"I wish you would stay."
Salazar doesn't have to turn around to know that Helga is behind him, no doubt wearing her usual kind expression. The man keeps his gaze forward, his shoulders tense. "You wish to share these walls with a monster, Helga?" he asks dryly.
"You are not a monster, regardless of what Godric believes."
Salazar almost laughs. Even if he is not a monster, the thing he's left behind certainly is. He simply shrugs. "Life goes on," he says quietly. "You might miss me, but in a year's time, you will hardly spare a thought for your wayward friend."
"I doubt that."
Something in her tone causes Salazar to turn, and he immediately wishes he hadn't. Yes, Helga looks kind and concerned as she often does, but there is something more. It almost looks as though she's in pain.
"Will you spend your days pining for me?" he asks, raising a brow.
Even in the dim moonlight, her blush is unmistakable. "And if I will?"
Salazar reaches out, caressing her cheek. "You mustn't. I am not worth that."
The woman doesn't answer. She pulls away, staring at the ground, letting silence hang between them.
"Life goes on," he says again in a sigh. "And so will you. You will stay strong."
"Godric is the strong one," Helga mutters.
"And you are the nurturing one who holds this castle together. If you fall, the school will follow. You cannot crumble for someone who does not deserve your love."
"Will you write to me?"
"I will try." It's the best he can offer. Salazar isn't so cruel as to make a promise he cannot keep.
Helga hangs her head, and Salazar wonders if she's heard the uncertainty in his voice. "Be safe."
"Of course."
Once again, he turns his back to Hogwarts and to Helga. His mind is made up, but Salazar almost wishes Helga could change it.
