Valetine had now passed, and in its wake a lot of new couples could be seen all around school. This as her roommates described as the honey moon face after valentine.
They had just received chocolate and cute letter, but those words wouldn't be remembered forever and the chocolate would melt soon enough. As they called it "hook up culture". A sad and kind of depressing thing where they just kiss because they are lonely, not really looking for anything serious and ending it in a few months or even weeks.
Aleksei had given Fila chocolate which she now stood and wondered what they were. Did he give them as a serious thing or as something small? She just didn't know, and Aleksei wasn't the easiest man to read either. He always had the same serious face and never really spoke about his own emotions.
But the chocolate was good she thought as she sat on her bed eating one after another.
"I cant believe your eating that expensive chocolate like its just normal candy." Stina said from another bed. The other girls nodded in agreement.
Fila didn't know this when she was given them, but this box of chocolate coming directly from the finest shop in Switzerland cost more than six moths of paid tuition at Durmstrang.
She just smiled and popped another into her mouth.
"So he brought to the most romantic place at the school, and said nothing romantic?" Sofia asked, she had been fully invested in her little alone time with Aleksei, thinking there was a lot more to his actions.
Fila shrugged, "Yeah"
"Is he emotionally incompetent?" Another girl asked a bit further away.
Some girls laughed, everyone knew he wasn't. he had already been together with a lot of girls before, most of them only ending things because of the pressure coming from his royal family side.
"He was together with Emma in sixth grade, and after one meeting with his family they ended things." Sofia explained.
Fila didn't understand this, what could have been so bad?
Even as winter still had a bit of a choke hold on the castle and its surroundings, the students still had do to training outside from time to time. Runing on a course forest path up hills and through rough terrain.
Fighting had also begun outside, sometime even on the thick ice of the lake surrounding the school.
Fila had trained martial art to some extent with Rowan during her school breaks in the early days. Making her a fierce opponent, but not to everyone.
Krum who stood a lot taller and a lot heavier than her tossed and turned her like nothing. "You need to focus on my weak points, as you are smaller." He said while helping her up from the snow covered ground.
"Easy for you to say troll." She shot back in frustration, which he just laughed back at.
The big Bulgarian boy dusted snow off his shoulders with a grin, his usual serious expression cracking just a little. "Troll is strong. Good compliment. You fight like flower. Pretty, but needs more roots."
Fila couldn't help but laugh despite the bruise forming on her hip. "I'll show you roots next time. Bob's still got a few tricks I haven't used yet."
Krum raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "The tree giant? I saw the posters. Impressive. But here we learn to fight without magic first. Makes the magic stronger later."
They continued the session for another half hour, Krum patiently showing her how to use her smaller size to her advantage. quick footwork, low center of gravity, using the opponent's momentum against them. By the end, Fila was sweating despite the cold, but she felt sharper.
As they walked back toward the castle together, Krum glanced sideways at her. "You are good. Fast learner. But you are distracted today?" he asked.
Fila sighed, kicking a bit of snow ahead of her. "Yeah, its something… or somethings I cant figure out not matter how much I've tried." She admitted
Krum nodded, "sounds very Durmstrang. Maybe go ask headmaster, or even Professor Helya. She likes helping students."
Professor Helya was the herbology professor here. The students liked her a lot, only because she only slightly cared for the students compared to the others.
So she made her way to the green house of Durmstrang. It was filled with different green plants, all local to the Nordic countries thriving in this cold environment.
The greenhouse was a welcome contrast to the rest of the castle. Warm, humid air wrapped around Fila the moment she stepped inside, the scent of earth and pine needles thick in the air. Rows of sturdy wooden tables held pots of hardy winter blooms, frost-resistant mosses, and strange glowing fungi that pulsed softly like tiny lanterns. Snow pressed against the glass roof above, but inside it felt almost like a pocket of spring.
Professor Helya was at the far end, a tall, broad-shouldered woman with short silver hair and hands permanently stained with soil. She was humming to herself while carefully trimming a cluster of deep blue berries that looked like they could survive a blizzard.
"Miss Grindelwald," Helya said without turning around, her voice calm and slightly raspy. "Come to hide from the cold or from your thoughts?"
Fila blinked, then smiled faintly as she walked over. "A bit of both, Professor. How did you know it was me?"
Helya finally turned, wiping her hands on her apron. "None of the others had quiet as big of an interest with flowers as you do." She gestured to a stool nearby. "Sit. Talk. I've got ears and time."
Fila sat, the warmth of the greenhouse seeping into her bones. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest.
"There's something in the castle," she said quietly. "Not a normal ghost. It looked like the Headmaster for a second, then… just watched me. Pointed. Whispered 'Soon.' I've gone back twice now. Nothing concrete, but it feels real. Heavy. Like it's waiting for something."
Helya listened without interrupting, her expression thoughtful. She reached out and gently touched a nearby vine, which curled affectionately around her finger.
"This school is old, ghosts aren't uncommon. But the thing you described seems strange… but if it did say soon, then I suggest waiting." She just said, why did she make this sound so easy?
Fila sat and looked through the flowers around her. "But I want to know what… or who it is. Is there no way to get any sort of information about this?"
Helya stood up and grabbed a pot. "As a professor I cant tell you… but as a curious witch I suggest the locked section of the library." She said with a wink before walking deeper into the greenhouse, "At night." She said far away in a quiet voice.
It wasn't exactly an invitation, but it was the closest thing to a lead she'd gotten. She thanked the empty air anyway and left the greenhouse feeling a strange mix of determination and nerves.
Back in the common room that evening, the usual chatter filled the space. Sofia was dramatically recounting her latest date with Gunther, while Lena and Freya argued over the best way to smoke the last of the boar meat. Fila sat quietly by the fire, the white box from Aleksei open on her lap. She ate another piece slowly, letting the rich, expensive chocolate melt on her tongue.
The conversation from the girls' dorm still echoed in her head. Aleksei wasn't emotionally incompetent. He was just… careful. Guarded. Like someone who had learned early that feelings could be used against you.
She still didn't know what the chocolate meant. But for now, it tasted good, and that was enough.
Later that night, when the common room had quieted and most students had gone to bed, Fila slipped out of the dormitory with her wand tucked in her sleeve and a cloak pulled tight around her shoulders. The castle corridors were colder than usual, the torches burning low and casting long, flickering shadows.
The locked section was just a door with a simple lock on it. the idea wasn't that it was suppose to hinder anyone from going in, but to make them not go in. the rule stated that no one could enter, and this alone along with generations of fear inducing words made it a no-go zone for the students.
Located at the back of the old run down library, a dark oak door which could have been pulled directly from an old castle stood there waiting for it next pray.
"alohomora" she whispered and the lock gently popped open. And the door started opening slightly without any resistance.
"Fila."
The words made her spin around in a blink of and eye, even making her drop her wand. Her heart almost popped out of her chest.
And there stood a prince, "Alek!! You scared the shit out of me!" she said in a hushed shouting voice. Aleksei must have followed her here.
Aleksei stepped forward quickly, catching her wand before it could roll too far across the stone floor. He looked equal parts concerned and amused, his usual serious expression softened by the low torchlight.
"Sorry," he whispered, handing the wand back to her. "I saw you slip out of the common room. You've been… off since the ramparts. I wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything reckless." His eyes flicked to the now slightly ajar door of the restricted section. "Clearly I was too late for that."
Fila let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest as if that could slow her racing heart. "Reckless? Says the one who followed a girl through dark corridors at night without saying anything."
A small, guilty half-smile tugged at his lips. "Fair point." He glanced around, making sure no one else was nearby, then lowered his voice even further. "What are you doing here? The restricted section isn't exactly a casual midnight stroll destination."
Fila hesitated for half a second, then decided she didn't want to carry this alone anymore.
"There's something in the castle," she said quietly. "Not a normal ghost. It's been watching me. It looked like Karkaroff once, pointed at me, whispered 'Soon.' Professor Helya suggested I look here for answers." She nodded toward the door. "I just got in when you decided to give me a heart attack."
Aleksei's expression grew serious again. He studied the dark oak door for a long moment, then looked back at her.
"You should have told me," he said, not as a scolding, but gently. "I meant what I said on the ramparts. You don't have to do this alone." He reached out and lightly touched her arm. "Want company? Or do you want me to stand guard out here while you look?"
Fila felt a warm flutter in her chest despite the adrenaline still coursing through her. She gave him a small, grateful smile.
"Company would be nice," she admitted. "Just… stay close. And no more sneaking up on me."
Aleksei nodded, the half-smile returning. "Deal."
Together they slipped through the door into the restricted section. The heavy presence Fila had felt earlier seemed to have retreated for now, but the air still felt thick with old magic and secrets. With Aleksei beside her, the darkness felt a little less overwhelming.
Inside were rooms and rooms of bookshelves, items, cases with different wands and other things displayed.
"So what are we looking for?" he asked while looking at a stuffed wolf standing in a attack position.
Fila shrugged, "No clue, something I guess." She picked a random book from a shelve, 'curse potions' she quickly put that back.
Meanwhile Aleksei took a strange object from a cabinet, "What is this?" he said while trying to figure out what this strange object could be.
It looked like a flute but it had no air hole. Fila looked strangely at the object.
"I don't know try it out." She said not even daring to try it herself.
He did, and once he flew just a bit of air into the hole it gave of a deafening screech that made both of them cup their ears. Only once it landed on the ground did it stop finally.
"Fucking don't touch anything," Fila said half screaming as she couldn't hear very well now.
Aleksei looked at her. "What?!" he yelled back, still cupping one ear like it might fall off.
Fila winced and pointed at her own ears. "I said don't touch anything!" she half-shouted, her voice echoing strangely in the dusty room. The screech had left a ringing that made everything sound like it was underwater.
Aleksei blinked, then let out a low, sheepish laugh that turned into a groan as he shook his head. "Noted. Loud and clear. Or… loud and not clear. My ears are still ringing."
Fila couldn't help it, she started laughing too, the kind of slightly hysterical giggle that comes after a scare. "Great. Now we're both half-deaf. Perfect for sneaking around a forbidden library."
Together they looked around some more, finding all sorts of things. Swords, armor, potions, even old food. But nothing had given her the impression that this might actually help.
The forbidden sections went down several stairs into the very basement of the school. And further down you came, the weirder things got.
"Is that a monkey with a trumpet?" he asked while looking at a stuffed monkey holding a trumpet.
Fila didn't even attempt to answer that and just kept moving.
"Pots, vials, books and more books…" is this really such a forbidden section? She thought as she walked between shelf after shelf.
While going down further a door suddenly caught her attention. There were plenty of doors but this seemed older than the rest, and it had clearly been here for a while.
A shield bearing the Durmstrang icon hung on the door.
She tugged lightly at the handle and it groaned open. Aleksei was further behind and probably didn't notice her.
The door led into a small, circular chamber that felt older than everything else they'd seen. Dust hung thick in the air, and the only light came from faint glowing runes carved into the stone walls. In the center stood a single stone pedestal with an open book resting on it, its pages fluttering gently even though there was no breeze.
Fila stepped inside, wand raised. The air here felt heavier, like the castle itself was holding its breath.
She took careful steps toward the middle and looked down at the book. She reached out and gently turned the first page. The text was in an old form of Norse, but there were illustrations of animals, flowers and people. If anyone else looked it could just be confused with an old children's book.
She turned a few pages and she could hear Aleksei coming in through the door now too. "Find anything?"
"Mhm, something maybe" she just responded and took the book of its stand.
When she finally turned to look at Aleksei she saw something she didn't think she would. He was wearing an old armor chest piece. She blinked and just shook her head before walking out of the room.
"What you don't like it?" he said almost a little sad.
Fila's lips twitched into a grin despite herself. "Oh I do, but you haven't saved me yet so the knight in shiny armor isn't working," she responded, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face.
Aleksei looked down at the dusty old chest piece, then back up at her with mock offense. "I followed you into a creepy restricted section in the middle of the night. That has to count for something. I even survived the screaming flute. That's basically heroic."
Fila snorted, the sound echoing softly down the stone stairs. "Heroic? You nearly deafened us both. If anything, I saved you from that angry teapot earlier. You're still in training, Sir Kozlov. A squire."
He gave an exaggerated bow, the armor clanking awkwardly. "My lady. Your loyal, slightly rusty knight at your service. Shall I carry the spooky children's book for you?"
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Only if you promise not to put it on your head like a hat. I've seen what happens when you touch random things."
"Fair," he said, falling into step beside her as they started back up the stairs. The armor made a constant soft clinking sound that made the whole thing feel even more ridiculous. "Though I still think it would've looked dashing."
They made it halfway up before Fila had to stop, leaning against the wall as quiet laughter bubbled out of her again. The image of Aleksei, serious, composed Prince Aleksei clanking around in ancient armor like a kid playing dress-up was too much.
"You're ridiculous," she said between laughs. "Take that off before we get caught. Or before it falls apart and buries us both."
Aleksei grinned, actually looking a little proud of himself as he carefully shrugged the chest piece off and set it back on a nearby stand. "Better?"
"Much." She started walking again, the old book tucked safely under her arm. "Though I have to admit… the armor suits you. In a 'I fell into a historical reenactment and couldn't get out' kind of way."
He fell back into step beside her, shoulder brushing hers every few steps in the narrow stairwell. "I'll take it. Better than 'emotionally incompetent,' at least."
Fila winced. "You heard that?"
"Hard not to. Sofia has a very carrying voice."
A soft thud echoed behind them as they had just walked past an extremely old bookshelf. Fila looked down at the ground and saw another book, looked at old as the one that Aleksei now held.
She walked to it, bent down and picked it up. 'Vulchanova' it just said in boring black colors against a red book.
Fila frowned, "isn't the founders name something with Vulchanova?"
Aleksei tilted his head to look at the book, "Her name was indeed Nerida Vulchanova. Didn't know they made a book about her. It rare to see anything about her in the school." He explained.
Nerida had been the founder of Durmstrang. She came from Bulgaria originally, and after making this school in the Nordic she set rules and built it to be her own. But after dying a mysterious death, she was replaced by Harfang Munter. He changed the school, making it focus heavily on dueling and on Martial magic even implementing the teaching of dark magic into the curriculum.
Fila flipped the book open carefully. The pages were brittle, the ink faded but still readable in elegant, flowing script. The first illustration showed a stern-looking woman with sharp features, standing on the deck of a ship that looked very much like the one they'd arrived on. Below it, a line in old Norse was underlined several times.
"The school was meant to protect, not conquer."
She turned another page. More drawings: the castle as it once looked, brighter and less imposing, with students laughing in the courtyards instead of training with grim determination. Then, later pages showed darker scenes, students dueling with real injuries, shadows creeping along the walls.
"This feels… sad," Fila murmured. "Like she built something good, and then it got twisted."
Aleksei was quiet for a moment, reading over her shoulder. "A lot of things get twisted when people start caring more about power than purpose."
She closed the book, maybe a good read later.
She closed the book gently, running her fingers over the worn red cover one last time. "I'll read this later. Maybe it'll give us more about the ghost. Or at least about what Nerida actually wanted this place to be."
Aleksei nodded, his expression thoughtful as they started making their way back up the stairs. The armor clinked softly with every step until he finally took it off and placed it back where he'd found it. "You're right. It does feel sad. Like the school forgot why it was built in the first place."
Fila glanced at him sideways as they walked. "You sound like you've thought about that before."
He gave a small shrug, the half-smile returning. "A little. My family talks a lot about legacy. Sometimes it feels like we're carrying around old ghosts too. Not literal ones, but… expectations. Rules. Things that were meant to protect but end up trapping you instead."
The words hung between them for a moment, comfortable in the quiet corridor. Fila bumped his shoulder lightly with hers.
"Sounds familiar," she said softly. "At least you've got good chocolate to make up for it."
Aleksei let out a low chuckle. "Glad you liked it. I wasn't sure if it was too much. Or too little."
Fila felt her cheeks warm under the blindfold. "It was perfect. Really. Even if I still don't know what it means."
He was quiet for a few steps, then spoke without looking at her. "It means I like spending time with you. Even when you drag me into creepy libraries at night and almost get us killed by musical instruments."
She laughed, the sound echoing softly down the hall. "Fair. Next time I'll warn you before I open anything that might scream."
They reached the top of the stairs and slipped back into the main library area. The castle was still and silent around them, only the faint flicker of torches lighting their way. Aleksei walked close enough that their arms brushed every few steps, neither of them moving away.
Just before they reached the entrance to the common room corridor, he paused.
"Fila?"
She stopped and turned to him.
"If the ghost shows up again… or if you find anything else in that book… you'll tell me?" His voice was quiet, serious in that careful way of his. "I meant what I said. You don't have to do this alone."
Fila looked up at him, the warm flutter in her chest returning stronger than before. "Yeah," she said, smiling softly. "I will."
Aleksei gave her that half-smile again, the one that always seemed a little softer when it was just the two of them. "Good. Night, Fila."
"Night, Aleksei."