Arriving in their quarters, Luna let herself sink onto the soft bed. Menie followed suit, sinking into the plush pillows beside her.

  "Well?" she whispered almost breathlessly. "You and that boy..." she paused briefly. "Did... did you kiss?"A mischievous curiosity danced in her voice.

  Luna’s gaze had wandered to the open window, dreamily following the thick white clouds drifting zily across the nd. Menie propped herself up on her elbow, watching Luna intently.

  "No," Luna breathed softly.

  "But you like him. Don’t you? I felt it the moment you met him st night that you were very taken with him."

  Luna turned around, her expression thoughtful. "I don’t know what it is... but yes, you’re right. I like him very much." A smile stole onto her lips, and her gaze grew dreamy once more.

  "Well... that is wonderful. But please, let me know if you leave the castle at night. I was worried to death about you."

  "I’m sorry. I truly didn't mean for that to happen."

  "It’s alright," Menie whispered.

  A soft ugh escaped Luna.

  "What’s so funny?" the young teacher asked, who in such a short time had become as dear to her as if she were truly her sister.

  "Your faces," Luna ughed again. "By Merlin, you looked... did you and Director Dippet really think that Tom and I were making love?"

  Now Menie joined in the ughter. "Well... you both looked very, very disheveled. And for a moment, I did indeed have simir thoughts to the Director. Though Dippet seems truly convinced that you two were intimate there in the seclusion of the Forbidden Forest," she sputtered.

  It took a while before they both caught their breath.

  "Tell me, is there actually a man in your life whom you like who catches your eye?" Luna asked, now curious herself.

  The young woman shook her ebony hair. "No. Unfortunately not... but what isn't, may yet be," and again they dissolved into cheerful ughter, which was carried out of the window by the wind and into the world.

  The soft green shimmer of the ke woke him gently from his strange dreams. Sleepily, he opened his eyes and studied the emerald glow for a moment. How familiar this sight had become to him over all the years. And the silence and solitude of the holidays had always been the best time for Tom.

  Stealthily, his fingers brushed over the dark wood of the small nightstand beside his bed. His thoughts were carried far, far away to a pce of fantasy...

  He shook his head briefly before climbing wearily out of bed. It was a bit warm and stuffy, and so, as he often did these days, he had slept naked and bare. A gnce at his small pocket watch told him he had little time left to appear punctually for this nonsensical picnic. He would have loved nothing more than to sink back into the pillows and sleep on. But he could not afford to miss this "tea party." He had to remain in Dippet’s favor. And so, he headed to the adjacent communal bathroom to freshen up.

  A warm summer breeze gently embraced the nd, making the bdes of grass dance to and fro.

  Arriving down by the ke, he could already see the small gathering from afar, sitting on a spread-out bnket. One had to hand it to the old fogey: the food, id out on numerous small ptters, looked more than delicious. And Tom had to admit to himself that Dippet had put in a great deal of effort.While Dippet was cheerfully pying cards with the new, young teacher, the strange but very beautiful girl y on the bnket, her gaze dreamily fixed toward the sky.

  "There you are, Tom!" Dippet called out to him from a distance. "We’ve been waiting for you!"

  With a quick pace, he reached the small group. He first politely greeted the young woman, then the Headmaster, who gestured toward the bnket where Tom sat down not far from Luna. He whispered a polite greeting to her as well, though she didn't seem to hear him at all, so lost was she in her thoughts.

  "So," Dippet said, rubbing his hands. "Now that we are all accounted for, the picnic is officially open."

  "I’m not hungry," Luna breathed softly.

  "Won’t you at least try a little something?" Menie tried to encourage her to eat. But Luna shook her head, while her gaze lost itself somewhere in the vastness of the summer sky.

  "As always," the young woman whispered to the Headmaster. "Her head is quite literally in the clouds," whereupon he let out a soft chuckle.

  "Help yourself, Tom," Dippet announced in his direction, but immediately turned back to his strawberry tart and the young witch, who was also nibbling on a chocote-covered strawberry. He paid Tom no further mind.

  "Great," the Heir of Slytherin thought to himself. Why had he even been invited here if, in the end, he was just pushed into a corner with this strange girl so that the honorable Headmaster could spend time with the young woman in peace?

  In silence, he turned to Luna, who still seemed to have her head in the clouds. Then a thought struck him... with a malicious smile on his lips, he gnced at Dippet and the witch... then back to Luna...The Headmaster and the girl’s sister thought that he and Luna had made love in the Forbidden Forest st night... and he now decided to give them both a proper reason for their insinuations...Without warning, he leaned over the strange but very, very beautiful girl...

  Lips as delicate as a spring blossom met his as he softly breathed a kiss onto her beautiful mouth... it was electrifying.Luna suddenly caught her breath... without warning, the boy who had stolen into her fantasies had pced his well-formed lips - lips that seemed made for kissing - upon hers. Time shattered in that instant; it ceased to exist.

  As if she had fallen into a dream - a sweet, wondrous dream - she, too, reached out without warning, running her fingers through his midnight-bck hair and pulling him down... as if it had always been this way between them. As if it were a w of nature. Something that could never be otherwise.

  He was surprised... but then again, he wasn't—almost as if it had always been meant to be.

  Not far from them, a more than startled gasp could be heard. Menie felt as though she might choke on her tea from the shock, while the Headmaster had to suppress a chuckle. For he was truly not surprised...Horrified, the young teacher looked at the Headmaster, then back to her supposed little sister, who was lost in a kiss... a kiss with this brazen boy, as she judged him.

  Dippet pced a steadying hand on her shoulder, gesturing for her not to disturb them. Instead, he turned away, and Menie followed suit. He did not wish to intrude upon the "lovers." He reached for the deck of cards again, shuffled them, and thus opened a new round of the game.

  A strange part of Tom wanted this kiss never to end, yet he gently drew away from her lips. With a dreamy smile, she looked at him with her aquamarine eyes.He turned toward the Headmaster and the young teacher. Once again, a malicious smile pyed on his lips. Now, at least, he had given them a reason for their insinuations, Tom noted with satisfaction. Then his gaze drifted back to Luna, who had once again traveled far away in her thoughts. He wanted to brush a blonde strand of hair from her face but decided against it, stretching out silently beside her on the bnket.

  His gaze was fixed on the sky, where thick white clouds raced across an azure firmament. The silence felt almost loud to him. But he would find words if she were to mention the kiss...

  "It was strange..." she began, pausing lost in thought. "It was so strangely familiar - so strangely familiar - don't you think?" she whispered into the sky.

  He turned to her, questioning. He had expected anything but that. She seemed to be full of surprises.

  "What do you mean?" he whispered just as softly.

  "The kiss. It was so familiar...", Luna didn't know how to describe or expin it to him, so she fell silent again.

  Tom thought about her words... and yes, she was right.

  The afternoon drifted away like the birds in the sky above them. By now, Menie had recovered from her initial shock. Tom and Luna had joined her and the Headmaster; together they pyed cards and listened to the anecdotes of days long past that Dippet shared. Even Tom, in time, found enjoyment in the small circle.

  "What do you think of a little stroll by the ke?" the Headmaster asked the group.

  "We’d love to!", Luna and the young teacher said as one.

  Chatting and ughing, Dippet and Menie walked a good distance ahead, while Tom intentionally let himself fall back. Luna did the same.

  "Well? Are you coming tonight?" he asked quietly.

  She nodded silently.

  "You wanted to annoy them. Why?", Luna asked into the summer wind.

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. But in the next moment, he had composed himself. "Because I chose to. I don't care for insinuations," he replied with a shrug.

  Luna remained silent and looked at the ground.

  The evening had softly awakened, announcing the approaching night.

  By now, they had reached the castle grounds again. With a flick of his wand, Dippet made the picnic basket and the food vanish back to the castle kitchens. Then they slowly made their way inside.Having arrived at the point in the castle where their paths diverged, Tom pulled her close by the hand. "In the same pce as yesterday, shortly before midnight," he whispered and vanished into the darkness of the corridors with a polite "Good night." With the eyes of an Argus, Menie had observed the little scene, and she sensed nothing good coming of it...

  "Ladies. It was a more than wonderful conclusion to the day. And I hope that we may enjoy such a beautiful picnic in pleasant company again," with a wink toward Luna, he too disappeared into the endless hallways...Pulling a dreamy Luna behind her, Menie also headed toward their quarters.

  Note: Dippet is a very interesting character who knows more than he lets on. I was actually surprised myself, as I never would have thought it! But what I saw before my 'mind’s eye' will only be revealed to you readers much ter.