"Madam Salazar?" Honor jumped at the young voice and turned to face it. At the last moment, she reminded herself to look down to meet the child's eyes.

Two years now and she still want used to dealing with children, she enjoyed when they grew up though, then she could have long talks with them and she didn't have to remind herself to lower her view.

"Yes little one? What's wrong?"

The young boy looked conflicted as he faced her and she noticed with a vague smile that he was from Helga's house, "I-I just wanted to tell you that you're really pretty."

Honor blinked, surprised, she had only ever been told that by her late mother, her brother and Salazar. A wide smile began to spread slowly across her face and a few rogue tears filled her eyes, "Thank you little one. What's your name?"

The boy gave a shy smile, "Ezra Pickutt, Madam Salazar."

Honor smiled gently at the boy, "Well young Ezra let me tell you a secret in return for your words, my friends get to call me Honor."

She couldn't help but laugh at the way the boy's eyes began to shine with a happy light. She knew all too well how it felt to be looked upon kindly by someone you had never thought would take you seriously.

"How old are you Ezra?" She crouched down beside him.

"I'm…" He stopped to count his fingers, "I'm…. Seven now I think. Madam Hufflepuff found me early on when my parents left me on her doorstep when I caught their house on fire. We celebrate that day every year now as my birthday so her best guess is that I'm seven." He gave her such a happy smile she couldn't help but return.

"Helga is very kind, I'm glad you found your way into her house Ezra." Her smile was gentle and Ezra felt sure he'd marry her someday since he was sure Salazar would die of old age by then.

Of course, he was wrong, first of all; she'd never marry a boy so much younger than herself nor would she ever marry even if her husband had died, she had decided long before she would ever have one love and also Salazar was actually a year younger than her, a matter he refused to acknowledge in the slightest.

Honor spent an hour speaking to the boy before they both looked up and down the hallway at the sound of someone calling her name.

Honor's face glowed as she saw her husband approaching, "Salazar, I'm over here."

It didn't quite escape her that Ezra shifted uneasily next to her as her husband approached and she didn't really blame him, he could be a terrifying teacher without even meaning to. He had a problem with controlling his temper which often resulted in him terrifying the younger students. The older ones had realized shortly after Honor had arrived that he simply had no patience for lack of effort.

Salazar came strolling elegantly down the hallway with a smile upon his face. His eyes flickered to the boy beside her and then back to his wife who was now standing to join him in his walk through the halls, "Are you done with all your classes now then?"

Salazar grinned, "I'm finally free for the rest of the day Honor."

Honor grinned, "Are you relieved?"

A VERY relieved groan escaped him before he could stop it, "I thought I was going to do something I was going to regret if I had to stay in that room with that Pucey girl any longer."

Ezra gaped at the Salazar Slytherin that was far different from the one he had grown used to. It was now very obvious why the older students were no longer quite as afraid of him, when he was with his wife he couldn't help but be honest.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand- I do. They've lost their families but it's not like we didn't give them a choice. They could either come or stay and they chose to stay and for the others whose parents left them to us, well it's hardly their fault is it? There's no reason to bawl over someone who so obviously didn't deserve the wonder that they had when they had it." Salazar had apparently forgotten he had an audience other than his wife.

Though while he didn't notice, his wife did. She offered the stunned Pickutt boy a gentle smile and offered her hand to him.

When he hesitantly took it she turned to her husband, "Salazar." His eyes snapped to hers, "This is Ezra Pickutt; he is seven years old and a charge or Helga's. His parents left him on her doorstep when he was just a babe."

Salazar's eyes trailed down her arm to the hand holding it and then finally to the boy before crouching to meet his eye. He stared into the boy's eyes for a little as if looking for something before he sighed, "Helga is lucky to have you boy, I've seen you in your classes, and you do well."

Ezra looked at him uneasily before lowering his eyes bashfully. Salazar laughed quietly, "Look at me, my child." Ezra's eyes looked up at him shyly from beneath his eyelashes, "I meant what I said; there is no reason to mourn those who decided they would rather live cold dark lives without love and without joy. Lift your head child for there are none more worthy of pride than those who can still stand after they've been left with nothing. Leave whatever memory you have of them behind; they no longer deserve your tears."

Ezra's eyes filled with tears and he launched himself at the young Slytherin teacher who he had just earlier been so terrified of.

Salazar, though shocked, held the boy carefully and gently lifted him up into his arms where Ezra kept his face buried in his shoulder even after he stood and began walking with his wife.

Helga wasn't overly hard to find, follow the sound of giggling children and singing older student and you'd find her. When they found her, sure enough, the older students of her house were putting on a show for the newer ones who, still struggling to understand the transition from the non magical world to the very magical world couldn't help but laugh.

She saw them rather quickly and made her way over to them with a smile, "Salazar, Honor, thank you so much for bringing Ezra back, I was beginning to wonder where he'd gone."

Salazar went to hand her the child but found that, in sleep, the boy had quite the grip, "I swear he wasn't asleep in the hallway."

Helga and Honor both laugh good naturedly as he struggled to detach the boy without waking him. When he at last succeeded he gave the both of them a feeble glare that held no malice within it.

When they at last excused themselves from the friendly house of students who were happily rediscovering who they were the two found themselves wandering down the hallways once more.

They walked in companionable silence for a while before Salazar cleared his throat, "That boy, Ezra, it looked as though the two of you had been talking."

Honor laughed, "A little bit, he called me beautiful."

Salazar glanced at her in surprise, "He did?" she nodded and he nodded back, satisfied, "Well, he is right. You are beautiful Honor."

He gazed at her happily, her eyes were a lovely golden brown with the strangest flecks of green that could usually only be seen when she was in bright light. Her hair was a soft blonde that cascaded down her back only to stop at her waist. Her face was gentle and even if she wasn't beautiful on the outside there was none who knew better than he that she beautiful on the inside too.

She laughed, "I suppose I will just have to take your word for it then Slytherin."

He grinned, "You'd better. It's true you know."

She laughed, not quite believing him but not willing to argue with him on the matter.

After a moment of silence Salazar spoke again, "It almost makes you want to have one, doesn't it?"

Honor frowned, "One of what?"

Salazar blushed, "Ezra, its children like him that make you want one isnt it?"

After a moment of trying to decipher her husband's clumsy words Honor finally grinned with giddy excitement, "You want a child?"

Salazar's face turned a delicate shade of red, "Don't you?"

Honor laughed, "I'm asking you Salazar, and you have to be sure that's what you want before I answer."

Salazar frowned as he gazed out one of the windows that faced the school grounds before facing her with a determined look upon his face, "I want a family I can share with you Honor. I want a child."

Honor gaped at him for a moment before she threw her arms around his neck and let her tears spill free from her eyes, "As do I my love!"

She pulled away excitedly, "Salazar! We're going to have a child!"

Salazar grinned back as he lifted her and spun her in a circle as her laugh filled the hallway, "You and I darling, the child will never know a happier life, I swear this to you Honor."

Honor leaned down and took his face in her hands and kissed him, "I love you Salazar."

He grinned back, "I can't wait to see how your brother will react when he learns that we are now trying for a child."

Please review if youre enjoying it so far, and feel free to throw out a few ideas you think would be fun to have. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with me through everything, thank you! If i skip anything you feel deserves to be mentioned just let me know and ill do my best to get it in, thank you!