Black Rose: Breakfast

Terra would have felt a lot better if there had been at least one whisper to the effect of, "Who's that?", or something along those lines. Or just any sound at all. But no such luck. Everyone was silent. Everyone. It seemed as if no one was breathing at all.

'But after all,' Terra reasoned, 'I don't believe they get new kids very often. Much less unexpected ones.'

Quite though she was in some respects, it didn't help things that Terra was beautiful. She was tall, thin, and mysterious.

Who would have guessed her soul was as dark as her hair? Who would remember not to judge a book by its cover? Who could possibly know that Terra's soul had been frozen over? How could they know of the darkness that lurked within? And how could they know that Terra had taught herself, along with all the normal, easy, light spells, how to perform the dark, evil ones?

Obviously very few, if any at all.

And they weren't speaking.

~

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table just as Dumbledore walked to the middle of the risen area, in front of the staff table. Hermione thought something was up, Ron thought something was funny, and Harry thought that he was right when, back in his first year, he asked if Dumbledore was crazy.

But they all watched intently as a beautiful girl their age walked confidently towards Dumbledore. Several girls were upset with their unfaithful boyfriends who were staring. Several boys weren't blinking, and Hermione thought that Ron was about to die from forgetting to breathe. Hermione glanced over to Herry and was pleased to see he was unfazed (A/N: It will make sense later). He had his attention politely to the stage, but he, contrary to Ron, was not drooling.

"Um...Ron...you might want to try this idea called breathing. It's a lot easier to live that way," Hermione teased in a whisper.

"You mean he's still living?" Harry asked jokingly in an innocent voice as people started coming back to their senses.

"Wha...?" Ron mumbled.

"Honestly! You'd think he'd never seen a girl before!"

"Aww...Hermione's jealous!"Ron said as he slowly recovered.

"Only in your dreams!"

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it as Dumbledore began speaking.

"Good morning students. I have good news. I would like you all to welcome Terra Starr, a new seventh year. I hope you all are kind to her. She has already been sorted into her house, Slytherin."

The Slytherins cheered loudly, and the other houses groaned quietly. Ron was very put-out, but couldn't do anything about it. For once in his life he was quiet. Finally Hermione tried to cheer him up, although she sort of understood his position. Not only is it a big event to get a new student, but it gives a house bragging rights. And Slytherin would be rubbing it in other houses' faces.

"Cheer up, Ron. We have Potions first today."

"Oh thanks Hermione! I feel so much better now! Everyone knows how much I LOVE Potions!" Ron said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You don't think much, do you? It's not what we have that would make you feel better, but who we have it with!"

"The Slytherins? Oh, that would make me feel SO much better, Hermione!"

"Use you head! Look who's in Slytherin!" Hermione exclaimed, still trying to cheer Ron up.

Ron's eyes widened in realization, but he continued to argue, too stubborn to let Hermione win.

"So now they can rub it in our faces! I don't think I'll be able to handle all the fun we will have in Potions today! Thanks Hermione! You sure turned my frown upside-down!"

"I give up. I really do."

"Hermione giving up?! Stop the presses!"Ron continued to tease, but eventually stopped after seeing Hermione's "death glare".

"Gosh Hermione. Chill. Someone could use some cheering up!" Ron said as he then ducked under the table, missing a crust of toast by a mere inch.

"Hermione! Take a chill pill! You're a bit toasty today. Cool off or else you'll burn everyone to a crisp!"

"Just as long as this jelly cools YOU off!"

Harry found time to intervene briefly, "Can you both stop with the corny jokes! Hermione, I'm suprised at you! And Ron, you're worse than Sirius! Wait, I don't think that's possible. Okay, okay, second worst. Sirius will be pleased that his title is no longer in jeopardy..."

No one was listening, as Hermione and Ron were too busy threatening to throw bits and pieces of various breakfast items at each other.

"How about some cold ice water down your back Hermione? I bet THAT would cool you off."

"You'd have to wash off the grape jelly I throw at you first!"

"And risk befouling the castle? Head Girl Hermione Granger breaking the rules? First giving up, now breaking the rules?! What has gotten into you Hermione, darling?"

Harry could tell that Ron was getting under Hermione's skin, again. It was one of his few talents. But Harry was having far too much fun watching them bicker to break up the fight. These fights happened so often that he had learned to just let it play it out. Besides, it wasn't everyday that Ron had the upper hand.

"Hermy, dear, I do believe you are setting a bad example for the younger students. What would dear old McGonagall say? I doubt the old bat would be very pleased. She's just too stiff. What would she say about you're new found love?"

"I don't know, Weasley," Hermione retorted with a malicious glint in her eye. "Why don't you ask her for yourself?"

"Yes, Weasley, go ahead," McGonagall said from right behind Ron. "I would love to hear your point of view on the matter. If there is a point..."

"Why, hello Professor! We were just talking about you!" Ron said, trying to recover meekly. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough. Detention. Meet 'this old stiff bat' in the Great Hall at eight o'clock tonight. See if you can learn some manners!"

And with that, McGonagall walked off muttering about how Ron was too much like his brothers, and how "kids these days" had no respect for their elders. Hermione however took this time to gloat.

"Who's setting a bad example now, Ronald?"

"Shut your mouth before McGonagall has another bat join her. And you would not make a pretty bat."

"Thanks for the beauty tip Ron."

"Anytime," he responded, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Boys!" Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Meanwhile, Harry, why didn't you tell me McGonagall was right behind me?"

"Take it as a lesson learned, Ron. 'Look before you gloat'."

"Ha, ha, Harry."

"Stuttering, Weasley?" Hermione inquired, still mad at Ron.

"Very funny, but I'm no Quirrell."

"I'm sure you could pass for him with your abysmally low DADA grades."

"I wasn't aware we had to memorize our DADA textbooks! And that was LAST year! We don't have any grades this year yet!" Ron interrupted.

"But I should've guessed by all your other low grades that you aren't Quirrell," Hermione stated calmly, as if she were commenting on the weather while ignoring Ron, and the obvious grade factor. "And he had to have been good at SOMETHING."

"I give up."

"Stop the presses...Oh wait, they can't keep reprinting stories."

Ron just glared.

~

Meanwhile, it was owl post time. Terra had sat in the only available seat, which was next to Pansy Parkinson and her friends, all of whom were the most beautiful girls in Slytherin, and some said the whole school. They were definitely coveted, which made Terra more mysterious, as she just walked right up and sat down.

A smallish, rich-brown owl with huge eyes flew over to Pansy.

"Cocoa! What's shakin', you filthy beast?"

Cocoa hooted, unfazed, while Pansy's friends laughed. Pansy then untied Cocoa's letter and read, while her friends waited with baited breath. You never know what could be in a letter.

Pansy, though popular, had two "best friends" that were almost as bitchy as Pansy herself. Almost. No one could quite beat Pansy, who had received all the advantages towards being a snob. She was spoiled, rich, and thought she was better than everyone else. Not that her looks would ever help shackle her ego. She lived with her mother, who presently was on her sixth victim...er, husband... and thus their money came from previous marriages. Though it is spent left and right, Pansy's mother, Claire "Candy" Parkinson (As she is never married for any length of time, save the first, which resulted in Pansy, Candy insists on keeping her own last name.), always just assumes money can always be mooched. Known as her Five Minute Plan.

As for Pansy's "best friends", their names are Blaise Zambini and Kitana Nott. Blaise is probably the least heartless of the trio, but that doesn't say much. She's the smartest, but none of them are top-of-the-class people. The tallest o9f the three, at 5'7", with curly auburn hair that reached about to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Her big, chocolate-y eyes sparkled, and she had fairish skin.

Kitana was a dyed-in-the-wool dark Slytherin. Her parents were both Slytherins, and her dad is a Death Eater, so Kitana is dark-hearted and cruel. Kitana can act ditzy, but she is mostly not just a "feast for the eyes, not for the soul" type of person. She is the shortest of the group, at 5'5", and has rich chestnut waves that lay about three inches below her shoulders. She has pretty gray eyes, with flecks of gold, and tan skin.

Pansy, however, remains the only one with a boyfriend, Draco. She is 5'6", with straight golden hair that was a little longer than shoulder length, but was layered. Her big, clear, bright blue eyes shone as bright as the sky, and her skin was somewhere between tan and fair. She was the prettiest, but also the most snake-like.

Most guys had some wish to be with them, and anyone who scored a date or dance had certain bragging rights. The girls knew this and loved it, and even used it. Not to mention they used each other's beauty to add in favor to them. Sort of the "desirable by association" rule. Which brings us back to Terra.

Despite the fact that Terra was more evil than all the other girls put together, she was also, without out a doubt, the most beautiful. Her raven black hair hung perfectly straight down to her waist, and glimmered like a black sea. Her skin was fairish, and her hair framed her heart-shaped face. Her long, dark lashes surrounded her amazing eyes. A brilliant shade of clear, steady, bright violet, rimmed with an inky black outline shone brightly and made Terra's eyes unique. Terra was very tall, at 5'9".

Thus Terra might make Pansy, Blaise, and Kitana more desirable. Plus, they would look friendly, not jealous. They had never been jealous of anyone before, at least that they'd admit to. They also never fought between them, and were loyal as far as friends went. But they would all drop a friend in a second if they had or wanted to.

Pansy finished reading her letter, which had simply said that Dumbledore wished her to show Terra around. A perfect plan, Pansy thought, but it would be an excuse to befriend Terra without having to lose her cool and/or look desperate.

Pansy folded the letter back up and placed it into her Prada purse. Not all Slytherins hated muggles wholly (though Kitana did), and they made better, and more fashionable purses. Kitana and Blaise waited for an explanation about the letter, but soon gave up as none came. This did not bother either of them much because almost half of Pansy's mail was useless crap, and the other half was almost entirely from Draco (or other admires, but Kitana and Blaise got those too, just not as many as Pansy), which they didn't want to hear about anyway. Anything important enough for them to know Pansy would explain eventually.

Pansy turned to Terra and said, "So, which electives did you sign up for?"

"Care of Magical Creature, Divination, and Ancient Runes."

"Oh cool. I'm in CMC, which i short for Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination, but very few people are in Ancient Runes. So few, I think all the houses have that class together. Slytherin also has a LOT of classes with the Gryffindors because one, Dumbledore thinks we should get along more, and two, the other houses are almost afraid of us."

"Thanks. What's your name?"

"I'm Pansy Parkinson, and this is Blaise Zambini and Kitana Nott."

'Nott...Nott... That name sounds familiar...Of course! A Death Eater relative! Interesting...'

The group sort of chatted through the rest of breakfast, learning a bit more about each other. Terra quickly learned the others attitudes, and Pansy was pleased to find that Terra's was similar.

They were going to get along just fine.

Chapter 5: Entrance of the Snake
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