༝ ˚ 。⋆𝐓𝐖𝐎⋆。 ˚ ༝
"Are you lost?"
Sereia flinched, startled by the sudden sound as she stared at an empty platform. There had just been a staircase there not even five minutes ago.
How does a stair case just move?
This castle was like a maze that changed every two seconds. How was she ever supposed to find her way to Marina like this? How was she supposed to find her way anywhere like this? Staircases aren't supposed to move, she was sure it was some kind of hazard.
"Are you lost?"
They persisted. she hadn't answered. This would be the first conversation she would have in years. Sereia turned to see who was speaking to her.
He was a bit taller than her with glassy eyes and hair that was neatly kept out of his face. His accent was tight and made her feel improper just for standing there, just for being lost. He held his wand out in front of him, like he needed it to see almost.
Sereia looked at him, really looked at him. Studying unknown creatures had become a habit of hers and that's exactly what she was doing right now. Studying him.
"I asked you a question."
He persisted, his tone firm but not harsh. Sereia realized she hadn't answered him.
"Yes."
She finally said.
"Where is it that you are trying to go?" He asked her.
He kept talking? Is that what people did after you answered their questions? Just keep talking? She racked her brain, trying to remember where Marina had said she would meet her upon her arrival.
"The Central-" She trailed off, trying to remember the name. "Central Hall?" Offered the boy. "Yes." Sereia finally said.
He didn't smile, not exactly, but something tugged at his lips that made his expression soften. He must have realized that Sereia was completely clueless or directionally impaired at least.
"This way." He told her as he walked down a set of stairs that seemed to fold out beneath him with every step. Sereia followed behind him but she watched in wonder as he just had so much faith in every step that he wouldn't fall and that the stairs would unfurl int time to catch him.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
"Central Hall."
Ominis said as they walked out of a corridor and into an atrium of sorts. Sereia felt as if the breath was knocked right out of her.
This was the largest room she had ever seen in her life. Pillars reached up to the arched ceiling lined with decorative windows that allowed sunlight to spill in and bathe practically everything in golden sunlight.
The floors and walls were made of marble and they glistened in the afternoon sun. in the middle of the room was a fountain which seemed to catch her eyes more than anything.
She walked past her guide, up to the rim of the stone fountain, where a mermaid circled the base. She was carved from stone of course but her eyes seemed to stare right into Sereia's, searching her soul.
It made her extremely uncomfortable and she became quickly distracted by the sound of trickling running water.
She looked down at the pool at the base of the fountain. The sunlight refracted beautifully through the pool. It glistened and glittered and sparkled in a way that Sereia had never seen before.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
She flinched. People needed to stop sneaking up on her like that.
"Sereia River?" She turned and across from her was a woman with weathered skin, keen eyes, and hair that cascaded in dark curls which framed her face. Sereia nodded.
"I'm so glad you've made it here."
She stepped closer to Sereia and took her hands in hers, which Sereia quickly recoiled from. She pulled her hands out of her grip and the woman smiled sympathetically, like she had expected Sereia to react that way.
"I am Marina River. Your aunt."
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
"I have fought so long for you to come here."
Marina told her.
"Your father would be so proud." She added. Sereia wasn't much of a talker and Marina hadn't expected her to be. She noticed as Sereia's gaze remained on the fountain's basin almost the entire time as they talked.
"I had this commissioned, you know." Marina laid a hand on the stone ridge that lined the basin.
"For the school, of course. I thought the central hall could use a bit of running water. I think you'll agree with me that there's no better sound than the one of rushing water." Sereia remembered the sea and she nodded.
"Central hall needed this, it needed this reminder of nature and life to bring a balance to the students here." Marina continued before looking back down at her niece.
"Just like it needs you." She told her. "You need to be here, it will keep you safe, but the students here... they could use some diversity of magic. Most of them have never even heard the likes of sea magic like your parents used to practice. You must keep that alive, Sereia." Her eyes were sharp as she spoke.
Sea magic? Yes... Sereia did remember something to do with a bit of an arcane force in her youth. And she herself had even noticed the magic that surrounded her. She had her father's wand, after all.
She had started to learn spells as soon as she could read from notes and spells left behind by her father. Her mother had left her some too, but she didn't quite understand those yet. Perhaps that was the Sea Magic that Marina was referring to.
And if her mother could practice it, there was a huge chance that she could to.
"I have left a starter guide for Sea Magic with the rest of your things in your dorm room. But unfortunately, should you require more in depth knowledge on the subject, the rest of the books are in the restricted section of the library." Marina sighed.
"But, being a Slytherin, I am sure you can find someone in no time who can help you work around that." Marina said with a bit of a grin.
"Now, come with me and I can get you to your common room to help you get settled before your first day tomorrow. Classes won't be easy, I'm afraid, and you will need all of your rest."
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
The Slytherin common room was unlike anything Sereia had ever seen before. She walked in with her mouth agape, as she took in the full beauty of its architecture.
Never before had she seen something like this. Marina, once telling her the password, had left her there to get "Acquainted" with some of her fellow students.
However, if she really understood how little Sereia knew about human connection she wouldn't have done such a thing. Sereia was overwhelmed. She made her way quickly to the one thing in the room that she could understand, that would ground her.
The windows of the common room did not over look any kind of majestic castle garden or enchanted forest. Instead they looked straight into the lake, water.
Water would ground her.
She made her way to the glass, eyes transfixed on the deep endless blue before her and outstretched her fingers. The glass was cool to the touch and she felt the sensation calm her as soon as her fingers made contact with it. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed, focusing on what laid outside, depths of water. It made her feel safe.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
"Think we'll ever see a mermaid out there some day?"
Her eyes opened almost instantly at the sound of someone else speaking so close to her.
Were they speaking to her?
She looked for the source and she wasn't alone at the window anymore. A boy, different from the last, stood next to her. He was also looking out the window into the depths of the lake.
He wasn't looking at her but obviously he had noticed her, he was speaking to her. He seemed just as transfixed on it as she was.
"I've always hoped to see a mermaid out there. Some people think they're beautiful, you know, but I've always heard that they're completely horrid and wicked creatures."
The light danced across his face, reflected and refracted by the moving water. He turned to look at her.
"What do you think?"
She found herself caught in a situation. She didn't know anything about mermaids, let alone what the stereotype of them was. She looked away from him, her eyes quickly went back to the glass before them, separating them from the water. She shrugged.
"Don't know, huh? I suppose that's fair. Most people never get to see a mermaid. Ominis always tells me they'd never swim up this close to the common room, but I can't help but hope to see one some day."
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and continued to gaze out at the murky blue water.
"Ominis told me about you, you know."
Who was Ominis? Was he perhaps the one who guided her to central hall early? This was the second time this boy had mentioned him to her.
"He said he helped you find your way to central hall to meet professor River."
Ah, yes, then it was that boy from before. They must be friends.
"He said she's your aunt."
he turned to look at Sereia again and this time she met his gaze.
"I'm Sebastian Sallow." He offered her a grin. "Welcome to slytherin."
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