Moonlight Sonata

The late-autumn moonlight was a little chilly.

Klein wandered aimlessly through Hogwarts Castle with Hermione, stopping and starting as they explored every place he found interesting.

They might pause before the suits of armor standing in the corridors, the portraits painted in an old-fashioned style, or even the mossy flowers stubbornly growing in corners where people rarely went.

This was the feeling he wanted.

Peace.

He truly enjoyed these moments, when time flowed like water.

"This is Lady Mear, who helped the four founders drive off a Giant attack when Hogwarts was first built. Hermione, say hello to Lady Mear."

Light on his feet, Klein strolled back and forth along the corridor, taking great pleasure in telling his young companion about the people in the portraits.

His voice was soft, as gentle as a pure white feather settling on a spotless piano key.

Hermione listened closely, even deliberately slowing her breathing.

At first, she had been nervous. Now, she had relaxed.

It had been a long, long time since she had felt so safe.

"A romantic confession once took place at this corner. A male Gryffindor Prefect put on a song-and-dance show for a Slytherin girl.

"This is where they shared their first kiss."

Klein ran his fingers over the rough wall and winked at the girl beside him. Then, seeming to realize that might not have been appropriate, he quickly added, "You can read about all sorts of interesting things in Hogwarts, A History."

"Mm."

Hermione, wearing a robe with green trim, nodded softly, her voice barely audible.

"Did you know that in the mysterious East, there's a festival devoted to moon-gazing? Of course, in our astronomy—"

Deliberately changing the subject, Klein glanced out the window at the full moon.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked toward a hidden corner.

"What's wrong? Is there something over there?"

Hermione had been waiting to hear about the stars, but when a long while passed without Klein continuing, she looked up in confusion. She followed his gaze, but saw nothing.

"Nothing."

Klein shook his head and cheerfully led Hermione onward to explore the castle.

After they had gone, Dumbledore took off his Cloak of Invisibility. Smiling, he shook his head and left.

"If I'd known this was all that was happening, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of sneaking along. Heh. It's nice to be young."

Dumbledore had been only a brief interruption, and Klein hadn't given him another thought.

The reason was easy enough to guess: someone keeping watch in the castle had reported that he was wandering around with a little girl in the middle of the night, and the old man had come to check on them because he was worried.

They still couldn't completely trust one another. If Klein had been in Dumbledore's shoes, he would have come to see for himself, too.

"Where was I? Oh, right. The stars."

Composing himself, Klein spoke again.

As they strolled beneath the moonlight, he explained the constellations, growing more and more cheerful.

At last, he simply drew his wand and conjured a dazzling starry sky around them, so lifelike it seemed real.

"Wow!"

Surrounded by shimmering stars, Hermione couldn't help crying out in delight.

She had never seen anything so beautiful in her whole life!

Stars, the silver moon, a joyful girl.

Klein took it all in, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Scheming, killing, fighting for power.

All the things once carved into his bones were slowly melting away, leaving only peace.

A peace that could soothe the soul.

"Not becoming emperor was the best decision I ever made."

Beneath the moonlight, the boy smiled.

With a flick of his wand, gentle music filled the air.

"Hm?"

Hermione, standing among the stars, paused in surprise, then became completely absorbed in the music.

Tonight felt like a dream.

No, even in her dreams, she only ever dreamed about classes or homework. She could never dream up a scene like this.

"Relax. You're always so tense."

Klein smiled. He and Hermione weren't particularly close; their only real conversation had been a brief chat on the train.

But sometimes, people simply met at the right moment.

The little girl had stepped out of the ordinary world and into the magical one, and the pressure on her was immense. Beneath that proud, confident armor was a sensitive, vulnerable heart.

Klein knew all that.

And he understood.

"I never leave a debt unpaid. Thanks for keeping me company tonight. You've put me in a good mood."

Although Hermione's presence had kept him from exploring "that place" tonight, Klein wasn't disappointed at all.

If anything, he was grateful.

Just like Dumbledore and Snape, he felt that he owed Hermione a favor.

He could think of it as repayment for—

that glimpse beneath the moon.

"Do you know how to dance?"

Shaking off those random thoughts, Klein wanted only to enjoy the moment.

He asked, but didn't wait for her answer. Instead, he stepped into the starry sky and gently closed his eyes.

Klein had no set dance steps. He simply swayed to the music, first one way, then the other, looking a little ridiculous.

Hermione laughed happily and joined him.

The boy and girl spun and leaped beneath the stars, hopping about without a care.

It wasn't romantic at all.

But—

it was wonderful.

"Meow!"

The two of them had been dancing for who knew how long when a hoarse cat's yowl suddenly broke through the gentle music.

Klein and Hermione stopped at the same time and looked at each other.

"Mrs. Norris!" Hermione shrieked under her breath.

"Don't worry. She can't see us."

Klein smiled unconcernedly and led Hermione running in a certain direction.

But the girl was wearing slippers, which made it hard for her to move quickly. After running for a dozen or so meters, she began to fall behind.

He had no choice but to stop and wait for her.

Scratching his temple with his little finger, Klein blinked and considered it for a moment. Then he tentatively held out his right hand.

"May I?"

"Um."

Hermione first froze, then blushed.

Her fluffy brown curls swayed as she lowered her eyes, unable to look at Klein. After taking a few deep breaths, she timidly held out her hand.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine."

Klein reassured her softly. He had no other intentions.

Taking her tense little hand, he set off again without hesitation. After winding back and forth through the corridors, they easily shook off Filch's old cat, Mrs. Norris, and returned to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"That's the end of tonight's adventure. Good night."

Klein let go of her hand naturally and gave Hermione a little bow with a smile.

"G-Good night."

Hermione's face was bright red as she stammered. She spun around and promptly walked into the portrait of the Fat Lady, who had just returned from a visit.

Well—

Klein was certain her face had turned even redder.

"Pig snout."

Hermione felt as though her face might burst into flames. After giving the startled Fat Lady Gryffindor's password, she darted through the portrait hole into the common room, not daring to look back even once.

"Heh."

Klein smiled, completely unruffled. Just as silently as he had appeared, he melted into the night.