M-chan: Itachi-sama!! =glomps Itachi=

Itachi: Wha--? =has been glomped=

Train: You're embarassing, you know.

M-chan: That's what you think!

"..."- Talking

::...::- Parseltongue

Chapter 5: Serpents

"That felt good."

Lily, Blaise and Draco walked down the hallway to the Great hall. Blaise sighed. "You didn't have to rant for so long. I doubt there's any pudding left..."

Three stomachs growled and Lily giggled. Then the colour drained from her face.

"Lily?"

"I...Oh my goodness...I can hear it."

"It?"

"The thing that speaks."

"Oh, yeah..."

Lily swallowed and ran, following the voice only she heard. Draco and Blaise hurried to catch up. They'd reached a deserted passageway on the second floor and Lily gasped.

"Oh my-"

"Would you stop saying that?!"

"Draco, look!'

"Wha-Oh..."

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Draco and Blaise stared. Lily's eyes widened and she collapsed just as everyone from the Great hall entered the passageway.

"Welcome back to the waking world Miss Black."

Lily opened her eyes. She was in a bed in the hospital wing. Draco and Blaise sat on her left, Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Lockhart, Filch and Madame Pomfrey towering above.

"Heh...Hi..."

"Lilith, what happened?"

"...I fainted?"

Lockhart rolled his eyes. "Yes we know th-"

Snape sat on her bed. "Yes, you fainted. We want to know what happened before you fainted."

Lily blushed. "Oh... Professor, I'd like it if you, the Headmaster, Draco and Blaise heard this. Only."

Snape and McGonagall bustled Filch and Lockhart out of the infirmary. Snape locked the door behind McGonagall. Dumbledore watched Lily, amused.

"What is so important that you couldn't say in front of those Snape escorted out?"

Lily stared down at the bed sheets. "Draco, could you...?"

Draco swallowed hard, but nodded. He pulled out his wand and looked at her, worried. "You sure?"

Blaise shifted as Lily's grip on the sheets tightened. "Hurry up Draco. Before she changes her mind."

"Fine." Draco inhaled. "Serpensortia!"

A long, black snake slithered out of the wand and onto the bed. Snape glared at Draco, pulling out his wand. "Don't panic Black, I'll-"

"Don't move Professor."

::Foolish humans, calling me here...:: The snake began slithering towards Lily. ::You humans shouldn't have called me in the middle of my meal! I'll just take a bit of thisss one.::

Lily looked up, her eyes narrowed. ::You are not going to bite me.::

The snake, Dumbledore and Snape stared at her. The snake was the first to react. ::You are a sspeaker?::

::Umm... Yes?::

The snake bowed his head. ::I am sssorry for threatening you, my lady...I am Sserethess Athessserath XIII and I offer myself to your ssservice.::

::Uhh...My thanks...May I call you Shadow? I don't think I can pronounce your name properly.::

The snake seemed to tilt his head to the side. ::You may, my lady.:: He, Shadow, slithered into her lap. :I sshall ssleep now. I will hunt when I wake.::

Lily looked up at the two Professors. "I uhh... I'm a Parselmouth. I heard what sounded like a serpent's voice when we were heading to the Great Hall. I followed it."

"Lilith..."
Draco poked the sleeping Gryffindor. "Lily, are you planning on staying here?"

Lily opened one eye. "Yes. I've been attacked by a mad bludger, my bones were liquefied and I had to re-grow them, and then Dobby, that house elf of yours, was the one who caused it! Plus Professors Dumbledore and Snape now know that I'm a Parselmouth..."

"Lily, you have to go to Gryffindor Tower."

Lily groaned as Draco and Blaise picked her up. "I don't wanna..."

"Come on Lily."

Lily growled but stood on her own and stuck her tongue out at the two boys. "Why?"

"Because when you usually sneak back Filch catches you and you end up with detention."

Lily shook her head. "I'd rather stay here than have a repeat of last time."

"What happened last time?"

"Last time's the reason everyone thinks I'm-"

The common room door opened and a Slytherin prefect walked in with Crabbe and Goyle. Draco headed forward and Lily lay down on the couch, her head in Blaise's lap.

"Did you know Professor Dumbledore has a pet phoenix named Fawkes?"

"Really?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Lily... you weren't going to fall asleep in the common room again, were you?"

"No Draco." She sat up, but used Blaise's shoulder as a pillow. "You heard about Mr. Weasley?"

"Yeah. Dad's trying to help him. Kept the reporters away."

Crabbe's eyes widened in surprise and Lily frowned. "Whoever's the heir of Slytherin must be having fun with this... Draco, let's go to your dorms."

"Wha-? Oh, yeah...kind of stupid talking about his out here."

Crabbe and Goyle shifted uncomfortably and that got Draco, Blaise and Lily's attention. "Crabbe... Are you feeling okay?"

"...Fine."

"Yeah... you're usually more coherent..."

"Lily, hair!"

"Wha-? Ronald Weasley!!"
M-chan: Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama...

Itachi: x.x =unconscious=

Train: Thia is what M-chan can do when she's not hyper...

M-chan: ...Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama, Itachi-sama...