The Founders Four

Benedick Greyson

A pale boy with dark hair sat alone at the end of a hallway in a silent building in London. He was fifteen and though he was of a fine build, like his father had been, he was fragile on the inside. He stared at his feet, trying to block out the pain he felt. He'd lost his parents in a tragic accident, as everyone kept refering to it. He'd loved them dearly. He'd lived with his uncle for the time after their death but was now waiting to see a man that would talk to him about his future.

His mother and father had been lord and lady of southern England. It seemed that he was next in line for this position. The man he was going to see today would supposedly help and advise him.

A door creaked open at the end of the corridor and the boy looked up eagerly. A man in long robes of black moved forwards. He surveyed the boy for a moment and then smiled a small smile that didn't quite travel into his pale eyes.

"Do come this way, Salazar," he said in a calming voice.

Salazar Slytherin got to his feet and walked down the hallway with the man. They both entered the office and the door shut automatically behind them. Salazar sat in front of a highly polished oak desk when he was beckoned to do so. The man sat down opposite him, observing him over entwined fingers.

"Do you know who I am Salazar?" He asked in that calming whisper of a voice.

Salazar shook his head mutely.

"Then I shall introduce myself," he smiled. "My name is Benedick Greyson. I was a good friend of your father's. Such a tragic loss," he added quietly. "Has he ever mentioned me?"

Again, Salazar shook his head.

"Well, I promised him I'd keep your best interests in mind. I'm here to help you. There are many unpleasant characters after your title, Salazar. I will help you gain the position you deserve, the title that is rightfully yours."

"I don't want it," Salazar said quickly. "I don't care who has it! I don't want to be a lord!"

"Come now, my dear boy!" Benedick said delicately. "You would feel different in years to come and feel most regretful if you passed up this opportunity."

Salazar just remained silent. He wanted nothing more than his parents to be with him at that very moment in time.

"We wouldn't want common muggles in your position now, would we? I mean, the king is already a muggle. We need someone like US in power, don't we?"

Salazar looked up. Not many people knew what he and his parents were but he knew that, if Benedick had been his father's friend, he could trust him to keep their secret. It was worth death if your secret was to slip. You'd be burned at the stake if you were found to practice witchcraft of any kind.

"But I...I have no idea how to be a lord," Salazar said quietly, his heart hammering at the very prospect.

"Well, that is where I come in," Benedick smiled. "I will help you, Salazar. I will make you a noble lord. We will make sure our kind gets where they need to be."

*

"Hello, m'boy!"

Salazar had been escorted back home to the large and very grand house his uncle lived in. He walked through the door and his uncle was there to greet him at once.

"How did it go?"

"Fine," Salazar replied. "He said he's going to help me become very powerful."

His Uncle Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Don't go getting too big for your boots yet, sonny!" He chuckled.

"Salazar!"

He spun on his heel just in time to see a beaming smile and a silky sheet of blonde hair before he'd been pulled into a very tight hug. He smiled.

"Hello, Belle!" He beamed.

Belle had been a mere child when she'd been adopted by Arthur and his wife. They had found her in an orphanage and saw great potential and decided they'd take her home and make her a learned young woman. She was so beautiful it was hard to believe she'd come from such an unfortunate background. Arthur's wife had passed away some years previous and now Belle kept him company when Salazar was away.

"We've missed you!" She said. "How are you?"

"I'm feeling better now," he beamed.

She smiled in reply.

Arthur cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry, Sir," she said quickly, tearing her gaze from Salazar's flushed face.

"Please, Belle, how many times? You do not have to refer to me as Sir!" He chuckled.

"Sorry. I'll go and help Mrs. May. Dinner should be ready soon."

Salazar watched her hurry out of sight.

Arthur just chuckled.

"What?" Salazar demanded, feeling embarrassed.

"Let's change before our meal, shall we?" He suggested.

Once they'd done this they returned downstairs and took up their places at the dining table.

"You know, I never recall your father mentioning Benedick," Arthur muttered thoughtfully.

"Really? He seemed to know who I was. Perhaps you just never met him," Salazar suggested.

At that moment there was a clattering outside as the food was being brought to them.

"Ah, here we are!" Arthur said happily. "I could eat a horse!"

Mrs. May laid out the food on the table to grateful grunts as she pulled up the lid of every platter to reveal her delicious offerings.

"Thank you, Mary," Arthur said gratefully. "This all looks wonderful!"

"Yes," Salazar agreed. His eyes suddenly fell upon the person standing in the doorway. It was Belle. She was not dressed in her usual blue but had adorned a long green gown. She looked so stunning Salazar found it hard to take his eyes off her. "It certainly does."

"Oh, Belle, me dear!" Arthur said happily, rising to his feet. "Salazar, where are your manners?" He hissed, when he didn't stand. It was only polite to do so when a lady was sitting at a table.

"Thank you," she smiled.

She sat down opposite Salazar and beamed.

Even though she had known Salazar from three years old, since he was five, he found it hard to talk to her normally these days. Every time he spoke to her his throat would seize up and his stomach would churn. He also couldn't stand the thought of being alone with her. He was afraid his heart might burst if he was ever in that situation.

What is wrong with me? He thought angrily as that familiar wave of warmth spread over him. This often happened. His heart would race, his breathing would speed up and he would start to get very warm all of a sudden.

"Are you alright, Salazar?" She asked gently. "You look a little flushed."

"I'm fine," he managed to say, before that familiar lump formed in his throat, brought on every time he spoke to her.

"Here, try some of these," Arthur smiled, offering him a platter of chopped vegetables.

Salazar reached out, desperate to have something to do other than think about how red his face must be now. As he reached across his hand caught the edge of his goblet and it toppled over, staining the table cloth yellow. Belle gasped as it trickled off the table and onto her dress.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Salazar said quickly.

"It's okay!" Belle said, trying to wipe it off before it stained her dress too.

"It was an accident."

"I know," she smiled.

"Maybe you best go to the kitchens. Mrs. May can get any stain out of anything," Arthur suggested.

She hurried out of the room.

"I'm such a fool!" Salazar muttered angrily. "I'm so clumsy."

"Ah, it was an accident boy!" Arthur chuckled. "Belle knows that. You do seem to have a number of unfortunate accidents when she's around." Salazar said nothing in reply but ended up feeling even more embarrassed. "You're rather taken with her, aren't you?"

"What?" Salazar said quickly, almost knocking over the platter of bread rolls.

"Careful, boy!" He snapped, catching it just in time.

"Sorry."

"Look," he said calmly. "I've seen the way you two look at each other."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Salazar exclaimed, trying to look innocent.

"Oh, I think you do. It's so obvious. You can tell she likes you too!" He chuckled. "Why don't you try telling her."

"I can't do that. It'd be too strange," Salazar said at once. "Besides, every time I talk to her it comes out wrong."

"There are other ways of showing someone how you feel, you know."

He smiled and then rose to his feet, exiting the room and leaving Salazar to sit alone in the dim candlelight. What on earth did he mean?

*

Many miles away Rowena sat in the carriage with her mother and father, staring stubbornly out of the window. She hated the way her father had just blamed anyone but her immediately.

"I can't believe you could be so foolish," he murmured, at an attempt to fill the awkward silence. "Going off with a commoner!"

She ignored him.

"Don't turn away, Rowena! You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"Silus, please!" the queen said quickly, as he grasped Rowena's arm tightly. "That boy obviously made her go with him!"

"No he didn't!" Rowena spat. "I wanted to be alone. I always have to go everywhere with you!"

For a horrible moment it seemed as though the king was about to hit his daughter but then his angry expression subsided.

"You are a princess! What do you expect? You think we'd let you cavort with the silly children that play in the streets?" He laughed, as though the idea was ludicrous.

"I wish I could," she murmured, staring angrily at her feet.

"You should be grateful, young lady!" He barked.

"Your father's right," her Mother put in. "Being with common children is immature, dear. You must act your age. You'll be married in a few years."

"Into royalty, might I add!" Her father said seriously.

"Yes, Prince Edmund seemed a lovely young man."

"I'm not marrying him!" Rowena said automatically. "He's a pompous fool!"

Her parents looked scandalised but she didn't care.

"You'll watch your tongue!" Her father snapped. "If you can't act your age we'll have to make all the right decisions for you!"

Rowena didn't think it was wise to argue and at that very moment wanted nothing more than to not be a princess. She was sick of the way her parents treated her.

*

Salazar sat alone in the dark, unable to sleep. He looked up as he sensed movement over by the doorway. Belle stood there in her nightgown holding a candle. She smiled at Salazar, who was half-hidden by darkness. She crossed the room and sat next to him, placing the candle on the small table next to the couch.

"You couldn't sleep either then?" She asked quietly.

"No," he replied.

"Nervous?"

He nodded. Tomorrow he knew he'd have to be recognised in front of a great deal of people as the lord of southern England. He was so young...and so scared. What if everything went wrong? He hadn't wanted to admit this to his uncle but found Belle easy to talk to. She watched his amber lit face for a moment.

"You'll be fine," she assured him. "You're a good person, Salazar. Things usually run smoothly for good people."

Salazar remained silent.

"Your parents would be proud of you," Belle muttered.

"You think so?"

"I know it," she smiled, patting him on the arm. "You'll do right by them. I believe in you."

Salazar smiled. Due to the feeling of nervousness there was no feeling of the usual discomfort when Belle was near him. He noticed this and thought it was something of an improvement. He'd actually managed to say something to her without making a fool of himself.

"Belle?" He said quietly.

"Yes?"

"How do you feel?" He asked warily, thinking back to the conversation he and his uncle had had at dinner.

"Sorry?" She smiled. "What do you mean?"

"How do you feel?" He repeated.

"Erm..." she replied, looking thoughtful. "Tired but unable to sleep."

"No, that's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I meant how do you feel."

"About what?" She urged, looking puzzled.

Salazar hesitating here, thinking he'd sound rather stupid if he spoke what was on his mind.

"Me. How do you feel about me?" He said this more confidently than he felt. His insides cringed once the words had left his mouth.

"Oh..." Though it was dark in the room it was obvious Belle was blushing. "I don't know."

"You must know," he muttered, urging a response.

Belle remained silent, determinedly not making eye contact with him. Salazar suddenly thought of what his uncle had said. Maybe he should show her how he felt. He had a sudden urge he couldn't resist. He found himself pulling Belle towards him and leaning forwards to kiss her.

"Salazar!" She hissed, pushing him away and looking very shocked and embarrassed. "What are you doing?"

"I was...I thought..." He stammered, feeling his face growing hot.

"You're like a brother to me!" Belle said, not looking at him.

"But I'm just trying to tell you how I feel. You feel the same, I know it!" He said quickly.

She glanced towards him and then her gaze flicked back to the floor.

"No," she murmured, getting to her feet. "I'm sorry Salazar but I just don't feel that way!"

She rushed from the room, leaving Salazar sitting with the single flame of a candle for company and leaving him to feel so very foolish for the second time that evening. How could he have been so stupid? That was the last time he was going to listen to his uncle's advice!