Start All Over (On Hold)

29. Truth or Dare?

Despite the chilly temperature that we experienced just last week, a snow storm was headed our way. School had canceled classes for the next couple of days due to the impending weather and I couldn't say that I was complaining. There was nothing wrong with being stuck in a mansion with zero parental vision on account of how Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore left to go on vacation early Sunday morning before the storm showed up on the meterologist's radar. Louis had touched down in Virginia around the time they left, and he joined us here as well as Zayn and Parker.

I sat on the window seat of my guestroom, watching the first snowfall of the season. It wasn't even winter yet, but just like America's media, the weather was ready for Christmas.

Time became meaningless as I watched the light flurry grow harder into a steady snowfall. Already there was a few inches on the ground, covering the roads, branches, and tops of the grass in a thick white sheet.

Snow was always my favorite, people complained about it too much. They just needed to ignore how they couldn't get drive around, and how gray sky. It didn't make the surroundings gloomy. Instead, it was beautiful, unique flakes falling from seemingly nowhere. But when each one touched the ground, it conformed to look like the rest.

No one ever took the time to admire the beauty of it all-- especially when it first began to snow. Before the plows came out and turned the streets into wet mush, and stained the piles of snow near the sidewalk brown.

But when it was still a soft powder, and the only things visible were the tracks of animals venturing out into cold weather, that was when I truly appreciated it.

"What are you thinking about?" 

I turned my head to see Harry standing in the doorway, two mugs in his hands with steam flowing from the top of them.

"How much I love the snow," I answered simply with a small smile. "Who are those for?"

He rolled his eyes at me before replying, "For us, you cotton headed ninny muggins."

"Oh well then, please, do come in, Buddy the Elf." I giggled and made room for him on the bench as he shut the door with his foot and made his way over to me. He took the place where I had been sitting and handed me the mug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied and smiled before sipping the hot chocolate, getting some on his nose. 

I giggled again and shook my head before pointing to his nose. "You got a little something..."

His eyebrows pulled together and he pretended to look down at his nose, only to dip it into his whipped cream more. "Are you sure? I don't see anything."

My lips were pursed together in a tight line in an effort to hold in my laughter, but it was no use. I was no match for Harry with his nose covered in whipped cream, within seconds he had me cracking up, snorting every once in a while.

Throwing his head back, Harry began to cackle, only making me laugh harder.

"Stop, stop, you're gonna make me spill my hot chocolate," I said almost breathlessly before wiping my eyes with my freehand.

He chuckled and shrugged with an innocent smile. "Oopsies."

I shook my head with a broad grin before looking back out the window. The snow was coming down harder now and in bigger clumps. I felt Harry shift behind me before he carefully pulled me backwards so I was pressed against his chest.

"Is everything okay?" I asked while leaning back into his embrace and tilting my head up to look at him.

"Yeah, I just missed you." A smile graced his lips and rested my head back against his shoulder.