A Cold Day At Hogwarts

The wintery months had already begun: snow was falling rather lightly dusting the ground before it began getting heavier, and soon the very green grass was covered by the whiteness. Certh had spent the morning wandering around the grounds, having to dodge snowballs from the other foolish students who seemed to believe that having fun was just that - fun. He, however, had different plans for the holidays: instead of going home to spend it with his family, he decided to stay at Hogwarts and brush up on his spells, as well as assist... people, with whatever it was that they needed. Mostly Karma, and perhaps Arsen; even if he could look after himself.

His footwear could be heard entering into the Entrance Hall with several sounds that, to the human ear, sounded like claps, or thumps. His wand remained within his robes, but he was prepared to grasp it if the situation arose. His hands remained steady at his side as he made his way toward the stairs, but ended up leaning against a wall located just to the right of the staircase as he looked down the corridor's, and wondered how many other students were planning on staying home for the holidays; either that, or they were just going to leave late.

Eva strolled into the entrance hall having just gone to the forest. She was staying here for the holidays, her parents were going home and she wasn't allowed to come. She was a little sad about that, she wasn't used to this much snow. Most plants were dead and she didn't like that, she liked things that were alive and well. She sighed and walked on. She was another boy come in after her. She looked behind her and decided to go talk to him. She was rather bored. Most of the trees were sleeping for the winter.

"Hello." she said smiling warmly. She was always polite when she first met people. "I'm Eva, what's your name?" she asked, she felt like it was kindergarten all over again except they were smarter and not as nice. Deciding that she needed a bit more to start a conversation. "How are you?" She asked.

Certh's robe brushed lightly against the floor of the Hall as a girl had approached from in front of where he had been walking. She looked rather stunning, and his age too. He slowly pushed himself off of the wall, although remained close enough to it so his robes continued to touch.

His eyes soon traveled to meet hers as a smile grew on her face. "Hi" He blinked shortly after, apparently unaware. She seemed nice, kind, gentle. Someone who could be a.. friend, perhaps? He did not know. "Certh - Certh Salamar" He replied back to her, his hands remaining calm at his sides. He had a feeling about this girl, was she a mudblood? The thought only occurred to him for a moment. "Bored." He sighed, "Nothing going on yet - no parties.. Nothing"

Eva beamed at him. "Nice to meet Certh. Love the name." She said. She loved most of the people's names here. She smiled and wondered where Myles was. She wanted to talk to him. He seemed to be spying on all the students so she wondered what he had come up with for this guy. She sighed when he said he was bored. "Nothing to do? Don't you have hobbies. I mean there is so much to do in this castle." she said shocked that anyone could be bored.

"So what do you normally do for fun?" She asked trying to think of something that could make him unbored. "We could always go to the kitchens and get food to throw at Gryffindors." She said. She found it fun and always offered to help clean up after. "or we could go into the forest and look for some cool creatures." She said thinking that the second option sounded like more fun to her.

His body remained close to the wall. He did not know why, perhaps if he was hit by a jinx or a hex he would not fall to the floor; rather up against the wall and hopefully remain upright. He was always thinking for stuff like that, always being on the alert. He had to be, after having his wand taken right out of his hand by a fellow Slytherin girl who had an apparent crush on him.

It could have just been him, however, he felt a sort of attraction to this girl. He did not have any idea why he would be attracted to a huffleypuff out of all the houses; he could not explain it. "Thanks" He paused slightly, feeling a little shy was new to him. He'd never felt like that before. "Eva is nice too" He replied back to her, walking a little ways away from the wall toward her direction. "Hobbies? you mean like hexing other students? Of course I have hobbies" A smirk began appearing on his face at the thought.

Certh sighed slightly at her next question. He could not breathe a word of what exactly it was he was doing for Karma - no, it was too valuable to be ratted out now. "That depends. Walking around after curfew is one of the things I enjoy." He chuckled slightly at her ideas, however. He enjoyed her sense of humor. Both seemed to intrigue his mind: Gryffindors weren't very.. pleasant to be around. But neither were Huffleypuff's, even though he seemed to be having a pleasant time with Eva there.

"well - What if we do.. Both? We could head to the forest first, maybe come across a werewolf or some centaur. Afterwards we double back and maybe hex or throw some food at a few Gryffie's."

He chuckled, again, at the thought.

Eva smiled at him she was extremely happy right now. She knew that Hogwarts would be the best Christmas she ever had. She thought about what older students had said about it and was very much looking forward to it. "Thank you. I like it." She said smiling hugely. "well that's not a good hobby, but at least you do something." She said looking at the bright side as always.

"Really I like it too. I usually sneak out to the greenhouses, or the forest." She said. She loved to sneak out and see the creatures that were only awake in the dark. She found the some plants liked night better as well. She knew plenty about Herbology because of her gift.

"That sounds cool, but it's not a full moon. So no werewolves." she said sadly, she had meet a werewolf, it had understood her and not attacked. "Centaurs are very cool. They aren't to crazy about humans though, unless they have a gift that links them to the earth. They like me though." She said giving him a hint that she was not normal. She hoped he didn't think she was weird.

Certh's snarls and usual habits appeared to be at bay, but for what reason? Surely he wasn't actually enjoying spending time with this huffleypuff who could in fact be a mudblood. Although he was raised to despise them, he had never actually met one as beautiful as Eva, nor as.... friendly, which he would have actually disliked had it been another student. But Certh was only Eleven, he hadn't even hit puberty yet so these feelings should not have existed.

He responded to her with a slight nod, his hair remained parted down the middle as he did so. Perhaps it was her disregard for the rules that he enjoyed about her; he'd never met anyone besides Karma and Arsen who broke the rules besides himself, and they were tough to befriend. Still, he was not sure if they were 'friends', more like 'acquaintances'.

But her reply seemed to disappoint him a little: no Werewolves were prowling around that night, which would.. Dampen the excitement, but would still make it existent. "You have met Centaurs before?" He asked her, a little intrigued that another firstie would have met some, when he hadn't really stepped foot into the dark forest at all yet.

Eva nodded. "Yes they are very wise. I've seen unicorns too. There are other dangerous creatures in the forest, as well." She said smiling about what she had seen and heard about. "I'm really swan to the forest. It has the most plants and animals." she shrugged. She loved the forest. Most people saw it as dark and dangerous. She saw as it as a great old place full of wisdom and magic.

"I went there on my first day. It's the best place here." She said thinking about it, she loved it there more than most places. Eva looked over her shoulder having heard someone call out for her. She saw Myles and picked him up, he wanted to come. She shook at her cat. "No Myles you can't come to the forest you're too small. I don't want to lose you." She said putting him down.

"Sorry, He was just wanting to come with us." she explained. Then realized she probably looked crazy. "I'm not mad I can communicates with animals and plants." She explained to him. "So we'll be pretty safe in the forest." She said, with a huge smile.

Certh chuckled a little at her comment. He had never believed Centaurs to be wise, could have been because he had never met one in person before; or because they were half human and half horse. His other side began breaking through, but he was able to hold back the snarls and sneers, thing was, he did not know for how long. But venturing into the Dark Forest did sound like fun, perhaps he would be able to.. practice a spell or two in there.

"First day? Did you get the memo about the forest being forbidden to students?" He asked. It wasn't a very well thought out rule, though, seeing as a few students went in to the Forbidden Forest anyway, with no thought to the monsters that lay within. Once her cat walked up and she began talking to it, his stance did not waiver; nor did his mind. See, he was also able to talk to animals - well not animals per se, more like snakes. Parseltongue. It was a useful skill, for a Slytherin. Able to command snakes and talk with them, able to plot against others.

"yeah. I'm not worried about plants in the forest. Worst I've heard were just some flytraps or something of the sort." He replied back, he did not seem to mind if Eva took it out of context or not, he was too busy being overwhelmed by the excitement of this 'stroll' they were about to take.

Eva laughed. "Yes I did but, there is a reason for that rule. The creatures in there are dangerous. I can talk to them so I'm good" She said shrugging. It never bothered her that it was against the rules. She never really thought about it. she knew she was safe. She had been told about it by the trees. They promised that they would warn her if she was in danger and pass the message to all the trees in the forest. She knew that they couldn't do much but they helped her a lot.

"You seemed to not be bothered that I can talk to every animal in the world." She looked him over than glanced at Myles. He meowed to say 'he's a Parseltongue' She nodded and turned back. "You know I don't mind that you're a Parseltongue." She said. "Sorry Myles is nosy. I think he wants to make sure I'm safe." She shrugged.

She smiled and inclined her head, "Ready to go?" She asked. "Don't worry I wont let any fly traps eat you." She joked. She started to bounce towards the door, her hyperness kicking in.

Jessica sat silently against wall, her cheeks flushed with the cold and snowflakes in her wavy hair. She was smiling and minding her own business, still attempting to come to terms with the fact she could send mind messages, despite having been able to do so since she was eight. "Certh, can you hear me?" she sent to he Slytherin boy. She looked up and spotted him leaning against a wall, flirting with a Hufflepuff. "Get in there, Certh!" she sent him, the mind message tinkling with her usual light laughter. She smiled and waited to see if he got her message.

Certh was still there, near the wall as he listened to Eva talk. She seemed to sweet, and innocent. Almost the complete opposite of himself: Seeking out the dark arts that his parents were in to, purposelly hexing other students for his own amusement. He even attempted to manipulate a fellow Slytherin for his own schedule. Yes, he did seem to be closer to the dark arts, even in his first year, then gryffindors that were in their final year at the school.

A few minutes later he heard a voice inside his head, sounded like Jessica, but she was nowhere near him; or not that he could see, anyway. A slight laugh was scratching from the inside trying to get out as the voice stopped speaking. He soon turned his attention back to Eva. "you're not afraid?" Certh had believed him to be rather imposing, being a Parseltongue plus his families history of the Dark Arts.

His head appeared to nod, again, toward Eva. "yea, let's get going" He said, his tone turned more into a whisper. He had a snake hidden in the Forbidden Forest, one that he found and took him more as a companion then anything, and wondered what would happen once they had arrived.

Eva smiled. She was excited about going into the forest. She raised an eyebrow, when he asked if she was afraid. "Why would I be scared. I can talk to snakes too." She said easily. She shrugged her shoulders wondering if it was because of the history of the dark arts. She pushed it out of mind. He seemed nice enough now, but if he turned out not to be, it was his lost. She was an extremely loyal friend. "Honesty people don't scare me not much does really." She said with a smile.

Eva lead the way out side humming slightly. She was rather carefree at the moment. She reached the edge of the forest and lead, him inside. She smiled and called out. "Hello." She called. "Come on don't be shy, It's me and a friend." She said to any creatures that might be listening. She smiled as an unicorn came out. She smiled at it. "Hello Jewel." She greeted her. She saw a few more creatures come out. She felt something nuzzle her hand, and looked over and saw nothing. She asked. "Now what are you and why can't I see you?" She asked the creature. She had forgotten that she wasn't alone. The thestral as it told her it was called reminded her.

"Sorry, I just got carried away." She said smiling sheepishly.

Soon after Certh made his way onto the grounds, beside Eva; the two of them walked down the pathway which had at least a dozen other footprints heading to the lake, it appeared. Both of them branched off into the Forbidden Forest. Eva had appeared rather certain that nothing would happen, not to her, anyway. But his snake, he had a mind of his own: Certh could only control him to a certain extent, like what to eat, or little commands; but anything like killing itself or attacking which he knows he cannot kill, he does not do.

He made his way into the forest behind Eva, it seemed dark - almost pitch black for the time of day that it was: like there was a black sheet flung and laid over the tops of the trees, not allowing any sunlight through. Certh noticed her talking to the animals, and did not see what animal it was that she was talking to: it appeared to be invisible. However, he had never come across one before. "you know a lot of these... creatures." He told her, a hint of distaste in his voice. He could see being friends with a snake, but unicorns and centaurs? The thoughts were amiss to him.

He laid out his hand to the ground after walking in a little further. Not that far, though, Eva was still in earshot as he spoke. "Harasshassi Ssssagerthh" Slithering could be heard, as his snake came through the grass to his side. The breaking of twigs and leaves could be heard, although the noise was dampened from the snow that laid on the ground of the forest.

Eva noticed that he said something she didn't understand. She never understood what was being said in another language. But she herd the warnings of the other creatures about the snake. She glared at Certh. "What did you say to the snake?" She asked in a growl her normal happy nature gone. She didn't liked being tricked. She glanced saw and felt creatures move to protect her. She saw the snake and looked at it. "Do you want to hurt me?" She asked it. She didn't want to be hurt.

Eva saw a centaur out of the corner of her eye, she saw him raise his bow. "Are you going to hurt me?" She asked again. She saw the centaur glare at Certh. She wondered what was going to happen. She smirked at all the creatures and looked at the trees who where shouting their protests.

The snake remained on the snow-covered ground as Certh turned around and faced Eva. To his surprise, the creatures were huddling in around her, and a Centaur actually raised his bow in Certh's direction, prepared to fire had he had any intention of attacking. His hand was brought back to his side after the snake appeared to nudge it with his scaly head; transferring what sliminess the snake carried. Which, Certh did not mind, the snake was like a brother to him: a brother that can be.. persuaded and manipulated, but a brother nonetheless.

His hand slowly went for his wand, just in case he had needed to defend himself from the monsters, or rather, creatures, which stand before him. See, he had no reason to attack. He liked Eva, she was friendly to him, friendlier then any other girl had been to him besides Jessica since he had arrived. Sure, Karma was friendly to him; but more of a boss-friend then a real one.

"Why would I want to hurt you, Eva? You've shown me... friendship, which is more then I can say for anyone else at this school." He paused slightly, as the snake moved ahead a little. "remember, what you said - you weren't afraid of me"

Eva sighed in relief and whispered to everyone. "He means no harm." The all back off but kept an eye on her. The centaur nodded and walked away. she could feel him staying just out of sight. She smiled. She had jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I'm sorry. I have very little control over snakes and I always like to be careful. They warned me and I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I'm really very sorry." She said and she felt every living thing in the forest relax. She smiled at the snake and heard him hiss. 'I meant you no harm, I only wished to see my friend.' She nodded and looked back up.

"Of course I showed you friendship, what else could I show you, I just met you." She asked wondering why people were so rude. "I have no reason not to be nice you." She said still wondering about the world. I'm not afraid of you but you can never be to careful." She said going back to her bubbly manner.

His insides felt surprised when the creatures, and half-breeds backed off; he didn't like them very much: hence his previous distaste in his voice after saying something about Centaur being wise. Half blooded wizards and witches, he was neutral towards. He did not know, however, that Eva was a mudblood. If he did know.. well, he wouldn't be certain how he would act. But he was not a killer - yet, he was only a firstie. The only weapon he really had was his snake, which still had yet to be given a name.

He sighed slightly, as the snake backed down. His hand shot out to his side as the snake slithered up it and around his neck. His finger was lifted and lightly brushed against the snake's head; right about it's two eyes. "y'know what. This was a bad idea" His snake hissed at the end of the sentence, as he made his way past her, and glanced at the Centaur, his bow continued to appear raised and pointed at his heart-area. Certh's snake hissed in Parseltongue. "Hassssarethh" he replied back to his snake, in somewhat of a whisper. It proceeded to wrap tightly around his neck, resting there. He knew, as soon as he would make a reach for his wand and be able to pull it out, that there would be an arrow between his breasts.

Eva saw his surprise and noted a few things she felt the need to tell him that she was muggleborn. She could feel that there was still a creature between her and Certh. She assumed that it was the invisible. She was not sure about this boy any more. He was acting strangely. She didn't like that snake. "So What's your blood stasis I'm muggleborn." She said feeling everything tense and a few creatures go on alert. She was feeling more woried as she felt another centaur come beside the first.

"So what are you saying to that snake of yours?" She asked.

Certh knew that when he had entered that forest, with the intention of meeting up with his snake, that he would need some type of diversion to get out unscathed. He glanced and noticed another Centaur half breed went to join the other that was already there. Knowing he would not be able to get out of there in that moment, his body turned around to face Eva. But after finding out her purity, it pained him. He felt something for this girl, and felt saddened when he knew he would need to do what he could to get out of there with his limbs attached.

"I am sorry about this. I wished it could have gone another way.." He told her, slowly moving his hand inside his robe as the snake blocked the view from the Centaur. Almost instantly, he pointed it to the Centaur that threatened him and shouted "Obscuro!" as a blindfold appeared to sew itself on one of the Centaur's faces, covering up their eyes. He was, however, prepared to shoot the body bind hex if he needed to. Hard thing was, those appeared to be the only two defence spells that he knew how to execute.

Eva gasped and growled. She pulled out her own wand. She felt anger about what he had done. She looked at the Centaur and and took the blind fold off them both. She saw a unicorn, block his escape route. "Let him go. I don't want anyone hurt." She said glaring. "You know if you wanted to leave I wouldn't have stopped you. You could have just told me. You didn't have to do that." she said sadly.

She sighed she had wanted to be friends. She looked at the trees. "Make sure that he doesn't hurt anything on his way out. If he does let me know." She said sitting down. She felt so sad about how it had worked out. She had thought they could be friends.

Ne sighed slightly at her horrified look to him, something like anger breached the walls of her mind. He felt.. Saddened, at this. She was innocent, kind, gentle. She wanted to get to know him better and become - friends. She seemed to have broken through his icy exterior, he felt something for her - something that he had never really felt before, but he was not able to put his finger on it.

At her reply, however, Certh appeared shocked. He was expecting her to fight back, not bow under pressure and pain; but, that must be what huffleypuff's are like. Prefer to have friends rather then enemies. He felt a tear roll down his cheek, but quickly dismissed it as a water droplet from the tree above as he looked at Eva who was sitting on the floor of the forest. "I am - Sorry. But I'd like to give you thanks, for believing there was something good in me" He told her, before turning around and broke into a very slow walk toward the entrance of the forbidden forest.

Eva sighed as she watched him leave. She saw a tear going down his cheek and felt saddened even more. She looked over at the trees as he left. She tried to forget about it and shake it off. She choose to see the good in all. She sighed again and looked at the grass. She got a message that said he was gone back to the castle. She looked at them all, and smiled slightly. "Did I do the right thing?" She asked. They told her that she did. She turned to the Centaurs. "Are you two ok?" She asked them. "Yes we are, you need to be careful Eva. Not all are good like you." She smiled at them "I know but I wished they were." She sighed and walked back to the castle.