A/N: Woah, sorry, that took a while. But on the bright side, I've already got chapter three almost done, so... yeah, expect more chapters more often, as it's officially SUMMER and I'm spending the better part of it lazing around thanks to a rugby injury. So yeah, enjoy!
"Mornin', m'lady," Godric said. Rowena smiled at what had quickly become Godric's nickname for her.
"Morning. What time is it?" she asked, dropping into the chair beside him at the table. She could feel her parents watching her from the living room, but ignored it.
"Quarter to noon," he replied through a large mouthful of food. "Salazar – Salazar Slytherin, that's his full name – owled me back this morning, he said he'd be here no later than quarter after, so as soon as we're done here we're going to meet up back at that pub."
"And this Slytherin man… he's smart? I mean, he could be an educator, couldn't he?" Rowena pressed. "The last thing I'd want is for him to be some deadbeat who can't teach his students a thing."
Godric guffawed so loudly it made Rowena jump. "Salazar, a deadbeat? Salazar is probably the… well, I can't say cleverest person since I've met you… but no doubt he's the cleverest man I've ever met, and the most skillful and cunning. Slippery as a snake, that man is, but stubborn as a mule. Once he's got his mind set on something, that's it… and from what I read in his letter, he's already taking a liking to this idea of yours."
Rowena grinned. She sat watching Godric eat for a few more minutes before he stood up. "We'll be down at the Hawkshead, mum," Rowena called, and the two of them Disapparated.
"Rowena! Godric!" Helga cried, waving from a booth in the back corner of the pub. Clearly, she was relieved that the others had arrived; as Rowena breezed across the nearly-deserted bar, she saw a skeletal-like man sitting on the seat opposite her friend. He had a gaunt, sunken face, scraggly long grey hair with a shiny bald spot on the crown of his head, and cold, white-grey eyes. He was tall and thin, which Rowena only noticed when he stood up and embraced Godric like a brother.
"Helga, m'lady, this is Salazar Slytherin," Godric introduced.
"We've met," Helga said, sounding less than enthusiastic.
"Charmed, I'm sure," Salazar said, extending a gnarled hand. His voice was silky and cool, much like that of an evil mastermind. Rowena took it gingerly, already wary of the stranger.
The four fell back into the booth, Rowena and Godric taking up one side, leaving Helga to sit rather fearfully next to Salazar.
"You aren't working today?" Rowena asked Helga, after a long silence.
"No, I swapped shifts with a Muggle girl, Lisa Hooper… doesn't matter, this place is dead until seven at night," Helga replied, speaking over a disgruntled noise from Salazar.
"You and the… Muggles, you get on?" Salazar asked, somewhat incredulous and somewhat revolted.
"Quite fine," Rowena retorted coolly, liking the man less and less. It was hard to believe someone as kind-hearted as Godric was friends with this skeleton. "And I'm sure I speak for everyone in the village when I say that you should too." She had heard about these sorts of people, the sort that found Muggles below them and not worth their time. For a moment she doubted what Godric had said about him being a good teacher.
"Godric tells me you lovely ladies have an idea… a vision, perhaps… of a Wizarding school," Salazar said, clearly fighting to keep his voice civil. Rowena smiled a little, glad to be back on topic.
"Yes… I just came up with it last night, but I was thinking how undereducated children can never be a real part of our society. These kids have to know what they're doing when they wave their wands, or they'll end up killing each other!"
Salazar had been nodding thoughtfully, and now he lifted his head off his tented fingers and fixed Rowena with his oddly colourless stare. "We need… a place," he said slowly. Godric nodded.
"So you're with us on this?" Helga asked Salazar, her eyebrows slightly raised. "You're willing to teach, and you're able?"
Salazar's thin mouth curled into a smirk. "I figure I know enough magic to take all three of you in a duel – not that I would dream of such a thing," he added, seeing Rowena's poison-tipped glare. "What I mean to say is, my own education should be more than satisfactory."
"Right," Rowena said, still wary. "Well, I agree, the first thing we need now is a place… somewhere big enough to hold all the Wizarding children in the village."
"In Scotland," Helga suggested.
"In all of Britain," Godric corrected. "You aren't the first to notice wayward children, m'lady, back in London… there's no wonder the Muggles aren't very happy with our folk."
"They aren't?" Helga asked curiously.
"God, no, you should see them – you can see the fear and the hatred when they look at us. They know what we are and what we're capable of…"
"And they're jealous," Salazar interrupted. "They hate us because they know we're a higher life form, we are their superiors in every way… they wish they could be like us, but they can't, so they become bitter and distant and decide it makes sense to -"
"Salazar!" Godric said warningly. Salazar's eyes were alight with a kind of malice, but when he caught his friend's glare he fell quiet again.
There was silence for a little while after this. "Perhaps… we have to build this place?" Helga said tentatively. Everyone turned to look at her. "I mean, it would be a lot of work, but in the end… I mean, we'd have built a school with our own hands, made it just the way we wanted, and then gone on and turned an entire generation – or more – into the best witches and wizards they can be!" Helga beamed around at them all. "Just imagine how great it would feel."
Rowena pursed her lips, her mind racing. "I like it," she said slowly. "But we'll still need a location, and materials… and I think, later on, we should make some kind of agreement with that Ollivander man – somebody else has to, we're already off on the wrong foot – so that the kids can get wands. And this Diagon Alley place, they have vendors and shops and the like?" she asked, turning to Godric.
"Tons, the street is lined with them. Apothecaries, robe shops, all kinds of knick-knacks… and the bank, of course," Godric told her. "D'you figure we should get them – the robe people, and the ingredients and the like – in on this?"
"Yes, some kind of a discount," Rowena said, already coming up with ideas for uniforms and lesson plans. "Something to make it easy, to make parents want to send their kids to us."
"A boarding school, obviously?" Salazar said.
"Yes, we wouldn't want a girl going home having just learned how to turn someone into a teapot but not learning how to turn them back until the next week," Helga said, smirking faintly.
"But in reality, none of this can happen unless we intend to teach the children in the middle of some barren field," Godric pointed out.
"Right – our main priority should be finding a location," Rowena agreed. She stood up, her dark blue robes swirling at her feet. "What say we meet back here, same time tomorrow? Godric… Salazar… I'd be happy to have you both stay at my family's home," she added, a little reluctant to invite Slytherin. She suppressed a grin when he shook his head solemnly.
"I think I'll return to England… do some looking around down there. After all, it's probably more convenient for most," he said coolly. Rowena narrowed her eyes slightly at his arrogance. He too, stood up, as did the others. "Godric, will you be joining me?" Salazar asked.
"No, I'm afraid I'll do better to assist the lovely Rowena," he said with a warm smile at the raven-haired woman. A flash of annoyance passed over Salazar's face, but then it was gone, and he was shaking Godric's hand firmly.
"Until tomorrow afternoon, then," he said, nodding curtly to the women, and turned on his heel and strode out the door.
"Quite a character, he is," Helga commented to Rowena, who nodded discreetly. She wasn't sure if Godric would be offended by this, but on the contrary he didn't seem to hear at all.
"Well, m'lady, you don't mind if I hunt around for this place with you, do you?" he asked brightly. Rowena smiled despite herself.
"'Course not… right, well, Helga, I think me and Godric will take the fields to the Northeast end of the country, would you take the Northwest? Bit broad, but still… I figure a source of water would be nice, plus a good stretch of land to build the place and some form of a barrier between us and the Muggles," Rowena directed. An ideal location was already planted firmly in her head, though she didn't know if it existed at all.
"Water, space, protection, Northwest Scotland. Right," Helga confirmed. "I'll be off then, you two enjoy each other's company." She winked at Rowena, but before the latter could say anything Helga Dissaparated.
Godric smirked down at Rowena. "Race you to the edge of town," he said playfully, and they Apparated away with two loud cracks.
Don't ask me to explain it, but there was always some kind of inexplicable draw between Rowena and Godric for me. Like, since I started reading the books, I was sort of like, THEY SHOULD BE TOGETHER, AFNDGNSADKJANDKJG.
I wonder who Helena's father is? 0_o
But anyway, hope you liked that... REVIEW!