Snow was falling fast outside and Valkyrie was very glad of a radiator and a mug of hot tea inside. She looked out of the window and was shocked to see how much had fallen in the last couple of hours alone.

"Still snowing?" Skulduggery said to her as he walked in.

"Yes. If you'd have been bothered to look out of the window as you came in you would have seen that."

"Yes, but I was looking where I was going. Otherwise I could have fallen into something."

"Like the box in front of you?"

Skulduggery came to a sudden halt and looked down. The only thing on the floor was the old wood panelling that Gordon had put in years ago.

"Lies."

"Naturally. It's funny when you think you've missed something."

Skulduggery grumbled something incomprehensible and sat down on the sofa next to Valkyrie.

"So, are you enjoying the cold weather?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? It's… cold. And wet."

"Common features of cold weather, I might add."

Valkyrie slapped Skulduggery on the arm, but the impact made her jolt and her tea spilt down the sides of the mug.

"Don't blame me," Skulduggery said as Valkyrie stared at him. "You did it."

Valkyrie debated hitting him again, but decided against it. The tea burnt even though she was cold, and she didn't need any burns. Instead, she splayed her hand and moved Skulduggery's hat across the room. He tried to get it back, but her training had made her a lot stronger and she battled to keep it from his grasp. She flicked her wrist and it went flying down the corridor. Skulduggery got up to go and retrieve it, and as he walked back into the room Valkyrie managed to take it out of his hand once again and place it on her head.

"Getting slow?" Valkyrie said, winking at him. She could almost see the smirk on his face.

"Not at all," he replied. "I'd get it off you in an instant if you didn't look so cute in it."

Valkyrie smiled. "Why, thank you. You look rather dashing in that suit."

"The same one I wear every day?"

"Yes."

"You've never commented on it before."

"Shush. You're ruining the moment."

"Am I? Sorry."

Valkyrie finished off the rest of her tea and walked into the kitchen. Skulduggery followed her. She put her mug in the sink, ready to be washed up later, and looked out of the window.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

"What?" Skulduggery spat out.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

"Why would I want to build a snowman?" Skulduggery sounded very confused about the concept.

"Because it's fun," Valkyrie said, resisting the urge to add 'duh' at the end of her sentence. "It's what you do when it snows."

"Do you? I've not done that. Ever."

"You're kidding."

Skulduggery shook his head.

"You are building a snowman. Right now."

Valkyrie bounded outside, Skulduggery in tow. She took a couple of steps outside before retracing them.

"Not right now. I need a coat first," she said, shivering. "Wait here, I'll be two minutes."

Valkyrie, now fully kitted out in a duffle coat, a scarf and gloves, complete with Skulduggery's hat, took Skulduggery's hand and led him outside.

"I'm still trying to work out whether or not you're messing with me."

"I'm not," Skulduggery said. "I'd make a lie much more interesting."

Valkyrie nodded. He was probably right.

"Make a ball of snow." Valkyrie made one of her own to show Skulduggery, who opened his mouth to speak. "Just do it."

Skulduggery did as he was told, copying Valkyrie as she rolled her snowball around in the snow on the ground. Soon enough, his snowball had become big enough for the head of the snowman, with Valkyrie's the right size for the body.

"Fetch us a couple of sticks, will you?" Valkyrie asked, lifting the head so it was positioned on top of the body. Skulduggery splayed his hand and a couple of the twigs on the ground at the other end of the garden flew at Valkyrie, who caught them. She stuck them in the sides of the snowman, before picking up a few loose bits of gravel that had been left in the garden from one of Gordon's DIY projects that ended up failing and sticking them on as eyes and a mouth.

"Did we buy carrots?" Valkyrie asked.

Skulduggery shrugged. "I don't know. I don't like carrots - it seems I can't really eat them."

"Helpful. I'll go and check," Valkyrie said, leaving Skulduggery with the snowman. She went into the kitchen and was surprised by how warm it was inside - she forgot how much she loved heating sometimes. She glanced out of the window before opening the fridge, and saw Skulduggery trying to manipulate the air so he could get the snowman's arms to wave at her. She beamed at him, before grabbing a carrot out of the fridge and going back outside, shivering as the cold hit.

"Apparently we do have carrots."

"Is that good?"

Valkyrie stuck the carrot in the middle of the snowman's face. "Very."

They both stepped back to admire their creation.

"It looks like Scapegrace," Skulduggery commented.

"It does not!" Valkyrie found herself actively defending the snowman.

"It kind of does. Admit it."

Valkyrie shook her head. "I refuse to."

Skulduggery manipulated the air again, making the arms waves and the nose fall off.

"See? Breaking body parts, no coordination? Scapegrace."

Valkyrie reluctantly agreed, laughing slightly. "Okay, I see it."

"Good."

Valkyrie suddenly shivered and Skulduggery tried to remedy it by putting his arm around her. It was of little use - he was only bone, after all - but Valkyrie still snuggled into his side.

"Inside?" Skulduggery asked. He felt Valkyrie's head moving in a nod against his side. Kissing the top of her head lightly, he walked her back inside, leaving the Scapegrace Snowman on its own.

Skulduggery made Valkyrie a mug of hot chocolate while she curled up on the sofa, trying to regain some warmth. It must have been cold out there to have taken the energy out of her so quickly.

He walked into the living room and placed the mug in between Valkyrie's hands. She inhaled the steam that was rising from the drink and smiled, sipping a little before putting it on the table at the end of the sofa.

"Still cold?" Skulduggery asked.

A small nod.

"Would I help?"

Another nod, followed by a smile. Valkyrie shifted over on the sofa to let Skulduggery sit down. He promptly placed an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. Turning round, they both saw the Scapegrace Snowman slowly being enveloped by snow, before facing each other and pressing their lips to one another's.