Newt was running breathlessly in the courtyard of the castle. At his heels, Leta followed him closely, her boots crisscrossing the gravel under her feet.
"Come back here! Stop!" a hoarse voice shrieked from the gardens.
Fortunately, the castle's heavy double entrance door had remained open. Undoubtedly the old Picott, the caretaker of Hogwarts, had forgotten to close it when he went out on his beat. And now the poor man was running after two young runaways who cheerfully used his carelessness to flee from him.

In the Entrance Hall which was particularly dark because of the extinguished torches, Newt stopped abruptly before being hit hard by Leta who couldn't anticipate this sudden stop. Forcing himself to keep calm, the young man made a quick examination of the situation. There was the great marble staircase leading to the upper floors in front of them. The temptation was great to take it in order to hide into the labyrinth of corridors of the 1st floor. Only, Picott would have the same idea as them and follow them for sure. Not the staircase, then. On the East wall was the door leading to the dungeons and thus, among other things, to the Slytherin common room. The worst idea for place to hide; No doubt, if Picott didn't choose the staircase, the old caretaker would run into the Slytherins. To the south, the door leading to Hufflepuff common room and kitchens. Newt knew very well that the kitchens were often lively, whatever the hour of day or night, so there was a great risk of encountering someone capable of giving the alarm by passing that door. All that remained was the great dark door, to the right, the one leading to the Great Hall... But where to hide in this place ? Hearing the steps of the caretaker approaching dangerously, Newt turned desperately towards Leta. The latter knew Newt's thoughts and understood the problem he was facing with the simple glance that the young man threw to her. She lowered her eyes wildly before looking into the eyes of the young man, her face illuminated by a sudden saving idea.

"The Chamber of Reception." Whispered the young woman
Immediately Newt, blessing her friend's lively and inventive mind, took her hand and dragged her all the way to the Great Hall. The huge room was illuminated only by the starry ceiling. At the back, behind the professors table, there was a small door, almost invisible. The couple rushed to it. The room was no larger than a child's bedroom. The floor was covered with dust, a large stone fireplace occupied the half of the space and many paintings carpeted almost all the walls.

Out of breath, the two young teens froze, waiting for any suspicious noise coming from the Great Hall. A minute passed, the silence only punctuated by their breaths when suddenly a nasal voice emerged.

"Hey! You, what are you doing here ?!"
The two students turned their faces abruptly towards an old dark painting on their left, a little higher than the boy's head. A man with a mad look, an aquiline nose and messy hair looked at them with suspicious eyes. On the frame was engraved in gold letters : Boris the Bewildered.
"Students are not allowed in this room! Get out! Get out now!
-Please, a little less noise..." Newt begged him with a sincere and respectful look.
"Less noise?! You have a hell of a nerve young man!
-I beg you...
-It's a serious breach of Hogwarts rules!"
"Please, Mister... Mister the Bewildered."
-Don't call me like that!" The man yelled, louder than ever.
Leta turned toward him and threw him a dark look.
"Will he shut up?" She snapped, her teeth clenched.
"How can this girl dare to speak like that to a man like me?"
Resigned, Newt approached the painting and turned it face down against the wall stifling the cries of the noisy Boris the Bewildered.

The minutes went by fast without any noise suggesting that Picott had come in the Great Hall. Newt, shattering his almost perfect immobility that he had held since he had returned the painting, slightly opened the door of the antechamber in order to take a look in the Great Hall. Everything was quiet, there was no trace of a living being .
"He must have gone upstairs..." He whispered, closing the door. His gaze turned towards Leta. The latter wore a broad smile. Unable to restrain himself any longer, the young man burst out laughing. An infectious laugh which also won the young woman.
"Oh my God, Newt... You should have seen your face when we heard Picott earlier!
-What about you! Your face turned white in a split second!"

The couple kept laughing in silence, releasing the tension stored in their bodies since their crazy race in the park of the castle.
"Well... Anyway, we finally found this augureys nest..." Newt sighed, a little more quiet. "We'll come back to it next week..."
-Did you notice? There were two small birds." Leta said, leaning against one of the walls to help her to remain some calm.
"Yes I did! It is so rare! I didn't think that it was possible to find a nest in the park..."

A complete silence fell in the small room then Newt straightened up.
"Well... I... I'll go first. Just wait a few minutes before getting back in the dungeons."
He opened the door again, glanced outside and then turned towards Leta. He approached her and took her hands in his.
In November 1912, Newt and Leta were in fifth year and were respectively 15 and 14 years old (although the girl claimed she already was 15, being born at the end of the calendar year). The two young people had known each other for four years. Four long and at the same time so short years to grow together, laugh together, cry together. Their nocturnal escapes, as well as their many experiences and discoveries, had forged among them an unfailing friendship which, for both of them, had saved them from a deep loneliness. A friendship punctuated by tender gestures, embraces and sweet words. Were they lovers? They didn't really think about it, they were still children after all. Friends who loved being close to each other, that's what they were. The mature society and its stifling carcans would soon judge their relationship amoral. A kind of relationship at such a young age, escaping parental gazes and so close to sinking into human sins... That wasn't done! Whatever, we do nothing wrong! Thought Newt and Leta together.
Since a few months, they used to kiss each night before joining their respective dormitories. First kisses on the cheeks then on the lips. An evolution without calculation, quite natural.

Recently, Newt surpassed Leta by a few centimeters. A height difference that was born during the summer on the occasion of a spurt of growth of the young man. The latter, his hands still in Leta's, lowered his head and put his lips on hers. The kiss, at first chaste, became more and more intense. Leta moved slightly closer to Newt and the latter felt his cheeks flush. An intense feeling of well being was born deep inside his belly. Leta put an end to the kiss. Without moving back, she lowered her eyes, seeming suddenly shy. Newt, meanwhile, recognized a feeling he felt for a few weeks now every time Leta put her lips on his mouth ; Frustration. Unlike to previous years, the young man, if he had to choose, would never have put an end to one of their kisses. Unfortunately, daily life in a Scottish boarding school at the beginning of the 20th century didn't often give him the choice. Whether the school is magic or not, there were rules and especially morals to respect under penalty sanctions...
Newt, frustrated and red-faced at the same time, took Leta in his arms to avoid crossing her eyes.
"Hm... I have to go..." He whispered before starting to back off. Leta's voice stopped him in his movement.
"Or... Or else..." The young girl has begun to stutter, in a shrill voice.
"Yes?" Newt rushed to take over, too happy to stay a few more seconds with his friend.
"Doesn't matter.
-Tell me!" The young man heartened her with a wharm smile.
"No, it's stupid."

Acting so shy wasn't in the habit of Leta. Newt felt fascinated. Which thought made her so embarrassed? The curious mind of the young man would have given everything to discover this mystery. On the other hand, Newt didn't want to make Leta more mortified than she was already, and decided not to insist, regretfully.
"Ok. So... Have a good night, see you tomorrow." He gently stroked her cheek then turned. Scarcely had he made a few steps in the Great Hall than he heard again Leta's shy voice.
"Or else we do not go back to our dormitories..." It was an almost inaudible whisper.
Newt's heart suddenly accelerated. He looked at her.
"What... What?
-Oh! Uh... No, it's just that... Actually, it's always too hot in my dormitory and... Well... Magdalena snores and... " There the girl panicked as she realized what she was saying to his friend. Feeling Newt's gaze on her, she lowered her eyes again. "Sorry. That's... Wrong."

Newt, disregarding any embarrassment, shyness or propriety, rushed to Leta and took her hands again.
"No! No... It's... That's good..." He'd have liked to appear confident and reassure her with a masculine authority, but he couldn't. His voice was just as hesitant as the young woman's one.
"It's not done..." she whispered again.
"That doesn't matter..."
Everything was said. It wasn't a big deal. A small grin appeared on Leta's lips.
"I... I figured that Picott didn't recognize us anyway, he won't check our dorms so... It doesn't change anything.
-Right."

Their whispers stopped and a complete silence fell again in the small room. What to do now? What to say? Newt had no idea how to act in such a situation. He felt his hands were more and more sweaty and he bit his lips mechanically, an old habit he had when he was in stressful situation of any kind. As he began to think seriously about taking to his heels and leaving this place as soon as possible, Boris the Bewildered's cries resonated in the small room from his painting, always turned towards the wall.
"Well, we're not gonna stay here all night, aren't we?" He smiled. Relieved to hear the sound of his voice, Leta gazed into his eyes and smiled too. "Where are we going ?" He asked.
"The Room of Requirement?" Leta suggested After a moment of reflection.
"Perfect!"