Messages of Heart and Mind

Summary: "So how could it have gone so wrong? How could such friendships fail?" ~The Sorting Hat

Everyone knows the story of the Four Founders of Hogwarts; the tales of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin are legendary. But did everything happen in the same way that it has always been told? Did Salazar Slytherin leave strictly because of differences concerning the purity of blood? Did friendships suffer and fail because of arguments concerning the running and ruling of Hogwarts? Or was there another reason? Could the story of a romantic relationship between two of the four friends have been lost to time? And did such an event cause more damage to the school than the beliefs in blood? Received an Honourable Mention for Feb. 2007 One-Shot Challenge on MNFF!

Author's Note: Okay, this one-shot idea sort of grew out of several ideas that were floating around in my head for my New Year Challenge story that stars the Four Founders of Hogwarts, Divided We Fall. It isn't necessary to read that one before reading this one-shot, especially considering this sort of goes off on a different path than what I have planned for that story. As such, this focuses on a possible romantic pairing, and it all worked out to be entered for this particular one-shot challenge. Now, I present for your enjoyment, Messages of Heart and Mind.

~**~

Messages of Heart and Mind

~**~

And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?

~**~

The darkness of a heavy night encompassed the country and though the full moon tried desperately to break through the thick clouds to pierce the many shadows, it did not succeed. White, powdery snow covered the grounds, and patches of ice littered a nearby lake, a lake whose waters remained quite still for the most part. In the distance stood a massive stone castle, its walls solid and impenetrable, and all of its windows were like the night -- dark. Except for one. And it was in this single, lighted room that the only awake occupants of the castle could be found.

Located in a partially deserted area of the castle, the room had a wooden door that opened from the end of a dusty corridor. Its floors were covered with rugs and furs, and a blazing fire crackled in a nearby iron grate, adding warmth to the cold room on such a wintry night. Only a few selected pieces of furniture could be seen, though none were occupied. Sitting in front of the orange flames and reclined on several pillows were two people -- a dark-haired, fair-skinned young woman and an equally dark man.

"I think Hogwarts is going well," whispered the woman as she leaned into the body of the man. She turned her head upwards for a brief moment, her dark eyes gazing into her lover's equally dark eyes, before returning her gaze to the fire.

The dark man wrapped his arms around the woman. "Yes, it is," he responded, his voice low as he spoke. Smiling, the woman reached her thin hand up towards the man's pale face, placing it on his cheek before sweeping some of his black, shoulder-length hair from his face. The act caused a matching smile to appear on his lips.

Both the man and woman shared many similarities in their physical appearance. Their skin was quite light, and one could even argue that it should be called pale, and each of them had jet black hair. Long, luscious curls fell down the length of the woman's back, while her lover's was only shoulder-length and straight. Even their eyes matched in their dark colour, though the emotions emanating from them differed most of the time; the man's gaze generally held a cold and harsh view, while the woman's was knowledgeable and accepting. Tonight, however, the man's eyes held neither their coldness nor harshness, but rather a love that he never thought he would feel towards the woman lying with him.

Time passed slowly as the two lovers held each other close, simply enjoying the presence and company of the other. There were not many occasions when they could be alone together as they were on this night -- The school had only been in operation for a few years, and problems presented themselves everyday. Duties to their separate students took up a lot of the couple's time, as well. And there was the "slight" fact that the couple's other two friends knew nothing at all about their relationship.

"Do you think Godric suspects anything, Salazar?" muttered the woman as the fire started to die down. She stared deeply into her lover's eyes as he answered her.

"I don't think he does," said Salazar, "but what about Helga, Rowena? She's more perceptive than Godric, and she would figure something out before he did."

"She would also talk to me about it the first chance that she had," answered Rowena. "As nothing of the sort has happened, I doubt she has any suspicions."

"You know that they will find out," said Salazar, his eyes staring piercingly at the raven-haired woman. "Sooner or later, it will happen; this won't remain a secret forever."

Rowena sighed and did not respond right away. Yes, she was aware of what would probably happen when Godric and Helga figured out that she and Salazar had a relationship stronger than that of close friends. Helga will be accepting, she thought, her mind instantly giving her a mental image of her fair, blond-haired friend. She always is . . . But Godric . . . As she thought of her other friend, with his rough face and wild, auburn hair, another sigh escaped her lips. The intelligent witch knew of Godric's feelings towards her, and even though she had never returned his emotions and while he viewed Salazar as a brother, there were just some areas that she did not want to push Gryffindor on.

"I know," she said, "but for right now, it is a secret, and when the time comes, we can just hope that Godric and Helga will understand."

----

Days, weeks, and months passed. Seasons changed as winter gave way to spring, which was soon followed itself by autumn before returning back to snowy winter weather. Hogwarts continued to grow, with more and more young witches and wizards entering with each successive term, and although everything appeared to be functioning well, that was not wholly the case.

Beliefs were crashing and conflicting with each other among the Founders. And things kept secret for years were beginning to seep to the surface and brought to light themselves.

----

"You are being unreasonable, Salazar!"

"How do you figure that, Godric?"

"They are witches and wizards just like the rest of us! We cannot just ignore the fact that they exist; these children require education just as much as the others do, perhaps more so as they cannot receive the knowledge at home!"

"But putting the children of Muggles on the same level as those born into magic? It is not right!"

The arguments had been occurring on and off again for the past several months, and it had happened once again. Both Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin stood glaring at each other, their faces contorted with barely suppressed anger. They were each so involved in their argument that neither of them realised when Helga and Rowena entered the room. Upon their entrance, both witches sighed at the scene before them.

"Godric, Salazar," said Helga, her voice calm, though strained, as she approached her two friends, who both turned around with slightly shocked expressions on their faces. "The students are trying to study," she whispered.

"What are you doing here, Helga?" said Godric, walking around the table that separated him from the rest of the group and moving towards the two witches.

The four friends were currently located in the room that they had denoted as an office for the school's head. It was being shared between the four of them, however, for the time being. Bookcases towered to the room's ceilings, each shelf pilled high with scrolls and other manuscripts, along with a few different magical instruments. Quills and ink bottles littered the main table, the one located in the middle of the room, and several candles could be seen scattered throughout the room. A tall, glass window opened out to reveal a breathtaking view of the school's grounds, including the lake whose waters sparkled in the sunlight and the mountains that bordered the rolling hills.

But not even the simplicity of the office or the beauty of the grounds could cool the anger that gripped the two wizards in the room; neither did such a view help to calm the anxieties and worries of the witches.

"Godric, your arguments could be heard at the other end of the castle," said Helga. "The students were concerned, as are Rowena and I." She looked over her shoulder at the dark-haired witch who had entered the room with her. Rowena met the blue eyes of her friend and nodded.

"Helga's right," she said. "We came up here to see what the problem was. After all, the school is a part of all of us. Anything that happens within these walls concerns the four of us, as well as the dozens of students below."

"You and Salazar have been arguing for the better part of a year now," continued Helga. "Surely the topic is not worth --"

"Of course it isn't." The loud voice of Gryffindor jumped on Hufflepuff's words. He turned his amber-coloured eyes back towards the dark gaze of Slytherin. "We decided when Hogwarts opened that all those born with magic will be educated --"

"No, Godric, you decided that all would be allowed in here, and I argued against it."

"You didn't fight this hard in the beginning, Salazar."

"Because I felt sure that you would see the error in your judgement before too many years went by," spat Salazar, his dark hair falling into his eyes. "But as you are now wanting even more of them to come into this school, I cannot simply stand by anymore and let it happen."

Godric did not respond immediately to the words of the tall, black-haired wizard, an act that came along mostly due to Helga's silent plea that he not let the argument go on. Rowena withheld a smile at that fact; Helga had always tried to be the main peacemaker between the two wizards, so alike and so different as they both were. Both of them were proud and strong men who held strong beliefs and fervently followed them. Such conflict was inevitable, however, when certain aspects of those beliefs clashed, and it did not matter how strong the friendship was that existed between the two.

But while Godric heard Helga's request that the argument cease, Salazar, apparently, did not. Rather, one could even argue that he might have taken Godric's lack of response as a victory on his part.

"No more Mudbloods will enter this school," hissed Slytherin, though the words were barely out of his mouth before Godric, Helga, and Rowena had a response. Godric pulled away from Helga, heading towards Salazar as if he wanted to hit him, while Helga gave a cry of "Salazar!" However, it was Rowena's response that seemed to receive the most attention for, the moment that the dark-haired wizard had spoken, Rowena had grasped his shoulder and, hurriedly, muttered, "Salazar, please don't." And as Helga and Godric saw the look that exchanged between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, the secret that the latter two had kept hidden for years was finally released.

The shock of the revelation affected both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff differently. For Helga, all she managed to get out of her mouth was a whispered, "Rowena? Salazar?" Godric's reaction, on the other hand, could not have been any less calm. Already halfway between Helga and Salazar, he seemed to speed through the latter half and, reaching the pair, pulled Rowena away and pushed Salazar back into the stone wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed, glaring at the pale wizard in front of him. Salazar, already over the shock of Godric's attack, was seconds from returning the motion when Helga stepped in between the two wizards, shaking her blond head.

"Salazar, Godric, no," she said, looking at both wizards in turn. Neither of the two men attempted to move any closer to the other, though the hatred and anger in their faces did not diminish. Helga looked imploringly at Rowena, her eyes pleading with the dark-haired witch to help.

Rowena, however, could not seem to decide what to do. Everything appeared to be happening in slow motion, and time felt like it had slowed down incredibly. She looked from Helga to Godric, seeing the burning hatred and anger that coursed through him, though he did not look at her, and finally to Salazar, whose dark gaze she met completely. He, too, seemed to be pleading with her. Take my side, he said to her. You've seen his reaction, Rowena. Take my side. Rowena's mind, though, still fought with her heart. In her heart, she wanted to side with Salazar this time. Godric had reacted just the way that she thought he would, though that did not make his actions right. Her mind, on the other hand, told her differently. Her friendship with Godric was strong, as it was with Helga. She knew that if she sided with Salazar, then they would be divided -- perhaps forever. Sides would be drawn in a friendship that should always be united, she thought.

It was these thoughts, these contradictory messages of heart and mind, that caused Rowena Ravenclaw to side with neither wizard. And it was Rowena's lack of choice that caused Salazar Slytherin to turn away from Godric and Helga and leave the office; he did not even glance at Rowena, though even if he had, she would not have seen it, as her gaze was to the floor.

----

Slamming the heavy wooden door behind him, Salazar entered his rooms and, picking up the nearest inanimate object he could reach -- a half-empty water jug -- he hurled it against the far stone wall, where it shattered upon impact. A combination of several emotions coursed through the tall wizard, though he was not precisely sure which was the strongest at the moment. Though his original anger at Godric had dimmed for awhile, it had increased after the events involving Rowena. At the thought of her name, he threw a nearby manuscript across the room, shutting his eyes as everything washed over him.

Rowena had not sided with him. She had clearly seen the unreasonable reaction of Godric, and yet even then, she still did not come out against him. If she cannot side with me over our relationship, then -- He cut the thought off before it could continue. But it did not matter. Salazar knew where the thought was going, for it had been in his mind for the past couple of years. Although he had always known that Rowena did not feel as strongly about the purity of magical blood as he did, he had believed that she would at least be more acceptable to his view, more likely to agree with him, than with Godric. But she never will side with me. Not on anything.

With those realisations in his mind, Salazar came to the only conclusion he could think of. He would leave the castle. Godric could fill the place with Mudbloods as much as he wished, and eventually, such an act would come back to haunt him. Helga, of course, would not fight for him to stay; she had always been one to avoid or stay out of conflicts, and his leaving would diminish most of the arguments in the castle, after all. But as for Rowena, a part of him knew that he wanted her to come with him. He did not want their relationship to end, though its quality of secrecy had been destroyed. In his heart, he felt a connection to the intelligent, raven-haired witch, but in his mind, he knew that she was too closely tied to the school, to Hogwarts, to willingly wish to leave it. No matter how strongly she felt towards him, Salazar knew that her ties to Hogwarts were stronger, though it pained him to admit as much.

----

It had been several hours since Salazar had left Godric, Helga, and Rowena, and in that time, he had packed several of his belongings in preparation to leave the castle. He was in the middle of fastening his long, black cloak when the wooden door to his rooms creaked open to reveal Rowena standing in the doorway. Her dark eyes took a single sweep of the bare area before focussing on Salazar, full knowledge of his plans held within her strong gaze.

"You're leaving?" she asked, her voice barely above the volume of a whisper. It did not matter that she spoke so softly, however, for every word reached Salazar's ears. Without speaking a word, he simply nodded his reply.

"When are you coming back?"

"I'm not, Rowena," he answered, meeting her gaze. There was no surprise evident on her pale face, lending proof to the notion that she had known his answer before he had even uttered it. It had been nothing but a hopeful thought, in a way. "I cannot stay here any longer."

"Are you leaving because of Godric's reaction? Or is there more to it than that?"

Salazar sighed as he approached her, grasping her upper arms and gazing into her eyes. "There are many reasons, Rowena, why I will not remain," he muttered. "Godric's reaction is one, yes, but it isn't the only reason. My beliefs differ too greatly from Godric's own that there can never be unity between us anymore. I can't continue to be a part of this place if it goes down a path that I cannot accept."

Rowena felt the tears seeking to fall from her eyes, but she fought them back stubbornly. She would not cry . . . not yet, at least. "But Godric will be reasonable," she whispered. "It will take time for him and Helga to grow accustomed to our relationship, but eventually, things will be as they were. Such will never happen if you leave. Please, Salazar, do not go."

"You know, Rowena, that things can never be as they were," said Salazar. "You know that, which is why you did not side with me today." Rowena, whose gaze had fallen to her lover's chest, now rose again to meet his eyes. "Godric will never change his beliefs, nor will he grow to accept our relationship."

"But --"

"Goodbye, Rowena," whispered Salazar, cutting off the witch's argument with a kiss. The kiss was far briefer than either he or Rowena had wanted it to be, but Salazar knew that, if he did not leave at that moment, than he would not be able to; the longer that he waited, the harder it would be to walk away. For the briefest of moments, the urge to demand that Rowena come with him entered Salazar, but he shoved it away the moment it had arrived. He knew that such a choice would create too much of a split in her . . . Her ties to the school were far too strong. And he did not want to hear her speak the words of denial aloud. Salazar knew that if he never spoke the invitation to Rowena, then she would never have to choose, and he would never be forced to hear her denying him. No, as long as the scene happened only in his imagined mind, the pain would not grow too strong.

"Goodbye," he muttered once again as he stepped around her and left the room. Salazar Slytherin did not look back at his lover. He did not allow her words and pleas to him to stop and come back to enter his ears. He just continued walking down the long corridors and out onto the grounds, leaving the school for the final time.

And as she watched the tall, dark-haired form of her lover walk away, Rowena Ravenclaw stood in the doorway to his room, her legs not wanting to obey her mind's commands to move and follow him. She continued shouting at him; phrases like "Salazar, come back!" and "Is this how it ends?" echoed down the corridors after him. When Salazar finally turned the corner, leaving her sight for the last time, Rowena allowed the tears that she had fought to keep back fall down her cheeks.

~**~

Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed this reading this one-shot as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have not written a lot of things like this story before, what with its romantic pairing being a main focus and all. Again, though, thank you for reading!

~Megan