Cirrus woke and noticed the air felt different. She knew that chill in the air. The way everything sounded crisper, how she could suddenly see her breath in little clouds before her face.
The first snowfall.
She flung back her blankets, slid to the edge of her bed and down the ladder of her bunk bed, pinching Cumulus as she passed. Her older sister swatted at her as she went.
“It happened, Cumulus!” Cirrus cried. Her sister grumbled something inaudibly. Cirrus ignored her and went to the little bed below the window, where the newest of her siblings lay. She was an older sister now, just like Cumulus. She shook the tiny little shoulders gently awake. “Aurora!” she whispered excitedly. “Aurora, wake up!” The younger girls amber eyes slid sleepily open, brightening as she saw her elder sister above her. “Hi! Do you want to see something magical?” Aurora nodded silently, her arrival had been a bit hard on her and she had not quite figured out how to make words yet.
Cirrus helped Aurora from her bed and took her hand, leading her from their room. Their socked little feet padded quietly down the stone hall. Cirrus was very proud of herself for navigating the maze of the Ministry so well in the dark. By the time they reached the Observatory, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the golden fingers of sunlight. She pulled Aurora excitedly to the tall, elaborately gothic windows, the edges laced with frost. She wiped a space clear for the two of them to look out into the courtyard.
Aurora’s eyes widened. She looked up at Cirrus, pointed excitedly at the window, and turned her gaze back to it. Her hand that was clutching Cirrus’ hand squeezed tightly.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Cirrus whispered. “It’s called snow. It comes every winter.”
Inktober 2023, Prompt #20: FROST
Whitney Writes... 
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