Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters. I am merely using them to entertain myself because I am bored and don't feel like doing my massive amounts of compiling homework.
Warnings: Mild slash (Salazar Slytherin/Harry Potter), OOCness (it's fanfiction, if you want In Character stuff, read the books), spoilers through OotP, etc.
A/n: Thank you everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it!
It was Christmas holiday and Harry had spent every spare moment of time in the school library, reading through books he'd never dreamed existed. Apparently, in the time of the Founders, there was no restricted section, and Harry was going to take full advantage of it. He had given up on finding a way home months ago. Time travel was supposed to be impossible on such a large scale. No one could help him, and he'd spoken to quite a few great witches and wizards about the possibility. He was careful to pose the question as hypothetical; it would not due for the entire world to know he was from the future. No, that would not be good at all.
"You spend quite a bit of time in here for a student of Gryffindor," a soft feminine voice said from behind him. Harry turned and rose to bow respectfully.
"Good evening, Lady Ravenclaw," he said. He forced himself not to call the Founder 'Professor', because she really didn't teach him anything. It was unusual for a student to call the Head of another House 'Professor'. He'd found that out the hard way early on and corrected himself immediately.
"What is it you seek so fervently?" she inquired, setting her own stack of books down and taking a seat across from where he was still standing. Harry followed suit and sat wordlessly. "Lords Slytherin and Gryffindor seem quite fond of you. I understand Godric's attitude, for it is natural to favor one's own House, but Lord Slytherin has no reason to treat you remarkably well. And yet he does. And he is known not to show favoritism to anyone outside his own group of pupils. Perhaps he feels you were incorrectly sorted?"
Harry answered carefully, "I was told that I would do well in Slytherin House, and I think I understand the reasons behind that statement now."
Rowena gave Harry a strange look that he couldn't identify. "But what's so special about you that you attract two completely opposite people to you? There's nothing too extraordinary as far as I can see."
"I dunno. Maybe you're asking the wrong person. If you want to know why Salazar Slytherin does something, ask him. He's a mystery even to me," Harry said guardedly.
"But he won't talk to me!" Rowena exclaimed fiercely. "Not like he talks to you! He opens up around you and I don't understand it! I have been trying to get him to speak openly with me for years with little success, and then you come in and have him wrapped around your little finger in the twinkling of an eye! Why does he care about you so much!" Harry realized belatedly that the emotion he'd seen flash in Rowena Ravenclaw's eyes was jealousy, and it was directed at him along with anger and desperation and confusion.
He smiled as disarmingly as possible, and it came from the bottom of his heart. She had nothing to fear from him, especially not if she truly cared about Salazar Slytherin half as much as he thought she did. "I'm sure Salazar cares very much for you, Lady Ravenclaw. He always mentions to me how he admires your cleverness and strength. He has a deep respect and adoration for you. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. I know that there is a small corner of his carefully guarded heart that is kept just for you, because you care so much about him and have put so much effort into moving him. He appreciates your feelings even if he doesn't return them. He's probably never spoken to you about it because he doesn't want to hurt you. He's sensitive to things like that, and he tries to hide from it behind that mask of his so that others, like you, won't be hurt because of him."
Rowena opened her mouth, words forming on her lips, but no sound came out. She had a pained look of acceptance on her face and Harry knew she was fighting back tears. He knew from personal experience what that look meant. He himself had worn it many times throughout his difficult journey in life, after losing friends—Fred, George, Seamus, Colin—and family—Sirius, Remus, his parents, Dumbledore—and after losing a chance to be with someone he cared about, and after his innocence about the world was stolen from him by harsh reality…yes, Harry Potter had most definitely had his share of emotional turmoil. He knew the look of severe loss very well.
"I—" she choked on her words and her lip quivered. "I'm sorry, Harry." Tears slowly and silently slid down her pale cheeks and she bit her lip to stifle the whimpers that never came. Her tears remained silent and carefully controlled. Harry wasn't like her; she was a strong and composed crier. "I have misjudged you. Please forgive me for interrogating you. I had no right—"
Harry offered a small smile and said, "I'm glad you did. It makes me happy that you cared enough to question me and try to protect him from potential heartache. Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw." He reached out, took her trembling hand in his, and brought it gently to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on the soft flesh in a subtle show of valiance and gentility that he'd acquired after long hours in Salazar's commanding presence. He stood, bowed low at the waist, and departed, leaving the books he'd been examining forgotten on the table.
Rowena watched him go with a dazed expression. What a gentleman! He sure knew how to make someone feel special. Yes, she knew he would be good for Salazar and would treat him as well as he deserved, which was much more than others had given him before Harry.
Glancing down at the rather large pile of books the boy had forgotten, Rowena noticed that they had two things in common: they were all about time travel, and they were all of the darkest nature.