The afternoon sun bathed the Hogwarts grounds in golden light, casting elongated shadows along the cobbled paths and through the towering trees beyond the castle walls. Lilith Nightingale found herself wandering the grounds, the weight of uncertainty still clinging to her like a second skin. She had spent the past few weeks unraveling herself, learning that the rigid path carved for her was not the only one available. And today, she longed for quiet, for the simplicity of solitude.

Her feet carried her beyond the usual beaten paths, toward the thick stretch of trees that bordered the Black Lake. The leaves rustled in the wind, whispering secrets she wished she could decipher. As she walked, her gaze caught on something curious—a carving, etched deep into the bark of an ancient oak.

ℭ & 𝔉.

The initials stood bold against the rough bark, weathered but still distinct despite years of exposure to the elements. Lilith traced the letters with her fingertips, feeling the grooves and indentations left behind by whoever had once stood in this very spot.

ℭ & 𝔉.

Who were they? And why had they left their mark here?

The realization sent a spark of curiosity through her, one that she hadn't felt in a long time. Hogwarts was a place of many mysteries, but this one—this felt personal, like a story waiting to be uncovered. But before she could get lost in speculation, a quiet sniffle nearby pulled her from her thoughts.

Turning her head, Lilith spotted a small figure sitting on a flat stone near the tree line. Leo Wilkes. The little first-year still hadn't found his place within Slytherin, still walked the halls alone despite weeks of being at Hogwarts. It was painfully clear that he didn't belong with the pureblood elite who held themselves above him.

Lilith hesitated for only a moment before walking over to him. "Leo?"

He flinched slightly but didn't look up. His hands were folded in his lap, and his little shoulders hunched as if to make himself smaller.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," she said softly, lowering herself to sit beside him. "It's easy to get lost in the castle's secrets."

"I wasn't lost," he mumbled. "I just—everyone else had people to sit with."

Something in Lilith's chest ached at that. She knew what it felt like to be surrounded by people and still feel alone.

After a moment of silence, she reached into her bag and pulled out a book she had been reading—Tales of Beedle the Bard. Without another word, she opened it to a random page and started reading aloud, her voice even and calm, the words weaving through the stillness between them.

Leo looked up, his brows furrowing in curiosity, and after a few minutes, he scooted closer, listening intently. Lilith continued, her voice steady, letting the story carry them both away from the weight of reality. And as time stretched on, Leo's little frame leaned against her, his head resting lightly on her shoulder. Within minutes, his breathing had evened out, his small body rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep.

Lilith stilled, carefully adjusting herself so as not to wake him. He had barely slept in the past few weeks, she was sure of it. If this moment of comfort was what he needed, she would not take it from him.

A soft sound nearby made her lift her gaze. Elias Thorne stood a few paces away, leaning casually against another tree, watching her. His expression was unreadable, but there was something softer in his gaze than usual.

She placed a finger to her lips, signalling for him to stay quiet, before whispering, "Pick him up. We should take him back to the common room."

Elias hesitated for only a moment before nodding. With careful precision, he bent down and scooped Leo into his arms, the small boy barely stirring as he adjusted his hold. Lilith stood, gathering her book and brushing off the stray leaves from her robes before falling into step beside Elias as they made their way back toward the castle.

When they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Lilith whispered the password—Obsidian—and the stone door slid open soundlessly. The room was dimly lit, the flickering glow of the green-tinted torches casting eerie shadows along the walls. Elias carried Leo carefully through the room, past the lounging students who barely paid them any mind, and toward the first-year dormitories.

Lilith followed, opening the door to the dorm and stepping aside as Elias gently placed Leo onto his bed, tucking the blankets around his small frame. The boy barely stirred, his face relaxed in a way that it rarely was when he was awake.

For a moment, neither Lilith nor Elias spoke. They simply stood there, watching Leo sleep, as if ensuring he was truly safe before they left.

As they stepped out of the dormitory and back into the main common room, Lilith turned to Elias, folding her arms. "Thank you."

Elias shrugged. "You didn't need my help."

She arched a brow. "Maybe not. But it was still nice to have it."

Elias studied her for a long moment before tilting his head. "You know, you'd make a great mother one day."

Lilith blinked, caught off guard by the statement. She wasn't sure what she had expected him to say, but it certainly wasn't that. The thought hadn't ever crossed her mind before, but now that it had, it lingered, settling into the back of her mind like a quiet whisper of the future.

She didn't respond, and for once, Elias didn't push. He only smirked slightly before turning toward the stairs leading to his own dormitory, leaving her standing in the flickering green light, her thoughts spinning with possibilities she had never considered before.