Green, Brown and Black
The air was cool, crisp and silent. It was early morning at Hogwarts and overnight a gleaming white sheet of snow had settled. The lake stood out like a silhouette of inky blackness against the stark, white landscape of rugged rocks and mountains. The sun was just breaking over the mountains in the east, casting shafts of light across a perfect blue sky and illuminating the tops of the castle towers.
All was quiet and still. It was too early for even the most excitable students to be out of their beds to enjoy the first snow of winter. Suddenly, however, a squeal of delight rang out across the vast lawn at the foot of the castle. Two people, a young man and a girl, jumped down the Entrance Hall steps and ran out into the snow, as yet untouched by footprints. The girl wore a red and gold scarf and a woolly hat that was pulled right down against the cold. From underneath her hat, vivid red hair was escaping, which, against the whiteness of her surroundings, glowed like fire. Underneath her robes it was possible to catch a glimpse of some bright red wellies. Excitement bubbled out of her – she was jumping up and down and laughing the most infectious laugh.
The young man was looking at her more than at the snow. He wore no hat, but was otherwise regaled in an identical scarf to the girl. A scruffy pair of trainers was his only defence against the cold, wet snow. But he didn't seem to notice the dampness creeping into his shoes. He was utterly entranced by the girl's bright green eyes. Over one shoulder he carried a broomstick, but with his spare hand he grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her down towards the enormous beech tree laden with snow, by the side of the lake.
Up in Gryffindor Tower, Sirius Black was having a strange morning. He was supposed to be packing his trunk to spend Christmas with the Potters but somehow he just couldn't get his act together. He sat on the edge of his bed in the seventh year dormitory and dragged his hand distractedly through his dark hair. James had disappeared out of the dormitory this morning at the crack of dawn with a barely mumbled "….first snow…..must see Lily…see you at breakfast…". Ever since then Sirius had felt out of sorts. He couldn't understand it. Generally things didn't bother Sirius. Confident, clever, good-looking, popular – he knew he was all of these things and so he breezed through life with a joke and a swagger. But this morning something was playing on his mind.
He glanced ruefully around the room. His mother would have had a fit if she could have seen the state of this particular dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. It was in a state of devastation as five boys tried to sort out all their personal belongings ready for the return home later that day. The situation was made worse by James' disappearance from the scene, as his stuff was still well and truly strewn all over the room. As Sirius thought of his mother a frown darkened his handsome face. She would never have dreamed of setting foot in Gryffindor Tower, or even have bothered to check on him. The most pure, but also the most dysfunctional, family in wizarding, the Blacks.
From high up in the tower he watched his best friend run down towards the lake, holding Lily's hand, the pair of them laughing almost uncontrollably at each other. Lily was having trouble running in her wellies and James was sliding around in his trainers, so their path to the lake was full of mishaps. They reached the beech tree together and simultaneously flung themselves down in the snow, looking up at the branches above them.
Sirius couldn't help but smile at them affectionately. In his opinion they were made for each other and their relationship had been a long time coming. James had asked Lily out pretty much every week since the start of the second year and she only finally gave in about two weeks ago. Honestly, you've got to give James credit for persistence and constancy, he thought. Especially after several occasions where James' behaviour had led Lily to call him many names including, if he recalled right, "egotistical prat" and "head the size of a Quaffle".
The girl moved her arms and legs up and down and made a snow angel under the beech tree. She got up and signalled to the young man that she expected him to do the same. He looked a bit taken aback, but rose to the occasion and, moving his arms and legs too, made a slightly larger snow angel next to hers. He got up and they stood side by side looking down at themselves outlined in the snow. The young man grabbed his broomstick and laid it down in the snow by his snow angel's hand. When he lifted it again there was a perfect outline of his angel holding a snow broomstick. The girl's laughter rang out again, and she immediately grabbed his arm for support and, wobbling frantically, took off a welly and used it to make welly-shaped indentations in the snow where her snow angel's feet should have been.
Then there was silence as the young couple gazed down at their snow counterparts, holding hands just like them. Without a word they turned to one another. Green eyes melted into brown. The young man put his arms around her waist and she in turn lifted her arms to his neck. He lifted her off the floor and they kissed. The world stood still and quiet as they seized a perfect moment on a perfect day to remember forever.
Sirius had to turn away from the window. He felt like he'd been spying on a something very private and at that moment had realised what his problem was. From the minute that Lily had finally agreed to go out with James, there had been a subtle change going on. This morning was a prime example. On the first snow of last winter it had been Sirius who woke James, who persuaded Lupin out of the dormitory, who started the snowball fight on the castle lawn. This year James had chosen to share that moment with Lily.
"Accio socks. Accio trousers," he said glumly with a mild wave of his wand. The objects flew to his hand and he placed them in his trunk.
It felt a bit like the end of an era. Would James drift away from the pranks and risks that they had always shared? Would the moonlight race to the Shrieking Shack and the trips to Hogsmeade under the Invisibility Cloak, through the Honeydukes passage still take place?
He gave himself a shake for being over-dramatic. It really wasn't like him to get so bothered. He was just making a mountain out of a molehill. After all, what was to stop him putting on his shoes and joining them outside? As he glanced out of the window again he could see that slowly small groups of excited students were drifting outside to enjoy the weather. He could get Remus and Peter to come too.
The young couple broke apart - green eyes and brown eyes melting into one another for what felt like an eternity. Then, as the shouts of another group of students revealed that the occupants of the castle were awake and about to enjoy the snow day too, they reluctantly started to walk slowly round the side of the lake. Chatting softly to one another and holding hands, they wandered away from the castle lawn.
"Right, that's it. I'm done for now. Come on Padfoot, we need to haul James up here to sort out his stuff. Where's he gone?" Remus Lupin entered the dormitory and threw a large pile of books and a potion kit into the top of his trunk.
"Come over here and see for yourself" shrugged Sirius moodily, gesturing towards the window.
Remus Lupin followed Sirius' gesture and immediately spotted James and Lily down by the lake.
"Is that where he went? To get Lily? He must have been up at the crack of dawn." Lupin looked really happy for his friends. He glanced down at Sirius. "What's the matter with you anyway? Thought you'd be out there with them."
"Don't know if I'm welcome," muttered Sirius.
"Is that why you've been sitting on your bed fiddling about with pairs of socks for the last half-an-hour? You don't know if you're welcome?" Remus gaped at Sirius incredulously.
"You didn't see them a minute ago. They were kissing down by the beech tree and it was so private. Moony, I had to look away – it felt like I was intruding even though I was right up here and they didn't even know I was watching"
Lupin sat down next to him and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Mate, I'd say you need to sort your head out. I suppose we're going to have to let them have a bit of space and James is a bit swept up with Lily right now, but he hasn't had a personality transplant. He's still James Potter; Marauder, Quidditch captain and your best friend. I'd say that if you've seen them have their private moment already, then they are fair game for a few snowballs to the head. What do you reckon?"
Sirius let out a bark of laughter "Blimey Moony. What is the matter with me? Thank goodness you always talk sense. Here we are, new snow and no classes and I'm sat on my bed moping about losing my best mate when all the time he's already outside and a perfect target for a snowball fight. You're right. Come on!" He leapt to his feet and grabbed his cloak off the peg.
"Are we going easy on Evans with the snowballs?" grinned Lupin as he pulled on his scarf.
"You can if you like, Mr Prefect, but I'm not. If she's going to join the Marauders then there's no special favours when it comes to the ultimate snowball battle. You're either in or out…" and with that Sirius took off down the stairs. Lupin laughed softly. That was what he loved about Sirius, his enthusiasm and passion for life and for his friends. He followed Sirius down the stairs and headed for the wintry outdoors.
The young couple continued to meander their way along the shore of the lake, watching ducks skid along the icy surface and the giant squid break a hole in the ice to wave a tentacle at the sun. They were in their own world, oblivious to the noise around them.
"BOOF" The young man was suddenly struck by something that flew at him from behind. He slipped in his scruffy trainers and before the girl could save him, fell over flat on his face in the snow. And then it rained snowballs. The girl screamed and covered her head with one arm, crouching down near the ground and scooping up some snow with her free hand whilst trying to catch a glimpse of their attackers.
"Ha! Got you Harry! Did you see my shot Hermione? Right between his shoulder blades! Look out little sis, there's no escape!" Ron yelled in delight.
Harry picked himself up and straightened his glasses in time to see Ginny neatly place a snowball right on Ron's chest stopping him in his tracks. Hermione's shot missed Harry's ear by about an inch, and he could see Neviile and Luna running towards them with snowballs in each hand. He needed no further motivation. With Ginny doubled up in laughter next to him, he began launching snowballs in all directions and for a long time there was utter mayhem.
Later on they trudged back towards Gryffindor Tower, wet, cold, pink-cheeked and breathless.
Harry hung at the back with Ginny, chatting. "You know, I found myself wondering if my parents ever had snowball fights when they were at Hogwarts. With Sirius and the others. What do you reckon, Gin?"
She squeezed him on the arm and pecked a kiss on his cheek. "I'm sure of it." she said, her brown eyes sparkling, and then in a loud voice "Marshmallows by the fire, anyone? Race you!" And she took off up the stairs with Harry and the others hot on her heels.