Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Raven's Snake. Enjoy the 2900-word chapter. I do not own Harry Potter, Warner, and JK Rowling do.
Zeb sighed and looked at Luna. The two were acting as they had before, he was quiet, he knew what was at stake and he did not wish to try and deal with something for now… He acted according to how he had been before.
Zeb had been too quiet for his liking as he knew for now and then looked to the ground, too interested for which he could not act. Zeb was too quiet and he knew it as he felt a dainty little hand tug on his sleeve.
"You are not hurt? Are you ok? Nothing wrong?" Zeb questioned.
"Yes," Luna stated. "You?" Luna asked, her tone as dreamy and far off as she had been for now.
"I will handle it," Zeb stated before he sighed and looked to the ground. "Why?"
"Because it is not wrong to have new friends. We all need friends." Luna stated.
Zeb would say something but he knew that she was trying to help. He could not fault her for that, he could not blame the pale-skinned girl for how she acted and she was too nice for him to be mad about.
'She's too nice to be my friend.' Zeb thought before he sighed.
"Our houses aren't exactly friends," Zeb stated.
"Neither is ours," Luna said. "Your brain doesn't have Nargles in it, does it?" Luna asked.
"No, just some teachers do," Zeb stated before he seemed to rub at his temples.
"You're being silly," Luna stated.
"So are you," Zeb said with a smile.
Zeb knew she was cheering him up. This girl was many things but she was not rude, not at all… If she was? She would be acting like it… However? She worried him, she acted a lot like someone who had been a witch for many more years than she looked… It was something that could be best dealt with using tact and machine-like precision.
"So, I've heard your father works for a newspaper?" Zeb stated.
"The Quibbler," Luna stated.
"Ah," Zeb stated.
"You don't believe me on everything," Luna stated plainly.
Zeb went to say something but his mouth slammed shut like that of a great stone door. She was very good at reading people and he suspected even Polyjuice would not fool her, it was a fascinating ability he doubted only a Ravenclaw would have.
"I do not lie about being willing to accept everything… I am open to believing or being convinced to." Zeb stated.
"I know… I also know want to be my friend and do not care how people look at me." Luna stated, tapping on her foot.
"I'm not exactly a friend to my house," Zeb stated. "My parents do not like me to the point I live with my uncle… It is not as I care; they always disliked me for not understanding their views." Zeb stated.
He looked downwards at the cold stone under him. it was a lie and he knew it, she always did as she glanced at him, watching him pull his knees to his chin.
She reached over, placing a hand on his as he looked over at her, giving a warm smile to him.
"I understand. It is what friends do… Just like you know I do not care if you think I am weird." Luna said.
"I do not, I think you are smart and talented for someone who is studying magic… You are in Ravenclaw for a reason, you are gifted at things I wish I was." Zeb stated. "And I'm honest about that, you went out of your way to help me over at school," Zeb stated before he sighed and then looked to the side.
He did not know her at all. He did not wish to have been placed in a vulnerable place like this, ever. Not at all when it came down to it. He had been put past it for now, he had been too unwilling to try and deal with it for now, the chaos had been too much to try and deal with for now.
He had been too interested for now, he was too thrown off to notice that she looked at him with care. He did notice the friendly smile on her face and knew that she was too good a friend for an ambitious person like him to have by default for now… He had been too poor a friend to act like one.
Even then? He acted according to the idea for now… And he would not let it get in the way.
"What do you think about the ministry? Bunch of idiots who do not know anything?" Zeb stated before he looked off to the side.
"I do not know… I think they have Nargles in their brains." Luna stated.
"You never told me what a Nargle is," Zeb stated.
"You never asked," Luna said, in a matter-of-fact tone as she looked over her wand.
"Is that an oak leaf wand with a unicorn core?" Zeb questioned as Luna nodded.
"Yes, Daddy gave it to me as a present for getting into Hogwarts… Though I am not happy about the core. Unicorns…" Luna stated as Zeb nodded.
"You are cursed if you kill something that adorable. I know… My parents seemed to believe it was fine to try and get rid of one which threatened their crops. The poor thing was hungry." Zeb stated.
"Hmm," Luna said as she looked at their hands. "You are scared, no?" Luna went to say as Zeb paused, thinking for a moment, too interested in what was going on for now… She did not at all know what to say.
Zeb for his part looked at them with something else to try and deal with, it had been hard for him to convoy at all, he felt at peace around her and looked down at their conjoined hands. She trusted him, she did not judge him… He would be honored if it did not terrify him to a degree that would not at all help things when he was all said and it would mean something.
He held her hand up to his face and nodded for he knew his answer.
"Yes… Terrified." Zeb said. "Terrified I'll fail or mess up so much that I won't even get to understand for now." He admitted to a degree he did not wish to have done so… But he did because he knew at the end.
She would have to try and figure out something else for now, too interested in the next move made to fix it. perhaps when it all went over the edge? Perhaps when he managed it? There would be some semblance of edge upon her mind…
Even then? He could not relent, he could not let it all come down to it, she knew him, she knew more and more of what was to try and take it apart for now, too much had been here and too much would be lost on the idea of it.
She looked for the side, she had been willing to try and figure him out. She knew him and no attempts to try and figure it out would come as a result of it… She would not let it all be said and done, she would not be willing to let out.
"Why do you want to befriend me, to begin with? you know what my house is like." Zeb stated.
"Because I can tell you are not like that," Luna stated. "Even if you want to pretend. You are not a bad person… Are you?" Luna asked.
Zeb was left speechless but he acted a lot more effectively… He would not have allowed it to be willing to act as best he could.
Even then? He had been too thrown off by his words. If he was very insightful and less strong-willed? He supposed her steely-eyed gaze would cut through him.
"No… I suppose I am not. Just like you are not looney and I refuse to believe for a second you are." Zeb stated.
He looked at her hand laying atop his and realized this girl was not the freak people made her out to be.
"I think you should have the map… You would probably be better at reading it than I am." Luna heard.
"No… I trust you." Luna stated.
"Maybe you are looney to trust me with it… Or maybe you are just a friend I do not think I deserve." Zeb stated.
The two were about to speak again when a loud voice cut in, a tone which made Zeb frown as he realized whom he was dealing with.
"Ms. Lovegood, I did not expect to see you here… With a snake." Zeb heard as he snorted.
"Nice to see the winded cat here as well." Zeb spat in the same tone one of his houses might act.
He slowly marched up to the girl, her fiery red hair reminded him of the Weasley family. She was a good head above him and her face reminded him of a snarling lion.
"Hatie Sliverling." Zeb started.
"Ibex." She spat as the two teenagers looked ready to fight now.
"I thought you said Lottie Ganders was the one helping us." He stated, not breaking eye contact with his friend next to him, knowing what was going on at this moment.
It would not be relaxed, not at all when it came to that sort of thing. Gek pulled Hatie away, perhaps to talk to her about something, to make it so it would all end in the same way for now.
He wanted to laugh at it, the others would jeer, scream, and hurl shame at what had been coming to an end when it came to it. There was something else to be dealt with it for now and he had been too interested in what was going on.
He had been a soldier and he seemed to be ready to be ready for it as he seemed to be too interested for now.
He was too thrown off, for now, he had been too interested in what comes down to it. He had been surprised to have to be distracted for now… The chaos of which he had no real idea for now.
It was too much for now, far too much, and something that he was thrown on.
"So… I heard a lot about your father's paper. You probably do not remember last year? When you handed out papers?" Luna heard.
Luna's eyes sparkled with wonder. She knew him and knew what he was talking about. She was not stupid, not at all despite how others acted… It had been something she could not manage to relax upon dealing with for now… She wanted nothing more than to say something.
"Did you read it?" Luna asked, her tone sounding as dreamy-eyed as she looked.
"Every page…" Zeb said. "If you want the truth? Here it is… I do not believe everything you have told me, what the paper told me, even about this map." Zeb said before taking a breath to continue.
"But that does NOT mean I am not willing to admit I am wrong reconsider… We live in a world where beasts we do not believe exist are creatures living and breathing. I find it ridiculous to believe not all those myths do not have some grain of truth to them." Zeb stated.
He looked down at their hands and realized something, he realized at the end of the day? the timeline? Whatever? They were too pods in the same little stalk…
Still? He felt happy, content, unable to express the amount of emotion he felt as a smile crossed his face.
"What did your father say a Nargle is?" Zeb stated before he blinked.
"Little things, they stay in your ears and make you think weird things," Luna said.
"So, like gremlins for people?" Zeb stated.
"Gremlins don't do stuff like… Oh, yes." Luna said with a smile.
"I'm supposing that you haven't seen one yet, have you?" Luna heard.
"No," Luna said, the smile remaining.
"As I said, I think they're in the brains of the Ministry, it's why they are so ridiculously stupid," Zeb stated.
"Are you two done yet?" Hatie asked as Zeb snorted and climbed to his feet, ready to continue this.
"Only as ready as I am to cast Bombarda on you." Zeb hissed before feeling Luna's hand atop his and realizing the anger was slowly starting to fade away for now.
He knew that trying to cause a fight like this was not something that he wanted to do, he wasn't stupid what was going to happen. He was not at all stupid when it came to that.
He seemed to think more and more that if he looked the lumbering towards him less as an enemy and more as a person.
Even then? He was too tired, too interested in what was next… He had a lot more problems.
"Listen, I get it, bad blood, and all that… But we are trying to deal with something bigger than ourselves." Gek stated.
"I can handle it… As long as we're on the same page. We are still talking about each other; the map is what I want to solve and I'm here because of a friend… Not her." Zeb said, pointing at Hatie.
"Feeling is mutual, Snake… You Slytherins only want one thing." Hatie said.
"Fine words from the house who has a legend to hide behind to glory. Some of us must hide in the mud until we get lucky, we don't complain about it." Zeb stated.
"You two can be friends," Luna said as Hatie and Zeb looked at one another, snorting as they did so.
"If I was looking at a Basilisk, maybe," Zeb stated.
"Give me the map," Hatie said to which it was thrown her way.
"Why and you and her so rude?" Gek asked.
"Because Hatie is one of the Gryffindors that exemplify my problems with the Gryffindors… She would lead us to the map just for the glory of it and getting something about it." Zeb said as he shook his head. "The map is bigger than any of us, there's so much you can do with it and yet one of us just wants it to be a big meal ticket." Zeb spat.
Hatie looked at Zeb, her orange eyes blazing with anger as he glanced back, his jade eyes seeming to brim with poison as the two students looked ready to lunge forward.
"And what would you do with the map? Horde the treasure away?" Hatie questioned.
"Maybe sure someone like the people who could misuse it doesn't get it… You seem to forget that the school is not best friends with people right now… The more we push at those pushing us? The more we stand to lose." Zeb stated.
"None of us want anything bad to happen to Hogwarts, Zeb… This is home for me, I would live here if my parents could." Gek stated.
"Live in a broom closet? That does not seem very safe, my aunt tried it once." Luna said, tilting her head as Zeb smiled.
"The ministry wants someone's head on a platter and every part of my heart is telling me we are going to war soon. It will divide us more than petty squabbling ever would." Zeb stated.
"The ministry is coming here?" Hatie questioned.
"Yes… Because they hate your legend you Gryffindors seem to love. The news is all over about how Harry Potter is on trial… They want blood for that." Zeb stated.
Zeb closed his eyes, knowing what the next move was about. He looked over at Luna before crossing his arms and sighing, taking a step backward.
Luna had a twinkle in her eyes, one which made him look curious, looking over to the side.
"What are we doing when we find the map?" Zeb questioned, crossing his arms across his chest.
Zeb was silent. Luna kept throwing him for a loop when she spoke, she acted like her house and danced through life with a carefree sort of vibrance that he could only believe came from something beyond him.
There was something else. She seemed to be looking at him, directly at him for now.
"We show it to Professor McGonagall," Luna stated.
"And? She won't believe us, she won't believe any of us, not even at all…" Zeb said as he shook his head.
"She'll take anything from me," Luna said before Zeb blinked.
"I've been in her office. She likes to examine what I'm using so it doesn't cause damage to the school." Luna stated to which she looked at Zeb.
Zeb smirked before Luna fell silent. She would not be willing to try and relax for now, giddy with excitement for the moment in her grey eyes.
They shone like sapphires which made him too nervous… But he could continue to relax once more.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out next chapter will be longer and will show more and more of the group traveling to the forest at night and setting up the journey during the winter. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, in 2-10 months, Lighting Wolf out!