Thanks to my beta, Willangel101! She hasn't beta - read this chapter, but
she will in the future. Thanks, will-chan!
Salazar Riddle pushed her way through the crowded Muggle train station, struggling to keep her trolley on the narrow walkways and out of the path of innocent bystanders. Her black owl, Lucifer, hooted softly in his cage, drawing the attention of several curious onlookers as she steered the heavy trolley to platform nine and three quarters.
"Oh, thissss is great fun," a voice huffed from her inside jacket pocket. "It's hot in here, Ssssalazar."
"Shut up," Salazar growled, keeping her voice low. "I don't want someone to hear you."
"Eassssy for you to ssssay, you're out in the open," the voice whined.
"Salen, you're a snake. That means you're cold blooded," Salazar said patiently, passing platform eight. "I don't want to hear you complaining."
The snake muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a rather rude retort, and Salazar accidentally said, "Sod off, jackass," a bit louder than she intended to in Parseltounge. A nearby mother, toting three small children, looked at her oddly before giving her a wide berth to platform nine.
Salazar breathed out a heavy sigh of relief that the woman wasn't a witch. "Now, you stop that," she said, voice so soft she knew Salen had to strain to hear it. "We're about to be in the company of too many wizards and witches for us to talk. You're tired and hungry, I'm tired and scared and hungry, and we're in no condition to be arguing. When we get on the train, we can talk, okay?"
The snake muttered a very subdued, "All right," as Salazar approached Platform Nine.
Which wall? Salazar wondered. There were several supporting walls between nine and ten. Although she supposed she could go by trial and error, the thought didn't appeal to her and she set about scanning for other witches and wizards.
Salen, sensing his friend's discomfort, spoke quietly. "Ssssalzar, you assssked your parentssss not to go with you. You knew that you could do it without expossssing them. Bessssides, I'm here. What could happen?"
Salazar didn't reply for fear of being heard, but she smiled. Oh, nothing, she thought. Just have Mum and Dad sent to jail and Hakusho and I put in with another family.
Before she could dwell on the seriousness of that (again), a boy so bizarre- looking that several passer bys actually stopped to stare pulled up alongside her with a trunk similar to hers and - her heart leapt - a bird.
"Hullo," the boy said cheerfully. Ridged self-control allowed Salazar only a glance at his bright blue hair, vast assortment of piercings (was that one in his eyebrow?) and mismatched, baggy clothes.
The boy, who upon reflection looked to be in his second year, nodded towards her owl. "Nice looking fellow you've got there."
"You have a kyeka," Salazar observed in way of response. If she had allowed herself to show emotion, she would have looked surprised.
The boy, however, had none of her restrictions and looked stumped. "How'd you know that?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested. "Even Professor Binns hadn't heard of them before."
Salazar gave him a tiny smile. Perhaps she wouldn't be alone in the train compartment after all.
"I love reading about all types of animals," she explained. "My brother was looking at the pictures in a book once, and he liked it because of all the pretty colors. I looked up facts about it for him."
And indeed, the bird would have been enough to catch the attention of any person. Its body was the shape of a cockatoo's, but its coloring was much more extravagant- brilliant, vivid shades of purple, red, orange, green, and yellow fought for domination on its feathers in pretty lines and curves. It appeared to be fast asleep and oblivious of all the attention it was receiving.
"She's beautiful," Salazar said, admiring the bird.
"My name's Jared," the boy announced, sticking out his hand. "What's yours?"
Salazar fought with herself briefly again (I'm going to be suspicious anyway and I absolutely REFUSE to be called Sally), and then placed her slim hand in his. "Salazar," she said.
Jared looked interested and vaguely amused. "No surnames for either of us, I see." Then, when she didn't immediately voice it, he smiled. "Mine can't be worse than yours," he smiled.
Not bloody likely, Salazar thought.
"You're a first year, right? I don't think I've seen you around," Jared said, changing topics.
"Yes," Salazar said. Now that they were talking comfortably, she could study him a bit closer. He looked oddly familiar, and she couldn't quite place him. Rather thin, long nose, thick hair....
"Ha," she said suddenly, pleased. "You're Jared Snape."
He looked startled. "Am I that famous?" he asked, mock sighing. "Ah, yes, I'll be the next Harry Potter, I will, with all the bustle going about my parents. After all this time, too." He winked. "Mum lost twenty Galleons to Father with my Sorting- she had her money on Gryffindor. You have any idea about which House you'll be in?"
Salazar gave him a look, and he laughed. "Slytherin, of course. Salazar. One of the Founders Four. Any particular reason you're named after him?"
Salazar shrugged.
"Ah, the secretive type, hmmm?" Jared teased. "Well, come on, Mysterious Salazar, we've stood here chatting for ages. We're going to miss the train if we're not careful."
He winked at her, noting when she hesitated. "We'll go together, all right?"
Following his lead, Salazar maneuvered her trolley next to his as they stood, relaxed, against the wall that obviously led to the train. Then Salazar felt her stomach drop a bit, settle back into place, and then-
They were through.
Just in time to see someone running towards them, shouting. And he didn't look happy.
A/N: I am SO sorry for the time it took me to update. Personally, I thought this chapter was a bit hard to write because nothing much in the way of drama happens but Jared's such an important character, it had to be written. The next one is much more fun (and LONGER), so it'll be out soon, within the next two weeks at the latest.
I noticed in the last chapter that when I typed three periods in a row they showed up as one- sorry about that. I have no idea how to fix it. Again, I apologize, and if anyone knows how to fix the problem (and do itlaics and bold and that type of thing), please contact me or leave a review.
Now, for questions: There is a reason that Salazar is named Salazar. You just don't know it yet. Although I do agree it is a bit odd for a girl to be named that. A lot of you were wondering about Draco and the mysterious other person. This is in the future, if I didn't make that clear, and Voldemort has been defeated. The other person is- mute. Yes. He cannot talk. ^_^ I suppose I should have given him dialogue, but he really wasn't important. One of you asked why Harry asked for Tom so kindly... well, personally, if I were looking up my worst enemy that had apparently lived in the same house for the past decade or so, I wouldn't be breathing down their neighbor's necks. Just me.
Now, for those of you who are burning with the desire to flame me for leaving out such a chunk of time- please don't. All will be explained, I promise.
Thank you very much for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it!!!!! Now, prove how much you adored (or hated) it by leaving a review!
~hellsong~
Shameless Self Promotion- Waiting for Death Eaters is scheduled to be updated! (yes, you did read that correctly!) I am totally rewriting the fic (and this time I PROMISE I'll finish it!) So, look for that under the Hermione/Snape shipper section sometime this month.
Salazar Riddle pushed her way through the crowded Muggle train station, struggling to keep her trolley on the narrow walkways and out of the path of innocent bystanders. Her black owl, Lucifer, hooted softly in his cage, drawing the attention of several curious onlookers as she steered the heavy trolley to platform nine and three quarters.
"Oh, thissss is great fun," a voice huffed from her inside jacket pocket. "It's hot in here, Ssssalazar."
"Shut up," Salazar growled, keeping her voice low. "I don't want someone to hear you."
"Eassssy for you to ssssay, you're out in the open," the voice whined.
"Salen, you're a snake. That means you're cold blooded," Salazar said patiently, passing platform eight. "I don't want to hear you complaining."
The snake muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a rather rude retort, and Salazar accidentally said, "Sod off, jackass," a bit louder than she intended to in Parseltounge. A nearby mother, toting three small children, looked at her oddly before giving her a wide berth to platform nine.
Salazar breathed out a heavy sigh of relief that the woman wasn't a witch. "Now, you stop that," she said, voice so soft she knew Salen had to strain to hear it. "We're about to be in the company of too many wizards and witches for us to talk. You're tired and hungry, I'm tired and scared and hungry, and we're in no condition to be arguing. When we get on the train, we can talk, okay?"
The snake muttered a very subdued, "All right," as Salazar approached Platform Nine.
Which wall? Salazar wondered. There were several supporting walls between nine and ten. Although she supposed she could go by trial and error, the thought didn't appeal to her and she set about scanning for other witches and wizards.
Salen, sensing his friend's discomfort, spoke quietly. "Ssssalzar, you assssked your parentssss not to go with you. You knew that you could do it without expossssing them. Bessssides, I'm here. What could happen?"
Salazar didn't reply for fear of being heard, but she smiled. Oh, nothing, she thought. Just have Mum and Dad sent to jail and Hakusho and I put in with another family.
Before she could dwell on the seriousness of that (again), a boy so bizarre- looking that several passer bys actually stopped to stare pulled up alongside her with a trunk similar to hers and - her heart leapt - a bird.
"Hullo," the boy said cheerfully. Ridged self-control allowed Salazar only a glance at his bright blue hair, vast assortment of piercings (was that one in his eyebrow?) and mismatched, baggy clothes.
The boy, who upon reflection looked to be in his second year, nodded towards her owl. "Nice looking fellow you've got there."
"You have a kyeka," Salazar observed in way of response. If she had allowed herself to show emotion, she would have looked surprised.
The boy, however, had none of her restrictions and looked stumped. "How'd you know that?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested. "Even Professor Binns hadn't heard of them before."
Salazar gave him a tiny smile. Perhaps she wouldn't be alone in the train compartment after all.
"I love reading about all types of animals," she explained. "My brother was looking at the pictures in a book once, and he liked it because of all the pretty colors. I looked up facts about it for him."
And indeed, the bird would have been enough to catch the attention of any person. Its body was the shape of a cockatoo's, but its coloring was much more extravagant- brilliant, vivid shades of purple, red, orange, green, and yellow fought for domination on its feathers in pretty lines and curves. It appeared to be fast asleep and oblivious of all the attention it was receiving.
"She's beautiful," Salazar said, admiring the bird.
"My name's Jared," the boy announced, sticking out his hand. "What's yours?"
Salazar fought with herself briefly again (I'm going to be suspicious anyway and I absolutely REFUSE to be called Sally), and then placed her slim hand in his. "Salazar," she said.
Jared looked interested and vaguely amused. "No surnames for either of us, I see." Then, when she didn't immediately voice it, he smiled. "Mine can't be worse than yours," he smiled.
Not bloody likely, Salazar thought.
"You're a first year, right? I don't think I've seen you around," Jared said, changing topics.
"Yes," Salazar said. Now that they were talking comfortably, she could study him a bit closer. He looked oddly familiar, and she couldn't quite place him. Rather thin, long nose, thick hair....
"Ha," she said suddenly, pleased. "You're Jared Snape."
He looked startled. "Am I that famous?" he asked, mock sighing. "Ah, yes, I'll be the next Harry Potter, I will, with all the bustle going about my parents. After all this time, too." He winked. "Mum lost twenty Galleons to Father with my Sorting- she had her money on Gryffindor. You have any idea about which House you'll be in?"
Salazar gave him a look, and he laughed. "Slytherin, of course. Salazar. One of the Founders Four. Any particular reason you're named after him?"
Salazar shrugged.
"Ah, the secretive type, hmmm?" Jared teased. "Well, come on, Mysterious Salazar, we've stood here chatting for ages. We're going to miss the train if we're not careful."
He winked at her, noting when she hesitated. "We'll go together, all right?"
Following his lead, Salazar maneuvered her trolley next to his as they stood, relaxed, against the wall that obviously led to the train. Then Salazar felt her stomach drop a bit, settle back into place, and then-
They were through.
Just in time to see someone running towards them, shouting. And he didn't look happy.
A/N: I am SO sorry for the time it took me to update. Personally, I thought this chapter was a bit hard to write because nothing much in the way of drama happens but Jared's such an important character, it had to be written. The next one is much more fun (and LONGER), so it'll be out soon, within the next two weeks at the latest.
I noticed in the last chapter that when I typed three periods in a row they showed up as one- sorry about that. I have no idea how to fix it. Again, I apologize, and if anyone knows how to fix the problem (and do itlaics and bold and that type of thing), please contact me or leave a review.
Now, for questions: There is a reason that Salazar is named Salazar. You just don't know it yet. Although I do agree it is a bit odd for a girl to be named that. A lot of you were wondering about Draco and the mysterious other person. This is in the future, if I didn't make that clear, and Voldemort has been defeated. The other person is- mute. Yes. He cannot talk. ^_^ I suppose I should have given him dialogue, but he really wasn't important. One of you asked why Harry asked for Tom so kindly... well, personally, if I were looking up my worst enemy that had apparently lived in the same house for the past decade or so, I wouldn't be breathing down their neighbor's necks. Just me.
Now, for those of you who are burning with the desire to flame me for leaving out such a chunk of time- please don't. All will be explained, I promise.
Thank you very much for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it!!!!! Now, prove how much you adored (or hated) it by leaving a review!
~hellsong~
Shameless Self Promotion- Waiting for Death Eaters is scheduled to be updated! (yes, you did read that correctly!) I am totally rewriting the fic (and this time I PROMISE I'll finish it!) So, look for that under the Hermione/Snape shipper section sometime this month.