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November had arrived quicker than Opihuchus had expected her to. Fall was over. The dry and dancing yellow leaves were nowhere to be seen now. It was only days before the ground would be covered in snow. Unlike most others in the castle, including the foreign students, Ophiuchus seemed to be enjoying the winter, even though it made his already pale skin paler and added a flush to his cheeks, which made him feel oddly comfortable.
Winter often reminded him of himself. On the outside it was a season when the environment was completely colourless and harsh. No one seemed to want it, it was cruel, it was harsh and it was monotone. But on the inside, winter always managed to create a different ambience. It was brought families together. Inside the safety of the house, protected from the cold by the warmth of the fire, families gathered together, telling each other stories, dressed in colourful and tightly knit woolen garments, adding colour and joy to the so called colourless and harsh season. Unlucky for him, no one stopped to see the colour inside. People just liked to talk, especially the annoying middle-aged witches who were always looking for some fresh gossip.
But considering the events of the last few days, there was already more than enough for anyone to gossip about. Harry Potter, the famed boy, who had once again managed to land himself in trouble. God, was there ever going to be an year without unnecessary drama? Maybe not as long as Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, he just had this talent for trouble.
As usual, Ophiuchus was not interested in what the rest of Hogwarts was. He couldn't care less about what was going on with the Triwizard Tournament, and was perhaps the only one who'd called Draco out about those 'Potter Stinks' badges.
" You sure you don't want one ?" the Slytherin had said, offering one to Ophiuchus who had been walking past him in one of the many corridors of the castle. A book safely tucked under his arm, humming something to himself.
" No," Ophiuchus had intoned, not bothering to look up. " You've made quite the business out if them."
The Slytherin had been slightly disappointed but hadn't said anything.
" What a waste," Ophiuchus muttered under his breath. Lucky for him, most of the Hogwarts student body was too obsessed with his father to know of his connection with the Malfoys. Because to him, that would be yet another thing to be ashamed of.
" By the way, I heard Granger's started some house-elf empowerment act," Draco had snickered, picking his nails, making it very apparent that he thought of it as a horrible joke. "All muggle-borns wants to change the world."
Ophiuchus however hadn't found his joke funny at all. He had just glared at his cousin and tried to walk away. But the joke had been on his tongue for weeks, so he had stopped and smirked, giving Draco a sideways glance. Then he had said in a tone, alien to himself, " You really, made an astonishingly great ferret." Draco's face had really been priceless.
The November air caressed his porcelain skin, which was already ice-cold given the fact that he was hardly dressed to suit the weather. He could tell his face was now accompanied by an even deeper, red flush. Ophiuchus ignored the little drops of water sitting on the corners of his eyes, which were looking for an opportunity to escape. This weather was more than often a reminder of his younger days when he was merely a toddler, and still infant to the cruel and complicated ways of the world, a time when he used to live with his mother. He and his mother used to play in the snow and often go for sledging to regions hillier than Godric's Hallow. After Marianne was sent to St.Mungo's, the boy stared hating anything to do with snow.
" Enjoying ourselves, are we ?" a voice called out. Ophiuchus turned to see Professor McGonagall behind him, her lips curved into what was almost a smile. " I do want that essay by tomorrow."
" Yes Professor. " The boy said with a polite smile, " And you look ravishing, by the way."
" Thanks for the assessment, Mr. Black. But detention is hardly as attractive ."
He smiled to himself before continuing on his way towards the sanctuary of books. When you don't have friends, you could always fond solace there. Ophiuchus was almost through the doorway when he caught sight of Hermione in the library. The winters around this region had never been the most comfortable ones. But nature's beauty did allow them to ignore the harsh weather conditions and appreciate the weather for a while. Hermione Granger was sitting in her usual spot in a rather isolated and less visited area of the Hogwarts library. She looked distressed. Ophiuchus could guess that this had a lot to do with Weasley and Potter who at the moment, were not in speaking terms with one another. Well maybe she was just forced to play mediator between them.
" Is this about the Elf empowerment rebellion you've started, Miss Granger ?" Ophiuchus asked with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice as he claimed the seat directly opposite to Hermione.
The brunette looked up and grinned slightly, which was unnatural for her because normally if someone interrupted her while reading, they would be met with incredulous looks. " It's S.P.E.W actually," she said turning back to her book, " Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
" Lovely acronym," Ophiuchus raised his eyebrows, taking a book from Hermione's pile and staring intently at the title. " You're reading magical history ?"
" Actually no," said Hermione " I'm doing my research on oppression of house-elves. How they've been enslaved and abused in wizard homes and communities through the years."
Well that was history.
" And..do you know the number of pureblood traditions you'd be directly attacking the moment you do that?" the boy intoned, " And few elves, apart from Dobby would be actually interested in anything as such."
" You know him?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
" He makes the best chocolates."
It must've been hours before Ophiuchus left the library. But he instantly wished that he had just stayed there. For he was met with a very enraged and annoyed Draco. It was actually funny to see the annoying person, annoyed every once in a while.
" You were with the mudblood weren't you ?" Draco demanded, flaring with rage, which infact reminded the brunet how disappointed Narcissa would be with him, but he could care less. It was not like he would be left to die on the roads if the Malfoy's refused to let him spend half of his summer holidays at their house.
" Does it matter at all, dear cousin ?" said Ophiuchus indifferently, " Because I don't think it does."
He hadn't even waited to see Draco retaliate before walking away. They were not the same. They had been raised with ideologies which clashed at the very foundations. And anyway it was not like destiny had anything apart from grief, waiting for him. His nemesis was already written by Fate. His demise was already defined by Destiny. Only Time had yet to reach him. And once she does the boy, just like his ancestors would fall prey to her eternal and merciless path.
But winter had arrived long before. It was already winter in his heart.
