Chapter - 39 : A Slytherin Sanctuary

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The place was cold and intimidating, to be certain. But some Slytherin part of me absolutely adored the greenish filtered light and the slight bite of cold in the air. Even the sound of the water lapping at the windows was rather comforting, soothing my nerves and making me even sleepier. It was a quiet, subdued place, but it wasn't outright unfriendly.

"I want to see the dorms!" Parkinson announced, and started off towards the door Amelie had vanished through. For once, I agreed with her, and it seemed that the rest of our year did too. Tracey, Bulstrode, Lily, Daphne and I all followed her lead.

We quickly found the first year dorms and stepped inside. Like the Common Room, the light that filtered through the windows was green. The domed ceiling made the sound of the water echo slightly. It was like having a white noise machine. Slytherin crests and banners hung on the walls, insulating them a little. There were six beds, all old four-posters with dark wood and green hangings. Silver lanterns dangled from the ceiling on chains, swaying slightly. Their flames flickered constantly, and the rattling chains melded with the lapping water. The whole place seemed to be designed to be as soothing as possible.

I looked up at the lanterns, smiling gratefully. Pitch blackness I was terrified by, but the lake and the lanterns provided a gentle enough light to not be obnoxious while still illuminating everything.

We scattered to our trunks, which had been placed at the foot of our beds. I found mine and quickly dug through it, pulling out my baggy camisole/night gown and tossing it onto my bed. Excited as I was to start classes tomorrow, I was still utterly wiped by the day. I tugged the curtains around my bed to change clothes, folding up my clothes for the next day on top of my trunk.

Lily, from the bed next to me, gave my stretched, tattered camisole a slight sneer and asked, "Is that really all you have to sleep in?"

"It's comfortable," I replied with a shrug, which wasn't a lie. Granted, I wished I had something a little nicer, particularly when Pansy Parkinson produced a pink silk nightie from her trunk, but the idea of getting something like that from the Dursleys was laughable.

Parkinson, Daphne, and Bulstrode seemed content to stay up and chat. I got the feeling they'd known each other for a while from the way they spoke. It sounded like their families all knew each other. Tracey, Lily and I were all eager for bed though. We all drew our curtains to block out their conversations as much as possible and settled in for the night.

I pulled back my covers and slid into the bed, sighing happily. The sheets seemed to be charmed to keep out the chill. They were pleasantly warm when I crawled under them, not stifling, like they'd just been pulled out of the dryer. I plucked my glasses from my face and set them on the table beside my bed.

Lying back, I realized how soft my bed was. It was like lying on a cloud compared to my rock-hard mattress back at Privet Drive. The sheets were silk and slid luxuriously against my skin. My pillow I realized, was stuffed with feathers. It squished under my head nicely when I lay back, without completely flattening out.

I was in heaven.

I was also in hell.

I'd been separated from Harry. He was in a house that seemed almost required to hate mine. In the eyes of the rest of the school, we were supposed to be mortal enemies, competing for grades and hexing each other in the hallways. It'd never in my life competed with Harry for anything, except perhaps who could attract less attention from the Dursleys.

I couldn't decide whether I loved or hated my house. Lily seemed nice enough, and so did Tracey. Our Common Room and dorms were gorgeous, and I was already regretting having to leave this pampering for Privet Drive in the summer. I

On the other hand, Slytherin also had Parkinson, Daphne, and Bulstrode, who I weren't quite so sure about. They seemed arrogant and disdainful, and while I'd been accused of that before, for them it seemed like a near-constant state. In fact it seemed to be pretty common in Slytherin house. Slytherin also had Malfoy, which wasn't exactly pleasant, but he should be easy enough to avoid.

I remembered the conversation at dinner. It had somehow become a test of who could talk circles around who. And much as it seemed entirely too Slytherin to admit it, I'd enjoyed it. It was fun. It was also a delight to be able to speak my mind without fear of being hit or starved or locked in a cupboard. In fact, it seemed like I was almost encouraged to try and one-up and out-talk my fellow house mates, like it was an ability to be admired instead of frowned upon.

The gentle sloshing of the lake began to invade my brain until it was all that I could hear and all that I could think about. With my glasses off, the lanterns were like swaying balls of light instead of flickering flames. It was hypnotizing to watch. The combination lulled me to sleep quickly enough.

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