A Fan Fiction by suckr4romance of Hufflepuff House
Part One: “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”
I’m running, running through the shady wood. My skirts catch on a stray, fallen branch from a tree. But still I run, not pausing to catch my breath, nor to look back and see if he is following me now.
My chest heaves with each shallow breath. I try to deepen my breaths while simultaneously quickening my pace, but the effort proves futile.
Finally, I see light among the darkness, straight ahead and promising, hopeful. My hand stretches toward the illumination, but every step forward seems to be taking me farther and farther back. Time has stopped, and I am frozen in a universe of shadows, all sign of the once-present beam of light vanished from existence, as if it never existed in the first place.
I collapse to my knees, a mess of grass stains, mud, and torn clothes. I bow my head, in prayer that all hope is not lost. He could find me here; I know he could. And that thought sends a shiver down my spine.
I hear a twig snap from behind me, and my head jerks up at the sound”a reflex I had no control over. And all of a sudden, I’m standing in the middle of a town square. A new, black cloak rests on my shoulders, my tattered dress replaced with one of gold velvet.
The inhabitants of the town are going about their work as they do every day, but something intangible hangs over them, in the atmosphere. It is not a pleasant feeling; I briefly wonder whether or not they know something I do not. The overcast sky only serves to add a gloom to the air.
I walk between two children playing with a ball, past the bakery and an inn called Bloody Mary’s. Through the window at Mary’s, I catch sight of Godric inside. He is sitting at one of the wooden tables, chatting jovially with Rowena. Rowena blushes and bows her head as Godric pays her a compliment. I gather that they found each other in the restaurant by chance, for neither has made such a move as to suggest courting. Not as I know of, anyway.
It’s only a minute before Rowena bids Godric farewell. He remains in his seat, running a finger around the rim of his glass thoughtfully. I imagine he’s considering asking Rowena to his manor for supper this evening, and I hope his unflinching courage makes it happen. They both need a good kick in the right direction…
My gaze shifts to Rowena, who now treads the cobblestones of the road in her dragon-hide boots. I put a hand up in a waving gesture, but she doesn’t see me. Her forehead is creased between the eyebrows”a sure sign she’s thinking too hard about something.
I try to catch her attention by stepping out in front of her as she passes the fountain in the middle of the square, but to no avail. It’s then that I realize: I’m invisible to her, to everyone. I yell out her name, and she doesn’t even start. She only walks deliberately forward, her eyes trained on some object or person unbeknownst to me.
“Rowena!” a strong voice from behind us calls. “Rowena, wait!”
It is Godric. He is coming to ask her, just as I thought he would. But…Rowena keeps on going, as if she hasn’t heard him. Just like she cannot hear me. Godric and I watch, perplexed, as Rowena continues toward an obscured figure in a dark alley way, between a robes shop and a small bookstore.
I stare in horror as Rowena meets up with the cloaked figure in the alley and kisses him passionately. It doesn’t make sense, for her to go around kissing men in public, especially in such a way. She knows better than that; people will get ideas! All I can do is gawk as the kissing only becomes hungrier. The cloaked figure steps into the light, and I dare not believe my eyes.
Salazar Slytherin’s hands coil around Rowena’s waist, pulling her flush against him.
“Rowena!” I want to scream. “What are you THINKING?”
The couple breaks away long enough for me to see the expression on Rowena’s face. And I have never seen a face as blank as Rowena’s is right now. No creases, nothing; she cannot be thinking anything at all. Something feels wrong. This is not really Rowena, is it? She’s acting completely reckless, and it isn’t even bothering her…
I spy a venomous look on Salazar’s face before he leans down to continue his show. He is taunting Godric; that much is certain. Godric instantly develops an angry glint in his eye and moves to crush Salazar’s skull. I reflexively grasp Godric’s wrist in an effort to stop him, but my hand goes right through him. He doesn’t feel a thing, but instead keeps going.
All the sounds of the village cease, and when I turn, I see that everyone is looking at the scene before me. The baker is holding a tray of baguettes outside his store; the children playing with the ball have gathered closer in; all the other people have congregated around us as well.
Godric walks right up to Salazar. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says, his voice laden with hatred.
“And why not?” Salazar sneers. He thinks he owns the world. That’s the main reason he’s broken with us about Hogwarts. He wants all the credit and glory for himself. I don’t want glory; I just want to be happy.
“She doesn’t want to be with you!” Godric exclaims, taking Rowena by the arm.
“Check again, Gryffindor,” Salazar says. “I do believe you’ll find her quite compliant to me.”
Godric shakes his head and narrows his eyes. “Rowena, come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Rowena’s passive facial expression does not falter. “No.” She wrenches her hand out of his.
“NO?” Godric echoes incredulously. “Why ever not?”
“I love Salazar,” she replies, in the vaguest of tones. “I always have. Now leave us, Gryffindor.”
“But”but”” Godric is dumbstruck. He fumbles over his words, until…
“Slytherin, I challenge you to a duel,” he finally says.
Destruction is inevitable, I’m certain. I want to shout, scream, but I know it won’t do any good. Then Salazar says the one word that seals the fate of all four of us.
“Done.”