* GG // BOLD HEART

“is there any clubs or anything so i can get a drink”?

“Depends what kind of club you’re looking for?” Godric answered, smiling slightly. “I mean I could give you directions to every gay club in town but..”

“I am not sure. Because I love the memories I have from Washington and it would feel really weird to.. remember another life” she said and shrugged as she looked at him. “Hurtful things? Like what?” the question slipped out before she got the chance to stop herself. But she was rather curious as to what kind of hurtful things had taken place.

“I get that. It’s your choice to make, not ours.” He said with a slight shrug. He had been expecting her to ask about it, but truth been told, Godric had no idea how to answer. “I don’t remember everything myself but I believe we all got broken up.” He said as he bit his lips. “Sal was saying bad things and I asked him to leave. And I don’t remember how exactly but that hurts, so I’m sure there’s other things that maybe.. Wouldn’t be good to remember.”

“Now why would I lie about not remembering anything?” she asked when she looked at him, cocking one of her eyebrows. Helga didn’t know if she wanted to remember whatever life she lived back home. It was nice to know that she had great friends and started a school. But for some reason she felt anxious.

“Well..” He murmured. Honestly, he would understand why she would pretend not to remember. He was trying to do the same for what he had remembered, for that damn night. “Do you want to? Remember, I mean. I can try to help..” He admitted, biting his lips. “But I’d understand if you didn’t want to. There was a lot of good but also.. Lots of hurtful things that happened. I guess that’s just how life is, but I prefer telling you so you don’t get surprised in case you.. You know, would want to.”

Dorothy turned to look at the man who had almost bumped into her. Pretty sure she would’ve gone down, but it would’ve been her fault, she was dumb enough to stop in the middle of a sidewalk, of course that was an accident waiting to happen. “No, that was totally my fault, I shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the street like that.” She sighed, nodding her head. “I am, yes. Thank you. Are you okay?”

“No, really I-..” He stopped for a second, laughing a bit. “We’re both gonna keep saying it’s our fault, right?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head. Fine, then, he’ll let her have it. “I’m good, don’t worry about me.” He finally admitted with a smile. “You’re a photographer?”

“Wait a hot second. So I truly did build and start a school? So people saying that I formed a house and everything, you’re telling me that’s true?” she asked and frowned as she just looked at the man before her, shaking her head. “I am sorry but I have a hard time believing that I have lived a double life. Sorry” she added and sighed. “But yes I have met him. He’s nice”

“You truly don’t remember?” Godric asked, a bit worried actually. Biting his lips for a second, the wizard took a deep breath. “I mean, I won’t try to make you believe me if you don’t want to. But if you do, I might.. Kinda be able to help you, but I’m not sure if it would work here.” He admitted with a sigh. Anyway where the fuck was he supposed to find a pensieve here? “Right? I’m lucky.”

Dorothy decided to go for a walk, the idea was to get a few photos of the nature which was what she always preferred to photograph. There was just something so captivating about it, that she couldn’t describe. Although, the main reason was because she wanted to find Ruby. If she couldn’t find her girlfriend, she hoped that at least she would be able to find a familiar face. Dorothy stopped to take a photo of some trees when she noticed someone almost bumping into her. “Oh I’m sorry! That was my fault, shouldn’t have stopped like that.”

Godric hadn’t been going out much lately. Truth be told, he felt like he had to figure things out more than before. He wanted to know what he had forgotten, that the others maybe knew, he wanted to know everything that had happened, and it was messing him up quite a bit. So this day, he had decided to take some fresh air in, because he needed it. However, not paying attention to anything around almost got him to bump into that poor girl. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I should pay attention to others. You okay?”

was it possible that the same magic that had brought them here - that had stripped salazar of all his magic - had also managed to wipe this one memory from godric’s mind. somehow both a blessing and a curse to not remember that fateful evening, salazar frowned, exhaling. he could let godric live on blissfully without truly knowing what had happened, but it wasn’t fair to either of them. “you told me to leave,” he answered softly, feeling himself dragged back to that moment, despite his best intentions of putting it all behind him. or at least, repressing it so that it wasn’t something that haunted him day after day. salazar closed his eyes, shaking his head, feeling the cold rain and the icy look that godric had given him as if it were yesterday. “we had fought. i mean, we had fought before, but it was nothing like that. we were talking one evening, and you thought i’d said something horrible. it was a misunderstanding, but we argued. and it just kept getting worse and worse. i wasn’t sure what to do anymore. so i told you i was going to leave unless you wanted me to stay,” salazar pointed out, running a hand over his face. the one thing that this new reality had brought him was just more and more reminders about how what he said had ruined everything. between his relationships with godric and his friendships with helga and rowena  - not to mention the death and destruction that had happened in his name - it overwhelming. “but you told me to leave, godric. so i did.” 

the emotions that were coming back to the surface were dizzying, all of the hurt and sadness flooding back to the surface despite his best intentions to not think about that moment. salazar swallowed hard, trying not to lose his composure. and then - don’t leave me. please. pressing his lips together, the words hit him square in the chest, threatening to knock the breath right out of him. salazar realized that in every reality, in every life that he lived, he didn’t deserve someone who was as kind or as loving as godric was. and now more than ever, he didn’t deserve someone to speak to him like that. like he mattered. like he wasn’t a bad person. he reached forward and grabbed onto godric, fingers holding on tightly to his jacket - as if at any moment, this could be ripped away from him. “don’t let me go,” he answered. “i’ve lost everything, godric. my magic, my reputation - don’t make me have to lose you. i don’t know if i can survive that again.” it was instinctive, his hands reaching forward and taking godric’s face in his hands. a moment passed, before he kissed him. as if through that, he could say everything that he couldn’t find the words for.  

For once, Godric listened. It wasn’t him just looking at him, pretending to listen when really his mind was somewhere else. He could almost remember it all as he spoke. The cold sensation of the raindrops falling on his skin, the pain, but how he had been trying not to let it show. And the words that had broken him, shattered him down into pieces. The ones he had said himself out of anger, almost betrayal. Please, leave. Letting his eyes shut as his mind went over it, he was hoping for it all to stop. For it all to go, for himself not to start remembering any part of it. Not what had happened then, nor even after. People asking him where he was, and him answering he was just gone, with this cold and icy voice when images of himself crying down in their chamber of secrets still came back, because he missed him, because his scent was gone and it wouldn’t ever come back. Because like everything else, he had fucked it all up, but this. This whole thing and Salazar, it had been the single best thing in his life, and he knew he would never get better.

He felt him grabbing onto him and it was when he opened back his eyes. To face him, the one he had lost without even remembering how, without remembering why, and still it was as painful as if he did. Because his mind blocked it out, but his heart remembered. “Don’t go.” He murmured again, as he moved his hands on Salazar’s for half a second, as he listened to his words. He didn’t really know what made this all so painful, but so satisfying at the same time. He was in the arms of the man he loved, able to touch him, kiss him and talk to him, which he hadn’t been able for the last few months, which was the best part of it all. But he still had this fear of losing him, again apparently. “I’m not letting you go. Not ever.” It was a simple answer to everything he had said, and the contact of his lips against his made Godric’s eyes flutter shut. The warmth, softness of the contact was what he had missed the most, and all the love that he could feel just with it. He left seconds pass before he broke the contact himself, pulling away just for a few inches, placing his hands in his lover’s neck, without opening back his eyes. “I love you.” He only murmured. He loved him, it was all he needed to say, every time, every day, maybe every seconds if he could. And it was the reason why he would never let him go. He loved him.

“Ah so you are yet another one of my friends. So tell me, do you know who Salazar is? He claims to be one of my friends as well” she said and cocked an eyebrow, just studying the male that was standing before her. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, for some reason she felt like he was telling her the truth. Compared to all the other people claiming that they knew who she was.

“Yeah, I mean.. I don’t want to advance myself by saying that but I got the feeling that we were friends. I mean we did.. Build a whole school together. ‘Kinda considered you like my sister.” Godric admitted with a slight tilt of his head. “Yeah I do know who Salazar is. He’s my boyfriend.” He said with an actually proud smile. “You saw him right? I got the most beautiful boyfriend.” He added with a slight smile.

Yet another book that she had finished and yet again she was at the library, wanting to pick out something new to read. Reading have always been something that brought a sense of calm back into her life. Whenever people walked up to her and claimed to know her, she would turn to books as a way to not worry about everything that was going on. Not worrying about hurting feelings. That was when her bubble was once again burst when someone uttered her name and she tensed up. “Do you know me too?”

Godric hadn’t been expecting to see Helga. In fact, he had thought he wouldn’t see anyone he knew again, aside from Salazar, and somehow it hadn’t bothered him, even though he missed Rowena and Helga a lot. So when she asked if he knew her, he almost wanted to say he got the person wrong. But his curiosity got the best of him. “You.. Don’t? Yeah, I do. You’re my friend.”

“Honestly, things probably will have changed a lot. It’s been four years for him, you know how much can happen in that time? But I’m not gonna give up on him and me, on us altogether. I’m sure whatever happened, we can still make it through it.”

there was a moment in salazar let himself relax against the embrace, his eyes closing and his arms wrapping around godric. for that moment, it was enough to pretend like things hadn’t ended the way that they did, just enjoying the feeling of his body against godric’s, something he didn’t realize he missed until this moment.  “i’ve missed you terribly. it was hard getting used to a life without you in it,” he admitted openly as he pulled back. salazar was not someone who excelled at expressing himself or what he wanted, but it was the truth that the man in front him always brought out the best of him - even now. he reached forward, his hand gently caressing the side of godric’s face. “i’ve been here. think it’s been four years now,” he pointed out, before giving a small shrug of his shoulders. “haven’t been able to truly figure it all out, but i suppose not having any semblance of magic anymore will do that to a person,” he added, the thought never really crossing his mind that maybe it was just him who’d been stripped of all his magic, and everything else remained in tact. 

he looked at godric carefully, unfortunately anticipating the initial warmth of the greeting to wear off and the disdain to return. “i’m surprised you’re this happy to see me,” he finally admitted, averting his eyes from godric’s, running a hand over his jaw. “the last time i remember seeing you, you’d told me to leave hogwarts for good.” of course, thousands of years had passed, and hopefully it was something that they could eventually put behind them. but that moment was still something that was forever ingrained in salazar’s memory - the look that he’d seen on godric’s face one that he’d never seen directed at him. if his heart was capable of breaking, that may have been the thing to do it. 

Godric couldn't truly explain how he felt now that he had him here with him. It felt like he could finally breathe, like everything he had hold onto here hadn't been completely useless. Salazar gave this place some kind of meaning, and maybe, just maybe they could stay here now. No need to look through more books to go back in a place he felt he didn't belong in without him. "I can imagine. It felt like I.. Like I can't breathe when you're not here with me." He admitted. Salazar was his reason to be. Everything he loved, everything he wanted. Somehow, it even felt like he was his oxygen and without him he couldn't do anything but choke. Four years. For a second he understood him more. He knew how hard it was not to be with him, only for a few months, so for years? "You don't have your magic?" He asked curiously, before he caught one of Salazar's hands in his. That was something he hadn't expect, and somehow it surprised him a lot. "I didn't know it was.. Possibly to lose it." He admitted, biting his lips. "I'm sorry." Because he still had his magic, and he had no idea how he would've done without it. He would've probably crashed and burned.

His words surprised Godric, in fact, he hadn't been expecting this to get out of his mouth. "What?" He murmured, quite confused. "I-.. I didn't.." He went silent for a second, as it seemed like things changed without anything to happen. Silence and he felt like a cold rain on his skin, even though there was no rain, and a harsh pain in his chest, like his heart shattered in the middle of his ribcage. "I wouldn't say that, why.. Why would I?" But his thoughts recalled their voices. If you ask me to stay, I will. And somehow it brought tears up in his eyes, somehow it felt like it had happened, but something was stopping him from remembering. Please, leave. "I don't want you to leave." He said, just to contradict his thoughts, his memory. "Don't leave me. Please." He asked, as he looked back at him, swallowing hard, as he grabbed onto Salazar's shoulders, not willing to let go.

there were still things that salazar found himself adjusting to in this world, even after the four years that had passed. thankfully, he’d become more accustomed to it with each day that passed - but it had still been an unforgiving change, both living in this time and living without any sort of magic. he’d stopped on the corner of the street, scrolling through the piece of technology in hopes of finding the address he was looking for. and then, he heard it. 

there was no denying, salazar would have known that voice anywhere, especially the way it spoke his name. he looked up, convinced for a moment that he may have been imagining things. after all, it was in one’s nature to try and spot the things that they were searching for the most. when it didn’t fade away, though, he stopped where he was standing - finally realizing that this may have actually been godric. living and breathing and here. “godric,” he answered simply - carefully, as his last memories corrected him. “you’re here.” he took a step closer to the other, and in that instant, found himself torn - torn between his desire to offer up his heart once again, and between his desire to protect it. “are you alright? how long have you been here?” 

He didn’t know why it had sounded like a question. He could recognize him between a thousand of people, and always find him in a crowd. Salazar was the love of his life, and if he believed in such a thing he would’ve even said soulmate. While he didn’t think it existed, he was still, however, a huge part of him, one that Godric couldn’t live without, one that he would always feel when he was right next to him. Clarity. “And-and you are too.” He stuttered as he looked at him up and down for a second. God, he had dreamed of that. Just two months had been enough for him to miss him more than he ever had. As he walked closer to him finally, he wrapped his arms around him without answering the questions. “I’m good now.” He ended up saying, resting his forehead for a second against his shoulder. “Where were you? It’s been-.. I mean, I’m here for two months and I prayed so hard for you to be here and I never.. Ever saw you before but now?” He took a deep breath, shaking his head slowly. “I missed you. I was even.. Even looking through books to find a spell to come back to Hogwarts. And to you.”

Salazar hummed as he felt Godric’s lips on his, simply soaking in his warmth for a moment before he pulled away. A grin pulled at his lips when he first spoke, and he couldn’t help it when he leaned back in to press another quick kiss to his lips. “I am mocking you, yes,” he confirmed as he pulled away, one hand coming up to run his fingers through his hair, settling on his hand on the side of his neck after. “Well, I doubt one lesson will keep you from burning down the whole house, but it may be enough to save the neighborhood.” He was silent for a moment, eyes not leaving Godric’s face as he took in every inch of him he could see. “I love you, my dearest. And no matter how occasionally ridiculous you may be, I would change nothing about you.”

Humming slowly at his words, Godric tilted his head slightly. “Why am I surprised that you are..” He mumbled, though a smile still on his lips. He had missed being close to Salazar. It was what he had missed the most in this last month, being by his side and feeling like he belonged. “Praise you for saving the neighborhood.” He said with a smile before he turned around, still staying close to Salazar as he got back in his arm, putting his back against his boyfriend’s chest and grabbing his hands to get him to wrap his arms around him. “I guess you’ll have to stay that close to prevent me from burning the house too.” He murmured on a slightly implicit tone, a smile on his lips. “Oh, how nice, you like all of my ridiculous self?” He asked with a laugh. “I love you too. Even if you have a weird liking for snakes that I will never understand.”

“hi! are you here to sign up for lessons, or can i help you with something else?” the brunette spoke up, smiling brightly as she approached the other.

Godric was still not quite used to this world, and so had entered the place without truly knowing what it was supposed to be. Looking at the young woman who spoke to him, the wizard raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. “Oh, my apologies I.. What lessons exactly?”