A Conversation Between Constellations PV Closed

@Cassandra Ironwoods

Mars wasn't supposed to be here. The owls looked piercingly down at them, wide eyes bright in the light of the moon. But there was nowhere else to be.

Fifteen minutes ago, they'd been curled up in the Ravenclaw dorm, eyes unfocused as they sweated beneath the blue sheets. This was impossible. Sleep had never come easy to them normally, but Hogwarts somehow made the insomnia a thousand times worse.

It was hot in the Ravenclaw dorm room, in the Common Room, hell, the whole wing felt like it had been swallowed by a dragon and then belched back out sometimes. It left Mars with a bad taste in their mouth and warm sweat lining their hairline, making it nearly impossible to do anything but think. And thinking was not something Mars wanted to do.

They were homesick. Terribly, awfully homesick, so much so that it felt as if it would manifest into actual vomit if they dwelled on it for too long. They missed their brothers with an ungodly passion; missed Nereus' stupid energy and Urian's disapproving glares, Julius' hopeless sighs and Sandor's remarks about how the oceans were expanding, Plato's little tugs on their sleeve late at night when he couldn't sleep. What they wouldn't give to have someone's sleeve to tug on right about now. What they wouldn't give for somewhere that didn't feel like the center of a star.

Sighing, Mars threw off the blankets. They stared at the roof of the dorm, trying to think about something other than home. It wasn't happening. It was just—too quiet. Ravenclaw quiet. Too much room for thoughts and not enough for adrenaline.

Sweltering, they endured for a couple more minutes. Then, finally fend up, they rolled over, sat up, and pulled a crack into the white curtains surrounding the bed. There was no one. All the other First Year Eagles were settled carefully in their beds, dreaming about Herbology and Transfiguration.

Quietly, they set a foot on the floor. They'd always been excellent at sneaking around, spending many a night tiptoeing past Estella's bedroom to the manor's porch and from there, up the trellis to the roof. The stars above Newchurch were dim, but still visible, and it was always cool up there. With a set of earbuds and a good stick of gum, Mars could spend hours getting lost in the nothingness of it all.

But muggle technology didn't work in Hogwarts and they didn't have the means to buy bubblegum anywhere. Besides, there was nowhere high up to sit and stargaze anyway—unless... Mars padded quietly out of the room, pulling open the door. It creaked a little, causing them to wince, but no one stirred. They weren't sure if they were meant to be wandering the halls at night, so they kept a low profile, finding the hallway to the Astronomy Tower. They'd heard there was a place up there where students could star gaze. It didn't seem like too bad of an idea.

Going up the steps, they finally reached the wooden door. They pulled it open slowly, trying to avoid squeaking. Suddenly, a couple of voices were audible from behind the doorframe. Mars pulled the door shut with a jerk—they didn't really feel like chilling with the astronomy nerds today. Sighing, they turned to head back down the stairs. Well, that was certainly a big waste of time.

Now, what? There was nothing else that Mars could think of except returning to that sweltering dorm room thick with thoughts. They shuddered, but there was nothing else to do. Heading back to the West Tower, they set up the stair with a sigh. Sleep probably wasn't happening tonight.

Then, a sudden hoot caught their attention. The Owlery. Mars wasn't sure what they were doing but they let their feet carry themselves up the West Tower steps and into the stone brick room.

And here they were. Where they were not supposed to be at 2:30 AM on a school night but nevertheless, the owls stared down at them with wide eyes. Mars spun in a circle; the room was cool, yes, but dim and unpretty. There was still something wrong about it, something off. Then, they eyed the large open windows leading out into the night sky. Looking at the edges, it seemed decently study, enough to support someone's weight for just a second, enough time to grab a ledge on the top and—that was stupid. But—so was the very principle of Hogwarts.

Picking past the owls, they hopped onto the window sill. Setting a hand firmly on the inside of the frame, they ducked under the top, allowing their torso and head to hang out of the building. The height was dizzying and they swayed unsteadily—falling spelled death, especially because they didn't know any levitating spells.

Lurching back into the window, they took a deep breath. Then, they popped back out again, this time turning carefully so their chest was facing the building. They hooked both hands on the inside of the window frame as they turned their heels around easily.

Above them, the lip of the rooftop hung easily in reach. They extended a hand to grab it, holding fast with the other one. Meeting their mark, they smiled softly. They looked down—a stone brick jutted out of the wall beside their right foot. How convenient.

Kicking it, the brick held firm. Placing half of their weight on it, they pressed down solidly. It still didn't budge. Confident, they let their entire weight be taken by the brick, pulling their left hand to meet the right on the lip of the roof. Then, with no amount of finesse, they hauled themselves up to the Owlery roof.

The night sky above Hogwarts was littered with stars. The trees of the Forbidden Forest were dark and hazy, and the mountains behind them stood tall and proud with white-capped tips. The lake glittered in the moonlight and the field rippled under the beckoning of a passing wind.

The wind swept Mars' hair up into their eyes, and they brushed it away. God, it was gorgeous up here. The roof was surprisingly easy to sit on, with the lip surrounding a flat rim that fell in a couple of feet before spiking up to a point—like a witch's hat.

They settled easily, resting their back on the curve of the point, legs outstretched and crossed neatly. They gazed up at the sky, watching the stars wink at each other. This was just like home.

Another breeze sent a chill through the air—Mars paid it no mind, relishing the cold. It was easier to let their mind drift up here, more space to throw their thoughts to the wind. They leaned their head back on the stone shingles of the roof. They pictured their brothers gazing at the same moon. This seemed pretty okay, for now.

I do apologize for the length, when I start, they're usually quite long. I promise it'll be shorter once we get into chatting.