December's weather had turned exceptionally biting. The cold wind howled, and snowflakes once again whirled outside the windows, battering the frost-covered panes. The surface of the Black Lake had long frozen solid, gleaming with an iron-blue chill.
Christmas was just around the corner. Hagrid's towering figure was busy in the Great Hall again, huffing and puffing as he carried in twelve fresh Christmas trees all by himself.
The staircase railings were wrapped in emerald holly and glittering tinsel; everlasting candles flickered inside the suits of armor's helmets; and great bunches of Mistletoe hung at intervals throughout the corridors, swaying gently in the breeze like strings of tiny bells.
"Old Sluggy's Christmas party didn't invite you?" Aber asked, looking astonished.
They were crossing patch after patch of vegetable beds, treading over soil hardened by the cold wind as they headed toward the greenhouses.
As they walked, Aber turned to Snape beside him and teased, "Looks like he finally saw through your evil nature."
"Indeed," Snape said complacently. "So I've decided to spend the whole day with you and drag you into an airtight abyss."
"Don't—" Aber widened his eyes dramatically and waved his hands hard. "You know I have plans!"
"That's fine. I don't mind," Snape said with a smile. "I'll just stand nearby and watch you the whole time."
Aber shot Snape a disgusted look, gave a soft snort, and quickened his pace.
The gale that had raged for a week had finally died down today, but that strange thick fog had returned. It took them longer than usual to feel their way through it and find the greenhouse where their class was being held.
"I'm serious," Aber said in a lowered voice. "Are you really planning to spend Christmas alone?"
They were gathered around the gnarled stump of a Knobbly Vine, preparing to put on protective gloves. Knobbly Vine was part of what they were studying that term.
As he pulled on his gloves, Aber nodded toward the side. Pandora stood some distance away, intently putting on a sap-proof mask.
"I'll ask her to come keep you two company," Snape said, his voice muffled behind his sap guard.
"I swear, you won't find me then, ow—" Aber said angrily. He had been too hasty while putting on his goggles and let go too soon, causing them to snap back and smack heavily into his eye socket.
"Careful, mate." Snape gave a hypocritical sigh. "Madam Pomfrey can't fix a damaged eyeball. If you lose it, you'll have to replace it with a magic eye—"
"No more talking!" Professor Sprout's voice suddenly rang out. She hurried over with a stern expression, cutting off their conversation. "You're behind. The other students have already started, and Pandora has even gotten a pod!"
They turned to look. Sure enough, Pandora was sitting there with blood dripping from her lips and several scratches across one side of her face. She looked rather frightening.
Yet she was staring with great interest at a disgusting little thing bouncing in her hand. The pod was as large as a grapefruit, squirming back and forth in her palm.
"Yes, Professor, we'll get to it right away!"
After seeing the professor turn away, Aber hurriedly whispered to Snape, "I take back what I said. If you two spend an entire Christmas together, next time I might only be able to greet you after you've been split into pieces and laid quietly in a wooden box."
"All right, hurry up... We'd better get moving..." Snape rolled his eyes helplessly. "Don't forget, my protective magic is already better than Professor Grubbly-Plank's."
After taking a few deep breaths, they threw themselves into dealing with the knobbly stump in the middle.
The stump immediately reacted like a monster suddenly awakened from sleep. Long thorny vines shot out from its top, whipping through the air with a loud whooshing sound.
One thorny vine tangled itself in Aber's hair, and Snape hurriedly knocked it away with a pair of pruning shears.
Aber finally grabbed two vines and used both hands to pull them together, tying them into a knot.
At last, a small hole was exposed amid the tentacle-like branches. Seizing the chance, Snape swiftly thrust his arm into it. The opening immediately clamped down on his elbow like a mousetrap.
Seeing this, Aber dragged and twisted the vines with all his strength until he finally forced the opening back open. Snape pulled his arm free, still clutching a pod like the one Pandora had obtained.
At once, all the thorny vines withdrew, and the gnarled stump lay quietly there like a lifeless piece of deadwood.
"Cough." Aber nearly choked on his own breath. He coughed several times before recovering. "How did she manage that alone? That's terrifying."
"Good question." Snape looked disdainfully at the wriggling pod in his hand, which resembled a pale green caterpillar. "I've always wondered how her experiments work.
"It makes no sense at all. She can even make sage fiercer than Biting Cabbage..."
"Don't hold back. Squeeze out the juice while it's fresh—the quality is best then!" Professor Sprout's voice sounded again. She paced around the greenhouse, constantly urging the students on.
"I've never seen..." Aber continued the conversation that had just been interrupted. He held the pod tightly in both hands and squeezed with all his might, trying to force its juice into a bowl.
"Though she scares me a little, after visiting her experiment last time, I have to admit I've never seen any Wizard or witch do what she can."
"Wouldn't it be even more frightening if you had?"
Snape flipped through The Complete Carnivorous Plants, looking for the proper way to extract juice from a Knobbly Vine pod.
"Stop wasting your effort. Look at this. We need to pierce them with something sharp."
"Pass that to me, Sevy." Aber reached for the pruning shears Snape handed him. "By the way, I heard that a few days after the holidays, we'll be able to attend an Apparition Lesson taught by an Apparition instructor from the Ministry of Magic. Interested?"
"Of course. I only wish time would pass faster," Snape said eagerly. "I'll turn seventeen on January ninth next year."
"I'm in March." Aber put down the pod in his hand. "That means we can both take the training."
"How brilliant would it be if we could—" Aber snapped his fingers to signify vanishing, a radiant smile spreading across his face. "Once I learn it, when we go to Hogsmeade on weekends, I can go wherever I want..."
"Yeah." Snape was immersed in the prospect. "Then we'll be able to go anywhere, and the Trace on us will disappear too..."
Thanks to Control the Speed and No Wind No Waves for the monthly votes.
Sorry, but I most likely won't have time for another chapter today. Being on a business trip means no rest...
Before you continue