2, 51, 34, 25, 20, 31
Title: Interest
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor
Summary: Helga came to convince Godric, but Godric wants to convince her of something too.
Word Count: 502
Registered purchases?: Yes
Indeed Godric had not been difficult to find, though he was still in Ireland. Helga appreciated the motivation to see another culture and another place. The man was quite the same, drinking in a smelly pub while eating roast meat.
“Good evening, Lord Gryffindor,” Helga greeted him as she sat across from him. An Irish man, for a moment in drunken stupor, taking her for another type of woman wrapped his arm around her. Helga removed it strongly and solidly, though not rudely.
The large man’s eyes grew a little large upon recognizing her, but he laughed. “I said I was easy to find, but I did not expect you to come looking, Lady Hufflepuff,” he grinned, waving a large hand to the barkeep. “Do you have anything a lady might drink? No? Bring some water then, my man.”
“I have no doubt you can guess my purposes,” Helga continued, as he began to take her a bit more seriously. “I have thought about this school for many a year, and I should hope it will not be so casually tossed aside.”
“That woman friend of yours drives me up the wall,” the man shook his mighty head of hair, “and not in the way one wants with a woman.” The men around laughed.
Helga waited patiently. “She is willing to work with you and patiently, so that your tempers may not cause such conflict,” the blond explained patiently, “it takes aas much work to build a school as slay a dragon - and ten times the patience.”
The men around all laughed. Some made suggestive looks.
Godric, however, had not joined their laughter this round. Instead he looked into her eyes, way more aware than he ever seemed to be before, and the woman wondered how much the man noticed in his carefree way. “This means a lot you,” he spoke calmly, “I will not be the man to crush your dreams.”
The man who mistook her leaned over the table, “Me thinks he ought to woo this one, make all her dreams come true.” His eyebrows wriggled in a far too suggestive way for public discourse with strangers, but she was in a men’s place, where men talked such ways.
“The lady has to be available for wooing, my man,” Godric slapped him casually on the shoulder, “Are you not?” His eyes grew curious.
And Helga knew not why he entertained thoughts she was currently of someone’s interest. “No one has courted me for many months, Lord Gryffindor,” Helga replied politely, neither ashamed nor proud.
“That is a crime, my sweet woman,” the man’s eyes grew playful, “And please, call me Godric.”
“Then you may call me Helga,” she imagined there would have been bowing and curtseying had they been standing, but they were not. Still, the man brought up her hand, to kiss the back of it. And amongst the jeering and cheering around them, his eyes connected with hers and managed, somehow, to make the moment rather intimate.
Title: Dusk
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff/Godric Gryffindor
Summary: And here there be romance.
Word Count: 502
Registered purchases?: Yes
Dusk light shimmered through the trees, as the two walked and talked, the taller one shortening his stride, so that the shorter need not fasten her step. Her eyes often watched the birds, as she was uncertain of what Godric’s meant, despite him being an open man. “I do not understand what these walks have to do with planning the school,” Helga admitted, strolling arm in arm.
The large man laughed - not at her, but pleasantly - “My dear Helga, it has to do with you being an incredible witch. And without you the school would have no chance of existing.” They were not far away from humankind, Helga knew, yet her thoughts were never able to keep on that. Godric wanted something, wanted her, without demanding anything of her. The wizard was a complete gentleman.
“You flatter me greatly,” Helga graciously set the praise aside, “yet I think we have discussed everything we can before I talk again with Rowena and find your friend, Lord Slytherin.” If he so wished to continue courting her, that could be so. Never had such a gentleman as him had those intentions, and it was only fair to give him a chance. It was not as if she had an obligation to anyone else. No one else had expressed interest…
“We have,” the man agreed, “and yet I simply cannot tear myself away from your company.” They stopped moving, and his body turned to face her. Softly, barely a touch at all, his fingers on his free hand caressed her cheek. She felt them clearly. There was a roughness that came from his work in their texture, and still, the sweetness with which he touched, the delicate care he gave not to hurt her, Godric cared.
Her voice caught in her throat.
“If you would be so gracious as to permit me,” Godric’s voice lowered, along with his head, “I would very much like to kiss you.”
He was asking, for permission - to kiss her. That was…truly a gentleman. Did he not see how her body had frozen up while also on fire? Did she honestly have to give her permission? The man had not begun to kiss her, and it appeared he was courteous enough to wait for her explicit permission. Helga had the control. His manners were what men were supposed to have, yet had Godric not had his charm, the moment would have been ruined. “Yes,” Helga spoke quietly, only one word.
It was enough. Her arms rose to wrap around his head, hands dipping into the soft thick hair. Their eyes closed, and his lips pressed against hers, the first touch strong but not demanding. The second kiss pressed more, and her lips parted without much thought on her part. His arms pulled her close, strong enough to prevent her from moving should they wish. Helga submitted to it, enjoying curving to his will as he took control.
The world was only two intertwined figures in a forest, fading together.
Title: Slippery
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: 2 convinced, 1 to go.
Word Count: 530
Registered purchases?: Yes
Men traveled to such disputable places, though much of it was not a journey, merely a local place to be. The blond woman had thought Godric had led her to some of the most greasy and unclean institutions. Admittedly, that had only been once. The second time she had simply been following him. And while she stayed in Ireland, he never took her there but to better places. Given the disgusting specimens clinging to her thick cloak, the witch wished she could be in one of those beautiful places instead.
A spider came down from the ceiling, a type whose bite hurt humans terribly if they did not receive the right potion shortly thereafter. Weaving around its web, she saw a man’s back bent over a large cauldron bubbling quietly. “Lord Slytherin,” Helga spoke up, “If I might have a word.”
The dark shape straightened and turned around. The sharp eyes took her in, and Helga swore she saw a flash of surprise. “You have found me at one of the places I work, Lady Hufflepuff,” he commented without much tone. He looked at her, observing her closely. “You did not send an owl.”
Composing herself in the dark and dank, the witch nodded. “I prefer greatly to have these conversations in person, and given you are neither so easily found as Godric nor seemed prone to continue in conversation about the prospect of building a school, I chose not to send forward notice,” Helga explained. He deserved to know.
A small curve grew in his lips. “How difficult, pray tell, was it to find me?” His arms crossed his body, and she saw no wand. The man felt quite safe.
“More difficult than my dear friend Rowena or Godric, but you are not an impossible man to find, though you leave little trace behind you,” the witch felt no need to hide the answer. She was nothing if not honest.
“And you felt a…strong desire to find me?” his questions danced near the topic of the school, yet his tone made everything ambiguous.
“I have convinced everyone else to return and commit to the project of building the school,” Helga replied, “I believe you would be most helpful, and Godric pressed into me the idea you may be most essential.” Her words were casual, for she did not play with them. She simply wished to get to the most important topic.
“I take it I am to believe you came all this way to convince me to return to your group, so that your school may be built?” he asked such an obvious question.
“Naturally,” Helga smiled, “I am not going to let the project die, whether you decide to join us or not, though I would prefer you would.”
His eyes studied her, not speaking for many moments. Given her straightforward manner, Helga did not see what required so much thought, unless he was so conflicted or set against working with them on the school.
“If you would please return above, a house elf shall see to your comforts until I am finished here,” Lord Slytherin told her, “Potions are much less patient than you are, my lady.”
Title: Interwoven
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: Someone is late to the 'party'
Word Count: 614
Registered purchases?: Yes
Helga would not have thought the small cottage above the cave to be large enough to need a house elf, yet indeed a creature was there - surprised though its face looked upon seeing a guest. The witch found herself in a dark study in a tall leather armchair with a fussy if quiet creature scurrying about to make things right. “I am quite well,” she reassured the creature.
It looked up, from where it had been directing dusting, “Would you like some tea, Lady Hufflepuff?” Its saucer-like eyes watched her carefully, ready to jump out of the room again should she ask for anything.
“I am fine,” the blond assured it.
The house elf kept looking at her. “It shall most likely be an hour at least until master is finished below. Are you certain you shall not need anything?” it asked again.
“If I must,” the witch smiled, “some tea would be lovely.”
When Lord Slytherin entered the room, Helga had not even been aware of the time, having engaged the small creature in his service with excellent conversation. “How is the potion, Lord Slytherin?” Helga asked, setting down her cup.
The house elf, sadly, instantly began moving again, preparing things in the room for its master - as apparently it did not need verbal instructions in the moment. Her host sat in an armchair close to hers, the large cloak from before removed before entering the study. “Complete,” his reply was short, though his tone not. That was an excellent sign.
“You have known my purpose for some time now,” Helga continued on to the topic at hand, as he seemed unwilling to engage in softer conversation, “if you have any qualms about joining us, I would greatly appreciate you sharing them, so that I may understand what differences or issues we have.” It was hard to argue a case, when one did not know what needed proving.
“I do not see why you are so interested in convincing me, Lady Hufflepuff,” Salazar replied, “there are many witches and wizards skilled in the art of potions and science of arithmancy. Why is it that you have chosen me?” Again, Helga felt as it they were having separate conversations, ones in which the words conveniently matched up just well enough for her not to know precisely what was going on.
“Godric speaks very highly of you,” Helga replied, “He told me that you have already trained some pupils completely. And I am not the only one hopeful that you shall join us. Whether you believe in fate or coincidence, you have become involved.” She was not sure how to address the question. An odd feeling had come over her, as before when they first met, and she knew not what to make of it.
He stood and reached out to take her hand, so as to help her up as well. Confused but seeing no reason not to indulge in his desire, Helga took his hand and stood. “So our lives have become interwoven, and we simply cannot escape acquaintance, even friendship, or more?” the man asked, turning and looking at her just as they were about to leave the room.
Helga stopped. “Unless you wish to avoid it,” she replied, glancing away from his piercing eyes. Her heart beat faster. But for what reason? She looked up, caught in his gaze. She felt pierced, and her body tensed.
He moved so quickly, that Helga realized not what he was doing until her back was against the archway, and his lips pressing against hers. Her mouth opened, even as her eyes were open in shock. But…but Godric was the one courting her…
Title: Shame
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: Helga comes forward with the truth.
Word Count: 638
Registered purchases?: Yes
Her heart continued beating quickly, and Helga leaned her head against whichever wall it was they were against. All thought had fled her mind after his hand had reached into her hair. Her hair - oh it was in a terrible state, the woman was certain. Travel had done its part and…Salazar his.
By Merlin! Her mouth opened, without speaking, as higher function again became possible in her brain. Godric. Godric was courting her. And she had…with Salazar. And they were good friends. And she was expecting them to build a school together? Oh, Rowena she needed, for advice. Never had Helga found herself in such a bind. Salazar had not known about his friend, and so his actions had been fair. But hers, no matter what she did, it was unfair to one of them.
“Were you attempting to say something?” the dark haired wizard asked her, a hand running along her jaw.
“I, oh,” she looked down, “my dress!” It was in a horrid condition, not suitable to be seen in public.
“If you wish to bathe,” Salazar spoke, “I can send up some new clothes for you to change into.” His voice was even, if his breathing was still a bit harder than usual when they had conversation.
“That is very kind of you,” Helga replied, distracted. The debacle before her boggled her mind, and each additional moment with Salazar only complicated the matter.
His hand stopped moving. “Something has distracted you,” the far too observant wizard declared, “Something besides me.”
Helga turned to look away, but his hand lifted her chin to look him in the face. Her cheeks reddened. “You have done me no wrong, sir, yet I believe I have done one to you,” she spoke.
His eyes looked into hers, and Helga felt far from comfortable. There was loud silence and somewhere the sound of a house elf cleaning. “Carry on,” Salazar commanded.
“I am in a situation you are unaware of, and it was neither right nor fair of me to have allowed us to do this,” Helga felt her lips tremble.
“There is another man in your life,” Salazar declared. At least she knew he understood.
“I am being courted,” she confirmed.
He looked at her carefully. “A lady may have two suitors courting her at the same time,” he spoke calmly.
“There is no wrong in that,” Helga agreed, “yet neither of you currently knows about the other, and a lady should not behave as I just have when she has two suitors. And most importantly, the two of you are not strangers but friends.” As much as the blond woman wanted to look away and avoid Salazar’s gaze, she was petrified, unable to do so.
His face showed no reaction. His eyes stayed the same. Yet she knew he understood. “Do you care about him?” the man asked.
By rights she had no choice by to answer. “What I did is unfair to him,” Helga answered, “it was wrong, and he is an honorable man. He asked if I had any other romantic engagements before he courted me.” Oh she had treated him horribly. Godric was a great man, and Helga did not deserve him after treating him so.
“That hardly answers the question,” Salazar still demanded more.
“He is…courageous, kind, chivalrous, and everything a lady ought to want,” Helga declared, sighing but not the sigh of weak-kneed maidens.
The dark eyes looked at her searchingly, silent. “Bathe,” he spoke finally, “my house elf shall bring up everything you need.”
“I understand,” Helga looked away as his hand dropped. The man stepped back, and the blond woman went in the direction he left most open. When she was about to disappear around a corner, Helga looked back, where Salazar stood in the same position, silent and tall.
Title: Truth
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor
Summary: The air gets cleared.
Word Count: 691
Registered purchases?: Yes
The water felt warm and cleansing, yet even as her sweat and dirt washed away, Helga felt dirty, felt wrong. Scrubbing harder, the woman felt no different, only worse. She knew what she had done, and it was wrong. Helga had no right to be upset with either of them. Godric was a gentleman, and Salazar had acted with good intentions - not knowing the situation. There was no one else to blame. She ought to have stopped Salazar, told him, been honest. Her honesty had come late.
Her body shivered, and the water had gone cold. The elf had offered to keep it hot, but Helga had not known how long she would have stayed with that encouragement. The desire to stay until her skin wrinkled like an old lady was strong, but that was not the right decision, not fair to the man whose bath she was using. The witch stepped out and felt her judgment come closer.
The clothes waiting for her felt soft. Dark in color, it fit her perfectly. The dress was modest enough for a woman of her stature, though Helga wished she could have dressed even more covered. Her hands ran along the material before she fixed her hair. It was perfect and modest - not to attract attention. She sighed, having put off the inevitable as long as she could.
Stepping quietly out of the room and back toward the rest of the cottage, Helga knew not how long she walked. The building was small, yet each room - whence she found not Salazar - felt like an eternity. At long last, she came to the study, the room in which she had waited for Salazar earlier that very day. Her breath hitched, but she made herself breath. Helga faced the consequences of her actions - good and ill.
She stopped in the doorway, and indeed the woman felt faint upon the sight that greeted her. Her hand reached out to steady herself. “Godric,” she greeted the tall man, glancing down. Yet one look had allowed her to see everything. He wore travel clothes, dirty and soiled. He smelled, even from across the room, of earth and ale, animal and roast. Helga had not expected to see him.
“Helga,” his voice was steady, and she hated how serious he sounded. As kind and gentle a soul he was and light. The woman had always seen him happy. Seeing it, part of her wanted to apologize, to fall down at his knees and beg forgiveness. She had treated him unfairly.
“Godric, I,” Helga stepped closer. But he held up a hand. It was only fair that she did as he wished, not talk if he did not want to hear. What had Salazar told him?
“I care for you,” Godric spoke, “deeply. You are an amazing woman, and I will not hear anything else from your lips. Salazar said little, yet he is my friend, and he cares for you more than I do. He rarely cares for a woman, and I knew he liked you. Yet he had done nothing, and so I thought he had moved on. I was wrong. He cares for you, and I can tell you care for him. I will not come between you.”
She was shocked, unable to move. The witch stared at the incredible man in front of her. He was the wronged party, the one treated unfairly. And Godric stepped back. Godric apologized. She did not understand.
“Do not turn him away because he and I are friends or how you think you treated me,” Godric continued, “It will help no one. And it would not be fair to him. Do not think ill of yourself, for you are a kind woman. You gave me a chance to court you, yet I cannot win your heart. I can see which battles I cannot win.”
“I have never heard of you turning away from any battle…” Helga finally spoke, shocked into speech by his words.
“I have yet to meet a dragon I cannot slay, my lady,” Godric smiled. “But you are another man’s treasure, not mine.”
-Silyara, Slytherin
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor
Summary: Helga came to convince Godric, but Godric wants to convince her of something too.
Word Count: 502
Registered purchases?: Yes
Indeed Godric had not been difficult to find, though he was still in Ireland. Helga appreciated the motivation to see another culture and another place. The man was quite the same, drinking in a smelly pub while eating roast meat.
“Good evening, Lord Gryffindor,” Helga greeted him as she sat across from him. An Irish man, for a moment in drunken stupor, taking her for another type of woman wrapped his arm around her. Helga removed it strongly and solidly, though not rudely.
The large man’s eyes grew a little large upon recognizing her, but he laughed. “I said I was easy to find, but I did not expect you to come looking, Lady Hufflepuff,” he grinned, waving a large hand to the barkeep. “Do you have anything a lady might drink? No? Bring some water then, my man.”
“I have no doubt you can guess my purposes,” Helga continued, as he began to take her a bit more seriously. “I have thought about this school for many a year, and I should hope it will not be so casually tossed aside.”
“That woman friend of yours drives me up the wall,” the man shook his mighty head of hair, “and not in the way one wants with a woman.” The men around laughed.
Helga waited patiently. “She is willing to work with you and patiently, so that your tempers may not cause such conflict,” the blond explained patiently, “it takes aas much work to build a school as slay a dragon - and ten times the patience.”
The men around all laughed. Some made suggestive looks.
Godric, however, had not joined their laughter this round. Instead he looked into her eyes, way more aware than he ever seemed to be before, and the woman wondered how much the man noticed in his carefree way. “This means a lot you,” he spoke calmly, “I will not be the man to crush your dreams.”
The man who mistook her leaned over the table, “Me thinks he ought to woo this one, make all her dreams come true.” His eyebrows wriggled in a far too suggestive way for public discourse with strangers, but she was in a men’s place, where men talked such ways.
“The lady has to be available for wooing, my man,” Godric slapped him casually on the shoulder, “Are you not?” His eyes grew curious.
And Helga knew not why he entertained thoughts she was currently of someone’s interest. “No one has courted me for many months, Lord Gryffindor,” Helga replied politely, neither ashamed nor proud.
“That is a crime, my sweet woman,” the man’s eyes grew playful, “And please, call me Godric.”
“Then you may call me Helga,” she imagined there would have been bowing and curtseying had they been standing, but they were not. Still, the man brought up her hand, to kiss the back of it. And amongst the jeering and cheering around them, his eyes connected with hers and managed, somehow, to make the moment rather intimate.
Title: Dusk
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff/Godric Gryffindor
Summary: And here there be romance.
Word Count: 502
Registered purchases?: Yes
Dusk light shimmered through the trees, as the two walked and talked, the taller one shortening his stride, so that the shorter need not fasten her step. Her eyes often watched the birds, as she was uncertain of what Godric’s meant, despite him being an open man. “I do not understand what these walks have to do with planning the school,” Helga admitted, strolling arm in arm.
The large man laughed - not at her, but pleasantly - “My dear Helga, it has to do with you being an incredible witch. And without you the school would have no chance of existing.” They were not far away from humankind, Helga knew, yet her thoughts were never able to keep on that. Godric wanted something, wanted her, without demanding anything of her. The wizard was a complete gentleman.
“You flatter me greatly,” Helga graciously set the praise aside, “yet I think we have discussed everything we can before I talk again with Rowena and find your friend, Lord Slytherin.” If he so wished to continue courting her, that could be so. Never had such a gentleman as him had those intentions, and it was only fair to give him a chance. It was not as if she had an obligation to anyone else. No one else had expressed interest…
“We have,” the man agreed, “and yet I simply cannot tear myself away from your company.” They stopped moving, and his body turned to face her. Softly, barely a touch at all, his fingers on his free hand caressed her cheek. She felt them clearly. There was a roughness that came from his work in their texture, and still, the sweetness with which he touched, the delicate care he gave not to hurt her, Godric cared.
Her voice caught in her throat.
“If you would be so gracious as to permit me,” Godric’s voice lowered, along with his head, “I would very much like to kiss you.”
He was asking, for permission - to kiss her. That was…truly a gentleman. Did he not see how her body had frozen up while also on fire? Did she honestly have to give her permission? The man had not begun to kiss her, and it appeared he was courteous enough to wait for her explicit permission. Helga had the control. His manners were what men were supposed to have, yet had Godric not had his charm, the moment would have been ruined. “Yes,” Helga spoke quietly, only one word.
It was enough. Her arms rose to wrap around his head, hands dipping into the soft thick hair. Their eyes closed, and his lips pressed against hers, the first touch strong but not demanding. The second kiss pressed more, and her lips parted without much thought on her part. His arms pulled her close, strong enough to prevent her from moving should they wish. Helga submitted to it, enjoying curving to his will as he took control.
The world was only two intertwined figures in a forest, fading together.
Title: Slippery
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: 2 convinced, 1 to go.
Word Count: 530
Registered purchases?: Yes
Men traveled to such disputable places, though much of it was not a journey, merely a local place to be. The blond woman had thought Godric had led her to some of the most greasy and unclean institutions. Admittedly, that had only been once. The second time she had simply been following him. And while she stayed in Ireland, he never took her there but to better places. Given the disgusting specimens clinging to her thick cloak, the witch wished she could be in one of those beautiful places instead.
A spider came down from the ceiling, a type whose bite hurt humans terribly if they did not receive the right potion shortly thereafter. Weaving around its web, she saw a man’s back bent over a large cauldron bubbling quietly. “Lord Slytherin,” Helga spoke up, “If I might have a word.”
The dark shape straightened and turned around. The sharp eyes took her in, and Helga swore she saw a flash of surprise. “You have found me at one of the places I work, Lady Hufflepuff,” he commented without much tone. He looked at her, observing her closely. “You did not send an owl.”
Composing herself in the dark and dank, the witch nodded. “I prefer greatly to have these conversations in person, and given you are neither so easily found as Godric nor seemed prone to continue in conversation about the prospect of building a school, I chose not to send forward notice,” Helga explained. He deserved to know.
A small curve grew in his lips. “How difficult, pray tell, was it to find me?” His arms crossed his body, and she saw no wand. The man felt quite safe.
“More difficult than my dear friend Rowena or Godric, but you are not an impossible man to find, though you leave little trace behind you,” the witch felt no need to hide the answer. She was nothing if not honest.
“And you felt a…strong desire to find me?” his questions danced near the topic of the school, yet his tone made everything ambiguous.
“I have convinced everyone else to return and commit to the project of building the school,” Helga replied, “I believe you would be most helpful, and Godric pressed into me the idea you may be most essential.” Her words were casual, for she did not play with them. She simply wished to get to the most important topic.
“I take it I am to believe you came all this way to convince me to return to your group, so that your school may be built?” he asked such an obvious question.
“Naturally,” Helga smiled, “I am not going to let the project die, whether you decide to join us or not, though I would prefer you would.”
His eyes studied her, not speaking for many moments. Given her straightforward manner, Helga did not see what required so much thought, unless he was so conflicted or set against working with them on the school.
“If you would please return above, a house elf shall see to your comforts until I am finished here,” Lord Slytherin told her, “Potions are much less patient than you are, my lady.”
Title: Interwoven
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: Someone is late to the 'party'
Word Count: 614
Registered purchases?: Yes
Helga would not have thought the small cottage above the cave to be large enough to need a house elf, yet indeed a creature was there - surprised though its face looked upon seeing a guest. The witch found herself in a dark study in a tall leather armchair with a fussy if quiet creature scurrying about to make things right. “I am quite well,” she reassured the creature.
It looked up, from where it had been directing dusting, “Would you like some tea, Lady Hufflepuff?” Its saucer-like eyes watched her carefully, ready to jump out of the room again should she ask for anything.
“I am fine,” the blond assured it.
The house elf kept looking at her. “It shall most likely be an hour at least until master is finished below. Are you certain you shall not need anything?” it asked again.
“If I must,” the witch smiled, “some tea would be lovely.”
When Lord Slytherin entered the room, Helga had not even been aware of the time, having engaged the small creature in his service with excellent conversation. “How is the potion, Lord Slytherin?” Helga asked, setting down her cup.
The house elf, sadly, instantly began moving again, preparing things in the room for its master - as apparently it did not need verbal instructions in the moment. Her host sat in an armchair close to hers, the large cloak from before removed before entering the study. “Complete,” his reply was short, though his tone not. That was an excellent sign.
“You have known my purpose for some time now,” Helga continued on to the topic at hand, as he seemed unwilling to engage in softer conversation, “if you have any qualms about joining us, I would greatly appreciate you sharing them, so that I may understand what differences or issues we have.” It was hard to argue a case, when one did not know what needed proving.
“I do not see why you are so interested in convincing me, Lady Hufflepuff,” Salazar replied, “there are many witches and wizards skilled in the art of potions and science of arithmancy. Why is it that you have chosen me?” Again, Helga felt as it they were having separate conversations, ones in which the words conveniently matched up just well enough for her not to know precisely what was going on.
“Godric speaks very highly of you,” Helga replied, “He told me that you have already trained some pupils completely. And I am not the only one hopeful that you shall join us. Whether you believe in fate or coincidence, you have become involved.” She was not sure how to address the question. An odd feeling had come over her, as before when they first met, and she knew not what to make of it.
He stood and reached out to take her hand, so as to help her up as well. Confused but seeing no reason not to indulge in his desire, Helga took his hand and stood. “So our lives have become interwoven, and we simply cannot escape acquaintance, even friendship, or more?” the man asked, turning and looking at her just as they were about to leave the room.
Helga stopped. “Unless you wish to avoid it,” she replied, glancing away from his piercing eyes. Her heart beat faster. But for what reason? She looked up, caught in his gaze. She felt pierced, and her body tensed.
He moved so quickly, that Helga realized not what he was doing until her back was against the archway, and his lips pressing against hers. Her mouth opened, even as her eyes were open in shock. But…but Godric was the one courting her…
Title: Shame
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin
Summary: Helga comes forward with the truth.
Word Count: 638
Registered purchases?: Yes
Her heart continued beating quickly, and Helga leaned her head against whichever wall it was they were against. All thought had fled her mind after his hand had reached into her hair. Her hair - oh it was in a terrible state, the woman was certain. Travel had done its part and…Salazar his.
By Merlin! Her mouth opened, without speaking, as higher function again became possible in her brain. Godric. Godric was courting her. And she had…with Salazar. And they were good friends. And she was expecting them to build a school together? Oh, Rowena she needed, for advice. Never had Helga found herself in such a bind. Salazar had not known about his friend, and so his actions had been fair. But hers, no matter what she did, it was unfair to one of them.
“Were you attempting to say something?” the dark haired wizard asked her, a hand running along her jaw.
“I, oh,” she looked down, “my dress!” It was in a horrid condition, not suitable to be seen in public.
“If you wish to bathe,” Salazar spoke, “I can send up some new clothes for you to change into.” His voice was even, if his breathing was still a bit harder than usual when they had conversation.
“That is very kind of you,” Helga replied, distracted. The debacle before her boggled her mind, and each additional moment with Salazar only complicated the matter.
His hand stopped moving. “Something has distracted you,” the far too observant wizard declared, “Something besides me.”
Helga turned to look away, but his hand lifted her chin to look him in the face. Her cheeks reddened. “You have done me no wrong, sir, yet I believe I have done one to you,” she spoke.
His eyes looked into hers, and Helga felt far from comfortable. There was loud silence and somewhere the sound of a house elf cleaning. “Carry on,” Salazar commanded.
“I am in a situation you are unaware of, and it was neither right nor fair of me to have allowed us to do this,” Helga felt her lips tremble.
“There is another man in your life,” Salazar declared. At least she knew he understood.
“I am being courted,” she confirmed.
He looked at her carefully. “A lady may have two suitors courting her at the same time,” he spoke calmly.
“There is no wrong in that,” Helga agreed, “yet neither of you currently knows about the other, and a lady should not behave as I just have when she has two suitors. And most importantly, the two of you are not strangers but friends.” As much as the blond woman wanted to look away and avoid Salazar’s gaze, she was petrified, unable to do so.
His face showed no reaction. His eyes stayed the same. Yet she knew he understood. “Do you care about him?” the man asked.
By rights she had no choice by to answer. “What I did is unfair to him,” Helga answered, “it was wrong, and he is an honorable man. He asked if I had any other romantic engagements before he courted me.” Oh she had treated him horribly. Godric was a great man, and Helga did not deserve him after treating him so.
“That hardly answers the question,” Salazar still demanded more.
“He is…courageous, kind, chivalrous, and everything a lady ought to want,” Helga declared, sighing but not the sigh of weak-kneed maidens.
The dark eyes looked at her searchingly, silent. “Bathe,” he spoke finally, “my house elf shall bring up everything you need.”
“I understand,” Helga looked away as his hand dropped. The man stepped back, and the blond woman went in the direction he left most open. When she was about to disappear around a corner, Helga looked back, where Salazar stood in the same position, silent and tall.
Title: Truth
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor
Summary: The air gets cleared.
Word Count: 691
Registered purchases?: Yes
The water felt warm and cleansing, yet even as her sweat and dirt washed away, Helga felt dirty, felt wrong. Scrubbing harder, the woman felt no different, only worse. She knew what she had done, and it was wrong. Helga had no right to be upset with either of them. Godric was a gentleman, and Salazar had acted with good intentions - not knowing the situation. There was no one else to blame. She ought to have stopped Salazar, told him, been honest. Her honesty had come late.
Her body shivered, and the water had gone cold. The elf had offered to keep it hot, but Helga had not known how long she would have stayed with that encouragement. The desire to stay until her skin wrinkled like an old lady was strong, but that was not the right decision, not fair to the man whose bath she was using. The witch stepped out and felt her judgment come closer.
The clothes waiting for her felt soft. Dark in color, it fit her perfectly. The dress was modest enough for a woman of her stature, though Helga wished she could have dressed even more covered. Her hands ran along the material before she fixed her hair. It was perfect and modest - not to attract attention. She sighed, having put off the inevitable as long as she could.
Stepping quietly out of the room and back toward the rest of the cottage, Helga knew not how long she walked. The building was small, yet each room - whence she found not Salazar - felt like an eternity. At long last, she came to the study, the room in which she had waited for Salazar earlier that very day. Her breath hitched, but she made herself breath. Helga faced the consequences of her actions - good and ill.
She stopped in the doorway, and indeed the woman felt faint upon the sight that greeted her. Her hand reached out to steady herself. “Godric,” she greeted the tall man, glancing down. Yet one look had allowed her to see everything. He wore travel clothes, dirty and soiled. He smelled, even from across the room, of earth and ale, animal and roast. Helga had not expected to see him.
“Helga,” his voice was steady, and she hated how serious he sounded. As kind and gentle a soul he was and light. The woman had always seen him happy. Seeing it, part of her wanted to apologize, to fall down at his knees and beg forgiveness. She had treated him unfairly.
“Godric, I,” Helga stepped closer. But he held up a hand. It was only fair that she did as he wished, not talk if he did not want to hear. What had Salazar told him?
“I care for you,” Godric spoke, “deeply. You are an amazing woman, and I will not hear anything else from your lips. Salazar said little, yet he is my friend, and he cares for you more than I do. He rarely cares for a woman, and I knew he liked you. Yet he had done nothing, and so I thought he had moved on. I was wrong. He cares for you, and I can tell you care for him. I will not come between you.”
She was shocked, unable to move. The witch stared at the incredible man in front of her. He was the wronged party, the one treated unfairly. And Godric stepped back. Godric apologized. She did not understand.
“Do not turn him away because he and I are friends or how you think you treated me,” Godric continued, “It will help no one. And it would not be fair to him. Do not think ill of yourself, for you are a kind woman. You gave me a chance to court you, yet I cannot win your heart. I can see which battles I cannot win.”
“I have never heard of you turning away from any battle…” Helga finally spoke, shocked into speech by his words.
“I have yet to meet a dragon I cannot slay, my lady,” Godric smiled. “But you are another man’s treasure, not mine.”
-Silyara, Slytherin