Moonstruck | marauders era

xv. the potion project

Little snowflakes hovered through the sky on this Saturday morning in early December. Cassie loved snow. She watched them through the enchanted ceiling in the great hall, her pancakes untouched as her mind filled with nostalgia of childhood memories - she and her brother planning an ambush on their parents when they were kids, covering both grown-ups with snow. She remembered their group of five building snowmen on the grounds in their second year, and Noah, Samuel and Benjy joining them, decorating the snowmen with their hats and scarves. She remembered making snow angels with Grace, Noah and Benjy when the siblings visited the other two and she remembered drinking hot chocolate with the Fultons afterwards. She remembered all the laughter and she wondered if she would be able to continue creating these special memories or if her body would turn at the slight touch of a snowflake on her skin.

"It won't stay just yet."

Cassie ripped her eyes from the ceiling and send Grace sitting across from her a small smile.

"I know."

Grace's chin was balanced on her hand and her elbow on the table while she had a soft frown on her face. Cassie slightly grinned and mimicked her position.

"What am I feeling?" she asked teasingly. She enjoyed the rare moments where even Grace wasn't sure of how to describe her friends' emotions.

Grace shook her head and turned her attention to the muesli in front of her.

"Ever heard the word 'hiraeth'?"Cassie furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. "It's welsh and it kind of describes a feeling of nostalgia or homesickness - it's like you're happy it's there and you know it but you're still homesick for it, if that makes sense."

Cassie nodded softly, her hand slowly leaving her chin. "Yeah, it..," she stopped as she let the explanation echo in her head once more, "it's actually pretty accurate."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, it's okay. It's nothing big, really," she gave Grace an assuring smile and she meant it. There wasn't anything she could do about it if the snow would affect her and it wouldn't stop her love for snow. 'Hiraeth' - she thought it was truly fitting.

The sound of hoots made both girls look up to the sky again. Multiple owls arrived in the great hall, some of them circling through the air only to discover that the addressee wasn't out of bed yet. While those owls turned and left the great hall again, letter still between their little claws, the other ones settled in front of the student. Cassie came to know her father's favourite owl from the Ministry he used to send letters or packages to his children and she spotted him between the other owls before he settled on the table between the Hufflepuffs.

Cassie took the letter from its claws and carefully stroked its feathers before cutting a little piece of her pancakes loose to feed it to the owl. She watched him eat it in joy before taking off again, his job being done.

The letter was from her father and she didn't hesitate to open it.

'Dear Cassie,

our world is becoming darker outside of Hogwarts and it was only a matter of time until you kids would ask questions and become worried yourselves. The ministry is doing it's best, the Aurors office is in a high rush to find the people responsible.

I understand that you're worried for Grace's family. I will keep my eyes and ears open in the ministry and speak to one of the Aurors to keep an eye open outside the Ministry and for her family. Meanwhile, I will continue doing my best to stop,-

Cassie skipped the next paragraph- she hated her father's job.

... I understand that you want to do something to help, too. For now, you and Noah concentrate on school and being teenagers. Enjoy the time with your friends all gathered together and try not to worry too much.