It's in the Stars (Aurora Sinistra/Marietta Edgecombe) R
Title: It's in the Stars
Pairing: Aurora Sinistra/Marietta Edgcombe
Prompt: Number Game Ficathon 2013
Rating:R for language
Word Count: 1,010
Summary: Marietta is watching the stars die when her favorite professor arrives.
Author's Notes: I went for an O.Henry twist here. Let me know what you think.
The first few nights after the war, Marietta doesn’t sleep. Instead, she finishes her rounds in the Hospital Wing and then walks around the castle. There are so many broken stairwells now, so many crumbling walls and collapsed statues. Various paintings and pictures are torn to pieces and still the entirety of Hogwarts smells like blood. The pungent aroma chokes her whenever she breathes too deeply. Seeking refuge from the scent of death, she wanders up to the Astronomy Tower and dangles her legs out an open window. Through her only remaining eye, she looks up at the stars and wonders how long they’ve been dead.
“You’ll fall if you lean any further out that window,” a voice says, startling Marietta from her stargazing trance. She leans back against the wall to catch herself and takes a few deep breaths to offset the way her heart’s kicked into overdrive now that she’s recognized the voice.
“Professor Sinistra,” she greets, turning around, “It’s good to see you out of bed.”
Professor Sinistra sits down, “It’s good to hear you’re seeing anything at all.” Marietta brings her hand up to cover her eye with the patch Cho bought for her. It’s a simple blue eye patch, but it’s much better than the black one her parents wanted her to wear. It’s bad enough she’s lost her eye to this damn war, there’s no way she’s losing her sense of fashion as well.
“Madame Pomfrey said it would take at least a few more days before the spell damage was healed enough for you to be up and about,” Marietta admonishes. She stubs out the cigarette she’s holding against the wall and tries for cool and confident. Even at eighteen, she’s sure she looks childish to the older woman.
Professor Sinistra shrugs, “It’s hard to keep a Slytherin on bed rest. And I’ve never been able to stay inside for extended periods of time. I figured I would come up here and look at the stars a little. See if I can figure out what they’re trying to tell us.”
“I’ll just leave you to it, then,” Marietta says, standing to leave. She moves towards the door before adding, “It’s good to see you’re okay, Professor.” She wants to say more, but she doesn’t think anything else would be appropriate. She makes her way towards the door.
“I’d rather you stay, Miss Edgecombe,” Professor Sinistra answers, “And I’m flattered that you favored me. I must say, you were among my favorite students as well. You always had a knack for astronomy.”
Marietta smile to accept the compliment and moves back to the window. They stand close together so they can see the same stars. “That’s Sirius,” Professor Sinistra says, pointing out the brightest one of a cluster right above Marietta’s head. “My friend was named after it. He died a few years back.”
“You were friends with Sirius Black?” Marietta asks, turning to face her teacher. She turns too tightly, however, and finds herself just beneath Professor Sinistra’s chin. She would back up, but she’s too close to the edge of the window seat as it is. She stands there, feeling hot breath on her ear, and a full minute passes. Then Professor Sinistra takes a step back.
“Oh, honey, everyone was friends with Sirius Black,” she answers. “I graduated two years after him, his brother Regulus and I were in the same year and the same house. Regulus, regardless as to what history may say about him, was a good man.”
She points out another star, and then another. Soon, Marietta thinks they will run out of stars before the sun rises and she’s forced to leave the tower and return to the world. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to test this conjecture, because Professor Sinistra grows tired.
“I really should get some sleep,” she admits, once the night grows darkest, “Will you walk me back to my rooms?”
And Marietta, who expects nothing from so simple a request, does.
They make it to Professor Sinistra’s rooms in ten minutes, which is good time, considering how many stairwells are missing steps and how many walls are completely disassembled. The door opens with a whispered password that Marietta doesn’t quite catch, and inside the walls are all a deep emerald with blue furniture.
“Well, don’t just stand there, Miss Edgecombe,” Professor Sinistra chides, “You’re no longer a student. Come in for a night cap.”
They sit down at the table in front of the fireplace, and Professor Sinistra serves them both tea while Marietta tends the flames. After a few minutes of silence, Marietta finally breaks it. “Are we ever going to talk about this?”
“What is there to talk about, my dear?” Professor Sinistra replies. “You graduated and disappeared, leaving me to fight hell on earth by myself. I’m not one to forgive such things. After all, I’m a Slytherin, not a Hufflepuff.”
“You called me a child!” Marietta retorts, cutting her eyes at the older woman. “You found me at my loneliest, seduced me into your bed, shagged me into the mattress, and then told me I was too young for you.”
“You are too young for me,” Professor Sinistra says, and Marietta hates that her professor’s so composed, while she knows she’s falling apart.
She forces a scoff, which sounds like something being strangled, and says, “I wasn’t too young for you to fuck me.”
“You were a student!”
“I was in love with you.”
And that’s enough to kill whatever scathing remark Professor Sinistra has waiting on the tip of her tongue. Defeated, the older woman slumps into her chair. “Yes, well. I was in love with you as well.”
“So what now?” Marietta asks, downing what is left of her cognac.
“You’re not a student anymore,” Professor Sinistra replies. Marietta nods her head. “And the War’s over.” Another nod. “Well, then.” With a deep breath, Professor Sinistra says, “I think it’s about time you start calling me Aurora.”
Marietta smiles. “I think,” she begins, “I think I can start with that.”
Pairing: Aurora Sinistra/Marietta Edgcombe
Prompt: Number Game Ficathon 2013
Rating:R for language
Word Count: 1,010
Summary: Marietta is watching the stars die when her favorite professor arrives.
Author's Notes: I went for an O.Henry twist here. Let me know what you think.
The first few nights after the war, Marietta doesn’t sleep. Instead, she finishes her rounds in the Hospital Wing and then walks around the castle. There are so many broken stairwells now, so many crumbling walls and collapsed statues. Various paintings and pictures are torn to pieces and still the entirety of Hogwarts smells like blood. The pungent aroma chokes her whenever she breathes too deeply. Seeking refuge from the scent of death, she wanders up to the Astronomy Tower and dangles her legs out an open window. Through her only remaining eye, she looks up at the stars and wonders how long they’ve been dead.
“You’ll fall if you lean any further out that window,” a voice says, startling Marietta from her stargazing trance. She leans back against the wall to catch herself and takes a few deep breaths to offset the way her heart’s kicked into overdrive now that she’s recognized the voice.
“Professor Sinistra,” she greets, turning around, “It’s good to see you out of bed.”
Professor Sinistra sits down, “It’s good to hear you’re seeing anything at all.” Marietta brings her hand up to cover her eye with the patch Cho bought for her. It’s a simple blue eye patch, but it’s much better than the black one her parents wanted her to wear. It’s bad enough she’s lost her eye to this damn war, there’s no way she’s losing her sense of fashion as well.
“Madame Pomfrey said it would take at least a few more days before the spell damage was healed enough for you to be up and about,” Marietta admonishes. She stubs out the cigarette she’s holding against the wall and tries for cool and confident. Even at eighteen, she’s sure she looks childish to the older woman.
Professor Sinistra shrugs, “It’s hard to keep a Slytherin on bed rest. And I’ve never been able to stay inside for extended periods of time. I figured I would come up here and look at the stars a little. See if I can figure out what they’re trying to tell us.”
“I’ll just leave you to it, then,” Marietta says, standing to leave. She moves towards the door before adding, “It’s good to see you’re okay, Professor.” She wants to say more, but she doesn’t think anything else would be appropriate. She makes her way towards the door.
“I’d rather you stay, Miss Edgecombe,” Professor Sinistra answers, “And I’m flattered that you favored me. I must say, you were among my favorite students as well. You always had a knack for astronomy.”
Marietta smile to accept the compliment and moves back to the window. They stand close together so they can see the same stars. “That’s Sirius,” Professor Sinistra says, pointing out the brightest one of a cluster right above Marietta’s head. “My friend was named after it. He died a few years back.”
“You were friends with Sirius Black?” Marietta asks, turning to face her teacher. She turns too tightly, however, and finds herself just beneath Professor Sinistra’s chin. She would back up, but she’s too close to the edge of the window seat as it is. She stands there, feeling hot breath on her ear, and a full minute passes. Then Professor Sinistra takes a step back.
“Oh, honey, everyone was friends with Sirius Black,” she answers. “I graduated two years after him, his brother Regulus and I were in the same year and the same house. Regulus, regardless as to what history may say about him, was a good man.”
She points out another star, and then another. Soon, Marietta thinks they will run out of stars before the sun rises and she’s forced to leave the tower and return to the world. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to test this conjecture, because Professor Sinistra grows tired.
“I really should get some sleep,” she admits, once the night grows darkest, “Will you walk me back to my rooms?”
And Marietta, who expects nothing from so simple a request, does.
They make it to Professor Sinistra’s rooms in ten minutes, which is good time, considering how many stairwells are missing steps and how many walls are completely disassembled. The door opens with a whispered password that Marietta doesn’t quite catch, and inside the walls are all a deep emerald with blue furniture.
“Well, don’t just stand there, Miss Edgecombe,” Professor Sinistra chides, “You’re no longer a student. Come in for a night cap.”
They sit down at the table in front of the fireplace, and Professor Sinistra serves them both tea while Marietta tends the flames. After a few minutes of silence, Marietta finally breaks it. “Are we ever going to talk about this?”
“What is there to talk about, my dear?” Professor Sinistra replies. “You graduated and disappeared, leaving me to fight hell on earth by myself. I’m not one to forgive such things. After all, I’m a Slytherin, not a Hufflepuff.”
“You called me a child!” Marietta retorts, cutting her eyes at the older woman. “You found me at my loneliest, seduced me into your bed, shagged me into the mattress, and then told me I was too young for you.”
“You are too young for me,” Professor Sinistra says, and Marietta hates that her professor’s so composed, while she knows she’s falling apart.
She forces a scoff, which sounds like something being strangled, and says, “I wasn’t too young for you to fuck me.”
“You were a student!”
“I was in love with you.”
And that’s enough to kill whatever scathing remark Professor Sinistra has waiting on the tip of her tongue. Defeated, the older woman slumps into her chair. “Yes, well. I was in love with you as well.”
“So what now?” Marietta asks, downing what is left of her cognac.
“You’re not a student anymore,” Professor Sinistra replies. Marietta nods her head. “And the War’s over.” Another nod. “Well, then.” With a deep breath, Professor Sinistra says, “I think it’s about time you start calling me Aurora.”
Marietta smiles. “I think,” she begins, “I think I can start with that.”