Stubborn As Sin

Chapter Five

Helga was sitting in the gardens, bathing in the sunlight when he came. She had been picking flowers for the opening of Hogwarts the day after tomorrow and charming them into eternal blossom when she had decided to take a break. Now she was sitting against one of the walls, her eyes closed and her robe unbuttoned in neck and pulled up to her knees. Flowers surrounded her everywhere, neatly divided into bundles after sort. She looked like the nymphs of ancient times.

As Salazar kneeled by her side, studying her face, Helga sighed. He had mercifully kept his distance the first few days after her rejection, but now he had evidently decided to approach her again. Some part of her revelled in the fact that he was near her once again, drowning her with his passionate, all encompassing presence, but another part of her feared what this would mean to her resolve to keep him in the dark.

"What do you want, Salazar?" she quietly asked without opening her eyes.

The grass whispered as he sank into the grass, relaxing next to her before answering her.

"To be with you," he just said, his voice smooth and melodious as running water.

Helga opened her eyes, resisting an urge to reach out and touch his weary face, to let herself drown in his bottomless blue eyes. Instead, she brushed down her skirts and drew a thick bunch of hair over her shoulder to play with.

"You are aware that this will only make this more difficult," she commented, treading her fingers through her hair, "yet you come."

He shifted in the grass, watching her sender fingers weave and twist the white hair intently.

"I had hoped you would have had enough time to reconsider," he silently admitted. "There are so much we could do together Hel, if you would just give us a chance."

She almost smiled. The same old Salazar, never giving up on what he thought of as rightfully his. Yet this time, she had the advantage. Even if it were hard to keep it that way with Salazar looking as near a kicked puppy he would let himself to be.

"I do not want to discuss this anymore," she commented. "My choice still stands, Salazar. If you cannot accept that, I will have to take precautions. I do not want you as my enemy anymore, but if you cannot be my friend and only that, my enemy is the only thing I can allow you to be."

Gracefully, she started to recompose herself, gathering the flowers into baskets and charming them to float slightly above the ground. Then she buttoned her robe again and looked one last time at Salazar, who was still sitting by her feet. He held a forgotten deep-pink phlox out to her.

"Do not leave me," he silently asked her.

Ignoring her screaming heart, Helga shook her head and turned away, starting to go towards the castle, baskets with flowers trailing behind her. She could not abide with that wish.

* * *

It was the night before the school's opening, and the four founders had gathered in the bathhouse Salazar had insisted on creating. Clad in hip cloths (Godric and Salazar) and long tunics (Rowena and Helga) rather than bathing naked as Rowena had protested furiously against this. Arguing that some things were to be held private, she had won against Salazar who wanted to keep the tradition to bath au natural.

"While I do understand that you do want to keep your pet close to you," Rowena argued, "there is the matter of the students to consider. While we have long ago accepted...how do you say her name again?"

Salazar smirked at her.

"Ssssissss'ssssesss," he supplied. "Means 'Princess' in parselmouth."

Rowena gratefully nodded.

"Princess presence in the school," she continued, "I doubt that the students will take the presence of a basilisk on the school grounds very calmly. So I suggest that you seal off the chamber you keep her in from students and only take her out when no students risk meeting her."

Salazar nodded.

"Then that is decided," Helga sighed, dipping under to wet her head. "Are everything ready for the students' arrival tomorrow?"

Godric smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Salazar and I finished setting up the last spells in the Great Hall earlier today," he answered. "And I do believe you and Rowena has prepared the house elves for the large amount of people who will arrived."

Helga nodded.

"Then we are all finished," Godric announced. "Let us toast for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

They all produced glasses in different manners and then Godric filled them with wine. Lifting their glasses, they all gave a toast before Helga announced her leave and exited the bath to dry herself and dress.

Dropping her tunic by the door to the changing room, Helga wrapped a towel around her slim body and walked over to the window bench, sitting down to dry her hair. The mass of it required more than a simple drying spell, as she couldn't concentrate on all of it at the same time.

When she had dried off most of her hair, leaving it in a wild mess hanging over her shoulder, the door opened to admit Salazar, half naked and still dripping from the bath. Battling a wave of desire, Helga looked out the window again, trying to ignore his presence. Yet, she could feel him walking across the room, towards her, and even though he was several feet behind her, she could feel his touch on her bare skin.

Salazar didn't stop until he was directly behind her, and Helga tensed up. Not sure on what to expect, Helga turned her head, looking insecurely at him.

"Salazar," she softly mumbled.

"Hel," he answered, sending shivers down her back.

Frowning slightly, he touched the goose bumps on her skin, letting his fingers slide down her arms.

"Either you are cold, or you are afraid," he commented.

Breaking their contact, Helga rose, turning towards him completely.

"I am afraid," she silently admitted. "I am afraid of what you will make me admit if you continue touching me."

Lifting his hand slightly, as if yearning to touch her, Salazar seriously looked at her.

"Do not be afraid," he told her. "I will not to anything endangering our fragile friendship. I just beg you, tell me what to do. For I yearn for you, I want to be close to you. Please, tell me what to do..."

Helga found her eyes filled with tears. It was so hard, yet it was necessary. As much as she liked Salazar - no, she might as well admit it, loved Salazar, she could not trust him with her secret.

"I cannot," she whispered. "For to do that, I need something from you I am not sure you can give."

Salazar took a step backwards, his eyes dark and pained by her words, by her actions.

"Please, Hel," he whispered. "I would do anything for you, I love you."

Her heart gave in at his words, and a single tear escaped her eye. In that moment, she decided to risk it all. For while she could stand the pain of her own heart, she could not resist the plea of Salazar's.

Looking down at the floor, Helga steeled herself for what was to come.

"Very well," she whispered.

Then she pushed her hair out of the way, baring her shoulder and ripping off the bandaging. Rising her head to look defiantly at him, Helga grabbed his hand to put it on the scar.

"This is what I am," she haughtily said. "A bondswoman, a creature lower than a peasant. I am not the daughter of Hufflepuffs, I am their possession."

He did not say anything at her revelation, but traced the red and white mark with his fingers.

"Jarl Arnvidh's mark," he commented at last, disgust evident in his voice, as well as fury. "You were one of his bondswomen."

Scared beyond words at his words, Helga tried to shy away, but was stopped by strong hands around her upper arms. A gentle hand forced her chin upwards so that he could see her face, and the fright he saw there apparently calmed him, as the fury and distaste disappeared from his face to be replaced by concern and love.

"I am not disgusted by you, Hel," he gently chided her. "This is nothing you can rule over. But it certainly explains quite a few things concerning you. As the fact that the men you encountered in the forest wanted to bring you to the jarl. They thought you were a runaway."

Helga looked down, but was immediately caught up in a huge hug, crushing her to his body.

"I am never letting you go again," he whispered against her neck. "Trust me, Helga. I will not judge you."

And with that he kissed her, catching her soul and binding it to his. Helga let herself go, letting herself be washed away by the intense feeling Salazar released in her. Everything would be fine.

Epilogue

An old woman lay in her bed, all colour gone from her cheeks and her breath laboured and heavy. Next to her sat a beautiful young woman with black hair and green eyes together with a young man, her brother, with white hair and blue eyes. Each of them held one of her hands, and both of them looked sad and grim.

Suddenly, the door opened, and an equally old man entered the room, his grey hair falling beneath his shoulders.

"How is she?" he softly rasped, never letting the old woman go with his eyes.

The young woman turned towards him, tears in her eyes.

"Father, you came!" she exclaimed, then rose to throw herself into his arms. "Oh, father! She is so badly hurt! Godric says she will not last the day. Rowena is searching for you, and mother just keeps calling your name..."

The man hugged his daughter tightly, then walked over to his wife's bedside, sitting down to caress her cheek.

"Hel?" he whispered. "I am here love. Please, open your eyes."

A low moan was heard from the woman called Hel, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Sa...Salazar?" she mumbled. "You are here... I am dying, I can feel it. Please...Salazar, take care of our children. Do not...do not forget that I love you. Salazar..."

So Helga Hufflepuff-Slytherin took her last breath, leaving her husband to grieve with their children and closest friends. Salazar rose, looking bleakly at his children.

"How could this happen?" he softly asked. "What...what happened?"

The man looked down, gulping. Then he looked squarely into his father's eyes.

"It was one of the muggle students," he told him. "She told her father of her teacher that had been a bondswoman. There was an ambush in the forest..."

He could not continue talk. Salazar cried out.

"Why!?" he shouted. "Why didn't Godric listen to me?! We should not have allowed muggle students here when Helga still was teaching! And now we have paid dearly for it..."

He looked at his children, crying freely now.

"Aisling, Lucan," he said. "You know I cannot stay here anymore, not after everything which has happened here."

His children nodded, even though they had their own grief to deal with. Salazar dragged a tired hand through his hair.

"Tell...tell Godric that I have returned to my realms," he asked them. "Bid both him and Rowena goodbye for me, and tell them that they will always be welcome at my realms, even if I cannot come here. My time as a founder has ended with Helga. Lay her body in my Chamber and raise a statue over her. When I die, put me next to her and let us rest in peace together. Princess will watch over us both and bring down the curse of the heavens to those who disturb us. I love you both, do not ever forget that."

And with that, Salazar Slytherin, the fourth founder, husband of Helga Hufflepuff and father of two turned his back on history and Hogwarts.

The End.