The Son of Salazar

Chapter Eight

Love you guys, and may the odds be ever in your favor,

-James

***1047***

Sammael lounged in his room, which was currently in the form of a small, but comfortable, library. Helena Ravenclaw, currently five years old, was sitting on a large chair to the left of him, her little nose buried in a large tome. Rowena had never taken her husband's name and so Helena bore her mother's, as did all of her sisters, though her brother had taken his father's. Helena made for good company; she was quiet and thoughtful, and when she asked questions they were always very deep, mature ones for one so young.

Sammael thought back to when he was Helena's age, and shook his head. Even he hadn't been such an old soul, and his Father often teased him of being an old man in a young man's body. Sammael watched his cousin (or niece, depending on who you asked) for a moment, before turning back to his own tome. It was an interesting text on necromancy, a skill that Sammael and Salazar were working on together in their spare time. It came easily to Sammael, a fact that filled his Father with a strange combination of envy, fury and pride, since Salazar wasn't as predisposed for the art.

Kai was perched on the back of the couch Sammael was laying on, his legs stretched out, and crossed one over the other. His long braid was tossed over one shoulder. Godric's son, seven-year-old Hume enjoyed playing with it, and often begged to be allowed to braid it, as he had this morning. Thus, the reason why thin strands of silver threads were woven in with his dark, raven hair. Shorter strands that hadn't been long enough for the braid framed Sammael's face. Besnik lay curled up on top of him, enjoying the warmth that came from his beloved human.

Sleeping in a cradle nearby, was Synnove, Sammael' infant sister. Sammael was absently using his magic to rock her in her sleep. Selwyn sat on the floor in front of the hearth, playing with Eadlin, their father's basilisk. The Gryffindor twins were also with them, though they were running through the aisles of books, silently screaming (Sammael had cast a Silencio on the both of them some time ago). Helga's toddler, a girl named Lizbeth, was brushing a doll's hair next to Helena on the couch.

Helga had left for the day, deciding that she and her husband needed to visit the Beauxbaton family, who were starting their own small school, in France. Rowena was on a journey in the mountains, searching for some rare flower she needed for a ritual. Lady Slytherin (Sammael refused to call her mother, despite now being on good terms with her), who was pregnant with her third child, was too... round... to walk much, and was instead being tended in her chambers by a mediwitch from nearby.

Godric and Salazar were down in the valley below Hogwarts with Godric's youngest, a four year old girl named Lilith and a five year old girl named Agape. The two men had been fighting for months, arguing whether it was or wasn't safe to allow Mundane-bornes to go back into their native areas, back to their families. Godric didn't feel it was right to simply steal away a child from their family as soon as they showed signs of magic. And Salazar didn't trust Mundanes to not kill their own progeny, simply because they were magical. In Sammael's opinion, they were both right. And this was why he resolved to stay out of the conflict as much as possible (his Aunts had long ago come to the same conclusion).

But, they had reached a compromise. They were building a village for their students to live in, where their families could visit. Hogsmeade, they were calling it. Though due to Salazar's stubbornness, no Mundanes could actually set up residence there. And any magical child who didn't WANT to return home was allowed to stay there with an appointed wizarding family. Even though Godric wasn't entirely happy with this, he was still understandably excited.