Chrys woke to something cold and wet nudging her cheek. She sat up slowly, a kitten-like yawn leaving her as she stretched languidly.
"Good morning, Mistress." Mortifer and Noxus chimed together, the former nudging her hand affectionately while the other nosed her cheek. She giggled and gave their heads gentle scratches, "Good morning, Noxus, Mortifer."
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she grabbed her glasses from her nightstand. When she was relatively awake, she slid out of bed and surveyed her dorm room. Slytherin dorms usually have two students per room, but because of the odd number of girls, she had it to herself. It was much larger than the room she had at the Dursleys, but not as big as the room she occupied at home.
The walls were done in emerald green with silver and black accents and the ceiling was charmed to look like the night sky, Chrys suspected that was Severus' doing. The floor was laid in black wood panelling and was very cold against her bare feet. There are two identical four-poster beds with frames made of dark-stained mahogany and green velvet curtains tied back with silver rope. A couple of desks, chairs, and nightstands were stationed beside the beds in the same colour wood as the beds. In front of a small fireplace a coffee table, a plush leather armchair and a matching couch were placed neatly. The room was breathtaking.
Humming, Chrys wandered to the ensuite bathroom. The green, black, and silver pallet made its way into that room as well. The walls are green tiles with silver detailing while the floor is laid with black tiles. The appliances are dark grey to fit the colour scheme. She noticed some basic hygiene products on the black marble counter.
Did a bathroom really need to be this expensive-looking?
Chrys shook it off, she'd get used to it sooner or later, but for now, she needed to get ready. She went through her relatively new routine of showering, brushing her teeth and combing out her hair.
She was never able to do such things at the Dursleys. However, Severus and Narcissa made it very clear that basic hygiene wasn't a privilege, it was a human right that she was very much entitled to.
Shaking her thoughts away, Chrys got dressed in a fresh uniform. It was going to be her first day of classes after all. She added a pair of thick black tights and a deep green jumper Severus had gifted her, it was oversized, so the sleeves fell well past her fingertips. Chrys also tied her hair back in a loose bun and looked herself over in the full-body mirror.
She looked completely different from a few months ago. Instead of the anaemic, gaunt girl dressed in rags that she was so used to seeing, Chrys saw a pretty girl with a healthy weight in proper clothes. She was very tempted to pinch herself, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but she shook off the silly thought and pulled on her Mary Jane's. She then grabbed her messenger bag and helped Noxus get settled around her neck before leaving her dorm, Mortifer on her heels.
Chrys made her way to the common room, where she found Mattheo and Abraxus talking with their peers. Though, they looked rather bored with whatever the topic was. Humming softly, she started walking towards them, only for a girl to step in front of her.
She's much taller than Chrys with baby blue eyes, clear, pale skin and long chestnut brown waves that framed her face. The girl was very pretty, if you could get passed the disgusting sneer her expression was twisted into. "What's a filthy half-blood like you doing in our house?" she snarked haughtily.
The half-ginger blinked languidly, she wasn't awake enough for a fight. Instead, she walked around the girl and continued to Mattheo and Abraxus.
"Don't ignore me, you ugly freak!" the girl shrieked as Chrys felt her hair get yanked back harshly.
Chrys moved before she could think, she pivoted so fast she was she got whiplash and flicked her wrist sharply. Her bun was undone, two-toned hair spilling down her back in thick curls that seemed to float as her magic lashed out. The girl was thrown back across the common room and, luckily for her, she crashed into one of the plush armchairs.
The Potter Heiress felt everyone's eyes on her as she slowly lowered her arm. She tilted her head slightly, then yawned softly before turning away from the scene. She ignored the growing whispers as she padded to her friends while fixing her hair.
Mattheo slung an arm around her shoulder, "You okay, Petals?"
She leaned into his side, nodding, "Yeah. It didn't hurt much, her grip was pretty weak."
Abraxus hummed, watching as Chrys' assailant slowly got to her feet, "She deserved it." he shrugged, then pat the small witch's head, "Good job defending yourself, Red."
Chrys, cheeks tinged pink, murmured a soft, "Thanks." as she shyly averted her gaze.
"I don't think you realize what's happened," an older boy mused, pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning against, "That was Sophia Rosier, fifth-year and Slytherin Princess."
"Slytherin Princess?" Chrys echoed, her head tilted curiously.
The boy sighed, "Slytherin House runs on a hierarchy. Didn't they tell you that last night?"
"We kind of got held up on the train." Abraxus shrugged.
"For Merlin's sake.." he groaned, "Fine, I'll explain it then. Listen close cause I won't repeat myself. Slytherin's hierarchy has our Head of House, obviously, then there's the King and Queen, Prince and Princess, the court, whoever is head boy or girl, prefects, then the rest of us, and the jester. They're bottom of the food chain and have to do everyone's bidding."
"So... what happens now that Chrys retaliated?" Abraxus frowned, glancing worriedly at his small friend.
"A few things can happen. She'll either be brought before the court and punished or challenged to a duel. Or, if they all agree, she could become the first jester in over a century."
Chrys hummed thoughtfully, "Can I challenge her to a duel?"
The boy choked in surprise, then slowly nodded, "Yeah, but she's a fifth-year. What can a first-year like you do to her?"
Chrys simply smiled, hazel flashing gold briefly, "How would I go about challenging her?"
"You'd have to do it in front of the court, they meet in here after dinner every night," he informed, motioning to a vacant sitting area around the fireplace, "They always sit over there."
She hummed, absentmindedly petting Mortifer's fur. If she challenged Sophia and won, then maybe they'd leave her alone. Silently, she thanked Narcissa for teaching her some spells and basic duelling before they left for Hogwarts.
"I'll just challenge her then."
