Salazar/Rowena and slight Godric/Helga. I don't normally write these types of fics (Founders, canon-compliant, etc.) so it's most likely AU (or has AU parts) xD No other warnings or triggers.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) forum - Astronomy, #6: Write about a fight of some sort.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) forum - Gringotts Prompt Bank: Salazar/Rowena (pairing), "I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter." - Walt Disney, "Always dress like you're going to see your worst enemy." - Kimora Lee Simmons, Hawthorn (plant), A Cunning Obsession (title)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) forum - September Event "Back to School": (plot) Duelling with someone at Hogwarts
Title: A Cunning Obsession
Rating: T
Genre: Romance, Drama
Word count: 2531
Godric, Helga, Rowena and Salazar had finally found the perfect location. It was on a lake far to the north in Scotland. There were no Muggles nearby. The closest town, in fact, was a wizarding village named Hogsmeade. A small, sleepy village, Hogsmeade made a perfect neighbour for the school of magic the four founders envisioned would stand on the hilly, forested land.
Godric could see it now: a huge castle with various turrets and towers, stone walls strong and thick. He felt his sword hanging at his side and felt assured they were doing right.
Helga imagined vast gardens, large stained-glass windows and boats by the lake. She was such a romantic! She sighed as she spotted a giant squid. How beautiful!
Rowena loved the property. It was huge - which meant a big library could be incorporated. She loved reading and learning and felt the outdoors were wonderful, but really, rain was not conducive to learning. Rowena also hoped to have several towers. She loved to watch the stars at night.
Salazar was the most practical. He felt there had to be a way to use the lake and underground to conceal and fortify the castle. Really, his friends were dunderheads if they didn't think for a second that someone might try to attack the stone edifice. In his mind, Salazar knew the castle would be stone. Because Godric would somehow convince Helga and Rowena that stone was safest. While Salazar couldn't exactly argue that point, he felt stone was a bit - archaic.
Salazar groaned when he was later approached by his three friends.
"A stone castle would be nice," Helga said. Godric and Rowena merely nodded.
Salazar held his head in his hands. "Fine. But there will be dungeons and secret tunnels! You never know what these Muggles and jealous rivals will think of next!"
"SALAZAR!" Godric yelled, frustrated by his friend's schizophrenia.
"I am NOT being schizophrenic! I am being LOGICAL!" Salazar complained, voice matching Godric's in volume. "I am just saying, we need to be prepared."
"Not prepared!" Helga scoffed, feigning panic. "Who knows what might come to harm dear Sally!" Rowena and Helga laughed at their little joke.
Salazar drew his wand swiftly. Standing up, he said in a low voice, "You dare laugh at me, Helga? We'll see who laughs last!" He brandished his wand menacingly.
"Now, now, Sally, dear, we can't take you seriously when you know that we are all equally matched," Rowena spoke up. "Logically, we all get locked into a four-way duel."
Salazar sighed and put his wand away. "Unfortunately, I must admit defeat to your logic, Rona, dear," Salazar sighed. He realized his slip instantly as Godric smirked and Helga giggled. "But I still think we need fortifications!" he growled, trying to regain some semblance of his masculine pride.
Godric covered his mouth with a hand until he could once more have a straight face. When he was composed, he reached out and placed his hand on Salazar's shoulder. "My friend," Godric said in an even voice, "I do believe you are right. We need protection spells and concealing spells. While I think your tunnel idea is a bit far-fetched, there should be no reason why we can't incorporate it into our castle. As four friends, we should each pour our magic into the castle so it is a joint effort."
"Led by you," Salazar mouthed.
"I heard that!" Godric teased his friend. The two men shared a glance and smiled at each other. Despite all their bickering, they really were friends.
"All right," Helga said, becoming impatient. "Let's get started! It's starting to get cold out here and I'm wearing my good dress today."
Rowena scoffed, "Helga, I will never understand you and your fashion sense."
"I can see why," Helga said, slightly offended. "As mother told me once upon a time, 'Always dress like you're going to see your worst enemy.' Really, Rowena, red isn't your colour. Blues and greens suit your eyes much better. Have you ever considered trimming your blue gown with a bit of bronze? It would look so good on you."
Rowena rolled her eyes at Helga's fashion tips. Really! Fashion at a moment like this - only Helga!
"Fine, Helga, dear, but can we get back to building the castle? It will take intense magic. I expect - I calculate about three weeks of intense magical working."
"How did you get that number?" Salazar asked. "Do you expect us to work every day?"
"Why not?" Rowena demanded.
"Because maybe some of us would like a break to eat and drink and, oh, you know," Salazar grinned.
"Well," Rowena huffed, "you find a better plan!"
"Great. Here's a schedule." Salazar conjured a large scroll of parchment and tapped it. Lines magically appeared.
Rowena, Helga and Godric read hastily as the words continued to form themselves.
"Saturday and Sunday you want for drinking and sleeping!" Rowena said in outburst. "Oh, Sally, you'll have to duel me for that!"
Salazar grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that. I've been itching for a good duel. Only you or Godric would do. Helga is too soft."
Helga stuck her tongue out. "Sorry I don't like ruining my best dress, Sally!"
Godric split everyone up before spells were cast. "All right, if you two really want to show the rest of us some humbling magic, stand opposite each other and hold your wands above your head."
Helga quickly ran to the sidelines, standing almost too close to Godric for Godric's own comfort.
"Helga, dear, what are you doing hiding behind me?" Godric murmured.
"I'm not hiding. I am getting a safe distance away. You know the sparks that fly between those two," Helga replied, eyes dancing with a mischievous light.
"Ah, Helga, I see you're not entirely devoid of wisdom. Come, come, don't be shy." Godric persuaded Helga to stand next to him. "There, much better. Don't worry, we'll run at the appropriate time. A courageous man knows when it's time to fight - and time for flight!"
"I do believe you made that up," Helga responded.
"I might have," Godric said, refusing to admit anything outright.
"Oh, you!" Helga lightly hit Godric's arm. "Come on, let's get this match started. Any bets?"
"Rowena," Godric said. "Five galleons."
"Salazar, you're on," Helga nodded.
"Hear that?" Salazar asked, standing across from Rowena. "They're betting on us."
"They better bet right," Rowena grinned.
"Touche," Salazar replied.
"All right, bets are in! Ladies and gentlemen, bow to each other duelists."
Salazar and Rowena bowed, turned and walked the appropriate number of steps.
"Face off!" Godric called.
Salazar and Rowena turned to face each other, wands out.
"Start!" Godric yelled.
The spells flew faster than Helga could count them.
"Stupefy!"
"Incendio!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!"
"Diffindo!"
"Glacius!"
"Repello!"
"Reducto!"
"Engorgio!"
"Accio!"
"Avis!"
"What are they doing?" Helga asked, yawning. "I can't see through all those sparks."
"It's so interesting. They're trying to counter each others' spells. I wonder if they'll ever get tired," Godric commented without regard to Helga. He was so enthralled with the duel.
"Imagine, Helga!" Godric said after another half hour had passed. "This is the first duel of Hogwarts' history!"
"Hogwarts?" Helga frowned.
"Yes, that shall be the name of our school. Hogwarts. I just thought of it." Godric beamed.
Helga hugged him. "Oh, Godric. You're so handsome!"
"I know," he said smugly.
Helga smacked him. "But not too handsome I can't take you down a peg or two when necessary."
Godric grinned, not feeling humbled in the least. "Of course not, Helga," he said when prompted.
"Good. Now come on, I'm feeling hungry and I've heard the local pub is excellent."
Godric was not known to say no to a drink and food, so he ambled off hand in hand with Helga, leaving the two duelists behind.
"Let's just say, we both won," Helga reasoned.
Godric nodded, liking those odds.
Salazar panted as the duel intensified. Finally, he held his hand up. "I need a breather," he said.
Rowena smiled. "You know what? Me, too, although I was waiting for you to ask for one."
"Why?" Salazar wanted to know, stunned by Rowena's words. Had he missed something there?
"I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter," Rowena said.
"And that means?" Salazar asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"It means that I was hoping for you to be tired out way before now, but I know that you are just as competitive as I," Rowena explained.
"Ah," Salazar straightened, cracking his joints. "Sensible Rona, you're always so logical."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Please do. A gentleman's compliment." Salazar gave her a dashing bow.
"Are you sure you and Godric aren't more alike?" Rowena teased.
"Oh, for Heaven's sake! Can't a man be a gentleman without having to be compared to Godric Holy Gryffindor?" Salazar fumed.
"But every man's guide to manliness stems from the image of Godric Gryffindor," Rowena flirted.
"I do believe you are flirting with me, Rona." Salazar grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Maybe that's a logical conclusion, Sally," Rowena retorted. She smiled to show she was teasing.
In a flash, the duel was forgotten as they kissed.
A rainbow appeared in the sky.
"You have got to be kidding me," Rowena groaned. "Helga will NEVER let me live this down! Damn you, Rainbow, dammit!" Rowena laughed as Salazar looked up.
"Oh, my dear, I do believe I've made you into a romantic." Salazar laughed, a sound like a deep lion's roar.
"I do believe you might have. But I shall never admit to it," Rowena said, kissing him again under the hawthorn tree.
Over the next few weeks, the four friends laughed, played and had fun designing and building their dream school and future home. Rowena built the magical blueprint for the castle, incorporating four towers for dorms and a dungeon with secret tunnels for Salazar. Godric designed the stone structure and enchanted the stones against all manner of erosion, decay and earth tremors. Helga designed the grounds and even left space for a sports arena.
"What?" she demanded when her friends looked at her.
"Why do you want a SPORTS arena?" Rowena asked.
"You're not even athletic!" Salazar put in.
"Says the pudgy man who can't run a kilometer!" Helga shot back.
"Calmly," Godric interrupted.
"You stay out of this!" his three friends yelled.
Godric left to go find a drink at the pub.
"You want to duel, Helga?"
"Duel over a sports arena? No. But I do think the STUDENTS would want some athletic place. Children, you know, need lots of exercise. It builds character."
"Now, where have I heard that before?" Salazar mused.
"I heard that," Helga said in a sing-song voice, knowing she had claimed victory. "Where'd Godric go?" Helga looked around, noticing Godric's absence for the first time.
Rowena laughed. "For all you bond with Godric, you didn't notice him leave awhile ago? He went to the pub." Rowena's tone of voice indicated her displeasure.
"Well, at least some of us are human," Helga shot back, earning her a glare from Rowena and a smile from Salazar.
"Hmmph!" Rowena sniffed haughtily. "I suppose we're done for today. Just one last touch." Rowena tapped her wand and created a great hall. "There, now the students will have a place to meet, sit, and eat."
The castle was finally complete. Now, the four could discuss their school.
"We should open our doors to all magical students in Britain," Godric said.
"Yes, I agree," Rowena and Helga said.
"Only those of pure magical heritage," Salazar said.
"No, ALL children. They need to learn, otherwise their magic will get out of hand! In the Muggle world, it will be a disaster!" Godric argued.
"Just look at the Muggles!" Salazar scoffed. "They are a disaster!"
"Now, Salazar, be reasonable," Helga put in. "All children are equally capable -"
"They are NOT!"
"THEY ARE!"
"ARE NOT!"
"ARE!"
"CHILDREN!" Rowena shrieked, shutting everyone else up. "Now," she breathed heavily, "I think we need to discuss this in a logical, fair manner."
"Yes, quite right," Salazar shook his head. "I think the magical teaching should be reserved for pure-blood children only."
"And we strongly disagree. Our aim was to create a school based on our fears of PERSECUTION. We MUST accept Muggle children with magical powers, or THEY will be persecuted in their communities. Do see sense, Salazar. Will you really cut off the same people we were once?"
"WE are NOT Muggles!" Salazar stubbornly insisted.
And there the discussion ended. Brandished wands solved nothing. Salazar walked away highly distressed by his friends' attitudes. He went to the pub - because where else does a man go when he is distressed?
Salazar decided he would have his revenge. His friends knew his schizophrenic obsession with tunnels. So why not use them to his advantage?
Salazar was a known Parseltongue. He had the perfect plan. In the four weeks before the school opened, Salazar set up his secret tunnel and left evidence of his deed behind.
On the first day of school, Salazar vanished, bidding goodbye to the magical school and his friends in Scotland. Well, not quite all of his friends.
Every summer, when the school called Hogwarts was not in session, Salazar and Rowena spent time together. Once they went to Romania. Another time, they visited the tropics.
It was a summer in Greece that Rowena told him everything.
"I'm pregnant, Sally," Rowena said softly.
"What?" Salazar asked sleepily.
"I'm going to have a baby." Rowena smiled. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Whose child is it?" Salazar asked.
"Ours, of course. Really, Sally, why are you so irritable today?"
"Why would you want a child?" Salazar demanded, sitting up in bed.
"Why shouldn't we have a child?"
"Because I'll never see you again if you do."
"And I can't do anything to stop it because it's already happened!"
"Wait what?" Salazar's brain was churning.
"The baby is due next month, Sally, dear."
Salazar's face drained of all colour.
"Don't leave," Rowena pleaded.
Salazar pushed her away. "Not now, Rona, not now."
Rowena welcomed her baby alone. "Helena, you are beautiful. Helena for Greece. You will be a wonderful child, despite your father's heritage." She kissed her baby girl and held her close. "I'll protect you," she promised.
Salazar mourned the loss of both Rowena and his daughter, but thought it was for the best. At least his daughter was in no danger at Hogwarts, being born of pure-blood. Still, he felt tricked by Rowena, so he set his plan in motion. It was an obsession, after all. Tunnels were marvelous things, really.
