the truth of snakes

Idle Chatter & Extracurriculars

Lunch the next day was full of idle chatter for Roxanne as she picked absentmindedly at the food on her plate.

Her eyes were scanning the pages of her transfiguration textbook, trying to soak up any last bit of information she could before her final exam that afternoon.

Her concentration went the way of the samurai, however, as she heard the flutter of wings and two massive talons landed on the plate in front of her. The owl fluttered as it landed, toppling an almost full glass of pumpkin juice onto Roxanne's open text book,

"Shit! Fucking bir-" Her outburst stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun as she recognized the neat handwriting scrawled onto the letter the owl held in its beak. She grabbed it from the bird who immediately started to help itself to the bits of bacon it was standing on.

Roxanne looked around- everyone was too busy opening packages and giving coins to the delivery owls to have noticed any post Roxanne might have received.

She stood up, grabbing her book and using her wand to dry it off, and quickly walked out of the crowded great hall. She looked back towards the teachers table, and her ever-suspicious mind would have bet all the gold in her Gringotts vault that those piecing blue eyes of the headmaster had been boring into her back just a moment previously.

Hah! As if Lucius would ever write about anything important to me here.

Roxanne was well aware of the nasty habit the schools staff had of reading their student's private letters... especially students with as strong of ties to the Dark Lord's followers as Roxanne.

She made her way down to the dungeons and into her common room,

Warmth filled her as soon as she left the cold of the dungeons.

Fire blazed at the far end of the massive room, bathing the scene in warmth and light. Roxanne made her way to a window seat looking out into the murky green waters of the Lake. She situated herself amongst the soft cushions and pressed up against the ceiling-high glass. Instead of being icy-cold to the touch, the panes radiated warmth and, what Roxanne felt to be, the unmistakable feeling of being purely safe and at home.

The letter was safely tucked into the now dry pages of her transfiguration textbook, and she quickly slid it out.

Roxanne,
I have a bit of surprising news for you. As you know I have been rather er- romantically involved with the young Narcissa Black. Well, as of last night we are engaged to be married!  I know you are currently in the midst of your exams and mother advised me not to convey the news to you until your term has ended as to not distract you, but I'm afraid I just couldn't wait to write you! Cissa will be visiting with me for the summer- and if you pull any kind of nonsense I swear on Merlin's sweaty scrotum you will be hexed into oblivion! Either by me or Narcissa (honestly I think she could give you a run for your money in the dueling department!) . Well- that's about all I've got to say... Goodluck on exams! And if you don't get at least an O in DADA don't even bother coming home! Hah!
-Lucius

Huh, thought Roxanne as she put away the letter. Not exactly what I thought I might be hearing about today but uh, I guess it's good news.

She got up from the seat, stretched, and started walking across the room towards the hidden set of stairs that brought her to her dormitory.

• • •

The large room was empty, and the only noise aside from Roxanne's footsteps was the steady trickle of water produced by the intricate fountain that presided in the center of the room. Roxanne made her way to her fourposter and stuffed Lucius's letter into the drawer of her nightstand.