Chapter Text
In 1927 Gellert Grindelwald was considered to be the most controversial figure in all of wizarding politics. He was both loved and hated from his extremist view points, such as his talk of ending the secrecy and uniting wizards and other magical folk towards in his view a more free future. While other politicians do not really touch the topics of muggles, Grindelwald openly talks about muggles in a tone of dislike, criticising their actions and openly talking about muggle and wizards history, how muggles oppress wizards. His rallies were popular with his supporters hanging off his every word. But are also usually protested by those who have muggle sympathies. In 1927 he was running for the newest leader of the EWL (European Wizarding leaders) many have protested that he shouldn’t be able to run but alas he is able to be a candidate, supported by his vice, Vinda Rosier.
To some Grindelwald was a hero, a revolutionary that would free wizardkind. To others he was a nasty bigot with too much arrogance.
No one knew however, that some of Grindelwald's ideas were from none other than pro muggle transfiguration professor Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore was, like Grindelwald, admired by some (students, other magical theorists) and disliked by others (the ministry). Their history of love, revolution and betrayal is not written in any history book. Rather deeply buried in both the men’s hearts.
Albus was in Zurich, the skies were blue and the sun was shining, a little unusual for February. He was at a wizarding conference, a large one where skilled wizards from all over the world had spoken on the subject of transfiguration. Albus had indeed enjoyed himself, he does love transfiguration. He loved both its theory and its practice. He also loved teaching it. Loved seeing the shining happy faces of his students. It made him forget just a little, just a little bit about his self loathing.
‘You should become the British minister!!’ Antonio Russo, a skilled transfiguration writer, had told him after his talk.
Albus had laughed.
‘Oh the cogs of bureaucracy tire me so. I’m quite happy with my Hogwarts post.’
A lie. He knew that of course. Politics didn’t bore him, it was more something else. His addiction, his addiction to the lure of power. The thought of all that control scared him.
He was in the bathroom, completely alone when he was thinking of this. His fatal flaw. He wondered if this flaw would always be with him. When he became an old man would he still have the shadow of guilt and power lust over him? Or would he grow wiser and finally undo the string that kept him so tight.
‘Interesting talk, Albus.’
Oh, he’d know that voice anywhere. That deep German accent. He turned.
Gellert was standing there, confident as always. In a nice three piece suit and his hair pushed back. Gellert looked good. Well he always did. To Albus Gellert was the most attractive, the most handsome man in the world.
He was handsome during that summer, dashing with a wicked, wicked smile and bouncy blonde curls. Albus remembered when they went to the lake together, Gellert had then taken off his shirt and Albus couldn’t stop staring at the pale flesh, something boiling in his stomach.
He was handsome as an older man too. Elegant with still that roguish charm, his hair shorter and now grey with that lick of silver. The suits he wore hugged his body well, he looked almost royalty.
Albus stared at him, it had been a long time since he had last seen him.
The last time he had seen him was in a hotel, in a different city. There was not much talking between them then however. It was mostly angry mouths on each other.
‘What are you doing here?’ Albus asked him.
‘Is it wrong to see an old friend? By the way I disagree with you on the breaking of Gloops fourth law of plant based transfiguration, I think-‘
‘You shouldn’t be here.’ Albus interrupted.
Gellert frowned.
‘And why pray tell shouldn’t I be?’
‘You weren’t invited here. In fact due to your actions you are banned from some events’
‘Unfairly. Surely in a free society I’d be allowed wherever I please. I am no criminal.’
‘You are still trespassing, I’ll inform the aurors.’
‘And ruin their nice Sunday…really Albus I thought you were meant to be so polite, do you really want that on your conscience?’
Albus moved. He shouldn’t have to be dealing with Gellert.
It was his conference, his speciality, why did he have to show up and bring up old wounds.
‘Conscience….I don’t think you understand the meaning of that word, Grindelwald.’
Gellert frowned.
‘Oh Dumbledore I do wonder how you walk around. It must be so difficult with that lack of backbone you have.’
Albus inhaled.
He went to leave.
‘Wait.’ Gellert said.
‘What?’ Albus asked, turning back to face him.
‘Your tie…’ Gellert said, he moved closer to him. He started to undo and redo the red tie Albus had put on this morning.
Albus watched his hands.
Oh how nice they were. Strong. Big.
He finished and then patted Albus down, he then looked at Albus, their eyes fully on each other.
‘That’s better.’ Gellert said thickly.
There was a long silence between them. Then they were suddenly kissing, hot and heavy with it. Gellert pushed Albus against the sink. His hands in Albus red locks.
‘You really should leave.’ Albus said between kisses.
‘Is that what you actually want?’ Gellert gasped back then started to kiss Albus neck
Pecking at his weak spots.
‘I….’
‘Or do you want me….’ Gellert bit into Albus' neck ‘To take you to my room and continue this.’
Albus could only moan. He really should push Gellert away. But instead he let the other man kiss his neck.
‘Tell me which option you’d prefer.’ Gellert asked him as he slid a knee between Albus’ legs.
Albus was seen as a very strong and capable man, one of the most brilliant wizards to teach at Hogwarts, prizes throughout his youth and adulthood, and had well written articles praised by some very important well known sorcerers. Yes Albus Dumbledore was indeed very strong.
But in that bathroom he was weak. Weak for this larger than life man. Weak for his once lover. Weak for his mouth, weak for his attention.
‘Take me.’ He whispered.
Gellert smiled into his neck, and apparated the pair away.
Gellert Grindelwald was very famous. Most wizards have heard of him. It’s only natural to wonder what this man would be like between the sheets.
Some assumed that like any bad politician hed have a line of women that he’d fuck. That Gellert was a sadist in the sheets. Some, especially the papers, believed that he and Vinda were in some sort of relationship.
The actual truth of the matter was that Gellert wasn’t interested in women, and he was no sadist in the sheets. Dominant? certainly. Rough? When Gellert was in the mood, yes. But sadistic? No. There was always an undercurrent of tenderness in the way Gellert made love.
That day in Zurich, Gellert slowly took Albus' clothes off. He himself stripped then pushed Albus onto the bed. His mouth going toward Albus' most sensitive area. Letting the auburns haired plush thighs wrap around his head.
Gellert had spent what felt like hours eating Albus out. Twisting his tongue. Then when Albus thought he might finish from that alone, Gellert stopped and entered him, fucking him deep and slowly, holding his hips tight while he did so.
‘Walking around in that outfit of yours…’ Gellert had gasped at him.
‘What about it? Albus had gasped back.
‘Did you ask your tailor to make your bottoms extra tight so you could show off to everyone ?’
‘I didn’t ..Merlin…I don’t have a private,ah, tailor I’m not that wealthy…’
At those words Gellert seemed to fuck him more passionately.
‘Not my point, love. Not my, ah!’
It was sudden the way Gellert finished. He gripped Albus hips in that way he always does, like he’s some sort of religious trance. Bucking his hips faster and groaning deeply.
Albus fucking loved it. He hates that he does, but there’s something about making a very powerful, usually controlled man, like Gellert, lose control in his lust. Albus hated the high it gives him, the power it gives him. He let his own legs wrap around him, pulling him closer, letting him finish deep inside. Corrupting him. Albus came too, his eyes closed, mouth open.
When it was over, they lay there sweating. Gellert as usual was smoking a cigarette. This was a recent development, smoking after sex.
Gellert had smoked for a long time. Albus would watch him light one near the village's pond during that summer. But after sex was new. He wondered if it was because Gellert was more stressed than usual. As much as he disagreed with his life choices he knew that politics wasn’t easy. He knew that from his own agonising dealings with the British ministry.
He wanted to be kind to him. Ask him how he was feeling. But he knew that Gellert would only be cruel back to him. How long has it been since Gellert was kind to him? Nearly thirty years? No. No, there were these times where Gellert was kind to him. A glimmer of hope.
Random little moments of softness interrupting the hours spent arguing or fucking.
‘You have more freckles on your shoulders than usual.’ He once said after one night of passion.
‘I do?’ Albus replied.
‘You do.’
Albus moved to cover himself.
‘Don’t.’ Gellert said ‘don’t cover them up, they’re pretty.’
Albus blushed.
‘You’re pretty.’
‘Thank you.’ Albus had blushed. Both men didn’t say anything else after. The compliment hung in the air awkwardly.
There were other moments like this. Gellert would sometimes leave a box of sweets for Albus the day after. He also always paid for the rooms, not letting Albus spend a knut on any of it, even the meals they sometimes shared together.
‘Was I better than Anton?’ Gellert asked, pulling Albus out of his thoughts almost violently.
‘Pardon?’
‘Was I better at fucking you then Antón Vogel?’ Bitterness laced into every word.
Oh.
Albus cheeks reddened in shame.
He had slept with Anton Vogel, the current German vice minister of magic. He had to admit Vogel was good in bed, but Albus was put off by Anton's slimy personality and willingness to turn a blind eye to issues facing magical Germany. Anton had always had a soft spot for Albus. Well soft spot wasn’t the right term. Massive embarrassing crush was the proper term.
Albus had taken advantage of this, offering Anton his attention and body in exchange for the release of Newt Scamander, a beloved student of his, who in Albus’ mind had been arrested on idiotic charges. As well as any political insight and information he couldn’t get from anywhere else.
Albus felt pretty disgusted with himself. Spreading legs like that. He already felt disgusted every time he went to Gellert's warm mouth. But at least they were both on the same page, the same fucked up page.
‘How did you find out?’ He knew lying wouldn’t benefit him here. When Gellert knew something no amount of lying or manipulating could change his mind.
‘Easily. It’s written all over his face, we’ve both known that he has liked you for years, I knew it as soon as I saw him beaming when your name was brought up last time I saw him. Why did you sleep with an idiot like him?’
‘I was..playing politics.’ Albus told him honestly.
‘Of course you were, ever the chess master.’ Gellert stubbed out his cigarette, rage evident in every movement.
Albus got up at this point, grabbing his clothing and getting redressed.
Gellert watched him.
‘Is this the part where you call me a whore?’ Albus asked him as he picked up his wand and put it in his pocket.
Gellert laughed.
‘A whore has multiple, so unless there are other men then no I would not use that word to describe your betrayal.’
My betrayal. Albus wanted to scream. Gellert doesn’t get to do that each time. Ignore how he was the one who ran, ignore how he was the one who never wrote to him, ignore how he raised his wand against his brother, ignored her. Ignored her lifeless corpse. Yet even thought Gellert had hurt him that badly, Albus still fell into bed with him. Anyone else would have stopped. But not stupid, weak Albus.
‘Gellert we both understand politics and how ugly it can all get. With someone as good looking as yourself, you can not tell me you haven't used sex to get your goa-.’
‘Our goals.’ Gellert cut across him. ‘Our goals, Albus.’
Albus wanted to argue. Argue that no. No these were not the same goals. Albus never hated muggles, never spoke of them like Gellert did at his rallies. That his greater good was never about hate that Gellert has twisted it into.
He doesn’t argue however, as they’ve had this discussion so many times over the years it bored him by this point.
‘And I do not use my sexuality to achieve my goals. I’ve never invited another man to bed. Ever, Albus.’
Albus doesn’t believe him. He doesn’t dare to hope that he was the only man who Gellert would sleep with. Jealousy vibrates in his chest as he thought of Gellert with others. He hated that part of himself. He hated how he could feel it anytime he saw a picture of Gellert and Vinda together.
A stupid notion as he knew Gellert was a homosexual , there was nothing romantic between them. But he can’t help it. He can’t stop he stupid want, his foolish heart. He fell in love hard at eighteen and has never been able to stop.
‘Don’t make that face, love.’ Gellert said ‘I’m telling the truth.’
Albus gave Gellert a mirthless laugh.
‘You are incredibly skilled in many things, my friend, but truth telling is not a skill you possess.’
Gellert got up to get his own clothes back on. Albus thought Gellert would scream at him.
‘It is you that is the liar out of us.’ Gellert hissed. ‘I tell the truth about how I feel about muggles while you lie and pretend to be on their side when we both know you agreed with me, as you should have.’
Always back to this. Back to the muggles. Back to Gellert's hate.
‘Is it so unreasonable that I’ve changed my mind as I've gotten older?’
‘Not unreasonable ,love, no, but foolish. Turning your back on your own kind. Utterly foolish.’
‘History will tell us who was more foolish.’ Albus said simply.
He put his tie back on.
‘Are you leaving?’ Gellert asked him.
‘Of course, there are still people waiting for me at the event , or do you want me to stay and argue like always.’
‘No I want-‘ he cut himself off.
‘What do you want, Gellert?’ He asked lightly, like a mother to a child.
A part of him wanted so desperately for Gellert to say Albus name. For him to leave all this hate and politics behind and return to him. For Gellert to return home.
‘You know perfectly well what my goals are.’
‘Of course.’ Albus said more to himself than to Gellert. Always about goals.
‘What do you want, Albus?’ He asked.
You.
Albus thought.
You without your hate. Us without guilt. Without shame.
Her. You and her. Happy.
‘Peace.’ He settled on.
Gellert laughed at this.
‘Really, Albus. Peace. You of all people are far too smart to know that peace after the years of brutal oppression would never be possible. A suggestion of peace with those animals sickens me and it should sicken you too.’
Albus sighed.
How many times would they engage in this stupid forever debate? How many times had he listened to Gellert's hate?
He reached for the door.
‘We are running in circles, Gellert. I really must leave.’ He went to open the door, turning his back on his once lover.
‘Albus.’ He heard Gellert.
He turned.
‘What is it?’ He asked.
Gellert took a breath.
‘Did it give you pleasure to have the power over Anton? Did it excite you that he’s weak and you are so much stronger than him? you may pretend not to crave power still but I know different. Spreading your legs shamelessly to get the taste of power is what you do, I just wish you did it with someone on your level.’
Albus felt shame swell in his chest. Shame that followed him, the itch under his skin. He fucking hated that Gellert was at least partly correct in his assumptions. That Albus, for however much he had changed, was still that boy from the small muggle village. The boy wanted a crown fitted on his head and for Gellert to be the one to place it.
He swallowed.
‘Goodbye Grindelwald.’ He opened the door and left his lover/enemy for the night.