slytherin by blood

"Well, would you look at who it is," Liam announced in response to the Ravenclaw’s question, smirking at how displeased Lane was to see him. He hardly blamed her, feeling almost identically the same.  Stepping around a few tall, looming trees, the light-haired boy drew closer, a look of curiosity in his eyes. 

Captain Obvious, or so he would be called if not for Lane's distaste for the cliche at the moment. "Don't be so alarmed, Archie." The words rolled off her tongue in a bout of annoyance. Maybe the whole situation was that, though- a pestering male catching his infuriated prey just as she was about to go spend a positively nice day off in the forest. "You know I often travel out and about- or has it slipped your mind?" 

After spending much of his morning inside the library trying to cram in as much studying as possible, the growling of Aleks’ stomach reminded him that he needed to eat in order to survive so gathering up his books, he quickly bolted out the door only to end up tripping over his own feet and promptly dropping the books to the ground. Sighing to himself, he bent down to his knees and started gathering them up again, this time placing them into his book bag instead of into his arms. But as soon as he reached for the last book, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, a hand snatched it up right in front of him.

"What a choice, Aleks." Lane spoke as if she'd been invited to take the fallen book from in front of her, no sense of hesitation held in her mind. She hadn't been aiming for the boy as she knew well who he was- both being fifth years after all- but took no interest in properly dissecting his mind for whatever knowledge he held. It was simply a strange encounter, her coming from the kitchens to go the library, him going... Wherever. "It's not the best for studying, though, as it hasn't been updated since the Dark Arts first fell. It's before Potter and his whole arc of glory, even." 

Paola laughed. “Anytime.” She noticed Lane’s pause, wondering what her deal was. The girl was definitely kind of weird, but not in a bad way.”Maybe she doesn’t get our enough or something.” 

"You're not making much of a point, Paola. I know all about myself already. If this is for personal gain I would like new information rather than the life I already know too well. I'm not some lost, manic pixie girl who's trying to 'find herself'." Lane had priorities and she kept herself in check. Sure enough, there were bits of her she would rather leave unexplored, but that was the point- they wouldn't benefit her. "This 'conversation' was to be a survey but you've completely missed the point."

Well, as long as you promise to try asking less personal questions then I think we can move past this.

Mm, I don't promise things, not unless I know I can keep them. I'll do my best, though.

She felt the other girl looking at her, and Kahlan was nervous that Lane intended to ask her to explain, but thankfully, she let it slide, and asked nothing about Kahlan’s personal life.  ”Honestly,” she replied, “people claim to need religion for morality but I’ve seen enough immoral religious people to last me a lifetime, and to suggest that it is impossible to have morals without a religion is ridiculous.  People are people.  They don’t get to blame some imaginary god for what they do.”

"That's the best way to say it. Have you heard about the muggle shooters in America?" A sense of gossip twinged her voice, as if shootings were as normal as a recent breakup. "They blame their God's, claim they were doing his work. It's funny, really." 

Better yet: I tossed the potion into the Black Lake. Good bloody riddance. But that’s a possibility should something like that happen again. Don’t worry: I’ll enlist your help with disposing of the body.

Sounds wonderful- maybe a mermaid will fall for him and send him into a sweet slumber once we shove him in the ice cold water.

"Eh, you’re still a kid to me," Paola replied. She grinned, punching Lane in the shoulder. "But just between you and me, I think you’re pretty cool." 

The physical interaction made her jump for a second, but she knew it wasn't an act of battle. She'd seen it before, some playful punches thrown around, but she'd never experienced it- she doubted Charlie would punch her like that, anyway. "Well, thank you." She paused, wondering how to approach the compliment otherwise. Was she expected to give one in return?

Paola nodded. “I feel yuh.” She wasn’t a big fan of chocolate, so chocolate chip cookies never did the trick for her. Maybe red velvet was the answer. “For real?” The Gryffindor grinned. “Thanks Lane, you’re not as… Er…. Uhh.. You’re a nice kid.” Paola took the platter of cookies, laying them down beside her. “Score,” she thought. Cookies were the redhead’s biggest weakness; she’d do almost anything for them. 

"Not a kid." She whispered, leaving all other words to die in the background of the conversation.

You have a funny way of trying to understand people, that’s all. I don’t like it when people ask me a bunch of questions and try to put meaning behind every little thing I say or do.

A funny way to you, one void of distraction to me. You did mention you weren't all that into personal questions and I could have taken that into account- should have- but when I have a goal I tend not to stray off the path. I still will stand my ground and say I don't believe you on all accounts, though.

You’re indirectly telling me you wish I would change, that’s basically the same thing.

No, I'm not, now stop assuming things. If I wanted you to change, I would fucking tell you- I don't beat around the bush. I already got what I wanted out of you. That's all. 

I’m sorry if I’m not interesting enough for you, but I can’t change the way I am.

I'm not telling you to change, I really never expressed such a desire.

Was that your goal? To make me so uncomfortable that I don’t even make any jokes?

No, actually. It was to get something out of you that interests me.

I just. Don’t. It’s that simple, there’s no deep meaning behind it.

Mhm. Okay, Jace. Whatever you say.