Ravenclaw

59- Snake Problems

Song for the chapter: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

~

"For Merlin's sake, Salazar, can't you just give us one?"
Godric sat on the floor of the Slyhterins' private snake sanctuary and rolled his eyes; there were plenty of snakes here--little, small, big long-- so why can't he give just one?
"Mind you Godric, these snakes I have grown up with-- they are like family. Unless they are willing to sacrifice themselves for what seems to be 'the greater good'," he air-quoted, "Then I will not use their death and torment to our benefit!"
Godric rolled his eyes again at his stubborn friend. And as a child, he thought Salazar was stubborn! What more now, at 21 years of age?
"Come one, Salazar, Rowena's birthday is coming up, and you do want to see her live up to it, don't you?" There came no reply from his end. "At least do it for me," he added.
Salazar scoffed. "Please, Godric, the time where we once were close enough to owe each other favours has long gone. In fact, I am doing this for Rowena, not you." Salazar stepped forward towards one of the snakes that dangled delicately from a tree branch, it's green scales making it almost camouflage perfectly with the vines hanging off the dark, brown branch.
Godric stood up and frowned, the fallen leaves of brown and green crunching from underneath his padded boots.
"What do you mean, 'long gone'?" He took another step forward. "Salazar... what are you saying?"
Salazar laughed. The snake coiled itself around his neck and arms, but it didn't make a move to strangle or kill him-- Salazar was right; the snakes were his friends, his family, much more than his actual family could ever be.
"Don't you see, Godric? You were supposed to be my friend. Supporting me in my time of need and success. Yet you blatantly ran after the girl who had captured and punctured my heart without even giving me a thought, or even a mere glance."
Godric's confusion and hurt grew by the second, by each word that came out of Salazar's mouth. "Salazar, I don't understand... what are you talking about? I have never loved another other than Rowena." His hands balled into fists, as if preparing himself for an attack, verbal or not.
From his best friend.
"That day, when Maria came to visit. You knew how hard it was for me to move on from Helga and oblige to my mother's biddings to marry a pure-blood whom I'll never love. You knew I would only love Helga, forever until my dying breath, yet you decided to comfort the girl who broke my heart and left me to hurt."
"You made her cry, Salazar!" Godric yelled. "You made her hurt, so much more than you did, because you simply acted like you didn't care!" He took a step forward, pointing at his friend accusingly. "And how dare you claim that I knew how you felt? That I knew what you went through? Salazar, you never talked to me! You never told me anything ever since I told you my father died. Did you even care? No! You were busy handling your little romance with Helga while I had to comfort myself!"
Salazar remained cool and collected, staring with icy eyes at his so-called 'best friend'. The snake hissed at Godric, before retreating back up the tree and hiding in the shadows. 'Can't you tell by my body language?" He snapped.
"If I could, I wouldn't have agreed to come on your blasted trip to get a snake!" Godric shot back.
The two were neck and neck now, as if daring the other to speak. Godric's fists twitched-- how could he even have the urge to choke his best friend? To death? Well, it must've been easy, since if looks could kill, both men would by lying on the floor, pools of blood around them injuries only real in nightmares scattered across their well-built bodies...
"Get the snake, and we'll get out of here," Godric whispered sternly, his eyes never leaving Salazar's as he backed away towards the door slowly.
"Was that a threat, Gryffindor?" Salazar called as he whispered in Parseltongue. A few snakes slithered up to his feet, willing to die for his cause.
"Maybe, Slytherin." came Godric's reply as he slipped out of the big oak doors of the sanctuary.

~

"What's taking them so long?" Rowena said as she finished up nursing Cepheus back to health. Tomorrow was the supposed last day of the full moon, but it was hard to be sure. Cepheus had reached his palest and weakest state yet, and he lay on the soft, cushioned armchair tenderly, like a fragile flower about to wither and die.
"You worry too much, Rowena," Helga said, taking over from her best friend and feeding Cepheus a warm bowl of hot, chicken soup to get his strength back up. Maybe, if all goes well, he might be able to fight alongside them. That is, of course, anything goes wrong.
But why would anything go wrong? The only two people against them that will be attending the wedding would be Ophichus and Flaura Mae, and two people are nothing against five, what more a whole crowd of people once they reveal who was hiding underneath the mask of Rowena' face.
"I agree," said Professor Lilac. She continued to cast and mutter an array of spells at a little box, trying to find out which spell was used to confine her baby and lover to their solitary confinement. "It's not good for your health, you know. And if all goes well, I want to see you look absolutely stunning at your and Godric's wedding, you know."
Helena shot her a cheeky grin, and Rowena rolled her eyes in amusement. Professor Lilac was not just her Professor anymore-- she was Rowena's second mother, mentor, teacher and best friend, alongside Helga, of course.
"Oh, Professor, you always look on the bright side of things, don't you?" Helga teased, and Rowena headed towards the open bathroom to wash out the blood from the dirty cloth she used to clean Cepheus' wounds, stifling a laugh.
"Oh, my dear girls, no. I always see the good side in things, including people, " Helena explained to the two ex-students. "Including your sister and Ophichus, Rowena." She stopped talking for a moment. The only sounds in the room was the sound of Cepheus slurping his soup and Rowena washing the cloth.
"I believe that your sister will not cause harm anymore. I could see it ever since she and Ophichus were children under my care at school." Helena stopped trying to attack the box, standing up and straightening her dress. "They have the capacity to change, my dears. It is if they have the courage to change we should worry about."
Helena walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" Helga asked.
"Oh, I'm just going to try my luck at the doors again. Honestly, I'm highly insulted they think my baby is more powerful than me, to put her in a cell with magically sealed doors!"