YEAR OF THE SNAKE
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Reina and Paulus. This is not wrtitten to profit from either Once Upon a Time, or Harry Potter in any way. It's a product of my own febrile imagination, inteneded as amusement. That said, thank you great and mighty powers for letting play in your sandbox.
A/N: Welcome back to the main part of the story.
Chapter Three
The black iron engine was the largest machine she had ever seen. It huffed and hissed steam from strange places and gleamed in ways Regina Mills had never imagined anything so large and obviously muggle-made doing. Even as far away as she now stood, the coal smoke and vapor that stank of water in hot metal tubes seemed to fill the air like an aura. Somehow it struck her as magnificent, completely unlike the colored steel beetles of Charing Cross. It looked like something built by men and built to be controlled by them.
"Well, here we are," Henry spread his arm broadly at the almost sepia vista of the platform.
"It's amazing," Regina's voice held a touch of awe as she looked around the mostly empty station. The place was so much... more than she'd imagined. It was old-fashioned and new, ornate and industrial, functional and somehow artful all at the same time. "Does the rest of our world look like this?"
"Much of it," her father nodded. He gave the luggage trolley a shove to get them moving. "The muggle world is different, of course..."
"Oh look daddy," the suddenly excited girl pointed and bounced on her toes. "There's Reina and Mister Selcouth."
Henry looked over just as the two broke from their embrace. Reina stood straight, a smaller image of her soldier father, almost gave the impression that she was about to salute. Instead, she nodded once and turned, climbing onto the car without any help.
"Well, I suppose we know which one you'll be riding in, don't we?" Henry smiled.
"I-is that alright?" Regina looked up worriedly. "Mother... mother wasn't happy about the Selcouths..."
"I know, I know." Regina's eyes were already beginning to glimmer as he knelt and wrapped his arms around her. "I can't tell you not to listen to what your mother says," Henry Mills said as he held her in his arms, "but think of this; she's harsh because she wants you to be more than us. All parents do."
"I know, daddy," Regina squeezed tightly. "I try hard to do everything right. I really do, but sometimes..." she sighed. "Sometimes I know I'll never be good enough."
"Oh yes you will," he returned. He tapped her back so she could let go enough to let him kneel and look into her eyes. "I'll tell you something now. I'm glad you'll be riding with Reina. She's already demonstrated courage and honor. Stay by her. She'll be a good friend."
"But mother said..."
"I know. She doesn't believe that your friend and her father are worth knowing because their names aren't in the social register," Henry frowned, "But you need to decide who to value and why. And to help you decide, I'll tell you this." He looked seriously into her brown eyes. "You are what you do when it counts."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that no matter what clothes you wear, or what face you show the world, at some point you may to have to make a decision that could cost a person's life." His smooth, soft hand caressed her cheek. "If that time comes, you'll need to decide who to save and why."
"Like Diagon Alley yesterday," Regina nodded.
"Exactly. Reina and her father didn't know you from Adam's housecat. It wouldn't have cost them anything at all to leave you to your fate." Henry peered deeply, trying to impress her with the gravity of just how close things had really been. "They didn't. They risked whatever that scoundrel might throw at them in order to save a total stranger from harm. To my mind, that makes them much more worthy than most of the people in your mother's big book."
"I know you're right daddy, but mother was so angry that they had to save me yesterday," Regina lowered her eyes with a shudder. "I was supposed to be better..."
"I know that Cora can be strict, but you must always do things you know to be right and good. Always. You'll never go wrong, no matter what anyone else says. I'll bet Reina's father is very proud of what she did yesterday."
"I'll bet he his too." Regina threw her arms back around her father's neck and squeezed. "I'll always try to make you proud of me."
"I'm sure you will," Henry smiled. "Now, let's get this trolley to a porter and get you on the train. Okay?"
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Dilops gave her away with her happy grunts and bobs. Regina's face split into a grin anyway. She couldn't be angry with the pretty little beast, even if she had completely wrecked her effort to sneak into the car. When Reina looked up from her sheaf of papers, her silver/blue eyes fixed on Regina. The smile that grew on her dark face mirrored her own.
"I was trying to sneak in," Regina gave a mock huff and strode into the cabin. "Your little monster there gave me away." She pointed imperiously at the happily grunting creature. She couldn't help but laugh as Dilops leapt from the cushion and scrambled up her arm and over her shoulder. "Hello, little beast," she cooed, scratching the lizard beneath her chin, "did you miss me?"
"I think my mother bought your familiar by accident," Reina smirked.
"Hardly," Regina looked across to make sure that the other girl was joking. "I think Dilops is just a showoff and will pay court to anyone who pays her any attention."
"I think so too. If you like she can stay there," Reina nodded. "If not..."
"Oh no," Regina replied quickly, "I'm happy with her company."
There was a long pause as Regina delighted in the weird little purr the jeweled lizard gave. She giggled, relishing the soft thrum against her neck. Her eye caught on the book in Reina's lap, and that took her mind back to yesterday and Diagon Alley.
"I still can't believe that Gilderoy Lockhart was at Flourish and Blott's yesterday," Regina grinned as she ran her fingers across Dilops' spined neck. "I never thought I'd get to meet him."
"Lockhart? That pretty looking man who smiled a lot?" Regina answered Reina's question with a laugh and a nod. "I didn't really like him."
"What? Why not?" Regina asked.
"I don't know," Reina said thoughtfully. "I mean, I can easily see him as a writer, but not some great wizard," the dark girl replied. "He was very interested in himself."
"Well, not all of us can be selfless heroes," Regina smirked. She looked at the thick mass of papers in Reina's hand. "What are you doing?"
"Mother wanted me to have this book for my first year at Hogwarts," Reina replied. "It's a magical book that does a lot of things. This," she waved the papers, "tells me how to use it."
"What can it do?"
"Lots." Reina shook her head. "I can talk to it and it'll write everything I say. I can draw in it and it'll make a picture of what I mean, instead of whatever mess I put down. Best, it never runs out of pages."
"That's pretty amazing," Regina agreed.
"So far, I know how to open it, how to open it to certain sections whenever I put notes in it..."
"Hey! Here's one," a blonde boy called loudly from the door of the car. He looked in and grinned broadly. "Hi, I'm David. David Nolan." A laughing blonde girl collided with his shoulder. "Do you mind of we sit with you?"
Regina glanced over in time to see all the animation drain from Reina's face. She gave a little shrug. Regina copied her for a change and slipped on a mask of bored neutrality.
"Of course," she said coolly. "Please be our guests."
The pair sat tumbled in quite happily and were more than eager to share their excitement about leaving home from the first time and going to Hogwarts. The girl introduced herself as Katherine Griffith and while she wasn't quite as chatty as the boy, she was bubbly enough for both.
Apparently the blonde couldn't abide Reina's studying, because barely an instant later she got up and plopped down beside her. "So what's your name?" Ashley bubbled. "I'm Ashley, this is David."
Regina felt Dilops tense at the same time she saw Reina's jaw muscles bunch. "Her name is Reina Selcouth. Mine is Regina Mills," she announced coolly. "She's trying to study, so if you feel the need to bother someone, you may bother me."
"Well excuse us, I'm sure," David wrinkled his lip. "I didn't know we were in the executive coach."
"Well you do now," Regina replied coolly.
The little cabin remained quiet for some time after that. Eventually, Regina turned to watch the crowds growing on the platform outside while Dilops relaxed and returned to his basking purr beneath her fingertips. Reina read. The new pair shortly returned to their own private conversation and giggles. Suddenly, the train gave a banging lurch and somewhere up ahead, a high-pitched whistle blew. Another lurch shook the car and outside the soft thunder of quick footsteps grew.
"Sorry to bother you," a male voice panted, "but the train's about to go and all the other cars are full. Mind if we sit with you?"
Again, Reina acquiesced with a shrug and distracted grunt. Regina looked over to the pale, brown haired boy. Two others had ganged up around him, rocking with the lightly surging train.
"Great, thanks," the boy brushed his hair back with his fingers, strode in and flopped down next to Regina. "I'm Vic Whale, that's Killian Jones and Jeff Hatley."
"Jefferson," the last boy corrected.
Something in his tone made Regina look up. His brown hair was a bit wild and his robes seemed to be a bit askew, but it was his eyes that made her uncomfortable. He was looking at her so intensely, as if he were somehow imprinting her face on the surface of his brain. His lopsided smile grew wider when he saw her looking.
"My father's a haberdasher in Diagon Alley." He walked over and began to sit beside Regina without considering who was already there. The Nolan boy had to scoot aside before he had someone in his lap. "He's about to be made a partner at Twilfitt and Tattings. I can see from your robe that you've heard of it."
Apparently there was something about the boy that Dilops didn't like either. She flopped down onto Regina's lap and hissed, half extending her fan.
"Oh dear," Reina's tone held more boredom than worry. "Maybe you should move away from her. Slowly."
The boy sent an angry look across the aisle. "What, because of a lizard?"
"That's a micro-dilophosaurus," Reina replied without looking away from her papers. "They spit a poison acid before they attack. You can tell when they're about to go because they extend their frill." She shook her papers to firm them and get a better read. "From the little I've read, it's an aggression display. Of course, if you don't mind the flesh running off your skull, then by all means, continue to be a prat."
Regina worked hard to bury her grin beneath a smirk. It was harder still to restore her mask and raise a questioning eyebrow at the pushy boy. Jeff's reply was to reach for the wand at his belt.
The world slowed down for Regina. She saw the boy move, felt Dilops tense and inflate somehow. From the corner of her eye she caught the bright frill fully unfurl. Across the way Reina stretched her arm and her thick brown wand leapt from her sleeve.
"Don't," Reina said in a quiet voice. "They're both my friends."
"Hey, hey, hey," David rose. "There's no need..."
An icicle exploded within Regina's chest and the cold ran down to her fingertips. "STOP!" she commanded in a voice too firm to be her own. "Every one stop." The world froze.
"Mister Hatley, move away slowly. Now." Regina commanded. The boy kept his eyes on Reina as he began to comply.
"Reina, please put your wand away." The dark girl waited until Hatley was a full pace away before she raised her arm and let the wand slip inside.
Her stroking fingers quickly soothed Dilops, who gave a final little grunt and lay down on her lap. "Now, ladies and gentlemen," she continued in a tone fearfully reminiscent of her mother's, "manners exist so that people can deal with each other in a polite, if not pleasant way. So, before anyone can get themselves cursed, showered with acid, or something equally unpleasant, I suggest we all begin to use them."
Everyone seemed a little surprised when she offered them a small smile. "I think proper introductions are in order. My name is Regina Mills. Our family is from Cardiff. My mother hopes that I'll be put in Slytheryn House, but honestly any of them are fine with me, just as long as I can learn something useful." A little grunt sounded from her lap. "And this is Dilops. She's really Reina's familiar, but for some reason she likes sunning herself on me."
David chuckled as the ice broke. Regina nodded to him to continue.
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It took nearly two hours for the circle to continue back around to Reina. David had been brief, as had Katherine, but when the turn got round to the boy who sat on the floor, brevity disappeared.
Jefferson Hatley had gone on. And on. And on. The dark haired girl that had started the ball rolling had rapidly grown bored with his endless wind and, good manners or not, she'd begun staring out the window, preferring the rolling hills and rhythmic clack-clack of the rails to his self important drone. He had to have wound down at some point, because when Regina finally turned her attention back Whale was saying something about Professor Snape and Slytheryn. She actually did try to pay attention after that, but it wasn't the easiest thing ever.
"So, my mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Ravenclaw," the slender boy said. He elbowed the dark skinned girl. "What about you, Reina, that's your name right?"
"Is your question about my name, or my parents?" The dark skinned girl asked without bothering to look up from her book.
"Well your folks, duh," the thin haired boy replied with a roll of his eyes. "I obviously know your name."
"My mother has decided to send me to Hogwarts," Regina replied. "She was never in any of your houses."
"Well was she a Beauxbaton, or something?" Jones chimed in. The boy didn't wait for an answer before murmuring to one of the others; "this one's snotty enough to be one of them, ain't she?"
Reina sighed unhappily, lowered her papers and fixed her eyes on the fair haired boy. "My people come from the Pennines. Lancashire, near Pendle Hill. It was a small farm, with sheep. I have no brothers or sisters. Satisfied now?"
Four of the six jaws in the car dropped. Reina's glance flickered across the wide-eyed mob and stopped on her Regina's. The other jaw that refused to drop was hers. It was certainly a shock discovering that her friend might be connected somehow to the most famous witches in England, but somehow she didn't want to display such a high emotion on something Reina made so little of.
"Bloody hell, are you related to them? The Pendle Witches, I mean," Jones asked, more excited than frightened.
"No," Reina shook her papers again and returned to her reading. "As far as I know, I am neither Device nor Chattox, Demdike nor Whittle."
Hatley recovered first. "You sure seem to know a lot about them for someone not related."
"Well that would only make since, wouldn't it?" the olive skinned girl broke in with a tone of smooth authority. "If she's from the Southern Pennines, then she should know the local history, wouldn't you say?"
"Blah, blah, bl-bl-blah." The boy's mimic made the others giggle and earned him a friendly shove on one shoulder.
An angry smirk began to form on Reina's lips and she was about to say something else when David leapt to his feet. "Holy cow," he cried out, pointing.
Regina jerked her head back towards the world to see a faded blue motor carriage roll out from under the rail bridge and climb up into the cloudy sky. She shook her head as if to clear it and glanced back to her friend. Reina seemed as amazed as she.
"Are those supposed to do that?" Reina asked.
"Not generally," David replied. "Cars usually stay on the ground."
"Looks like a good pilot though," Whale nodded.
"Perhaps," Reina nodded. "I don't know how those are supposed to move. It seems to be bobbing a bit, like he can't stay level. He could just be lucky."
Then the car rolled towards them and the nearer door fell open. Katherine screamed as a boy in a red sweater spilled out into the void.
"Looks like his luck just ran out," Hatley said.
There was frantic effort, both from the hanging boy and the red-haired one who seemed to be driving. They scrabbled, tugging at each other. The dark haired one swung his legs, trying to climb the empty air. Time drew itself out, each second taking so much longer than it should, until finally, the boy managed to climb back inside.
"I don't think they know what they're doing," Reina observed as she watched the vehicle pull ahead of the train.
"I wonder who they are," David said.
A little growl from Dilops made everyone realize just how much they were packed up around her. Regina buried a little smile as they backed away.