astronomy • marlene mckinnon

twenty one

"And here I thought he was trying to be secretive," Astraea rolled her eyes and turned around as soon as she saw Evan Rosier and Iris Everhart in a tight embrace, their lips locked with each other.

"At least now I know who it is." Tiberius grinned at her.

"It was so obvious," Astraea rolled her eyes. "Well, I thought he had a crush on her, I didn't know they were dating."

"We don't know that they're dating," Tiberius pointed out.

"I say they are."

"And?"

"I'm always right," Astraea shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing.

"That's the worst lie I've ever heard," Tiberius shook his head with a teasing smile and Astraea made a face at the seventh year.

"You just can't admit the fact that it's true."

"What's true?" Evan came up to them and furrowed his eyebrows.

"That you're dating Everhart," Astraea shrugged and Evan's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

"I told you!" Astraea gave a smug look to Tiberius before she turned to Evan. "You see, when you're in a secret relationship, you're supposed to keep it a secret, and not play quidditch with your tongues in the middle of the train corridor."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Astraea grinned as she, Evan, and Tiberius walked towards the doors of the Hogwarts Express.

"Well, in my defense," Evan started. "The corridor was empty before you two walked in."

"Do you mean the corridor in which anyone could have walked in but luckily it was just us?" Tiberius raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Evan rolled his eyes and then snapped at a brunet in front of them to get out of the way.

The boy turned around and his face twisted into a scowl at the sight of Evan, and for some reason, Astraea thought it was very familiar.

"Rosier, Nott," The much elder boy sneered at him and Tiberius.

"Oh," Tiberius's face flashed with recognition. "You."

Astraea looked at three glaring boys with a confused look. She was sure that she had never met the brunet in front of them, even though he looked familiar, and she couldn't figure out how Evan and Tiberius could know him, because he didn't seem young enough to just have graduated out of Hogwarts.

But before the sixth-year Slytherin had a chance to say anything about it, another voice reached her ears.

"Oi, Mitch! There you are." Marlene McKinnon came over to where the four were standing and Astraea immediately understood why the boy looked so familiar, he was Marlene's brother and Astraea had to admit, they both had the same scowl.

"Where did you run away to?" Marlene continued as she looked at her elder brother. "Mum's looking for- oh."

The Gryffindor's eyes landed on the three Slytherins, two of them still staring at her brother with a fierce glare, while the third looked at Marlene, her head tilted in confusion and her grey eyes flickering towards the three boys occasionally.

"Astraea." Marlene gave the girl a small smile, unsure how she would reply, they hadn't had a single conversation except exchanging small smiles since that late-night Astronomy tower session on the raven-haired girl's birthday.

"Mar- McKinnon." Astraea locked eyes with the Gryffindor and gave an almost unnoticeable smile, but Marlene noticed, how could she not when her eyes were locked on Astraea's waiting intently for a reaction. Marlene's blue eyes visibly lit up and she gave her a huge smile.