Written for the Wintery Themes Competition (fireplace)

Written for the Shipping Wars Competition (Rowena & Salazar ship)

Damn You, Salazar!

Rowena sat in the oversized armchair with a soft groan. Since when had her bones ached from a casual day's work? All she'd done was teach a few classes and prepare for the next day's lessons. The others wouldn't let her do anything more. Godric wasn't even fond of what she was doing.

"You need rest, my dear," he would always say. "Don't push yourself so hard."

But Rowena was not pushing herself. She felt perfectly fine. She was still some months away from giving birth to her daughter, and perhaps that would be when she stopped. The charm she'd cast just last week told her she'd not have a child until after winter.

She'd just lit a fire in the fireplace when a knock sounded. She lifted her head. "Godric, I am perfectly –"

"'Tis not Godric."

Rowena sat straighter as the door was opened without her beckoning. It certainly wasn't Godric, but a much taller, much slimmer, much more intriguing man. Without invitation, he summoned an armchair of his own and sat in it, opposite her. The fireplace illuminated his face, and for a brief moment, Rowena resisted the urge to shiver. Why did he do this to her?

"Did Godric send you, then?" she demanded, now irritated by his appearance. Why was he here? What was his purpose for interrupting her evening?

The man's face remained unperturbed by her temper. He was used to it. After all, had he not known her since they were children in their home village?

"Of course he didn't send me. You should know better than that, Rowena. I have simply come to see how you're faring." His eyes drifted to her protruding belly, and a pink tinge formed on Rowena's cheeks.

"I'm perfectly fine, my child is perfectly fine," Rowena snapped.

Amusement glistened the man's eyes. "Your child, Rowena? It is me you are speaking to."

Rowena's cheeks flushed. "What are you talking about, Salazar?"

Salazar chuckled, and he flicked a log into the fire, roaring it to life once more. "Did you not end up with child only a short while after you… bedded me?"

Rowena's face glowed now; a fact she tried to disguise in the firelight. "Don't flatter yourself, Salazar. Is that why you've been watching me closely since I announced… my condition? You believe the child I carry belongs to you?"

For the first time, doubt flashed across Salazar's face. Rowena smiled with satisfaction. "Ah, you thought that after our night together, one that was filled with Firewhisky, might I remind you, I would stay loyal to you?"

Salazar's expression darkened again. "Who else have you taken to your bed, Rowena, who could father the child, then?"

Rowena's grin widened. "You would like to know the answer to that, I am sure." She rubbed a hand over her belly.

Something that resembled jealousy now reflected in the firelit room. Salazar leaned forward. "I must know, Rowena, does the child… does he belong to me?" He reached out a hand to touch hers, but she pulled away.

"You mean my daughter?" Rowena asked.

"Your daughter?" Salazar sat back in the armchair, looking surprised.

"My daughter," Rowena confirmed with a nod. "And…" She looked at him, noticing the change in his expression. Had he only been interested in the child when he'd thought it a son? When she gave birth to a daughter after winter, would he feel the same? Could he love a daughter like he could love a son?

She thought of what she knew about the man, of how she loved him, of how she detested him at the same time. She'd given into him that night. They'd made love under the stars, and she'd been happy, delighted that her fantasy had finally come true. And then she'd found herself with child. And that had changed everything.

"Will I be a father?" Salazar asked, his voice a whisper.

"Will you love a daughter?" Rowena asked.

Salazar faltered. He looked uncertain. Rowena nodded.

"No, you will not be a father," she assured him. "He was a man I met in Hogsmeade one night. Do not concern yourself with my problem."

Salazar stood, but he did not take his eyes off her. He watched her belly, as if still unsure."

"You have no responsibility to this child, Salazar. Leave me now. I need some rest."

Salazar moved to the door, but he still seemed uncertain. "Rowena, I –"

"Leave, will you? You have made your intentions clear, so be thankful it is not your responsibility."

Salazar nodded, and Rowena was left in silence once more. The fireplace spat and hissed as the night wore one, but Rowena didn't move. After a while, tears fell from her eyes. Deep down, she'd known it could never be between them, but perhaps she'd hoped. Perhaps she'd thought that was why he'd come to see her tonight.

"Damn you, Salazar!" she cried, and a log spun into the fireplace, splintering at the impact. He'd never be a decent father for her child.

She sat straighter in the armchair. That was it. Her daughter would never be dependent on a man, and from this day forward, neither would Rowena.