Hello,

So I have decided to write this short story for the Thorns and Magic Universe.

I had initially given up with posting stories but I still get reviews and Personal messages from you guys. So I have finally decided I will finish the stories I started and maybe add a few short ones before all is said and done.

This is a continuation of the first story therefore I am using the same characters and running with situations and events that happened in Thorns and Magic story, so I would advice reading that before reading this as some of the content won't make much sense.

To all those asking if there will be a full sequel to Thorns and Magic, it is a possibility. I won't say it's definitely going to happen but I have some ideas...so I shall let you know in due course.

Just a quick note that just because this story is set at Christmas doesn't mean the whole story is about Christmas.

The characters are OOC.

Please leave me a review.

xxx Red as a Rose xxx

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any the characters or locations from the series.

Ice Blue and Snow

I shivered violently at the sudden drop of the temperature. My ice blue and silver gown was doing nothing to protect me from the snow that was biting at my face, fingers and all my exposed skin. I silently cursed Alice for not sending me something thermal. In fairness, I never planned to leave the Christmas party to stand outside in the cold, so I really only had myself to blame but I had hoped standing in snow, would make me feel a little festive. I looked across the school grounds, covered in thick white fresh snow and sighed. Nothing. I felt nothing even close to exuberant, nothing close to the excitement snow used to create in me.

Christmas was my favourite time of year. Despite my hatred for the cold, I loved the feelings of joy that Christmas ignited in me. From bright lights to Christmas dinners, everything festive made me joyfully happy and high spirited. However, this year, I was struggling to find my usual Christmas spirit. Normally, I would have begun to feel the excitement, especially when snow had started falling from the sky yesterday. But there was nothing. My current feeling had nothing to do with growing up or realising that I am too old for Christmas. It had everything to do with Samantha.

Samantha, my orphaned best friend. Who turned psycho and tried to kill me a few months ago by trying to extract my magic to bring back her deceased parents. The poor girl has lost it. Not that I had much room to talk.

However, before she had dropped the ball, she was the closest thing I ever had to a sister. Having both lost our parents, we had found common ground, a way to help each other in a way nobody else could. She was my support for so many years and I did my best to be hers.

I am struggling to pin point the exact moment everything went wrong, the exact moment I lost such a crucial part of my life. All I knew was that I missed her and things weren't the same without her here.

The lone tear that slipped from my eye almost froze to my face but I made no move to wipe it away. Instead I wrapped my lace covered arm around myself before trudging through the snow over to the closets bench I could find. With a wave of my hand and a silent incantation the snow on the bench disappeared, allowing me to sit down and to gaze around the spectacular slight.

I wanted my best friend back. So much was happening in my life that a girl would share with her best friend. I was going through an identity crises of the biggest kind, struggling to cope with the reality of what was hidden inside me and the fear of what would happen if it was unleashed again. More trivial than that, I was in love. For the first time in my life I had found someone who made me smile, who didn't look at me with pity, someone who made me feel I could do anything. That fact that I was unable to share that with her was painful. I had imagined on few occasions what her reaction would be, what she would say to me. How we would giggle like we were ten years old, how I would blush bright red as she made me tell her everything, how she would support and be happy for me. How we would laugh and smile.

I caught the sob in my throat before it managed to escape. I had to stop doing this to myself.

"Bella?" The sound of my name startled me, when had I become so unobservant of my surroundings. My head turned in the direction of the smooth deep voice standing next to the bench.

Aaron Adams. Blonde hair, blue eyes and handsome to a tee. Sam was my best friend, but Aaron and I had been good friends from our first year, when he had chased off some bullies that were harassing me on our joint school field trip.

Mind you, Aaron had always come off as intimidating and broody; he was incredibly attractive, smart and rich, very rich, his parents were very successful in wand making, resulting in him being one of the most popular guys in his school and the most sort after guy in mine. Even through all his popularity he remained my friend. Always making time for me.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing?" he was shivering from the cold, his navy tux jacket doing little to keep out the cold.

I shrugged trying to seem indifferent "Just thinking,"

"About Sam?" he asked but we both knew it was rhetorical. My thoughts were always on Sam. I nodded, my eyes locked on the turquoise blue that was his eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I don't think I could even if I wanted too.

"I won't pretend to know what you're going through Bells. But I can imagine that it's all very hard for you. Especially this time of year, the two of you at Christmas time is force to be reckoned with, but know that I am always here for you. Whenever you're ready to really talk and I don't mean to Alleyen, but to someone who will support you." He spoke with such fierceness my heart skipped a little. He really was an amazing guy.

"I know you will," I smiled up at him, silently thanking him for everything. He was another person who had been trying to help me through the blizzard of emotions.

After a moment of silence, Aaron spoke, this time with his usual smooth voice

"Come," he smiled holding out his hand for me "Our schools only come together a few times a year, let's not waste this time. You owe me a dance"

I couldn't help the slight smile appearing on my lips, as I slipped my hand into his. I danced with Aaron once at every joint school function. An odd tradition that had developed between us years ago.

"I believe I do," I stood from the bench, brushing stray snowflakes from my gown.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look? Your friend really knows her stuff." there was an intentity in his eyes that made it impossible to doubt what he was saying.

"Indeed she does," Bless Alice, this really was a stunning gown, I thought the dress she had sent me for the Halloween party was incredible- if a little inappropriate with all that black lace and diamonds- but this ice blue number had brought me to tears. I must remember to thank her.

"She would want you to enjoy Christmas," said Aaron, drawing the attention back to Sam

"I know. It was always a great time of year for us two,"

"Hold onto those memories Bella. Don't forget all the good times the two of you had. She will get better and when she does you two can work things out from there."

How I hoped he was right.

I would never forget the good things, the relationship we had but it was hard to not let the bad memories pull me away from the good. I know she is a good person and our last encounter was a pure act of desperation. She just needed help and I prayed every night that she was getting that help and that she would get better.

"However, in this moment we need to get inside. They will be starting to hand out the secret Santa presents soon." I giggled at his enthusiasm "Plus it's freezing out here."

I shook my head in amusement as Aaron slipped my arm through his, leading us back into the Christmas Ball, the trail of my dress following behind us.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters and locations from the series.

Please leave me a review

xxx Red as a Rose xxx