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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: JKR owns it.

.~.

Tech Wizards

.~.

Chapter One

A young male student with shoulder-length auburn hair sat on a crimson and gold blanket nestled against the trunk of a willow tree next to the lake on the edge of campus.  The wind rustled the branches but the young man hardly paid attention as his nose was buried in a textbook entitled Artificial Intelligence Theory and Practicum.  His backpack, headphones, a laptop bag, and his iPhone were haphazardly splayed all over the blanket.  His student ID had fallen out of his backpack, which read Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore.  (His three middle names didn't fit on the card, hence the abbreviation.)  Albus gave the outward impression that he was lost in the text, but in truth, he was lost in thought.

When Albus started uni, he never imagined he’d fall for someone within his first month, but it had happened.  During his last semester of secondary school, Albus was thrilled when he received an acceptance letter in the mail into HIT.  The acronym stood for Hogwarts Institute of Technology, lovingly referred to as Hogwarts School for Technical Wizardry by its students.  Most likely he was accepted because he listed the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Programming under special achievements on his application, but Albus hoped that his essay on Alan Turing being the inspiration behind his wanting to major in Computer Science helped.  Now Albus had fallen for one of the previous recipients of the prize, who just happened to be gorgeous.

“Albus, I got your favorite!”

Albus placed his textbook aside when he heard his best friend, Elphias Doge, call his name.  Elphias carried an ice cream cone in each hand as he and Adalia Greengrass approached him.  “You lucked out, lemon lavender is the flavor of the month at Dairy Castle.  You can Venmo me later.” 

“Thanks, mate.”  Albus moved his belongings over so his friends could sit next to him on the blanket.  He gratefully accepted the treat and took a long lick, preventing the yellow ice cream from dribbling down the side.  “Mmmm.  What did you get?”

“Rocky Road,” Elphias replied as he settled down and took a bite. 

Adalia snorted as she scooted close to Albus and sipped her strawberry milkshake.  “That’s rather apt, considering your plan to create your own cryptocurrency.” 

“Hey!”  Elphias whined.  “Just you wait, Dogecoin is going to be the next bitcoin.  We’ll see what you have to say when I become a millionaire.”  To prove his point, Elphias accidentally spilled a bit of ice cream onto his grey t-shirt, featuring the picture of a floppy disk saying “I am your father” and a flash drive saying “NOOOO!”

“Keep dreaming, Elphy.  Can I have a sip of your milkshake, dear?” Albus asked Adalia with a wink.

“Of course you can.” Adalia kissed his cheek as she held out her cup and Albus took a long sip through the straw.

“Thanks.  Mine’s better, though.”  Albus enjoyed his ice cream as the three friends talked about their courses.  He had almost finished his cone when Elphias asked,

“Can I use your laptop for a minute?  I need to send a quick email and I left my phone in the dorm.”

“I’m afraid not.”  Albus chuckled nervously before he ate the last bite of his cone and wiped his hands on the blanket.  “My laptop is currently broken.”

“That’s rotten luck.”  Elphias sympathetically patted him on the back.  “You should take it to the IT center.  There’s a student who works there on the weekends, a Computer Science major who’s supposed to be a real tech wiz.  His name is Grinderwald or something like that.”

“Grindelwald.  Yes, I’m well aware.”  Albus adjusted his glasses as his cheeks reddened.  “It is rather unfortunate my computer decided to die on me.  I suppose I could have this supposed wiz look at it.”

Elphias and Adalia knowingly glanced at each other and groaned.

“Albus, you broke your computer so you can have an excuse to talk to him?”  Elphias stared at his best friend in disbelief.  “That is so cliché.”

“Really, dear?”  Adalia furrowed her eyebrow as she wiped a smidge of ice cream off the left corner of Albus’ mouth.  “Should I be worried?”

Elphias shook his head.  “You can drop the act, Adalia, no one’s paying attention to us.”

“But I play the doting girlfriend so well,” Adalia pouted. 

“And you’re a lesbian,” Elphias pointed out.

“Not everyone knows that.  I’m only doing Albus a favor and…”

 “For your information, I didn’t break it, I installed a virus,” Albus said primly.   “Whoever tries to fix it will have to take some time to find the source code and uninstall it.”   

 “Seriously?”  Elphias rolled his eyes.  “That’s going to be a lot of trouble just to get someone to talk to you.  Why don’t you go up to him and introduce yourself like a normal person?”

Albus blushed.  “Are you insane?  I need a good excuse to talk to him.   I’d probably out myself and trip over my words if I didn’t have a reason to approach him.  He’s so beautiful.”  Albus tried to keep the longing out of his voice but didn’t quite succeed.  “But even if I was out, I’m nothing special.  I doubt he’d ever be interested in me.  Besides, you two are the only people I can trust with my secret, apart from my siblings and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

“Don’t say that.  Grindelwald would be lucky to have you,” Adalia insisted.  “You should invite him over to play D&D with us tonight, that’d be a conversation starter.  We’re down a person since Aberforth couldn’t make it.”

“Are you joking?  I can’t just do that out of the blue.  Why don’t you ask your new girlfriend to come?”  Albus quirked an eyebrow.  “Does Bianca even know about your nerdy side?”

“Yes, she does and she’s just as nerdy as me.  When Bianca told me she read the entire Silmarillion for fun, I knew we were meant to be.”  Adalia pointed at her black Lord of the Rings shirt with gold lettering, which read ‘I journeyed to Mordor and all I got was this ring’ along with a picture of the golden One Ring.  She ran her fingers through her cropped blonde hair, which was shaved on one side, revealing her many ear piercings.  “Albus, I thought Bianca was out of my league because her family, the Notts, have old money and my family is poor.  Look how that turned out.  It never would’ve happened if I hadn’t asked her directly.”

“At least when you introduce yourself to Grindelwald, you don’t have to ask his name,” Elphias pointed out.

“True,” Albus allowed.

Everyone on campus knew of Gellert Grindelwald, who was notorious for being openly queer.  He was known for organizing protests and rallies for the LGBTQ student community and had gained quite a following although Albus had heard he was unattached at the moment.  Grindelwald was two years ahead of Albus in school, so running into him in a class was out.  So, Albus had concocted his foolproof plan.

“Why don’t you just tell him that you are the most recent recipient of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Programming?”  Adalia suggested.  “That would give you something to talk about.”

“I don’t want my intelligence to intimidate him.”  Albus looked down at the blanket.  “That’s what happened with my ex, remember?”

“That’s not why he cheated, it was because Tom was an asshole,” Elphias growled.  “I never thought he was good enough for you.  There was something off about him.  I heard from Muriel Weasley he had shady dealings off campus with a gang, what’s their name… oh, right, the Death Eaters.  He manipulated you into keeping your relationship a secret and convinced you he loved you, but I knew he was only using you to do his schoolwork.”

“You told me that when I first started seeing Tom, but I was too blind to see it.”  Albus winced.  “I should’ve listened to you.  I was stupid to fall for him.”

“You seem to go for the bad boys,” Adalia observed.  “Grindelwald is known for being a rebel, especially after that time he got arrested at a protest he led.  And I heard he was almost expelled from his conservative secondary school for advocating for LGBTQ rights and standing up to their homophobic policies.  But he seems to be a decent enough bloke, and from what I’ve heard, he’s on your level, intelligence-wise.  Not many people are.  I think you’d be good for each other. Grindelwald could help you come to terms with your identity.”  She nudged Albus in the ribs.  “Well, what are you waiting for?  Go talk to him.  The longer you wait, the longer you’ll build it up in your head.”

Albus smiled wryly at her.  “You know me so well.  Wish me luck.”  The young Computer Science student shoved his ID into his pocket and packed up his things, swinging his backpack and laptop back over his shoulders.  A determined Albus squared his shoulders and left his friends, heading straight for the IT center. 

Albus inwardly coached himself.  Tell him your laptop is broken, everything should sort itself from there.   And no matter what you do, don’t be too obvious.

.~.

Clutching his laptop case in his left hand, Albus reached the glass door leading to the IT center.  He peered through the door to see Gellert behind the desk, texting on his iPhone which had a rainbow case.  Gathering his courage, he pushed the door open and approached the desk.

Gellert looked up as he heard a customer enter the center and set his phone aside.  “Can I help you?”

Albus looked into those mismatched eyes and knew he was a goner.  He awkwardly cleared his throat.  “Yes, my laptop doesn’t seem to be working.”

Gellert smirked as he leaned forward over the counter.  “Did you try turning it off and on?”

Albus gave him a withering look. 

Gellert held up his hands with his palms facing out.  “Sorry, I had to ask.  You don’t know how many idiots come in here without doing that.  I was trying to help you save face.”

“The power works just fine, I keep getting error messages and those pop-up thingies keep appearing.  Not to mention my internet is slower than usual.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”  Gellert curled his hand, motioning for Albus to hand it over.  “Let’s have a look.” 

Albus unzipped his laptop bag and pulled out his ancient Acer Chromebook, circa 2011 that he’d bought on sale.  The screen was slightly cracked and the backspace button often stuck, but it still worked.  He opened it and pressed the power button, revealing his background picture.  It featured himself with Elphias and Adalia, all making funny faces and giving each other bunny ears.   Why didn’t I change that to something less embarrassing?

“Here, while I’m taking a look, complete this waiver saying you won’t sue the university if I can’t fix your laptop.”  Gellert shoved a pen and a form in front of Albus, who started to fill it out.

After Albus finished jotting down his contact information, student ID number, and signed the waiver, Gellert had already diagnosed the problem with his laptop.

“Looks like you have a virus.  That’s rotten luck.”  Gellert closed the laptop.  “Unless you were on a porn site and paid the consequences without a proper virus protection software and malware infected your computer.”  He smirked.  “You wouldn’t be the first.”

Albus chuckled nervously.  “I didn’t renew my virus protection software, that must be what caused it.”  The previous night he’d uninstalled his antivirus software so his story would look credible.

“I’ll have to wipe your laptop and reinstall the operating system. Before I do, is there anything on here you want me to try and save?”

Albus shook his head.  “At my friends’ insistence, I backed up everything I need.  I’m here on scholarship, I can’t risk losing any of my schoolwork.”  He secretly wondered if Gellert knew what it was like to suffer financially the way the Dumbledores had, but he doubted it.  Word around campus was that the Grindelwalds were extremely wealthy.

“After I fix your device, I can help you install the antivirus software you need.”

“I appreciate your help.  I'm in beginner courses, I don't even know how I got accepted when I don’t know that much about computers." Albus fibbed. 

“Really?”  Gellert looked thoughtful.  “What’s your name?”

“Albus Dumbledore.”

“Gellert Grindelwald.  I can see you already knew that, as my reputation precedes itself.  Your name sounds familiar, Albus.  I must’ve read it somewhere.”  Gellert shrugged.  “I can’t place it.  So, Albus, what do you like to do for fun?”

Albus blushed, as hearing Gellert say his name was doing all sorts of things to his nether regions.  “I’m not very exciting.  Schoolwork takes up the rest of my time.  I take my studies very seriously.  Sometimes I get together on the weekends with my friends to play D&D.”

Gellert brightened.  “Yeah?  Would you be interested in a similar game?”

“What game?”

“I just bought a new role-playing game called The Legend of the Deathly Hallows.  Everyone plays a witch or a wizard and they get to battle trolls and dragons and even duel each other while on a quest to find the Deathly Hallows, three objects of legend.”

Albus couldn’t believe his good fortune.  Is Gellert suggesting that I spend time with him?   Play it cool, Albus.

“Sounds like fun.”  Albus tried to sound casual.  “I might be interested.”

Gellert beamed.  “Great!  If you like D&D, you’ll like this game.  Every week, I get together with some friends from the LGBTQ club and we play.  We’re a friendly bunch, and right now, we’re down a person since Krall is out of town.  You should join us tomorrow night at my flat.”

“I’d love to.”  Albus said, trying not to sound too eager before tacking on, “Er, that is, if you’re sure your friends wouldn’t mind.”

“They won’t, or if they do, they wouldn’t dare bring it up to me.”  Gellert’s mismatched eyes sparkled with mischief.  “I'm kind of like their fearless leader.  But honestly, you’d be doing me a favor if you came.”

“Just text me your address and the time and I’ll be there," Albus vowed.

“I will,” said Gellert.

Albus stood rooted to the spot, waiting for Gellert to make the next move, but he didn’t.

“Um, don’t you need to ask for my number?”  Albus tried to keep his tone casual, hoping Gellert would volunteer his digits.  Once Gellert texts me the address, I’ll have his number!

Gellert cocked his head.  “Why?  Isn’t it on the form you just filled out?”

Albus’ cheeks turned crimson.  “Right.  Yes, it is.”

Gellert leered at him.  “Unless you want me to ask for your number.”

“No, that’s not necess…” Albus swallowed hard under Gellert’s discerning gaze, hoping Gellert didn't see right through him.

Gellert laughed.  “I’m just messing with you, Albus.  I’ll text the number you left on the form with the information. When I see you tomorrow night, I will give you an estimate regarding how long it will take me to fix your computer.  I’m sure you’re anxious to get it back in working order.”

“It’s alright if you can’t get to it right away.  I can always use the computers in the library.”  Take all the time you need.  Albus offered his hand.  “It was nice to meet you, Gellert.”

“Likewise, Albus.”  Gellert shook his hand with a firm grip. 

Albus didn’t want to let go, but he couldn’t risk lingering and making things awkward between them.  He pulled his hand back and stuffed it in his right pocket. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”  Gellert gave him a genuine smile.  “Oh, and be sure to pick out a name for your character.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of one.”  Albus smiled mysteriously.  “Until tomorrow.”   

Quick, get out of here before you say or do something weird.  Although he didn't want to leave Gellert, Albus forced himself to about-face and walk towards the exit, saving the happy dance until he was outside and away from Gellert’s line of sight.

.~.

End Chapter One

Chapter Text

Disclaimer:  JKR owns it.

.~.

Chapter 2: The Game

After recounting the encounter to Elphias and Adalia the next day, Albus prepared to visit Gellert that evening.  He wore jeans and his favorite white t-shirt featuring a flaming crimson and gold phoenix.  The shirt had faded and had a small hole in the back, but Albus was still attached to it since it was the last thing his father had ever bought him.  He washed his hair, brushed it, and left it down.  My ex once said that I was more attractive with my hair down, perhaps Gellert will find it that attractive as well.

Using public transport, Albus arrived at Gellert’s flat right on time.  He knocked on the door three times.  It swung open to reveal Gellert, clad in a grey t-shirt that read ‘this is how I roll’ featuring a twenty-sided die and black skinny jeans.   Albus noticed a skull tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve on Gellert’s upper right arm, and a red dragon accented with yellow on his left.  Gellert’s blond hair was neatly pulled back into a man bun.  A few whisps of hair had fallen out and Albus wished he could tuck them behind Gellert’s ears, or have an excuse to touch Gellert at all. 

“Albus!  Glad you could make it.”  Gellert flashed him a knee-weakening smile and Albus wanted to swoon right there.  “Great shirt.  Did you find the place alright?” 

Albus forced himself to answer, as he couldn’t afford to be tongue-tied now.  “Yes, I did.  Thanks for inviting me.”

Gellert flashed another smile.  “Come on in.  Everyone is already here.” 

Albus followed his host into the flat, noting how Gellert’s jeans accentuated his bum.  That combined with his deep yet soothing voice, and intelligence was quite the trifecta.  Could he be any hotter?

Gellert turned back around. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Albus blushed, grateful Gellert couldn’t read his thoughts.  “I’m fine, thanks.”  

He followed Gellert into the living room, finding comfortable furnishings.  A large rainbow flag hung on the wall along with a picture collage of the previous year’s LGBTQ rally on campus.   The largest picture showed a red-faced Gellert at the front of the crowd with a megaphone, mid-chant.  He wanted to peruse the pictures further, but someone cleared their throat.

Around the corner, two young women and a man sat around a round wooden card table.  Albus estimated they were all near Gellert’s age. 

“Albus, this is Vinda, Queenie, and Abernathy.”  Gellert motioned to his friends in turn.

Queenie’s dirty blonde shoulder-length curls bounced as she stood and immediately hugged him.  “It’s nice to meet you, Albus!  We’ve heard all about you from Gellert.  Thanks for subbing for Krall tonight.”

Albus looked taken aback, but ultimately relaxed into the hug.  “It’s good to meet you as well.”  Queenie’s bubblegum pink sequined spaghetti-strap tank top with a hint of cleavage would’ve sent his mother into a tailspin, but Albus thought it suited her, along with her matching pink beret.

Queenie sat back down and gestured to the woman on her right, who was wearing a crisp white blouse and blank pantsuit along with black stilettos that featured glittering rhinestones along the ankle strap.  “Vinda’s my girlfriend.  We met last term and we’ve been inseparable ever since.  Right, dear?”

“That’s right.”  Albus tried not to wince at the brunette’s cold discerning stare.

"This is Abernathy," said Gellert, gesturing to the young man.  "We met at a rally and he's followed me around ever since."

"Hello," Albus said politely. 

Abernathy barely looked up. 

“Now that we’re all acquainted, shall we start?”  Gellert grabbed the box, which featured a glittering silver triangular symbol, and removed the lid.   He pulled out a weathered parchment map, depicting a sprawling magical world, and unfolded it.  Next came the polyhedral dice, pencils, and character sheets. 

Albus recognized the twenty-sided and ten-sided dice, along with the standard six-sided die.  “Looks similar to D&D.  It can’t be that hard to learn.”

“Nah, I’m sure we’ll pick it up quickly.”  Gellert locked eyes with Albus, and he couldn’t look away. 

Queenie cleared her throat.  “Albus, what’s your character’s name?” 

Albus’ cheeks reddened as he pulled his gaze away from Gellert.  “Dumbledore the Wise.”

Vinda snorted.  “That’s original.”

Gellert rolled his eyes.  “Tell him about your D&D character, then, Vinda.”

“I’m Seraphina, a half-elf rogue, level thirteen with a talent for deception,” Vinda said coolly.  She glanced down at her nails, admiring her French manicure.   “I’ll keep the same name for my witch character for this game.   You know, I think I’d be very good at witchcraft.  I’d hex anyone who tried to hurt one of my friends.” She gave Albus the side eye, who gulped.

Queenie broke the awkward silence.  “My character’s name is Lyra, a human cleric whose compassion knows no bounds and whose healing touch can mend even the most grievous wounds.  I can also read minds.  I’m only at level five though, I haven’t been playing as long as the others.”

Albus glanced at Abernathy but he didn’t volunteer any information.

“Abernathy keeps changing characters, but he usually plays a spy and is known for his sneak attack.”  Gellert informed him.  “Albus, why don’t you look over the rules?  We’ve already read them.”

Grateful for the distraction, Albus grabbed the rulebook.  As he skimmed it, Albus tried not to dwell on Vinda’s remark.  He came across the triangular symbol on the box, a triangle with a circle inside with a vertical line running down the center.  This insignia combined the three Deathly Hallows, the line being the Elder Wand, the circle representing the Resurrection Stone, and the triangle as the Invisibility Cloak.  The game seemed simple enough for a roleplaying game; the object was to collect all three items.  There was a list of spells one could cast, from as benign as a tickling charm all the way to the killing curse.

“Who is usually the DM in your group?”  Albus asked after he’d familiarized himself with the rules.

“I am,” said Gellert.  He tapped his iPhone and soundtrack music filled the room, which Albus recognized as the main theme from the Hobbit films. 

Gellert leapt to his feet.  “I will lead us on the quest for the Deathly Hallows.  I play a Warlock usually, being a wizard in this game can’t be that different.”  He grinned at Albus.  “Dark magic is my specialty.”

Albus shivered as he gazed at Gellert.

Gellert’s heterochromatic eyes glinted with mischief. "Welcome, fellow adventurers," he declared, his voice dripping with a theatrical flourish. "I, Gellert Grindelwald, shall be your guide on this perilous quest for the Deathly Hallows." He tapped the map with a long, elegant finger. "Legends whisper of three artifacts – the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak.  Whoever possesses all three is said to be master of death himself.  But the path to power is fraught with danger.  Are all who are present prepared to face the trials that lie ahead?"

“Before we begin, a word of caution,” said Albus, his eyes twinkling as he got into character.  “According to the legend, whoever collects all three Hallows may go mad with power, especially if they succumb to the lure of the Elder Wand.”

“I’ll risk it,” Vinda said pointedly.   “I’ll roll for initiative.”  She cast the D20 die and rolled a zero. 

“That’s rotten luck,” said Albus, who received a glare.  Abernathy, Queenie, and then Gellert rolled. 

“Here, Albus.”  As Gellert handed him the die, Albus felt their fingers brush.  Did Gellert’s hand linger on mine for longer than necessary or was it my imagination?   He cast the die, landing on a six. 

Abernathy had rolled a nine, the highest, so he went first. 

While they played, Albus was impressed by Gellert’s detailed campaign.  Clearly, he’d fleshed out the storyline in advance.  He tried not to dwell on Queenie’s little knowing smirks when Gellert addressed him, preferring to concentrate on the game.  Though it was hard to concentrate when Gellert would lean into Albus’ personal space and their legs brushed.

It took the rest of the night for the group to collect all three Hallows.  Gellert and Albus ended up dueling to gain ownership of the Elder Wand and Albus narrowly won. 

Vinda’s character was sacrificed near the end of the campaign, which Gellert claimed was for the greater good of the group when she complained.   They emerged victorious, and completed their quest right before Albus’ alarm chimed at midnight. 

“Sorry, I’ve got to get going,” Albus said, his voice filled with regret as he stood from his seat.  “I must get an early start tomorrow so I can study.  I’ve got a big test coming up that I can’t afford to blow.”

“It was so nice to meet you, Albus!”  Queenie chirped.  “You can play with us anytime.”  She nudged Vinda in the ribs.  “Right, honey?”

“Right,” said Vinda, though she looked at Albus through narrowed eyes.  

“It was lovely meeting you all.”  After grabbing his phone, Albus ducked out of the room. 

Gellert walked Albus to the door and opened it for him.  “I had a great time tonight.  Thanks for coming out and meeting my friends.”

“You’re welcome.  I did as well.  Had a great time, I-I mean,” Albus stammered.

Gellert didn’t seem to notice.  “I hope to see you again.”

“I hope to see you too,” Albus said shyly.  “I’d better go.  Thank you for inviting me over.”  He lingered for a moment, before stepping out the door with an awkward wave, inwardly giddy that the night had gone so well.

.~.

The following day, Albus met his friends at the café on campus for lunch.  They sat at a table under a white and navy-blue striped umbrella which thankfully blocked the sun as Albus tended to burn easily.  A welcome cool breeze slightly rattled the umbrella.  Adalia loudly scraped one of the chairs against the pavement to scoot in next to Albus, setting her tray down with a soft clatter. 

“So, how was your night with Gellert and his friends?” Elphias asked as he took a bite of his turkey sandwich, getting a glob of mayonnaise on the corner of his mouth.

“Yes, do tell!”  Adalia enthused as she reached over and wiped Elphias’ mouth with a napkin, who huffed.  “You’re such a messy eater, Elphy.  So, did Gellert flirt with you?”

Albus’ cheeks colored as he finished off his panini and took a gulp of water.  “I’m not sure if it counts as flirting, but Gellert’s hand did slightly linger when handing me the dice.  And he kept leaning in towards me.  Oh, and his leg did happen to brush against mine.  But I could be reading too much into it because I want it to be true.”  Albus groaned.  “I’m hopeless.”

“No, you’re not,” said Adalia.  “I think Gellert likes you, Albus.”

“Yeah, why else would he invite you over?”  Elphias added.

“Maybe he was just being friendly?  They did need a sub for their game.”  Albus sighed as he rubbed his temples.  “I wish I knew for sure.  All this guesswork is giving me a headache.”

“Why don’t you just ask him?”  Elphias asked.

Albus raised his eyebrows.  “And how is that opportunity going to present itself?  We’ve already established that me initiating a conversation with someone I like is not my strong suit.”

“You’re in luck.  He’s heading this way.  You can ask him right now,” Elphias said smugly as he grabbed a panicking Albus’ shirt collar to prevent him from bolting.  “Pull yourself together, man!” Elphias said under his breath.  “You can do this.”

“Right.”  Albus tried not to faint as Gellert approached their table and came to a stop.  “Albus, it’s lovely to see you again.”  A mischievous gleam sparkled in Gellert’s eyes as he regarded Albus.

Albus gave him a weak smile.

“I had a lot of fun with you last night,” Gellert said warmly. 

“Likewise.”  Albus tried not to gaze longingly at Gellert, but he couldn’t help it.

“What are the odds I would run across you today?”

“I would calculate them but that might make me look more like a nerd than I already am,” Albus replied without thinking.

Gellert’s lips twitched with amusement before he turned his searing gaze towards Albus, who gulped.

Adalia cleared her throat and stuck out her hand, breaking the palpable tension.  “I’m Albus’ friend Adalia.  It’s nice to meet you.”

Embarrassment brought Albus back to himself.  “Oh, sorry.  Gellert, these are my best friends in the whole world, Adalia and Elphias.”

“It’s good to meet you both.” Gellert shook their hands.  “I came over because I just spoke with your girlfriend, Adalia.  Bianca expressed an interest in attending one of our meetings and I thought I’d personally extend the invitation.  Our next one is this coming Monday in room 110 in the library.”

Adalia beamed.  “We’d love to attend, thank you.  I’ve been putting it off since I’ve been so busy with school, but it would be wonderful to make new friends with people like us.”

“It’s open to anyone, allies are also welcome.  We need everyone we can get on our side if we want to make lasting change for the LGBTQ community.”  Gellert nodded at Elphias, who smiled.

“Thanks for the invite, mate.  I’ll try to make it.  What time is the meeting?”

“It’s at three.  I hope to see you there too, Albus.”

“I-I think I have a study group at that time on Monday,” Albus choked out.

The mischievous sparkle in Gellert’s mismatched eyes dimmed.  “Ah.  That’s unfortunate. Perhaps another time.”

Albus looked down at his hands.

“Or not.”  Gellert ran a hand through his golden curls.  “I’m afraid I haven’t fixed your laptop yet, Albus, it’s been a tough code to crack, so to speak.  But I plan to fix it in the next few days when I have the time.  This term has been brutal.”

“Yes,” Albus agreed. 

“Well, I must be off.  See you around, Albus.”  With a wave, Gellert sauntered off.

“What the fuck was that?” Elphias gently whacked Albus’ head once Gellert was out of earshot.  “He gave you the perfect opportunity, but you choked.”

“I didn’t want to come out to him.  I’m not ready.”

“You didn’t have to.”  Adalia and Elphias exchanged an exasperated look over Albus’ head.  “All he wanted was for you to come to the meeting.”

“Yes, but if I go, someone there might figure it out,” Albus worried.

“I’m considering going and I’m straight,” Elphias pointed out.

“But you don’t have feelings for the leader of the club and find it difficult not to gaze at him at every opportunity.” Albus looked glum.  “And now I’ve lost my only chance with him.”  He put his face in his hands.  “I’m hopeless.”

“You’ll get another chance,” Adalia reminded him.  “You still have to get your computer back from Gellert when he’s finished fixing it.”

“Oh yeah.”  Albus realized something and tried not to panic.  “What if Gellert figures out that I only pretended to need my computer to be fixed?”

“Then you tell him the truth about why you did it,” said Elphias.  

“He’ll think I’m ridiculous,” Albus moaned.

“Very likely,” said Elphias.

“You’re no help.”  Albus chucked a crumpled-up straw wrapper at Elphias, who batted it away.

“I think Gellert will be flattered,” Adalia predicted.  “There’s only one way to find out.  When he returns your laptop, tell Gellert how you really feel about him.”

“But what if he’s not interested?”

“That’s the risk you take, trusting your heart with someone.  But Albus, trust me, Gellert likes you as more than a friend,” Adalia insisted.

“Yeah, it’s really obvious, mate,” said Elphias, patting Albus’ shoulder.  “And would it be so bad if you came out to that group?  You know they’d keep your secret.”

Albus sighed.  “I don’t know if I’m ready for anyone else to know yet.  But I can’t deny that hiding hasn’t been difficult.  I want to be myself, but I don’t want it to get back to my mum.  She has conservative beliefs, and I don’t know if she’d accept me if she knew I was gay.”

“Only one way to find out.”  Adalia gave him a sympathetic look. 

“I’ll think about it.” Albus quickly changed the subject as he considered attending a meeting, weighing the pros and cons of doing so.  Seeing Gellert’s eyes light up would certainly be a huge pro, and then perhaps he could confess his feelings.  And would it be so bad if his mother finally knew the truth? 

.~.

As Albus considered his next move, Gellert walked across the quad, stewing over Albus’ dismissal.  He was so distracted, he wasn’t watching where he was going and almost ran smack into a rather indignant Queenie.

“Hey, watch it!”  Queenie immediately changed her tune when she saw Gellert’s stormy expression.  “Oh, honey, c’mere.”  She led Gellert over to a deserted part of the quad and they sat side by side on a wooden bench.

Gellert crossed his arms and remained silent.

“You’re going to have to tell me what happened, Gellert,” Queenie prompted.  “I’m not a mind reader.”

Gellert shook his head.  “I was stupid to get my hopes up.”

“Oh, this must have to do with Albus,” Queenie said knowingly.

“What gave it away?”  Gellert said dryly.

“Your long face.”  She frowned.  “I hope Vinda didn’t scare him away.  I had a long talk with her last night after Albus left.  That stare of hers can be rather frightening to those who don’t know her.”

Gellert sighed and kicked a nearby pebble, releasing his frustrations.  “No, that’s not it.  We just spoke and he didn’t want to come to our meeting on Monday.  Or ever.”

“Maybe he’s not ready to come out?”

“I thought of that.  I suggested that his straight friend could attend as an ally.  Albus could’ve come to the meeting and not revealed his sexuality if he wasn’t comfortable doing so.  But refusing to attend?  Queenie, I can't be with someone who has no interest in being a part of the organization that I lead.”  Gellert’s eyes were downcast.  “Even if I do really like him.”

“Maybe he has a good reason for not attending?  Sometimes people like us are terrified that someone will figure out the truth and it will get back to their families.”

“But we would never do that!  What happens in those meetings doesn’t leave the room.  If that’s the reason, then that means Albus doesn’t trust me.”

“Give it time,” Queenie advised.  “Some people don’t trust others easily.  We have no idea what Albus went through growing up.”

“Yeah.”  Gellert blew out a breath.  “I wish I knew what was going on inside Albus’ mind, so I’d have a clue what to say to get him to trust me.”

“I wish I could help you.”  Queenie rested her head on Gellert’s shoulder.  “One of my friends said that she thinks I’m psychic just because I dreamed that she was going to get with her boyfriend the day before she did, but that’s the extent of my supernatural experience.  If I could read Albus’ mind for you, I would.”

“I know you would.  If we were in the X-Men, I’d want you on my team.” 

Queenie giggled at that before sobering.  “Honey, you know there are other fish in the sea, right?”

“Yeah, but I thought there was something about Albus,” Gellert said wistfully. “I felt so drawn to him, almost as if we’d lived another life together.  I thought he was flirting back during game night.”

“That’s what I assumed too.”  Queenie pursed her lips.  “Why don’t you stop stalling and fix his laptop?  When you return it, I say you should level with him.  Either way, you’ll finally know if he’s interested or not.”

“I will."  Gellert slightly perked up.  "Thanks.  You give good advice.”

Queenie beamed.  “I know.  That’s why you keep me around.”  She stayed with Gellert until it was time for his next class, hoping that fear wouldn’t cause Albus to break her friend’s heart.

.~.

Two days later

Biting the bullet, Gellert texted Albus that his laptop was fixed and asked him to come pick it up that afternoon.

Albus bravely entered the IT center, determined to be receptive if Gellert asked him to do something, even if it was attending a meeting.  He approached the counter and Gellert behind it, thankful there was no one else in the room.

“Your computer is back up and running.”  Gellert carefully handed the ancient laptop back to Albus, who put it in its case.  “But we both know you didn’t need my help.”

“But the virus…” Albus tried.

Gellert held up his hand for silence.  “I remembered where I first heard your name.  My advisor mentioned you as someone to look out for at the beginning of the term.  Last year, you won the Finkley prize for programming, which I won two years before you.  Then I double-checked online and sure enough, it’s you.  You lied to me.”

“Shit.”  Albus croaked.  “I’m sorry for deceiving you.  I’m not in the habit of lying, I just…”  He helplessly trailed off, not sure what he could say without digging an even bigger hole.

“I think I know why you did.”  Gellert looked serious.  “Albus, if you wanted to ask me out, you could’ve done so flat out.  You didn’t have to play dumb.”

Albus’ face was flaming.  “Yeah, that wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.  I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.  I’m extremely shy.”

“That may be, but I don’t want to be with someone unless they are halfway intelligent, and from what I read about your programming skills, you could give me a run for my money.  Why would you want to downplay that?”  Gellert gave him a tender smile.  “Intelligence is sexy.  In fact, I’d love to have someone who challenges me.  I did some asking around and apparently, you’re the only person who even comes close in that department and you’re only a first year.”

Albus glowed at the praise but needed further clarification.  “But how did you know I was…”

“Queer?”  Gellert chuckled.  “It was pretty obvious the way that you stared at me when we first met.”

Albus swallowed hard.  “Gellert, I like you but I’m not out.”

Gellert raised an eyebrow.  “You really think I’d tell anyone?  If you think that, you don’t know me at all.”

“Of course, I don’t think that!”  Albus ran his hands down his cheeks and groaned.  “I should’ve gotten over my shyness and introduced myself like Elphias told me to.  You must think I’m an idiot.”

Gellert gave him a half-smile.  “I don't think that.  It was kind of sweet.  I’ve never had someone pretend to break their computer before just because they wanted to talk to me.  I must admit, it’s rather flattering.  It would be a hell of a story if we made it.”

Albus swallowed hard.  “You’d like to try, even though I lied to you about the computer virus?”

“I would,” Gellert said softly.  “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  Why don’t we grab a bite to eat together when it fits with our schedules and go from there?”

Albus’ eyes lit up.  “That sounds lovely.”

“There is one thing you should know, however, before we start whatever this is.  I won’t ever pressure you to come out, but I don’t like to keep secrets,” Gellert warned.  “Will you at least consider coming out someday?”

Albus nodded.  “That day may be sooner than you think.  It’s time for me to stop hiding who I am and damn the consequences.  I think I will fit in well with your friends, although it might take Vinda a bit to warm up to me.”

Gellert’s lips twitched.  “She’s just being protective.  I’ve been hurt before, but who hasn’t?  Vinda had to pick up the pieces and she doesn't want me to be hurt like that again.”

“Did your ex want to keep your relationship a secret?”  Albus surmised.

Gellert nodded.  “As you can imagine, it didn’t end well.”

“I went through something similar with my ex, although it was me who wanted to keep it a secret.  But I don’t want to make that mistake again.”  Albus’ eyes glinted with determination.  “Now that you know the truth about who I am, I’m ready to attend my first meeting with you.”

“I would like that,”  Gellert said softly.  “What are you doing the rest of the day? I’m about to close up.”

“I don’t have any plans.  I could get that bite to eat with you tonight.  That is, if you want.”  Albus' eyes slightly widened as he realized something.  “I’m not being too pushy, am I?  My ex always said I was too pushy.”

“Then he was the world’s biggest idiot.”  Gellert gave Albus a knowing look.  “You’re not being pushy at all.  I would love to have dinner with you tonight.”

Albus beamed at him and Gellert wanted to kiss him right then and there.

When they walked out of the IT center, it was almost dark and very few people were nearby.  Gellert slipped his hand into Albus’ and though he tensed for a moment, Albus didn’t pull away. Instead, he gently squeezed Gellert’s fingers hoping that they could defy the odds and end up happy together.

.~.

The End