Simon
"But we got no layer of ice," I say. "I just proofed that, believe me. No ice."
"It exists something called magic," Penny says. "Ever heard of that?"
I decide to say nothing to this.
"As cold as ice!", Penny speaks, holding her hand above the water. A very thin layer of ice spreads over the surface and covers maybe five square metres. It's a sad sight.
"Well, this won't work," Baz says and taps with the tip of his shoe on the ice which makes it break. "How about a Let it go?"
"Hell, no," Penny says and speaks As cold as ice a second time but it doesn't really make it better.
"You mean Let it go like...from Frozen?" I ask frowning. I didn't know that Baz even knows that Disney exists.
"Spells like this don't really work," Penny explains while she tests the ice again. "As soon as the movie is out of the cinemas, the magic of it vanishes."
"Yeah, but that's Frozen," Baz says and pulls out his wand. "The hype about this Elsa crap never ends."
"But I didn't watch the film, so it won't work."
"But I did."
"Wait." Grinning, I turn to Baz. "You saw Frozen? I mean, I saw it too but only because Agatha forced me once to watch it with her."
Baz raises his hands innocently. "I got three little sisters, okay? They played it in a continuous loop for almost two years. I had no choice."
"It's okay to be a fan of Disney and to be a boy," Penny says, teasing. "You don't have to hide your love for Elsa, Basil."
If looks could kill, Penny would be more than dead right now.
"I don't have to speak the river frozen," Baz says and throws his wand up in the air and catches it again. "It's not like I'm into this figure skating stuff – this was your idea. How did you even come up with this shit?"
"I just found our old pairs of skates in Dad's garage," Penny says. "Simon and I did it once when we were kids –"
"We did?"
"Yes. And you loved it."
"I did?"
"How old was he?" Baz asks smirking, catching his wand again.
"Around twelve I think", Penny says. I still don't remember what she's talking about. I never wore ice skates, did I?
Baz laughs. "Just imagine this little, clumsy Snow trying to keep his balance on ice. Wrapped in a way to huge coat and scarf. Isn't that adorable?"
"I bet you watched me and plotted how to make me fall in the most hurtful way," I say and catch his wand as he throws it up again, because it's driving me crazy.
"Nah," Penny responds and rips open her backpack. "I'm pretty sure he watched you with heart eyes, thinking about how beautiful and graceful you were."
"Got me there, Bunce."
"I still don't remember that we ever did ice skating at Watford," I say, fiddling with Baz's wand. It's still a bit damp because of its little dive.
"During our second year, they froze the moat which was a highlight for all students. But a dozen kids broke their legs or noses so the Mage forbit it for the next years," Penelope says as she hands me a pair of brown skates. I swear, I've never seen them before.
"As soon as you do your first step in them, you will remember how it works." Penny sounds way more confident then I feel.
"I wouldn't count on that," I mumble and sit down on the wood to get into the shoes. Penny spoke them into the right size again, so they fit perfectly.
"Come on, Baz," Pen says as she got in her shoes, sitting on the edge of the walkway and swinging with her feet. "Be Elsa."
"Be careful what you say, otherwise the ice will break under your feet, completely by accident of course. And believe me, it's colder down there than a witch's wit." Baz, who still hasn't touched his skates, takes his wand back from me and steps to the head of the pier. He raises both his arms and speaks with his full lungs: "Let it go!" From under his feet spread a thousand ice crystals in all directions and dance over the surface where they freeze the waves into a perfectly smooth ice rink. It looks so magickal and beautiful that I fail in tying my left shoe, because I can't take my eyes from that growing ice crystal.
"Wow," I say and try to get up what isn't that easy with skids under your feet. I manage to kind of slide and walk to Baz but I have to hold on to his shoulder so I don't fall right over the edge. "This was awesome!"
"Don't you dare to say anything about Disney princesses," he sneers at me.
"I never would."
"Who is first at the other side of the shore!" Penny shouts and flies past us, already gliding over the frozen surface.
"I still don't see the point," I say while I get onto my knees to swing my feet over the edge of the swimming walkway. "I mean, why Ice Skating? There are plenty of things we could do in London and we slide over some magickal ice rink in some abandoned neighbourhood?"
"Penny's idea. Not mine," Baz says as he helps me to climb onto the ice. I cling to his arm while I try to find balance on my skates.
"Good?" he asks and I nod, so he lets go of me. I tumble a bit, waggling my arms to stay on my feet. I try to drive in a straight line but end up in an uneven circle. Penny rushes to me and catches my hands. Laughing she pulls me with her and within seconds I'm as fast as she is. When she lets go of my hands I nearly fall but, in some way, I manage it to catch my balance again and do my own steps. And I have to admit, it's actually easier than I thought it would be. Maybe I really did it before.
After I drove a few circles and eights with Penny – a bit wobbly but without falling (except once) – I drive back to Baz, who's still standing on the walkway, watching us with his hands buried in his pockets. He almost looks kind of magickal, standing there on the head of the pier. His skin kinda glowing in the dark. Surrounded by the glittering ice.
"You should try it, too," I say as I brake in front of him. "It's actually pretty much fun." The walkway floats a few feet above the water so I have to look up at him. (More up than I normally have to, I mean.)
"It's also fun to watch you, kids," he says, brushing a wisp of hair out of his face. "It's almost like time travelling."
"Simon, look!" Penny screams from behind me and I turn around to watch her pirouette. She does it a second and a third time but then she falls onto her butt. But she gets up laughing right away and tries it again.
"I doubt that she just brought those skates to make you a surprise," Baz says, watching Penny's dance. "That's totally her thing."
"Maybe it's yours, too," I say and pull at his arm. "Just give it a try."
"I'm not –"
"It's my day, remember?" I sneer at him. "We do whatever makes me happy – your words."
"I didn't say this."
"Well, something like that."
"So, dancing with me over a layer of ice on the Thames underneath a thousand of stars – pretending it's not the cheesiest thing ever – is what makes you happy?"
"I never said anything about dancing, but okay." I grin at him, then I look up, recognizing the clear sky the first time. "C'mon, Baz. Dance with me."
"You can't dance, Snow. Even less on ice."
"Then no dancing, just driving."
"I don't fit into the shoes."
"Use your wand, dumbass."
This makes him laugh. "Okay. Okay. I surrender." He leans forward and kisses me on my hair, then he pulls the third pair of shoes out of Pen's bag.
"You persuaded grumpy Elsa to come on ice?" Penny says as she stops next to me, nearly making me fall because of her momentum.
"I'm a pro when it comes to persuading princesses," I respond and start into the rotation Penny is pulling me into.
"I can hear you," Baz mutters while he ties his shoelaces. "And you're standing on thin ice. Literally."
"Did you hear something?" Penny says, still holding both of my hands and turning me around.
"Nope," I say and shake my head. "Must have been the wind."
"Always enjoying your company." Baz jumps gracefully next to us, sliding over the ice like he's floating. He has probably never been in ice skates ever before but already masters it like a figure skating star. (Why do I even wonder? It's Baz.)
"So, do I get my promised dance now?" he asks and races around us. I let go of Penny, who starts pirouetting right again, and grab for Baz's hands. As soon as I hold on to him, he pulls me into his smooth rhythm and together we fly over the surface.
"Admit it: it's fun," I say as he swirls me into a spin.
"It's pretty okay," he replies shrugging but he can't hide the grin which crooks his lips.
"Yeah, you're right," I say, nodding approvingly. "There are worse but also way funnier things than this. Just imagine how nice a dinner with your parents would be now. Or cooking a Pre-Christmas meal."
The smile wins over Baz's face now. "By the way, did Bunce really assigned us for this course?" he asks and slows down a bit.
"I guess."
"You guess?"
"I don't know. She hasn't mentioned it again so far. You can ask her."
"Crowley, no. I won't remember her of this stupid couple cooking thing. Maybe she will just let it go and we can live happily ever after." He turns his neck to watch out for her but Penny is still turning her pirouettes. She gets better over time.
"I still think we should do it," I say and grin at him. "Sometimes things are fun even when you don't assume they will."
"Yeah...nope. You can't persuade me into this one, too. Sorry, Snow." He holds both of my hands and pulls me from one spin into the next. I'm already getting a bit dizzy.
"Could you stop spinning for a second?" I say and let go of one of his hands to hold my head. "I'm getting a headache."
"Poor kid," Baz teases me and his skates shred over the ice to make us stop abruptly. It makes me tumble against him – which probably wasn't unintentionally. He wraps both of his arms around my waist.
"Better?" he asks, kissing my aching forehead.
"Could be worse."
Baz grins and kisses me on my lips. "Now?"
"Are you sure we stopped spinning around?" I whisper grinning. I feel his smile on my lips as he kisses me again. I kiss him back – a bit too stormy – and make us stumble backwards. Baz tries to catch his balance again, but the ice is so slippery – we are already losing ground. From one second to the other, we're laying on the ice. Baz on his back, still holding me in his arms. We're both giggling.
"This was on purpose," I say.
"Of course, it was." Baz pulls me closer, so my face is hanging over his. His bun has loosened itself and I brush his hair out of his eyes. My lips touch his again and because my eyelids are closed, I realise the bright flashlight catching us too late.
"Well, that's a beautiful picture!" Penny's voice tears us apart.
"You didn't!" Baz yells and sits up so promptly that he almost rams his nose against mine. Penny grins, standing over us and holds up her phone, showing a photo of us falling to the ground.
"You delete this," Baz says, while I still sit on his lap watching kind of fascinated the photo Penny took of us. (She shot us right in the second we were floating over the ground, still kissing. How did we even manage that?)
"You won't send this to Agatha," I say.
"I already did," Penny says, grinning so broadly that I see all her teeth which shine brightly in the dark. "It's perfect! You two tumbling around and kissing on an icefield, the stars shimmering in your hair. Not even photoshop could make it any more romantic."
"You said you would let it go," Baz grumbles.
"Once you said, you hate the boy who is now sitting on your lap, so..." she responds sneering. Baz huffs at her and I know he wants to chase Penny all over the Thames but I won't let him get up. Penelope crouches down next to us and gives each of us a kiss on the cheek. (Baz reacts with kind of a grunt.)
"Sometimes you're the cutest. I love you, boys." Laughing, she helps us up again. "Ah and by the way. The cooking course starts next week."