Little Miss McGonagall.

Shopping in the Snow.

White laid like a blanket over the castle and fields became less accessible as the thick layer couldn't be easily crossed. The sight of more falling snow had filled the school with a little dread but one thing left a smirk on all of the student's faces. Hogsmeade. A small village that Beatriz rarely visited but for the first time in her life, Imy would be at her side and so would the twins, mainly because of a favour that she had promised and was also more than happy to deliver on.

"Don't forget what you need to do." The twins had reminded as they got to the grounds, McGonagall glanced over the document that their mother had signed and a nod was given, allowing them to freely walk to and from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts for the day. Beatriz only had to smile at her mother and McGonagall smiled while nodding, allowing her daughter out of her sight and reach for the first time in a while. Imy was quick to also show the permission slip and a nod was given to allow her to leave.

The pale path was decorated in colourful students as mismatched holiday outfits were worn to cover up in the subzero temperatures high in Scotland. The stones far below were becoming a little clearer with every student that passed as the snow was moved out of the way and a few even slipped. Shops decorated the street and eyes widened for a second as students filled them in moments. Owners seemed to be prepared as staff were unfazed by the bustling shops.

"You look shocked. What is it?" Imy loudly questioned as students shouted in different languages all around them.

"I've never seen it so busy. We should go shopping. Where to first?" The idea was silently answered when a shop was pointed to, Beatriz followed but as her eyes caught sight of Harry, his head was bowed and his face was stern. Beatriz no longer smiled as wide but the thought was forgotten as Imy pulled at her coat's sleeve.

Dervish and Banges was proudly written high up and Beatriz looked around before finding something that interested her. Yellows, blues and reds were decorating the handheld device. A sphere topped it off and instantly Beatriz lifted it. A smile was pulled onto her face and Imy shared a similar smile.

"We can have some fun with that. Do you know what a sneakoscope does?" Beatriz nodded and Imy quietly laughed for a split second. "Well then, Filch won't be able to catch us now that we can know when he is coming." A slow nod was all Beatriz gave before walking up to the counter and handing over money.

The street was faced once again and Honeydukes was eyed up. Not another word was spoken as they headed into the store and a crowd of students could be seen. The pair had to pass through all of the students but it was done gradually, coats and hats were nudged and at times they fell off but a hand managed to catch them. The shelves were becoming emptier but neither of the girls let that stop them as they scanned the shelves. Students had been filing out quickly and it appeared that they had all moved on to other stores, dispersing and suddenly the whole of Hogsmeade appeared to be emptier, like any other village.

Beatriz looked through the raided store and watched more students leave before checking the shelves for herself. Bertie Bott's Beans, Acid Pops, Cauldron Cakes, No Melt Ice Cream and all types of chocolate products from frogs to cauldrons were purchased. Worry had crossed Imy's face as it came to carrying it all put but Beatriz winked and gradually placed the food into the small bag that had been brought with her.

"Mum put an extension charm on it. She gave it to me for my birthday." The hat that was sitting on Beatriz's head was pulled closer as the cold winds were faced once again but the snow seemed to slow as they reached the foot of Zonko's shop. The shop's red and orange front was faded and stone surrounded the window as a wooden figure filled the glass display with a few smaller decorations in the corner of the glass view.

"Fanged Frisbees can't be hidden well but the nose biting teacups will go unnoticed if we are careful. I know that almost all professors have been victims of the cups and are very careful. We could hide three in the kitchen. No one would ever know it was us." Beatriz listened closely as Imy quietly mentioned it and with a smirk, Imy was off to buy the cups. The white china was plain and hardly particularly pretty but Beatriz found herself watching them for a long moment before Imy loudly spoke and brought her from the reverie.

An old, easily forgotten shop had caught the girls' eyes as they looked for the next shop to visit and Beatriz led the way. Harry was passed once again and he was smiling a little wider, however, Ron was not at his side. Hermione was speaking but Harry's eyes seemed to have zoned off into the distance and his face was screwed up in an odd fashion. His eyes looked tired and the circles below his eyes grew more obvious as the days had passed but the cold temperatures only highlighted the darkened patches of skin and the red edging of his eyes.

The small shop ahead of Beatriz was entered and the stationary that surrounded them covered the shelves. Quills of various sizes were on display as well as parchment and ink holders. As soon as the girls had spotted the largest quill on offer, they knew that they needed it. Both stood quietly while viewing the item and checking the price before Beatriz collected her money and paid the keeper for it. The quill started black and as the feather grew to the top, it became a deep, dark green that reminded her of her mother. The quill itself was the size of Beatriz's arm as she slid the box into the bag.

"I have known you for a few years now and let me tell you, I have never seen you so happy. Even when we skurge charmed Snape's hair, or when we used the dancing feet charm on Trelawney. You look happier even than when the twins helped Peeves plant shrivelfig in every plant in the herbology classroom." Both girls laughed at the memory, their class was hardly a stranger to mistakes and cruel jokes.

"Now you say it, perhaps I have been a little harsh. The professors can't be paid much. Snape can only afford one outfit." Imy laughed at the thought, managing to meet the man's eye through the glass and instantly Imy froze.

"I think you beckoned him, Snape is outside right now," Imy grumbled while eagerly trying to leave the shop and escape the professor that had sent the chill down her spine. "He really needs to lighten up." Imy's voice was still a whisper as the two girls slowly walked back up, finding the school again.

"Imy, I'm not lighting him on fire. Hermione has done enough of that. But, could you imagine it? We're in the middle of class and all you hear is incendio before swoosh, fire." The pair laughed as they fought against the inches of snow that bit at their ankles. "That reminds me, incendio is Spanish for fire. How many accidental fires do you reckon Spanish people have started just because they were talking about the fireplace? Or, when people lose their job, do you think that some employees have been physically set ablaze because of it? If so, I want to move to Spain. If you think about it, the Great Fire of London was probably just a drunk Spanish man trying to get warm." Words never stopped as the castle grounds were met and a few faces were recognised as snowmen were built, snowballs were flying and snowflakes were falling.

Corridors were wide and cold as the girls could see the air that left them, paintings would greet them with smiles or hat tips but the two barely noticed who they were greeting as Imy left, taking her things and placing them away. Beatriz didn't stop though as she made her way into the castle even further. Lips were growing a little numb and fingers slipped into pockets, the gloves barely doing anything as an easily recognised office was spotted. The door was lightly knocked but no response was made and so the door was forced open with a little effort. As soon as she managed to see what was going on inside, she noticed that McGonagall's arms rested on the desk, hands not quite touching as black hair was peeking out from a tall witch's hat. The ink was teetering as the hat threatened to tip the container at any second. Parchment covered the desk but it appeared to have shifted away as McGonagall had fallen asleep.

Careful not to make a noise, quiet steps were taken towards the desk and Beatriz's bag was placed down. Soft hands shifted the ink and placed the lid on it. The black hat was pulled off and left to rest on a stack of paper that was skewed, close to the desk. Wood rested in the corner and a black cloak was hung over it, quickly the cloak was pulled at and Beatriz gently placed it over her mother's shoulders. Papers were carefully lifted and stacked in a pile. The paper she had been in the middle of marking didn't look too hopeful anyway. The word 'no' was the most common note made and Beatriz smiled as she carefully placed it out of her way. The desk was almost empty and the last few objects that could be knocked over were taken away and placed on a small surface close to the window that overlooked the training grounds. The curtains were then drawn and the snow ridden ground disappeared from view. Darkness surrounded the room and Beatriz had to blink a few times before the room could be made out again. The new quill emerged from her bag and was placed on the desk, a blank piece of parchment was pulled at by Beatriz, allowing her to scribble a quick note down. Sleep tight, let's hope this quill won't bite. Her words were tucked slightly below the quill's holder and from there, Beatriz spun on her heel and walked from the room, careful to only open the door a crack, stopping too much light from coming in.