The Stars Aligned

Chapter 13

December 1, 1996

I love you, Draco. I'm such an idiot kid, for never saying those three stupid words.

I love you, I love you, I love you. For infinity.

There's no one else. You're the only one. If it's not you, it's not anyone.

You're it for me. Always.

If only you could hear me.

November 16, 1995

Humming the song yet again, I descended the stairs light on my feet, ready to head to dinner. Ginny and some other fourth year girls were sitting on the couch, giggling in a cluster.

I walked up and tapped Ginny's shoulder. "Ginny."

Her orange hair whipped around and her eyes landed on mine, lighting up instantly. "Hermione!" She quickly excused herself and leapt into my arms, crashing me in a tight hug. She pulled me into the corner by the window, bouncing on her feet. "We haven't caught up in so long!"

I wilted a little, realizing how little time I have had with her since befriending the Slytherins. "I know, it's been a while."

Ginny leaned forward, her long hair brushing her cheeks. "There are whispers about you," she told me quietly. "About where you disappear to." She laughed. "Romilda's theory is that Viktor Krum apparates here and you meet him in the woods."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Viktor?" Memories of a beard scratching my face as we kissed flashed through my mind, and I shook my head adamantly. "No, we only write to one another."

Her eyebrow rose slowly. "Then where do you go?"

I grinned. "That's why I called you over here." I ruffled through my bag and pulled out my diary, the white leather smooth against my skin. I placed it in Ginny's hands. "Start on Halloween."

Her muddy eyes widened in excitement, and her lips stretched into a satisfied smirk. "Ah finally, the juice!"

—

"Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very, frightening me!"

Theo was screaming the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of his lungs, lying face up on the couch opposite of me and tossing a black ball up in the air. I had shown them the Queen song this morning, and Theo was already obsessed. Draco had reluctantly let Theo borrow his MP3 Player for the day, but only after Theo was literally begging on his knees. He had been blurting out the lyrics in every class, he had memorized it so fast. Pansy was sitting by his feet, her arms crossed across her chest, looking quite sour.

"Blaise!" Blaise looked up from his parchment, his brow raised at Theo. "You do the low part, okay? Follow my lead."

A small grin sprawled across Blaise's face, and he nodded eagerly.

"GALILEO!" Theo screeched.

"Galileo," Blaise boomed.

"GALILEO!"

"Galileo."

"GALILEO FIGARO—"

"Do you ever shut up?" Pansy hissed, slapping Theo's foot with her palm.

Theo paused, sitting up on his elbows. "Well that was a rude interruption. Do you ever wake up and think, 'why am I so damn annoying?'"

"Oh, I'm the annoying one? You're completely butchering the song," Pansy retorted, sitting up on her knees and edging closer to him, her face full of humor.