A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait, I'm trying to post on Tuesdays but sometimes uni gets the better of me, and I'm too tired to even breathe after classes lol

Again, I can't thank you enough for your faves and comments, they are truly the highlights of my days! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! As promised, it's getting a bit darker...

"Darling Easton,

I suspect the news of the Yule party has reached you at last.

Oh, my dear, your father and I are so happy to be hosting it this year; last time Walburga Black looked too smug for my liking, that horrible woman.

I'm writing to let you know that you need not preoccupy yourself with finding the perfect dress, for I have got you a most exquisite attire. I'm sure you will simply love it; I can already see how marvelously it will bring out your eyes, dear.

I wish you the happiest of journeys back home, darling. Marius will be meeting you at the platform, as I have a lot of things to see to before the party.

P.S Be nice to Evan, he will be coming with you straight to the Manor. Oh and darling, do fix your hair!

Love, Mother. "

Easton scoffed indignantly and threw the letter into the depths of her overstuffed trunk. The contents of it hadn't surprised her one bit, for she had expected nothing more than dull party chatter from her mother.

Quite unexpected, however, was that her cousin Marius was in town after almost a year abroad. Granted, he never missed Christmas but Easton genuinely thought he wouldn't be coming back in the near future.

Marius was the one member of her extended family she actually liked, not because she had to, but because she chose to. With a laid-back attitude that earned him several threats of being disowned, the one and only male Greengrass heir was akin to an idol to Easton, who someday wished to be as skilled in the mastery of not giving a bloody fuck, too.

Of course, there were moments when Easton despised him. A lot, actually.

See, Marius Greengrass, in spite of his many faults that included great love for potions (and not the kind that Professor Slughorn assigned), and a hankering after Mr. Ogden's legacy, was the perfect picture of an entitled pure-blooded brat with mountains of gold in his vault, good looks and an almighty family name.

But he wasn't Evan, and that alone was enough for Easton to like the bloke.

Picking up a quill, Easton scribbled a short "Yes, Mother dearest" and hurried to the owlery to make there before the dinner began, which she was planning to ever so casually ditch. There wasn't really a valid reason for it apart from the fact that she just didn't want to be present, and decided she'd go take a walk around the castle to escape the festive bustle.

Penelope would surely be with her newfound lover anyway, not that Easton minded, so she wouldn't really have anyone to spend the day with and, as it turned out, the holiday, too. According to Penny, Andrew's family had gone to Spain, and the caring girlfriend she was, Penelope decided to stay with him at Hogwarts because she didn't want him "to be alone for our first Christmas together". Just like that, the slim chance of sneaking away to her best friend's house during the break was ruined, too.

Easton wasn't hurt; no, she was happy for Penelope. At least she should've been. And so she let out a loud sigh, worthy of a martyr, put on the robes and, wrapping a simple green woolen scarf around her neck, headed to the owlery.

On the path to the West Tower which wended its way through the snowy grounds of the castle, Easton remembered just why she loved winter so much. The outside looked like a fairytale, with blankets of snow shining as if made of billions of diamonds under the dim light of the moon. Easton climbed up the stairs, making sure not to slip, and entered the noisy owlery. She was happy to find her favorite owl, a beautiful western screech, that Easton had so fittingly called Bambi, for the bird had almost the same coloring, roosting on one of the lower perches. She almost screeched at the sight of the girl, as if genuinely happy to see her.

At least someone was.

"I need you to deliver it to my Mother," Easton asked, petting the bird. "You can bite her if you want," she added in conspiratorial whisper. For a second Easton thought that the owl actually nodded before flying away with the letter.

The walk back to the castle wasn't as magical, for Easton found it hard to enjoy winter when there was a huge chance of freezing to death. She wrapped the scarf tighter around her neck and quickened her pace until she finally stepped into the pleasant warmth of the halls.

"Easton!"

"Fuck," Easton muttered under her breath and and turned around to see Lily Evans practically running towards her.

"Jesus, how do you do that?," Lily exclaimed, her breath ragged. "I've been searching the castle for half an hour looking for you".

Easton regarded the fussy Head Girl in utter puzzlement. "What for?" In response Lily just handed her a sheet of paper. Easton took one look at it, and suddenly a smile spread across her face. "Oh, sweet."

It was the Potion's test Lily had given her last week to see how much progress they'd made in the last semester, and Easton had surprisingly aced it.

"You may even get an E on your N.E.W.T exam!" Lily commented excitedly. "Of course, we'll have to work really hard..."

"Thank you, Lily" Easton smiled at her in genuine appreciation.

Their little study sessions turned out to be the only highlight of her school days, what with Penelope ditching her every chance she got, which was totally fine with Easton. She found that Lily Evans was every bit as bubbly and amazing and all things perfect as people said. Of course, she could be overly bossy and annoying sometimes, especially when Easton started to act like a whiny baby during Charms, but she was an overall okay person to be around. Certainly a fresh breath of air from her Slytherin comrades.

Easton shuffled awkwardly, already wanting to leave. "Well, I guess I'll see you next year," she laughed at her own lame joke.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, her eyes suddenly narrowed in suspicion as she was taking in Easton's clothing.

"Oh," Easton hadn't really thought that far ahead, "I'm going to take a little walk," she said with a reassuring smile that didn't seemed all that reassuring to Lily.

"You're not coming to the feast?" she sounded positively horrified.

Easton sheepishly shook her head in response.

"How come?"

"I just—" really, Easton wasn't at all cunning, so lying was as much of a torture to her as failing a test for a Ravenclaw, "I'm just feeling kind of dizzy. Have to get some fresh air."

Lily didn't believe a word she'd said, that much was clear. She just stood there piercing Easton with her bright emerald eyes, contemplating her next move. Easton was afraid the red-head would take her to the Great Hall by force; she knew Lily was capable of it physically, seeing as the Head Girl had to kick Potter's ass nearly every day for seven years.

"Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing," Lily suggested with a warm smile; however, there was a tint of worry in her eyes.

"Maybe I will," Easton nodded. "Later, Evans."

She loathed lying, especially to Lily, but telling her that she was feeling exceptionally miserable, surrounded by happiness, wasn't really high on her list.

After parting with Easton, Lily went to the Great Hall. She headed directly to the Gryffindor table, where she could see her two best friends, and took her usual spot opposite Mary McDonald and Marlene McKinnon.

"'Lo, Evans," Sirius drawled with a toothy grin and winked at her.

Lily only scowled at him in return. She loved Marlene and had promised her to be civil with the guy her best friend had had a crush on since second year, but Sirius Black didn't make it easy for her. Everybody knew there was no Black without Potter, and since the relationship between the former and Marlene was rapidly blossoming, James never missed a chance to annoy Lily by sitting next to her. When she yelled at him to bugger off and get on somebody else's nerves, he nonchalantly claimed that Lily just so happened to be sitting next to his best mate, and that "not everything is about you, Evans, Circe."

God, how she wanted to stick his eyeglasses elsewhere.

"Good evening, m'lady," Potter did an excuse of a courtesy bow but Lily didn't so much as throw him a glare.

Right now she was oblivious to James's antics. Lily seemed deep in though, her brows knitted together in a frown as she was trying to put some food onto her plate.

The sudden apathy didn't go unnoticed by her friends. Mary, ever the empath, was the first to ask Lily if she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm good," Lily answered but there was obviously much more she wanted to say. And she did after a short internal debate, "It's just that...you all know Easton Greengrass, right?"

Lily looked at her friends. Mary instantly nodded, Marlene looked like she was trying to place the name and failing and Sirius was regarding her warily with a tad of worry and curiosity in his grey eyes that were usually filled with glee.

"The weird Slytherin bird?" James asked, and as much as Lily wanted to slap him on the head in that moment, she simply nodded.

"What about her?" asked Marlene, savoring a shepherd's pie. The girl sure did love her food.

"I went to give her back the test she'd taken last week," Lily said and then added to those who didn't know, "I"m tutoring her".

"So what?" urged Sirius.

Lily thought it weird that he was so interested but didn't show it. "She was leaving the castle," she explained, worry shadowing her sunny features. "Said she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be coming to the feast."

James snorted loudly, "Who could blame her? Spending the feast with the snakes, I'd bale too."

"On all the food?" asked Remus skeptically, not pulling his attention away from the book he was reading. His words made James rethink his last statement.

"I'm worried about her," Lily shrugged. "She's been a bit down lately you know? Usually during our lessons she'd make weird jokes and burn stuff on accident but she's been so passive."

No one seemed to know what to say, for all they knew about Easton Greengrass was that she was a strange girl with red hair, who was always drawing and singing weird muggle songs.

"Maybe it's personal?" Remus mused feebly, finally tearing his eyes from the book. "Something to do with her family."

This time it was Sirius who spoke, "Bloody right it is her family," he agreed vehemently. "The lot of them are Death—"

"Sirius," Marlene said pointedly, tightening the grip on the fork in her hand.

The Marauder looked at his friends for support but they all suddenly became awfully silent.

"We can't ignore it any longer," Sirius urged hotly, "we can't ignore them. Don't you see what's going on? They are recruiting fucking students," he whispered with such force it sounded like a hiss.

"Sirius, mate—"

"They got Regulus."

James halted.

"What?"

"At least I think so, he..." Sirius rubbed his face with his hands, exhausted, "he hasn't talked to me at all this year, been more distant than usual."

Marlene instantly reached out to wrap her hand around Sirius's, squeezing it reassuringly. He sent her a forced yet grateful smile in return.

"You think Greengrass is...?" James trailed, horrified.

Lily slapped him on the head. "Have you gone mad?" She shrieked at such preposterous assumption. James threw her an offended side glance, pouting and rubbing the sore spot.

"She most definitely isn't, Prongs," Sirius shook his head passively, "and that's probably the problem."

"You mean she's in danger?" asked Remus, looking genuinely concerned.

No one spoke of it but for a second everyone thought of what fate might hold for the poor Slytherin girl. The realisation was evident on their faces that were filled with fear.

Mary squeezed Lily's hand, noticing the red-headed girl turn ghostly pale.

"I was in a similar situation," Sirius spoke, his voice weak with helplessness, "the only difference is that I didn't actually care, which Easton, unfortunately, does."

"Do you think she knows?" Lily asked unsurely, "about her family, I mean."

Sirius brushed his hair away from his face, "I suppose so. But can she really do anything about it? We shouldn't blame her either way."

Marlene decided she didn't quite like the way Sirius spoke of the girl—with such passion and fierceness. Of course, she knew him to be very short-tempered and obstinate in his opinions but she couldn't help but think that this was taking it a bit too far. However, she managed to stifle her unreasonable fit of jealousy and instead be there for her boyfriend.

"Where's Wormtail by the way?" Remus suddenly wondered, "I haven't seen him since morning."

"Pestering Francis Goldstein probably," sneakered James taking a sip of his pumpkin juice, "poor bird. He won't leave her alone."

It was a horrifically stupid idea to go for a walk, that much Easton realized as soon as she found herself outside once again. Not only was it freezing cold but it was also bloody dark and rather frightening.

Making random dance moves to keep herself warm, Easton neared the Stone Circle which, she decided, would be her last stop before returning to the castle.

"Why couldn't you have just stayed in and pretended you had a fever?" she wondered out loud. "You're a witch, could've bloody well figured something out."

The entrance to the Covered Bridge was just a few steps away when suddenly Easton heard voices coming from the direction of the Boathouse. Not thinking of anything better, she jumped behind one of the stones and leant out enough to have peek.

"...shut it, Pucey," someone hissed. Easton couldn't see who it was, for she didn't really have the best view from behind the stone. But she did hear a name. Pucey. Now what the hell is he doing here?

Leaning closer to the massive and terribly cold stone, Easton tried to discreetly listen in to the conversation.

"But I thought Lucius said we'd meet him after Christmas–"

"He said keep your mouth shut, Albert," now that was the voice she'd recognise anywhere.

As if on queue, Easton's heart set off in a blood-boiling dance, she could hear the beat in her temples, in every part of her body. She wished there was a way for her to escape, but alas, she was trapped: if she ran down the hill, they'd surely see her, and the bridge wasn't even an option.

Fucking damn it.

"How come Severus has already been marked? He's just a filthy half-blood," muttered another voice, sounding dangerously close.

It seemed it couldn't have got colder, but the next words made Easton's blood freeze. "The Lord thinks him valuable," came Evan's disdainful reply.

Easton realized she couldn't move a muscle, almost paralyzed by fear and shock of what she'd just heard. It was only when the dreadful winter silence was interrupted by the sound of snow crunching, which meant that boys were already nearing the bridge, that Easton came to, blinking rapidly, and took a cautious step back. Oh, what a big mistake that was.

For, as a saying goes, snow crunches bloody everywhere. Easton was pretty sure there was no such proverb, however, cringing hardly at her own stupidity, she wished there had been.

"Did you hear that?" The voice sounded alarmed.

"Probably just a rabbit," dismissed another.

"How stupid are you, Yaxley?"

Irma's brother?

"I'll go check," suggested a new voice.

Suddenly Easton found herself in the most terrifying predicament on her entire life. It could've well been her very last predicament, come to think of it. If Evan found out she'd been eavesdropping on their conversation, her dear mother would've received a note about her daughter's untimely passing by the hands of a giant Acromantula, her body forever lost. And no one would've suspected Evan. He probably would've cried at her funeral and then smiled maliciously into his silken handkerchief.

Easton was already regretting not having put together a will, for she would've wanted to give her vinyls to Penelope for good use, and her hidden collection of muggle posters to...Penelope, seeing as she had no other friends, when suddenly her terror-filled eyes met with an impassive stare of none other than Regulus Black.

She was looking at him in complete shock and horror, debating whether he would give her away. Regulus, in his turn, looked as unimpressed with her as usual, as if he wasn't surprised to see her here at all.

Easton didn't think she and Regulus were friends; no, that'd be taking it way too far, but they did have their moments. She hoped that would be enough to melt his little black heart.

"Nothing," said Regulus in a low baritone, his eyes still fixed on Easton, "must've been some filthy creature."

Easton had a sense that in his mind, Regulus wasn't really lying.

"Let's go then," Evan commanded with a bit of haste in his voice, as if he was trying to get back to the castle as quickly as possible.

"You go," Easton made quite an audible gulp at Regulus's words, "I need to stop by the owlery."

Her cousin muttered something under his breath about Regulus being weird, and then Easton heard the merry band make their way to the bridge. Leaving her alone with the Black heir.

"I didn't hear anything?" she suggested pleadingly after some time, a rather awkward smile plastered on her face.

Regulus, however, didn't look taken in. Or angry. Or happy. There was no way of telling what he was feeling which was quite scary.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Easton, feeling uncomfortable under his grey eyes that now looked incredibly dark, started fussing with her scarf to busy herself.

"Walking," she replied with a slight huff to emphasise the obviousness of her answer.

"And why aren't you in the Great Hall?"

"I'm dieting," Easton met Regulus's apathetic eyes with a glimmer of challenge in hers. "What? Summer's almost here, can you blame me? Your brother's girlfriend jogs around the Quidditch pitch every morning. I'm not much into sports, so food has to go," she explained with what she thought was smoothness.

Too much, Easton.

"I know you've heard enough to start making assumptions," Regulus said, suddenly changing the tone of their conversation. "I trust you will be wise about it, Easton?"

"It's true, then. The rumours," Easton whispered almost to herself. "He's really recruiting from the school?"

Regulus answered with a reserved nod.

"And...and he..." she looked him over as if searching for something, "He m-marks you?

"He does, yes."

Easton could practically feel thoughts swirling in her head in a raging storm, beating, screaming, scattering all around without leaving a blank space. For a minute Easton thought she'd forgotten how to speak, only opening and closing her mouth much like a fish.

"D-did he mark you?"

The question made Regulus falter for just a mere second before he regained his immaculate composure. "No," he said and then added as an afterthought, "not yet."

Easton nodded feebly, taking in the information.

"Did he mark Evan?" she asked despite already guessing the answer.

"Last summer."

"R-right," Easton let out a shaky breath, feeling slightly dizzy. "You know what, I'm..." she made a step and almost stumbled, her hand finding the rock in time, "I have to g-get back, b-before..."

"Are you alright?"

Regulus reached out to help her with a worried look on his face, but Easton took another step back from him.

"I'll see you at Christmas," she stuttered and ran towards the entrance to the bridge.

"Easton—"

Easton began blinking rapidly in a desperate try to get rid of the tiny black dots that were clouding her vision faster and faster with each passing second. Her head felt light and almost empty, hands shaky and numb. She could feel her legs getting limp as cotton candy, hear her heart racing rapidly as if she was running a marathon.

Easton felt like she was suffocating.

She crossed the Covered Bridge and ran out into the Clock Courtyard, completely deserted at such time. All the other students were in the Great Hall having their last dinner before going home for the Christmas break, and there Easton was, alone, cold and on the verge of passing out.

Hospital Wing, her misty mind recalled.

Squeezing her eyes tightly to once again get rid of the irritating black dots, Easton headed to the Hospital Wing that was the closest thing to her at the moment. She wasn't a frequent visitor there, to tell the truth. In all her years in Hogwarts, the only times Easton went to the infirmary were when she was having horrible cramps back in fourth year (it was beyond embarrassing) and when Evan had shut her mouth with sticking charm during a heated argument in sixth year.

Probably that was why, or maybe because of the fact that she almost fell right on the floor when she entered the infirmary, that a middle-aged woman, who Easton recognised to be Madam Pomfrey, ran to her rescue with a horrified expression on her face.

"Oh dear," she cooed, helping Easton up, "right this way, darling," the matron gently led her to one of the hospital beds. "Sit here, sweetheart, I'll be right back." Easton could barely hear her voice as if it was coming from far, far away, but still nodded.

Madam Pomfrey hadn't lied, and was back in a span of a minute with a shiny vial filled with blueish liquid. "It's Calming Draught, Miss Greengrass," she explained and uncorked it. "Trust me, it will help."

Easton wasn't going to protest when Madam Pomfrey brought the vial to her mouth and titled it so that it was easier for Easton to drink the potion. The draught tasted slightly bitter, which made her crinkle her nose, but as soon as the vial was down, Easton could feel an instant sense of serenity suffusing her body.

"All better, dear?" Madam Pomfrey smiled at her affectionately.

"Y-yes," Easton breathed, "thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I..."

"Now I want you to lie down for a couple of hours," the woman instructed with a bit of bossiness to her otherwise tender tone.

"But..."

"You've exhausted yourself, Miss Greengrass. Your body needs rest," Madam Pomfrey said and left, leaving no room for argument. Easton found herself nodding obediently at no one in particular and lying down comfortably on the hospital bed. She laid her head, that felt a bit heavy, on soft pillows and let out a loud sigh.

She definitely had a lot to think about.