She's tiny, almost fragile and quite obviously not trusting us, not that I can blame her, she's stuck here alone and now trapped with us and I know we won't leave her on her own. No, it's not safe, no matter what she says, we are safer together.

She had thrust the walkie talkie at Ivo and had retreated as far away as she could from him, arms crossed across her chest, protecting herself. I wonder when she started, I had never noticed her before, she must be new.

"When did you start at The Glen?" I asked, taking a step closer "I know you say we share a class but I've never seen you before"

She huffed, her eyes narrowing at me "I've been here just over a year" she tells me with a bite to her tone and I share a surprised look with the others. Thad shakes his head in response to my unasked question.

"What's your name?" I ask her

"Per" she whispers out, giving me as little as possible, I grinned usually girls would be rushing to introduce themselves to us, this girl was very different... a challenge

"Per what?" I push, enjoying the rush of getting her to talk to us.

"Per Brooke-Bennett" she replies and I recognise the surname, was she part of that family?

"Pharmaceuticals?" I ask and she nods, looking away

"Why haven't we noticed you before then?" I ask confused.

"You have" she grates out, "We were all in Economics aside from Philosphy, last term" she tells me and I shake my head, my mind searching through the class members, there weren't that many of us, how could I have missed her... my mind catches on a face, no no face, a student at the back of class her head down studying.

"You were at the back of the room" I whisper out and she nods eyes still narrowed on me.

"The Nerd" Thad mutters realising and I see a quick tilt of her lips, did she smile?

"Did you manage to get anyone on this thing and where did you get it anyway?" Ivo butts in waving the walkie talkie at her.

"The Chancellor made sure I knew where it was last break, I stayed here then, every dorm has one, he showed me how it works and No I haven't managed to get hold of the staff on it." she tells him, looking uncertain for the first time.

Topper must think so as well and we both speak at the same time "It will be okay" we both say.

Her eyes widen and suddenly she is laughing at us, the sound light as it wraps around us and we all stare at her in amazement, till she noticed us watching and stopped, looking down embarrassed and ready to flee.

"Don't run. We are safer together, until we managed to sort the power or get hold of the staff" Thad tells her softly.

"Why are you still here?" Thad asks and I can see she doesn't want to answer.

"Why are you?" she bites back and I have to stifle a grin as she backs up further.

"Whats going on?" Ivo's asks stepping between us all and looking between her and us.

"I was just telling Per, we are safer together and not to run" Thad tells him and I watch Ivo's dark gaze scan across her slowly.

"Why would you run?" he questions, sounding confused.

"Because I don't know any of you, why would being with you be safer?" she argues back softly and watch as his brows raise and see a flash of something cross his face...interest?

"Doesn't matter anyway, you're coming with us" Ivo declares and we all nod our agreement.

"No, I don't think so" she says hurriedly, looking for a gap to get away. I tense ready.

"Grab some supplies" Ivo instructs the others ignoring her refusal and Topper and Thad move towards the larders.

"PER!" I shout as she takes the opportunity to run, leaving the walkie talkie and her bag of provisions behind, She is off and running before we can block the way.

"PER Stop!" Ivo joins in as we both race after her. Ivo reaching her first as he grabs her waist and lifts her up and she screams, their struggles unbalancing them both and then they are falling into the snow. I breathe a sign of relief at their soft landing, grinning as I see how Ivo turned them to take the brunt of the fall.

"Let me go" she pushes hard against him, still struggling but more with anger than fear.

"No" Ivo growls and rolls them, the snow now forming around them like a giant distorted snow devil, his hands pinning her down beneath him and she suddenly freezes under him.

"Ivo" I warn him from above them.

Ivo looks down at her and I can see his determination "You will stay with us until both the power returns and we know for sure there is support on this damn campus" he grates out. she struggles again in his hold and his grip tightens slightly.

"Why, I can be safe in my dorm room" she growls back at him but he shakes his head.

"If the power stays off, the heating won't work and neither will our phones, the signal is bad usually, its totally gone now, We don't need to spend all our time worrying about you as well as ourselves or running all over campus to find you if help comes" he argues back.

I can see the moment she gives in, realising the truth in his words, and laying in the snow under Ivo, she submits to his argument with a brief nod, but it's enough.

"What did we miss?" Topper comes up with Thad and both look down at the couple laying in the snow.

"Per has agreed to stay with us" I tell him with a grin as she opens her eyes to glare at me over Ivo's shoulder.

"I will need some things from my dorm" she huffs out, pushing against Ivo who slowly sits up, his body still pinning her down at the hips, I feel a little flash of jealousy as he grins down at her. Where did that come from, I've never felt jealous of my best friends before.

"Rupert and I will come with you" he tells her with a scowl, finally letting her free, I reach out my hand and she grabs hold and I pull her to her feet as she starts to brush off the snow, I reach out to help, but she narrows her gaze at me.

"Don't even consider it" she growls and again I have to hide my grin, she is just too cute.

"Don't run again" Ivo warns her once she is up and stable on her feet.

She glares but nods at him as he meets her stare.

"See you back at the dorm" Thad laughs as he and Topper carry off the supplies, including Per's bag of stuff.

"Lead on" I tell her with a smile and she growls again under her breath as Ivo and I follow her back to her dorm building.

Of course her room has to be at the very top of the building and as she opens her door we can feel just how cold her room has got. I look around with interest at the almost bare room, the only untidy place being the desk area where piles of books and pads take up most of the room. You'd never have guessed she had been here a year, it was almost empty of belongings.

"Pack a bag" Ivo orders her and she scowls at him before doing as instructed but with bite, as she grabs her bag from the closet floor and start throwing things inside, then grabbing another bag and coming across to the desk and more carefully now sorting out what she is bringing.

I see her phone charger plugged into the wall and move to unplug it and pass it to her, seeing a flash or surprise before she takes it and adds it to the bag she is filling.

"Anything else?" I ask carefully when she finally zips both bags up.

She starts to shake her head then pauses her gaze going back to the sofa and she moves slowly picking up a blanket and holding it to herself "Just this" she mumbles out, her face half hidden behind it.

"Good let go, the weather is changing again and we don't want to be out in it." Ivo says with a wave towards the window and I realise he is right, the brightness from earlier is now a heavy grey colour and it looks like more snow heading our way.

"We will take your bags" Ivo tells her softly as she tries to pick up both with the blanket still in her arms, and he takes both bags passing one to me before heading for the door. I hold up my hand indicating Per should go next and with a huff she follows Ivo back downstairs and out into the newly falling snow.

"Quickly, this way" Ivo tells her, leading her across the quad and into our dorm building, shutting the door behind us all once we are in, the storm robbing the building of natural light. "Go carefully and hold the handrail, up to the second floor, can you see enough or do you want a torch?" he instructs her.

"I can see" she whispers out nervously, moving upwards with us following close behind her. At the top of the stairs Ivo steps past her to lead the way along the dark corridor, her shadowy outline the only visibility of her and I feel a little relief when we reach our door, Ivo pushing it open and i'm glad that despite the storm our communal area still has a manageable amount of natural light.

Topper and Thad come to meet us at the door , reaching for her bags and I worry as I see her tense at their closeness. Does she not trust us, or is it all males?

"Come on in and get comfortable, looks like you just made it on time" Thad welcomes her and I nearly miss her whispered reply.

"Thank you".