Chapter 1
Albus and Gellert met when they were seventeen.
They married three months later.
It had been a shock when they had. There had been no witnesses, no formal ceremony, no plans. It had simply been the two of them making a vow of the legal kind.
Aunt Bathilda had taken it the best. After a moment of fretting about how they were both so young, and checking more than once that Albus hadn’t been forced into it she relaxed and embraced them both. She adored her nephew and now her new nephew in law. She thought that they were adorable together.
Aberforth had taken it worse. Much worse. He had thrown a fit loud enough to rouse the neighbours (not that that was new) and then declared that he would never live under the same roof as him. Gellert had rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around his husband who struggled and failed to explain that just because he was married now it wouldn’t take away from taking care of his siblings.
Albus had wanted to break the news gently to Ariana but alas Aberforth had made that impossible. The young girl had a fit of her own which eventually quieted only when her brothers had. Gellert watched them with disdain. There was only one Dumbledore that he loved. The younger two were baggage.
Gellert moved in that night, enchanting his things to float right from his room at Bathilda’s into the room where he had spent most nights over the last few months. They settled haphazardly in Albus’s small room. He really had to convince Albus to have them move into his parent’s former room. It wasn’t like they needed it anymore
“They’ll adjust, won’t they,” Albus asked that night, head resting on his husband’s bare chest. Gellert ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, you’re wonderful. They just need to realize that.”
“Yes, darling,” Gellert purred, leaning down for a kiss. He didn’t much care if Aberforth and Ariana ever liked him. He would have shipped them off somewhere for the Ministry to take care of if it wasn’t for Albus. And poor Albus was so devoted to them.
Albus gazed up at Gellert. “I mean it, Gellert. You knew that they were a package deal if you wanted me. I expect you to be good to them.”
Albus had such a large heart. Gellert only wished that every part of it belonged to him. “I will, Albus. I love you too much to do otherwise.”
Albus relaxed and gave Gellert a kiss. “It will be easier once Aberforth goes back to school. We can hire a nurse for Ariana.” Aberforth wanted to drop out but Albus refused to allow it. He wouldn’t let his brother ruin his life.
Gellert hummed in response and began to play with Albus’s auburn hair. Hopefully he would eventually be able to convince Albus to send his sister away to a home for people like her. He certainly had no intention of playing nurse maid to a broken little girl in Godrics Hallow for the rest of his life.
He had much bigger plans than that.