Friends?

Lelyin sat in the Great Hall, dinner laid out in front of him. His mind kept going back to potions class earlier in the day. The looks on Draco's and Theodore's faces. The elation at finally being good at something magic related.

He had his potions book with him, skimming ahead to see what kind of stuff he'd be learning. The majority fairly simple sounding, with small lists of ingredients and instructions. An antidote for poisons, a healing potion that could stitch small wounds, even one that caused the drinker to forget recent memories. That one sounded interesting...and slightly dangerous.

He pulled out a separate book, one he'd taken from the library. It didn't have the brewing methods and instruction manuals like the textbooks–just the potion name and its effects–but it listed a far more wide variety of potions around the world. 

The more he thought about it–the more he read–he was beginning to get more interested in the subject. The things these concoctions could do, from making the drinker confused, to changing the drinkers' appearance. They could be useful.

His thoughts drifted to his father, vengeance, then to the scowling faces of Draco and Theodore in potions class. It was in that moment when he realized that he would get nowhere with them. Their arrogance was too great to be beaten by someone they thought a muggleborn.

So I can't be incompetent because it makes Slytherin look bad, but I also can't be competent because it makes them look bad. 

It was a sobering thought. He would need different methods to earn their respect, or perhaps fear.

A fight?

He could probably beat them if it came to it. The two were scrawny and over reliant on their wands. But would that really be the best option? Would they fall in line after, or would they use their money and influence to get back at him in a more permanent way? Lelyin's bet was on the latter.

"Heya!" His thoughts were interrupted by a loud and cheery voice. 

Beside him sat the same brunette from potions class, her freckled face donned a smile with big dimples on her cheeks. Her friend, the blond one, sat as well, giving him a curt nod.

"Uhh…hey..." He replied dumbly. 

"I'm Tracy." She said, her hand stretched out. "Tracy Davis." 

"....Leylin Addams." 

Her smile widened. "The grump next to me is Daphne Greengrasse." She gestured to the girl, who began carefully filling her plate with food. Chicken, potatoes, green beans. All in neat, separated spaces. 

"I'm not grumpy." Daphne said, not even turning. "You're just too cheery." She slowly looked at Leylin, her blue eyes locking with his own. "Well met." 

Not sure what to make of the situation, Lelyin just nodded. "Yeah…nice to meet you." 

"I realized we didn't even introduce ourselves in class." Tracy said. "Even though you helped us. So I wanted to say thanks!" 

"Hm." Leylin grunted. "It was no problem." 

"I mean, we needed the help," Tracy began. "Like what even are those mortar thingy's anyway? I've never seen one before, believe it or not. Well, actually maybe expert for this one time in a super old movie, but that doesn't really count. Speaking of super old, you notice how everything in the Wizarding World is old-fashioned? I was talking to Daph about it, but she just doesn't seem to understand. Like how everything comes straight out of the 17th century. It's insane! I mean, who still uses quills and ink!? When I first came to Diagon Alley, I was super surprised. It was like time traveling! But then again, everything about this world is just so…magical, ya know? So it makes up for it." 

At the end of her triad, Lelyin just stared at her blankly. Not sure how to even respond. He heard Daphne chuckle as she ate, the most expression he'd seen from the girl so far.

Eventually he landed at, "So you're muggleborn?"

"Of course! What gave it away?" She laughed like she just told the funniest joke in the world.

"I thought I was the only one." Well, kind of the only one. In a way. The details didn't matter.

"Me too." Tracy said as she began stacking her plate. Chicken, potatoes, gravy, steak. It all mushed together and became one big glob. A stark contrast to Daphne's neatly filed food. "Slytherin doesn't seem to get very many of us, huh?"

"Hm." Leylin replied as he took a bite from a chicken leg, setting aside his book. "They don't seem very fond of our…ilk." 

"They were just raised that way." Daphne cut in, patting her mouth with an embroidered blue cloth. "Purebloods are taught from birth that they are superior to muggles–in turn muggleborns–all their life." 

"So that makes it okay?" Lelyin said. 

Daphne turned icy cold eyes on him. "I never said it was 'okay'. I was just saying that it isn't entirely their fault." 

Lelyin stared back. "Well, maybe if the parents taught their kids not be such asses, those kids wouldn't grow up to teach their kids to be such asses."

They locked eyes for a minute, neither saying a word. 

Tracy laughed nervously. "Okay guys, that's enough." She said. "Yes, some pure bloods can be like that, but not all are. I mean, Daphne and I are friends. And I'm as muggleborn as they come!"

Daphne huffed and looked away, going back to cutting her chicken in delicate pieces and eating small bites at a time. Leylin studied her while she ate. Her careful mannerisms, her impassive expression, the way her eyes darted around the room occasionally, looking–watching the other students.

"How about you, then?" Lelyin said, eyes still on Daphne. "How do you feel about muggleborns?" 

She responded without looking his way. "I was raised to be better than everyone. Pureblood or muggleborn, it matters not to me." 

Leylin slowly nodded. "Fair enough," he mumbled and went back to his meal. 

The conversation died down as they ate, Tracy moaning and grumbling while she stuck various foods into her mouth. She had finished her main meal and was now onto dessert, chocolate frosting hanging from her mouth as she swayed back and forth with a smile on her face. 

Leylin kept sending glances at the two, wondering what they were even doing here. What they were trying to get at.

"The food her is soooooo good." Tracy suddenly said through a mouth full of food.

Lelyin raised a brow at her and snorted. Daphne gave her friend a disgusted look. 

"So Lelyin," Tracy said after swallowing a mouthful of cake. "You're really good at potions, yeah?" 

Lelyin shrugged. "I guess….I mean, I don't know."

"You are. No need to be modest. Snape didn't threaten you once, did he?"

"He threatened you?" 

"Well…kinda." She scrunched her face and tilted her head up. "He was all like, 'If you continue with your incompetence, I may be forced to drag your burnt up corpse out of here, before you endanger the entire school.'" 

Lelyin grinned at her impression. "That was pretty good." 

"Right!? Daph thought so, too." She giggled. "Anyway. You're good at potions. We suck. You're not good at Transfiguration and Charms–don't deny it, the entire house knows–but we are. How about we help each other out?" 

Lelyin looked at the bubbly brunette, then at her stony-faced friend. They looked back at him. One with big brown hopeful eyes, the other with narrowed icy blue ones. 

"What did you have in mind?"

"We help each other study, of course." Tracy said.

Lelyin looked at Daphne. Her aloof, uninterested expression. "You want that?"

She shrugged. "My parents will be angry if I fail, so why not."

Greengrass, Leylin thought.

He's heard the name before. But do they hold influence? They're part of the sacred 28 so surely they do. And with the new realizations about the attitudes of Theodore and Draco, and how difficult it would be to get close to them.....that name, Greengrass, that influence....it could be useful. 

With a decision and new plan forming in his mind, Lelyin smiled. "I'd love too."