She smiles. It's her birthday. She is now officially allowed to use magic! She gets up and twirls around a bit. She is pulled out of her day dreaming by a knock on her door.
"Come." It's Tom as she had expected.
"Happy birthday." He hands her a box.
"Tom, you didn't have to, I know your not good with money and-
"Open it!" She hates it when he uses his commanding tone. She opens it all the same. Inside is a small snake-ling. She smiles.
"Thanks Tom but I can't speak parseltongue." He hugs her.
"I'll teach you."
"You would use all that time and patience to teach me?"
"Anything for my girlfriend."
"Shhh…" She places a finger on his lips.
"Sorry, secret girlfriend."
"If Eileen finds out she'll kill me."
"Can we keep her out of this, for once?"
"Ok, ok. You make it sound like she is all I ever talk about."
"Why don't you ever talk about me?"
"I do Tommy…." He wrinkles his nose.
"I hate my stupid muggle name."
"I like it."
"That's because you're odd!"
"I think you will find I'm extremely even." He plants a light kiss on her lips.
"Nagini."
"What?"
"Her name, I will call her Nagini."
"What kind of name is that?"
"Well she's my snake and I will call her what I like!" Tom shrugs.
"Your snake your choice." She goes to her desk and begins scribbling. Tom stands there with the snake-ling in his hands, staring at her. "What are you doing?"
"How about-no."
"What?"
"You will laugh."
"I promise I wont."
"How about lord Voldemort?" He snorts with laughter.
"You said you wouldn't Riddle!" He stifles his laughter.
"Sorry, look if it will make it better I will make everyone call me that ok?"
She smiles.
"But I'm still allowed to call you Tom, right?" He stares into her green eyes and she smiles. Who would have thought it? Tom has a girlfriend?
After what feels like thousands of lessons, two break-ups, passionate kisses and a few swear words; Johanna has finally learnt how to speak the strange language. Tom is busy doing his homework to see her finally leave her dormitory.
"I love you." She says to him in parseltongue. He looks up at her in alarm.
"You what?!"
"I-lo-
"I know, but why?"
"I don't know do I?! And by the way, it's nice to know how you feel!"
She is angry and hurt that he has not responded with the words she had expected him to. He takes a worn out black leather box out of the pocket of his robes and opens it to reveal a silver ring with two entwined serpents.
"Will you marry me?"