We are so DEAD!" Sheila said as she sat down dinner that evening. "We are so so DEAD!"
"You and Cri Cri never should have started arguing in the first place." Emma piped up as she helped herself to some tripe that had just appeared in front of her.
Gabreilla stared at the girl as she took a bite to eat. "I shall ne'er get use to your foodz 'ere. My Mère said zat zee only rezon zat zee English needed to have colonies waz zo zat zey could find better food." Looking around Gabriella tried, without success to find something decent to eat.
Sheila gave a mock sigh, troubles of earlier in the day momentarily forgotten. "Ah, my dear Gabby, I hate to break it to you, we're in Scotland, not England."
"The steak and kindey pie isn't that bad" Lily offered.
Gabreilla turned it down, deciding that an argument with Shelia was the most appetizing item at the table. "Zame difference." She placed her head on her hands as she watched her friends eat, determined to hold her dignity, and not eat anything her mother would not make. "I wish we would 'ave ze Triwizard Tourniment again, zen I might go back to my old school..." She stared off into space. Then, as if she had fallen back down to earth from her little world of dreams, Marlene's head shot up. "'Ey, w'ere iz Cri Cri? She usually eats wiz us."
Emma winced, the memories from earlier in the day that she had been trying to forget just came flying back at her. "Um, Gabriella... Sheila and Cri Cri got into another fight... this time rather bad..."for
Rolling her eyes, Sheila laughed darkly at what her friend just said. "Bad? We got the entire fifth year of both Houses, minus Peter, a couple of good detentions. Together, too. Still waiting to find out what they are, though."
"Zis iz all zat Black'z fault!" Lily made a rather rude comment in agreement. "If he didn't zay zere waz a war between ze 'Ouses zis wouldn't be 'appening!" Gabby cursed. "I will be back. I am going to zee if Cri Cri is all right..." The sixth year excused herself from the table and walked across the room to the Slytherin table (stopping to say hello to Arthur O'Brian, first).
"I bet she went to go see if the Slytherins had better food then we did" Sheila whispered to Emma and Lily.
•º•
"Mind if I zit 'ere, Cri Cri?" Gabriella asked her friend, who was unusually alone.
The Slytherin looked up gloomily, "Yeah, go ahead." Gabriella sat down. The Slytherins staring at her, but she didn't seem to mind. "Gabby, I think the entire school hates me."
"Why?" She looked at her friend in surprise. Cri Cri was normally so proud and sure, this was completely out of character.
Staring down at her plate of food, Cri Cri shook her head. "Well, Lucius is blaming me for our loss against Hufflepuff on Saturday, Sheila hates me, and well, you heard what I did to Bronwen, didn't you?"
"She deserved it, Nacrissa."
"Still..."
"Look, don't worry, e'ery zing should be back to normal soon."
"Remus prob'ly hates me too, now. Its my fault we were all nearly expelled."
Gabriella helped her nearly crying friend to her feet. "Come, let us go for a walk. E'ery'zing will be okay in ze end."
"No it won't" Cri Cri was shaking as the walked out of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall's eyes followed them out, but she did nothing more then watch them leave. Dumbledore and Desdemona would not let her
"What do you mean by zat, Cri Cri?" Gabriella asked in concern as the cold November air hit their faces. Narcissa was freezing, but she welcomed the cold without a coat.
"I never had the chance to tell you what the boys are talking about, did I?" She thrust her wrist into her robe pockets.
"No."
"Oh! I'm so worried about Lily! She's the truest friend I've ever had! It's just not fair! Why do I have to be in Slytherin? I mean that I can't be friends with those I want to be! It forces me not to love those whom I wish to! It binds me to a person I hate! That's all the house sows! HATE! Have you heard the way that they talk about Muggle born? Or anything else that they don't consider pure? Last year a Hufflepuff girl was all but killed by one of our seventh years, did anything happen? No. Desdemona covered it up and Dumbledore never found out. Van Demon came back, proud as a cock! WHY AM I IN SLYTHERIN! I DON'T BELONG IN THIS HOUSE! It's not fair. It's not like being born a Black makes me one, either. Sirius isn't and he's my cousin. Andromeda was in Ravenclaw. AND I AM STUCK IN GODLESS SLYTHERIN!" Narcissa screamed up at the moon. All Gabriella could do was nod, half understanding what was going through her friends mind. "Do you understand how afraid us girls have been since then? How horribly we are treated in that house? We aren't allowed to go out for the Quidditch team, even if some of the best fliers are girls! There is xenophobia, and everything. Its horrible, Gabriella, it really is."
Gabriella gave her friend a hug, sat her down, and allowed her to cry on her shoulder. It was all she really could do.
