As they walked along the path home, Hanschen let Ernst babble away about Latin and the beauty of the pastures as they passed them by.

"And when the sun begins to set, just over the horizon, I want to run through the fields, skipping and singing songs, and then lie down in the middle of the grass and just gaze up at the sky. Wouldn't that be nice?" Ernst turned to Hanschen, waiting for a response. Hanschen couldn't help laughing to himself. The boy was completely serious. Ernst was so idealistic, so foolish, and yet Hanschen could not resist being drawn to him. There was something fresh, something incredibly endearing in all his innocence, that made Hanschen want him all the more. He wanted to steal that innocence, not to hurt him, but to educate him. To open up a whole new world to him that he could only have ever glimpsed in his darkest dreams.

"I like the bit about lying down," Hanschen finally replied, half smirking. But Ernst didn't seem to notice.

Just then, a chill breeze unexpectedly stirred the air, whipping the boys' hair about their faces and causing their skin to tingle with the cold.

"Brrr!" Ernst said, shivering slightly. Hanschen, never one to let an opportunity go wasted, skillfully slipped his arm around Ernst's shoulders and pulled him near.

"Stay close," he purred softly in Ernest's ear, "And we'll keep warm together."

Hanschen was too busy pulling Ernest tight to his side to see the boy gulp.