A/\N: So sorry it's been forever once again since I updated. It's summer, I thought I'd be updating more often. Anyway, here's this chapter, I had some fun writing it. And please review! Thanks a million :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Snowy Romp

Christmas vacation was over, and students were returning to the castle, which was still snowed in and with frost on its window panes, for school. Taylor had gotten back in the morning, and had spent the day out in the grounds, walking through the deep snow. The snow crunched satisfactorily under her feet as she walked, her cloak whispering over the snow and her nose, ears, and cheeks beaten bright red by the crisp air. Her dark hair was speckled with snowflakes, a few of which clung to her eyelashes too. She didn't know when the others were getting back, but she was content with wandering the grounds by herself for now. Over the holidays she hadn't had much contact with Ginny or Sean, but she assumed that both of them must have been busy.

Her dark eyes scanned the grounds. None of the students were out on the cold grounds; she thought that the ones that were back must be unpacking. Taylor had unceremoniously dumped her trunk next to her bed before taking her walk first around the castle, and then heading out to the grounds. Snowflakes fell on her nose and melted with the warmth of her skin. She held out her mittened hand and watched as a few snowflakes fell on its dark fabric. The intricate patterns of the white snowflakes stood out starkly on the dark background. She studied the shapes made by the white flakes. It always amazed her how water crystals in the air made such beautiful designs. Also there was the hard to grasp idea that none were the same. She knew that it was chance the way that the flakes formed, but had to wonder – in all the years that it had been snowing on Earth, she was expected to believe that no two snowflakes had ever been the same? She thought that over the years, there had to have been two that were the same.

Still musing about this, and not watching where she was going, Taylor was taken by complete surprise when her foot unexpectedly struck a rock that was hidden underneath the disguising snow which sent her sprawling to the ground, planting face down into the freezing powder. She stood up on her knees, wiping off the cold snow that was beginning to melt on her face, laughing at her clumsiness. Her now wet face was beginning to feel icy in the crisp air. While her hands were over her face, somebody grabbed her from behind and lifted her to her feet.

"Aaahh!" She yelled, turning around quickly to see who was there. There, with his brown hair flecked with snowflakes and his bright blue eyes glinting in his flushed face stood Sean. Taylor smiled and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tight to her.

"Hey baby!" Sean said, holding her head close to his chest and kissing her on top of her head. "How are you?"

"Sean!" Taylor cried. "I didn't know you were back."

"I just got back when I saw you walking around down here. And I have to say, you are very graceful. You should try out for the ballet. With such grace as you possess, they'll be lining up to get you in their dances." His twinkling blue eyes danced merrily as he teased her, winking and grinning widely.

"Oh, shut up," Taylor said playfully, slapping his shoulder. "That rock jumped up and bit my foot. That's what happened."

"Sure, of course that's what happened," grinned Sean. He wrapped his arms around her waist and, lifting her up, spun in circles on the spot with her. On their fourth turn, he tripped over his own foot, wobbled, and tumbled down into the snow, Taylor landing on top of him, both of them laughing.

"You're one to talk," Taylor said, propping herself up on her elbows as she looked down at Sean. "I mean, you should have been in the ballet years ago, it's clearly your calling."

"Of course it is, but I had to wait until I could have you as a dance partner. With skills such as ours, we'll be stars in no time!" Sean grinned, his hands still on Taylor's waist. Taylor tilted her head back and laughed harder, and then collapsed, resting her head on Sean's chest as she continued to shake with mirth. Sean rolled them over so that he was lying on top of her, and brushed some snowflakes off her cheek.

Sean leaned down and kissed her. "So what say you, fleet foot?" He asked, twinkling blue eyes gazing down into dancing brown ones.

"What say I what?" Taylor asked, a grin playing on her lips. Sean rolled off her and kneeling, turned away for a second. And then with a sudden jerk, he twisted around and threw a snowball at her, which hit her on the shoulder.

"Snowball fight!" Sean roared. Taylor scrambled to her feet and packed her own snowball, which she hurled at Sean, who dodged out of its way and chucked another snowball of his own at her, which hit her in the stomach as she moved too slowly to escape it.

Packing another snowball, Taylor aimed carefully and flung it at Sean. It narrowly missed him over his shoulder, while his hit her on the side of her head as she turned to keep from being hit in the face.

"Hey!" She shouted. "No fair! You've got three hits, and I've got none!"

"Not my fault!" Sean laughed, dancing around another snowball she had tossed at him. He drew back his arm and pitched another snowball at her, this one hitting her hip as she quickly turned away from it.

"Come on, take your hit like a man or dodge it!" He laughed.

"Well, seeing as how I'm not a man, and – " She broke off as another snowball of Sean's hit her square in the face. Howling, she abandoned the snowball she had just rolled and lobbed herself at Sean, who was caught unawares, and the two of them went flying back to the ground, swallowed up in the powder.

Sean quickly scrambled to his feet and took off running, Taylor hot on his heels. She grabbed him around the waist, and he spun around to face her. With one smooth movement, he swept her off her feet and tossed her unceremoniously over his shoulder like a sack.

"Put me down!" Taylor laughed, pounding on Sean's back with her mittened hands, her face turning a deep red as all the blood rushed to her head as she hung upside down over Sean's back.

"Never!" Sean said, running laboriously through the deep snow with her. Suddenly he tripped yet again, and once more the two of them went sprawling. They sat up; each laughing fit to burst, looking at each other. At the sights of the other with snow plastered over their face, they only laughed harder.

Taylor took off her mittens and wiped the snow off her face, Sean doing the same. Slowly their laughter died down until they sat in an almost silence, Taylor hiccupping a little. Sean caught her eye and Taylor started laughing again. Finally, they sat there, smiling occasionally, but a bit calmer. Then out of nowhere Sean hit Taylor in the face with another snowball. Taylor threw her arms up over her head in defense.

"Ah! No more!" She cried, but laughing just the same. "Stop, stop!"

"Oh alright, sissy. Way to ruin all my fun." Sean teased, but dropping his next snowball anyway. He crawled towards her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Taylor leaned her head on his shoulder.

"So how was your Christmas?" Sean asked.

"Oh, it was fine," Taylor said. "Mum and I had a bit of a row, but it wasn't bad. She was worried about me and told me that I should stop trying to bring dad back into this world. I got really mad at her over it. But it's OK," she quickly added as Sean looked worried. "How was yours?"

"You know, it wasn't much of a Christmas. Or, well, we did the whole presents and dinner thing, but it was on a beach and we had oysters instead of turkey. I got a sunburn, actually. Rather strange, I thought, but it was still good." Sean said, hugging Taylor close to him. They sat together in the snow, each gradually growing more wet as they continued to sit there, watching as the sky turned from gray and cloudy to cloudy tinged with blood red and orange. The stars did not pop out as the cloud cover was too thick to permit their light to reach through them to Taylor and Sean.

Taylor wiggled closer to Sean and tilted her face up for a kiss, which Sean gave her. When they broke apart, Sean's eyes searched hers. She felt like he was reaching for her soul. He looked like he was trying to decide something. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. He opened it again and said,

"Taylor, I – " But he stopped himself hastily, blushing faintly.

"What?" Taylor asked, still gazing intently up at him.

"Never mind, it was nothing." Sean said.

"What do you mean, 'never mind'?" Taylor asked, wondering what was going on in Sean's head.

"It was nothing, it was stupid," Sean said.

"Well, what was it?" Taylor asked again.

"Really, it was nothing. Can we leave it?" Sean asked Taylor, he was looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Sure, I guess," Taylor said. She was still looking at Sean. "Is there something wrong? Do you want to tell me something?"

"I'll tell you later." Sean said.

"Why later?" Taylor asked.

"Because right now is not the right time," Sean stated. Taylor didn't push it, but she was left feeling uneasy. What was it that Sean was going to tell her?

"I'm freezing," Taylor said, finally. She was shaking with the cold, and felt chilled to the bone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot," Sean said, hastily standing up and helping Taylor to her feet. "I'm pretty chilly, too. Come on, let's get up to the Common Room, there'll be a fire there. Maybe even some cocoa, too."

"Sounds amazing to me," Taylor said. Sean's hand found hers and they walked back up to the castle hand in hand, covered from head to foot in snow, their damp robes dragging in the snow.

As Taylor was getting into bed, a horrible thought entered her mind. What if Sean didn't like her anymore? Was that what he was going to tell her, and he was just too nice to? Taylor felt like crying. How could she left herself get so emotionally involved with a guy? How could she be so foolish? She had to start distancing herself from Sean. She didn't want to be hurt anymore than was necessary.