In Noctem [English version]

V

| 𝕯𝖚𝖝 𝖈𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖙 𝖓𝖔𝖝 𝖉𝖎𝖊𝖒 |

The snow had fallen again last night. Gavin Wood shivered as he looked out over the white expanse. He was suddenly delighted to have the thick jumper his mother had knitted for him, in his house colours and thick wool. The young wizard wasn't particularly cold, he felt more as he watched. It was a strange thing about him. His eyes could sometimes feel instead of his skin. It was often said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. Gavin took this phrase very seriously. This was also the case with what was in front of him. He could feel the cold, even though the castle was adequately heated.

- It's so cold! moaned a voice behind him.

Gavin pulled his hands out of his trouser pockets as he recognised Elinor's voice. He had been waiting for her in the Hufflepuff common room for a good half hour now. It was not the girl's habit to be late. The latter was wearing her coat inside.

- That bad?

- Aren't you cold? she wondered.

- No more than that.

- I slept really badly last night... it was freezing in my room.

She shivered at the memory. Gavin frowned, a perplexed look on his face. He hadn't heard any echoes of the cold in the tower from other students. Perhaps his friend was getting used to it more than the others. Whatever the case, he didn't like to see her hurt. To tell the truth, whatever the young witch didn't like or didn't like about herself, Gavin took to heart to remedy. He couldn't help it, he wanted to take care of her.

- Let's go for lunch, I hear their hot chocolate is deadly.

Elinor twitched at the wizard's expression. Gavin noticed and chuckled. It was not in his vocabulary to use that kind of word. Gavin was what many had called an old mind. So he was trying to sound "younger" by developing his language.

- Come on, sighed she, taking his arm.

In the corridors, the young wizard was rather surprised to see that many of the students were up early. He would have been more likely to see them hanging around in bed. Probably his old mind was failing him. Instinctively, he looked around for Will. Why hadn't he managed to find him yet? It wasn't as if the castle was infinite. Besides, he was part of Hogwarts, so he had to be around. Only he couldn't find it. The dining room was as big as the one at Hogwarts, if not bigger, so he had no hope of finding him.

Elinor sat down next to three girls, alone at a large table. One of them seemed to be studying, while the girl next to her, a young witch with short black hair and a Vietnamese tin, barely glanced at Elinor when she sat down. A plate appeared in front of him as his buttocks touched the wooden bench. A mountain of food flashed before them. A muffin, toast and jam slid into his. A cup of hot chocolate appeared in her hand, scalding her a little. On her neighbour's plate, fried eggs and bacon overflowed from her plate. Clearly, the table knew the tastes of the young men. Gavin couldn't help but suppress a chuckle as he saw her grab several pieces of bacon with her fork.

- What? I'm hungry! she defended herself.

Elinor had always had an appetite like a wolf, ever since he had known her. Gavin laughed softly at the pleonasm he had made in spite of himself. His friend was about to ask him the reason for his laughter when Enron came to their side, always in a delicate and discreet manner. As he sat down, a plate appeared and fruit of all colours paraded before him. Enron looked disgusted.

- Seriously? You have muffins and bacon, and I have... fruits?

- It's good for you, tried Elinor.