Summary: Godric Gryffindor as a very bad morning. The secret is out!
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's Harry Potter series belongs to solely herself. I'm just burrowing her world for a little while.
Chapter One. Secrets Revealed
Godric Gryffindor stretched lazily and blinked blurry eyed at the streaming sunlight that filtered through the high glass window. He sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had dreamed of her. He had sensed the scent of her milk and honey skin and the soft laugh still rang in his ears. It had been eleven years since she suddenly left him for another man and yet he still dreamed of her.
Godric knew his last infatuation with Aimee De Saville was wrong. He was now married to a respectable witch whom his old grizzly haired father had chosen. He tried with all his might to love Elizabeth with all his heart and soul as it was his duty to. But there was still an empty space for Aimee within the secret chambers of his heart.
Aimee he could not forget. She was always with him in his mind. No one knew of the beautiful muggle's existence and for that Godric was glad. He could not bare the humiliation to admit to his friends that a muggle lover had left him!
Godric knew he had everything at the world. He was a respectable gentleman in the magical community. Well known for his spirit and determination and famous for being a founder of the first magical school. He had heard from a source that France was planning on following suit. This outraged his friend Salazar Slytherin but to him it mattered little whether or not other schools opened.
"Good morning Godric." Godric turned to see his wife enter the room his two young children trailing after her like two baby ducks.
"Morning," Godric replied lightly forcing a smile on his lips. "Sleep well?"
"Fair enough," Elizabeth returned lightly a pin prick of pink spreading across her pale cheeks. Godric suppressed a sigh. His wife tended to blush furiously any time he decided to notice her.
Meagan, Godric's eldest child of nine years, tugged on his robes. Godric glanced down at his dark haired daughter. "Father are you going riding today?"
"No, not today." Godric brushed his hand down her long silky hair. "Today I must teach."
"Can I come and watch, Father?" Meagan inquired the light of her hope was dancing in her large brown eyes.
"Meagan," Elizabeth scolded her cheeks turning pink once more with flustered embarrassment. "You know you must not ask such things from your father."
" 'Tis only theory today that I am teaching, little one," Godric interjected careful not to look at Elizabeth. "Mira and Jenelle are accompanying their mother into town. You may ask Mistress Ravenclaw politely if can go to."
Meagan attempted a smile. "Thankyou father." Before her mother could protest she skipped from the room.
"She'll grow up spoiled," Elizabeth gently warned in her little voice. Godric turned slightly and picked up his remaining child in his arms. Luther, his young son, giggled and held tightly to Godric's robes.
"Nonsense," Godric eventually chided in return. "She's an energetic little girl."
"She should not have asked to be with you," Elizabeth warned. "It is wrong for a woman to…"
"Is it wrong that a child wants to be near her father?" Godric snorted.
Elizabeth swiped a lock of fringe out of her eyes and stared Godric down with a harshness he didn't know his wife possessed. "She'll turn into a pompous brat like…"
Godric turned on his heel. The animosity between Rowena Ravenclaw and Elizabeth was well known and recorded. It was unheard of from Elizabeth's background for a woman to know how to read and write and use her intelligence. It was a weakness Godric could not stand about his wife. Elizabeth on the other hand was disgusted that her husband worked not with one female instructor but two! She would do anything to stop her daughter becoming like Mistress Ravenclaw or Mistress Hufflepuff.
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Godric stepped quickly out of his study and down the narrow corridors of the Hogwarts Castle. He walked quickly to stop any of the apprentices approaching him with trivial questions or matters. He would not have any of it this morning. His meek, judgemental wife always put him in a foul mood first thing in the morning. He sighed heavily: that was why he once again slept in his study in his overlarge chair. His neck was regretting it yet again.
Gowan Ravenclaw however soon put an end to his thoughts about his wife. "Sir," Gowan called from the other end of the Great Hall, his face alight with his mother's serious demeanour. "Master Slytherin needs to see you immediately in his study."
Godric grumbled and turned on his heel finding himself in a grater bad mood. He knew his sly friend would see his frustration with his wife and use it to goad him. With quick strides he found himself by Slytherin's opened door.
"Ah, Godric my friend," Slytherin silkily said. "Do come in."
Godric stepped through the entrance and closed the door softly behind him.
"Good idea. We don't want the students to hear what we have to say to each other," Slytherin stated airily.
There it was. The gleeful twinkle in Slytherin's eye that said clearly that Godric was in for some goading from his friend. Knowing he could do nothing to stop it from happening Godric took a seat nearby as was customary when he found himself in the unfortunate spot of Slytherin's attention.
"Speak quickly, I have classes to attend," Godric demanded in a dead panned voice.
"Sleeping in your study instead of your wife again, Godric?"
Godric growled deep in his throat. "My married life is known of your concern."
Slytherin leaned back in his chair his eyes glinting in glee as he surveyed his squirming friend. "Truly," he said slowly watching as Godric wriggled in the chair to make himself more comfortable. "But anything on the side is worthy of note."
"Make your accusations quick snake tongue," Godric snapped loosing his temper. "I haven't got the time for this."
"Perhaps you should make the time," Slytherin suggested clearly enjoying Godric's discomfort.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Slytherin ran his finger slowly over the edges of his lips. Slowly he reached down and picked up a large book, which Godric immediately recognised as the Book of Names. The book was a clever invention of Rowena's it accurately and instantly recorded the names of children with magical talents as they were born.
Godric knew that Slytherin would eventually reveal the reasons behind taking out the book. It was just a matter of waiting patiently.
With slow deliberate movements Slytherin flicked through the book and stopped at a page marked for the new apprentices for the coming year.
"You know how I like to read up about our students before we let them into our hollowed halls."
Godric remained silent.
"I was surprised but what I found."
Slytherin handed the book over tapping the page where a particular name was read. Godric stared blankly at his friend. "Go on, read it." It was in those moments that Godric realised Slytherin was angry with him for something…
Bowing his head Godric scanned down the page to the name Slytherin had tapped impatiently.
'Leonis Godric De Saville.'
Godric felt the bottom of his stomach fall. His gut clenched as he glanced up at Slytherin at loss for what he just read. Slytherin just stared at him smouldering in his anger.
Godric let his eyes wander across the page.
'Leonis Godric De Saville, born August 14th 1034. Mother: Aimee Jayne De Saville deceased…'
Godric sucked in breath quickly in his lungs. He had always dreaded finding out his lover dead. He continued to read…
'Father: Godric Bowan Gryffindor, still living. Status: illegitimate, half-blood, thief.'
If Godric wasn't so shocked he would have dropped the book and ran from the room. But despite himself he found he could not move and found that breathing was hard.
"To think," Salazar Slytherin said slowly. "Godric Gryffindor the man of virtue has fathered a bastard… on a muggle no less!"
Godric leaned back in his chair and regarded Salazar coolly. "I was young," Godric said. "And in love."
"With a muggle?"
"Love is blind my friend," Godric sighed turning his face away in shame.
"You should have warned us about this child. Do you have any idea what this scandal and shame will bring upon Hogwarts?"
"I did not tell you because until this moment I did not know that he existed. Aimee disappeared a long time ago and I had not seen her since…"
Slytherin didn't look the least bit sympathetic to Godric plight. "Any more little bastards running around that we should know of?" Slytherin snapped.
"Only Isah your own son."
Slytherin's face went purple. "I married his mother."
Godric sniffed. "I would have married Aimee. We are both guilty of the same sin."
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Godric had not been able to concentrate all day. After he had pointed out Slytherin's own flaw he had left the study before his co-founder could curse him.
Now he was attempting to teach with everything Slytherin said in the fore of his mind. He knew it was only a matter of time before Helga or Rowena found out about his son that he never knew he had.
"Master Gryffindor?" Gowan Ravenclaw asked waving his hand slightly in the air.
Godric jolted out of his reverie. "Yes Gowan."
"May we leave for Mistress Hufflepuff's class? We'll be late as it is."
"Yes, yes. You may leave." Godric waved his hand in the general direction of the door. And turned his back. He listened as the patter of feet left his classroom.
"Sir?" Godric turned around to look back at Gowan. "Are you alright, Master Gryffindor?"
Godric raked his fingers through his hair before he replied, "Yes. Quite alright, thankyou."
Gowan took a tentative step forward. "Something Master Slytherin said bothers you sir?"
"Why would you say that?" Godric asked turning his back and reordering the parchments on his desk unnecessarily.
"He was livid when he sent for you. And sir if I may be so bold, you haven't exactly been yourself since you've seen him."
Godric smiled genially. "I'll be fine. I'll be fine."
Gowan didn't look convinced. "My mother wants to see you also when you have some free time."
Godric sighed heavily. "Thankyou, Gowan."
Gowan bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement before leaving the classroom. Godric sighed he could already guess the content of Ravenclaws lecture for him.
