The Farland Files

Why Not Enter The Hunger Games?

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and a happy winter day to all my foreign friends! This chapter is a bit short, but the next one will be much longer :)

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Lena found herself being hugged to death by Draco... as her animagus, of course. (Not that it would have stopped the boy). She'd decided to try to hide under the couch when the boy had chased her down the hall yelling about wandering off with strange men and missing dinner but had been a bit too late.

And now here she was, being squished to the boy's chest like a fuzzy pillow.

"You're an animagus."

Well obviously, dear. I am a cat right now."

Riddle huffed. "I think for a second I will not be surprised anymore and then you up and do something like this..."

Yes, well I'll let you rant about your surprise later. For now, let me focus on getting out of this death grip.

"Mrow." She tried to voice her displeasure, but her growly meow was cut off into a merp as she was squeezed again.

"Shhhh. You don't get to complain. What if Crouch had hurt you! If Moody hadn't run him off before you two went on your walk around the grounds who knows what would have happened all alone in the forest!"

Lena sighed as best she could.

Such little faith.

A hand moved to pet her head and she looked up at where Ginny was smiling amusedly. "I think Dray was a bit worried."

The boy snorted, turning his nose up in mimicry of how he used to act. "How could I not be! Charlie would have killed me if she'd gotten hurt!"

Wiggling out of the arms, she finally moved to stand on her own feet, batting at the blond's hand in reprimand for squeezing her.

Scooped up by different arms, she blinked up at Severus, who looked down at her with sharp eyes. "And what is this I hear of Mad-Eye having to chase off Mr. Crouch from lecturing you on cheating and other archaic tournament rules?" His voice was calm, but there was a hint of question behind it as he was surely wondering why the official story had her blindly following the Tournament official when she clearly didn't trust him.

Huffing slightly, nodded her head to his office.

Severus carried her into his office, setting her down in a chair and then moving to close his door. When she shifted back, he leaned against his desk with his arms crossed. "Explain."

"I can't. Not unless you promise to keep anything said between you and I secret unless I allow you to tell someone." Lena crossed her arms at the frown he gave her, willing to wait until he gave in if necessary.

"Are you going to tell him about me?" Riddle's voice was soft, as if uncertain.

Eventually, maybe, but not right now.

"Good."

Don't worry dearest, all your dirty little secrets are safe with me.

Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I swear not to reveal anything said to me by Lena Farland in confidence unless she allows me." The man arched a sharp brow. "Now, what is this ridiculousness about?"

"I killed Barty Crouch." Hurring on when he opened his mouth, she explained her reasoning, as she didn't just go around killing for fun. "I have a journal entry in my notebook detailing a few different encounters a young girl had with Mr. Crouch, as he was a friend of her father's and would let her stay at his house when her father was out. Apparently when he drank..."