- Chapter Three -
The rest of the day passed happily. Elaine couldn't decide whether to laugh or to cry, so she decided to do both at once.
"I haven't seen other wizards since my husband died," she sobbed. "Oh . . . I can hardly believe our luck . . ." she trailed off. Tom looked extremely embarrassed.
"There, there, Madame," he said patting her back gingerly. "There, there."
Godric finally got to meet Rowena. She looked to be about his age; around fourteen. She looked up at him shyly when he entered, and when her blue eyes met his, he felt incredibly strange. It was a feeling he couldn't describe. He looked away quickly, and tried not to stare, but he found himself looking back at her, again, and again, and again.
Elaine had used her knowledge of magic to cure Rowena. She had been just about to put the Obliviate spell on her when she had called her father.
Later that afternoon, Elaine ordered Godric to take Rowena for a walk. She needed exercise, and she wanted to catch up on news of the wizarding world with Tom.
They went outside, and stood a few feet from the door. They glanced at each other, and then looked away again quickly. Tom and his daughter did not seem to be talkative people, but, then again, neither was Godric. He decided that it might be less uncomfortable if they started walking, so he led her away from the house, out onto the moor.
"Where are you and your father going?" he asked finally, to break the silence.
"We travel all around," she replied vaguely, "Selling books." Godric's eyes widened.
"Books?" he asked. The only books he had ever seen were his mother's books of healing spells, which she usually kept hidden away.
"Yes. Can't you read?" she asked.
"Of course I can read!" he snapped back at her. The only memories he had of his father had been of sitting on his knee, as he slowly spelled out words he had scraped on the dirt floor of the cottage.
"I love books," she said dreamily, staring off into space. "Father has all kinds in his cart. He's the cleverest man in the world, too." It was obvious that she idolized him.
"Do you know about transformation?" she asked. Godric shook his head.
"What is it?" he asked. Rowena explained, and then there was a pause. She gave him a sideways glance.
"What do you and your mother use magic for?" she asked, curious.
"Well, mother mostly uses hers to cure illnesses and injuries. She does some cooking with it, but that's about all. I have to use mine to defend us from wild animals. There are all kinds roaming the moors." Rowena looked impressed.
"You fight wild animals?" she gasped. Godric shrugged modestly. It had never really occurred to him that other people might not take it all in a days work to have to save your cowering mother from a large, unruly sheep or the rare stampeding cow. "Haven't you ever gotten hurt?" she asked.
"Yes, once, but mother could fix it." The conversation turned to other things for a while, and then Godric decided that they had better turn back.
It was getting dark, and slowly, the sun was sinking on the edge of the moor, casting a golden light everything. Godric was looking at Rowena, thinking how it made the twisted plaits of her curly chestnut hair shine. She was looking at Godric, thinking how strange and bold and brave it made him look.
They were glad to get back inside the cottage, where the fire made everything cozy and warm as the light danced on the walls. Tom had agreed to stay with them for a few days, 'so Rowena could recover.' It was obvious that she needed no recovering, but in those days, when magic folk met magic folk, it was hard to say goodbye.
After dinner, they all prepared for bed. Tom took his leave, having agreed to sleep in the barn with the cattle. Elaine hovered about, plumping up the pillows on Godric's bed and adding an extra quilt.
"Godric," she said, "You'll be sharing your bed with Rowena tonight. Mind you let her sleep on the side by the fire." Godric's eyes widened. He bit his lip.
"Yes, mother," he mumbled, not knowing exactly how to take the situation. The truth was, he didn't really mind, but he was afraid of what Rowena might think. He shook himself. Why should he care what Rowena thought?
Rowena was thinking the same thing. Really, she had no objections, but this made them look like they were . . . interested in each other. Not that she was. Was she? Well besides the fact that he's strong, brave, and extremely handsome, besides seeming fairly clever . . . She shut off the thought, reminding herself that once she and her father left, they would probably never meet the Gryffindors again.
Godric and Rowena avoided each other's eyes as they prepared for bed. Elaine was already fast asleep and snoring. Godric noticed that Rowena's nightgown was just almost see-through. He pinched himself, hard, in punishment of his thoughts. Really, this had gone too far.
He crawled into bed on one side, and she got in on the other. They both moved as far away from each other as possible, not wanting to suggest anything that they had been thinking.
"Goodnight, Rowena," he said, stiffly.
"Goodnight, Godric."
A/N: Ooooh! So what d'ya think? Any suggestions? What did you like best? What do you think's going to happen? The point is, review! Fluffy love you all, you fluffkins!
The rest of the day passed happily. Elaine couldn't decide whether to laugh or to cry, so she decided to do both at once.
"I haven't seen other wizards since my husband died," she sobbed. "Oh . . . I can hardly believe our luck . . ." she trailed off. Tom looked extremely embarrassed.
"There, there, Madame," he said patting her back gingerly. "There, there."
Godric finally got to meet Rowena. She looked to be about his age; around fourteen. She looked up at him shyly when he entered, and when her blue eyes met his, he felt incredibly strange. It was a feeling he couldn't describe. He looked away quickly, and tried not to stare, but he found himself looking back at her, again, and again, and again.
Elaine had used her knowledge of magic to cure Rowena. She had been just about to put the Obliviate spell on her when she had called her father.
Later that afternoon, Elaine ordered Godric to take Rowena for a walk. She needed exercise, and she wanted to catch up on news of the wizarding world with Tom.
They went outside, and stood a few feet from the door. They glanced at each other, and then looked away again quickly. Tom and his daughter did not seem to be talkative people, but, then again, neither was Godric. He decided that it might be less uncomfortable if they started walking, so he led her away from the house, out onto the moor.
"Where are you and your father going?" he asked finally, to break the silence.
"We travel all around," she replied vaguely, "Selling books." Godric's eyes widened.
"Books?" he asked. The only books he had ever seen were his mother's books of healing spells, which she usually kept hidden away.
"Yes. Can't you read?" she asked.
"Of course I can read!" he snapped back at her. The only memories he had of his father had been of sitting on his knee, as he slowly spelled out words he had scraped on the dirt floor of the cottage.
"I love books," she said dreamily, staring off into space. "Father has all kinds in his cart. He's the cleverest man in the world, too." It was obvious that she idolized him.
"Do you know about transformation?" she asked. Godric shook his head.
"What is it?" he asked. Rowena explained, and then there was a pause. She gave him a sideways glance.
"What do you and your mother use magic for?" she asked, curious.
"Well, mother mostly uses hers to cure illnesses and injuries. She does some cooking with it, but that's about all. I have to use mine to defend us from wild animals. There are all kinds roaming the moors." Rowena looked impressed.
"You fight wild animals?" she gasped. Godric shrugged modestly. It had never really occurred to him that other people might not take it all in a days work to have to save your cowering mother from a large, unruly sheep or the rare stampeding cow. "Haven't you ever gotten hurt?" she asked.
"Yes, once, but mother could fix it." The conversation turned to other things for a while, and then Godric decided that they had better turn back.
It was getting dark, and slowly, the sun was sinking on the edge of the moor, casting a golden light everything. Godric was looking at Rowena, thinking how it made the twisted plaits of her curly chestnut hair shine. She was looking at Godric, thinking how strange and bold and brave it made him look.
They were glad to get back inside the cottage, where the fire made everything cozy and warm as the light danced on the walls. Tom had agreed to stay with them for a few days, 'so Rowena could recover.' It was obvious that she needed no recovering, but in those days, when magic folk met magic folk, it was hard to say goodbye.
After dinner, they all prepared for bed. Tom took his leave, having agreed to sleep in the barn with the cattle. Elaine hovered about, plumping up the pillows on Godric's bed and adding an extra quilt.
"Godric," she said, "You'll be sharing your bed with Rowena tonight. Mind you let her sleep on the side by the fire." Godric's eyes widened. He bit his lip.
"Yes, mother," he mumbled, not knowing exactly how to take the situation. The truth was, he didn't really mind, but he was afraid of what Rowena might think. He shook himself. Why should he care what Rowena thought?
Rowena was thinking the same thing. Really, she had no objections, but this made them look like they were . . . interested in each other. Not that she was. Was she? Well besides the fact that he's strong, brave, and extremely handsome, besides seeming fairly clever . . . She shut off the thought, reminding herself that once she and her father left, they would probably never meet the Gryffindors again.
Godric and Rowena avoided each other's eyes as they prepared for bed. Elaine was already fast asleep and snoring. Godric noticed that Rowena's nightgown was just almost see-through. He pinched himself, hard, in punishment of his thoughts. Really, this had gone too far.
He crawled into bed on one side, and she got in on the other. They both moved as far away from each other as possible, not wanting to suggest anything that they had been thinking.
"Goodnight, Rowena," he said, stiffly.
"Goodnight, Godric."
A/N: Ooooh! So what d'ya think? Any suggestions? What did you like best? What do you think's going to happen? The point is, review! Fluffy love you all, you fluffkins!