𝕿he Sitting Room was expansive, and the bare wood of the walnut floors, in some areas, swallowed the cool and mellow glow of the early morning sun. For being predominantly painted in dusky colours, the ceiling-tall ornate windows rendered the room quite bright. Your gaze swept out one of them.
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The sky was a pale grey hue, and hefty snowflakes sporadically floated to the ground. It was windless and quiet outside. You weren't even sure if you heard birds, but that could also have been due to the manor's thick stone walls. It wasn't much, and you didn't know whether it would stick, but the snow was quite early this year.
"It's snowing…," you mumbled.
This sight briefly distracted you from the circumstances and remembering who was still holding your hand.
Snape stopped walking and dragging you along. Behind you, you heard Lucius pull out a heavy chair on the other side of the room.
"...It is," he said, unsure about the relevance of your statement.
You sighed absentmindedly.
"What a wonderful view."
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Malfoy picked up a delicate porcelain teacup and turned to look at you before bringing it to his lips.
"You like snow?"
"I adore it."
Severus smiled softly.
"...Just like you, isn't that right?" he added, making eye contact with the man sipping his tea.
The Professor and you walked over to the plentifully-laid round table your host was already seated at.
"The only kinds of heat I tolerate are the ones of fireplaces…," he put his wand to the cup, likely reheating it, "ones of good food and drink, and…"
You sat down on a chair Snape had pulled out for you, directly across from the icy-blond wizard currently talking.
"...and the heat of my partners…"
Your Professor's smile died down, and he became tense.
Lucius looked at you through his eyebrows while taking a long, drawn-out sip of his steaming tea. If he was talking about body temperature or your monthly cycle, you weren't sure, but quickly glossed over the possibility of the latter being the case. You wanted to avoid confronting this topic for as long as you could.
