"What's the commotion?" A deep, rough yet smooth voice asked. It came from a tall figure with short, shaggy black hair and piercing forest green eyes.

Godric turned to the man nervously and said, "Salazar...meet our first student of the year. A Slytherin."

Chapter Four

Ginny scowled as she trailed along the damp corridors after that man. The man was insufferable. Sure, she had only been introduced to him a short while before, but it didn't take that long to figure it out.

You're just mad he made you blush, that annoying side of herself accused.

Am not! Ginny argued, though she knew she was in a losing battle already. It just infuriated her that he had ruffled her feathers so easily. So he looked at her. So what? She'd been looked at before. That didn't mean she had to turn into a sodding puddle of mush when he did it.

She sighed, thinking on just an hour before now.

Ginny looked toward the origin of voice. There stood the fourth founder of Hogwarts giving Rowena a nod of acknowledgement before he turned toward his other two friends. His mouth tugged into a half smirk before addressing Godric.

"How appropriate," he drawled, "I imagine I just got fifteen galleons richer." Rowena gave an indignant huff of disapproval and started scolding Godric and Helga when they started shuffling around in their pockets for loose coins.

Ginny detected a satisfied playful glint in his eyes before his eyes turned toward her own. His eyes hardened almost instantly, though no one would have noticed had they not been watching his interaction moments before. After meeting her stare for a touch longer than necessary, his gaze drifted over her body before returning to her face. Ginny felt the heat rush to her cheeks. He arched an eyebrow, causing her flush to intensify.

Helga bounced over to Salazar, oblivious to the exchange, before pressing her debt into his hand with a cheerful grin. "Next year, it's double or nothing," she whispered conspiratorially as Rowena concluded lecturing Godric.

"Salazar," Rowena called, "Why don't you show your first student to her quarters?"

Salazar grunted roughly before spinning on his heel toward the door.

"Well, are you coming?" he questioned, not waiting for a reply.

Ginny made her way to the doors when Helga fell into step next to her. "Don't worry about him," Helga whispered, "he warms up to you eventually."

Ginny highly doubted that, but gave a small smile of gratitude before following Salazar. She paused at the door when she heard a groan.

"I haven't given him his winnings yet. He's never going to let this go." Godric griped.

Ginny didn't have to stay to know that Rowena started scolding him again.

Maybe she was out of sorts because she was surprised by his looks. She had been able to recognize Godric Gryffindor from the miscellaneous portraits scattered in the castle in her school days. But he looked nothing like his portrait.

Ginny increased her pace so she walked beside him. She took the time to really look at him. Salazar Slytherin was a tall young man, probably in his mid twenties. He wasn't gangly like Ron, nor was he stocky like Charlie, though he certainly wasn't what she would call average, either. Ginny was surprised to note that they, Harry and Salazar, had quite a few similarities in appearance, but in no way did Salazar remind her of Harry. He had a certain grace about him that was almost unnatural. A grace, Ginny thought wryly, that Harry most certainly did not have. Maybe Slytherins had purposely altered their founder's image. Maybe they changed his appearance to further their own persona of intimidation. In the portraits she knew, he looked menacing, but in all actuality…

Ginny couldn't help but admit to herself that he was striking.

His almost sharp aristocratic features were offset nicely by his broad shoulders and lean torso. His white tunic shirt, the lightweight fabric pulled tight across his chest, was loosely laced up the front with a brown leather cord. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his tanned forearms. His tight-fitted trousers, which were tucked into well-worn leather boots, accentuated his bum and nearly caused Ginny to clear her throat. She quickly diverted her gaze. After taking a moment to gather her wits, she resumed her scrutiny by inventorying his facial aspects. He had shaggy black hair that was long enough to irritate him. She could tell because he kept flipping it out of his forest green eyes.

It took Ginny a second to realize he was staring back at her.

And that blasted eyebrow was raised again.

Damn. She'd been caught.