"Helga?" Rowena called. The rain made it impossible to see more than a meter before them, but Rowena craned her head, searching for the small witch. Godric paced anxiously, muttering.

"I should go find her, Rowena. She always feels so horribly after losing her temper. I've never seen her that angry before." He glowered, "And now Salazar has gone off to god knows where. Probably back to his precious dungeons to sulk."

Rowena scowled at Godric. "You think Helga is feeling guilty? If anyone should be feeling guilty it's you! You're fortunate Helga only yelled at you. If it had been me, both of you would have been cursed to oblivion!"

Godric's mouth dropped, "Rowena, surely you don't AGREE with Salazar?" he sputtered. "I thought you were better than that!"

"Of course not," she hissed. "But I don't think your plan is considerably better. Helga is right, and you know it! These are students, Godric, not knights! They're coming here to learn. Nothing else!"

"Can we just agree to disagree?" Salazar's voice cut through the mist. Godric and Rowena started, seeing Salazar and Helga, both soaked in mud, walking arm in arm toward them. Helga's eyes were swollen, but curiously bright.

"Helga!" Godric ran forward, stopping just short of the pair before kneeling awkwardly.

Helga blushed, "Godric, stand up, you'll ruin your robes!" She chided.

Godric shook his head, "No Helga, I need to say this. You were right. We have all worked too hard to make Hogwarts a success. You have been tireless, and I…" he eyed Salazar, "We have been ungrateful. You're right." He stood, taking Helga's free hand. "Please forgive me."

Helga smiled, nodding tearfully. Godric turned to Salazar, offering his hand again. "My friend, I apologize."

Salazar regarded Godric's hand a moment before grasping it firmly. "Of course." He murmured quietly. Godric grinned, stepping to Helga's right arm and taking it up, much the way Salazar held her left.

"Now, perhaps we can put this business behind us and get on to more important matters!" He laughed, "Dinner, for one!"

They walked back into the castle, Rowena leading the linked trio, smiling lightly to herself.

The next morning Salazar sat alone, reading his letters. He had made a habit of rising early each morning, taking an hour to himself before the others came down to breakfast. He sighed, leaning back and considering his tea. The Minister had written with his faculty recommendations, imploring Salazar to come to London to meet with him personally.

While the four had remained at Hogwarts relatively to themselves in the past months, but the coming spring meant that there was little time left to prepare. While Rowena had volunteered herself to teach Transfiguration, Godric had insisted on a class in Defense against the Dark Arts. Salazar himself had volunteered for Potions, while Helga had yet to make her decision. She was brilliant, both in Charms and Herbology, though Salazar rather hoped she would not invite the students into the greenhouses. The potential for error was too great, and she had already insisted on giving the damnable house elves run of the place.

Salazar shook his head, thinking of Helga. He had been foolish to open up to her, to tell her about his family. He knew that she, unlike Godric or Rowena, would tell no one, but he still despised that he had made himself vulnerable to her. He had not meant to kiss her either, but in the moment it had seemed natural. The witch was small, but she seemed to inspire great change in all of them. Rowena had allowed herself to be drawn out of her shell, and seemed to be spending much of her time around Helga. He found himself rushing after her without thinking the day before, feeling a strange need to put himself back in her good graces. Then there was Godric. Salazar smirked at the thought, Godric, who never apologized, had fallen to his knees before the her.

"Salazar?" He started at her voice. Helga had entered quietly, her feet bare, as they often were. She stood before him in a simple blue robe, buckled at the waist, her hair pulled into a long plait. He narrowed his eyes momentarily. Still, after months in the castle, she looked more like a peasant girl than any witch he had met. She smiled at him uncertainly.

"I had hoped to find you here…alone." She spoke quietly, as though frightened of waking the others, even in the Great Hall. "I feel that I need to talk to you. After yesterday I mean."

Salazar sighed, folding the Minister's letter and tucking it away in the folds of his robes. He poured Helga a cup of tea and gestured to the chair across from himself. She sat, accepting the cup with a nod. They sat a moment, saying nothing.

"Salazar, I think that we, well both of us, got caught up in our feelings yesterday." She said carefully. "You and I seem to have so very much in common, and I suppose well, I may have gotten carried away." She peered into his face, looking for some hint of emotion, but he stared back from her, unmoving.

She took another breath, "What I mean is, well, you are very important to me. All of you are. And I don't want anything to ruin that."

Still Salazar said nothing. He didn't seem to be blinking, or even registering that he had heard her. Suddenly she heard his voice, but his lips didn't seem to be moving.

Hush. He said softly, and she felt his voice ringing through her mind. Later.

Rowena entered the room now, followed by Godric. Both paused for a moment at the sight of Helga and Salazar, leaned toward each other as if in deep conversation. Helga sprang back when she heard the door close behind her, spilling her tea.

"Careful Helga," Godric smiled, "Bally will be livid if we break her teacups."

Helga blushed furiously. Rowena took a seat beside her and gestured to the pile of letters in front of Salazar.

"Anything for me?"

Salazar passed three letters to Rowena, his eyes still on Helga. She was resolutely looking away now, sopping up the spilled on the table in front of her, her face ruddy with embarrassment.

"Well, I think I'll begin work on the tower today, if that's quite alright with everyone." Godric said merrily, seemingly unaware of any tension in the room. When silence answered him he continued, "Ah, Rowena, any word from Tallus?"

Rowena looked up from the fattest of her letters, which she had been reading with great interest. "He is in Romania. He has found the dwarfshead, as well as a few projects for your Dark Arts class." She shuddered distastefully. "He says he will be going down to Greece next, something for the forest."

Helga smiled distractedly, "And will Lord Ravenclaw be joining us after Greece?" She asked.

Rowena nodded, "I believe that's the last of it." She smiled at the other witch, "He will be delighted to meet you, Helga. I'm afraid my letters haven't done you justice."

"I hope he is careful, Rowena. Romania is not as safe as it once was. The wards are being pushed back daily." Godric had heaped his plate with sausage and wheat meal, turning now to Salazar. "And you, Salazar? Any agenda for today?" He asked.

Salazar nodded, finally looking away from Helga and removing the letter from his pocket. "Helga and I will be going to London today." He answered quietly, not looking up, but feeling the shock radiating from the witch, "We have a very important meeting with the minister."

-

Hey everyone! Thank you for the reviews! Your positive words are what keep me writing!

To answer some questions: I'm trying to stay as close to canon as possible, which is why Helga had such a hand in bringing the house elves to Hogwarts. That is also why Salazar practices Legilimency. Luckily, the founders are a little less explored, especially Helga, so I have some wiggle room.
Next chapter: I will be introducing some more familiar surnames (honestly, there aren't very many pureblood families floating around medieval Britain), more about the wars out east Godric is so hung up on, and further exploring the Salazar/Helga dynamic.