A Man Clouded in Mystery [Kellin]

It was Christmas again, and the cold never seized to amaze Lucia. She didn't mind the cold, really, there was something about the way her skin prickled and how the wind felt like sharp razors that made Lucia feel at home. And now she even had Blake. Last Christmas had been the best in her life, and she couldn't imagine ever having a Christmas as moving and beautiful as that one. She loved spending Christmas with her mother, but there was something about having someone to care about like a son that made her feel complete.

Lucia had, however, left her house for a walk. She'd told Blake she'd be gone for a while, and that was quite right; she intended to take her time. She smiled weakly as she walked through the soft one inch layer of snow and took a few turns here and there. She wondered if he'd show. She'd asked him to. She hoped he would. She never could contain a smile when she thought about him. Somewhat like with Blake, but this in a much more nervous way. She almost felt like a teenager again. And she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

Why Kellin had left his position at Hogwarts was unknown to Lucia, but she guessed it hadn't been for him. Sometimes Lucia found herself stopping to think what she really knew about Kellin, because it wasn't much. But she always whisked the worry away, because she had a feeling, deep down, that she didn't want to know. Mystery clouded Kellin like black smoke, and Lucia knew this was one of the many things as to why she was so drawn to him. Of course she was worried, but she couldn't imagine that it would be horribly bad.

She reached the spot and leaned against a snowy stone, looking out at the loch. Nessie would probably be sound asleep now, but Lucia took no chances when it came to kelpies, and had her hand around her wand, ready to attack if it became necessary. There was a thin layer of ice on some parts of the loch, stretching from the shore and making weird-looking figurines on the surface. But even though there was ice, it was easy to see that the water stirred restlessly, the wind sending ripples through the surface and onto the thin ice, breaking off some pieces every once in a while.

She didn't know how long she stood there, whether it was five minutes or half an hour, when she heard the rustling of footsteps. Lucia turned her head around and felt a small smile spread on her lips. "Kellin," she said softly, but didn't move from the rock.