Winterspell

[Perseas Stratis]

It was nice to be back at Hogwarts. The Shorting Ceremony and the feast the previous night was great. Perseas had seen familiar faces and familiar places. He used the same old passageways to get to the common room faster, where the annual Gryffindor meeting took place after the feast. Professor Kingsley, the head of Gryffindor house welcomed them back for another year and reminded them of a few rules and that they had to take back the House Cup from Slytherin. Fortunately, it was a short meeting and Perseas headed straight to his warm bed. He didn't even realize when he entered the realm of dreams.

He woke up early in the morning extremely thirsty. He sat on his bed and reached for the glass of water on his nightstand until what he saw outside the window made him forget of his thirst. A white blanket was covering everything on the grounds and snow was still falling from the sky. He hastily drank a few sips of water and stood up excited. He searched in his trunk for clothes and dressed warmly, putting on a coat, gloves and a scarf. He grabbed his wand from underneath his pillow and slowly sneaked out of the dormitory, walked down the empty common room and exited the opening to the seventh floor corridor.

After attempting to unjam doors of the Entrance Hall, he walked upon the courtyard filled with a cold, powdery substance. He looked above him smiling and with his pale eyes glowing with exhilaration. The snow flakes were falling gracefully with a whisper and he blinked as they touched softly his cheeks. The courtyard was looking beautiful with its marble benches load with snow and with the fountain's water frozen but Perseas went straight for the grounds. The sunlight had started coming through the hills as the sun was beginning its ascension. Its light allowed the snow capped trees' snow to shimmer like tiny diamonds. Perseas loved hearing the crunchy sound beneath his shoes as he was walking on dry snow. The air was crispy and the tip of his nose as cold as it could be but he was feeling alive, surrounded by this quiet, pure beauty. After a few minutes of walk, rolling down white slopes and forming angels on the soft snow, he came across a few piles of hard-packed snow. He smirked widely as he came up with a brilliant idea. He was going to build an igloo!

He flourished his wand and started casting several charms. First, he casted Severing Charms on the dry snow to cut it into snow blocks of different sizes. Then, Locomotion and Levitating Charms, bewitched the largest of the blocks and under Perseas guidance, they formed the base. He place them in a circle, working his way up. Blocks were decreasing in size as he was working upwards. Using his gloved hands, protected from the cold, he dug a hole under the wall to create the igloo's entrance. He overlapped the blocks and shaped them to lean inward with a few carefully casted Severing Charms. He was progressing slowly but the dome was started forming. The blocks should support each other in order to prevent the dome from collapsing. After an hour, he pointed his wand at the largest of the blocks and it hovered over the igloo. With careful flicks, he placed it on top of the igloo and wiggle it into place. It was a long job but he could finally wear the smile of triumph as he stood there to admire his ice fortress. He crawled inside for the finishing touches. He cut ventilation holes in the walls and a few bigger ones so he could inspect parametrically the surrounding area. While he was making a few snowballs for ammo, he admired the interior. It wasn't a big igloo. It could barely feet three people inside but it was his own lookout. When he was done, he glanced through one of his spy holes. Someone was approaching.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire had not seen snow in a good while. Despite it being winter here in New Zealand, there just hadn't been any snow. Which while still a little rare for her back home, had been something she liked about her home, it likely snowed at least once. There was always a chance, in Australia it had been hugely unlikely, and New Zealand, well, that was a matter she didn't quite understand fully yet. The whole flipped seasons and different weather climates was quite new to her, and honestly not one of the things that she understood that well. It was just something she dealt with, like most other things in this new magical world. However, when she woke up that morning, the morning after the sorting ceremony which had been interesting being on the other side of things rather than the one being sorted. How nerve wracking she remembered it being. Happily the girl pulled herself out of bed, and began getting ready for the day, but as she gave a small glance outside, she couldn't help but practically squeal with happiness as she noticed that at some point during the night it had snowed. This completely changed things for Victoire. She put on a pair of jeans, and her winter shoes, while also slipping on her gryffindor jumper and on top of that also a waterproof jacket. She grabbed her gloves and despite looking for her winter hat couldn't find it, the blonde curls would just have to be the things which kept her ears warm. She smiled happily to herself before heading out of the dorm room, straight for the snowy outdoors.

In the days of winter back home, her and her friends would often spend hours playing in the snow. Until her fingers were numb, and her nose and cheeks had a very strong red twinge to them. This time around she was just happy to even see it. Which was why as soon as she felt that ever so familiar feeling of snow underneath her boots she could've practically screamed. Instead she just laughed and proceeded to pick up a handful of snow and throw in the air above her. She brushed her hands on her jacket as she moved further away from the school. Heading further onto the great lawn, she took out her wand, and pointed it at the snow, "Wingardium Leviosa" She muttered, and while she had imagined that only one snowflake would rise, a number of them did, laughing slightly, Victoire made them dance around her, guiding them happily with her wand. This was great. Magic was incredible. She noticed then, that in the distance someone had built a small igloo out of the snow. She wonder if they'd done that by hand, or with magic. She guessed it was probably done with magic and well, that was pretty impressive. Magic was incredible to her, and she couldn't wait to be able to make the same with her own magic. All she could really do right now was make snow float, which really was not enough. However, despite thinking that perhaps she should go over to the igloo, Victoire just decided that for now, she would continue to play by herself in this wondrous snow.
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

The newcomer got closer and a smile pressed his rosy cheeks from the cold when he recognized the girl with the blonde hair. Victoire Fontaine was now a second year Gryffindor that Perseas had helped slightly last year to get used to her new environment while being the child of muggles. Perseas was usually targeting bullies as the victims of his innovative pranks. Young girls like Victoire were usually for a quick fright but nothing more. But Perseas had developed unique feelings for this girl. Ever since he had comforted her concerns about her family accepting her new status as a witch, Perseas had taken over a protective role that he actually find himself quite liking it. It felt like he was having a little sister that he had to defend, although she wasn't that much younger than him. He decided not to mess too much around her and just initiate a snowball fight. He started waving his wand while murmuring a couple of incantations. He pointed the tip at a couple of snowballs he had already stored at his artillery corner and bewitched them to hone in on Victoire and throw themselves at her. He watched them darting out of his ice fortress and zoom towards her.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire had been perfectly fine, minding her own business as she played the in the snow, there didn't seem to be anyone around and she was perfect content. The girl loved making the snow dance around her with her magic. She loved the feeling in her shoes and the sound in her ears. Everything about snow was just incredible to her. She was honestly so happy that she had finally been able to see some after a few years without. It was really all good to her. She was just so happy and excited about it. More so than was possibly expected. She grinned happily, the wetness of the snow dampening her blonde curls. She had been about to lie down and create a snow angel when something hard hit her side. A snowball. And the a second one hit. She stood still and glance around. There was no one besides the igloo, clearly someone was inside it. And they were much better protected that Victoire was. So, she decided she had to do something. She laughed slightly before jumping to the ground and picking up a handful of snow, fashioning it into a snow ball, before launching it straight at the igloo. It was perhaps not as good as the person within the igloo's snowballs, but it functioned in the same way. She giggled slightly before just gathering more snow and launching another one, the girl realised that she could probably use her wand to help her, but there was not quite like just the feeling of snow in your hand. So, she decided she would continue to throw snowballs at the igloo until the person got out of it and started fighting her just like that. An old proper muggle snowball fight. Snow was the best of fun. It really was.
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Perseas chuckled as he was watching Victoire searching for the attacker. He could see her from that little hole but she couldn't. However, she figured out that the bewitched snowballs came from his igloo and turned her attention on it. She grabbed snow and shaped it into snowballs that hurled them at his igloo. The first wave of snowballs just hit the roof of the ice construction. They sounded like brief taps on the dried snow. Victoire's second wave of snowballs targeted the lowest part of the igloo. Perseas kept watching through his spy hole until a single snowball landed right on the small opening. Snow sneaked into the hole upon the impact and sprayed all over his bare face. With closed eyes, Perseas pursed his lips and decided to get out of his fortress to face Victoire in a proper snow fight. He crawled out of the igloo's entrance and appeared in front of his fortress. "Hello Victoire." he greeted and wiped out of his face the frost from her snowball's impact. When he could finally see again and his face was no longer covered with snow, he smirked and squatted to grab some from the ground. "You do realize that this means war." he said playfully and arched his eyebrows. Then he tossed his first snowball towards her way and picked more to make another one while glancing at her way to make sure to dodge those coming his way.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire stopped throwing snowballs, when she was sure, she could hear movement from within the igloo. She held a snow ball in her hand however, ready to launch it at whomever came out of it to most likely attack her with snowballs too. She felt the smile on her face grow as she found herself looking Perseas. She would've stopped throwing them at him, but he smirked at her, and grabbed some snow from the ground so she proceeded to take a fighting-ish stance. Happy that he seemed on board to continue with their snowball fight, she wasn't able to get out the way of the first that he sent, but sent one flying back as soon as she could. This was fun. She liked Perseas, she didn't really realise it yet, but she really liked him. She had an ever so slight crush on the elder boy. But, this fact was still a little unknown to her. She just continued to gather snow and throw them at him. Laughing and dodging some of the ones he sent her way. She got hit by a good few, her usually curly blonde hair, beginning to get a little straight because it was wet from all the snow getting in it. But she didn't even care. She was having fun. Snow was fun. Gathering snow in her hands, she just continued to throw them at Perseas. Only stopping when he hands, despite the gloves went a little bit numb. "Wait, stop, I can't feel my hands anymore" She looked at Perseas and smiled at him. Laughing slightly while blowing air on both her gloves and her hands. "Snows too cold" She said, while using her teeth to pull off the gloves, hoping to warm up her hands and dry off the gloves.
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Perseas couldn't remember the last time he had taken part in a snow fight. It was so much fun, even without the use of magic. Snow balls were tossed in the air from both directions. Perseas tried not to be so hard on her while she was younger. He did wrong to underestimate her and a snow ball smacked him on the face. He blindly ducked the next one and took more snow in his hands to throw it her way. He stopped catapulting snow balls her way when she requested a break and he halted, with a suspicious expression across his face. When he made sure she wasn't bluffing she walked over to her and smiled back. "You need better gloves. Wool gets damp easily. Dragon-hide on the other hand, will do the trick." he said and showed her his gloves, which weren't matching the rest of his outfit. They were covered with hard, red scales and were impervious to heat, humidity and cold. Dragons were an alive fire breathing armory to his opinion.

Perseas watched her trying to dry up her gloves and warp up her hands and couldn't just stand there empty-handed. "Lumos." he murmured and the end of his wand illuminated, radiating a fairly warm aura around the orb of light. He brought it closer to her hands and her gloves, letting the sweet warmth cast away coldness and dampness. "It's fantastic!" he preferred to refer with this adjective to the snow and looked around them. Everything covered in whiteness."I love snow but where we live, we don't get enough to snow fight or build igloos." he said. Rangipo Desert, where his family was residing, was quite cool at nights. A thin layer of snow was covering the endless steppes the next mornings only to melt a few hours later when the intense heat of the day was scorching the open landscape. A couple of snow-capped mountains were always towering miles away but they were too far to be let by their mother to venture there with his twin brother. "If your hands are too cold, we can pay a visit at my igloo." he pointed with his free hand at his new, temporary hideout. "Snow works as an insulator and it is much more warm inside than outside." he explained to her. "Or, if you warmed up already we can make a snowman. I always wanted to make a Styx look-alike snowman and hex it to nothingness." he joked with a chuckle and let her choose.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire hadn't really had a snow ball fight in a long time. And really it felt strange to be having on while in her mind it was summer and not winter. But, here she was having a snowball fight with Perseas. Who was very good at it. He threw them just as she did. Relentlessly. Wanting to gain the upper hand and be the better of the two. She would've continued for much longer had the wet of the snow filtered through the wool gloves and to her hands. She took off the gloves and rubbed her pale hands. Breathing hot air on them. She hoped that Perseas would stop throwing snowballs at her so that she could warm her hands again, get some feeling back. And was glad when he did. She glanced up at his and shot a small smile at him as she then looked at his gloves. She had never seen gloves like that before. They are incredible and really out-shone her gloves. By a good mile really. She hadn't really had the opportunity to get such items, or wear them in a normal situation. Her mind, was for a large part still set on the muggle way of life. She didn't often think about which magical products would be better. "I'll be sure to invest in a pair" She told Perseas with a smile as she continued to attend to her cold hands.

At the light from his wand, Victoire stood closer, extending her hands slightly over the small light of the wand. It was actually helping, more so than just breathing on them was. The only way breathing on her hands would really help was if she could breath some form of fire. Which was obviously not possible. She was glad that he had thought to use that magic. She knew that if she had been alone, she would've just rubbed her hands until some warmth returned. She smiled and nodded as he talked of the snow. "C'est magnifique" she agreed in French. More than happy to be able to enjoy the snow, and also to spend time with her friend. She had not seen snow, well good snow in a long while. Even at home it was likely to snow in the winter but never a lot. Only on a few occasions did it really snow heavily. "We get snow every year in Belgium, at least once, but it's often not that thick" she told him nodding in agreement. "It is much more likely in Belgium to just rain heavily, than snow heavily" She gave the boy a smile as she focused on her hands. She definitely had feelings in her hands again. And was excited to get started again. Her hands were still cold but she could deal with it. Though what he offered to do, was much better. "Styx snow man, sounds a lot more fun" she nodded in agreement. "I'm sure between us we can get quite a likeness" she laughed before, shoving the gloves into the pocket of her jacket and rubbing her hands together, "let's get started"
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Perseas made a mental note to give dragon-hide gloves for a Christmas present. His family was always getting back dragon products for breeding them and selling them to other magizoologists or licensed purchasers. More specifically, a customer from Bolivia was always sending back gloves from dragon hide and a few phials of their blood. It was a shame that some of these creatures were bred for other reasons other than just their magnificent existence. "You don't have to really." he shook his head. It was going to be a waste of her money when they had so many unused pairs back at home and he could definitely give her a pair. "We have so many, I can give you one. Just to be even matched in our future snow fights." he tried to show that he was going to have a personal gain from this offer as well or she was going to kindly refuse this. He doubted they were going to have that much snow in the near future but one as positive as Perseas, could just hope.

Perseas had believed that Northern Europeans were getting much more snow than Southerners. Apparently this wasn't the case with Belgium, which had a similar rainy winter with Greece. It should be colder but it didn't seem to have the snowfalls he had previously believed. Maybe it had to do with the countries altitude or something. He didn't have time to comment on this or add something because when Victoire found a good idea the construction of a snowman, he got down to work. "Okay let's start with the torso. We need two big snowballs. One for its base and one to put on the snowman's head." he started coordinating their work. "Do the smaller one. I'll do the base. Nox." he took over the hardest part of their construction and pocketed his wand. He wasn't going to use magic for this. It was going to be far more fun doing it manually. He started with a small snowball which he started rolling around in the fresh, powdery snow with his hands. As he rolled, the ball picked up more snow and grew larger and larger as the snow from the ground stuck to it. He kept rolling until the ball reached the desired lower body size. "I think this will do." he said breathless and stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He checked at Victoire's work and she was doing fine.

"Okay, I have an idea." he announced with a grin. "Keep on with the head and I'll be shortly back." he continued and left the scene for Forbidden Forest's direction. He actually sprinted there, slid on the snowy slopes on his way until he reached the edge of the forest. The Care of Magical Creature professor was keeping there a few cages for magical creatures. Although they were for now empty, Perseas found what he was looking for. Some of them contained a layer of hay on their floor and he collected a small handful. He returned back, holding them up high like they were some sort of trophy. "Our snowman's hair." he explained with a smirk. The idea was that the hay was resembling pretty closely Professor Styx's blonde hair. If they were going to make one like him, they should do it as accurately as possible. He left them on the snow for now and packed tightly with his two hands the larger ball he had created, shaping it into a stable base. "Ready to stack them up?" he asked her in case she needed some help with the smaller snowballs before they were going to put them into a snowman formation.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire looked up at Perseas as she said that she didn't need to. She was sure that she knew what that meant but she didn't want to say anything about it really. She waited until he continued and then smiled at him. She didn't really want to accept them. She couldn't help but feel warmed by his kindness. He didn't need to be like that with her at all. "Thank you, Perseas, that would be good. To be evenly matched for the next time we get to do this." she said, agreeing with him. She felt bad that she was accepting such a gift from him, but honestly, she had no idea where to even start in searching for a pair, and also what her parents might think if they found out that was what she was spending their money on. It didn't really help that they understood very little about the magical world. They did not understand what a different life she lead now without them. How different it was. They were still wrapping their heads around the wand and the moving pictures. This would be something else entirely really. Victoire just let that conversation slide away as they moved on. She got more snow in Belgium than he probably got in Greece, but Belgium was a wet country, it rained a lot, and it got really cold, but it did not snow as often as some of it's neighbours. Which for Victoire was a bit of a let down, since she really did love snow.

Happily, however, given the task by Perseas, she began to make the smaller of the two balls. Using her hands to gather up snow and roll it into a ball shape. She felt her hands growing cold again, and this time she was without her gloves, so it made her hands feel pretty numb pretty quick, but she ignored it. Opting to just keep working away. Moving the snow so that she could build it up pretty fast. She knew that it would look great once it all came together and was really ready to go. She glanced back at him, and noticed that had really managed to make the base of their snow man. She smiled at his words and nodded. Keeping on working on the head, though pondering what he might be doing. It seemed funny to her that they were doing this by hand, but also incredible. She loved magic, she really did, but snow was one of those things that she just loved the feel off. Even if it was currently freezing her fingers. She continued to work on the head, and watched as he sprinted off, to get something she was sure. While curious and eager for him to return, she continued to work on the head, and concentrating so much she didn't even hear Perseas return. Looking to the hair in his hands with a frown, until it was explained. She laughed lightly at this, that was funny. "Sounds good"

With a little bit of help, Victoire aided Perseas in stacking up the layers of snow to form the shape of a snowman. She smiled at it, it was already looking great. Really was. "It already looks fantastic. An almost perfect likeness of the DADA professor" she said smiled at it, she wished she had a green scarf of some sort to place on it but she didn't. "All we need to do now, is add the face and the hair" She said, before picking up some twigs that were in the snow, and placing them in the snowman as arms. It was really looking great. "I wish I had a camera," she smiled at the thought, a nice picture of it would be a good souvenir.
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

The two of them were making a great team. Perseas had to pause a couple of times his work just to watch Victoire's excitement as she was contributing. He usually enjoyed making other people laugh and he wasn't afraid to act like a clown to achieve that. Making Victoire laughing was a completely different thing. It really suited her to laugh. Her smile made of sun was brightening up her face so there was no wonder why he was treating her so kindly. He smiled and continued his work. When all the balls where in place he packed some snow between the layers, making sure they stuck together. The hard part of their work was done. Now it was time for the fun, little details. He let her give the snowman hands while he placed the wisps of hay on the snowman's head. He chuckled as it slowly started resembling more and more their DADA professor. Small stones became the snowman's eyes and nose and Perseas picked a crooked twig which he used for the mouth. It really suited Professor Styx's grim expression. When Victoire mentioned it, he wished he had brought with him his camera but it was lying somewhere in the bottom of his trunk. "He's quite adorable. I actually have second thoughts of using him as a practicing target." he admitted upon admiring the work they have done. "Impervius." he incanted, pointing his wand at the snowman. In this way, he was confirming his decision of letting the snowman survive longer in case rain was going to pour down on it.

He let a sign as the whole process of building a snowman had reminded him of Christmas. Perseas loved the decorations, the tree, the gifts, the baking, the special meals, the surprises from family members, the carols. Just everything. "It's funny how warm it's going to be until Christmas." he mused about the holidays that were months away. He knew that both he and Victoire were used to colder Christmas. Then he remembered the Yule Ball, another event signaling the beginning of Christmas. Last year, it was a total disaster. It was supposed to be fun but it was nothing like it. Envy, opposition and plotting had poisoned than night a year ago. He surely wasn't going to let that happen this year. "Say, do you have any plans for the Yule Ball?" he asked her but his eyes were fixed on their snowman. He knew it was too early to ask her to be his date for the Yule Ball but he had to before someone of her classmates did so. Plus, she was his only female friend sharing no awkward history with and he was determined to enjoy this year's ball with a friend. "We could go together if you want to. As friends." he clarified and avoided putting her on the spot. "In case there's a snowman competition this year, we are going to be unbeatable." he smiled. He used this last statement to break the ice and not really to make up her mind.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire shot a smile at her friend as the snowman they were making finally resembled the man they called Professor Styx, she was a little nervous about if the man found it, or saw them doing this, but she was sure that really he wouldn't mind that much. It was just a small joke. She nodded along, really wishing that they had a camera. It wasn't often that they would get so much snow that would allow this to even be possible. At least it would be something that they could share. A little private moment of two students and a snow man Styx. It was really the simple pleasures in life which were the best of things. She watched carefully as cast a spell, that she didn't quite know yet. She planned to find out what it did later, but for now, she didn't mind not knowing. "It's a shame to destroy such a fine bit of art, but it'll be fun" she told him, smiling brightly at him as she spoke. It was such a simple thing, but it was the best thing that she'd done in a while. It was carefree and childish. Snow brought that out, which was why Victoire loved it so much. It was so simple, and yet it brought joy.

As she took a few steps back, she began to think of how strange this was. Her friends back home knew about the difference in seasons between this side of the world and that one, but it still felt hugely strange at times, they would find it hard to wrap their heads around snow in the month of September. Snow in what would be the tail end of summer. Summer when it would be deep winter. She'd been about to say something about that line when he spoke. She laughed slightly, "It feels very strange. Takes some time to get used to I guess" she agreed. For Victoire, Christmas was about cold weather, wearing wooly clothes and steaming cups of hot chocolate, of choruses singing christmas songs in busy shopping centres and markets, bundled up from head to toe. They were about the christmas markets, going to Germany with her family and seeing their markets. She smiled at the thoughts, Christmas here was different. She wasn't yet used to it. But, the thought of the Christmas she was used to, made her smile with ease. So, lost in her thoughts, she was a little startled when he spoke again, asking if she had plans to the Yuleball.

Victoire looked at him, was he asking her out? Did she want that? Was this just a Yuleball thing? She was glad when he continued, they would just be going as friends, which Victoire would prefer. She liked Perseas, she liked him a lot. He was kind and generous to her. He had listened to her concerns, she liked him. Though she wouldn't admit it, she did have a bit of a crush on him, but despite all that she wasn't sure if she was ready for anything remotely serious. She gave a small smile, and looked back out at the snow man, nodding as she did so. "Sure, I'd like that" she nodded, "Just in case there is a snowman competition." She didn't want to ask anything else, they would go as friends, though, she realised that she might actually have to find a dress to wear to it. She hadn't thought she'd be going, and so hadn't packed anything. Victoire reached into her pockets and pulled out her wand, "Shall we destroy this now?"
​