Sooner or Later (Godric/Gillian)

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Eliza tended to just go along with it when Juliette tried to introduce her to guys. Her friend was trying to be nice; she had convinced herself that Eliza was lonely, and now she was trying to help. It was sweet of her in a way. Anyway, she never dragged Eliza into meeting crazy people. It was acceptable to go along with Juliette's craziness, sometimes. Otherwise she'd be incredibly bored.

She'd been instructed to "dress nicely, for Christ's sake, and wait in the common room for him around noon" and so she was. She sat in one of the armchairs by the fire and read Faust while she waited for him. She hoped that he wasn't late; she hated it when people were late. She was never late. Everyone else should learn to be on time, too. The world ran smoother when everyone was on time.

She glanced down at her wristwatch to see the time. He had a few minutes. She went back to peacefully reading her book, ignoring strange looks she got. It was understandable; she was rather tall and German. So long as nobody uttered the word "Communist" in her presence, everyone could keep their damned eyebrows.

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

Godric had set up a time to meet this German lady after meeting the Italian royalty in the Great Hall.  He was supposed to meet her in the common room around noon (which he made sure was in fact the time that the sun was highest in the sky, when the clocks had their hands pointing at the number 12).  He was never someone who was late, never!  That would be dishonorable, especially when meeting a lady.  This whole world was completely alien to him.  German barbarians were friends with Italian royalty.  The peasant system had gone, as Godric had wished, but everything was so much different, a little too much different.  Women were not scolded for trying to do a man's job, and they could learn to wield a sword.  Wasn't the man stronger than the woman?  Even Rowena and Helga were indeed weaker than both he and Salazar, despite them being better than some men in his mind.  They had been the exception to the women were not as great as men rule in his mind.  He wasn't even playing with the idea that women could ever be true equals, before he came here, and found out there were fighting women.  He was beginning to second guess himself, just a bit though.  He was still reserving judgement. 

Godric had dressed in the "fancy" clothes that Dumbledore had supplied for him (when he came he was wearing what Dumbledore called "medieval" style clothes and it would not make him blend in well; Godric wanted to blend in so he could learn about the future as much as he could before he might have to go back, which he did want to back, just not so quickly... and then he'd had a good story to tell his three best friends), looking at the clock, seeing he still had about an hour.  He went down to the grounds, and began searching the skies to see if his phoenix, Merek was still alive, and travelling around.  After so many years, he wasn't sure.  He wasn't even sure how long phoenixes could live, but if Merek was alive, he would like to have him back.  He loved the bird very much.  After awhile of having no luck, Godric went back to the castle, seeing the hands of the clock nearing the 12, which meant he had little time left to meet the lady.  He had gotten caught up in imagining where Merek was, if he were alive.  Quickly, Godric hurried up the stairs, and entered the common room. 

He saw someone sitting on the couch in the common room reading a book.  He didn't recognize the book at all, but he had decided that the woman sitting there could be the Elizabeta he was supposed to meet with.  If not, she could point her out to him.  He stood in front of her and announced himself.  "I am Sir Gillian Lovett of the Gryffindor House," Godric said taking a bow, as it was polite to do so, especially with a lady, "I am here to meet Lady Elizabeta Beilschmidt, of East Germany.  Are you the one I am looking for?"  His words were pronounced and he articulated carefully, especially her name, as such a name his tongue had not spoken often before.  He hadn't met any German peoples before. 

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

She hummed thoughtfully and glanced at her watch moments before she found some ginger standing in front of her. Related to the Weasleys maybe? She liked the Weasleys. Ron had tried to teach her English before ultimately leaving it to Hermione and Percy. She wondered if they were okay. She'd come back in time at a really inoportune time; it still irked her, just a little. She'd had obligations and plans in her own time, and now they might not happen. Hopefully, Vash managed to learn something about the stone that had brought them here while he was doing whatever it was he was doing instead of going to school with Eliza. Ugh. Brothers. She swore that he wanted to drive her crazy.

She closed her book and stood when the ginger asked if she was Eliza. Wow, he was taller than she was, and she was six feet tall exactly. There weren't many people that were taller than Eliza among her housemates. It was actually sort of nice to be able to look someone in the eye without having to look down; she hadn't been able to since she hit that crazy growth spurt in her fifth year. Her friends had forever after made jokes about her height. Even now that she had come back in time, Juliette made a point of teasing her about the fact that she towered over most of their male classmates. Until Gillian, actually, she'd been the only one that had been able to look their very tall Defense Against The Dark Arts instructor, Professor Gio, in the eye.

"Ja, that's me. You can call me Eliza; mein name is a mouthful," she noted with a quirky smile. "Nice to meet you."

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

Gillian was suddenly attacked by some sort of feeling when she smiled with that quirky smile.  He concluded that this feeling that coursed through him was that he believed her to be a very beautiful lady and the smile suited her well.  Perhaps he should tell her.  In fact... "You have a very cute smile," Godric said before he even knew it was coming out of his mouth.  Sometimes his mouth had a mind of its own, and knew what he would want to say before his mind even knew.  It was really odd sometimes, but it turned out for the best most of the time.  Speaking before thinking about it.  That was very much him, even if his mouth got him in trouble.  Rash until the last. 

Godric was, in fact, very tall, especially since was from a time when people were normally a lot shorter.  Taller than the other three founders of the school, and his... something... he wasn't sure what, Morgana.  He was quite proud of his height, and it could make him look even taller when he stood up straight, as he was now... and almost always.  However, he had to admit, Eliza was tall, much taller than most people usually were compared to him, especially in his actual time. 

"The pleasure is all mine, Eliza," Godric replied with a small bow, "Is there anything you would like to do today?"  Back home, people didn't usually hang out with a woman, even an unmarried woman, though sometimes it was known, just look at him and Rowena and Helga and Salazar.  They were a group of people that normally would never have met each other, let alone become the best of friends.  But even still... it was weird.  He spent many years with Rowena and Helga because they lived in the same house as he did, and were more like sisters to him.  Marriages were normally arranged, or forged because it would help out ones family, but he had a feeling that it was different here.

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

She smiled again when he complimented her on her smile, which she'd always thought was a little crooked and funny-looking. It probably was. Oh well. A cute boy liked her smile, and that was a novel experience. Guys were usually intimidated by her height and, admittedly, heavy German accent. Personally, she didn't understand. She hadn't spoken English when she first came to the school, and it hadn't stopped her from trying to get along with her classmates. She didn't understand why people used stupid things like accents or height as excuses to not talk to their Housemates.

To his credit, if he was surprised by her height, Gillian didn't show it. That was probably a good thing, because she didn't like people that acted startled because she was tall. It always sort of rubbed her the wrong way, because what the hell? Why was it surprising that she was a woman and very tall? There were plenty of rather tall women in the world, thank you very much.

"Actually, I did! We should probably talk about it outside of the common room, though," she suggested. "Everyone is rather gossipy."

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

Gryffindor actually though of Eliza as a very beautiful woman overall.  Worthy of marriage in fact.  Perhaps she would become his wife eventually, but he did have to make sure they would be some what compatible beforehand.  He did not know the woman very well, and he had heard that compatibility was a big part of the marriage process right now.  If he were in his time, he might even propose marriage right now, as Eliza would be honored to marry him, of all people, if she knew who he truly was.  Who wouldn't?  He was a great person, and everyone at this school knew about him, the wife of Godric Gryffindor would gain much fame and fortune, and so, she would most definitely not refuse him.  He was more than an adult in his time, and a little old for not getting married already.  In fact, he was getting pressured by Rowena's father even before they left to create Hogwarts. 

And on that, he was quite proud too.  They're goal was complete.  This was a safe place away from the nonmagical people for magic to be practiced and not feared.  While Gryffindor had been upset that the muggles, as they called the nonmagical folk, were not ready for them to come out of hiding yet.  It was very sad indeed, but the school had saved many people, he was convinced, from being persecuted for practicing magic.  As long as magic wasn't abused, it shouldn't be feared, he believed.  And of course, the Frenchman, Voldemort (he was convinced he was French, as he knew the name Voldemort to sound French... he knew how a French name sounded, and it was most definitely French... the dastardly French).

"Ah yes, of course.  Away from prying ears," Gryffindor agreed with what Helga called his 'goofy charm' smile, holding out his hand, "After you, milady."  

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Marriage wasn't actually a thing that she'd given much thought to. Eliza had, prior to her tryst backwards on the timeline, always known what it was she would be. And already was. She was a spy for the Americans in the East. She was an aspiring pilot. She was a member of Dumbledore's Army. One day, she would tame dragons alongside of her father and brothers, but those were all pretty dangerous, professional things, weren't they? She rarely gave much thought to her life outside of working. Maybe she'd like to get married, if she ever managed to stop finding herself in life-threatening situations. And met the right guy. Preferably one who didn't mind her...erm....reckless streak. That was what she would call it. It was just a streak. She wasn't reckless overall. No, not her. Never....maybe occasionally.

Maybe a little more than occasionally.

She laughed softly at his reply. Those mannerisms...she was starting to wonder if he wasn't a time-traveler like she was. She was probably just being paranoid, though. She tended towards paranoid; it was just a consequence of the times. She'd grown up in the last days of the Soviet Union and then found herself pulled into a much different sort of war by Harry Potter. There had never been much time in her life for just being a kid, though the closest she ever got was at Hogwarts. She would miss the school when she graduated, and already dreaded having to return to the East. How did that even work for her? Surely, she couldn't just say "screw it" and never go back....? Oh, Gott, she could! This required serious thought, later.

"You are an interesting one," she noted as they exited the common room. "I do not think I've seen you around. Are you a transfer?"

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

Godric had no idea that some people didn't think about marriage, especially at the age they were.  He was getting a little old to remain unmarried, and hadn't really thought much of the differences in marriage ways in this time, because that was something that he was sure would have stayed the same, even if compatibility was a bigger part of it all, and not the prestige it brought by being married being perhaps as important as it was in his time.  Times changed, but after all he found to have changed so greatly, there had to be something that was the same.  Even the castle seemed so much different and more alive and larger than it was in his time.  Sure the castle was stolen, and he hadn't too much time to explore everything around it, but the walls really didn't have the live portraits.  Though there was one portrait that knew him, and recognized him, so it meant that portraits were placed up while he was still recognizable. 

Truly, Godric wasn't quite sure he wanted to go back, despite how much he missed his friends.  This world was so much more interesting, and unlike the world he grew up in, the world was a mysterious place with so many things he could learn.  His home was at Hogwarts, as it had been truly since he and his friends were 14 years old.  3 years of his life he called this castle home, and no matter what time it was, it would still be his home.  The only thing that worried him was that he was 17, and 17 was the graduating age.  He didn't want to leave Hogwarts.  Never.  It was the safe place for him to be himself and practice magic and his dueling in peace.  Though visiting his land would not be bad, it should only be a visit.  Perhaps he could stay at Hogwarts.  He would have to talk to the man running the castle today to see if it were possible. 

"Indeed I am," Godric replied, "I arrived not long ago, in fact.  Just a few hours before your friend met me in the Great Hall.  I take it you are a native to these halls?  Not a transfer?"

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Marriage was sort of a...scary commitment. It was funny that she would be scared of something as silly as getting married when she was perfectly comfortable with wrangling dragons and dueling Dark Wizards, had even come to enjoy the adrenaline rush that came with those things, but she was. Lifelong commitments were not a forte of Eliza, but she imagined tht she could see herself settling down one day. Maybe. Hopefully. She wanted to think that she was capable of settling down and living a life away from the craziness that had defined it so far. Perhaps she'd even like to have children one day. That was a very far-off thing, though, she thought.

She considered his question. Native to those halls. Eliza had never really felt native, even though she liked the school. She was very aware of her foreignness without being reminded. This was even more true now that she had come back in time, and the only other German in the school was a younger version of her older sister. She had forgotten that Germans did not attend Hogwarts for a very long time after World War Two. Had she remembered, she might not have bothered coming to school. She was seventeen, old enough to lie and say that she had already graduated. Anyway, dragonologists weren't picky about things like school.

"In a way I am. I've always gone here, if that's what you mean, but there are....rifts between East and West that won't let me call myself a native," she admitted with a sheepish laugh.

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

If there was one thing Godric knew better than most people, was the divisions between different kinds of people.  Such as the French and the rest of the world.  French were evil, while the rest of the world had some French-like people, but everyone wasn't guaranteed to be French (a word he considered a synonym to evil, if one could not tell).  The division between peoples was even greater in his time, as travelling was much harder to do.  Apparition was a very dangerous art, and was much safer in short distances, though apparently, according to a bit of research, had become much safer, though the splinching part was still a consequence.  Then again, in his time, they did not quite understand how to preform apparition, and if one splinched themselves, they could connect the limbs, but it wasn't like knew, and the feeling in the splinched part became dulled, or even nonexistent.  Some couldn't even use the splinched part.  So, most did not use the art, though some tried to perfect it.  But, the point, travelling long distances became extremely hard for even magical people to do, so cultures had not quite as much contact.  Though, if Gryffindor could have it his way, he would prefer that the French have developed on that American continent, he didn't even know existed way back in his time. 

However, given the changes in the world, Gryffindor was willing to accept a bit more than just English, which included this German woman.  She seemed nice, and was a very beautiful woman.  She had said she always went here, and so, she had spent a great part of her life around the English, and while her accent was different, England had many different accents of their own (his being what people would consider in this time a cross between Scottish and Mancunian), so accents that were different was not something that he would be worried about.  As long as she was not French, or maybe even Asian (because he didn't trust those over in Asia, especially in his time, and after the Huns and Mongels, whom he learned about, it had been based on past experience not to trust Asians that much, though he would much prefer those from Asia, then French), he could deal with it.  After all, he was not bad at adapting, and he was more tolerant than many other people from his age.  Except towards the French.  He hated them.  The French could all die.  And he wouldn't care.  Because they were French. 

"To me, East and West is between Europe and Asia, not England and Germany.  As long as you don't include France in Europe.  The French are too different and too evil to be thought close to England," Godric replied with a smile, "Just because most Germans are barbarians, does not make them so much different from England's people.  Once barbarians, not from France, learn the civilized ways, they can be accepted by society." 

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Did he...just imply that her people were barbarians? Was he really bringing up something so old? Her people had once nearly conquered Europe! She was very proud to be more than just German, Prussian. One of relatively few Prussians left. With Dumbledore's permission, she even wore her double-headed eagle on her robes, like the Italians wore their Legionary Eagle, and the Japanese wore the Imperial. To consider Germans barbarians was tantamount to admitting that you'd lived under a rock for hundreds of years! Perhaps he had? She had suspected him of being a time traveler. This confirmed that, didn't it?

It did. There was no way that he was of this time if he didn't know that the age of German barbarianism had passed, or of the literal wall that divided East and West. Most would be freaked out, or angry. Eliza had seen many strange things in her lifetime. She was resigned to it. She almost felt bad for him, but she suspected that he didn't want pity. In his position, she wouldn't. Hell. How to broach this topic delicately....she was bad at broaching topics delicately. Better to just dive into it headfirst and see where it all went.

"Gillian," she said softly, to avoid being overheard. "Germany has not been a land of barbarians since the fall of Holy Rome. And there is a literal wall that separates much of Eastern Europe from the rest of the world. We are in the middle of something known as The Cold War, between Russia and its sphere of influence in the East, and America in the West. Everyone from the time knows that. What time are you really from? Who are you, actually?"

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

This was not going the way he planned on things going.  He was thinking that today might, just might, end with a marriage proposal, and getting engaged having thought of that fact just moments ago... then again, he had just met her moments ago.  Sure, he thought her beautiful, and seemed a very nice woman, with that cute smile of hers, and was more than suitable for marriage, more suitable than most women he had met, but that didn't mean he had planned for her to find out who he was.  That would come in time.  Lying was not a good spice in marriage.  And he was a gentleman.  Lying didn't sit well, but it was for a good reason.  And now she had perceived he was not from this time.  How could she?  Unless she knew that there were others who had travelled through time.  Which Dumbledore said there had been.  So she knew about the time travel.  Which meant a time traveler told her, or she was one herself. 

"One moment," Godric said turning around and pulling out his history book turning to the important information about other countries, specifically Germany, not England (the English portion he had memorized, as it was the most important to him at the time), before tucking it back.  How could he have been stupid enough to forget about the wall?  Then again, he had just glanced over that section, planning to read it in depth later, thinking he'd not have to know it until later.  Perhaps before he was to meet another, he should read up on their home country's history more than a brief glance across a ten page section of just recent history.  That Dumbledore bloke really was trying to be thorough in supplying his knowledge of history... Luckily the book was charmed to be smaller to fit in his robes, and dress clothes, and pretty much anything, despite it being over a thousand pages... he mostly read the summaries instead, to give him the general idea, planning on reading the rest, as mentioned before, later.  He still looked confident, however, but decided further smoke and mirrors was not the right thing to do. 

"Eliza, please understand, I do not wish to be treated any differently than before," Godric began quietly, so she could hear, but prying ears could not, "My name truly is Gillian, but it is just my second name.  I am from 983... I believe it is referred to as, AD.... The truest truth I can tell you is that I am Lord Godric Gillian Gryffindor, Lord of the Gryffindor Estate, now gone, and replaced by a village called Godric's Hollow.  I am from just after founding this school when my friends and I finally finished our preparations, and began looking for students." 

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

She was infamously perceptive in her own time, famous in the West for her actions in the end game of the Cold War. Cautious when necessary and always reserved, but now she found herself dropping her guard in its entirety to allow herself a brief moment of surprise. Only a brief one, though. She was finding herself liking Gill...Godric more than she had intended to, but that didn't mean that she could allow herself to be vulnerable in his presence. Eliza was a pureblood, but by Death Eater standards she was a blood traitor. They were on the rise in this time. She could find herself dead if she let her guard drop too much. It was exactly the sort of environment that she had grown up in; she thrived in these sort of tense situations. Well, sort of. She was probably emotionally stunted and evasive, but that was shit that she could deal with when she had time. At the moment, time was Not A Thing That Was Happening In The Life Of Eliza Beilschmidt.

She couldn't help but laugh again when he turned away to consult his book. She had admired Godric Gryffindor, and seeing him so awkward was sort of...sweet? Eliza did not typically date sweet guys. She'd dated Aspen Maij, a quiet, reserved and generally Not Giving Any Fucks Ravenclaw, and Viktor Krum, who was caring and protective but never sweet. If this was a normal thing for Godric, she was a little scared. Not because she was dealing with a man she'd always respected, but because he was her age now and apparently interested in her. She was all sorts of on-record as not expecting this turn of events, and she planned for nearly every contingency because people that made no plans were people that died violently. And painfully, at least in her experience.

"That," she began. "Is not even the strangest thing that I have ever heard from an Englishman. I believe you. It makes more sense than you having been born in 1967 and not knowing that we're in the middle of the Cold War. Since we're being honest, I am actually from 1997. In my own time, I was a spy and a talented duelist and wanted to be a pilot and was one day to be a dragon tamer, and I have absolutely no idea why I am telling all of this to you. I ramble when taken by surprise. Sorry."

[Godric Gillian Gryffindor]

Godric was... not the most perceptive in his time.  He was a more brawn over brains sort of guy.  But that didn't mean he wasn't smart, or at all perceptive.  Those were qualities a good duelist had to have, and he did have them.  Just not as great as, say, Rowena might.  She was perceptive herself, and probably the smartest, brainy person he had ever met, despite being a woman.  Women were smart, sometimes, depending on the woman, just not all were as smart as most men or Rowena and Helga.  However, he was very good at picking up when women were attracted to him, and he had a vibe that Eliza did like him.  Perhaps his plan would pan out.  Perhaps by the end of the day he might be engaged.  After all, it wasn't like he didn't know her.  Now he knew she was from the future, and didn't belong in this time either.

However, the thing that surprised him most was her plans.  From Julie he had learned that women could be duelists, but it was still a bit hard for him to believe.  Eliza had so many things about her, being a spy, like the ones he learned much of European going-ons from (which was a man, probably needless to say).  She was a duelist... perhaps (even though it went against every ounce of his being believing that women shouldn't fight) she could be a sparring partner of his.  Without Sal here, he was lacking partners, and so far, he had only met women capable of dueling.  Dueling practice was not fun alone, and finding someone like Sal (who was not to his level in dueling, but was willing to practice with him, despite winning every time, and Godric didn't know it, but in the future, they'd duel for real, and Godric would win, after a big fight and Sal leaving and their friendship ending) who could give him at least a little bit of challenge to help make him better, as practice made perfect, and he'd get rusty if he didn't practice.  Then the dragon tamer.  He liked dragons, but even he knew they were dangerous.  And for a lady to want to tame those beasts, when it should be a man's job... it was really odd to think. 

"I don't know why, but perhaps it is because you do like me, and being so secretive, it is nice to tell someone things normally kept close to you," Godric replied with a confident smile, "Knowing where I am from, and who I am, and how I was honest with you about it, builds slight trust, I would hope.  I will let you know, that I do like you as well, despite the little time we've known each other."  As an afterthought, Godric added, without thinking, "Sal would get a kick out of all this if he found out." 

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

As fast as she'd let her guard drop, she returned to her usual state. Eliza did not cope well with feelings of vulnerability. In her experience, the rest of the people on Earth outside of her immediate family were best kept politely at arms' length. Friends could turn into enemies at the drop of a hat, and she didn't want to be too invested if that happened. It had once. She wouldn't repeat that mistake; she knew that she should have killed Emilia when the chance that arose. The fact that the future had to deal with a loose-canon master thief was Eliza's fault, and she had intended to rectify it. Emilia Lynch's days had been numbered, and now it was uncertain if Eliza would ever get the chance to introduce her former best friend to the business end of a Killing Curse.

If the chance ever arose, though, she would most certainly seize it, with all due detachment. A part of her didn't want to kill Emilia, and she still needed to learn how to squelch that part of her.

She imagined that he hadn't dealt with many women like her in his own time. It was true that dragon taming was traditionally a man's job, even in her time, and Eliza had the burn scars to prove why from working with her father and older brothers during breaks. It didn't stop her from wanting to join her family on the job. She loved working with dragons, and the fact that she was good at it made her vatti proud. That was a bonus. She'd always adored and looked up to her father, but Ludwig was the one that Eliza had inherited her naturally suspicious and quiet disposition from. He was not exactly....liberal with praise. She was fairly certain that he'd only once in her entire life told her that she'd done a good job on anything. Usually, his indication of pride was a nod or a ghost of a smile, but that was fine. She was happy to make her vatti proud.

"You'll learn quickly enough that secretive is a good thing in the years to come," she advised him quietly. "And that trusting people is dangerous...but, ja. I trust you, a little. And I like you. I assume that Sal is Salazar Slytherin?"