Author's Note: Umm . . . I would
like to ask everyone to be patient with this fic - it's a different sort
of story (?) that I've done this time. I suppose it could be categorized
as a romance, which I've never really had much success with. But
please read anyway?
~
Out of doors, a cool breeze swept across the land, flying through the mountains
and making tree branches sway violently. Leaves rustled, clinging
helplessly to the great arms that would soon be completely bare and devoid
of autumn color. Grasses bent their heads, paying homage to this
invisible force that was so much stronger than they, and a bird - on his
way to winter in a warmer section of the globe, no doubt - squawked loudly
before swooping across the sky.
And, through all this, one of shining silver brilliance watched over all.
Her face gleamed and sparkled as she laughed one minute at the trials of
the mortals who dwelt below her, and wept the next moment with grief because
of their foolishness. Hundreds of names were associated with this
grand argent disc, though to many she remained, simply, as the Moon.
He paused for but a brief instant to take in her magnanimity, looking upon
her from the very window through which her light poured. It flooded
the stone path of the hallway, and from her reach the shadows fled into
corners. He'd not seen her so full since last month, and yet it seemed
that it was in this form that she greeted him every evening as he passed
by.
"Adieu, my friend," he whispered softly, turning away. The thousands
of stars that hovered about her seemed to wink at his retreating back,
but he took no notice. He could tarry no longer.
Though he walked across hard flagstones, the sound of his footsteps were
muffled and silent, however fast they went. At the end of the corridor
he turned left, and, climbing the flight of stairs that rose before him,
wondered: How many nights have I made this trip? When did I first
pass this way?
Passing behind a tapestry woven with the colorful forms of a witch and
wizard in Medieval attire, he found himself in an archway wanting for even
the faintest of lights; a mahogany door with an antique brass knocker stood
within arm's reach. Eyes adjusting to the dimness, he felt the familiar
ache forming in his chest, just as it always did before he crossed through
that wooden entrance, and he was bewildered, if only for a moment.
"Enough hesitating," he muttered to himself. Then he reached out
and turned the knob. The door opened soundlessly; it hadn't been
locked - it was never locked. Not until he came to turn the bolt
and seal himself inside. And then he breathed, quietly at first,
before he spotted her. She was there.
~
Yes, she was there, and it was a comfort to him. A comfort that made
him uneasy, because he hated the peaceful serenity that they shared during
the dark, lonely nights in the room. He hated the fact that he was
drawn there no matter how he set his mind against it. He hated her.
"You came." Her back was turned to him, and she stared out at the
dark world. The Moon had yet to shine upon this part of the castle
tonight, though she suspected it wouldn't be much longer before that
lovely orb would reposition herself.
He tore his gaze away from her with a derisive snort. Her statement
seemed an inane one in his mind. "Of course I came. I always
come, don't I?" he demanded harshly.
Wrapping her arms around her torso, she faced him, her head bent.
"Yes. Yes, you do," she whispered, uncertainty in her voice.
"But why do you come?" Finally she raised her face, looking
him in the eye as she took the tentative steps towards him. She paused
less than a foot away. "Why do we do this? To ourselves, to
each other. Why?"
"I don't know," came the reply as he pulled her into his arms. And
it was true - he didn't have the answer for her, or for himself, and for
the first time he realized she was as confused as he by the mess they'd
gotten themselves into.
And as their lips met in the darkness of her bedroom, they forgot all feelings
of hatred that were normally reserved for the inquisitive scrutiny of the
students, the professors - of the world. All they knew now was the
painful burning of new love that must be kept hidden away in the chambers
of the heart out of the fear of discovery, disapproval, and criticism.
~
The rays of the Moon glinted on her bare skin, bathing her in the pale
silver light as they lay together, tangled in the silken sheets of the
four-poster bed. Her head rested on his chest, listening to the beat
of his heart, as he ran a hand through her long tousled hair.
The question burned in his mind, and without his consent it escaped from
his mouth. "Do you love me?"
She jerked in surprise, then raised her gaze to meet his. "I - no,"
she answered flatly, for to say the opposite - and thus reveal her heart
- would truly be the end of them.
"Oh . . . fine." His heart sank then, though he refused to show it.
With much effort, he added, "That's fine, then, as I don't love you, either.
It won't complicate things."
But, of course, this, too, was a lie, and the Moon wept for both man and
woman. There were many secrets of the night that begged to be kept
hidden, and she would never tell. She only wished that mortals showed
the honesty that she herself possessed, because as everyone knows, the
Moon tells no lies.
~
Author's Note: No, I won't say
who the couple is. I know who I want it to be, even though
I'm sure there are people who would disagree with me on this. Review
and let me know who y'all think it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
and co. . . . and I don't own the moon, so there!
~
