Title: Prequel to Penguin's "Snow Angels"
Author: Angel Archer ()
Source work: Snow Angels by Penguin
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Notes: Happy Holidays to Penguin. I hope it honors your original fic Snow Angels that I love so much.
�Come on, Hermione! Those books will be here when you get back. Come on, Harry!� Ron seemed to be ushering them towards todoor.
�What�s your rush?� Hermione asked.
�Well, this is the last time we�ll all get to just hang out in Hogsmeade before Christmas break. It�ll be forever before we can all be together again. I don�t want to waste one bloody minute,� Ron explained.
The three friends walked side by side along the streets of Hogmeade. Harry�s distant yet peaceful mood slowed his feet. He started to lag behind by a few steps. His friends didn�t seem to notice. Harry was content to observe his friends growing bond from behind. He kept noting in his mind how the two would both find reasons to slightly touch each other, or to lean in close. He knew they were fond of one another, but he didn�t quite understand why it was such a big deal to admit it.
It was on the group�s third round of butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks that Harry decided he�d had enough of watching their casual flirtations. He figured they might be able to move things along a bit if he�d let them be alone to do it. Besides, it wasn't very often he felt at the top of his game, and he had an inner peace inside him today and the magical feeling of the barely touched winter snow was calling him. He bid a farewell to his faithful friends, and pulled the red and gold scarf over his shoulder, then breathed in a deep, crispy breath of the frozen winter air.
He strolled along, amusing himself with the sparkles that glinted from sun on snow. As he passed each shop, it evoked a memory of a past adventure. He strolled on over a British hilltop. As he reached the Shrieking Shack, his inner smile quickly manifested itself into a small grin onhis reddening face. The dilapidated house was covered with thick virgin snow. Just as the eeriness of the haunted house seemed covered by the snow, any animosity of his blond nemesis seemed out of sight as well. All the memories of being under the invisibility cloak, pestering and getting the better of Malfoy grew vivid in his thoughts. Harry�s small grin grew into a very visible smile. He eyed the house�s snow-covered beauty until he couldn�t take it anylonger. He took a few large steps forward, planted his feet firmly, raised his arms straight out, shoulder height, stiffened, and let himself fall flat onto the thick bed of snow. The smile never left his face. He began spreading his legs back and forth, and raising his arms up and down in typical snow angel fashion. His mind was re-living a mud ball to Draco�s head as the motion of his arms pushed a lump of snow under his Gryffindor scarf, painfully searing his neck with cold. Somehow the combination made him say,�Draco,� right out loud.
�What, Potter?� came a familiar voice that seemed to loom from above him.
Searching for the voice he soon realized Draco was sitting up in the powder-covered tree beside him. The sound of the voice shattered Harry�s peaceful fulfillment. The shock reflexively made him turn on allfours and scramble to his feet. Flustered, he began shaking and patting the snow off his garments. Helooked down horrified at his mangled angel.
�Now look what you made me do, Malfoy! It�s ruined!�
Draco looked down at the meshed around snow imprint. �What�s ruined, you having jollies in the snow? All I did was answer to my own name, Potter! Are you losing it?�
Stammering, �H�How long have you been up there?� Harry demanded.
�Longer than you�ve been down there, scar-head.� He answered climbing down from the tree. �I know my name is charming,� he taunted, �but if you didn�t know I was up there, why did you call out my name?�
Harry ignored the question and preceded to the first, still looking broken-hearted over his imprint. �It was supposed to be a snow angel.�
�A snow angel?� Draco questioned.
The repeat of words helped Harry realize that this must be a custom Draco had never been introduced to.
He shook his head. �Just watch, let me show you.� Harry said as he plopped backward in the snow. Ashe went through the motions of creating his masterpiece, Harry cynically quizzed himself on the inside. Why are you bothering to show this to Draco Malfoy?
�Ok, here�s the tricky part. You have to stand up just rightto not mess it up.� He informed. Once he managed his feet he hopped up and stood next to Draco. �See, it�s an angel.�
The two boys side by side stared down at the perfect, glimmering, angelic figure. Two whole minutes must have gone by in silence. Harry was beginning to wonder if Draco had been touched by its symbolism.
Then he opened his mouth. �Such a soft sissy thing to do, Saint Potter!� he mocked.
Harry�s heart fell to the pit of his stomach. It would be just one more thing for Draco to hold over his head.
Draco�s gaze seemed fixated on Harry�s neck when he did something Harry would never have expected.
�Harry, your neck is swelling!� Draco reached up, seemingly out of concern, and began to unwrap the scarf from his neck. �You�ll get frostbite if you don�t get this snow off your skin!� He began brushing away the leftover snow still caught in his collar line. Harry�s muscles tightened nervously while letting Draco work. Draco pulled off his own gloves and dropped them to the ground. He pressed full palms gently, yet firmly, around the sides of Harry�s pink neck. The warmth of his touch was stinging against his numbing skin. As the sting shifted into warmth Draco spoke, �There, this should save you.�
The awkwardness awoke in them both as they stood there face to face. Draco thought for a fleeting moment to make a comment on how easily he could strangle Harry like this, but no words parted his lips. The two boys just looked into each other�s eyes, green to gray then gray to green. Both boys knew deep inside what they wished would happen next. The problem was neither was sure that the other wanted it back. Harry suddenly understood what Ron and Hermione were putting themselves through. As the gaze grew longer they both noticed the other�s quick glances to each other�s mouths. The signals seemed right. It just had to be correct. The boys then shared a mutual, syncopated leaning�a closing in. As their noses collided both eyes looked up for a quick affirmation. Both boys could read the yes in each other�s eyes. Their skin parted only for a single moment for that glance to take place. They were right back together forging their first kiss. It was soft and gentle. It was curious and frightening. It was arousing and desperate. It also felt natural and complete.
Draco seemed to be breathing Harry into every fiber of his being. He took his hands off Harry�s neckline. The change from warmth to cold air sent chills up Harry�s spine. An invigorating feeling overtook the chills as Draco licked and kissed his pink snow-burnt skin. Harry arched a bit into the sensation, letting out a slight moan.
Then they both froze in place as the Hogwart�s signal filled the air. It was the signal for all students to head back to the school.
A clear sense of disappointment ran over Draco�s face. Harry was busied by the icy sensation of cold air hitting his neck still wet from Draco�s kisses. He watched Draco look down at the snow angel beginning to fill with newly falling snow.
�I�ll see you around school, Potter.� Draco said in hisusual mocking tone. But, it was his eyes that told a very different story to Harry as he ran off.
Harry picked up Draco�s gloves still lying on the ground. That inner peaceful grin reappeared as he realized the gloves would be the perfect excuse to meet up with Draco again. He took a thoughtful last look at the angel, then up at the icicled house before meeting back with Ron and Hermoine.
�Where the bloody hell have you been, Harry? You said you going for walk not a marathon,� Ron quizzed.
He immediately took note of Ron and Hermione holding hands. �I was off making snow angels with Malfoy.� Harry laughed.
�Yeah right, that�ll be the day!� Ron laughed back.
Harry just continued to smile, keeping the inner peace of his snowy secrets to himself.