Pluto Projector.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

"Hey."

"Do not do that!" (Y/n) cried in a hushed voice, her legs nearly giving out after the scare that came from Adrian's choice of grabbing hold of her rather than calling out to her like a normal person.

"Sorry. Didn't want to call to you and get caught," Adrian apologized. He allowed (Y/n) to hold onto his arm as she calmed herself down. "Aren't you cold?" (Y/n) waved her hand dismissively.

"What did you call me here for?" (Y/n) asked, holding her cloak closer to her body as though it were a blanket. "Did something happen that could not have been sent in a letter?"

"Not that," Adrian denied, beginning to lead (Y/n) along on a walk. "It's just... It's your parents' death day."

"...Thanks for the reminder?" (Y/n) said uncertainly. Adrian grimaced.

"You might not remember, but I used to join you on the Astronomy Tower and get you to talk about your feelings."

"How odd... I was planning on going to the Astronomy Tower after this," (Y/n) mumbled.

"I know," Adrian said. "And I also know you like sitting with your thoughts..." He trailed off as (Y/n) stopped just outside of an alleyway. She looked down it with furrowed eyebrows. "What is it?" Adrian asked, alarmed as he quickly slipped his wand from his sleeve.

"No... I have been here before," (Y/n) whispered, entering the alleyway and walking right up to a rickety fire escape. Adrian hesitated before quickly joining her, not wanting (Y/n) to be attacked if someone was in the alleyway.

"This? You've climbed up this? Isn't this a safety hazard?" Adrian whispered. (Y/n)'s lips turned up. She was once asking the same exact question.

"Not if one person goes up at a time," (Y/n) answered, hopping up and pulling down the ladder as quietly as she could. "I will go first. Catch me if things go wrong," she said awfully cheekily.

"Yeah, sure," Adrian humoured, holding his hand on (Y/n)'s back as she climbed the ladder. He watched (Y/n) ascend the steps, constantly leaning over the railing to see how many more stories she had to go. Once she reached the top, she held out her wand and lit it up, making sure Adrian knew he could start heading up without (Y/n) needing to call down to him.

"Cassius," (Y/n) said as Adrian stepped onto the roof.

"Huh? What about him?" Adrian asked.

"That is who showed me this place," (Y/n) said. The two were silent for a long moment, a wave of guilt crashing over the both of them: (Y/n) for taking Adrian onto the roof before she remembered who it was associated with and Adrian for intruding on a place that was very clearly sentimental to (Y/n) and Cassius. "I... I think he would want me using it," (Y/n) said, pulling her cloak around her as she took a seat on the edge of the roof. "I cannot remember much about us, but... He would not just want this place to go unused even if he can't use it."

"You're right," Adrian whispered as he came and sat beside the girl. "He's not someone who wants people lingering on things." (Y/n) smiled faintly at him before she looked up at the stars. Her throat hurt and she had an overwhelming urge to cry. Adrian was, perhaps, the person who could relate to her feelings the most. From what little she did know about re-meeting someone from her past, Adrian was Cassius's best friend. He lost a best friend while (Y/n) lost a boyfriend. In some odd, twisted way, that comforted her and made her feel less lonely.
"Cassius was the one who comforted you while you dated in your fifth year," Adrian commented. "I let him have it as your boyfriend... And the next year his ghost came through the floor and spooked us both... He didn't mean to, though. He just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I hope I can remember more things about him soon," (Y/n) murmured. "My heart aches whenever I see him smile and treat me like nothing is wrong... Like he does not care about my memory loss."

"He probably doesn't, for what it's worth," Adrian said. "I'm sure he and lots of others see it as a chance to reintroduce the best versions of themselves to you... Especially the ones who you were helping grow and supporting."

"It is nice knowing I am held so highly," (Y/n) said. "But I also feel I am failing to meet lots of expectations."

"Never."

"What?"

"You could never," Adrian stated. "The ones that genuinely care understand that it's going to take time for you to catch up, so there's no expectations even set in place." (Y/n) smiled warmly.

"Did I ever tell you why I specifically chose the Astronomy Tower?" (Y/n) asked.

"You didn't... But if you had, I'd let you tell it dozens of times again."

"It's because they used to take my stargazing," (Y/n) informed. "We had a nice house in the middle of nowhere so the city and ozone layer weren't disrupting our view... I even had a nice, big skylight for days it was too cold to go outside... Like this one, except I do not mind the cold right now." She paused for a moment. "Do wizards also have stories behind how the constellations came to be?"

"No. Nothing like that," Adrian denied. "At least, not that I know of... My parents weren't the type to read to me or tell me stories. So if there are any, I'm not the person to ask."

"And if there were, I am sure they are different from Muggle stories," (Y/n) added. "Your guys' textbooks are so outdated."

"Whoa, 'your guys''? I didn't write them."

"You know what I mean," (Y/n) giggled. "Gosh, I set out tonight thinking I would be moping around in the Tower, but here I am laughing with you."

"Aren't those the best kinds of feelings, though?" Adrian asked, smiling fondly as he admired (Y/n)'s pretty face.

"You are right," (Y/n) agreed.