Like the Stars in the Sky

Chapter Seventeen

Piper

Sebastian went ahead, making sure the next turn in the forest was safe, specifically that it was spider and Ashwinder free. I trailed behind him, slightly annoyed at how much he was babying me. Did he forget that I was, in fact, an accomplished dueler? He should know as well as anyone. I'd bested him in a duel on the first day of classes when we'd first met. I'd gone on to best him in many a duel following that day.

"Come on, hurry up!" Sebastian reached back for me, and I begrudgingly let him help me up a rocky hill.

"You alright?" He placed his hand for a split second on my waist, instantly sending shivers through my whole body.

"Yes. I'm fine, Seb." I was grateful it was dark, so he couldn't see my flushed cheeks.

As we reached the top of the hill, my breath caught in my throat. Hogwarts stood grand and beautiful in the center of the black lake. Lush forests covered the rolling hills surrounding the valley. The night sky was alive and glimmering with stars. It reminded me of Sebastian, the brown-hair-brown-eyed boy behind me. His freckled face often reminded me of a star-filled night sky.

"It's beautiful!" I was in complete awe. It'd been so long since I'd seen this place like this. Since our adventures.

"Yeah." Sebastian breathed. But he wasn't looking out at the world around us.

---

"Let's sit for a while." Sebastian walked over to the edge of the hill, plopping down. He sat and leaned back on his hands. I followed him and sat down beside him.

"It's been so long since I've been out here. I forgot how beautiful the valley is." I breathed in the cool night air, sending a small shiver down my spine.

"Are you cold?" Seb was looking over at me.

"I'm fine." I smiled at him, but in a few moments I had wrapped my arms tightly around myself.

"Here." Sebastian was holding out his cloak to me. I accepted it gratefully, and wrapped myself in it. It smelled like him, his warm woody scent. I breathed it in.

As we sat side by side, looking out over the valley, Hogwarts' bright lights shone in the distance over the black lake. I reached out, finding Sebastian's fingers in the dark, weaving mine in between his. We'd done this more and more often now, that neither of us needed to silently ask for permission to hold anymore, though it still sent my heart racing every time just like it was the first.

I found I didn't mind silence with Sebastian anymore, either. What had once clamped its stifling hand over my mouth, suffocating me, didn't scare me anymore. We didn't need to say anything. Being next to each other was enough.

I pulled myself closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt his breath quicken just slightly, and my pulse did as well. It was like our hearts were trying to compete to see who could go faster.

After a few moments, Sebastian's voice broke the silence.

"Piper?"

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something."

I let out a little laugh. I recalled all the many times we'd said that, but had never been able to say what we needed to.

"Alright, I'm listening."

He heaved a great sigh. "I..." His voice trailed off, and he pulled his hand out of mine, standing up. My heart dropped. I stood up quickly.

"What's wrong?" I hated how desperate my voice sounded. Sebastian raked his hands through his hair, then turned back to me.

"We need to do something about this." He gestured madly at the space between us. His voice sounded urgent. I felt my pulse quicken again, but this time out of fear.