Skyler didn't know how she managed to have such bad luck, but it didn't change the fact that she did. More often than not lately it seemed her luck worked against her, and even in classes it was ruining her life. While the brunette had been hoping to get Luna as her partner for this project when it was announced, she had instead gotten herself stuck with Hunter Addington.

In all fairness, she could understand their professor's reasoning behind this. Why make anyone else but a fellow snake of his suffer his insufferable personality, but at the same time it was completely unfair. The teen had enough on her plate without having to deal with the boy on top of it all.

Nevertheless, they had been assigned as partners, and the assignment had to be done. Skyler really wasn't looking forward to it, already knowing who and and what was going to show up on her family tree. Which meant she plopped down at one of the tables in the common room with an agitated groan, and gave the girls sitting there already an icy glare for looking at the scar that marked her forearm.

She had had potions last, and had needed to roll her sleeves up in order to keep them from getting soaked in the potion she had been brewing. Which meant the word 'Freak' etched into her left forearm was on display. It really was her own fault but it was still the cherry on top of an already shitty day. A dark look took over her face as a dangerous smirk curled her lips. "That's right. I'm a freak."

Skyler's purple eyes flashed at the other girls, a slightly unhinged grin replacing her smirk. "But I'm an insane freak, so unless you want me to show you exactly how insane I am..." The brunette trailed off, suggestively twirling her new wand in her fingers. It worked like a charm, and they scattered, leaving her to her own devices.

Not ten minutes later she had her book open in front of her, hand scrawling words across a sheet of parchment as she worked diligently, dark brows furrowing together in concentration and thought, teeth absently biting her bottom lip. When someone approached, she didn't even bother looking away from her work. "If you're here for a specific reason, sit. If you're here to tell me any number of idiot things, go away and hope I don't realize who you are."

Yes. Sky was completely done with taking shit from her housemates, and completely on board with her plan to gain the upper hand in the house. The snake pit would be hers.

Hunter walked across the corridors of Hogwarts, and down the stairs, with his face etched into an amused grin. Hunter was known as the male Pansy Parkinson amongst the Slytherin House, but whenever he was called that, he was quick to defend himself and refuse to be placed in the same class as that insufferable whiny, prissy spoiled brat.

He didn't really care about this family tree project he was assigned to, nor did he really care who his partner was, some Skyler Riddle. He was a bit of a loner in his own house, purely of his own doing, due to how much of an arsehole he acted like towards people. Annoying and angering people was always a fun hobby of his, because he took amusement out of their anger.

He didn't really know much about Skyler either, but that's because that, despite his being sorted into Slytherin House, he was a bit of a Ravenclaw at heart, preferring to find comfort in a book than cunningly planning a move against move. However, that didn't mean he wasn't the type to do so, because deep down, he was a truly cunning, conniving snake that always made sure he got his way, no matter who he had to step on.

He was very careful about his movements, and he was careful about how he acted, entirely because he was a Muggleborn in Slytherin House. To his knowledge, he was just an ordinary Muggleborn, so he didn't have clout like Skyler did. So, he built up an unfriendly, hostile, but joking demeanor and took delight in humiliating others for the sole sake of making others, especially Pureblood Bigots, less likely to mess with him.

As he made his way into Slytherin Common Room, he noticed that it was surprisingly empty, except for one person, the Skyler Riddle that was to be his partner. He raised an eyebrow and walked over to her slowly, cautiously, his hand very subtly pressed on the end of his wand, ready to pull it out.

He went to greet her with an easy-going grin, until he heard what she said. He narrowed his eyes at her, and quickly bit back with his own sarcastic quip. "Well excuse me Princess. Do I need go back out and come back in, loudly announcing this poor peasant's name and bow to your feet? Pardon me if I don't seem very inclined to do that, as I'm not one for arse-kissing bullshite" he said with a sarcastic, downright rude and hostile manner.

If Skyler was taken by surprise, she didn't let it show. The hostility was nothing new to her, and it was far less than what she had been on the receiving end of lately. So the brunette it easy to ignore. And ignore she did. Her hand flew across the parchment as she continued to scratch things down, eyes flicking back and forth between the book and her parchment, ignoring his rude comments and his person while she did so.

After a long moment, a grin spread across her lips, amusement dancing in those purple eyes, though they never once broke away from the book or parchment to actually acknowledge the other fifth year. Nor did her hand pause in it's writing. "Oh, you don't need to call me Princess. Sky is just fine." She replied cheekily, shrugging gracefully with her shoulders.

Truthfully, the term wanted to make her wrinkle her nose at the boy. But the brunette was determined not to allow him to get under her skin. She had made that mistake with too many snakes already. It would only be giving him what he wanted. The teen had no clue why anyone wouldn't want to be so lonely and miserable, but that was his thing. She just wasn't about to let him suck her up into it.

Rolling her eyes, she finally ceased in her scribbling and raised laughing, violet eyes to meet his. "Not really. I already know the peasant's name, after all." Her smirk grew into a mocking grin as she leaned back in her seat, gaze never leaving his. "But between you and me, the bowing at my feet is totally unnecessary. You're welcome to perform it though, if you really want." Skyler's trademark teasing grin was splitting her face now, purple eyes bright with her amusement as she shook her head at him and waved a hand lazily at one of the empty seats.

"Or you could always do the normal thing and pull up a chair. That is always an option." Her grin widened until it stretched from ear to ear, and if anything the brunette looked to be having the time of her life picking at his sarcastic comments with ease. Oh yes. She had recognized the sarcasm just as easily as the hostility. He didn't exactly try to hide it did he? But if a reaction was what he was looking for, he would find himself sorely disappointed, because she wasn't going to allow him the satisfaction of it.

He was prepared for a biting comment to be fired back at him, to which he would eagerly respond back again with one of his own, but it seemed that that wasn't going to be the case here. Skyler just seemed to shrug off what he said with incredible ease, and replied back with an easy-going quip of her own.

Well well well, so it wasn't so easy to get under his skin. How interesting for him. Since she wasn't going to continue the argument for now, he felt that there was no reason to reply back with a quip of his own. He stared at Skyler with a rather intense gaze, his vibrant orange eyes seeming to stare into her very soul.

Of course, then she said that she already knew the peasant's name, but that was he more than welcome to bow to her and kiss her feet. "Thanks, but I'll pass Miss Pritchy Bitch. If I wanted to get laid, I might have tried that, but as it is, I don't have that type of interest in you. How about you go do something useful like all women should and make me a fecking sandwich. I'm feeling rather famished right now" he said to her in a sarcastic manner.

When she said for him to pull up a chair, he did decide to do that and sat down in a chair, adopting a more serious expression on his face, causing the bright fire in his vibrant orange eyes to turn into more of a cold stare. Say what you will about his hostile, rude manner, he knew when to be serious, and when to joke and mock others.

"You're Skyler Riddle aren't you? Teachers assigned us a Family Tree Project, and I just want to get this over with. I don't really care about this project, but I admit, I'm very curious about my family roots in the Magical World, if I have any" he said to her in a serious manner, his face etched into a genuinely curious expression at the thought of finding out what his familial roots in the Magical World were.

Skyler snorted, unable to help herself, and her purple eyes danced in amusement as she looked at her year mate, one dark brow arching on her face as she did. Being one who also enjoyed pushing people's buttons on purpose, the brunette was too in tune with her own buttons for anyone to get more than amusement as a reaction. Not to mention she found the boy rather humorous, even if he was a total jackass about it.

"Good to know you don't want sex then. I can't tell you how worried I was about pleasing you." The teen shot back with smooth sarcasm and a roll of her eyes, a cheeky grin curling her lips. She didn't bother dignifying his reference to her as a pritchy bitch with a response. He knew very little about her, if he knew anything about her at all, so it said more about him that he would say such a thing about her than his actual words said about her. As for the sandwich thing...

"Oh of course I'll make you a sandwich. Would you like a slice of hexing your bits off with that? Or perhaps some extra punch to your nose?" Her words were delivered with perfected sarcasm in an upbeat tone, and her gaze held the promise that she would indeed follow through with those actions if he made the mistake of thinking she took commands from anyone. The brunette could care less about his misguided judging on the female population. If he wanted to be an ignorant idiot that was his own problem. She had enough of her own.

Sky watched him guardedly as he decided to take a seat, his eyes, which were as strangely colored as her own, turning a bit cold as his face turned more serious. The brunette was all too used to cold looks from fellow snakes to really care much one way or the other, and her patented Riddle smirk uncoiled on her lips. "I would be, yes. The one and only Skyler Riddle." She retorted almost playfully, looking amused again and nodding to his words. "You know, I had actually managed to figure that out on my own." She added on with good humor, looking even more amused when he felt the need to remind her about the project they had been assigned.

Shrugging gracefully, the teen gestured to the book and notes in front of her. "I already started. I'm sure I already know the worst in my own tree, but that's neither here nor there. I found a spell we can use to help us. It should cut down research time significantly, meaning we don't need to spend days trying to track down blood lineage books with the rest of our year." The Slytherin explained simply. With any luck, they'd have the project done by the end of the evening and that would be the last she would really need to deal with of him.

His response to her comment about being worried about pleasing him was to let out an amused, almost mocking, laugh, actually tilting his head back to let it out, though the slightly angling of his head indicated that he could still see her, which meant that, even though he seemed laid-back, he was still cautiously keeping his eyes on her. He was guarded, and ready to attack if necessary.

"Well, glad to know we're on the same page then, little doll. I'm not interested in sex from anyone. I like to think everyone is gonna stab a dagger in my back, including you. If you were hoping to do that under the pretense of sex, I'm just telling you now that you would be sorely disappointed" he said to her with a challenging, almost smug, and self-assured, smirk.

When she made that biting comment of his little sandwich request, he only let out another burst of laughter. Really, her responses were amusing, and he actually felt really good right now, if only because he realized he found someone who could dish out just as good as they can take, much like himself really. He liked that, it meant not everyone was so thin-skinned.

"I'd much more prefer a large helping of pork with a side of cheese. It'd probably be more satisfying, so chop chop lady" he said in a manner equally as sarcastic, even going so far as to look her in the eyes and grin smugly at her, almost as if he was unconcerned with the righteous feminine fury that women, especially Muggleborn women, were known to have.

When she said that her name was, indeed, Skyler Riddle, he nodded his head in a satisfied manner, his smug, almost pompousm grin twisting itself back into a simple smirk. He brushed a strand of black hair out of his face as his smirk widened a bit when she made that joking comment about figuring out her name all by herself. Oh, she was simply awesome to be able to be so sarcastic like himself.

"Look who's a big girl now. Pretty soon, you'll figure out 2 + 2 and basic history of the U.K. If only your relatives could see you now" he said in an equally sarcastic, humorous manner. He made sure to not mention any specific part of her family, just the generic term relatives to avoid pissing her off for real, since they weren't at each other's throats.

When she said to him that she had a spell that should significantly cut down research time, he let an excited grin slither onto his face. "Sweet. I don't know much about my family, other than the fact my Father and Grandfather attended Hogwarts, but I was told they were Muggleborns. I'm curious to see my roots, because I had a Great Grandmother who showed up to a Muggle Hospital needing to give birth, and claimed she had no idea who the father was, because she couldn't remember when she had participated in such an act" he said to her in a curious, but very serious, manner.

Again, Skyler rolled her eyes, though she didn't lose her amused look or grin. For the most part, she simply ignored his sarcastic remarks. They were too amusing to take seriously, and the brunette had heard worse anyways. Which meant she easily shrugged them off, but snorted at him all the same.

"I appreciate your concern for my..what was it? Disappointment? But trust me, you are so barking up the wrong tree buddy." While she realized that his comments were sarcastic in nature, Sky wasn't exactly sure she encourage them, whether sarcastic or not. That was how rumors got started and she had enough of those about her going around without adding to it.

She did level him with a glare though, for the doll comment. "And don't ever refer to me as a doll, or anything other than my given name for that matter. And for what it's worth, I prefer to stab people in the front." The teen advised with a nod of her head, slow smirk curling her lips, purple eyes gleaming with that dark look of hers. Sky wasn't some lowly idiot coward. If she were going to go after someone, they would know it.

His laughter pulled an answering chuckle from her, and she shook her head, cocking her head at the boy. Maybe he wasn't completely horrible. Clearly, he could be a right ass. But for someone like Sky, who took things with a grain of salt, he wasn't much more than amusing and slightly refreshing. "Riiight. Let me get right on that for you then." She replied back just as sarcastically in regards to the sandwich thing, rolling her eyes but grinning at him good-naturedly.

"Yes, I'm sure they would simply be delighted. Especially now that i even wear big girl pants and all." Apparently the sarcasm was going on a roll today, and the brunette was enjoying letting loose with her tongue a bit, even if it was playfully. The Slytherin was a bit taken aback by his suddenly excited grin, having not expected it, but she preferred it to the sneer he had first given her upon his approach, so she returned it with her own wide one.

Nodding along to his words, Sky pulled her wand from it's place behind her ear, slowly, so as not to startle the obviously paranoid boy into some kind of reaction involving an all out duel between them. Not that the brunette was afraid of the boy in any way, shape, or form. It just wasn't worth it to have another fight on her hands when it wasn't necessary to. Taking out two sheets of blank parchment, she waved her wand over one, and then the other, muttering the incantation for the spell.

The parchments glowed for a second, and then appeared perfectly normal again. A proud and slightly smug smirk unfurled on her lips. That was a spell that should be well beyond her year. Skyler passed one of the sheets to him, conjuring a pair of needles next, and handing him one as well. "You need a drop of your blood for it to work. That's what the book says anyways. One drop should do it." Without waiting, she poked the needle she had into her index finger, and watched as a drop of blood fell onto the parchment in front of her.

And then it disappeared. As if the parchment has soaked it up or something. The teen frowned, not sure if that was supposed to happen or not, and hoping she hadn't fudged the spell or something. She was relieved and slightly awed when things started popping up, as if several invisible quills were writing over the parchment at once. Names she had never heard before, people she had never met. All linked to her, her name, which stood out in the very middle of the no longer blank sheet. Unable to help herself, she flashed Hunter a cheeky grin. "See what happens when you can add two and two? Pure brilliance, that's what. You should try it sometime." She told him playfully, clearly teasing him in a friendly manner.

When she told him that he was barking up the wrong tree, he simply gave her an amused grin, seeming to take it in stride. He didn't seem at all offended by her comment, if anything, he seemed infinitely amused by her comment. It seemed that, despite his paranoid nature, he could still have time to joke around with others.

"Oh, I probably am, pretty princess. However, I like to occasionally step into someone elses' territory just for the sake of rubbing it in their prick faces and watching them fume like a bunch of ill-tempered ,morons. Pissing off others beneath is a bit of a hobby, you could say" he said to her with an amused chuckle, his smirk widening just a bit.

When she said that she didn't like to be referred to as a doll, he took note of her reaction, and now realized that he had a name he could use on her if he felt like annoying her, or pissing her off to the point that she's blinded by her anger. Whichever it was used it for, he was sure that it would even provide him quite a bit of amusement.

"Oh, please do. My belly needs to be filled, to do man's work, since clearly a frail thing like yourself, and like most women, are incapable of doing it, being of the more meek gender and all" he said to her with a teasing grin, not seeming very serious about in anyway. Considering his mother came from a society that believed in feminism, there was no way he would actually grow up with such beliefs.

When he saw her reach for her wand, his laid-back, amused, almost carefree attitude vanished, almost like someone flipped a switch, and his orange eyes narrowed instantly as he seemed to zero in on her wand. His shoulders tensed up, and his fingers wrapped around his wand, seeming to be very ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

When he saw that she wasn't going to cast a spell at him, his form relaxed a bit, but his cautious paranoia was still very present in his eyes, and the muscles in his face were still tensed up. When she demonstrated the device she held in her hand, he carefully pricked his own finger and placed the drop of blood on it, waiting to see what the results were.

As he looked through the list that came up, he recognized his Grandfather, Great Grandmother, Grandmother, Father, and Grandmother, but he saw the interesting name of his Great Grandfather, and the family tree he was on. He squinted at the parchment, and watched as his Great Grandfather's line extended far back, all the way up to-

His breath hitched and his formerly cautious, paranoid expression shifted to one of complete surprise. "What...the FECK?! Salazer Fecking Slytherin? How the feck is that even possible?!" he said, cursing out in surprise as his formerly tensed mouth dropped open in shock.

Skyler merely snorted and rolled her eyes at his comments. She very much doubted Harry was beneath the other boy in any way, though she had to say it would probably be amusing to watch her boyfriend try to kill Hunter for the sort of remarks he was currently making towards her. The brunette chose not to say this aloud. They seemed to have eased to some kind of friendly terms, if one could call it that, and she didn't think it necessary to make another enemy so soon.

His reaction to her grabbing her wand was priceless though, and the teen got a good laugh at it, as she watched the paranoid boy who was no doubt gripping his own wand like his life depended on it. Skyler was sure that of the two of them, she probably had much more reason to be paranoid. Probably should be too, now that she thought about it. But that just wasn't her. Life would be far less appealing if she went around in fear of everyone.

She continued to chuckle in her amusement at his paranoid antics as her eyes scanned her own family tree. It was rather sad how few names on it she actually knew. A total of three four, to be exact. Five now, counting Mr. Dark Lord himself. Searching for the name, the teen decided to follow where that side of the tree led. Once she did, she really wished she hadn't. Rolling her eyes at the boy, since her own tree led to that as well on a branch so distant she didn't really think it counted. "I guess that makes two of us then." Of all the people to end up related to, it had to be Addington. It was official. The fates definitely had it in for her.

Addington made no visible reaction to having heard what she said. Instead, he looked more closely at the parchment, trying to see who it was that gave him the supposed blood relation to Salazar Slytherin. Scanning through his family tree, he came across the mysterious Great Grandfather that gave him his name.

"Morfin Gaunt. Who the feck are you?" he whispered to himself in a serious, but curious manner as he thumbed the name of his mysterious Great Grandfather. Judging by the name, and his lineage, he was very much magical in some manner. How was it possible that a magical man was his Great Grandfather?

Unless, he thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes in anger. "There can be no other explanation for this. My Great Grandfather must have Obliviated my Great Grandmother of their interaction, but why? Unless, their union had not been willing" he hissed to himself out loud, mentioning the mysterious Great Grandfather. He was in a complete state of shock, having no idea that he was now considered an Heir of Slytherin.

Skyler was all but ignored by the boy, not that she minded it so much. Her own eyes continued scanning her own family tree, repaying the favor of ignoring him in favor of learning her ancestry and whatnot. The brunette found herself drawn to the only names she really recognized. Those of her parents, and her grandmother.

Unbeknown to her, a sadness entered her jewel like eyes as she stared down at their names, stroking over them softly with a finger. Had it really only been a few short months since she had last seen them? Unbidden, the last moments she ever shared with them came floating to the forefront of her mind.

The teen could remember it like it was yesterday. The entire thing filled her with a sorrow she had been putting off since she had been told of their murders. They may have not been the greatest parents in the world, but Sky had never doubted that they had loved her. And regardless of everything, the brunette had loved them as well. Even her grandmother. The old witch had been the best challenge her life had had to offer at the time.

Anger boiled up inside of her along with the sadness and the feeling of loss. The Slytherin folded up the parchment and tucked it into her pocket, pushing away her emotions for a later time. She glanced at Hunter curiously as he spoke to himself while she began packing up her things. Now that their project was virtually complete, she had other things to attend to. "I gotta jet. But once you've gotten over the shock of everything, maybe we should try hanging out for..fun..or something." Sky looked unsure about that. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if the boy knew what fun was, but they were cousins, so she supposed that counted for something. No matter how distantly related.

With a final rather forced grin, the brunette strutted from the common room to head outside. She needed some fresh air, and some time to alone. Or maybe she would find Harry, because she could certainly use her Gryffindor at the moment, and he probably should be filled in on this new hidden detail anyways.