Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Hikari Chan]

"I am very happy that you enjoyed it, my dear," Elias smiled. "I enjoyed the Theatre of Game..."

...And I think my sister might go crazy over that place…and it would be more fun if you are more than two or three performing a play...I could bring Lily and Luna could bring Alastair and his lady could also join and...and...his lady looked so familiar at the summer feast...I feel I have seen her somewhere..

"Oh!" Melody could not help but burst out aloud of surprise when she read the scroll which Reign had sent to her.

...And he picked my favorite restaurant, The Rose Garden. Does he know that, if how? or did he follow his instincts? She thought as she picked out her best dresses to choose from.

Melody's favorite restaurant was a restaurant owned by a witch located in the muggle area. The restaurant was spacious, located in a cobbled dead-end alley where one could enter via an open arch. Wild red roses grew on the outer walls of the restaurant. Victorian summer furniture were placed outside if anyone liked to eat outdoors. It had arch-shaped windows, victorian interior and pots with roses indoors.

"Yes, it is me.." August replied, who had arrived ten minutes before the appointed time. He was surprised that manager immediately knew him, however he had already made reservation for the finest table in the restaurant the day after the summer feast so he had been half expecting that the manager would immediately ask him if he was August Dolohov. But what he had not been expecting was the next thing which the manager said to his greatest surprise:

"A lady reserved the finest table in our restaurant days ago for you. Please, walk this way." he led August to the best table in the entire place. Once he was seated, the manager walked away.

August had become too speechless about this sudden news. ...A lady reserved the finest table…? He felt the color rise to his face. ...It cannot be her…or? There are no other ladies to reserve table for us two. Who on earth would otherwise reserve a table for us when I only invited her and only told her and no one else that we will dine here? I made sure to reserve the finest table the day after the feast. I invited her, so it was my job to do that...Argh this does not make sense...

(He wears subtle cologne. It is the perfect scent, which can only be smelled by the person who embraces him or gets to close. It is not like that everyone will smell his cologne just because he walks by. The cologne is not strong)

August stood up to greet her as soon as he saw her nearing the table.

"Good evening, my lady." At first, he had only his eyes on her and did not notice the tiger until she pointed at it. Because he was aware of that animals were not allowed inside the restaurant, he had not been expecting to see one.

"Good evening. I'm late, but I can assure you that it was his fault."

"That's alright," He smiled and drew out the chair for her, looking at her and then glancing oddly at the tiger.

"A few streets away from here, a strange man began following me with a perverted look in his eyes. We-" she gestured to the tiger and then to herself "-detoured, and he had him for dinner." she affectionately stroked the top of his head, and he leaned into her hand like an innocent kitten, enjoying her affection.

"Oh..." ...A perverted man a few streets away from here.... Is she trying to tell me something with this…?

"So, did anything interesting happen to you today?" she asked casually, as if all of this was normal.

"Not that much. Now that it is summer holidays at Hogwarts, nothing interesting is happening...Why do you have a tiger, if I may ask?"

"It's not uncommon for people to have magical pets." Celeste said. "This is my pet feline. His name is Dante. He usually comes everywhere with me, but he wasn't interested in the Summer Feast."

"Ah..."

...Not uncommon to have magical pets, that's true...and perhaps trying to scare me or giving me a warning? Does she really think of me as a perverted type? Merlin's beard...

"What would you love to eat?" He picked up the menu and smiled towards her.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Reign looked up when Melody neared him, his gaze meeting hers for a second. The book vanished from his hands as he stood to greet her. He bowed elegantly, greeting her as he did so.

Once they had exchanged greetings, he offered his hand to her. "Shall we? Please hold my hand tightly." He said. He had used the exact same words the last time they had been preparing to fly, so this time it was obvious what they were about to do.

They landed nearby in a discreet area with no people to witness their arrival. Seeming to know the area, Reign lead the way to the restaurant easily, and opened the door for her. After confirming with the manager that he was the one who had reserved their best table, they were shown to the table. Reign pulled out Melody's chair for her, gesturing to it. He took his seat a moment later, and picked up one of the menus, assuming that she would do the same.

Now that he's heard that story, he can rest assured knowing that the tiger isn't hungry. Celeste thought. Although, if he was a pervert, he would have gotten nervous. Hmm...I should use this story in the future if August doesn't work out. I could use it to give a warning to the next pervert. Unless he's just really good at hiding it? She wondered, looking at August.

"What would you love to eat?" He picked up the menu, and smiled towards her.

"Hmm..." she picked up her menu "...I'll let you know in a moment." she smiled. She studied the menu in silence for three minutes before setting it down. "Beef stew with bread." she replied. "And Black Mead."

"I'm happy that you came." She smiled. "Since you did, you get to know my name, as promised. My name is Celeste." The tiger turned away from August to look at her expectantly, as if he was reminding her about something. "Celeste Dantes." she said a second later. Why are human last names so different from demonic last names? Celeste wondered.

"Dantes is a pretty last name; it sounds elegant and surreal. It reminds me of Edmund Dantes from the Count of Monte Cristo." Asmodeus had said. "You can use that; it's a real last name."

"Thank you. It sounds better than the other one I had used as an alias." Celeste had replied.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"So, what are you going to do now when you have graduated?" Elias asked, stirring his tea.

"You don't know? I have talked about it like hundred times," Lily replied before taking another bite of her strawberry cupcake. "I am going to learn the new apparation which Luna promised us about and I am taking one year extra to learn cooking with magic!"

"Right..."

"And miss Pyrites asked me if I liked to assist her in divination and I could not say no!"

Elias smiled and took a sip of his tea. "And I could assist you with Arithmancy?" He joked.

"Forget about it. I am not wasting my time to learn something to complicated..."

"hehe...eh..."

"Are you teasing me on my birthday?" She pouted.

"If I don't tease my little sister, who else would?" He laughed and ordered another kind of cupcake which she favored for her. It was cupcake with white fluffy cream with red heart sprinkles.

She almost forgot about their conversation and tasted the sweet cupcake with delight.

…I want to show him the strawberries... Melody thought exited. ...I want to show him my little garden where I grow everything I need and oh the green houses...I wonder if he is interested in growing plants...

She chose to wear an off-white raw silk dress that reached to her knees with wide skirt. It was sleeveless and had a high neckline. She wore an elegant rope belt around her waist and a pair of summer sandals.

When she neared the gates, she found him reading a book. ...Oh, so he also enjoys reading…? She thought excited and wondered what kind of book he was reading. Before she got the chance to ask him, the book vanished, and he stood to greet her.

Once they had exchanged greetings, he offered his hand to her. "Shall we? Please hold my hand tightly." he said. He had used the exact same words the last time they had been preparing to fly, so this time it was obvious what they were about to do.

She took his hand without any word. She believed him to be a wizard and trusted him not to reveal anything in front of the muggles.

She became a bit nervous when they just had arrived at the restaurant and entered it. She picked up the menu as soon as he did.

"Alright," August smiled. "I will have lamb steak with roasted potatoes and sauce. And red wine."

Because she only ordered one kind of meal, he also did the same instead for ordering three kinds of meal; the first course, main course and a dessert.

The food appeared magically on the plates and their goblets were filled with their choices of drinks.

"I'm happy that you came." she smiled. "Since you did, you get to know my name, as promised. My name is Celeste." The tiger turned away from August to look at her expectantly, as if he was reminding her about something. "Celeste Dantes." she said a second later.

...Is she able to communicate perhaps using telepathy with her pet…? August thought confused when he noticed the tiger turning away from him and looking at Celeste.

"It's an honor," He smiled, complementing her name and raising his goblet of wine before taking a sip.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"What?! I can't have tea with him! What part about 'I'm scared of him' didn't you understand?!" Rosaleya exclaimed, shocked.

"Please, Lady Rose, calm yourself." Eric said, putting a comforting hand on Rosaleya's shoulder. "You can always turn the invitation down."

"What if he gets mad or offended? That would be even worse than actually going! Oh, what am I going to do?" she started pacing back and forth, growing more nervous by the second.

"Shall I ask Lord Nova for advice?"

"He might laugh, but he will obviously just say that I'm overreacting because 'There's nothing to fear; I'll look back at this and laugh', right?" she briefly imitated Nova's voice. Not the best impression, but it was clear who she was trying to imitate.

Eric was silent for a moment.

"I'll go. I'll just calm down and then change my clothes." she looked down at her maid's outfit.

"By the way..." Eric said quietly, nearing Rosaleya "...Stephan has been watching you clean the castle every other week. He's too shy to admit it, but he is developing a bit of an...infatuation." he gave her a look.

"With who?" Rosaleya asked, clueless to Eric's obvious hinting.

"Toward you."

"Psh...No..." Rosaleya waved her hand as if it couldn't be true. "No one's developing a crush on me." Could he have been the one? No, not a ten-year-old, or however old he is. A boy like that, who is too shy to even talk to me? He couldn't have written that letter. There's no way. It has to be someone else.

"Excuse me, I'm being summoned. Please summon me again to take you to Asmodeus's manor."

"Bye! See you in a minute!" It's not him. Definitely not. That letter was...too astonishing...too breathtaking...to have been written by a kid. She began changing out of her costume into the dress that Reign had gifted her. I wonder what Asmodeus wants. If he wanted me to clean his manor, then Eric wouldn't have asked me to change my clothes, right? So, what then?

"Eric, I summon you."

"Yes, Lady Rose? Ah, you're ready."

"Today..." Luna said to Nagini as she checked her calendar. "...Is Lily Shadowwalker's birthday..."

She proceeded to list every gift that she had gotten Lily.

"...I feel as if, every time I am close to deciding on the perfect birthday gift, she already has it. Besides, her father and brother give her gifts as well...."

"Perhaps it doesn't have to be a gift?" Nagini suggested. "Send her an invitation through owl. 'I would love to have tea with you tomorrow, since I assume that today your schedule is full? Your parents must have planned something for today, so tomorrow you can simply have another birthday with me?'"

"Tea? And perhaps a cake?" Luna wondered. "What if I asked Alastair to help me make a very elaborate cake?"

"That would surely be more memorable than a gift." Nagini agreed.

"What were you going to ask me? I heard my name somewhere." Alastair smiled.

"Oh, hello Alastair." Luna smiled. "Nagini and I were discussing Lily's birthday. Elias's sister." she clarified.

"And what were you thinking?"

"That I could ask you to help me decorate a cake as delicate and detailed as that one time...Do you remember?"

"How could I forget?"

"Nagini thought that, since that was so long ago, and I still remember it so clearly..."

"...That that would be a lovely gift for her? How were you planning on sending it?"

"I was planning on having a second party for her here, tomorrow....Her birthday is today, but I'm positive that her family has already planned something, and I don't want to intrude on their celebration."

"That sounds like a marvelous idea. But how is she going to get here?"

"I haven't decided, yet. I wanted it to be just the two of us, so I didn't want Elias to bring her here. But I can't very well ask her to keep it a secret from him, now can I?"

"I will go gather the ingredients." Alastair said, "I shall see you later. One of us should have decided on the best method by then."

"Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked with a smile, holding her pen and writing pad.

Reign looked to Melody, awaiting her confirmation.

"Yes." Reign replied when he received Melody's confirmation, then ordered. He chose an Indian style cucumber salad, Chicken Tikka Masala over rice, and water.

The waitress nodded as she finished writing their choices down, then walked away.

When the food was served, Reign summoned a pair of chopsticks the way he usually summoned items.

"...Lets make a bet. If it's a woman, I win. If it's a man, you win." One man said to his brother.

"How much should we bet?" the brother asked with a smirk.

They were discussing the odd couple. Or, more specifically, the odd person wearing a kimono in the middle of a Muggle village in Europe.

"Two hundred."

"That's about all I have in my wallet." the brother said. "But I'm sure it's a man."

"How can you tell?"

"He's flat-chested."

"So what? Some women are flat-chested. Besides, with her long hair and smooth skin, there's no doubt that it's a lady."

"But how are we going to check?"

"An honor?" Celeste raised her glass in return "That sounds nice." she took a sip. I like his choice of words there. "Tell me...Do you play any instruments?" she asked after she had taken a few bites of her meal.

"Hmm." she had an interested look in her eyes. "I play the cello. My master can play the organ. Sometimes, we play eerie music together, and it is amusing." she laughed softly. Her lovely smile was matched by her charming laugh. "Do you have any good family members?" she asked. "I have a twin brother who adores me just as much as I adore him. We get along rather well, and I am so grateful for his company and his personable nature. Much like someone else I met recently." she hinted toward August.

"Lady Rose, please sit here. Asmodeus will be here in a minute." Eric gestured to a chair.

There were two chairs on either side of a dining table. The table was set in the center of the ballroom, and the mini orchestra was playing classical music.

"Okay." Rosaleya said absent-mindedly. She was too distracted by the marvelous decor that she had temporarily forgotten her nerves. She took a seat, nearly overwhelmed. "Did he design this?"

"Yes." Eric replied. "He designed every bit of this manor himself. With the exception of the garden, and Malice's bedroom, which she designed. You'll have to excuse me, I'm being summoned."

Rosaleya nodded, staring up at the ceiling now. Completely mesmerized by everything, she hadn't heard anything after the word 'yes', and she hadn't even registered that he had left.

"Lady Rose?" Asmodeus asked.

Rosaleya looked at him immediately, suddenly snapping out of her daze. She noticed that he was standing at the base of the staircase, and wondered how she hadn't heard or noticed him coming down all of those steps. Then, she immediately looked to her left and right, wondering where Eric had gone. She looked to both sides a few more times before registering what had happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry....I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings because this place is...." she spoke quickly. She was rubbing her thumb again.

"Do you like it?" Asmodeus smiled, taking his seat opposite her.

"Y-yes. It's...it's astounded. Astounding." she corrected herself, shaking her head. God, he's wearing that kimono again that makes him look so intimidating. Who am I kidding? He would look intimidating no matter what he wore! And I've lost control of my tongue. There's no reset-button for that! His eyes? Or his strong posture; he's not sitting super-straight, but still his posture is so strong. Is it just his aura that makes me feel like he's in charge of everything? Like he's the real King of Hell, and I have to obey his orders.

"I'm glad. When I was young, I grew up in this terribly dark and dreary manor. I always wanted some fantasy-like design that would make me feel as if I lived in a dream. This design is the same one that I dreamt about all throughout my childhood and well into my adolescence. Only a few things have changed..."

He sounds so...How is he making designing a house sound so poetic and interesting? Maybe it's the look in his eyes, or the sound of his voice? "What has changed?" Rosaleya asked, interested.

"The roof." Asmodeus replied. "Would you like to see?"

He sounds like me talking about Anime. It must be an amazing roof. "...Yes."

"This way." he stood, gesturing to the staircase.

The staircase started out as one, then split in two, going left and right. Right when they reached the part where it split in two, and Rosaleya found herself wondering which way they would go, a third option appeared. A glass elevator stood without anything else surrounding it; not even the usual levers and controls that went with an elevator. Asmodeus manually opened the door, stepping back with a 'ladies first' gesture. She stepped inside, and he followed her, closing the door.

Hmm...Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea. I don't know him, and I'm in a position where he can pretty much do anything that he wants to me in this small space. Chill, he's not a pervert. Not everyone's a pervert like Dad said. Rosaleya took a deep breath. He's not even looking at me; he has his back to me.

The elevator started going up, and Rosaleya noticed that they were heading for the ceiling. She wondered what would happen when they reached it. They went through the ceiling, and ended up on what Asmodeus had called the 'roof'. He opened the door for her, and she took in the view.

Wow! The ballroom had a high ceiling, but was it shouldn't be this high?

It was a massive floor that seemed to stretch on forever. The floor was covered with a water-like substance that, when touched, gave the feeling of water, yet it had no moisture. It was built to give the illusion that the sky and the water-like substance met. At the moment, the sky above was a light orange with pink fluffy clouds.

Rosaleya bent down to touch the water-like substance, finding it interesting to touch. I really feel like my hand should be wet...But when I feel it, it's completely dry...This is such a strange feeling. And- she stood to walk around a bit. -it looks like I'm walking on the sky...

"That's not all." Asmodeus smiled, enjoying the sight of Rosaleya's reactions. "I can change the sky to look however I want it to."

Four suns set; a breathtaking feat. As each one disappeared, the sky changed colour, and got a bit darker. Four differently coloured moons took their places, and gradually, they were joined by the stars.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know what to say..." Rosaleya said breathlessly. "I've never seen sunsets like that. Or suns like that. Or moons and stars like this. It feels like I'm walking on the sky, with the shallowness of the water and the way it doesn't ripple too much when I walk through it."

"That's the thing that I wanted the most. To walk on the sky. No one ever understood. The representatives visit this place regularly for its beauty. We call it the Midnight Garden, because, by majority vote, everyone's favorite Sky Setting is midnight."

"...I can see why. Listen, I know this might be a lot to ask...But...Can I please come here again?" Rosaleya asked with large, hopeful eyes.

"Of course. You can visit here whenever you like." Asmodeus smiled, finding it so cute that she had literally fallen in love with the Midnight Garden.

"Why do you call it a 'garden' though?" She asked after a minute.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Yes," Melody nodded, her eyes in the menu.

"Yes." Reign replied when he received Melody's confirmation, then ordered an Indian style cucumber salad, Chicken Tikka Masala over rice, and water.

Melody ordered sweet potato soup, chicken pasta, avocado Panzanella and a glass of water with a slice of lemon.

The waitress nodded as she finished writing their choices down, then walked away.

"Do you like spicy food?" Melody asked Reign curiously and suddenly blushed deeply. ...Why did I even ask? It is already obvious since he ordered Indian food... She thought embarrassed and looked down in the menu, pretending to read the list of desserts.

"No, I do not play anything, however I enjoy listening to classical music."

"Hmm." Celeste had an interested look in her eyes. "I play the cello. My master can play the organ. Sometimes, we play eerie music together, and it is amusing." she laughed softly.

"Ah...one of my colleagues play cello as well..." August smiled.

"Do you have any good family members?" she asked. "I have a twin brother who adores me just as much as I adore him. We get along rather well, and I am so grateful for his company and his personable nature. Much like someone else I met recently." she hinted toward August.

He smiled charmingly, giving her a look of appreciation for her kind words.

...A twin brother? ...She told me she had an older sister who died because of her parents' financial status. Perhaps she was adopted after her master saved her from meeting the same fate as her sister? Or did she already have a twin brother who also was saved at the same time? I would like to ask...but... He thought for himself.

"I have two younger brothers and a younger sister..." He replied patiently, even if he already had mentioned about his siblings at the summer feast. He smiled and took a sip of his wine. "Do you enjoy art?" He asked, changing the subject.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"She adores you. She will find a way to get here by herself." Nagini concluded.

"Very well, then. I will send her an invitation using one of the owls from Hogwarts." Luna said. "When Alastair returns, we will make the cake together. I'll use a spell on it to preserve it until tomorrow. What time...?" she wondered. "Anything before twelve is much too early."

"One. That way, she can stay here until the evening. You'll have lunch together."

"Do you like spicy food?" Melody asked Reign curiously and suddenly blushed deeply.

"Do you?" Reign asked. He had waited until no one was looking, then summoned his chopsticks the way he usually summoned items.

"...When she goes to the bathroom..." the man said to his brother "...we'll just see which door she chooses. Male, you win. Female, I win."

"But what if he doesn't have to use the bathroom?"

"We'll use this. She'll have to go to the bathroom to dry off.` he held up his glass of water with a smirk. "I'll walk by while 'drinking it', and 'accidentally' spill it. Go to the men's bathroom, and wash your hands." he stood from his seat. "You won't see her in there if you are wrong."

The brother shifted in his seat nervously, caught between calling it off, and going through with it. In the end, he rose from his chair and went to the men's bathroom.

Reign closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as if he was bracing himself for something. At the same time, the man neared Reign and Melody's table, pretending to casually sip his water. Then, he pretended to trip on something, falling behind Reign's chair. The water spilt on Reign, getting a good portion of his hair and kimono wet because it had been a large, full glass. The restaurant had air conditioning, since it was summer, and the water was very cold.

The man was a terrible actor, so he had basically given himself away without even saying a word.

Reign sighed tiredly, his eyes still closed.

The man stood, pretending to show remorse. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I tripped and my water just..."

Reign opened his eyes and excused himself, addressing Melody and completely ignoring the man. He headed for the washroom.

The man followed Reign; he only half-trusted his brother to tell him the results of their bet truthfully.

By the time he had arrived at the bathroom doors, Reign was nowhere to be seen.

And I thought that I was right behind him? The man thought, confused. Ah, well, my brother's probably in this bathroom hoping that he doesn't lose his two-hundred. Little does he know that I was right. Her voice was so quiet just then that I barely heard it, but I know that I'm right. He thought smugly. He leaned up against the wall coolly, his eyes on the women's door. After three minutes, Reign left from the men's door, much to the man's surprise, and walked past him as if he was part of the decor.

The man said nothing, not caring to offer a real apology, and remained where he was. He wanted to tease his brother the moment he came out.

But, a few minutes later, he grew suspicious, and entered the bathroom himself.

He was shocked to see his brother on the floor, asleep on his back. He neared him to wake him up and scold him for his foolishness, but the moment he touched his brother, he fell forward, asleep as well.

Reign had arranged it so that they fell asleep in a position that made them look homosexual. And in a bathroom, of all places.

Back at the table, Reign was pleased to see that the food had been served during his absence.

Meanwhile, another male customer had tried to use the restroom, only to find a strange sight awaiting him.

"Excuse me..." he said to one of the waiters through his laughter "...would you mind alerting the manager that there is a rather...strange mess in the men's bathroom? I apologize for my untimely laughter." he took a break to laugh "Perhaps you will understand...when you see...the brothers....that manage that large company..."" and then his words became hard to understand in between his laughter as he held up his Smartphone, which had a clear picture of the strange sight. I'm posting this on my social media. This story is sure to get a lot of attention!

"I have two younger brothers and a younger sister..." He replied patiently, even if he already had mentioned about his siblings at the summer feast. He smiled and took a sip of his wine. "Do you enjoy art?" He asked, changing the subject.

You already told me that you had siblings. Anyone can have siblings. But I asked if you had any family members that were good. Are you close to your siblings? Are you close to your parents? The answer you gave me didn't satisfy my curiosity at all. Alas, you have changed the subject, so I cannot pursue it. "I do enjoy art." she nodded, and the interested look in her eyes returned. "I enjoy painting, and so does my brother. We prefer the darker sorts of paintings, so they're not for the faint-hearted. There is an art exhibit in Rouen, France, that has some of our paintings on display. Would you be interested in visiting there after dinner?" she asked. "There is a way for us to get there easily within seconds without apparition, which always seems to upset my stomach, or Portkeys. So, what do you think?" she smiled. "Unless you have plans, or a better idea?" We can't jump there, but we can use a portal easily. All I have to do is wish for one; I just have to decide on the perfect place to summon Nova without August witnessing. That would be a nice time. . . If he really is into dark arts like he says, then I think that he would enjoy it. She thought.

"Yes, I love children." Asmodeus smiled warmly. "They always have the best reactions to everything. Their first time eating a certain meal, their first time going to a ball, their first time witnessing Hell's many oddities. And no child's reactions are the same; it's a surprise every time. I really don't know how humans can treat their own children so atrociously." He shook his head.

"I don't know, either." Rosaleya said quietly. "If I had a little girl or boy, I would treat them so wonderfully. I could never do those terrible things to them. That's why I can't understand most other humans. I hear these stories on the news, and I always am so shocked. I feel terrible that I am even the same race as those monsters. They misrepresent the whole human race. I think that's how you demons must feel about Satan, right?"

They were still in the Midnight Garden. They had been talking for quite a while now, and they still hadn't run out of subjects. Rosaleya hadn't even come close to being bored.

"That is precisely how we feel."

"You know, it's strange, and I feel silly for admitting this, but I was scared of you before...."

Asmodeus, contrary to Rosaleya's expectations, did not laugh. Instead, he listened with interest, like he had done every time Rosaleya had spoken during their conversation.

"...And Eric said that I would look back at it and laugh. The first time we met, at the luncheon in Nova's castle gardens, I almost knelt. I was shaking." She was giggling now. "I felt like you were a scary, important King or something. I never got that feeling from when the real King visited Darkest Creatures. But I don't know how I got to feel so comfortable in your presence after just one day of...talking. It's such a sharp contrast from before."

"I see. Well, we have been talking for approximately ten hours now."

"And this whole time, I was trying to figure out who you reminded me of. I finally figured it out."

"I remind you of someone? Who is it?"

"I don't think that you would know...who it is."

"Tell me; if I don't know, then I will ask Eric."

"Your hair is longer, but...You remind me, just a bit...of Alucard, from Hellsing."

"Hmm...I cannot say that I know who that is. Eric, I'm summoning you."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"...eh yes sometimes..." Melody replied, still blushing. She looked up and noticed that Reign was holding a pair of chopsticks in his hands. ...I love spicy noodle soup during the winter...What is he going to do with those pair of sticks? She thought confused.

"Oh!" She could not help but exclaim when a guest suddenly spilled water on Reign.

She stood up at the same time as he did, as if she wanted to dry of the water from him, though she resumed her seat when he excused himself and left.

While Melody waited, the waitress served the meal they had ordered, though she did not touch her meal until Reign came back. She smiled and picked up her spoon when he picked up his chopsticks.
She tried not to stare, but she could not help but glance at how he was eating with the sticks now and then. She found his choice of cutlery interesting.

Melody remained quiet during the entire meal. She usually did not speak that much, especially when eating. While she enjoyed her meal, she could not help but ponder if it was coincidence that Reign surprised her with her favorite things. The first meal he made for her, the place he took her to, the bouquet with the strawberries and now this restaurant. ...Or does he follow his instincts because it is perhaps visible on my appearance what kind of taste, I have...or is he able to read minds... She got a bit pale at her last thought but brushed it off as if it was nothing. ...I should not overthink it... She smiled towards him, feeling genuinely happy.

"Would you like some dessert?" Melody asked politely as soon as they had finished their meal.

"Ah, what a coincidence," August smiled. "My sister is the only one in the family who both plays an instrument, the flute, and paints. However, her artwork is more of romantic and faint-hearted kind. I never got so close to her because we were sorted in different houses at Hogwarts. I am only close to my brothers..." He seemed to trail of for a second, though he had not forgot Celeste's question. "Anyway, it would be an honor to visit the art exhibit in Rouen," He smiled. "If you desire to go immediately after the dinner, I do not mind. I have no other plans for the rest of the evening; however, I am not in a rush. We may visit another day and spend an entire day in Rouen."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

She smiled towards him, feeling genuinely happy.

Reign returned her smile with a gentle look in his eyes.

"Would you like some dessert?" Melody asked politely as soon as they had finished their meal.

"No thank you." Reign politely declined, with the air that she should not have dessert either because he had something planned.



"... her artwork is more of romantic and faint-hearted kind. I never got so close to her because we were sorted in different houses at Hogwarts. I am only close to my brothers..."

That's good. Now I know how you feel about your siblings. But how do you feel about your parents? All I know is that your father was a death eater and you were brought up by your mother. I can't ask for more right now; what if they are both dead, or simply terrible parents? Raising them on her own doesn't mean that she raised them lovingly...But this conversation would bring a very gloomy atmosphere to the table.

"...Anyway, it would be an honor to visit the art exhibit in Rouen," He smiled.

He used it again. 'Honor' is a nice word, and I feel like he really means it when he uses it.

"If you desire to go immediately after the dinner, I do not mind. I have no other plans for the rest of the evening, however I am not in a rush. We may visit another day and spend an entire day in Rouen."

"...The entire day? That would be a lovely time." she agreed. "Are you free tomorrow? We could have lunch at a lovely place that serves outdoors near a lake, and there is a symphony that I can get tickets to. At the end, or at the very beginning, we could see the artwork. Do you like the symphony?" she asked. "If you are not interested in that, there is a play as well. And a place that is lovely for breakfast, or dessert later that day." she realized that she hadn't given him any time to reply. "I didn't give you any time to speak with all of my questions." she giggled softly, half covering her mouth with her hand. She didn't apologize; she was simply amused at her own excitement.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Eh..." Melody looked curiously at Reign, wondering what he had on his mind. "You want to eat dessert somewhere else, won't you?" She guessed that he was thinking about ice cream. "Then I would love to go to London's eye and have dessert there, please!" She spoke with excitement and blushed.

…I hope...I hope I did not speak to much.... or being too pushy... She thought embarrassed. ...Well, I think I have said too much...I won't tell him what kind of dessert I want if he does not ask me...I will let him pick anything for dessert...even if it is strawberries again...

August, who was smiling softly, listened patiently as Celeste got carried away of her excitement.

"I have nothing on my schedule tomorrow," He replied, still smiling. "We'll have breakfast, go to the symphony and the play, have lunch, visit the art exhibit and have some dessert...."

...Tomorrow will be perfect...I want to see if she brings her pet along or not...

"Speaking of dessert..." They had already finished their meals and the plates vanished magically to be replaced by clean ones. He picked up the menu, though his eyes never left hers. "What would you love?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"You want to eat dessert somewhere else, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then I would love to go to London's eye and have dessert there, please!" She spoke with excitement and blushed.

Reign nodded, a gentle look in his eyes. Elegantly, he signaled one of the waitresses, and she walked over to their table. "May I have the bill?" he asked kindly.

"Yes, I'll be right back." she replied. By the time she returned, Reign had retrieved a small silk pouch from a pocket in his kimono, and counted out some Muggle money. He handed it to the waitress without looking at the bill, and she was surprised when she counted it to be almost exactly what was due. "You're three pounds off; how did you do it?" she asked, amazed.

"It was a simple guess." Reign replied, standing.

"Wait one moment for me to get you your change..." the waitress started to walk away.

"Never mind." Reign replied nonchalantly, offering his hand to Melody.

"Oh..." the waitress smiled, happy to receive a tip. She held the door open for them as they left the restaurant, hand in hand.

"Thank you." Reign said to her.

"Thank you. Please come again." the waitress smiled. "Have a lovely day, ladies." she said cheerfully before she closed the door.

Reign sighed, but kept walking with Melody.

They walked to the secluded place that they had landed at before, and once again Reign instructed her to hold his hand firmly. They jumped, landing in another discreet space near London's Eye.

He led her to an ice cream parlor, holding the door open for her. "Select whichever flavor you wish." he said, gesturing to the wide variety of flavors.

"What can I get for you ladies?" the man asked.

Reign refrained from reacting outwardly, and asked if they sold green tea-flavored ice cream.

"Oh?" the man said, as if suddenly remembering something. "A man with unique eyes left this here. He said that if I see a man that looks a bit..." he shook his head to stop himself from annoying Reign any further; it was clear that he had realized his mistake now "...to give it to you. Here..." he handed Reign a paper cup full of green ice cream that had been on display next to the pistachio flavor. "Sorry about that..." he scratched his head, embarrassed about his blunder.

"I forget things easily." Reign replied, obviously meaning that he had already forgiven the man, and that his blunder was not a rare occurrence.

"Now, for the lady?" the man asked, turning to Melody nervously.

While Melody was ordering, Reign put his cup down on the counter and counted out the correct amount of Muggle money, placing it on the counter.

By the time the man handed Melody her ice cream, Reign was standing by the door with his dessert, ready to open the door for her.

"Wait, Sir, you forgot to...never mind." he noticed the money on the counter, and nearly slapped himself for his second blunder in less than five minutes.

Once they had left the store, he extended his hand while looking at her ice cream "Allow me to store it for you until we reach London's Eye. It will melt otherwise."

Reign took her ice cream, then both of their desserts disappeared, vanishing without a sound.

He extended his hand to her, and then proceeded to lead her to London's Eye.

"I have nothing on my schedule tomorrow," He replied, still smiling. "We'll have breakfast, go to the symphony and the play, have lunch, visit the art exhibit and have some dessert...."

"That sounds like the perfect day." Celeste replied. The look in her eyes was the definition of joyous. ...Tomorrow will be perfect...I want to see if he gets tired easily or not...It would be annoying if he was one of those men who need to 'take a rest' and fall asleep during the symphony or the play, or drag their feet throughout the second half or the end of the day.

"Speaking of dessert..." They had already finished their meals and the plates vanished magically to be replaced by clean ones. He picked up the menu, though his eyes never left hers. "What would you love?"

"I would love..." she thought for a moment, as if weighing the pro's and con's of eating the dessert "...no dessert." she decided, nodding. "Thank you." It seemed that she wouldn't change her mind no matter what he said; she was confident in her decision, and there had been a firm tone in her voice when she replied. I don't care if he feels strange about me refusing something that he offered so politely and smoothly. Besides; I already put up with a bland human meal; why should I have to put up with a bland human dessert as well? He wouldn't understand; not yet. But I hope that I don't have a dieting joke coming my way. "Would you mind if I invited Dante to come along with us tomorrow?" Celeste asked, not even allowing any time to be spent on the dessert conversation before changing the subject.

The tiger looked from Celeste with a pleasantly surprised gaze, to August with an almost pleading one. It was if the tiger was pleading with August to give him permission to come.

The tiger's pleading gaze faded, and he seemed relieved. He yawned, showing his large fangs casually.

"That's nice. So, where should we meet tomorrow morning? And at what time?"

When they reached London's Eye, Reign led Melody past the long line of people, much to everyone's annoyance. They whispered angrily to one another.

"Where do they think they're going?"
"Don't they see that there's a long line right here?"
"They're too blind to see the end of the line way back there."
"I can't wait to see their disappointed faces when they can't persuade the man in charge of the tickets to let them go first. I tried, and he wouldn't budge."

"Good day. May we please forget the line today?" Reign asked Nova, who smiled in return.

"It is lovely to see you again, Reign. Ms. Wilkes." Nova offered Melody a hand to shake with a mischievous smile after he had shaken hands with Reign. Today, his disguise simply involved changing his clothes and eye colour; everything else remained the same, so he was easily recognizable.

Much to the surprise of everyone waiting in line; they had been watching with either interest or haughtiness in their eyes, Nova gestured to the Ferris Wheel with a smile.

"Thank you." Reign said.

"You're welcome." Nova laughed at the reactions of everyone waiting. Their reactions are the best! Every time I do this, it's so funny! That's my favorite part of this wish.

Reign stood aside to let Melody enter first, then entered himself.

Once the Ferris Wheel had risen high enough, he conjured their ice creams the way he normally conjured items, and handed her hers. The ice cream was still perfectly cold, just the way it had been when the man had served it to them. He conjured two tissues, and handed one to Melody. Reign also conjured a pair of chopsticks, and casually proceeded to use them to eat his ice cream.

 

[Hikari Chan]

...Next time I shall invite him over lunch or dinner, and it will be my turn to pay. I cannot let him pay for everything…Melody thought as she stood up.

She could not help but cringe when she heard the waitress call them both for 'ladies'. Melody glanced at Reign and then looked quickly down on the ground. ...He sounds like a man when he speaks...his facial features are far from what resembles a woman...is it because of his hair?... She thought confused. She tried not to think so much about why strangers thought that Reign was a lady and instead pondering about what kind of dessert they were going to have. She was visibly surprised when he led her to an ice cream parlor.

"Select whichever flavor you wish." he said, gesturing to the wide variety of flavors.

"What can I get for you ladies?" the man asked. Melody frowned when she clearly heard the word 'ladies' again and wondered if he was meaning her and Reign or other customers. She could hardly focus on choosing a flavor and looked around in the shop, wondering if there were other ladies there as well.

Reign refrained from reacting outwardly, and asked if they sold green tea-flavored ice cream.

She got even more confused about the odd conversation between Reign and the man.

"I'll also have green tea flavored ice cream," She said without realizing what she was actually saying. When she received her cup with green colored ice cream, she realized what she had ordered. ...Green tea...I wonder how it taste...I have only tasted green tea as a hot beverage…but not as ice cream...hmm... She thought with curiosity.

Once they had left the store, Reign extended his hand while looking at her ice cream "Allow me to store it for you until we reach London's Eye. It will melt otherwise."

"Sure," Melody giggled softly and handed over her ice cream.

Reign took her ice cream, then both of their desserts disappeared, vanishing without a sound.

He extended his hand to her, and then proceeded to lead her to London's Eye.

When they reached London's Eye, Reign led Melody past the long line of people, much to everyone's annoyance. They whispered angrily to one another. She became very nervous and clutched Reign's hand very hard when she heard how they angry commented their behavior. ...I do not mind breaking a rule about bringing food or drinks to London's eye...but walking past the line…? She swallowed hard. She was surprised to see Nova that she nearly forgot about the annoyed and angry customers.

"Good day. May we please forget the line today?" Reign asked Nova, who smiled in return.

"It is lovely to see you again, Reign. Ms. Wilkes." Nova offered Melody a hand to shake with a mischievous smile after he had shaken hands with Reign.

"Good day, Nova." Melody smiled. ...Merlin's beard, I never thought that this would have been possible...Nova must be a very skilled wizard, doing all this without breaking the law against the statute of secrecy..

Once the Ferris Wheel had risen high enough, Reign conjured their ice creams the way he normally conjured items, and handed her hers along with a tissue.

When Melody was about to eat, she lowered her spoon, looking surprised at Reign. ...He is eating with those sticks again...how is that even possible with ice cream... She thought amused.

"Well..." August put down the menu. He would only had ordered dessert if Celeste had. Since she politely declined, he refrained from ordering anything. He was not the type that was greedy about food and if he was in a company with others he preferred to eat together.

"Would you mind if I invited Dante to come along with us tomorrow?" Celeste asked, not even allowing any time to be spent on the dessert conversation before changing the subject.

The tiger looked from Celeste with a pleasantly surprised gaze, to August with an almost pleading one. It was if the tiger was pleading with August to give him permission to come.

...Well, since she asked...besides her pet does not really look like an ordinary pet...the way it looked at me now...as if it was a human hiding in that body...it is magical after all...it has not bothered me during the dinner at all...so...

"No, I wouldn't mind," He smiled, meeting the gaze of the tiger before turning his attention to Celeste.

"That's nice. So, where should we meet tomorrow morning? And at what time?"

"We could meet here in Knockturn Alley, at nine o'clock in the morning," He suggested, thinking that it might take some time to get to Rouen and that it would be perfect to have breakfast around ten o'clock.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"We could meet here in Knockturn Alley, at nine o'clock in the morning." August suggested.

"Tomorrow, I'll be waiting just outside this restaurant with Dante. It will take, perhaps, ten seconds to reach Rouen." Celeste explained. "Ideally, we will have a wonderful day, and then return the same way. I look forward to our trip." she smiled warmly. "I didn't expect you to be so open-minded about visiting France on such short notice. It's nice that you are able to accept my spontaneity so easily." Things are going well. I hope that they keep going well.

When Melody was about to eat, she lowered her spoon, looking surprised at Reign.

Reign had taken one bite, easily using his chopsticks to pick up the perfect-sized bite of ice cream, but lowered his chopsticks now. "Is something wrong?" he asked, clueless to the reason behind her surprise.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Well..." August smiled charmingly. "I happen to be on holidays the entire summer and I have not planned anything in particular. Besides, during the thirteen days after the summer feast, I already prepared everything for the students who are coming back in September. As for tomorrow, let's then meet at ten o'clock outside this restaurant..."

"No…nothing is wrong.." Melody shook her head, feeling very embarrassed. She felt the color rise to her cheeks as she blushed deeply. "I'm...eh...I have never seen chopsticks...with ice cream...."

...I have never seen anyone eating with chopsticks at all...that's why I am surprised... She thought, looking directly into Reign's eyes before looking down and mumbling a quiet apology. She took a bite of her ice cream to cool herself down. She found the taste of the green tea flavored ice cream special. It was just as delicious as usual green tea, but different.

"That's how I feel...like a maiden locked in her tower..." Adela sighed as she hung up her recently made painted art at the wall behind her office. It was a painting of a rose garden during daylight, with a lonely tower where roses clang on it, in the background.

"A maiden who easily finds her way out every now and then..."

Adela turned around in surprise, finding that Alexis had entered her office quietly.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see you-"

"You entered my office without my permission-"

"Adela, I am your brother-"

"Brother or not, you have to knock first. Besides I am not going to tell you what happened that night, so cut it off."

"I actually did knock, but you did not hear. And I already told you, I came to see you, not to ask you what happened in the past. But since you are so full of prejudice and being so antagonistic towards me, I shall take my leave." And with the last words Alexis turned on his heels and left. He did not slam the door behind him but closed it firmly and calmly.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"...As for tomorrow, let's then meet at ten o'clock outside this restaurant..."

Celeste stood from her chair, and the tiger stood as well. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." she performed an elegant curtsy as she spoke, and at the same time the tiger bowed its head gracefully to August. Both of them had been in perfect harmony, and Celeste had had a warm and gentle look in her eyes when she said it. And with that, Celeste and the tiger turned and walked toward the exit. She spoke words that August couldn't hear to her tiger as they walked; both of them only had eyes for each other.

"I'm...eh...I have never seen chopsticks...with ice cream...."

Reign listened with raised eyebrows, trying to comprehend why it was such a strange thing.

"Don't apologize." Reign said gently. "I have a deep hatred for silverware," he smiled. It was difficult to tell whether he was joking or not "and these are more fun to use. Do you like the taste of the dessert?" he asked, changing the subject.

As he listened to her answer, he admired the view from the ride; they had reached the point with the best view.


"Yes, Eric?"

"Envy is here, and she wishes to have a word with you."

"Very well." Nova closed his book.

"I have three wishes to make." Celeste said after they had exchanged greetings. She had chosen to visit Nova's castle, where he was reading in the gardens, rather than summon him.

"Very well." Nova smirked, jokingly putting on a pretentious air, crossing his legs and gripping his chair as if it was a throne "Tell me what you desire, Enchantress of the Dark."

Celeste laughed softly before proceeding. "Firstly, I want two tickets in the perfect area of the place where that symphony is performing in Rouen tomorrow." she went through the process of explaining every little detail, then nodded, certain that she hadn't forgotten anything.

"Very well. In return, I ask for..." he paused dramatically "...one game of rock-paper-scissors."

Celeste laughed again, and the played. Celeste played paper, and Nova chose rock.

"No! You've beaten me!" he said dramatically, as if he had been on the losing side of a war. His acting was so good that Celeste was surprised. "If only I...had chosen...scissors..." he hung his head.

He succeeded in making Celeste laugh a third time, and she decided to play along for a moment. "Do not wallow in your sadness; I shall make you a stunning Origami with my paper."

And now it was Nova's turn to laugh. "Your second wish?"

She specified every detail concerning the tickets to the play that she had suggested to August, and in return, Nova asked Celeste to make him a painting.

"Very well; is it any specific kind of painting that you want?"

"Anything that you paint will be lovely." Nova shrugged, as if it was a scientifically-proven fact. "Third?"

"I will be bringing Dante along in his tiger form-"

"-oh, by the way, was he in the gardens at the Summer Feast? I feel as if I saw him once, but I wasn't completely certain."

"It was."

"Why didn't he change into his human form instead, and enjoy the party?"

"He didn't want to be seen. Also, he wanted to eavesdrop without being detected. His tiger form lets him hear much better." He actually did, but he didn't want anyone to know that he had danced with me at that party, for some reason.

"I didn't know that he would be attending the Summer Feast. I also didn't know that tigers have exceptional hearing." Nova said in surprise.

"Not normal ones. And I still owe him that soul I collected; I lost our bet."

"Which one?"

"The bet that August wouldn't show up on the fourteenth to learn my name."

"Oh? You didn't think that he would?"

"No. But, now I owe Dante a bright, delicious soul. I simply had no reason to have any trust in a stranger. But I did like Dante's idea of keeping my name a secret until the second date."

"Are you going to wear your cloak on the fifteenth as well?"

"Yes."

"Ah, just curious...So, you were saying?"

"Oh, yes. My third wish is that no Muggles will look at Dante strangely in his tiger form. Or any magical people in the area. Or-" she listed several details.

"I understand completely." Nova nodded. "In return, you must play a song for me on the cello whenever you feel as if you are in the mood to do so."

"Thank you for requesting so little. It is so convenient to have a kind friend like you."

"You flatter me. Don't stop." Nova fanned himself vainly with his hand, his pretentious voice returning. "Tell me more about myself."

Celeste laughed again. "You're self-seeking, and arrogant, perverted, and interested in trivial things." she smirked.

"I am outraged! Guards, have this filth beheaded at dawn! Until then, do what you wish with her!" he ordered dramatically to imaginary guards.

"Have a pleasant day, Nova." Celeste smiled.

"Ah, I will after having seen such a stunning smile." Nova returned her smile.

Once Celeste had left, escorted by Eric, Nova turned to the bushes expectantly.

"I made her laugh five times. I win the bet. Give me my prize." he demanded jokingly.

Diana stepped out from behind a bush, where she had been eavesdropping discreetly. She reluctantly handed over a brightly-coloured soul contained in a jar.

"...But it was a gift from Reign..." she said under her breath.

"Then you shouldn't have gambled with it."

"I didn't think that you could be so humorous as to make her laugh five times in under ten minutes. And you promised to give me three brightly coloured souls if I lost."

"Don't worry about it; Reign told me that he would come back with two human souls for you as a surpri- Oh, my...Forgive me." Nova said quickly.

"Oh, thank you so much for telling me. Now I have something lovely to look forward to, in addition to Reign's return." Diana smiled, walking away with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Dreaming about the souls or Reign? Nova wondered.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Don't apologize." Reign said gently. "I have a deep hatred for silverware," he smiled. It was difficult to tell whether he was joking or not "and these are more fun to use."

"Oh…" Melody smiled.

"Do you like the taste of the dessert?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah...it is surprisingly good, " She replied. "I have only had green tea as a hot beverage. I did not know it was available as ice cream flavor..." She giggled.

"Good night…" August smiled. ...The way she phrased it...it seems that she likes poetry...poetry, art and music...with a mix of the dark...hehe...

When he received the bill, he nearly dropped his jaw in surprise. ...Merlin's beard, such ridiculous price? It is my first time being here, but I heard rumors about this being the most expensive place due to be a five-star restaurant...but the bill...oh well... He discreetly duplicated the bill and picked out a purse with galleons and counted the coins before placing them on the original bill. The copy of the bill went straight into his chest pocket suit...I shall ask around among my friends and colleagues and see if anyone has ever been to this restaurant before....

He received his cloak in the entrance before leaving the restaurant, suddenly remembering that Celeste had been wearing her cloak during the entire time. …Well whatever, as long as she is comfortable...on other hand no one sits with a hat or cloak on in a restaurant...

"Thank you!" Lily hugged Elias and kissed his cheeks tenderly before retiring for the night.

Elias smiled. He was happy that she had enjoyed the lunch at Rose Cafe and the play at Serpents Garden. Despite having watched a magical play, he had taken her to the movies in a muggle area in London at her request. He never understood the concept of the muggle thing called the cinema and he had to endure throughout a Cinderella movie.

Lily, who on the other hand had enjoyed the story about Cinderella, was too excited when she opened the door to her room, to find her bed full of wrapped gifts from her family and friends. She nearly strutted about when she neared her bed. When she reached her hand to pick up one of the gifts, she noticed one card and an envelope. To her surprise the card was a birthday card from miss Pyrites. It was a rose gold colored card. Nothing was written on the front or back side, however inside, when she opened the card, she found a short birthday message written in an elegant squiggly handwriting. It was written with black ink on a white shimmering surface. The card smelled like rosewater. Though what surprised Lily the most was the marbled black and purple envelope from Luna. Lily nearly forgot the rest of her gifts and ripped the envelope open to find a letter written with white ink on a black parchment.

"Oh...a second birthday party!" Lily giggled of excitement. …And on Saturday, I am going out with Clarissa, Pegah, Summer and Rhaine. That counts as a third party. I am so spoiled and lucky! hehehe...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Yeah...it is surprisingly good, " She replied. "I have only had green tea as a hot beverage. I did not know it was available as ice cream flavor..." She giggled.

"Surprises are nice." he agreed. "So is green tea." She likes green tea ice cream. Just like me... Reign thought, happy that both of them were enjoying themselves. He found her giggling to be adorable, and he also loved that she didn't speak more than necessary. She seemed to say what she needed to, or felt, and didn't talk about herself too much.

"On July 21st, I will be travelling to Japan to visit a lovely temple. I wish to travel there with you. Do you share this wish?"

When she inquired about the location of this foreign sounding place, he replied "Japan is a country within Asia."

When Melody replied with a 'yes', Reign smiled warmly, visibly pleased by her answer.

"I cannot believe that we just made this. Even as I was here, in this kitchen, assisting you, I still cannot believe it." Luna said, incredulously beholding the marvelous cake.

"As long as you are certain that this is what you want." Alastair replied.

"I am. She loved Beauty and the Beast enough to wear a terrible yellow gown to a public event." Luna replied, certain. "She will love this cake. Thank you so much for making it."

"As long as you are pleased-" Alastair kissed her hand "-I will do whatever you wish."

Luna smiled appreciatively.

"Go, wash the paint from your hands." Alastair said, having turned her hand over in his. They had used coloring to make edible paint, and both of their hands were stained.

"Yours as well." Luna nodded. "Tomorrow will be lovely. I picked the most perfect red rose, and put it in a glass case that glows a bit; it looks just like the one from the film. Some glitter is enchanted to slowly swirl around inside the glass. It will be the perfect gift for her; it can be used as a night light in her bedroom. I couldn't have planned this without you. You came up with the idea, and you made the cake." Luna kissed his cheek in return, and walked away to wash the stains off of her hands in the kitchen sink. "I'm going to use a stain-removing potion if water and soap fail. You are welcome to use some as well."

"Thank you, my lady. Have a lovely time tomorrow."

"You're back." Diana smiled happily, embracing Reign. "How was your time?"

"Pleasant." Reign replied, pulling a jar with a soul inside from one of his pockets. He used the jar to gently nudge Diana's shoulder.

When her eyes moved to see what it was, they widened in surprise. "Oh, thank you! I don't know how to repay you." she said gratefully, her embrace becoming firmer before she let go and took the jar, examining it with childlike excitement.

Reign walked past her to enter the gardens, and gaze at the lovely night sky. Diana put the jar on a table after three moments of gazing at it, and stood beside him. She turned her head to gaze at his tall, elegant figure, with his kimono floating behind him.

Ah, his profile is so picturesque! Everything about him is amazing... "Nova came by...He wanted to see you. I told him that I would let him know when you returned. I'll tell him tomorrow so that you can rest a bit."

Reign nodded as he sat down, cross-legged, on the grass.

Diana imitated him.

After a few minutes, he decided to lie on his back, and Diana imitated him. She moved over a bit every few seconds, until she was touching him. Then, she rested her head on his chest, and used one arm to half-embrace him as he rested there.

Reign refrained from reacting outwardly, and Diana assumed that he wasn't bothered by it.

"Master?" his extension asked, approaching them once Diana had fallen asleep; a feat that had taken a little less than ten minutes. "Shall I move her so that you can rest peacefully?"

Reign said nothing, and she walked away with a sigh.

Celeste stood outside Silvery Serpents, talking to Dante. He stood with a dangerous look in his eyes and a threatening posture, as if he was warning the passing people not to approach them. The passing people stared at the beguiling lady who appeared to be a bit mad; since she was speaking to a tiger. She had arrived one hour early so as to prepare the portal, and to make sure that she was the one who arrived first this time, unlike last night. The portal stood beside her, taking the form of a door. It looked like an ordinary door, standing at the side of the alley on its own, without anything connected to it. It was completely normal, except for the handle...

"A pleasant morning." Celeste smiled when she saw August approaching. Dante seemed to relax, becoming more calm and welcoming than before. He bowed his head to August as Celeste greeted him, as if he was greeting him as well.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Oh..." Melody was suddenly to surprised that she got speechless by Reign's invitation to travel to Japan. "Uhm...where's that?" She asked nervously.

...Is it somewhere in England…? She thought confused.

"Japan is a country within Asia."

"Oh..." ...Asia…Japan...oh isn't it where Mahoutokoro is located...the Japanese wizarding school...the 21st July hmm...I have approximately six days to do some research in beforehand...I think that will be good enough...My goodness I cannot believe he is taking me to such an exotic place.. "Alright, I am coming with you..." She smiled, feeling very excited about visiting Japan.

Reign smiled warmly, visibly pleased by her answer.

"You wanted to see me, August?"

"Yes, please take a seat..."

Mulciber sat down in front of August in his office.

"You have not been at Silvery Serpents before, have you?

"No, I have not, why?"

"I was thinking that you could take Adela there. It is rumored to be a high-end restaurant in Knockturn Alley, with five stars…and thus a very expensive one. Inviting her there will indicate your financial status and she might become more interested in you."

"What if she declines-"

"She won't! By the way, I am not here tomorrow, so I will leave it up to you to persuade her. Andrew and Alexis will be here as usual, if you need any help. Anyway, when you take her to Silvery Serpents, be prepared for the bill, but don't show it to her in case you get a discount..."

"A pleasant morning to you as well," August replied with a charming smile. Then he nodded at the tiger in response to his greeting. He noticed the portal with the extravagant handle. He had not seen it yesterday when he had arrived at Silvery Serpents and studied it with interest.

When the morning came, Lily jumped out of her bed with excitement. She showered and put on her favorite summer gown.

She put on her pearl bracelets and took time into applying make-up, matching her lip color with her dress, and painting her nails pearl white, using the magical nail polish Luna had gifted her. When she was done, she picked out a wizarding fashion catalog which contained pictures of witches that were models and fashion icons in the wizarding world. She chose a picture of a hairstyle and used the magical potion Luna had gifted her to style her own hair:

She picked up her purse and placed her wand in it. Her purse was small and cute, in pearl white color with a golden chain to hang it across her shoulder. It was a magical purse where she could stuff anything she liked to carry on, including her pearl. Lastly, she put on some sweet perfume before strutting down the stairs to the dining room to have some breakfast.

"Ooo...going for a date?" Elias teased.

"Yes, a date with Luna!"

He dropped his jaw and looked confused at his sister.

"A date?" Their mother had just entered the dining room and looked surprised at Lily.

"I was just joking. Luna has invited me at her place," Lily told her mother excitingly.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"A pleasant morning to you as well," August replied with a charming smile. Then he nodded at the tiger in response to his greeting.

Looks like he accepts the tiger. It's nice that he even returned Dante's greeting. Celeste thought. "We will step through this portal and arrive in Rouen." She said in response to his interested gaze. "Directly behind the place where we will have breakfast, called Antique. It is owned by one of my comrades that also trained under the same master." Although I hardly think that August will get along with Damien. "So don't be surprised if he greets me rather warmly." she smiled. "The bakery uses ingredients found only in the place where we come from, so it will taste unbelievably better than anything you have ever tasted." she stated certainly, as if it was fact and not her opinion.

Celeste reached out her hand to touch the door handle, which instantly started to move like a real hand. She shook hands with the door handle, then took a step back. The door opened to show the back of Antique, which looked like a plain brick wall. They could hear muffled classical music coming from inside the building, and the light chatter of many customers.

Celeste stepped through the door, followed by Dante, and they both looked back at August to watch him do the same.

Once they had all stepped through, the door closed, and sank into the floor until there was no trace of it.

Celeste and Dante walked around the side of the building, and once they reached the front of the building, it was clear that they were no longer in London. She turned to see August's reaction to the buildings, the sidewalks, streets, and passers-by which were so different from London's.

At twelve, the center of the labyrinth was set to look like the inside of a lavish fairy-tail castle's throne room. The only difference was the high ceiling, which was made of stained-glass, which formed different characters from Beauty and the Beast. A long, rectangular dining table with a blue tablecloth was set so that two thrones were at either end. The tableware reflected Luna's chosen theme, as did the chairs. In the center was the cake...

And beside the cake was the glowing rose that Luna had prepared.

"Ah, you've done so well." Nagini said.

"I believe so." Luna nodded. "I've added every detail that I could think of. I think that it looks quite dreamlike."

"I will hide until you tell me that she is gone." Nagini slithered away.

And I will sit outside the labyrinth and read Alastair's book until Lily arrives. When she does, she will see me, and I will lead her to the center.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Ah..." August smiled. I won't be surprised if her comrades greeted her very friendly and warmly. They must be close to each other like family members since they have been trained under the same master. Though the ingredients come from a place where she is from? Special ingredients? hmm...what kind of place could it be that has not been discovered by the muggles or the wizards? ...perhaps it is a place only for wizards and witches that are hidden from the world to protect themselves from muggles... August thought as he pondered about what Celeste just had told him.

He followed her through the portal. He looked around, taking in the view from everywhere as soon as they had walked around the side of a building. He noticed immediately that it looked different from London, even it was his first time being in France. Rouen looked more like a romantic place with its different buildings and streets.

Lily apparated just outside the gates to Luna's manor and tried to walk calmly without getting carried away because of her bubbling excitement. She spotted Luna sitting outside the labyrinth reading a book.

"Good day!" Lily smiled widely, her eyes glittering with excitement as she walked towards Luna.

"Leave me alone!"

"I just wanted to speak with you-"

"I am not interested in listening to what you have to say, so get out!"

Mulciber walked out from Adela's office with clenched teeth. He did not like the fact that she had kicked him out from her office, though he avoided from slamming the door behind him.

Andrew was snoring in his office, sleeping in every day now during the summer, so there was no use of asking him for help. Mulciber was lucky enough to run into Alexis who seemed to be on his way to Adela.

"Well..." Alexis scratched his chin after he had listened to his colleague about his failure of asking Adela out for dinner. "If she is not interested, then you cannot do much for now. You have to prove that you are a better gentleman than her vampire friend before you can ask her out...Besides from what you told me, I assume that she is probably angry about something and prefers to be alone…she treated me the same yesterday, kicking me out from her office. My advice for you is to leave her alone for a while and give her some time. Her birthday is in September, it is just about two months and you could send her a gift as a starter. A gift that she will love...I know that she loves red and pink roses...I believe a rose would be a perfect gift. So, for now ignore her until it is time for her birthday...If you allow her to be for herself for a time, she will miss you..."

"And how can you assure that she won't meet the vampire meanwhile?"

"Trust me that she won't. She is not stupid. She very clever and intelligent, hence I believe she understands the risks with being with a vampire. A relationship between a human and a vampire will never last. The human will just end up as food, because vampires live of human blood. It is their nourishment after all and if I know my sister well, she will never choose to walk that path. Sooner or later she will probably stop seeing him. Perhaps she has already taken that decision because she is being so mad that she is letting out her anger on us..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Good day!" Lily smiled widely, her eyes glittering with excitement as she walked towards Luna.

"Good day." Luna replied with a gentle smile, closing her book. She stood to shake hands with Lily, leaving the book on the chair.

"Happy Belated Birthday." Luna said cheerfully. "I have everything prepared, if you will follow..." she gestured to the entrance of the labyrinth, and then walked toward it, expecting Lily to follow. "Would you like to tell me about the wonderful time you had yesterday, or is that too personal?" Luna asked as they walked.

She was excited to see Lily's reaction to everything.

"This cafe is invisible to Muggles, so you can use magic inside." Celeste said after they had entered the restaurant. She gave a concise explanation of how the ordering system worked.

Meanwhile, Dante chose to lay protectively near one of the better tables, as if he was reserving it for them.

Just before they were about to order, Damien walked out of the kitchens, and his eyes immediately fell on Dante, then Celeste, then August. He approached Celeste warmly, and they beheld each other like old friends.

"It's been so long." Celeste smiled as they shook hands.

"Yes yes, three days is much too long." Damien's grip on Celeste's hand tightened a bit, and he pulled her into a warm embrace. They spun around in their embrace, as if they were dancing to the classical music playing. To a spectator, they seemed to act like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years. Celeste's eyes were closed as she savored the moment, and Damien's were filled with warmth and happiness. They stopped with Celeste's back facing August's, and Damien stared into August's eyes. It was as if he was trying to measure August's personality and trustworthiness based on the look in his eyes. The look in Damien's eyes was both calm, and eerie. It was difficult to tell whether the eeriness was imagined, or not.

Celeste broke their embrace, and introduced them.

"...And this is Damien Graves."

Graves? Damien thought. Well, it is nicely dark. He smiled as he extended a hand to August. His handshake was firm, and he had a polite smile on his lips. Yet, the look in his eyes undeniably reflected his talent for seeing straight through lies. He seemed to be the type of person that would be nearly impossible to fool. He gave off an intimidating aura, although he gave the impression that he didn't mean it. Not at the moment, that was. "Well, I will leave you two to enjoy your day." Damien said. He gave August a look that meant he would love nothing more than to harm him if he caused Celeste any unhappiness. Celeste reacted with an amused laugh upon seeing this, and he sent a warm smile her way before approaching Dante. The tiger stood to greet him, bowing his head, and Damien uttered a greeting that they couldn't hear. He put his hand out, and the tiger put its front right paw in his hand, and they shook hands. Then, Damien made his way back to the kitchens.

"I'll see you at the table." Celeste said smoothly to August, stepping forward to order. She neared the table with her plates two minutes later, thanking Dante for reserving it as she took her seat. She had chosen blackberry jam, butter, a plain baguette, and fresh fruit. The fruits were cut in a very elegant way, forming a beautiful flower design. There were bananas, kiwi, and every sort of berry. She had also chosen two small cups of mixed berry tea, and peppermint tea. They taste so wonderful, and everything is so affordable. She thought as she looked down at her breakfast. I don't think that, with his teacher's salary, he was in his right mind that night at the Summer Feast. Why would he invite me to Silvery Serpents and lose all of that money on a simple meal? It wasn't even that delicious, but I do understand that my standards are high. If I find out that he is always so foolish with money, then I can't ever let him know that I have an endless supply of it, thanks to that wish that I made. Well, that may be a problem, because Asmodeus says that people should only be married after they have accepted each other's true selves, and not the facades that they masquerade...And I do want the perfect man. I know it may be asking a lot, but I feel as if, if I search for long enough, I may find someone close to perfect. Hmm, I wonder if I should confront him about it? Asmodeus also says that if you cannot be honest, then there is absolutely no point in trying to go on with a relationship. Lies are difficult to keep up with, and that is why marriages fall apart; people simply get tired of keeping up with their facades, so they show their true selves little by little and eventually both people become revolted by what they had once loved. Well, I'm going to talk to him about Silvery Serpents the moment he gets back here. Celeste decided. Master is so wise. He has never been wrong.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Thank you, thank you! I don't mind telling you at all," Lily giggled. "It is not that personal at all. I just had the best day in my life. My brother took me out for sweet treats, and we watched a play at Serpents' Garden. I lost the count of how many cupcakes I had..." She laughed although it was obvious that she only had four cupcakes. "I had one chocolate cupcake, it was entirely of chocolate, the cream, the cake...the sprinkles...and a second one with cake filled with custard and topped with white fluffy cream and rainbow sprinkles..." She went on describing the all the cupcakes she had yesterday. "…Then Elias surprised with a cupcake that had yellow buttercream and golden sprinkles. I bet he was teasing me as usual because I had been wearing yellow at the summer feast. Anyway, I think my most favorite cupcake was one topped with pink buttercream and sprinkled with white edible pearls....and then the play! Elias let me pick the one I liked to see the most and when my eyes fell on A Midsummer Night's Dream poster, I immediately picked that one. It was about..." And she went on describing the play about A Midsummer Night's Dream "...it was such a great play and then we had a lovely dinner. It was a fine dining at a high-end restaurant at Serpents' Garden. It was such a delicious dinner, a four dishes meal with champagne..." And on she went on describing each meal she had: "…As a starter we had a creamy mushroom soup, then eh...Antrecote...it is a French dish… She described the entrecote; however, her French was bad that she could hardly pronounce it like her brother. “...which we rounded of with some light salad and creme caramel....my goodness I was so full after that dinner..." She sighed contently. "And lastly Elias took me to the muggle movies because I desired to watch another story about a princess! And I wanted to go back to the exact muggle area which I visited with my class and Professor Rowle during my muggle studies. I wanted to see Beauty and the Beast and make my brother understand why I chose to wear a yellow ballgown, but that one was not available at all, so I chose to watch Cinderella. It was so amazing..." And on she went on describing the story about Cinderella. "...Ah...I am going to get a pair of glass shoes and a blue ballgown to the next ball!" Lily giggled.

She was about to tell Luna about the surprise she found on her bed when she arrived home yesterday evening and then continue about the plans she had on Saturday when she nearly dropped her jaw at the sight of the surprise that met her in the center of the labyrinth.

"Oh..." She was speechless. She stood there, with her eyes literary sparkling and glittering of wonder, surprise and excitement, admiring every bit of the scene in front of her. "Luna, this is so..." Lily turned around to face Luna. "...I have no words..." She nearly whispered. It looked as if she was going to cry of happiness. …Did she prepare all this on her own....for me....oh my goodness...

...Merlin's beard...three days...and they act like they have never seen each other for hundred years...this reminds me of Mr. Shadowwalker and his silly little sister... August thought sarcastically. …perhaps they see each other as siblings? They must be all close to each other, having been brought up and trained by the same master....

This was nothing August could relate to, but he understood because he had witnessed how Lily greeted Elias every day during the short period of time when they had been professors at Hogwarts. Even if August was close to Andrew and Alexis, they would never act like that. And on top of that he was distant to his sister. Had it been Elias, it would have been relatable to him, because he was very close to Lily.

August smiled politely when he met the look of Damien's eyes. August was not the kind who would back off or show cowardice because of Damien gave him an eerie look.

"...And this is Damien Graves."

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Graves," August greeted him politely, and shook hands with Damien.

"Well, I will leave you two to enjoy your day." Damien said. He gave August a look that meant he would love nothing more than to harm him if he caused Celeste any unhappiness. August responded with the look that said Damien could give him that look that day he married Celeste. He heard her laughing in the background.

"I'll see you at the table." Celeste said smoothly to August, stepping forward to order.

August nodded with a smile and went ahead to order as well. A minute later, he came back with a cup of black coffee, a croissant and two French toasts.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"August?" Celeste asked when he took his seat. "I find it difficult to understand your reasoning for inviting me to Silvery Serpents. It was a pleasant time." she said, meaning that she didn't wish to criticize him, only to clarify something. "In all honesty, the meal was very simple, and I have tasted better, although my standards are rather high considering the quality of food that comes from my home. " here she gestured to their plates "But for the price that you paid...I simply wish to know if that was a fluke, and normally you are wiser with your galleons?" she looked at him for clarification. She hadn't asked it harshly, but rather in a friendly and gentle manner.

"Ah...I ask because, I despise people that throw their money away on frivolous things." she smiled warmly, evidently happy that he wasn't that sort of person. "And my master says that if you cannot be honest, then there is absolutely no point in trying to go on with a relationship. Lies are difficult to keep up with, so I will make no attempts at spinning them." she smiled, clearly jesting; there were better reasons for not lying.

"Too many women spend needlessly." Asmodeus had sighed on one occasion.

"I will never be the sort of woman who spends needlessly." Celeste had said, when she was younger. She had had a determined look in her eyes.

"Too many women wear makeup. They look like fools, and makeup ruins their skin over time." Asmodeus had sighed on another occasion. "Nothing is more beautiful than a naturally lovely face with a genuine smile."

"I will never wear makeup." Celeste said, with the same determined look in her eyes.

"Too many women are indecisive." Asmodeus had sighed on another occasion.

"I will have firmly set opinions that reflect a perfect moral compass."

"Too many women are only interested in a man's wealth."

"I will make a wish to never run out of money. I will be back soon, master."

"Too many women talk only of themselves, going on and on and on and...."

"I will try to be concise when speaking of myself."

"Too many women complain about everything."

"I will be grateful for what you give me, and for what I have."

"You are not like other women; you've grown beautifully." Asmodeus had said a few years ago.

"Thank you, master." Celeste had said elegantly. "And you are not like other men."

Luna listened with a friendly smile, trying to remember most of the details of Lily's birthday. She found it charming how Elias had suffered through a silly movie for his sister's sake; at least, she assumed he had suffered.

He planned a lovely day for her. It reminds me a bit of something Alastair would plan; he would take every one of my preferences into account and somehow fit everything into a single day on my birthdays. However, Lily's wordiness is a bit difficult to follow. I find it a bit difficult to concentrate on everything she is saying when she describes everything so quickly. She reminds me, just a bit, of Alastair when he is explaining something; so many words in such a short period.

"Luna, this is so..." Lily turned around to face Luna. "...I have no words..." She nearly whispered. It looked as if she was going to cry of happiness.

Luna smiled warmly. "I hoped that you would like it. Please, take a seat, Belle." She gestured to the thrones, hoping that Lily wasn't going to give her a hug as a thank you. Her reaction is more than what I had hoped for! Luna thought in satisfaction. "Do you see the rose in the glass case? It was my brother's idea, and I hoped that you could use it as a night light. We tried our best to make it identical to the one from the original film. And speaking of the film, tell me, are you going to wear light blue to the next dance?" She asked with another smile.

I helped Luna get her wish. Alastair thought with a satisfied smile. He had been watching with the aid of one of Raven's Spy Clouds, as per his request. Raven, of course, had obliged.

"A...another one?" Rosaleya said out loud.

She was alone in her room, and she had opened her computer to research what dry cleaning really was. She had been thinking about it, and realized that she couldn't figure out how clothes could be cleansed without moisture. Something that she had accepted, yet she had never known what the process consisted of.

And she had found, to her surprise, another love letter. She read it through, and it was even lovelier than the last. This time, however, she refrained from telling Crystal. She assumed that the same thing would happen as before; that it would be erased before Crystal could read it. So, she retrieved a pencil and notebook, and copied the letter into her notebook. She hid her notebook at the very back of the bookshelf so that no one else would find it, and then told Crystal about it. She did it in the same manner as last time, and things played out the same way.

When she returned to find the letter on her computer erased, she darted to her bookshelf, and was relieved to find that the copy of the letter was untouched. She held the notebook to her chest, embracing it like a treasure, before hiding it again. He must mean that he doesn't want anyone else to read them. It's understandable. If I don't want anyone to read my manga or walk in on my anime, then it makes sense. I just have to write them down here and keep it hidden. That way, I can re-read them as many times as I want. And if things go this way the next time, then I'll stop trying to tell Crystal about them. I'll be certain then, that he doesn't want anyone else to read them. Whoever he is. Episode 5, I Keep Receiving Love Letters from a Mysterious Prince. Will He Be My Bishounen Prince?

 

[Hikari Chan]

August listened to everything Celeste told him when he took his seat. ...She mentions it again...that the food taste better from where she is... He looked down at his own meal and wondered what kind of special ingredients it contained that made it according to Celeste to taste better than fine dining at a high-end restaurant. …she sounds as if she is from a different planet they way she speaks...there is nothing wrong with the food at Silvery Serpents...

"I don't throw away my money without thinking," He replied politely. "The reason I invited you to Silvery Serpents is because it is a high-end restaurant with five stars, and I wished to treat you with the best. And it is not a place where one dines often, but a place for the ones who are dating or already being in a relationship to enjoy fine dining. In my opinion that restaurant has high quality dishes. I tasted a meal there yesterday, though I was not aware that you have tasted better food than what the restaurant offers. I apologize that the meals there did not meet your high standards..." He took a sip of his coffee and found to his surprise that it had such a rich taste than the usual coffee he is used to.

"Ah...I ask because, I despise people that throw their money away on frivolous things." she smiled warmly, evidently happy that he wasn't that sort of person. "And my master says that if you cannot be honest, then there is absolutely no point in trying to go on with a relationship. Lies are difficult to keep up with, so I will make no attempts at spinning them." she smiled, clearly jesting; there were better reasons for not lying.

…Is she telling me not to lie? I just told her the truth...Merlin....why are women so complicated...

"That's true…" He smiled, agreeing with her about the point that lies are devastating for a serious relationship. He tasted his French toast and found it to his surprise tasting much richer than he had expected. "This is really good..." He seemed to speak more to himself than to her when he commented the French toast he had tasted. "...Anyway..." He smiled as he looked into her eyes. "...Speaking of Silvery Serpents, it was not that expensive as you think. When I received the bill yesterday...the prices were ridiculously cheap, too cheap for an high end restaurant with five stars like Silvery Serpents... however you make it sound as if I wasted a fortune on simple meals when I paid just a few galleons...so what made you think that the meals there were too expensive?"

Lily giggled with excitement when Luna called her for Belle and she nearly wished that she had worn her yellow ballgown instead.

"It is very beautiful..." Lily replied gratefully, admiring the rose in the glass case. "Of course, I will. I don't know where the next dance will be, but I will for sure dress up as Cinderella!"

"Uhm....excuse me..." Melody asked the librarian timidly. The librarian was an old muggle lady with short and grey curly hair and round glasses.

"Yes?"

"Uhm…where do I find books about Maho -eh...Japan I mean....and its culture…" Melody blushed.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"This is really good..." August seemed to speak more to himself than to her when he commented the French toast he had tasted.

Celeste smiled. I wonder what his reactions will be at lunch.

"...so what made you think that the meals there were too expensive?"

"I caught a glimpse of another couple's bill as I was leaving. Their meal was expensive, yet simple, so I assumed that ours was as well. I simply hate people that throw their money away on things that aren't worth it, that's all." she was obviously implying that she had only meant to confirm that he wasn't one of those sorts of people, and that she was happy that he wasn't.

"Well, the symphony will be starting in a half-hour." She said after they had finished. She meant that they would have just enough time to get there and get to their seats.

"Have you ever heard of Joe Hisaishi?" she handed him one of the tickets as they walked, which explained that they would be going to see one of Joe Hisaishi's symphonic concerts. "He is a Japanese composer; one of my favorites."

Dante followed behind them, and it was easy to forget that he was there since tigers didn't make any noise when they walked.

"I hope that we will enjoy it together." she smiled. She returned her a pocket inside whatever she was wearing under her cloak. She did so discreetly so that August could not see her attire.

Not long afterward, they were sitting in the perfect seats. Dante was sitting on the floor near Celeste's seat.

"What do you think?" Celeste asked. She had chosen to ask halfway through the event, in the break between songs.

"It is very beautiful..." Lily replied gratefully, admiring the rose in the glass case. "Of course, I will. I don't know where the next dance will be, but I will for sure dress up as Cinderella!"

"Would you like to have lunch, or dessert first?" Luna asked. "I tend to break the 'rules' on my birthday and have dessert first. That way, I always have room for dessert." she tried to use Alastair's joke of 'always having room for dessert', but as usual it was difficult to tell if she was joking with her serious tone.

"Ravenna could help you with the glass slippers." Luna offered after she had served them. "The same way that she made the attires for the students at the Graduation Ball. The dress as well, if you wish, but mainly the slippers. I have seen acceptable Cinderella costumes, but never the perfect 'glass slippers'. "

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Ah...I see..." ...so it is truly expensive there and we happened to get a discount by chance? But why would I pay cheaper than all the other guests at Silvery Serpents... August did not the pursue the discussion about Silvery Serpents anymore and ate the rest of his meal in silence.

"Well, the symphony will be starting in a half-hour." Celeste said after they had finished. She meant that they would have just enough time to get there and get to their seats.

"Alright," August smiled, feeling excited about the symphony. He wondered if it would be some French classical music since they were in France.

"Have you ever heard of Joe Hisaishi?" she handed him one of the tickets as they walked, which explained that they would be going to see one of Joe Hisaishi's symphonic concerts. "He is a Japanese composer; one of my favorites."

"No, I have never heard of him. August looked with surprise at his ticket and wondered what on earth Japanese would be like.

"I hope that we will enjoy it together." she smiled

"Hmm..." He was still studying his ticket.

"What do you think?" Celeste asked later afterwards when they were in the concert hall and got a break after a couple of songs.

"It is charming," He smiled. "I could never imagine what awaited me when you mentioned that the composer was a Japanese. It turned out to be greater than I could imagine or expect."

"I will have dessert first!" Lily grinned. "And then we can have lunch later? hehe…"

"Ravenna could help you with the glass slippers." Luna offered after she had served them. "The same way that she made the attires for the students at the Graduation Ball. The dress as well, if you wish, but mainly the slippers. I have seen acceptable Cinderella costumes, but never the perfect 'glass slippers'. "

"That's sweet of her," Lily replied gratefully. "I appreciate it. I will let you know if I don't find any glass slippers. By the way, I think it will be perfect for the winter ball. My father knows how much I love dancing and going to balls, so he has promised me a winter ball," She revealed.

...Let's see...hmm... Melody searched the shelves where she was told to find books about Japan. She picked one about Japan's history, one about the culture, one about the Japanese cuisine, one about the language and one about the fashion. …I think this will do... She thought as she brought the five books to a table where she could sit and read. She picked out her fancy pink notebook and pen to make some notes while reading.

...I will read as much as I can today and borrow the rest of the books if I do not finish them all... She thought as she decided to start with Japanese history.