This is for the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp. Prompt: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream.
Rowena sat at her desk poring over letters. She refused to acknowledge Salazar standing in the doorway. He could stand there all night if he wished. He would too, she knew. He was in a foul mood and she was not interested in giving him the satisfaction of paying any attention.
"You are not going to wish me a good evening, Rowena?" he asked, feigning offense.
She forcefully opened a drawer in her desk, pulled out a quill and some ink and then slammed it shut, making her feelings known.
"I thought you would be supportive of me," he said silkily, and took a few steps into the room.
Again, she made no reply. Instead of taking the hint, he chose to interpret her silence as a challenge. He approached her desk and leaned over it. "I had a disagreement with Godric. It happens. But I did not realize you were angry with me as well."
Rowena continued to scribble away and said without looking up, "You know me well enough to know my opinions in this matter, Salazar. I don't expect that they need to be vocalized. This conversation can only end unpleasantly, so I must ask you to leave my presence before I forget myself. We don't need you're argument with Godric to be repeated."
Salazar sighed and shook his head. "Godric is hot-headed and does not know when to admit defeat."
Rowena felt her temper rising. "Godric is many things and yes, at times he can become rather hot-headed. But," she looked up to meet Salazar's piercing gaze, "he is also fair."
"I believe I am being quite fair," Salazar said, furrowing his brow. "It is only fair that those who are from a pure bloodline be allowed the very best education. It is their right. I do not see why we should allow others to receive this benefit as well. It is what will set our school apart from all others." Salazar smirked down at her and inched his face closer to hers. "Don't you see, Rowena? To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream. I dream of a school that is host to the best that the wizarding world can offer. Do we not desire the same thing?"
"I do not believe that bloodline is a deciding factor on what makes a witch or wizard better than another. It's foolishness to exclude anyone from receiving the best education." Rowena stood up. The condescension in his voice was overbearing.
"You are not certain that bloodline does not matter," Salazar protested. "You wish to make this school of ours an experiment."
"I do not wish to speak of this anymore, Salazar. As I said before, it cannot end well."
Salazar straightened up to his full height but the smirk did not leave his face. "Rowena Ravenclaw refusing to accept a challenge? You seem to be running out of excuses."
He had gone too far. She walked around the desk in a few short strides and came to stand before him, her fists clenched. "I do not make excuses," she said through gritted teeth. Her voice was low and threatening and she hoped that he realized what a grave mistake he had made to suggest it. "I do not do experiments. The only thing that I regret doing is associating with you. Your ideas of pureblood superiority disgust me."
Salazar's eyes flashed in anger and he opened his mouth to retort but she cut him off.
"You have no right to be angry with me for voicing my opinion, Salazar."
He reached out a stroked her cheek with his long, cold fingers. She shuddered under his touch. At one time she would have welcomed it, relished in it. At one time that simple gestured would have had her quivering against the desk. But the time for girlish fantasies was over and she knew better. In the battle between her heart and her head, logic had finally won out, and she was no longer blind to what Godric and Helga had been telling her all along.
He withdrew his hand and for the first time, she noted a hint of regret in his face. "Rowena, my dear, please do not be angry with me."
"It is too late for that, I'm afraid," she said icily. "Get out."
Salazar opened his mouth once more to speak, but finally decided that it would be unwise to do so. Instead he did get out. He was gone by the next morning.
If you had asked anyone about why he left, they would probably tell you it was because he had a loud disagreement with Godric. It was a perfectly believable explanation and Rowena was too happy to encourage the rumor.
No one need ever know that she had been so weak for so long. They need never know that the line between colleague and friend (or more than friend) had become blurred.
No one need ever know that he really left because she told him to.