Rowena {a founders story}

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

         Salazar would never admit it, but Rowena Ravenclaw had always made him nervous. Since they were children, and made to play together – she did not care he was two years older, or a boy. She had been taller than he for years, and that was warrant enough to be the boss. Despite having surpassed her in height years ago now, she was still the boss.

So when Rowena insisted he come by for tea that very day, he happily dragged himself from the logs of his father's trades to ready himself. The Slytherin family was beyond noble, it was Wizard royalty, and Salazar looked the part. He had always stood out in England, being darker in complexion that anyone he had ever met – other than his mother. Zephyr Slytherin had left everything she had ever known to live in England with a man she barely knew.

"I wanted to see the world," she would shrug whenever Salazar asked. "It helped that your father was handsome, and adored me. He should have told me in greater detail about the cold, though." Zephyr was from somewhere warm, she never specified where exactly, but as a child Salazar always pictured colourful birds, aqua waters, fruit hanging heavy from trees. Heat that was blinding, rising from dusty roads. All of this was patched together from stories Zephyr would tell in passing, never going into too much detail.

Salazar finished dressing, smoothing his nearly black robes. Eyes, dark like deep earth, studied his reflection; he had his mother's sharp cheekbones and clever eyes, his father's strong jaw, and wild, curly hair he kept very short. Wizarding royalty, he reminded himself.

"Sire?" a page entered, bowing. "Lady Slytherin requests your presence."

"Tell her I am meeting with Lady Ravenclaw," Salazar adjusted the high neck of his shirt, then the cuffs of his sleeves.

"Ah, planning anything special sire?"

"That would be my business, not yours." Snapped Salazar.

"Ah, apologies sire." The page grinned. "It is just – everyone knows you are in love with Lady Ravenclaw."

He turned slowly, slipping his wand from his sleeve. "Pardon?"

The page went white, and attempted to bow out of the room. "Ah – nothing, sire."

Salazar moved quickly, pressing the tip of his wand to the page's throat. "Shut your mouth." He growled. "What is your right to say such things?"

"Salazar." Lady Zephyr Slytherin appeared at her son's shoulder, lowering his wand with a steady hand. "Let the fool go."

"Thank you mistress," the page gasped, and Zephyr caught him in a cold stare.

"Get out." She hissed, and led Salazar to the mirror while the page scurried off. "Salazar," she said slowly, calculated. "Look at yourself, what do you see?"

He looked in the mirror, shoulders tense. Zephyr's fingers dug into his skin. "I see you and I, mother."

"Wrong." Her voice was cold, and she poked his spine so he stood straighter. "You see a Slytherin, and Slytherin's never lose their temper like that." She let go of him and walked out, the door closing behind her.

Letting out a deep breath, Salazar rolled his shoulders. He wondered briefly if all mothers were like this. Zephyr could be kind, but she was also proud – sometimes to the point of arrogance. Shaking it off, he concluded that he would have to better control his temper – and his feelings for Rowena. If she found out...Salazar could not bear to think of it.

          Ravenclaw Castle was full of twists and turns, but Salazar could find his way to Rowena's chambers with his eyes closed. Of course he had only glimpsed the smaller room beyond her study – meant for socializing, really – that was her bedroom, simple tapestries, opaque curtains on her four poster bed, books that did not fit in the other room spilling in.

He found her pouring over drawings, recognizing them as her own. Spires and halls seemed to bloom from the parchment, and he admired them; they were really very good. "So," he began, sprawling across the chaise and picking up one of Pattie's famous tarts, "When do you leave to go overseas with your Father?"

"I am not going," Rowena glided across the room, switching rolls of parchment, holding the drawings up side by side.

"I thought you wanted to see the world!" he cried, sitting up. Lord Ravenclaw's promise that she could go overseas with him a few months after her seventeenth birthday was what had kept her going so long.

"I do, of course I do." She did not spare him a glance, rather stayed focused on her drawings.

Confused, Salazar stood up. "Ena, what is all this?"

"Dreams." She replied happily, waving her quill at him.

"Of course," he was amused, and peered over her shoulder. "Is this your school?"

"The foundations of it, the physical building anyway." Rowena twisted her lips, thought for a moment, then made a correction to one of her notes. "I am going to do it Sal, I do not know when – but I will. I must."

He watched a black curl fall into her face, how she did not even notice it; her blue eyes, sharp and bright, poured over her dreams. "What about the world?"

"I will see the world, but not through my father's eyes." She turned to him then, smiling more than Salazar could remember seeing in a long time. "I want my dreams to be what drives me, Sal. I want them to be real."

Salazar thought of all his dreams, the one that involved Rowena in Slytherin Castle, waking up next to her each and every morning – the first thing he saw with the new day would be her eyes, her smile. He considered what she would say if he discouraged her. He did not know if it was possible, but if he did not believe in Rowena – she would forget him forever.

"Then I will help you," he decided, putting his hands on her shoulders. "However I can, within all my power."

Complete trust in her face, Rowena smiled and hugged him – very unlike her. "Thank you Sal – I knew I could count on you."

Silent, Salazar nodded. He was a Slytherin after all, and Slytherin's always got what they wanted.

A/N: Ah, the base of Slytherin house...cunning, will do whatever it takes. 

Question: Do you think Rowena has any idea Salazar is lying to her? 

I feel like I'm returning to my roots a little with this story, I don't know. It's interesting, but the simplicity of it is reminding me of Call Me Pretty or Living in Shadows. Maybe I'm wrong, long-time readers would probably know better than me by now.

Either way, I'm enjoying Rowena immensely. 

Rose