@dima

The snow hardly bothered Giacomo. If anything he saw it as more of a reason to head out and to spend time outside. Sure it was chilly but he took the right precautions and he was careful where he trod. He didn’t want to slip on any ice of course. He was happy that classes were done for the day. It meant that he could take time to be on his own if he wished. He much preferred to be on his own. It wasn’t like he had a boyfriend or anything. He was not sure he was ready for one. At least, no one at Hogwarts had yet caught his attention. Sure, there were cute boys at the school but no one he yet found appealing. He supposed that if he was supposed to date, it would happen. He definitely wasn’t in any rush.

The biggest challenge that he faced was that he was so reserved. It wasn’t that he was scared of talking to others because once he spoke to them once, he could easily continue. But half, if not or the time, he saw very little point in talking to people. If ever met his father, he wasn’t sure if he would even talk to the man, let alone what he would say. But there was little chance of him meeting his dad right now. Maybe there was reason why his mother had not been so forthcoming with details on the man. Maybe he was a death Eater or maybe he was dead. There was nothing he could do. When it came time for him to go home in a few weeks, he would be staying with his Nonna and Nono like he always did. At least, it would be a small christmas with just the three of them. Giacomo knew that his mother would prefer all favourites on top of preparing a traditional Italian fare.

Giacomo wasn’t a big eater but he made sure to take extra servings each Christmas. The fifth year, opened a chocolate bar as he made his way down to the lake pulling his scarf tighter around his neck. He didn’t want to take a trip to the hospital wing as much as he wanted to go see the guidance counsellor about his father issues. Those were issues and they were staying with him. Sure, someone people knew of them like Karel but he hardly thought much about him. The others at school could think they knew him but he never let anyone in willingly. His walls were often up and by choice.

The boy stood by the lake looking out with his arms folded yawning slightly when he felt someone come and stand next to him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw it was someone familiar to him, an older Ravenclaw, though not by much. ”Can I help you?”
 

I forgot what month it is again

I'm half awake, I know it's wrong
But I swear to God it's almost Christmas

Winter break was coming up quickly and around the castle it showed. There was snow all over outside, which Dima absolutely adored. He had always liked the cold-- his father always joked it was the Russian blood, but he wasn't sure if heritage had a damn thing to do with it. He had always liked winter and the temperatures had never bothered him. In fact he preferred when it was like this, especially when he was flying. Much better than having sweltering humid air sweeping against his face as far as he was concerned. The only thing he wasn't too keen about this year was how quickly winter break was actually coming.

They hadn't had a single Hogsmeade weekend and somehow it felt as though time hadn't really passed in the castle. They were to go this weekend, or so everyone was hoping, last time there hadn't been a very large window of warning and he was fearful that this time would be the same. Bloody sickness out there ruining the world. All he wanted was to get away from the grounds for a bit. His brothers had owled saying they were coming this weekend, if things were still on, but he didn't want anything to do with that. He wanted to go and hang out with Zoe, not his brothers. Merlin knew that he'd be stuck with that scowling lot for a few weeks in no time at all; why would he want to start the misery early? Especially since he knew they had no good news to share about his father. If they had he was sure he'd have heard about it by now.

No, he hoped not to see them this weekend. And he rather hoped they wouldn't see him either, especially with Zoe. He wasn't prepared to deal with the glares his brothers could throw and he especially didn't want to be cursed out in Russian in front of his girlfriend. If it hadn't been their only Hogsmeade trip of the year he might have asked Zoe to skip out of it with him and hang around the castle. Or the grounds. Hell, maybe he could still convince her that it was a good idea. How, though, he wasn't quite sure until an idea came to him.

Ice skating wasn't exactly a strong hobby of his, but he could do it pretty well. His mum's side of the family was big into a muggle game called hockey so he had been on the ice quite a bit, not that he was planning on playing the sport now. Though part of him was sure that if Zoe were pitted against him she'd probably whoop him in it. Either way he thought taking her skating might be fun, albeit a little dangerous this time of year. Winter was hardly here aside from the snow. 

He headed down to the lake, admiring the glittering white powder beneath his feet, and spotted a familiar silhouette as he drew closer. Dima knew the other boy as a housemate of his, though not much more about him than that. He had always seemed quiet and, well, Dima had been somewhat similar up until recently. He came along side the other boy looking out over the icy cover of the lake. The boy's voice broke his gaze as he turned to him, squinting slightly against the brightness of the snow. "I thought I'd come to see how the ice is," Dima said as he stepped toward the water and tapping the edge where the ice met the snow with his foot. "Have you seen anyone on it yet?" 

@giacomo | Outfit | Words:605

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0

Giacomo knew that life without a father wasn’t necessarily tough but he knew that he was always missing something. When times had been happier when he had been younger and at primary school, he would see dads come to pick up their kids and exchange stories of how their respective days had gone and he wanted that for himself. It was hardly him being selfish but he knew he couldn’t go his entire life without having his father in his life or at the very least, knowing who he was. His mother had seldomly dated so his chances of getting a step father even was unlikely.

That left him with only one option, to go out and seek him out himself. But the young wizard’s biggest hurdle was that he was so reserved and he didn’t really want to let anyone in. Even if the man happened to be related to him and did take a liking to him, it wouldn’t mean that Giacomo would allow him or trust him. He would make sure the man proved himself before he went that far. He may have some strict wishes for the man but with his mother registered, he was protecting himself. He was protecting her to even if she had told him many times that he didn’t need to do that because it should be the other way around. Giacomo understood that but he was older now and even if he was of age, he was quietly confident he could look after her. He still had his wand that he had gotten when he had started at Hogwarts. His mother no longer had her own wand he wished she still did but there was nothing he could do about that. He hated feeling so helpless. This was the woman had brought him into the world and raised him and looked after him and he was unable to look after her.

Giacomo knew that there was till time fo him to grow up and look after her but she was in need help right now. But he was just in his fifth year and he was limited to what he could do. Getting out the castle helped him to open up his mind. It was nice and crisp outside, but he suspected it would be like that coming out here. He had dressed as appropriately as he could without looking like he was going to take on the ski slopes in the French Alps. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to know how to ski. He didn’t feel that kind of surrounding was where he wanted to be, he would much rather be in a forest or a cliff top.

But the wizard who was next to him was speaking of people going out on the ice. ”Out there?” he asked turning to him arching his brow. ”You would be the first….” he added looking back to the ice. He didn’t want to be moody but he just so many thoughts running through his mind and very few of them were happy or positive.

I FORGOT WHAT MONTH IT IS AGAIN

I'M HALF AWAKE, I KNOW IT'S WRONG
BUT I SWEAR TO GOD IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS

Giacomo was a familiar face, but hardly a familiar person. As it turned out there were quite a few people like that. People who had been his housemates for years that he had never really noticed. Hell, he probably wouldn't even have noticed the muggleborns were gone at all had it not been for the lock down. They weren't people he associated himself with. It was something that started out of fear. Every action had a consequence when it came to his older brothers. Befriending a muggleborn was a surefire way to open himself up to their wrath. Befriending someone with a muggleborn parent... He hadn't bothered to try.

There were enough students who had lost their family members because of registration. Dima didn't know what to think of it. It had been drilled into him that this was a long time coming, that it was fair and just. He didn't know how fair it was. Watching students cry as their friends and family were taken away during the lock down his fifth year didn't feel very just. Still, a small part of him believed it must have been. After all the Minister had changed and not much else had followed suit. It was getting better for them, or so he was told. Dima tried not to read too much into it. Something told him that ignorance was the best option.

Years of getting blood purity beat into him was not lost on Dima, though he liked to think that he was much more accepting than his brothers. In a great many ways he was. But looking at Giacomo now he felt the slightest bit guilty. He had thrown his brother's preaching out the window to be with Zoe. They wouldn't be fond of his decisions to date a pureblood girl, not with his mixed blood, but he didn't care. Or at least he didn't think he had to as long as they didn't find out. When it came to the opposite end of the spectrum he hadn't really budged. Muggleborns were still...muggleborns. And their children were still their children. That hadn't changed even if he had.

"You seem skeptical," he observed with a half smile. Dima couldn't really blame him. The edges seemed solid enough but the darkening near the middle of the lake made him question just how frozen it truly was. He could always charm it but how long would that really last before he broke ice and ended up armpit deep in the frigid water. Dima pressed his foot harder against the edge of the ice, nearly putting his full weight on it before giving it a little bounce. His lips turned down slightly impressed. Dima looked back at the boy with a playful glint embedded in the icy blue of his eyes. "You're not wanting to be the first?"

@giacomo | Outfit | Notes:

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0

Giacomo constantly had a lot on his mind and sometimes that got the better of him. But while he was in class or at meals, he tried to distract himself with whatever the subject was or with trying to be social with his colleagues. That wasn’t always so easy as the wizard often wore his heart on his sleeve. He still made sure though to at least pay attention in class in case the professor called on him to answer a question. He had his favourite subjects such as Potions and Charms so he made sure to always pay attention to those classes. Giacomo aimed high when it came to his full breadth of classes and he knew that made him just like his father. He had only recently met the man with whom he shared half of his DNA with but he had learned that the man had been a Ravenclaw during his years at Hogwarts and he too was skilful in Potions.

The eagle wasn’t sure if he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father. But maybe that what lay ahead for him. He knew there was little he could actually do it control his fate. But Magnus was not the kind of man he had ever seen as being his father. He was still very much a playboy even if he went about running a very successful business. That didn’t mean anything to Giacomo when he looked at his personal life. He hadn’t wanted to delve too much into that side of the man but it was going to be hard after he had caught the man after having a one night stand.

Giacomo had not known what it was to even date but then again, he had never explored that side of him. He wasn’t even sure if there were even any boys at Hogwarts who took his fancy. Sure, there were some handsome ones but Giacomo never bothered talking to them because he often kept himself busy with schoolwork or through prefect duties. There wasn’t really much that involved the latter unless there was a school event on or an incident had taken place. Giacomo certainly didn’t want the latter to happen. He hoped that with so many people sick, students would learn to stay out of trouble.

It was true, Giacomo was Skeptical, but he was skeptical about a lot of things most of the time. He just didn’t broadcast that for fear or any backlash from other students making fun or him of thinking he was a nut job. He looked over at Dima hoping the older boy wouldn’t fall through the ice. Merlin help him if that happened. "No thank you….the ice is beautiful but I prefer to look at it not to step onto it” he shrugged and looked to the ground. It reminded him when was younger and before he came to Hogwarts when he and his family would build snowmen when they went on holiday. It reminded him of simple and happier times.

I FORGOT WHAT MONTH IT IS AGAIN

I'M HALF AWAKE, I KNOW IT'S WRONG
BUT I SWEAR TO GOD IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS

It was odd to think of having to go home to see his brothers. Every year that he had ever spent at Hogwarts had been along side them. Winter break had always meant having to spend time with them, just in might tighter quarters. Now he hadn't had to spend an ounce of time with them all year. Not once did he have to watch his back or wait for them to round a corner and cast their glowering stares onto him. He was free and winter break just meant much less of that freedom. Still, he kind of hoped that they would keep their distance. Phief had his new bride to deal with, and of course her pregnancy on top of that. He wasn't staying at the house. With father gone he figured that he hardly visited at all. And Alek had moved out just before the school year had started back up. This could be good. This break could be...freeing.

Spending time with Zoe was on his mind but given the holidays coming up he doubted they would see each other too much. Christmas had always been a large event in his family. His father was raised Russian Orthodox and his mum was a Catholic. Christmas often meant a lot of church, and a LOT of family time. Unfortunately that meant a lot of time spent with the muggle side of his family, which he always found quite....boring. Especially given the fact that he had no clue what to talk to those people about. They watched rugby, not quidditch. They talked recipes not potions. Coming off of four straight months of learning magic it was often difficult to re-assimilate to their kind.

Merlin, he sounded like his brothers now didn't he? Their kind, as though he wasn't raised along side them his whole life. Sure, the time spent with them was few and far between, but they were no more aliens to him than actual aliens. It did seem that each passing year he felt himself drifting further away from them. Even now his mind wandered to what sort of things his siblings were planning on doing for the holidays. He'd much rather spend his time with his brothers than his mum's side of the family, and that was really saying something. If he could spend the whole break with either Zoe or them he figured maybe it wouldn't be so terribly bad. Especially if it were more the former.

None of that might matter if he were to fall through the ice right now and be dragged to a watery grave by a bunch of cold blooded mermaids. "Suit yourself." Dima braved the ice and took his very first step forward, and then another as he came to stand just off the edge oft he shore. Even if he were to fall through right now he figured that at it's worst he'd end up with wet ankles and not an obituary. His boots slipped around as he tested it further. Dima turned back around to face the boy standing at the lake's edge. "So what are you doing out here? Just looking at the lake?" It occurred to him for a second that if the boy was he was well obstructing the view now. He had doubts though. Not often did people admire nature without having a catalog of thoughts to keep them busy. At least he didn't.

@giacomo | Outfit | Words: 571

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0

Giacomo was the most doubtful person he knew. Sometimes his doubt extended to his own abilities, that was how far it went. But he was quicker to dispel the doubts about himself than someone else. Well, he supposed he to trust himself at some point. When it came to his peers, he had seen some of them behaving very childishly and he quickly decided that they in particular, had to grow up. As a child, Giacomo had had many toys to play with and had had a happy childhood butt there was always something missing. He knew what that was but he had never filled that gap until recently. Though, at times he didn’t feel the gap was completely filled. Even if he now knew the man with whom he shared half his DNA, he had already missed out on so much.

He had come out to his dad earlier than expected but he was glad because at least he didn’t have the anxiety of doing it later. Giacomo didn’t know how their relationship would progress. There were so many questions that he wanted answered but he knew that he had to be patient with wanting them. The fifth year preferred to be studying rather than be acting up and that was why he took his role of prefect a little too seriously at times. Maybe even the professors wanted him to just take it easy. But with his mother being a registered muggleborn, he couldn't manage that. Giacomo just wanted her to be his mum and to fuss over him and he knew that she still did with the letters she sent asking how he was but in the back of his mind, he worried about her terribly. He knew that she could handle anything that came away but didn't like seeing her go through what she was.

He could have hoped that his father would have intervened but they had only spent one night together and he was the result of that. He couldn’t expect his father to free his mother because he didn’t want the man to get into trouble. The man wasn’t obliged to do anything really.

With all these thoughts flooding his mind, Giacomo had come to the lake today. Like most things, he also doubted the safety of the lake and preferred to keep his feet on the ground. If the older boy wanted to venture out the lake that was his own doing. But Giacomo was on alert in case he needed to save Dima.”Came out here to think” he replied as he began to focus on one part of the ice, thought it all looked the same to him. ”Do you skate Dima?” Giacomo had gone skating a few times with his mother when he was younger, it was one of the many happy memories he had with her from that time.

Words: 481