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"I hope this is worth it," Molly says as she allows Arthur to lead her through the corridors of the castle. "What if someone sees us and tries to report us?"
Normally, Arthur is the one to worry about such things. After all, having Fabian and Gideon for brothers has made Molly mostly fearless. Mostly. If it was just her, she wouldn't fret at all. She isn't sure that Arthur could handle a detention, the poor lad. He's just too good and kind.
"Just wait," he tells her, and somehow that's enough to ease away her concerns. There's an edge of excitement in his voice, and it's infectious. How could she not trust him? Arthur would never let anything bad happen to them.
"You know my mum is a Black," he adds. "And they really love stars. Bit of a hobby, I suppose."
Molly nods. She doesn't understand the family's fascination with the stars. From what she understands, only centaurs can find any real meaning in the night sky. It's a silly thing, but she won't tell Arthur that; he looks so pleased with himself now.
"I'm not as good as my mum is," he continues as they start to climb the stairs that will take them to the Astronomy Tower. He pauses for a second, only to check his watch. Whatever he sees must be good because he grins before picking up his pace once again.
Molly will never admit it, because she doesn't want to encourage an impulsive streak in her boyfriend, but there's something quite thrilling about being out of bed after curfew. Her heart races as he guides her along the staircase, but it isn't the annoying sort of painful acceleration that comes with fear. No, this is pure excitement, and she finds herself grinning.
They get onto the platform, and Arthur leans against the railing, peering up at the inky black night sky. Molly follows his gaze, though she isn't entirely sure what she's looking for. "Should we have brought a telescope?" she asks, frowning as moves to his side.
"No need. Any second now…"
A moment later, something streaks across the sky, quick as flash. Several seconds pass, then another one darts by.
"Oh, they are very active tonight," he says.
"Are those meteors?" Molly tips her head to the side, intrigued. She stopped taking Astronomy after fifth year, so she isn't sure what's going on in the night sky anymore.
"Indeed, they are. Some people make wishes on them, you know."
"Muggles?" she asks because she's never heard of such a thing, and she knows how Arthur finds Muggles to be quite fascinating.
"Mhm! Oh, there goes another!"
Molly leans a little closer, smiling to herself as she watches the shower. She has seen meteor showers before; some had even been more interesting than this one. Still, there is something magical about tonight. It isn't just being out here or watching the meteors zoom past them from above. It's Arthur. Being alone with him, sharing this peaceful moment with him, cuddling close and listening to him ramble about the stars. She thinks she would happily spend the rest of her life like this.
"Isn't it beautiful?" he whispers.
She pulls him close, kissing him gently. "Thank you for sharing this with me."
