Lumos: Year Two

Lanee wasn't a particuarly gifted witch. Her spells were clumsy, poorly aimed, and she had a very short attention span. The only reason she was still passing most of her classes was because her quick ability to learn and the fact that she sat next to Hermione Granger in most of her classes. Though, the one thing Lanee was much better at than most students her age were blocking spells. For some odd reason, the charm had always when been easy to Lanee and her go-to spell in a duel. She was so in tune with the charm, that it was no problem to create a sheild on such an angle where the spell Helena Villar shot at her rebounded directly into the arse of Lockhart.

Smiling triumphly, Lanee gathered around Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter to watch them in a demonstrative duel. Before she could even understand what was happening, the arrogant blonde had already produced a pissed-off looking snake, which slithered slowly along the ground. Lanee had to admit it was quite a beautiful snake, she always admired the movements of the creature. A graceful slither, moving in smooth curves silently. She turned to Helena to show her satisifcation, but Helena had gone slightly pale at the sight of the snake.

Suddenly, a hiss broke through the air. Lanee's head snapped back towards the duel, expecting the snake to be the source of the noise. But her jaw dropped in shock as Harry's mouth moved with the hisses. Before she could react any further, a weight was suddenly pressing agaisnt her back. She stumbled forward from the weight and Helena slipped to the ground unconscious.

"Helena?" Lanee said, kneeling down next to her and ignoring as Snape vanished the snake. As everyone stared at Harry, she was distracted by something far more important. "Can you hear me?"

"Is she okay?" Dean was suddenly kneeling next to her, moving his hands along her wrist, feeling for her pulse.

Lanee looked up for an adult, but couldn't see through the thick crowd of students. "I think she just passed out, I don't think she like snakes and Harry's voice probably scared the crap out of her.

"What?" Dean laughed. "She's a Slytherin and afraid of snakes?"

"You're a Gryffindor. Would you approach a hungry lion?" Lanee teased, hoisted Helena off the ground.

"Club dimissed!" Lockharts voice rang through the room as students began to disperse.

"Point taken." Dean smiled as Seamus joined them. After giving him a brief rundown of why they were supporting Helena's limp body, they together helped bring her to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey instructed them to set her in a bed while she gathered a wet rag to put on her forehead. Dean and Seamus shortly left, but Lanee decided to wait until she woke up so she wouldn't be alone in the empty Wing. Snuggling onto a chair and cracking open The Tales Of Beedle The Bard, Lanee lost herself in the pages. On her third time through the book, Helena began to stir.

“Lanee… what happened?” Helena blinked a few times, looking around confused.

Not looking up from her book, Lanee repsonded, “You passed out when Harry started whispering to that snake.” After declaring the odd hissing noise was some sort of language called Parsletounge, she looked up from her book and noticed cards set on the table next to her. People had come in? Shaking out of her confusion, she turned her attention back to Helena.

“Could you understand him?”

Helena shook her head and explained her family history. Listening intently, Lanee attempted to figure out the whole thing in her head herself. Was Harry's ability to speak this language connected to attacks that have happened? Or the blood writing on the walls? Helena agreed that Harry must be hiding something, and was probably thinking the same thing in her head. Everything was somehow connected.

After a brief conversation on her balance and dizziness, Helena was realeased from the Hospital Wing. They said their goodnights and each girl headed towards their common room quickly, since curfew was only a few minutes away.

When term ended, Dean and Lanee escorted Seamus to the front of the castle, where Filch was waiting to take a group of students down to Hogsmeade that were leaving Hogwarts for the holidays.

"See you soon, Lanee." Seamus said as he hugged her goodbye. Pulling away, he glanced at her and said quickly, "You look really pretty today." Turning a deep shade of red, he turned his attention to Dean and said goodbye. Before Lanee could even thank Seamus for the compliment, he scampred off towards the large group of students around Filch.

"That was weird." Lanee said, not sure if she was flattered or startled by the compliment.

"No, Seamus just runs that way. I think it's because he's Irish and short-" Dean started.

"Dean." Lanee laughed. "Not the way he runs, I know he's a weird runner. I was talking about what he said. Did you hear him?"

"Yeah." He said as the turned and started towards the dinning hall. "I don't think it's weird, Seamus thinks you're pretty. A lot of people do, 'Nee. I think you're pretty, too. I mean it's a little weird that Seamus kinda blurted it out like that," He chuckled. "But that's just him." As they arrived, Lanee quickly scanned the Slytherin table, seeing no sign of Helena among the few students that remained at the school. Assuming she was just sleeping late, Lanee and Dean went and sat.

"Why don't you ever go home for the holidays?" Dean asked.

"My mum works a lot." Lanee repsonded. She was going to add something about her father, but rememering that she told Dean last year that she wasn't aware of who her father was, she shut her mouth.

"Even during Christmas?" Dean was surprised.

"Yeah. Why don't you go home?"

Dean suddenly looked slightly sick. "No reason. I just don't." He said all of this very quickly, too quickly.

"You're lying." Lanee set down her fork and turned towards him. "Tell me the truth."

After retreating to the empty common room, Dean felt comfortable explaining. "Well, truth is, I really don't have a home to go to. My family, we don't have much money right now. My mum and sisters kinda live in a homeless shelter. When my mum lost her job over the summer, she couldn't afford to keep us in the house so we lost it. So until she finds work and can afford a place, she told me to stay at Hogwarts, she says its better than a stinky shelter."

As he told her this, Lanee felt suddenly terrible for asking. "Dean, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, 'Nee." He smiled. "It's no big deal. Just don't tell anyone, okay? I have feeling Slytherins, minus Helena, would get a kick out it. You know, 'my muggle family is were they belong' or some nonsense like that."

For the rest of the day, Lanee and Dean lounged in the owerly, sharing childhood stories. Lanee sat unsuspecting as Dean sketched her. Although she didn't know it, Dean admired her form. She sat in an window without glass, her back resting on the stone with her knees up and toes touching the other end of the window. As the sun roamed the sky, it's rays hit Lanee's face directly, casting an artistic shadow over her face.

"Lanee, turn your hair blonde. I'm losing the shadows in the black." Dean instructed. She turned to him confused.

"Are you drawing me?"

"Yes. Your hair please?" He said with a serious face. She obligated and let the charcoal turn into a wipsy blonde, practically white. Dean thanked her and continued to draw. Lanee's owl, Rozana, suddenly flew over and perched on her knee. Lanee attempted to move her, but Dean held up his hand and said she looked great there. The air was crisp and the grounds were quiet. There was no wind and only the smell of clean water in the air. Lanee was sitting in the perfect school with her wonderful pet and one of her best friends.

For a breif moment, Lanee Tonk's life was perfect.