He wandered through the lonely corridors of the castle, unable to find sleep.His steps carried him outside. Above him, a deep, dark sky.

  Midnight had gently kissed the world, and the stars sang their eternal song of human hope.His gaze lost itself for a moment in the dark blue velvet, embroidered with thousands upon thousands of diamonds... and once again, a wave of ancient magic coursed through him - leaving a tingle in every pore of his body.

  It was intoxicating, just like that day under the storm-swept sky.Slowly, his feet carried him onward—drawing him down toward the ke.

  From afar, he saw that strange girl sitting there, her gaze fixed upon the water.He paused briefly, then continued purposefully. Once he reached the shore, he settled down just a short distance from her.

  "It looks as if the moonlight has bled into the ke, don't you think?", Luna whispered softly, without looking at him.

  Slightly surprised, Tom looked at her, then his gaze drifted over the water. She was right. It really did look as if liquid moonlight had spilled into the ke.

  "So, you love the magic of the night as much as I do?", his voice sounded just as quiet as hers.

  Luna turned to him now, studying him briefly before she answered. His dark hair merged with the night, and his eyes - like the sky on a stormy day, watched her without a flicker of emotion.

  "Yes. Especially that of the moon... strange, isn't it?", she whispered, lost in thought.

  "Why strange?". he wanted to know.

  She shrugged her shoulders. "Quite simply, because my name is Luna. Which means Moon," she replied with a smile. "What is your name?", she asked curiously, the words spilling out of her.

  "Tom," he replied curtly. He left the rest of his name unspoken. How he hated that name - the name of his Muggle father.

  His gaze drifted back to this peculiar girl, who was looking dreamily out over the ke. Though her appearance wasn't peculiar at all. Her long blonde hair, which reached far past her slender waist, y in gentle waves, much like his own. And her small face had something fragile about it.She turned back to him and looked at him silently. The moonlight fell softly upon her hair, bathing it in a diffuse, silver glow, while making her aquamarine-blue eyes shine even more intensely. She was pretty.Then, an idea suddenly struck him. His gaze flickered briefly toward the Forbidden Forest.

  "If you aren't afraid of the forest at night, I can show you a secret little clearing there that no one knows but me...", He watched her questioningly, one eyebrow raised.

  "I’d love to. I just don't have my wand with me," curiosity and anticipation rang in her voice.

  He was actually a little surprised. The girls he knew would never have agreed to this under any circumstances. And without a wand, and thus without protection. A thin sliver of respect for her began to spread within him. Slowly, he rose and galntly offered her his hand.Without hesitation, Luna reached for it, and he pulled her up.

  "It doesn't matter that you don't have your wand. I have mine just in case," he pointed to his pocket. "But I don't think we’ll be needing it tonight."

  Luna merely nodded and followed him toward the Forbidden Forest.As they entered the dense undergrowth, the world seemed to shroud itself in a mysterious silence. Only the bright light of the moon silently showed them the way.

  Tom looked back at the strange girl named Luna. "And you’re really not afraid, all alone in the Forbidden Forest at night?", he asked again.

  "Why alone?", she replied, puzzled. "You’re with me. And you have your wand," she smiled at him. This amazed him once more. And he wondered silently if she would still follow him so trustingly if she knew what he had done... probably not.

  "Can you see well enough, or should I use the light from my wand?"

  "Don't worry. The moonlight shines brightly enough to see everything."

  Internally, she had to smirk. The boy actually seemed to be worried about her. At least, it appeared as though he was.After a while, they reached the small clearing Tom had spoken of. It had something dreamy about it and was beautiful, Luna decided.Without another word to the boy beside her, she sank into the soft grass and stretched out. Tom did the same.

  Silently, both their gazes were fixed toward the heavens, where the moon gently embraced the nd below.Tom stretched his hand toward the firmament.

  "Can you feel it too? Do you feel this powerful, ancient magic - eternal and always there?"

  Now it was Luna’s turn to look at him in surprise. Then she sat up a little, her gaze directed at the sky, trying to feel what he meant. With all her strength, she concentrated on the moon and the light of the stars.

  Then, all at once, a hesitant tingle coursed through her body. With wonder in her eyes, she looked at Tom. "I can feel it," she breathed softly.

  "That is the primal force of magic. A magic that can be used entirely without a wand. Just as our forefathers did, infinitely long ago. That is true power. Not that measly piece of wood they press into our hands as children. It is knowledge long lost," Tom concluded firmly.

  "Not quite," Luna contradicted him. "You know of it. And I know of it through you. So it isn't lost," she spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  And he was right in a way, Tom thought silently. With him, she now knew of it too. And thus, it hadn't completely fallen prey to oblivion.Quietly, midnight passed - leaving them alone with the delicate rose of morning streaming into the dome of the sky.

  And once again, Time dipped its quill into the gss of the world's ink, writing and carving a new path ever forward.....