Mother

Delicate flowers heavy with raindrops imposing on their petals were finding their burden too strenuous, and gave way, dripping onto Helga Hufflepuff's nose. She screwed her face up at the intrusion of her comfort and turned away from the offending blooms.

It had promised to be a very nice day. She had fully intended to spend a warm summer afternoon away from the other founders and their bickering about having pureblood students in the school or not. In fact, it was good to get away from the place and just be alone, somewhere to be quiet. Alone with nature, and many hours of daylight left, Helga could be left to her thoughts where no one could intrude on, or interrupt or tell her that she needed to see a head doctor, because surely, she had been possessed in some way.

She had run through the forest that Godric had told her was dangerous, starting to be habited with werewolves and vampires, devils and such. She didn't believe a word of it. When they had chosen the site for Hogwarts, they had it built somewhere safe, where the children would not get hurt if they wanted to go for a walk, and be at one with nature, as she had wanted.

Helga had taken her shoes off because it was summer and the grass was dry. She ran from the main entrance of the school, through the grounds, across the forest, which Godric had forbidden her to do, stopping at a meadow not far from Hogwarts. Hitching her heavy skirt up to mid-calf knowing that no one would see her, she fell down to the floor with a soft flump, and just sat there, watching the world go by, if not slowly. The only signs of life were the calm buzz of the bees, and the sight of a butterfly, coming to rest on a wild flower.

Wanting to explore further, and finding shade from the sun, which was rapidly getting warmer. The sun was threatening to make Mistress Hufflepuff perspire (and ladies NEVER perspire. Neither do they sweat - that is for men, labouring ones at that.) She went to find somewhere green, and comfortable to rest, maybe have a doze somewhere cool, away from the sun and getting burned.

She hadn't noticed the clouds getting greyer as she walked through the fields, but she noticed the first drops of rain splatter on her head. The clouds burst open and let the droplets fall over the land, inconveniencing people around the area, but nurturing the ground. It was beautiful how nature worked really to feed itself efficiently, Helga mused, and it's like people really.

To Helga, the world was perfect, people loved each other, and there was harmony in society. People brought up their children to be adults and to teach their own children things, how the whole cycle worked really. People lived to reproduce and make their mark and make the world a better place, influence others, and teach them whatever special skill they had to offer. Death, would keep the world regulated, not over crowed, reasonably free of conflict. She hoped to be a part of it one day and bear a child herself. But the rain was persistent in taking her thoughts off childbearing, the gifts of life and death, instead, finding a dry place to stay until the rain was over.

Finding a spot that was mostly dry in a nearby wood, Helga lay down and listened to the rain pummel the leaves of the trees, and watch the water run down the bark, like tears she thought....

...And that's when she was woken up a little while later by the wild flower's strength giving up holding its burden of raindrops.

Helga was using her light shawl as a pillow and snuggling up to it, as she was asleep, now awake; she stayed in that position, just smelling the freshness of the air just gazing at the green foliage around her, and its earthy smell.

She should really be at the school now, she guessed. It would be around mid-day, or just after, but with the little rainstorm, the other founders would be worried about her. Rowena would be out of her mind with worry. She believed that there was a significant link between being out in the rain and death by sickness soon after (usually of a cold or pneumonia) Helga would have to reassure her friend that she had run for cover, that the water had barely touched her, and would she like to feel her dress for signs of dampness?

Helga felt her cheeks redden as she thought of the reason why she had 'gone out and risked her life' as Rowena would have put it. It was a little accusatory that Helga was stupid, but crushes made people stupid, and Rowena would have scolded her for letting her heart rule her judgement.

She had only hoped to see him again. He was a traveller who had caught her attention. He had seen her on the grounds of Hogwarts reading. The man hadn't mentioned the castle behind her, so she assumed that he must have been a Muggle. Salazar would never approve of it. He was like a brother to her, and his opinion was everything. Helga thought she might possibly die if he was a Muggle. They had talked, and she found that he was a very well read man who was interested in her, good-looking as well. Neither of that would matter to Salazar - he would be likely to snub the man if he was Muggle.

That night when Helga had met him, after telling her that his name was Alistair - A good Scottish name, or so Rowena had told her in the bedroom they had shared and Helga had excitedly revealed her new acquaintance.

Some days, she went over the border of wizard territory and ended up in a Muggle farm. She knew it was no use, she wouldn't find Alistair there, and he would have long gone to wherever it was he lived. Probably back to his wife and perfect children - men like that were....

What was it that made her go look for him? She had spent most of her life in her studies, not noticing or caring that she had admirers. Helga was a pretty woman, soft in her features, and a cheerful mien - what man would not want to take her for his wife?

Then Alistair came along, and teaching the children didn't seem so important, there felt like there was a gap missing out of her life. She would lie in the fields, lazing among the long grass and flowers, running over scenarios in her head that he would come back for her on his horse and take her away from the madness, and bitter atmosphere that Hogwarts was becoming with its arguments.

He could very well change her name - why should she just ignore it and go back to put her shoulder to the grind? For what now felt like thankless work, teaching someone else's children, she didn't want such a big part in it. There was a chance to transform into someone new, a mother, a real one.

She knew she shouldn't have such blinkered vision; there was little chance of it ever happening. She could remember her duties, and to go dashing off chasing rainbows was not something that she could get away with easily, without guilt. Helga had obligations. He was just a man, and there would be more where he came from.

But the daisies still called to her, there was still the need to go and wait for him. Helga thought that the infatuation would calm down, and she would be her old normal self again, but in the meantime, just why not have a break from the school?

He never said he'd come for her, but then again, he never said he wouldn't. It hadn't taken him long to profess awe at her character, and imply that he might love her. Whether he would come or not was up to him.

The now full heat radiating sun was soaking up the rain. Helga emerged from the woods happily, now the drizzle had stopped. She looked around her, there still looked like plenty of daylight before she could go back to the castle. She stretched out in the middle of the field luxuriously and felt the still damp grass make a stain on her dress, no worry about that, it would come out on washday. Her eyelids felt droopy again, and she fell trustingly into a slumber.

The next thing she heard was a whisper, her name was being spoken, and a voice begged her to wake up. It was a male voice, the one that might change her name? She hoped it was.

"Helga...."