The Farland Files

How To Crush Vampires In Poker

Lena supposed that she was not the best person.

Jack had told her that his own brain was maybe a bit messed up from his time at war, his morals a bit skewed, but she'd always listened closely to his advice and suggestions.

She didn't care about race or sexuality or gender or anything like that- she thought that everyone was free to be their own person- but she also supposed that was because of the time she'd spent being some puppet on a string like all the other airhead girls at the orphanage even when she was reading anything she could get her hands on in her spare time.

Though now... looking at the fear on the faces of the other Slytherins, the way that no one wanted to bother her much less talk to her... she wondered if there was something wrong with her.

Maybe they would be nicer to her if she just took it?

If she became that puppet she'd been before Jack had found her?

No...

No, she was better than that.

Shaking her head to clear it of her tremulous thoughts, she leaned back against the cold stone wall of the dungeons, seeing that more children had accumulated around the door to the potions lab while she was lost in her thoughts.

"So we have a Weasley in this class? We're never going to learn- not with him blowing up every cauldron!" The blonde Malfoy boy that had been instant friends with most all the Slytherins in her year sneered at a smaller redhead, the one who in charms class had been so awed by her paper plane that she'd seen him trying to fold one in the library, sitting by the girl who talked too much and the sunshine boy.

Clenching his fists, the boy started to turn as red as her hair. "You don't know that! I might be better than you for all you know!"

The blonde scoffed, looking at his nails in a way she would guess was an imitation of his father, nose in the air. "I've had a private tutor since I was seven, Weasley. I doubt that you would ever be able to beat me- not with the way your family can't even afford an owl for you."

Weasley looked about to punch Malfoy, fists clenching at his sides.

"Malfoy." Her voice was soft, but carried across the hall, seeing all the Slytherins stiffen and Weasley startle out of his rage a bit.

Grey eyes turned to her, wide and scared. "Y- yes?"

"Don't make fun of people less fortunate of you. It's bad manners and also comes off as an insult to me, as well as many of your other classmates." Stalking over, she brushed off her heavy cloak that dragged a bit on the ground but kept her nice and warm in the chilly dungeons. Stopping so she was directly in front of him, she looked into his eyes, ignoring that she was about two inches shorter and tilting her head. "You don't want to insult me... do you?"

"Oh- uh- of course not. I didn't-" The boy looked to his 'friends' but none of them would look at him. Or her. He turned back to her, eyes desperate. "I didn't mean to- to offend you- "

Nodding, she moved past him to where Snape was watching them from the door he'd opened silently, her voice dismissive. "I would recommend that you don't do it again."

Snape looked at her when she stopped in the doorway. "Terrorizing my house again?"

"Reminding others of their manners." Lena smiled grimly, then moved to take a seat in the exact middle of the room. "And didn't you hear? I was never fully accepted into Slytherin. For now, I am still my own house." Sitting, she pulled aside her cloak, showing the man the Hogwarts robes were still plain black, voice musing. "I plan on even giving it a name should I end the year in such a state... I think my colors will be purple and gold. I've always liked purple and gold."