The sky was nearly empty of clouds, affording a clear view of the near-full moon hanging with the stars, casting a gentle light over the houses and shops. Bill sat at the top of the hill overlooking the hamlet near his family's home. Windows in the tiny buildings, the homes of the villagers, winked at him through the night as lights were turned on and off. Faint wisps of smoke curled out of some chimneys, carelessly making their ways to the stars.

Growing up, Bill often found his way to this spot. There was something about the picturesque order it had with the gentle breezes mingling with the clean, crisp air; the quaint buildings somehow placed at just the right spots; animals scattered around, frolicking in the fields; villagers going about their daily business. He could sit for hours contemplating it, mesmerized by the way the light striking it at different angles and at different intensities would change the whole picture. Sometimes he sat on the ground, his back to his favourite tree. Other times, he lounged amid its branches. He would come whenever he wished to be alone, to think in peace, or was troubled about anything.

For some strange reason, his brothers always respected that without question. He remembered one time when little Ron was barely able to stay on a broomstick. His brothers all wanted to play a low-flying match of Quidditch. Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George didn't really want Ron around since he couldn't fly well, and they thought to use the an uneven number as an excuse. Mum got wind of the squabble and told them to go get Bill. He found out later that, after she gave that suggestion, they all turned and looked at the hill for a few silent moments. They never did get him, though they knew if they had he would have played to keep the peace. They simply traipsed up and took turns keeping Ron out of trouble as he hovered in the air.

Though that specific time stuck out in Bill's memory, there were other times when they would play while he sat alone. Their cries and shouts seeping through the dense foliage to his ears, mildly jarring the silence of the countryside. Yet knowing they were near did not bother him so much. Indeed, the sound of their enjoyment would help calm whatever tumultuous thoughts were running through his mind. It was as though he could feel the love of his family through those sounds. That, in addition to the picturesque view, would always settle him down, wrapping him in a warm, safe blanket.

Over the years, the view hadn't changed much. It had gotten a bit older, a bit more worn. But age had given it a deeper character. Perhaps that had always been there, he mused. Perhaps it is my growing older that opened my eyes to aspects of the world I could not understand when I was younger. Bill heaved a deep sigh. What I wouldn't give for the additional sound of the boys in the background to complete this scene now...

Arthur Weasley sat at the dining room table sorting through some paperwork. A glance at the clock told him that his eldest son was still sitting out on the hill. He had been there for nearly an hour. Arthur knew he probably should not be waiting up so late for Bill to come home. In his youth, when Bill would disappear out to the hill he could very well be expected to be gone for a few hours, so there was no telling when he would be back. Even so, his eldest son's appeal for a moment of time held an underlying sense of anxiety and a little urgency. Arthur instinctually knew that it had nothing to do with his mysterious meeting but, though he had a few different speculations, could not put his finger on what it was exactly.

"Dear, why are you still up?" Molly stood in the doorway, pulling her dressing gown around her. She had a concerned look on her face. "Surely work can wait until tomorrow morning. Is something wrong?" She came over and stood next to his chair.

He smiled at his wife of nearly thirty years as he reached out and took her hand. "No, Molly, nothing at all. I'm just waiting for Bill to come inside. When he got here this evening, he mentioned that he wanted to talk to me about something."

"So late?"

"Well, not exactly. He actually told me not to wait up for him. But I rarely got to see him these past few years that he was in Egypt, and with everything else going on with You-Know-Who who knows if a chance for a nice chat will come again soon, and there was something about the way he asked, and--" he stopped himself and sighed.

Molly leaned over and kissed his forehead. "And you wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. Is he alright, do you think?"

"Oh, I'm sure he is. You know how he gets when he is out on the hill. And all he told me about what he wanted to discuss was that it is 'complicated', which could mean any number of things."

"Hm... Sounds like a night of serious boy-talk to me." She paused. "Complicated... I wonder..."

He chuckled. "My thoughts exactly."

"Well, as you said, I do know how he gets. He could be out there for a while yet. Would you like me to wait with you? I can make some tea and then zip upstairs when he gets to the porch."

Squeezing her hand, he stood up. "I would love the company. I'll just put my papers away."

As they settled together in a comfortable silence that only comes with many years of knowing and loving someone, they could hear thunder rolling in the distance.

Katrin stood on a balcony overlooking the Labyrinth, leaning against the railing. The sun was low on the horizon, casting its warm glow over all the land. She waited for the moment when it would hit at just the right spot. I love this view. I feel as though every portion of my being returns to its proper place. How can landscape be this calming? Even the sight of the Dark Woods pulls order out of chaos. She sighed, knowing that it was getting late and she should probably go inside and get some sleep. Just a few more minutes. It's almost there...

Without warning, the whole maze came alight with a golden hue. It mingled with the vibrant colours already giving life to the Labyrinth, claiming it as its own and refusing to surrender it to a duller, paler existence. The reds and oranges from the Firey Swamp leapt out from foliage so dark it was almost black, as though waiting for a breeze to carry its flames out across the land. The cold and unmoving stone walls shimmered with the glittering silver that was visible only when looked at without a sense of anxiety and haste, ready to take on the heat from the Swamp with the ice glazing its surface. The vibrant green Hedge trapped between, healthy and thriving and ready to either make peace between the two or grow so high as to protect them both from themselves. Even the murky Bog took on a marvellous face in the light of the setting sun.

As quickly as the moment came, it was gone, the Labyrinth slowly being shrouded in darkness. Katrin closed her eyes, breathing in the peace that this strange and dark land brought her. The only time she felt this way when she was away from it was when she played and sang. Her own compositions or someone else's; alone, with friends, or with countless pairs of eyes on her; it did not matter. Through them, she was somehow able to harness the torrent of chaos life left in its wake and return to a more calm state. She sighed again and pushed herself off the rail. Giving the Labyrinth a lingering glance, she turned and went inside.

Sarah walked into the throne room to find her husband sprawled in his chair looking pensive. His chin rested on one hand, elbow on the armrest. The other hand unconsciously twirled a crystal as he stared at his feet. His face openly displayed the variety of feelings connected to his thoughts and she smiled to herself, loving how completely unguarded he was at this moment. It was a far cry from the cold and distant man she once thought of as an adversary, all those years ago. Both had changed much since then, in ways seemingly far too many to count. Rather than causing them to grow apart, those changes served only to bring the two closer together than anyone who knew of their first encounters ever expected. Including either of them.

"Hello there." The melodic voice drew Jareth out of his contemplations. He looked up and found his wife leaning against the doorframe, thoughtfully regarding him. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Not far," he responded. Their eyes met and their most recent thoughts mingled with each other. Looking down at the crystal in his hand, Jareth stood. He extended his hand, offering the crystal to her.

She smiled at the familiar game. Slowly, she pushed herself off the wall and walked toward him. "What is it?"

"Just a crystal; nothing more." With a flick of his wrist, it spun around his hand once. "But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams. Do you want it?"

"Hm... A tempting offer, Goblin King." Sarah reached out and ran one finger across the surface of the proffered crystal before gently pushing his hand out of the way. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tilted her head back to look at him. "But I have no need of a crystal to see what my dreams hold."

"Mm..." He held her close. "Did you search me out for a specific reason?"

Sarah shook her head. "No. But you can tell me what has you so concerned that you fear losing our daughter."

"I cannot hide much from you, can I?" Before she could respond, he interrupted her. "I know, I know. That is my own fault for opening my thoughts to you." His dramatic sigh elicited a chuckle from her. "I am probably overreacting, and I do not know the whole story yet, and I promised not to tell you about it or question her further until you were around as well."

Her raised eyebrow echoed an expression he often used. "I see... So should we seek her out for this inquisition now and put you out of your misery?"

"An enticing offer, though I am not entirely sure that I want to know the answers that badly." His eyes clouded briefly with the far off expression he bore a few minutes earlier as he rested his chin on her head. She squeezed him tight and he looked down at her gentle and understanding smile. "Besides, she might do me bodily harm if I do not let her come to us instead. You would have to protect me."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she regarded him. "I will give that request due consideration."

His own eyes narrowed. "Oh really?" He pointed a finger at the tip of her nose. "Sarah, don't defy me."

She looked at him in mock horror. "Or what?" Jareth responded merely by tickling her. "Hey!" she gasped between giggles. "That's not fair!"

"I know. But it works."