December 20

"True love always wins. Always. It's an unspoken rule in the universe."

"How do you know?"

"I know, because I know everything."

------

It was a perfect day to go sledding. The snow had fallen the night before, leaving behind an unblemished hill of sparkling white. The sun was out, there was a slight wind, and the snow was thick. Draco Malfoy stood at the top of the hill, hands in pockets, his winter had pulled down low upon his head. He gazed down the hill, reminiscing.

-----

"Malfoy!"

"Granger."

"Maalfooy"

"No. Granger. For the last time, I will NOT go on that blasted plastic contraption!"

"It's a SLED, not a bloody wand. It doesn't kill people!"

"Hermione." Through gritted teeth.

"It's just like flying, I swear." Hermione looked at him, saw his stubborn figure standing in the snow, and changed her tactic. Her brown eyes filled with mischief. "A kiss for a ride?"

Draco looked up suddenly and shifted from one foot to another.

"Just like flying on a broom? You swear?"

Hermione smiled. Not just a "oh, how cute!" smile, but a genuine, "oh, I'm so happy!" smile. The kind of smile that showed all the teeth and caused wrinkles around the eyes. The kind of smile that made her look beautiful.

She reached out for his hand.

"Pinky promise."

------

His first sleigh ride. Draco still remembered the wind rushing by his face, tousling his hair and turning his cheeks pink. How at the bottom, she had given him a kiss, a quick taste of cinnamon that lingered for the rest of the day. They had spent the rest of the day sledding down that hill, resorting to making snowmen when they were too tired to run up the snowy hill once again. And then there was the tree... was the HG+DM still there?

He found the tree, standing tall, their names etched upon its rough bark. The snow had caught around the outline of the thin letters, giving it an ethereal glow. Draco traced the names. HG. DM.

------

"Carve a heart around it Draco!"

"No."

"Pleasee?"

"Malfoys don't draw hearts. It's not manly."

Hermione gaped at him.

"Well, Malfoys don't beg either, and I explicitly remember yesterday how you ..."

Draco scowled.

"Fine. I'll draw the heart."

"You have to use the knife. No wands. that's cheating."

And slowly, as if the very mention of drawing a heart was like getting hit with a Crucio, Draco drew the heart. His face contorted into a grimace the whole time, shoulders stiff, eyes glaring at the bark of the tree.

------

He still remembered the feel of the knobby bark, the difficulty of carving a balanced heart with a thin pocketknife that seemed to be on the verge of breaking if the slightest amount of pressure was applied. He remembered the victory hug he'd gotten when Hermione saw his work of art and squealed with joy.

He looked up at the sky.

"I miss you."

The words, spoken to a sleeping forest, received no response.

"Hermione!" As if saying her name could make her appear at his side.

He turned towards the forest and shouted at the trees, unaware of the tears falling down the contours of his pale face, unaware of the snow, like pixie dust, softly falling, unaware of anything but the searing pain he felt in his chest.

"You were wrong! True love... it never wins."

He glanced at the letters once more, reaching out to gently brush the snow away from the bark.

"I miss you." he sighed. his heart beating painfully.
"I still love you." he whispered. standing up to look at the names one more time.
"You'll forever be in my heart."he breathed. Never to look upon that tree again.

Goodbye.