It was the second day of December.

The snow lay on the ground. The sweet smell of pine and cinnamon filled the air. People were running through Hogsmeade, losing their minds over the stress the holiday season had created ━ where were they going to buy that last present?

Regulus Black wrapped his scarf twice around his neck and put his hands in his pockets, shivering and looking for a place to warm up in. His cheeks had now turned a gentle color of pink. His jet black hair was covered in small snowflakes. He had tried to keep his head down to not make eye contact with anyone, but had within five minutes given it up, for he had bumped into two round men and one woman as thin as a stick who had yelled at him for not watching his steps. It was not his fault he had a lot to think about ━ or was it?

It was he who had gotten himself into this mess. It was he who had decided to follow his family's traditions. It was he who had joined the Death Eaters. It was he who had asked for the Dark Mark. It was his fault ━ right?

He stumbled into the Three Broomsticks, hearing all the laughter and chatting come to a sudden end once he entered. Witches and wizards turned to the door with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, and Merlin, how he hated it. He tugged the sleeve of his sweater down on his left arm, swallowing nervously. They didn't know ━ or did they?

"Reggie!" cried a tall and muscular man from the table ten feet away, and Regulus felt himself growing ten times smaller. The man got to his feet, already reaching for his wand, the rest of his friends laughing behind him. "I heard you have had a lot of fun since our days at Hogwarts ━ or what?"

Regulus took a step back, but the man only followed after. He pressed him up against the wall, the rest of his friends cheering for him, and reached for Regulus' left arm, smirking to himself. As his fingernails dug into his pale skin, Regulus could only wonder ━ why did he have to be so stupid to believe that he could go to Hogsmeade without getting into trouble?

"Come on, Reggie! Show us the mark! We've all been dying to see it ━ right, boys?"

The man turned around to look at his friends again, just as a tall glass of butterbeer came flying toward him. Regulus was just able to duck in time for the hot drink not to hit him ━ instead, it hit the gigantic man in front of him in the head, the glass breaking ━ could one even count the few seconds it took for the liquid to cover him from head to toe?

He let out a terrible loud groan, his wand falling to the floor. Regulus looked around to find out who had used their magic to make a fool out of the man he had shared dorm rooms with at Hogwarts. And he could not believe his eyes; in the stairs to the second floor sat a girl, fingers pointed at the man. She was laughing, sending more glasses of butterbeer their way. But there was something very special about her: she was glowing. A white glimmer covered the space around her body. He shut his eyes for a second, and pinched himself, believing it was only a dream, but the girl did not disappear either way ━ what was she?