Ravenclaw

Chapter 78- Let Them Live

Song for the chapter: Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

~

Salazar surveyed the class with the same cold, steel glare he always had. They quaked under his gaze, but he didn't seem to notice; even if he did, he cared not if he students feared him— it worked well in his favour, making them too afraid to slack.
The Slytherins were warming up to him, but a surprisingly gradual pace compared to the rest of the Founders and their students.
"I want the assignment done by Monday. Sharp. No excuses— I am not afraid of decking points from my own house if it meant having a good, hardworking reputation." These were the words he constantly drilled into his prized Slytherins, and as they bowed and left the class in a hurry, he was sure that they would all hand in their work punctually.
Satisfied, he flicked his wand and his things immediately packed themselves neatly in the compact case he brought round with him to every lesson. He snapped in shut and walked out of the classroom at his usual, brisk pace, only stopping to scold a student who tried to jinx his friend.
"Professor Gryffindor will be upset to lose the first ever House Cup, I suppose," he said to them wickedly with a proud smirk, excited for the Slytherin win against Gryffindor. However, Ravenclaw was still ahead by a few points, and as he passed the hourglasses in the Great Hall, he frowned as ten sapphires dropped into the bottom half below.
He entered his office in a short amount of time and quickly kept his things away, so that if anyone came snooping, they'd be unable to find anything. He straightened his tie and checked his appearance, making sure his hair remained sleek after his walk and the walk to Hogsmeade, before leaving with his wand tucked in securely to the pocket inside of his tailored jacket.
     He took off the black wizard's robes and made his way into Hogsmeade with his formal attire, making him appear superior to the plainly dressed villagers. He was superior to them, and they both knew it— just like the students, fully grown men and women scuttled away at the sight of him. He had to suppress a cocky smirk as he entered the pub he gifted to one of his cousins— the one his mother detested, for she was the daughter of a 'blood traitor'.
     "Afternoon," he greeted the distant family member, who gave him a silent nod in return as she continued to wipe tall beer mugs with a yellowed, tattered rug. He went straight into the back room and up the stairs, before turning quickly on the spot in the dark, dank hallway, Apparating to his family home.

~

     "Honestly, staying for two nights... should've just Apparated in time for the meeting!" Mariana Slytherin complained to her son's aunt-in-law, Aurora Lestrange, who nodded in return. The two waited at the window seat beside the two french doors that led to front garden of the house. The sun was starting to set, casting their shadows onto the marble flooring of the first floor.
"Who does he think he is? I've got to prepare the house for guests again, especially if the idiots decide to stay here overnight! Or over two nights!" She exclaimed exasperatedly, much to Aurora's amusement.
Aurora Lestrange wasn't like Mariana— though the power she held was greatly recognised by people and how she was greatly feared, it was a different kind of power that she held. It wasn't upfront and bold, where she had a title that came with her power, and the loss of it meant the loss of her strength, like Mariana. It was her subtly that scared the demons into hiding, that made people fear the dark, that made people distrust each other.
She had already proven herself a mastermind— she had split apart the Gryffindors early on and managed to make family connections with the children she had borne and disposed of, forcing them to live with their stepmother. She had made herself related to Rowena not just through Godric, but her nephew's wife. She had gotten herself entangled so deeply into the lives of the four founders, she knew them well enough to know their basic strengths and weaknesses.
Aurora was the underdog of them all, unknown yet feared by many. She wasn't afraid of killing and manipulating, and even if she wasn't directly involved in the planning of the attack on Hogwarts or the inner circle of the new leader of the Resistance, she could control it with just one wave of her wand.
Except, Salazar was unpredictable.
He was disgustingly not unlike his father, being noble and disbelieving of the 'maintenance of blood purity'. He was weak, falling prey to the dirty-bloods, having his children with the woman they now all despised for ruining the bloodline. Yes, she and the children— children— were protected under the promise that there would be no mention of Salazar, but it still made them retch knowing that their leader had betrayed them.
The meeting was uncalled for, no one had anticipated it. Which was another reason why controlling Salazar would be hard to control— threatening had failed, Mariana was proof. What could be done to keep him in line, to remind him of his stand, where his loyalties lie?
A pop in the distance made them alert. The women scrambled to their feet, clutching at their gowns and bursting through the glass french doors in order to meet Salazar. They lifted their skirts, but the gaps in the cobblestone path proved it difficult to run on as the heels of their footwear kept getting caught in the holes.
Salazar, however, was calm and collected, walking towards them swiftly and with no tripling, no stumbling. He had mastered the art and skill of walking— he was immaculate in how power just seemed radiate off of him.
They met just off the middle of the path, closer to the house, and they were silent as the women caught their breath again. When they finally stopped panting, Mariana addresses her son.
     "Salazar— back home so soon? And for this... meeting, whatever could it be about?" She said, and Salazar brushed past them, causing them to trot along behind him, trying to keep up pace.
     "Salazar! You do realise that I am your mother, you must tell me what is going on! I deserve to be in the know!" Mariana cried, but to no avail. Salazar entered the house and went up the stairs, quickly entering his room.
     The women entered behind him, much to his annoyance. "With all due respect, mother, you are still a member of the Resistance. And what you want to discuss is concerning the Resistance, not us. So you will wait for tomorrow, and not bother me till then."
     Salazar had truly mastered the skill of shutting his mother up ever since he embarrassed her and tortured in front of the Resistance. Mariana shrunk back into her dress a little, and Aurora suppressed a smirk.
"Salazar, could you please inform us the general idea of what the meeting is to be about?" Aurora asked politely. Mariana grinned, thinking that she'd be shot down just as she had been, but she was wrong— it was quite clear which of the two Salazar seemed to favour more.
"I guess you could say it is a matter of life and death," he said, before shutting the door to his room. The lock clicked into place and they could hear the inaudible mutterings of him casting spells to ensure that no one could enter. Mariana stalked off, angered by the behaviour of her son and deciding to busy herself, channelling her anger towards sprucing up the house, while Aurora went up to visit her niece, discussing how to track down the betrayal of her nephew.