Chương 149: Chapter 149: When Snow Covers the Mud (2)
The evening settled over Godric's Hollow, its houses resting peacefully beneath a soft blanket of snow. Snowflakes continued to drift gently from the darkening sky, adding a fresh layer to the already glistening rooftops and cobblestone streets. Quaint cottages, with their steeply pitched roofs and glowing windows, cast a warm, golden light that spilled onto the snow-covered ground, stretching long shadows across the quiet lanes. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, mingling with the crisp, cold air, carrying the comforting scent of burning wood. The streets were silent, save for the occasional crunch of footsteps as villagers hurried home, bundled against the biting chill.
At the far end of the village, a large, elegant cottage stood in quiet distinction among the simpler homes. Its smooth, cream-colored stone walls were framed by polished oak beams that gleamed softly under the lanterns lining the pathway. Small chimneys puffed wisps of colourful smoke into the evening air. Tall, leaded windows, accented with stained glass, shimmered with a warm, inviting glow from within. A wrought-iron gate led to a perfectly manicured garden, where enchanted topiaries, dusted with snow, seemed frozen in time.
Three teenagers, weary from travel, stopped in front of the house, brushing the snow from their hats and jackets. Catherine, glancing at James' home for the first time, felt immediately that it was a very happy and cozy place. Just then, the front door swung open, and a petite witch in a red robe, her black hair neatly tucked behind her ears, stepped out, beaming with delight, a wooden spoon clutched in her hand.
"My boys!" – she chirped, pulling Sirius and James into a tight embrace – "You're late! Dinner's nearly ready! Hurry inside and wash up! Give me those suitcases!"
"Mistress should come back in! Crindle will tend to the young Master and his guests! It's far too cold for the Mistress!" – a house-elf shrieked, appearing behind Mrs Potter, his large ears twitching with concern as he trailed behind her.
"Nonsense!" – the witch waved her hand, realising she was still holding the spoon – "Oh my! I forgot I had this with me. How embarrassing! You must be the infamous Catherine—dear me, you're such a tiny thing, but so pretty! I'm Euphemia, but you can call me Aunt Effie! I hope you like lamb shank with red wine sauce!"
Catherine felt a bit dizzy from the witch's rapid-fire chatter as she gave her a quick hug and whisked her inside. She caught James' apologetic smile but found she didn't mind his mum at all. The house was filled with the comforting smells of a home-cooked meal and cinnamon, instantly putting her at ease.
Mrs. Potter led the girl into a spacious living room, where they were greeted by a tall wizard with grey hair and the same hazel eyes as James. He appeared to have been reading multiple books at once, as several volumes still hovered at eye level until he waved his wand to send them floating away.
"You must be Catherine!" – the wizard greeted her with a bright smile – "I'm so pleased you finally decided to visit us. I'm James' father, Fleamont. Come closer to the fire, you look cold."
"I'm fine, thank you, sir." – Catherine replied, taking off her coat – "I'm very happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me."
"James' friends are always welcome!" – Mrs Potter said warmly, taking the young witch's coat – "By the bravery of Gryffindor, don't they feed you at that school?! You're skin and bones! Come straight to the table, my dear!"
"Whuh sh'll I p' Flam's suitc'se, Mum?" – James asked, stepping into the room with Sirius, both of them lugging suitcases.
"What?" – Euphemia asked, looking confused for a moment before noticing the luggage – "Oh! In the bedroom across from yours and Sirius'. It has the best view and lovely big windows. I think you'll like it, dear. We have a smaller house in the centre of the village, but we thought it best to stay a bit further from the Muggles. There are quite a few wizarding families in Godric's Hollow, but we still need to be considerate—especially with teenage wizards and witches around."
"Especially with those two." – Mr Potter chuckled, casting an affectionate glance at the boys – "Tell me, Catherine, are you as much of a troublemaker as those sons of mine?"
"She's w'rse." – James teased, earning a raised eyebrow from his father.
What Catherine couldn't help but notice was how Sirius' face lit up when he was referred to as one of the Potters' sons. He looked so genuinely happy that she couldn't resist smiling at him.
"Actually, I've been the reason James and Sirius have gotten into trouble more than once." – the witch admitted apologetically – "It's not that I mean to cause trouble, but somehow it always seems to find me."
"I used to be like that!" – Aunt Effie giggled, waving them towards the dining room – "Come on, let's have dinner while it's still hot. The house-elf will take care of the luggage. And I'm excited to hear all about Hogwarts—and, of course, for Catherine to tell me about the girl our James fancies so much that he's keeping it a secret from his own parents!"
"Muh! Thish ish priv't!" – the protested, his voice muffled with annoyance.
"Why are you talking like that?" – Mrs Potter asked with suspicion.
"He bit his tongue stuffing himself with chocolate frogs on the Hogwarts Express." – Sirius chimed in with a laugh.
As they settled around the table, Catherine leaned towards James and whispered. "You're drawing too much attention. Try speaking normally."
"I'm trying!" - he muttered back - "But this leaf feels so weird under my tongue!"
"It's not that bad once you get used to it. – Sirius said with a shrug, already grabbing his utensils – "Just relax, mate."
"Either that or I could 'accidentally' cast a Permanent Sticking Charm to your mouth." – Catherine suggested, nearly bursting out laughing as her friend looked at her with a mixture of horror and disbelief.
***
It took Catherine a while to recognise her surroundings when she woke the next morning. Her room indeed had a splendid view to a snowy field, with a spring which was currently almost entirely frozen. After washing up and quietly repeating the daily chant Amato Animo Animato Animagus, the girl made her way downstairs for breakfast. James and Sirius were still asleep, and Mrs. Potter was seated at the table, sipping tea and reading what looked like Witch Weekly.
"Good morning." – Catherine greeted, feeling a bit shy.
"Good morning, my dear!" – Aunt Effie beamed, immediately rising to her feet – "I hope you slept well. What would you like for breakfast?"
"I slept well, thank you." – she replied briefly recalling the vials of Dreamless Sleep Potion tucked away in her luggage. The last thing she wanted was any magical mishaps in the Potters' home – "I'll have whatever you're making—I don't want to trouble you."
"What are you saying?!" – Mrs Potter exclaimed, waving her hand dismissively – "It's no trouble at all! We're thrilled to have you here. You know, James speaks of you with so much affection. It's as if you're the sister we were never able to give him..."
Catherine caught the wistful look on Aunt Effie face and immediately sensed the emotional weight of her words. Not wanting to dwell on the subject, she quickly smiled and tried to think of something to say. "Could I have waffles with hot chocolate, then?"
James' mother's face lit up, and she hurried to the kitchen, returning shortly with a plate of the best waffles Catherine had ever tasted. Soon after, the boys emerged—James now able to speak properly, despite the Mandrake leaf still tucked in his mouth.
"James, you should show Catherine around the village after breakfast." – Euphemia suggested, placing a big tray of eggs and sausages in front of the boys – "Your dad's gone to London to pick up a few last-minute things for tomorrow, but when he gets back, we can decorate the tree. We left it on purpose so you could all help."
James nodded, too busy stuffing his face to respond properly. Catherine, used to this scene from spending so much time with four perpetually hungry teenage boys, just rolled her eyes. She glanced at Mrs. Potter, who gave her an amused look, and the two shared a knowing smile.
The weather remained cold, though the snow had stopped falling. The sky was still a heavy, grim grey, but this didn't dampen the spirits of the three friends. Wrapped in hats and scarves, they strolled through the narrow, cobbled streets of Godric's Hollow. The village was small, with most of its life centred around the modest square that featured the shabby old St. Jerome's Church. There was also a pub, The Ol' English Lion, and a handful of small shops. With hardly anyone about, the teenagers enjoyed their walk, chatting freely without worrying about being overheard.
"Do you want to go check out the graveyard?" – James asked eagerly.
"Why would I want to check a graveyard?" – Catherine exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"It's pretty old." – the boy explained - "A lot of people from well-established wizarding families are buried there. Bowman Wright's tombstone is in the far corner, under the yew tree. He invented the Golden Snitch, you know?"
"Fascinating." – the girl replied, her voice not showing any fascination whatsoever – "Can we focus on the living? It's starting to feel a bit morbid."
"How about visiting Bathilda Bagshot?" – James chuckled – "She lives just down the street, and she's usually quite friendly. Always invites me in for tea."
"Isn't that the author of A History of Magic?" – Sirius asked with curiosity – "She must be a hundred years old!"
"Sounds about right!" – James chuckled – "She sometimes gets confused and thinks I'm her nephew. Calls me Gel, but I don't mind."
"I'd rather get lunch." – Sirius said, eyeing the pub – "Do they serve fish and chips there?"
"Yeah, and it's quite tasty actually." – James replied enthusiastically - "Shall we?"
"You just ate!" – Catherine groaned, trailing behind the boys.
"I'm growing." – Sirius grinned – "Besides, you'll eat too. I don't know how you keep getting thinner and thinner. You should have Madame Pomfrey look at you."
"I'm fine!" – the girl snapped, a bit annoyed – "Shall we eat inside?"
"We can, or if you prefer, we can take it to go in a doggy bag." - James suggested - "There's a small garden with a gazebo not far from here."
"Isn't it a bit cold for that?" - Catherine asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I thought you didn't feel the cold?" – Sirius teased her.
"I don't." – she replied, a touch exasperated – "But that doesn't mean I can't catch a cold or get frostbite, even if I don't feel it."
"The weather's pretty mild." - James said - "And we can always cast a warming charm in the gazebo. Plus, it's right across from Dumbledore's house."
"What?" – Sirius and Catherine exclaimed in unison.
Munching on some excellent fish and chips, the three friends spent a pleasant hour in the gazebo, which was warm and cozy, thanks to one of Catherine's spells. The black-haired girl frequently cast glances at the nearby white, three-story house, its windows tightly shut. It was clear that Dumbledore hadn't been home for quite some time. The front garden was overgrown with untamed bushes and scattered rubble, giving the entire building a ghostly, abandoned feel.
Catherine found herself wondering why her headmaster had neglected his home, letting it fall into such disrepair. Despite the many times she had poured her heart out in front of him, she realised how little she knew about the man's personal life—he was still an enigma, wrapped in layers of mystery.
"Shall we head back?" – James asked – "You look like you could use a cup of tea."
The tea was warm and strong, accompanied by a generous pile of gingerbread cookies. Mr Potter had yet to return home, so the three friends decided to spend some time in the field behind the house. What began as building a snowman quickly escalated into a full-blown snowball fight.
"I'm exhausted!" – Catherine declared, collapsing onto the thick layer of snow.
"What are you doing?" - Sirius asked, looking down at her with concern – "You're really going to get frostbite lying like that!"
"I'm making a snow angel" – the young witch grinned, sweeping her arms and legs back and forth to form the shape.
"You're so silly!" – the boy laughed, throwing himself down beside her to make a snow angel of his own.
Catherine turned her head and looked at him. Sirius smiled back, his grey eyes gleaming like silver against the snowy backdrop.
'He's so handsome.' – the girl thought, feeling her face grow uncomfortably warm in the frosty air.
"Are you happy, Flame?" – the wizard asked gently, his cold fingers brushing lightly against her flushed cheek.
"Yes." – she replied sincerely, suddenly aware of how close his face was to hers.
"That's why your guard's down!" – the boy laughed, shoving a snowball into her face before leaping to his feet and sprinting toward James, who was trying to repair their half-destroyed snowman.
'I'm such an idiot.' – Catherine thought, spitting out snow and water. With a determined grin, she sprang up from the ground and raced after Sirius, fully intent on burying him in the snow.
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