Chapter 144: Truth or Dare (1)

As December descended upon Hogwarts, the castle and its grounds were engulfed by the unforgiving embrace of winter. The first snowfall arrived in fierce gusts, driven by a biting wind that howled through the ancient spires and battlements, leaving the stone walls cold and unyielding to the touch. The Forbidden Forest loomed dark and foreboding, its towering trees burdened by a heavy mantle of snow, their branches creaking under the oppressive weight.

Inside the castle, the familiar warmth of the common rooms was diminished by the drafty corridors and the persistent chill that seemed to seep through even the thickest walls. The relentless cold invaded every nook and cranny, turning the long hours of study into an endurance test. The Library, once a sanctuary, now felt dim and lifeless, with only a few flickering candles battling the encroaching gloom. Outside, the harshness of winter mirrored the intense focus demanded within, as students buried themselves in their books, driven as much by the need to escape the cold as by the looming deadlines.

The fourth-years, particularly burdened with assignments, felt the pressure keenly. Catherine, among them, had never anticipated a Hogsmeade visit with such desperate longing as she did now. The snowfall outside, far from deterring the Gryffindors, seemed only to heighten their excitement as they animatedly discussed their plans for the day over breakfast. Stifling a massive yawn, the young witch downed the last of her coffee in one quick gulp.

'Thankfully, the chill outside will help keep me awake.' – she mused, watching the swirl of owls as they swooped in to deliver the morning mail.

To her surprise, two letters fluttered down before her. Intrigued—she seldom received much mail—Catherine swiftly opened them. The first was from Dumbledore, informing her that he would be away for some time due to 'unexpected circumstances' and that their lessons would resume after the holidays. He also cautioned her not to practice alone and reminded her to clear her mind before sleep.

'No need to do it if I don't sleep.' – the witch thought bitterly as she took the second envelope. Inside was a small piece of parchment with a single word: Oui. A satisfied smile spread across her face. She knew her mother had the final say on whether she could spend Christmas with the Potters, but Catherine had suspected her chances would improve if her father broached the subject instead of her.

"A lot of mail today." – James remarked, glancing at his friend.

"Are two letters really a lot?" – the girl smirked, tearing the small note into pieces – "I have good news – my parents agreed to let me spend Christmas at your place."

"Really?!" – James's face lit up with excitement – "That's fantastic! I'll tell Mom right away! We're going to have so much fun! Right, Sirius? What's up?"

"What?" – Sirius replied absentmindedly, still staring at the letter in his hand. 

"Flame's spending the holidays with us!" – James repeated, slightly irritated – "What are you reading with such an expression?"

"It's a letter from my cousin Andromeda." – the other boy said slowly – "She gave birth a few days ago."

"Isn't that something to be happy about?" – Catherine asked, puzzled by his tone.

"I guess…" – Sirius muttered, noticing the surprise on their faces – "It's not that I'm not happy for her. I just got upset because she wrote I'm the only person in the family she knew would appreciate the news."

"That's so sad." – James sighed – "Is the baby a boy or a girl?"

"A girl." – Sirius answered, glancing at the letter again – "Her name's Nymphadora."

"It's a… unique name." – Catherine remarked, feeling a wave of relief that her own parents didn't pick up something similar.

"If you say so." – Sirius chuckled – "I just really want to do something nice for Dromeda so she doesn't feel so alone."

"Why don't you buy her and the baby a gift today when we go to Hogsmeade?" – the young witch suggested – "There's a big store called Pixie Dust Baby Boutique or something like that. You can check it out."

"Great idea!" – the young wizard exclaimed, his enthusiasm reignited – "Let's go now!"

"I'm still eating!" – James protested, but Sirius was already tugging Catherine toward the castle doors.

The weather outside was bitterly cold, with the wind whipping snow into the Gryffindors' faces as they made their way past the Black Lake and onto the path leading to the village. The wind howled so fiercely that conversation was impossible, leaving them to trudge forward in silence.

Hogsmeade was bustling with students, who braved the cold to crowd High Street, pausing in front of brightly lit shop windows, many already decorated for Christmas. As they reached the Pixie Dust Baby Boutique, they ran into Peter and Nora. The third-year's eyes lit up when she heard they were shopping for a baby gift, and with an excited grin, she eagerly pulled Sirius and Peter inside.

"Shall we go in too?" – Catherine asked, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the door, lavishly garlanded with evergreens, holly, and even a sprig of mistletoe. 

"I've got a more interesting spot in mind." – James replied, a mischievous smirk spreading across his face – "Come on, it's just around the corner!"

Intrigued, the young witch followed him as they ducked into a nearby side street, stopping in front of a cozy, inviting window. 

"The Witch's Garden?" – Catherine read the sign aloud – "Not to burst your bubble, but how is this more interesting than a baby store?"

"Stop complaining and get inside already!" – James demanded as he opened the door, shoved the girl in, and then closed it from the outside.

"What are you doing?" – the witch shouted in frustration, spinning around.

"Flame…"

She turned, startled, to see the very pale Remus Lupin standing a few paces away, wearing an apron emblazoned with the store's logo—a red tulip.

"Why are you here?" – Catherine asked, her eyes darting around the empty shop.

"I help out during our Hogsmeade visits." – the boy admitted, his gaze fixed on the floor – "James thought it might be a good idea to bring you here so we could talk."

"Of course he did." – the girl muttered, vowing silently that James Potter would pay for this once she was out of there. 

"Are you mad at me?" – Remus asked softly.

For the first time in weeks, Catherine looked directly into his eyes. 'Has he lost weight?' - she wondered, studying his whitish face with growing concern.

"You know I'm not great with words…" – the boy began, offering a shy smile as he reached behind the counter and pulled out a small bouquet of yellow roses tied with a white ribbon – "It's not a lot, compared to everything you've done for me, but I wanted to give you something—to apologise for the way I acted at the Ball. I realise now that I didn't express myself well, and I didn't make it clear how much you mean to me."

"Yellow roses…" – Catherine murmured, her fingers gently brushing over the delicate petals.

"James said they symbolise eternal friendship." – Remus explained, his voice tinged with anxiety as a blush spread across his cheeks – "Will you accept them? I can't offer you much, but I'm really selfish, and I don't want to lose my best friend."

"Moony, I'm not sure our friendship can ever be the same as before…" – the girl said sadly – "I don't know if we can move past that kiss and the fact I wanted it to lead to something more…"

"Did you really?" – the young wizard asked, prompting the witch to look at him with surprise – "I don't regret sharing our first kiss, Catherine… because I care so deeply about you, and I know you care about me too. But can we actually be a couple? Doesn't the idea of it feel… awkward?"

"I don't know." – the black-haired girl admitted, brushing her fingers lightly against Remus' hand – "But I don't regret that kiss either." 

"Then why can't we just continue being friends?" – the boy asked with a gentle smile – "You said our friendship can't be the same. Maybe you're right. It won't be the same. It's going to be stronger. Is the love between friends worth less than between lovers, Flame?"

Catherine stared at him as if seeing him for the first time, her mind racing to make sense of her feelings at that moment. 

"It's not worth less!" – she declared, her voice hoarse with emotion – "Not to me! Never between us! I'm so sorry Remus! I've been such an idiot!"

With that, Catherine practically threw herself into her friend's arms, sobbing silently into his shoulder for a good five minutes while he gently stroked her hair. When she finally managed to calm down, Moony pulled out a handkerchief and tenderly wiped the tears from her face.

"Feeling better?" – he asked softly.

"I do." – the witch nodded, offering a small, grateful smile – "Thank you for putting up with me and still carrying enough to fix everything."

"Don't thank me for such nonsense! Do you really think I'd rather give up on you? Don't be ridiculous!" – Remus scolded his friend before adding – "However, I want you to promise me something. If ever again it looks like we're hurting each other on purpose, let's keep in mind how much we love each other, and remember there must be another explanation for whatever happened."

"You're so sweet, you know that?" – Catherine remarked, grinning as Remus blushed deeply – "I promise you, Moony!"