Word Count: 537
Regulus is waiting for her when she reaches the platform of the Astronomy Tower. He leans against the railing, grinning up at her as snow drifts slowly from the sky and landing on his jumper, leaving flakes of white on the dark wool.
"I was worried you weren't going to come," he says.
Marlene swallows down the guilt. She'll never admit that she almost hadn't come. There's still a part of her that sees the silver and emerald tie he wears, and she can't shake the feeling that he's bad for her, that she shouldn't pursue him, no matter how much her heart yearns for him.
Instead, she just returns his grin and pulls a blanket from her bag. "I should have brought two. You picked one hell of a night for stargazing," she says with a laugh as she spreads out the blanket, snow falling and melting over the soft fleece.
She doesn't know why she still has these doubts, why he still makes her nervous. Hasn't he shown her again and again that he isn't what she thought he was? He's good and kind, and nothing like so many of his Housemates who give Slytherin a bad name. She tries to relax, tries to remind herself that it's just Regulus, just the boy she's in love with.
"You know, body heat is a great way to keep each other warm," he tells her, sitting down on the blanket and motioning for her to join him.
She does, leaning against him and smiling as he wraps his arms around her. It is much warmer like this. Or maybe she just likes being held by him, and it makes it a little harder to notice the wind as it blows.
"You can't even see the stars," she says. The clouds are visible in the night sky, obscuring the view of the stars.
"Doesn't matter," he counters. "I'm a Black. We are really good at astronomy."
And so she listens as he talks about the stars and points to places where the constellations must be twinkling beyond the clouds. It doesn't matter that snow continues to fall. Marlene simply snuggles a little closer, a satisfied smile on her lips.
Here, far away from everyone else, alone with the boy she loves, all her doubts seem to fade. There is only Regulus, only love, only peace. And Marlene doesn't know if there are any shooting stars out tonight, but she finds herself making a wish anyway because maybe she hasn't believed in the power of wishes since her childhood, but she wants this moment to last forever, and surely a wish won't hurt.
"Do we have to go in?" she asks after an hour or so passes.
She's half-frozen, teeth chattering despite how tightly Regulus holds her. He's shivering too, and she thinks that maybe it would be for the best to go inside. The last thing she needs is to end up sick just before holidays.
"We'll come back again," Regulus promises, climbing to his feet and helping her up. "As long as you'll have me, I'll be here."
"You might have to stick around forever then."
Regulus leans in, kissing her gently. "I can live with that."
