Winter Blunderland PV Koko Riddle Closed

Walking in a Winter Blunderland...

It was snowing. While that honestly shouldn't have been much of a big deal - it was Scotland, for Merlin's sake! Koko had not expected there to be so much, though; that was the only thing that happened to surprise her. But even if the snow was quite surprising, it was still an opportunity for Koko to showcase her amazing fashion sense. She always looked pretty awesome in winter clothes, if she did say so herself.

An idea struck the twelve-year-old Slytherin as she rifled through her trunk to find something to wear... A shirt that said 'Iron Man' on it would be nice underneath her green sweater... But who was Iron Man? It didn't matter, no, but it would have been lovely to know. Koko pulled on a pair of jeans and boots, grabbing a green scrunchie that her brother had sent her - 'Scrunchies are making a comeback, Koko, whether you like it or not!', he had said. She twisted her hair back into a ponytail with it, and then she began to look for more clothes. A spare set of Slytherin robes... Good... A green hat... Good... A red scarf... Why not?

What was this lovely idea that called for clothes? Koko would gain a spot in the Muggles' Guinness Book of World Records by building the world's most fashionable snowman.

Koko raced out of the Dungeons and up a flight of stairs before jogging to set foot on the grass. It was dead. Death, in this case, was so beautiful. Koko had always asked herself why Autumn was so beautiful if everything was dying. The end result was also quite pretty. A light dusting of snowflakes coated the grass as well as tree branches, and it was a heart-stopper. Koko knew it was dead. It looked dead. But it was beautiful beyond measure.

Although Koko was clad only in a sweater, jeans, and boots, the girl was not cold. One might have said that the cold didn't bother her anyway. The wind was blowing a nice breeze, nearly threatening to blow Koko's hair out of her scrunchie. She began searching for a suitable spot to begin building; her amber eyes scanning the landscape with scrutiny. Had the girl not hated math, she would have made a good Muggle engineer. Maybe not, though. She worked better with her mind than with her hands.

Her usually pale blonde hair now appeared silvery on the ends due to the snow getting caught in the locks. Her sweater was dusted with the snow, and there was a small amount on her boots. Nothing to worry about so far, but if her boots got snow inside of them, that would be another story entirely. Koko didn't think that her rich and spoiled feet could handle the snow. There was no sunlight and therefore no need to worry about snow blindness - Koko was pleased to see that it was quite overcast with a dark tint to the puffy clouds. Perfect weather as long as it didn't warm up. Then it would rain.

She kept gazing out at the Winter Wonderland beneath her, feeling confident. She loved the wild; it was just that: wild. There was no order to it at all, no rules, nothing to keep her from running with her worries all behind her. It was perfect. Except she couldn't do that; Koko had responsibility. Responsibility was a real fun-killer.

She spotted a crow flying towards her and she frowned, narrowing her eyes as she gazed in the direction it had come from. There was a green bandana floating in the breeze, mesmerising but at the same time worrying. Was it someone's? Did someone need help? Koko began walking in that direction, keeping a fast pace but also being careful so that she would not slip on the slick and slushy ground. As she approached, two figures came into view - one coloured, and one as white as the world surrounding her. Gripping the clothes she had brought, Koko yelled out. "Hey!" the girl shouted, "Who are you? Do you need help?"

Gone away... Is the bluebird...

The snow was not just cold, but wet, Margo discovered as it soaked through her trousers. She was in a rather unflattering position with her legs sticking up in the air and her arms resting on the snow like it was a comfortable armchair. Unfortunately, the numbing cold was a blatant reminder that this was not the case. And Merlin, was it cold. She didn’t know if it was just because she’d fallen into a snow drift, but Margo could’ve sworn that the temperature was dropping rapidly. 

Her concerns were quickly cut off by a girl’s shout worried shout. Though she was thrilled about the possibility of exciting company, Margo wasn’t exactly in the best position to entertain. She was fairly sure that her cold feet would freeze solid any second and her cheeks were more flushed than Santa’s- merely because of the cold, of course. However, there was no reason that the other girl had to be made aware of these minor details. She’d give off a refined, composed air. If only it were possible.

“Me?” Margo pointed at herself with a grin. “Oh I’m just dandy.” She heaved herself up with minimal help from the tree next to her and turned to face the speaker. “I’m Margo White, and this fellow here,” She gestured to the blank snowman. “is currently nameless.” She tapped her chin in thought. “I think the amount of clothing he’s wearing should be increased before a name is given, don’t you agree?” However, she didn’t know how many of her words were lost in the wind. Shouting could only get you so far.

It was dead rude of the weather to interrupt a social encounter like this, Margo thought. She sent a glare towards the sky and turned back to the speaker, hoping they would advance. Discreetly kicking some snow into the hole her rear end left behind, she inched away from the disaster site and plucked the green bandana from the ground. She tied it around the snowman’s head and smiled. “There we are, my friend, you’re already looking much more fetching.” She patted his shoulder comfortingly and quickly steadied his head as it started to roll off. Whistling innocently, Margo crossed her hands behind her back, trying to look composed as she yearned for a better look at the girl in the snow. 

She wasn't cold, necessarily. Heart of ice, heart of stone, whatever they said about those in Slytherin... That could have applied to Koko's selfish nature. The stereotype about Slytherins being cold-blooded, however, was not entirely true, and the girl's cheeks were pink from the bitter chill in the air. She enjoyed it, though. It was different than usual; it was unique. Koko enjoyed the bitterness of the cold, its unpredictability. It was like life itself, in a way.

She began to walk closer to the girl who was caught in the snow, chuckling to herself as she did so. Quite the predicament that she had been caught in, wasn't it? Stuck in the snow. Had the darker-haired girl been wearing a skirt, her legs would have been frozen. Did she need to go in? Koko's brow furrowed; she was worried, but she didn't reckon that the other girl needed help, especially not as she pulled herself up and proclaimed herself as 'just dandy'.

A smile found its way upon the blonde-haired girl's face as she gazed at the snowman. "Mate, that's incredible craftsmanship," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Margo. It was a very pretty name, Koko thought. She didn't know its meaning, but it surely meant something wonderful if it belonged to this adventurous soul in front of her. A name defined a person, after all. The girl's smile widened as she saw Margo place a yellow bandana on the snowman, and she chuckled. "Absolutely. And the name's Koko." Koko took the red scarf from around her neck and gripped loosely in her hand, extending her arm to Margo. "I reckon that snowman'll get cold in this weather without a scarf. And Nameless is a great name, quite classy, if I do say so myself."

The wind would cause the scarf to sway in Koko's hand and her hair to fly off of her neck, making her miss the red fabric on her neck. She didn't fancy the colour much, but she missed the material that would protect against today's chill. Koko took a few steps closer to Margo, arm still extended, unsure if she was to put the scarf on Nameless or if she was to let Margo do it. Her small, pale fingers would rub the scarf anxiously as she shifted on her feet, smiling softly.

Now that girl was closer, Margo could’ve sworn that she’d seen her before. In fact, she was fairly sure that the nicely dressed female was a part of her own beloved house- Slytherin. Okay, so there were some stereotypes that she didn’t agree with, but that was no reason not to love the cool stone walls of their common room and the other members of their cunning house. Hopefully this girl felt the same way.  Margo was fairly certain that she was named after something sweet... Cherry, maybe? Caramel, Choc-

“And the name’s Koko.” The girl said. 

Margo blinked once before spreading her lips into a grin. “If it’s such a work of art then, Koko,” She gestured to the snowman as she tested out the girls name on her tongue. “D’you wanna help?”

The blush on Margo’s cheeks from the cold hid any further, embarrassed blushing, right? Besides, Koko (for that was her name) couldn’t read minds. Nobody could read minds. Well... except for a legillimens, but those were exceptionally rare and unlikely to be tween schoolgirls. Her secret was safe, Margo assured herself, and now she could get to know the girl better.

Margo took the red scarf from Koko with a smile. It looked like they had a similar idea about rules. She smirked- it was a friendly smirk. “Red and green. Well it’s lucky that we seem capable of making the festive spirit last all winter, I guess.” 

She actually really admired Koko for approaching a strange figure in the snow and offering her her own scarf for some fun. But what the girl said next snagged Margo’s admiration much more. “Nameless.” Margo pretended to think deeply. “The two syllables just compliment each other perfectly, ya know. It’s lucky we didn’t call him Rudolph or Ivy, because where’s the fun in that?” She winked. Didn’t sarcasm just make one feel so toasty inside? 

Speaking of temperature, Margo noticed that the girl seemed a little shivery after the loss of her scarf. Pulling one of the thin scarfs out of her pockets Margo handed it to Koko. It was a deep purple, something which would look pretty striking against the girl’s light hair and gold eyes, if she did say so herself. “Here, it’s not quite as festive, but it’ll trap some warmth?”

A grin warm enough to melt the surrounding snow spread across Margo's face when Koko agreed to her proposal. She could hardly let someone with such an eye for fashion slip through her numb fingers, after all. 

"Let's make this snowman memorable then. He shall be a festivity in his own right." She declared. Margo had no problem being her confident self around Koko. The girl was cool. There was no other way to describe it -- her witty replies and obvious preparation for building a snowman was something Margo found endearing in a classmate. Top it off with them both being in the same house and you had the perfect candidate for friendship.

"Oh no, Frosty's much too normal a name for what I'm sure will be a fabulous creation." Margo stared at the pile of clothes Koko had brought in amazement after wrapping the scarf around Nameless's neck. Some of the clothes, like the large vest Koko held up, didn't look like they would fit the thin girl at all. "And you just have these wonderful spare clothes lying around?" She asked curiously. If so, she'd like to see the size of Koko's trunk.

"D'you wanna try and wrestle it over his head?" Margo asked, looking pointedly at the vest Koko held. "Hm. Perhaps he'll have to be temporarily headless whilst we ensure that he looks presentable." 

With no further ado, Margo put her arms around Nameless's head and heaved the ball of snow towards her. With a muffled "Oof" and several wobbly steps back,  Koko would have the required room to pull the vest over his snowy body. "Don't worry old chap." Margo tried to say through the snow hugged to her chest. "You'll be handsome soon enough." 

Unfortunately, the surrounding landscape had taken the same ominous hue as the darkning sky. Margo was too wrapped up in their snowman to notice, but it didn't seem like he'd be finished before the snow fell. At this rate, they'd end up caught in a blizzard...

Koko returned Margo's grin, nearly bouncing on her feet. She'd never really made a snowman - she and her brothers had tried once before, but they'd never managed to pick up the large balls of snow. Even Koko had the slender Leblanc limbs, and the poor girl had hardly gathered any muscle.

"Absolutely," Koko responded, her tone light and full of joy. One might even call it Christmas Joy. She certainly had the spirit of the season. She kept her gaze on the other Slytherin, warmth filling her amber eyes. She'd not felt so accepted in a good while, and the surge of emotion that rushed through her was empowering. "Nameless, the name for the most festive snowman in history!"

She nodded at Margo's next analysis, reaching out to adjust Nameless' arm. "Indeed," she joked, "Frosty's such a mundane name. Nameless shows so much more potential." The girl's cheeks ached from smiling, but she couldn't find it in her to stop. At Margo's question, she shrugged. "I might've nicked some vests from Grand-père last time I visited. You never know what your cat'll like to curl up on - he does not like vests. At all."

Koko nodded enthusiastically, but she halted when Margo implied it'd be difficult to slide the vest on. Huh. She hadn't thought of that. Koko watched in awe as the other Slytherin took Nameless' head right off his shoulders. "You want any help with that?" Koko wondered aloud, bewildered at how she could manage to carry such a large mass of snow. She then realised that Wait, she might be supposed to slip the vest on him. Koko frowned, taking the vest and swiftly unbuttoning it. Her brow furrowed as she slid the snowman's arms through the vest, moving to his front when it was covering his large stomach and beginning to button it. "I think he's good now," Koko said, smirking. "I can help you put his head back on if you'd like."

Koko stepped back from Nameless, admiring her handiwork - and Margo's, of course, but those buttons had been difficult to fasten! She eyed the horizon, admiring how perfect Nameless looked against the dark hue of the sky... Wait... The sky hadn't been dark before... It didn't matter, Koko decided; it was just snow.

"Grand-père?" Margo questioned, trying her best not to sound like a clueless Scotswoman. "You're French?! Wow, that might even make up for the fact you have a cat... just kidding!" She added hastily. It seemed best not to try and offend the girl, especially considering the delicacy of the situation. Or, more accurately, the situation of Nameless's crumbling head. She had shoved it back onto his torso just after Koko had put on his vest.

"A little help might be welcome." She admitted in response to Koko's enquiry. "If we put some snow as well as your lovely scarf around the base of his head for support then it should stop him from being decapitated." She scrutinised the snow figure. "Hear that, Mister? Keep a good hold of your head."

The wind whipped through the branches of the nearby tree and Margo pulled her large coat more firmly around herself with a shiver. "So, what's your cat like? My family has a dog, but cats are generally more independent and fierce. More like me, I suppose. Maybe that's why we don't usually get on." She tapped her chin in thought.

Their snowman was looking more than good, as Koko had suggested. Margo was slightly jealous of his stylish, foreign vest, but decided that she much preferred the other girl's smile over a piece of clothing. Koko had a much slighter figure than Margo, but her smile seemed to stretch for miles, and Margo couldn't find the will to stop an answering grin from spreading across her face. She saw a flake of snow leisurely drift past the end of her nose and looked up to see what had knocked it off the tree branch above. To her surprise, it, along with an increasing number of white flakes, seemed to have originated from a looming dark cloud. Where on Earth had that come from?

Margo turned her gaze to Koko. "If you think we're done with the building stages then maybe we should wingardium leviosa him to a place where he wouldn't get snowed in. I wouldn't want him to die prematurely." Was she being too blunt? Well maybe. But what was wrong with inferring her affection for a snowman? She only hoped that the other girl wasn't sensitive about death... or her cat. Margo tilted her head to the sky and winced. Note to self: try to think before speaking. Bah, like that would ever happen. Maybe if they survived the snowfall, she could issue the girl an apology.