"While its shadowy side is consistently cool and dead, the other side is a searing inferno of rock and craters. Empty and lifeless, cool and burning at the same time, the place revolves around a greater being, which in turn encircles something that dictates its motions and its life. Around, it will follow, until the universe ends, or the star collapses in on itself."

The glowing crescent moon reflected itself in the man's brilliant blue eyes as he gazed with awe at the heavens above from his place upon the grassy knoll. Much too hot for a summer's eve, he'd forgone wearing his robes and, in place of them, clad himself in muggle jeans and a gray t-shirt. Long ago was it that he'd heard his first lecture about the sun, the moon, the earth, all revolving and spinning in a massive chaotic mess of galaxies and gravity. Each was clinging to a sense of force, a need for another that enabled them to live. They could only do so much alone, and without a piece of the chain, the rest would fall apart, catastrophically, and destroy everything held dear.

There were simple things, small little pieces of rock that dictated what others did (and some could even shatter worlds), and then there was a mist of gasses and stone, floating in the vacuum of space. There could be no life without the help of others, from the tiny quarks that held the universe together to the gigantic super giants that could also destroy solar systems. When they 'died' they would either explode in an infinite array of light, dazzling those willing to become spectator to a tragedy to the scientific world, or it could simply burn out and become a lifeless ball, left to sit and take up space, forever darkened to the life that it once held.

Sighing to himself, the man laid back, supporting himself with his elbows, and flitted his eyes around the heavens, then back to the horizon, awaiting Faithe's arrival.

The entire day had been lived in anticipation for the sun to face and the darkness to fall. Every hour had seemed to drift by slower and slower as the afternoon progressed into the evening, and the early evening into night. Tired of the discomforted her school uniform brought, Faithe had exchanged the black uniform for a pair of loose, yellow muggle pajama pants with French phrases written across them, and a semi-fitting white T-shirt. Wearing her flip-flops, she had left her common room a couple hours after nightfall. Though the Athenian preferred the magical world to that of the muggle world, having parents whose business interacted with muggles did have its advantages.

Taking a bottle of water, Faithe slipped out of the quiet common room unnoticed and began her trek to meet Orlando. Her walk would have taken less time, but her eyes had a habit of gazing at the sky, slowing her pace down immensely. Coming to a dead stop, her eyes squinted to the sky as a shooting star dove across the sky. Smiling, she continued on recollecting a book she once read. It was about a shooting star that had fallen to Earth, and a man went in search of it. A small grin spread over her face as the scientific part of her mind picked apart the probability of that happening.

She had almost brought along her telescope, but was glad she hadn't. Faithe had learned over the years that not everything had to be analyzed. As much as she enjoyed watching the stars and running the entire philosophical viewpoint through her mind, the eighteen year old found much serenity in simply enjoying the stars for the beauty they portrayed. Nonetheless, as much as she knew that her wanting to pursue astronomy would never be probable, there was no doubt the heavens would ever stop being her passion.

Reaching the place she was due to meet her Astronomy teacher, Faithe's eyes scanned around, spotting him on the ground. Grinning, she walked over to him quietly, taking a small sip from her water. He wasn't facing her, which made the sneaking up on him easier. The closer she got, the faster she walked until she practically jumped next to him. Sitting down on his stomach, her eyes focused on the sky.

"Aw. Professor, you aren't falling asleep already are you?"

Andromeda, Canis Majoris, Procryon...

A plethora of astronomical phenomenons flooded Orlando's view as he lay, nearly hypnotizing the young man with their particular beauties. Though not closed, his eyes had most certainly lost their ability to see, and, thus, for the moment when a slender silhouette interrupted the incessant display of celestial wonder from his line of vision, the man thought he had gone blind. Yet, within an instant, her randomness took its full entropic effect on him.

Out of pure instinct, his elbows collapsed beneath him as one arm reached up in an attempt to defend himself against whatever beast was now straddling his body and the other darted for his wand, which, being oh-so- uncleverly placed in his back pocket, was inaccessible. Gasping in shock, the man most likely would have let out a shout had his breath not been knocked out of him.

After a moment of chaos, the man's baby blues finally regained their sense of sight and Faithe's grinning face came into focus. Exhaling with a mixed sense of both relief and embarrassment, a small smile crossed Orlando's face.

"Faithe," he stated softly, reaching up a hand to brush away a stray strand of hair from the girl's face.

For about a solid minute, Orlando found himself absolutely entranced by the fact that, upon his own stomach, sat a beautiful girl... a beautiful girl who was his student. The latter part of that thought came later, of course, but it did come, and then the poor man found himself in a state of confusion once more.

Was she trying to seduce him? If so, she needed to realize that she herself was simply enough to captivate him. Then again, he recalled, she had referred to him as "Professor". A queer look passed over his face, contorting it for a moment.

Tucking the strand of dark hair behind the girl's ear, he returned that arm to the ground and once more propped himself up with his elbow. With the other hand, he gently tapped her shoulder, insinuating that she should get off of him.

"Falling asleep?" he repeated, "Not at all, Miss Cunningham; simply entranced by the mystical heavens."

Feeling comfortable again, for a moment, at least, that characteristic boyish grin returned to its rightful place upon his face.

Faithe's smile disappeared from her face as she watched him practically go insane. Wincing slightly, she scolded herself silently. Moron. He isn't a friend; he's a teacher. You can't goof around with him like that. She had felt her face turn red as he tucked her hair behind her ear. Her head leaned instinctively against his hand for a moment, but returned once he had propped himself back up. Sliding off, her face held an apologetic expression to it as her dark eyes searched the sky.

"Sorry." Murmuring softly, her eyes had already become transfixed on the stars once more. At least this time she could watch the sky without having to cut herself short. Hey Faithe, he called you Faithe. That took her slightly by surprise, not that she minded. Normally she approved of formality, but not in a setting of such serene beauty. Under the stars, she felt completely at ease, and no part of her wished to be formal. "Professor, you can call me Faithe. We aren't in a classroom, and there really isn't a need for formality out here." Opening her bottle of water, she sipped it absentmindedly.

Though her eyes were transfixed on the stars, she was having a hard time concentrating on the sky above. I knew I never should have opened that letter. Anytime it's not from Jake, I should know better. Oh well. It's not important right now.

"Any idea about what time the supernova is supposed to occur?" Her voice sounded slightly detached, but anybody would assume that was because her eyes were practically hypnotized on the sky. She was slightly upset with herself. She'd made a fool of herself in front of Orlando, and she was finding it hard to really enjoy herself. Nonetheless, Faithe had grown up on a stage, she knew how to put on a believable front.

Feeling her lean into his hand, it was as though a puzzle had been completed, then she moved. There was a part of Orlando that had truly enjoyed Faithe's being atop him and found himself to feel somewhat empty now that her body's warmth had left him. Of course, the man wouldn't ever admit to such as thing, but if one was particularly observant, one would have seen his hand flinch ever so slightly and his fingers reach out towards her for a moment before it fell back to the ground and lay once more between the blades of grass.

Eyes still focused on the young woman, he was jolted out of his temporary reverie by her voice, asking him to continue calling her Faithe. This embarrassed the man slightly, having whispered her name insentience, but, unless one was looking for it, the blush in his cheeks was veiled by the shadows and only barely illuminated by the moonlight's white and silvery glow. Formality was something he'd learn to thrive on as a teacher; it kept him from saying things that he shouldn't say and doing things he shouldn't do: it kept him from being who he so very much was- the ever-friendly, guy- next-door type of man. exactly who his parents were ashamed of and exactly who he had fought so hard to keep concealed. No, he couldn't call her Faithe; there was a definite need for formality out there, even if it was only Orlando's own.

Eager to get off of that topic in his mind, he welcomed the girl's vocal interruption of his thoughts once more. Glancing at his watch, he nodded in response.

"About another hour," he replied. Then, with a sorry smile, he added: "I was a little off on my calculations. Heh. I got so worked up in the calculus that, somehow, I integrated my position function for velocity instead of differentiating it, and."

The man trailed off there, thinking that the young girl probably couldn't have cared less about his arithmetic mistakes, and if she did care, probably hadn't the slightest clue what he was speaking about.

"Anyways, sorry to bring you out here an hour early, Miss Cunningham," he concluded, offering yet another boyish grin to her as an apology. "Of course, if you don't mind getting back to your house after curfew, I'd be delighted to have you wait with me. There's plenty of other phenomenons to experience out here."

"I don't mind at all. I probably shouldn't be telling you this considering you're my teacher, and the head of my house, but I have a habit of staying out here past curfew. Quite a bit. It's just so hard for me to leave all this openness to go back to the confines of a room." Faithe couldn't help the grin that spread over her face as he talked on about his mathematical error. Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes at the formality he was using. She always believed that there was a place and a time for formality, but if he wished to keep things formal, then she would oblige. Of course, she would always show him the respect as a teacher. Stretching her legs out, she laid down facing him and propping her head up on her fist and elbow. ((If that made any sense.))

"Let's not get all scientific tonight. I think so many times we get caught up in having to analyze everything and figure everything out that we sometimes forget to simply enjoy the beauty of it all. Stars are extraordinary objects to study, but they deserve to be looked at with the eyes of pleasure as well as the analytical eye." Faithe didn't care if she was rambling on about nothing in particular. Normally she was one to choose her words carefully, and spoke little. Just like the literature heroin Elizabeth Bennet. Relatively quiet and only spoke when she aimed to impress.

However, she didn't feel like that around Orlando, which was odd. Usually she strived more to impress her teachers than anybody else, especially the Astronomy teacher. She felt as if she could be completely...random with him. The very idea of it surprised her, but she couldn't say that she didn't enjoy it. Looking at him with interest, a thoughtful expression came over her face.

"You never did get a chance to answer me in class. What led you to astronomy?" Her eyes took on their look of keen interest as she searched his face intently. His eyes held the same passion about the heavens as her own, and Faithe reveled in that. For as long as she could remember she had been shot down because of her interest and passion in possibilities outside the theater. The more she was persecuted for her love, however, the larger the hunger came to fill that passion.

A look of clearly feigned disapproval, quickly broken by another grin, crossed Orlando's face as Faithe confessed to breaking curfew. Gaining her trust was a pleasantry, and he recalled doing the same thing when he had attended Rosencrantz as a student. The next part of her reply, however, brought a menagerie of thoughts to his head-she was an Athenian. Had she known him when he was a student there? Had he known her? Is that why her name had sounded so familiar on his attendance list?

Closing his eyes for a moment, he answered most of the questions himself; of course they had known each other. After all, he had been the house prefect during his seventh year, and, with such a small house, he had easily known every student under his leadership. Straining to remember what their relationship had been was futile, however; he couldn't remember anything more than seeing the girl in the library on occasion.

Once more, his pensive entr'acte was cut short by Faithe resuming speaking. Her words seemed to have been chosen carefully, despite the verbosity of the dialogue. She seemed caught up in the sky and uncaring about how ridiculous she may have sounded. In soothe, the girl was rambling on about nothing in particular, but, being of a similar mold, Orlando was intrigued rather than annoyed by it.

Although he enjoyed her philosophical babbling, her revival of the forgotten question (which was, in his mind, better off forgotten) bothered him. His integrity battled with his resolve to keep the girl at a safe distance for a moment, eventually falling victim to the latter. He didn't wish to go into his life story, and thus, chose a simple answer.

"Well, Miss Cunningham," he replied, meeting her thoughtful gaze, "if I were to answer that question we'd be here all night, and I'm sure that you didn't come out here just to talk about my life. And, even if you did, let me assure you that the heavens above are much more worth your time."

As the man spoke, he gradually lifted himself off the ground and began slowly walking over towards a lone tree that stood out atop the grassy hill. Reaching an arm behind the tree, he procured a near-antiquated broomstick, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Of course," he added, "One can only see so much of them from the ground. Even with the most technical sight-heightening spells, some of the beautiful idiosyncrasies of the sky remain a mystery."

Grasping it loosely in his hand, he sauntered back towards where the young woman lay, blue eyes glistening with a mischievous air. Bending down, he reached for the girl's free hand and took it gently in his own.

"I know you said that it would take a lot for you to get back on a broom, Faithe, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes," he said softly, giving the girl an encouraging smile, which was accompanied by a strangely, yet genuinely, concerned look in his eyes. "Someone with your passion for the heavens shouldn't be inconvenienced by just looking at them from the ground."

Faithe's eyes gazed at him, a look of wonderment and intrigue on her face. Listening to him brush off her question, a suspicious expression crossed her face as she raised a single eyebrow. "You're avoiding my question." Always blessed with a strong intuition, Faithe had never had a problem picking up on little things like that, but she was also not the type to pry. "But I don't want to pester you into talking about something you don't wish to." Offering a small smile, Faithe's voice came out soft and reassuring that she truly was not going to press the issue.

As he sat up, and then stood up, Faithe watched him curiously. Sitting up while listening to him, a bad feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. This did not sound like a conversation she wanted to hear finish. As he picked up the broom, Faithe began to shake her head gently. "That better be for sweeping." A look of uncertain hope flickered across her face, but was quickly replaced with a knowing look.

She was slightly startled that he had wrapped his hand around hers, but she found that the whole situation made her content. Until she looked at the broom. Pulling her hand back, she stood quickly holding both of her hands up, "No. No. No." Shaking her head, she looked up at him, slight fear in her eyes.

Saying 'no' to Orlando was no an easy thing to do, and she felt guilty for doing it. There were too many risks, too many memories. She couldn't do it; she would freak out and fall. Looking at his smile, Faithe almost melted at the sight of it, as well as his eyes. No, opposing him was not an easy thing to do.

"I like the ground. There is nothing wrong with it. I like having my feet on the ground because I can't fall very far."

Orlando's eyes never lost their compassion or concern as Faithe's anxiety manifested itself. Slowly, he crept towards her, letting the broomstick fall to the ground. Nodding almost in rythym as Faithe worked herself up, rattling excuse after excuse out of her mouth, he gradually worked his hand back into hers and wrapped the other arm around her back, rubbing his hand along her spine soothingly. Unconsciously, he wound his fingers through her hair and held her somewhat close to him.

"It's okay, Faithe," he whispered into her ear, "It's okay.."

She was obviously terrified, and, although he didn't want to hurt her, he did want her to get back up on a broomstick. He wanted to soar through the heavens with her in his arms, to take her up into "a whole new world". For a moment, the thought of her as his student simply slipped the man's mind. She was simply a beautiful young girl, one who he wanted to give the world to, and, if he couldn't give it to her, than he at least wanted to show her its splendors.

After passing a moment hunched next to her, nearly cradling her in his arms, he recoiled from their embrace and placed his fingers upon her chin, gently turning her face towards him.

"Do you trust me?"

His voice was innocent enough, holding just a slight mischievous undercurrent to it, almost identical to the way in which Aladdin in the muggle movie had said the line... although Orlando's voice was at least an octave lower.

Blue eyes glistened hopefully in the soft, silvery glow of the moonlight, and he awaited her response.

((Yes, this was most certainly a tacky reply... *shrugs* I blame my having just watched "Aladdin" for the 7th time and my tiredness. heheh))

((Aww...it was wonderful dahling!))

Everything in Faithe's head was screaming no to her, telling her to pull away from him. She couldn't though. Her head and her heart were saying two different things. As she felt the warmth of his hand surround her hand, every thought brushed out of her mind. Tensing slightly at the feel of his hand against her back, a wary expression crossed her face. Faithe had never been into the dating scene, and so, every affectionate move a guy had given her had always been from a family standpoint. Being this close to him, his being her teacher fled her mind as her heart pounded inside her chest. His look, his countenance made her feel safe and vulnerable.

Resting her head against him as she felt the warm breath from his whisper, she closed her eyes fighting back tears that were threatening to fall. The thought of flying absolutely terrified her, but she had known a day would come that she would be forced back into a broom. She would rather be forced back on by Orlando, knowing he would be right there with her, than some unknown reason that caused her to battle this fear alone. Too many doubts plagued her mind though as he gently touched her chin, making her look at him.

Her eyes welled up with tears, but she nodded. "I trust you Orlando. I just don't think I can do this." Her voice quavered involuntarily, not noticing she had just called him by his first name. She hated this. Everytime anybody tried to get her on a broom she started crying involuntarily, despite her attempts not to. It was one of the most intense feelings she had, and she hated it with a passion. Tightning her pressure slightly on his hand, she nodded a softly and slowly, "I do trust you."

((That massively stunk. I blame it on it almost being 3 am))

The man offered a small, reassuring smile as Faithe told him that she trusted him. It wasn't that he had doubted the fact, but something about having her tell it to him made him feel proud and even perhaps a little accomplished. Having the childhood that he had had, Orlando hadn't exactly been one to trust nor had he been a person to be trusted. He had been nearly completely dissociated from his family, and the few friends he had had. well, they hadn't exactly been the intimate type; more of a study group, really. But now, before him sat this amazing young woman before him, quivering with fear, and she trusted him. Obviously she was terrified of broomsticks, but, still, she wasn't running away. Instead, she was looking to him, putting her fear under his control, trusting him to help her. Just the thought brought a proud beam to the man's face as he squeezed her hand in encouragement.

"Good," he whispered in response, conveying his incessant concern for her well-being with his eyes as he spoke. "Then trust me when I tell you that I won't let anything bad happen to you, alright?"

His fingers waltzed upwards along her cheekbone, wiping off the streams of tears that had coated Faithe's face. From her cheeks, his hand ran down her neck and along her arm until, at last, he had once more sheathed the girl in his embrace. Gently, he eased himself up, guiding Faithe's body into a standing position as well, all the while never letting her hand leave his own.

Almost unwillingly, the man then detangled his fingers from hers and procured a maple wand from his pocket. Pointing the wand towards the abandoned broomstick, he beckoned it towards him, gradually drawing it closer and closer to them, until it stopped about two feet away from where they were and hovered in midair.

"I'm right here, Faithe," he comforted, "Just put one leg over the side of the broom, okay? I'm not going to let go of you, and I promise, the broom won't go anywhere until I'm on there, too."

Why did she trust him so much? She barely knew him, but somehow that seemed enough. He had a reassuring disposition about him that she knew she could trust. Very few people in her life had ever made her feel safe, but Orlando had a gentleness about him. She felt a small shiver run through her body as his hand gently touched her cheek. This type of affection was completely foreign to her. The only time anything of this sort had happened it was always on stage, never real. Though there was an uncertainty about

her, she truly did trust him.

She felt her heart skipping and her stomach turning as he brought the broom towards them. Part of her wanted to run, but the other part wanted to share this moment with Orlando. Her body still shaking slightly, Faithe took a deep breath as she prepared to battle the biggest fear she had. It had been six years since she had gotten on a broom, but that didn't seem long enough for Faithe. She had been a relatively good flyer before she had taken that brutal fall; she had been told that she had the prospect of being a truly talented Keeper. However, she had almost been paralyzed, and had spent more time in the hospital than she ever cared to again. Nobody knew that though, nor did they need to. Swinging her leg over, she gripped the broom tightly, her knuckles turning white. Apprehension

coursed through her as she stood there, fighting the urge to burst into tears. Her body was rigid as she closed her eyes, continuing to take deep breaths.

As he watched the girl hesitantly mount the broom, Orlando couldn't help but squeeze her hand a little, just to reassure her. Holding her close to him, he helped set her atop the broomstick as she swung her leg above it. Smiling ever so slightly in admiration as well as encouragement, he nodded at her.

It seemed to be going well, he thought. Although the last time she had been on a broomstick had no doubt mentally scarred the poor girl, she did trust him, and she was on top of the broom. Yet, within a moment of mounting it, she had closed her eyes and, though she had tried to hide them, it was evident that tears were forming her eyes.

Tightening his arm around her waist a little more, the man swung his own leg over the wooden stick. Both feet sat upon the grass, ready to push off at an instant's notice. Almost instinctively, his feet began to press against the ground, yet, recalling that, this time, Faithe was there with him, he held them back and instead dangled them along the ground.

Wrapping one arm completely around Faithe and entangling that hand with hers, he took his free hand and planted it firmly on the front edge of the broomstick.

"I'm going to kick off now, Faithe," he whispered into her ear. "I'll go slow at first, okay? I'll be careful with you; nothing bad will happen... I promise."

Then, as promised, he gradually bent his knees and then pushed off the ground. Slowly, the broomstick began to rise, until the pair hung about ten feet above the ground. Together, they were sitting in mid-air, surrounded by only the deep midnight sky whose tiny stars were like fireflies, dimly lighting the night air.

The heavens momentarily startled Orlando, just as they did every time he came up to visit them. Each night there was another splendor to behold, another phenomenon to experience. He longed to go higher, to soar through the infinite darkness, but only if Faithe was ready. He would deny himself pleasures if they were to be granted at her expense...

"Faithe," he murmured with an undercurrent of unmistakable sincerity and concern to his voice. "Are you alright to go a little higher?" he asked, pulling her a little closer to him.

I'm on a broom. There is a sweeping utensil in between my legs about to take my feet off the ground. Faithe looked more calm and collected then she felt, which wasn't saying anything for how she felt. The feel of his arm around her allowed her to relax a little, though she was on edge.

A small whimper came out as she felt the familiar feeling of weightlessness. Her eyes had squeezed shut tighter, but as Orlando pulled her closer to him she opened them slowly. Leaning against him slightly, she realized how tightly she was squeezing his hand and eased her grip slightly.

Allowing his question to ring out in silence for a moment, Faithe's eyes trailed the ground. Her body began to physically ache at the muscle memory from her fall. Looking over her shoulder, she forced him a small, weak smile, "Just don't let me fall, and life will be grand. Life being the key word in that sentence."

Feeling her hand tighten on his, then release, the young woman's fear became more evident. She had eased her grip probably out of concern for his well-being, he thought. In all truth, pain wasn't a thing to bother Orlando.

"Squeeze my hand as tight as you want to," he replied quietly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "I promise, you're not hurting me at all."

In the moment of hesitant, eerie silence, Orlando watched Faithe's eyes slowly trail to the ground. He had thought that would be then end of it, but, to his great surprise, Faithe still didn't falter. She was obviously scared, but still, that feeling of trust in him was pulling through.

A small sort of chuckle escaped Orlando's lips as Faithe replied. Adjusting his grip on her waist, he returned the smile.

"I won't."

And with just those two words, he wound his legs around hers protectively, ensuring that she couldn't fall off. Then, slowly, the broomstick angled itself and began to climb diagonally at a reasonable incline and leisurely paced speed.

((Alright, so if this isn't enough for you to reply to, 'cause it really doesn't allow for more than a "Faithe was scared" reply, let me know. I have to go right now, but I've got some continuation ideas that I can post later. ttyl, hun))

As they climbed higher, Faithe finally began to relax slightly. The familiarity; the weightlessness; the freedom. Those feelings, which she had always cherished about flying, it all came back to her. Well, not all, but for the most part. Feeling the tension in her body release slightly, she squeezed Orlando's hand in a silent gesture of gratitude.

Pushing out all fears, her dark eyes began to scan the sky. Orlando had been more than right - the sky was so much more breathtaking in the air. Her eyes took on a thoughtful stare as she gazed at the different constellations, mentally naming them to herself. As her eyes fell on Orion, a small smile crossed her face. Leaning back against him a little more, she turned her head slightly so she didn't have to talk loud to be heard.

"Orion has always been my favorite constellation. When my brother and I were little, we would always climb this tree in the back of our yard. The tree always looked to us as if it reached the sky, if we could climb high enough. There was this one particular branch that we would always climb and star gaze together while working on scripts. We would always stop everything we were doing and simply stare at Orion." Pulling her stare from Orion, her eyes focused on Orlando.

The first thing she had noticed about him, besides the way he was sitting in his classroom, were his eyes. Brilliant blue, there was something about them that drew Faithe's attention. Whether it was the mere brilliance of his eye color, or the emotions that seemed to hide behind them, she didn't know. Anytime he was teaching, her eyes never left his. Passion shown through whenever it came to the heavens, and that in itself was enough to draw her attention.

"Why won't you tell me what got you interested in astronomy?" There was an innocence behind her voice, but there was also a hint of concern. From experience, she had learned that most people avoided questions such as that because unpleasant things were involved. "I don't want to press you into telling me anything, I just want to know why."

With each foot their altitude increased, Orlando could feel Faithe relax a little bit more; his confidence in her was heightened by her "silent gesture of gratitude". Feeling comfortable and confident enough, he loosened his grip on her waist a little, just enough to allow circulation back into his arm.

Finally relaxing a bit himself, he let his eyes follow the path Faithe's had taken, towards the marvelous menagerie of stars known as Orion the Hunter. It was certainly one of the simpler constellations to identify, probably the easiest, save Vega, due to the linear belt of three visible clusters worn by the imaginary man. As she turned to him to speak, his eyes flitted from their place in the sky to meet her own. Never leaving her eyes, and giving her his full attention, he gradually turned the broomstick with his other hand, so it pointed east, towards the lake, and maintained a comfortable speed.

Listening to the girl's story, Orlando offered an entertained smile. It was nice that she had had such a lovely childhood, and such a pleasant relationship with her brother... something that the man himself had had nothing close to. Instead of watching the stars with his own brother as a pastime, he found a beautiful release in the heavens, and took refuge in their serenity on nights when his family would remind him of how worthless he was.

Her voice shook him out of his reverie, yet it was ironic that, although she had saved him from a traumatic flashback, the salvation was only momentary. Her ever-pressing question resonated in his head several times, prompting a vacantly pensive expression to contort his face as he cocked his head slightly and gazed into the girl's eyes, wondering what to tell her.

Turning away from her for a moment, and looking out into the vast openness, the thought of telling her the truth crossed his mind, but cross is all it did. Of course, in retrospect, the man certainly wasn't going to straight- up lie to the woman before him. Flitting his eyes downward, a small smile appeared on his lips as the perfect way out of a complete lie stared him in the face.

"Look down," he implored quietly, slowing the broomstick to a hover.

Beneath them laid the lake- they were now about a half hour's worth of broomstick time away from the school- and, in its dark, glassy surface reflected the stars. Everywhere one looked, their gaze would be met with a hundred twinkling lights. It was as though they were lost in space, surrounded by stars, and free from the bars of the world.

"When I was younger, I would fly my broomstick along the coast, and this is what I would see," he said, looking out over the atmosphere. "Enough to make anyone interested in astronomy."

It wasn't a lie. He had flown over the ocean a few times in his childhood, and he was amazed by the breath-taking feeling of being completely surrounded by the heavens. It just wasn't the primary reason for his becoming an astronomer.

A never-ending sea of stars met her eyes as she followed his gaze down to the lake. The left side of her mouth crooked up in a small half smile as her eyes held a look of adoration for the sight before her. As his arm around her loosened, she felt herself tense up again, but she had relaxed in a matter of minutes.

Her gaze drifted up to the night sky, blanketed in millions of small twinkling stars. There had never been a sight more beautiful to her, and she knew that her passion would always be in the heavens, never on the theatre. Her eyes dropped again, only this time they landed on the broomstick in front of her. There was an almost empty expression in her eyes as she spaced out in thought. The letter she had received from her parents drifted back into her thoughts.

The previous week, Faithe had sent them a letter in regards to the many they had written, inquiring about her true plans after graduation. A few days before now, she had tried to explain to them that she was thinking about going into Astronomy. The letter she had received before meeting Orlando had been nothing but a reprimand. Her parents had the mindset that her stargazing was foolish and unpractical, and the only place she could ever possibly be is on the stage. According to her parents, that was all she was meant for.

Catching herself, she sat up a little straighter, shaking her head slightly. Staring back down at the lake, she forced a small smile back at him. "It's beautiful." Her voice came out soft, almost inaudible as she spoke.

As she turned her head back towards him, Orlando met her gaze once more, and stared for a moment, seemingly lost in her eyes. Her lips had decided to grace him with that adorable half smile they so frequently wore. And, once more, his thoughtful daze was broken by her dulcet voice whispering words of astonishment, to which his only evident reply was a soft nod.

'Yes, you are.'

The man thought the words to himself, but dared not utter them; such a thing would cripple whatever miniscule amount of formality remained between the two. In what little time he had had to get to know the young woman, Faithe had somehow captivated him. Perhaps it was the fact that she was the only other person he had ever met with the same burning passion for astronomy that he himself had, or perhaps it was her sweet smile and mysterious beauty whose sirens' song had drawn him in. Whatever it had been, though, the man was most certainly intrigued by her. In spite of all that, the words remained inside his mind.

"Formality," his third year Potions master had always said, "is what keeps the world's natural tendency towards entropy from causing mass chaos. Without it, we are lost." Had Orlando not been so enthralled with his surroundings, he might have remembered the advice Professor Lenon Argonite had shared with him. Yet, the sheer splendor of the sky was clouding his judgment more with each passing moment.

Slowly tightening his legs around hers, he re-wrapped his arm around her waist, closing that arm's hand around the part of the broomstick between their two bodies. Reaching his other hand up, he ran his fingers down her jawbone, eventually cupping her chin in his hand. There was a moment where he simply looked into her eyes with somewhat of a longing gaze, but that moment was cut short when his eyes closed and he leaned in, giving her a gentle, yet undeniably sweet, short kiss.

Her eyes had been mesmerized by Orlando's bright blue eyes that stared back at her. She felt her heart flutter at the closeness between the two became all the more closer. As his hand ran along her jawbone to her chin, her eyes closed for a moment. Before she had the chance to open her eyes, she felt him lean forward and his lips on hers. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest and she felt her hands trembling slightly inside of his as she returned it.

With some reluctance, she pulled back from the kiss, opening her eyes. Searching his face, Faithe looked for some sign of emotion in his face, but her own emotions were scrambling around inside of her. Always one to focus more on her studies, dating had never been an interest to her. The only kissing she had ever done was always stage kissing, and there were never any feelings behind it. She felt her face blushing, and her eyes finally settled back on his. A small smile spread on her slightly red face as a look of pure adoration filled her eyes.

Reaching up, she ran her index finger down the side of his cheek softly, resting it back in his hand. Her eyes never leaving his, she leaned against him slightly. Why did she trust him so much? Trust had never been a strong suit Faithe had been able to lean on. All she'd ever heard from those she loved were reprimands for the direction she wanted her life to go in. Yet, Orlando shared her passion, her love for the heavens. She didn't feel the need to act all scientific around him as she had around JoAn Dobbels, the previous Astronomy teacher.

"You have the bluest eyes." She practically breathed the words as her eyes continued to look into his. Her smile deepened, the left side crooking up a couple of centimeters higher than the other, her natural trademark.

For the moment where Faithe's lips met his, Orlando felt an indescribable lurch in his stomach, as though it had fallen into the lake below. His hand ran up the girl's neck, entangling his fingers in her hair ((which, I hope, is down)). As he felt her reluctantly pull back from him, his eyes opened and met hers, finding, in her gaze, the same twisted emotional mess that he found inside his own soul.

Waltzing aimlessly over her face, the same way hers wandered across his, Orlando took note of the girl's blushing, which he found to be quite endearing, as well as that sweet innocence that filled her eyes. And, as she leaned against him, and he held her close to him, something inside him seemed to click; it was as though this was somehow meant to be. Feeling her fingers dance upon his face, his eyes closed for a moment, then re-opened as she hand found its way into his own and he entangled his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand gently.

Her remark about his eyes prompted a quiet chuckle to escape his lips as he recalled all the comments he'd received about them throughout his twenty- one years of life. Yet, out of all of them, her simple words meant the most. Gently guiding her head to his chest, a grin shown through on his face.

"So I'm told," he replied, kissing the top of her head gently, then softly stroking her hair.

A mischievous smile spread over her face at his words. Looking up at him, she raised bother her eyebrows, "Ooooh. Really? How many females do you come out here with?" Crossing her arms, she attempted to act offended; however, that wasn't very easy with Orlando. Laughing, she leaned her back against him, her forehead resting lightly against his cheek. He didn't seem the type that would play around with people's emotions, but still, the thought of him being in this same spot, doing the same thing made her feel slightly...odd.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, relaxing next to him. Everything was perfect. The sky was absolutely gorgeous, and pretty soon, the two were going to see an event that was still an astronomical amazement. For once, her thoughts were not completely centered around the night sky, but around the man who sat there with his arms around her. Opening her eyes, she looked back up at him and studied his face.

"Thank you for this." A meaningful expression filled her eyes as she spoke, her words coming out softly, "I honestly never expected to be back up on a broom." Although, she wasn't sure that riding would become an everyday activity in her life, at least she knew that if it was an absolute necessity for her to get up on a broom, she could handle it. There was still a chain of doubts in her own head about being this far from the ground, but she knew that Orlando had meant it when he said he wouldn't let her fall.

Faithe's lewd insinuation prompted an unreserved chortle to ring out through the night air. Having been like Faithe, never one to enjoy social events over studying, he couldn't picture himself as the "pimping" type. As a student, he had spent the majority of his time, when not at quidditch practice, in the library. at least until his seventh year. Being made a prefect had brought not only new responsibilities within his house, but also introduced him to his first girlfriend: Demeter Lawrance, one of the Hufflepuff prefects.

Demeter had been the only girl Orlando had ever done anything with, and the thought of himself doing anything like taking girls up on his broomstick every night, as Faithe had suggested, was clearly laughable. A sad, almost mournful, smile crossed the man's lips as he remembered the proud young woman he had grown so close to. and how she had hurt him.

"No, Faithe," he replied quietly, "You're the only person I've ever brought up here.You're the only person who's ever been worth bringing up here and sharing this magic with."

As she thanked him, a proud beam lit up the man's face as he nodded in acknowledgement. Though the words were nice to here, his true reward was the indescribable emotions reflecting in her eyes.

"You're welcome," he replied softly.

"Bt don't you think that this is just a one time thing; I want you to come up here with me a lot more often," he added, with a jovial undertone to his voice. Like a kid talking about what he got for Christmas, his voice grew faster and slightly louder as he continued, "I've shown you the lake, but, over past those hills is a.."

His voice trailed off there, as the corner of his eye caught sight of the marvelous spectacle. His head turned away from hers, and his brilliant blue eyes gazed over with amazement as they watched in awe. Not once shifting his gaze, he absentmindedly reached his hand up, hitting her nose as he searched for her chin. Finding it, he moved her head up so her eyes followed the same path as his: towards the exploding red giant star.

Faithe couldn't hide the look of amazement in her eyes at his words that echoed in her ears. Compliments of that sort were things that had never been meant for Faithe by anybody she cared about, save her brother. Jake had always backed her in what she wanted in life, encouraging her to push herself. Though it had been a slight shock when she found that he was sticking with theater, she was happy that he was doing what he wanted. Once he became so involved with auditions, he and Faithe didn't have as much of a chance to talk as much as both would like.

Smiling at his inclination to bring her back up, she bit her bottom lip lightly. She loved being here, this close to the heavens. She felt as if she could reach up and hold the stars in the palm of her hand. However, Faithe was still slightly apprehensive about becoming settled too quickly on broom riding regularly. As he cut himself off, she raised an eyebrow, unsure of what had distracted him so much. Turning her head slightly, she felt his hand hit her nose. Following his gaze, her eyes filled with the same burning desire as they always did when it came to astronomical wonders.

Her breath caught in her chest as her dark eyes became mesmerized by the bright red star, watching the life of the star come to an end. Without realizing what she was doing, the Athenian leaned forward on the broom, resting her elbows on the broomstick. Faithe had taken to this position during mini-Quidditch games as she waited by the goal posts for some action to head her way. Resting her chin on her folded hands, she never blinked as her eyes gazed admiringly at the massive explosive as the stars core collapsed.

"I always thought it rather sad, watching the death of a star. At the same time, it's so amazingly beautiful that it pushes any thought out of my head that it means the destruction of something else so beautiful. I'm amazed to be seeing this without a telescope though, since supernovas in our own galaxy are such rare events."

A breath was the only response the man could make at that moment. Caught up in the magnificent spectacle before him, it was amazing that he managed to even listen to what Faithe had to say, much less acknowledge the girl's speech. He had listened, of course, but, while her voice had softly streamed into his ears, his eyes had never left the sky above him. Orlando had been captivated by the star's stunning exit.

After years of playing its role in the night theatre, the supergiant's only production had ended and it was time for the final curtain call- one last bow to conclude a brilliant life on the stage of the night sky. Blazes of red, orange, and every other color imaginable flashed through the sky, darting out in mile-high streams of boiling gas, although, from where the couple sat, all that could be seen were tiny dots exploding from the former star.

As a sort of delayed reaction, the man finally noticed that Faithe's back was no longer so close to his chest and, for a brief moment, thought that the girl might have fallen. until he flitted his eyes away from the manifestation and saw her stretched out before him, looking as though she had been riding a broomstick all her life and was completely more-than- comfortable on one. His admiration flickered in his eyes as his attention gradually refocused itself from the supernova onto the amazing young woman before him, whose passion for the sky was simply astonishing. After a moment, he found himself unable to divert his attention back to the astronomical event. For some reason, its majesty just didn't seem to be able to compete with Faithe.

"And you're so amazingly beautiful that what's happening above just doesn't seem to matter anymore."

Like before, the words echoed in his mind, but, unlike before, they actually made it out of the man's mouth this time.

Her eyes practically plastered to the tiny energetic explosion before her eyes, Faithe was silently wishing that she had a telescope. Supernovas were still rare, indeed, in this galaxy, and she longed to see the bright red and orange explosions in front of her eyes. Upon thinking this, she silently shunned herself for the thought of it. It didn't matter how amazing and magnificent the sight would have been with a telescope, there was no way it could compare of the magical feeling she had been experiencing all night with Orlando.

quote:
"And you're so amazingly beautiful that what's happening above just doesn't seem to matter anymore."


Oh, that's cute Faithe. You're hearing things now. Sitting up after a few moments of silence, she realized that the words had truly come from the man behind her. Turning slightly, she looked at him with a look of perplexity. She felt her face turn slightly red, and looked down quickly for a few moments.

"You shouldn't say things that aren't true." Looking back up at him, her trademarked half smile appeared on her face for a few seconds before disappearing. Nobody had ever called her beautiful...except on the stage.

Never before had she loathed her time on her parents' stage as she did this very moment. All these emotions she was feeling inside of her were completely new to her, yet she had been expected numerous times to promote these feelings in a production. Everything before had been fake - she had known it then, but she felt it all the more now. She hated it with a passion. She had nothing but adoration and respect for Orlando, and she knew those feelings wouldn't be swayed anytime soon or easily. Nor did she want them to. All the emotions she had portrayed previously on a stage were merely words with expression to them. The adoration, respect, and affection she felt for the man beside her went deeper than words.

Reaching up, she touched his cheek lightly with her hand. "You are the most amazing person I have ever met." Her words came out in a soft whisper as she searched his face, for what she did not know.

In the silence that followed, after his words had been spoken, Orlando wondered if he had even said them; Faithe remained lounged across the broom, eyes glued to the sky. Just as he was about to repeat himself, however, the girl sat up and turned around, blushing charmingly with modesty.

[I]'You shouldn't say things that aren't true'[/I]

Though her words were doubtful, that adorable smile tugging on the left side of her mouth reflected her appreciation.

"I'm not lying," Orlando replied, grinning. "Can't you just accept a compliment and say 'thanks'?" he asked, punctuating the question with a wink.

Of course, Orlando didn't really have a right to say such a thing, even in a joking sense; he himself couldn't accept a compliment to save his own life.

[I]'You are the most amazing person I have ever met'[/I]

Her words echoed through the man's mind for a moment, bringing a warm blush to his tanned cheeks, which, by means of the moonlight, could easily be seen. Taking her hand (the one on his cheek) in his own, he playfully swung it back and forth for a moment as he gnawed awkwardly on his tongue.

"Then you obviously need to go out and see the world more," he replied after a moment, flashing his boyish grin at her. Though his words refuted the flattering remark, a slight sparkle appeared in his eyes, silently thanking her for it.

Breaking the upbeat atmosphere, his grin disappeared and he reverted to his more sincere self. He gently released her fingers from his own and let his hand creep behind her neck, slowly guiding her head closer to him as he moved his head closer to hers until their lips met once more.

Sticking her tongue out at his jest, she couldn't help the full smile that spread over her face. Her eyes held a twinkle in them from pure joy that could easily compete with the sparking stars suspended above them. "It's hard to take something you aren't used to getting."

Shoving him ever so slightly, she tweaked his nose at his own insinuation about her words. "Don't say that. I've met plenty of people, unfortunately. None have ever been as... captivating as you." As he swung their arms back and forth, Faithe felt her equilibrium stir. Grabbing on to him, her smile faltered as she fought to regain her balance. The look of fear that had long since washed out flickered across her face momentarily.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at him, a warm smile spreading across her face as she met his eyes. Feeling chills run up and down her spine as his hand touched the back of her neck, she closed her eyes. This is heaven. Returning the kiss, she pulled back slightly, her eyes remaining closed. "You are too the most amazing person I have ever met."

((Sorry this is so long, I got carried away. heh heh))

As she pulled back, Orlando reluctantly did the same, though his hand remained on her neck and his fingers toyed with her hair. His brilliant blue eyes fluttered open for a moment, admiring the young woman before him, then closed themselves once more as he gave her yet another kiss, though it was most certainly shorter than the previous two.

Pulling back quickly, yet not hastily, he opened his eyes again and dropped his hand from her neck down around her back. The charmingly boyish grin had appeared on his face once more, as had the sparkle in his eyes.

"Thank you," he replied with a smug smirk accompanying the words, as if to say [I]'See, I can take a compliment.'[/I]

As he shifted his gaze back towards the sky, he noted that the supernova had nearly exhausted itself. Biting the inside of his lip in silent frustration with himself, a quiet, yet clearly disappointed, grumble could be heard.

"It's nearly over," he stated, gesturing towards the sky as his back hunched and his head hung dejectedly.

If one could see his face, it must have looked angry for a moment, at least. After all, he had just about completely missed probably the only supernova that would occur in his lifetime, and, more than that, he had caused Faithe to miss it. Sighing inwardly, he was crestfallen for a moment, until an idea struck him.

As he jolted up with a grin on his face, the broom shook a bit; it wasn't nearly enough to shake either of the two off, but there was most certainly a moment where it had been uneasy. Instinctively, he reached out for Faithe, wrapping both his arms securely around the girl as his legs tightened their grip on hers.

"Sorry," he said quickly, offering an apologetic smile.

Gently removing an arm from around her waist, he reached into his back pocket and procured his wand. Winking at her, he swished and flicked, whispering "[I]phiadro perthod[/I]. ((Okay, so it's Greek, not Latin, but, I tried.)). Instantaneously, the dim spec of a supernova in the distant black sky was brighter and looked as though it wasn't more than a few thousand miles away.

Beaming with pride that he actually remembered the spell, he gestured to the heavens again. "Least we'll be able to see the last few minutes of it up-close.."

Her heart was fluttering double time in her chest as he once again closed the distance between them. A small chill ran down her back once more as she felt his hand move from her neck to her back. She couldn't help the small laugh at his grin - it was just too adorable.

Opening her mouth to speak, she quickly shut it as she recognized the frustration in his face, and the grumbling underneath his breath. All the ecstasy she had been feeling with him fell as she spotted the look of anger. Tensing up, her eyes looked down at the ground, unable to look at him.

Doubts about herself flowed through her mind, becoming absentminded to what was going on around her. Even as he apologized for the broom, and gave her that smile that so often caused herself to smile, her eyes remained on the ground.

Her back still rather rigid, she forced her eyes upwards towards the incredible sight, but the passion and fire that had been in her eyes before now held an expression of doubt. Not only had she caused him to miss something he had been waiting to see probably his entire life, but he was probably regretting everything that had just happened. This is why I never get emotionally involved with anybody. I am so stupid, what was I thinking? Here Orlando was, an intelligent, handsome, compassionate man. Why would he want anything to do with her?

He doesn't Faithe, not truly. Nobody ever does...STOP PLAYING PITY PARTY! Reprimanding herself silently, Faithe tried to force her attention on the once in a lifetime sight before her eyes.

The man's eyes, though they were looking out at the exploding star, caught a glimpse of Faithe. She looked different, as though something in the last few moments had drastically changed her. Her back appeared rigid, and she almost appeared uninterested in the sky's spectacle.

As a pensive look crept over his face, he turned his full attention to her, wondering what had happened. A moment passed, as a menagerie of peculiar scenarios flourished through his mind, and then it hit him. Being the observant and somewhat intuitive ((sp?)) man that he was, he could easily see what she thought had happened.

A small smile crossed his face as the irony stuck him. He had though that she would be upset about missing the supernova, and, evidently, she had thought the same about him. In soothe, the man couldn't care less about the celestial phenomenon, but had only wanted to make sure Faithe had seen it as she had seemed to excited by the prospect of seeing it.

Orlando's arms found their way around the girl's waist again, locking her in his embrace. Craning his neck around her shoulder, his lips lightly kissed the girl's cheek.

"Hey," he whispered softly, taking one of her hands back into his own. "I'm sorry you're too sweet for your own good, Faithe," he said with a knowingly smirkish grin. "I meant what I said before. I don't really care about the star anymore... I just thought you'd be upset when you realized you'd missed it. You seemed so excited about seeing it when I told you in class..."

Feeling his arms slide around her, she felt her body relax against him, despite her mindset. Closing her eyes as he kissed her cheek, she felt the tingling sensation left by his lips. Smiling at his words, she shook her head as her eyes rolled. Turning her head to face him, her small smile was replaced by an apologetic look.

"No, I feel guilty because I made you miss it, and I thought..." Pausing for a moment, she thought about what she was about to say, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. "Well, it doesn't matter what I thought."

Blushing slightly, she looked forward for a moment, her eyes staring into some world oblivious to even herself. Turning her head slightly back towards him, a strand of hair fell over her eyes. Reaching up, she brushed it away lightly. Instead of resting it back in her lap, she reached up and touched his cheek lightly, running her finger down his jawline before resting it back in her life. "That star can't compete with the magic I'm feeling when I'm with you."

((*dies* Yes, that one most certainly did "take the cake", Kaycee. lol. I'm over here laughing like a hyena))

Listening to her explanation, a proud beam crossed the man's face; he had been right. Nodding in response, he was about to say something when her fingers gently brushed his cheek, and he closed his eyes momentarily, lost in her touch. It felt nice; having someone care about him in that sense, that is. It had been quite a while since his last relationship, with Demeter, had fallen through.

Her words prompted Orlando's broad boyish grin to shine once more as a chuckle rang out through the night air. Shaking his head, he pulled her close to him, laying her head on his chest and turning her so that she was almost lying cradled in his arms.

"You're such a sap, Faithe," he declared, rolling his eyes a bit as he gazed down at her, "I love it."

Glancing back out at the star, and then back to her, his eyes caught sight of the watch he wore on his wrist, a small antiquated-looking clock on a battered up leather band: 12:53am.

"It's getting late," he noted, as a small yawn escaped his lips. "Nearly one in the morn. We should probably head back to school, especially since we both have class in seven hours."

Holding her tightly with one arm, he moved his left hand back to the front of the broomstick and proceeded to turn them around and begin heading back to Rosencrantz at a leisurely pace.

Sticking her tongue out at his comment, she couldn't help but laugh as he chuckled. "I know, I know. You should see me when I watch really sad plays or movies. Or am in them. I played Cosette in Les Misérables once, and every time we tried to practice the Finale during the first month, I would start bawling my eyes out." Grinning, she winked at him. Watching him yawn, she smiled as she felt her own yawn tugging at her.

It always baffled her how yawns were contagious considering that they were caused by the lack of oxygen in the lungs. Deciding against voicing the irony she found in such a simple action as yawning, she covered her mouth as her yawn finally escaped her. Nodding in agreement, she smiled at him. "I've been up for almost 21 hours." With the constant letters being sent back and forth filled with hurtful words, the arguing between her and her parents had become such a burden on her. When Faithe was worried or distressed, all hopes of sleeping seemed to dissipate. Resting her head against him, she released a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Feeling the soft breeze glaze off her face as she felt the broom flow back into motion. Before she realized it, her mind focused in on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. As the soft beat consumed her thoughts, Faithe soon drifted off into sleep incidentally. She felt completely at ease, and for once, her sleep wasn't filled with angry voices yelling at one another.

((Eh, not how I had thought about doing it, just a random last-minute idea. If you don't like it, let me know and I'll re-write it..))

Flying back across the star-dotted sky, Orlando's eyes casually flit back to Faithe every once in awhile, smiling at the aura of serenity surrounding her. She was asleep, and, more than that, asleep in his arms. She had entrusted him with her safety, and the man couldn't be happier about that. Feeling as though he was protecting something, and as though he had a purpose in the world. it was nice, to say the least.

As they approached the school, Orlando directed the broomstick towards the Athena dormitories, pulling up alongside the seventh year girls' window. For a moment, he was about to open it, when the thought of Faithe's roommates awaking crossed his mind.

[I]He'd be in the middle of carrying Faithe to her bed when one of the girls would wake up. "Professor Lorenz, what are you doing?" she'd ask groggily.

"Um." His face would contort as his mind searched for a wild lie to tell. Even if he was able to contrive a decently believable one, the fact that he had been carrying the young woman into her dormitory would most certainly be around the school the next day.[/I]

Sighing, he wondered what to do with his sleeping angel. He could always wake her up and just have her creep back into her own room; she'd done it enough times before that she was sure not to be caught. And, even if she did happen to wake one her roommates, her breaking curfew wouldn't be as conspicuous as the astronomy professor walking in with her in his arms. Then again, he thought, looking down at her contented face, he couldn't possibly wake her. Then where was he to take her?

For a moment, Orlando's mind must have been working like that of a criminal, searching for a place to hide the body. Slowly, he turned the broomstick around and made his way to the other side of the building, where his own room lay. Opening the window with his wand, he flew through it, taking great care to make sure the girl didn't hit the window frame. He lowered the broom until his feet touched the floor, then gathered the girl securely in his arms, letting the broomstick quietly fall to the floor.

Walking over, he laid the girl down on his bed, and covered her with a sheet. Kissing her forehead, he whispered a "good night", and then took himself over to sleep on the couch for the night.

As Orlando flew back towards Rosencrantz, Faithe fell even deeper into sleep, snuggling even further into him. Reaching the castle, as Orlando was trying to figure out what to do, the Athenian did not so much as stir as he circled the dormitory.

Her body jumped slightly as the sound of the dropping broom met her ears, but she remained asleep. A soft groan escaped her throat when he laid her down gently on the bed, her eyebrows furrowing slightly in her sleep. Snuggling down into his pillow, the light smell of Orlando drifted into her nose.

Visions of stars and constellations danced inside her dark eyelids, Orlando being the center of it all. As amazing as the twinling, sprinkled stars were, the deep brilliance of his blue eyes were the most extraordinary sight. Hugging his pillow even tighter, Faithe slept the best that night than she had all year long.