Maria walked home, while being deeply in thoughts. 'Home … If I can even call it home.' She frowned. 'Home … Georg.' The thought of home made her trail away to Georg, his house, his room, Georg parents. She felt that that place had been more of a home to her then the cold and bitter place where she returned to every day.

Even though she should be feeling different, because she had to be in Hanz's presence again, she just couldn't get that joyful feeling away. 'Can this be happening to me?' She asked herself while gazing at the lilacs again.

She arrived at the house, going via the back into the kitchen where she immediately started preparing dinner. To her relief, there was no sign of Hanz. But he probably would be back any moment. As she still had an hour to get his dinner ready, she truly hoped he had no reasons to cause her pain that day.

After having put water on a fire to let it boil, and laid some food on the table where it was convenient to take it later, she took the lilacs and a little vase which she filled with water, then she walked up the stairs, in the corner of the kitchen, to her room while she put the flowers in the water. Once there, she put them on her bedside table. Luckily Hanz never had said anything of flowers in her room and he had seen some before there. So Maria hoped he wouldn't mind again this time.

Then she walked back downstairs and continued preparing their meal. Not long after that, Hanz walked in.

"Well I see you've finally gotten some manners and notion of time." He answered sarcastically.

If Maria had dared, she'd roll her eyes. She had been on time almost every day of those four miserable years.

Hanz went on rambling and accusing her of all kinds of things. But Maria couldn't hear him. In the beginning she had been thinking how she despised him, then her mind started to trail off to Georg again. She honestly couldn't care less about the awful things of her he was going on about. Before, she would've mind, but now she knew that some people actually loved her and that Hanz only did it to break her high spirits. Maria always had been a sunshine and was loved by nearly everyone who knew her, but Hanz couldn't stand her constant cheeriness. That was one of the reasons he started beating her as well. Plus he started being very negative about her, making her believe that no one wanted her, that everyone was only kind to her because she was his niece. And after a while she started believing it a bit. Yet she kept friendly, caring and loving towards all people and Hanz just couldn't change that. Now Maria knew that it was different, that she was loved and her uncle couldn't ruin that anymore. As she served dinner and sat down afterwards, she was still smiling without her even knowing it.

"And what are you so happy about?" He practically bit her nose off.

"Nothing." For the first time in a long while she dared to look him in his eyes. Maria could see he didn't believe her. "Really, nothing." She noticed Georg had given her courage and confidence, because this was the first time she ever had spoken like that before to him.

Hanz could see that Maria had changed a bit, she was more confident. How and when he didn't know, but it made him simply speechless. Therefore he just continued eating his meal without saying another word anymore.

A few hours later, Georg was on his way to Maria, to ask her uncle if she could come with them on a picnic and if she and Hanz would come to dinner the next day. Georg had trouble with inviting him as well. But for Maria, he kept appearances. His biggest concern was that his parents might start about the picnic and ask him if he perhaps could change his mind or so. If they'd do that, Georg knew that things might be awful for Maria afterwards. 'It's all my fault in the first place. I shouldn't have shouted no! I only put Maria in trouble by doing that.' He could knock himself over the head when thinking back of that.

Finally he stood in front of the door where he knocked firmly. Maria was sitting in the kitchen, reading a book. Hanz sat in the sitting room. When he heard the knocking, he stood up from the couch and walked over to the door before opening it.

Georg had been standing there, thinking how he could be kind to this man, how he wouldn't blow his cover. And when Hanz opened the door, he could just hit him in the face. But he managed to control himself as he thought of Maria.

"Georg, my pal, what are you doing here?" Hanz exclaimed cheerfully which made Georg loathe him ever more.

How he managed to smile was beyond him, but quickly he answered. "Mum sent me. I'm here to ask you two things."

"Come in! Come in!" Hanz laughed as he stepped aside to let the young man in. Then he motioned Georg to go into the sitting room, before shouting "Maria, look who's here! It's Georg!".

As soon as she had heard the name Georg, she was sitting next to him in a second.

"Hi Georg." Maria started, her face beaming more than she wanted. "What nice of you to visit! Would you like anything to drink?"

"No thanks." He said somewhat nervously.

"You, uncle?"

"No. Now tell me boy, what do you want to ask." He said as he turned back from Maria to Georg.

"First if you and Maria would like to come for dinner tomorrow."

"Of course. Tell your mother we'll be delighted to come!" With that he patted Georg firmly on his back.

"We'll eat at six. Then, if Maria can accompany us at a picnic the day after tomorrow."

Hanz's happiness disappeared for a moment and he turned his head to Maria. But he quickly recovered by putting a smile on his face. However, he still was silent for a minute or two. Then he faced Georg again. To his dismay, he couldn't do but let his niece go.

"She'll be there."

"Oh thank you, uncle!" Maria replied cheerfully, but without moving a muscle. Pretending that she was close with him was one thing, but giving him a hug was another. Even that was too much for Maria. So she simply kept sitting on the couch while looking as if someone had told her that she never had to see her nasty uncle again.

"You're welcome, sweetie." He finally was able to bring out with the biggest trouble and a terrible feigned smile. All three of them felt like vomiting after hearing his pretended kindness.

"Will you be staying here for a little while?"

"Eh no, actually sir, I was wondering if I could borrow Maria for a minute. We still have to discuss some things about our performance."

Scared that they might start singing and discuss it there if he wouldn't let her, he allowed her to go immediately.

"But be back at nine." He told her sternly with a frightening look in his eyes.

Maria had lost her courage and confidence, simply by seeing that look she knew far too well and all she could do was nod.

Georg had witnessed this, he even had seen the way Hanz stared at her, thus whatever doubts he had before, they all vanished like snow for the sun. For people who didn't know the real Hanz, things like that would be hard to discover, but now he knew all of it, Georg could see the hatred in his eyes. "Don't worry, sir, I'll bring her home safely at five to nine."

Once again he patted Georg on his back. "That's my boy." He added proudly as if Georg was his own son. "Now run along." He motioned the two.

With that, Maria and Georg hurried outside. Still a lot of people were outside, but Georg wanted some time alone. So he grabbed Maria's hand and walked down the plain. They passed the fountain, took the way next to the church that went outside the village and followed it. Here were no people at all. And they both enjoyed walking through the fields with the hills in the background and an evening sun shining upon them. Now they could walk hand in hand, talk about whatever they want, gaze into each others eyes as much as they wanted without anyone seeing them. Slowly they walked down the path.

"You're a pretty good actress."

Maria just laughed with that saying. Then she turned to face him.

"And you're pretty clever to get me out of there due to music rehearsal."

She leaned closer to him. Their hands parted so that they could embrace each other.

"You know, when he opened the door, I almost had hit him."

Maria looked at him with a fearful look.

"But I didn't, because I didn't want you to get into trouble."

Relieved, even though she knew he didn't do it, she kissed him briefly as to say thank you for not doing it. Then she remembered what had happened at the dinner table, how she had managed to shut him up.

"The most strangest thing happened today when we were eating."

"What?" Georg asked curiously.

"He was trying to make me feel miserable again with saying that I'm all alone in the world and everything. Well apparently I was smiling. So he shouted: What are you so happy about!? I answered: Nothing. And then for the first time I dared to look him in his eyes. But that wasn't all, I managed to make him speechless by adding: Really, nothing." She looked Georg serious in his eyes and stopped for a minute. "You did that. You made me confident to do that." Then he kissed her again.

"And that's what I'll keep doing."

They continued talking, this time about more cheerful things while slowly they reached the end of the path and the beginning of the green grounds of a hill. But that didn't stop them, they proceeded their way up until they were completely out of the village's sight. Once they had reached the little lake surrounded with nothing then meadows, a few trees now and then, flowers and even higher hills further away, they walked up the little wooden jetty that ended in a deeper part of the water. There they sat down, while letting silence fill the air for a minute. Maria was looking at their reflection on the swinging surface, her mind empty for once, when she felt Georg's arm moving over her back so he could embrace her waist and pull her closely to him. Then she let her head lean on his shoulder which he replied with a little kiss on her forehead. Neither one of them saying something, because each other's touch was all what was needed at that peaceful moment.

Half an hour later, when silence was still around them and they hadn't moved an inch, Maria sighed deeply while her eyes were getting smaller.

"You know that I could fall asleep, right here."

"That would make two of us." Georg replied , trying his best to stifle a yawn.

"But we can't. What I we'll fall asleep and wake up too late?"

"You're right."

Both stood up to take a little walk. Just then they heard a little sound, something like twigs breaking. Abruptly they turned around to from where the sound had come. A young man was walking towards the lake. Apparently he hadn't seen the couple yet. He was about 17, 5' 9 tall, and he had blonde hair with brown eyes. The two recognised him immediately, it was Johannes. They watched him how he stood still for a little moment in front of the lake with his hands in his pockets. Then he turned into their direction. One hand left his pocket and waved at them as he shouted "Hey Georg! Maria!" when he had spotted them. Meanwhile he was walking towards them. It took him only a little minute to reach them.

"Hi Johannes."

"So what are you guys doing here?"

"Oh you know, the usual, preparing ourselves for our next performance." Georg replied.

"Ah I see." Meanwhile he was trying to ask Georg with his eyes if he had spoken Maria about his question. But Georg pretended he couldn't see his asking hints. Maria was his now and he preferred not to think about that now.

Maria on the other hand could see what Johannes was doing, so she gave Georg a little glance and then took Johannes's hands before walking a little away from Georg who understood what she was doing. Therefore he walked back to the jetty to give them some privacy.

Johannes looked surprised as he felt Maria's hands taking his. He was even more astonished when she leaded him a bit further away. 'Did he ask? Could this be true?' The more he thought about it, the more confident he became. 'This is it …'

Maria didn't want to do this, but it was just something she had to do. She loved Georg, not Johannes. And she should not let him hope if she knew nothing was ever going to happen. 'Honesty, Maria, plain honesty.' She sighed deeply while looking at their entwined hands. Then she looked up into his eyes. That hopeful look he had on his face made it even more difficult.

"Yes, he asked me." She slowly began as to answer what she supposed was his first question. She hesitated for a minute, which made Johannes clear that it wasn't going the way he wanted it to be.

"I understand." He replied somewhat disappointed, looking down at their hands.

"You're an awful good friend, Johannes. But I've just never thought of you that way."

He simply nodded as his voice had left him. This hurt him much more than he ever would've imagined.

"Are you okay?" Maria asked trying to catch his look.

"Yeah … yeah I'm fine, thanks." He said while looking up to her again. "Could we still be friends?"

"Are you kidding, I don't know what I should do without a friend like you!"

He smiled a little after hearing that. Maria felt a bit better now after seeing his expression change from sad to a little smile.

"Good. Well, I'd better be off then. Goodbye Maria."

She reached up and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. "Bye."

Georg saw Johannes leaving. He didn't even cast a glance in Georg's direction, he just walked away. Meanwhile Georg stepped back to Maria, who was still looking into the direction of the young man leaving when she felt his hand taking hers.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Maria turned over to face Georg, she smiled and laid her arms in his back.

"I'm just glad I have you."

"Funny, because I was just thinking the exact same thing."

She was eager to kiss him once more. And she wasn't alone, the next minute the two had found each other's lips again while the sunbeams found their way through the little green leaves that were being played with by a soft summer breeze.

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so here it is ... please let me know what you think and I'll update as soon as possible