just the cherry on top at that point. Only thing missing was one of those long cigars, but Gellert wasn't a smoker.
“C’mon darling, don't you like your wife's new look?” The thick German accent masked how unladylike Gellert's voice truly was no matter how hard he strained himself.
“Wh-what is this?” Albus managed to find his voice again.
“It’s as you said- that hag would never give the boy to two men .” Ah, so that was his game. Very well.
“Ah- well, then- you look absolutely ravishing, my sweet.” Getting over his shock, Albus snickered. He stepped closer and snaked an arm around his husband’s wife’s narrow waist and dragged him closer.
“Red actually looks quite great on you.” Gellert’s cheeks flushed under the makeup, darkening the fake blush.
“Oh, halt deine Klappe. You're a terrible flirt.” He dropped the lady voice. Albus chuckled and kissed his cheek.
“And yet here you are, blushing like a real maiden .” He got shoved for that. Hard. Gellert scoffed and turned towards the door.
“Move before I change my bloody mind.”
They entered the almost dilapidated building. The interior looked just as depressing as the outside- the walls could surely use a fresh coat of paint and the floors looked like they hadn't seen water and soap in years even though two girls were furiously scrubbing at them. The loud clanking of heels made them look up and gawp at the beautiful lady waiting at the counter, holding a hushed conversation with a man. The pair looked quite striking, what with the lady’s dark, stylish dress and the man’s pastel green suit that made his long red hair shine even in the flickering light of the broken ceiling lamp. They had rung the small bell on the counter several times, the lady looking quite frustrated.
Finally, Mrs. Wool appeared with a scowl on her face. Her eyes glittered furiously, searching for whoever dared interrupt whatever she was doing in her office. The girls looked at each other before hanging their heads down quickly, their hands moving hurriedly to not appear to slack. She hated it when they slacked on their duties.
“Good day, sir. Madam.” Strangely enough, she greeted the pair with a honeyed voice. It took all their willpower to not look up.
“How can I help you?” she continued, her soft voice sounding so weird on her it made the girls cringe inside.
The lady spoke up, voice thick with a foreign accent: “Hello. My husband and I are looking to adopt.”
“Ah, from us? I’ll help you with pleasure. Although the process is quite grueling, I’ll tell you.”
The lady chuckled, and the sound was both melodious and hair rising. “No worries. Oh, we’ve got plenty of time. Don't we, Lieber?”
“Yes, yes. We’ve been waiting for so long, we can do it a bit more." The man finally spoke, the words spoken so gently felt like a warm blanket over them. They risked a glance- his eyes shone with kindness and the girls instantly felt jealous of whoever was going to get him as a father.
“Do you have an age range you’re looking for? We don’t house babies and toddlers.” Mrs. Wool was obviously trying to enter the couple’s good graces as they looked quite rich.
“No, but we’d love a boy. You did always want one to take him fishing on the lake.” Pure love laced the lady’s words as she held her husband’s hand gingerly. They looked like the perfect couple, the perfect family-to-be, and the girls’ jealousy only grew. But what could they do? Causing a fuss would only get them in trouble with Mrs. Wool….
A few more pleasantries were exchanged before the lovers left with the matron, going deeper into the building.
Gellert and Albus took their time looking at and analyzing the empty halls with their peeled wallpaper and cobwebs on the ceiling, the dining area held several tables pushed together to create the impression of a single long one, the yellowing tablecloth struggling to hide the many feet. Some chairs were broken and taped, some were much too short or too tall and the fireplace lay dormant and cold, full of dust instead of wood.
Albus squeezed his lover’s hand, clearly distressed at such depressing living conditions. Gellert could only squeeze back as they followed the old woman further down the hall.
They abruptly stopped.
“All boys are to present themselves this instant!” her authoritative tone held no maliciousness, having spent the whole time explaining to the pair that she was doing such a good job at disciplining the children without violence, which they severely doubted- especially when several doors opened slowly and the young, scrawny boys shuffled closer, obviously ready for undeserved punishments to rain on them.
“My sweet boys-,” they shared confused, terrified glances. “-meet Mr. and Mrs…..ah, Dumbledore. They would like to adopt one of you.”
“ Wow, what a shitty way to announce that most are unwanted.” Gellert thought bitterly, yet he kept the sweetest of smiles as he dusted off his dress.
The boys looked at the pair in shock and a flicker of hope shone in their eyes, each thinking they were going to be the one. It made Albus’ heart ache painfully. He couldn't just loudly declare who they wanted.
“We would like to, uh, talk with each privately…if that’s possible, madam?” he smiled politely at the horrible hag.
“But of course! Silly me! Get back to your rooms now, we will come to each of you.” with a wave of her hand, she dismissed the, once again, sulking children.
Gellert latched himself onto Albus’ arm, what looked like a display of affection being a subtle way to soothe his ever-so-empathetic husband.
They couldn't play these roles any longer. Leaving the demon of a woman behind, they hurried towards the door where they saw one of the boys go. They knocked.
“Enter,” a meek voice answered.
They opened the door to the tiny room and stepped in. it felt like they entered a prison cell, not a child’s room- like the rest of the building, it needed new paint, the cobwebs were thick and white with dust, and the floor held no carpet for the boy’s feet to warm. The bed was small and on the verge of collapse, the mattress so thin it could've been mistaken for a blanket, and the blanket for a long rag. The only window was small and dirty and the last piece of furniture present was a shabby-looking dresser. The inhabitant of this room sat on the bed, feet dangling above the ground, and eyeing the two curiously.
“I’m Tom. And you’re the men from earlier.” His tiny voice was devoid of any emotion, but his eyes were sharp, his mind running fervently. The two shared a look of surprise at his observation, yet nothing could’ve prepared them for the next bit.
“You’re magic. Like me. Is that why you’re here?” This time a bit of curiosity made its way into his tone.
Albus stepped closer, smiling fondly. “Yes. You are quite the smart boy, Tom. Say, how old are you?”
“I’m turning six in December.”
“How wonderful! But why don't we go straight to business, since you seem to already know so much-...would you like to come with us?” Albus asked hopefully.
“Don't you want to know me better before making such decision?” The boy’s eyes moved skeptically from Albus to Gellert. “Besides, I don't even know your names.”
“I’m Gellert, and that’s Albus. Introductions over. Let’s get out of here and we’ll talk more.” Gellert pointed at himself then at the redhead. He was more than ready to leave that dreadful place.
Tom shook his head. “I don't like you.”
“You tried to kill me with a car!”
“Actually I was aiming at Albus.”
“That doesn't-,” Gellert took a deep breath. “Listen up kid, you wanna rot away here? Where they hate your magic? Or leave and learn how to use that power of yours?”
A long moment of silence.
“I can't take you seriously when you look like a girl.”
“Love… deep breaths. Count to ten. He's just a child. Relax.” Albus put a gentle hand on his husband's shoulder as he was close to blowing out on a six year old. Thankfully, however, the man calmed down.
“Tom, my boy, we had to, uh, improvise.” Albus chuckled awkwardly.
“So…you truly want to get me out of here? To…adopt me?” His dark eyes were squeezed almost shut as he, unsuccessfully, stared the men down. Could he really be so lucky as to get adopted by a magical pair? He was too stunned to even care that they were both guys. The whole thing just sounded too good to be true.
“Yes. Yes, we truly want to. If you agree, of course.” The redhead had such a soothing voice, Tom couldn't help but be drawn to it. He could almost let himself believe that they were genuine. He didn't even notice when he opened his mouth to answer.
“Ok. I'll go with you.”
After some negotiations, a big, fat bag of muggle money (most of which was actually an illusion), a long walk through the city, and a stop at a bathroom for Gellert to change clothes, the three of them finally arrived.
“Welcome to your new home, Tom.” Albus smiled at him with the warmth of a thousand suns.
“Don't bring mud onto the carpets.” Gellert joked as he ruffled his hair.
Tom hugged them both, hiding his teary eyes in their robes.