Written for Fairest of the Rare's Sing Me a Rare 2020: Mash Ups. Runner up for "Best Male Lead" & "Favorite SMASH Round."

Songs: "Lovefool" by the Cardigans & "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga

Thank you to my fabulous alphabeta DrunkenWinky for helping me plan and edit this fic! It would be a mess of timelines and ideas without you :) Thank you also to everyone who voted for this fic! I loved being part of something with so many wonderful authors and readers.

Un

The tall wizard stood in his usual spot in the corner of her doorway, his dark clothes and hair easily cloaked in the shadows cast by the small study's waning candlelight– not that she'd noticed. The scattered papers and thick tomes that cluttered the witch's workbench would always be the foremost subject of her attention and affection.

Her studies had recently transitioned to the nature of souls. Again, not that she'd told him– he'd merely heard her muttering about her latest hypothesis when she'd passed him in the corridor the other day. That always signaled a shift in her focus.

There once had been a time where he'd been what she studied, what she whispered sweet nothings about. But Salazar had observed her since the four of them, the founders, had met and he'd seen her cyclic nature. He knew what would eventually happen from the first time he tasted her lips, and yet watching her drift away to pursue her newest fascination still felt like a dagger in his chest.

He knew that Rowena was a creature who lived for knowledge. She was most interested in the 'how' and 'why' of things and, until recently, her latest quest had been to discover just what about him made her heart quicken. But the world was so very large, and with so many questions that still needed answering, he'd known her attentions could never be permanent.

But as he leaned against the opened doorway of Rowena's study and watched as she labored through the early morning hours, for the first time he felt helpless against what he saw.

"Sal?" He glanced back over his shoulder to see Helga climbing the final steps of the tower, her yellow skirts brushing against each step like the sunbeams that streamed through the windows.

He smiled tiredly as she came to stand next to him, both of their eyes on Rowena's hunched form at the desk. He slipped his wand briefly from his sleeve to cast a silencing charm so they wouldn't disturb Rowena. "She never came to our chambers last night. I found her here, still at work."

It was rare to hear Helga sigh so defeatedly. "She does get into these moods every now and then, though it has been a while since the last…" Salazar could feel her warm amber gaze as it scanned his face worriedly.

"It is alright. I realize this as well."

The two founders stood in silence for several moments as they watched Rowena wave her hand and conjure her silvery patronus. The eagle stood proudly as she ran a form of diagnostic charm with her wand, and Salazar wondered selfishly what memory she had used to draw forth her spiritual form. "Sometimes… I fear she loves me no longer."

"Rowena loves you dearly, Sal," Helga scolded him in a rough whisper, shaking her finger at him disappointedly. "She gets excited about every new thing she discovers. Once she has reached the bottom of her latest query, she will find her balance again."

A part of him wanted to listen and draw hope from her words, but his stubborn side won out. "Thank you, but I do not want to delude myself with hopeful illusions." Salazar had existed before her, and he would exist after she left him. After all, when the sun sank from the sky, the shadows still remained as the all encompassing darkness of night.

He ignored Helga's resigned shake of her head as she turned to descend the way she had arrived. After one last lingering look at Rowena, he followed his friend down the stairs.

Quatre

"Mum always told me I should stick to a man that deserves me," she said one night as she stepped off the path to pick an aster flower. She twirled the long stemmed purple flower between her fingers, tipping her head slightly to watch the movement of the petals.

In the darkness of the forest, she appeared as if the Moon had graced the mortal soil in human form. Even her hair shone softly under the gentle starlight.

He rarely interacted with the castle's residents anymore– not after history had twisted his name and his story. The last thing he wanted was to encourage the wrong ideas, especially when the world was balanced on another precarious edge.

She was the exception.

He first had followed her to make sure she stayed protected from the darker elements that lurked around the castle and the grounds. Even in her first year, she had roamed the woods under the moonlight, gathering herbs and flowers, both to become ingredients and for her own artistic ventures.

(When he observed that these late night walks coincided with nights her housemates would lock her out, his rage had reared its head. It was no accident that the main culprit was found petrified by the basilisk, despite her magical pedigree. The attacks on this wandering Moon were quickly ended.)

He'd found a purpose in protecting her from the threats that he could, and so found himself as her shadow when she flaunted curfew to escape the castle walls.

He wasn't sure what he'd done that tipped her off to his existence. Many generations of students had passed since he'd last truly revealed himself to anyone in the castle. He watched Hogwarts' numbers grow and then dwindle due to ongoing strife within the magical community, all the while using the castle's magic to keep him invisible. It was easy to achieve this feat– after all, he was the castle's magic in a way. In order to strengthen the castle, and ensure he was able to watch over it and its inhabitants for the indefinite future, he had infused his magical core into its ward complex. In return, he retained his corporal form within the confines of the grounds– but only when he wished to be seen.

Thus, it caught him entirely by surprise when this small, blonde girl turned to stare him dead in the eyes one snowy night five years ago, just after they had entered the Forbidden Forest.

"You've been following me." Her words weren't a direct question, but he could hear a request for an explanation behind her steely tone.

His eyebrows were still raised in shock as he uttered the first words he had spoken to a human in years. "To protect you. There are dark things that dwell here."

She stared at him in silent contemplation, and he could now see her wand was gripped tightly in her pale hands. The longer sleeves on her winter robe had hidden the action from view at first.

"How do I know you're not one of those things?"

He couldn't stop the surge of pride he felt that this small first year had thought to ask such a question. "I exist as an extension of the castle's magic. My purpose is to protect the students of Hogwarts… even if that means protecting them from their classmates."

He was glad to see a knowing glimmer appear in her eyes at his words. She shifted her weight slightly more onto her left side as she observed him quietly for several heartbeats. Salazar found his shoulders relaxing as he let out a sigh of relief when she finally came to a conclusion and gave a tiny nod to herself.

"A friend, then." He caught sight of a small smile on her face before she turned back around and began to head deeper into the forest. "Well, come on!" She called over her shoulder. "The night isn't getting any younger."

Salazar wasn't usually one to follow orders, but this girl didn't leave him much choice as she walked further into the trees. He wasn't lying about the dark dangers of the Forbidden Forest– and besides, Luna Lovegood was quite an interesting little witch.

So he followed behind her, and thus began their steady routine.

Her presence was as much a comfort to him all these years later as his was to her. He was always waiting at the treeline for her to meet him once the sun descended. And, just as the moon remained an ever present sight in the night sky, she never failed to show each night and stroll by his side. She was punctual, even after six years.

His attention turned back to the offhand comment she had just made, completely different from their earlier topic of the different healing properties of fluxweed. "Your mother was right," he said, a wan smirk on her face as he finally settled on a safe reply.

"I know," she airly agreed, pausing her words as she held up a finger to allow a silvery moth to perch. Her gaze moved from the delicate insect to meet his dark hazel eyes, and not for the first time he was awestruck by the intensity of her blue eyes. "I know you do deserve me. But not yet." She smiled. "The time's not right yet."

Salazar smiled softly at her, not trusting himself to verbally respond to such confident proclamations that he knew to be false. Instead, he gently took the flower from her hand and placed it behind her left ear. Her eyes sparkled and shone as he brushed a lock of hair from her face. He only allowed himself to feel the warmth of her blushed skin beneath his fingertips for a moment, relishing in the simple act of companionship, before he withdrew his hand.

He was glad to be able to distract her briefly from the horrors he knew she'd be facing once she reentered the castle. It took all that he had to keep from reaching out and channeling Hogwarts' magic to heal her bruises and cuts from today's Dark Arts lesson. But, he knew any attention she received if they magically vanished would only make the next far worse.

So when she requested several minutes later as they trekked deeper into the forest, "Say you love me, Salazar," he conceded to her request. It didn't matter how much it hurt him to say it freely into existence, as long as it gave her the strength to make it through the next day so she could ask again.

Deux

"I thought you said you would not be doing this anymore." Her voice had a tone of reproach, and he knew immediately where this conversation would be headed.

Salazar shut his eyes for a moment with a sigh. He couldn't turn from his task yet– leaving unfinished runes could make them set incorrectly, and that could lead to fatal consequences. He refocused on the stone wall his wand was pressed against, making sure to keep his carvings neat and even. Only once he was finished, wand neatly tucked into the sleeve of his thick fur lined coat, did he turn to her.

"I want to make sure the students are protected, Rowena."

He ran a tired hand over his face. How long had he been carving the runes for? Now that he had been interrupted, he could plainly feel an oncoming yawn as he blinked sluggishly. "Some of the children with non-magical families are being attacked in their homes. I want to make sure they can stay here safely."

The raven-haired witch was staring at him with a mix of understanding and exasperation in her expression. "Your students sent for me. You missed your charms class." She slowly crossed the corridor to approach him, as if he were a wild animal that might be spooked at any moment. She raised her right to caress his cheek, and he eagerly leaned into its warmth.

"They will understand," he murmured. "I hope you do as well."

Rowena's silence was enough of an answer for the two of them. He knew they were both taking steps in order to ensure the protection of their beloved creation and students for decades to come– it was their differing methods that were the cause of their rift.

"Why must we continue to disagree over this?" She asked softly, pulling her hand away from him. "We both strive for the same goal."

His expression immediately hardened. They'd had this discussion numerous times: in their offices, over dinner, even late at night in their quarters. "You cannot know that you will be able to protect them if you are reincarnated!" He hissed in a low voice, not wanting to shout at his love. "What if you do not even have magic? You would not even be able to see the castle!"

She averted her eyes from his gaze, suddenly finding his runes interesting enough to observe. Salazar shut his eyes again to keep from rolling them at her hypocrisy. He turned away from her and moved several feet down the hall to begin preparing the area for the next lodestone group of runes. He chose to ignore the soft sound of her footsteps as she followed behind him.

She watched silently as he knelt and cast scouring and stabilization charms on the stone wall to ensure there was no errant stray debris or unwanted erosion to the area. He knew she was taking the time to find any flaw to pick at.

"Your runes may weaken the castle's magical defenses," she said slowly after he had finished his preparations. "It could even cause a rupture between its magic and that of the natural ley lines beneath us." Her voice didn't waver, but the halted cadence of her words let them both know she was aware of the unsteady ground of her argument.

Salazar let out a rueful laugh. "If you say something that you might even mean, it's hard to fathom which parts I should believe, Row." He kept his hands and wand in their positions on the wall but shifted slightly so he could still send her an unimpressed stare. "This wasn't solely my idea– it was a joint project between the four of us. Godric did most of the rune layout, and you yourself went through the arithmancy for this rune chain! So– no. We knew those risks would be worth the benefits."

Rowena pursed her lips as she raised a questioning eyebrow. "I don't see Godric or Helga joining you."

Salazar shrugged before turning back to his work. "I asked them. Godric's busy with that sword of his– by the way, he asked that you check on his selective summoning enchantments– and Helga merely wished me good luck." He paused as he made several starting cuts into the stone for the charging center. "I assume she has some plan of her own that she's working on up on the seventh floor."

Rowena sighed, but let out a murmur of understanding. "Alright. I understand… we're both trying to make the worst seem better, in our own ways." She moved forward to rest her chin on his right shoulder, muttering that she was glad he was kneeling so she could reach him at this height. "I just hope you know what you are sacrificing with this." Her arms came up to wrap around his chest loosely so they would not restrict his movement.

The action nearly broke his concentration– Rowena was not one for large public displays of affection. The fact that she was effectively wrapped around him when anyone could walk down the corridor and see them was her way of showing that she still loved him, despite their different views.

He refocused as she continued her thought. "Binding yourself to the castle means you would remain in this form at the cost of your life. You'd stop breathing but be completely aware."

Her reminder wasn't the first time he'd considered the weighty consequences to the blood ritual that would complete the rune scheme. "Row, I had two pupils from non-magical families informed of the loss of younger siblings that showed signs of magic." His grip tightened on his wand, and it took quite a bit of self control to ensure he didn't snap the wood. "Mere children, stoned and burned by their own villages." He paused for a moment, nearly unable to continue speaking with how clenched his jaw had become after spitting out such disturbing news. "My life is worth sacrificing to protect theirs."

"Every heartbreak like that makes it hard to keep the faith in this dream we've accomplished," Rowena said, tilting her head so it rested against his lightly. "But I know it would only be worse if we didn't teach these new magical families, if their magic went untrained and trapped with no outlet… on the days bearing such terrible news, I wonder if we should bring children to Hogwarts earlier than eleven."

Salazar sighed, allowing himself a single nod in agreement before going still again to ensure his runes were straight and true. "I agree, and that would quash the whispers I am hearing of only admitting those from magical families to ensure the safety of Hogwarts. Although…" His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I further wonder if attendance should be compulsory until students reach their majority. If they do not leave the castle, then their home villages cannot attack them or their families."

Rowena hummed softly. "Considerations for another day, perhaps. For now, I will leave you to your work." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before releasing her hold on him and standing up, leaving his back cold at her absence.

Cinq

She was only five or so minutes later than usual, but he was already worried. Luna had never been tardy before. Something was wrong.

He walked briskly up to the castle, his eyes glowing dimly as he looked at his surroundings for any signs of magical residue. No one would be caught unaware by the sight of him as he used the castle's magic to remain unseen– but, just in case there were any highly perceptive individuals like Luna roaming about, he also made sure to keep to the shadows as much as possible.

Today had been one of the quieter days within Hogwarts, so Salazar hadn't needed to be as active inside the castle. There wasn't much he could openly do to combat the 'professors' responsible for causing harm to Hogwarts' students. The current headmaster had control over the wards (and also him) and had forbidden him from direct action, rather like the previous headmaster had.

He knew the man was playing a long game, but Salazar was still sickened by this former member of his house.

Thus, Salazar was forced to remain on the defense. He couldn't step in when children were in class, but once they crossed into abandoned classrooms and quiet dormitories, he was there to help. He left restricted books on healing and warding for the elder years, knowing they would have the required magical core strength to accomplish such complicated spells. He brewed potions in his hidden laboratory during the day, using the school elves to bring him ingredients, and at night he would find the most injured students and leave behind ones that would help: dreamless sleep, dittany, and even skele-gro in severe cases.

He also knew of the ever-growing number of students that were living in Helga's secret room on the seventh floor. He left a stash of the same healing potions inside the door every night after observing the students that entered from his hidden alcove in the corridor.

He'd already gone on his earlier rounds that night and hadn't come across Luna, so he worried that she may have been kept for the longer 'detentions' that ended near midnight. The students who received those were always the most injured.

His worries were valid as he rounded the corner on the fifth floor and found a pale girl curled up on a windowsill. His eyes widened as he took in the blonde hair cascading over her shoulder and the red stains on her hand that was pressed against the window.

"Luna!" He tried to keep his fright out of his voice, but wasn't sure how well he succeeded as he rushed over, dissipating his cloaking charm as he went. He crouched next to her and cupped her chin gently, turning her head away from where it was leaning against the glass. Some of the tension leaked out of his shoulders as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Salazar…" Her voice was weak and trembling, but her eyes were bright as she looked at him.

"Where are you hurt? What did they do to you, can you tell me?"

She tried to smile at his concern, but the movement was marred by a series of tremors. He held his hands up at her side to ensure she didn't fall from her precarious seat, but also kept from restraining her since that could cause harm as well. Salazar swore as he realized at least one of the curses she had been hit with, and cussed again as her change in position revealed cuts all over her arms and legs. There was a particularly nasty one on her side, staining the tattered remains of her white blouse.

"Cru– crucia… tus. Cutting hexesss…" she trailed off with a hiss as Salazar pulled a small glass bottle out of a pouch on his belt and began to drip dittany onto the angriest gash. He let out a sigh of relief as the wound in her side began to knit shut, her skin soon only bearing a long scar to show where the injury had been.

"I will gut them," he vowed under his breath as his hands clenched the precious dropper and bottle. Every time she twitched at the dittany's healing sting, he muttered another vow of vengeance on her behalf.

Luna let out a little sigh as he continued his methodical movements across her body, dripping the colorless potion into the larger cuts that littered her arms and legs.

"You're really here…" Salazar paused and looked up at Luna's awed words to find her gazing down at him, her eyes still bright but now clearer than they had been when he first arrived. "I thought I was lost in confusion… please don't go." Her right hand grasped at his sleeve as if to forcefully make him stay put.

Deeming himself finished with the dittany, Salazar tucked the bottle bag into his pouch and gave his Moon a soft smile. "I find at times I cannot care about anything but you, Luna." He reached out to cup her chin, lying to himself that he was only doing this to hold her steady as he pressed his finger against purpled bruise under her eye to heal it. (Normally, a healer would use a wand to perform such a spell, but he had no need for one anymore– not in his current form.)

Luna's answering smile gave him more energy than the ley lines provided for Hogwarts' magic.

"Tell me a story please, Sal," she asked after he pulled his hand away from healing two further bruises on her jaw. "Tell me how you're here with me now."

He couldn't say no to her simple request. "The four of us wanted to... leave something behind," he said slowly, pausing momentarily in healing her as he thought over his next words. "To ensure Hogwarts was protected. That its students were protected." He held out his hand and nodded absently as she placed hers in it. They were bruised and scraped as well. "Godric had his flashy sword, of course. Helga made the room that you and those other students are now taking refuge in. Rowena…"

He trailed off, allowing himself to finish healing her hands first. "She looked into soul magic, to try and be reincarnated." He placed her hands gently back in her lap. "I decided to tie my magic to Hogwarts through a rune array I carved in a corridor on this floor, so I could continue to protect it and the students myself."

Luna shot him a surprisingly wry yet understanding glance. "You didn't trust anyone or anything else to do the job for you."

He grinned back at her. "I am a Slytherin."

The sound of her soft laughter made him further relax, relieved that she really would be okay after her ordeal. She would survive to face another day, but Salazar hoped that one day soon, such worries would be a distant memory. He'd make sure she'd see the other conclusion of this war.

He'd make sure she'd live.

Trois

Rowena was gone.

It still didn't feel real, all these months later.

He was sitting in her velvet sapphire chair at her desk– the same desk he had watched her work at for their many years together at Hogwarts. He could still picture her sitting him down in her seat, chattered away excitedly about her latest discovery, so he had a better vantage point to view her work. One of her hands would be pointing out pertinent information on the parchment scattered across the table, while the other would rest on his shoulder. When he closed his eyes, he could feel the ghost of her grip still present...

But not even a ghost remained of her. He wasn't surprised; she would never be one to stay behind when a new experience to learn from awaited, especially after her study into and rituals for reincarnation.

None of them had been expecting the news of Helena Ravenclaw's demise. Sal knew Rowena had been heartbroken by her daughter's theft of the diadem, but hearing that her daughter had been killed by the very person sent to retrieve her had stolen the life of the mother as well.

Rowena had stopped eating and refused to leave her quarters– not their quarters, the ones they had shared for nearly a dozen years now, but her previous ones that had been untouched in all that time. Neither he nor Helga or Godric had been able to do anything, especially after she had erected wards so strong that they only eroded two days after she died.

Salazar hadn't been shocked by what they found once they were able to enter; he'd known the details of the ritual for more than a year. She had drawn runes on her arms, hands, forehead and cheeks with clay, runes that stood for life, moon, star, and rebirth. She had looked peaceful from where she lay among a ring of candles, with only one still lit out of the thirteen. It had bathed her face in a gentle, flickering light before he had levitated her to lay on the silky sheets of her bed.

Godric had been the first to search her study in the following days, as Salazar had buried himself in his own studies while Helga had consoled the students in their time of mourning. He returned with letters addressed to each of them that were found in a drawer of her desk, but Salazar refused to read his. Godric had left it on one of the empty tables in Salazar's potion lab, where it had been untouched by everything but dust over the past months.

Until today. Salazar had brought it with him to her study. It was now resting on the desk in front of him, seemingly mocking him. What had been not important enough to be said in words in the days before she died, but still worthy of such a careful letter?

He wondered if it contained her final thoughts on his plan to finish his runic array by binding his magic to the castle in order to remain as its protector. What would she have said now that he had accomplished it?

It had only been a month after she'd died that he'd completed his ritual. Step-wise, it was very straightforward. He had to willingly offer his life blood and magic to the final anchoring set of runes, as that is what would connect him to the magic of the castle and the connected ley lines beneath it.

The large gash he had made to his hand with his wand was perhaps a bit dramatic, but it had done its job well. His blood welled up and over onto the runes when he pressed his hands against the wall, filling all of the crevices and then spilling over onto the unmarked sections. He forced his eyes to stay wide open as the runes flared with golden light as bright as the sun. He felt his magic being drawn from while something foreign and more intense flowed into him at an equal rate. He could feel as his exhaustion and aches faded, his few forming wrinkles smoothened away, and when he later looked in a mirror he would see the patch of silver hairs at his right temple had colored back into its previous jet black.

When the light had died down, he'd pulled his hand away to find his wound healed and the runes back to normal. However, when he'd curiously reached out to touch them, the light had returned, albeit dimmer than before. He was still corporeal, but the castle's magic had recognized him as part of it as a whole.

He pushed his memories and ungrateful thoughts away as he warmed the blue wax seal and finally opened the letter.

Sal,

This will be the last thing I write to you, at least in this life. I am sorry for leaving you in this way, but before you entered my heart, my darling daughter had all my love. Without her, I am broken. A child should never leave this earth before their mother.

I will miss your sweet whispers at night and watching you work during the day. Your passion for your studies has always warmed me like the sun, although it can burn too bright and burn both of us at times. In contrast, I know my habits always waxed and waned like the moon with both the subjects that interested me and my attentiveness to the rest of the world… including you.

Your ritual will work. Or, if you are reading this after completing it– which is what I suspect–, you know it already has worked. I know you will protect our school through whatever the future may hold. I hope that you will find me and allow me to do the same. Hogwarts will certainly know– for we are its creators. And, hopefully, there will be signs for you to find me as well. I made the moon the center of my ritual array, and this sacrifice in its name should carry over to my next life. I pray it is enough for you to recognize when the time is right.

There are times I wonder if I deserved you. There are times I know I did not. You are the reason I was happy and loved on so many dark days. I hope I will have a chance again one day to allow you to feel the same.

With love,

Rowena Ravenclaw

Six

She was twenty-seven now. It was eleven years past that dreadful night where he'd found her wounded in the moonlight filtering through a window. Eleven years past her later disappearance. Eleven years past the deadly battle where he feared for her safety.

He'd come out of hiding during that battle, able to finally act with force against the fiendish invaders in the castle to defend Hogwarts' students. He'd heavily warded the common rooms that shielded the younger years before joining the fighting in earnest.

Hogwarts had been enraged by the harm to her students, and he was merely her humble executor of will.

He'd healed many and changed their fates, but not even he was all-powerful. The fatalities were high, but he felt reassured that he'd kept them from climbing even higher.

In the end, the invaders were defeated, along with his twisted descendant. And, later in the Great Hall when he was helping with the wounded, he'd been the victim of one final attack– a surprise hug from Luna. She was alive, and for one perfect moment, that was all that mattered to him. She was safe.

She'd come back to Hogwarts a year later to complete her seventh year and take her NEWTs, but every time she'd visited afterwards, he still felt that same surge of relief and contentment.

Including on this day.

He'd felt when she first entered the castle's wards and eventually tracked her down to a very familiar corridor on the fifth floor. Centuries ago, he'd spent enough nights carving runes into the stones on the bottom section of the walls to count every stone that made up the hallway. He paused after turning the corner to watch her quietly.

Luna hadn't grown any taller since her last visit the previous month, but then again, she hadn't grown much since her fifth year. She still barely reached the middle of his upper arms. Her hair length was something that did change; she'd cut it to her shoulders six months ago, and it was now brushing just beneath her shoulder blades. She was wearing trainers and jeans along with a long sleeved lavender dress that reached her mid-thighs. Her usual leather bag was slung across her body, a constant feature after her friend had given it to her as a twenty-third birthday gift. She loved taking it on excursions, as it was bigger on the inside.

What caught his attention though were the tiny aster flowers that hung as earrings and peaked through her hair. He remembered that flower, from one of their many walks long ago. The sight of it gave him the final urge to break her pensive observation of his rune array.

"Lately I have desperately pondered–" He paused, smirking as he saw the immediate guilty shift to her stance once she knew she was caught. "Spent my nights awake, even, as I've wondered– what I've done that made you stay." He walked forward to stand beside her and look down at the ancient carved runes on the corridor wall that he had made– several lifetimes ago.

Luna looped her arm through the crook of his elbow and leaned her head into his upper arm– she was too short to reach his shoulder. "I think it's time Hogwarts had another protector, don't you?"

"I can't ask you to do this."

She tilted her face back so she could see into his hazel eyes. "Oh, Sal," she said, the hint of an airy laugh on her tongue. "Just say that you need me."

Even after all these years, she was still continuing to surprise him. His hesitation was apparently something of amusement to her as she did give in and giggle. "If it'd help, I could cry and beg for you to…"

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead despite his own laughter. "That won't be necessary," he assured her, sealing his promise by tucking several strands of her hair behind her left ear. She'd clearly made up her mind, or she wouldn't have returned to the castle. Luna was always sure of herself.

They knelt down together in front of the array of runes, and Salazar gently brushed a hand over the final set that he had spilt his blood over so many years and decades ago. The carvings shone golden at his touch.

"Professor McGonagall finally asked you to fill the position for History of Magic?" She calmly asked, eyes not leaving the golden light that now bathed them.

Salazar chuckled. "I remember seeing her walk these halls as a student. She can be quite persuasive." He paused in thought for a moment. "And formidable."

That, and Salazar had realized what staying hidden had cost him. He had spent these past ten years as the Head of Slytherin house to help guide its members on a truer path than recent generations, to let them know they had choices other than to live in their parents' shadows. He was content with the equal standing his house now had amongst the school. Vicious house rivalries and blatant favoritism was now largely a thing of the past.

However, he didn't want to stop there. There needed to be some way to ensure these positive changes continued into the future… and that was when the Headmistress had come to him with her proposal. What better way to protect this new generation of Hogwarts students than to teach them their history so they were not doomed to repeat it? The Wizarding World could no longer suffer from the arrogance of a few and ignorance of the majority that had led to so many of its conflicts.

His attention was drawn back to Luna as she nodded in agreement. "I've accepted the Care of Magical Creatures position," she suddenly said, missing his shocked expression as she turned away to rummage through her satchel and retrieve a silver dagger.

"You have?"

"Well, who else would teach the students mermish?"

Salazar grinned. She was absolutely marvelous.

She raised the dagger and cut deeply across her palm, her scarlet blood pooling quickly over the edges of her hand. Salazar took the dagger from her by the handle and watched as she took a deep breath and pressed her bloodied hand against the still-golden runes. Her blood was drawn into the crevices as if they were new veins of hers. In a way, they were.

Once the runes at the start of the array were filled, a silver light flared up so brightly it was as if the moon had fallen to the earth. Salazar found himself needing to shield his eyes despite his ability to see magic, as this ritual was so pure– she was so pure…

He warily looked up as the light faded to find Luna still kneeling with her hand pressed against the wall. He hadn't been expecting to see her hair glowing silver, and as her eyes opened, he saw the same magical light in them as well. After a moment, both her hair and eyes returned to normal and she blinked a few times before turning to him with a smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but what that was Salazar would never know as he hastily leaned forward and kissed her soundly, one arm wrapping around her waist and the other hand reaching up to caress her cheek.

They drew apart, faces flushed as they rested their foreheads against each other.

"Say that you love me, Luna Lovegood," he whispered, not trusting his voice to be any louder.

Luna smiled happily up at him. "Of course I love you, Sal."