The Riddle behind her power

Part 3

After the dinner was over and we were on our way to the Dungeons where our common room was located, I had the chance to set my eyes on the rest of my peers from the other houses. None really caught my eye apart from a a group of three in Gryffindor. A brunette with a book in hand, a boy with ginger hair and in the middle a black haired boy with glasses. They seemed so judgmental from here and just by the way they'd turned to stare I assumed we wouldn't become friends.

I averted my gaze from the trio and started walking. I kept scanning the hall -of course- and surprisingly there were students who even dared to grin at me like two gingers looking so alike they were probably twins. They turned to be the minority since everyone else apart from Slytherins either made way for me to pass, too intimidated with me walking on their hills, or they just altered their routes altogether.

Once we exited the Great hall, and each one was on their way to their own house, I was glad for the attention to be over. It is another thing entirely to be interesting or intimidating for others and another to be dreaded to the point where your peers are dodging out of fear of being at arm's distance with you. Father might say that this is how power is supposed to feel but I was supposed to befriend them all in order to help him take them down. How was I supposed to do this if no one approached me?!

Before I even realized it, I was standing before the Slytherin common room door. I mouthed the password I was told -Pureblood- but it didn't work. I tried again and it didn't work this time either.

Behind me, students looked nervously to each other. Not because I'd done something wrong but simply because they were all as clueless as I was as to the reason why the password they had all been using, had changed.

Suddenly, from the back of the group, someone spoke. "The password has changed," they said. "Power," was all he said for the door to open. I stepped in the dim lighted common room which was exactly like father had described. Leather couches were almost everywhere around the room with coffee tables by their side as well as a sofa before the fireplace. As students started getting comfortable to them, I opened my bag only to get out a set of headphones and a book with which I occupied my time for about an hour,sitting in the couch closest to the fireplace.

I didn't want to read, not really, I just wanted to relax a bit, think. After all who would bother Me while being obviously occupied? I wished someone had, to be honest as I felt kind of lonely. I should have approached them, someone might have said, but I was too tired today and after all these introductions to people whose names I wouldn't be able to recall the next day, my social battery had dropped to nearly the bottom.

It took about another hour and a half for the common room to be almost empty. As I stood, a girl with black short hair whose name I believe was Lia, approached me with a smile already in her face. I already liked her for her boldness alone.

"It's getting late and I assume you're tired. Let me escort you to your dorm room," she said and turned around. I walked with her and didn't mind the silence until I saw a tag saying "boys" to which I stopped short. She turned around to ask what was wrong but then realized it before words had left my mouth.

"I can arrange something else, if you'd like but there are only two suites. They are both in the boys' hallway and only the one of the two is available"

As she realized I was considering it, she smiled a bit more and suggested I see how I'd feel there and decide tomorrow. I didn't argue to that and when she saw that change of heart, she kept going. When we arrived, she handed me the key and then she were gone.