A/N: Hi, mortals! I really have to say, I was downright terrified when I got Helga Hufflepuff as my character for halffictionalprincess' The Card Will Tell Your Fate Challenge, but, seeing as how I'm always terrified of writing anything from the Dark Age, I think I did really well. (I wouldn't say it's up to my usual standards, but oh well.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

XXX

It was the school's third anniversary. It would not be a special event for the students, nor would Helga or any of the other professors throw any festivities over the occasion, but it was one of the first thoughts that flitted through her mind when she awoke that morning. One of. For, indeed, she went to sleep thinking about one person, and again awoke with the same wistful longing.

Her heart hurt. It often did. It hurt because she knew that the person she had fallen in love with would never love her the same way - indeed, they would never be able to love her the same way. It was unthinkable, it was hopeless, and it was damn near catastrophic.

Later on through the day she discovered that the house-elves had out-done themselves in preparation for dinner. Helga wasn't sure why, but when she asked at the staff table Salazar explained that he had went down to the kitchens just the night before to request that they make a small feast.

"There may not be a need to create a spectacle," Rowena said primly before going after a large helping of chocolate, "but an occasion can always be made for sweets."

Helga felt her heart flutter in her chest at the sound of the other woman's voice, and she clumsily busied herself with drinking from her goblet.

Later on that night, after all of the students had gone to bed and the other staff members had separated off, Helga stepped out of the castle and wandered onto the grounds. It was beautiful at night; it always was. From the distance she could see Aquila, her favorite constellation, and she smiled. Helga let her feet lead the way to wherever they wished to go, and they finally stopped just on the edge of the forest. She was still looking up into the sky, admiring the sight the absence of the moon allowed, when she heard voices a little to her left.

She stopped walking, straining to see. It was most likely one of the children or two. They had a nasty habit of wandering out of the castle when they ought not to. She approached carefully, softly, so as not to alert them of her presence, but as soon as she heard one of the voices she felt her heart plummet to somewhere in her digestive region.

"Darling, I have been wondering something for quite some time now," said the voice of Rowena. "I wonder if you might enlighten me?"

"Of course I can," said the voice of a man. It surely must have been Paul, the dashing and intelligent (though not nearly as intelligent as Rowena herself) man that Helga's friend had recently taken a strong liking to.

"Is there a reason you love me?"

To Helga, it seemed a strange question to ask. Paul must have thought so as well, because the confusion in his voice was tangible. "I must have a reason?"

"I do not know," she said. The only reason Helga knew that she was smiling was because she had known Rowena for so long.

"I do not need a reason to love you, Rowena," said Paul. "I simply do."

Helga could certainly understand that.