The snow falling onto the white, glistening ground was a wonder everyone Hannah saw it. She found it so fascinating that no single two snowflakes were the exact same shape. Maybe snow was so extraordinary to her because this was the first winter Hannah had experienced.
It took Castiel a while to explain the whole concept of winter, but he was happy to do it. Seeing the smile that crosses Hannah's face when she stands outside, as large, white flakes of snow fall around her... It felt like the whole world slowed, and Castiel couldn't help but to share the smile.
For the last few months, Castiel and Hannah had been staying at the bunker with Sam and Dean. There hadn't been any leads since Dean had been cured. Time passed slowly when there was nothing to do in the bunker. And, due to the fact that there were no windows in the bunker, you couldn't even watch the snow fall to pass the time. Hannah didn't want to miss a second of snowfall.
Every chance she got, Hannah would step outside and stand in the snow. Although she never got a chance as often as she would like. Hannah and Castiel were constantly busy helping Dean and Sam look for cases.
But because, eventually, everyone needs to sleep. Hannah would use it to her advantage. Angels don't need sleep, although Cas was an exception to that. She had been trying to sleep more and more, but it still felt strange. So, while the three men slept, Hannah would step outside while the snow fell. The nights where the moon would peak out from behind the clouds were the best of all. The way the moonlight would hit the falling flakes and would make it appear like small stars, drifting down to earth.
Occasionally, Hannah would stay outside a little bit too long. Castiel would wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, and find that Hannah had vanished from his side. Whenever she wasn't there, he knew where to find her.
At times he would walk outside and sit down beside her. He would even give her his trench coat on the colder nights, since she frequently forgot that she needed a jacket to stay warm in the winter.
But most of the time, he would stand by the door and watch both Hannah and the snow. The snow still amazed Cas, but really, he enjoyed Hannah's love of winter more.
She would sit on the step in front of the door for hours sometimes. The small snowflakes would cling to her hair. When the moonlight danced across the snow, the flakes that clung to her hair shimmered and gleamed.
Her smile never faltered, never faded, no matter how cold she got. When Castiel sat beside Hannah during these nights, they barely spoke. They didn't need to. Hannah would lean her head on Cas' shoulder, and he would take her hand in his. When the night got too frigid, or the snow stopped falling, Cas would have to drag Hannah away from the fresh blanket of new snow. At times, the only way to break her gaze was a kiss.
Castiel pressed his lips against hers, and when her eyes closed, he would playfully pull her to her feet and turn her head the opposite way. Hannah could never help but laugh when he did this. They both would then go back inside for the night.
Now, Hannah may have thought Sam and Dean were asleep when she went outside, but she wasn't always right. On several nights, at least one of the brothers had trouble drifting off. And the sound of footsteps heading toward the entrance of the bunker always captured their attention.
When Sam or Dean heard the click of the front door closing, and they looked out the small door window, they saw Hannah. The first time they saw her, they went out and checked to see if Hannah was still, well, Hannah.
Once they knew it was her, they didn't bother her while she was outside again. A few times they forgot Hannah liked to go outside at night, and they would be occasionally going to and from the opposite side of the bunker at late hours of the night. They never saw Cas go out (he would never hear the end of it), and they never really asked Hannah why she went out. The brothers simply accepted it.
As the months passed by, the snow began to melt away, revealing the soggy ground below. There had been a few cases, but nothing huge. Nothing that needed Cas and Hannah. So they used the free time to enjoy the rest of winter.
On the days where there was a perfect amount of snow falling, Cas would take Hannah out for the day. Once, he even took her to a frozen lake. She had never skated before, and Cas couldn't help but chuckle when she would stumble across the ice. He couldn't skate very well either, but he could at least stand up. She was constantly grabbing his arm so she wouldn't fall.
The last of winter faded as the white ground finally turned to a muddy green. The Winchesters continued business as usual. Cas helped in whatever way he could. All three didn't give a second thought to the changing of the seasons. Hannah continued to help, but the memories of her first winter were still vivid in her mind. The frozen lake ice skating, the blizzards and ice storms. And the nights outside, sitting in the moonlit snowfalls.
She would always be grateful to Castiel for sharing some of these memories with her. He made the season that much more special.
This is where the story of Hannah's winter is supposed to end. But, you see, the story isn't over, merely being put on hold. This story will never truly end. A new chapter begins each year, in late autumn, when the first snowflake of winter hits the ground.