The Farland Files

Why Not Get A Bit Bloody?

A/N: So I was going to write some happy family fluff... and then this happened. 
Get ready for the ANGST TRAIN!

WARNING: mentions of child abuse, descriptions of violence, blood, and just lots of morally ambiguous behavior... just read at your own risk, okay, and if not a fan of that type of stuff... well it's not a super important chapter?

~~~

Lena wasn't a huge fan of this Skeeter woman, but as she knew a spell to send Howlers back to their sender and she was more than happy to use it, the drama seemed to avoid her fairly well.

Cedric and she were finally talking again and the boy admitted that he'd gotten together with Adrian Peucy after the ball, stuttering out an apology for his behavior after ice skating while the other Slytherin was seeming to gnaw at the boy's neck and she just waved them off as it didn't really affect her (and she wasn't sure that trying to eat your romantic partner was appropriate for the Common Room- to which Riddle had a fit of laughter over).

The second task was a bit invasive and she wasn't sure what to do with the pity and words of seemingly actual genuine sadness for 'her situation', and she found herself shrinking back from most everyone who came up to her.

However, this was something she could deal with.

"You think you had it bad? That you're all that because some old man died? I'm much smarter and prettier than you and I never even got a shred of affection from my parents! You don't know the pain of having people there just ignore you!"

The girl, a Gryffindor she didn't even care to know the name of seemed to be trying to one-up her for how bad they had it, obviously looking for pity. And because they were in front of the Great Hall, Lena was just watching the girl whine with an eyebrow raised. "Oh really?"

"Yeah! I have it much worse than you, but no- you're all 'pretty' with your 'broken charm and soulful eyes'. Well, I know the truth! You're just some attention-seeking pig and-..."

Lena stopped listening. I wonder who the idiot is that thinks my eyes are 'soulful'... Plus, 'broken charm' only goes as far as to get people cut on jagged edges.

"Lovely, I think that you're the most beautiful, even with your bloodstained edges and unique eyes."

Sap.

"Only for you, my dear."

"-and that 'Tom' boy should just give you up- Merlin knows I'm a much better girlfriend!"

That drew her attention back, chuckling softly as she shook her head. "Oh, you poor girl... Tom would eat you alive and when there was nothing left of you but a blood-stained corpse he would find his way back to me just for the chance to be in my presence. You know nothing of what you talk, as you wouldn't last a second against my dearest Tom."

"Accurate. I would rip her throat out with my teeth just to share the taste of blood with you."

Violent.

"You started it."

The girl sputtered. "You-you're just some- some crazy bint!"

"Methinks Gred, that this little lion should look in a mirror." A tall redhead boy seemed to melt from the shadows with a wide almost manic grin, resting an arm on the girl's shoulder.

Another boy that looked like a mirror image- twins?- appeared to the girl's other side and put his arm on her other shoulder. "Why waste a mirror? Miss Vane would find her reflection just as well in the painting of the hag on the third floor."