Curled up by the fire in the Girls Dormitory of the Slytherin Dungeons, was the infamous Lyra Black. Oh, she was most well-known in her house, for a variety of different reasons. Her appearance was enough to get people talking, after all. She was a figure of controversy in Hogwarts, and those reasons were very simple.

Her appearance was the main thing. When she originally came into Hogwarts, people had been caught off-guard by her very similar appearance to Bellatrix Lestrange. She looked like a younger version of the infamous and feared Death Eater, and it had put many people on edge. However, due to the name she originally registered under, no one thought anything of it.

Then, the day came when she turned 17 last year, when she had officially started using the last name of Black, which had outright confirmed to others that she was, in fact, Bellatrix's daughter, but the fact that she used her Mother's Maiden name and not Rodolphus' last name indicted to all that she was most definitely not his child.

She was well-known as a quiet, cold, and unapproachable person, often not being seen in groups of people, never socializing with people and never participating in the jibes, taunting, and insult throwing the rest of the Slytherins did. She simply stayed away from everyone, self-imposing isolation upon her, and then doing her own thing, which was studying and practicing her spell work.

Even the Slytherin girls and boys in her year didn't know that much about her, due to her often vacating the place when too many came towards her. Most people had gotten frustrated with her lack of participation and just left her to her own devices, not even daring to try anything against her due to who her mother was.

Lyra Black, the teenage lookalike of Bellatrix, brushed a single strange of long curly black hair out of her coal black eyes as she silently skimmed the pages of her book with not but a simple burning torch that did nothing to warm up the cold room.
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Word Count: 341

At this point in her life, Skyler had a lot of things she was juggling. There were a lot of new..developments in her life since coming to Hogwarts, and though the teen had already been through hell, it seemed hell was a never ending story. Regardless, the brunette was still determined to get through it all, and to bring with her as many of the people she cared about with her.

That was what led her to the girl's dorms at present time. It couldn't be said quite truthfully that Sky cared for Laurette LeBeau. On more than one occasion it was all the Slytherin fifth year could do to not try and kill the older snake, and who she was sure felt much the same towards her. But it was out of that mutual dislike for one another that grew a sort of respect between them, allowing them to coexist in the same house rather easily. That and the fact that Sky had somehow managed to make an ally of some sort of LeBeau by accidentally finding her snogging the Hufflepuff Head Boy.

Since that fateful day when she had come across the would-be sneaky lovers, the teen had only really seen the two in passing, and at prefect meetings and such. With all parties no doubt busy with their own schedules and workloads, and adding on Quidditch training as well left the teen with little time to seek out those she actually needed to. But with the Halloween Ball looming ever nearer, the brunette did need to inform LeBeau of what she could expect as far as special guests. While she had no reason to believe the older snake's brother would be crashing the party, it wasn't an option she could completely rule out, and either way, she thought it best to atleast keep the two Heads in the know anyways. It wasn't like they would tell, but that was also why she chose to approach LeBeau rather than Tobias. In this specific instance, Sky trusted the snake more than the badger.

So after a rather long and grueling practice out on the pitch, instead of heading straight to her dorm for a nice hot shower, Skyler instead past it and continued on to the seventh year girl's dorm to seek out the Head Girl. She was still dressed in full Quidditch garb, her top of the line and incredibly expensive broom still in hand as she pushed open the door, not really sure what to expect to find, but hoping the rumors weren't true and that she would at the very least find LeBeau.

Of course, luck was never really her best friend these days, and she didn't find LeBeau, and instead found Black. Or that was to say, one of the Blacks. Because there were several of them around the castle. One didn't even have the last name, but was a Black nonetheless as she had discovered from Harry. The other, the redhead, who was also a Slytherin who shared the quarters Sky was now in, hadn't exactly made a good impression on the younger girl. And this one, well, if the rumors were true, she was daughter to one of her uncle's followers, and one that she had learned was feared far beyond the rest. It also meant that the older girl was related to one Silas Lestrange, who Sky had nothing good to say about.

But it was none of these things that had her approaching the older witch, but instead, it was something Draco had mentioned to her at one point, regarding his suspicions on the connection between the Black she was now in the room with and his Godfather. The brunette knew the blonde had yet to confront their Professor about it, so she figured maybe she could shed some light on the subject. She also figured it would be a good time to let the older girl know just who was at the top of pyramid in Slytherin House, because she may have a death eater for a mother, and good one at that, but Sky had a Dark Lord for an uncle, and even if she wasn't happy with that and it's effects so far on her life, the teen was now prepared to use it to her advantage. Especially when the Slytherins were involved.

Skyler approached the fire, and the girl, with all her usual confidence, her long, wavy dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail as it so often was when she was flying, and wisps of stray hair fell around her head, no doubt from how hard she had been flying. The purple eyes were bright, no doubt from the exertion, and danced I the firelight even as they were guarded as she greeted the older girl. "Black. I came here looking for LeBeau, but seeing as she's clearly not here..I thought I might intrude on your time for a bit. I'm sure you don't mind."

With a cheeky grin, the teen easily made herself comfortable, giving the impression that she wasn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. "So it seems you and I made quite the splash as far as secret relations go this year." The brunette commented almost absently, though a knowing smirk tilted her lips. "But I'm willing to bet there's more to your secret than mine."

Lyra, being very attentive, had picked up the sounds of the door to her room opening, and much like a hawk or falcon scanning the terrain around it for prey, her cold, coal black eyes turned towards the door, and watched as the infamous 5th Year Slytherin, the Riddle girl that also was blood-related to the Dark Lord, walk in through the now open door.

Narrowing her coal black eyes into a suspicious glare, coming off like a coiled, ill-tempered viper ready to strike, she gracefully, and silently rose from her chair, causing the long curly mane of black hair to move off of the chair it was draped over and press up against her back and knees with a healthy, silky shine. Although it could not be easily seen, the Black girl was palming the hilt of her Willow Wand, ready to start unleashing delicious pain upon this girl that had dared to interrupt her silence.

She offered the younger Slytherin no greeting, instead maneuvering herself very subtly close up against one of the walls of the dorm to remove the possibility of Skyler trying to get behind her and launch an attack at her from the back. She held a neutral opinion towards the girl, and wasn't going to speak out on any prejudices she have had anyway. She was not one to speak openly about her prejudices to those she didn't know, especially during school-time.

Just the very act of rising from her seat and standing in the way she was indicated a lot of poise, class, and elegance, looking the very epitome of a proper Pureblood woman. The only difference, however, was that Lyra's cold glare gave off the impression that she was like a Gaboon Viper, vicious, temperamental, and dangerous. Skyler may be the niece of Voldemort, but Lyra was a true Black woman, and she would not bow to anyone or be subservient or submissive to anyone.

The only greeting that Lyra offered the Riddle girl was a slight wrinkling of her nose, and an upward turn of her lips to indicate she wasn't appreciative of the younger girl's company, but otherwise did not say anything negative to her.

Skyler had spoken of her desire to see LeBeau, and Lyra was quick to respond with a quick nod of her head, understanding the girl's desire to see if her friend was here. Such a trivial reason for her to intrude on Lyra's private time for, in the Black girl's opinion, but she wasn't going to cause a fight. Instead, she spoke in an amicable tone of voice, knowing that, as a Half-Blood with no betrothed, she was not in as high of a standing as the Riddle girl in front of her was.

"Ah, the Riddle girl, yes, I am familiar with you. If you wish to take away some of my private time and converse with me, I'm not going to try and stop you. I only ask that you try to not start a fight with me, as I try to enjoy private time when I can get a chance. I have not seen LeBeau today, so I'm unaware of where she could be Lyra said in a civil tone of voice, one that held a tone of caution, the Halfblood girl not even daring to try and challenge her. That would not be wise with someone of her standing.

"Yes, I hear the whispers of people behind my back, the gossipers and all the talking. I'm not concerned about it, as I have more important things to focus on here at school. I need to complete my studies and get more powerful, not to mention find a betrothed. I am far too busy to worry about what is said about me behind my back, or any secrets I happen to have" she said in a cold, but not unfriendly tone of voice, very formal and polite like always, making sure to be very cautious and avoid being insulting to Skyler. The Riddle girl was marrying into her cousin's line, after all, and as such, that put her at a different level.
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Word Count: 683

[OOC: The engagement between Draco and Skyler is currently a secret at the time of this thread, so Lyra wouldn't know about it. In fact, at this point and time, Sky is still publicly dating Harry, and secretly with Draco. ]


Being met with hostility and dislike was not uncommon for Skyler these days, though it was fast growing tiresome to deal with. Like now, when she was on the receiving end of the cold glare the older witch threw at her, or the subtly obvious way she moved in such a way so as to protect her back, as if Sky would attack her in such a fashion. The idea made her roll her eyes.

The brunette was not one to knife people in the back, so to speak. If she were going to attack, she made sure her enemy saw who it was that delivered the damage. Of course, it was her talent for striking at exactly the right time and when her opponent had no way to expect it, much less stop it, that made her the true snake that she was. Yes, much like the panther that secretly lurked within the small teen, her prey never saw it coming until it was much too late.

"Paranoid much?" Sky questioned rhetorically, her tone sending across the message that the older girl was being completely ridiculous in her eyes. It wasn't like the brunette had a reputation for attacking people out of nowhere, or for no particular reason. And in this case, with this girl, she had no reason for attacking. Whether it would stay that way, however, remained to be seen.

The Slytherin youth was not out to make more enemies, as that particular list was already long enough if one asked her, and some far beyond the level of a schoolgirl, even if said girl was a couple years older than she herself was. No. The teen had enough enemies to deal with without adding on extras, and more important things to worry about than some hyped up, typical pureblood princess. Sky had to commend Black though, on considering herself so important as to rank high enough in her mind to be worthy as even an enemy. Friends was hardly an option as far as Slytherins went. If one thought they would find one of those in the Snake Pit, they would get eaten alive.

However, acquaintances with mutual respect for one another, that seemed feasible in the House of Snakes. And with her mind set on taking the throne right from under Parkinson and ruling the Snake Pit, Skyler could use those sorts of ties. The brunette still had no idea how the Slytherins had allowed Parkinson of all people to be one off he ruling factors in the house, especially with females like LeBeau and Faulkner around. She may not particularly like either girl, but at least they had brains. Sadly, Parkinson did too. They were just...addled.

Arching one dark brow, Sky waved her hand in a lazy, dismissive manner at the older witch's words, rolling her eyes again. "I very much doubt you are familiar with me. My name and face? Sure. But me? Definitely not. As for fighting you..well, truth be told, if I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have wasted my time sitting. Besides, I see no reason to start a fight with you. Unless of course you're one of Parkinson's crew, at which point we would have a problem."

Her tone was casual, friendly, and a grin curled her lips even as her eyes took in the older girl with unmasked curiosity. As a halfblood, it was typical for Skyler to be treated with disdain, insults, and cruelty by many of the other snakes who no doubt saw her as beneath them. She really had no time for all that nonsense, though if it struck her fancy she could always employ the teachings of her own late pureblood mother and walk and talk with the same haughty manners and arrogance as the rest of them. Lucky for her though, the small brunette had enough confidence and self assurance without all that to afford her a commanding presence that no one could ignore.

So it had her curious of course when she was addressed with none of those things from the other girl. There was still that coldness that seemed to run within Pureblood circles, but there was politeness, and an almost friendly tone. It was quite disconcerting really, and set off warning bells in her head. But for the time being, Sky was content to not jump to conclusions, no matter how many were currently forming in her swift mind, and see how this panned out. She reserved the right to pass judgement for the time being.

"But somehow, I don't see you as on the same level of idiocy and lunacy as Parkinson." She added on in that same casual tone, stretching her legs out before her and crossing them at the ankles. "Well it's good to know I'm not alone in the whole 'being followed by whispered and stares' thing." The brunette commented, amusement coloring her tone as a playful light lit her eyes. "Those sound like good ambitions. I can't believe my main goal is to stay alive, when I could instead choose a husband. I must have my priorities all messed up."

Skyler's sarcasm was obvious, but carried no real venom as she teased the older witch playfully. This was generally her way of interacting with others, and the charming manner of her entire disposition was usually disarming to most people, which pretty much accounted for why people of the other three houses tended to find her a contradiction as a Slytherin, and why most Slytherins found her beneath them, or some such nonsense.

"At least you have secrets? I usually find stuff out about myself from other people these days, so it seems secrets are not for me. Rumors though. Plenty of those under my belt. But I guess you do too, all things considered." Skyler commented with a nod of her dark haired head, looking and sounding for all the world as if she were merely making conversation. One would never guess she had an ulterior motive, and that she was setting up her bait.

"You wouldn't believe some of the things people say though. Would you believe that some people thought your mother was mine too at some point, and that my father was well..you know. And some people even think that Snape is-ah well. You don't want to hear about the gossips anyways. So what were you reading?" There it was. The bait. It was a bluff of course, as there was no real rumors regarding either of the things she stated, which worked well in her favor either way this ended.

Either the older girl would take the bait and bite, and ask her what she was talking about in regards to Snape, which would hopefully open the floor to the subject Sky was there to get information about, or she would call her out on her lies. Which was fine with the teen, as she could just as easily call the older witch out on her own lie about not worrying or paying attention to gossip and the like. Because if she lied about something so little as that, then she wasn't the type of acquaintance Sky really wanted.

The Riddle girl commented on Lyra being paranoid by putting her back to a wall, and the Half-Blood Black girl was quick to reply to her, ready to inform her that that was not the case at all in regards to why she was acting this way. It had nothing to do with paranoia, it was just that in Slytherin, there were elements that usually weren't trustful, and one should never allow them to get behind you. That was just a plain stupid mistake to make, to keep your back open for a potential back stabbing. Lyra, growing up with Black Family Teachings, was lectured by Cassiopeia in regards to how to be cautious around those she didn't know.

"This is Slytherin House, so it's natural to act like someone is out to get you. I don't pay attention to what is said about anybody in this castle, so pardon me if I don't know you very well as to whether or not you'll stab me in the back. It is just what a Slytherin would do, and until I know for sure you're not going to attempt to attack me, I'm just showing due caution. After all, it's not paranoia if you know someone might be out to get you" she said to the Riddle girl with a polite tone of voice.

The Riddle girl went on about how she doubted that Lyra knew about her, knew OF her perhaps, but not about her. She then went on about how if she had come here with the intention of starting a fight, she wouldn't have bothered sitting, which Lyra supposed was true. If she had any intention of starting a fight, she would haven't bothered sitting. Sitting down just hampered your movements when trying to start a duel or fight of some kind. So, she was more relaxed, but it was not noticeable by any means. Despite not being an Occlumens, she had years of practice in self-control from her Great Aunt Cassiopeia.

When Skyler had brought up the idea that she was a member of Parkinson's crew, Lyra's response was to shake her head slightly, causing her long mane of curly black hair to swish around a slight bit like a cape. The idea of her being involved in any grouping or such within Slytherin House, or within all of Hogwarts that didn't involve improving her power, knowledge, and skills, was completely laughable to the Half-Blood Black girl. Getting involved with Parkinson's Group, or anyone's group, was something she had no desire to. While her status as a Half-Blood was not known to anyone beyond those who would never speak of it without her permission, the chances of people finding out about that before she was ready was something she would rather avoid.

Skyler went on to talk about how she doubted that Lyra was one of Parkinson's sycophantic followers, and the Black girl was relieved that the Riddle girl didn't believe her to be one of that girl's followers. Even though Lyra was older than Parkinson, the 5th Year Girl was a Pureblood, and in terms of social hierarchy, Parkinson was her superior, as much as it disgusted her. While her status as Half-Blood was unknown, she felt it best if she stick to being neutral and respectful to unsavory elements so as to avoid conflicts. She was guaranteed to stay alive far longer if she followed that manner of thinking and the teachings her Great Aunt Cassiopeia had imparted onto her.

"I'm not a member of Parkinson's group. I'm not a part of any group, really. My intention is to avoid getting into trouble, so I tend to stay away from groups of people like Parkinson and just keep to myself, focusing on my studies and spell casting. I have no desire to get in trouble with anyone, so if you're worried about the possibility of me being a member of any group that is troublesome to you, than your worries are unfounded" Lyra said to Skyler with a neutral, but cold and polite, tone of voice, being very quiet about what she says as she's not typically the type of person for conversation.

The Riddle girl's sarcasm was noted quite clearly in her response to Lyra's ambitions. True, while staying alive was a better goal, considering who her Uncle was and what she was caught up in, Lyra's goals weren't anything special, but the Black girl was determined to earn respect and status and such so that respect and acceptance amongst the Purebloods could be granted onto her. Lyra didn't outright react to Skyler's sarcastic comment beyond the slight upturning of her lips to indicate she was amused, and her coal black eyes had warmed up a bit to show that she had found her sarcastic comment funny.

Skyler went on about how that, at the very least, Lyra had secrets, in comparison to the Half-Blood Riddle girl, who found out things about her and her relatives and such through other people. She did know of rumors surrounding herself, and then clarified that Lyra had rumors of her own surrounding her. That was most certainly true, as she had heard her name whispered many times before, but she never bothered paying attention to what was said about her. It was none of her concern, and what was whispered might just annoy her and cause her to do something foolish should she lose control of herself, and that was something she'd rather avoid.

Skyler talked about some of the rumors people said about her, like how people thought Lyra's mother was actually Skyler's Mother, and then some interesting gossip or rumor about Professor Snape and the Riddle girl. If Lyra were not a Slytherin, she would not have read between the lines and discovered the hidden implications beneath her explanation. The Riddle girl was trying to get Lyra to show interest in this gossip and rumors she had knowledge of in an attempt to try and get Lyra to prove herself a liar. Well, Lyra, being raised in the ways of the Black and all, was easily capable of reading between the lines, and did not take the bait.

However, she also did not call Skyler out on her little attempt at subterfuge, because Skyler had never outright said anything that would indicate she had been anything less than honest and forth-coming with her rumors, and since Skyler, despite being a Half-Blood, was higher on the social ladder due to who her Uncle was and her associations in Hogwarts, along with her Prefect position. Lyra was not Pansy Parksinon, and would not rise to challenge anyone that could potentially hurt her in some manner, even if it wasn't physical. After all, there was more than one way to hurt someone without doing so physically or through some kind of magic.

"Your heaping of gossip upon my person is unneeded Riddle. I have no interest in gossip or rumors of any kind. Parkinson might be interested in that kind of thing, but I have more important things to focus on than gossip and rumors" Lyra said to Skyler in a stiff tone of voice to show she did not appreciate the gossip Skyler gave her. She had not shown any interest in the gossip the Riddle girl had given her, instead telling her politely that she didn't want to hear any gossip.
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Word Count: 1,225

Skyler arched one dark brow at the older witch, looking somewhere between amused and disbelieving, if not a bit suspicious. The teen may have been new to the school, and how things worked, especially in Slytherin, but she had picked up enough tricks in her short time there. One of which was that you never ignored information. Even idle gossip. Maybe even especially idle gossip, as it was generally a rule of gossip that the rumors came from somewhere. One just had to trace them back far enough to find the truth and their origins.

Slytherins were especially skilled in this trait, as well as using the information they gleamed to their advantages. So the brunette had quickly and easily found that in the Snake Pit, where everyone had their own hidden agendas and ambitions and were willing to do just about anything to accomplish them, knowledge was indeed power. Knowledge of enemies, knowledge of allies. Potential threats. And ever little bit of information that could be separated as fact, truth from fiction, made one stronger. More capable to handle those who stand in one's way. More capable to outmaneuver their opponent.

So for a Slytherin, especially one who was rumored to have been birthed from a Death Eater who was considered the next deadliest person aside from Sky's uncle, to say they didn't pay a lick of attention to such things...well, it had two distinct thoughts going through her her mind. Either the older witch was truly an idiot, and the apple had fallen particularly far from the tree in this case, or the girl was lying for some reason. But the latter had already been apparent, considering the other Slytherin had already confessed to knowing about Skyler, and that could not have been considered true if she didn't pay any attention to rumors and gossip.

But the teen decided against pointing this out, and instead waved away the other's concern about attacks with a lazy motion of her small hand. "I suppose that much is true, but I can't understand why anyone here would be out to get you. Not to say there isn't, considering the idiocy I have seen on display since coming here, but as I already stated, I have no plans to do anything of the sort. You certainly have no reason to fear an attack from me. You don't make allies that way."

The brunette brought her gaze to the fire, it's flames reflected in the violet eyes, dancing there as she considered the other girl's words. Truthfully, Skyler hadn't been one bit concerned about that, considering she had faced Parkinson and her group of goons enough that year to tell who was apart of it and who wasn't. She supposed though, that the older girl could be apart of some other, more subtle type of group, but she seemed much too anti-social for such things. Perhaps she was a true lone snake. Only time would tell, and until then, Sky could only wait and observe.

"Trust me, I have run into Parkinson and her gang enough times over these past weeks to know you don't run with that circle, so I'm hardly worried about that. As for the gossip, well, like I said, you don't want to hear about how the castle is talking about Snape being your father, which is why I asked what you were reading. So what is it? I assume something more advanced than what lessons here have to offer, considering your goal to further your spell casting and whatnot."

Skyler's gaze turned back to other witch, though her look and tone was essentially one of near boredom, with only a mild hint of interest in regards to the book she questioned the other about. The teen had noted the stiff tone of her present company in regards to the gossip, picking up on it easily enough, and honing in on it. There was something there, something to be discovered. She could feel it, sense it, and now she just had to prove it.

There was no significant thing to identify that Lyra had become more relaxed, but the guarded expression in her cold, black eyes vanished, which was a subtle sign that only a Slytherin or someone that knew Lyra would be able to pick up. It was, indeed, very comforting to know that this girl had no desire to attack her, even going so far as to say that such a thing did not win allies. The fact that the Riddle girl mentioned winning allies at all was an indication for the teenage Bellatrix look-alike to immediately come to the idea that Skyler had interest in making her an ally.

Lyra was very cautious about that kind of thing, as she did not wish to make enemies with anyone. If she did support any side in this little gang war in the Slytherin House that was going on right now, it would be in secret, and in ways that wouldn't be linked back to her. She was the type of person that couldn't afford to make any enemies, considering her secret Blood Status. While there was the suspicion by few that thought her a Half-Blood, most people just thought she was hidden because she was not a blood child of Rodolphus Lestrange.

Skyler had outright said to her that she did not believe Lyra ran within Parkinson's circle, and she was very right about that. Any group that supported Pureblood Supremacy and viewed Halfbloods as inferior was a group she avoided at all costs, though without making it obvious that that was why she was avoiding it. To play off of her desires to stay away from Pureblood Supremacists, she had avoided saying anything about blood purity like the doctrine she had been raised by, and had stuck to avoiding all groups in school to make herself come off as anti-social and more focused on her studies.

If Lyra were anyone else but herself, she might have given some form of tell or such to indicate she was caught off-guard or nervous about the supposed gossip of Professor Snape being her father. While not ashamed of being a Half-Blood, she was not willing to admit that to anyone, wanting to keep that as much of a secret as possible from anyone and everyone, in the event it ruined the reputation she had. She would not ruin the Black Family reputation, or her mother's, by admitting to such a thing, never in her life. Not even torture by the Cruciatus could get her to talk.

However, she also wasn't going to verbally acknowledge this little piece of gossip in the event what she might say would cause her to come under Skyler's suspicion. Then again, the Riddle girl was a true Slytherin, and she would suspect something no matter what. However, if she stuck to her story of not listening to gossip, she should be able to get out of this perfectly alright. All she had to do was not react to the topic mentioning Professor Snape at all, and she should be good. Instead, she was quite content on focusing on the question involving the book she was reading.

She had no problems answering that. "It's a Black Family tome involving magic spells naturally attuned to our alignments. I'm hoping that you won't have this book confiscated, as it's one of the few things I have right now that remind me of my Great Aunt Cassiopeia" she said to Skyler with a hint of steel in her voice as her eyes hardened a bit. She easily shrugged off the gossip to prove that she had no interest in it, and had instead cut right to the chase of the matter involving the book. That fact that she was reacting so strongly, well strongly for someone as composed and calm as she was, indicated that it wouldn't be a good idea for Skyler to try and take the book from her.
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Word Count: 653

Ah, so she was right. There was something there regarding their Head of House and the long, lost Black. Skyler could tell just from the way the older girl completely and pointedly ignored the entire topic. That might have been enough for some people, but for the teen, it was her instincts that really had her coming to the conclusion that there was more to it. Her intuition told her there was, and it rarely led her astray.

A knowing smirk curled her lips, but otherwise she gave no indication about her thoughts on the subject. Let the girl keep her secret for the time being. Sky could think of other ways to verify the knowledge if she really wanted, and if the older Slytherin wasn't going to verify it for her. It wasn't like she had expected a full confession, or even much more than what the older witch gave. She would have been stupid to expect anything of the sort.

Skyler knew what was at stake for the other should information as precarious as her father being Snape get out, so it wasn't hard to understand why she would keep such a secret so closely guarded. Of course, the older girl had no reason to fear Sky spilling the proverbial beans to anyone, save Draco, who was the only reason why she inquired about it in the first place. After all, the man was his godfather, and was the only real father figure the blonde had ever had. He had a right to know the truth.

Of course, by this time, it was clear that it was her own rank and status Black was protecting, as she had to know by now that her coming out as a Black and Bellatrix's daughter shot her mother's reputation to hell in the pureblood world. Sky had to wonder if the older girl had even considered the repercussions of her actions, or if it were done purposefully, as an act of anger and defiance. The entire situation had the teen curious, but on the outside she didn't give any indication of it. Instead, she arched on dark brow in mild interest in regards to the book the girl had, followed by a roll of her violet eyes.

"I have no reason to confiscate it. But just so you know, if I really wanted to, I would, and no amount of hard tones and looks from you would stop me." She replied with amusement coloring her tone, clearly amused by the other girl's antics, though there was a warning undertone to her words and a hardened look to her eyes. Skyler wanted to make it perfectly clear that she was the one running things, and that it was in the older witch's best interests to remember and respect that fact. If she didn't, well, there were always repercussions, and the brunette was always happy to oblige someone stupid enough to underestimate and test her.

"So. Spells naturally attuned to our alignments. Sounds interesting. Why don't you tell me more about it. I do enjoy learning new things." Skyler offered the older girl a half grin as she relaxed further into her seat, though her question was hardly a question, and more a demand. It was quite clear that the girl was expected to provide the further information on the subject as the teen had requested, though why the fifth year wanted to know could only be guessed at. One thing was for sure though, it could be bet on that she wanted to know for a reason. Skyler hardly had time to waste on things of inconsequential matter.

The Half-Blood Bastard of Bellatrix could tell that Skyler seemed to take her obvious and deliberate avoiding of the mention of Snape as a sign of acceptance of the fact that the Head of Slytherin House was, in fact, her father. The teenage look-alike of Bellatrix Lestrange's eyes narrowed at Skyler as a very Slytherin sign of showing that she had caught Skyler's victorious expression. The very sight of that had actually irritated Lyra, at least mentally, but she had not let her irritation show to Skyler. That would only give away the fact that she was being effected by the Riddle Girl's probing.

Lyra was less guarded now that Riddle had said that she was not going to confiscate her book, but what had immediately set her on edge again was that she said that if she wanted to, she could confiscate it, and that there was nothing that Lyra would be able to do about it. That had certainly caused a visible reaction from Lyra, and what a reaction it was. If there was anything she hated above all else, it was the idea that someone would consider her abilities and power easily beaten.

In a move that was truly like her mother, her face had settled itself into a manic, hateful snarl, her eyes and facial features alight with homicidal, one would say downright psychopathic, rage, her eyes glinting with such hatred and anger that it was almost like a switch was being flipped. Even her teeth were being grit together as her expression morphed into one of an enraged, dangerous beast, but she had not moved or reached for her wand. Instead, she forcefully, and obviously, calmed herself down before she acted on her, what could be considered terrifying, rage, and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. However, the fact that she had not once stood up, moved, or even reached for her wand, would and should alleviate any of Skyler's desires to attack her fellow Half-Blood.

She cleared her throat and bowed her head a bit in apology, making sure to not bow low enough to be considered subservient. "I apologize for that temporary lapse in control of my anger Riddle. It has the tendency to get away from my tight grasp, no matter how tightly I keep it locked in. I just dislike it when someone dismisses me as weak and claims that I am powerless. For the sake of bettering our relationship, I would hope that you would avoid making such statements in the future" she said with an embarrassed grimace.

Deciding to quickly move on from that subject, she focused on the thing Skyler asked, well, more like demanded, of her. Lyra had ignored the demand, instead treating it as a question, and calmly nodded her head. Riddle had to be smart enough to know that Lyra was referring to the Dark Arts, and the fact that she did not try to stun her and de-wand her yet spoke of the idea that perhaps she was interested in the Dark Arts herself.

"I suppose that's fair. I'll start with the basics, in the event you don't have any information on it. The darker aligned magics, much like the magic we learn here at Hogwarts, is all about intent as well. Only difference, is that to use Dark Magic, you have to have the intention of hurting or possibly killing someone. You have to physically desire for the spell you cast to do what it should on your target. I found it difficult at first because the idea of hurting someone at first made me nauseous, but then I found a focus. I imagined whatever target I had in sights was someone I would really like to hurt, someone I would actually like to hurt or kill, and then I started suceeding" she explained to Skyler with a calm nod of her head, keeping exactly who it was she imagined as her target to start succeeding at her Dark Magic casting a secret.
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Word Count: 668

Skyler watched the older girl with a guarded expression, but beneath that expression, there was calculating intrigue and curiousness that couldn't be seen. It was different, almost odd, for the teen to be playing so guardedly, but her campaign to rule the snake pit and to gain the so-called throne subtly had commenced, and the brunette knew that the only way to both survive and win was to outplay those who sought to see her fail. In order to do that, she had to tap into those natural born talents of hers that had gotten her placed in the snake pit to begin with.

It surprisingly hadn't been that difficult, once she had set some loose rules to how to deal with other Slytherins. Rule one: trust no one, and take nothing at face value. Rule two: listen and look for hidden meanings. Rule three: subtlety was the direct approach. Rule four: never give anything away that you didn't want them to know. And rule five: observation is key. They weren't really rules, but more like guidelines on how to interact with snakes and figure them out. Whichever they were, they worked for Skyler, especially in this case, where she was putting them to the test.

If there was one thing the Slytherin witch knew that all Slytherins pretty much had in common, it was pride. And because of that, they all hated when anyone, even each other, assumed or otherwise that they were better at anything, in any way, than them. Sky knew this, because she was no exception. The difference between herself and most of her house was that she was a halfblood, and purebloods, when their pride was attacked in any way, tended to show their cards more than they should. As was the case with the older witch now.

The moment Skyler had verbally mentioned that somehow the girl was inferior to her, the mask came off and the gloves came on, so to speak. It was exactly what she had been planning on. The teen was well known for pushing people's buttons, yes, but most people considered her to do it out of playfulness. That was the case in some situations. But the real reason was that they gave you reaction, and reactions gave you insight. Insight gave you information, weaknesses, strengths. It helped you discover things that people, especially Slytherins, would normally keep hidden.

Which was why the brunette had hit the 'pride' button. It was the sorest spot for a pureblood, and it was the surest way of getting them annoyed, angry, or any other number of things. Angry was what she aimed for, because in anger, people made mistakes. Revealed more than they wanted to or should. They slipped up. Of course, in some cases this could come with some lash back, but it was worth the trade off more often than it wasn't. Case and point would be he current situation. The older witch could have hexed or cursed her in her quick rage. She really couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to do so, after all, they were quite alone, and Sky was the one at a slight disadvantage out of the pair, given she was younger, and wasn't currently studying the dark arts. While she wouldn't admit defeat, it would be an especially hard won battle if it had come to that.

Fortunately for both of them, it didn't come to that, and the brunette was even more impressed by the controlling of the rage as she was with it's quick appearance. Skyler knew enough to know things like anger and rage could play a crucial part in how well a spell or curse worked, and how strong it was. She knew, because she had learned to funnel and channel her own emotions into making her magic as strong as possible. It was something they taught back home. Considering the older girl could go from zero to raging dragon in a second meant she could be a dangerous opponent if she could do the same.

But what was most impressive, and intriguing, was that Black was so quick to control it, rather than lashing out at Skyler with it, showing her why statements like hers shouldn't be made. It was clearer in that moment than any other that the fifth year would find no enemy with Lyra Black. At least, not yet. Only time could tell if that would remain the circumstance. It also told her that the girl was far from weak and powerless. The teen merely nodded in acceptance of the apology the other girl gave, shrugging her shoulders gracefully.

"Hardly anything to apologize for. I, too, dislike when I am dismissed as weak and powerless. Both of which I would like to point out I never claimed you to be. I was merely referring to the fact that, given who your mother is, and who my uncle is, I would be the last person you would want to cross. Especially to the point of attacking me over a book." Skyler replied with an air of someone who had assumed this much was obvious, but there was a dark undertone that served as reminder that whoever the other girl was, and no matter what her blood status might be, her mother answered to Sky's uncle. Which put Sky ahead of the older girl in terms of political rank.

Before, the teen hadn't considered using the connection to her uncle, but she had given it much thought, and had come to the conclusion that it was the best way to gain the position she needed in Slytherin house. After much research, and a bit of help, the teen had discovered that most, if not all, of the members of her house had parents or family members that were either associated with or rumored to be associated with her uncle. It took only a bit of digging and some well placed questions to discover which were just rumors, and which weren't. In the end, it was easy to deduce that it was the quickest way to gain the footing she needed. However, it was hardly how she would sustain it.

Arching a brow as she listened to the girl speak of the Dark Arts, Sky made sure to keep anything but mild interest from showing, but on the inside she got a sick feeling as she felt her stomach drop. One reason she had questioned the older girl on it? To get insight as to what she could expect once her training with her uncle began. It wasn't anything she had been looking forward to really, and this made it even less appealing. Generally speaking, the teen rather preferred not to hurt people if she could help it. Though, there were certain people she wouldn't mind making suffer in some cruel and torturous way.

"Hm. Interesting. To say the least. I suppose imagining someone I would actually enjoy hurting shouldn't be too difficult, however. But what does any of that have to do with spells attuned to our natural alignments?" The Slytherin allowed her curiosity to show, not at all worried about showing such interest in this subject. She would be learning it either way. She might as well make an effort to impress her uncle with some kind of knowledge on it.

Lyra calmly looked at Skyler with those coal black eyes of her narrowed a bit when she said that was nothing to apologize for, taking personal offense herself whenever she was regarded as weak. It was nice that she wasn't the only one who hated to be looked down on and regarded as non-threatening. Anyone that would be so abysmally foolish enough to disregard her or look down on her would quickly suffer her wrath, and there was nothing that no one would be able to do to stop her from exacting her righteous vengeance upon them. No one got on her bad side and came out of it unscathed.

Skyler went on to say that calling her weak or anything like that was what she said, it was meant as a reminder that no matter who she was, in the end, her own mother answered to the Riddle girl's Uncle, and because of that, she had better watch her step around her. To be honest, Lyra had always been wary of the girl due to her relation, and the fact that she was a Half-Blood, like herself, and that she had all this respect amongst the Pureblood Population had stirred her own ambitions on to earn such a thing.

She gave no acknowledgement of Skyler's comment on how it didn't matter what her blood status was, but her familial ties would ensure to Lyra that it would be unwise to oppose Skyler. After all, it was not like Riddle was openly insinuating that Lyra was not a Pureblood, though her suspicions about her very true, but not known, connection with Professor Snape let her know that she did suspect that she was not a Pureblood, so she had not reacted defensively to that. That would just give her more ground to stand on as far that went, all things considered.

"Duly noted, and I would like to tell you the same thing. Your Uncle may be my mother's superior, and that it would be unwise to cross you because of that, but do keep this in mind. I have no intention of making an enemy out of you, so provided that you don't cross me, I will have no reason to do so with you. You may hold more power, this is true, but I can be a very dangerous person to cross" she said to Skyler, phrasing all that she said to indicate that she wasn't delivering a threat of some kind.

Her tone was polite, as was her posture, and her facial expression was perfectly neutral. The way she said that would indicate to the intelligent Slytherin Prefect that she was going for 'Don't curse me, and I won't curse you' sort of remark, telling Skyler that as long as she did not try to make an enemy out of Lyra, Lyra would stay out of her way and not do so to her. It was a wise thing to do on Lyra's part, as while she may have been older than Skyler, and had more sufficient knowledge in how to use magic, as well as the Dark Arts, making her an enemy would not be good for her politically.

Skyler than asked her about what her explanation had to do with their natural alignment, and Lyra looked at her with a raised eyebrow, seeing no harm in dispensing some more knowledge on the younger female. After all, having grown up with this subject through her Great Aunt Cassiopeia's tutelage, she had practically been forced to learn all that she could about this subject, even if she might not have wanted to, which actually wasn't the case at all. So, while not the most knowledgeable about the Dark Arts in comparison to someone like Voldemort or her mother, she was still pretty good.

"Families of a specific nature had been using specific types of magic for a long time, so much so that these specific arts come more naturally to them, even if personality-wise they aren't really a fan of that. Some magical families are good at Transfiguration or Charms, some are good at Defense, and others are more attuned to the Dark Arts specifically. The Blacks, for example, are one of the most well-known practitioners of the Dark Arts, and they had been using it for so long, so deep into their traditions, that they became more attuned to that than other families might have. Thus, by being a Black, my alignment is more naturally attuned to the darkness, at most a dark gray, even if my personality might contradict the requirements" she explained to Skyler calmly.
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Word Count: 765

Skyler regarded the girl with violet eyes that gave nothing away, her face just as impassive. But a smirk curled her lips as she tilted her head in acknowledgement of what was being said by the older girl. It was really no more or less than what the brunette had expected from the other snake. It hadn't taken long for the teen to realize that Slytherin house was more political than anything else, so she recognized the diplomatic answer as what it was. It was a case of 'you don't cross me and I won't cross you'.

That would work. For the time being. The fifth year knew better than trust the girl on her word. She would be a fool to, and it would only say more about herself than the other if she did. So it didn't buy the older witch any trust with Sky, but what it did buy was a chance. Soon, things would get even more complicated than they already were. The teen knew there would come a time when Black would either choose to cross her, or to prove her words true. She hoped the older witch would prove to be intelligent and choose the ladder, but only time would tell.

What made her lips curl into that patented Riddle smirk of hers was that Black seemed to think that the fact that Sky were related to the current Dark Lord was the only reason, or even the main reason, as to why she shouldn't be crossed. In reality, it was merely the obvious reason. "Like I said already, I have no desire to make enemies where they're not needed. But, let me just remind you of one thing." The teen stood easily, approaching the older Slytherin and standing no more than a few feet away from her, looking her dead in the eye without fear, even as she somehow managed to make the move non-threatening.

"Pure blood may not run through my veins, but power does. So yes, I do hold more power, but not just for the reason you think. It would be in your best interests to remember that." Her tone was one of warning, though it was hardly threatening in any way. The brunette meant what she had said. She didn't intend to make an enemy of the older witch. Sky was willing to allow that yes, Black may prove to be a dangerous adversary, if made to be one. The older girl may know more advanced magic. She may know a thing or two about the Dark Arts as well. What Black didn't seem to know was that the fifth year was the most dangerous person to cross at present time.

As such, the teen would respect the fact that the older girl was dangerous, yes. But she would hardly be intimidated by her, and no matter how neutral Black made the expression on her face, or how polite she made her tone, Sky was still taking it as an underhanded threat. After all, it was one. The older girl was just attempting to dress it up in niceties, and in a way that wouldn't see her suffering any lash back. The brunette had to commend the girl for her efforts, but she wanted it perfectly clear that however dangerous the Black thought she was, Sky was more so, and in more ways than the older Slytherin could know, especially more than just politically. If Black had any sense at all, she would stay out of Skyler's way not because Sky had no intention of making an enemy of her, but because it was Black's funeral if she didn't.

At that time, the Slytherin fifth year considered that meeting over. She was sure she had made her point after all, and she was walking away from it with more information than she had first assumed she would. And she had also not given anything away to the older witch that she hadn't wanted to. "I believe I'll take my leave, as I have other things to do, but I thank you for your time. This meeting has been most informative, and ideal we've come to an agreement." Sky turned away from the older girl with a simple nod of her head, leaving her back open to her. It wasn't stupidity, or cockiness. It was assuredness.

When she reached the door, the brunette paused, turning enough to meet the other's dark eyes once more. "I have some research to do first, but I have more questions for you. You can expect another meeting soon." With that, the teen walked out of the room, heading to her own dorm for a shower. She hadn't found LeBeau, but perhaps she had found another...acquaintance.