"Rictusempra!" The spell was cast by the young man with the golden hair.

"Protego!" The young woman deflected the spell and cast another wildly, her dark hair flowing behind her. "Incedio!" The spell caused her opponent's robe to catch on fire. He muttered a word and water extinguished the fire.

"You always get me with that combination Rowena," He shook his head. "I will eventually learn."

Rowena laughs, "You will, but I'll keep on learning too. I'll always be a step ahead of you, dear Godric."

Godric sits down, exhausted from their fierce duel. Rowena gracefully sits beside him and they stare out at the sparkling lake before them. All was silent, except for an owl above them in a tree. Then Godric speaks. "Rowena, I have been thinking. Nothing will be done without your consent of course, as this is your home too. Well, two childhood friends of mine are coming here to study with a wizard in the village. They both need a home for the next year, at the least, and I was going to offer that they stay here. I mean, the house is so empty with just us and the house-elves."

Rowena was silent. She had always considered Scotland her home, but over the past five years she had learned to love the mansion of Godric's Hollow, from the beautiful gardens to the small cottages down the dusty road. "If…if you wish to have them here, then make the offer."

"Are you sure? As I said before, this is your home as well as mine."

Rowena nods, stands up and mounts her black horse. Godric mounts his own horse and they set off towards the house. She then decided that she should know about the people who would possibly be soon living with her. "So, who are these old friends of yours?"

"Well, I've been keeping track of them by writing to them since I was thirteen, so I know what to expect. There's Helga Hufflepuff, who is the same age as both of us. She is so loving. She wouldn't hurt a fly. Everywhere she goes people fall in love with her instantly. There is just something about her. She accepts life as it is and finds the best in all."

Rowena smiles, "She sounds lovely."

"She is. Then there is Salazar. Salazar Slytherin is 3 years older than us and can take a little time to get used to. He…well, he loves power, there is no point trying to deny that."

"He...he isn't dangerous is he?"

"No, no. Perfectly safe. Salazar appears cold and heartless at first, but that is just a mask. He actually got me out of a few tight spots when we were younger. Don't judge him on first impressions. Once you get to know him, you'll see another side of him."

But do I want to know him at all? Rowena had a terrible feeling about this Slytherin man.

Helga and Salazar arrive exactly three weeks after the duel at the lake. Helaga arrives in the morning, Salazar in the evening. As Godric had said, Helga made people instantly love her and the Rowena found herself opening up to the girl right away.

"Oh, Godric, who is this?" Introductions were made between Rowena and Helga. "How long have you been here?" She asks. If it had been any other person Rowena would have most likely not explained herself, but the brown-haired girl in front of her seemed so sweet and kind.

"About five years. My parents died in a fire when I was younger and I was adopted by the Gryffindors."

"Oh, yes. I remember Godric talking about you in a few letters that I received probably at about the same time that you arrived."

Godric interrupts Helga. "Yes, well things have changed between Rowena and myself since then Helga. Now, would you like something to eat?"

Meeting Salazar was not as pleasant as the introductions in the morning. Godric had taken Helga on a tour of the house's large grounds and Rowena was alone. That was when he arrived.

He was wearing a black cloak and emerald green clothes. His skin was as white as chalk and his hair as dark as the night sky. Godric had said that this man was about 22 years old, only 3 years older than her, but this man looked much older. His eyes had dark rings around them and his lips were thin and pale, just like his face.

When Rowena opens the door he pushs his way in and then passes her his cloak. "Here girl, don't ruin it. Now where is your master? He's been expecting me."

Rowena is shocked. "Excuse me? How dare you treat me like this? If you are to live in this house with me then you will have to treat me properly!"

The man smiles and it looks disgustingly unnatural. "Oh, yes. You must be the girl who was abandoned here. Well off you go, I'm sure Mr. Gryffindor has things for you to do."

"I live here. This is my home. You are only here because I am allowing it and if you treat me like this again I will have to send you away."

Salazar sighed. "I see that you have not yet learned your place. Keep your mouth shut girl and stop making up silly little fantasies. Godric would not have given any rights to his house to some girl."

"Ah, but that's where you would be wrong Salazar," Came a voice from the staircase. It was Godric, who had arrived just in time to stop Rowena from attacking Salazar. "Meet Miss Rowena Ravenclaw. She is as much the owner of this house as I am and you are not to treat her as anything less if you wish to stay here. Understood?"

"Perfectly. Now where is the beautiful Helga? There. Good evening!" Salazar's voice was suddenly changed to very fake sweet one. "Helga my dear, long time no see. How are you?"

The pair start talking of the years that each of them had missed and soon Godric joined them. Rowena was left out with nothing to say, so she retreats to her library. It had been built just for her and designed by her so it was her idea of perfection. The floors and shelves were a dark wood and suited the leather book covers perfectly. She must own thousands of books, most of them already read. She had many favourites, which she knew by heart, yet read them over and over again.

Another magnificent feature of her library was the ceiling, on which she had used magic to make it identical to the sky that she remembered from her home in Scotland. She had crafted the spell herself and she thought that it possibly her biggest achievement. Right now the ceiling was a light blue with wispy white clouds.

She reads for a few hours before deciding that she cannot hide from her houseguests much longer. So she goes down to the dining hall, where she knew they would have started their evening meal already.

Rowena enters the hall, apologizes for her lateness and sits down beside Helga. The two girls speak through most of dinner, as do Godric and Salazar. Afterwards Rowena returns to her library. Everything is silent and perfect until-

"Incredible room you have here Miss Ravenclaw." Of course it wis Salazar ruining her peace. "I have never seen so many books in one room at a time. Tis a fine collection. And the ceiling looks marvellous. I've never seen such magic." He walks over to a bookshelf, removes a book and flipps through it carelessly.

This room is mine; the Gryffindors gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday. He should not be in here.

"Yes, well I'm afraid that I must ask you to leave Mr. Slytherin. This is my private library."

"Please, call me Salazar. And I shall call you Rowena, for it is a lovely name. I believe it was your mother's as well, no? Yes, she had a wonderful library as well. Very famous for it. So tragic to hear that it was all lost in the fire…and your parents were a terrible loss as well, of course."

He was bringing up memories that she did not want to resurface. Rowena playing on the library floor while her mother read aloud to her. Being taught to read by the fireplace. The fire…

"Yes, it was tragic. Now, please, leave." She would not let him see her cry.

"Very well, as you wish."

Once he leaves, she lets the tears and memories come to her. She cries herself to sleep by the fireplace and knows that tomorrow would be no better.