(1) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter Thirteen

Snow begins to fall as Rhiannon walks towards the school, crossing the courtyard. Attila stalking at her side. Viktor behind her, reading from a herbology book, he then closes it and moves to walk at her side.

"Did you ask Hermione?" She asks, Viktor hums and then smiles at her.

"I did" He answers, she raises an eyebrow back at him.

"And....come on, what did she say?"

"She said yes" He answers and wraps an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. "What about you, Champion?" He asks. She rolls her eyes and shrugs against his arm.

"A few Slytherin boys have asked but..." She pulls a face and shakes her head. "I don't know, I'd rather go with someone I know and actually like...Plus you know how I feel about the way they think....all that blood purity crap" She motions with her hand, waving that thought away. "I don't want to spend the night stuck with someone that believes in all that...I want to spend the night with someone that's going to make me laugh and smile and....make it one to remember" Viktor smiles and nods then releases her so he can go back to his book as they head into the great hall for breakfast. As they do, George and Fred appear and walk on either side of Rhiannon and she raises an eyebrow at them both. Viktor glares at the two of them but heads towards his seat with Attila. "Attila is busy today" She points out.

"Sit with us," Fred tells her.

"Why?" She counters, drawing it out slightly. Confused as to why they suddenly think that they are friends enough to sit together.

"You are telling us that you like sitting with the Slytherins?" George counters. She raises an eyebrow at him and then shrugs.

"Not exactly" She admits. "But..."

"Oh come on" Fred teases.

"We're much better company" George adds with a smile. She glances between the two of them, and seeing that they are not about to let her go back to sitting at that table, caves.

"Fine" She states. "But I get your bacon, Fred" She points at Fred and then heads towards the Gryffindor table.

"How did she know?" Fred asks.

"Told you," George tells his brother who is staring after her. George then follows after Rhiannon.

"It's a fluke" Fred counters. "A lucky guess...How'd she do it?" Fred hurries to catch up with his brother.

..............

Harry isn't alone when he makes his nightly visit to the storage cupboard where Rhiannon and Attila are waiting for him. This time, he brings Ron, mainly because he wouldn't stop asking, and wouldn't stop pushing to come. He is worried about his friend. Rhiannon raises an eyebrow as she pulls her hair back into a ponytail.

"He wanted to make sure..." Harry starts but she already knows why Ron is here.

"That I wasn't leading you down a path of the dark arts" Rhiannon finishes for him with a small understanding smile.

"I was just the concerned friend" Ron defends. "As you are Grindelwald's daughter"

"Yes, because that means I am just as evil as he is..." She mumbles and shakes her head. She is used to this attitude by now. Harry gives Ron a look

"I mean" Ron corrects. "I just...want to see for myself..."

"That I'm not a horrible person?" She gives him a look and then smirks. "Sure...so...Did you bring your wand?" She asks Ron.

"You don't expect me to join in?" Ron counters.

"Why not?" She cocks her head at him. "Who knows when you are going to use spells like this and Hogwarts is not going to teach you them...." She holds out her book to Harry. "Here, this is what I'm teaching you...catch your friend up" Harry looks down at the book and then back to Rhiannon.

"Tickling Hex?" He asks her, she nods.

"Yep," She pops the p and then turns to them. "Whilst your enemy is curled in a ball crying with laughter...you can run away"

"You would run away from a fight?" Ron asks her.

"Oh yeah," She answers. "I am not above running away if the situation demands it. If I am not prepared...."

"That's not very..." Ron starts.

"What?" She asks him. "Like a Slytherin? Is that where you assumed I would fit?" Ron shrugs a little. "Goddess, I hope not. There are some good, nice...Slytherin people, I have talked to a few that are not...blood purists, but for the most part, they are entitled and smug and arrogant...and I would never set myself with them if I had a choice...." Ron looks down a little. "Not everyone at Durmstrang is the same, just as not everyone at Hogwarts is the same.....and I am not my father" Ron nods a little.

"Sorry" He whispers. "I just..."

"I know" She assures him softly. "You are not the first, and I am sure you are not the last to think that way....but all you had to do was ask Harry" Ron looks at his friend. "He could have told you that I'm not a raging anti-muggle psychopath"

"I did" Harry states and then gives Ron another look, that Rhiannon is not bad.

...............

Rhiannon lays in her bed reading from another magical creatures book, this is probably her third now, she was so sure she was close. But maybe it isn't a thing. Maybe it is something else. She's giving up hope on it being something living when she comes across a page on water creatures. She chews on a piece of liquorice as she studies the information in front of her. Before she pauses. Something flickering across her eyes before she sits up and smiles.

"Merfolk" She realises. "That makes so much sense!" she closes her book and looks at Attila who lifts his head, his sleep disturbed by her outburst.