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It was dark and cold when he soundlessly apparated into the cell. He held his scorched-black hand close to his chest, feeling the curse inside swirling a rhythm of time, one that was running out. He took a few more steps forward before he collapsed in the chair he managed to conjure. Closing his eyes, he let out a pained breath, then composed himself. Physical pain never had been his problem, but mental pain, that was his real fear.
„Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, to what do I owe the honor of you entering my humble home?“
Every word was spoken so sarcastic it hurt his head. He really didn’t have the energy for yet another one of his games.
„Gellert, please, just once, I am really not in the mood.“
While speaking he thought if it would be wise to turn on a light but ultimately decided against it. This conversation was probably best held in the dark.
„Then why are you here? Not that I’m complaining, since I haven’t seen anyone in some…maybe 12-when did you last visit?- years.“
„14 years and 261 days.“
„Amazing, time really seems to be flying by in here with all this entertainment.“
~
Gellert didn’t know why Albus was here, but his silence since he came wasn’t a good indicator. Maybe it had something to do with his vision he had seen a few days ago. He couldn’t quite recall it anymore, not having a wand to channel his magic, but he knew it wasn’t something insignificant. He only remembered the feeling of falling. Still, he was glad he could see Albus again. Speaking of seeing, he did, in fact, not see Albus at all. It was too dark in the cell and there wasn’t a light to be lit. But why hadn’t Albus lit one with his deluminator?
He chastised himself that he had only noticed now. Albus did everything for a reason, most often to conceal something. How Gellert still always got the shorter end of the intelligence-stick was beyond him.
„Turn on the light.“ His tone was rather commanding, but nothing.
„Al, turn on the light!“
„No“, came a whispered answer back.
„Yes!“ Earlier in life, Gellert had gotten what he wanted from Al, and now wasn’t the time it would stop. He strode forward into Albus‘ direction (or more like tried to stride forward, it was more of a stumble, he forgot sometimes how old he was) and reached with his hand out.
„Give me the deluminator.“
„Certainly not.“ Albus chuckled. „You can’t honestly believe I would…“
But the rest of his sentence was droned out by Gellert blindly reaching out, finding the deluminator in Albus hand and starting to pull.
„Just. Turn. On. The. Goddamn. Light. Albus.“
Both of them were sort of wrestling with the deluminator, and if anyone would have seen them, the scene looked rather ridiculous. Two old and weak people trying to physically take something, neither strong enough.
„Come on, don’t behave like a child, it’s just a light.“
„You’re the one behaving like a child“, Albus countered, and it almost sounded like he had stuck his tongue out.
The image of an old and wise Albus Dumbledore showing him his tongue in defiance was one of the funniest things he had ever thought of, and he burst into laughing.
And then there was a moment suspended in time and place, moments you always wished back but only lasted seconds. Both of them gripping to each other and the deluminator in a play fight, Gellert laughing for the first time in…forever. And it was so mundane he nearly choked.
This could have been them.
Then reality came rushing back in and Gellert felt Albus freeze as they both realized that they had accidentally let there walls down.
So he quickly took the deluminator and lit the room before Albus unfroze.
~
The light turned on and the first thing he saw where two mismatched eyes staring at him far too close to his face, the last laugh lines just leaving them. Gellert stood up and slowly walked back, and Dumbledore conjured him a chair he fell into with the next backwards step. Then Albus saw how Gellerts eyes flickered to his blackened hand, a question in his eyes, and maybe, if Albus wasn’t fooling himself, a bit of concern.
„What happened?“ Gellerts voice asked out of a person Albus didn’t recognize anymore. Only the eyes were untouched by time.
„Well, why don’t you guess?“
„You want me to guess, really?“ He sounded exasperated.
„Do you currently have anything else to do?“
Of course he didn’t. Albus didn’t say it to make fun of Gellert, he said it because he wanted to see Gellerts mind work again, conquer a challenge.
„If that‘s what it takes…“, Gellert mustered his hand in detail, then started to talk. „Dark magic, obviously. It does look like a curse, but not one cast in battle. Besides, no one could do that to you in battle, even without the Elder Wand. The veins indicate that it’s spreading, so it’s a longlasting curse, and quite powerful at that. It seems you stopped the spreading for now.“
„Ah, first mistake here, I didn’t stop the spreading, a potions master did.“
„Ugh fine, nonetheless I was right about everything else. The question is, if no one cursed you in battle, how did you get injured. You should have seen and felt a spell of this power from miles away, and you’d have to make contact with whatever cursed you.“
Albus saw how the realization slowly but steadily dawned on Gellerts face and he dreaded the moment he pieced it all together. Gellert looked him straight in the eyes when he continued to talk, slowly explaining the situation to himself and Dumbledore.
„If you knew there was a curse, and you knew it was dangerous, and you touched it anyway…it means you were foolish. And Albus Dumbledore is never foolish, not concerning anything. Except..“, Gellert raised his hand and counted on two fingers, „except when concerning his family or me.“
„Congratulations“, Albus rasped. „Was it you or my family?“
„Both, it’s always both.“
~
When Gellert looked up and saw Albus’ utterly heart-broken eyes he had to look away.
„You really found the stone?“, he asked. Because there wasn’t anything else that could tempt Albus to unleash a curse on himself.
„I…I just wanted to see them again.“ Albus whispered. „I wanted to tell them I’m sorry, I wanted to…I don’t know, I wanted redemption, I wanted to feel love again.“
„They did love you Al, they really did. And I think you redeemed yourself enough for a thousand life times.“
„No I didn’t. Everything I did had no significance compared to the mistakes I made before that.“
„That’s not true, you just corrected them. Look at me, you stopped me.“
„Because I had to, not because I wanted to.“
Gellert knew that to be the truth but he still relished in it every time he heard it. That Albus didn’t want to put him behind bars, that he didn’t want misery for him.
„You still did it. And you fought all those years against the new threat to the wizarding world, what was his name? Something French?“
„Voldemort.“
„Honestly, what a ridiculous name. Anyway, you tried Al, you really did. And you succeeded.“
„I know, but…I didn’t succeed with my family. Aberforth still hates me. And you do too. You never did change your mind. And I don’t recognize you anymore. We could have grown old together. We could have done it.
That we didn’t..“ Albus said loudly, his burning gaze on Gellert, „is as much your fault as mine.“
And then Gellert remembered his vision. His vision of Al on a high tower, and of a green light, and of falling. So much falling. Only the falling didn’t stop with waking up, but with a broken body on the cold stone. And then he also realized that he didn’t want Al to die. Because they were connected, if they wanted it or not. And the world was safer, and warmer with him, if he wanted it or not. And what was the point in living, if the only person who held him to life, forced it out of him, was gone.
„You can’t die.“
That, no point earlier, no point later, was the moment he finally felt remorse for all of it. For every part of what he had done. It was the first time in over 90 years that he ever thought that maybe, maybe he wouldn’t have done it again if asked.
„You can‘t die“, he repeated.
„It’s time.“ Albus said and stood up. Did he mean leaving the cell or leaving life? Gellert couldn’t process it. He couldn’t die. That wasn’t…no.
„You. Can’t. Die.“
„It’s not your right to decide what I can or can not do anymore Gellert!“ Albus shot back.
„That’s not the point. I saw it, your death. In a vision. Believe me, you don’t want to die.“
„I know how’ll I die thank you very much, there is no need for your condescending vision-theories.“
„Visions aren’t theories, you know that!
Wait…what do you mean you know how… Merlin, you planned it all already didn’t you? Honestly, what more did I expect? Always pulling strings are you? Did you tell anyone the whole thing?“
He asked, inclining his head. „Of course you didn’t.“
„I told you.“
„Because we won’t see each other again.“
„Yes“, Dumbledore said, sadness radiating from his whole being, „we won’t see each other again“, and he turned around to leave the cell.
„Wait.“
~
He felt Gellerts hand around his wrist. He didn’t know if he should stop, if he could bear to be here anymore. He didn’t want one last bitter remark from Gellert. There wasn’t anything good left to say. But he was wrong.
„It was me.“
„What-?“
„I’m sorry, it was me. The spell that killed her. I never meant to do it, I was just so angry Aberforth wanted to take you away from me but…I did it. I’m so sorry about Ariana’s death. I’m sorry I never told you. I’m sorry I didn’t stay with you. I’m sorry about the blood pact, and the fights, and the wars…I’m sorry I told you I didn’t love you. Because it’s not true. And it never was. Don’t think nobody will mourn your death, because I will. I always will.“
Albus was shocked. He knew people, their personalities, their ways. He could successfully predict almost any behavior, and he was rarely wrong. But this, he never had thought possible. Not once in over 90 years had Gellert Grindelwald apologized. And not once had he shared information purely to make someone else feel better. It was the first truly selfless act he had seen from him. There wasn’t an ulterior motive.
„I…it wasn’t my spell?“
„No, it wasn’t. I examined my wand afterwards, it was mine.“
„I’m…I’m going to leave now. Goodbye..“
He turned around one last time to look into Gellerts eyes, the last thing that was left.
„Hey, show them real greatness.“ Gellert said, something like pride shining in his eyes. „Teach them how to say goodbye. One last time.“
A tear trailed down Dumbledores old and weary face.
„One last time“, he whispered back, the words vanishing with him into the night.