Toujours Pur | Euphemia Black

Chapter 4 | Slytherin House

Dear anyone who is actually reading this, thanks a million!

"All Slytherin first years to me!" the Slytherin prefect cried out, waving her hands to beckon them to the end of the table, which the first years obeyed immediately, albeit clumsily and shyly.

Walburga stayed pressed to Euphemia's side, gripping onto her cousin's hand tightly, in an attempt to stay with someone she knew.

Euphemia, however was sneakily peeking through the gaps in the crowds to see Minerva laughing about something with Florean, which sent a uneasy feeling to shoot through her stomach.

What if Minnie is replacing me already? Have I disappointed her by being in Slytherin? But Mia really knew she would've been in for an even harder time had she picked to go to Gryffindor, the Blacks would burn her alive.

"Euphemia!" Walburga snapped, her nails digging into Euphemia's wrist, dragging her over to where the rest of the Slytherin first years were assembled.

Euphemia mumbled an apology to her demanding cousin and followed the prefect and her fellow students to the Entrance Hall, the same breathtaking and dazzling hall that had stunned Mia upon her entrance, which seemed like centuries ago now.

It seemed ages ago that she had been laughing with Minerva, without a care in the world.

Now she was worrying, looking over her shoulder and hearing Druella's words repeat over and over again in her head, like a broken record - doomed to remind her again and again that she had to watch her back.

She hardly noticed where they were until she almost tripped down the steps that led further down into the dungeons and she shivered, a cold feeling suddenly coming over her as she looked around at the dark, gloomy walls that surrounded her, the corridors that were a ghostly green as all the first years traipsed along, some looking a little sceptical.

One girl even looked petrified, leading Euphemia to walk over to her and quietly ask her if she was alright.

The girl was rather small and was shivering with short black hair and a pale face which looked rather sallow in this light.

She smiled though, her dark eyes lighting up a little now someone had talked to her. "Just a little cold and lonely, I suppose," she answered with a shrug and Euphemia remembered her vaguely from one of the pure blood events she had been made to go to which was basically just a gathering of all the Sacred 28.

"I'm Euphemia Black, who are you?" Euphemia asked kindly and the girl in front of her grimaced, "I know who you are, we played Gobstones once at your cousin's house. Eileen Prince," she extended her hand and Mia shook it, feeling a little guilty that she had kind of forgotten about Eileen.

The name did ring a bell now it had been said and Euphemia apologised but Eileen only gave a bitter laugh and remarked that she was 'used to being forgotten about.'

Now Euphemia felt even more bad for not remembering her and decided to walk with Eileen until they came to a stop, an act that Eileen was thankful for as she shot Mia a grateful and friendly smile.

Walburga was chatting animatedly with another girl that Euphemia believed to be called Heather but she wasn't really bothered, just glad she was free of her demanding cousin for a while.

The crowd gradually stopped and the little line of Slytherins all looked expectantly up at the prefect, who was skimming a wall with her sharp blue eyes before nodding to herself.

"This wall is the entrance to the Slytherin common room," she announced. "You are to not tell any of the other houses of this entrance and you must use the password to enter or you will be sleeping out here and trust me, it's not pleasant."