For The Greater Good

Chapter 6

Gellert already has multiple textbooks on the dark arts by the trunk of the tree. It was as if he knew what I would say. He sits down and picks one up. 

"Dark magic is magic with the intent to hurt someone," he reads. "What's your wand made out of?" He asks. He looks up at me with those flashing blue eyes.

"Black Walnut and pheonix feather, why?" 

"Some wand cores are know to be more proficient in dark magic, phoenix is one of them as well as dragon heartstring and rougarou hair. My wand is hornbeam and dragon heartstring," I pull out my wand, bending it slightly in my grip. "I'm sure that you've done some dark magic before. Dark charms fall into three categories, jinxes, hexes, and curses." He starts reading from the textbook again. 

I can't help but zone out a little bit. This is all basic information, or just common sense. I inevitably end up staring at him. The speckled light from the setting sun filters through the willow leaves. It cascades onto his face creating dramatic shadows and pools in his eyes. 

He looks up and turns to me. I start getting nervous that I might have missed something he said.

"Albus?" He asks. "Were you paying attention?"

I flush. "Sorry," he chuckles and my heart flutters.

"Am I just too distracting for you?" He brushes my jaw bone with his fingers. I can feel my heartbeat jump into my throat.

"Uh-" I start.

"It's okay," he cuts me off. "I understand. I'm just too handsome for you aren't I?" He smirks. 

"Well, yes, but it's also been a long day. Can we just talk? You can teach me tomorrow,"

"Awww you think I'm handsome?" He says amused. I shove his face away, grinning.

"Yes you idiot, what do you think all those kisses were for?" He laughs.

"Okay okay," he grins and I remove my hand from his face. "I think you're handsome too Albus," I roll my eyes. "No really!" He sits up and puts his hands on my cheeks "I think you're really handsome," he says softly which makes my stomach flutter. I open my mouth to say something but my mind goes blank. He gently tilts my head towards him and gently kisses my forehead. He lets go and leans back against the trunk of the tree. My face feels cold without his hands there so I scoot closer to him and lean against him. He wraps an arm around me and threads the fingers of his other hand with mine. Our intertwined fingers rests gently on my stomach.

"So do you want to talk about a specific topic or just anything?" He asks. 

"I don't know," I think about what we could talk about that's unrelated to my family. "What was your family like?" I ask him.

"Oh, well I'm a pure-blood and I grew up in my parents manor. I had a happy childhood but I wanted more out of life. My parents were great. My mother can get strict but is usually very kind. She works for the Bulgarian ministry, not a position of power, she's a secretary. My father was very invested in my academics and he encouraged me even when Durmstrangs did not. He liked to tinker with magic, he would lock himself in the basement to make sure than me and my mother wouldn't be harmed by any magical mishaps. My mother said many times that it's a wonder that he's still alive. I don't have any siblings but I would sometimes play with our house elf. I'm not sure he liked me very much but he didn't really have a choice,

"Durmstrangs didn't support you?" I ask.

"Well, they did but just when I started getting close to real discovery they stopped helping me find good sources. They hated it so much and I don't even know why. They even had the audacity to blame me for injuring multiple students. I had nothing to do with them, they got hurt in their own accord. I guess they were relieved when they finally got me expelled. It doesn't matter, they were only holding me back from my true potential,