A Glimmer in the Ice and Snow

Hogwarts' Christmas break officially began, leaving the castle nearly half empty. The boisterous Great Hall grew quiet, and the long tables were pushed together into just a few. Not many students stayed behind, but among them, Lin Yanqing spotted a few familiar Ravenclaw faces. By the Gryffindor table, two red-haired boys from the Weasley family (Charlie and Bill? Note: Adjust according to timeline) were excitedly discussing their gifts. At the far end of the Slytherin table, the usual solitary black figure appeared on time, only to vanish just as quickly.

On Christmas morning, Lin Yanqing found a small pile of gifts at the foot of his bed. There were sweets from Ravenclaw classmates, a small bag of Gold Galleons "gifted" by System Cub ("Host has worked hard! Happy holidays!(^▽^)"), and even a handmade card from Lily Evans, featuring a smiling snowman, thanking him for his help in the corridor earlier.

He hesitated for a long time before finally taking out a small box, carefully wrapped in dark blue paper. Inside were potion ingredients he'd purchased with Gold Galleons from a previous quest reward, ordered via owl post. They were of good quality but not exceptionally rare—including a bag of evenly cut Moonpetal root and several well-preserved Drowsy Bean skins. He didn't sign it, just slipped a blank card inside.

He knew it was risky. Snape might just throw it away, or worse, consider it an insulting handout. But he did it anyway. As the house-elves began distributing gifts to the students staying behind, he quietly slipped the small box among the one or two lonely packages belonging to Snape, placed at the entrance to the Slytherin boys' dormitory.

At breakfast, Snape appeared in the Great Hall, his expression even gloomier than usual. In front of him, besides his breakfast, was the unopened, thin package from Spinner's End, and Lin Yanqing's small, dark blue box. He first stared at the package from home with an almost disgusted look before turning his gaze to the unfamiliar blue box.

Lin Yanqing lowered his head, eating his pudding, observing with the corner of his eye. He watched as Snape, with extreme caution, lightly tapped the blue box with his wand, casting a few simple detection charms. After confirming there were no curses or pranks, he used his long, slender fingers, with a carefulness unbefitting his age, to unwrap the package.

When he saw the Moonpetal root and Drowsy Bean skins inside, his movements visibly paused. His eyebrows rose slightly, and a flicker of pure academic delight, the kind a scholar gets upon seeing quality materials, flashed in his dark eyes. But this light was quickly overshadowed by deeper suspicion. He picked up the blank card, turned it over and over, then looked back at the materials in the box, his brow furrowed.

He didn't immediately put away the gift, nor did he look towards the Ravenclaw table. He just sat there, staring at the anonymous gift as if deciphering a complex potion equation. Through their bond, Lin Yanqing could feel an intense confusion and deliberation—the value of the gift (practical and meeting his needs) clashed fiercely with its unknown origin (the most likely suspect was obvious).

Finally, as breakfast ended and he stood to leave, he tucked the dark blue box, along with its contents, into his robes. He didn't touch the package from home.

That afternoon, small snowflakes drifted from the sky. Lin Yanqing pulled his robes tighter, preparing to return some books to the library. As he crossed the castle's back courtyard, covered in snow, he saw a black figure standing alone by the frozen Black Lake—it was Snape, whom he'd seen in the Great Hall not long before.

He faced the gray, misty lake, motionless, like a frozen statue. Snowflakes landed on his greasy black hair and thin robes, but he seemed oblivious. Through their soul bond, a suffocating weight of grief, anger, and a cold, resolute emotion spread like icy water, making it almost impossible for Lin Yanqing to breathe.

These were the emotions of Spinner's End. They were what the thin package carried, what he refused to face.

Lin Yanqing stopped. He didn't approach, nor did he leave. He simply stood in the shadow of a distant colonnade, silently watching the lonely figure by the lake. The system hadn't issued a quest, and he had no planned actions. Perhaps, he just felt that on such a cold day, no one should have to bear such emotions alone, even if that person was Severus Snape.

Time passed in silence, broken only by the low whistle of the wind and snow.

After an unknown amount of time, Snape seemed to finally awaken from his frozen state. He moved abruptly, forcefully brushing the snow from his shoulders, and turned to leave. Then, he saw Lin Yanqing standing in the shadows of the colonnade.

This time, his eyes didn't immediately fill with his usual wariness or anger. There was also a lingering, profound exhaustion and something akin to... emptiness. His gaze lingered on Lin Yanqing's face for a second longer than usual, as if trying to discern something from his calm expression.

Lin Yanqing didn't avoid his gaze, nor did he attempt any friendly gesture. He just stood there, like the silent colonnade behind him.

Snape's lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing. He averted his gaze, tightened his robes, lowered his head, and walked quickly past Lin Yanqing, stirring up a gust of cold wind.

But in the instant they passed each other, Lin Yanqing didn't feel new shards of ice forming. The soul bond still flowed with heavy, cold emotions, but no new hostility was added.

That evening, when Lin Yanqing returned to the Ravenclaw common room, he found a small roll of parchment on his bedside table. There was no salutation or signature, only a line of familiar, elegant handwriting listing several obscure book titles related to soul magic and bloodline pacts.

Still demanding, still exploitative.

But as Lin Yanqing picked up the parchment, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. This wasn't thrown at him; it had been "placed" here.

This subtle change was like a barely perceptible warm current beneath the ice-covered lake. It couldn't melt the solid ice, but it signaled that a state of absolute freeze had passed.