Butterfly Effect ; H. Potter

114. a sky full of stars.

Harry didn't know how he had done it.

He felt as though he had swallowed a dozen glasses of Felix Felicis. Perhaps someone had slipped some into his drink? How else, he thought, would he be sitting on the top of the Astronomy Tower with the Antheia Lupin next to him?

"You beat me to it," said Antheia quietly. He turned to her, raising her eyebrows.

"What d'you mean?"

"I was going to ask you out in a few days," she explained. "I had the whole thing planned out. I was going to bring you to the Astronomy Tower, where no one else was, and kiss you. I planned it all out the night you left for Slughorn's memory. I had a whole thing written out."

"Well let's hear it, then," said Harry, grinning. "Confess your everlasting love for me."

Antheia rolled her eyes. Harry started chuckling but was cut off when Antheia reached over and kissed him again.

He felt lightheaded. It was the best feeling to him, but the worst once he realized it would soon end.

Maybe we can just stay here forever, he thought hopefully. Someone else can fight Voldemort, and I'll just stay here ... with her ...

Then, as suddenly as it started, it ended. Antheia sat back down and stared up at the sky, whilst Harry stared at her. He smiled. They were under the same sky, at least.

"Instead of ever leaving," suggested Harry, "why don't we just stay here and snog forever?"

Antheia laughed before she realized Harry wasn't laughing with her.

"I'm not joking," he said.

"Good, because I was hoping you weren't," replied Antheia.

"I should've kissed you ages ago," said Harry, smiling as she turned to look at him again with those shining blue eyes. "Only if I knew how good you were at it ..."

"I'm amazing, aren't I?" she said sarcastically.

"You're being sarcastic," said Harry, "but y'know ... you're right."

"Whipped."

"For you."

Harry could've sworn he saw Antheia blush. He grinned, looking up at the sky.

Night had swept the Hogwarts skies. As jet black as it was, it looked as though a bucket of stars had been littered above them. The beauty that the moon, the stars, and the grounds below held was extraordinary but Harry wasn't impressed by them. In fact, he had seen more beauty; she was sitting next to him. The moon and the stars tried their best, but Harry couldn't look away from her.

"See how that star's the brightest?" said Antheia, pointing up at a specific constellation; Harry shifted his glance over to where she was pointing. "That's the Sirius star."

Seemingly brighter than the moon, the Sirius constellation was beaming back at them. Harry wondered what Sirius would think of what he had just done if he was here with them, which, Harry thought, he basically was.

"That's weird," said Harry thoughtfully. "Doesn't the Sirius constellation come up in late winter? I thought that's what Professor Sinistra said?"

"Since when do you pay attention in class?"

"Since when do you write love confessions for people?"

Antheia grinned.

"Since it came to you, of course," she said.

Harry's face had turned bright red. He silently thanked himself for kissing her at night, so it would be much too dark for her to see him blush.

"Remember back in the summer before fourth year, when I stayed at your house for a bit?" said Harry.