Hello readers, both new and old!

Short words before we get this show on the road:

Pairing: although this is a Riddle x OC romance story they start from first year and, let's be honest, it's rather rare for people to truly grasp the meaning of love this early on. So it's a slow process. Not to mention the fact Riddle is pretty much the definition of a sociopath and as some may be aware, they don't really function all too well with the notion of "love".

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters, places or whatever Affiliated with such. The plot and OCs are mine.

The idea of this story was spawned from a song called "Mordred's Lullaby" by Heather Dale, altough it will be a while before you all will have a chance to know why. The nursery rhyme used in this chapter is One for Sorrow and will also have a later relation to the story. So I guess that forces you to hang around and hold your breath in anticipation. Anyways, let's get this show on the road!

Enjoy!

In the year 1938 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the four houses are divided by blood status with the Slytherins rising above all else. A young boy enters to one day become one of the greatest and most powerful wizards of all times. But it is not easy to be a Half-Blood amongst those purest in blood. This is the story of Tom Riddle ...

It's in our Blood

Chapter I

The leather bound book – humming faintly from traces of magic, deeply ingraved into every letter, upon recognition of the man – felt light in his weather-beaten and chapped hands. The fingers broken repeatedly and scarred from years of battles and hardship had left its mark. Blueish tendrils weaved around his skin, burrowing into the flesh with small plops of light as the tome bound itself to the wizard; with the hue turning to a clear gold, a brilliant flash that illuminated the library. The ritual was over.

The item had changed owners.

"With this," the witch gently rested the palm of a hand against the wizard's cheek; eyelids fluttered shut for a brief moment, the moment etching into their memories for eternity, a faint smile gracing his lips. He put his own hand on top of hers, a soft squeeze against her fingers. "I leave it all to you." The woman, beautiful but frail, stoic but broken, had seen better days; but the glow of relief around her figure was unmistakable.

A curtain of clouds left the room in darkness, their faces pale and shadows flickered across the walls, bending to the fluttering of flames. Gusts of wind pressed hard against the arched windows, raindrops a rhythmic thundering drum onto the glass. "The spell will keep all prying eyes at bay?" His dark orbs scanned her face attentively and with care, but then looked towards the book. She tilted her head to follow his gaze.

"Eyes that do not belong to you will never look upon its pages." As he flipped to the first sheet, the yellowy parchment was untouched, bare. A rumble sounded in the distance, resonating throughout the shelves and walls, and a flare lit up the room. "The date will reveal itself with time. When it is time." Her eyes turned soft. Distant. "The things I have seen ... I pray you will not let it be in vain."

He shut the book. "I give you my word."

One for sorrow,

Two for luck;

Three for a wedding,

Four for death;

Five for silver,

Six for gold;

Seven for a secret,

Not to be told;

Eight for heaven,

Nine for hell

And ten for the devil's own sell

1 September 1938

"Now, are you sure you will be fine on your own?"

He looked sharply into her eyes, a hand firmly planted on her shoulder, while with the other fidgeted with the shining new Prefect Badge on his chest. She did not speak, but politely watched her brother, the features of her face drawn into a respectful smile as she waited for him to finish; people rushed past them on the bustling platform as parents prepared their children for departure with the Hogwarts Express. But the two siblings had pulled against the wall, out of the way from the busy stream of witches and wizards.

"If anyone dares to mess with you come get me right away. If you cannot find me, Albert or Mathew will take care of it."

"I understand, brother, but I highly doubt it will be necessary." She spoke with a small, well-mannered voice and sent glances ever so often towards the large, golden clock, hanging above the entrance to Platform 9 ¾. A sharp whistle blew shrilly across the platform, cutting high above the noise. "Thank you for your concern, but you should meet up with the other Prefects. I will be perfectly fine, do not worry about me."

He let out a sigh and gave her a last, long look, his dark blue eyes scanning her face attentively. He was probably not much for letting her walk freely about, without really knowing anyone but himself and his other fifth year friends. She could only imagine what horrible ideas her brother had about all the trouble she could get in. He let out a sharp breath and, brow creased in thought, ran a hand through his black hair. "Do not get a compartment if there are any Mudbloods or the like. I would prefer if you sit with some of the Slytherins ... at least they can keep an eye on you."

The whistle was heard once again and she gave a faint smile, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. "If you keep me here any longer I doubt I can even get a compartment." Fixing her black school robes, running her fingers over the coarse fabric, she then turned to leave. "You should not worry about me, brother. I am a Fowl after all. Surely I will be fine."

Her older brother chuckled lowly as she vanished, the heavy and rattling suitcase after her, in the crowd of parents saying their farewells to children in a great mesh of hugs, kisses and exaggerated signs of affection. Her nose cringled up at the sight. Steam bellowed out from the crimson red train. Yet another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was about to begin.

This time with one young witch, Elana Fowl, attending.

Dragging her large luggage after her through the train, she glanced into every single compartment she passed on her way, in the hopes of finding a vacant one; yet all were already stuffed full with other students. Barely knowing anyone, Elana silently wondered if perhaps she should just have stuck around her brother. Even though the train ride would have been absolutely strained, she would at least have had a place to sit ...

A few Gryffindors watched her curiously, as she thoughtfully looked in at them through the thin glass in the compartment door. Her eyes trailed over their scarlet and gold ties and then to the empty seat next to one bulky wizard. A scowl spread across her face. Her brother would kill the three boys if he found her there, so she moved along reluctantly. Both her arms were in agony, dragging the trunk around and she was absolutely not used to any type of manual labor.

Elana heaved a sigh.

The final whistle blew, indicating the train was ready for departure. Voices reached her from the outside, several parents and siblings wishing the students a nice and safe trip. Almost stumbling from the bumps and sudden movements of the train and the roar of the engine, Elana fumbled for support and grabbed a hold of the nearest object. Her fingers curled around the cold brass door knob and pressed down.

Pushing the door open by accident with the weight of her body, she suddenly found herself face down on the compartment floor. In a brief moment, her mind marvelled at how unlikely such a situation could be. How miniscule the chances. The young witch blinked, confused by the sudden change of scenery, feeling blood rush to her face in embarrassment and her cheeks burn. "Are you all right?" A female voice asked her worriedly from somewhere above. Elana felt hands under both her arms and before she knew it, she was standing on her feet once more. Somewhat flapper gasped, Elana heard the voice speak up once more: "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I am–," she turned to look at the girl. "I am fine, thank you for your help." Brushing off her clothes and attempting to regain a somewhat dignified posture – although failing at that – Elana briefly watched the chestnut haired girl pull the abandoned luggage in from the hall to the compartment. "No please, let me take it. You have already done more than enough."

Taking a step closer and quickly grabbing the trunk from the other, the witch placed it on a unoccupied seat with much effort and a low thud.

"Uhm–" the girl paused mid sentence, hesitating slightly, before she stretched out a hand and flashed a toothy grin. "I'm Isabella Fielding, nice to meet you!" Isabella gave such a bright smile – apparently taken a liking to the girl who had suddenly, rather loudly, appeared in the compartment – and showed off the gap between her front teeth, as well as two small, charming dimples.

"Ah … Nice to meet you," she hesitantly met the outstretched hand with her own. "My name is Elana Fowl. Thank you for your help."

Gracefully – perhaps in the hopes it would leave a slightly less embarrassing image of herself – taking a seat in the compartment, she noticed the other girl curiously watching her from across the small space. But as she met Elana's eyes a blush spread over her cheeks and she turned her gaze downwards. "S–sorry for staring … It's just," once again the witch's head snapped up eagerly, face full of excitement at the outlook for someone to talk to. Elana almost could not help recoiling in her seat. "I've never spoken to anyone like me before!"

Elana's eyebrow scooted up almost unnoticeably. "Someone like– you?"

"Well, everyone from school said I was a freak for what I could do. Accidently setting things on fire, levitating books, you know? Those things. That I should be locked up and all! I actually believed it myself in the end, but then I got my letter and it explained everything." Isabella looked to be in a complete state of pure delight, having suddenly been told she was not an abomination – unlike what everyone believed. But the girl, sitting across the excited witch, was pale.

"Your parents are Mud– No, I mean, are they, um, Muggles?"

"Non-magical people, right? I guess! Dad's a doctor and my mom is taking care of my little brother at home. None of them had ever heard of Hogwarts or believed in magic before." Isabella shrugged. "They had to read the letter several times and were pretty sure it was some kind of prank." With soft, rhythmic clangs and bangs, the train cut like a red arrow through the country, but Elana's attention was focused on the girl as an odd feeling roamed in her stomach; she felt bad for the girl, almost apologetic. Thinking she had found others just like her and being so thrilled, so happy about it ... Yet there she was, about to enter Hogwarts, full of pureblood fanatics that would regard her as unworthy, disgusting even. "The shock they received!"

Elana forced a strained smile at the girl's laughter, not wishing to ruin the other witch's joy. "It will be fun, I am sure."

A silence fell over the two. Isabella fumbled with her newly acquired wand while glancing down into her Charm's book, flipping through pages ever so often until she found an interesting section. She muttered a few spells and – with great hopes and expectations – watched the oak wand, yet nothing happened and a crestfallen look appeared across her features. But, of course, it did not take long before the muggle-born witch attempted once more.

Elana was watching the passing, ever changing landscape outside, its green slopes and trees rushing by in a blur of colours. With her forehead supported against the cold glass of the window, the skin slowly turning numb, and the heat from the compartment pressing against the back of her neck, Elana felt a wave of exhausting wash over her. She stifled a yawn.

Squinting, she glanced towards the reddening sun – sending rich streaks of colour into a mixture of darkening clouds – slowly setting in the distance over the contours of a mountain ridge; a faint golden red light reached them through the train windows and illuminated the compartment. Shadows danced across the wall as their bodies moved to the train's bumps. Elana felt her mind cloud over in thought, sending gazes towards the other witch once in a while before, her brow furrowed, looked back down into her lap. Her stomach felt queasy.

Anticipation and shame.

Without a doubt the young muggleborn girl was not prepared, would not expect, what would await her at Hogwarts. But Elana did; she had lived in the shadow of pureblood fanaticism her entire life, been shaped by her family's beliefs and ideas and she, unlike the other, would fit in perfectly amongst the rest. Dark met blue eyes; excitement meeting guilt.

Elana swallowed.

It had gotten dark outside; flickering stars dotted the night sky high above and the crescent moon peeked out through the cover of clouds, bathing the landscape in an eerie, silvery glow and cast wretched shadows from the trees and rocky passages. It would not be long before their arrival at the castle; neither her brother nor any of his friends had come by for her and she was glad they had not. Elana had been able to talk quite a lot with her first friend, something – the back of her mind gleefully reminded her – she would most likely not be able to once they reached Hogwarts.

That she was well aware of ...

"Hey, Elana?" Isabella suddenly asked, a thick, heavy book – Hogwarts, A History – propped against her thighs while she lay on her back; her light hair was pulled into a tight bun, fastened with her wand and a variety of candy wrappings surrounded her head, a brightly coloured crown; scarlet red, dazzling yellow, striped and checkered – the actual, edible parts of the candy was long gone. The wrappings now served only as the very last evidence of how Isabella had spent her entire allowance on the food trolley. "What are Houses?"

Closely studying the portrait of Queen Maeve on the back of a Chocolate Frog Card, Elana glanced up. "Houses? Ah–" running a hand swiftly through her hair, brushing it out of her face, she elaborated her answer: "–The four Houses serve as seperate dormitories, so you sleep and eat together with them and attend classes with others from your House. And you also compete against the other Houses."

"So," Isabella swung her legs down from the seats, a resounding thud!, all the while placing the book in the little space seperating their knees; the two girls leaned over the illustrated pictures, and Elana immediately recognized the four Hogwarts Founders. "It says here that it depends whether or not our qualities fit the associated House? Would that mean, if I'm not exactly all that great in school, I wouldn't have a place in Ravenclaw?"

Elana nodded, eyes completely transfixed by a portrain. A certain, very special portrait. A shiver crossed the length of her spine. "Yes. Courageous and brave like Gryffindor; kind and warm like Hufflepuff; sharp and intelligent like Ravenclaw or ..." Her finger paused briefly over the willowy, long body; the pale white skin and the deep unfathomable sockets ... The very eyes of Salazar Slytherin. Then she smiled: "Sly and cunning like Slytherin."

"Oh," Isabella pursed her lips in thought. "I see ... Then, what House do you want to be sorted into?"

She turned her head towards her friend and answered immediately, without skipping a single beat, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Slytherin." All of her family – her parents, her brother, grandparents. Everyone – had been placed there and she could not imagine anything else. At least not unless she wanted to be a disgrace and bring shame over the Fowl family, which, of course, she preferred to avoid at all costs.

"That's right, your brother is in Slytherin, isn't he?" Elana gave a nod and received a bright grin in return. "Then I want to be in Slytherin too!"

Struggling to keep a straight face, an eyebrow raised partly in surprise, Elana forced a smile. "That sounds great," she lied. On one hand she really wanted the other girl to join the same House as her, but at the same time it just did not bode well for the Muggle-born's future. But, just perhaps, it would all work out? "Then I look forward to our school years together."

"I expect you to help me with homework and everything, for–" she sheepishly scratched the back of her head, a broad grin in place. "I haven't got the faintest idea about anything." Isabella reached out and grasped the pureblood's hands in her own with a soft squeeze; the unfamiliar skinship sent a jolt of warmth through her arms and her cheeks heated.

"Who says I will be of any help?"

The brown haired girl raised an eyebrow, then responded with a laugh: "I can just tell."

Leaving their belongings on the overcrowded platform, she felt a hand grab hold of her left sleeve in between the other students; her eyes met Isabella's and she smiled, taking the hand in her own. "Stick with me," Elana instructed, taking it upon herself to protect the other witch and steered them both in the direction of the other first years. People pressed on from all directions, bumping into them without a word of apology.

A woman, probably in her mid-thirties and with a strong, stern face that appeared above the sea of witches and wizards, ushered the nervous and excited newcomers together and gave the crowd a quick look over. "First years! All first years gather up here! The rest of you to the carriages– That means you too, Middleton! Yes, I can see what you're doing – Stop it! First years, here please! Hurry up!"

When what Elana assumed to be a Professor had gathered all of them together, she quickly moved along the platform away from the older students. Still clinging onto the warm hand, she obediently followed the witch down a steep, narrow path. The uneven trail, treacherously rocky and uprooted, with a faint haze blocking her sight of the stones below their feet. Her stomach churned from nerves. The surrounding area was wrapped in pitch black darkness, but, glancing upwards, she could make out the glowing moon through a thick cover of tree branches.

Barely anyone spoke a word on the trip, but Elana could feel the heavy tension in the air and she gripped harder around Isabella's hand. It felt clammy, both from the cold but also from the nerve-wracking excitement of the entire situation – perhaps it was her own hand? Yet still, the warmth of another being calmed her thumping heart. A loud, collective "Oh!" was heard from the front and soon after they saw it as well. Her jaw dropped at the sight. Her brother had told her several stories of the place when she was younger, but not even her wildest of dreams and expectations lived up to what emerged in the night ahead.

The path had opened up onto the edge of a great lake and, rising above them in the darkness, perched on top of the mountain on the other side of the murky waters, was the enormous castle. Hogwarts. Its many towers reached towards the starry sky and small lights, what could only be windows, glimmered as hundreds of eyes in the night. The professor, accustomed to the sight, quickly broke the astonished silence and ordered them down into the small fleet of boats moored at the lake shore.

"No more than four, understood? I don't plan to fish any of you up ..." The woman muttered something incomprehensible, and Elana got the feeling it would not be the first time someone had taken a plunge through the dark waters. She shivered at the thought. Isabella managed to get into the same boat as her, as well as two mousy haired boys, and the boat rocked back and forth as the weight changed; but it appeared somewhat steady and Elana allowed a sigh of relief, lessening her grip around the wooden sides.

It did not take long before all the boats were filled and they sailed out onto the Black Lake's still mirroring waters. "Amazing ..." She heard Isabella stutter behind her, wording what everyone without a doubt was thinking. She silently agreed, at a complete loss of words. It really was an amazing sight to behold; Hogwarts. The big castle would almost be a second home to all of them for the next seven years, and it most certainly was a remarkable view to call home.

The boats glided across the lake, which was almost as smooth as glass, and the surface was barely disturbed by the small fleet as it carved through the dark waters. A steep cliff towered ahead of them and, sailing through a curtain of ivy that had hid the secret opening of the rocks, they lost view of the castle to in stead pass through a narrow tunnel. They were all forced to bow their heads, avoiding the sharp edges of the rock. Elana looked ahead and saw several first years already on solid ground, taking in their surroundings and the underground harbour with complete fascination and mouths agape – no one had probably ever seen anything like it.

The crowd was herded up a flight of stone steps to a large, oaken door so tall that Elana wondered if it was only meant for humans to enter – or built for something much larger. The doors swung open without a single touch and, revealed on the other side, was a magnificent, breathtakingly beautiful entrance hall; the stone walls were lined with burning torches that illuminated the floor as well as the grand, marble staircase that lead to the upper floors. A shimmer caught her eyes and she glanced to a niche at her left, where four hourglasses covered the area between the wall and the ceiling. Each was filled with different coloured gems – red, green, blue and yellow – to represent their appointed House's colours.

The emerald green held her gaze for a moment longer than the rest.

She followed the others to the right, towards another doorway. Through the heavy wood Elana could hear the roaring sound of hundreds of voices, chatting away all at once; expecting the professor would send them in to the other students, she was taken by surprise when they were directed to a small chamber in stead a bit off to the side. Even though the room was more than big enough to hold them all, everyone seemed to huddle close together for a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Isabella had found her hand again and a fuzzy warm feeling spread in her stomach, subduing her previous fears. She was reassured by the presence of another. A smile formed at her lips and she looked towards the other girl. The professor turned to face them: "Welcome to Hogwarts. I will begin by introducing myself. I am Professor Galatea Merrythought, teacher in Defence Against the Dark Arts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly in the Great Hall, but before that you will be sorted into your respective houses through a ceremony. While you are here at Hogwarts, the other members of your house will be close to a family and you will attend classes with those from the same house, as well as sleep in the house dormitories."

Elana exchanged a meaningful look with the other witch. They had to get into Slytherin. Both of them.

Isabella flashed a grin in return.

"The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," her stomach clenched in anticipation as the last name was mentioned. She would not disappoint her family. "All four houses have its own history and nobility, and each one of them has housed several bright and talented witches and wizards. While at Hogwarts, your outstanding performances and triumphs will be awarded points, just as well as any misdoings and rule-breakings will result in a loss of points. At the end of the year, the house that has the most points will be awarded the House Cup. A great honour. Each and every one of you should do your absolute best to show respect to your house."

Professor Merrythought announced the Sorting Ceremony would begin shortly, before she left the chamber for a short period of time and the first years alone. No one spoke at first, but people slowly began exchanging words with those around them; with narrowed eyes she observed a lanky boy not far from them. Or rather, his words of "Nothing but dark witches and wizards!"

Elana immediately turned her attention to the Muggle-born girl. "Remember," she said and looked into the light blue eyes of her newfound friend. "Slytherin, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, I promise. But … This ceremony …? What is it all about, do you know?"

"My brother told me of it and it should not be anything scary," Elana, waving her hand dismissively, noticed how several others around them listened in, eager to hear any form of comforting words; the first years were all in the same boat. She imagined how most dreaded the ceremony to be some display of magical talents in front of the entire student body, as well as the staff; to be deemed worthy or unworthy by hundreds of judging eyes. "You just step forward once they call your name and then you have to, well, sit until it is decided."

"That's all?" Her brow knotted together in disbelief. "Really? I would've thought I had to battle a dragon while flying backwards on a broom."

Her eyebrow scooted up. Dragons, even? "Yes, apparently. You do not have to do anything but, well, sit. We will enter and get sorted one by one in front of everyone." Now that she thought about it, it did not exactly sound like a lot of fun. But her train of thought was broken as the professor appeared once more. Following the professor and everyone else through the doors, opening up around them, she stepped into the Great Hall.

Butterflies roamed freely in her stomach, causing havoc in their rampage and made her feel nauseous. But she silently reprimanded herself to pull together; Elana had not expected herself to be nervous, but as hundreds of faces turned in their direction any thoughts of calmness vanished from her mind in the blink of an eye. Her eyes flickered to the enchanted ceiling, reflecting the clear and dark-blue sky and the hundreds of stars; levitating candles burned brightly as they hovered several feet above their heads.

But then she looked over the four house tables to the Slytherin table near one of the walls. Her brother was sitting near the teachers' end with his friends, ready to greet new students as a Prefect duty; dark eyes, handsome features, stoic. Their identical eyes met and he nodded briskly towards her, nudging another wizard in the side with an elbow. Without thinking about it, she released the witch's hand. The two boys whispered together lowly while turning their attention towards the Sorting Hat.

She did the same.

Elana swallowed, throat dry.

The nervous first years gathered at the steps, the house tables behind them and the teachers' in front just as the hat, perched on top of a stool, suddenly burst out into song, spooking most of them completely. Elana glanced at Isabella. "Promise we will both get into Slytherin?" The other seemed too tense to speak, but nodded furiously with a grin on her face. As long as she could get Isabella into the same house, she would be able to look after her, possibly protect her from the other purebloods for, without a doubt, her family's name had the power to do so.

Then the song ended ... and the Sorting Ceremony began.

One by one, the name of a first year was called and, whoever mentioned, walked trembling forward towards the hat. She felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest, her breathing ragged as she watched the group around her diminish from each person sorted. A boy tripped over the stairs in his eagerness to get to the Hufflepuff table, thankful the ceremony was over for him; a few snickered and Elana heard a single, crude remark, but his new comrades helped the now blushing wizard to his feet and into a seat.

"Fielding, Isabella."

Elana felt a reassuring squeeze around her hand before her friend moved up to the chair. The blue eyes disappeared under the brim of the Sorting Hat. Elana's breath hitched in her throat and she held her breath ... Time stood still and she clasped and unclasped her hands; heartbeat rapid in her chest as she silently prayed in her mind, hoping anyone would answer her prayer.

Slytherin … Slytherin.

Her blood turned to ice in her veins as the hat finally spoke, its voice ringing clearly in the hall as it roared out a name. The wrong name. "Gryffindor!" All air left her lungs. No. Their eyes met as the brown haired girl walked towards the table that roared and cheered as they welcomed a new member of the family. No. Elana turned her face away, biting down into her lip. Her mouth felt bitter.

Even though they had only known each other less than a day, for a few hours even, she felt so heartbroken and, quite frankly, betrayed. Elana had no real friends, no one her age to talk to, and she thought she had finally found that one person, the only one she would need to get through Hogwarts without being alone. That one dream, that small, selfish wish that had been build during the train ride ... shattered in mere seconds.

With a final look towards the other girl, she forced her eyes away.

"Fowl, Elana."

Squaring her shoulders, Elana stepped up, eyes firmly planted on the floor in front of her, not wanting to look at anything or anyone at that time. She felt tears sting the corner of her eyes, but she blinked furiously to get them away. Pull yourself together, she reprimanded and an enforced calmness fell upon her. Such a brief encounter should be in no condition to rile up her emotions.

There barely was a reason for her to sit down on the wobbly stool, before she heard the predicted house get shouted out into the Great Hall. It did not even touch her head. "Slytherin!" She felt hollow, like she had lost all emotions in her body and a sense of resignation took control; a predictable, welcomed outcome. Loud cheering and clapping forced its way into her head; Slytherin proudly received another Fowl to their ranks.

Her brother had saved a seat by him, clearly not surprised. She slid down onto the bench beside him. "You did not disappoint," he praised, a short gaze towards her until he returned his attention to the sorting. She forced a smile, before staring at the plate in front of her; her face was reflected by the golden platter and, unhappy with what she saw, she cringed her face away.

"What is to be expected of me, of course." Elana responded dully, yet the corner of her lips tilted upwards. Slytherin had always been the goal, and now she had reached it. Then she merely sat there, listening to her brother's conversation with his two closest friends and barely paid any attention to the Sorting Ceremony. It was for the better, she told herself. A mudblood such as Isabella had no real place in Slytherin and she would be much better of in Gryffindor, where no one cared about blood status. But still ...

Someone sat down next to her. Elana felt the fabric of another robe against her own and she glanced at the boy from the corner of an eye; their eyes met, his dark, bordering to black and detached – cold, witout a shred of emotion – and she turned her gaze back onto her plate, jaw tightly clenched. He dismissed her quickly and it suited her just perfectly.

It did not take long before the Sorting had come to an end, sending a last girl to the Hufflepuff table after having embarrassed herself by tripping on her way – apparently it was a recurring thing for those kinds of people. When the laughter had stilled, the Headmaster walked forward and welcomed all – both new and old – before the feast appeared out of thin air onto the table in front of them. Elana did not feel like eating at all, but after her brother urged her, his tone strict, she forced a few bites down her throat, even though it felt like swallowing sandpaper.

"Is something the matter, Elana?" One of his friends asked from across the table as he noted her crestfallen expression. "You have not said a thing tonight." Turning her face upwards, she looked at him. The handsome face of Mathew Selwyn watched her in quiet concern; eldest son of the Selwyn family and a frequent visitor at her family's estate. Elana had to be respectful towards him – he usually treated her with kindness, like an older brother, but right at that moment she had a hard time keeping her voice polite when speaking. Even towards him.

"I am just not hungry." Elana forced a small smile, but it only came out as a grimace and her response rather curt. "It is nothing."

She could feel her brother's calculating stare next to her, but she did not look his way, and in stead merely kept eye contact with the boy opposite her. "Something happened on the train?" Albert Gamp – her brother's second friend, and a rather annoying one at that – then proceeded to ask, while poking a fork towards her. Elana shot him a blank look, biting back a remark about manners. "Selwyn said he saw you with some girl. Found her rather odd, didn't he?"

Her face darkened.

"What?" She cringed inwardly at the tone of her brother. They clearly had not shared this information with him. "What do you mean with odd? Selwyn?" Elana silently prayed in her mind that Selwyn, who had merely listened to the foreboding conversation with a smile, would not say anything that would perhaps turn her brother's attention onto Isabella. Rather let the girl enjoy a peaceful time in her new house than get involved with Elana and her family.

"It was nothing, Elliot." He said coolly as he did not find her brother's surfacing anger unnerving what so ever; not like her and Albert who were both expecting a lecture at any moment – one with dread, and the other with delight. "I thought I saw something, but obviously I did not after looking further into it. I was probably being paranoid, that is all."

She was happy Selwyn always stayed rather calm in these situations and he had probably read her expression a long time ago. Of her brother's two friends, she liked him more. He was calculating and considerate, never spoke unless it was necessary and even then it was not always he did so. He was composed. And most of the time on her side.

Elana suppressed a sigh of relief.

But Elliot did not seem to believe him fully, knowing his friend all too well. His eyes were still narrowed into thin slits. "Elana," she closed her eyes, biting down into her lower lip before she looked at him, hoping she had stilled her emotions enough to appear indifferent. He put a hand on both sides of her face and forced her to look at him fully. "Tell me." He ordered, unblinking and she resisted the urge to turn her face away.

"I just ... sat in the same compartment as another girl." She lightly shrugged her shoulders. "We did not even speak."

"You should not lie."

At that very moment Elana made up her mind. What had happened on the train had been interesting, if not fun, but it would now come to an end.

She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. Then she smiled.

"I am not."