astronomy • marlene mckinnon

forty two

Astraea was late.

And the last thing she needed when she was practically running towards the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom, was Barty Crouch Jr. to call out her name and stop her.

She sighed, but still stopped and waited as the younger boy caught up to her, "Merlin, you know how to walk fast."

The seventh year didn't reply, and instead chose to stare at the boy with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"I need to talk to you," He spoke up after a minute of persistent staring.

Astraea was surprised by this, yes, he was her younger brother's best friend but they necessarily did not have a lot of conversations with each other.

"Right now?" The girl asked and the boy nodded.

"I have class right now."

"It's kind of important," He said, his eyes flashing with certain desperation and Astraea caught the fingers of his right-hand twitching.

She sighed, What was another missed class anyway, she'd take the notes from someone else. The seventh-year turned around and opened the door to an empty classroom and gestured for him to go in which he did, a grateful look on his face.

"Thank you, really," Barty looked at the girl who closed the door behind her and turned to look at him. For a second he thought that he saw disappointment flash in her eyes, but took it for a trick of light as her eyes went back to the usual cold and stormy grey.

"So," Astraea looked at him, "You took the mark."

"This weekend," The sixth-year looked at the floor, "Reg thought I was visiting my father."

"So, you lied to him."

"I couldn't tell him, It wasn't a good time."

"Barty, you better find a good time before Christmas break."

Barty looked up at her, opened his mouth, and closed it before opening it again, and then closing it once more, shaking his head.

"Does it hurt?" Astraea's eyes went towards his left arm and the boy shrugged.

"Not anymore, It hurt for the first few hours. The pain died down rather quickly after that."

"You have put yourself in great danger, do you have any idea about it?" The girl glared at him.

"I know okay!" He exclaimed, his voice filled with annoyance, "I know what I've done. I've already heard this from Rosier, I don't need to hear it from you again. I know I've joined the party which my father wants to destroy. But I can assure you that my father hates me anyway so this won't change anything about his feelings at all."

"I'm talking about your feelings," Astraea said quietly, placing her book bag on one of the tables and moving a bit closer.

'"I hate him," The sixth-year burned holes into the floor, his voice firm.

"We all say that you know," The girl spoke up with a bitter smile, her mind transported back to all the times Sirius had asked her to leave with him, "We all say that we hate our families with every fibre inside of us. But when the time comes when you actually have to make a decision if you want to defy them once and for all or stick with them, there's always this little voice in the back of your head screaming at you that no matter how fucked up a situation is, your duty is to stand by your family."

"How did—" Barty paused for a moment, not really knowing how to frame the question without making the girl in front of her angry.

"Go ahead," Astraea sighed, "Ask whatever you want. I'm giving you free liberty because you got the dark mark two days ago. Don't expect to have it again."