Cell-block Tango (open)

Karma was humming. Yeah, she hated Muggles with a firey passion that started at the scar on her shoulder and spread through her body like a well-placed Incendio, but there was something about their music that just grabbed her mind and stayed there. That was why she was sitting in the library with the script for the Muggle Musical: Chicago, humming her favorite number from the musical. She'd been wandering the Muggle World during the summer, and she had wandered into a movie theature. This one song had crawled its way into her mind and she couldn't get it out.

"He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame..." She muttered under her breath. "If you'd of been there, if you'd have done it, I bet you you would have done the same..."

Iva sat in the corner of the library, literally falling asleep as she read her history book. On the lonely table sat a Russian to English dictionary, a lamp, and a mug smelling of peppermint, chocolate, apples, and strong coffee.

Iva had learnt that, after not sleeping for three days, her English knowledge started to lack and the knowledge she needed in class escaped her mind. But, sleep wasn't an opinion for her. Not right now.

Karma, her favorite fourth year, passed her then, talking to herself. For some reason she couldn't control, Iva slammed down her book and hissed, "Most people do not talk to themselves, Karma!"

Iva then blinked, rubbing her eyes almost sadly. "Oh, sorry. I did not mean to-" Iva lost the words she was aiming for, so she merely shook her head in disapproval. "I did not mean to,"

Karma looked up, noting Iva, not bothering to stop singing. "De nem igaz, én ártatlan
vagyok." She sang, raising an eyebrow at Iva's tone. "Probáltam
a rendõrségen megmagyarázni de nem értették meg!" She slid into a seat next to Iva, smiling a smug smile. "Problem Iva?" She sang, daring her to say something she didn't like.

Iva smirked at the Russian (Karma's accent was far from perfect), then rubbed her temples, her head pounding like a drum.

"My head hurts, Karma, " She muttered, grabbing her strange drink and throwing it back. She had finished the mug and looked back up at the girl, blue bags under her eyes contrasting against her pale skin. "And your voice is horrible,"

Karma sniffed. "Is not." She muttered. She knew for a fact that she had one of the best voices in the Wizarding world. She's let it slide, just for cuz of the headache she seemed to have.

She poked her in the side. "You're in luck, then." Karma glanced around her before pulling a small vial of Headache Potion from her pocket. "You're lucky I slipped some from the Hospital Wing for myself."

Iva grabbed the vial, stared at it for a split second, then downed the entire thing. The taste burned her tongue, but the throbbing in her head soothed to a dull roar. Sighing, she placed the bottle on the table, relaxed.

"Thank you, " She said, looking out the window, "My brain is hurting from lack of sleep,"

She stretched, then looked at Karma again. "I have not slept in days," She shrugged, using her favorite English expression, "No big deal,"

"It is a pretty big deal." Karma said, frowning. "You don't want to be off your guard for a second with the war going on." She smiled. "And you're obviously a little out of sorts, you don't want to be that snappy with other Slytherins. You know how our house is. You managed to be under the radar for a while, but that'll change eventually."

Karma opened her book and read a line aloud. "You know some men just can't hold their arsenic." She grinned. "I love this book."

Iva sighed, shaking her head. "You would not understand, Karma, even with the- the-" She paused, usually disturbed. "The war,"

She looked at the cover of the book, uninterested. "That is cool, I guess. I do not like books,"

She then rested her head on the table, nestling between the picture of Draco Malfoy and the text in her textbook.

"I'd understand more than I let on." She said chancing a glance at the Draco Malfoy in Iva's text book. "And if you're gonna sleep, I suggest it be in the Dorms. There could be..." she lowered her voice conspiritually, "Gryffindors about."

Aria's eyes grew impossibly wide upon entering the library. So many books! So much to learn and discover and study! But... where to start?!

The girl grabbed a book off the first shelf she reached, opening it to look inside. Brow furrowing, she put it back. Maybe one with smaller words... Flitting down one row, then another, she occasionally stop to peek into another volume. Mostly, she just pleased to be surrounded by so much knowledge. It would all be hers, someday. ... once her vocabulary was a bit better.

Seeing two other girls, she made her way over to them, smiling happily.

"Hello!"

"Dirty, muggle loving Gyrffindors," She agreed, a bit too loudly as the new girl came up. She eyed her closely before snapping, "What do you want, Blondie?"

She looked at Karma as if she had wished to say something else, but she didn't. Maybe Iva would hide the secret about her brothers for a bit longer.

Iva traced the edge of her mug, yawned, then looked at the girl again. "Hm. You do not seem normal. You know that, yes?"

Aria's brow furrowed slightly. "What's 'Blondie'?" she asked curiously.

She looked from one girl to the other, before pulling her gaze back again.

"I'm not," she replied. Her attention turned back to the other girl, almost although she couldn't stop herself. With her curiosity, it was likely she couldn't.

"You're not normal, either," Aria said, perplexed. "You... what are you?" She knew demons and witches and wizards, but this girl was different, somehow.

Karma scoffed at the new girl and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Who are you to ask what we are?" She demanded. "As far as you know, we're two witches, in Slytherin, who'd rather kick your scrawny blond arse to America and Back than talk to you." Karma was only slightly surprized by her mood change. She was sick of everyone questioning her. "And, hell, if Iva doesnt feel up to it, I'll do it myself."

Iva sneered. What the heck? This girl was a stereotypical blonde; dumb as a brick. Trying to drain the last drops from her ta, she paused the think how to explain what she has said, but she was interrupted by Karma.

Karma was yelling at the girl, but Iva put her hand out to stop her. Yawning, Iva paused to think about her words. " I will take care of her, Karma. I think she may be 'special'." She said the last part under her breath. "And if she is not, I am crazy enough to attack her right now,"

Karma smiled a slow, sure, scary-looking smile, flashing a bit of fang. Iva wasn't crazy enough to attack her? "But I am." she breathed. She looked at Iva with a little daring flashing in her eyes. "What's the matter? Scared of her?" she muttered.

Iva growled, standing up. "Afraid?!" She spat, slamming her book closed. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she faced the new girl, sneering.

"I just no not want to fight such a weak, disgusting loser." Iva's hands twitched with antipation. "It is too easy,"

Aria shook her head. There was a lot in what was said that roused her curiosity. America, for instance. Where was that? In Scotland, near the school? England?

"I-I didn't mean to make you angry!" she exclaimed. "I was only curious. I mean, you are a witch, but something else, too. You aren't demon, so... I was just curious. I'm sorry. Arsen doesn't like me to ask so many questions, either." She looked a bit stung by this fact.

Aria hung her head."I'm sorry," she murmured, then gestured vaguely to a nearby shelf. "I'll go find a book, now." She turned away from them, trying to hide her hurt. She was always making someone mad at her, it seemed.

She jumped as the girl called 'Iva' slammed her book closed and sneered at her. "I don't want to fight," she said. "I'll just go..."

Iva tried to keep a stiff upper lip, but the girl innocent face started to kill her.

"Do not make that face, Blondie," She sighed, waving her girl over. "Why are you so weak? Man up and sit down,"

Iva looked around for a teacher, then pulled out a small flash and took a sip from it. Water-downed coffee. "Karma, let her alone. She can be useful. Like a slave,"

Iva looked at Karma, trying to speak with her eyes. I do not like her either,

Karma put her nose in the air. "You do smell like an aweful lot of weakness... and I was looking for a slave..." she frowned. "Seeing as Firstie won't be adequate for much in concerns of Slytherin-things, so I suppose Blondie will do."

Weakness... well, Aria supposed she wasn't all that strong, probably. She was dying to ask what a slave was, but somehow managed to bite back the inquiry. She'd ask Arsen, later.

There was one thing...

"My name isn't Blondie," she said, tentatively taking a half-step back towards the table. "It is Aria." She bit her lip. Maybe, she shouldn't have corrected them. If they wanted to call her Blondie, it should be fine, shouldn't it?

"I can help with Slytherin things!" Aria added, a bit of enthusiasm leaking into her tone despite her uncertainty. "I am a Slytherin."

"I've noticed." Karma scoffed, gesturing to her Uniform. "You're obviously a Slytherin, which means, you've got maybe a bit of potential. Sorting Hat never lies." Karma smirked. "I'm Karma. Karma Black. Slytherin. Dangerous. Trickster. Evil Vampiress who has one too many blood-slaves..." She counted the rumors on her fingers.

"Also, I've got a mad love of chocolate and candy and also keep heaps of the stuff on me. That's also how I 'suck in my victims' quote unquote." She said. "And that's all you need to know about me, and or things you would have known if you'd just sat at the Slytherin table during lunch and listened to some of the things that come out of the Gryffindors' mouths."

Aria looked down at the emblem on her uniform and gave a small smile. She listened with rapt interest. So... did the girl feel different because she was a Trickster or Vampiress? Or both?

"I've had chocolate, before!" she said, smiling at the memory of the pleasant taste. She would have more, sometime - it tasted too good not to.

She nodded seriously. "'Gryffindors are a bunch of empty-headed morons,'" she quoted in Arsen's voice. "'Stay away from them.'

"But I've heard the animal for their house is a great, big cat!" Aria added excitedly, spreading her arms to indicate how big she imagined said cat to be. "I'd like to see one. Is there one here at the school?"

Karma raised an eyebrow. Alright. Maybe this girl was 'special'.
"That was a good impersonation of Arsen, if that's who you're going for." She met Blondie's eyes. "What's your full name Avia?"

Aria gave a pleased little smile. She found she was very good at copying anyone, really. Even Djinn - and he had a really scary voice!

She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. "It is just Aria," she replied.

"Well everyone deserves a last name, Aria." Karma insisted. "Why don't you take mine? We can be..." Karma smiled a small smile. "Sisters, if you want." Why was she already protective of this girl?? She'd met her only a few minutes ago, and she didn't even LIKE her! but, now she was looking forward to becoming siblings.