The snow was falling with a precise silence. It cloaked the frosted hills, and settled on the frozen surface of the Black Lake, forming sculptural piles that glimmered in the grey sunlight. The small white flakes danced through the air like daft sprites, clinging and whipping and burning cheeks red.
"It's so cold. Why do we bother?"
Lily Potter shivers against this frigid wind. She curls further into her winter cloaks with a huff; they're a sharp, soft grey, clasped around her neck with a single, silver lily. She's thrown the hood over her head, revealing the faux, white fur within as it spilled out over the hood's lining. Her terra-cotta skin was blown scarlet along her cheekbones and nose. Snow sparkled where it clung to her dark eyelashes, contrasting to the hickory brown of her eyes.
Hugo Weasley scoffs, a large puff of air leaving his mouth as a misty phantom. His sepia hued cheeks are a stained pink, and his freckles stand out darkly against it. His eyes whisk about, searching all at once exasperatedly as well as excitedly. He burrows into a large, black trenchcoat of a muggle persuasion, and his neck is shielded with a black and yellow knit scarf.
"Because if we didn't, they'd freeze to death." Hugo snorts, running a boxy hand through his dark curls. Lily grumbles something in way of agreement and they continue on their stomping way.
They're just past Hagrid's cabin when they hear their charges. Voices lilt and dance along the winter wind and the crackling of a fire promises a small interlude of warmth before Lily and Hugo dragged their friends back to the safe caverns of the castle.
Lily is so very not amused by this outing; as she'd much rather stay in her common room where it was warm. Rose had seen her sneaking out for another, and would be waiting up for her for no other reason than to scold her for going out past curfew with her equally ill-mannered brother. However, as much as Lily hated the cold, she loved adventure and her friends far more.
She and Hugo enter the Forbidden Forest with identical grins of fond exasperation lifting their cheeks.
"Oi, wait a moment." Lily whispers to Hugo, grabbing her cousin and steering him behind a tree. She peeked through the foliage to see three boys laughing around a fire, sharing a bottle of Fire Whiskey.
The oldest boy there was Lorcan Scamander, and by far the most serious. While at some moments he'd burst into childish guffaws, he mostly ranted exuberantly, sternly, about some topic or another, and then just watched, amused, as the two other boys made absolute fools of themselves. He was a dark haired boy, with a scruffy jaw and handsome features. He was tall, quite so, and ironically enough reminded Lily of a raven.
His fraternal twin, Lysander, was comical as Lorcan was serious. He was an impish boy, with androgynous features and a strong, seeker build. He was always smiling; his dark eyes twinkled, and his voice was thick with the infamous Scamander Spanish lilt. He was a ladies' man, with his beautiful cocoa hair and brilliant white teeth. Currently, he was jumping around, sprouting some kind of nonsense that sent the other two into loud laughter.
The last boy, the one that caused a hot blush to rise to Lily's cheeks as she watched, was Frank Longbottom the Second. He was a tall, tall, tall boy, at six' five, with large hands and large ears and a charming smile. He was often mistaken for Hagrid's son, rather than Professor Longbottom's, and it had been a running joke for as long as Lily could remember. Frank's hair curled under his ears, black and shiny, and his brown eyes crinkled when he smiled. He smelled like cinnamon and roses, and he treated Lily as though she was something precious. At the moment, he was jumping around with Lysander, laughing joyously and no doubt teasing the twins, as he did with everyone, when the opportunity presented itself. His favorite victim, to her secret relief, remained to be Lily.
"Are we going to continue pining, or are we going to gather the idiots before the lot of us lose our toes?" Hugo hisses, his blue eyes squinted. Lily raises her hands in surrender.
"We won't lose our bloody toes, Hugo, calm down." Lily snaps back, before turning on her boot's heel and marching straight into the middle of the boy's 'Top Secret Meeting'.
The boy's hushed quickly when Lily stopped just shy of the fire. She pulled of her hood and her ebony waves pooled to her shoulders. She glared at each boy in turn, turning last to Frank.
"Are you three all quite done with this nonsense, or are you going to freeze your bollocks off because you all lost your collective sodding minds?" Lily barked, throwing out her hands. Lysander laughed and jumped forward for a hug.
"Come on, Lils, we've just been having a spot of fun." He cooed, attempting to pull her against his, Merlin help him, shirtless torso. She pinched his nipple with a pout, and he jumped back with an affronted huff. "Aye, on the rag are you?"
"Oi, Lysander." Lorcan rumbled; his voice deep and commanding. Lysander just rolled his eyes. "She's right; we should've gone in an hour ago."
"She's right? Little Flower hasn't got a say! Tonight's boys' night, after all." Frank says with a wink in Lily's direction, and Lily crosses her arms and sends him a proper glare.
"You are all so stupid. Get inside the damn castle before Lily has a damn conniption. You lot only rope these nights together because you want to rile Lil's up, you buffoons." Hugo groans, waving emphatically in the direction of the castle. Lily nods her agreement and points. Damn pig-headed boys were going the death of her, honestly.
"We should've never trusted you, Weasley, you rat!" Frank yells teasingly, barreling forward to throw the slim, lanky Hugo over his gargantuan shoulder. Hugo yelps and bangs on his back, but it was futile endevour.
"Cavemen are what you are." Lily gripes, following after them with put upon strides to keep up as they began the trek to the castle. "If I hadn't come and gotten you, you'd be ice lollies by now."
"Oh yes, the true heroine of Hogwarts, Lily Potter Part Two. Saved us in the nick of time, did you?" Lysander chuckled, throwing a muscled arm around her shoulders. Much to her ire, the familiarity of it had her arm wrapping around his waist. She leaned into his side as they walked, and watched as Lorcan and Frank teased Hugo a few yards ahead.
"I already have three brothers. How'd I end up with three more?" Lily sighed, looking up at Lysander, whom, for once, looked at her with soft eyes.
"I haven't a clue, Little Flower. I haven't a clue."