𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄:
Long Term Dorm Mates
(1971)

VIVIANE HAD NEVER FELT SO BOTHERED BEFORE. After the wonderful dinner at the great dining hall, a warm welcome from Albus Dumbledore, a few reminders not to use magic in the corridors between classes, and that Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term-Viviane made a mental note to watch and observe the Quidditch trials.

Viviane felt...well, nervous for her lovable cousin, Sirius Black. It bothered her to no end. After mindlessly following their Head Boy and Head Girl to their Slytherin common rooms at the dungeons-they went down to the moving grand staircase, passing moving portraits of famous witches and wizards.

Viviane needed to talk to him-give him assurance and support. Viviane doesn't like doing nothing. She's a hundred percent sure that Sirius isn't as anxious as she is-he'll maybe even tease her that she was the one sorted into Gryffindor instead of him for how much worry radiated off her.

She figured that she'll talk to him tomorrow after breakfast.

Viviane knows that the Slytherin common room is far away from other common room houses, but she never really thought that it was so...isolated. Well, it is the dungeons, she expected a bit of air, but she figured that's why her mother packed her a charmed potted plant that gives a room a bit of freshness-their common being literally under the black lake doesn't add up to it.

They came to a halt. As the Head Boy explained, the password to the common room is changed once a week, and the new password shall be pinned on the notice board just at the end of the staircase inside the common room.

A metallic decoration of a serpent slithers across the wall, revealing the hidden door inside-it was quite impressive.

"Pudicitia." The Head girl says.

Purity. This is the common room password for the week. How predictable, honestly.

They entered the small lounge, greeted by statues of two mermaids on a pond filled with lily pads. Potted plants and a bench with two Slytherin students seated, they greeted the first years with a welcoming hello and welcome to the Slytherin common room.

The interior is composed of only concrete walls lit by a series of enchanting silver lanterns that cast a soft, ethereal glow. Viviane hums to herself, turning around and looking for Myra. She sees her with a girl with black hair tied into a ponytail. Viviane approaches her new friend with an apologetic look.

"Sorry I didn't go with you. My mind was a bit preoccupied." Viviane tells Myra, with the girl waving her hand in dismissal, "No worries, I understand." Then Myra looks beside her, "This is Althea Knighton. She needed company."

"Viviane," Viviane offers her hand, with Althea accepting it with a wide smile. Happy to have a new friend. "Nice to meet you," She says. They shook hands and let the surroundings sink in. Their common room was beautiful, and it was just the greeting lounge.

The three of them were inseparable as they went down further, walking the concrete stairs with the walls patterned with tapestries with various designs of the sea with armored knights. The lanterns guided them until they heard a splashing of water. As they went further down, beside the stairs was cascading water. Reaching the end of the stairs were green-marbled pillars beside another pond with some kind of sea beast carved out into the wall and statues of mermaids. Then the notice board that the Head Boy informed them earlier, there was an Order of Merlin award displayed on it.

But what really was in front of her amazed her to no end. The walls are adorned with elegant dark green and silver textured wallpaper. The dark green carpeted floors with these elegant patterned designs, green velvet couches, and mahogany coffee tables. In some corners, the wallpaper displays well-known witches and wizards sorted into Slytherin, and there are also moving portraits of them. And a beautiful fireplace with a mantled skull of a bull? Or a deer. Viviane doesn't really know.

Their common room radiated elite and class. It reminded Viviane of the Manor, but the exterior was a bit dark compared to the lightness that their Manor held. But still, it was beautiful nonetheless. Four green marble pillars supported every corner of the room. The whole interior of it was like something that came out of architecture from Greek Mythology but adapted into a sophisticated dungeon.

The Head Boy and Head Girl toured them. To their right was another common room lounge, but what Viviane noticed were the three big windows with a view of the black lake-the bottom of the black lake. She could see fish and quite a big unidentifiable sea creature swimming around. They told them that sometimes actual mermaids went to their windows-Viviane doubts that mermaids find them interesting enough to gaze at them through the large window.

It was cozy, with dim lights and a comfortable place to study with a number of tables and lush, velvety couches with mahogany furniture, potted plants, globes, and stacked books surrounding almost every corner of the room. Viviane's eye catches an odd display of bones- of a dead Unicorn in specific. It was caged to this mahogany display surrounded by glass. How, in the name of Merlin, did they obtain a Unicorn? Viviane looked to her left to see the same mahogany display, but instead of a Unicorn, it was a Phoenix. Viviane grimaced. She doesn't like that. It was a bit disturbing.

The Head Boy and Head Girl guided them back to the main common room. There were two main corridors, one to her left and one to her right, and in front of her was a grand staircase with the Statue of Salazar Slytherin.

The left corridor leads up to the narrow corridor with a few flights of enchanted stairs with metal floors and metal hand railings-it leads up to the 1st and 4th year girls' dorm room, and to the right are 1st to 4th year boys' common rooms while the common rooms of 5th to 7th years are halfway towards the grand staircase. Then to the grand staircase where Salazar Slytherin's statue lies, in the left corner is the solo room of the Head Boy, and the left corner is the solo room of the Head Girl-Viviane made a mental note to do her best so she could attain the Prefect Badge in her 5th and 6th year and 7th year for the Head Girl position.

They entered the left common room that is designated for girls in the 1st and 4th years. The round ceilings are designed with stained glass patterns. The Head Girl then started to assign their room with a scroll in her hand. Only five students are allowed in one dorm. She called on names and guided them to their room. Then she heard her name and other familiar names.

"Hawthorne, Viviane."

"Knighton, Althea."

"Meadows, Dorcas."

"Parkinson, Aurora."

"Reyes, Myra."

"Please do follow me." And then they did, with the five of them finding each other. The Head Girl halted in her steps just by the second door. Two small silver lanterns at each side of the door. With the number 1 emblem on the right side.

Then the Head Girl reminded them that the stairs of the girls' dormitories are enchanted so that boys are not allowed to enter, and it's the same for the boys' dormitories. The curfew is 9 PM. Their schedules will be given to them tomorrow during their breakfast at the Great Dining Hall. They are allowed to decorate their assigned beds. The girls' common bathroom is at the end of the corridor. She'd given them a map of the castle. And if they ever need her assistance, they can freely knock at her room.

The Head Girl let them be as they entered their assigned dorm. The wallpapers are like an enchanted forest filled with flowers and trees. Five four-poster beds draped in rich green silk curtains that billow softly. The wooden headboard features intricately carved serpent motifs. The bed itself is adorned with sumptuous silver and green linens. By the end of their bed are their trunks.

In the middle of the room is this contained fireplace. With each bed, they have their own mahogany study tables and large mahogany cabinets. A small reading nook, with a plush armchair nestled between the shelves, provides a sanctuary for quiet contemplation or immersive reading. Plush pillows on the ground beside the fireplace and fur carpets at every edge of their beds.

Viviane sees Hermes in a cage on her study table while Hades lies peacefully asleep on her bed. Myra is assigned to her left while Dorcas is to her right, followed by Althea, then Aurora. She is very pleased with their dorm. They're all tired after they unpacked their trunks and arranged and organised their things while Viviane changed her bedding and pillow cushion. It smelled like home. She had already fixed Hermes's wooden post on her study desk and placed Hades's dog bed and dog bowls underneath.

Viviane asked if it was alright for her pets to stay, she didn't know if they had allergies. They all agreed. Dorcas especially adored Hades. She isn't the only one with a pet. Aurora has a white half-cat and half-kneazle with her. It's good that their beds are far away from each other. Hades's is a smart dog and decided to stay in Viviane's bed-far away from the half-cat and half-kneazle.

After washing up in the common room bathroom and getting ready for bed, she was already in her pyjamas. Viviane wrote a letter, one for her Mama, one for her Father, and one for Weeny.

Dearest Weeny,

I'm at Hogwarts! I got sorted into Slytherin, as we predicted. Our common room reminds me of the Manor, and with that, it makes me feel a little bit at home. I'm still getting used to the idea of you not greeting me in the morning-I hope you don't feel sad that I'm not there. Please do take care of Mama for me.

It has been a long day. I'll write to you as often as possible. Take care, Weeny.

From,
Viviane

Viviane rolled the letters as Hermes's hooted softly on his wooden post. Viviane looked at him with a smile, "It's only 7 PM, a few hours before curfew. Do you mind delivering this to Mama, Father, and Weeny? I told them I'll send them a letter after I get sorted." Hermes hooted again in response, agreeing. Viviane patted her shoulder as Hermes landed softly. She placed the leash on Hades and also decided for a walk and let him potty after she sent Hermes to deliver the letters.

Viviane exited the common room and walked through the dimly lighted corridors. There were still students roaming around. It wasn't entirely empty. Viviane walked towards the courtyard with Hades's finished his potty as she placed the letters on Hermes's letter holder securely. Viviane softly scratched his chin.

"Arrive safely at Hawthorne Manor, and don't travel back until the morning. Rest in the little house I built you on my balcony. Surely Mama and Weeny will feed you before they let you come back with their letters." Viviane instructed as Hermes hooted and flew away. She and Hades walked back towards the corridors and back to the common room.

Arriving at her dorm room, seeing Dorcas, Altheea, and Aurora already taken by exhaustion and sleeping peacefully in their beds. Myra is still awake.

"Hey," Viviane greeted as she took off Hades' leash, with Hades running straight to his dog bed, making himself comfortable and plopping down the bed.

"I was waiting for you," Myra tells her with a smile, sitting at the edge of her bed. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you," Viviane responds as she sits on her bed.

"I also couldn't sleep," Myra added with a frown. Viviane understood it was a new environment. It'll take a while for them to completely adjust. After all, even though they are roommates, they are still strangers to each other. Viviane needs to do something about that.

"How can I help?" Viviane sincerely asks.

Myra brightened up as if she had thought of something brilliant. "Let's get to know each other!" She exclaimed, then Viviane shushed her, giggling. Pointing towards the three sleeping girls. Viviane then sat next to the fireplace, and as Myra suggested, they talked for at least two hours-it was the most pleasant conversation she had had in a while, also added because Myra is her age. They relate in certain aspects.

Viviane liked Myra. She's talkative, honest, and cheery. She's glad that they met and that their mothers were already friends. She was a bit afraid that no one would like to befriend her because of some assumptions about her. She had already heard comments from the Great Dining Hall during dinner, mostly from the Gryffindor table, that she looked snobbish. The comments halted when Sirius, Remus, and James defended her-she was quite glad and relieved. After that, they went to bed.

Viviane finally slept with no worry in her mind.

Author's Note:
-Hogwarts Legacy really helped me with describing the overall setting of Hogwarts. It took me a lot of time to use the right words to describe it, but I think I got it right! And to Hogwarts is here is where I based the syllabus/classes/lessons they'll be having until 7th year!

-Also, this update will have two more chapters! As my Christmas Gift to all of you! Chapters 12, 13, & 14 are published! Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates it, no matter the occasion. It's my gift to all of you as I have gained another year of writing in this app!