Disclaimer: OK, you really should know by now that nothing but Bryn belongs to me.

Chapter 20 - Getting To Know You: Two weeks passed. Lupin had still not replied to Harry's letter, which to Bryn obviously meant that he didn't want to talk about Jazlyn. What was everyone so reluctant to say anyway? If they were trying to dissuade her, avoiding the issue was not the way to do it.

But she had very little time to dwell on it. Classes were getting harder. NEWT level courses were no joke, apparently. But then, NEWTs were the UK's counterpart to AMATs (Advanced Magical Aptitude Tests) - the counterpart for OWLs was MATs (Magical Aptitude Tests) - and from what she heard, the AMAT courses were academic torture. And that was what many of her yearmates were terming their lessons now. Bryn would have to agree.

She had another distraction as well, but she didn't mind this one. Considering the fact that their relationship was hidden, she and Blaise had resorted to writing each other using charmed parchment. The spell, one the Coven had used to great effect in years past, allowed a communication similar to that in chat rooms on Muggle computers. A person would write on their sheet of parchment, and the message would immediately appear on the other piece or pieces connected to it by the spell. When the page was filled up, it magically went blank again. And Bryn finally had some real news for Blaise. After talking to Ginny - who knew why Bryn wanted to know but was sworn to secrecy - Bryn had learned of the Room of Requirement. It sounded to like the perfect place for a secret meeting.

So, when she had finally finished her Potions essay, she pulled out her charmed parchment.

Hello? She wrote.

Finally. I was wondering if you were trying to ignore me all of a sudden.

No. Just working on homework. When you have Quidditch practice all the time, it tends to pile up.

Yet another reason I choose not to play.

You probably suck at flying and don't want to admit it.

I have no problem admitting it, actually. Anything interesting going on?

Are you doing anything tonight around seven?

Ah, no, but it's a good thing it's Saturday; we can sleep in tomorrow. Why?

Well, I think I have a place to meet.

Really?

She smirked. She knew he was interested now. Yeah. It's called the Room of Requirement. Apparently it's a room that only appears when you need it and becomes exactly what you need.

So that's how that D.A. group managed to stay hidden for so long.

Yeah, according to Ginny.

You told the Weasley girl about us!

It's OK, she didn't really have a problem with it. However, she says to warn you not to ever break my heart, because she happens to be very talented at jinxes and has no compunctions about practicing on you if you hurt me. And I'm pretty sure she meant it.

Tell her she has nothing to worry about.

I did. She said warn you anyway.

So, where is this Room of Requirement?

Seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

All right then. I'll be there.

Good. Bye then.

Bye.

Bryn glanced at her watch. It was only 2:30. She was done a lot of her work, and decided she was done for the day. Standing up, she left the common room and headed upstairs to grab her Pegasus. She was headed out for a flight when Ginny caught up to her, broom in hand. "Hey, Bryn, can I join you out there?"

"Sure."

They headed out to the Quidditch pitch and took off. They hadn't been flying long when Ginny pulled up next to her. "Tell me something. What do you do when a boy gets too possessive?"

Bryn raised her eyebrows. "Well, I'd give him a stern talking to, and if that didn't work, I'd probably dump him. Dean trouble, I take it?" she asked mildly. Ginny nodded.

"I swear, he thinks I'm this fragile maiden, and he hates it when I talk to any boy I'm not related to for even a minute!"

"Sounds like a female Lavender," mused Bryn. "You Weasleys seem to get the possessive ones, eh?"

Ginny scowled. "Very funny. And what about you? How's your dark Slytherin boy?"

"Just fine, thanks. We're taking your advice."

Ginny smirked. "Just don't go too far."

Bryn rolled her eyes. "I don't plan to."

They continued to fly, exchanging more teasing banter in the slow times and then racing each other. And in no time, they were putting away their brooms and heading to the Great Hall for dinner. By the time they were done, it was nearly seven. For once, Bryn didn't have Necromancy lessons; Morta had some personal business to take care of and she wouldn't be back for two weeks. Bryn had been progressing nicely; she'd learned to block her powers so they were almost unreadable, and she was getting better at astral projection. She was supposed to practice that during her break from lessons.

At five of seven, she was outside the area of wall where the door was supposed to be. A minute later, Blaise showed up. Bryn smiled at him. Then she turned to the wall. We need a place where we can go to see each other, where no one will be able to sneak up on us. She closed her eyes as she thought this, and it was only Blaise saying her name that alerted her to a change. She opened her eyes. There was a wooden door where a moment ago there had been a stretch of blank wall. "Well, let's check it out, shall we?" Blaise said.

They went inside. The room's design was similar to that of the Gryffindor common room. There were a few armchairs, a couch, a small fireplace, and a table with two chairs. The colors weren't red and gold though, luckily. The entire room was done in ambers, bronzes, and coppers. The effect was very good.

Blaise whistled. "Nice place here," he commented. Bryn nodded.

"It is, isn't it?"

They stood there for a moment, not exactly sure what to do now.

"You know, most boys, such as Draco for example, would have you pinned to the couch already," Blaise remarked.

"Really? Well, I'd like to see anyone try it when I wasn't interested. And you say 'most boys'. What do you plan on?"

"Do you want me to do that?"

"I wouldn't mind, but we don't know each other well enough yet." She smirked.

"Maybe we ought to fix that."

"Might be an idea." They looked at each other, and then sat at the table, facing each other. "So," she began.

"So," Blaise responded. "How exactly are we supposed to go about this? A question and answer session?"

"Why not just try a conversation?" Bryn suggested.

"Right... what do you want to talk about? No more Muggle plays, please."

"Ah, no. Well... what's it like being a Slytherin?"

"That's a good one."

"Funny." She glared at him. He held up his hands in mock defeat.

"OK, OK. There's never a dull moment. We're all a bunch of cutthroats, mostly. I don't have any genuine friends, except Tracey Davis. And before you get any ideas, no, I was never interested in her that way. We got caught under mistletoe once, and I have to say, it was painfully awkward. That and she has her eye on a Ravenclaw in our year."

"Hmm... and I was hoping to get you back for your insinuations about Harry. Oh well. We Gryffindors aren't like that at all. I mean, we're not all great friends, but we tend not to plot murder - well, not against other Gryffs. I've heard a lot of plans centered around your friend Malfoy, though." Blaise chuckled.

"That doesn't surprise me. But truly, what's it like hanging out with the Golden Trio?"

"What a cute name. It's fine, actually. Hermione and Harry have been very willing to help me with a certain problem of mine, actually."

"While Weasley spends his days wrapped around that Brown girl and doesn't notice how much it bothers Granger and disgusts pretty much everyone else."

"That obvious, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Harry and I want to kill him. Ginny wouldn't mind it either."

"Well, I'd kill a brother who constantly meddled in my life - if I had a brother, that is."

Bryn laughed. "Only child then? I am."

"Yeah," Blaise said, "and it's not too bad. A bit boring though."

"What about your parents? My mother was great, and she was British actually. Went here. Part of why I chose this place to transfer to."

"Not much to tell. My dad's dead, and my mother's a black widow. I've had six stepfathers."

Bryn gaped. "Wow. Doesn't that bother you?"

"It would, if I could do anything about it. But no one would believe me if I reported it, and she's got a lot of... influence, you could say." Bryn caught the underlying meaning.

"Nice," she said dryly.

"So, what about your father?"

"Don't know the guy. She left him, or he left her. Something. I've been trying to track him down, but it's hard. I don't even have a name, and my only lead won't talk."

"Your mum?"

"No, she died. An old school friend of hers, actually."

"What was her name?"

"I thought it was Julia Sayre, but it turns out she was named Jazlyn Temaida."

"Temaida... well, I can tell you she was a pureblood. The Temaidas are an old family."

"Really? Well, that's new."

Blaise looked at her. "It really bothers you, doesn't it? Not knowing the truth."

Bryn shrugged. "I guess. It's just... I spent my whole life watching little girls and their fathers, and I wanted that. And I was really close to my mother, and to find out that she lived a lie, that my life is a lie... I feel like I don't even really exist, that I'm just another lie on top of the other ones."

"You're not a lie. You're real and you're here, no matter what your past is."

"Easy for you to say. But you made me feel better, so thanks."

"I live to serve."

Bryn laughed. "You know, I doubt that somehow." Blaise chuckled.

"You'd be right," he said ruefully. "I try though," he added with an innocent smile. Bryn rolled her eyes.

"Boys. You're all the same."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Blaise cleared his throat. "So, who's the old school friend you're trying to get answers out of?"

"His name's Remus Lupin."

"No kidding? He taught D.A.D.A. back in 3rd year. A lot of the other Slytherins hated him, but I liked him. He knew what he was doing, which is more than I can say for some of our teachers."

"I know he was a teacher. What teachers didn't know what they were doing?" Blaise launched into a tale about some guy called Lockhart, and Bryn made a mental note to ask Harry, Ron, or Hermione more about this whack job Dumbledore had hired in their 2nd year. When Blaise moved on to Umbridge, Bryn once again decided to ask her friends for more information. She wished she'd been at Hogwarts last year; this Umbridge sounded like the kind of teacher Bryn loved to torment.

"Wow. Sounds like the requirements for the D.A.D.A. position aren't that high. And each of them has only lasted a year, right?"

"Yeah. They say the job's jinxed."

"Remind me not to apply."

"Would you want to?" Blaise wanted to know.

Bryn shook her head. "Not really. I'd actually like to study Healing. What about you?"

"This'll sound a bit odd, but I want to be an Unspeakable. That's the term for people who work in the Department of Mysteries. I like secrets, and research. The Department of Mysteries would provide both."

"I guess it would... My one best friend, Ailin wants to be a researcher as well, but she wants to find cures for things like lycanthropy. We know a girl a few years behind us at Salem who's a werewolf. Nicest girl you'll ever meet, but..."

"That sounds worthwhile. What about your other best friend?"

"Sarai? She wants to work for Salem, as one of the people that goes out to the families of Muggleborn students and explains the wizarding world to them. She's Muggleborn herself, so it's a personal thing."

"I get that. Your friends here want to be Aurors, or at least I expect Weasley and Potter do, right? Though Potter could just play Quidditch if he wanted; as a matter of fact, you and the Weasley girl could too."

"Ron's not bad either," Bryn said fairly. "He's just got bad nerves. What about your friends? Malfoy have an ambition to be a Death Eater like his father?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"I just stay out of it. That's how you play it in Slytherin. And Malfoy's not really my friend."

"Oh, OK. Hey, do you play chess?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Want to play?" When he nodded, she conjured up a board and produced a set out of her pocket.

"You have black and white pieces?" Blaise asked, surprised. "Most people don't."

"My blacks are meant to work for strangers. I use the whites, always." She set up the board and they played a few games, before Blaise glanced at his watch.

"It's getting late. We should head back."

"Yeah, I guess so." They walked out together, and shared a quick kiss before heading off to their separate dormitories.

When Bryn got back, she went straight up to the dormitory. Hermione was there with Ginny, who looked at Bryn expectantly. "What?" said Hermione, confused.

"Is it safe to tell her?" Bryn asked Ginny.

"Yeah," said the redhead. "She's always talking about inter-House unity. Of course, I'm not sure that means you have to - "

"From what I hear, you were seeing some Ravenclaw last year, so don't even go there."

"What's going on?" Hermione snapped. Bryn smiled again.

"Well..."

When she finished, Hermione shook her head. "I think it's great, Bryn, but do not tell the boys. They hate Slytherins, and unless you want a lecture..."

"I don't plan on telling them."

"Good."

"Well, I'd better go," said Ginny brightly, and left. A minute later, Parvati and Lavender walked in, and Bryn and Hermione went to bed.

A/N: Yeah, this was a filler chapter, but I wanted to write a chapter with some more character information. Also, something Blaise said is going to cause trouble later. See if you can figure out what.