Chapter Three
Saint Napoleon
The years grew shorter as they often do when you get older. We didn't go back to the same school after Petunia got back from the hospital. Mum and Dad thought it wasn't safe. Especially when they found out that Adrian had a thing against me too.
Then my letter from Hogwarts came. Petunia stayed very clear from that hullabaloo. She didn't blame me for what happened to Adrian, but she still thought that magic was very dangerous. Mum and Dad were so exited for me they through me a party because of it. The letter had told them not to inform any of my Muggle friends that I was a witch so they invited them under the pretence of me leaving for school. Making up creative excuses never was their forte.
Through out the entire day I couldn't help but feel Petunia's gaze burning into the back of my head. As soon as most of the guests had left I went over to her. She stood against the living room wall with her arms crossed. "What's wrong," I asked her.
"Nothing," she said. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
She shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter right now. Congratulations."
"Thanks. I'm so glad I know that I'm not going mad now."
Petunia gave a very forced hallow laugh. She looked at her feet, her face drawn down like a melting wax portrait. I didn't know at the time what was wrong but I wasn't about to just stand there and feel sorry for her. I looked around at the dwindling crowed and found that an old "friend" that I just kept around for prestige was still there. Petunia had always hated her. I poked her on the shoulder of her red sweeter and whispered in her ear, "You know I'm thinking of doing something very wicked before I leave?"
Petunia instantly lifted her head, her eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "I'm listening."
"You see Lexein over there? Standing by the refreshments, stuffing her face?"
"Yeah."
I leaned in very close to her and whispered my plan in such low terms that even she had to strain to hear me. Less then a minute latter we were at Lexein's side. "So, Lexein, enjoying yourself?" Petunia asked cordially.
Lexein turned her head and looked Petunia up and down. "Oh, I thought the circus had already come to take you away."
"I wouldn't let my tongue be so loose if I were you."
"Why not," she asked pompously.
"Because a certain something might get upset. Your right you know, something did come to take me away. But it wasn't the circus. I've just had a monitoring device driven into my skull. It monitors my emotions and thoughts and all too easily I could have a certain someone killed. Alexandria sends her regards."
Alexandria was her older sister. She had run away more then a year ago but Lexein was convinced that she had been abducted by aliens. "Shut up you freak," she said, shacking in fear.
I was crouched under the table and in a very low voice a whispered, "Help me. Please, Lexein, don't let them take me."
Lexein nearly wet her pants as she ran backward toward the door and out into the night. Petunia and I stood laughing until our sides hurt. She put her hand up and I gave her a high five. "So what do you think it'll be like over there?"
"Oh, I have no idea. All I know is that the headmaster is someone called Dumbledore. It's going to be strange, sleeping with a bunch of other girls, not being able to go home for dinner."
"Lily, you're going to a school for magic and you think that is going to be strange?"
Oh she was more then a little right about that. The first night there I walked through a ghost, met a seven foot tall man, got my foot trapped in a trick step, carried on a very verbose conversation with a panting, and eat dinner under the light of several hundred floating candles. I got into the habit of sneaking out at night and exploring the forest around the grounds, which was forbidden to all pupils, and for very good reasons. There are giant spiders, vampires, and gargoyles in there, among other things. I met James on one of my expeditions, but like I said that's another story. I took to my classes very easily.
I didn't exactly hold fast to Hogwarts rule of refraining from using magic at home when the school year was over. My ability to turn tea cups into rats didn't seem to amuse Petunia as much as it did my parents; as a matter of fact it seemed to make her a bit weary of me. I would reverently talk about James to her even before I fell for him. I didn't realize it at the time but even though she was three years younger then me, hearing me talk about James made Petunia feel like there was a hole in her soul. But then she didn't have to live with that feeling for very long, because at the tender age of thirteen, she met Napoleon.
Petunia was in a public library after school on a crisp fall day. It was an unusually warm day with a light breeze that ruffled the leaves, falling like a thick gold and brown rain. With arms full of books, and a heart unusually full of hope, she left the library. Then, vision obstructed by a timely leaf, Petunia ran head long into him. Books and papers went flying every where and they both hit the floor.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" were his first words to her, "Here let me help you pick these up."
Half way through picking up her history homework she looked up at the mystery man she had nearly sent flying to the moon. Her fist reaction was to gasp. It was him, the man from her dream, right down to the last strand of sandy hair.
"Are you all right?" he asked uncertainly.
Petunia could only vaguely nod for shock. After a few seconds of gaping into those painfully beautiful eyes she came to her senses. She looked back down, 'Get a grip on yourself, Petunia. He's probably nothing like-Oh dear God.' The last book she had picked up sent her reeling strait to loony vill: Tales of passion 30 years of collected romantic poetry. "You read poetry?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yeah, well sort of. I'm only reading it because Madam Enose thought it would help me with my portrayal of Romeo."
"You act?"
"Dance. Ballet. Personally I don't think Shakespeare should be messed with. But she seems to like it."
That was too much for Petunia, and her legs gave way beneath her. He caught her in a flash; the only thing Petunia could think was 'Holly shit! '
"Are you sure you're all right? Hear, why don't we sit down for a moment? The kids will understand."
"Kids?" Petunia asked as she was led to a bench a few feet away.
"I read to the kids in there every Wednesday. They're adorable."
"Oh, really?" The idea of having children was the most beautiful idea Petunia ever had the pleaser of wrapping her brain around. Sometimes it was the only thing to keep her going. He like children, and looked exactly like the man from her dreams. That was worth at least a little intrigue.
Petunia was very mature for her age, full and pretty. She smuggled herself back into the library to watch him read. He glowed around the children and said every word with passion. Petunia blushed like a rose when he looked up and saw her. He smiled and winked, which made every molecule in Petunia's body quiver pleasantly in embarrassment. She had never felt so happy, so young, or so alive.
Petunia crawled along the book shelves when he made to leave. She kept low to the ground so he wouldn't see her, which attracted the attention of several curious children. She smiled at them and put her finger to her lips. She then looked down the library and waited until he had left before making her move. A bush right outside the library hid her as she fallowed him with her eyes. He got onto a black motorcycle with a red flame painted across the side. It rumbled passed her and she caught another gimps of him through his rearview mirror.
Her trek continued threw out the day. She watched at a distance as he mailed some letters, did his laundry, visited a friend, and cashed his check. She wasn't the best of stalkers and he soon started to notice that she was fallowing him.
He was at the grocery store when he let her know that he knew. Petunia kept one aisle over to him and rushed down to the other end when he changed aisles. He threw a can of tomato soup into his cart and moved to the next aisle. Petunia ran down the rows of canned food and poked her head around the corner to find herself face to face with her blue eyed, sandy haired babe.
He smiled coyly and said, "Are you fallowing me?"
Petunia was quick to recover this time and said, "Are watching me?"
His smile grew and after a second he said, "You first."
"No you," Petunia said immediately.
He looked at her for a moment, just as lost in her gaze as she was in his. "You really are a weird one," he said, shaking his head and wheeling his cart off in the opposite direction.
Petunia fallowed and said, "You didn't answer my question."
"Neither did you," he said without a backward glance.
Petunia ran around and put her hands on either side of his cart. She had to find out if he were real, she had to figure out if she had finally lost it or if her dream had finally come true. "Answer the question."
He thought for a moment and then said, "Only if you promise to answer mine."
Petunia bowed her head.
"Yes." He said quickly.
Petunia smiled and then said, "Yes."
After a minute of blind staring he asked, "Would you like to get a cup of coffee?"
He took her to the coffee shop across the street from his apartment. It was a cozy place with a lot of old pictures and everyone seemed to know each other. After the third woman waved merrily to him she asked, "Drink a lot of coffee?"
"Oh yeah, I'm hear every morning, and evening, and afternoon actually."
"I'll remember that. Coffee drinkers are always up to no good. So what's your name anyway?"
"Napoleon. Napoleon McArgea. You?"
"Petunia. You don't look very short to me."
He laughed and said, "I don't normally go by Napoleon. We moved around a lot when I was little. I was always the new kid in school and since it was similar to my given name the kids called me Neo. As it turns out the name that was created out of a joke is the name everyone calls me, including my parents."
"Neo. I like it," Petunia said.
Neo shook his head and said, "Have I met you before?"
"I could never forget your face." She blushed the second the words fell out of her mouth. For some reason it had sounded a lot less corny in her own head.
"Is that a line?"
"No. I don't use lines. Lovers come and go. The only love that's eternal is the one between families."
"Lovers can't have eternal love?" he asked rhetorically. He leaned closer and whispered, "Are you up for incest, sister."
"Maybe."
Neo walked Petunia all the way home that night. He gave her his phone number and then tried to kiss her. Petunia grabbed the handle and backed up through the door before Neo could touch her. She stood in the frame and clicked her tongue at him, shaking her finger playfully. She closed the door on his face and slid down to the floor, letting her smile illuminate the darkened room like a ray of sunshine
Not to sound like a bad Hallmark card, but Neo and Petunia were meant to meet, to fall in love, to dream the same dreams. Their destiny has been intertwined from the beginning of time. This was most apparent when they shared their first kiss. Neo took her to his grandfather's orchard for spring brake, a cherry grove. All the flowers were in bloom, and dropping like the feathers of so many patron saints. The sky an ebony so clear you could see to the end of the universe and back. Stars to make the soul weep, and a sent to make the heart sing. And the full moon hung in the air like the eye of a goddess starring and smiling at them. They walked hand in hand, Petunia's head on Neo's chest.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked roguishly.
"You'll see," he said. "It's a secret."
"That doesn't make me feel overly confident."
"Don't worry, love. You'll like it," he said, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. That look always made Petunia wither.
Slowly they made their way through the orchard. Finally they reached a place were the view was obstructed by a large white blanket tide to two trees. Petunia looked at him in an opened mouth smile.
"What are you playing at?" she said.
"Close your eyes," he said in a low, sensual voice. "Go on, close them."
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes.
"Now, make a wish."
"Neo, this is silly!" she said, laughing.
"Make a wish," he repeated.
Giggling to the pit of her stomach she gave in and made a wish, 'I wish... I wish to spend all my life with Neo.' "Okay, there. Happy, now?"
Neo took her hand and laggardly walked her through the blanket, making her want to pop with excitement and giddiness like a mercury thermometer. They stopped.
"Keep them closed," he said as Petunia tried to peek. "'Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee; sounds of the rude world heard in the day, lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away! Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, list while I woo thee with soft melody; gone are the cares of life's busy throng-- beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie; over the streamlet vapors are borne, waiting to fade at the bright coming morn. Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart, e'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea; then will all clouds of sorrow depart-- beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"
That was it. She was finished. It didn't matter what he showed her now. She would adore it even if it were a barrel full of dead, skinned snakes with fly's buzzing all around them. She'd welcome it with open arms and kiss it with candy apple lips.
"Beautiful dreamer," he whispered, "open your eyes."
"Oh my God!" she said through clasped hands. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real! How? How in haven's name did he know?! It was her gazebo! She gapped open mouthed, looking from Neo to this impossible scene.
Neo stood in front of her, one hand behind his back, the other held out for her's. "Shall we dance?"
Petunia, who was now close to tears, couldn't answer. She took his hand and was led onto the delicate, see through floor.
"Do you like it?" he asked her after a few minutes. "My grandfather, after he met my grandmother, had it mad for their wedding. They've spent every anniversary dancing underneath it ever since," he posed then went on. "I know this is going to sound a little mad, but, I've dreamt about this place ever since I was little. Not just of my grandparents, not just a vague vision of fairy tale love. It was exactly like this, the stars, the trees, the sounds, the moon... you."
Petunia stopped dancing and stood, looking at him. "You're not serious?"
"I'm very serious. I've memorized every one of your curves in my dreams, and daydreams. You do like it, don't you?"
"I couldn't not like it if I tried," she put her head back on Neo's chest and felt that she was going to float off the face of the Earth, "Kiss me," she said abruptly.
"What?"
"Kiss me," she repeated. "So I know it isn't a dream. For as long as I've lived I've seen this moment too. I've seen you, as perfect and brilliant as you are. I thought you were an angel. I thought you were there to protect me, to keep me sane," a tear scuttled down her face as she spoke. "I didn't think you were really real. Even after I met you I--" but she couldn't speak after that. In a great animal show of heavenly passion he kissed her. Days could have passed without ether of them noticing; locked in the glorious rays of absolute devotion. To Petunia it was so magnificent it was painful. For the fist time in a long time, she was truly alive.
Saint Napoleon
The years grew shorter as they often do when you get older. We didn't go back to the same school after Petunia got back from the hospital. Mum and Dad thought it wasn't safe. Especially when they found out that Adrian had a thing against me too.
Then my letter from Hogwarts came. Petunia stayed very clear from that hullabaloo. She didn't blame me for what happened to Adrian, but she still thought that magic was very dangerous. Mum and Dad were so exited for me they through me a party because of it. The letter had told them not to inform any of my Muggle friends that I was a witch so they invited them under the pretence of me leaving for school. Making up creative excuses never was their forte.
Through out the entire day I couldn't help but feel Petunia's gaze burning into the back of my head. As soon as most of the guests had left I went over to her. She stood against the living room wall with her arms crossed. "What's wrong," I asked her.
"Nothing," she said. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
She shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter right now. Congratulations."
"Thanks. I'm so glad I know that I'm not going mad now."
Petunia gave a very forced hallow laugh. She looked at her feet, her face drawn down like a melting wax portrait. I didn't know at the time what was wrong but I wasn't about to just stand there and feel sorry for her. I looked around at the dwindling crowed and found that an old "friend" that I just kept around for prestige was still there. Petunia had always hated her. I poked her on the shoulder of her red sweeter and whispered in her ear, "You know I'm thinking of doing something very wicked before I leave?"
Petunia instantly lifted her head, her eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "I'm listening."
"You see Lexein over there? Standing by the refreshments, stuffing her face?"
"Yeah."
I leaned in very close to her and whispered my plan in such low terms that even she had to strain to hear me. Less then a minute latter we were at Lexein's side. "So, Lexein, enjoying yourself?" Petunia asked cordially.
Lexein turned her head and looked Petunia up and down. "Oh, I thought the circus had already come to take you away."
"I wouldn't let my tongue be so loose if I were you."
"Why not," she asked pompously.
"Because a certain something might get upset. Your right you know, something did come to take me away. But it wasn't the circus. I've just had a monitoring device driven into my skull. It monitors my emotions and thoughts and all too easily I could have a certain someone killed. Alexandria sends her regards."
Alexandria was her older sister. She had run away more then a year ago but Lexein was convinced that she had been abducted by aliens. "Shut up you freak," she said, shacking in fear.
I was crouched under the table and in a very low voice a whispered, "Help me. Please, Lexein, don't let them take me."
Lexein nearly wet her pants as she ran backward toward the door and out into the night. Petunia and I stood laughing until our sides hurt. She put her hand up and I gave her a high five. "So what do you think it'll be like over there?"
"Oh, I have no idea. All I know is that the headmaster is someone called Dumbledore. It's going to be strange, sleeping with a bunch of other girls, not being able to go home for dinner."
"Lily, you're going to a school for magic and you think that is going to be strange?"
Oh she was more then a little right about that. The first night there I walked through a ghost, met a seven foot tall man, got my foot trapped in a trick step, carried on a very verbose conversation with a panting, and eat dinner under the light of several hundred floating candles. I got into the habit of sneaking out at night and exploring the forest around the grounds, which was forbidden to all pupils, and for very good reasons. There are giant spiders, vampires, and gargoyles in there, among other things. I met James on one of my expeditions, but like I said that's another story. I took to my classes very easily.
I didn't exactly hold fast to Hogwarts rule of refraining from using magic at home when the school year was over. My ability to turn tea cups into rats didn't seem to amuse Petunia as much as it did my parents; as a matter of fact it seemed to make her a bit weary of me. I would reverently talk about James to her even before I fell for him. I didn't realize it at the time but even though she was three years younger then me, hearing me talk about James made Petunia feel like there was a hole in her soul. But then she didn't have to live with that feeling for very long, because at the tender age of thirteen, she met Napoleon.
Petunia was in a public library after school on a crisp fall day. It was an unusually warm day with a light breeze that ruffled the leaves, falling like a thick gold and brown rain. With arms full of books, and a heart unusually full of hope, she left the library. Then, vision obstructed by a timely leaf, Petunia ran head long into him. Books and papers went flying every where and they both hit the floor.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" were his first words to her, "Here let me help you pick these up."
Half way through picking up her history homework she looked up at the mystery man she had nearly sent flying to the moon. Her fist reaction was to gasp. It was him, the man from her dream, right down to the last strand of sandy hair.
"Are you all right?" he asked uncertainly.
Petunia could only vaguely nod for shock. After a few seconds of gaping into those painfully beautiful eyes she came to her senses. She looked back down, 'Get a grip on yourself, Petunia. He's probably nothing like-Oh dear God.' The last book she had picked up sent her reeling strait to loony vill: Tales of passion 30 years of collected romantic poetry. "You read poetry?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yeah, well sort of. I'm only reading it because Madam Enose thought it would help me with my portrayal of Romeo."
"You act?"
"Dance. Ballet. Personally I don't think Shakespeare should be messed with. But she seems to like it."
That was too much for Petunia, and her legs gave way beneath her. He caught her in a flash; the only thing Petunia could think was 'Holly shit! '
"Are you sure you're all right? Hear, why don't we sit down for a moment? The kids will understand."
"Kids?" Petunia asked as she was led to a bench a few feet away.
"I read to the kids in there every Wednesday. They're adorable."
"Oh, really?" The idea of having children was the most beautiful idea Petunia ever had the pleaser of wrapping her brain around. Sometimes it was the only thing to keep her going. He like children, and looked exactly like the man from her dreams. That was worth at least a little intrigue.
Petunia was very mature for her age, full and pretty. She smuggled herself back into the library to watch him read. He glowed around the children and said every word with passion. Petunia blushed like a rose when he looked up and saw her. He smiled and winked, which made every molecule in Petunia's body quiver pleasantly in embarrassment. She had never felt so happy, so young, or so alive.
Petunia crawled along the book shelves when he made to leave. She kept low to the ground so he wouldn't see her, which attracted the attention of several curious children. She smiled at them and put her finger to her lips. She then looked down the library and waited until he had left before making her move. A bush right outside the library hid her as she fallowed him with her eyes. He got onto a black motorcycle with a red flame painted across the side. It rumbled passed her and she caught another gimps of him through his rearview mirror.
Her trek continued threw out the day. She watched at a distance as he mailed some letters, did his laundry, visited a friend, and cashed his check. She wasn't the best of stalkers and he soon started to notice that she was fallowing him.
He was at the grocery store when he let her know that he knew. Petunia kept one aisle over to him and rushed down to the other end when he changed aisles. He threw a can of tomato soup into his cart and moved to the next aisle. Petunia ran down the rows of canned food and poked her head around the corner to find herself face to face with her blue eyed, sandy haired babe.
He smiled coyly and said, "Are you fallowing me?"
Petunia was quick to recover this time and said, "Are watching me?"
His smile grew and after a second he said, "You first."
"No you," Petunia said immediately.
He looked at her for a moment, just as lost in her gaze as she was in his. "You really are a weird one," he said, shaking his head and wheeling his cart off in the opposite direction.
Petunia fallowed and said, "You didn't answer my question."
"Neither did you," he said without a backward glance.
Petunia ran around and put her hands on either side of his cart. She had to find out if he were real, she had to figure out if she had finally lost it or if her dream had finally come true. "Answer the question."
He thought for a moment and then said, "Only if you promise to answer mine."
Petunia bowed her head.
"Yes." He said quickly.
Petunia smiled and then said, "Yes."
After a minute of blind staring he asked, "Would you like to get a cup of coffee?"
He took her to the coffee shop across the street from his apartment. It was a cozy place with a lot of old pictures and everyone seemed to know each other. After the third woman waved merrily to him she asked, "Drink a lot of coffee?"
"Oh yeah, I'm hear every morning, and evening, and afternoon actually."
"I'll remember that. Coffee drinkers are always up to no good. So what's your name anyway?"
"Napoleon. Napoleon McArgea. You?"
"Petunia. You don't look very short to me."
He laughed and said, "I don't normally go by Napoleon. We moved around a lot when I was little. I was always the new kid in school and since it was similar to my given name the kids called me Neo. As it turns out the name that was created out of a joke is the name everyone calls me, including my parents."
"Neo. I like it," Petunia said.
Neo shook his head and said, "Have I met you before?"
"I could never forget your face." She blushed the second the words fell out of her mouth. For some reason it had sounded a lot less corny in her own head.
"Is that a line?"
"No. I don't use lines. Lovers come and go. The only love that's eternal is the one between families."
"Lovers can't have eternal love?" he asked rhetorically. He leaned closer and whispered, "Are you up for incest, sister."
"Maybe."
Neo walked Petunia all the way home that night. He gave her his phone number and then tried to kiss her. Petunia grabbed the handle and backed up through the door before Neo could touch her. She stood in the frame and clicked her tongue at him, shaking her finger playfully. She closed the door on his face and slid down to the floor, letting her smile illuminate the darkened room like a ray of sunshine
Not to sound like a bad Hallmark card, but Neo and Petunia were meant to meet, to fall in love, to dream the same dreams. Their destiny has been intertwined from the beginning of time. This was most apparent when they shared their first kiss. Neo took her to his grandfather's orchard for spring brake, a cherry grove. All the flowers were in bloom, and dropping like the feathers of so many patron saints. The sky an ebony so clear you could see to the end of the universe and back. Stars to make the soul weep, and a sent to make the heart sing. And the full moon hung in the air like the eye of a goddess starring and smiling at them. They walked hand in hand, Petunia's head on Neo's chest.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked roguishly.
"You'll see," he said. "It's a secret."
"That doesn't make me feel overly confident."
"Don't worry, love. You'll like it," he said, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. That look always made Petunia wither.
Slowly they made their way through the orchard. Finally they reached a place were the view was obstructed by a large white blanket tide to two trees. Petunia looked at him in an opened mouth smile.
"What are you playing at?" she said.
"Close your eyes," he said in a low, sensual voice. "Go on, close them."
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes.
"Now, make a wish."
"Neo, this is silly!" she said, laughing.
"Make a wish," he repeated.
Giggling to the pit of her stomach she gave in and made a wish, 'I wish... I wish to spend all my life with Neo.' "Okay, there. Happy, now?"
Neo took her hand and laggardly walked her through the blanket, making her want to pop with excitement and giddiness like a mercury thermometer. They stopped.
"Keep them closed," he said as Petunia tried to peek. "'Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee; sounds of the rude world heard in the day, lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away! Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, list while I woo thee with soft melody; gone are the cares of life's busy throng-- beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie; over the streamlet vapors are borne, waiting to fade at the bright coming morn. Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart, e'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea; then will all clouds of sorrow depart-- beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"
That was it. She was finished. It didn't matter what he showed her now. She would adore it even if it were a barrel full of dead, skinned snakes with fly's buzzing all around them. She'd welcome it with open arms and kiss it with candy apple lips.
"Beautiful dreamer," he whispered, "open your eyes."
"Oh my God!" she said through clasped hands. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real! How? How in haven's name did he know?! It was her gazebo! She gapped open mouthed, looking from Neo to this impossible scene.
Neo stood in front of her, one hand behind his back, the other held out for her's. "Shall we dance?"
Petunia, who was now close to tears, couldn't answer. She took his hand and was led onto the delicate, see through floor.
"Do you like it?" he asked her after a few minutes. "My grandfather, after he met my grandmother, had it mad for their wedding. They've spent every anniversary dancing underneath it ever since," he posed then went on. "I know this is going to sound a little mad, but, I've dreamt about this place ever since I was little. Not just of my grandparents, not just a vague vision of fairy tale love. It was exactly like this, the stars, the trees, the sounds, the moon... you."
Petunia stopped dancing and stood, looking at him. "You're not serious?"
"I'm very serious. I've memorized every one of your curves in my dreams, and daydreams. You do like it, don't you?"
"I couldn't not like it if I tried," she put her head back on Neo's chest and felt that she was going to float off the face of the Earth, "Kiss me," she said abruptly.
"What?"
"Kiss me," she repeated. "So I know it isn't a dream. For as long as I've lived I've seen this moment too. I've seen you, as perfect and brilliant as you are. I thought you were an angel. I thought you were there to protect me, to keep me sane," a tear scuttled down her face as she spoke. "I didn't think you were really real. Even after I met you I--" but she couldn't speak after that. In a great animal show of heavenly passion he kissed her. Days could have passed without ether of them noticing; locked in the glorious rays of absolute devotion. To Petunia it was so magnificent it was painful. For the fist time in a long time, she was truly alive.
