PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT

The boys were gathered in the Slytherin common room, chatting among themselves. It was an ordinary evening—until the door to Mattheo's private dorm creaked open. Y/N stood in the doorway, looking slightly disheveled but oddly secretive. The faint sound of hissing could be heard in the background, but the boys were too preoccupied with their conversation to notice.

"Y/N, you alright?" Theo called out, glancing over.

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, just—uh—getting something from my room."

Blaise, always perceptive, raised an eyebrow. "Is there... a snake in there?" he asked, a teasing smirk on his lips. The hiss was definitely louder now.

Y/N froze. She hadn't meant to give it away yet. "What? No," she said too quickly, shaking her head, hoping to brush it off.

But Mattheo, ever the curious one, stood up, his eyes narrowing. "What was that sound? It's not like... a cat, right?"

"Absolutely not." Y/N chuckled nervously, but she couldn't hide the slight tension in her shoulders. "You guys need to stop overthinking things."

Lorenzo squinted at her. "You know, you've been acting weird ever since you got that ball python, Linguini. I've heard strange noises coming from your dorm a few times... almost like you've got an entire... zoo in there."

The rest of the boys laughed at the idea, but their teasing quickly stopped when the sound of more hissing—this time, more than one—grew louder from behind Y/N. Her heart sank. It was over. She stepped aside reluctantly, revealing the large array of snake enclosures stacked neatly along the walls of the room. The snakes—pythons, boas, and even a few rare venomous species—slithered in and out of their tanks, creating a calm but eerie atmosphere.

Mattheo, his eyes wide in disbelief, walked closer to get a better look. "What the hell is all of this, Y/N?" he asked, his tone a mix of surprise and something else—concern?

Y/N sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I've been breeding snakes in secret," she admitted, glancing at each of their faces for any signs of judgment. "It's been... something I've been doing for a while now."

"You've been breeding them?" Blaise asked, incredulity lacing his voice as he stepped closer to one of the enclosures.

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, I started with Linguini, and it kind of... snowballed from there. I've got a little breeding business going on in the background, selling rare snakes to collectors. No one knows, though. It's been a secret."

"You've been breeding snakes this whole time?" Theo repeated slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "And we had no idea?"

"Exactly," Y/N said, trying to act casual about it. "I didn't want anyone getting in the way of my... business, you know? It's not exactly something I wanted to announce."

Lorenzo stepped up to the nearest enclosure and raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me, we've been hanging out in your dorm all this time, and you've got a snake empire going on behind closed doors?"

Y/N gave a sheepish shrug. "It's not as big as it sounds. Just a few breeding pairs, a handful of customers, and a lot of care for the snakes. I'm not running a business like you might think. But yes, this is my... side hustle."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Mattheo crossed his arms, giving her a wry smile. "I think you've officially broken my trust. Not only do you have snakes in my dorm, but you've been secretly running a business behind my back."

Y/N's eyes widened. "Wait, I thought you'd be mad about the snakes, not the business part!"

Mattheo let out a low laugh, his eyes twinkling. "You've been hiding snakes in our dorm, and you thought I wouldn't care about that? What's next, Y/N? Are we going to find out you've got a dragon in the closet?"

The room burst into laughter, though there was an underlying sense of relief in the air. No one had expected such an unexpected turn. But then, as they all relaxed, Blaise wandered over to one of the enclosures, his face lighting up in curiosity.

"Actually, I think I can get behind this," he said, watching one of the snakes coil lazily around a branch. "This could be a good business idea. You've got the right set-up here, and I've got some connections if you want to expand."

Y/N blinked. "Wait, seriously? You want to help me with this?"

"Why not?" Blaise shrugged, grinning. "I'm just saying, snakes are cool. And it's not every day you find out one of your friends has a secret snake empire."

The boys all chuckled, and though Y/N was a bit embarrassed, she couldn't help but feel grateful. Maybe this weird secret wasn't as much of a disaster as she thought.

"I promise no more surprises," she said, smiling at Mattheo, who still looked mildly amused but more relaxed now.

Mattheo raised an eyebrow. "For now, I'll let it slide. But you are cleaning up the tanks yourself, right?"

"Deal."

Y/N grinned as she walked over to one of the enclosures, her fingers grazing the smooth glass. The boys were still watching her closely, a mix of curiosity and disbelief in their expressions. She opened the top of the tank and reached inside, pulling out a beautiful ball python with deep, rich brown and gold patterns.

"Alright," she said, holding the snake up for them to see. "This is Nyx."

The snake coiled gently around her arm, its vibrant colors shifting under the light. "She's a pastel ball python, one of the more popular morphs. I'm pretty proud of how she turned out—her coloring is gorgeous."

The boys leaned in, their eyes widening as they studied the snake. "She's stunning," Mattheo said, his voice softer than usual. He gently reached out, letting the snake slither across his hand. "I didn't think I'd like snakes this much."

Y/N's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah, they have this calming presence once you get used to them. She's one of the calmer ones."

She then walked to another enclosure and carefully pulled out a snake that was almost completely white, with pale yellowish patterns on its back. It was a blue-eyed leucistic ball python, its eyes strikingly blue, almost otherworldly.

"This is Ghost," Y/N said softly, holding the snake so it draped gently over her hands. "She's a blue-eyed leucistic, a genetic morph that's mostly white, but her blue eyes really make her stand out. They're one of the rarest types of ball pythons."

Blaise, always the one to appreciate beauty in unexpected places, took a step closer. "That's... incredible. How do you even get snakes like that?"

Y/N shrugged with a mischievous smile. "Breeding them. It's all about finding the right pairs, the right genetics, and the right care. It's more than just having cool pets—it's about making sure they thrive."

Next, Y/N reached into a tank and pulled out a snake with deep, striking orange and black patterns. It was a cinnamon ball python, with a rich, almost fiery look.

"This is Ember," she said, holding the snake up so the boys could admire its vibrant colors. "She's a cinnamon morph, one of my newer projects. I'm hoping she'll breed some even brighter babies."

The boys gathered around, impressed by the unique beauty of the snakes. Lorenzo, who was the least familiar with reptiles, seemed especially intrigued by Ember's bold colors. "You really have a thing for these snakes, huh?" he remarked, his tone filled with awe.

Y/N nodded, her eyes lighting up with passion. "They're fascinating. Each one has its own personality, its own quirks. They're not just pets—they're part of something bigger. It's about the genetics, the patience, and really learning about each species."

The last snake she pulled out was one of her pride and joys: a fireball ball python, with glowing golden and red hues that made it look like it was lit from within.

"This," Y/N said, holding the snake out for all to admire, "is Blaze. He's one of the brightest morphs I've produced. His color is so rich, it almost looks like a fire. I've been working with him for a while now, and he's the father of a few litters."

The boys stared, clearly in awe. "This one's incredible," Theo said, reaching out to touch Blaze's smooth scales. "You really have something special here, Y/N."

Y/N smiled proudly. "I take good care of them. And as much as I love them, I'm careful about where they go. Some of these morphs are rare, and I want to make sure they're treated well."

The boys all nodded, some of them still in shock over the sheer amount of work and dedication Y/N had put into her secret business. For a moment, the room was silent, all of them watching the snakes as they slithered calmly in her hands.

Finally, Mattheo spoke up, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You've really got your own little empire here, haven't you?"

Y/N chuckled softly. "I guess you could say that. But it's more than just a business to me. It's something I love doing."

Blaise looked at the others, then back at Y/N. "Well, if you ever need help expanding... I think I've got a few contacts who'd be interested."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "You're really going to get involved?"

"Why not?" Blaise grinned. "Seems like you've got a good thing going. I'm in."

The rest of the boys exchanged amused looks before nodding in agreement. They had started out surprised, but now, they were all more intrigued than ever by Y/N's hidden talent. And as the snakes relaxed in her arms, Y/N felt a little less worried about keeping her secret—because, for once, it felt like they understood.

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