Chapter 21
The boys were playing in a field while Albus and Gellert were walking around the edge of it. Gellert as tumbing a letter from his sister, contemplating on opening it. Albus gently takes it from his hands “when was the last time you talked to your sister, the boys never met her.” he looks at Gellert and holds his arm as they start walking again.
Gellert kisses his cheek and takes the letter back “Not since our fathers funeral, we’ve been busy”
Albus looks at him again “you have not been so busy that you couldn’t go see her.” he looks over to the boys “you mentioned you have nephews too, one of them has to only be a bit older than Theseus. I’m sure they would love to meet their cousins.” he feels Gellert pull his hand away and wrap it around his waist and the blond kisses his head. He smiles a bit when he feels him hum, meaning it was thinking.
Gellert picks Newt up when he runs over “one is 15 and the other is 13” he rubs Newts back and lets the boy put a flower in his hair Gellert stops walking, putting his arm around Albus tightly all of a sudden while looking at the road to the village.
A boy was running down the road, another man following him. Albus freezes and goes closer to Gellert when he sees who the man is. He’s been able to avoid interactions with his brother since he’s started teaching but apparently now is when he can’t.
Theseus notices and rubs over to them “isn’t that dads brother?”
Gellert shushes him “yes, but we aren’t talking to him, gather your things let’s go” he pulls his arm away from Albus when he goes to take Newt from him “love, tenir Newt est la seule chose qui m'empêche de maudire Aberforth en ce moment” He says quietly. Newt looks over at the boy and tilts his head.
Aberforth had planned to let Credence play in the clearing near Hogsmeade; he had been busy with travelers recently so the 6 year old was stuck playing inside. He had been keeping him in his sight and suddenly runs forward and picks him up.
Credence had already spotted the 4 in the clearing “daddy why does he look like you?”
Aberforth sighs “that’s daddy’s older brother..” he stopped walking and looked at them, the last time he saw the older boy he was young, and terrified of him. Now that boy was around school age, and the blond terror was holding a boy that looked a bit younger than his son. Aberforth moves out of the way as the four walk by “assume your son goes to that evil school in the north”
Albus had been content on letting Gellert steer them back to the apartment until Aberforth speaks up and he stops cold. “What” he turns to his brother.
“You live in the alps now right, they would go to Dumstrang. Must get a lot of respect being the son of someone who got expelled from a school for the dark arts, for dark arts. And why are you here of all places”
“You seriously haven’t changed. I teach at Hogwarts, he goes to Hogwarts, Newt will go to Hogwarts just like Arulieus will”
“I haven’t changed? From what I’ve seen you haven’t changed, you get everything you want. You have the world at the palm of your hand. You want kids, boom you get them, you want a job that you wouldn’t get if they weren’t scared if your guard dog boom you get the job. Meanwhile I’m just making ends meet here in a tavern.”
“And I’m sorry Arulieus has to grow up like that but you chose to drop out of school, I gave you access to your entire inheritance when I left. It might not have been much but at least if you stayed in school it would’ve lasted you until you graduated, I even left you Mothers house which was paid off before I left.” He squeezes Gellerts hand when the other grabs it gently. “And don’t start with Arulieus, you could’ve sent me a letter and I still would’ve found her for you, Merlin knows it would’ve saved me days of almost constantly crying myself to sleep because it hurt to be afraid of my own brother. I get you were desperate but you almost, no you tried to kill me. I might’ve forgiven it because you were young and stupid and angry, but the fact stays”
Theseus was looking between the two “oh that’s your brother dad?…no wonder you look alike..”
Aberforth had gone quiet and was looking at the ground “I regret every part of that night-“ he cuts himself off when he hears Theseus “You told them about me?”
Gellert rolls his eyes and gives Newt an apple from his pocket. Albus sees it out of the corner of his eye but he ignores it and looks at Theseus “of course I did, you’re my brother. They get curious why we don’t go to see any family, I can’t say we just don’t and not tell stories about us growing up…plus it really helps the boys knowing they aren’t as hilariously stupid as their uncle.”
Aberforth looked at Arulius again and the boy was looking at Gellert. “I know he looks strange”
Gellert glares at him “not over childish insults I see”
“His hair is yellow..” the boy tilts his head “why”
Albus laughs “definitely your kid”
Aberforth nods “because it is, and for your information Grindelwald we don’t get many blonds in hogsmeade unless they go to Hogwarts, and less in the tavern because I don’t allow minors”
Albus hums “Gellert civilized people remember”
“hogy vagy civilizált, sajnálom, meg akarom védeni a családomat valakitől, aki korábban megpróbált megölni minket” He hissed quietly while looking at Albus, suddenly looking to Newt when the boys hold on him tightened and he whines.
“Daddy..” Newt whines, obviously he was listening to Gellert talking. Albus gently takes Newt and rocks him.
Albus glares at Gellert then goes back to calming Newt down “it’s ok baby, you aren’t going to get hurt”
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Once they were back in their apartment and after Albus put Newt down for a nap, he sat on his bed and closed his eyes; trying not to panic again. He felt gentle hands rubbing his knees and opened them slowly, Gellert was looking at him with a gentle worry. “You didn’t have to do that Albus” he whispers, “I could’ve just kept you and Theseus walking”
“You wouldn’t have ignored him…” he hiccups and laughs a bit. “I know you too well, and I know your temper. Especially when it has something to do with me or the boys” he pulls Gellert up and moves back to lay on the bed with him. Curling into him and closes his eyes “it still hurts so much..” he hiccups, soon starting to break down as his husband rubs his back gently, holding him tightly. He lets the other rub his back and keep their heads close.
Gellert was looking at the ceiling, obviously thinking about something. He keeps absently rubbing Albus’ back and starts humming a song.
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It was nearing the end of winter break and they finally decided to visit Gellerts sister. Newt was hiding behind the blond as he and his sister talked. Theseus was quietly talking with the 13 year old, the 15 year old just ignoring them and reading. Albus was leaning on Gellert a bit and smiling “It really is nice to finally meet you.”
She hums and drinks her tea “you two, I would say I've heard much about you from my brother but he doesn’t talk much about you and your boys.” he looks over to Theseus and hums “he’s finishing his first year at hogwarts?”
Albus nods, pouring another cup for himself and Gellert “yes, I preferred him to go to hogwarts because I’m sure many of Gellerts teachers didn’t like him and I didn’t want that following the boys” he helps Newt sit with them on the couch, and hands him a piece of a sandwich. Newt eats it and hides in Gellerts jacket. He makes a noise as the blond rubs his back, he yawns and finally looks at his aunt. Newt looks between her and Gellert then back to her “you look weird.”
Albus looks at Newt “Newt, we do not say that to people” he was a bit surprised since Newt was usually the kind one out of the two boys. Newt looks at him then Gellert.
“Newt, daddy is right, apologize to your aunt”
“But-“
“Most Newt” Gellert cuts the 4 year old off, him switching to Hungarian usually means he’s serious.
Newt whines and looks back at his Aunt then looks down “sorry I told the truth…”
Gellert sighs and shakes his head “Newt”
Gellerts sister laughs a bit “It’s hard to believe you adopted him, he’s just like you but a little more kind” she looks up as her youngest runs over with a book from Theseus and looks through it. Giving it back to him “Is that one of your cousins school books?”
He nods “yes mother, why do we learn harder stuff in first year then they do”
Albus gently takes the book back “we have a lot more muggle-born and half-blood students” he ruffles Theseus’ head “though someone already begged his apu to teach him harder spells”
Theseus sits down and pushes his hand a bit away “you already were learning harder spells”
“I also did it by myself and got hurt a lot because of it” Albus gives Theseus a glass of tea and a biscuit.