july 1 1899

GRETA GRINDELWALD SLEEPS DURING THE RIDE THERE. Pulled through the sky by the carriage's pegasi, the flight was minimally bumpy. She had told herself that she would read, perhaps write, but the moment the carriage lifted from the grass, she was comatose, forehead pressed against the window. Gellert says she snored, but Greta chooses not to believe him.

Gellert is her elder by only two years and takes that fact to heart. It doesn't help that Greta looks far too dainty for her age. She blames Durmstrang's lack of sunlight. The winters are long and the sun only peaks through the clouds when classes are commencing.

Greta does not fully understand why she is being sent with Gellert to live with their great aunt. She does not know the woman very well. It was Gellert who acted cruelly towards mother and father, who wrote secret hatred into his journals, not Greta. Greta has, in fact, done nothing to be given such punishment. She has always been good. She has always followed the rules. She had hoped that she would be able to have the house to herself when she heard that Gellert would be sent to England of all places. But, no! No, her parents would rather have no children than one perfectly good daughter.

Greta yawns as Great-Aunt Bathilda Bagshot comes closer and closer. She runs a finger across the pages of her book, a nervous habit she picked up at a young age. The woman smiles when she recognizes the two blonde siblings.

"Hello, Grindelwalds," Great-Aunt Bathilda says, smiling widely. She has kind eyes and Greta is glad to see them.

"Hello, Great—"

"Oh, just say aunt, please. I feel old enough already!" Gr—no, no, Aunt Bathilda responds.

"You barely look a day over twenty," Gellert says, voice charm slick. "No one shall ever believe you have a nephew and niece."

Aunt Bathilda laughs at this, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Do not compliment me in such a way, Gellert, or I'll just burst!" She wipes a happy tear from her eye, giggle subsiding. "Well, come on now, let's get you two home."

Home. Greta is certain that Godric's Hollow will never be home.

Greta walks by Aunt Bathilda's side, her luggage floating close to her with help of the older woman. They reached the village faster than the girl had expected and were soon walking upon cobblestone, the bottoms of their shoes clacking against the road in an uncomfortable rhythm. Greta much prefers the comfortability of dirt roads.

"Gaborne will be a little late," Aunt Bathilda says, speaking about their actual aunt, the teenager's mother's sister. "She is just wrapping up her work for the summer—those bosses run her dry. I'm always saying, if you want to be an author, work for me, edit my second edition of Hogwarts: A History, but no, she wants to create her own name in the business, she's even talking about moving to America of all places—oh, hello there!"

Greta watches as a tiny blur comes rushing over, arms extended to Aunt Bathilda. The older woman sweeps up the little girl. Her hair is dark and frizzy, probably messy from a day's play. The child giggles.

"This little burst of energy is Addy Dumbledore," Aunt Bathilda says, leaning to look at the girl. "The Dumbledores live just down the street from us. Kendra's boys are just about your ages—oh speak of the devil, hello, Albus!"

A boy around Gellert's age comes running out of a gated house just a few feet away, brown curls flopping with every hurried step. He falters for a moment, eyes sliding across the pair of teenagers. He clears his throat, ducking his head. "Terribly sorry, Bathilda, she tends to get away from you, doesn't she?" He laughs breathlessly. His eyes flick back to Gellert. Greta slightly narrows her eyes, glancing at her brother, who seems to be smiling.

"Albus, this is my nephew, Gellert, and my niece, Greta. They are staying with me for the summer. Children, this is Albus, the eldest of the Dumbledores. Oh, Albus, where is Aberforth?"

"Oh, probably in the library. He always is this time of day, after all."

"There's a library?" Greta exclaims.

"Of course there's a library," Gellert mutters.

"Some of the books there are about as old as Godric himself," Albus adds. "The collection is rather handy for holiday projects."

They all stand awkwardly in a sort of circle. Addy begins to squirm. Aunt Bathilda swallows uncomfortably. "How is Ariana's health—?"

"Oh, Addy and I best be off," Albus interrupts, taking the little girl into his arms. Addy instantly flops, hanging upside down as her older brother repositions, holding her waist with one arm as he nods to the teenagers, mouth tight. "It was very nice to meet you. I hope to continue our acquaintanceship soon." Again, his eyes move swiftly to Gellert, before coming back to Aunt Bathilda. "Have a good day, ma'am."

Albus retreats, Addy giggling with every step. The Grindelwalds and Bagshot continue on their way.

"He is a kind boy," Aunt Bathilda comments. "Gellert, you two should be friends. He is only a year your senior, after all." She looks to Greta, who keeps her eyes trained upon every cottage they pass. "Oh, Greta, perhaps you would suit Aberforth nicely. I would suggest Ariana, but she is so very ill. She rarely if ever leaves the Dumbledore house, bless her soul. She is in fact so unwell that she cannot attend Hogwarts, poor thing! Some say she's a squib, but no, there is magic in her eyes, for that I am certain—ah, yes here we are."

Greta bites the inside of her cheek, running a finger across the pages of her book as she looks up at the house. She smiles hesitantly, her mouth forming into an unknowing grimace. She feels uncomfortable, raw, like she's a plant whose roots were dug up before being placed in a foreign pot. How do they expect for her to settle down when this was the only option? She's just a plant now. She misses her garden.

Greta misses her home, she misses Hungary. She wants to be back there. She doesn't care about the lack of sunlight. She doesn't care about how the chill could bite to the bone. She just wants to go home.

Instead of saying all of this, of running back to the hill to wait for the Thestral drawn carriage to come back and fetch her, Greta puts on a smile, fake as ever, and enters the gate.

author's note!

(screams)

this is my most obscure fic ever, i fear. but i couldn't with a good heart continue on with my fantastic beasts fic universe without giving more explanation to credence/aurelius's storyline. addy is the main character of stardust. there will definitely be mentions of greta in the other fics, especially when aberforth joins the cast. 

i hope y'all liked it! vote if you can, please <3