Chapter Two
Godric looked up as Helga hurried into his office, a worried look on her
face. Putting down his pen, he looked questioningly at the white-haired
witch.
"What is wrong?" he concerned asked. "You seem troubled."
Helga gave him a defiant look, flinging out her arm as if guiding
something into the room. Soon, an immobile Salazar Slytherin floated in
through the air. She put him down on a hastily conjured mattress and
turned towards Godric.
"I believe I may have hit him slightly too hard," Helga sheepishly said.
"We were having a discussion and it got somewhat out of hand."
Godric rolled his eyes and went over to Salazar, feeling his temple with
his fingers, and then turning to Helga with a wry grin.
"At least you did not break his skin this time," he commented. "He will no
doubt wake up in a few hours. We shall bring him to his quarters so you
can tend to him."
Helga nodded and reached for her wand again, intending to levitate
him there. Godric stopped her movement with a simple gesture.
"No," he said. "I will do it. You must be weary from levitating him all the
way here."
Then he gripped his wand and calmly said the charm, leading the way
as they started walking towards the fourth tower of Hogwarts.
***
Helga gently held his head up while she guided the potion she had
prepared to Salazar's mouth. The man was semiconscious by now,
nearly three hours after the eventful dinner. She had neatly and carefully
removed every evidence of the injury while he slept, and now, as he was
waking up, she was giving him a potion to relieve him of his headache.
She stepped away quickly enough when he opened his eyes and sat up
by himself though, melting into the background as Godric stepped
forwards.
"Ah, you are finally awake, Salazar," he lightly said. "I was beginning to
fear Helga had hit you harder than we thought."
Salazar chuckled slightly and sat up, touching his head.
"Well, I did deserve it," he commented. "One would have thought that by
now, I would have learned not to threaten Helga when she has her staff
within reach."
"Which I always have," Helga prudishly stepped in, looking concerned at
Salazar. "How is your head? I have given you potion against the
headache and healed the injury as far as my knowledge goes, but only
you can answer that question truthfully."
Nodding, Salazar gave Helga a respectful.
"I feel fine," he carefully said. "I am impressed, Helga Hufflepuff. Your
knowledge of the art of healing is truly remarkable. Not even the healer
at my father's castle had the knowledge to heal without scarring. These
white strands from our last meeting are proof of that."
Helga frowned and stepped forwards, holding his head firmly as she
pushed the hair out of the way to examine the scar.
"You are correct," she mumbled. "This, I could have healed without
scarring. I still can with your permission, Salazar."
He shook his head lightly.
"Nay," he disagreed. "These white strands of hair have become a part of
the person I am. I would not feel complete without them"
Helga nodded and stepped back again, keeping a respectful distance to
Salazar. Godric immediately stepped forwards again, sitting down by
Salazar's side in a chair. Not wanting to be in the way, or to stay in
Salazar's presence any longer, she started to gather her things to walk
out. But just as she was about to sneak out of the door, she was stopped
by Salazar's voice.
"You may know how to handle a situation with a staff, my lady Helga,"
his smooth, partly teasing, partly something else entirely said, "but do you
know how to handle a situation with words?"
With that ringing in her ears, Helga walked from the rooms of Salazar
Slytherin, fuming.
***
They had gathered together in the staff room-to-be, sitting by the
fireplace discussing how they were going to get everything done. Before
Salazar's arrival, they had not gotten any further than deciding which
rooms they were going to use to what and what subjects which would
be taught, but with Salazar's intellect and imagination, they found that
the planning had gone forwards much faster. He had quickly asked
them which subjects each would teach, how they would be separated
into classes and how long the students would be in school.
After some discussion, they had agreed on that each student would
spend a year learning, that each of them would take care of the students
coming from their family realms (Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and
Ravenclaw) and that Godric would teach the Battle magic and
Languages, Rowena would teach Charms and History, Salazar would
teach Magic in Nature and Transfigurations and Helga would teach
Potions and Herbology. At the moment, they were having a heated
discussion over class colours, personal insignias and school uniforms.
Or at least Godric, Salazar and Rowena had one. Helga was sitting
quietly next to Rowena, scribbling with an elegant quill on a scroll. Then
she looked up and quietly tapped her wand on her armrest, catching
everyone's attention.
"Now," she calmly said, "why don't we discuss this as civil persons. As far
as I have gathered, you want to have a different colour on each
student's robes and a pin to further divide the classes. Furthermore, you
want us four to have a crest each. So, I suggest that you simply state a
robe colour, a pin metal and an animal and let me take notes. Are you
satisfied with my idea?"
Nods met her from all directions, and Salazar gave her a strange look.
Helga sweetly smiled back, and then looked at Rowena.
"Ro?" she warmly said. "Why do you not begin?"
Rowena nodded and gave Godric and Salazar a triumphing look. One
of the most heated topics had been that Salazar and Rowena wanted
the same animal and that Godric and Rowena wanted the same metal.
But as the rules of society says, 'ladies first'.
"I choose blue, bronze and the raven," she softly declared, earning her
an amused look from Helga and two glares from the men.
"I choose red, gold and the lion," Godric grumbled, shooting Rowena a
sour look. "I do not see why she would want bronze still."
Helga glared at him, and the wizard wisely shut his mind. One founder
unconscious a day was more than enough. Salazar watched them
bicker with the same amusement as usual, and when Helga turned her
attention to him, he gave her a thoughtful look, then smirked.
"I choose green, silver and the snake," he teasingly said.
Helga's eyes flew to her green robes and white braid hanging over her
shoulder, following the snake pattern in the material. It didn't take much
intelligence to see where he had gotten his choices. Nor to realize why
Godric was snickering behind a muffling hand. Glaring at both of them,
Helga stiffly scribbled down Salazar's choice. That bastard son of a bitch!
"And I choose yellow, jet and the badger," she pointedly said, looking at
the white stripe in Salazar's hair and Godric's robe for the day.
Both of them went rather silent at that, and Helga starting writing down
her decision with a smile on her face. And she wouldn't be able to
handle a situation with words! She neatly signed the scroll and rolled it
up. Then she sealed it elegantly with a swipe of her wand and looked
brightly at the other occupants in the room.
"And now I believe it is time for me to withdraw," she announced. "It is
beginning to get late."
When she rose and walked towards the door, Salazar rose as well and
followed her, halting her just outside the door.
"You handled the discussion very well in there," he neutrally said, as if
knowing that his words earlier that day had hurt her.
Helga tossed her head and gave Salazar a cold look.
"Yes, I did," she sweetly said. "One point to me."
Salazar smiled slyly.
"Yes," he agreed. "But I still lead by many."
He turned and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor, leaving
Helga once again to stare after him, a scowl on her face
***
The days passed by and the planning continued together with Helga's
and Salazar's disagreeing attitudes to each other. But despite that, they
got much done these days, even so much that they would probably be
able to start the new school that very autumn. A fact that was much due
to Salazar's infinite energy and Godric's burgeoning experience with
keeping Helga from interfering with Salazar's 'ludicrous, insane' ideas,
which she later although sullenly agreed was brilliant.
They had taken the day off to relax that day, and Helga had taken up
residence in one of the many gardens of the castle, training with her
staff. Wearing a snug, sleeveless robe with slitted sides used by battle
wizards and witches, she twirled, kicked and whacked an invisible
contender senseless, unaware of everything but her own movements
and her staff. As she slowed down though, a shadow with the name
Salazar caught her attention. He was watching her lazily, evidently
having exercised with his sword. His linen tunic was stained with sweat
and was plastered to his chest, just like his leather trousers, making him
looking forbiddingly attractive.
Ripping her eyes from his more than nice body and to his face, she
glared at him.
"Finished with your exercise already?" she scathingly said. "You came
here after me, and still you are finished before me."
Salazar didn't bother to glare back at her, but just followed her
movements with his eyes.
"I have much experience," he simply said.
"With watching scantily clad women or sword play?" she sneered.
Salazar gave her a long look, obviously tired of her jibes. Then he started
towards her. Helga almost started to move away, but settled on letting
out her hair to braid it again, ignoring the tingly feeling in her stomach.
Salazar stopped a few feet away from her and gave her an intent look.
"You dislike me," he stated. "May I enquire why?"
She didn't like this feeling, this strange anticipation. Trying to keep him
from seeing her face, she bowed to pick up the hair ribbon she had
dropped at his words. Two hands grabbing her arms and pulling her up
though, forcing her to look at him swiftly intercepted that move. Feeling
strangely threatened, Helga pointedly looked at his hands on her arms.
"I believe you stated a few days ago that you do not intend to harm me,"
she coolly said.
Salazar ignored her try to escape, concentrating on his question instead.
"Enlighten me, why are you set on not becoming my friend."
Wrenching herself from his grip, Helga took a step backwards and
pushed her thick hair from her face and over her shoulders. She didn't
feel comfortable like this, vulnerable.
"Four years ago, I told you to keep your distance," Helga said. "I am
merely enforcing that distance."
"Why?" he replied. "Rowena has forgiven me, Godric has forgiven me.
Why not you as well, Helga?"
Ignoring him, she turned her back to him and started braiding her hair
again. He still didn't give up though, but stood behind her, waiting
patiently for an answer. His presence sent chills up her back, and she
fought a battle to keep from running.
"Do you believe I let Rowena be injured and healed her before bringing
her back?" he finally suggested. "Maybe you believe I raped her or took
advantage of her in some way?"
Helga still didn't answer, but continued her braiding, almost finished
now. Partly because she didn't want to talk, partly because she didn't
know the answer.
"Look at me, Hel."
She shivered as he spoke her pet name. His voice seemed to beckon her
to turn around, to succumb her to his will. And she didn't have the will to
resist him… Now standing face to face with the dark man, she felt
breathless.
"Why do you think me so terrible?" he softly said. "It is not Rowena at all,
is it? It is something else completely. Something that belong to you only.
Are you denying something, Hel?"
Feeling trapped, Helga snorted and reached for her staff, but was
stopped by a warning look from Salazar. He wouldn't let himself get
whacked another time.
"Ridiculous!" she nervously exclaimed instead. "I do not like you, and you
do not like me. It is as simple as that.
His mouth curving, Salazar shook his head, never letting her eyes go.
"I do not despise you," he intensely murmured. "Quite the opposite in
fact"
TBC