The night dissolved into the flow of time, and the day slowly awakened.

  Tom had in awake for a long time; the longing for her burned hot as fire within him, letting him find no peace.

  "That cursed witch," it went through his mind angrily. Why on earth did she constantly have to stand between him and Luna. At some point, he had fallen into a restless sleep.

  Luna and Menie had also in awake for a long time. Quietly, so that no one could hear them, they had talked about the events of the past day.

  "You are of the opinion that Father Time, as you call him, that he pyed this trick on us. But how can it be that Director Dippet and that rascal were at the same pce at the same time as you and I, yet we could not see each other. Even the time of day, by all appearances, was completely different for this Tom and Dippet than it was for us. How can that be?", the young witch mused to herself, her gaze fixed on the ceiling of the tent.

  "I don't know either," Luna whispered back softly. "But perhaps Father Time can influence not only time but also space. We both were perhaps in a parallel universe for a short time, or some kind of intermediate world. I know that sounds crazy and strange. But I cannot expin it any other way...."

  "Crazy....," Menie chuckled softly. "Tell me what doesn't sound crazy coming from you...", now Luna also had to join in the giggling. For a while longer, the quiet ughter could be heard before sleep gently settled over them both.

  The midday sun stood high in the celestial firmament. In the corridors of Hogwarts, a few house-elves scurried back and forth from time to time to go about their daily work. The soft rustling of robes made the busy inhabitants of the castle prick up their ears....

  Hurrying steps approached; it was the figure of Professor Dumbledore.

  "Tinka!", he called out at once to one of the house-elves. Tinka was still very young and had not been at Hogwarts for long. But her friendly nature was a delight to Dumbledore every single time.

  Tinka left her water bucket where it was and curtsied as elegantly as house-elves possibly can. "How wonderful to see you back here at Hogwarts, Professor. I hope your journey was crowned with success?", the little house-elf asked almost shyly.

  Dumbledore sighed. "Well, let's say it could have gone better...", he left the rest unsaid. And Tinka knew that this subject was closed.

  "Tell me, Tinka, where has Director Dippet gone? I haven't found him in his office, nor in his private quarters, nor anywhere else."

  "Oh, the Director went away days ago, together with the young new teacher and her little sister, to some pce. But where exactly, he did not tell Tinka," she finished, looking up at Dumbledore with her rge, wide eyes.

  "Strange," he murmured to himself. "Good. I thank you, Tinka." With a nod, he bid farewell to the little house-elf and hurried on toward his private chambers.

  Once there, he sat down by one of the open windows and poured himself a goblet of cold pumpkin juice.His fingers carefully massaged his temples. His head was full of worries. First, the events of the past school year when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. And now Gellert Grindelwald, an old love from days long gone, who was once again up to no good. Then there was still this Tom Riddle....

  Dumbledore would bet his life that it was Tom who had opened the Chamber. He had tried to make this clear to Dippet time and again. But for a reason completely unknown to him, Dippet closed his eyes to the obvious: namely, that Tom Riddle himself was the Heir of Slytherin.

  An unpleasant throbbing began in his temples. With a quiet spell, a small gss bottle came floating over. A painkiller. Exactly what he needed right now. From an intangible feeling, he sensed that the events, unfortunately, would not cease....

  The te summer y with its gentle light upon the nd. Not far from the tent, Dippet and Menie pyed a round of wizard's chess. Luna y in the grass, watching a dybug that had made itself comfortable on her hand. And Tom had vanished into the deep green of the forest.

  At some point, her curiosity won out, and she also walked deeper into the forest to look for Tom.After a while, she found him. He stood leaning under a tree, his gaze fixed as if spellbound on a ring that now rested on his finger.....

  She paused - the sky-blue of her eyes observed the ring intently...... then she recognized it. It was the ring of the Peverell brothers - one of the Deathly Hallows....

  Lost in thought, she slowly stepped toward Tom. He, however, did not even notice her at first. Only when her warm hands gently closed around the ring did he startle.

  "Don't worry," she breathed softly. "I don't want to harm your ring. A part of your soul is hidden within it...", her hands rested protectively on the ring.

  He snorted contemptuously. "You couldn't destroy this ring so easily anyway."

  "Destroy?....," she whispered quietly, as the words tore her from her thoughts.

  She looked up at him. "Why would I want to destroy a part of your soul? To me, your soul is the most precious thing there is."

  He looked into the blue of her eyes, which always reminded him of two shining aquamarines. Deep within her soul, he saw the truth of her words. And it filled him with satisfaction and pride. Pride in her devotion - devotion toward him even though she knew who he was—who he would one day be.

  He pced his fingers under her chin and gently pulled her small face toward him. His lips touched hers infinitely slowly. A tingle glided through Luna's body as he sank with her down into the thick, soft grass. His kiss grew more intense, his breathing faster..... the images of the previous night, when they had both been interrupted in what they were doing, rose up within him - as did the unquenchable longing for her.

  Carefully, he began to open her dress and slipped it off her. Then he divested himself of his own clothing, and both y skin to skin. Her delicate chest rose and fell heavily while his fingers brushed tenderly over it. His other hand had glided down to her p, gently massaging the small pearl before his finger entered her hot tightness, and a gasp escaped her.

  Her hands also glided over his fwless body, gently exploring his sex. He had to use all his strength to stifle a loud groan. Then he y between her legs and entered her hard and deep; with heavy thrusts he moved within her, while she began to move beneath him in his rhythm.

  In his gaze y an endless hunger, awakened by what he had seen of her perfection in that midnight hour under the light of the moon. She wrapped her legs tightly around his pelvis, pressing him even closer and deeper into herself.....

  A soft moaning filled the warm air of the forest as both reached their climax. Tired, they y close together in the grass. His fingers ran through her absurdly long hair, in which the moonlight seemed to be caught, pying with individual strands. While in his short, gently wavy hair, the darkness of the night was trapped.

  "You are indescribably beautiful," Tom breathed into her thick hair. Luna pressed her face firmly against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.

  Around them in the tall grass, colorful butterflies danced, now and then settling on their bare skin, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation."Everything is so beautiful, don't you think?", she whispered.

  "Hmm," came back from him tiredly.

  In that moment, Luna wished she could stop time. They were far away from the problems of that era. It was summer and warm. They had a spacious tent in a dreamlike forest. Tom was here, her Mel was here, and Director Dippet, whom she had grown to love more and more. There was nothing else she needed.

  But she knew that time did not stand still. Out of a feeling, she asked quietly:

  "Have you ever heard of the Deathly Hallows?....."

  He perked up.... of course he had. His thoughts lost themselves in something diffuse - something he could not yet grasp....