Day slowly broke through the night and the infinity of the starry sky. Softly, pink flowed into the vault of heaven, while behind the treetops of the forest, the fiery glow of the rising sun inexorably forced its way through the end of the night.

  They y beside each other in silence, their gazes fixed on the vastness of the sky.

  "Can you feel it?", Tom whispered softly. "Can you sense this infinity – the infinity of this energy? The sky and the universe above us and the earth beneath us... it is so indescribable – this power is so beyond words – don't you think?"

  "Yes," Luna breathed, barely audible. It was incredible how this ancient energy, endless and ever-present, flowed through her body. She felt as if she had drunk from the well of immortality.

  "Can we do this again tonight? I want to feel the energy of midnight," she whispered dreamily.

  He turned to her, and his dark eyes, as unfathomable as the night sky, rested silently upon her. Studying her – drinking in every detail of her.

  "If you wish, I will show you tonight how to use magic without a wand, with the help of these primal forces," he pointed toward the heavens.

  Slowly she turned to him, while the aquamarine of her eyes watched him in silence."I would like that," she breathed.

  Tom drew a sharp breath. "They’re looking for us. Come, we must hurry. No one knows of this small clearing but me... and now you. And that’s how it shall stay," he called to her firmly. In one fluid motion, he glided upward and offered her his hand.

  Luna reached for it and was on her feet with a single tug. Quickly, they hurried across the secret little sanctuary that belonged only to them and entered the dense thicket of the Forbidden Forest.

  "I don't understand where Luna could have gone. She doesn't know anyone here," Menie’s worried voice echoed through the woods.

  "Do not worry, my dear. If my suspicion is correct and Tom is with her, you need not concern yourself with your sister’s well-being," Headmaster Dippet chimed in confidently beside her.

  They had been searching for Luna for quite a while. At some point, while it was still dark outside, Menie who had fallen asleep over her book woke up and noticed that Luna was not in her room. Agitated, she had initially begun the search on her own. When this proved unsuccessful, fear crept up within her. What if something terrible had happened? Without hesitation, she went straight to wake the Headmaster. While he was initially surprised by a visit at such an early hour, he was wide alert when he heard that the young witch's sister had apparently vanished off the face of the earth. And so, they both hurried across the grounds in search of Luna, until Menie, following an intuition, suggested looking for her in the Forbidden Forest.

  "Well, you see, my dear, what did I tell you..." the Headmaster uttered with satisfaction, while Menie felt a thousand pounds lift from her heart as she recognized the small, blonde figure emerging from the thicket, accompanied by a tall boy.

  "Luna!" she called out to her from afar.

  "My dear Tom, you and little Miss Stone have given us quite a fright," Dippet scolded half-heartedly, a crooked smile on his lips. Tom had always been someone who had charmed his way into the hearts of the faculty, including the Headmaster. And so, Dippet couldn't truly be angry with him.

  When they finally met in the middle of the path, the mouths of both Menie and the Headmaster dropped inelegantly. The hair of the two runaways was disheveled, and grass stains covered their clothes...

  "I beg of you, Tom..." Dippet was the first to find his voice again. "If you and Miss Luna... seek intimacy... you could have made use of the privacy of Slytherin House—now that no one is there..." he ended, sounding a bit embarrassed.

  It took Tom a brief moment to comprehend, while Luna let out a quiet giggle beside him.Then his eyebrows shot up. "Headmaster..." For the first time in his life, Tom Riddle did not know what to say. In so many precarious situations, he had been able to talk his way out skillfully. But now, even he was left speechless...

  That old fogey actually thought that he and the girl had been making love secretly in the Forbidden Forest...

  "Sir," he began, but didn't get far. With a gesture, Dippet silenced him.

  "It's alright, Tom. You are both young. However, I must ask you both to refrain from such actions in the future. Too many dangers and pitfalls lurk in the depths of the forest."

  Tom swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course, Sir. I beg your pardon for my reckless actions," he lied skillfully. For they had been anything but reckless.

  Tom had gone out to this hidden clearing so many times he had always sought solitude there. And never - never had anything happened. One only had to know at what times the forest could be entered without danger. And Tom knew. He felt it as if he were woven into the very fabric of the forest.

  "Very well, then let us head back to the castle. I am certain we all have a bit of sleep to catch up on," he chirped with a wink toward Menie, who merely nodded in silence, and then toward Tom and Luna.

  While Tom actually turned crimson, Luna could not suppress a bell-like ugh, earning a furious gre from Tom, who did not find the situation amusing at all.

  Such an uncomfortable insinuation, and so early in the morning, was quite enough for him.While the two runaways remained silent, the Headmaster and Menie had fallen into a lively conversation.

  "You know what, Miss Menie!" he announced, rubbing his hands together. "How about we all gather for a picnic down by the ke this afternoon after such a fright, and let the day fade out pleasantly?" he asked the small group.

  "I would love to," came Menie's prompt reply, truly looking forward to it. Luna liked the idea as well, while Tom was rather conflicted.

  "Tea parties", or any kind of social gathering were not his thing.

  "As you wish, Sir," his voice rang out. He could not afford to lose the Headmaster’s favor, not after the events of the st school year.

  "I am gd, Tom, that you will grace us with your presence. Oh, and Tom... you have a bde of grass in your hair," the Headmaster called out to him with a chuckle, continuing his conversation with Menie. Meanwhile, a ughing Luna reached out for him and gently pulled the bde of grass from his silky bck hair...

  In the depths of infinity, a gentle smile had settled upon Time, as she once again dipped the Quill of Life into the Inkwell of the World... and so, the course of things continued to change—more and more...

  Note: In this story, Time is actually personified as a living being – a concept that unfolds vividly before my mind’s eye.