Chapter 18: Unintentional cruelty
Not one single word of the entire incident had found its way to the ears of those who did not belong to the great and noble Slytherin house. And as their newly reaffirmed Queen, I was the prime example of keeping my mouth tightly shut, leaving Melody, Claudia and Arielle in total ignorance. According to my sources, not even Snape had caught wind of these happenings, which said something in terms of privacy, seeing as he had his slimy ears everywhere.
There were but slight changes in the terms of the relationships in the house, but they were most significant. It seemed that I had gained even more respect from my housemates, but this sentiment was tinged with fear. My legion seemed to have earned some respect as well, and they were now treated as a new, separate level in our ranks.
And then there was Theo. Not one single person would lay their eyes on him, not one single person to give him a kind word. He was positively ostracized, serving as an example to all. Gryffindors hated their traitors, but we abhorred them.
I avoided Zabini like the plague whenever possible, my anger still flaring at the mere sight of him. He had indeed been most useful during my little confrontation with Nott, but that all was, I knew this well, just another part of his sick little game. This was not a game nor would I be a treated as a toy.
But as all hunting dogs do, Zabini tracked me down that Friday afternoon, casually taking a seat on my couch. Daphne sat in front of me and she raised her eyes form her book with interest.
"Hello Roseycheeks" grinned the boy and I took pride in the fact that I managed to keep myself from taking out my wand.
"What is it this time Zabini?" I asked "And if it is something as ridiculous as being lonely once more, I suggest finding some whore to keep you company while you still have a chance."
"You are especially poisonous this afternoon Rosey" grinned he "it is most fascinating to see such beautiful lips spout such venom. But Rosey, I believe I have mentioned before, I have no interest in a girl if she does not wish to bite my hand off."
Daphne almost choked on the water she was sipping.
"Do manage to breathe Daphne" I droned, giving her a stern glance to which she merely nodded, barely restraining herself from giggling outright.
"And Zabini, I shall attempt to say this in a manner so simple that even your tragically slow brain can follow. What. Is. Your. Business. With .Me?" I spoke, talking to him as if he were a being of lesser intelligence, which he certainly was.
He laughed outright at my tone. Completely mental that one.
"Oh Rosey, I assure you that my brain is more than quick whenever your name is mentioned or whenever your charming face graces my mind. Why, just the other night I had this dream" he started and I hissed in response.
"I don't want to hear it Zabini" I snapped, but he merely grinned.
"Oh, but you really do, don't you Rosey?" asked he, but before I could hex his foul tongue off, he continued "Besides, can't a loyal member of your legion talk to his Queen?"
That was enough.
"Indeed he may. Perhaps the same member of my legion would like to report on his findings?" I asked, noting that his face darkened "Have you perhaps talked to Draco concerning our little agreement? Have you something to report to your Queen?"
"I did not come here to talk about him Rose." He said, his tone completely serious.
"But I can think of no other topic of interest. " I spoke, tilting my head to the side "Can you? After all, we are but business partners, and as soon as you fulfil your end of the deal, so shall I mine."
"Is he so important to you Rose?" he asked, and I sensed an undertone to his words that I could not make heads or tails of. So I decided not to bother at all.
"Vital." I responded, looking down at him.
He stood up suddenly at that, saying "Than I shall see to it that you have him, Rosalind."
I watched as he left, satisfied to have gotten rid of him.
"Was that not a little too cruel Linda?" asked Daphne, seemingly somewhat worried for the boy.
"I assure you Daphne, that is exactly what he deserves." I spoke and I saw her shake her head sadly at me.
"I'm not so sure." She spoke, standing up and following the boy out of the common room.
Her empathy would be her end, I noted, returning to my book.
That Saturday was the first time in a long, long while that I was truly grateful to be leaving for the trunk. My relationship with Daphne had become rather strained, as she constantly kept trying to bring up the subject of Zabini and my cruelty. I could not fathom what it was that I did that was so horrendous in her opinion, and she simply could not fathom that this was all a game for him, that I simply couldn't have hurt him, merely his pride.
Our training in Occlumency was progressing rather well, with the founders changing their technique. Now we would have either Salazar or Rowena try to break our defences, with us fighting back. Salazar had decided to train myself and Arielle, with Arielle soon replaced with Clo, as Rowena wished to teach her this advanced technique or that.
I was glad that it was Salazar to teach me for I felt by far more comfortable with him seeing my memories than I would if it were Rowena. She would have compassion, but he would understand, and he would not ask questions. Which did not mean I did not give it my damn best to stop him.
The first attempt at defending myself went rather poorly, with Salazar simply blasting down the doors that led to my second group of memories. I managed to slow him down with the second obstacle, and as he reached my third one, I panicked, lashing out and sending an Impedimenta hex at him in self-defence. He did not seem all that upset, merely attempting to attack once more, by which time I had managed to stop him in the third area with my mind alone.
It was by the end of that class that the vast water of the ocean that I had put up as my second defence proved to be worthy of stopping him in his tracks. He could not be allowed to reach the third area, the memories in there were precious, mine.
My sister seemed to be doing better than either me or Claudia, stopping Rowena easily with the second obstacle, while Claudia still struggled with it. And Arielle was on a completely different level, she managed to stop Rowena with her first defence. Most impressive that was, but I would never admit it to her.
And yet, one had to remember that we were ,outstanding, as Salazar had put it, and with half of our stay in the trunk gone, we were masters at Occlumency.
So naturally, we could not rest, Legilimency being the next in line of things we had to learn. It was a greatly practical skill, that I was certain of, and I was fairing a bit better with it. It was always offence that I had proficiency at, and the task of entering the minds of the dummies that stood opposite us was easy.
The task of finding certain memories was by far more difficult. I tended to get side-tracked or spend too much time on irrelevant memories, looking for a clue. But even we were not almighty, it would take time for even Arielle to master the skill.
As for our DADA class, it had assumed a certain pattern that I was sure would be followed throughout the rest of our training. The first part of our lesson consisted of us attacking jointly, giving our best to win against Gryffindor. This was not an easy feat, and we never once won, but we were making progress at a pace we could only have hoped for. The next part was spent in individual duels with the rest of the group observing.
I preferred the second part of the course, for it allowed me freedom of thought and I had to waste no mind to the movements or intentions of my co-fighters. I could not win, far from it, but I stopped losing as easily as the rest of them did. It took a lot of effort from Gryffindor to win against me. There was one limitation to my duelling however, and it bothered me immensely. I was forbidden to use the Dark Arts, which greatly limited my range of spells.
Arielle on the other hand, could not use Weapons and her rash choice of spells would most often cost her the duel in the first two minutes. But she had power, and were she allowed a weapon I was sure she'd be able to stand at least ten minutes longer.
My sister was doing better in offence, using Earth Magic to trip her opponent, to bind him or distract him, but her reliance on her defensive spells cost her a lot, and she'd end up losing.
Claudia kept thinking too much, and her reactions were always just a little bit too slow, so that she always acted out of instinct, something that would not allow her to last long in a duel.
Then there was the Animagi training. The little vixen was so close to me, I could almost touch her, which meant that I could almost sense her. She was there, I just had to reach out a bit more, just a bit more…
A sound of roaring laughter had me snap my eyes open.
"LINDS, hahahahaha" roared Arielle, and as I turned to see her bending over with laughter, positively roaring, something else moved with me.
I froze in my steps, and very slowly, very reluctantly, with the sound of giggling from Claudia and Melody, turned to see that there was something furry, long and moving growing out of my back. I felt cold sweat roll over me as I turned forward violently, my tail moving as in mirror reflection and hitting my leg, having me jump out of my skin in response.
This earned me some more roaring laughter and my sister was shaking with silent laughter, unable to control herself. Arielle was by this time rolling on the floor, clutching her stomach, laughing like a maniac.
I turned around with panic, trying to grab my tail, and feeling ridiculous as the blasted thing swung in the completely opposite direction, as if I were a bloody dog chasing its tail.
This was apparently so funny that Arielle was gasping for breath, purple in face, with Melody plopping down to the floor, still shaking with laughter and Claudia laughing outright, she too clutching her stomach.
Rowena was the only one serious at this catastrophic situation, trying to calm me down.
"It's alright Rosalind, just calm down!" tried she, and I turned to her, pissed off that my tail swung as I did so, snarling.
"It's not bloody alright! I have a tail growing out of my backside! Get it off of me!" I spoke, my voice turning more ferocious with every word, resembling snarling remarkably.
"It…. Suits… you" managed Arielle, choking out the words as she laughed more, positively howling at the murderous glare she received.
But thankfully, with a couple of well thought off spells, I had lost the voice and tail, once more appearing as a witch and not some freak show. A scene Arielle was unlikely to forget during her lifetime.
The rest of the time in the trunk, which was not spent mocking my tail and Claudia's beak nose, was spent doing homework. Bloody fantastic.
I had decided to spend my Sunday in the common room, by far too aware that I would be spending another two months with Melody, Clo and Arielle. I was also distinctly avoiding them, for they still giggled every time I turned, while Arielle simply roared and kept making purring noises behind my back. Annoying twit.
I was leaning back in my armchair, waving my wand casually and having my bishop move forward. Astoria seemed intently focused on the game before her, but I was looking around the common room, slightly bored. As smart as Tori was, she was too young to win against me.
My eyes landed on Daphne, sitting at the other end of the common room, seemingly very keen on proving her point to none other than Zabini, who kept staring at the wall above him, once or twice giving me a calculating look. Perhaps Daphne would prove useful, maybe even persuade the moron to never come near me again, but taking into account her disapproval of my actions that Friday, the topic of the conversation could not be favourable for me.
I looked away from them, slightly peeved at Daphne, only to see that Draco and Alphonse, the sixth year who was the fourth to declare his loyalty, were just walking into the common room, immersed in deep conversation.
I never talked much with Alphonse, but the dark haired boy was always polite in our conversations and never seemed to think to "mind who he was talking to", not seeing it as necessary to talk to me as if I were lesser of intelligence because of my gender, something rather common amongst older Pureblood males.
His green eyes met mine and I raised my hand lightly, indicating for him to approach me. He changed his direction instantly, manoeuvring slightly as he walked, still talking with Draco, leading him to me unintentionally. What a useful boy he was.
Draco seemed to realise quickly as to where they were headed, but it was too late for him to change his direction and he was now forced to approach me, something he had been greatly avoiding since our little disagreement in Hogsmead.
"Good morning Rosalind" greeted Alphonse, his French accent only slightly hinted in his words.
"Good morning Alphonse, Draco" I said, looking each boy in the eye as I pronounced their names.
Draco nodded stiffly in return, offering a small smile to Tori who looked up with interest, but seemed to stiffen at the greeting. She managed but a curt nod, before looking to the floor, allowing her dark hair to cover her face.
"You wished to have a word?" asked Alphonse, his eyes quickly assessing the situation. I thought I saw a hint of disappointment when he looked at Astoria, or rather the seat Daphne would have taken were she to have been seated here. Interesting.
"I did, but it is not a serious matter, no need to be so wary" I replied, offering him a small smile. "It is merely my wish to express my gratitude for your support the other day, it is most appreciated."
He seemed slightly surprised, but nodded in agreement "I have always known you were worthy of leading the great and noble house of Slytherin."
"Indeed. "I spoke, turning to Draco who seemed uncomfortable as I glanced at him, "How are you Draco? I trust your studies are going well?"
"Well enough." He replied, nodding stiffly. I thought that he looked on the verge of running away, so I decided that I'd have to do something to ease his mind, and change his image of me as a raving, self-cutting lunatic.
"Have you perhaps seen Potty?" I asked, and his mouth twitched at the use of the nickname, but he remained otherwise unresponsive. "The boy seems to be avoiding me an awful lot lately, and I am ever so bored."
"Is he one of your toys Rosalind?" asked Alphonse, continuing the conversation, bless him.
"Oh yes, I would have though you've heard. We had a little educational duel and he seems to run in the other direction every time he sees me. A pity." I spoke, smirking.
Draco seemed to relax a bit, and I was relieved as he spoke "I heard it was McGonagall that saved him, wished to have you expelled did she?"
"Oh yes, Minerva is ever so protective of the little hero boy" I spoke, smiling at him, trying my best not to seem intimidating. "it is sad indeed when a fifth year wizard has to rely on his head of house to save him."
"Well, he never did stand a chance against you, did he Linda?" spoke Astoria, her voice low, but a smirk playing on her lips as she looked up. She looked like a little imp with the smile, very charming.
"Not one of us does." Agreed Alphonse, inclining his head, "That is why we regard you so highly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment."
"Oh, by all means" I spoke, waving my hand lightly, dismissing him.
Draco seemed uncomfortable to have been left alone but I smiled at him and that seemed to ease his mind a bit.
"We'll see you later Draco." I spoke, giving him a subtle chance to leave, and he gave us a small smile, excusing himself.
This went well, I concluded, deciding that my strategy of not mentioning sensitive matters and having him warm up to me slowly was a good one indeed. The moron would take care of the rest.
I must have instinctively looked for him as I concluded this, and I saw him getting up, ignoring Daphne's words that seemed just barely kept in a low tone, giving me a furious glance. What in the name of Merlin was his problem?
I felt a pang somewhere in my mind, as if I had done something wrong, but I was quick to replace it with anger, at him and at myself. What could I have possibly done wrong? He had no right to be cross with me. He was no one and he should have been taught his place a long, long time ago.
Daphne was quick to stand up as well, calling out for him but he betrayed no sign of recognition. He merely marched out of the room, angry as if he had just seen his nearest and dearest die. What a drama queen.
She then turned to me and the pang that I had felt moments before came back, intensified tenfold at the look of reprimandation in her eyes. As if I had just killed a puppy.
She seriously had to sort out her moral issues, I concluded, or I would sort them out for her.
To say that the turnout of events when we once more returned to that blasted trunk was surprising would be a horrible, horrible understatement. Instead of bothering me about my unfortunate accident at the Animagus training, Melody seemed downright murderous. Arielle on the other hand kept giving me a mock disapproving glance, followed by a wicked grin, leaving me and Claudia completely taken aback. Something must have happened, and for the life of me, I could not think of something I had done that would be characterised as so horrendous by my sister.
But I would be damned before I brought the subject up, and being a sensible witch as I was, I did the only smart thing. I stayed clear from Melody's path. But that simply wouldn't do as it seemed, and that afternoon, as I was reading in the common room, my sister appeared through the doors, looking for all the world as if she had just heard that I had killed her best friend in cold blood, a smirking Arielle in her wake, a fact that taken alone and not together with these unpromising circumstances, could never bode for well.
Claudia looked up as well, her book almost dropping out of her hand in her surprise.
"What in the name of Merlin is wrong with you?" yelled my sister, coming to a stop in front of me and crossing her arms, a sight that, combined with her hair flying around her as she was huffing, made for a rather comical scene. I prudently chose not to laugh.
"I… um…" spoke Claudia, jumping to her feet and trying to blend in with the wall, "I… need to be anywhere but here."
With that said, she hastily picked up her book, scurrying out of the room as if a bunch of cross goblins were at her heels.
I remained seated, unimpressed with my sister's little show.
"It is lovely to see you as well Melody" I droned, motioning with my hand "have a seat."
"Don't give me that!" snapped Melody, "I am not one of your little followers, I will not obey you!"
"Good one" spoke Arielle, leaning on the wall, seeming as thrilled as if she were watching a game of Quidditch.
"Arielle, perhaps you would like to explain what this little charade is about?" I drawled, giving her a bored look.
"Oh, no, I just came here to watch" grinned she at me, showing off all of her teeth.
"And no doubt make a snide remark or two." I agreed, nodding my head, still not that disturbed.
"Answer the question!" demanded my sister, losing none of her anger.
"I am afraid I do not understand it sister dear, if you would be as kind as to elaborate?" I spoke, my light blue eyes meeting her azure ones.
"What is wrong with you?" repeated she again, very unwisely continuing. "How dare you hurt Blaise to such a degree? How dare you play with his feelings? How dare you humiliate him so much when all he does is help you, be kind to you and be there for you when you clearly need someone?"
She completely lost all control as she spoke, and I felt rage flame inside me with every word she spoke ever more.
"That poor, poor boy." Spoke Arielle, giving me a remorseful look to which my only response was a death glare.
"And how is it that you have come by this very false information?" I asked, already guessing the answer.
"We talked to Daphne" Snapped my sister, her eyes widening as she noted what she had just said.
"I did not say that" spoke Arielle, holding her hands up in a sign that showed that she had no blame "I did not say that."
"No matter, I will deal with her once we get out of this blasted trunk. And I am not sure under which illusion you are sister dear, but Blaise Zabini feels nothing for me. He seems me as a game, nothing more, and I wish not to be a prise for him." I spoke, anger seeping into my voice.
"Liar!" screamed my sister , completely losing all control, governed by her anger "You're lying Rosalind, and you know it well! He likes you, for the love of Merlin, out of all of the girls in the world he likes you!"
"I don't know what he sees in her" contributed Arielle, shaking her red mane of a head.
I too was moments from losing all semblance of control.
"He does not like me Melody, he is toying with me!" I spoke, turning to Arielle next, pulling my wand out as I saw her smirking at me "And you , shut up or by Merlin I will make it so that you never speak again!"
"Leave her out of this!" screamed my sister, majestically taking out her wand from her blazer, having the nerve to raise it at me. "He picked you! Out of all of the girls in your dorm, out of all the girls in our society, he picked you, and I don't know why, but no matter what you do , he keeps coming back!"
"And she picked him." Added Arielle and I felt my nerves snapping.
"Impedimenta!" I hissed, my sister instinctively casting a Protego, just barely stopping my spell.
"I did not pick him!" I snarled "He is merely an annoying boy who would prefer nothing more than to bed me and then boast about it to anyone who'd listen."
"He fancies you, you idiot!" bellowed my sister, and there was complete silence the room.
"Bad move Melody, get back here" spoke Arielle, taking her hand and trying to pull her away from me.
"No Arielle, I will not give up now!" she snapped, trashing and trying to get away from her. "She has been so very cruel towards him, and he really cares! Can you even imagine how painful this must be for him? Can you imagine how what she did cuts through him?"
"No." I snapped, "No, Arielle, let her say what she wishes to. What have I done? What have I done to him that he wouldn't to me? They all leave Melody, not one man will stay!"
She stared at me, and I fell silent. I did not know where that had come from, but I knew it was true.
"What happened to you Linds?" asked she, seemingly sad.
"Life." I hissed, "Now, if that were all, you shall excuse me, I have no more time for this stupidity."
I walked out at that, not waiting for a response. Blaise Zabini could not fancy me, it was simply as possible as it was for Potty to win against the Dark Lord using a cheering charm. He could not be trusted, but perhaps I could lessen my insults on his account. For peace in the family.
I had not talked to my sister for a week after that, spending my time in solitude or being bothered by Arielle. But I was the one to give in in the end, I would always be the one to cave in before her demands. She was my sister after all, a snake dies for her family. The problem was solved by me promising to control my tongue better, and not doing anything to intentionally hurt Zabini. Apparently, he had suffered from my hand more than I would ever know. Complete rubbish, that was.
That stay in the trunk saw us finishing our training in the skill of Legilimency, with various degrees of success. Arielle was clearly the master in the skill of our group, even having special lessons with Rowena while the rest of us struggled. I had managed to catch up to my sister in terms of progress, for despite her talent of seeking out the memory she wished to possess, she had no will to intrude on someone's mind, and her performance suffered as a result. Claudia was , for once, the last to master the skill, struggling both with the intrusion of a person's mind and with the seeking of correct memories.
But, each in our own pace, we had completely mastered the skill.
That only left our Animagus training, and it is surely needless to say that I was extremely careful not to get carried away, paying extra attention to every little detail in fear of any additional embarrassment.
And one day, as I reached for that little vixen, she reached back, offering me her snout. The moment my palm made contact with the fur on her snout I felt my body stretch oddly, and then somehow shrink, pull itself together, and before I knew it, I was looking up at Claudia, who had been the first to transform into her Animagus that was apparently a crow. She was flying around the room, enjoying her new found ability.
But I could see her, my eyes were so good that I could see her feathers. And as I took a breath in, I was completely overwhelmed by the myriad of scents that floated around the room. My sister's floral perfume was now so strong that I could barely stand it, and combined with everything else, nearly made me run out of the room in self-preservation.
It was a long while before I got used to my new body, surpassing the urge to lick my paw amongst other instincts and the training continued. We were taught to have speed when transforming, to transform while walking, while running even, something I could still not master.
My sister was the only one smaller than me, the tiny squirrel darting around the room, enjoying her new found speed. Arielle was a jungle cat, and I must admit, the way she was eyeing me looked rather appalling, as if I were on her dinner menu. So I stayed clear of her for the most part, hiding behind the couch. She found me once, forcing me to change my hiding place by chasing me around the room. Bloody moron.
Two days before our scheduled leave from the trunk Arielle knocked on the doors of my room, managing to surprise me as she walked in. Instead of her usual sweatpants outfit she opted for beige dress pants, a slightly more fancy sleeveless red printed shirt and red high heels, accompanied by a diamond necklace in the shape of a tear drop. She looked somewhat classy, which instantly made me suspicious. She was trying to appease me, meaning she would say something completely idiotic.
"Have a seat" I spoke, waving to my armchair and watched as she indeed sat down, very slowly, very carefully, confirming my suspicions.
"What are you planning to do about Daphne?" she asked, not really bothering with any long introductions, straight to the point.
"I am sorry" I spoke, looking down my nose at her "but I don't see how that is of any concern of yours."
"It is my concern!" she said, anger seeping into her voice "She's my friend!"
"Daphne Aeldra Greengrass is a Slytherin first and foremost." I spoke, emphasising the word "She has betrayed the Slytherin House by disclosing information to outsiders, and for that she shall be punished accordingly. Even if the people in question are her friends."
"This isn't about the interest of the Slytherin House!" yelled Arielle, jumping to her feet, a feat remarkable concerning the thinness of her heel. "This is about your interest which she did not betray by talking to Melody and me!"
"See it as you wish" I responded through grit teeth "she is my cousin and my housemate, I shall punish her as I see fit."
Arielle kept inching towards the doors, and I narrowed my eyes at her.
"No you won't!" she yelled at me "She's only been trying to help, both you and him! And you are a bloody imbecille if you can't see that!"
She was at the doors as she called out the last few words, and as I took out my wand the doors were already closing behind her, a fact that did not stop me from throwing a Furnunculus hex after her. It rebounded, breaking a vase on my nightstand and I hissed in annoyance.
How dare she call me out? How dare she tell me what I can and cannot do? Daphne did betray me, no matter her motivation, and she would pay for that. Not to mention that she would never have the benefit of trust from me again.
The last night of our stay was rather odd, as we had all received a note, summoning us to the Charms classroom immediately. I did as I was told, arriving first of the four of us since my room was the closest one to the Charms classroom and finding that the Founders were already gathered there. As we exchanged our usual greetings, rather reluctant on my part, my eyes wandered around the room, noting that the furniture was once more removed, a fact that always bode for a surprise on the part of the Founders, even more so as I noted that the entire room was brightly illuminated, save for a corner at the far end of the room that had strange sounds coming from it. As my eyes focused on it I was surprised to find that there was something moving there, and as I looked, a pair of green eyes looked up, meting my gaze.
I made an unconscious step forward, only to blink and find Salazar in my path.
"Not yet Rosalind" spoke he , giving me a smirk.
I raised an eyebrow in response, doing my best not to look at the corner, waiting with impatience for the three of them to arrive.
Once they did, and all of us felt as if something was calling out to us from the other end of the room, Rowena finally saw it fit to tell us the reason for which we were summoned here, only after having heard an inquiry from Clo.
"What is that in the corner professor?" asked she, seemingly unable to keep her eyes away form said place for more than a couple of seconds.
"A surprise" smiled Hufflepuff in response, and I gave her an annoyed look.
"But you must not see it, close your eyes girls." Urged Rowena and earned herself an annoyed look as well. I did not want to close my eyes, just the opposite, I wanted to see it, the thing that was calling out to me.
And yet I closed them anyway, knowing that this would be the fastest, and surely safest way to get them to do as I wished.
"Reach out for them, share your magic with them, they must react to it, not to your preferences." Urged Rowena, and instead of analysing her words, something I was by far too anxious for, I reached out, allowing my magic to flow out in a small, controlled quantity in the air around me. As I did so, I felt as if there was a split in my magic, as if a small part of it left me unintentionally. But the separation wasn't unpleasant, in fact, it came as a sort of a relief, something I had no time to muss over as I heard the distinct sound of something slithering on the floor, coming towards me.
I kept my eyes shut still, against every instinct, and once I heard the creature come to a stop before me, I opened them, looking down eagerly and meeting the same green eyes.
They were narrow, slit like, and I was staring down at a beautiful black snake, his belly scales emerald and his eyes matching their colour, staring up at me, glad to see me.
I found it a bit odd that I understood the snake, but even more so that I found myself kneeling beside it with joy, the kind I supposed people felt when they saw a dear, old friend after spending years apart.
Now, it was against every prudent thought that I reached out my hand to him, and I would never have done that were it to be any other snake, but I knew this one, this beautiful creature could never harm me, and he also felt joy, mirroring my own sentiment.
As soon as my hand was close enough, the snake moved once more, slithering upwards, up my arm, tickling me a bit, I do admit, and wrapping itself around my hand, from my elbow up, resting its head on my shoulder, the green eyes still observing me.
He was so calm, so peaceful, and I took a moment to note that I instinctively knew it was a he.
"His name is Serpen" came a voice and I looked up to see Salazar standing in front of me. I had been so occupied with the snake that now rested on my shoulder, with its eyes closed, and I knew that the snake felt safe.
Salazar seemed pleased, even smiling a bit at me.
"He belongs to the Pseudechis kind, highly poisonous." Continued Salazar, also observing the snake.
"He won't bite me." I spoke, somehow oddly sure of my words. I simply knew them to be true.
"Certainly not." Agreed Salazar, "He is your familiar."
I nodded in acceptance, reaching with my other hand towards the small snake, petting it lightly and noting how pale my finger looked against his dark scales.
"You don't seem surprised" spoke he, his eyes shining with interest.
"I am not. I feel the connection, I know what he thinks, what he feels. I understand him. It is the only logical explanation for I am no Parselmouth, sadly."
"There is no need for you to be one, Serpen chose you since you are his best match." Assured Salazar and I looked up. "But you know what this means, correct?"
"It means that I have developed my magic in the year that we have spent training together to such a degree that I cannot contain it by myself. Serpen has to help." I responded, noting how Serpen hissed in satisfaction to my petting.
"Indeed. Does this not scare you?" asked Salazar.
"Power does not scare me sir" I responded, "I crave it. The more I have, the closer I am to my goal, the more capable I am to protect my family."
"True, and Serpen will certainly help you. Although, I fear that the time in which he fits on your forearm will soon be gone."
"How so, sir?" I asked, interested.
"He will grow to be quite large, perhaps up to two meters." Spoke Salazar, smirking at me.
Naturally, my snake would be taller than me, how lovely.
Serpen opened one eye at that, observing me with curiosity.
"What does he eat?" I asked, observing him still.
"Mice, small mammals, other snakes, lizards, he's not a picky eater." Spoke he, smirking at me.
"But a troublesome one indeed" I spoke, still petting the snake, who had once more closed his eyes.
I had been so preoccupied with Serpent that I only then noted that all four of us should have gotten familiars.
I looked over to my sister first, as she was closest to me, noting that she had a bird perched on her shoulder and seemed to be grooming it, plucking bits of dirt from its feathers. It was a baby falcon, but it resembled a little, plump and feathery ball, more than a bird.
Well, good for her, she got a toy.
I looked to Claudia next, only to see her holding another baby animal, this time a marten, in the palm of her hand. The animal was looking up at her curiously as she and Rowena discussed some matter concerning it.
A smart animal, at least allegedly, so I supposed that was a good match.
And then, there was Arielle.
Down at her feet was a bloody baby panther. I supposed it was natural for her to get something so flamboyant, and the animal was making odd meowing noises, presumably trying to roar in response to her cooing tone of voice. I would be pissed off too.
But this posed new problems, as walking into my Charms lesson with Serpen on my shoulder seemed rather problematic. It was then decided that we would say that we were found by the animals, claiming for them to be our familiars, and as such requiring their stay with us. This in turn necessitated a talk with Snape, Dumbledore and most likely Umbridge.
Serpen hissed at this conclusion, and I agreed whole heartedly with his annoyance. This would be troublesome indeed.
A/N: I would just like to mention that the information on animals mentioned here as familiars has been thought of by my friend and is not a part of the original story.