In the Dark, A Zabini/ Grindelwald fanfic

Blaise's worrisome comments on the Dark Wizard who apparently threatened wizarding society enough to have some of their best and darkest setting him free to help gave Gellert the distraction he needed from his own emotions. He had to admit, at least to himself, that not interacting with anyone very much for over fifty years took its toll on his mind and mental resources. He had been fine with the Forest where Wolfgang Adler initially apparated them. The walk across the school grounds toward the castle itself wasn't a problem either. In fact the scenery was somewhat calming and the act of walking, refreshing. He found himself reveling in merely stretching his legs. Taking long strides and breathing in the fresh summer air. The act of simply stretching one's legs was a thing most took for granted. Not him. though. Freedom was, at the moment, quite the treasured novelty even if it didn't feel fully real yet.

As they neared the castle, it even occurred to him to tidy up his appearance a bit. It was a pity Wolfgang and his partner weren't courteous enough to allow him to do so before presenting him to the rest of whoever they were going to meet. He performed a hair removal charm on his face to rid himself of years of beard before giving his hair a good detangling charm. Granted having a wand would have made both faster, but he managed. As for the tattered state of his robes, there was nothing to be done there. The cloth had deteriorated to the point that working charms on it may have only worsened the issue to an embarrassing degree. At least a little personal grooming helped him to regain a bit of his dignity.

The meeting was a different matter, though. Even the few people around started pressing on him, overwhelming him in the most unusual of ways. It was somehow all to much for his senses to process. He was not used to having this problem and it was quite unsettling to say the least. Before his capture, there was no such issue. Back then, he was surrounded by his bubble of superiority, and driven by his determination. He had been quite comfortable talking to the masses.

Making speeches, convincing them, retorting to the doubters when need be, formulating his ideas with utter precision to make his plans sound very logical. Nurmengard changed all of that. He was alone for too long. Tormented for longer still, or so it seemed, by his own defenses, he started seeing threats even where none were directly issued.

The half giant's gestures seemed dangerous to him, his dark haired partner's whispered words to her little blonde friend, ominous. A part of him started expecting some sort of hurt, even if his rational mind could not quite articulate the nature of it. The other faces gathered at the table likewise felt unfriendly to him. Blaise was the sole exception. His manners seemed genuine, and that allowed the former dark lord a measure of comfort. He focused on the young wizard, and found himself to be calmer.

The puzzle of this new threat to the wizarding world served to quicken his mind, and that was good too. "It sounds as though this wizard is, in many ways, presenting the same sort of threat that Muggles do to our kind," he said. "Exactly," Blaise said, smiling and giving him a pleased nod. The light in the other's eyes reminded Gellert of how he felt when encountering anyone who understood a particularly necessary point that many others missed. That caused him to smile back. Being able to participate in this meeting, in this conversation even, without the fear of reprisal, turned out to be the medicine he needed to get better. At last, he felt himself beginning to relax.

As a result of a calmer mind, he recalled something he had overheard as he'd come into the Great Hall.

"Did I hear something about you and...Dementors?" Gellert wondered, his curiosity making him feel bolder still to venture a question.
Because Blaise was already more intriguing than most he'd ever met, he looked very forward to the answer to his question.

Blaise gave a casual shrug. "Yeah, the Dementor thing...It's stupid really, but my insane parents are going to make me tell everyone about it shortly which shall be the second time I've done today so you'll hear about it then."

He sighed.

"They're certain Voldemort is after us now and as such they will find many creative and paranoid ways to make my life hell."

"I can't say I relate," Gellert said. "I lost my parents at a very young age and hardly remember them at all."

"I'm sorry," Blaise said, after an uncertain second of not knowing how to reply to that. "Sometimes they're alright. I mean they're good parents but when they get a bee in their hats about something it can get weird."

His gaze moved in some trepidation, across the room to his parents who were standing in front of a glowering Severus Snape and speaking animatedly. Snape was in charge of Hogwarts now, which is why they held the meeting here. It was a safe place to convene where their activities wouldn't be discovered. The former potions master was the new headmaster of Hogwarts, and as unhappy as some students may be about that who richly disliked him, none were more displeased about the turn of events than Snape himself.