The fresh white snow looked beautiful on the castle and its environment. The school was quieter; only a couple of students and staff were left. The common room was peaceful. I had the oversized couch in front of the fireplace all to myself. For Christmas, mother sent me my favorite perfume scent. She and my father signed it, but I know it was her idea. The smell was a frosted blueberry. I never brought it to Hogwarts; I left it at home. It was nice to have a bottle of it here.
I changed into a black long sleeve sweater, comfy jeans, and brown ankle boots. The school was heated, but the corridors near the courtyards were still cold.
Draco was waiting outside, leaning against the wall upon leaving the common room. I never told him to meet me, nor how to get to the Hufflepuff halls. "Creepy." I walked past him; he caught up to me in a quick jog.
"I assume you got our parent's gift as well." He didn't look at me, nor I at him. "Can't believe they kept us at the school. Ridiculous."
"Yes, I did. It would've turned into another dull holiday if we had gone home. Mother doesn't do the things that she used to do." I turned sharply down a hallway seeing a Ravenclaw pass the two of us, giving us scared looks. "Like the gingerbread."
From the corner of my eye, I saw the corner of Draco's mouth perk up, "Or the little ornaments we would put different items inside."
"I completely forgot about that!" The memory of us sitting by the fireplace stuffing as much as we could into the little decorations appeared in my mind. We walked together a couple of more minutes of silence, "Why don't we do that again?"
Draco scoffed, "No, we aren't children anymore." I saw his head shaking.
"Oh, come one. I'm sure we could find some supplies. Plus, we have magic now. So I bet if we got into Divination and Potions, we could find..."
He stepped in front of me and stopped me, "Do you hear yourself right now, Y/N? You sound like one of those idiotic blood traitors about to pull a prank."
"Is this why you came to see me? Because of who I am around? Because of who I am making friends with?"
"Yes. I've seen you near that half-blood and mudblood too. Have you forgotten who you are and who you are associating with?" His voice was becoming sterner, and that look behind his eyes looked just like our father's.
I raised both of my hands and walked past him, scoffing.
"Where do you think you're going?!" He yelled at me.
I spun around with a scowl on my face, "Away. I thought for once you were my brother again, like how we used to be when we were younger. You sound like him, you know? Down to the way your eyes are piercing through me right now!" I shouted in return.
"It seems to be the only thing getting through to you right now! We have grown up Y/N." He came upon me again till he was only a foot between us. "Let go of when we were little kids flying on broomsticks in the halls of the manor. What you do affects our family and my image. You're just my shadow walking on sand. Forgotten with a gust of wind."
My eyes and voice grew dark, "I'll remember that, brother. Happy Christmas." I walked away from him, never turning back. My fists gripped too hard I felt my fingernails against my palms. The moment we were siblings again, I saw his smile again. It was whipped away with his ego.
The Astronomy Tower seemed like a good place to go right now. It was cold, but I was so heated from the argument, the winter cold felt nice against my flushed face. My hands gripped the railing. The metal was freezing, so I stepped back, whipping the snow off of my hand.
I wrapped my arms around me and let out a deep sigh. My breath showed in the air and blew away with a gust of wind. "Just like footprints in the sand..." I muttered under my breath. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs; I was afraid it would be Snape telling me to get inside. "Headmaster Dumbledore...why are you up here?"
"I could be asking you that same question, Y/N." The elder wizard came up to me, "Usually students come up here to think, but not on such a bitter ice day."
"It was quiet. Even with everyone gone, the castle still is so loud." I walked closer to the railing again. "Plus, I can watch the snow blow away up here."
"You've had a hard time adjusting here, my dear." Dumbledore shuffled next to me with his hands behind his back. "You seem to have a lot on your shoulders and mind."
"I should, though. Draco is the prized son. I'm not the one who needs to leave a mark... Footprints on the sand. That is all I am." I brushed off the snow from the railing.
"You still have a lot of time here at Hogwarts. A lot of new things to discover. You may find your family is closer than you think Y/N. Even in the most unpredictable places."
His words confused me. The only family I had here was Draco, and he was far from close to me at the moment, "I don't understand, Headmaster."
"Come. Let's go inside before the frost makes your feet stick to the ground." Headmaster motioned to the stairs and led me back inside the Great Hall. A grand dinner was set up with students and Professors sitting together. And no brother insight.
Snow fell from the ceiling but had no cold to it. It disappeared as soon as it reached our heads. This felt like a proper holiday.
I looked to Dumbledore with a smile before taking a seat next to Hagrid. I loved hearing his stories of the creatures he had worked with, and he had plenty of them.
Our get-together made me forget the argument of today. That was one of the best Christmases of my life.
