35Title: These Stone Walls
Author: RavenEcho
Disclaimer: Oh yes, I own the entire Harry Potter world: I'm rich, I'm fabulous, and I am lying through my fucking teeth! Not mine, no matter how much I try to convince you.
Summary: The Founders Four. Nothing more than a memory. A legend. A whisper, a list of facts written in a textbook. Now their story is finally told. R/R please.
Chapter 3: Rowena
Renee Ravenclaw led the way down the crowded street—Diagon Alley was busy today, but she and her girls needed to do some serious shopping. There was so much to think of! This weekend there was the party over at the Fawcett's manor, and soon her two eldest, beautiful Rosalie and Renalda, should have their coming-of-age parties, and Rochelle badly needed a new wardrobe. She wouldn't even consider purchasing any new clothes for her youngest daughter, Rowena. She would just ruin them all over again.
Renee sighed as she thought of little Rowena. She was only just six years old, but was already the most rebellious of her four children—all daughters, unfortunately. She and her husband had been avidly praying and wishing for a son on this last attempt, but alas, that was not what the fates had in store for them. Timothy Ravenclaw seemed rather pleased by this youngest child-that-was-not-a-boy that the family had gained, but Renee simply couldn't abide her. She was mischievous to the extreme, and far too intelligent for her own good or anyone else's—she was just a girl, after all. She was quick-witted and had her tongue permanently in cheek. She had received many beatings over the years for giving rude answers to her elders. She had rather boyish features, with a pointed nose, narrow black eyes that were stuck in a probing glare, and dark raven's hair that was long, straight, and impossible to coerce or bewitch into a curl. She didn't have normal girl's interests either, preferring to bury her nose in a book, scamper about out of doors, or ride a horse like a maniac across the grounds—and astride, too, even though it was highly indecent for a young lady such as she might one day become.
Rowena was strange in this way, completely unlike Renee's other girls, who were gradually becoming perfect little ladies, ready to follow in her footsteps to become perfect little wives to properly rich wizards with properly huge manors. These girls, her other three daughters, had more appropriate interests for wealthy young females aged sixteen, fourteen, and eleven. They enjoyed trying on dresses, sewing, picking out ribbons for their hair, and taking the occasional stroll in the garden. They were proper, pretty young things, for they had inherited her curly blond hair, bright blue eyes, and softly simpering features.
But, she decided with a sigh, it was time to think of more important matters, such as the ribbon and fabrics store directly in front of them. Renee smiled with delight at the storefront—she absolutely adored Madame Priscilla's boutique. The mother turned around to cluck happily to her children and shoo them into the store. One child, two child, three child, four—she realized with a dark scowl that Rowena was missing—again. Why did she always do this? This was exactly why Renee hated bringing her along on their shopping expeditions, but she just couldn't help hoping that maybe, eventually, her fashion sense and love of shopping would rub off on the little girl—and that was why she dragged her along every single time.
Fortunately, Renee knew exactly where the "lost" child would be—right in the middle of Flourish and Blots, curled up on the floor in her nice silk dress—Renee didn't know why she bothered, really—probably with an advanced book of spells in her hand. Renee rolled her eyes at the thought and ushered her girls back out of the store. She would find Rowena and send her by Floo back to the manor to be punished by her father—not that he would do much; he had a soft spot for Rowena in his heart and only encouraged her inappropriate behavior. Well then, Renee would blame him when Rowena didn't evolve into a prim young lady and couldn't find a man to marry. Renee made it back down the alley to Flourish and Blots in very little time, her anger driving her to walk faster than she normally would… she wouldn't want to ruin her stylish shoes, after all.
Once inside the store, she ordered her more obedient daughters to stay up front while she tracked down her other child. It took her more than fifteen minutes to find Rowena in the busy store—but at last—there she was! She was settled, leaning against a bookshelf towards the back of the store. She was hunched over a huge tome on the history of the goblin wars in Scotland, her hair falling out of its pins and all over her face—well, that was a half hour wasted this morning. The knees of her pretty silk dress, were already worn, stretched and strained by the girl's cross-legged seat. The girl was seemingly unperturbed by the people passing her in the aisle, sometimes stepping right over her—no, she was completely absorbed in her book. So involved, in fact, that she didn't even notice her mother coming for her.
Renee snatched her up, grasping her child's arm in her vice grip; the girl was completely startled by the action, but didn't even let loose a cry of surprise, instead remaining utterly silent and quite limp, moving only to rescue the book from falling to the floor. Renee shook her head in irritated wonder. Such an eerie, quiet child.
"What were you thinking?" she hissed angrily, shaking Rowena hard. The girl didn't answer, just shrugged her shoulders in a rather nonchalant manner. "Just wait until you get home to your father, girl, and you'll get such a beating," she threatened. "And reading about disgusting goblins, for Lady's sake! Couldn't you at least read about something worthwhile, like divination or fashion?"
Rowena just shook her head and allowed herself to be towed out of the store, followed by her giggling older sisters. Renee dragged Rowena along to the Leaky Cauldron, shoved her over to the fireplace, and slammed a handful of Floo Powder into her open palm.
"Go home," she ordered, "and tell your father what you've done! And keep it in mind, girl, that if you don't get all those silly books and ideas out of your head, you will never amount to anything in life!"
Rowena again stayed quiet, just stepping calmly into the fireplace and murmuring, "Ravenclaw Manor," into the tall green flames. When she stepped into the parlor coughing and covered in soot, Timothy Ravenclaw knew exactly what had occurred.
"In trouble again, Rowena?" He sighed, but had laughter in his eyes. "What was your crime this time, my dear?"
"Reading, sir," Rowena replied softly, "about the goblin wars."
"Ah," he said. "Well it's a shame that I forgot to punish you, darling. Now go run along and play, girl—try not to destroy your dress too drastically, or your mother will have my head."
Rowena smiled slightly and nodded, turning to leave.
"And Rowena?" He called after her.
"Yes, sir?"
"Know this, girl," he said, "If you stay the perfect way you are even after all the attempts of your mother to change you—you, my love, will go much farther in life than your sisters could ever even imagine."
Author's Note: So, here's the next chapter! On Rowena, as promised. And it's longer too! What can I say, I was writing it at work and I just got a bit excited. The format is kind of different from the previous chapters, but I felt that it worked better to demonstrate how the rest of the family feels about Rowena. The next chapter will be up by Friday at the latest (hopefully), and will be about Salazar, my favorite.
Again—please, please, if you're reading, go ahead and give it a review! If I don't get feedback, then the story might go back on hiatus. I'd like to know that people actually want to read the story, even if they only leave a word or two to say so. Thanks!
Also an extra thanks to my two reviewers from the last chapters, EternalEcho and Silverone3; I really appreciate your reviews and feedback!
Sorry for the kind of late update; I had it ready on Sunday but fanfiction was having problems with the login for a few days and I couldn't post it! It was a very traumatic experience for me. And you guys. Hehe, joke.