Axis Mundi [HP]

CH 6 [For Things To Come]

The Slytherin dorm was a more than ideal space for Acher as it satisfied something deeply primal in his brain. Set within the murky waters of the black lake the wide yet cozy space had a comfortableness to it that the young blonde couldn't describe with words. The floors, columns, and ceiling were made out of slick, black marble that turned green upon contact with the light of the fireplace and the sheen of water spilling from the wide windows. All the sofas and armchairs were made of dark brown wood and set with night-green cushions, crowded around low-rise coffee tables.

Acher was vaguely aware of the other first-year Slytherins talking as he ran his finger across the wooden head of a snake that curved out of the elegant slope of a sofa armrest. All the furniture had some sort of snake iconography to it, whether it was the shape of a serpent lining the pillows or multiple vipers etched upon table legs.

"Welcome everyone!" a man I'm his early thirties announced jovially. "I'm professor Slughorn and I'm oh so excited to welcome you all into the house of Slytherin!" all the conversations hushed. "The house of the cunning and ambitious welcomes only the best of students so I hope that  all of you will meet those expectations."

Acher jabbed his finger into the gaping maw of a wooden snake.

His eyes caught movement behind the window and he quickly turned his head to check it out. He met the luminous eyes of a merperson, their forehead leaned on the glass as they surveyed Acher with great interest. Their body, a silver-green twist of scales and gills, seemed to blend into the murky waters. A shock of light red hair crowned their head like a fiery halo.

Acher slowly waved towards them. They perked up and waved back with their large, webbed hand.

He suddenly wondered what kind of food such beings eat. Do they eat fish? If so what is their relationship with them, do they view them as animals the same way humans do? Or are they kin and therefore the merpeople refuse to turn them into food? Can they communicate with fish? From what he knew they don't speak the human language which means they must have their own way of communication. But what kind? You can't exactly speak underwater. Or maybe...you can? This is a world with magic so maybe such a thing would be possible.

His stomach rumbled. Ah. So that's why he suddenly thought of food. Acher didn't eat anything during the feast. Not that there wasn't enough variety in the dishes but because of a particular pet peeve of Achers.  Mainly the way that the food was presented. All the dishes were sort of... clumped together. Presented on big trays and in giant bowls that anyone could pick from. Such a presentation, for lack of a better word, disgusted the blonde to no end. He couldn't really describe why it made him so queasy but something about everyone sharing the food from a handful of dishes made his skin crawl. He will have to find a way to get around tha-

"Excuse me!" a very offended voice shattered Acher's trail of thought. An upper year (judging from his height and the thin blonde stubble across his jaw Acher guessed he was about 16) was standing over him with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face. The teenager was tall with long blonde hair that reached past his broad shoulders and a pair of hardened gray eyes. "All the first years have already gone to their assigned rooms. Yet you are still here, starting at the window like a mentally impaired toddler."

The curly blonde looked around only to find that his year mates were indeed gone. Well, that's awkward. "Uh. Sorry, I'll take my leave-"

"You were also not paying attention to anything professor Slughorn said." he quirked his perfectly shaped blonde brow. With that gesture, he honestly looked more like a schoolgirl with a particularly inflated ego.

"I got distracted." Acher scratched the back of his neck, looking down at his shoes. They were still covered in sand at the sides from their excursion across the black lake.