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It was night; the stars shined distantly overhead, dark shades coloring the landscape far below. Harry watched out the astronomy tower as a gentle cold wind swept past, making the grass and treetops shimmer as the shadows danced. Turning, he walked back into the classroom to get his outer robe from the back of his chair, holding off a small shiver.

The large arching windows helped little to warm the room, especially with the windows themselves thrown open, the class illuminated only by moonlight where they for the most part huddled near one side of the classroom for warmth – this day each week, for this one class, the Gryffindors and Slytherins called truce and stood together against the Winter skies for warmth.

Harry joined the small crowd around the telescopes, where they all waited with patience due to exhaustion for their turn to look through the scopes at the stars, recording their observations for the assignment. Instantly warmer just by proximity, Harry relaxed, leaning on Hermione's shoulder.

For some time they all watched the sky in silence, punctuated by a yawn here and there; Goyle of Slytherin and Dean of Gryffindor backed off of the two respective scopes they had been gazing through, replaced quietly by Pansy of Slytherin and Fay of Gryffindor.

"Space; the final frontier." Dean whispered into the quiet.

Harry and Hermione giggled; then glanced at one Slytherin girl in surprise as she made an odd amused sound, like she was choking trying not to laugh. All three muggle-raised Gryffindors stared for a moment, then smiled. She met their gaze levelly.

"These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise." She whispered back, drawing a few glances from her housemates.

"Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations..." Hermione responded, eyes distant as she remembered her childhood when her father would make her sit through entire marathons of the old TV show with him.

"To boldly go where no man has gone before." Harry ended.

The girl gave them a look, managing to remain completely serious. "Resistance is futile; we must live long and prosper."

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Draco finally cut in. Both parties looked up to see both houses staring at them.

"In four hours the ship blows up."

"… Ship?"

"I see. Then, you are authorized to use all measures available to destroy the Enterprise." Harry replied in kind.

"So much for the little training cruise."

"I like to believe that there are always possibilities."

"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end."

The door opened, interrupting whatever Harry was going to say in response. The professor looked on, absolutely still, at the gathering of Gryffindor and Slytherin; the two groups standing quite close, surrounding the four in the center and looking on as if they didn't really understand what was happening between the four.

"Course heading, Captain?" Hermione questioned.

"…Second star to the right — and straight on 'til morning." Harry replied firmly.

"Warp speed!" Dean finished, and then both the three involved Gryffindors and the Slytherin girl wheeled around and walked away from each other, the girl heading for the telescopes and the three Gryffindor, followed by their curious housemates, headed for the door to the tower, passing by the teacher, who simply stared after them.

For a while more there was silence again, but for the tap of multiple feet going down stairs echoing off the stone walls.

"… Do you realize we just had an entire conversation in Star Trek quotes?" Hermione said at last, bemused.

The three Gryffindors laughed together.

"So what's so funny? What was all that about with the Slytherin girl?" Ron questioned, pronouncing the other house's name with distaste.

Hermione sighed in annoyance. "… Does anyone remember where we parked?"

Harry and Dean cracked up.

Inside the tower, the Malfoy heir and his housemates couldn't remember being quite this confused in a very long time.

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