The Farland Files

How To Become A Snake

Lena woke slowly, sitting up and finding that she was in her robes from the day before, her cloak settled over her like a blanket. Her shoes were sitting on her truck which was across the room, and she swung her feet to hang over the side, staring at the cream-colored walls.

Quirrell was right.

Going back to the orphanage now would only keep her doing chores and not eating. If she could stay here, eat, and learn whatever she could from the magical world while she was at it... maybe in a few years she would be able to make the choice on whether or not to leave fully, having gotten a good taste of this world's magic.

But she would need more space.

Changing into a pair of jeans she'd worn the knees out of and stained with paint, she pulled on one of her nicer grey t-shirts, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail and shrinking her trunk to tuck in her pockets. Wearing the cloak as if it were a cape (it was long enough on her to be), Lena made her way to the Great Hall from what looked like a different part of the dungeons.

Sitting at the very end of the Slytherin table, not even pretending to give a flying crap anymore, she pulled out a thick book on magical creatures.

The bench across from her sunk and she looked up to see that the boy with the strange violet eyes- Blaise Zabini- was eating calmly across from her.

"What."

The boy grinned at her. "What what?"

Lena blinked. "What are you doing here?

"Eating. Breathing. Talking."

Scowling at the boy, she huffed. "Whatever. Just don't-" Drifting off, she looked at him for a second and then waved her hand in his general direction, scowl deepening. "Don't do whatever you're doing."

He grinned wider, raising an eyebrow. "Does that count breathing?

"If you can, it would be amusing."

Sucking in a deep breath of air, the boy clamped his mouth shut.

Lena stared at him, amused, but then frowned when the boy started to look a bit like he was going to pass out. "Stop that. You can breathe- I was joking. I'm not sadistic, fool, just not used to human company."

"What company do you like?"

"Snakes. The real kind, unfortunately for you."

The boy laughed and held out his hand. "I'm Blaise."

Lena stared at him blankly. "I know this."

"Well then shake my hand." The boy wiggled his fingers as well as his eyebrows. "It's the best way to make friends, as I've heard, and since I don't really have any yet..."

Reluctantly, she took his hand. "Lena. And you're an idiot."

Blaise chuckled, shaking their hands with a wide grin before letting go and turning back to his food. "If the other girls are being prissy you can sleep in the boys dorms. We do have an extra bed."

About to scowl and tell him he could go shove his crude suggestions somewhere not entirely polite, she caught the look in his eyes and immediately paused.

He was... lonely.

Just like her.

Nodding, she let her lips quirk up into a half-smile. "I'll keep that in mind... thank you."

The boy's smile was wide and more than a bit pleased.

She had a feeling that if she looked at her Hogwarts robes, they would be trimmed in green.