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batsutousaiTitle: Gelosaþ in Écnesse
Chapter: 8 of 18
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Harry/Salazar, Harry/OFC (Original Female Character)
Warnings: OCs, OoC, minor cliché-age, homophobia, racist actions and slurs (from secondary character), time travel
Summary: Caught in the backlash of Voldemort's Killing Curse, Harry is thrown through time to a world so very different from his own.
A/N: So, this makes me sound a bit like a flip-floppy bitch, but when you people decide to be awesome, you way exceed yourselves. On behalf of the bag I had to pack on Thursday, as well as the friend I'm currently house/cat-sitting for, who got me in a fantastic mood, thanks for the uplift. :D
A number of people have come asking about Harry's age right now? He'll be turning 17 over the course of this chapter. (Sometime in October, so close to the beginning of this chapter's timeline. Don't ask me the exact dates, I'm too lazy to hunt it down in my notes. :P)
The start of this chapter, in italics, is a repost from last chapter. Because it was too awesome not to. (Also, this chapter picks up immediately after.)
Keep It Inside
-0-0-
While the others around the Great Hall exclaimed in surprise at the dying bird, Harry jumped to his feet, recognising a phoenix on its Burning Day – he would never forget how he and Fawkes had first met. He got beneath the bird just as it gave one last mournful croak and burst into flames.
"Harry!" a number of people shouted as the pale blue flames licked at Harry's hair and face, but he just smiled at the feeling of warmth and caught as much of the falling ashes in his outstretched hands as he could.
As the fire disappeared, Harry became aware of Salazar and Ramona both standing in front of him, wearing similar looks of horror and he offered them a quick smile before looking down at the pile of ash in his hands.
"Harry, what–?" Salazar started.
"Hush," Harry ordered and the Founder fell silent, blinking in disbelief. Harry's smile widened as a tiny head poked its way out of the ashes. "Hello, there," he whispered to the newborn as he carefully let the excess ash drop to the ground and rubbed the chick clean with his thumbs.
The chick let out a quiet trill and rubbed its head against Harry's fingers in thanks.
Harry looked up at Salazar, then, grinning widely. "Salazar," he said, "I'd like you to meet a phoenix."
Salazar's eyes widened and he shuffled a few steps forward, peeking into Harry's cupped hands. "Hello there," he whispered, holding out a finger towards the chick.
The phoenix trilled and rubbed against Salazar's finger, making the Founder beam.
"Salazar," Rowena called, laughter dancing in her eyes, "come greet your new student."
"That's Merlin, isn't it?" Harry guessed as Salazar turned to go back.
Salazar flashed him a smirk. "I wonder what gave you that idea."
Harry snorted and turned to go back to the other students, Ramona slipping her arm through his and smiling at the chick, who was fluffing its quickly growing fuzz. "It's so cute," she whispered.
"So it is," Harry agreed. "Which reminds me." He paused and cocked his head at the chick, which looked up at him, its own head cocked adorably to the side. Ramona giggled. "One trill for male, two for female."
The phoenix let out two trills, then returned to fluffing her feathers.
"Always good to know," Harry commented as they finished the trip to the others.
The students crowded around, enthralled.
"No crowding," Harry ordered and they all took a few steps back. There followed a fair bit of cooing and some requests to hold her, which Harry always refused.
When Merlin made his way over, clutching his new wand and looking so many kinds of uncertain, Harry offered him a smile and said, "Welcome, Merlin. I'm Harry." To the other students, he offered, "He's one of Salazar's."
"I knew you knew more about the incoming students," Fane muttered, disgruntled.
"Hello," Merlin replied, shuffling uncertainly under Morgan's unimpressed stare. "Is the phoenix yours, then?" he asked Harry.
Harry blinked and looked down at the chick, who let out a pleased trill and rubbed against Harry's fingers again. "Well, I thought she was yours, to be honest..." he admitted.
Merlin let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Why would a phoenix choose me? No, it – she? – sort of landed on me right before the portkey activated."
Harry considered the boy for a long moment, frowning. "I think you give yourself too little credit," he commented quietly. "Everyone is important, and maybe you can't see that now, but I hope you will one day."
Everyone was silent for a long moment, looking between Harry's calm stare and Merlin's growing blush.
Ramona cleared her throat and touched Harry's shoulder. "What will you name her?" she asked, turning their attention back on the phoenix.
"I suppose that depends on whether she wishes to stay," Harry replied. "Phoenixes aren't, by nature, domestic creatures, and I won't tie her down..." He trailed off, surprised, as the phoenix flapped her fresh wings uselessly a few times before hopping along Harry's left palm and up his arm, catching her talons in his tunic to climb vertically. She finally reached his shoulder, trilling tiredly, and curled up against his neck.
"I think she intends to stay," Morgan pointed out, tone dry but eyes dancing with amusement.
"I'm getting that impression," Harry replied in the same tone.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" a girl with bright red hair demanded.
"Sorry!" Kenric called, ducking under a few arms and grinning at her.
"You must be Godric's newest addition," Harry guessed, amused.
"How'd you guess?" the girl demanded. When Harry's smile just widened, she huffed and said, "I'm Martina."
"I'm Kenny Gryffindor!" Kenric replied. "Welcome!"
Martina's arrival reminded everyone that they had incoming students to watch for and they spread back out on the poufs, chatting with the newcomers.
Merlin, Ramona, and Fane remained standing with Harry. "What will you name her?" Ramona asked again. "Since it seems she intends to stay."
Harry considered that for a moment, brushing a finger against the dozing form on his shoulder. "Not sure," he admitted. "Naming creatures isn't really my speciality."
"Everyone could make a suggestion and you can pick your favourite of the lot," Fane suggested.
"That's not a bad idea," Ramona agreed. "Harry?"
"Sure," Harry agreed. "Everyone can write their idea on a list and I'll pick it that way. Or, well–" he smiled fondly, "–she can pick it."
"We can make an announcement at lunch and tell everyone to bring their ideas to dinner," Ramona decided.
"Have Salazar, Rowena, Godric, and Helga collect them, though," Fane warned. "Maybe even have them write the suggestions on a centralised piece of paper for each House. That way no one can be jealous, thinking you picked a name one person suggested because you like them better."
"Easier to keep track of, too," Harry agreed. "Sure, I'll run it by them before we sit down to eat."
The Founders thought it was a wonderful idea. Helga wanted to know, "Can we make suggestions?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't mind. To be honest, I was sort of expecting you would." He smiled at Salazar, who had talked the sleepy phoenix into sitting on his shoulder instead of Harry's and was quietly hissing compliments at her in Parseltongue. "Salazar. Food?"
"Oh, of course," the man agreed, following Harry towards the Slytherin table and asking the phoenix on his shoulder, "I wonder what you should like to eat, my little one."
"Herbs," Harry answered for the phoenix, who trilled in agreement. Once they'd settled down at the table, Harry turned and called, "Slinky."
The house-elf popped into being in front of Harry, smiling in a way that she never would have a year ago. "What can Slinky bes doing for Young Master Harry?"
Harry smiled back at her, forever pleased to see all the house-elves growing more comfortable while safe inside the castle walls. "Could you get some fresh herbs for the phoenix? Not a lot, she's still little."
Slinky peered up at where Salazar had placed the chick on the table and she was poking curiously at things. "Slinky will," the house-elf agreed before popping away.
Harry turned back around in time for a small bowl with what looked to be freshly picked herbs to appear between his and Salazar's plates. "Here you are," he told the phoenix, who gave a happy trill and hurried over to start pecking at it. Nuala, on the other side of the table, let out an adoring sound while the males covered smiles.
The phoenix, once full, walked awkwardly over to Harry and tugged on his sleeve. "Yes?" he asked and she made a hopeful trill and looked towards his shoulder. "Ah. Certainly," he agreed and held out his hand for a boost up. Once she was happily in place, he returned to his food, ignoring his Housemates grins.
When lunch was done, they all trooped downstairs to show the two new boys to the dorms. Merlin and Alexander were left to pick their rooms from the unclaimed three while the other students took up seats in the common room. Salazar passed out some parchment and a quill for them to write name suggestions on while Harry summoned a block of wood and started working on a likeness of the chick on his shoulder, who seemed quite intrigued by his actions, if her curious trills were anything to go by.
"We'll have to make her a perch," Vail commented as Morgan stole the parchment from him. "Think Roscoe will let us make one?"
"If Roscoe has us making a perch in class, it'll turn into multiple perches and she'll have to decide where to rest," Fane pointed out.
"That might not be all bad, though," Salazar said, sharp gaze flicking between the parchment as it traded hands and where Harry was working. "She can't sit on your shoulder all the time, Harry, and she might well enjoy having a place to rest in the Great Hall or the common."
"So, three," Fane said. "One for Harry's room, one for the common room, and one for the Great Hall."
"Four," Harry corrected, a knowing smile curling his lips.
"Four?" Fane and Morgan chorused, wearing similar frowns.
Harry nodded. "One for Salazar's room. For the odd occasion when he talks her into spending a night with him. It'll happen," he added to the dubious looks his comment received.
"Why not make one for Ramona's room, too?" Salazar suggested, tone tellingly empty of inflection.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the Founder. "Ramona couldn't talk her into sitting on her shoulder."
Salazar didn't bother hiding his smug look.
Merlin interrupted them by dashing into the common, tripping over a mostly smooth patch of stone floor, and landing on his face. Everyone turned to look as he jumped to his feet, declaring, "I'm okay!" He flushed when he realised they were all looking at him.
Harry let out an amused huff and poked Vail, who was taking up most of the couch he and Harry shared. "Move your feet," he ordered. "Merlin, sit before you hurt yourself."
"Oh, sure," Merlin agreed, stepping carefully over to the opened spot between Harry and Vail. He sort of tripped backwards into the spot, wincing as his behind smacked warningly against the hard surface under the stuffing.
"They're not that well padded," Harry commented drily.
"So I can feel." Merlin looked towards the circulating parchment. "Can I have that?" he asked hopefully.
Nuala, who'd just finished writing her own suggestion, handed it across the table, saying, "I feel rather lonely all of a sudden; I'm the only girl down here."
"I'll endeavour to hunt down only females next summer," Salazar replied drily.
"If Harry and Ramona get bonded, she might come live down here," Vail pointed out cheerfully.
"No," Harry insisted, shaking his head. "First off, there will be no talk of bonding – assuming it happens at all – until after we've finished our schooling here. Second, if either of us was going to move dorm, it would probably be me, and I won't." He smiled towards Salazar, catching the flash of relief in the man's eyes before he could hide it.
Alexander joined them, then, bringing a chair over from the table to sit on.
"We need more couches," Nuala commented.
"Talk to Roscoe," Salazar said, straightening from his slight slouch. "Right, you'll be wondering about classes this year?" The students all nodded, even Harry, who didn't know if anything had been changed. "For the most part, things will remain the same for those of you returning. Alexander, Merlin, your classes will be on a slightly different schedule from these others and will take place with those other students that joined us this year. Your schedule will be as follows: Day one will be a free morning, with Roscoe after lunch, Godric will be your teacher the second day, Helga the third, myself the fourth, and Rowena the last. There are two free days for you to do as you please.
"My classrooms are both down here in the dungeons, along the hallway that keeps straight at the bottom of the stairs; Rowena's classroom is on the fifth floor, east end; Roscoe, I believe, will be holding class in the Great Hall; Godric's classroom is on the first floor, down the hallway past the stairwells, and he will continue to hold part of his classes outside; Helga's classroom is on the second floor, west end, or in the greenhouses.
"Due to Wilda Wolcott being a werewolf, the dungeon hall where the classrooms are is off limits during the evening of the full moon to everyone." He stared around until everyone had nodded. "If you have trouble sorting when the full moon is, Harry, one of your other teachers, or myself will be more than willing to tell you."
"Master Salazar?" Fane called with a certain amount of uncertainty. When the Founder nodded for him to continue, he asked, "Will you continue leaving on our days off?"
"I intend to," Salazar agreed neutrally.
"Not this first weekend," Harry added, shrugging when the other Slytherins turned to look at him somewhat disbelievingly. "What? I already asked."
"Well, maybe the rest of us would like to know, too," Morgan muttered, scowling.
"I'd have let you know. Eventually."
Salazar called up the time with a spell, then rose to his feet. "Dinner time, children."
Groaning a bit, they all got up and started for the door, Harry catching Merlin as the boy tripped on nothing. "Have you had your vision checked?" Harry wondered.
Merlin grinned helplessly. "Yes. Sala– I mean, Master Salazar did it when he offered me the spot."
"You don't have to call him 'master'," Harry said drily. "I never have. Some of the others are just a bit too caught up in his secretiveness and have yet to move past the formality."
"He's not very friendly," Merlin pointed out, glancing towards Salazar to make sure he couldn't hear them.
Harry's lips quirked with a tired smile. "He has his moments." He sighed and shook his head. "He's not around much, so I suppose that makes it hard to get to know him."
"We treat you like our adult mentor instead," Vail added, dropping back a bit to walk next to Harry and grin at him.
"Bit of a curse, though," Harry replied. "Here I am, only a bit older than the lot of you, and you follow me around like ducklings would their mum."
"Does that make Ramona our dad, then?" Fane asked, throwing a smile over his shoulder.
"She's the cook in this relationship, not me!" Harry insisted, grinning.
"You did help with the Yule feast last year," Salazar commented.
"Oiy, you great git! Shut your mouth!" Harry called over the laughter of his Housemates.
"No," Morgan said after they'd quieted down a bit and were climbing the stairs out of the dungeons. "If Harry's like our mum, always hovering about and making sure we've had our fill at dinner, that would make Master Salazar our dad. 'Cause, you know, he's always off doing his mysterious things, but he keeps an eye on us when he's here."
"Ooh, good point," Fane agreed.
"Does that mean we're calling you 'Mum' and 'Dad' now?" Nuala wondered sweetly.
"Don't you dare," Harry snapped. "I'll curse the first person who tries calling me that." Those Slytherins that had been there the year before winced, well acquainted with Harry's impressive spell collection.
At the head of the group, Salazar swallowed past a block in his throat at the thought of his students speaking of him and Harry – even in jest – as their dad and mum. Such thoughts only led to unhappy places, he knew, and he shoved them away.
As they took their places at the table, Morgan rolling his eyes and giving up his usual spot next to Harry for the hopeful Merlin, Harry put the phoenix chick on Salazar's shoulder. "A phoenix for your thoughts?" he whispered.
Salazar shook his head and couldn't help a smile when he ran a finger over the chick's growing feathers and she trilled happily. "It's nothing," he promised, tapping the table to call the food.
"If you say so," Harry replied dubiously as the food appeared, a small saucer of herbs between his and Salazar's plates again. "I think the house-elves like you," he told the phoenix and she trilled and pulled on a lock of Salazar's hair until, chuckling, he set her on the table.
After dinner, the Founders handed over the lists they'd made of possible names for the phoenix, Salazar taking a moment to spell his list so the names were all in his own handwriting and moved around the page so no one could claim Harry knew who wrote which. They then retired to the common room and the other Slytherins watched on as Harry read aloud the options to the phoenix. She eventually settled on Tanwen, which had come from the Hufflepuff list.
"It means 'white fire'," Salazar explained for the benefit of the other Slytherins, none of whom had much familiarity with Welsh, which the name came from, other than the few words Harry had taught them last term to use with the cooking spell he'd used on the snow arrows.
After a bit more chatter about the coming term, the Slytherins started trickling towards their dorms until it was just Harry, Salazar, and the sleepy Tanwen left.
"Is he what you expected?" Salazar asked, and Harry knew he was talking about Merlin.
Harry shrugged. "No, not really," he allowed. "But, then, I suppose he's got some years to grow. And, as you and the others have shown me, a lot gets lost to time."
"Hopefully some things remain true."
Harry considered that for a moment, then sighed and got to his feet. "Too little, I think," he said. "Good night, Salazar."
"Good night, Harry, Tanwen."
The phoenix trilled sleepily and both wizards smiled before Harry continued to his room. There, he paused to look around, then said, "I can conjure you a temporary perch for the night, if you'd like?"
Tanwen trilled in the negative and, once Harry was close enough to his bed, hopped down and used her undeveloped wings to drop lightly onto his pillow. There, she turned around a few times before deciding she was satisfied and curling up to sleep.
"As you wish, my lady," Harry murmured, not bothering to hide his fond smile. After changing into his night clothing, he slipped into bed and waved out the candles. "Good night, sweet one," he whispered before slipping into his Occlumency practice.
For Harry and those who'd remained in the castle over the summer, the return to daily classes wasn't as difficult as it was for their fellows, who had enjoyed a summer free of forced study and training in the mornings. It was clear which students had continued training with their weapons over the summer, and Godric found a disturbing amount of pleasure in pushing those who'd slacked.
Harry didn't find much time during the week to spend with Ramona, considering their opposing schedules, but they spent the first day of the weekend curled together under Harry's preferred tree while the other students played on the grounds, tossing around a ball one of the Gryffindors had made over the summer and brought with them.
After lunch, Harry declared he'd be studying in the library – or what would one day be the library, once books became more common – and anyone who wanted to join him could. Within twenty minutes of him and Ramona staking out a table, all the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, four of the Gryffindors, and six Ravenclaws had settled in around them, many conjuring tables so they could sit. They spent a good few hours trading spell knowledge, everyone writing a few down, and the new students noting the lot. (Harry was rather pleased that, for once, he wasn't the one everyone was pressing for new spell knowledge, as the Ravenclaws had quite a number, and his Slytherin yearmates had spent three months learning spells from Harry, which the other Houses hadn't had access to.)
Sunday followed much the same as Saturday – Harry had determined to just name the days as they appeared for classes, rather than worrying about matching Rowena's calendar, which said the day was, in fact, a Saturday – with the addition of a few more Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.
"We'll soon run out of things to teach you," Salazar commented drily at dinner that night.
"Not you," Harry promised. "We don't usually discuss potions."
"I'm torn between being insulted that you don't care for my subject, and glad you've skipped it," Salazar replied.
Harry grinned. "We could practise on the weekends if you'd take down those wards on the potion classroom..."
"Not a chance," Salazar insisted. "You'll blow out a wall."
"I bet Harry could get through those wards, though," Merlin said with a touch of hero worship in his eyes.
Harry shrugged, knowing he could, but not about to divulge that, lest someone think to beg him into doing so. "Perhaps," he agreed mildly.
"Unlike the rest of you, I trust Harry to behave himself in there," Salazar replied.
"I'm not that good at potions," Harry insisted.
"You're not that bad, either."
Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. Maybe he enjoyed potions more under Salazar's direction, but he would never be good at it. And he would never seek out extra time over a cauldron, which made Salazar's classroom all the more secure.
Later, in the common, once the other Slytherins had retired to their rooms and Salazar and Harry were the only ones left, Salazar holding a sleeping Tanwen, the Founder commented, "It amuses me that Merlin is so enamoured of you."
Harry snorted. "You'd think it would be the other way around," he agreed. "Wilda told me he asked Godric what weapon I favoured before picking knives."
Salazar shook his head. "Of his options, it's probably the best for him; he's far more likely to stab himself with a sword, and I doubt he'd have much luck with archery."
Harry's lips curled with a sardonic smile. "He'll grow into it," he insisted.
Salazar snorted. "Of course he will," he agreed sarcastically. "Have you talked him into writing his name on some parchment for you, yet?"
Harry grinned. "First day," he agreed. "I put some spells on it to protect it, too."
"One day, I might understand that," Salazar muttered.
Harry waved a negligent hand at him. "No, you'll probably be left wondering for the rest of your life. Maybe, if you're very good, I'll tell you before I leave."
"I don't think I'm capable of being 'very good'," Salazar retorted.
"Hm. Good point." Harry grinned. "Guess you'll never know."
Salazar let out a snort of amusement and got to his feet, lightly jostling the phoenix resting against his chest. "Tanwen, I'm going to bed."
Tanwen let out a sleepy trill and cuddled closer against the Founder's chest.
Harry laughed at the adoring look on Salazar's face. "Take her, then. And don't be surprised if you find her on your pillow in the morning – she seems to prefer it to her perch."
"Noted. Good night, Harry."
"Good night, Salazar, Tanwen," Harry replied, not quite ready for bed. He stayed out in the common for almost another hour, watching the sleepy fish through the windows and not thinking about much of anything, before finally retiring to his own room.
Weeks continued to follow much the same pattern, broken only slightly by the full moon, which saw Harry, Salazar, and Wilda all exhausted the next day. Tanwen had proven her worth, donating phoenix tears to heal the worst of Wilda's wounds without being asked. Once they'd seen her to her common, Harry told Salazar, "Tanwen and I should be able to handle Wilda fine on the full moons."
Salazar had brushed a hand down the blue and white feathers of the phoenix – somehow proper, despite how unusual the colouring was – and said, "I guess you will be."
Salazar's absences on the weekends had left the new students confused, at first, but they quickly became used to seeing Harry as the authority figure for Slytherin House when the Founder wasn't there. It only seemed to make Merlin's adoration that much worse, and Harry had likened the boy to Colin Creevey on more than one occasion in his head, but he had just enough awe for the boy who would one day become a legend that he wasn't nearly as trying as Colin had been.
Harry caught what time he could with Ramona on the weekends, but it continued to feel more like a friendship, as opposed to what Harry thought a relationship should feel like. The correlation bothered him until, the second day of Yule, when the two managed to snag a whole three hours of silence inside the future astronomy tower, Harry brought it up.
"Ramona," Harry started, uncertain, "do you really feel like...a couple?" He winced.
Ramona glanced over at him, something like resignation in her eyes. "No," she admitted. "More like, how did you put it before? Like very good friends."
Harry nodded, heart sinking. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
But Ramona shook her head. "For what? Harry, it's just as much my fault, I think. Yes, I still think you're quite handsome–"
"Am not," Harry muttered, years spent under the hateful words of the Dursleys forever leaving him unable to see worth in himself, no matter how many times Ramona had insisted otherwise.
Ramona ignored him, having long learned this was one battle she wouldn't win. "–and I'm still quite fond of you, but not in such a way that I need to spend the rest of my life with you. That's not to say I couldn't spend the rest of my life with you..."
Harry smiled, knowing what she meant. "I care for you too, Ramona," he murmured and she returned the smile. "It's probably for the best," Harry added with a hint of a sigh. "Eventually, I'll leave, and I don't want either of us parting with a broken heart."
"Noble of you," Ramona said drily and they shared a grin; Harry had told her some of his past, such as him being a member of Godric's House. (She'd only laughed a little after he admitted that Godric and Salazar's Houses hated each other in the future, seeing the irony of Harry being Salazar's favourite student in a way that only Harry had so far.)
Ramona sighed and shook her head. "It never would have worked, anyway," she pointed out. "Even if you were staying here forever."
Harry frowned. "What do you mean? I thought–"
"Harry," Ramona interrupted, "you like Salazar."
"Of course I like him," Harry agreed. "He's my Head of House and a nice guy, when he's not being a git. But I don't understand what that's–"
"You like him," Ramona stressed. When Harry continued frowning, uncomprehending, she sighed again and said, "You're happiest when he's in the castle, you spend more time with him than you do me, you share things with him that you don't with me–"
"I share things with you that I don't Salazar," Harry insisted.
Ramona rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling, then asked, "If given the choice between returning to your time and staying here, specifically with Salazar, which would you choose?"
Harry opened his mouth to say, 'Home, of course,' only to realise that wasn't quite true. He'd become accustomed to his evenings with Salazar, to sharing Tanwen during meals and on nights when she fell asleep on him, to listening to him hiss to himself in Parseltongue when something irritated him. More than anything, he didn't want to lose that. Going home, seeing Ron and Hermione and Sirius, fighting Voldemort... All of that seemed insignificant when held next to the thought of losing Salazar forever. "Merlin," he breathed, not even thinking to censor his modern swear. "Oh, fuck." He buried his face in his hands, cursing his lot in life.
Ramona watched him with a sad smile. "I've been waiting for you to figure it out yourself and end things with me," she admitted. "I assume you haven't noticed his feelings for you, either?"
"What?" Harry jerked his head up, disbelief and the fading upset bright in his eyes. "Salazar doesn't–"
"Sometimes," Ramona commented tiredly, amusement in her dark eyes, "I get so caught up in how far ahead of the rest of us you are in magical knowledge, that I forget you didn't realise we'd been courting for weeks."
"Shut up," Harry ordered, but it was tinged with confusion. "Salazar doesn't, but..." He looked at her, green eyes bright with a mix of fear and hope. "Really?" he whispered.
Ramona sighed and took one of Harry's hands in hers. "Remember when we first started courting? You said he was furious."
"Well, yeah. But it was because I'd be leaving and he didn't want either of us getting hurt. Right?"
Ramona shook her head. "It took me a while to notice, because he was always gone, but he was jealous. He'd always look away when he saw us holding hands or showing affection. He was happiest when you chose him over me for one reason or another, like when you wouldn't let me spend the night that first full moon, or those times you helped him set up his classrooms, instead of coming outside with me. And he stayed at the school when Godric was being difficult over Wilda, even though you told him not to."
"He was just being a good Head of House," Harry murmured, but he didn't sound as certain as he had been when Salazar had first insisted he'd stay. Now that Ramona had mentioned those few things, he remembered other times Salazar had been pleased at Harry's attention, such as when he'd made him the phoenix figurine, or when he'd commented that Tanwen seemed to prefer Salazar to Ramona. And then there'd been that first full moon, when Harry had woken on the couch in Salazar's arms, even though he'd known he hadn't fallen asleep in anything like that position.
"You should talk to him," Ramona suggested.
"To what end?" Harry asked bitterly. "So maybe we have a relationship – a courtship, or whatever – I'll still have to leave and then we'll both be hurt even worse than we would be now. I mean, he's the one looking for a way to send me home." And how hard that had to be for him, Harry realised, looking for a way to send Harry beyond his reach. "Better we not get any closer."
"Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all," Ramona commented and Harry wondered for a moment where she'd pulled that bastardised quote from before realising she was probably quoting him; it wouldn't be the first time.
"Regardless," he insisted, "returned feelings or no, Salazar wouldn't just agree to a relationship. I mean, I'm his student–"
"Stand-in, more like," Ramona muttered.
"–and we're both male, which I somehow doubt will go over well with anyone else in the castle."
Ramona winced. "Godric," she said quietly, "hates homosexuals. Mum and Dad, I know, don't care one way or the other, and I doubt Rowena or Holden care. But Godric..."
"Best not to put any further pressure on Godric," Harry said wisely. "And that's not even considering the feelings of the students, especially my Slytherins."
Ramona giggled quietly, as she always did when Harry claimed his Housemates like they were as much his students as they were Salazar's. Honestly, she didn't think the Slytherins would be too bothered by Harry and Salazar loving each other, far too fond of their Founder and Harry to be anything but happy for the two.
Harry flashed her a quick smile before it turned worried. "Is your dad going to kill me for ending our courtship?"
Ramona covered a smile. "I'll end it, officially," she suggested.
"Of course you will," Harry agreed, amused. "And what's your explanation?"
"It felt more like we're friends, rather than together," Ramona replied primly. "Anyway, I've had my eye on Manfred a bit..." she admitted, naming one of the newer Hufflepuffs.
Harry laughed and drew her into a half hug. "Yeah? He's not so bad a person, I suppose. If you like red hair."
Ramona hit him. "Stop that!" she ordered and they leaned against each other to laugh. "You're the absolute worst," she informed him once they'd calmed themselves, but there was a well of fondness in her voice.
Harry smiled at her. "We're still best friends, though. Right?"
"Always," Ramona promised and kissed his cheek.
They hunted down Roscoe and Helga after another hour of quiet friendship and let them know about the end of their courtship. Helga was obviously saddened, having quite looked forward to having Harry as a son-in-law, but they both understood that it was Harry and Ramona's choice, and one they'd made together, with no hard feelings.
"I'm still allowed to feed him new recipes," Ramona commented, making Harry grin, as he quite liked her attempts in the kitchens, "and he's still allowed to make me new figurines in his spare time, but we're just friends; we work better that way."
"Well, you're both in agreement about this," Roscoe allowed.
"You've lost a son-in-law," Harry said with a quiet smile, "but I still consider you two family, same as everyone else. If that's okay?"
Helga drew him into a hug, laughing with tears in her eyes. "Of course, Harry; I'll always be happy to consider you a son."
And so Harry and Ramona's relationship ended on a good note. Incidentally, it was one that Salazar was not there to hear about, but everyone else was supportive of their decision and no one made a big deal of it. When classes started back up in January, the returning students had made a couple quiet inquiries about the change and both Harry and Ramona had assured everyone that it was fine, there were no hard feelings, and life went on.
-0-
A/N: Not quite the shortest relationship ever written... XD Hopefully that came out fine, though.
Salazar and Harry should get together next chapter. Just FYI. :)
~Bats ^.^x
Who's Who:
Merlin -- Dark auburn hair, pale blue eyes, impressively clumsy. Will one day become the well-known advisor of King Arthur of Camelot and quite famous. (Though he'll always be clumsy.) Two years younger than Harry and quite in awe of him.
Alexander 'Alex' Ronson -- Brown hair, grey eyes, due to be named Baron Ronson once he's completed his education. Three years younger than Harry.
Tanwen -- Blue and white – with silver claws and beak – phoenix. One of her tail feathers resides in Harry's wand. Came to Harry in order to help him get home in the future; is fond of Salazar because she knows he and Harry love each other. (Even if they are being guys about it. XD)
01 - Impossible Distance || 02 - Layers of Harmony || 03 - Breaking Inside
04 - Let It Flow || 05 - White Horses || 06 - Disturbs Your Slumber
07 - Heart Worth Breaking ||
10 - I'll Breathe Again || 11 - Set Fire to the Rain || 12 - Generation Built on a Lie
13 - In Defence of Our Dreams || 14 - Night Falls In || 15 - Nobody Knows Our Names
16 - I'm Not Drowning || 17 - Beating of the Storm || 18 - Let Me See Your Fire
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