When Your Parents Tell You Bedtime Stories

22

Persephone took a deep breath before pushing open the heavy door to the top of the Astronomy tower. She'd never been up here this late, though she had wondered many times what it would be like. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her she made out a figure near the window. After a day, she would recognize the person anywhere.

"Mirach?" she whispered, listening to her voice resound throughout the hollow room. The person on the ledge swung and stood hastily.

"Persephone, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Persephone casually crossed her arms over her chest and pulled out the note. "Someone sent me a note to meet them here, it wasn't...."

"No," Mirach assured her as her last note was left hanging in the air. "I just couldn't sleep and I needed to get out of the common room."

"I understand the feeling," Persephone said making her way up to the window and glancing out it. "Ever since I got back something just hasn't seemed right."

"Like something's unfinished?" Mirach asked.

Persephone turned to look at him. "Exactly." There was a moment of tense silence before she spoke again. "If you didn't send me the note, then who did?"

"I don't know, but I could take a guess."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I bet Rigel sent you the note," Mirach replied softly.

"Rigel? Rigel Flint? No, we're just friends."

"That's why you don't see it, because you believe you're just friends so you don't look for it," Mirach said, pulling away from the window and wondering around the room.

"See what?" Persephone asked pulling her gaze away from the maze of splattered stars.

"The way he looks at you," Mirach answered her moments later.

Rigel walked as proudly as he could to the paper sitting on the window ledge. As he picked it up, he noticed his hand was shaking, and he tried to gain control over his emotions. He looked down at the perfectly cursive writing he would recognize anywhere and read.

Dear Rigel,

How stupid am I to not notice how you felt about me before now? I wish that I could have stayed here to meet you, and we could have talked, and maybe we would have a future together. My head tells me that's what I want. But my heart tells me something different.

I wish that it was your face I fell asleep to every night, but it isn't. And I know that I could spend the rest of my life with you and be perfectly content, but if I cannot return the same strength of feelings you have towards me, then it wouldn't be fair to you.

I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stay here and tell you this, face to face. Just know, Rigel, that no one will ever replace what you mean to me in my eyes. You are my best friend, and I need you. But that is all you can ever be, not matter how much I wish it could be different.

Persephone

Rigel folded up the paper carefully and set it in his cloak pocket. Somehow, when he saw the letter, he knew what it would say. And, more then ever, Rigel was glad he was a Slytherin. Because, if he wasn't, no one would ever expect him to do what he was going to.

With a fire of set determination in his eyes and a new swift, assertiveness in his step, Rigel set out to go find Alphard.