When in doubt, jump in head first

17. A most informative boat trip

Laelynn sat with her back to the wall of the barge, watching as the man skilfully navigated through the mist. Bard, she reminded herself. Bilbo had asked his name as she got on the barge, and if she was inclined to listen, well...

"Laelynn." Speaking of Bilbo. She looked up, then immediately averted her gaze as she saw the determined look in Bilbo's light green eyes. "Laelynn," he repeated, and she sighed, meeting his gaze once more.

"Yes, Bilbo?" she asked, pretending she had no idea why he was in front of her. He frowned.

"What was that in the river?" he asked. Laelynn flinched. It was obvious which section of the river he was referring to, and she didn't want to talk about it. Deny, deny, deny. She opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about.

Her eyes met Bilbo's, and the words died in her throat. He looked so concerned for her, and another sigh escaped her lips. Laelynn gestured for him to sit down, closing her mouth and crossing her legs. She placed her hands in her lap, twisting the hem of her tunic as she tried to find a place to begin.

"You remember what I said happened at the end of my second year, right?" she asked him. Bilbo nodded slowly, his brow furrowed.

"You and your brother had to save a girl from a..." He paused, a small frown creasing his face. "Basil-lisp?"

Laelynn laughed. She couldn't help it, and the sound cut through the quiet the mist covering the lake had brought. She saw more than one head turn in their direction, and the tips of Bilbo's ears turned red. She stopped herself, covering her mouth with a hand to hide her grin, and sat up. "Basilisk, Bilbo," she told him, "It's a Basilisk. But yes, that's what happened. We went in, saved the girl, and Harry got all the credit." And here was the bit she'd glossed over the first time.

"What I didn't tell you was why none of the adults believed Ginny Weasley when she protested on my behalf." She swallowed, her levity gone. "Next to the 'Boy-Who-Lived', she would already be less likely to be believed, but as I wasn't there to back it up none of the adults listened."

"Why weren't you there?" Bilbo asked, leaning forward and asking the expected question.

"I was still in the Chamber of Secrets, Bilbo." She pushed a strand of hair, still slightly damp from the river, behind her ear. It had fallen out of her braid, and had fallen in front of her face.

"What?" asked Kíli, he and his brother coming to her and Bilbo. "Why?" Laelynn leant back, letting her head thunk solidly against the side of the barge. She stayed like that for a moment, before pulling her head back up and starting to explain.

"You know I fought the Basilisk and Harry and Ron stayed behind?" she said. The three nodded. "What I didn't mention was when I stabbed the snake, it thrashed around and flung me into the wall of a... side chamber, I guess? I must have passed out, because when I stood up again, there was a dead snake blocking the exit."

Bilbo, Fíli and Kíli were listening to her raptly, and behind them she could see some of the others trying to listen in unobtrusively. Laelynn pushed the strand of hair back behind her ear again.

"Nobody answered when I called for help," she continued, "And Basilisk hide is notoriously resistant to spells, so I couldn't charm it out of the way. I tried to push it out of the way..." she chuckled ruefully. "I couldn't push something bigger than this barge now, let alone at twelve. I'd just given up on moving the carcass, when the light disappeared." She could remember it so clearly: the damp smell of mould, pressing down on her senses, the sound of rushing water, a black so dark she couldn't see her hands in front of her, and a dull hopelessness, like the damp chill of the chamber, settling so deeply in her bones she'd been certain it would never get out. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "There was a point where I became convinced I'd never get out."