Susan Bones smiled, breathing deeply of the cold morning air. A smile spread across her face as she stood on the stone steps leading to the castle. A gleaming white landscape lay before her. Snow had settled on the bare branches of the trees, giving them a unique beauty.
Everything before her looked beautiful.
Still smiling, she walked down the steps and into the snow, which came well past her ankles. Each footfall brought with it a soft crunch. For a split-second, she winced, fearing she may offend nature itself by breaking the tranquility of this morning with the slightest sound.
She continued through the snow, her eyes roaming the school grounds, soaking up every detail she could. The patches of white clinging to the sides of the castle's numerous towers. The sunlight glinting off icicles hanging from nearby trees.
Susan breathed deep again, her smile widening even more. Surely no work by a human artist could compare to anything produced by nature.
She shook her head, thinking of her classmates back in the castle, most of them wrapped in blankets, reluctant to leave their warm beds.
Look at what they're missing.
Susan headed toward the lake, walking under trees. She looked up, admiring the coating of snow on the branches. Everywhere she turned, there was beauty to see. Truly, snow had a magic all its own.
The lake had just come into view when she noticed something out the corner of her eye. Another person. For a moment, she was disappointed. She didn't want anyone intruding on her serenity. That selfish bit of thinking quickly came and went. Her heart warmed to the fact another student was out here to partake in the splendor winter had to offer.
Susan started toward him. Even with his heavy coat and wool hat, she soon recognized him. Jimmy O'Bannon, the Muggle-born exchange student from America who had organized Hogwarts' first-ever hockey team, a team she was part of.
"Good morning, Jimmy."
He jerked in surprise before turning to her. "Oh. Hey, Bonesy."
"Enjoying the snow?" she asked, stopping about a foot from him.
"Hey, growing up in Boston, you either learn to really love snow, or really hate it. I chose love."
"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled, gazing at the snow-covered grounds. "It's so beautiful out here, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, it is."
Susan sighed to herself, glancing over the American. She studied his round face, sensing a mixture of contentment and joy. The sort of feelings she got on days like this. Could she have found something of a kindred spirit in this boy when it came to a love of snow?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is the sort of day I love. Early in the morning, the snow covering everything, no one around. For me it creates a stillness, a sense of peace. I look around this beautiful white landscape, and I feel so calm. There are no problems, no worries. It's like the snow comes and, for just a little while, makes everything in the world pure, makes everything perfect. It's a feeling I just want to hold on to forever. Don't you agree, Jimmy?"
Susan opened her eyes.
Jimmy stared back at her, a quizzical look on his face.
"Uhhhhh . . . I guess. I dunno, I just think when it snows, it makes everything look kinda nice."
Susan just blinked. Look kinda nice?
"Oh yeah. And it also means you can have snowball fights and play pond hockey all day long."
She clenched her teeth to keep her jaw from dropping. He couldn't be serious, could he? The artistry of winter was all around them, and all it meant to him was playing some games? Couldn't he embrace the deeper meaning of a day like this? Couldn't he appreciate the gorgeous, untainted white setting around them?
A confused look settled on Jimmy's face. He stared at her and shook his head. "What?"
Susan rolled her eyes. She turned and stomped off, grumbling just one word.
"Boys."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Jimmy O'Bannon appears in the fanfics "The Puck Drops Here," "Cold Laughter" and "A Perilous Pass," among others.