The Slytherin common room is brisk and chatty, everyone's interacting with everyone, and smiles illuminate the dim-lit room. Quite a mood change from earlier... I guess Slytherin are friendlier to Slytherin than they are to everyone else, except Malfoy who can't stand me now. My fault for trying my luck at pouncing on him and maybe surprising him instead of pissing him off? Fat chance for an idiot with little social skills outside of The Home.
Pansy and her lot sit cradled by the fireplace, others like her bunch are spewed across the room, leaving me on my own in the nook. I don't mind being alone, there's a comfort in the quiet but this isn't going to get me any friends. I don't need friends but I reckon making a good impression on the rest of Slytherin could help a bunch after Malfoy spreads word about our feud. Speaking of the devil, he's with his company of boys babbling the softest, I wonder what about. Maybe he's spilling the beans about me? It couldn't kill me if I walked over there, would it? The other boys, despite looking as mischievous as a regular Slytherin would, they look pleasant. Obviously, excluding Malfoy's stupid face.
"Hello," I greet them.
Their piercing gapes are enough to split me down to the bone. Bad idea?
"Hello, fresher!" A boy gleams happily next to Malfoy. "Well, are you gonna just stand there like a scarecrow? Come on."
The chubby boy enthuses happily and scoots over on the seater and bumps right into Malfoy. He looks so annoyed. I, on the other hand, am surprised at the turnout so far. The boys all nudge me toward the perch, making me sit down and huddling around me before I've had a chance to get comfortable. I thought being stared at was painful, try being crammed and gawked over. The two don't mesh well, especially for me.
"So fresher, tell us about yourself?" One of the boys recommend.
Outstanding, exactly what I need. Let's hope my lying tongue is sly enough for this one.
"I'm Eris and I'm from Windsor." I pause but no fallout, "I like to read--"
"--No, none of that fresher, we want to know about your bloodline."
The gathering bursts with faffs and cheers, agreeing with the boy. Only then do I realize with all the noise that the whole common room is now concentrating on me, when did they even join in?
"Tell us about your parents!" "Are you a pureblood?"
"Are you an only child?" "Why were you enrolled so late--"
"--Okay!"
The whole room hushes at my sudden blurt, even Malfoy is looking at me after a while of avoiding my glance.
"I-I uh."
Here goes nothing.
"I come from a family of Purebloods, The Harris'. We don't get out much, and that's probably why you haven't heard of us. It's because of them that I got to practice magic at a young age and you'll probably notice that I know close to every spell. They homeschooled me all this time, but I grew tired of it. And now I'm here."
The stillness rattles the heart in my chest.
"Well, that explains a lot" Someone comments.
The room suddenly goes back to its cozy aura as before. The relief relaxes my shoulders into a slight slouch against the cushions on the couch.
"I was afraid you'd be a mangey mud-blood."
Of course Slytherin would happily use that word. For some reason, hearing it makes me nervous.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not, isn't Harris?" Malfoy adds.
So it speaks.
"Of course."
