XXXIt was a pretty day. Sunlight dappled through the leaves of the trees surrounding her, sending rippling shadows over the damp pine needles and dirt on the ground. Eonaria was singing a melody, little fragments of different songs connecting themselves in places where they weren't meant to connect. It used to annoy her, where she was trying to sing one song and her brain would automatically divert into another piece that sounded similar, but now, it was an enjoyable pastime of hers. There were little sproutlings thriving everywhere, having budded during the spring and now flourishing in the summer. The fabric of her sundress swished past her legs with every step.

XXXThen, through one of the lower parts of the song-- one of the songs, whichever it happened to be-- she heard it. The faintest, sibilant whisper through the undergrowth of the woods. Eonaria paused, the next note faltering. Was it just the wind stirring the branches again? She glanced around, letting her pace slow and come to a stop. "Hello?" she asked tentatively, her mind contemplating squirrels and birds and then kidnappers--

XXXNo, that was silly. The forest, wild as it was, was still on her family's property, and who would dare sneak directly to their home? Eonaria drew her wand just in case, gaze scanning the trees around her. If it was an intruder, she had a signature Flipendo or two at the tip of her tongue. She may still be quite young, but she had plenty of experience from duelling matches and practises at Hogwarts. Probably not plenty, actually. But enough.

XXXThe lower leaves of a bush stirred and a tiny head poked out along with another hiss. "Humansss! Why is it here... hm hm..." An equally tiny tongue flickered out and Eonaria couldn't resist the automatic "awww" that bubbled up. Snakes weren't traditionally cute animals, but this one was surely a baby with how small it was. Maybe only a week old? It could easily fit in the palm of her hand, no doubt. "Hi there," she said to it, lowering her voice. She crouched down to get a better look at it, tucking the ends of her dress safely into her lap to make sure it didn't drag on the ground. Aah, but what if it's venomous? Hopefully it doesn't bite me. It seems friendly enough. "How are you doing? Cosy?" Summer was a good, warm season for cold-blood creatures.

XXXThe snake wiggled further out from the undergrowth to sniff at her hand. It was a bit tickly. "Oh? The human ssspeaks, yes it does. It is warm here."

XXX"That's very nice." Eonaria still wasn't very used to speaking Parseltongue for an actual conversation, since most other snakes seemed more interested in getting back to the hunt or ignoring her altogether. It felt funny, too, since it still sounded like English to her and she had to check every so often if she was actually speaking Parseltongue or not. A slight pang of worry crossed her mind. The snake might not be at risk of freezing, but this was still a forest, with plenty of large birds that would jump at the opportunity to seize it up. "Isn't it a struggle to live in this forest? You're so small, it must be very dangerous."

XXXThe snake hissed at her. "I am large and mighty! How dare you."

XXX"Oh," she blinked. She looked at the snake's body. "Yes, of course." Eonaria hid a giggle. "Well, do you have a name? Were you born here?"

XXXThe snake did a little wiggle. "Yes, this is my home! A name? What for? I am the best sssnake in this forest, everyone shall know me and cower without needing any name!"

XXXWow, this snake is... psychopathic-- ahem, no. "You look a bit more yellow than most snakes," Eonaria noted, tentatively stroking a fingertip over the snake's scales. "How about... Yuzu? It means lemon." The snake considered this for a moment-- or maybe it was falling asleep in the sunlight-- before agreeing. "Lemons! Yes, good! What are lemons?"

XXXEonaria carefully scooped Yuzu up in her hands, cradling it close to her chest. "They're citrus fruits. They grow from trees and taste sour." Yuzu fruits were very high in acidity, so maybe they fit such a small snake with a big personality and a sharp attitude. "Did you know that big raptors migrate to the United Kingdom? As big and mighty as you are, you can't fight off huge birds. What if you come live with me?" The question was proposed quite daringly. It wouldn't matter if Yuzu agreed or not if her parents refused. And what if the snake didn't get along with her cat, Aquaenala??

XXX"I don't know what any of that meansss, but that is agreeable! Go forth, small human!" Yuzu declared, head held high. All such rational questions vanished from her thoughts at that.

XXXThankfully, her parents did agree, but only after an intense staring conversation. Her father almost looked proud-- almost.

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