Rock Garden and Garden Swing(fits two...)

Every Nature Garden needs a Rock Garden and a Garden Swing... It is located somewhere amid the loveliness of the rest of the gardens.


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"No peeking, my dear." Horatio chuckled, as he led a levitating Eglantine into the Rock Garden. Recently he had built a Garden Swing for her and the rest of the staff. "Okay, now open your eyes."

Eglantine opened her eyes and sighed at Horatio's forgetfulness.
"Oops, sorry, my dear." the older wizard chuckled, untying her blindfold. "Now you may open your eyes."

She gasped softly. "Oh, it's lovely." Horatio beamed at the complement. Eglantine, after all, was not easily impressed.

The swing was made of flowers; woven together with hard vines and charms to make it stable. It hung from a small woven roof of roses and rocked slightly by a charmed breeze. There was even a foot rest attached to the swing's base that could be folded back into the other flowers. Soft roses and lavender almost sighed as the soft wind ruffled their fragile heads.

"Shall we sit, milady?" Horatio asked, offering Eglantine his arm. She smiled softly as he helped her settle comfortably into the soft petals. It felt as if she were floating in a red and yellow cloud.
"You did a lovely job." she muttered as he sat down beside her, resting back against the swing's back.

"I'm glad you like it." Horatio sighed. "Ciamar a tha sibh?" ((How are you?))
Eglantine sighed, bringing her hands up to fold over her stomach.
"Chan eil fhios agam." ((I don't know)) she returned, causing Horatio to look over at her, raising his bushy eyebrows.

"A bheil thu 'g iarraidh a dhanns?" ((Would you like me to dance with you?)) Horatio asked, rising from the swing. Eglantine stared at him as if he had suddenly morphed into an apple.
"Bàillibh?" ((Pardon?)) She asked, finding it odd that he would ask such a strange question. They were in a rock garden for goodness' sake.
"A bheil thu 'g iarraidh a dhanns?" he repeated, beaming from ear to ear. "It is a lovely day and if you so wish, I would like to dance with a far lovelier being."

Blushing, Eglantine held out her hand for him to take. " Wie Sie wollen." ((German- As you wish(want)) Horatio, not understanding her, cleared his throat and lifted her easily from the swing. A simple music charm soon had a gentle waltz drifting through the cool air. He began to dance, carefully tucking his arm around her waist to hold her close to him, but not flush against his chest. His other hand gently took hers so that they danced together although only Horatio was really dancing. Eglantine was floating along, as he spun with her.

As the music faded, a good thirty minutes later, Horatio was shocked as Eglantine rested her head against his shoulder, sighing contently. He smiled and carried her back toward the swing, lying her carefully in its woven seat.
"Ich glaube, ich liebe dich." ((I think I love you-German)) Eglantine whispered, her hand trembling slightly as she lifted it to touch his bearded cheek ever so softly.
Horatio chuckled, wishing ever so much that he had studied German. It was a terrible agony for him to hear her lovely voice speak to him combined with one of her rare smiles and not be able to understand what she was saying. Still, he had a feeling that she preferred it that way. Feeling he had to ask, Horatio sighed. "Chan eil mi 'tuigsinn." ((I don't understand.))

Eglantine nodded her head. "I know." and after giving him another brief smile, she levitated herself up from the swing and back toward the castle. Horatio lowered himself into the swing and began to hum a few bars from Eglantine adding a word or two here and there.
"Eglantine...how you shine... Eglantine...destiny calls...the future is ours..." Another thing to add to his list... learn German.