November closed his thirty days with the victory of Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw and the celebration of the students of Hufflepuff, who maintained a great smile of joy for several days, they have not won a game with such an advantage.

And then December came, the least expected month for Calynn, the month where her parents would mark it for what it would be in the future, in this month some students began singing Christmas carols, some Christmas trees poked through the halls of Hogwarts and others were excited to return since they would enjoy an exquisite turkey that would accompany the table along with two candles and that flood smell of freshly baked cookies. And then there was Calynn who would return to the force along with a high probability of dying if she opposed her destiny.

Little Black was on the shores of the lake fiddling with some snow that was in place, flakes and flakes fell nonstop while cooling the warm hands of the girl who was covered up to the ears. Meanwhile, from her eyes that barely managed to catch a glimpse of the scarf that proudly wore the colors of her house slipped crystalline tears that reflected the pain she had without expressing a word. She was also desperate because she had spent many hours in the morning to plan something that would work and prevent them from making the mark and going out alive, but what had they achieved? Nothing, since they did not have enough information and the library was not very helpful since there was no book entitled: How to avoid getting the dark mark in five steps.

The little girl kept fiddling as the air moved her long black hair when she heard a few steps behind her.

"I've told you Frank, I'd rather be alone right now," the girl explained without turning back.

"Neither can I stay?" Asked the melancholic voice of Severus.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, you can stay, at least you don't ask for explanations," the little girl apologized, inviting him to sit next to her.

Severus walked to where she was and sat on the cold snow that stained her perfect tunic with emerald and silver colors.

"I just come to apologize," Severus whispered.

"Apologize you?" Repeated the little girl confused.

"For not being able to prevent them from doing this to you," the boy explained sadly.

"We must not apologize; we already knew what would happen."

"But I was hoping for..." the boy began, but was interrupted by the little girl.

"Even if we came up with a plan, we wouldn't have enough time to plan it perfectly since tomorrow by now I will be with my parents. What do you think and take advantage of the last hours to play in the snow?" The girl said, getting up from her place and without Severus noticing, Calynn threw a snowball at her head.

"Hey! I wasn't ready," the boy said.

"That is the objective of the game, to take the opponent of..." the little girl began arrogantly, but was interrupted by a huge snowball that hit her face causing her to fall and both boys were laughing and running around remembering the old moments that passed of small in that garden where they saw each other daily and that they would never visit again, recalling some moments that the girl did not remember, but her friend did.

"And I don't want you here anymore for now, squib girl!" Shouted Druella's voice.

Little Black left the house through the front door with wet eyes because she hated that her mother was annoyed with her, she left aimlessly drying her tears when she collided with a girl of about six years.

"I'm sorry, Lily," little Black apologized.

"Hey, Calynn, it doesn't matter, do you want to play in the snow with me?" Asked the little red-haired girl childishly, she knew that girl had known her quite a lot, or so her mother told her about Lily, Severus and Thana.

Both girls approached a garden and met a small boy about their age who was working on a snowman with great care until he realized he was accompanied.

"Hello, Severus," said the little red-haired girl.

"Hello," replied the sharp boy, still quite focused on the snowman he was working on.

Little Black took a snowball and threw it at the little boy. He instead of bothering, he smiled sweetly and began to take snow on his hands and chase the two little ones while the garden was filled with laughter that rarely went out.

And now after a few years they were playing like little children enjoying the last moments together before a horrible Christmas holiday.

They were playing for a long time just the two of them without the hassle of someone else until it was time for dinner to which they returned very hungry after playing nonstop.

"Where have you been?" Meryl repressed them when she saw them enter the Great Hall. "Do you know that we will stay here? You can at least say goodbye on the way on the train."

"I'm sorry, we were just talking," the girl apologized before saying goodbye to Severus who was heading to his table.

"I think you shouldn't go," Lily confessed, pulling her away from Meryl.

"Do you think I hadn't thought about it? I have no choice," she said exasperatedly.

"Who will force you to go?" Asked Lily, taking her by the shoulders.

Little Black began to take a note from her robe and handed it to her friend.

"She wrote it with great credibility, she will kill me on summer vacations if I refuse," Calynn said worriedly.

"But you can come with me," Lily said.

"Where? Besides, I don't want to involve anyone else in this," Little Black flatly refused as she headed to the Gryffindor table followed by her two friends to start dinner at her last dinner at the castle before having a mark on her arm that she would always have to hide.

"What time will you leave tomorrow?" Meryl asked when Frank had joined.

"Two hours after breakfast," the boy said.

"And that is?" The blonde asked again for more accuracy.

"About eleven o'clock in the morning, to get to our homes as early as possible," Frank finished enthusiastically pouring his fourth plate.

"I see that your appetite has suddenly increased," Lily commented to Frank, who stammered an explanation he could not find. "Don't worry, we will all return very changed," Lily finished mockingly, saying that everyone would eat too much, but for Calynn that phrase meant something else entirely different.

"What are you going to do on their last night at the castle before Christmas holidays?" Asked Meryl, retaking her posture.

Frank and Calynn stared at each other without knowing what to say. Would they be thinking the same? Would they two be thinking about spending the night alone? No, it wasn't like that, only Frank had that in mind because her friend carried totally different thoughts, she thought of a pleasant coexistence by the fireplace in the common room, the four of them exchanging anecdotes and telling jokes in the moonlight that always it filtered through the small window of the tower that provided a cheerful light that she would miss watching.

"Are you alright?" Lily's voice rang out, who had taken her arm. The future Death Eater immediately let go and noticed that her face was wet because of the nostalgic tears of memory.

"I think we should spend a moment by the fireplace, the four of us and forget a moment of this..." She paused for the words, "trip."

Everyone nodded and began to eat faster so they could go up to enjoy the pleasant heat that the fire from the pleasant fireplace conveyed.

When they all finished, they headed towards the tower of the lions to spend an incredible and unforgettable evening free of worries, of grudges, of problems.

"So will Severus leave the castle too?" The little girl questioned Lily as they climbed the fifth floor.

"Yes, he'll leave too, he said he'll spend it with his mother's family," the redhead replied with a shudder at the last word.

"Why the shudder?" The girl asked, noticing her friend's reaction when she mentioned Severus' mother.

"Do you not think there is a possibility that he is a Death Eater?" Lily whispered, taking care not to be heard.

"Why do you say it?" Calynn mentioned confused when they were about to reach the picture of their house.

"Your mother greeted her like she was an old friend," Lily said softly.

"I don't remember seeing her before," said little Black, very sure.

"Merlin's beard! But if only six months ago you found out you were a witch," Lily said.

"You didn't know that either until it was your birthday," said little Black incredulously.

"You are daughter of pure bloods; I am only the daughter of... of..." But she could not continue to not find the exact words causing her face to turn dark. Calynn did not know what to answer and it was when she realized that Frank and Meryl looked at them between confused and desperate.

"Do any of you remember the password exactly?" Asked Frank slightly ashamed.

"Uric the Oddball," said the girl, making the painting move, giving way to the children.

"I knew that girls were smarter than boys," said the Fat Lady with a chuckle.

"So, what am I? A hippogriff?" Meryl said confused but as she did not receive an answer, she continued on her way and entered the room, closing the painting behind her.

The four friends sat by the fireplace in the same order they used to and at the same time, they sat down and just looked at each other waiting for someone to take the initiative. "Did you see a veela? Silence can't be part of our conversation," Meryl joked, trying to start a good talk.

"What do you enjoy most about the Christmas holidays?" Frank asked, and the girls answered in the order they were in.

"Read books," Lily obviously mentioned.

"Not having homework," Meryl answered bluntly.

"The food," the little girl stammered unexpectedly.

They were talking a little more about the classes at Hogwarts and the teachers, the atmosphere was trustworthy, peaceful and even fun since Meryl knew how to tell good jokes that made everyone laugh. They were until almost dawn when the prefect of the tower sent them to the bedroom. Lily and Meryl said goodbye to Frank in a big hug and Calynn just gave him a hand gesture.

"I think this evening came to an end," little Black commented wistfully in her voice, she really wanted it to last forever.

"Who says so? She has just sent us to the bedroom, never mentioned anything about sleeping, and the night is just beginning," the blonde said excitedly.

"But I don't want to be in the dark," Lily commented, unable to suppress a tone of fear.

"I'll take care of that," Meryl said, pulling her wand out of her pocket causing Calynn to step back. "Lumos!"

From the tip of Meryl's wand came an extensive light that illuminated enough to illuminate their faces without waking their companions.

"How do you do it so easily?" Lily asked because, although they had already observed that enchantment, they had never seen it without fear.

"They only come naturally to me," Meryl said with a shrug.

"How do you know if we haven't reached those spells yet?" Asked Lily with great curiosity.

"I only investigate them," the girl replied without giving importance.

"You should have the same attitude during class," Little Black teased.

"I don't want to waste my time in a classroom," she answered without hesitation.

They kept talking while Meryl showed them some enchantments that she managed to do effortlessly. They were talking until about two in the morning that was when Lily could no longer.

The three girls said goodbye like any other day and went to bed in their respective beds after putting on their warm pajamas. But the only one who did not have the slightest intention of sleeping in, spite of the time and the darkness that filled the room, was Calynn who nervously ran through her, remembering what she would face again tomorrow at noon. The questions that only increased her nervousness came to her mind. Did she have another option? Where would they live? Would it be worse than I expected? That question kept her hovering in her head for a long time trying to deny her, although a feeling told her the opposite but this time, she would bring a wand with her, would that be useful? They would take it off instantly, and she didn't know any defense spells and even an easy enchantment to give light was not able to perform and that was when the basins of her blue eyes began to overflow with a sea of ​​tears that only showed pain , the hatred, the sadness of her false past and of what she lived in that horrible present, the despair of feeling useless for not having a plan, an escape, an option and the anger that this produced.

She was lying on her stomach to prevent her sobs from being heard in the dark room, remembering when she could not sleep last Christmas because of the hope that Santa Claus would arrive full of presents, although in reality, Santa Claus never arrived in her childhood and always she believed the excuse that she was a naughty girl that her parents gave her and now found out that it was a great farce. Memories of the first day at Hogwarts also came to her where those beds had fallen great after a month of prisoners; and now, again after a few months she was about to return to that hell where time seems endless, and it is until now that she understood Lily's suggestions to speak with the director because now more than ever she needed someone else's advice, but it was too late, too late for anything. After a few hours, without even knowing how, she managed to fall asleep on a pillow soaked with tears full of feelings.

The next morning was one of the busiest of all those who had lived at Hogwarts; some students barely prepared each suitcase that they would take to their sweet homes, others quickly performed some duties they had pending and others like Calynn had breakfast in the Great Hall. It was nine o'clock in the morning and little Black had only slept three hours so she was very tired, but in spite of that the little girl talked animatedly with her Hogwarts friends about unimportant things until about ten and a half. They headed for the train station where Frank and Calynn would depart in just a few minutes. Meryl wished them one of the best Christmas of her life to which Calynn only replied with a smile. While Meryl and Frank said goodbye Lily took the opportunity to speak privately with her best friend.

"Do you think you have a chance to send an owl?" Asked Lily hopefully.

"No, I don't think so, it would be too risky," the little girl denied with tears in her eyes and a sad expression.

"Promise me I'll see you again," Lily whispered to her friend.

"I promise," Calynn decreed in a broken voice.

"I love you, friend," Lily commented as she put her arms around her tightly and laid her head on her friend's shoulder as tears sprang nonstop. They were hugging for a long time without saying a word, just enjoying the last minutes together before the hideous vacations that awaited the future Death Eater until they began closing the doors of the express and the girls said goodbye and climbed to the train. She looked for a compartment and noted that one was occupied solely by Frank and entered without hesitation.

"Hello," the girl greeted, finishing drying her tears.

"Hello," Frank replied, moving away from where he was to one side, leaving Calynn by the side of the window inviting her to sit down.

Little Black sat next to Frank and the train began to move forward, Calynn peeked out the window and watched the only people she was looking for and observed that Meryl was saying goodbye vigorously and Lily just gave her a sad farewell. Little Black said goodbye with a wave of her hands until the faces of her best friends disappeared into the darkness and it was when silence reigned the compartment until a yawn by Calynn interrupted it.

"Meryl has told me that yesterday you stayed to talk at dawn in your room, what time did you fall asleep?" Frank asked, passing his arm behind Calynn.

"It was about two in the morning, but it took me longer to sleep since I didn't fall asleep," the girl confessed.

"Sleep, I think it's the best way to take advantage of the boring way back home," Frank suggested when he noticed her friend's tiredness.

Little Black accepted and laid her head on Frank's shoulder where before closing her eyelids the last thing she observed were his chocolate-colored eyes that looked at her tenderly.

And dreamed. She dreamed fully a good dream, a happy dream transporting himself to a world where fears and worries were not part of the routine, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility where hatred and resentment are not known and disappointments are not conceived.

"You must wake up, Severus has warned me that we are five minutes away," Frank's cooing voice rang as he moved it slightly.

"Severus has been here?" Asked the girl waking up little by little.

"Yes, he said he wanted to say goodbye, but I haven't let him get you up," the boy said.

"I'm glad. This dream has helped me to gain strength," said the girl.

They didn't talk much until the train stopped and the students began to leave their compartments and got off the train quickly or said goodbye sadly. Little Black had stood up, but Frank had grabbed her arm.

"I want to tell you something," the boy explained, closing the compartment door.
For a moment he hesitated how to start and even blushed a little. "I will miss you a lot during holidays," the boy began slowly, "but I want you to know something. In spite of anything," he mentioned taking her hands, "I will always be for you. I love you," the boy confessed, giving her a tender kiss on the forehead and left the train without saying anything, leaving his great friend stunned.

When she was able to return to reality, she realized that she was red to her ears and trying to concentrate and thinking that in a few minutes she would meet her parents, she took her luggage and got off the train, looking at each face she saw in search of her parents, but she understood that they were not able to risk crossing the barrier because perhaps in the magical world they could recognize them. With that idea in mind she dragged her trunk and went to the barrier and passed it without fear meeting thousands of Muggle people who were going from one side of the station to the other and that was when some people took off from in front of her and that was when she observed them, those dark, evil, evil faces that without needing to know them already frightened.

She stared at them for a moment until with all the forces of the world advanced to them. Without even greeting her, her mother extended the palm of her hand in front of her daughter and that was when Calynn understood what she meant. She pulled the wand from her denim jeans and handed it to her without further ado. The woman took her arm coldly and led her for a long time followed by her father until they reached a dark and empty alley. They stopped dead and watching that nobody wandered around, the parents took their hands and they took their daughter's and for a second everything went dark until they set foot again. The future Death Eater staggered and tried not to fall to the floor because of the dizziness that the disappearance had caused her. When she stabilized, she could see a mansion in front of her eyes while on the sides were tall bushes and that was when Calynn confirmed it: that place was the place of her dream a few months ago.