Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling.
A/N: This chapter is quite a bit longer than the previous ones, but I was very inspired tonight. Please read and review. This story is not beta read, so there may be minor inconsistencies.
Chapter Three:
The four friends arrived in Hogsmeade on a warm spring day. They would be staying at the inn for a week until all the furniture that had been ordered arrived, and then they would move into their quarters in the castle, and their families with them. Salazar had arrived first, riding a magnificent black stallion, with a troupe of wagons behind him carrying all the things he would need. There was an entire wagon for his books, one with all of his notes on the books he was writing, some personal effects from his house in London, and two full wagons of potions ingredients. It was a good thing that they had sent an owl well in advance to reserve rooms at the inn and the stables, as the other three arrived similarly encumbered. Rowena was next to arrive riding a stunning palomino mare, and the carriages behind her held all the worldly possessions she had chosen to take with her. Helga arrived in a rickety cart pulled by a tired chestnut gelding. The cart was piled so high with cages of animals and bags of seeds and plants that it looked ready to topple over. She was aching to plant her produce in her new greenhouse and have it ready for her students. Godric arrived on a giant roan gelding, with carts full of history books and dark detection items trailing behind him. They sent the elves up to the castle with all this material, with orders to make sure that these items were carefully stored until the next day when the four would go up to set things up properly.
After a light supper, (and a wonderfully welcome bath for the ladies, who greatly disliked the discomforts of traveling), they sat themselves down in front of the fire to rest and catch up with one another.
'I don't think I could have piled so much as another pot into my cart,' said Helga, snuggling into her plush armchair with a hot cup of tea. 'It's a good thing that my children won't be arriving until next week, because I don't think I could have handled the strain of keeping them in order for that trip!'
'Considering the size of your brood Helga, and all of Godric's young ones, I think that we shall already have a full school without enrolling so much as one non-relation,' commented Salazar.
'That's pure exaggeration and you know it! I may have a large number of children, but the castle has more than enough room for many, many more. Perhaps some day we shall have a brood of wonderfully eloquent and devious little Slytherins wandering the castle?' Helga winked at Salazar, who raised his eyebrows at her comment.
'Perhaps,' was all that he would offer. Godric chuckled at his friend's dry response. He knew that shortly his band of children would be arriving as well, and he knew that they would soon make the castle feel like home to him. He walked to the window and looked out at the spectacular sunset.
'Why don't we all go for a walk up to the castle tonight?' he suggested. 'After all, we haven't been here in months, and that sunset would be perfectly viewed from up on the hill by the lake. Let's not waste this evening. By tomorrow, we will have so much work to do that we will have very little time to enjoy our castle, or spend time with one another outside of school matters. Let's go and watch the sunset.'
The others readily agreed. They got their cloaks to ward off the spring chill, and slowly walked up the path to the castle. The sight of it quite took their breath away, as the house-elves had gone and lit fires in the hearths of many of the rooms to try and dispel the winter cold that had seeped into the mortar and stone. The towers and turrets seemed to brush the very sky, and the grounds had large numbers of fireflies darting about the newly blossoming flowers. It was the most beautiful and welcoming sight they had ever seen. They turned around to look out over the lake and watched as the golden sun shed its evening rays over the few wispy clouds to create a stunning display of colour in the sky. Reds, pinks, mauves, and purples blended together in the misty clouds and it almost brought tears to their eyes. Then, just as the sun was about to touch the horizon, the clouds parted, and a million tiny golden sparkles appeared on the lake, and the sun's reflected children danced on the waves with only the eyes of these good friends to see. They walked down to the edge of the water and sat together in silence, watching the wonder of nature unfold before them.
After the sun had gone to its rest, they were reluctant to return to the village. The feeling of wonder from the spectacular sunset was still around them and they did not want it to be broken. They walked back to the castle, and stood for a while watching the warm glow of light coming from the windows. Lost in their own thoughts, each of them thought about what the castle meant to them. Godric saw it as a beacon of light and happiness, shining for the wizarding world to see and as a sanctuary for those who wished to come and learn. Helga saw a place of happiness as well; a place where the laughter of children would ring through the halls and the practice of merriment would be an equally essential subject of study. Rowena saw a sacred place of learning, and was envisioning her large library waiting to be stocked with important works of literature and books of learning, a place of calm and quiet study; a haven for the mind. Salazar looked at the castle and saw a home. All the places where he had lived had been lonely. They were only dwellings, while this place would be a true home, where he would have the companionship of his friends and their families. This was a place where people would be made welcome, and he clearly envisioned his classroom, with bubbling cauldrons and students hard at work. This was a place where he would be useful, needed.
In time, the night grew cold and the moon rose, full and clear and crisp. In the moonlight, with their breath steaming before them, they started to walk back to the village of Hogsmeade. When they arrived, Rosie the barmaid berated them for having stayed out so long with only light cloaks, 'After all, without you four, that castle is just a pile of rock, isn't it?' and hustled them back over to the fire with cups of hot tea. They were very tired, it had been a long day, and after their tea, Godric and Helga went up to bed. Rowena and Salazar sat in companionable silence, watching the fire. After a time, Rowena asked Salazar a question which surprised him.
'I am surprised that what with Godric having made sure that there were many little Gryffindors to follow in his footsteps that you never had a child. Haven't you ever wanted children Salazar?'
'Well, I have thought about it from time to time. I have just never had the opportunity. As you well know, I am not as fixated on creature comforts as Godric is, and what with my extensive work on potion making, as well as other things, I have just never had the time. I don't think that I would ever be as good a father as Godric anyway. He is an exuberant man, with much love to give. I am far too reserved for that. Teaching the young is close enough to parenting for my comfort.'
Rowena nodded. What Salazar said made sense, though she was a little startled to hear him admit it so readily.
'What about you Rowena? You have never borne a child. Is there a particular reason? After all, to be a teacher one must have a strong desire to work with children. I have answered your question, now it is your turn to answer mine. Why have you never had children?'
'In truth, my reasons are similar to yours. There have been other things to occupy my life, and until recently they have been more than enough. Now I find that I wish I had had a child when I had the chance,' she idly touched a lock of graying hair at her temple, 'but my childbearing years are now over, and one can't change the past. I feel as you do, that teaching the young will be as close as I will get.' She laughed softly, 'And besides, I have never found a person that I cared enough for and had enough respect for to be considered a candidate to father a child, so I did not have any.'
Salazar fixed her with a penetrating stare. 'Is that true Rowena? You never found anyone you felt would be a good father to your children?'
Rowena blushed. 'Well… once, a long time ago, there was someone who I held hopes for, but he was very busy at the time, if I recall.' She flicked a quick glance at Salazar, who was looking down at his hands, seemingly lost in thought.
'Yes, I suppose he was at that. But he realizes now what he lost all those years ago, and has often wished he had made different decisions. Though you may feel you are old, you are not, and he sees in you the beautiful young girl he met many years ago. He still cares for you.' He very slowly and very gently took her hand in his own, looking into her eyes and commanding her gaze to meet his. 'Is there any hope for him at all Rowena?'
'Perhaps,' she whispered, giving up to the look in his eyes. 'Perhaps there is still hope for both of us.'
They looked at each other for a moment, and then Rowena tore herself away from his gaze, blushing again. She was embarrassed, and uncomfortable. She had not blushed this much for many years, not since she was a girl, and though Salazar was an old friend, she was not accustomed to being looked at with such desire. She pulled her hand out from under his, and without looking at him she said, 'It's late, and I'm quite tired. Perhaps we should retire for the night. There is much to be done tomorrow.'
Salazar refused to let her pull too far away, he was closer to his dreams than he had ever been, and was unwilling to let go, just yet.
'Perhaps we should.' He paused. 'Rowena?' he asked.
'Yes,' softly.
'I am glad we shared that sunset tonight. I will cherish this evening we had together.'
She still wouldn't look at him directly, but said, 'So will I Salazar, so will I.'
Salazar gently cupped her chin in his hand and brought her eyes up to meet his again. He looked at her for a moment, and then gently, very gently brushed his lips with hers. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, 'goodnight', and headed to his rooms, leaving her breathless; her heart pounding. She sat by the fire and stared into its flames, trembling despite its warmth. She could still feel where he had put his hand over hers, could still feel the quiet strength of his fingers gripping her own, and scolded herself for acting like a child. She was a grown woman, with many accomplishments of her own. But she could not forget the look in his eyes as he bent to kiss her. By the time she made her way to bed, most of the night had gone.
The next few days proved to be just as busy as expected, and Salazar and Rowena could only steal a few moments together in the evening, after Godric and Helga had gone to bed. The other half of their little quartet did not know what was going on between their friends, or if they did, they never let on. Salazar and Rowena had been know to stay up late on many an occasion discussing obscure tenets of philosophy or science or current affairs, so their behaviour didn't seem out of the ordinary, but there was a palpable tension in the air anytime they were in the same room.
The castle was set up, the furniture arrived, and Helga spent a glorious few days puttering in her gardens in the greenhouse planting all her material. Salazar and Godric did most of the work involved in setting up the classrooms with desks, and planning on which classes would take place in which room. Salazar was very unhappy with some of the decisions made, but he had to admit that potion making was frequently a very odorous undertaking, and that the potions room would have to be in the dungeon, away from the other classrooms. He had hoped that he would have a room in one of the towers, but it was not to be. At least his other subject, runes, would take place in a regular classroom, otherwise he would be stuck in the dungeon constantly, and he preferred the open air.
The house elves were set up with quarters adjoining the kitchen, and great vegetable gardens were planted on the grounds. For most things, they would be able to get supplies from the town, but if the school's enrollment was anywhere near what they hoped, feeding the students would be a very costly undertaking if they did not have some means of providing their own sustenance. Once everything was in readiness, Helga and Godric sent for their families. Godric had chosen a set of chambers at the top on one tower to house his brood, they would not be lodged with the general school population, but would maintain a more normal family lifestyle living in quarters with Godric and his wife. The living area beneath the children's rooms was set up exactly as the lounge of the inn had been, with warm cushioned chairs by the fire. Godric had enjoyed that room so much that he wanted to be able to access it any time. Helga found a set of rooms close to the kitchen that she quite liked, and had them decorated in yellow and white, the colours of her favourite flowers. Her children would be living there with her, where she could keep an eye on them. They were goodhearted, but had a tendency to get out of hand at times.
On the night that the children were expected, the house-elves made a sumptuous meal. There were roasts and potatoes, mounds of vegetables, pies, cakes, tarts and many flagons of chilled pumpkin juice all prepared. When the carts carrying Godric's group of young ones arrived, (8 in all from age 11 to 17, and two sets of twins), there was a huge commotion, and Godric ran to the front gates to greet his wife and children. They were escorted inside and led to the Great Hall, where two large tables had been set up for the evening, one for the children and one for the adults. The children were just settling into their seats when the second wave of wagons arrived with Helga's family, and they went through the process again. There were many hugs all around, and the two groups of children mingled. Some of Godric and Helga's children had not seen each other for many years, and as they prepared for dinner there was a joyful din of people renewing friendships and catching up on recent history.
Rowena warmly greeted Godric's wife, a known beauty who had captured his heart by adamantly refusing his advances for many years. Rowena admired the woman for her strength of character. It was not every woman who could stand her ground with Godric Gryffindor. Rowena greeted Helga's husband as well. She did not know him as well as Godric's wife, as he and Helga had only been married for a short time. (All of Helga's children but the last were products of her previous marriage, but her first husband had died a few years back, a blow from which she almost did not recover). Helga's husband was plain, almost dumpy looking, and his hairline was rapidly receding. He was however, a very jovial man, with a quick wit and a talent for telling funny stories. He was a good kind man who treated Helga's children as if they were his own.
Salazar held back slightly from the chaos that ensued at the arrival of the children. He could face a dragon with unruffled calm, but for some reason the sheer maniacal quality of the noise and bustle of young people unnerved him. He was accustomed to a quieter atmosphere, but he thought that it would pass and that he would soon grow accustomed to this as well.
Eventually everyone was seated around the tables, and Godric rose to say a toast before dinner.
'My friends, my family, welcome. This place was meant for such joyous occasions. I hope that soon, we will all adjust to living here under one roof, and that it will be a happy place for us all. Before long, we will be joined by many others; children who will come here to learn and grow from our teachings. We should cherish this night and the time we have here, and be glad that soon, many others will come to share this place with us. I only hope that those who come will feel as much like family as the people who sit before me tonight.' He lifted his glass in the air. 'To Hogwarts!'
'To Hogwarts!' everyone cried, and drank to the fledgling school that was their new home. The food appeared on the tables and everyone ate until they could eat no more. As dinner finished, Rowena sat back and watched the playful antics of the children as Helga tried to get them all to bed. She hoped that every meal at Hogwarts would be as pleasant and fulfilling as this one had been.