Enigmatic Affections

Quatre - Les Odins et Prejudice

The dorm itself much resembled the commons; maybe not directly but certainly in the way it felt. Here the chiselled stone tiling was replaced with dark wooden floors, mottled gray marble columns sprung up along the walls holding up the ornate ceiling, a window tapered from end to end of the left hand wall - looking out at open water.

The silvered rococo furnishings, despite being elaborate, managed to seem homey in the dorm - be it the canopy beds, writing desks or the lounging area in front of a moderately sized fireplace, they all felt right - as if this was where they truly belonged. The dorm room reeked of riches - but despite this, it somehow felt comforting at the same time.

Pulling myself from my stunned admiration and taking a closer look around I noticed two things that my frazzled mind deemed important - firstly, my trunk was sitting at the foot of the left-most bed, nearest to a set of desks and the large window. Secondly - the room had another door on the back right hand wall.

Despite being half-asleep already, emotionally and physically drained from the day, I wouldn't be able to rest until I was sure that I felt safe in my surroundings - thus resluting in an investigation. The door itself, like the rest of the room, was done in rococo style - albeit a more tame version, it slid open silently revealing ... a large bathroom decorated in emerald and silver. Embarrased at my own anxiety, I quickly used the facilities then headed back into the main dorm room. Opening my trunk, I hung up the dresses my mother insisted I bring in a large closet that had seven allocated sections, no doubt one for each student in the dorm - just like the seven beds, seven desks, seven stools, sept, sept, sept...

Just thinking about having to meet a bunch of prissy pureblood girls made my toes curl, this was starting to seem like beauxba- no. I haven't even met them yet, they may well be kind and accepting. At this thought my own subconscious snorted at me. Traitor.

Deciding that I certainly did not have the energy to argue with myself all night, I slipped into my night clothes and made my way to my assigned canopy bed. Fiddling with the thick velvet curtains, their enchantments sprung to mind - no doubt an internalised immobulus and a modified silencio, but likely protection charm of sorts too? I suppose I'd have to hide this too, the innate revelio I seemed to posses, the girls at Beauxbatons hated that their 'blagues' never caught me.

Sighing as I flopped down on the bed I tested the curtains via wand and hand movements both- they seemed to be decent enough, so sealing them shut I tugged a blanket over my head. Lying there ready to wallow in self pity and maybe cry for an hour or so, I couldn't keep my eyes open and quickly drifted to sleep only to be met with a night of depressing dreams.

...

After a restless night, I was not in a good mood. My eyes were sore and swollen from tears and it being half-six certainly didn't help - nor did the incessant, dull tapping sound emanating from the window.

"For fuck sakes.." I muttered and drew back the deep green curtain surrounding the bed, looking up at the window I couldn't help but roll my eyes - merfolk, four or so of them floated around - a younger teenager the cause of the tapping, almost like an obscure reverse-aquarium.

Of course they would be here, les ondins flooded to magical waters- Papa always insisted on introducing me to the clans living in the Pyrenees lakes, something about it being good to know the neighbours.

Thinking about papa just made me cringe with discomfort, so standing up I moved over to the window.

With crossed arms, I pointedly looked up at the group, "Jeji?" [yes?] I grumbled, smirking as the teenager scrambled away in fright. At least the dialect of mermish seemed to be the same here - well similar enough for them to recognise 'yes'.