𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥

You're late

Blanche had eventually managed to reach her room, only getting lost twice; it was located at the top of the Faculty Tower, right above the Slytherin Dungeon and near the Grand Staircase. That should have been quite intuitive, but for some reason, the stairs had decided not to cooperate by randomly moving a couple of times (at least).

Her chamber wasn't spacious, but it wasn't tiny, either: it was just of the right dimension, consenting her to move around without wasting too much time. Enclosed spaces made Blanche feel protected, and she found her room to be welcoming: the light filtering through the leaded glass of an enormous window, positioned right behind an ebony, solid desk, brightly illuminated the room. The walls were covered in empty shelves ready to be stocked with her books, and in a corner, there was a fireplace yet to be ignited. In a smaller, adjacent room she found her bed, draped with verdant satin linens, and a large wardrobe provided with an elongated mirror.

Her quarters had yet to feel like home or a safe place, but they had potential: overall, she was quite satisfied with them. After all, she hadn't had a proper, stable residence in forever: the last five years had gone by in a blur, as she had rented one room after the other in several cities that had never felt like her own. To finally have a place to call hers, in a familiar place like Hogwarts, was a win. She had been a student there, and now she had returned as a teacher, many years later, and that was a success on his own: she had been chosen for the position and that alone made her proud.

She threw her bags on the wooden floor with a sigh, eliciting a soft creak from the old boards, and sat on her bed. Briefly caressing the green silk made her realize that she was tired from the trip: Teleportation had exhausted her as usual. The pillow was soft and inviting enough to convince her to postpone unpacking in favor of taking a quick nap. She didn't set an alarm laying down; she just closed her eyes and eventually got lost in sleep's embrace.

When she woke up, the light pervading the enclosure had changed: a red twilight filtered through the thick glass, giving the room a comforting, warm appearance. The chamber was in the Southern Wing of the castle, one of the most exposed to the wind from the sea, but the view was undoubtedly worth it. When she opened the window, she could see the ocean and a glimpse of the shorter, yet majestic Clock Tower: being placed so high in the Faculty Tower provided her with a clear sight of the southern area.

The evening's chilly air hit her, completely waking her up; she suddenly realized she had been asleep for hours, completely disappearing from the castle - on her first day.

Oops.

After resting, her mood was definitely better and as she realized that she had developed an appetite, she decided to venture outside.

Blanche took her coat and, closing the door with a flick of her wand, walked rapidly down the stairs; the portraits hung on the Tower's walls followed her with curious eyes, making her feel weirdly observed. She kept a straight face when a man in a dark brown robe tried to catch her attention from his frame with a friendly "Hey, Miss!", and walked down as fast as possible. It had been a while since she had seen magical portraits, since she had spent so much time in the Muggle World, lately: she was surprised to find that they made her feel uneasy, as she used to love them as a student.

Arriving at the end of the spiral staircase, she stopped to think for a moment.

Damn, I'm not used to this kind of magic fuckery anymore.

Exhaustion induced her to sit on the last step: despite having slept all afternoon, she was still tired. The option of going back tempted her, but she wasn't thrilled at the idea of passing in front of the portraits again. She tried to hype herself up with a mantra that circulated in her head way too often: Nothing can stop me. Well, nothing except a few portraits, it seemed.