Snow White

Chapter 30

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Annabelle_the_reader
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Peter hadn't had to travel far to know where Snow White was the following morning. She was where she would be found every morning, often before the sun rose: reading by the river between the two tallest, most beautiful trees in the forest.

Yet, when Peter had laid eyes on me from behind, her peaceful reading made him forget everything about what had happened to her and about how difficult times would be. Snow loved to read because whenever she did, she could devour a book in an hour and nobody would bother her, not even Harry who allowed her these short moments to read novels in peace.

And still despite Harry's kindness to her love for reading, Snow liked to travel to the river, away from them all, to read. The forest was much more alive and cheerful than the camp; new trees growing, old trees recovering, squirrels dashing around through the pine needles gathering nuts, the forest seemed perfectly alive.

Peter noticed flowers blooming beautifully and was half tempted to pick one for her, but he knew better. Unlike Harry, Peter knew that Snow would scowl at him if he dared impede the growth of the forest and ruin its inhabitants. To Snow, the forest had to be enjoyed by all humans and all animals and all plants, not just a single individual's momental pleasure. That would be selfish.

By the time Peter reached the river, he was out of breath by all of the hiking to the exact spot he knew he'd find her. His eyes glazed over in a nostalgic approach, watching her intently flick through the pages of the book excitedly, her eyes following the words in awe and wonder.

Her jet black hair swayed in the wind, it's unkempt curls and undone strands billowing out around her and glimmering in the sunlight like a black river. The green orbs of her eyes twinkled brighter than the stars, sparkling with youth and fragrance. Suddenly her appearance seemed to highlight her youth again, merely seventeen years old, but content with life and gleeful.

'This book would be so much more enjoyable, had I not had someone watching me.' Snow White said suddenly and turned around sharply, before realisation flanked across her eyes and her frown was replaced by an enormous grin. 'Peter?!'

'Hello, fairest of them all.' He winked teasingly. 'I couldn't keep away for long, Snow. I don't care what Harry says, I need to see you again.' Her grin widened at his words and he sat down beside her, leaning against the same boulder and looking across the forest, as if they were looking out towards the future.

'It's rediculous, don't you think, to call someone "the fairest of them all" like that? I feel like its defining me.' Snow confessed bitterly and Peter thought this through for a moment, because he could never understand what it was like to be called the one thing that would be your downfall.

'I don't understand, what's so bad about it?' Peter asked and Snow White sighed, because she couldn't put her feelings into words.

'I had always felt so alone until I met you, Peter. Like whenever someone looked at me, all that they saw was an image of a person and what they wanted me to be like: everyone just saw "the fairest of them all". You were the first person that looked at me and didn't just see "the fairest of them all". You were the first person to ever see me, and yet you loved me anyway.'

They lay there, in a comfortable silence as Peter pondered her words. Even though their bodies touched, if Peter were to reach out his fingers, it would feel like more than distance between them. Maybe she could never understand what it was like to watch the person you loved so unhappy. Maybe she could never understand the triumph that occurred when Peter had laid eyes on me again. Maybe she just didn't understand how much Peter needed to be Harry, rather than wanted to be him. Not only did he want to love her again, he wanted her to be happy again.