The page breaker lines indicate the end of one sequence/scene (a time difference).
Disclaimer: Honestly... aren't you all getting soooo tired of reading these. I am NOT, nor will I ever be JKR. Thank you.
Hope you all enjoy it. Please- its important that you read the entire thing, if you've got time! Thanks.
Sorrows of the Sweetest Memories
Rowena Ravenclaw was walking down the long Hogwarts corridor when she was grabbed violently by the arm and pulled into the nearest deserted classroom. Pushing her roughly against the wall, Salazar began to devour her lips.
"Salazar…" Rowena moaned softly when his hands made their way down to her hip. He smirked against her lips and she grasped her hands behind his neck, kissing him back fiercely. After several more minutes, Rowena realised that she had actually had had a destination before she was so lovingly assaulted. "Salazar...I have to get back....." When he did not respond she gently detached herself from his grip on her and looked up into his small grey-green eyes.
"Is anything the matter?" he asked her, concerned with her abrupt separation from his clutches.
"No, love, everything is fine...I just need to get back to work......"
"Already?" he asked her, impatience and exasperation written clearly on his sharp features. "Wait..don't tell me, off to the library again, I suppose..."
She laughed slightly, knowing of how he hated when she slunk off to the library for indefinite time periods. "Yes... there's this extraordinary new theory I'm testing on wand positioning relating in a positive increase in the power of charm work! Its fascinating!" It was his turn to grin. "Honestly..." she added as his grin grew wider. She knew he was hardly interested in anything that didn't involve slaving above a hot, steaming cauldron for hours on end down in the dungeons. And her of course... he was definitely interested in her.
"Shall I wait up for you? Or will I wake to find the bed empty and have to go and pry you out of one of those library chairs that you're surely going to melt into one-day. Honestly, if anyone asked me what your animagus form would be, i would assuredly respond with 'Oh, a library chair, or course!'....or.....maybe just a book in general...that would be interesting....imagine trying to bed a book!"
"So thats all I'm good for anymore ,is it? To bed? You're intolerable." Rowena rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, acknowledging his lack of appropriate humor.
"No! That's not at all what I- You know that I love- I didn't mean-!" he spluttered. Rowena had rarely seen Salazar at a loss for words before. She found the situation humorous as well as slightly disconcerting.
"I know, I was only having a laugh!" She pecked him lightly on the cheek and took his hand in hers. "Would you read me?" she asked, entwining her finders in his, and playing with his rings.
"Beg pardon?" Salazar looked confused "Would I read you?"
"Yes. Would you read me? If I were a book?"
"Perhaps. If you were interesting enough."
"Well...?"
"Well what?"
"Well... am I interesting enough!?" Rowena asked, somewhat impatiently.
"Do I really have to answer that Rowena? You know you are the smartest, most beautiful witch in the entire world, and you mean everything to me..... interesting is quite the understatement for you, my love." Salazar raised their entwined hands to his lips and kissed each of her fingers slowly and deliberately. Rowena let out a most uncharacteristic giggle, which made Salazar look up from his ministrations on her hands. "Why, Ms Ravenclaw, I do believe you are blushing. I wouldn't have believed it possible for someone as dignified and hard-to-catch-off-guard as yourself..."
"I will not be heard to dignify that with an answer." she held her head high as she spoke.
"Thats simply because you have no comeback, and you have secretly admitted defeat to your master."
"My master, now, are you? Well, master, I'll have you know that I do not appreciate your antics at the present time." she said matter-of-factly. "And- if I do remember correctly, I have somewhere to be, so...if you'll please excuse me...I'll be on my way. Good day, Salazar." and with that, she swept past him and out the door- but not before she had time to catch his parting phrase:
"We'll settle this tonight, shall we......"
"Watch out!" Salazar threw out his arm to halt Rowena in her tracks.
"What is it?" she asked, nervously.
"Just a branch...I didn't want you to trip."
"Salazar! I'm perfectly capable of watching out for myself, thanks." she sounded annoyed, but deep down, Salazar knew she wasn't.
"Yes, which is why you wore that long trailing thing simply to go for a walk in the forrest." he smirked at her.
"Long trailing thing?" Rowena asked, disdainfully. "I happen to be very fond of this dress...though the corset is excessively uncomfortable...but, they always are. Don't you like it?"
Salazar laughed "Of course I like it, Rowena. When have you ever worn anything that I didn't like? But, honestly, it is a bit impractical for the occasion." she was looking daggers at him, so he re-phrased. "Not that it isn't a lovely dress, really, it is. It really brings our your eyes... but to be honest, it's what's under the dress that matters to me."
Rowena looked scandalized, but pleased all the same. "Are you referring to my body, or my internal being?"
"Both," he mused. Rowena didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent.
An hour later, Rowena announced that she had grown weary and desired a rest. As any good lover would, Salazar conjured up a couch for them to rest upon.
"Nice..." Rowena smiled, as Salazar put on the finishing touches (white lace draped across the back and several comfortable looking cushions in colours of blue and green).
"Thank you." he smiled back at her. "After you..." he gestured at the lavish couch, so out of place in the wild and primitive forrest. Rowena sat and patted the cushion next to her, beckoning Salazar to join her, giving him a 'come hither' look. He sat himself next to her and pulled her onto his lap. Kissing her slowly and passionately, he brought his hand up to rub her neck, eliciting a soft moan from Rowena. Her long wavy brown hair was coming down from its previously up-done masterpiece. Salazar wound his fingers through it and kissed her harder.
All of a sudden there was a resounding crack and a long bout of swearing. Rowena and Salazar jumped apart, smoothing out their clothing and standing up.
"Where is that damn beast!?" came a voice that the pair knew all to well. Before they even had time to glance towards one another, a man had ambled out of the clump of bushes to their left. This man had light brown hair and wore robes of red and gold. He carried a ruby-encrusted sword in his right hand and a small rucksack in the other.
"Godric?" Rowena asked, surprised to find her friend in the middle of the forrest. "Whatever are you doing here?"
"A question I might ask you, m'lady... but... oh..." his eyes drifted from Salazar, who looked as if he were fit to kill, to Rowena who's hair was completely down now, and was out of breath. "Oh...well...I can see....I've interrupted something." Rowena had expected him to act embarrassed and sprint quickly back into the forrest, but instead, Godric threw back his head and roared with laughter. He stumbled, still laughing, over to Rowena and Salazar and stood between them. He put both his arms around each of their shoulders and squeezed them together. "HA! I doubt I need to ask what was going on here...as you have both made it so blatantly obvious, but...I might suggest using one of the spare classrooms, as I hardly ever venture that way, not being a huge fan of education myself." he laughed at the irony in the statement. Although Godric was not the type of model student that Salazar and Rowena had been, he still found the idea of founding a school rather exciting.
"What are you actually doing here, Godric?" Salazar asked, the anger not yet leaving his voice.
"Well....it is an fascinating story, and I do wish to do it justice, so...I shall wait for Helga and relay the thrilling tale at dinner....but for now I'll give you the summary!"
It turned out that 'summery' was not an accurate description of Godric's tale. He was a right talented bard when he wanted to be... and this time was no exception. Salazar and Rowena listened patiently, but grudgingly as Godric recounted just about every detail- from his departure from the castle to his saving the life of a poor sparrow caught between two branches, to his wandering into the woods chasing a quarry of a small rodent, and then eventually losing his bearings and wandering aimlessly around the woods. He had spotted a deer and was preparing to slay it for supper, when it had escaped and he had tried to apparate out of the forrest, landing him in the small clearing occupied by none other than two of his best friends.
"Fascinating indeed." Salazar scoffed when Godric had finished. The sun had now begun to set and all hopes of spending a romantic day in the forrest were gone for Salazar and Rowena.
"I know!" Godric beamed, completely missing the sarcasm in Salazar's voice.
"Excellent dinner, Helga!" Godric said, sincerely.
"Why, thank you, Godric. Twas nothing, though, as I do enjoy cooking! And living so close to the kitchens does tend to pay off" she gave a tinkling laugh and looked around at her fellow future-founder's plates. "Rowena! You've hardly eaten a thing! Is anything the matter?"
"No, Helga, everything is in order- I'm just feeling a bit under the weather." Rowena gave Helga a half-hearted smile and added "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure dear? You do look a bit peaky? Doesn't she look peaky Salazar?"
"Yes, Rowena, you do. I would advise getting some rest before this escalates into something worse." he looked genuinely concerned as he placed the back of his hand first on her forehead then on her cheeks. "Hmm.... You've definitely got a temperature-"
"- I'm fine!" she protested, but even as she did so, her voice sounded weak and her vision swayed slightly. "FINE!" she nearly shouted as Helga started to get up and walk towards her.
"Well... if you insist." said Helga, sitting back down. The four began to talk about the upcoming matters of building the school and getting adequate supplies, and most importantly- students. Gradually, Rowena began to pull herself out of the conversation, feeling worse than she had before. She was just about to announce that she was going to retire early when-
"Oh yes, I do agree with you Helga, we need to find a nice location for- SALAZAR!"
"Wha-?" Salazar looked confused.
"SALAZAR- ROWENA!!" Godric shouted. Salazar turned just in time to see Rowena give several heaving breaths before doubling over crumpling to the floor.
"Oh!" screamed Helga. Godric and Salazar moved quickly and together, they lifted Rowena up. Possessively, Salazar took her from Godric and hoisted her limp body into his arms.
"I will take her to the dungeons- it is much to far to carry her all the way up to her tower. Do not fret- I will take immediate care of her. I shall owl you, or send word by patronus when I have any news." He spoke rather rushed and businesses-like.
"Are you quite sure you don't need assistance, Salazar?" asked Godric, and Helga nodded.
"No, no. I will take care of her. Thank you, though." and with that he rushed off to the dungeons.
x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0
Rowena opened her eyes to find Salazar, leaning over her with a worried expression on his face.
"Thank God." he whispered. When Rowena just stared he explained further. "You passed out at dinner. How are you feeling?"
"What?! I passed out! How embarrassing! What must you all think of me-" she made to sit up, but her head felt to heavy and she collapsed back onto the pillows. "AH!" she gasped. "My head...oh! and my stomach!" she cried, clutching her hands over her stomach.
"Wait here, love, I'll whip up a potion in no time." Salazar said, and without waiting for a response, rushed out of the room. Rowena could hear bottles clinking and cupboard doors slamming from the room over. Not five minutes later, Salazar had returned with a smile on his face, and a small vile of some red liquid in his outstretched hand. "Drink up…" he tilted her chin up to help her swallow. Rowena coughed and spluttered as the potion made its way down her throat.
"How positively foul!" she choked out, when the little vile had been emptied.
"Yes, well, if it's going to make you better, the taste can be put up with, right?" Salazar looked smug as he saw her complexion begin to become more vivid and her eyes brighten up.
"I suppose so," Rowena smiled up at Salazar. "Actually, I feel a bit better already!"
"The immediate result of the potion is to fix the short-term effects of the illness, the pain or discomfort, and the long term results are to eventually cure the drinker of the illness completely."
"Am I to take it that you invented this potion yourself, Salazar?"
"Indeed, my love. It was one of my earlier creations."
"Brilliant." Rowena admitted, yawning slightly.
"Not nearly as brilliant as yourself, Rowena." They stared at each other for a minute before Salazar gave a start and ran to the opposite side of the room.
"What it it?" Rowena looked worried as she watched him scramble to where he had tossed his robes aside earlier.
"My wand…I completely forgot…I was supposed to send word that you had recovered by patronus…Helga will assuredly kill me."
"Oh, I doubt it- Helga is far too kind hearted for murder!"
"Don't be so quick to judge, my dear, for the most innocent looking of people can sometimes be the most venomous." Salazar joked, searching for his wand. "Do not be surprised if you wake up next morning to find me chopped to pieces, and served to you for breakfast with a little note hanging off the side reading 'Love Helga'."
"You're ridiculous." Rowena rolled her eyes at the ceiling at his cynical form of humor.
"And you love it." Salazar hissed before exiting the room.
"Want to play a game?" Rowena asked one morning, lying in bed next to Salazar.
"Not really." Salazar yawned.
"Yes you do." Rowena pushed, resting her head on his chest and entwining her legs with his own. Salazar sighed, unable to resist her temptations.
"What kind of game?" he ran his fingers through her long, dark hair. "Is it dirty?"
"No! It's not!" she tried at a dignified tone, but it was lost slightly by her desire to laugh. 'men' she thought.
"Fine, are there rules?" he inquired.
"Yes. And no. I'm not quite sure actually. Basically, one of us will say a word-"
"-Any word?"
"Yes, any word. And the other person will have to say the one thing that they associate with that word. On an impulse, though, no thinking." she finished.
"No thinking? That's quite unlike you, Rowena..."
Rowena only shrugged and carried on. "Ok, we'll take turns coming up with words. I'll start. Ready?"
"Yes." Rowena could feel the vibrations of his voice travel through his chest where her head still rested. She felt comforted by them.
"Ok. Dragons."
"Fire."
"Food."
"Helga" Salazar chuckled slightly as he said this, and Rowena snuggled closer to him.
"Er...Books."
"You."
"Pillow"
"Head."
"Bed."
"Sex."
"With?"
"You."
"Now?"
"Yes." Salazar ended their game by capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.
The sun shone brightly through the windows of Ravenclaw tower. Its only occupant rolled over in bed and threw out her arm to wake the sleeping man beside her. However, her hand came into contact only with thin air. Eyes still shut tight, as though trying to block out the memories, Rowena Ravenclaw sighed. Fifteen long years had gone by, and yet she could still feel his hand upon her cheek, his indent in their bed, his eyes upon her as she dressed.
As she opened her eyes, tears welled up. Even after all these years, she couldn't stop them. Her friends had been hit hard by his departure as well. Godric being his best mate especially, but no one had been greater affected than Rowena. After he left, she dedicated her life only to her teachings and studying... she never found love again. For no one could lift the impression he had left in her heart. Others tries, of course. She was 'the beautifully brilliant Rowena Ravenclaw' after all... but she never found the courage to let anyone in ever again.
Drying her tears on her royal blue bed-sheets, Rowena stood up and slowly walked to her vanity. Sitting down on the wickerwork chair and looking into the mirror, her tears began to flow more freely. Much had changed since he left. Her expression had grown more weary, her face acquired more lines. Her beautifully straight, white teeth rarely saw daylight, for she hardly ever smiled anymore. Her eyes were cold and lacked the shine of love and happiness they had possessed before his leave.
Rowena ran a brush through her hair and though back to the days where she had spent almost every waking hour with him. With her lover. Chuckling slightly at some of her fonder memories, her heart ached fit to burst. She glanced at the small, silver dagger he had left behind. It had his initials on it. He had used it for most of his potions. When he had left, Rowena - in her devastation- had rushed down to the dungeons to confirm the rumors. She had searched through everything- every cupboard and every drawer- looking for something he might have left behind... for her. A note or a portrait, or anything that would remind her that he still loved her. The only thing she found was this small silver dagger lying on his side of the bed. Since it had no significance to her, she was positive that it being there had no meaning, that it had merely fallen out of his rucksack as he packed in haste. If there was one thing Rowena was sure of, it was that Salazar Slytherin did not wish for her to remember him.
She glanced at the dagger again, this time for longer. How easy it would be to just run the fine piece of metal over her wrist. How quickly it would be over- everything- her pain, her misery, her suffering, her longing, her heartache would just disappear and be gone forever. It would be only too easy to-
"Rowena?" there came a soft tapping on her door and Helga's voice rang out. "Are you decent?"
"Yes."
Helga opened the door and spotted Rowena sitting, staring at herself in the mirror. Rowena turned her head slowly and deliberately towards Helga. "Is everything alright?" she asked, not particularly caring about the answer.
"Of course, Rowena, dear. I just noticed you hadn't gotten up yet and I just thought I'd check to make sure you're alright. I've prepared Christmas breakfast. Come and enjoy it with us.... when your ready..." she bubbled.
"Yes. Thank you, Helga." Rowena said, monotonous.
Helga strode over to Rowena and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How long ago?" she asked.
"Fifteen." Rowena continued her deadpan stare in the mirror. Helga dropped her usually bubbly manner as a tear slid down her rosy cheek. Drying her tear, Helga gave a curt nod and patted Rowena's shoulder.
"Do try and come to breakfast, alright? I spent all night preparing it... it would mean a lot to me if we could all be together again for Christmas... well... not everyo-" she stopped, realising her mistake all too late. She quickly bustled out of the room, seeming slightly mollified by Rowena's silence.
Rowena dressed silently, did up her hair, and swept from the room several minutes later. She proceeded down the many flights of stairs leading to the entrance hall, and when she finally reached it, she did not turn left into the Great Hall, but continued forward, out the oak front doors and into the gently falling snow. Trudging through the shin-deep whiteness, Rowena wondered how her life would have been different, what she would be doing at this very moment- had Salazar Slytherin not left her life for good on that one, fateful, Christmas day.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this! Please review. You have no idea how much it would mean to me- unless you yourself are a writer- then of course you understand. Anyway... if you've gotten this far, I can't thank you enough for actually reading this story. Happy writings~ AT