Post by lions_go_rawr on Dec 23, 2008 12:07:39 GMT -8
It was not unusual for the winter weather to get so chilly that the ground would inevitably be covered completely in a soft sheet of white powder, the snow covering as far as the eye could see. From his spot in his room looking out the window, Tobias saw the cold set in, the snow falling slowly to blanket the mountains to the north of Italy. It had been a whole season since he had seen any bit of snow. England use to be full of the cold white winter when they still inhabited their own coven house, but the circumstances had pushed them to Italy, and pushed the image of snow from his mind. Yet in that very moment, as he looked out his window, he remembered the feeling of the snow back in London, the feel of it on his coat as he brushed it away, the way it fell upon the strands of Anabelle’s hair, and a very distant memory from so long ago…
He still got overexcited about the snow that covered the ground, even as a mature immortal being that had seen many snows come and go, but there was nothing that could compare to the feeling of the soft crunch under boots, or the cold feeling of just laying down and looking up into the wintery sky.
In his own private quarters, he awoke to feel the cold coming from the outside, the sun slowly setting behind the trees, giving the sky a last vibrant look to it. The darkness of night would soon overtake the land, and the snow would be his for the taking. Hurriedly dressing himself, wrapping up in his undergarments, trousers, overcoat after overcoat (to keep the appearance), he left his room, searching for signs that anyone else in the manor were also awake to partake in his festivities.
Tobias knew that Andrew would most surely decline his invitation, seeing it to be too childish for the likes of him. He probably had some woman to go romance, as he did every night. Adrien and Sienna might agree to his invitation, but he did not want to disturb them, as the door to their shared room was shut tight and locked.
There was only one other person in coven house to ask.
Down the spiraling staircase to the main floor of the house, Tobias heard the crackling of a fire in the mantelpiece, a subtle sign that someone was sitting by the fire, warming themselves against the cold of the outside. Upon the many chairs that inhabited the parlour room sat a woman, beauty emanating from her skin, lit aflame by the glow of the fire. Tobias stood at the doorway to the room, not wanting to disturb the peace that she seemed to be enjoying, by the fire, reading a large novel, obviously off of the shelves of the private library of their own.
“I hope that isn’t off the shelves of Andrews personal library; I’d hate to know what he has upon those shelves.” he said, causing a startle upon the woman as he entered the room, taking a seat in a chair across from her. “Sorry for startling you, I hope I did not interrupt any important reading.”
“You of all people should know, dear Tobias, that I am a lady of proper upbringing. I would never dare read such books as one Andrew Baron does. And your apology accepted.” the female, Anabelle Bealieu, spoke in his direction.
“Ah, but we musn’t forget that our friend Andrew is of proper upbringing also, and look at the rogue he turned out to be,” Tobias said with a smile, knowing in all seriousness the not so gentlemanly interior motives of Andrew Antony Baron.
“That fact is true,” Anabelle said. He watched her set her book down beside her giving him her full attention. “I see you are dressed up to brave the cold that is so willingly waiting outside. Are you going out to hunt?”
“I hunted last eve,” Tobias said, shaking his head. “I am going to out into the cold and snow not for my own business, but for pleasure. It is a nice, brisk day outside, it so reminds me of my childhood. The days when I would play in the snow with the other children in town. Oh how we had the time of our lives while the temperatures dropped.” His mind went into a silent reverie about his old life, drifting off for a moment before realizing he was still in conversation. “Would you like to join me? I would offer my invitation to the others in the house, but I do not think they would care all too much for the outside at the moment. And as seeing you have put your book down, then I would say it is a perfect time to get out and have some enjoyment in the snow.”
“You would go out into the snow and cold to have fun?” Anabelle asked in his direction, curiosity apparent in her voice. “How is that fun? It is dry and warm inside, where other ways to entertain yourself can be found. Why even venture outside?”
Tobias was shocked at the words that were leaving the mouth of his fellow friend. “Are you saying that you never have had the opportunity to play in the wintery snow?”
“That is not what I am saying. I am saying why would you want to?” he heard her retort.
“You have not, have you?” Tobias’ curiosity was spilling over the brim. He had to know if she had ever played in the snow before. How could anyone not have? He watched her eyes, seeing her mind working, trying to find an answer to his question that would not give him the exact information that he wanted to hear. But in the end, there was no answer that would have truly sufficed
“No, Tobias, I have not ever had the opportunity to venture out into the cold and snow for pleasures and entertainment and good times,” Anabelle confessed. He was sure he heard a gentle sigh as she finished speaking.
It was like someone had lit gunpowder in his mind. His emotions were going crazy! How could she not have experienced…how could someone have not let her… why in the world would anyone want to bar someone from… His thoughts were getting the best of him.
“You need to get dressed,” Tobias said, standing up sharply, rounding to her side and taking her by the arm to lead her to the staircase, peering out the window in the process. A smile crossed his lips as he spied the scene outside.
“What do you mean?” Anabelle asked, leaving her place on the couch due to Tobias’ eager grasp upon her arm
“Dress in the warmest clothes that you have. And if you do not have any, go break down Sienna’s door and take some of hers.”
“Why?”
“It’s snowing.”
There was a gentle knock on his door, breaking him from his memory. The door opened slowly and the figure of Anabelle slid through the frame. She took notice of her husband, staring intently out the window into the mountain slopes above them in the distance.
“See something that caught your interest?” She asked as she joined his side.
“I was just remembering a memory,” Tobias replied, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “A memory from a long time ago. Each time I see snow, it seems to be the one that is most vivid and vibrant.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the memory replaying in front of his eyes as they stood there.
“Which memory is it?” Anabelle asked curiously.
“Think hard Anabelle, I am sure I do not need to tell you for you to remember…” Tobias said in her ear, bringing his hand up to cover and close her eyes, letting her relax and remember.
She thought hard, remembering so much that had happened recently, and then, it seemed she knew exactly which memory Tobias was speaking about. The wind blew a chill against the window, and she pushed into his side for warmth…
What could she wear that would be the warmest? She rummaged through her wardrobe, pulling on layer after layer of clothing that would protect her from the freezing temperatures outside. She knew she could not take long getting ready, with Tobias waiting impatiently down the staircase. When she realized she could pull on no more, she turned to leave her room, dreading each step as she walked.
“Are you ready?” she heard Tobias ask from the bottom of the stairs.
“I must say Tobias, if I freeze out there, you are going to be in a world of trouble.” Anabelle replied. He was going to be the death of her, she knew it. Even being immortal, she was going to freeze and break into pieces. The cold was going to just consume her, and one little movement would cause her to crack like a pane of glass. While these thoughts dashed through her mind, she was not paying attention that Tobias was leading her out the entrance door of the coven house. Her nerves kicked in, and for a moment, she went blind.
“I cannot see, Tobias! You see what this cold is doing to me? Let me go back inside, I beg of you.” Anabelle asked, her voice urgent. She was now starting to regret accepting his invitation.
“You are not going blind,” she heard him reply, his voice right by her ear. “I have just covered your eyes. I want this is be a surprise for you. Having never seen what you are about to see, after years of seeing it out of distant windows, is truly something special, something to be savored and remembered for all time.”
She heard the door of the manor open, and the breeze of cold hit the portions of her skin still exposed. A chill ran up her spine, on behalf of the cold, yet also on behalf of the sense of unknowing that Tobias had placed in her mind.
“Are you ready?” she heard him ask.
Was she ready? She had always wondering what it would be like. Would the feeling be something indescribable? Would it feeling hurt, or be something incredibly beautiful that she would not forget? It was now, or never.
“Yes.”
Anabelle felt his hand fall away from her eyes, and she opened them to a flood of bright white. It seemed like her eyes were still adjusting, but then she realized she was in the middle of a sea of snow. And there was snow falling from above, coating her clothing with tiny particles. She did not know what to do. All it seemed like she could do was stand there in awe of the sights around her. The night sky was just coming into full focus, the moon full, casting its own light on the snowy ground. Trees off in the distance were shades of white, with their greenery showing only slightly. It was a wonderland to her senses.
“Tobias, this is amaz-“ She started to say, turning around to face him. But he was not there, nor in any line of vision that she had.
“Tobias?” She called out into the distance, her voice carrying across the landscape. “Tobias, this is not funny. You bring me out here and leave me alone. I do not see any fun, whatsoever in this.” Her voice quivered with both fear and anger. “Tobias?”
From behind her came a frenzied cry, and as she turned around, she witnessed Tobias in a mid-air jump, looking more like a child and a fool than anything else. He landed on his back in the snow next to her with a gentle thump, smiling up at her.
“Did you think I would just leave you out in the snow?” Tobias said, standing up and brushing the snow off of him. “Where would the fun be in that?” He asked before taking off in a run and doing another jump into the air. “Are you coming or what?” He yelled out as he arced his way back to the ground.
Anabelle simply walked over to the new spot where Tobias had landed in the snow, still not sure of herself in this new environment. “Am I supposed to be having fun yet?”
“What? You aren’t having fun? Do I need to show you how to have fun? Please tell me I don’t have to tell you how to have fun.” Tobias said, taking snow and compacting it in between his hands.
“I know how to have fun, I just am not sure how to in this sort of-“ Anabelle’s sentence was cut short as a ball of snow, thrown from Tobias’ hand found its way to her face.
“Fun.” Tobias said, getting more snow ready.
“Tobias, what was that for? I don’t think that having snow thrown in your face is my definition of fun-“ Anabelle started, but again, was caught by a face full of snow. When she cleared the snow from her eyes, she saw Tobias in a sprint.
“TOBIAS NATHANIEL DAVIES! YOU ARE SO DEAD!” Anabelle yelled out into the cold night air, shedding any qualms about the winter environment she was in and breaking out into an abnormally fast run in the direction that Tobias was in. He was not going to get away, she thought to herself. As she ran, the snow that was falling bunched up into her hands. It was the perfect opportunity to get him at his own name.
“Tobias!” She called out, even though she was right next to him in the first place. He had slowed down to a speed catchable. And now he was going to get it. “Catch!”
The next thing Tobias saw was a face full of snow, and the full force of the snow to the head knocked him to the floor.
“ I See why you find this so entertaining. The feeling of pelting someone with cold snow to the head does feel good,” Anabelle said, stepping over her fallen friend, holding out her hand to help him out of the snow.
“And I see why no one had ever let you outside during winter when it snows. You are lethal with a snowball,” Tobias said, shaking off the masses of snow that had accumulated in his tumble in the snow.
“What else can you do in the snow?” the once prim and proper Anabelle said, completely entranced with the wonders that the snow could bring.
“Well, you can make snow angels, which I find ironic because we are far from angelic. So I tend to avoid making those. You can go for a sleigh ride, but, I do not see a sleigh in sight, so let’s save that one for another day. Though, I must say my favorite snow activity would be, besides having a snowball fight, to make a snowman.” Tobias said, starting to gather snow into different sizes and shapes on the snowy ground. Once he deemed the snow fit for his snowman, he started to build. Anabelle watched in awe as the form of a man began to take shape, a rather unflattering shape of a man, but a shape none the less.
Yet besides staring at the creation of the snowman (who looked like a prettier Andrew Baron), she was staring at its creator. The way that Tobias ran around, trying to make each piece of the snow body as painstaking perfect as possible, it made her notice the flawlessness about him. The way that he lifted the snow and put it into place only pinpointed his muscular form. His concentration filling his deep blue eyes, like pools of water in the summertime. All she wanted was to jump into…
“Anabelle?” His words broke her thoughts. A good thing, she thought. A lady like her should not be thinking such things about a friend, even if that friend was Tobias. Those feelings that had welled up so suddenly were pushed back to where they came from. They would always be friends, nothing more. That was the way it should be.
“Would you like to help? Or are you good standing there in a winter wonderland?” Tobias said, laughing slightly. He had caught her staring absentmindedly at the snowman, not paying very much attention whatsoever to what was going on.
“Oh, yes. sorry, I…” Anabelle trailed off. Best to keep what she was thinking about to herself, she thought. She quickly joined Tobias’ side to help complete their snow creation.
While she worked to help finish the snowman, Tobias could not help but watch as the smile grew and grew on her face. She was having fun, quite possibly more fun than she had ever had, and it was all due to him. He also noticed the way the snow clung to her long brown hair, or clung to that was visible under the layers of clothing she had on. Yet even with all her clothing, Tobias noticed all her features. He had never seen her as more than a friend, but in the light of the moon, and the glow of the snow, Tobias felt something new towards Anabelle, something he had never felt before. But he pushed that thought aside, knowing that someone like him would not have a chance with someone like Anabelle. Friends, they would be, but nothing more.
When they had finished the snowman, both stepped back and admired its beauty. Standing barely above the ground, with its crooked body and one tree branch arm, it was their work of art.
“Wow, it looks like Andrew,” Tobias said, smirking
“I was just about to say that,” Anabelle replied in agreement.
As the moon rose higher into the sky, as the night grew old and the morning started to show its first signs of life, Tobias and Anabelle stayed out in the snow, cavorting and being merry, as anyone should in the winter weather of London. When it was time to draw back to the house, the two ran, racing through the snow to their safe retreat. The two parted ways to their separate rooms, both giving one last look behind them after closing their doors.
Anabelle walked to her window, looking out into the snow, thinking of the night she had just spent, and how the company Tobias kept all day was almost more delightful than the snow they frolicked in. She stood there, wondering what he was thinking at that moment, if he was thinking the same thing. But she knew that was impossible.
Tobias stood at his own window, eyes closed in thought.
Anything was possible.
The snow was coming down softly upon the slopes of the mountains, covering the pair of footprints that tracked up the mountainside.
“Care to make a snowman, like old times?”
“I would love to.”
And in that moment, it did not matter that they had left London’s wintery weather behind. It did not matter that they were in a new place with new challenges, and new winters to face. All that mattered was those memories from the past, and the ones being made in the present.
He still got overexcited about the snow that covered the ground, even as a mature immortal being that had seen many snows come and go, but there was nothing that could compare to the feeling of the soft crunch under boots, or the cold feeling of just laying down and looking up into the wintery sky.
In his own private quarters, he awoke to feel the cold coming from the outside, the sun slowly setting behind the trees, giving the sky a last vibrant look to it. The darkness of night would soon overtake the land, and the snow would be his for the taking. Hurriedly dressing himself, wrapping up in his undergarments, trousers, overcoat after overcoat (to keep the appearance), he left his room, searching for signs that anyone else in the manor were also awake to partake in his festivities.
Tobias knew that Andrew would most surely decline his invitation, seeing it to be too childish for the likes of him. He probably had some woman to go romance, as he did every night. Adrien and Sienna might agree to his invitation, but he did not want to disturb them, as the door to their shared room was shut tight and locked.
There was only one other person in coven house to ask.
Down the spiraling staircase to the main floor of the house, Tobias heard the crackling of a fire in the mantelpiece, a subtle sign that someone was sitting by the fire, warming themselves against the cold of the outside. Upon the many chairs that inhabited the parlour room sat a woman, beauty emanating from her skin, lit aflame by the glow of the fire. Tobias stood at the doorway to the room, not wanting to disturb the peace that she seemed to be enjoying, by the fire, reading a large novel, obviously off of the shelves of the private library of their own.
“I hope that isn’t off the shelves of Andrews personal library; I’d hate to know what he has upon those shelves.” he said, causing a startle upon the woman as he entered the room, taking a seat in a chair across from her. “Sorry for startling you, I hope I did not interrupt any important reading.”
“You of all people should know, dear Tobias, that I am a lady of proper upbringing. I would never dare read such books as one Andrew Baron does. And your apology accepted.” the female, Anabelle Bealieu, spoke in his direction.
“Ah, but we musn’t forget that our friend Andrew is of proper upbringing also, and look at the rogue he turned out to be,” Tobias said with a smile, knowing in all seriousness the not so gentlemanly interior motives of Andrew Antony Baron.
“That fact is true,” Anabelle said. He watched her set her book down beside her giving him her full attention. “I see you are dressed up to brave the cold that is so willingly waiting outside. Are you going out to hunt?”
“I hunted last eve,” Tobias said, shaking his head. “I am going to out into the cold and snow not for my own business, but for pleasure. It is a nice, brisk day outside, it so reminds me of my childhood. The days when I would play in the snow with the other children in town. Oh how we had the time of our lives while the temperatures dropped.” His mind went into a silent reverie about his old life, drifting off for a moment before realizing he was still in conversation. “Would you like to join me? I would offer my invitation to the others in the house, but I do not think they would care all too much for the outside at the moment. And as seeing you have put your book down, then I would say it is a perfect time to get out and have some enjoyment in the snow.”
“You would go out into the snow and cold to have fun?” Anabelle asked in his direction, curiosity apparent in her voice. “How is that fun? It is dry and warm inside, where other ways to entertain yourself can be found. Why even venture outside?”
Tobias was shocked at the words that were leaving the mouth of his fellow friend. “Are you saying that you never have had the opportunity to play in the wintery snow?”
“That is not what I am saying. I am saying why would you want to?” he heard her retort.
“You have not, have you?” Tobias’ curiosity was spilling over the brim. He had to know if she had ever played in the snow before. How could anyone not have? He watched her eyes, seeing her mind working, trying to find an answer to his question that would not give him the exact information that he wanted to hear. But in the end, there was no answer that would have truly sufficed
“No, Tobias, I have not ever had the opportunity to venture out into the cold and snow for pleasures and entertainment and good times,” Anabelle confessed. He was sure he heard a gentle sigh as she finished speaking.
It was like someone had lit gunpowder in his mind. His emotions were going crazy! How could she not have experienced…how could someone have not let her… why in the world would anyone want to bar someone from… His thoughts were getting the best of him.
“You need to get dressed,” Tobias said, standing up sharply, rounding to her side and taking her by the arm to lead her to the staircase, peering out the window in the process. A smile crossed his lips as he spied the scene outside.
“What do you mean?” Anabelle asked, leaving her place on the couch due to Tobias’ eager grasp upon her arm
“Dress in the warmest clothes that you have. And if you do not have any, go break down Sienna’s door and take some of hers.”
“Why?”
“It’s snowing.”
There was a gentle knock on his door, breaking him from his memory. The door opened slowly and the figure of Anabelle slid through the frame. She took notice of her husband, staring intently out the window into the mountain slopes above them in the distance.
“See something that caught your interest?” She asked as she joined his side.
“I was just remembering a memory,” Tobias replied, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “A memory from a long time ago. Each time I see snow, it seems to be the one that is most vivid and vibrant.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the memory replaying in front of his eyes as they stood there.
“Which memory is it?” Anabelle asked curiously.
“Think hard Anabelle, I am sure I do not need to tell you for you to remember…” Tobias said in her ear, bringing his hand up to cover and close her eyes, letting her relax and remember.
She thought hard, remembering so much that had happened recently, and then, it seemed she knew exactly which memory Tobias was speaking about. The wind blew a chill against the window, and she pushed into his side for warmth…
What could she wear that would be the warmest? She rummaged through her wardrobe, pulling on layer after layer of clothing that would protect her from the freezing temperatures outside. She knew she could not take long getting ready, with Tobias waiting impatiently down the staircase. When she realized she could pull on no more, she turned to leave her room, dreading each step as she walked.
“Are you ready?” she heard Tobias ask from the bottom of the stairs.
“I must say Tobias, if I freeze out there, you are going to be in a world of trouble.” Anabelle replied. He was going to be the death of her, she knew it. Even being immortal, she was going to freeze and break into pieces. The cold was going to just consume her, and one little movement would cause her to crack like a pane of glass. While these thoughts dashed through her mind, she was not paying attention that Tobias was leading her out the entrance door of the coven house. Her nerves kicked in, and for a moment, she went blind.
“I cannot see, Tobias! You see what this cold is doing to me? Let me go back inside, I beg of you.” Anabelle asked, her voice urgent. She was now starting to regret accepting his invitation.
“You are not going blind,” she heard him reply, his voice right by her ear. “I have just covered your eyes. I want this is be a surprise for you. Having never seen what you are about to see, after years of seeing it out of distant windows, is truly something special, something to be savored and remembered for all time.”
She heard the door of the manor open, and the breeze of cold hit the portions of her skin still exposed. A chill ran up her spine, on behalf of the cold, yet also on behalf of the sense of unknowing that Tobias had placed in her mind.
“Are you ready?” she heard him ask.
Was she ready? She had always wondering what it would be like. Would the feeling be something indescribable? Would it feeling hurt, or be something incredibly beautiful that she would not forget? It was now, or never.
“Yes.”
Anabelle felt his hand fall away from her eyes, and she opened them to a flood of bright white. It seemed like her eyes were still adjusting, but then she realized she was in the middle of a sea of snow. And there was snow falling from above, coating her clothing with tiny particles. She did not know what to do. All it seemed like she could do was stand there in awe of the sights around her. The night sky was just coming into full focus, the moon full, casting its own light on the snowy ground. Trees off in the distance were shades of white, with their greenery showing only slightly. It was a wonderland to her senses.
“Tobias, this is amaz-“ She started to say, turning around to face him. But he was not there, nor in any line of vision that she had.
“Tobias?” She called out into the distance, her voice carrying across the landscape. “Tobias, this is not funny. You bring me out here and leave me alone. I do not see any fun, whatsoever in this.” Her voice quivered with both fear and anger. “Tobias?”
From behind her came a frenzied cry, and as she turned around, she witnessed Tobias in a mid-air jump, looking more like a child and a fool than anything else. He landed on his back in the snow next to her with a gentle thump, smiling up at her.
“Did you think I would just leave you out in the snow?” Tobias said, standing up and brushing the snow off of him. “Where would the fun be in that?” He asked before taking off in a run and doing another jump into the air. “Are you coming or what?” He yelled out as he arced his way back to the ground.
Anabelle simply walked over to the new spot where Tobias had landed in the snow, still not sure of herself in this new environment. “Am I supposed to be having fun yet?”
“What? You aren’t having fun? Do I need to show you how to have fun? Please tell me I don’t have to tell you how to have fun.” Tobias said, taking snow and compacting it in between his hands.
“I know how to have fun, I just am not sure how to in this sort of-“ Anabelle’s sentence was cut short as a ball of snow, thrown from Tobias’ hand found its way to her face.
“Fun.” Tobias said, getting more snow ready.
“Tobias, what was that for? I don’t think that having snow thrown in your face is my definition of fun-“ Anabelle started, but again, was caught by a face full of snow. When she cleared the snow from her eyes, she saw Tobias in a sprint.
“TOBIAS NATHANIEL DAVIES! YOU ARE SO DEAD!” Anabelle yelled out into the cold night air, shedding any qualms about the winter environment she was in and breaking out into an abnormally fast run in the direction that Tobias was in. He was not going to get away, she thought to herself. As she ran, the snow that was falling bunched up into her hands. It was the perfect opportunity to get him at his own name.
“Tobias!” She called out, even though she was right next to him in the first place. He had slowed down to a speed catchable. And now he was going to get it. “Catch!”
The next thing Tobias saw was a face full of snow, and the full force of the snow to the head knocked him to the floor.
“ I See why you find this so entertaining. The feeling of pelting someone with cold snow to the head does feel good,” Anabelle said, stepping over her fallen friend, holding out her hand to help him out of the snow.
“And I see why no one had ever let you outside during winter when it snows. You are lethal with a snowball,” Tobias said, shaking off the masses of snow that had accumulated in his tumble in the snow.
“What else can you do in the snow?” the once prim and proper Anabelle said, completely entranced with the wonders that the snow could bring.
“Well, you can make snow angels, which I find ironic because we are far from angelic. So I tend to avoid making those. You can go for a sleigh ride, but, I do not see a sleigh in sight, so let’s save that one for another day. Though, I must say my favorite snow activity would be, besides having a snowball fight, to make a snowman.” Tobias said, starting to gather snow into different sizes and shapes on the snowy ground. Once he deemed the snow fit for his snowman, he started to build. Anabelle watched in awe as the form of a man began to take shape, a rather unflattering shape of a man, but a shape none the less.
Yet besides staring at the creation of the snowman (who looked like a prettier Andrew Baron), she was staring at its creator. The way that Tobias ran around, trying to make each piece of the snow body as painstaking perfect as possible, it made her notice the flawlessness about him. The way that he lifted the snow and put it into place only pinpointed his muscular form. His concentration filling his deep blue eyes, like pools of water in the summertime. All she wanted was to jump into…
“Anabelle?” His words broke her thoughts. A good thing, she thought. A lady like her should not be thinking such things about a friend, even if that friend was Tobias. Those feelings that had welled up so suddenly were pushed back to where they came from. They would always be friends, nothing more. That was the way it should be.
“Would you like to help? Or are you good standing there in a winter wonderland?” Tobias said, laughing slightly. He had caught her staring absentmindedly at the snowman, not paying very much attention whatsoever to what was going on.
“Oh, yes. sorry, I…” Anabelle trailed off. Best to keep what she was thinking about to herself, she thought. She quickly joined Tobias’ side to help complete their snow creation.
While she worked to help finish the snowman, Tobias could not help but watch as the smile grew and grew on her face. She was having fun, quite possibly more fun than she had ever had, and it was all due to him. He also noticed the way the snow clung to her long brown hair, or clung to that was visible under the layers of clothing she had on. Yet even with all her clothing, Tobias noticed all her features. He had never seen her as more than a friend, but in the light of the moon, and the glow of the snow, Tobias felt something new towards Anabelle, something he had never felt before. But he pushed that thought aside, knowing that someone like him would not have a chance with someone like Anabelle. Friends, they would be, but nothing more.
When they had finished the snowman, both stepped back and admired its beauty. Standing barely above the ground, with its crooked body and one tree branch arm, it was their work of art.
“Wow, it looks like Andrew,” Tobias said, smirking
“I was just about to say that,” Anabelle replied in agreement.
As the moon rose higher into the sky, as the night grew old and the morning started to show its first signs of life, Tobias and Anabelle stayed out in the snow, cavorting and being merry, as anyone should in the winter weather of London. When it was time to draw back to the house, the two ran, racing through the snow to their safe retreat. The two parted ways to their separate rooms, both giving one last look behind them after closing their doors.
Anabelle walked to her window, looking out into the snow, thinking of the night she had just spent, and how the company Tobias kept all day was almost more delightful than the snow they frolicked in. She stood there, wondering what he was thinking at that moment, if he was thinking the same thing. But she knew that was impossible.
Tobias stood at his own window, eyes closed in thought.
Anything was possible.
The snow was coming down softly upon the slopes of the mountains, covering the pair of footprints that tracked up the mountainside.
“Care to make a snowman, like old times?”
“I would love to.”
And in that moment, it did not matter that they had left London’s wintery weather behind. It did not matter that they were in a new place with new challenges, and new winters to face. All that mattered was those memories from the past, and the ones being made in the present.