The Farland Files

Lena Farland and the Horribly Persistent Slytherins

A/N: We stan old-man Dumbles in this house! (in this story at least) Also, please remember for all her knowledge and cunning, Lena is still only thirteen and will inevitably change her mind, as is normal for a hormonal teenage girl (though those instances will be less usual than some of the teenage girls)

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Having gone to Gringotts to transfer some galleons into muggle money, Lena went shopping for some nicer muggle clothes and a backpack that she then charmed to the top with extension charms and anti-thief charms, before applying to the cafe that was a bit of a walk from the orphanage.

She didn't mind the walk though, the brisk mornings and cool nights almost calming in a way- as Jack always used to tell her she herself was the scariest thing that was hiding in the darkness, and it was true now, magic pooling at her fingertips.

Lena was put on the cash register at first, but it seemed that her inability to smile on command forced the woman who owned the place to teach her to make the drinks, having her work with that and getting people their food. Though most days she just bussed tables and enjoyed the music that was played in the background.

During this time she also had a mandrake leaf stuck to the top of her mouth with a powerful sticking charm, and other than the slightly weird taste it left in her mouth she learned to ignore it.

The next full moon, she spat the leaf into a glass vial that was under the moon's rays shining into her cramped room- before adding a hair from her head, a silver teaspoon of dew that had not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days, and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth.

Then she stored the potion away in her trunk to wait for the next electrical storm.

Luckily enough, one such storm struck half a week later on a hot summer day when she had nothing to do but sit around, as she wasn't working.

Her newest secret?

She was an animagus... though it, admittedly, had taken a bit of work and more practice into occlumency from the book that Vlad had given her the year before.

Bussing tables, hair piled in two buns like ears with a black apron skirt over her simple dark green shirt, she heard her name being called. Balancing the plates she was trying to carry with a bit of help from her magic, she turned only to pause and blink at where a tall boy with a smirk on his lips who was wearing a fitted suit was strolling her way.

Rolling her eyes, she gave the boy a look and then moved to put the plates in the back, the woman who owned the place- Miss Stacy- following her. "Who's that boy Lena? He was asking after you and he looked really relieved to hear you worked here."

"We're friends from boarding school."

The woman peaked out to the front, presumably looking at where Janus was standing- looking out of place in his formal attire. "Well, he's cute. Take a break and go talk to him. He'll draw in customers if he stays."

Lena raised an eyebrow at the woman, who just shooed her out. Snorting, she washed her hands and moved out to give the older boy a half-smile. "I heard that you've been looking for me."

"Blaise and I both. I already told him that I would look into this cafe while he went to the one down the block, so he should be by soon." Janus Carr frowned at her slightly, crossing his arms and pretending to be upset with seeing her when she could see the playful look in his eyes. "You didn't owl them. Or me."

"Oh... didn't I?" She hummed, grabbing the small plate of botched pastries that Stacy's husband set aside for her and waving the boy to a small booth. "Must have slipped my mind. Just like mentioning that I'm not going back to Hogwarts."