A/N: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Here's your weekly taste of the past.

Anything you recognize (setting, characters, etc.) belongs to J.K. Rowling. Everything else is mine.

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Chapter Three

Rule #3 of the Timekeeper's Code: Do not speak to anyone.

Salazar Slytherin was standing at the edge of the hot springs, wearing only a tunic and trousers instead of having his robes on overtop, and staring at her. Always on guard, his wand was in his hand but it was a good sign that it wasn't pointed in her direction. His glacier gaze was fully on her and this time she knew that he could see her, or, well, most of her. The Cloak was covering up the important bits, but that probably made her more suspicious.

"Who are you?" he said. She got a taste of what could be the true Slytherin as his voice lacked any warmth or care for her wellbeing.

She could pretend to be mute. That would avoid the telling accent of her words and the fact that her syntax and speech patterns were all wrong for the time period. That wouldn't explain why she still had a wand when speechless magic was some of the most difficult. He'd assume that she was a powerful witch, and perhaps it would be better for him to assume that she was a weak, feebleminded type of person.

There wasn't an easy answer. She was breeching sixteen different protocols just by being seen, and if she spoke then it would be another twenty-two, depending on what she said. Slytherin was just standing there, patiently waiting for an answer, while she remained near-nude in the hot springs.

She could fight him, but that wouldn't work out very well. Sure, she knew some spells that hadn't been invented yet, but he was more powerful by far and she couldn't hurt him without affecting the timeline in some way. Perhaps she'd already affected history by being caught and screwed up everything. If she'd already ruined everything would it hurt to say anything? Althea bit the corner of her lip and couldn't think of a straight answer.

She was a witch from the future, in possession of a Time-Turner, covering herself with a high-grade invisibility cloak, and not saying anything in response to a direct question. Slytherin moved closer, moving his wand up in a semi-threatening manner, and asked again. "Who are you?"

"N-nobody."

"How did you find this place?"

"I was in the area and fancied a swim," she said. Slytherin probably didn't know what sarcasm was, but it did look like he doubted her.

"These are private grounds."

"I wasn't aware."

"I think that you were. Who are you? Friend or foe?"

"Friend." She definitely didn't want to be Slytherin's foe. That probably wouldn't end well.

"Of whom?"

"Yours," she said.

"We've never met," Slytherin said. "I would remember someone with an accent like yours."

"I-I'm here to help with some of the improvements to the castle."

"The castle is near completion. We need no additional assistance."

"What about precautions against muggles?" It was cheating to use her insider knowledge to help in this situation, but what else was she supposed to do? She hitched up the Cloak a little higher and prayed for him to leave or for this all to be a nightmare.

"What do you know?"

It seemed that Slytherin was greatly unaffected by her lack of dress and she was trying her best to avoid standing up. "I've heard that there have been bands of muggles nearby and that your security may be lax. Based on the fact I got in I think my assumptions may be correct."

There was a pause where it seemed that Slytherin might be embarrassed, but he covered it by looking at the area around them. "You seem rather unguarded, witch."

"If you're referring to my state of dress—"

"—or lack thereof—"

"—then I should tell you that I'm just as capable of defending myself with or without clothes."

He smirked. "I would like to see that."

Never, in all of her research and time spent watching the founders, would she have guessed that Salazar Slytherin would be…flirting with her? Althea reached out her hand toward the wand, but he made a gentle hum in his throat and she paused. Testing the limits of Slytherin's patience would not be a wise decision.

They were at a stalemate. She was an unknown witch, unarmed and naked, and he was a powerful wizard, dangerous but in need of her lie. He could either let her go, kill her, or force her to go through with upgrading Hogwarts' defenses. The best solution would be to go on her merry way, wait a day or two, and then pick back up where she left.

"Do you know who I am?" he said.

She knew that he was already a legend by this time. He'd studied under one of Merlin's apprentices, single-handedly fought off a hoard of dragons, dueled with Godric Gryffindor on numerous occasions and bested him, and too many other achievements to list. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to pretend that she'd heard of him. Hogwarts may be a new school in this time, but it was already on the way to becoming the most renowned in Europe.

"Yes."

"Then it's only fair that you tell me who you are."

She could lie and give him a false name, one of the more popular names of the time, and he'd never know better. She was leaving in fourteen days. It would be possible to lie to Slytherin and help out Hogwarts before disappearing. The proper thing to do would be to admit that she was compromised, return to the future, and pray that she hadn't screwed things up royally.

"Please," he said. His eyes landed on her and, despite the awkwardness and terrible nature of this meeting, she blushed.

Then her mouth and tongue seemed to move on their own as she said, "Althea."

"And you are a witch?"

"Yes."

"And you swear that you mean no harm to me or mine?" She could sense his fierce desire to protect his students and the other founders in that one question.

"I swear."

"Then I feel it would be best if you dressed and came with me to the castle."

And that was that. Slytherin turned away as she slipped out and put on her suit. A quick spell later and her future-tech had changed into a plain wool dress that did nothing to flatter her figure. She left her hair down for the moment, cinched her Cloak around her shoulders, pushed her wand up her sleeve, and looked over to find Slytherin watching her. It was a good thing that she hadn't put on the Cloak and ran away, because his eyes seemed to promise that he would find her. And Althea really didn't want a basilisk sniffing her out.

"You are alone, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said. "No one else is with me."

"Good, good." He held out his hand as she started climbing down the mountain (somehow more difficult in a dress than in her suit), but she ignored it in favor of a nearby branch. Whether he was bothered by her dismissal or not she couldn't tell. Slytherin was a blank slate as they walked back to the castle. He didn't say anything more on the subject as he walked her through the main doors.

She kept checking for her wand, feeling small and unsure without it at her side, and breathed a sigh of relief each time it was there. She could feel his eyes on her, but ignored them in favor of looking around and taking the castle in as if it were brand new to her eyes. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Thank you. We've worked very hard on it."

"I can tell." They walked past the Great Hall and up some stairs, down a corridor, and toward what would later become the Headmaster's office. "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe to speak," he said. "I don't completely trust these walls yet."

"And yet you trust me?"

"I never said that."

He approached the giant phoenix statue and gently stroked its right wing. The marble sprang to life and turned, revealing a spiral staircase, and she was surprised when he gestured for her to go first. She walked up the steps, each one a gallows walk, and paused in front of the grand door embellished with the Hogwarts' crest. Slytherin bypassed her and pressed his palm on the door. There was a green glow and then it unlocked.

She knew from what day it was and the approximate time that Rowena was in her study and Helga was practicing swordplay in the yard. That could only leave…

Godric Gryffindor looked up from the solid oak table and took in the pair. His brow furrowed, only slightly, before he stood and bowed. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my friend? And just who is your charming companion?"

"May I present the Lady Althea, Godric. I found her wandering nearby; she says she can help with some of our security precautions."

"Can she?" Gryffindor passed his gaze over her and she felt distinctly lacking. His hand played with the hilt of the renowned sword and, for a moment, she felt a threatening aura pass over.

"I think you'll find that my warding skills are ahead of their time."

For some reason she couldn't stop it with the sarcasm and jokes, even if they were going over the two founders' heads. Slytherin still hadn't moved from her side and she felt warmth from his nearness seeping through her Cloak. It was disconcerting to say the least—especially since everyone said that Slytherin was just as much a cold snake as his House mascot. Gryffindor smiled at her, but it didn't meet his eyes. He was being wary.

"And where do you hail from?"

"The south," she said. It was better to be general than specific in this case. Her knowledge of historical events was noteworthy, but her geography skills were not.

Godric blinked slowly and sat back down. "Would you care to join me, friends? So that we may discuss these further precautions?"

There were only four seats at the table, and Slytherin took the one next to Gryffindor and she sat next to him to avoid being next to the robust figure. There was a map of the grounds spread out on the table, several figures hastily drawn at key points. She noticed the placement of the bridge was exactly where it would later be.

"So then," Slytherin said, "where are our weaknesses?"

She pretended to the study the map as if she didn't know everything by heart before saying, "The lake and mountains give you natural barriers, the main road is needed for carriages and basic transport, and this bridge you've drawn here is well-placed. However, the land over here is wide open and it's near a muggle trade route. I would suggest focusing on this area and strengthening what you already have."

There was a moment of silence as they looked at the map and then at her. It seemed that they hadn't believed her lie until she proved something. Shrugging, she picked up a quill and dipped it in the ink well. She drew several walls and then put several x's along the castle walls.

"What are those for?" Godric said. "Our walls are well-protected."

"Insurance," she said. "If you were to create golems or something similar and have them be on the grounds then a person could call on them if the need rose."

She knew that Headmistress McGonagall had used a spell to bring the castle statues to life to help defend Hogwarts in the Battle, but she hadn't seen any of those statues on the grounds in this time. Either her interference paid off in the future, or they were created at a later date after the founders.

"That's brilliant," Slytherin said. "A golem army could protect us without any magical casualties."

"What honor is there in sitting back and letting some beast do the fighting?" Gryffindor said.

"It's just a precaution," she said. Historians had no idea the extent of blood lust that the Great Lion seemed to carry. They speculated that he'd been in more fights than the other founders because he liked it—as some sort of bloody hobby—but it seemed that that was just touching the surface. "Wouldn't you like to protect your students before coming to a proper fight?"

"I'd rather they know how to fight."

"It's worth bringing up with Helena and Rowena to see what they think." Slytherin reached over and took the quill from her, his fingers brushing up against hers. A chill spread through her arm and she dropped it, spilling some ink on the map, as she pulled the limb back. It was like being bitten by a snake, and she quickly apologized for her clumsiness and avoided meeting Slytherin's eyes. She didn't quite understand what was going on and it seemed like a crazy dream.

"Who did you study under?" Gryffindor said. He cleaned the map with a wave of his hand, displaying such power in a casual way that made Althea's heart race, and she swallowed.

"A witch in Bulgaria took me in as a child. She taught me everything I know."

"Ah, that must explain your accent." The blonde nodded as if that settled things and drank from a goblet of wine. "I've heard that they have powerful wards in the empire to protect all that treasure."

"Indeed."

Slytherin poured himself a goblet and gave her one without asking. She didn't really drink much, but when offered a cup by the founder of a powerful house she couldn't say no. It was stronger than she was used to, but not that bad.

"It's a long journey from Bulgaria to here," Slytherin said.

"Yes," she said. She drank, calling upon all of her Ministry training to keep her cool. If she slipped for even a moment she was dead, time was ruined, and everything could be destroyed. For all she knew, Althea could go back and discover that Voldemort had killed Harry Potter and taken over Britain.

"How long have you been in our fair land?" Gryffindor twisted his fingers and looked at her over them.

"Not long. It is beautiful."

"Of course it is." Gryffindor smiled again, and she found that each one she received made her like him less and less. "You must be tired from such a journey. Do you have lodgings nearby?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Then you must stay with us—be our guest!" He widened his arms as if to offer her the entire castle. Slytherin seemed uncomfortable with the idea but said nothing.

"Oh, I couldn't…"

"We have rooms to spare, and we can always add on another easily enough."

"Then I suppose I could," she said.

"Good, it's all settled then. If you'll follow me to the seventh floor—"

"No," Slytherin said. "She should stay in the dungeon. There's not much down there and we wouldn't want her wandering, would we?"

Gryffindor clutched his sword for a moment, hand tight on the hilt before loosening his grip, and nodded. "We wouldn't want that. Lady Althea, if you'll allow us to escort you to your room…"

"That would be lovely."

They stood up from the table and walked down the stairs: Gryffindor in front and Slytherin behind her. She could feel his eyes on her back and worked to keep her spine straight. They walked down the corridor, sparse except for a handful of enchanted paintings, and down into the dungeons. They didn't pass any students or the other founders, and she felt immensely grateful of this. Two in one day was more than enough.

They stopped in front of a plain door and, with a quick spell, Gryffindor unlocked it. She walked past him, mindful of the fact he inhaled as she went by, and looked around the room. It was small and more of a broom closet, but there was a bed, table, and small basin for water. She could survive this for a few hours.

"Do you find it to your liking?" Gryffindor said.

"It's quaint."

"Good, good. We'll send a house elf with dinner shortly."

"Perfect," she said.

Gryffindor reached out and took her hand, kissing the top of it before bowing and leaving the room. She almost expected Slytherin to do the same, but he just nodded and closed the door behind him. The Time-Turner was securely hidden in her bust and she resisted the temptation to just go back to the future at that moment. If she did then all of her supplies and effects would be left behind and that could create a whole other issue. Sighing, she sat down on the thin mattress and tried to think of a plan.

She knew all of their schedules and routines by heart. At this moment they would all be heading to dinner to eat with the students. Helga would stay the longest, drink more than seemed humanly possible, and lead the students in the school song. Rowena would quietly watch the events with amusement and make sure that her students were keeping up with their work. Gryffindor would wait for his customary 'duel-period' where a single student from his House would come up to challenge him and they would have a very brief battle. Slytherin would take all this in, and probably plan out whatever fireside chat he was going to host that evening.

They would be in the Great Hall for at least an hour. That would give her plenty of time to escape the room, sneak out of the castle, and relocate her camp. Then everything could go back to normal. Just like that.

They hadn't even disarmed her, which meant that they either had put badass charms on her door or they didn't think that highly of her magical skills. Pulling out her wand, she crept to the door and knocked on it once to test the wards. There was just a simple alarm system meant to alert Gryffindor if she left the room. It was simple enough to Confund and then she was out and walking down the hall in no time.

It was even easier to pull up her hood and conceal herself completely. All this nonsense would be over and done with. She went slowly, checking around corners to be sure, and listening as hard as she could for feet on the stones. There wasn't anything. In fact, it sounded as if Helga had started the singing earlier than usual.

Each step was pure torture, especially when all she wanted to do was run out. The secret passageway opened up easily enough and she looked over her shoulder before stepping inside. The only unexpected thing was the hard surface she walked directly into. Looking from the ground up, she found that said hard surface was in fact Salazar Slytherin and he was smirking. "Going for a stroll, are we?"

"I…. Hello?" She pulled off her Cloak.

"That took a bit longer than I thought it would. Aren't you supposed to be 'ahead of our time'?"

"Why aren't you at dinner?"

"Why aren't you in your room?"

She kept his gaze and tried to stare him down, but failed. Shifting to the side, she shrugged. "I don't do well in small spaces."

"And I wasn't hungry."

"Then it seems we're at an impasse."

"It does."

"Are you going to take me back to the room?" she said. It was only then that she noticed she hadn't stepped away from him for some reason. She immediately fixed that.

"It's for your own safety."

"From you?"

"From Godric," he said. He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I can tell you that the moment you step out of this castle he will be after you. And there's nothing Godric loves more than a good hunt."

"And how do you propose to keep me safe?"

"Stay here, in the dungeons, and ward your door from the inside. If you are as gifted as you say then it should be no trouble keeping him out. A Dark spell or two may even find its way into your repertoire."

He was giving her an ultimatum. If she left then Gryffindor would find her and do Merlin knew what. If she stayed then at least she could protect herself and maybe have Slytherin's help. Sighing, she stepped fully back into the hall and turned back toward the dungeons. The founder fell into step beside her.

"I hope that you're not more trouble than you're worth."

"I guess we'll find out."

"Trust me when I say that if you betray us I will make sure you experience pain you can only imagine." She looked over and saw that his hand was resting on the dark wand.

If only Slytherin knew that part of her Ministry training was enduring hours of the Cruciatus, being subjected to curses long-outlawed by society, and remaining strong in face of any foe. She wasn't stupid enough to think that she could defeat Salazar Slytherin in battle, but she knew that she would last longer than some. And if that's what it took to escape this timeline in one piece then so be it.

She would get out of this somehow… There were only two weeks left.

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