BY fates design

Let's walk

It was a warm afternoon for the end of September, the sky was clear bar whips of thin cloud and a gentle breeze brushed through the air. Saturday was a good day, no school and no school tomorrow. Sat atop of a hill, their back to a rough stone pillar, a figure stared out over the landscape, legs pulled up to their chest, arms wrapped tight around them.

Silence. The who world held its breath for a beat: the birds stopped singing, the breeze fell still and the whole world settled into harmony. All too soon the moment ended: soft songs filled the air, carried by a soothing autumn wind.

"Hey Cass," the dark haired girl jumped when an arm was tossed over her shoulder. Glancing up, she found a pair of brown eyes looking back down at her. "How have you been? Feeling better?" Alex asked placing a kiss on her head.

Humming, she leaned into his side more. It had been two days since she stared going to classes again, it had been just about three weeks since the incident on the train and the scar still stung at times. Her limbs still felt heavy with the weight of illness, her mind foggy with exhaustion but even still her face remained pleasant and unreachable.

"What were you sick with?" James asked, worried for his daughter's health.

"Oh, it was just a flu. It cleared up completely after a couple of weeks. A pain in the arse though." She told him.

"I'm ok, just tired is all. How about you? I haven't seen you in ages it feels." Cassiopeia said, her head tilted up to look at the taller boy. Alex nodded, flashing her the signature Hermes smile, his eyes crinkling with mischievous joy.

"Well Cass, I've been thinking, why don't we go for a walk through the forest. Just the two of us like old times, yeah?" He suggested. Cassiopeia's face lightened instantly at the thought, it had been forever since the two of them had any kind of sibling bonding alone. Walks through the woods had always been their tradition, their alone time.

Smiling, she nodded eagerly, pulling at Alex's hand to lead him down towards Hagrid's hut. Both teens knew entering the forest was forbidden, hence its very creative name, but that didn't deter them one bit. Breaking rules was nothing out of the ordinary for the children of gods.

"Now children, going into the Forbidden Forest is-" Dumbledore started to say before his voice was snatched from him.

"Do not speak to them." Amelia Bones hissed at the old man, tightening the restraints he had on until he was pulled completely flush against his chair.

Despite everything they were told about the 'dangers' of the forest, it was calm. No rabid beast lunging for their jugular, no snarling wolf snapping at their heal as they entered. Instead the breathtaking symphony of the forest resounded through their ears like an angel choir. The soft percussion of centaur hooves against damp soil, the whispered hum of the breeze that came like the lyrics of nature accompanied by the sun's golden spotlight.

Neither spoke, no words needed to be exchanged as they soaked in the faltering grasps of summer. Burning amber just began to taint the leaves of the towering trees, their emerald hues fading into a warm sunset. The final flowers of the season were just beginning to wilt, their petals still vibrant despite their weeping stems.

"It's beautiful." One young Slytherin girl muttered, only just loud enough for others to hear. "How could something so pretty ever be dangerous?"

Soft skin grazed scared bark as Cassiopeia walked, her bare hands caressing the leaves and flowers and trees. Moments like these, spent in silent company with her darling brother, surrounded entirely by life, these moments were stored in a special place in her mind. A forest of memories that bloomed year round.