The Farland Files

How To Lose Graciously

"I think he should just give up the stutter." Janus sighed and sat down across from her, his eyes not matching the teasing smile he wore. "How about you?"

It was a play to gauge her mood, but she went along with it easily.

Lena tilted her head, giving the group a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes but she knew was better than nothing. "It makes people think he's unassuming and mild-mannered. I think it's a good tactic of diversion."

Theo snorted softly, taking a bite of his toast. "If you say so."

Quidditch, as it turned out, was like a weird version of Soccer, Baseball, and Eye Spy all combined together. She relied on Janus' quiet commentary of how things were doing, clapping politely when the boy would say they earned points.

A few of the more avid Slytherin fans started to get ugly with booing the Gryffindors, but after she sent out a few silent stinging hexes, they reigned in their behavior.

"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle! Bletchly passes it to Captain Marcus Flint!"

Watching, she narrowed her eyes as the boy kicked a girl out of the way, looking up to Janus who just shrugged. Sighing, as no penalty was called, she looked back to see the Captain of the Gryffindor team block Marcus' shot, smirking as he did. The same boy who was blocking all their shots, the snakes around her seeming to really dislike him. But Lena only smiled when the boy caught the next catch, Blaise elbowing her with a 'what are you doing' look on his face.

She shrugged. "He's cheeky."

Blaise just rolled his eyes.

Scowling darkly, as he seemed to be irritated with the other Captain, Marcus Flint took Lucian Bole's beater bat and hit a bludger right into the other Captian's stomach.

There was really no match after that, even as the Slytherins were being booed by the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, and the game ended with a 70 point lead. Waiting until the mob of students swarmed out of the stands and onto the field and she was left the only one not caught up in the excitement of winning, she moved slowly down the stairs.

The crowd giving her a bit of leeway they wouldn't have to anyone else, she looked at the Quidditch team with a small smirk. "Good game, Slytherin."

"We're going for the cup for the sixth year in a row!" Marcus' grin was wide, eyes slightly dilated from the adrenaline. "There's no way we're going to be beaten by Ravenclaw- now our only threat is Hufflepuff and we'll squish them like flies!"

The crowd cheered.

Lena nodded, pulling out her wand and transfiguring some of the small slips of parchment she had for this occasion into what looked like gold crowns, handing them out. "Today we are victorious. Today you are all princes. Today... we celebrate."

Each boy put on their crown, the roar that arose from the Slytherins deafening in its pride and excitement.

"Now go shower. You're not allowed to party in such a state."

Laughing, the Quidditch team bowed their heads to her, grinning and the mob started to move towards the castle, even Blaise and Theo swept up in the chaos.

Janus, however, stood by her side silently with a small smile on his face. "Not going?"

"I will... But not yet." Turning on her heel, not having to look back to know she had a shadow, she moved to where the Gryffindors were huddled, looking defeated. As she approached, the girl who had insulted her earlier (who was sporting a nasty bruise now) glared at her poisonously, but before the girl could talk her wand was flicking out to silence her. Twirling the wand through her fingers, she tilted her head. "How's your Captain?"