Alana

Blah Blah Blah

He walked along the corridor. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? That ridiculous woman! He rounded the corner to his quarters and saw her. His breath caught. So did hers.

"Salazar…" Alana whispered. All it took was that one breathless word and Salazar knew there would be no stopping it now. He would have her.

"Is Godric here?" She slowly shook her head. "Thank God…" he whispered as he grabbed her and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. And she returned his kiss with more passion than he thought possible. Salazar shoved her against the wall and opened his door, taking her into his room.

Picture

Salazar reached for the bottle of rum. It had been two weeks since they had last met. He knew it could never happen again. Godric was his friend and he wouldn't do this to him again. He drained the bottle and called for another.

Alana let a single tear fall from her eyes. She shouldn't have done it. She loved her fiancé, and he loved her. How could she have done such a thing to him? An arm tightened around her waist and she feared Godric had woken. They had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the fire together that evening after working on some plans for the school. Alana lay still until she heard him sigh in contentment and his breathing evened out into sleep. She closed her eyes and held in a sob. It had to end. It could never happen again. But God did she want it to.

Come Clean

In the beginning they had all been friends. Rowena, Helga, Godric, Salazar, and Alana. She remembered when storms had blown in the very first autumn they had lived in Hogwarts castle, long before it was a school. The five had gone and danced in the rain with arms and hearts open for the world to embrace. If anyone had seen them, no one would have allowed children to attend their institute. Ever. But it was such glorious freedom they could never have denied themselves the dance.

Fingerprints

"Alana!" She smiled as Helga came running up to her.

"Hello, Helga." The bleach blond haired beauty slowed with a dazzling smile plastered to her face. Her eyes glowed with innocence. The girl had become like a young sister to Alana in these last few years.

"Did you hear? Godric's coming home!" Alana's eyes brightened and she laughed happily. Her dearest friend had been gone for a year and she had missed him dearly.

"When does he return?"

"He will be back by dinner!" Helga twirled in excitement. "Can you believe it? The five of us will all be together again!"

Alana gave the young girl a hug and wandered into thoughts of her friend's return.

As the happy pair reunited that evening over dinner, an envious snake-like gaze followed the two as he saw how Godric looked upon Alana, how he spun her in circles, and how happy and perfect she looked in his arms. Salazar vowed he wouldn't go down without a fight.

How to Save a Life

Salazar walked into the library and started for a window seat when the light voice called to him.

"Salazar…" He turned to see glowing blue eyes pleading for him not to run from her again. "Please, Salazar, sit down."

"No."

"Sit down. It's just a talk." Salazar couldn't keep his eyes off of her silky red hair. It's vibrancy burned his soul with desire.

"No, Alana," he choked out.

"We need to talk."

"We need do no such thing, Alana! We need to stay away from each other. Everything about you tempts me! Every inch of you fills me with fire. And every time I see you with him…I lose any semblance of control. You have to understand…I can't…I just-" he stopped and looked away. He had revealed to much. Alana shrank back slightly but the guilt her eyes now held showed him it was not out of fear.

"I agree," she said shakily, "but I refuse to let you waste away as you have been. Why don't you eat with us tonight?" she looked at him almost frantically. He knew it scared her, the gaunt shadow of a man he had become, but he couldn't eat or sleep next to them any more than he could live as friends with them any longer.

"I can't…leave me be Alana."

I Want the Good Times Back

Rowena sat silently on her favorite couch, watching her friends. Helga was sighing and looking out of the window, dreaming no doubt.

Godric sat at his desk by the fire going over plans and reading his latest adventure invitations.

Alana sat quietly playing a lullaby on the long ivory keys of their piano. Rowena had never seen so much pain masked and smiled away on a single person's face. Alana had not spoken all night, something that was becoming a habit, and it worried Rowena.

I must find out what's going on, she thought to her self as she looked for her last companion.

Salazar was missing from their evening gathering, another new habit. Rowena looked at the scene before her and only thought one thing. I want the good times back.

Little Lion Man

"SALAZAR!" the roar ripped through the castle. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU SCHEMING SERPENT!" Salazar sneered at the little lion man's choice of words.

He had no defense. It was not Godric's fault but his. It was Alana's heart on the line though.

"Godric please! Stop this!" She sobbed. Salazar's sneer immediately crumpled. He tried to go to her but Godric stood in his way.

"Move Godric, it is her choice to make." His friend yelled out and charged him. Salazar was tackled to the ground but he fought his way up. Grabbing his wand, Salazar threw Godric into the stone wall.

"NO! Please, Salazar stop!" Alana ran to him. She put her hands on his face. "Stop!"

"What on Earth is going on?" Helga asked as she burst into the room with Rowena not far behind. It took only a glance a the sobbing Alana and the battered men for Rowena to finally understand. She gave a cool glare to Alana and Salazar but knew in her heart, nothing could have been done. The heart chooses who it wants, no matter the consequences. Helga ran to Godric, who was out cold and bleeding. Alana sank into a chair facing away from everyone clutching her stomach. Rowena walked to Salazar who was trembling and looked ready to jump out a window.

"You're not as brave as you were at the start, are you?" He sank to his knees and put his head in his hands.

"I really fucked it up this time, didn't I, my dear?" he asked quietly. All Rowena could do was stare at the broken mess before her and sigh.

Proud Father

Alana screamed in pain. It was all Salazar could do not to run to her, but Helga had threatened him last time he had tried to enter the room. It had been nearly 19 hours and all he could hear were the screams of the woman he loved. He leaned back in the chair and covered his face with his hands. Finally, moments later a cry pierced the silence around him. Every muscle in his body froze. The cry came again with happy laughter.

Salazar sat waiting for them to come get him, to let him in. After about ten minutes, he couldn't wait any longer and he burst through the doors. Helga looked happily at him and Rowena gave him the same sad smile she had been for the last eight months.

"It's a girl." She said quietly. A small bundle was placed in his arms. This child was born from two of the most powerful wizards in the world. It would have powers most would never know. Salazar sank into the nearest chair and gazed upon his beautiful child.

"I'll try to be all the answers you ever need, and I'll try to show all of the love you'll need to know." he whispered to the girl. "Yours is a promising future, but know, if it all were to fade…a proud father of me you have already made."

100 Years

He sat stone still. He didn't know what to do. She was gone and had left him with a child to raise. He sat staring at the headstone.

"She who knew love shall never be destroyed," it read. Helga and Rowena had picked it out. Three years after the birth of their daughter, Liliana, Alana had become bed ridden and had died one month later. Salazar was lost without her. What else could he do but sit here and miss her?

The following years were not good to him. His Liliana had contracted the same fever as her mother a mere 2 years after Alana's death and died young. He blamed Helga, saying she should have been able to save them. She had not spoken to him in nearly 5 years.

Secretly, she blamed herself as well.

Her blood status is what would begin and fuel his hatred for the years to come. Rowena had never forgiven him for his treatment of Helga and that of the non pure of bloods that attended the school. She loved all children and blood made no difference where intelligence was concerned.

Godric returned to help with the school but was now not quite so loud or happy as he had once been. After the school was soundly functioning he found new dangerous missions to attend to. The four went separate ways and didn't look back.

It had been a very long time since he had last sat in this spot and gazed upon her grave. Vines now grew on it and covered the lettering. 95 years had passed since he and Alana had loved. Salazar was old now. He had no more fight in him. No more anger. Liliana's headstone sat to the right of hers. Salazar knew he had turned cruel but he didn't care. He had done horrible things. He had made judgments that he now knew were wrong. After all, this mudblood buried before him had not been dirty or unclean. But none of that mattered now. His life was coming to an end and he had just wanted to see her once more. He heard footfalls behind him. A pair of large leather boots appeared next to him. The man sat next to Salazar. A dragon-hide clad hand offered a bottle of ale. Salazar graciously accepted. They sat in silence.

"I did not come for you." a gruff voice whispered. Salazar gulped back the alcohol.

"I know." he answered. "I am not sorry for what we did. Only that we hurt you." the other man sucked in a deep breath and was silent again. The two sat there until the sun began to sink below the horizon. Finally Godric spoke.

"Come, old friend. It is over. She will be here forever, watching over Hogwarts and all of us." Salazar stood with his friend and they walked out of the woods and to the castle as snow flurried around them.

As they approached the castle, Salazar spotted two figures at the gates awaiting their return. A woman, now bent but held the air of one who used to be tall and regal, stood watching the old men climb the hill. Her long gray hair blew in the wind and her thick blue cloak swirled around her. Life had thrown its own heartache at Rowena and she had never truly healed. Helga stood next to her, with kindly sad eyes and friendly wrinkles. As they reached each other a look passed between them and in it they saw flashes of a friendship that had once held the wizarding world in its palm. Salazar put a hand on Godric's shoulder and an arm around Helga. Helga leaned her head on his shoulder and squeezed Rowena's hand. Rowena squeezed back and clasped Godric's forearm. Godric held on to both Rowena and Salazar and the four huddled together in the snow, feeling like the last 100 years had been a dream and that they were once again the bright eyed youth of so long ago.

A Message

Her name was erased from history. Alana Greenwood never saw the opening of Hogwarts or her lover turn cold and prejudice. It is said that the four founders suffered a fight that left their friendship beyond repair and created the vicious rivalries. The story that was never told or known is that of loss and hate and heavy hearts. But it is also a story that ends with old age withering the darkness in their souls, and the love that started it all, bringing them together again.

FIN

A/N: I'm really kind of brand new at this stuff and would really like to know if anyone enjoyed this, so go ahead and feel free to review! Doesn't have to be long, I just want some feedback. Thanks!