Winter Night
by : epiphanies
{disclaimer} I do not own these lyrics, they belong to Sarah McLachlan for the song called "Song for a Winter's Night." Actually, I don't know whether it's her song, or whether she just sings it, but whatever. Tis not mine.
Her eyes looked all the greener in the reflection of the mistletoe.
She stared at him, a mixture of terror and confusion in those eyes. Those eyes he knew well, those eyes that had cried in front of him, those eyes that had made countless others cry... those eyes of that one Pansy Parkinson that, never, not since his first day meeting her, had he been able to tear his own eyes away from.
"So, er," she quirked an eyebrow at him, "Mistletoe, hmm? A little old-fashioned."
He scoffed, "Oh, Pansy, come off it," he slipped his arms around her waist, "It's not like we've never snogged before."
"Yeah," she hesitated, "But that wasn't because of some bloody stupid mistletoe or Christmas or any of that rot. And besides, people can see us out here. We're not like, Weasley and Granger or something horrible such as."
"So what? You afraid to be seen with me?"
She laughed, dipping her head back slightly, revealing her neck and an inch more of pale skin exposed on her shoulder. His lips twitched.
//If I could only have you near//To breathe a sigh or two//I would be happy just to hold the hands I love//Upon this winter night with you//
"So, what is it that you want for Christmas, Sly?" he asked, using her old nickname from their earlier years at Hogwarts. She looked thoughtful for a moment, quickly did manoeuver herself to kiss him on the cheek, then darted out of his reach. She dwindled in the corridor, about five feet from him, a finger to her lips, laughter in her eyes.
"Shh?" he put his hands on his narrow hips, "For what?"
She raised her eyebrows and turned around, her hair flipping around after her. She led him down the corridor, skipping, until they reached the front doors of the castle.
"What?" he said exasperatedly. She grinned and brought him outside.
He had been expecting to see the brown grass that had engulfed the campus only a few hours before, to see-
Snow. Blanketed. Everywhere.
It was still falling. It was white and lovely and soft, and he could see a couple of students having a snow fight off in the distance.
"Snow." she said quietly.
"Really?" he furrowed his eyebrows together, "Your wish was snow? Because I can bring back that big fat diamond necklace-"
"Oh, shut it." she laughed, taking his hand, "Dance with me a little."
"Oh, but Pansy..." he whined as she placed his hand on her hip and started to lead.
"This is stupid." he said as they gracefully flew down the stairs (after all, all purebloods were excellent dancers, they were taught when they were very young.)
"Shut it, Malfoy, and just enjoy it." she snapped.
"It's cold," he complained, but he was grinning.
"Hey, there's a plus, too," she commented when they ceased, reaching the bottom of the footpath.
Draco, out of breath, baited, "What's that?"
"No mistletoe down here."
He rolled his eyes and cupped her ruddy cheek with his pale hand, which, somehow, was warm.
//The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead//My glass is almost empty//I read again between the lines upon the page//The words of love you sent me//
"Who needs mistletoe?"
"Stop kidding about, Draco."
"Who says I'm kidding about?"
"You're going to start singing showtunes or reciting poetry or something anytime now."
"And if I did, what would you do?"
Her eyes sparkled, "I would run a bit, and then hex you."
"Then?"
"Continue to run. Never stop running."
"Why?"
"Honestly? You, showtunes and poetry? Wouldn't you find that frightening?"
"Of course. But girls are supposed to find it all..."
"Romantic? Have you ever known me," she paused, looking him in the eye, "Me, Pansy Parkinson, to be a romantic? In any way?"
"Well," he said thoughtfully, grazing his chin with a finger, "You did just make me dance down the footpath in the moonlight...in the first snow of the year....by a castle..."
"The castle has nothing to do with it," she argued, "We live here."
"That makes it all the more romantic, wouldn't you think?"
She slapped his forearm, "Be serious, Draco. You're not madly in love with me."
"No," he said honestly, "I'm not. But I do love you, which we both know and dislike grandly. And, I do enjoy your company enough."
"And that will just have to do when we get married."
"Don't be so bleak. Maybe we'll actually be in love by then."
"I don't know about that."
"Nor do I. But every cloud has a lining of some sort...and I'm not sure why, but a silver one sounds good to me."
"It's a house colour, of course it does," she picked up a handful of crisp white snow, and played with it without looking at him, "Yay Slytherin."
He nodded, and she grinned, and-
SMACK!
He blinked, flabbergasted. Pansy had actually socked him with that snowball!
"Oh," he muttered, wiping his eyes and seeing her running giddily away, "OH. This is WAR!" he shouted, picking up some snow, and, grinning, running after the green-eyed blonde.
//If I could know within my heart//That you were lonely too//I would be happy just to hold the hands I love//Upon this winter night with you//