3. Astronomy
The corridors are still empty, students are either having breakfast or getting ready.
I looked down at the book I was reading, not paying any attention to where I was walking, two lengthy, red-haired boys ran straight for me. One of them bumps into my shoulder pushing me out of the way. “Watch it!” I shout at him and he turns back around slowing his pace.
“My bad” his body was half turned and he barely saw me, he did a double-take getting a better look at me. He is quite handsome and he flashes me a cute smile, he almost comes to a stop, but looks past my shoulder and his eyes go wide before speeding up again down the corridor.
I turn back around to see the caretaker running after them, he is covered in something brown and panting badly, along with sweat running down his forehead and his knees hitting his chest as he runs.
My eyes follow him down the corridor and around the corner before making my way to my class. I walk into the Herbology classroom and am greeted by the smell of freshly watered soil and grass.
“Oh hello,” a voice comes from behind me. A younger boy holding two potted plants in each of his arms smiles at me from the door. “Hello, I’m not intruding am I?” I ask him and he shakes his head no. “I’m just helping professor Sprout, she should be here soon” his smile reveals his bucked teeth and he quickly closes his mouth. He sets down the plants and brushes himself off before offering his hand for me to shake, “I’m Neville Longbottom.”
I shake his hand, “Jolene Ross” I smile and he turns away with his cheeks a light shade of pink.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jolene. I have to get to class but I-I’ll see you around” he smiles one more time before rushing out of the room. Soon after, the room is filled with other students each looking tired and not wanting to be here.
Astronomy class later that day:
“Everyone will need a partner for this assignment-” Professor Sinistra is cut short by Filch. With him is the red-haired boy from this morning. “Sorry to interrupt just returning a student” He pushes the boy further into the room.
“Sorry professor” his tone is full of laughter, not a hint of regret. “It is fine Mr Weasley. You will need a partner...” she looks around the room and by instinct, I lower my head. “Why don’t you join Jolene” she suggested and he makes his way over to the seat next to me. He smiles as he sits and I return one.
“This assignment you will only receive full points if both of you complete the task” she adds before excusing us for the day.
He catches up with me as I walk down the corridor. “Mind if I walk with you?” he asks, I shrug “Why not.”
“Could you explain the assignment, I sort of missed it?” he laughs at his thought, maybe whatever he did this morning. He has a nice laugh. “Tonight we have to observe Jupiter’s moon, an essay is due next Wednesday” I explain and he nods. “Does it have to be tonight?”
“Well tonight is one of the better nights, next one won’t be till Tuesday and I don’t plan on writing this essay last minute,” I tell him with a stern tone- “Alright, don’t get your panties in a bunch” his comment full of laughter and I rolled my eyes at him.
“If you want me to do it alone so you can go off doing whatever you do, it will cost you,” I told him, gaining another laugh from his mouth. “What do you want?” he forms a smirk.
“Five sickles for the essay and five for going alone tonight” I smile back and he scoffs, “No way.” I shrug at him “I guess you’re helping then.”
“I’ll pay you when it’s done” I shake my head at his request “no either all right now, or five now and five later” I demand and he gives in with a smirk “Alright” he reaches into his pocket taking out five sickles.
“Pleasure doing business with ya” I take them from him and walk away. Hearing him chuckle as I did.
I have everything set up on a hill overlooking the lake, with a clear open sky a perfect spot for the night. Other students are spread out along the same area, a good distance from each other. From the distance I hear my name being shouted and the voice coming closer, I walk down the hill towards it.
“There you are!” the red-headed boy shouts walking towards me, “I thought I was doing this alone,” I say almost bitterly and frowning at him. “I just thought you might like some company, but if you want me to leave-” I stop him “No it’s fine, just come write down what I tell you” I walk back up the hill.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like you wanted to do this alone” he points out, following behind me “Well why would I offer to do it alone if I didn’t want to” my sarcastic response made him look up at me with a small smile, “The money perhaps.”
He stops as he sees the set up I made, nothing much just the telescope, blanket and the class books. “Nope I don’t need the money, but the fact you’re willing to pay me was nice to know” I laugh taking a seat on the blanket.
“Wait I didn’t have to pay you?” I shake my head no. “Well what else could I have done?” he takes a seat next to me picking up a book and flipping through it. “I would have done it for your name.”
He looks up again smiling “How rude of me, George Weasley pleasure to meet you” he holds out his hand and I shake it, his hand was surprisingly rough, for how soft they look and his rings are cold at first touch but quickly become warmer.
“Well you already know my name, and now the whole forest does too” I add, making him laugh. His laugh is really nice, one that could stand out from others in a crowded room.
“What’s your last name?” he asks, still looking up at me smiling, “Ross.”
It was quiet for a moment, both of us waiting for the other to speak up. “If you don’t need the money, can I get my five sickles back?” he jokes, and I laugh and get up to look at the telescope. “Come here and bring that notebook,” I tell him and he follows. I began telling him things to write down and he did.
“So where are you from?” he stops writing, “I’m from London,” he looks confused. “I thought you were from France.”
“If you knew why’d you ask” another sarcastic comment left my mouth, “I didn’t want to seem creepy that I’ve asked around about you,” he shyly looks down at the paper.
“It’s okay, it’s natural to be curious” as I tell him he looks up and smiles at me. “Besides I’ve seen you around, You also ran into me” I turned my attention back to the sky. “You sure I was the one who ran into you?” I look at him confused. I thought it was him or maybe he forgot. “This morning? Filch was chasing you and someone else?”
He smiled “That was my brother who ran into you, were twins” he laughed, “Oh I’m sorry. Must be annoying when people confuse the two of you sorry about that. I’ll try to sort out who is who” he looks at me, genuinely happy with my response. “S’alright” he smiles.
“Yes I came here from France, but I’m originally from London. I moved when I was nine and went to Beauxbatons academy” he nods showing he was listening, “how different is it from here?” he asks, “less strict, they have high expectations and not very lenient” I laugh which raises some concern. “Got in a lot of trouble then?” his interest was piqued and a smirk growing on his face and I shrug not giving him a clear answer.
My attention goes back to the telescope, I am a little upset that we are finished. “Well, we’re done” I sit down on my knees on the blanket and start to pack up my stuff. He joins, handing me my notebook.
“The real reason why I came tonight is that I lost a bet that cost me the other five sickles, but I am glad I came. This was fun” he spoke up. “Better than whatever you had planned, that was so important?” I tease him and he chuckles “Yeah, a lot better than sitting in my dorm doing nothing” he confesses with a laugh.
“Well if you’re doing nothing tomorrow, come by the library and help me write this essay. Perhaps I’ll give you the five back” I say still teasing him a little. He smiles at the ground before looking back at me “If I come then technically you have to give it back” my head shakes, “No, if you help. I’ll give them back” I grab my things and we start walking back to the school, parting ways to go to different common rooms.
