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'ASTRONOMY'
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♡

Mina tossed and turned that night, unable to fall asleep. Her thoughts were loud and continuous, and not matter how many times she tried averting her thinking to something else, they always went back to Harry kissing Heather amidst the glowing lights of the party.

Harry kissing Heather. Harry's hand cupping Heather's face. Harry's lips on Heather's lips. Never Mina. It would never be Harry kissing Mina, or Harry's hand cupping Mina's face, or Harry's lips on Mina's lips. Because, really, who was she kidding? He clearly had no feelings for her. The moments, everything Mina thought they shared—the third of December when he leant her his sweater, the broom shed amidst the rain, the locket
always around his neck—meant nothing to him.

If it had ever meant anything to him, anything at all, Mina wouldn't be watching him fall in love with Heather the way she was now.

Her eyes felt sore and fatigued as she rubbed them. The dormitory she shared with Ella, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott was dark and quiet, as all the other girls were fast asleep. It was an hour or two past midnight, maybe, so as Mina turned to her left toward the window by her bed, she could see the vibrant dots of stars peeking out behind the gap in her curtain.

Without a second thought, Mina quietly pulled back her covers and stepped out of bed. She tiptoed across the carpet to her wardrobe and reached inside, fumbling over the different fabrics for a moment before pulling her thick coat off its hanger and slipping it on over her pyjamas. Mina quickly fastened the buttons, and after putting on a pair of socks and already tied shoes, she stepped from her bed to the door of their dormitory; opening the door slowly and slipping out, closing is quietly behind her.

Wand tucked away in her pocket, a small shot of adrenaline ran excitedly through her veins as she hopped down the stairs. It felt odd—and very sneaky—being in the common room completely by herself in the middle of the night. For a moment, Mina was taken back to her third year when she snuck out for the very first time by Harry's influence.

She couldn't exactly remember why they were wandering about the castle so late at night—but of course being third years, not everything needed a reason back then. It was when their friendship was just beginning—only a few weeks after they were made partners in potions class—so she all but screamed when he showed up out of nowhere as she waited outside the common room and tucked the invisibility cloak under his arm with an amused grin.

It was through these encounters that she knew Filch didn't patrol on Sunday nights, so she was free to roam the deserted halls tonight unbothered. It was a chilly night, so Mina walked with her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.

Moonlight seeped onto the stone floor from the arched windows, and a sliver of wind whistled through the corridor. The only sound was her light footsteps on the ground.

Eventually, Mina reached the tall staircase she'd been looking for. Her hand glided across the cold metal railing as she climbed the spiral staircase eagerly, feeling a little dizzy as she stepped in tight circles to reach the top.

An unmatched feeling of solace washed over her as she stepped onto the astronomy tower, looking only up.

The handrail for the staircase continued as a chest-high fence around the platform, and Mina kept hold of it as she walked further away from the entrance.

The open, clear sky was a full dome around her; the glowing stars like holes in a dark canvas.

A small smile met her lips as a shooting star blinked into visibility for a moment before vanishing once more. A form of wholeness met Mina's lungs as she breathed properly for the first time that night.

Gaze fixated only on the heavenly bodies above, the whole world seemed much simpler in comparison. It was odd how looking up made her feel steadier than if she was looking down at her feet. It was completely silent, as though the earth had become wholly quiet, until his voice eased into the dark.

"Mina?"

She thought it was a dream until Harry's arm brushed against hers as he stood beside her, leaning against the rail.

"Hi," she said quietly, and cleared her throat a little; grateful for the dark to hide the puffiness of her eyes.

"Aren't you scared?" his voice was soft, and blended into the night's tranquility. He felt warm beside her. "It's so high up here."

"If I were here in the day, I would be," Mina spoke, looking for the shapes she could find in the stars the way she did when she was little; making her own constellations. "In the night it kind of feels like floating," she said, thought cringed a little at her words. "That sounded cheesy."

"Nah, I get it," he said, and though she couldn't see him, Mina knew he was looking at the sky too. Their responses were a little slow, fitting in with the night's stillness.

"How'd you know I was up here?" she asked after a moment. Though his presence was comforting, her heart remained aching.

"The map," Harry spoke. "I couldn't sleep and I was looking at it—I saw you walk up here," his voice became a bit quieter. "You alright?"

"Yeah," the word left her mouth automatically. Silence followed, but it felt heavy, because they both knew it was a lie. After a moment, she looked over to him, and saw the silhouette of his face in the dark already looking at her. His hand found her elbow.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Harry said, and she almost felt like laughing at the irony, as he was exactly the person she couldn't seem to tell anything to. Mina didn't answer; unsure of what to say for too long that silence became her response.

Because, in all honesty, she wanted to tell him that her eyes were sore and puffy because he kissed someone else. That it felt hard to breathe whenever he stood close to her. That for the past five years she's been right here, right here, but he's never seen her the same way and that hurts. That her heart is physically aching because all it ever seems to want is for him to love her in the same brutally consuming way that she loves him.

But that's exactly what she couldn't say. It would only ruin everything, and everything would only hurt more, and that's exactly what she didn't need.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Mina spoke quietly, and he almost didn't register what she'd said until she slipped her arm out from his loose hold.

"Mina—"

"Night, Harry," she said shortly, stepping away to the staircase, not looking back at him in fear the moonlight would illuminate the fresh tear streaks running down her face.

♡

a/n:
hahahahah ow.
-g