Ravenclaw

Chapter 34- Find Another

Song for the chapter: We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez

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     Blossoms were falling from the sole cherry tree planted in front of the brick house, which had smoke billowing from the burnt-black chimney and the smell of lie wafting from cracks in the windows.
     Helga Hufflepuff had gone home.
     For it had been time for a well-deserved break; after all, hadn't she suffered enough from... everything?
     Tired and exhausted, she continued to walk towards the small, two storey cottage, her trunk flying not so high above the ground and her steps slow and laboured because of the size her stomach had grown to.
     "Helga, cariad!"
The high-pitched voice that Helga had taken on squealed in delight; her mother showered her with kisses and compliments as Helga smiled tiredly, taking a seat in the familiar warmth of the sitting room.
"You look great! I didn't look too good when I had you," Alaw said, before a soft ringing was heard, and she jumped up excitedly. "Was that the door?"
She practically skipped to the door, then, realising it wasn't, went sulkily to get the pie instead. Fychan, Helga's father, chuckled before explaining the situation to his daughter.
"After the letter you sent, your mother felt crushed. She went a little ballistic, because of course, we know it is Mariana's doing. So she's trying to... cheer you up." He said the last bit cheekily, bouncing up and down in his seat and fidgeting.
My parents are weird, Helga thought when her mother came back and the two started talking animatedly and casting sneaky glances and raising their eyebrows at each other, winking at Helga ever so often.
After what seemed like an hour of parent torture, the subject of love found its way in and Helga immediately got reminded of Salazar, and it was then she knew what her parents were trying to do.
They were trying to set her up with a guy. Helga knew they cared, but wasn't it a bit too soon for a new person to be added into the complicated equation? If Salazar found out, she wouldn't have the slightest clue on how he would react-- angry? Sad? The confusing man left no way to predict and no way for Helga to prepare for disaster.
But yet, she couldn't help but hope he'd react badly, because it meant he cared, it meant that she could run back to him with a reason. She knew Salazar loved her, and wouldn't let her move on, just like how she knew for sure he would never let himself move on...

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"She is lovely! Her name is Maria, similar to mine, and I believe she is a descendant of Greek royalty..."
How easy it is to tune our parents mindless banter out. Salazar Slytherin, who had most of his life practicing this, did it with ease.
He started drawing on the notepad before him, on which he was supposed to write notes on 'the etiquette of treating a woman', and started drawing whatever came to his mind; a desk, the school, his father...
He was still mad at his mother for killing his role model, but what could he do? With clear knowledge that Mariana was a cold-blooded person, he knew that not doing what she wanted means the death of Helga and his child. He wondered what his father did that made her murder him...
And suddenly, his mind made its way back to Helga. It always did. For the past few days, it was all he could ever think about.
Salazar started sketching her face; her kind yet daring amber eyes; that soft expression she often wore that made her look weak and--
"Salazar!"
His head snapped up to look at his mother, and instinctively protected Helga-- in this case, the drawing of her-- and glared at the woman.
She sneered and shot a look back. "I'm trying not to kill her you know, but your attitude and behaviour tempt me everyday..."
She exited the room, and Salazar sighed. He had to move on, but he couldn't. He knew Helga wouldn't too.
But as Maria entered the room, it was hard not to.

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