too close to the stars - H.J.P

Chapter Four

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they propped themselves on their elbows to talk.

"The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron.

"Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here." Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

Noel scrunched her nose, "You can't Apparate in or out of Hogwarts." She stated. "And there are Dementors everywhere," she continued.

Hermione, who was about to say the same thing, nodded in approval. "Exactly! It doesn't make sense."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

"Do you know any stars, Harry?" Noel whispered. Harry turned to face her and saw that the stars illuminated her eyes, he swallowed thickly.

"No" he whispered, back.

She turns her head, a dimple appears when she smiles, "Give me your hand," Harry gave it to her before she could finish. She grabs his hand gently and guides it to the stars, talking lowly. "My grandfather, would take me outside often back home in Wales. Nain would join us but she and dad said that it was Taid and Noel time, so it was often just us alone. The constellations change throughout the seasons. He would tell me about a new one all the time. Aquarius and Pegasus are visible during October. Hmm, this one isn't real obviously, so they have Andromeda and Canis Major. See?" She said tracing the stars with Harry's hand

Harry shook his head, "No," he said, still looking at the sky with concentration.

Noel narrowed her eyes, "thank you for being honest," she teased and let his hand go. She turned to her side as did Harry so they were facing each other.

"I don't know what to talk about," she said honestly.

Harry looked thoughtful, "you're very quiet." He stated.

Noel blushed and traced shapes on the coldstone. "Yeah, I'm not very good at making friends. I'm just shy, you know? And people are mean. I always get nervous they'll make a face when they see my eyes. And it's not like I can change it, I have heterochromia, it's a medical condition." She rambled.

Harry raised an eyebrow slightly amused, "I think you're doing a pretty good job so far making friends, I mean we're friends aren't we?"

Noel bit her lip, "are we?"

Harry looked thoughtful, "I think, we're warming up to each other, maybe by the end of the year we'll be closer." he told her.

Noel smiled and rolled onto her back, "Maybe." she said wistfully.