Nyctophobia - Sirius Black

Chapter 43

        Christmas morning was just like every other winter morning in Cokeworth. The sky was filled with dreary clouds, gray slush covering the streets, a thin layer of white snow covering any place that hadn't been trampled with the footsteps of workers.

Ruby's face was still covered with coal dust she hadn't bothered to wipe off the past few days when it would be replaced the next day. Her shirt did nothing to keep out the chill, but she held Theus's shaking hand as they walked to the mines. He wasn't as used to the coal.

She glimpsed garish streamers in the schoolhouse as they walked by. It was, as expected, empty and dark. The children were all cooped up in their houses, unless they were allowed to play outside despite the chill.

It snowed mostly at night, meaning that while they might catch a few snowflakes on their way home at night, the day held none of the weather's beauty.

They would have potatoes that night, hopefully a few more than usual, because Ruby could see that the others hated the hunger pangs, though she had learned not to feel them long ago. She was tired, but she didn't expect this Christmas to pass any different than all the previous ones.

She was right, of course. They had no decorations, barely any food, and no gifts to exchange. The atmosphere in the mines was a bit more cheery than usual, everyone greeting each other with a "Merry Christmas!" as they passed, though that was the only change. She dragged herself home that night, hand gripping Theus's, feeling only resentment for the snow falling over them.

She shivered almost violently as one landed on her shoulder, melting immediately to leave behind a drop of icy water to soak her shirt. She huddled in front of the fire as soon as she got home, not even caring that she should eat. She just wanted to be warm. Only when Theus handed her a couple of warm, but small potatoes did she reluctantly lift it to her mouth.

He was right, of course. She still needed food, even if her magic would keep her alive. He assured her that he'd made sure Sev got a bit more food than they did, and that he and Wren had moved to the library to read.

Ruby had pulled all the books most likely to have information on her magic from the library and stashed them in the trunk Jana had given her, so she didn't feel the need to read much anymore. It wasn't that she shouldn't, she just didn't want to. She would rather lay on the ragged rug in front of the fire, Theus curled up next to her in animagus form.

His dark fur was thick with coal dust, but the color hadn't changed. He was warm, and his fur was soft. She drifted off eventually.

Winter break continued on just like it always had the next morning. She didn't go to Neverland once, none of them did, though she wished to several times, when the fire died too quickly, leaving the whole house victim to the cold winds outside. Hogwarts was warm, too warm, but sometimes this place could be too cold too. Not usually the interior, since all houses were built to insulate as much warmth as they could, but the outside was enough to kill someone, as it often did in the winter. It wasn't uncommon to stumble over a human body on the sidewalk.

When the break was finally over, and they returned to Hogwarts with its warmth and over-abundant food, Ruby and Severus were seventeen. Legal adults in the eyes of the Ministry of Magic, both allowed to use and responsible for their magic outside of school. Not that it had ever stopped them before.

They began studying for their N.E.W.T. exams, the tests that they would either pass, and hopefully use to find a job, or fail and have to redo the school year in an attempt to pass the next year. Everyone tried their best to pass the exams, obviously. It was considered rather shameful if they weren't studious enough to completely them with at least an acceptable, though it was not unheard of.