Written for the QLFC S2 Round 13.

Rowena knew she was being irrational. She knew it. And yet she still stormed down the halls of their temporary school, feet pounding harshly on the wooden floor.

That was the pesky thing with emotions. They got in the way of logic and reasoning and made you do things you'd regret. It was why she made a point of pushing them aside to deal with any situation that was thrown her way. But this - her temper just flared.

A door slammed open behind her, and she was turning even before she heard the faint call of, "Rowena!"

She stood there, waiting, until the shorter woman caught up. She paused to regain her breath, and then smiled brilliantly ― like always ―up at her.

"Tea?" she asked.

Just like the sun, Rowena thought.

"Yes, please."

The two of then headed off to the much used common room for the four of them, their shoulders brushing lightly as they walked.

It was warm when they entered. The fire was roaring merrily in its place, where Godric most likely forgot to put it out. Again. She made a mental note to scold him for it at dinner.

Helga gently grabbed her upper arm to get her attention. Rowena glanced at her. She was pointing at the table in the room.

"Sit," she ordered, and then went off to the small kitchen in the corner.

Rowena lowered herself carefully onto a chair and primly crossed her legs. She took one deep breath to steady herself, and then stared at her hands for all the time it took the water to be boiled.

She only looked up at the click of the teacups against the table. Helga sat across from her.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Helga waited as the silence stretched in the space between them. It wasn't her being ignored, although it was often most interpreted as such. It happened when Rowena was thinking and wanted to give a proper answer.

So she would wait for her, however long that took.

"My student," she began in a tight voice, "has not been able to successfully cast a Patronus Charm."

Helga nodded; she continued.

"For the past… fortnight or so, he hasn't been able to get it right. I've been working on it for a fortnight and he won't listen!"

Rowena clenched a fist and took a forceful breath.

"It's just… frustrating."

Helga hummed thoughtfully, and nodded.

"This is Adrian, yes?"

"That's correct."

Helga reached out and smoothly back a stray hair that had fallen across her forehead and smiled reassuringly at Rowena.

"It's getting late already. Why don't you sleep on it? I can go talk to him."

Rowena sighed, and got to her feet. "I'll go do that. Thank you, Helga. You've been such a good friend to me."

Helga's heart twined a little painfully at that. "It's nothing to thank me for. Now off to bed!"

She ushered Rowena towards the bedrooms and then headed down the hall in the opposite direction. If she was assuming correctly, then he should still be in the room where Rowena left him.

Ah, yes.

Helga peeked her head into the room. The young boy jumped slightly in surprise, his eyes a little red-rimmed. He hastily stood at her arrival, and bowed down to her.

"There's no need to do that," she said, smiling at him. She gestured for him to sit down, and he did so with a straight back and a stiff expression.

"How may I help you?" he asked timidly.

Helga glanced down at the long wooden table. On it were scattered pieces of parchment – all on the Patronus Charm. She noted this as she turned her head back to regard him lightly.

"How are you?" she asked. "Have you eaten yet?"

"N-Not yet, ma'am."

She sighed a little at that. "I thought so. Stay here while I go get you something."

"There's no need for that!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I can't possibly—"

"You can and you will," Helga said, frowning at him. "Sit back down. I'll be back in a second."

She pushed back the chair and made her way back to the common rooms, grabbing and apple and leftover soup from their dinner. No footsteps came after her.

When she entered the room again, Adrian was holding his head in his hands, a slump to his back. She set down the food in front of him, pushing aside the parchment to clear up room, and sat back down. With a slightest hesitance, he started to eat.

Helga waited until he finished to start talking again.

"Are you having problems at home?"

He hunched down even further.

"My dad's having a hard harvest. We're not getting enough at home, and I've got siblings to feed. And I'm spending all my time here now, so we don't have enough hands at home to help out."

"Take a week off then," Helga said.

He looked aghast. He opened his mouth, to decline, to argue, she wouldn't know because he closed it again.

"Thank you," he said instead.

"Stay here tonight; it's dangerous outside at night."

"Yes, ma'am!"

He hurriedly gathered his parchment and, bowing one last time at her, he rushed out of the room.

Helga smiled at his retreating back.

…

"He's not here today," Rowena said flatly, clearly displeased.

"I told him to take a week off," Helga said, watching her.

She whirled around in surprise.

"Why?"

"He was starving, Rowena. His dad's not producing enough food for him and his family. He needs to be at home where he's needed."

Rowena clenched her fists. "That still doesn't excuse his absence!"

"What would you have him do? He was exhausted! He couldn't think, let alone cast! Don't be so unreasonable."

Helga voice was rising now, and she hadn't even realized she had stood up.

"I—" Rowena started. Stopped. "It's… it's not…"

"It's not…?" she pressed.

"That's not what I—" Rowena's face was stricken, and when she fled out the room, Helga didn't stop her. She could tell the other needed time to herself.

Later, she found her in her room, sitting at her desk. Rowena didn't acknowledge her as she stood in the doorway. Helga carefully moved inside and shut the door behind her, kneeling beside her.

Rowena's hair was hiding her face.

"I used to be so kind," she whispered. She bowed her head, feeling tears prick at the edge of her eyes. "Where did that go, I wonder?"

The gentle press of lips on her forehead made her blink and look up. Helga cradled her cheeks in her hands and smiled down at her.

"Perhaps," she started softly, "you need to learn how to again?"

Rowena, vulnerable and weak, placed her hand on top of Helga's, letting out a soft sigh at the action she would usually never initiate.

"Then, will you teach it to me?"

Helga slowly leaned forward again and Rowena watched her approach. She could see the dark, warm brown of her eyes at this distance. It was like the comforting feel of the earth on a warm summer's afternoon. A little like home.

And then slowly, ever so slowly, Helga pressed her lips to Rowena's in a chaste kiss. Rowena could only feel her eyelashes flutter once against her cheeks before she drew away again.

"For as long as you want."

Rowena let out a shaky breath. "And what if I said forever?"

"Then forever it shall be."