A Necessary Force

"Don't you dare drop me, Albus!" Gellert cries, but the unmistakable glee is in his voice, and Albus wouldn't drop him any more than he would drop the key to freedom down a well. He hoists Gellert onto the broomstick and flies off, steering from behind Gellert, his arms around the slender waist.

"I can steer!" says Gellert, but Albus tells him, "No, you just sit here and think about what we've got. This is - "

"This is what?" Gellert yells over the sound of the wind.

"This is our biggest triumph to date!" Albus yells back. "You sit here and relish that for a while, I'll steer this thing."

Gellert tilts his head back and whispers in Albus's ear, the blond curls tickling Albus's neck, "Happy birthday, my dear."

***

When they reach Godric's Hollow they race into Albus's house, past a sullen Aberforth and a humming Ariana and rush upstairs to Albus's bedroom. "Here, let me hold it," Albus says, looking at Gellert intensely. "That's allowed, isn't it, I'm not defeating you if I just hold it?"

"Of course not," says Gellert, sprawling on Albus's bed as Albus sits beside him. "Besides, what does it matter if you have it or I have it? It's ours, Albus, ours." He draws the wand from inside his cloak and presses it into Albus's hand.

Albus can hardly believe that it's real - the Elder Wand, in their possession - and Gellert, lying on his stomach, leans forward and says, "Maybe if we get bored I'll let you defeat me for the fun of it."

Gellert's cheeks are flushed and Albus can't keep his eyes off either Gellert or the wand, they're both so beautiful. "I hope we find the other Hallows while we're still young," he blurts out, "so that once we conquer death you'll always look like this."

"I'll always look any way you want," says Gellert. "Besides - " that tender, teasing voice " - to conquer death is to conquer age, you know that. We'll always be young. Hopefully, though, you won't always have that silly beard."

"You don't like it?" says Albus, reddening. He never used to be like this, blushing and awkward; Gellert does this to him. Together they may master death, but Gellert has mastered Albus and there's no use in denying it.

"Your face is too nice for a beard. Why cover it, hmm?" Gellert reaches upward and presses a fingertip against Albus's chin. "And it tickles my face when you kiss me."

"Someday we'll have to apologize to Gregorovitch," Albus says, averting his eyes from Gellert. He hasn't yet been able to acknowledge out loud what it is they're doing, that for the past few days they've been behaving towards each other like lovers, but the idea thrills him and quickens his pulse. Why shouldn't they? He's captivated by Gellert and once their plans go into full effect no one else will ever be their equals. Who else will ever understand and appreciate the scope of their vision? Who else will finish Albus's thoughts for him, only phrase them more cleverly? (Who else will make Albus so enthralled that he'll need someone to phrase his thoughts more cleverly?) Who else will have shared this with him, who else will have those rosy lips and that beautiful neck?

"I don't see why we should," says Gellert. "Why apologize for advancing civilization?"

"Remember what I told you," replies Albus. "It's vital that we use only the force that is necessary. Stealing from someone is overstepping a boundary, even if it's crucial to our cause, and we should apologize for breaching the boundary if not for what we did once it was breached." The wand - it's theirs. He's holding it in his hand.

"You're right," Gellert says. "There's another reason why I couldn't do this alone - I haven't got the right sense of human politics. I need my gentler side for that." He rubs his hands over Albus's thighs and Albus feels his breath stop in his throat.

"Am - " He finds his breath. "Am I your gentler side?"

"You are," says Gellert. "Now put that wand on the night table and look at me."

Albus sets it down, swallowing, and turns to look back into the clever brown eyes. Gellert sits up and crawls into his lap. The weight, the warm solid weight - Gellert has one hand in Albus's hair and the other resting on his neck. "We share one mind, Albus," he whispers. "Why shouldn't we share one body?"

"Aberforth and Ariana - " Albus gasps, but he's already giving in to the ecstasy of Gellert's touch as Gellert slides the hand from his neck to his chest and lets it trail down further still.

" - are downstairs," says Gellert. "And won't hear us through the Imperturbable Charm on this room. And shouldn't need a thing from you until morning."

The hand has reached its destination and Gellert is sliding his tongue into Albus's mouth. Albus moans and leans back so that he's lying down on the bed, Gellert on top of him, their legs intertwining and their hips surging together. He lets Gellert undo the top buttons on his robe and lifts his arms so that Gellert can pull it over his head; Gellert is about to take off his own robe when Albus says, "No, let me," and uncovers that beautiful chest with its fine blond hairs and firm muscles. The air is cold on their bare skin and Albus rolls under the sheet, taking Gellert with him. He's on top of Gellert now and they're taking off their undergarments as fast as they can; Albus hears a seam rip and turns to look but Gellert presses his hand over Albus's mouth and throws their discarded clothing on the floor. Every part of their bodies joins together, their mouths and their arms and their thighs and their - Albus can't think of a word for it that isn't crude or medical, can't think of anything except how good Gellert feels. Gellert is fierce in his passion and pulls Albus's hair, bites his lips. Albus briefly opens his eyes and sees the Elder Wand on the table. "It's ours, Gellert," he whispers; "Ours," Gellert replies, and there is no Albus or Gellert now, only the merging of the two and the rocking, the steady rocking back and forth, the heightening pleasure and the muffled cries and the Elder Wand, sitting at rest, waiting for them to conquer the world.