Chapter Three

Ginny knocked gently, the door slightly ajar.

"Go away." Came a broken voice. The two girls standing outside the door shared a look. Slowly, Luna pushed open the door and the two of them entered silently, closing it behind them. Eleanor turned to face them, anger written on her face. "I said, go away!" She growled.

"Listen, you don't know us, and we don't know you, but you can't –"

"Ginny..." Luna said, staring at the woman in front of them, taking in her looks for the first time. Ginny stopped mid-sentence, looking to Luna. "Look at her. Who does she look like?"

For the first time, Ginny took a proper look at Eleanor, peering through the shadows. "Oh, Merlin..." She gasped quietly. "It's... she's..."

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but can't you see I'm a bit – I'm a bit busy?" Eleanor snapped.

Ginny and Luna shared another look, disbelief written on their faces as they stared at the Hermione look-alike. "Okay, my name is Ginny, and this is Luna. You've got to listen to us. We know you love Sly-Salazar, and you can't marry that muggle man." She stated bluntly.

Eleanor stared, gaping. These strange women had been... spying on her. They knew. "H-how -did you – why are you – Merlin, this is... strange." Her eyes never left the two witches standing in front of her, and they bore into the strangers, making them feel uncomfortable.

"We can't tell you how we knew, Eleanor, or how we came to be here, but all we can tell you is that you must, absolutely must not marry this muggle. You have to be with Salazar." Luna told her, taking a step toward her.

"But my family – my mother won't receive the right treatment. They won't get the money, and we can't very well give them wizard money!" She said, passion to her words. Her eyes sparked with grief and Luna felt a pang in her chest, whilst Ginny's anger rose.

"You have no idea what you've done tonight. Breaking his heart – you just have no idea how many people you've hurt by doing that." She told Eleanor, ignoring the guilt that welled inside of her. "Your mother and father can easily live off wizard money. They can use magical treatment! It's simple."

"It's not that simple!" She stood from the wooden chair and glared at the redhead. "He'll never take me back now! Not after what I've done. He'll never allow me to live it down!" She said loudly, looking at them both.

"He will! He loves you! That's what love is all about!" Ginny exclaimed in return. "Trust me, he's suffered enough pain, you just ought to go to Hogwarts and kiss him senseless. He wants to marry you, Eleanor. So let him marry you."

The words sunk in as Eleanor thought over the night. Salazar's pain-glazed eyes. His cold words. They way he glared at her with those angry eyes. It was all her fault. And it killed her to see him like that. It killed her to think that she was the reason for his pain.

"I-I... I don't know what to do!" She cried, falling back onto the chair. "Salazar hates me now! There's no point in trying anymore. H-he'll never take me back!" She sobbed, her barriers breaking down in an angry flood of tears.

Luna rushed forward. "No, no, it's fine. Hush, Eleanor. It'll all be fine. He loves you, he does." She soothed the crying woman in her arms.

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"What did you just call me?" He asked, dangerously low. His eyes bore into hers as she stood defiantly. "I am not weak."

"Obviously, you are." She remarked angrily. "If you can't even be man enough to swallow your pride and tell the woman you love not to marry another man. If you can't do that –"

She was cut off by his angry voice. "How dare you?! I am not weak!" He seethed, glaring down at her.

She glared right back up at him. "Then prove it." She spat. "Prove to me that you're man enough to marry the woman who loves you. Don't just sit here and mope and fester, growing to be bitter and – and becoming a muggle-hating bastard!" She yelled back.

He stepped back, shock on his face. "W-what?" His green eyes were wide.

"You heard me." She responded coldly.

He stared at her, watching as the twenty year old seethed with anger, her hair frizzing out in random places, her face as red as Godric's favourite robe. "Who are you?" He finally breathed after too many moments of silence.

She looked up at him, a frown on her face. "My name is Hermione. And that's all you need to know." Hermione said, still glaring at the tall Slytherin.

He sat back on his bed, rubbing his temples. "What do you want from me?" He asked tiredly.

"You sure are moody." She remarked with a sigh, kneeling down in front of him. She looked up into his eyes. "I want to save the future, Salazar Slytherin. And by saving you, I save the future. Please, just talk to Eleanor. Please."

He studied this Hermione girl; warm brown eyes, full lips and curls that were as feisty as her personality – or so he guessed. Her small hands were fidgeting as she awaited his answer, and she appeared to be nervous, never breaking eye contact.

He sighed. "Fine." Her eyes lit up, and Salazar found that he liked it. Hermione's lips tugged up into a smile, and she stood, looking proud and tall, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. What weighed her down so heavily? He wondered, frowning.