Notes at the bottom this time - enjoy the chapter!

Astoria was a coward. She'd always suspected it to be so, but now it was a proven fact.

Her plan was simple enough: avoid being alone with Iain whenever possible. Then, maybe he'd get the idea that it wasn't working, and it could all come to a mutual, friendly end. That was reasonable, right? Maybe a little cowardly, but best for all involved. Of course looming over all this was end of term - only a few weeks away now. And she'd be a right tosser if her Christmas gift to him was breaking things off. But she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.

So distance it was. When she could, she would invite Tullia along with them, and the three of them got along marvellously. Tullia had obviously known something was up after the party but had remained uncharacteristically avoidant about it. Instead, she seemed to be working harder than usual at filling awkward gaps in the conversation, helpfully interrupting Iain if he said anything embarrassing or intense. During one study session, Iain had commented on how beautiful Astoria's hair looked (which was utter bunk - it was the same boring mousy brown it always was); Tullia had saved the day by throwing her own lion's mane of curls over her friend's head and declaring "Astoria's decided to turn it black and curl it. What do you think?"

When she couldn't, she either created some excuse or hid out in the Hospital Ward. If Madame Pomfrey noticed her spending more time there than usual, she did not comment on it. She was certainly busy enough - the Weasley twins' experimentation had evolved from nosebleeds to some kind of pus-filled boils. The odour alone made Astoria wish she were cleaning up blood again.

Things went so smoothly over the next few weeks that Astoria was almost disappointed. Iain was, well, easy to manipulate. She felt terrible even thinking it, but it was true. With Tullia, the back and forth was easy: her friend knew when she was teasing her in her wry, witty way, and Tullia knew just how to poke at her friend's serious façade. Iain laughed easily at all Tullia's remarks, but he never seemed to grasp when Astoria was joking.

It also didn't hurt that "High Inquisitor" Umbridge was the school's main focus. Gossip swirled about what she was trying to do at Hogwarts. Supplant Dumbledore? Crack down on school discipline? Seduce Argus Filch? That last one was a stretch, perhaps, but the old caretaker seemed absolutely enamoured with the Pink Lady.

It was the last weekend before Christmas, and Astoria was alone in the dormitory getting a head start on her holiday packing. Tullia had been determined to go watch the Ravenclaw Quidditch team practice, but finally went down alone after badgering Astoria multiple times and then giving up. Astoria desperately wanted some quiet so she could think.

She was running out of time to end things well. This seemed to be something one couldn't just plan. She just had to do it. And 'just doing' things had never been her forte. Instead, she finished packing and started tidying up the dormitory. Cleaning seemed preferable to thinking at the moment.

"Astoria?" She looked up to see Tullia standing near the room entrance, as if unsure she should come in.

"Practice already over?" she inquired.

"Yeah… it is." She was speaking slowly, deliberately, in a very un-Tullia-esque way. Enough that Astoria put her favourite indigo jumper down and turned to face her friend. A gnawing anxiety started growing in her gut. They'd never really addressed what had happened after the Match party, and she had the sneaking suspicion that the conversation was headed in that direction.

"So," Tullia started, to Astoria's relief. "Iain walked me back to the Castle."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

What was she supposed to say to that? Her friend was watching her very carefully, as if expecting a response. But she didn't know what that was.

"How… is he?"

This was clearly not the right thing to say, because Tullia rushed to her side on the bed with such urgency, she found herself wondering if she needed to cast a Shield Charm.

"Okay, look. I didn't ask any questions. I saw it all in your face after the party. But what are you waiting for? Do you like Iain?"

She wished she had a clear answer for that too. "I mean… he's lovely, isn't he? And kind, and fun to be around."

"But do you LIKE like him, Star?"

The term of affection made her throat clench. She felt full of emotions and didn't know what to do with them. "Not like that," she managed.

"Then just say something!" Tullia sounded frustrated, as if saying precisely what you mean was obvious and easy.

"I don't know how! I don't… I don't even know how to start that conversation. And I don't know how to plan things so I won't see disappointment staring back at me." She sighed. "I don't want to hurt him, Tullia. Honestly."

"Nevertheless, you need to do it. You're not being fair to him." Merlin, the truth stung. But somehow, it was easiest to hear coming from her best friend.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Tullia held her friend by both shoulders and made them face each other. Astoria thought in that moment that her friend would make an excellent Quidditch Captain. "Don't be sorry. Just tell him. And yes, he'll probably get those puppy dog eyes for a moment, and break all to pieces. Because he is lovely and kind, and we're a bit rough around the edges with feelings sometimes. But I promise, we will do our best to keep him as a friend. I'll put him back together again myself if I have to." Something in Tullia's words twitched at Astoria. As if her friend were hiding something.

And then it all became clear. Her jaw dropped with the revelation. "You… LIKE like him, don't you?"

She laughed too loudly, too artificially… then dropped her hands away and tossed her hair. "What? Where'd you get that idea?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it's weeks of seeing the two of you together? You've got common interests, similar senses of humour," her friend scoffed, which SHE thought proved her point, "and you've been his number one Quidditch fan since day one. You're perfect for each other."

Tullia blushed. She actually got rosy in the cheeks.

"Helga Hippogriff Hufflepuff, you DO like him."

In reply, Tullia muttered an absolutely foul word and buried her head in her friend's shoulder. Astoria started laughing belly-ache laughs and wrapped her in an embrace.

"What a pair we are."

It seemed so much easier after that, the idea of ending things. Maybe it was because she had a new plan - to convince Iain just how perfect her best friend was for him. Or maybe it was just the relief of saying things out loud. But the next morning, as Tullia had her usual weekend lie-in, Astoria went down to breakfast alone.

As she'd hoped, Iain was there. He looked pensive, holding a piece of bacon in front of his face but not making any move to bite into it.

"Is the bacon off?" she teased. Predictably at this point, he didn't catch the joke.

"No, no, it's fine. Good, actually." He finally took a bite, and she sat down beside him. Easier not to look him in the face, she thought.

"I want to apologise in advance, because I would positively loathe it if someone said 'we need to talk' to me. But - "

"We need to talk?" He wasn't giving much away. So Astoria carried on recklessly with her usual modus operandi - deflect with humour.

"Ugh, see? It sounds wretched when said out loud." She made a face. "But yes, I suppose we must."

Iain gave a long sigh. "Right, well, I can guess where this is going."

"What do you think of Tullia?"

Iain did a double take. "Sorry. Apparently I don't know where this is going. Uh, Tullia's great? She's your best friend for a reason, obviously."

She seized the opening. "She is. She's infinite energy, will talk your ear off even if you try to stop her, and she sometimes snores as loud as a Graphorn. She also fancies you."

Iain was poking at the bacon on his plate. "Astoria, I don't want to come between you two…"

"You're not." She stole a quick glance at him; he looked so nervous, and somehow it made her feel bolder. "She deserves someone lovely. Like you, if you're interested."

They sat in silence for a moment, and Iain exhaled a large breath he'd obviously been holding. "You don't mind?"

His relief was near palpable. A split second of hurt passed through her. She knew, deep down, that they were not a good match… but she'd liked being wanted by him. Had liked liking him, liked having a boy to sigh over and dream dreams about. And knowing that his affection had transferred over to Tullia… well, her own relief was tinged with a little bit of hurt pride. She shoved it aside.

"Not in the least." She tried to sound as confident and assured as she knew she should. "It makes more sense, don't you think? And I like you both. In some ways, I think I'm getting the better end of the deal. Maybe together, we can manage to tire her out."

He huffed a little laugh, which made Astoria feel the smallest iota better. If they could laugh, they would be able to get through this.

"We'll draw up a schedule."

Astoria had a wonderful Christmas holiday. The Greengrass Estate was festooned in its usual elegant embellishments, and Fletcher's culinary accomplishments rivalled Hogwarts' offerings. She'd had a good laugh when she opened her present from Tullia: it was the exact same Ancient Runes book she'd given her. She'd devoured the book in a couple days, while tucked cosily into a corner of the library, sticking ribbons in places with things she wanted to discuss with her friend.

Astoria and Tullia had had barely a day to themselves to compare notes before the real world crashed down on them. Astoria was waiting patiently for Tullia to go down to breakfast, when two older Ravenclaws she didn't know well came into the Common Room, speaking in a flurry.

"It's Sirius Black, for sure then?"

"Who else would know how to break out of Azkaban? He's a bloody psychopath."

"But you don't think he'd bring them here, would he? They never really explained why he just stopped going after Potter like he did."

"It's a right mess, for the Ministry especially. How they're going to manage this is anyone's guess." The older student discarded a copy of the Daily Prophet onto a table by the announcement board as they left. Astoria went over and picked it up.

The headline practically screamed at her. "MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN - MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS"

Her mouth gaped as she felt her stomach plummeting. What is happening?

"I'm ready, finally! Let's go!" Tullia blew like a hurricane into the Common Room. "...Astoria?"

She couldn't even speak. She just handed her the newspaper and watched her friend's eyes grow to the size of Snitches.

"Oh SHIT. This is bad. This is very, very bad."

That pretty much summed it up.

Conversation in the next week spanned from crazy conspiracies (including one that alleged Merpeople were responsible for the breakout) to revealing truths. It seemed like each student had heard a different explanation from well-connected family members. In fact, Astoria hadn't ever realised that so many students' relatives worked at the Ministry. She'd known about Roger Davies' brother Chester, and she knew Emily Erskine's mother did something involved with the Wizengamot. But she hadn't known that Marietta Edgecombe's mother worked for the Floo Network, or that Hufflepuff Susan Bones's mother worked alongside Emily's mum. Two of the Weasleys worked there, which Astoria thought was rich, considering the twins' propensity for rule-breaking. And then there were those like her, whose parents didn't work there, but held positions of influence and authority, like Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Neville Longbottom, and Cormac McLaggen. Needless to say, everyone believed their information to be choice. But if any of it was true, Astoria couldn't tell.

The same day as the Daily Prophet headline, she received a letter from her parents, as did her sister, that basically told them to keep their heads down and be grateful for Professor Umbridge's leadership and Ministry ties. Astoria wasn't really sure what the Pink Lady had to do with anything - her Defence Against the Dark Arts class was an absolute joke. She'd learned more from other books in the Library than the silly text they'd been assigned. Nevertheless, she wrote back dutifully and promised to take extra care.

"I think they're mad to be trusting the Ministry so strongly," Tullia commented after Astoria read it out to her. Iain was at Quidditch practice. As much as she enjoyed being around the both of them, it was nice to have some time alone with her best friend. "If criminals are breaking out of Azkaban, of all places, then how on top of things are they really?"

"Hmmm," was all Astoria could manage. Her friend had a point, and she had no argument against it. "I don't know what to believe any more." And she hadn't, not since Dumbledore's claim that Voldemort had killed Cedric. Voldemort, Death Eaters, Merpeople, Goblin conspiracies… they all seemed more like characters in a History of Magic lesson than actual present-day people. And besides, what could she even do about anything, if there were something to worry about? Her parents had devoted their lives to keeping her safe and protected, and they didn't seem to think anything was bad enough to involve her. So she would wait and watch, and be careful. And try to be a thirteen-year-old. "Doing anything with Iain for Valentine's Day?"

Her distraction plan worked; Tullia went off on a very lengthy tangent about what she wanted to wear to Hogsmeade on their next date. Astoria had found tentative peace once more.

The gossip had only just died down to a mild roar when the Quibbler dropped its latest issue. Now the school could only talk about one thing - Harry Potter. Professor Umbridge's face had nearly turned as rosy as her robes when she caught Derek Foster reading a copy under his desk. Astoria refused to look at it, out of principle. She had no desire to be on the Pink Lady's radar for any reason.

Besides the time she spent with Tullia and Iain (which, for the most part, was not a trial) and the extra hours at the Hospital Ward or in the Library reading, Astoria put a concerted effort into being particularly invisible and unremarkable to the rest of the students. When Professor Trelawney was fired, Astoria only heard about it afterwards from her dormmates. When right before Easter Break, Professor Umbridge became Headmaster Umbridge and Dumbledore disappeared, she responded with a short "Goodness" and returned to her Heraclitus. And when the Weasley twins wreaked havoc throughout the castle and finally left in all their chaos and fireworks, Astoria breathed a sigh of relief alongside Madam Pomfrey. She did her best to avoid the Inquisitorial Squad entirely (headed up by the Prince of Slytherin himself). And when the Ravenclaw Quidditch team lost their game against Gryffindor in May, Astoria hugged Iain in commiseration, and then let Tullia handle damage control.

She was just trying to get safely through the year.

It was the beginning of June, with the end very much in sight, when Tullia came racing into Astoria's quiet corner of the Library and said, at near-maximum volume, "I have a surprise for you!"

Madam Pince's shush carried across the enormous room.

Astoria quirked a brow at Tullia's rolling eyes. "Is the surprise you getting us kicked out of the library?"

"No! It's even better." She moved the stack of books on the chair beside her friend and sat down. "I've figured out a way for us to communicate over the summer."

"I didn't know that was a problem that needed fixing."

"Oh, pish. Owls take FOREVER. This will allow us to talk to each other instantaneously."

She couldn't help it - Astoria was intrigued.

"All right, tell me what you've done."

"It's all courtesy of Farid, actually. He's brilliant, of course," she answered Astoria's question without her even having the chance to ask it. "And he did us the greatest of favours. Le voilà!"

The parchment she held up was completely blank.

"A… blank piece of parchment?"

"TWO blank pieces of parchment." She pulled a second out from behind the first.

"Genius." Astoria had yet to be impressed.

"Ha ha. Here, take one, and watch." Tullia handed her one of the pages, then set the other in front of her. Making rather a large production out of it, she retrieved her quill and - with a flourish - wrote 'Prepare to be amazed" on the blank space. Even as the ink bloomed from under the nib, the letters appeared simultaneously on Astoria's copy.

"Alright, I'll admit it. This is genius."

"You know what they say," Tullia was smug with satisfaction. "Good witches borrow; great witches fully commit to the thievery."

"And where did you steal this from? Or where did you convince Farid to steal this from, I suppose I should ask?"

"Only the idea is stolen. I overheard Marietta Edgecombe and Cho Chang talking about some kind of enchanted coin they both have that sends messages. It didn't take me long to figure out it's something called the 'Geminio' charm. It took even less time for me to convince Farid to learn it!"

Astoria realised she'd started to smile broadly. No owls, she thought. It wasn't as though it was that horrible to use them, but this felt secret in a good way. Like their writing in code. Something she WANTED to keep from others, not because she had to.

"Tullia, you are…"

"The smartest, most resourceful witch ever? The best friend in the whole world? Devastatingly attractive?"

"All of the above." She meant every word.

The end of the year seemed as eventfully uneventful as every year: Professor McGonagall ended up in St. Mungo's after an altercation with Professor Umbridge, who then somehow ended up captured by Centaurs in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Astoria wasn't quite sure of the details, but that wasn't new for Hogwarts. She didn't believe half of the stories her fellow classmates told her. But she'd heard enough to convince Tullia that perhaps instead of sneaking out to the lakeside, they could content themselves with stargazing from the Ravenclaw rooftop terrace. After all, they were the same stars either way.

"It's pretty amazing to think, isn't it?"

Astoria shifted on her absconded cushion and looked over at her supine friend. Even with the beauty of the stars above them, she'd been distracted by disconnected thoughts and worries. All the events of the past couple years gave her the sense that something was escalating. But what? And escalating to where?

"Sorry, I was distracted. What's amazing to think?"

"Those," Tullia pointed up. It was a perfect early summer evening; the milky net of shining stars above them looked like sparkling diamonds scattered across inky velvet.

"I will admit that it's amazing we've managed to do this three years in a row without getting caught or sent back to our dorm."

Tullia seemed disturbingly content and unbothered. "Those little flecks of light are as far as forever from us, and we can still see them. It's like they're… the embodiment of infinity."

Astoria couldn't help it. The low rumble of her laugh tore through the quiet.

Tullia poked her. "Oh, stuff it already. I'm being serious. Profound, even. Contemplative. Philosophical."

"Esoteric. Deliberately abstruse."

"Did you just call me abstruse? You're such a snob, Astoria. Just bite your posh tongue for a second and let me try and explain myself to your tiny, limited mind." Astoria wanted to snort as a response, but held it in. Out of respect, of course.

"The starlight we see now has travelled across galaxies to find us, yes? Entire galaxies! We don't even know if those stars still exist. Some of them are probably burnt out. But they're still there, in our sky. Gone and not gone. Sharing their last echoes of life with us, two insignificant little girls lying on a hill on some random celestial body."

Astoria thought about this. "So you're saying that we're seeing ghost stars."

Tullia hummed in agreement. "Yes! Sort of! Maybe not ghosts… ghosts are stuck in that space between life and death. They don't carry on. But these beautiful little flickers are star spirits, memories of light travelling from life to death, shining their last rays as a goodbye to anyone who can see them. To be seen by us. That's pretty amazing, right?"

Astoria saw what Tullia was trying to say. She liked the thought of star spirits. She wanted to drink them in, let them wash over her like fine morning mist. Her eyes began to water; whether it was from her unblinking stare or from the overwhelming sensation of time having stopped, she couldn't say.

"Yes. It is amazing," she whispered.

She turned her head to look at Tullia and smiled slowly with shining eyes. Tullia smiled back and took Astoria's hand in hers.

"What rare and beautiful creatures we are, to exist in this moment."

The silence spread over them again as they gazed upwards.

Gentle readers, this chapter is a special one. That last scene, of them stargazing, is entirely based on Sleeping At Last's song Saturn. It is the reason that Tullia and Astoria stare up at the universe every year. It is the catalyst for this story being about THEM and their incredible friendship. I've had that scene written for quite some time now, waiting for this moment to insert it in - with minimal edits, at that.

I hope you've enjoyed it. As always, thank you for your endless, infinite patience. I relish all feedback and comments. Feed my ego please!