My room was pretty much torn apart as I was gathering things to go to England with me. I didn't know what I'd need, or what my father would have for me already. I'm sure he talked to Bellatrix to find out enough to set up a room for me. At least, I'd hoped he did....

Boa was curled up in the sun on my bed. I'd named him when I was three, so I didn't have a very good imagination.

"It's a wonder he's contacting you now...." his slick voice hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "He was in hiding for the last 15 years, Bo. I'm glad he's still alive at least."

"Aren't you scared what death has done to him?"

I waved my wand at my trunk and put an expansion charm on it. I grabbed my all of my precious books and lay them in neatly, in order and strapped them down. "A little. But he's my father. He is a part of who I am."

He lifted his head and looked at me, his tongue flicking in and out. "I am going along, right?"

I laughed a little. "Of course you are! I'd never leave you behind!" I ran my finger down his head and long body, stroking him.

I pulled out sets of robes and other clothing that I often wore and packed it next, along with my bath stuff, my bath robe, shoes, all of my essentials.

I looked out my window and down at the beautiful Californian beach that was the current view. We'd moved from New England when I was about three or four, when all of the neighbor's animals had started to disappear at surprising rates. Strangely the "hawk" that had been sweeping off poodles magically stopped when we left town.

I finished piling and cramming absolutely everything into my trunk and looked around. The bare walls and floor were satisfying.

I flopped onto my stripped bed beside Boa and let him slither around between my fingers and up my arm.

"Do you think I'll do well, Bo?"

He looked at me lazily and bobbed his head. "Yes, I do...I think you'll make him proud of you, proud to be your father."

I smiled. "I hope I do."

*~*~*~*

After three connecting Floo networks, I made it a small pub called the Leaky Cauldron. It was a dank and dirty little hole in the wall, filled with ancient witches and wizards, talking and gossiping. I stumbled out of the fireplace, choking on soot.

"God, this place sucks..." I muttered to myself, coughing and dusting myself off. I grabbed the handle of my trunk and pulled, dragging it across the floor to the bar where a disgusting looking old wizard stood slumped over, drying beer mugs.

"S'cuse me?" He didn't look at me. I cleared my throat and said again, louder, "Excuse me?"

I gritted my teeth growling some. I smacked my palm on the bar and he jumped some, turning to look at me. He smiled wide, teeth yellowed and missing.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!"

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "I have a room."

"Oh, where is the lucky groom?"

I balled my hand in a fist. "NOT GROOM! ROOM!"

"Oh, yes, yes, we have plenty of rooms! Do you have a reservation?"

I was going to kill him, slowly and painfully. "Layla Priestly," I said slowly and clearly.

He looked through an ancient book on the bar and nodded, going to the wall looking for the key. "Thirteen....Thirteen...." he said, running his hand over the numbers.

He passed it four times and my patience was not holding out. I had a short fuse.

I reached over and grabbed the key from the hook and grabbed my trunk, heading up the rickety old stair case, trying to find my room.

I got to the top and turned the corner, finding my door on the left of the hallway. I jammed the key into the lock and jiggled it back and forth trying to turn the knob, but to no avail.

"Of for the love of MERLIN! Really Dad? Here?" I silently cursed him as I tried and re-tried. I even tried shooting it down and unlocking it with spells. Nothing, and I mean nothing worked.

I finally was pissed off to the point of wanting to kill something. I slammed my hand against the middle of the door and it popped open, swinging in.

"Great. This is just wonderful. I am SO GLAD that I get to stay here until Auntie Bells can come and get me."

I heard a hissing chuckle come from my pocket rolled my eyes.

"You shut up, Bo." I took him out and lay him on the floor. "Go catch the mice and rats for me. I need some new ingredients. You can have a nice fat one if you find it, though....."

He flicked his tongue out and slunk away across the dusty floor, leaving a trail behind him.

I went back into the hall and drug my trunk in setting it at the end of my bed and putting my shoes on top. I was afraid to crawl into my bed because the place was so old and disgusting, so I, instead, snuck up on it, as if it were going to run away.

I grabbed the edge of the top blanket and pulled it back. No bugs. So far, so good. I did the same with the middle blanket, same result. I was just about to heave a sigh of relief when I pulled back the sheet and saw the biggest, ugliest spider there ever was.

I started to scream and jump, and panic, something I did as a general rule around spiders.

Bo came slithering back quickly. "What?"

"Spider! There is a big-ass spider in my bed!"

"Really, you're seventeen and you still hate spiders THAT badly?"

"Would you please just get it out of my bed, and then criticize me?

He wrapped around the pole of the bed and climbed up, striking out at the hairy monstrosity on my bed and ate it.

"Thank you."

"I hope you realize I don't like eating them. They're disgusting."

I smiled at him some. "But I appreciate it!"

"I get two mice for that," and with that he was gone again. I scoured the rest of the room for bugs and didn't find any.

Deeming that it was safe, I got out a few of my things and set them up. I took a shower and brushed my teeth, then lay back on top of the sheets in my bed, covering up with my own blanket from home.

*~*~*~*

I was awaken three days after my arrival by a knocking on the door. I drug myself up and towards the door and tugged it open.

I was expecting Bellatrix, so seeing another Death Eater was a surprise.

"Hello..."

He bowed a little to me. "Miss Priestly-"

"Miss Riddle if you don't mind..."

He nodded. "Of course. Miss Riddle, I'm here to take you back to your father's house."

"Where's Bellatrix?"

"She's on a mission for your father now."

I nodded some, wondering how he knew about me, but I assumed he was merely under my father's influence and he would not remember anything.

"Bo, come on!" I called him. "Boa!"

I saw him poke his head out from under my bed. "Stop yelling."

I grinned at him and pulled him out and let him wrap around my arm, which is how I normally carried him.

I threw his cage and everything I'd unpacked back into my trunk and shut it, locking all five of the locks and yanking on it. The thing weighed a ton, and I stumbled back

The man came over and picked it up easily, carrying it down the steps. Bo was snickering in my ear. I shushed him with a grin and followed the man down the steps and towards the fire place.