The sky was a pallet of tarnished silver that morphed into a whirlpool of blues. Clouds lay like a thick blankets, hugging close to the ground below.
The world stretched out evenly in all directions; a startling, sparkling ghost of its former state of being. Snow had fallen thickly throughout the night, bringing with it a transformation standing as testament to Mother Nature's own magical powers.
All lines were erased from the world. With the collection of snow equality was wrought. There was no difference in color. Size and shape held no importance as trees recessed into the background of fields. Beauty dominated the tiny corner of the world, everything falling into blurred lines of color without distinction.
The line of trees in the distance were a smudge of charcoal some artist had carelessly placed with a swipe of their thumb. The horizon was a collection of hues dancing in wild abandon. Shade after shade of reds, oranges, and deep yellows piled on top of one another, rolling over and into each other as the sun sank below the crest of earth's shape.
Song birds trilled music across the frozen landscape, their vocals joined by the crunch of boots breaking though icy barriers as they trod across the snow covered hillside.
Harry walked silently, hand buried deep into the pockets of his coat. He found amusement in his surroundings as he searched for a moment of peace away from the busy world. A weak impression of a smile graced his lips as two squirrels darted across his path in a rambunctious game of tag. His face tilted toward the sky as his eyes narrowed, searching, and finding the songbird in the highest branches of a nearby spruce.
When nature no longer offered animals for his entertainment, he began to watch the clouds billowing from his nose and mouth with every breath. He studied the way they twisted and floated, frozen moisture on the air. In every cloud he searched for familiar shapes, though he found very few.
Once he was bored with that, he turned his eyes to the remaining fingertips of the sun as they clung stubbornly in the winter sky. The false impression of warmth the nighttime colors promised brought a wry smile to Harry's lips before disappearing into a grimace. The day's events, what lay in waiting for him the following day, caught up with him and attacked with relentless claw, digging into his conscious for allowing himself even the past few moments away from the pressing case.
Lost in though, Harry's Auror training failed him and a second figure climbed the side of the hill unnoticed. Harry jumped as arms encircled his waist from behind. He sighed and leaned into the warmth of the body cradling him. A chin came to rest on Harry's shoulder and twin clouds of breath danced into the twilight together.
"You alright?"
"Better now."
"You give me too much credit."
"I don't credit you enough."
The exchange was familiar routine. Harry would arrive home from his daily battles fighting evil from his position within the Ministry and would head out into the wilderness of their immense backyard to lose himself for a few hours. Once convinced Harry was sufficiently lost, his lover would take off after him, offer comfort silently, and drink in the wonder that was their love. Every time Harry accepted and reciprocated emotions and physical contact, it was like it was the first time all over again. It was an experience the pair couldn't live without – the give and take of their relationship had impressed more than just the couple, it was the envy of all those who knew them.
"Was today worse than yesterday?"
"Every day seems to be worse than the one before it."
"I'm sorry, love."
"S'not your fault."
"Doesn't mean I want you to have to deal with it."
Harry sighed. "I know. Thank you."
"You ready to come home?"
"I don't think so. Not yet."
"Look, the stars are already out."
"I already made a wish on the first one I saw."
"What did you wish for?"
Harry allowed for the first real smile of the day to play over his lips. "That you would hurry up and find me. I was getting cold." He could feel the curve of lips sharing in his smile as his lover trailed kisses down the tiny expanse of exposed skin between his coat's neck and his unruly hair.
"You should make a wish, too," Harry whispered. Warm lips worked up the curve of his neck, teased over the sensitive skin just behind his jaw, and caressed his ear lobe.
The whispered words became part of the night as soon as Harry heard them, warming him from the inside out.
"I've already got everything I could ever wish for in you. What more could I want?"
Harry was forcefully reminded of the first time he had every worn glasses. The world had come into focus, things he had never before been able to make out had sudden definition. There was clarity and wonder as he had gazed around all those years ago. Here he was again, the lenses had snapped into place and the night had transformed from vague beauty into a winter wonderland.
He turned in the arms that encircled him and searched the eyes of his lover. Slowly he brought his hand up and ran a gloved finger over the pale cheek, tracing the face he knew as well as his own. Even after half a decade of being together had passed, Harry sometimes found it hard to believe he had truly found the foundation of love that he lived.
"What is it, Harry? You have that look in your eyes again."
Harry shook his head slightly and leaned forward, catching soft lips beneath his own. Fingers sought refuge in hair, tongue caressed each other with subtle determination to ensure the message was conveyed: I love you. Bulky winter clothing was a hindrance, but the weather kept the couple's restraint in place. After a long moment they pulled away from each other, foreheads pressed together, still clinging to the body before them.
Harry sighed, his breath teasing over the lips he had just thoroughly assaulted.
"Thank you," he said softly, his eyes once more searching the pair before him. The heated gaze was returned in like. "Take me home, Draco."
The blonde nodded and slid his hands down Harry's arms, twining their finger together and turning to lead the way home. Harry sighed once more, contentedly. Work was for the work place, worry was of no use when dragged around like a particularly outdated and hideous suitcase. But a boyfriend who was a constant beacon of love and hope in world still riddled with darkness, that was something Harry could thank his lucky stars for.
And silently along the trek home, that's just what he did.