Red String 2 {h.s}

Chapter 22

The streets are quiet, and Harry feels much like when he goes on his New Year's Day walks; he doesn't have to worry about being followed or ambushed by anyone. He can just enjoy this time with Amy without worrying too much about who's watching them. He holds her mittened hand and they trudge to a nearby park. When they get there, Amy lets go of his hand and faces Harry before falling backwards into the deep snow. She begins moving her arms and legs, making a snow angel, and he doesn't hesitate before flopping down next to her to do the same thing.

"I can't tell you the last time I made a snow angel," Harry tells her, their arms touching every so often as they make the wings.

"Well, we're making a snowman next so you better remember how to do that," she teases him.

Together they work at rolling a large ball of snow for the base, Harry slipping several times and falling on his face as he keeps wanting it to be bigger. Amy works on the middle portion and then they work together to lift it onto the top. Amy's artistry lends itself to creating the perfect sphere for the head and she places it on top, sculpting the sides to her liking. They manage to find a few sticks and jam them in the side for arms, and then some rocks make for the snowman's eyes and mouth.

"We have no nose," Harry pouts, sticking his lip out.

Amy pulls out of her pocket a carrot she had secretly hidden when they left the apartment. Harry's smile grows on his reddened cheeks and she hands it to him to place. He starts to step back but then takes off his pink beanie, placing it on the snowman.

"Perfect," he says, as he stands with his arms wrapped around Amy from behind. Amy had been filming Harry as he completed the snowman and now flips the camera to catch his grin behind her as he admires their creation. He takes her phone from her and urges her to pose with their snowman, she pretends to lean over and kiss the snowman's cheek and Harry tells her to stop making him jealous of a frozen inanimate object. He slides her phone into his pocket and looks up at the sky, catching some snowflakes in his mouth as they fall. He feels calm and happy enjoying this winter wonderland with Amy but then he is hit in the chest by a snowball. He turns to find Amy already running across the field away from him, giggling like mad.

"You better run faster," he shouts after her. "Maybe hide too."

All he can hear are her giggles in the silent, chill air. The snow deadening the sound of anything else, nature's insulator.

"Five. Four. Three. Two," he counts down, making Amy's legs squeeze together in anticipation of him chasing her. "One."

Amy hears the crunch of snow as Harry starts running. She can see her breath in front of her as she huffs for air. She has nearly made it across the field, the street on the other side will take them back to her parents' place. She turns to look to see how close he is and he is much closer than she had anticipated.

"Ahhh," she yells as she tries to speed up but her legs are already tired from the deep snow.

His body collides with hers, knocking them both to the ground, but landing softly in the snow.

"Got you," he whispers quietly, squeezing her hip

Unfortunately, she landed face first and when she lifts her head up she can barely see with the snow clinging to her eyelashes. She wipes at her mouth, also full of snow and sits upright. Harry sits up too, kneeling in front of her with a big grin on his face at the mess he made of her. Her hair is covered in snow. Her eyelashes look like little white caterpillars. Her cheeks and nose are the perfect rosy shade. He takes her face in his hands and kisses her. Her lips are cold and her tongue is warm and it just might be his new favourite thing. He pulls back and looks at her beautiful face and he can't help but say it.