𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ☽ Harry Potter

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱

     "Yes — I tell myself so every morning in the mirror. Now, is their a reason why you brought me here? We're not technically allowed to be in the Astronomy Tower apart from class," Iphigenia quipped, though a smile that Harry hadn't seen in quite some time graced her lips.

     "Well, we both have the Astronomy homework to finish and I thought, what better place to do it than in the Astronomy Tower?" Harry said and gestured around the empty room.

     Iphigenia glanced around the empty room, appreciating its quiet beauty. An enormous telescope sat in the middle, one that could help you see as far as the Andromeda galaxy. Beautifully designed globes and tapestry's of different constellations filled the darken room. With the only sound of the autumn wind blowing and Harry's natural scent filling her sense, Iphigenia felt at peace for the first time in weeks.

     Turning slightly, Iphigenia wrapped her arms around her friend. She didn't need to have an strong intuition to know why exactly he had brought her to the Astronomy tower to finish some lousy homework.

     "I love you, you doofus, you know that?" Iphigenia mumbled into his chest.

     She felt the rumbling from his chuckle before she heard it.

     "Well you do have a tendency to say it nearly anytime you take a step away from Ron, Hermione, or me," Harry said, a serene smile playing on his lips.

     Iphigenia pulled away from him, looking scandalized. As though it was ridiculous to even question why she had begun to say those three words to her friends before leaving them.

     "Excuse me, but after surviving a mountain troll, detention in the Forbidden Forrest, a three-headed dog, rogue Bludger's, a Basilisk, and Dementors I tend to worry what my last words to you three will be," she admitted.

     Harry smiled, tucking a stray ebony curl behind her ear.

     "We do tend to find ourselves in trouble, don't we?" Harry mused, gazing into Iphigenia's eyes.

     "No, trouble finds us," Iphigenia smirked, repeating what Harry had said on the train last month. "Now, lets get this homework done. Knowing you, I'll have to do almost all of it."

     So, sitting as close together as possible, the two friends filled out their star chart. Iphigenia, as having predicted, did have to do a majority of the chart.

     "How is Astronomy so easy for you?" Harry grumbled when they were finished, after many corrections Iphigenia had to make on his own chart.

     "It's in my blood," Iphigenia said with a casual shrug, shoving her homework back into her bag. "The Black family has always named their children after stars and constellations. Apparently it's because we come from such high royalty that only the greatest of names can be bestowed upon a member of the largest, oldest, and wealthiest pure-blooded families."

     Iphigenia said the last part in an almost mocking voice. As though she found the entire idea of it ridiculous. But the truth was that she had not wanted to admit to her friend the real reason why members of the Black family were named after the night sky. Some family secrets had to stay jus that, a deadly secret.

     Looking up at the night sky, Iphigenia found her favorite constellation and pointed at it. That right there is the Leo constellation, your constellation."

     "I have a constellation?" Harry asked.

     Iphigenia rolled her eyes playfully, "For your zodiac doofus. All of us have one."

     "Where's yours?"

     "In the Southern Hemisphere currently. But look up at yours, do you see that star by the head of the lion? The brightest one."