Chapter Three - A Soft Writ

Tsukino Yuki was tired.

In her home, you did not whisper behind people's backs. In her home, you spoke your mind if you had the power, and if you had to say something stupid without power, you hoped for the best. And besides, being blind was no reason to whisper. Litton had been blind for years, other kids were deaf, some people lost limbs. It was a disability, not the apocalypse.

She could feel these snots looking at her no matter how much they thought they were hiding it too. It was a sensation that came from once having working eyes.

"Yes, I'm blind," she said, walking past them. "I can still hear. I don't miss my sight. I can find my way around within a few days. I'm going to be using my cane until I know how the floors feel and anyone who asks how many fingers I'm holding up will be kicked in the shin. And yes, Sayo is my sister and she meant exactly what she said and so do I. Do not. Test me."

And she stalked past them into the center of the group. They still looked but thankfully didn't whisper. Good, the air was starting to smell like lake water and that was enough to focus on. It meant they were near the dungeons, which was where the potions classes were. Was that actually good for potion making or was it just for aesthetic purposes? It probably made sense for storage but application…?

Everyone was starting to stop, so she slowed her footsteps, emptied herself of curiosity.

"Blood will out," chanted one voice in a drone.

Will blood win out? The door hissed open and Yuki put it out of her mind. She followed the group into a room with a crackling fire.

"It's so green," she heard someone whisper. She had heard Slytherin was green and silver so why was anyone surprised? It was probably a fellow first year.

Yuki sighed and slipped her cane from her sleeve. It extended with a click and she felt everyone jump into the air. "Sorry," she deadpanned. "I need to find where I'm sleeping and I'd rather be in my bed and not on someone else's. Don't envy someone wanting to throw me."

"You have a speech to hear," drawled a voice. "Or are you too good to hear it because your sister is a teacher?"

Yuki thought this over, weighing the words she could say. "Provide me to a seat, good sir, and politely I will sit and listen better than you tried today."

The person laughed and tapped her elbow with sturdy fingers. "A challenge in you."

"Many," she replied, allowing him to take her by the arm that didn't hold the cane. She tapped about with it as she walked. "Are there many blind ones in Hogwarts?"

"Not like you," the speaker supplied as she lifted her cane to jab in front of her. There was a startled squeak, but no sensation so she had almost hit someone. They'd figured out dodging. Hm. She'd need to be faster than a snail then. "There are people with magical eyes, familiars to light their way but the blind don't tend to last long in these schools. They tend to run out of magic trying to fix it or get killed."

"Do they really?" Her voice, before she controlled it, sounded like the death knells of many an unfortunate old man.

The young man -boy, by their standards, he was more of a young boy- laughed hard. "You sound offended. You can't do magic if you can't aim."

"But there are many ways to aim," she said, feeling a smile trace her mouth. "Perhaps if we get along, and you enjoy my sister's classes enough, I can teach you, Mister…?"

"Zabini." He released her arm, allowing her to wiggle onto surprisingly soft and fluffy cushions. "Call me Blaise."

"Then call me Yuki, so we can spare at least one person from butchering my last name. The woman with the hat did well enough, but I can't risk enough horrible English attempts, Blaise. I have years with you people."

"Noted."

There was a firm, diagonal sound, like metal swiping against metal. The room jumped. Yuki turned her head to the side to see deep forest green made murky by a single black mark. What did that actually mean? This was the second time she had seen two colors overlap like this in a row. Not mesh, but overlap, like the second was trying to eat the first.

She rubbed her forehead. She was technically blind. According to her uncle, there should have been spells and technology that could deal with it. Should have, but this magic was the kind of thing that apparently could not be healed. And if it wasn't for the magic (or as her home referred to it, Soul) , she'd see nothing at all. Which would be great at home.

Here, however, everything had magic. That was great for anyone else.

"Silence," intoned the voice from across the room. "I am Professor Severus Snape. I am the Potions Professor and your Head of House. If you have any problems, you report them to your Prefects, Agatha Fawley and Christian Selwyn and if they are unavailable, our illustrious Head Boy and Girl."

There were a few hisses from around the room. Yuki rolled her eyes. Children.

"If they are unavailable still or there is an emergency, do come to me. I do not recommend bothering with the other Houses, for they are… negative reinforcement."

Yuki had to wonder if the silky drawl came from years of practice or he just saved it up for one speech a year to sound charismatic.

"As Slytherins, this will be your only warning." The room seemed to chill. Perhaps her fellow first years were afraid of something. "Your position is what matters. To the Houses outside of here, you are worth less than dung. Associated with Dark Magic-" She could hear the capital letters, what in the world, were these people really this bad? "With obsession, cowardice, and blood, you must adhere to be the best of them. They think you are worthless but you are not. They were be dancing on your hands within years, even those that think themselves clever."

These sort like to hear themselves talk. He probably has a tragic past too.

"So remember your position. We take care of our own, in this House more than most. This includes all things."

All right, she was done. She began to shuffle off the seat. The boy - Blaise, right, remember the names of your seniors, they were here to use- touched her wrist.

"What are you doing?" His voice was a low, frantic hiss.

"Finding my dorm," she said back. She kept her voice audible. "I'd like to find it before I get trampled."

The silky-voiced man noticed her, or perhaps the cane tapping on the floor. "Something you wish to share, Miss…"

That was supposed to be intimidating, right? All the eyes on her, the smug smirks, the discovery of a chew toy? They'd already forgotten the nice dent she'd put into the table so soon? She'd have to step it up. "I'd like the mad rush of terrified morons to not keep me from finding my bed. Unlike the rest of them, I'm not here to learn that everyone hates me for the color of my uniform and that we should hate them back. I am here to study and learn your magic."

The man was quiet, the black on his arm a little deeper, the green a little lighter. "Is that so?"

"Aye sir, it is, and I cannot do so without the proper amount of sleep. I wake with the sun."

"Then do not let me stop you."

She could see his smirk and didn't rise to it. There were a few sniggers. "I was trying to do it quickly. But I'm glad I have your permission to live here." Yuki tapped her cane a few times more, casting her gaze at the various magics in the room. "Ah. There it is." She twisted her features into a sneer. "Sorry to interrupt." And tapping her cane to find feet and make certain of her path, up she went.

There were more hisses as she passed. She turned her head to the left. Wasn't from the boy with silver-yellow, but the girl to his left. She paused and hissed at them both. Then, she retreated from the warmth of the torches and into the cool of the tunnel area. Her fingers fumbled for the door handles and the wood until-

A series of familiar bumps brushed her fingerpads and she pushed her door open.

"I thought you'd never get here!" cried one voice, soft white, and whining.

"Ssh." Yuki shut the door, containing her relief to have gotten it right the first time. "Sorry, Anya. I was trying to be polite."

"Well that was your first mistake," said the other, black and guileless and cold. "You hate people, Yuyu."

"Work on your nicknames, Stella," Yuki shot back without any heat, finally picking up her wand from her holster on her belt. She flicked it twice at her door, locking it and letting it glow green. "I'm glad they're giving girls their own rooms. It'd be a pain to explain you for three weeks."

Anya and Stella. Her first Digimon, and if she knew anything, her true Digimon partners, opposing cats, dancing around her like stars in the sky. They responded better than any of the dragons she had held or the many digimon of the sea she had tried. She was going nowhere without them at the ready. She just had to hide her digivice properly.

"I was listening to gossiping elves all day," Stella said from where she was on the four-poster bed (Sayo had told her all of what they looked like and where things would likely be.) "Apparently, fewer students are coming every year, sent away or something. And fewer are fit for Slytherin that would be safe."

"Considering the speech out there, I believe it." Yuki tapped until she reached the bed. Her fingers brushed the familiar fluff of her onesie pajamas and her face warmed. "I love my dad," she mumbled, beginning to change.

"Love us too," Anya said, crawling over and beginning to run her claws over Yuki's messy hair. "We did all the unpacking with the help of the elves."

"They wanted to just do it but we wanted to be sure."

Yuki really smiled for the second time today. "You guys are the best," she declared. "Now let's get to bed."

Sayo waited.

It was roughly ten-thirty in the evening. By now, any younger students would be in point and any pranksters making a fuss. She'd rather be in bed by now, but she knew she had to hang on for just a few minutes more.

Today, her sister had been sorted into Slytherin. Today was her first night. If she hadn't pissed off somebody she wouldn't be the Tsukino Yuki she was now.

She was so proud.

Sayo couldn't help but sigh. Her sweet, cute, slightly sassy sister was gone forever, for the most part. And for the life of her, Yuki wouldn't tell her what had happened. As a matter of fact, she wouldn't tell anyone.

At least Sayo had eventually decided to be upfront about her issues, what she could. She didn't remember anything. Yuki didn't either, she'd been a baby.

Sayo rubbed her eyes. Those memories had something to do with this, she was sure. But she couldn't-

"You can't keep doing this."

Nothing other than snatches, thoughts, things.

"You're thinking again."

Sayo sipped her tea, so used to the sudden voice in the room and unable to react to it. "It's how people stay alive, Keiichi."

The ghost materialized properly beside her. "I wouldn't know." His black hair seemed dustier than usual, plain-clothed and clean as ever otherwise. Unlike the ghosts here, he didn't look like he'd died badly, and he seemed to do what he liked. If he wanted to touch something, he really could. It was very strange.

But then, considering Keiichi had been possessing something for what he considered millennia before getting a hold of Yuki, he was entitled to be at least a little strange.

"She mocked her Head of House," Keiichi said before Sayo could ask.

Sayo couldn't help her laugh. "Good. He was insufferable. I heard him throughout dinner. It's like someone let Gutts get a degree without poking a hole in his head."

"He is headed this way though." Keiichi didn't laugh. He wasn't fond of laughing much at anything these days. She'd get him to do it eventually since he seemed determined to stick to her like a leech. Especially since…

She shut her eyes, tried not to think of her Digimon exploding like balloons, pierced with singular blows….

Sayo couldn't exactly hold it against him.

There was a knock on her door, slow and halting. It still wanted to be answered, just knock, good goddess.

Sayo tapped the teapot with her wand idly. It was easier than getting up. Not to mention, she had a position to keep. These people gave her looks for getting up to do things like getting more hot water. And she had to play the level-headed teenager who was capable of teaching her 'betters'. "Come in," she called.

Severus Snape swept in. She watched his body, his self-importance containing his self-loathing (because no one who was really confident enough wasn't hiding something), as he walked into the room. "I apologize for… disturbing you." It seemed to take an effort to say even that.

Sayo waved her hand and faked a smile. "I expected whoever had my sister would want to ask me about her tonight. Or complain. Her other teachers did." Except for Koh. But Koh just turned her and her fury and stupidity and frustration back at her. "Tea? It's chamomile."

He regarded her through his matted hair and then sat, picking up her teapot with surprising care. "What a tough material," he mused.

"It has to be," she replied, sipping her mug. "Most of my kind take a lot of time to learn their own strength. There's a lot of frustrated cubs who could break the pots and mugs trying to hold them and then they have shrapnel in their hands and scalding tea on their fingers." She watched his eye twitch at the word "cubs". "Is there a problem?"

"Of course not."

"There never is," Sayo said, adopting her uncle's wise, thoughtful voice. She put her tea down. "So, what did she do? Insult your speech? Leave?"

"Both." His expression relaxed. "She has quite a disregard for decorum."

Sayo resisted a snort. "It's pointless to expect us to try," she said instead. "You aren't intimidating to her. The machinations of most people escape her as being necessary. They bore me, and I am her closest role model, gender-wise and reality wise."

"She's made plenty of enemies."

Sayo did have to laugh this time. "And she'll make more. And then she'll either make them her friends or they'll do something stupid and make them regret crossing her. And then she'll be punished. I've already warned her not to do it."

"Perhaps you should make the message clearer." He sipped his tea, voice unchanging.

Oh. We're gonna go there. Sayo grinned, showing her teeth. "Perhaps you need a new message she could consider listening to."