The Pensieve

The Mirror of the Lake

Prompt; Scorpius Malfoy/ [Dialogue] "I just don't see why we couldn't have stayed by the nice warm fire"

Word Count; 1,101

"If you could go back and change something, what would it be?" Albus asked as he fidgeted with the end of his green scarf.

"Stopping you from getting me up. I just don't see why we couldn't have stayed by the nice warm fire," Scorpius sighed. He had charmed some flurries that had nearly fallen onto them into levitating ahead to a million different patterns every moment; a snowman, a cat, every combination a snowflake could be.

"You'd just be unraveling my socks again to practice that; I'm glad you've found a substitute." Albus smirked. "Come on, think backwards instead of forwards for once!"

The bitter chill of winter had most Hogwarts denizens inside next to their common room fires so late in the evening, after all the fresh snow had been used for pelting each other and hot tea was chasing the numbness away. He and Scorpius, however, had timed a good stroll around the lake for exactly this time of day; the crunch of snow under their boots the only sound around the massive frozen lake.

"Is this like a Christmas wish?" Scorpius chuckled. "You're a day late, mate."

"I'd go back and change it so that my dad was in Slytherin," Albus answered bitterly. "Maybe then people would quit gawping at me in the corridors." The unforgiving wind snatched at all exposed skin, leaving his face flushed red in the chilly December air. The ground sloped and moved beneath them in unfamiliar patterns from all the trenches a gang of Ravenclaws had dug up all over the grounds to spring attacks on any wayward students and left the earth an almost unfamiliar maze, especially to the two first years.

Scorpius smiled sympathetically. "Well, that's all well and good, but I'd go back and change it so it wasn't raining our first night here!" He spun on the spot and tried to crane his neck as far back as he could, even beginning to walk backwards, but he still couldn't manage to see the great castle at any decent angle. "Couldn't see a damn thing that night, and we won't get a proper view of this place until we leave; isn't that just cruel?"

Albus smiled, but before he could suggest they just go nick some brooms and see it, his foot slipped on a patch of ice and he went skidding far more than what one little puddle should have caused. He scrambled and slid for quite some time, Scorpius calling after him and trying his hardest to keep up without joining his slowing momentum. When finally he came to a rest, he shook the white fluff off of his face and saw his own reflection staring back at him.

It was distorted; his nose was off-center and there was a huge crack running along the center of his face. It wasn't until he pressed his hands down to try and right himself that he heard the tell-tale crack of ice beneath his grip and gasped, looking around to see that he'd slid onto the lake.

"Albus!" Scorpius was still slowly but determinedly making his way over, balancing every step he took.

Albus got unsteadily to his feet with a huge grin and tried to wave him over faster, wobbling like a toddler and uncaring how they'd gotten so far off track. Neither had even realized just how close to the lake they'd been walking.

"Scorpius, come on!" He began walking even further out, trying to find patches of snow for support as his feet alternatively glided and wobbled on the frozen waters' surface.

"Are you mad?" His best friend demanded. "Come towards me, you lunatic, let's get back to shore!"

"I'm going to grant your wish, mate!" Albus yelled back, making it to a nice mound of thickly compacted snow and standing confidently again. "Let's get to the center and see Hogwarts!" They didn't have much farther to travel at this rate, as far out as he'd slid. He could already see several floors up better than he ever had before, even from the Quidditch stands. Professor Slughorn held his parties on the seventh floor and there were lights glimmering out of one window promising they only had the parapets left to see. The fact that they were ditching said party for this new adventure was the icing on the cake!

By the time Scorpius caught up, Albus was sure he had the perfect angle and had aligned himself up where the boats would have come in from and had quickly closed his eyes, knobbly knees now shaking in anticipation as he held out his hand impatiently.

"Tell me when you bloody catch up! We can see together!" After this they could go back to Hogsemade station, maybe even sneak into the village itself. How had nobody ever thought of sneaking out of school like this?

The groaning lake beneath them was a pretty good deterrent to less brave children, some part of him answered. Even as he glanced down, he saw the thick wall separating them from a watery grave was not as teeming with life as usual; no giant squid in sight, no grindylow ready to pull them under. Yet the warped version of Hogwarts in the reflection already had him grinning in triumph, a view no other could claim, like looking through a veil at their school, with huge patches covered in snow and cracks. This was going to be brilliant!

"You are mad," Scorpius said, but there was laughter in his best mate's voice as he finally reached his side and grasped his hand, steadying himself to turn around with his support while Albus eagerly opened his eyes.

The moon was a beautiful crescent sitting snugly between two towers, the chill but dry air made their breaths hang in mists that clouded not a single brick, just like the sky above as their home for the next six and a half years stood before them in its magical glory. The windows twinkled in a nonlinear pattern, the icicles that hung from every surface gave it a glittering appearance even more unique than if it had been done on purpose, and the untouched grace of winter settled on every crack of every mortar could have been a secret pattern only to them.

"Wow," both boys whispered at exactly the same time.

"How does it still look bigger on the outside, and we haven't even found half of the corridors on the inside after living there for months?" Albus asked in admiration. "Want to go back to that fire?" He grinned.

"Nah." Scorpius smiled back.