Varinia struggled against the rugged terrain, clutching her husband's hand in her own.
"How much farther Salazar?" She asked softly, He looked back at her, his usually unreadable face tinged with worry.
"Not much, are you sure you can keep going? I can car-"
"No, I'm fine, I don't want to meet the greatest wizards and witches of the age being carried like a child." She said firmly.
"They will not care Varinia, I've told them about your condition." She pursed her lips at that, he always overreacted when it came to her.
"Please respect my wishes Salazar." She said quietly.
There was a silence.
"We're almost there."
Varinia sighed, in truth she was completely exhausted, she felt like she might keel over any second. But she could not let go of her dignity and Salazar knew this. He had rescued her; half dead from starvation three months after her entire family had been massacred by muggles. The memories still haunted her.
Her parents had locked her in a trunk, spelled to repel fire, because she could not travel via side-long Apparition, as she had a respiratory disease. They had tried it once and she had nearly died. If Varinia had not held them back, they could have escaped.
She had married Salazar a year later, he was eight years her senior and a member of one of the most prestigious wizarding family.
Now Varinia was sixteen and her weak constitution had finally allowed her to travel to the school her husband had called home for two years: Hogwarts.
Varinia was looking forward to it. Salazar had told her that there were some Mudbloods in the school, but Varinia was not going to let that spoil it for her. She loved Salazar and she wanted to help the witches and wizards whose families had been murdered just like hers.
And though she had not mentioned it, Varinia suspected she was with child.
Suddenly the woods stopped and Varinia was standing in the middle of an open field, and though night was quickly falling, Varinia could just make out the ruins of a castle silhouetted against the grey sky.
A man was running up to them, as he neared Varinia could see red hair, tanned skin and vivid green eyes. He had a closely cropped auburn beard and his hair refused to lie flat, he was tall, at least six foot standing a bit above Salazar, he was robustly built and beneath his shirt Varinia could see muscles flex. He was wearing simple but sturdy clothes and an aura of boyish humour. A grin was stretched across his face.
"Salazar!" he yelled, clapping a hand around his friends shoulder, shaking his hand. Varinia couldn't help but smile, she noticed Salazar's lips too had twitched up slightly.
"And you must be this beautiful bride Salazar never stops prattling on about." He said turning his attention to Varinia. Varinia had to smile at that, her husband was one of the greatest wizards in England and was capable of many things, but none of which was prattling.
"I see you are more easily pleased though," he added in a stage whisper. "Meaning no disrespect my lady, I know how nobility such as your gracious self pride themselves on being as expressive as a stone." This brought another smile on Varinia's part.
"Godric, may I introduce my wife, Lady Varinia Merope Bellatrix Artemisia Luciana Sarpedon Slytherin." Salazar said; the pride in his voice almost evident. Like his own family, the house of Sarpedon was almost as well-known as his own.
"Varinia is fine; my name is such a mouthful." She quipped, looking at the slightly bewildered face of the taller man.
"Oh good because I don't think I could possibly remember a long name such as that." He said relieved, then turning to Salazar, "How do you manage it?"
Varinia smiled again and shivered. Salazar looked worriedly at her, she shook her head slightly. She was fine.
"Let's move inside shall we?" He asked nonchalantly, Godric nodded and took the almost miniscule pack Salazar had allowed her to carry, merely to humour her. He turned to his friend.
"You have given her the secret?" he asked quietly, Salazar nodded. He turned to Varinia.
"Think hard about what I told you." He said softly, Varinia nodded and staring hard at the ruins of the castle, thought very hard about Hogwarts.
Slowly, it was as if the ground was expanding and the missing bricks of the castle flying out of nowhere and into place, bouts of smoke were billowing from a few chimneys, lights were lit within a few windows that she could now see were full of exquisite glass.
"It's beautiful." She breathed, Salazar grinned broadly at her approval and Godric pretended to be greatly interested in a cut on his arm.
"I'll go tell Rowena and Helga, you're here." He said jovially, disappearing inside the castles huge doors. Leaving Varinia and Salazar alone once more.
"So you will stay?"
"I never said I would not."
"You will be happy here."
"I will be with you. There is no other possible course of action."
"Helga is a gifted healer. You will have access to the best treatment in Britain."
"You have already mentioned this. Several times."
"I only want your happiness."
"I will most definitely be happy here."
"I love you."
A pause.
"I love you too."
Helga looked up from what she was doing. Salazar had sent word that he would arrive that night and she intended to have the best feast prepared for him and his wife.
She darted her way through the dozen house elves she had managed to bring to Hogwarts, and opened the door to the kitchen.
Heaving open the heavy door, she peered around it to see Godric taking up nearly the whole frame. A huge grin was mounted on his face.
"He's back Helga!" He nearly shouted. "Salazar's come home!"
Helga felt a smile creep onto her face as well, while Salazar was sarcastic and pessimistic, he also had been through everything with them and the four were close. And not to mention anything that made Godric happy had the habit of spreading over everyone and thing within a ten mile radius.
"That's wonderful! We must tell Rowena."
"Where is she?"
"She's giving an enriched Arithmancy lesson."
"What's that?"
"Haven't the foggiest."
The two proceeded to the Arithmancy classroom where Rowena was teaching.
"So what's she like?" Helga asked eagerly.
"Who?"
"Salazar's wife of course!"
Godric looked thoughtful.
"I've never met anyone so fragile looking, she was about five foot five and all skin and bones! Barely a bit of meat on her!"
"Godric! You mustn't say something like that" Helga tutted, "She's a fine lady, she is, and ill. Trust a man to only notice a woman's figure."
"What else do you want to know?"
"Is she kind? Haughty? Prejudiced?"
"For Merlin's sake Helga, I only spoke to her for a moment!"
"Fine then. Is she fair? Dark?"
"Fair."
"Eyes?"
"Blue."
"Skin?"
"Pale."
"Is she pretty?" Godric paused. There were implications within this question.
"Very."
"How old did Salazar say she was?"
"Sixteen I think, she looked about that."
They came to a halt at the door with ARITHMANCY carved into it. Godric knocked.
"Enter." Came a muffled voice from within. Godric burst the second she looked up and spilled the news, she quickly dismissed her students who looked eager to rush of and tell the news to their schoolfellows.
Her face remained impassive but Helga saw the merry glint to her eye.
"Tell me Godric, what is she like?"
"She's-" he began, but Helga cut across.
"No, I can't stand to go through all that again, she's thin, blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, about five foot five, pretty and sixteen years old."
"Sixteen?" Rowena said, "She should be coming here to learn herself."
"You couldn't put someone like her in with our rabble," Godric said wisely, "She'd be crushed, delicate little thing."
"Even so," Rowena said mildly, using her I-could-argue-about-this-all-night-in-a-civil-tongue voice. "She should at least get a basic education…"
"Rowena, she's a lady, she will have a basic education, you just don't belong to one of the richest pure-blood families without being completely oblivious." Helga said quickly, sensing her friends mood.
"Ah, but didn't Salazar say she had a Respiratory disease?" Rowena countered, "It's possible she was not given an extensive education due to her illness."
"Why only a moment ago you were arguing for a basic education, from your remark it would seem as though you are acknowledging the fact my wife has one, but you have changed your standards." Salazar said quietly from the doorway. Helga let out a small shriek of delight and threw her arms around Salazar, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.
"Well now, look at you, you need a bath and a shave, you're almost as disorderly looking as Godric!" loudly, trying so hard to break the tension and turn the conversation and failing spectacularly.
Salazar's eyes never left Rowena's.
"Do you find some trouble with my wife Mistress Ravenclaw? Before you have even met her?" He asked coldly, Helga tutted him and was about to say something, but Rowena interrupted her.
"Of course not Salazar, I was merely pondering the personal traits of your young wife, I must admit curiosity got the better of me." The emphasis on the word 'young' was not lost on Salazar Slytherin.
"No older than you at your own wedding day." He said loftily. Rowena sucked in her breath. She was a widow of ten years now.
"Helga," Salazar began, "Though she will not admit it, Varinia is tired from our journey, I fear that it was too much for her, but we had no other options. She will need your attention."
"Well of course," Helga said hurriedly, her eyes on Rowena. "Take me to her." And with that they left the room.
A/N: First of all, thank-you so much for reading and please leave a review.