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one — do you feel ashamed, when you hear my name?
☾
THE LIGHT BREEZE BRUSHED AGAINST HARRY'S SKIN, the sun's beams warming up his skin. He was looking out at the Black Lake, the river looking clear and peaceful.
The Astronomy Tower always managed to calm him down, and it definitely was one of his favourite places in Hogwarts. Reyna had been the one to bring him up there back in their third year, and she'd shown him all the stars. Ever since, he adored the tower.
"That's Sirius," she told him, as she took his hand and pointed out the star. Her head was resting on his shoulder, the two sitting close together to keep each other warm. "It's the brightest star in the sky."
"I don't fancy that star," Harry said with a small chuckle, which made Reyna roll her eyes. "What? It's not my fault it has the same name as your criminal uncle!"
"All the Blacks are named after star," Reyna mentioned softly. "Draco's a constellation, y'know. My dad — he was called Regulus, and that's the brightest star in the Leo constellation."
"That's . . . How did I never realise that?" Harry questioned, more to himself than to Reyna, who answered instantly.
"Because you're daft," she scoffed jokingly, which resulted in Harry's jaw dropping before he elbowed her in the stomach. "Oi! Watch it, Potter, or I'll get my delinquent uncle on you — just like everyone in this stupid school says I will."
"Ignore them," said Harry, who did not miss the way Reyna's voice faltered slightly as she spoke. He knew her — he knew that all those comments from the other students bothered her more than anything, and he knew that their comments were haunting her. He always knew that her worst fear was to end up like her family, driven mad by those around them. Reyna did put up a rather good carefree facade, but he saw right through it.
"I am ignoring them," Reyna said, forcing a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "I don't care what they say about me, anyway."
Harry hummed in response, nodding his head. He was silent for a few moments, hesitating, before he muttered, "You know, Rey, it's okay if you do care. It's horrible, what they're all saying about you. I'd care, if it were me."
"I . . . I do care, but — it's fine," she said with a sigh, looking down at her untied laces.
"It's not, though," responded Harry, who was now frowning. "You haven't even denied anything or hexed someone — and everyone knows you love a good hex every now and then."
