The Farland Files

The Art of Predicting the Future

A/N: This is a bit late but, uh, sue me ^-^ Seasonal Depression got me f'ed up

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Perenelle stilled Lena's hand where she was about to add a whole flobberworm to her potion, a small frown on her face. "You're distracted, Lena."

Slowly putting the wiggling worm to the side, she put her palm down against the table so she could feel the chilled surface against her warm skin. "I don't-... I wasn't raised on fairy tales with a mother that would sit down and feed me homemade cookies, tell me that one day I would fall in love with a white knight that would sweep me off my feet. Jack would barely talk of his wife, so I don't..." She trailed off.

"What's on your mind, young one?" The woman moving around the bench to sit beside her on a stool, taking one of her hands gently, her skin in dark contrast with Lena's lighter tan. "What is bothering you so much you're messing up your potions, because if we don't take it off your mind then Severus might have an aneurysm and ban you from the lab until it's time for you to go back."

Lips quirking at the thought- Severus would surely be furious, as he was on one of his hypervigilance kicks where he literally followed her everywhere while worrying needlessly- Lena let herself sigh softly.

"Is this about the conversation you had with your godfather, angel?"

It is.

"I have my doubts." She looked to the side, smiling slightly bitterly. "Unlike what some might think, I'm not sure of everything. In fact, I'm not sure about anything when it comes to Voldemort. I don't know why Albus hasn't done anything if his old enemy has risen, I don't understand why the evil bastard-"

"Rude."

"-hasn't just killed me yet..." Lena frowned, not knowing how to explain why thinking about the whole thing made her head hurt and her heart ache strangely, so she just oversimplified it for the sake of not mincing words. "It's all very upsetting to me not to know where to put my pieces on the chessboard. Usually, to me, both sides are easy to see."

Perenelle smiled. "Usually you do not know your opponents as well, or care as much."

Lena furrowed her eyebrows. "My emotions are tainting my decisions?"

"Well, yes, but that's not always a bad thing." The woman's smile was soft, sappy in a way when she only got when talking of her husband. "I find that there is no losing side between two people in love. Not with simple games like yours." Then with a wink, the woman added a sprinkle of moonstone to her potion and walked off towards the front of the house, humming under her breath.

Severus emerged from the staircase, raising his eyebrow when he saw her standing still staring at the place the woman had left. "Lena? Everything alright?"

She nodded absently, huffing softly and turning back to her cauldron. "Perry just decided to impart me with a puzzling riddle, is all."

"Ha- I get it. 'Riddle.'"

"Exceptionally bad pun, dear."

I wasn't trying to make it a pun.

"You have your notes?"

Lena rolled her eyes, back turned away from the man, calmly packing her bag as the dour Potions Master ran around. "Yes."

The man shoved more of his books in his bag. "And your clothes? All your dresses Perenelle got you? Shirts, shoes, trousers, and- er- underthings?"