At the Edelweiss Peak ski resort in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, everything lay blanketed in silver. Sunlight danced across the pristine snow, refracting into diamond-like glints. The Grangers' vacation chalet stood halfway up the mountain; opening the window revealed rolling snow peaks and crystalline icicles hanging from the conifer forest.
Hermione was bundled in a thick cherry-red down jacket, her little face beneath the fluffy hood flushed red from the cold, though her eyes shone like stars. Clumsily standing on rented skis, she wobbled across the flattened snow in front of the chalet, practicing the basic stance.
"Bend your knees a little more, Hermione!" Uncle Wendell instructed from a few steps away, holding a cup of hot chocolate.
"Your center of gravity! Lean forward!" Aunt Monica held up her camera, its lens filled with her daughter's adorably clumsy figure.
Lynn stood to one side in a dark blue ski suit, his posture straight. He had learned quickly and had already mastered basic skiing and braking. At the moment, he watched Hermione struggle to maintain her balance like a little penguin taking its first steps. Beneath his thick clothes, the Star Stone gave off a steady, warm pulse, strangely in tune with the crisp, pure mountain air.
"Ah!" Hermione lost her balance and cried out as she fell backward!
The expected impact of landing in an icy snowdrift never came. One steady, powerful hand caught her back in time, while another firmly supported her arm.
Lynn had somehow already skied to her side. Even through their thick down jackets, Hermione could still feel the reassuring strength and warmth from his palm.
"Th-thank you." Hermione regained her footing and exhaled a large cloud of white mist. Her cheeks were rosy, whether from the cold or something else. Looking up at