Unrest

Author's Notes

First item of muy importante business: the continuance of my thanks to my lovely, wonderful, fantastic, awesome beta... *drum roll* Evie! I couldn't do this without you, chica. And, while I'm at it, thanks to Jan, my moderator, and to Theresa of TPP, and to all the other administrators of both TPP and MNFF. Love!

Second, to all my wonderful readers: I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to post an update to "Serpent." I've been so busy and I had a monumental writer's block that is now gone, gone, gone! =)

Before you read, I'd like to make a few notes about the new-and-improved "Serpent." I have gone through the entire story and edited each chapter in order to include/exclude information that has now become available due to the release of Deathly Hallows. Perhaps the most notable of these edits is the complete removal of the chapter "Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," a much-too-long discourse on something that is no longer possible. So, you will not find that in the mix. I have also made slight changes to the storyline, but these will not become evident at all because they are for future chapters.

I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who's been so supportive of this story and I hope to bring you more Riana in the future.

~Julia~

P.S. In the next chapter, Riana finally gets to Hogwarts. Hooray!

As it turned out, however, Riana didn't get a chance to visit the hag in the apothecary again before leaving for Hogwarts. She and Fabian did go by Slug and Jigger's on their way to do a little last-minute sightseeing in Diagon Alley, but the shop was closed. Riana felt a small twinge of disappointment as she passed the hooded windows of the grimy shop, but she disguised her feelings from Fabian. There were some things that he could know (and did know) about her and others that he just wouldn't understand. Her obsession with trying to find out who her parents were was one of them.

But after spending the afternoon with Fabian in Diagon Alley, Riana had mostly forgotten about the ancient witch. She was having too much fun! For instance, on the day before they were to leave from school, Fabian decided he'd introduce Riana to the wonders of wizarding sweets.

"Hey, Riana, I know ya don't really like ice cream, but ya have to try Dean's Ice Cream Parlor," Fabian said with a twinkle in his weird yellow eyes.

Riana narrowed her own thin eyes, but she had been eying the ice cream parlor for days. It was so colorful and she really wanted to know what an Every Flavor Bean was. "What's so great about it, Fabian? I mean, no, I don't like ice cream"...she nearly bit her tongue remembering the taste of the double chocolate fudge ice cream she'd had on her birthday last year..."but maybe I'll try just one scoop."

Fabian grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I, uh, think ya'd better try it for ya self"...and at the suspicion in Riana's eye, he hastened to add..."before I spoil the ... surprise."

That was all it took and the two children were dashing off arm-in-arm to the Ice Cream Parlor. The moment Riana stepped inside the small, one-roomed building, she was in heaven, literally. The interior of the shop was designed to look like one was among the clouds, except that the clouds were pink and green, purple and orange, blue and red, all the colors of the rainbow. The walls were enchanted to look as though there weren't any walls, just acres of never ending, fantastic clouds. And the best part was that when you walked into a wall, you kept on going and going and going, just walking in the midst of cool, misty clouds. But no matter how far you walked, when you wanted to come back, it took little to no time at all.

The shop was scattered with plush white easy chairs that looked like fat marshmallows and that, miraculously, showed no sign of staining or use. There were no tables set up, but as Riana watched, a young couple with ice cream sundaes walked over to two marshmallow chairs, sat down and a round grey marble tray whizzed from a hole high in the wall behind the ice cream counter through the air to hover before them, effectively creating a table in midair.

"Oh, my..." Riana breathed in wonderment. She turned to look at Fabian, grey eyes wide, and found that he was just as saucer-eyed. "Have you ever seen ... something so...?"

"No," he replied, his rough brogue awed. "The last time I was here, the whole place was under construction and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were here castin' enchantments. They had one, two, three flavors at most, but it was enough." Fabian grinned in admiration. "Looks fantastic, don't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah..."

Riana and Fabian moved toward the glass counter behind which sat a tall girl with mocha skin reading the cover of a magazine. She had long hands covered in henna tattoos and long, straight coal black hair which was strung with ... radishes? Riana and Fabian turned to each other, raised their eyebrows and shrugged.

Whatever, Riana thought as she nudged Fabian forward, a tiny smirk on her face. I'm through trying to figure these people out. But no matter what she did to prepare herself, Riana would find the world of magic infinitely more exciting, more confusing, more amazing than she had ever imagined. But let's leave her with her convictions for the moment; God knows, she has little enough to ground her.

"Excuse me, Miss, can ya help us?"

The girl tilted her head to the side and peered out from around her magazine, which, incidentally, she was reading upside down. "Help? I suppose so. Have you ever met a Potbellied Puffer Fish? I'm told they float ... on the air, but swim in the water, too. Oh, and they don't have those spiny things that normal puffer fish have. Have you seen somebody about your eyes? Is that totally natural or do you have Felinus Cataractus? Is it contagious?" The girl put down her magazine and leaned forward eagerly, her large, pale blue eyes widening.

"Er... No, I haven't. Yes, it's natural, and no, I don't and it's not. Do ya have a menu or somethin'?" Fabian, despite his usual self assurance, seemed to be more than a little disconcerted by the odd girl's questions. As for Riana, she had retreated completely behind Fabian and was looking over his shoulder in stark amazement.

"Pity. I like your eyes. It would be cool if I could catch them too," the girl said, sighing deeply. "Oh, well." With that, she proceeded to pick up her magazine and, opening it, settled in for a good, long read.

Fabian and Riana were flabbergasted and simply stared at each other. The girl had completely forgotten about them, and the couple across the shop...the only other people in the room...were snogging each other silly, their sundaes forgotten on the beneficent hovering tray.

"This is ridiculous, Fabian. She's totally mad. Come on, let's go," Riana whispered in disgust. She had had enough of this crazy girl with radishes threaded into her hair; she had had enough of this wacky shop.

"Aw, come on, Riana," Fabian whispered back, his eyes still on the girl behind the counter. "Just give me a minute more, yeah?"

"Okay, but if you can get her attention again, Felinus, I'll give you a Knut," Riana replied skeptically.

Fabian chuckled. "It's a deal then; I'll be expectin' it, lass." With that, he shook himself and, with a wink at Riana, morphed into a cat. With a meow, he leapt onto the counter and, raising one powerful, tufted paw, batted the girl's magazine (which was, as far as Riana could see, called The Quibbler) away. Grinning his maniacal cat grin, he sat back and, with another shake of his ragged coat, morphed back into a human, his nose centimeters away from the girl's. The strange girl sat quite still, her flaring nostrils the only indication that she was actually breathing.

"All right now, Miss. I've no idea why it's so damn hard for ya to give us the menu, but I'm askin' sweet right now. Two menus, please, if ya will be so very kind." Fabian grinned broadly, his fanged teeth sharp in his mouth.

The girl, whose name according to the swirling color tag on her chest was Evertrue, smiled and reached behind her to grab two menus. "So, a werecat, then?" she asked, the tone of her voice quite normal.

"Right as ever, me darlin'," Fabian purred, a roguish look spreading over his face. He hopped off the counter and handed a pleased Riana her menu.

"Cool." With that, Evertrue slipped off her stool and picked up the magazine off the floor, but she never got back up to the stool. Instead, she got sidetracked by some wonderful article in The Quibbler and froze in a crouched position, her head bent over the magazine, radishes swinging forward, her lips moving silently as she read.

*

A few minutes later, Riana (minus one Knut) and Fabian sat in two of the marshmallow chairs, which were, undeniably, the most comfortable chairs Riana had ever sat in. Grinning at each other over their own floating marble tray, Riana and Fabian picked up their silver spoons and dug into their bowls of ice cream. Riana had decided to try the warm yellow Bertie Bott's ice cream, hoping that it was butterscotch or something similar. She had pressed Fabian for an explanation when she found that the menu listed the colors of the ice creams and not the flavors.

"But what are they?" she had demanded as Fabian buried his nose into his menu, sniggering.

Finally, when she could elicit no response, Riana simply chose a color that might taste good. She still remembered the wonderful warmth of the butterbeer, and if this was half as good, she'd be surprised. Delighted, of course, but she really didn't expect to find anything as good as butterbeer. Too bad that it would make her fat, she had thought, sighing. Meanwhile, Fabian had finally decided on a ruby red ice cream.

"Maybe it'll be raw meat-flavored, eh?" he had said, grinning as his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Riana had nearly gagged until she realized he was joking. At least, she hoped he was joking. With Fabian, she never knew.

In a few moments, Evertrue had brought out their ice cream and melted away with a distracted, "Enjoy," leaving Fabian and Riana to their heaping (so much for "one scoop") bowls of ice cream.

With a pang, Riana plunged her spoon into the goldenrod-colored ice cream. She'd eat a little, just a little. It couldn't hurt that much, could it? With trembling fingertips, Riana raised the silver spoon to her mouth and...

"Bloody hell! Ugh, what is this?" In disgust, Riana spat the mouthful of ice cream back into her bowl, but not before Fabian had swiped his spoon into the golden mound of cream. His eyes dancing, face wiped of expression, Fabian placed the spoonful of ice cream in his mouth and swished it around with his tongue.

His face underwent the most awesome variety of expressions Riana had ever seen. First it was speculative, then beatific, then exquisitely happy, then utterly confused as he opened his eyes to find Riana staring at him in amazement. "Chicken fat," he said.

Riana's mouth hung open and her flinty grey eyes widened to the size of chicken eggs. "I'm gonna be sick," she hissed, ducking her head as a familiar roiling feeling began to bubble up in her stomach, her throat. With a quiet groan, her hands clasped her stomach and clutched convulsively.

"Ah, no, no, don't do that," Fabian said quickly. He set the spoon down and reached forward, palms smooth and sure, to hold Riana's head still. "Look at me, lass," he said, forcing her head up. "Ya better not be doin' that in here. It'll make ya embarrassed. Breathe now, Riana. In, out, in, out..."

Riana breathed as Fabian told her to, her grey eyes locked onto his bright yellow ones. "I n-ever, ever, ever want to try th-at again. I mean, g-od!" she shuddered, her breath going in and out in hyperventilating gasps.

Fabian, whose gaze was trailing back to the bowl of yellow ice cream nodded absently and he licked his lips again. "Okay, but... do ya mind if I have it?"

"No, no, and no and no. Eat it. Eat it all, but, ugh! How can you?" Her breathing finally getting back to normal, Riana jerked her head back, leaving Fabian's taloned hands in midair.

"I'm a cat, I guess." Fabian's grin was back and laughter bubbled up in his eyes. "Would ya care to try mine, then?" Mischievously, he pushed his melting bowl of ruby red ice cream toward Riana, who closed her eyes and swallowed.

I have to, she thought, or I'll hate myself even more. I'm not a coward. I will never, ever be a coward. Steeling herself, she opened her eyes, picked up her spoon, carefully wiped it on her napkin to remove any residue of "golden yellow/chicken fat" and smiled icily back, her lips a thin line. "Sure, why not?"

*

On the morning of September first, Riana woke with the sun. Streaming rays filtered through the streaked window in her now familiar room, suspending dust particles in the hazy air. With a yawn, Riana raised herself on sharply-pointed elbows and stared blearily around the room, frowning slightly as she heard a soft purring noise.

Yawning again, Riana felt something beside her move, something radiating heat, something pressed against her thin side, nestled between the cavities formed by her ribs. Riana's first instinct was one of surprise and then of astonishment. Someone was touching her. Someone was close to her. But, as she started and sat up abruptly in the ancient, creaking bed, the small form twitched, emitted a minuscule mew and snuggled closer into the warmth of Riana's slight body. Riana's thin proud mouth tilted up in a smile as she reached a hesitant hand down to Alvean and softly petted the kitten's grey head.

The kitten's only response was to snuggle closer to her young mistress and give a tiny rumbling burp. A feeling of vague happiness and lazy luxury settled over Riana as the kitten's body heat traveled up her cold fingers, igniting a warmth in them that was completely foreign but certainly not unwelcome.

Sighing deeply, Riana relaxed back onto the pillows and shut her eyes against the sun. It wouldn't hurt to take a cat nap, would it? Ha! Cat nap, that was funny... Maybe Fabian would think so, too. Maybe she should tell him...

"Riana!"

Her eyes flew open just as the door to her room shot inward. Alvean sprang up with a yowl and dug her claws into Riana's stomach before flying under the covers. Riana, in turn, shot out of bed with a cry of pain and, as the blood rushed to her head, feet, everything, sat down on the floor with a bone-crunching plop.

"Up, up, up! We're leavin' today, Riana. The train leaves in ... a very short time. Up, up!" Fabian sprang to Riana's side and, hooking his clawed hands under her armpits, pulled her up like a puppet master and his marionette. "Pack, and then we leave. I'll help."

Riana, her mind sleep-bleared, simply looked at Fabian and, shaking him off, staggered over to her bed, where she sat down and pulled the cowering Alvean out from under the itchy wool blanket and plunked her into her bony lap.

Fabian, however, didn't seem to care, for he darted around the room, throwing black and grey clothing and white knickers into her two suitcases. He flung himself to his stomach and grappled about underneath the armoire for Riana's shoes, which he then crammed into the duffel bag. Finally, when her clothing and shoes had been packed...inexpertly and messily, but even so...he turned to the mounds of school supplies and books that had been purchased in Diagon Alley. He stared down at the huge pile for a moment and then whipped around to face Riana who simply watched him detachedly.

"I'm goin' to me room, which as ya recall is five doors down the hall, and I'm goin' to fetch somethin' for ya, and when I get back, Riana, I expect to see ya dressed in ya school robes, otherwise, ya will be dressin' on the train. Speed it up!"

With that, Fabian zipped out the door, leaving Riana and Alvean to one another. Riana sighed and brought Alvean's fluffy grey body up to eye level, whereupon the kitten batted playfully at her mistress's sharply pointed nose. I don't want to stand out any more than I have to, I guess, and if I show up in Muggle clothes, everybody's going to know that I'm not from a wizarding family, so... "I guess I've got to get dressed."

In three minutes flat, Riana had pulled on a fresh pair of knickers...which, amazingly, was at the top of the pile of clothing Fabian had chunked into one of the suitcases...and a black and grey track suit over which she pulled one of her black school robes. As Riana tugged and pulled at her clothing, trying to cover her ugly body, she heard a thumping noise from the hall. Leaving her reflection (staring at her instead of she at it) in the mirror, Riana turned to see Fabian dragging a leather and oak trunk into the room. He grinned at her and pulled the trunk to the pile of supplies lying in the middle of the floor.

"What do ya think, eh?" he asked, his face merry.

Riana stared, her face expressionless. So, charity was it? God, she should have known better. So, Fabian was sorry for her, too? "Why are you giving me that? Take it back; I don't want it," she hissed, her grey eyes storming up behind their narrowed lids.

Fabian looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Are you mad?" he exclaimed, the smile dropping from his lips.

"No, I'm not. You're mad if you think that I'm a bloody charity case! Take it back, take it back!" Riana screamed, her voice escalating in pitch as she clutched her arms around her thin body, wrist bones grating against ribs.

Fabian looked at her for a moment, then, with a supremely deep breath, knelt down and, picking up a pile of schoolbooks, placed them in the trunk. In a haze of fury, Riana rushed forward and, reaching deep inside the trunk, yanked out her books.

"I'm not a charity case and I won't take it!" Once she had taken out the books, she spun to face Fabian, her flinty eyes spitting fire. Fabian breathed deeply, his lips moving as he counted to ten. He got to eight, then, with a hiss, his arm shot out, claws retracted and he grabbed Riana's skeletal arm. With his other tanned arm, he slammed shut the lid of the trunk and thrust a shocked Riana down onto the lid.

"Now, listen to me, Riana. This," he indicated the trunk, "is a gift from me to ya. It's not charity...I know ya better than ya think. I'd never, do ya hear me, never, give ya somethin' if I felt sorry for ya. I'm not a kind person, and I've never given anyone anythin' before, so ya better shut up before I lose me temper and punch ya. And this time, ya will lose more than one tooth, do ya hear?"

Riana's mouth hung open as she stared at Fabian. His voice had been even, almost monotone, but there was a great deal of threat beneath the facade of calm. The two stood there, staring at each other for five minutes until...

"I'm sorry," Riana whispered in a small voice. "I thought that you felt sorry for me."

"And I would have had a bonnie reason to do so," Fabian curtly replied.

Riana stiffened, her pride touched, but then Fabian stepped forward, looking first at his hands, opening and closing them, retracting his claws and extending them, and then he looked into her eyes. "But I don't, and I never will, lass, unless ya give me reason to do so." Riana stared at him, her eyes wide. "Oh, and we're goin' to be late for the Express if we don't hurry along."

"Oh! You're right, you're right!" Stooping, Riana scooped an armload of her Diagon Alley purchases into her stick-thin arms and threw them into the trunk, where they fell with a resounding thump, clang, clatter, and tinkle of shifting possessions. Fabian winced as each armload of miscellany fell into the trunk. Finally, when all but little Alvean had been packed, Riana slammed the lid of her trunk shut and stood.

"Done," she announced proudly and flipped her raven black hair over her sharp shoulders.

"Aye and ready to go; lead on, lass," Fabian said, a smile in his voice as he grabbed the duffel bag and piled the suitcases on top of the trunk. Riana made kissing noises to call Alvean to her and, once the suspicious kitten had crept from her warm refuge under the covers, scooped the little grey cat up and held her tight. Then, together, Riana and Fabian walked out the door of Riana's shabby room, leaving the suitcases to the Urquhart's manservant, Henry, a creature that Fabian called a house elf who was standing bowed in the hall.