It was late. They were all balancing on the edge between tipsy and drunk, and the mead was still flowing.
"I want to start a school!" Elena declared. Drink spilled over the edge of her mug and onto her tunic, but she seemed not to care.
"Hoggy, hoggy, Hogwarts!" Godric crowed. "You always have the best ideas." Salazar sighed, and massaged his temples. Elena beamed.
"Why thank you, my dear Gryffindor." She leaned forward to bop Godric on the nose, barely catching herself when she tripped. Perhaps she was a little further over the edge than the rest of them.
"How, exactly, do you propose building said school? Or where?" Salazar posed. Rowena hummed beside him.
"This land is an adequately defensible spot to build upon." She said. Salazar frowned at her. She smirked back at him.
"We'll build a large castle…" Elena continued dreamily. "With turrets and secret passageways and a great hall enchanted so that we can always see the stars." Salazar could hear Helga chuckling.
"It sounds wonderful darling." Helga said.
Godric leapt to his feet. "We'll start now!" He declared. He spun, and tumbled to the ground as his feet got tangled with one another. "Or perhaps tomorrow." He groaned from the floor.
"Tomorrow." Salazar allowed, hoping that in the morn this would all seem to them to be as ludicrous as it seemed to him, and his friends would have forgot their wild dream.
"Salazar Slytherin!" A chirpy voice awoke him.
"Elena Hogwarts!" He growled in reply, rolling to the side, just in time to miss the aguamenti that splashed the ground where he'd been sleeping.
"Rise and shine!" She cooed. "It's time to build a castle!" Salazar groaned, and covered his face with his arm. His head was pounding, and he'd only had two drinks.
"Here you go darling." Helga murmured, and held something to his lips. He opened one eye, ascertained that the mixture was nothing more than a hangover cure, and gulped it down. Instantly he could feel the potion working.
"Castle?" He muttered, then his memories of last night slid into place. "We're not starting a bloody school!" Salazar growled. Elena pouted.
"Please Sally." She said, fluttering her eye lashes. He glared at her, and fingered his wand.
"What did I tell you about calling me Sally? And no!"
"I think it's a great idea." Godric said with a grin.
"That's because you're a moron." Salazar muttered.
"Oh Slytherin, don't be such a grumpy old man. I've rather warmed to the notion." Rowena said. Salazar pulled himself to his feet, repacking the canopy above him with a wave of his wand. He turned to face his fellow travellers and friends.
Godric was beaming. He'd likely not thought past the initial buzz of having students to teach and influence.
Rowena had a sly smile upon her face. She lived for books and learning – of course she'd want to start a school.
Helga looked thoughtful. She mothered everyone she met. She'd love to be able to do that to an entire hoard of children. "We have been thinking about settling down for a while now." She said gently.
Elena, of course, was almost bubbling over with excitement.
"I'll think about it." He grumbled. "I'm going for a walk."
Yells drew him back to the campsite as fast as he could run. He'd not gone far, just into a forest that was lush with potions ingredients and fascinating animals.
A ground shaking, heart stopping roar almost made him stumble. He cleared the edge of the forest, and scrambled over the hill.
Elena was wielding Godric's sword, facing down a Hebridean Black. Helga and Rowena were attempting to pin one of its wings, and Godric was lying on the grass, motionless.
Salazar drew his wand, cursing the dragon blind. It only served to anger the beast further. A plume of fire burst from his maw, and Salazar cried out, throwing all his strength into a flame freezing charm upon Elena, who was still a fair distance away.
Fire licked at the ground around her, but she seemed unharmed. Salazar watched, in helpless frustration, as she surged forward, impaling the roof of the dragon's mouth with the sword. It screeched in pain, writhing wildly in its death throes, sending Rowena and Helga flying, before collapsing to the ground, dead.
Salazar fell to his knees next to Godric. A quick renervate served to awaken him, and Salazar summoned and fed him a potion for the concussion he likely had.
"What?" Godric murmured. "Dragon?"
"Shush, shush." Salazar muttered. "It's dead. Rest now, Godric." Godric's eyes fluttered closed again.
Helga and Rowena had gotten to their feet, looking none the worse for wear.
"You killed it! Elena!" Helga cried. "Elena?" Salazar glanced over his shoulder. Elena was swaying on her feet.
"I killed a dragon." She said with a bright smile, then collapsed.
Salazar was at her side in an instant. A dragon's tooth was impaled through her chest, just above her heart.
"Helga! Helga help her!" He cried. Helga began pulling potions out of her pockets, spelling them straight into Elena's stomach. She felt around the fang, and Elena whined in pain, her eyes flickering open. Helga paused, desperation and sadness in her eyes, and moved so that she could support Elena's head, stroking bloody hair away from her face.
"Hey Sally." Elena murmured. Salazar clasped her hand, ignoring the tear trickling down his cheek.
"What have I told you about that name?" He choked out. Elena smiled faintly.
"Mother always did say; never tickle a sleeping dragon." Elena murmured. Salazar half laughed, half sobbed. Rowena had dragged a bleary eyed Godric over, and they sat in vigil on Elena's other side.
"We'll build that school for you." Salazar promised. Elena's grip on his hand tightened.
"It'll be the best school of magic you'll ever find." Godric promised.
"It'll be the cleverest." Rowena added.
"And the kindest." Helga said.
"And the most beautiful." Elena whispered. "Because it will be you who have founded it." She sighed, and the life fled from her body.
"Elena." Salazar sobbed, and brushed a kiss over her hand. "You will be remembered. Always."