"We have to figure out what's in here, Salazar! Make sure it's not something dangerous in case the students stumble upon it!" Godric insisted as he continued further into the dark cave, sword drawn with his wand in his other hand. Salazar followed close behind with his own wand and sword drawn, though he was much less exuberant about it with a scowl on his face.

"We are miles from the school, I doubt the students are going to wander all the way down here," he grumbled. "At least if they're not like you."

Godric ignored him, continuing on without pause. Not that Salazar had expected anything less. He'd known the redhead long enough to know that any adventure or challenge he could find would never be passed up. And, really, it was a decent idea to make sure all the creatures and areas around the castle would be safe should one of the students they were soon going to invite, should they actually come, stumbled upon them.

Even if being this excited and reckless about it was a bit ridiculous.

Of course, knowing what he did about his friend and their past adventures, Salazar really shouldn't have been surprised at what they found at the end of the long, dark cave.

They only had one witch's light above them to help them see, not wanting to startle anything that could happen to live within the cave. They were walking relatively close together, watching each other's back, just in case. But Salazar still nearly walked into Godric when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"What—" he started to ask before he saw it.

Before them, in a wider section of the cave, laying, slumbering upon the cold stone floor was a very large creature, red scales twinkling in the faint light of the orb above their heads. Salazar felt his blood run cold. A dragon.

In front of him, Godric let out a quiet squeal of excitement, though it was certainly more than loud enough that Salazar nearly clapped his hand around the idiot's mouth.

"A dragon! An actual dragon, Salazar!"

"Be quiet, you imbecile!" He hissed, not taking his eyes off the dragon. "Don't wake it."

But Godric, of course, wasn't listening. Instead, he actually stepped closer, dodging the hands that tried to drag him backwards. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I can't believe one chose to make its home here, so close to the castle! It must be good luck!"

"Or rather we're trespassing on its territory, since I'm fairly sure it was here first."

Salazar still stood at the entrance, not able to make himself move closer as he watched his best friend get steadily closer to the giant beast. The closer he got, the more positive Salazar was that he would never see his friend again. At least, not whole and un-crispy.

Godric was completely ignoring his warning and pleas for him to get away from the dragon, already holding his hand out, like one would towards a spooked horse or a weary dog. He was about to call out again, or even finally stomp in there to drag him out, when his hand made contact with the dragon's nose.

For a moment, everything was still. But then, Godric turned to face him, hand still on the dragon's snout, with a large grin on his face, eyes shining with excitement. Salazar would've called him an idiot or a moron again, but those really wouldn't have been able to encompass just how stupid he was.

And he saw something Godric didn't.

A large, golden eye had cracked open, staring balefully at the two wizards in its cave.

Immediately, Salazar turned on his heel and apparated away without any remorse for leaving the idiot Gryffindor behind, or any care for what he had obviously been about to say.

Salazar appeared in the Great Hall of the castle they had just finished fixing, calmly walking over to the table that the two women were sitting at, eating dinner already it looked like. They both looked up with a smile, Helga's obviously larger that Rowena's.

"Where's Godric?" She asked, looking around.

"Probably getting eaten," he answered, nonchalantly, sitting down and making a plate for himself, ignoring as both of the women obviously paused in their own meal

"What do you mean 'getting eaten'?" They asked at the same time.

"He was an idiot, and now is likely getting digested by a dragon."

"A dragon?!" Helga exclaimed.

Rowena snorted, going back to her food. "Of course you two managed to find a dragon."

"How could you two be like that?! Godric could need our help, and you just left him there!" Helga stood up, looking rather incensed. "We have to go save him! He's our friend, we have to help him!"

"Oh, sit down and eat your soup," Rowena snapped, caused Salazar to let out a snort. "Godric's a big boy with a big sword. He can take care of himself and has managed to get himself out of worse situations than this. Finish your dinner and if he's still not back by the time we're all finished, then we'll go looking for him."

Salazar was bracing himself for a lecture of some sort from Helga, having spotted the furious glint in her eye and the breath she had taken to, no doubt, start yelling at them, when a loud snap brought the redheaded fool, smoking and singed but still whole, in existence.

"Godric!" Helga rushed over to him, wand already out to heal anything wrong and put out the fire from his smoldering hair.

"See, he's fine," Salazar drawled, though he did get up and walked over to them, followed closely by Rowena. He wouldn't admit it, but he had been worried for his friend. He just hadn't been willing to risk his life to a dragon for his stupidity.

Godric's eyes were shining with excitement, much as it had been in the cave, though the singed look made him appear a great deal crazier than before. "A dragon!" he gushed. "Helga, I touched a dragon!"

"It looks like someone tried to burn you at the stake!" she snapped at him, waving her wand over him.

"It's what he gets for trying to tickle a sleeping dragon," Salazar muttered, glaring at the redhead from over Helga's shoulder. He only got a grin back, the other male obviously still too excited to be ashamed of himself.

"You never tickle a sleeping dragon," Rowena added drolly.

It was silent for a moment, Helga still making sure that Godric was really already, at least physically. At the end of that moment, however, the blonde woman pulled away from her inspection with a grin and bright eyes.

"That's perfect!"

The other three stared at her, confused.

"We need a motto for our school, right?" she asked, staring back that the three of the imploringly.

"No," Salazar answered dully.

"Not necessarily," Rowena shook her head.

"Yes!" Godric nodded enthusiastically.

Helga nodded, just as enthusiastic. "And so, I think we should use this as a warning to everyone, and to make sure that someone doesn't do it again! Never tickle a Sleeping Dragon! It's perfect!"

"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," Rowana muttered, looking thoughtful. Like she was considering it.

Salazar stared at her, horrified. "No! If we have to have a motto, please don't let it be that! I'm all for punishing Godric, but don't punish the rest of us!"

"I think it's perfect!" the redhead said, smirking at Salazar, only to get a glare in return, which only made him grin.

"Sorry, Salazar, the rest of us like it," Rowena said, smiling as the parselmouth let out a groan.

"Fine! Torture me as you like, but I am going back to my rooms before something more happens that makes me wonder why I like the three of you," he said, turning and stalking from the room, ignoring as they laughed at him.

"Have fun in your slimy dungeons!" Godric called after him.