Chapter Five
Helga was sitting in the gardens, bathing in the sunlight when he came.
She had been picking flowers for the opening of Hogwarts the day after
tomorrow and charming them into eternal blossom when she had
decided to take a break. Now she was sitting against one of the walls,
her eyes closed and her robe unbuttoned in neck and pulled up to her
knees. Flowers surrounded her everywhere, neatly divided into bundles
after sort. She looked like the nymphs of ancient times.
As Salazar kneeled by her side, studying her face, Helga sighed. He had
mercifully kept his distance the first few days after her rejection, but now
he had evidently decided to approach her again. Some part of her
revelled in the fact that he was near her once again, drowning her with
his passionate, all encompassing presence, but another part of her
feared what this would mean to her resolve to keep him in the dark.
"What do you want, Salazar?" she quietly asked without opening her
eyes.
The grass whispered as he sank into the grass, relaxing next to her
before answering her.
"To be with you," he just said, his voice smooth and melodious as
running water.
Helga opened her eyes, resisting an urge to reach out and touch his
weary face, to let herself drown in his bottomless blue eyes. Instead, she
brushed down her skirts and drew a thick bunch of hair over her
shoulder to play with.
"You are aware that this will only make this more difficult," she
commented, treading her fingers through her hair, "yet you come."
He shifted in the grass, watching her sender fingers weave and twist the
white hair intently.
"I had hoped you would have had enough time to reconsider," he low-
toned said. "There are so much we could do together Hel, if you would
just give us a chance."
She almost smiled. The same old Salazar, never giving up on what he
thought of as rightfully his. Yet this time, she had the advantage. Even if it
were hard to keep it that way with Salazar looking as near a kicked
puppy he would let himself to be.
"I do not want to discuss this anymore," she commented. "My choice still
stands, Salazar. If you cannot accept that, I will have to take precautions. I
do not want you as my enemy anymore, but if you cannot be my friend
and only that, my enemy is the only thing I can allow you to be."
Gracefully, she started to recompose herself, gathering the flowers into
baskets and charming them to float slightly above the ground. Then she
buttoned her robe again and looked one last time at Salazar, who was
still sitting by her feet. He held a forgotten deep-pink phlox out to her.
"Do not leave me," he silently asked her.
Ignoring her screaming heart, Helga shook her head and turned away,
starting to go towards the castle, baskets with flowers trailing behind her.
She could not do abide with that wish.
***
It was the night before the school's opening, and the four founders had
gathered in the bathhouse Salazar had insisted on creating. Clad in hip
cloths (Godric and Salazar) and long tunics (Rowena and Helga) rather
than bathing naked as Rowena had protested furiously against this.
Arguing that some things were to be held private, she had won against
Salazar who wanted to keep the tradition to bath au natural.
"While I do understand that you do want to keep your pet close to you,"
Rowena argued, "there is the matter of the students to consider. While
we have long ago accepted…how do you say her name again?"
Salazar smirked at her.
"Ssssissss'ssssesss," he supplied. "Means 'Princess' in parselmouth."
Rowena gratefully nodded.
"Princess presence in the school," she continued, "I doubt that the
students will take the presence of a basilisk on the school grounds very
calmly. So I suggest that you seal off the chamber you keep her in from
students and only take her out when no students risk meeting her."
Salazar nodded.
"Then that is decided," Helga sighed, dipping under to wet her head.
"Are everything ready for the student's arrival tomorrow?"
Godric smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Salazar and I finished setting up the last spells in the Great Hall
earlier today," he answered. "And I do believe you and Rowena has
prepared the house elves for the large amount of people who will
arrived."
Helga nodded.
"Then we are all finished," Godric announced. "Let us toast for Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
They all produced glasses in different manners and then Godric filled
them with wine. Lifting their glasses, they all gave a toast before Helga
announced her leave and exited the bath to dry herself and dress.
Dropping her tunic by the door to the changing room, Helga wrapped
a towel around her slim body and walked over to the window bench,
sitting down to dry her hair. The mass of it required more than a simple
drying spell as she couldn't concentrate on all of it at the same time.
When she had dried off most of her hair, leaving it in a wild mess
hanging over her shoulder, the door opened to admit Salazar, half
naked and still dripping from the bath. Battling a wave of desire, Helga
looked out the window again, trying to ignore his presence. Yet, she
could feel him walking across the room, towards her. And even though
he was several feet behind her, she could feel his touch on her bare skin.
Salazar didn't stop until he was directly behind her, and Helga tensed up.
Not sure on what to expect, Helga turned her head, looking insecurely
at him.
"Salazar," she softly mumbled.
"Hel," he answered, sending shivers down her back.
Frowning slightly, he touched the goose bumps on her skin, letting his
fingers slide down her arms.
"Either you are cold, or you are afraid," he commented.
Breaking their contact, Helga rose, turning towards him completely.
"I am afraid," she silently admitted. "I am afraid of what you will make me
admit if you continue touching me."
Lifting his hand slightly, as if yearning to touch her, Salazar seriously
looked at her.
"Do not be afraid," he told her. "I will not to anything endangering our
fragile friendship. I just beg you, tell me what to do. For I yearn for you, I
want to be close to you. Please, tell me what to do…"
Helga found her eyes filled with tears. It was so hard, yet it was
necessary. As much as she liked Salazar – no, she might as well admit it,
loved Salazar, she could not trust him with her secret.
"I cannot," she whispered. "For to do that, I need something from you I
am not sure you can give."
Salazar took a step backwards, his eyes dark and pained by her words,
by her actions.
"Please, Hel," he whispered. "I would do anything for you, I love you."
Her heart gave in at his words, and a single tear escaped her eye. In that
moment, she decided to risk it all. For while she could stand the pain of
her own heart, she could not resist the plea of Salazar's.
Looking down at the floor, Helga steeled herself for what was to come.
"Very well," she whispered.
Then she pushed her hair out of the way, baring her shoulder and
ripping off the bandaging. Rising her head to look defiantly at him, Helga
grabbed his hand to put it on the scar.
"This is what I am," she haughtily said. "A bondswoman, a creature lower
than a peasant. I am not the daughter of Hufflepuffs, I am their
possession."
He did not say anything at her revelation, but traced the red and white
mark with his fingers.
"Jarl Arnvidh's mark," he commented at last, disgust evident in his voice,
as well as fury. "You were one of his bondswomen."
Scared beyond words at his words, Helga tried to shy away, but was
stopped by strong hands around her upper arms. A gentle hand forced
her chin upwards so that he could see her face, and the fright he saw
there apparently calmed him, as the fury and distaste disappeared from
his face to be replaced by concern and love.
"I am not disgusted by you, Hel," he gently chided her. "This is nothing
you can rule over. But it certainly explains quite a few things concerning
you. As the fact that the men you encountered in the forest wanted to
bring you to the jarl. They thought you were a runaway."
Helga looked down, but was immediately caught up in a huge hug,
crushing her to his body.
"I am never letting you go again," he whispered against her neck. "Trust
me, Helga. I will not judge you."
And with that he kissed her, catching her soul and binding it to his.
Helga let herself go, letting herself be washed away by the intense
feeling Salazar released in her. Everything would be fine.