Winter came like nightfall, dark and inevitable. Frigid winds whipped across the castle grounds, blanketing everything in a thick layer of snow as the sun sank behind the trees one evening. The cold crept into the halls of Hogwarts itself, fogging up the panes of ancient glass windows, freezing glasses of water left on bedside tables, and leaving students travelling from class to class in huddles to keep warm. Not even the fire of a thousand dragons could have banished the frozen spell that had claimed northern Scotland that January.
But with the harsh reality of Mother Nature came beauty: the young witches and wizards were able to catch glimpses of the northern lights on some nights, a rare delight. Despite the bitter cold, they'd often gather on the Astronomy Tower to observe the enthralling ribbons of teal and green dance across the night sky, performing magic that not even the most powerful of wands could ever hope to produce.
The reflection of the aurora borealis was always painted across the mostly frozen solid surface of Black Lake, rippling like gentle waves of summer seas, ebbing and flowing like running water; even the dark mystery that was the Forbidden Forest allowed the aerial masterpiece to colour its crooked branches in vibrant hues of blue and violet, casting an enchanted glow across all the wilderness that surrounded and fortified Hogwarts. It was, purely, magic beyond magic.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Arabella gushed one night, leaning against the balustrade cautiously.
Will and Halia exchanged small smiles, holding their breath as they silently counted the seconds that passed on their fingers.
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," Abraxas replied softly, pulling Arabella closer to his side -- he'd later claim that it was to keep her from falling, just in case, but his two witnesses would say otherwise.
Halia and Will high fived as quietly as they could manage behind their best friend's back, sporting triumphant grins.
"That was the most cliché thing I have ever heard you say," Arabella murmured abstractly, nevertheless snuggling in to his embrace, grateful that he could keep her mind off the fact that they stood on a tower so tall that Ogg's hut appeared to be the size of an ant.
She shivered slightly, despite wearing a thick, fur-lined coat with a warm jumper underneath -- not to mention wool mittens and a crimson- and gold-banded scarf. Yet her fingers and toes still felt oddly numb.
"But you liked it," Malfoy smirked, earning himself a light smack to the chest. "Now, you best be careful around there, love. Wouldn't want my heart breaking because of you, would we?"
She smiled up at him, just as smugly. "I think you'd rather let me break it than anyone else."
He let out a sigh of defeat which did not match his bright grey eyes, which twinkled not unlike the cold pinpricks of light scattered in the ink black sky above, but with a tender warmness all their own. "Then you'd be right, Ara."
Just before she could manage a reply, loud hooting sounded behind them. Glancing out of the corners of her eyes, she could spot her teammates celebrating amongst themselves as if they had just won themselves the House Cup.
"Well," Evelyn Prosecco gloated, grinning devilishly.
"What?" Arabella snapped, in no mood for the usual banter that came from her friends.
"This definitely isn't you and your not-boyfriend, is it?" Evelyn giggled.
Callan McGregor's lopsided grin widened as he spoke up in his lilting accent. "You two are happy out with each other -- now that's a fret!"
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Loyal | Tom Riddle
FanfictionArabella Travers and Tom Riddle have never been remotely civil with one another, even though her twin brother Nikolai is one of his so-called friends. As their fifth year at Hogwarts unfolds, so does the drama, the mystery, and the descent into Dar...
