It had been with great difficulty and determination, but Evelyn had finally managed to talk Sasha into coming stargazing with her. After everything that had happened last year, Evie had been worried that her friend would become even more private and isolated than he had been before. As such, she was going out of her way to try and get the young man to come out with her, spend time around other people and the like.

Sasha had reluctantly agreed to it after Evelyn had badgered him about it for a whole week. It was a lovely evening, warm and clear, the perfect conditions for stargazing. She'd brought down a blanket for them to lay on as well as some pumpkin juice, and she now was laying on her back, staring up at the sky. "You see that one there, Sasha? That's Canis Major, the greater dog. And-Sasha, are you listening to me?"

There were a lot of things Sasha was good at, especially when it came to school.  Sitting out on a blanket and doing nothing but staring into space was not one of them, despite how much Astronomy was a favorite class.  Astronomy involved math and physics and complex calculations...well, hopefully complex calculations.  This involved sitting quietly and forcing one's self not to think about the pile of stuff waiting for him on his desk.  His days were usually very carefully planned out with every moment accounted for. 

Free time really only occurred during those rare moments when he had to wait for whatever he was doing to finish itself.  Like the fifteen minutes it took to wait for the water trough to refill with water from the hose. 

It had taken most of the week for Sasha to figure out where to schedule this stargazing session.  He sat awkwardly on the edge of the blanket, peering up at the scattered pin pricks of light across the sky. He hadn't gotten quite as far as lying down, yet, but he had nudged his shoes off of his feet. 

"What?" Sasha asked, glancing towards Evelyn.  "I - yes.  Of course, I'm listening.  Canis Major.  It's on my star charts from second year."  He'd spent enough time pouring over his notes for OWLs; he could picture all of his old charts clearly enough.  "He's hunting with Orion or something.  Do you think he ever gets fleas?"  What?  Did he ever get fleas.  Sasha flushed slightly but, luckily, in the darkness, it wasn't readily apparent.

Evelyn had known Sasha for several years, and she knew that sitting still like this drove him nuts. Despite his best efforts, his mind was typically preoccupied with everything he had to get done. He would, Evie supposed, make an excellent business man one day if he so chose. Evelyn however was not so responsible. Oh, certainly, she was a good student, and she got decent enough marks. But there were plenty of times where she had dropped the ball on tasks or completely forgotten them altogether.

It was the beginning of the year though, and while Evelyn did felt the pressure of NEWTs lingering, it was still too early for her to really feel stressed. She rolled her eyes good naturedly  when Sasha started and looked at her, clearly distracted by his own thoughts. "Yes, of course you are," she teased lightly, shaking her head. "And you really still have those star charts? Where on Earth do you keep all of those?" she asked, still amazed at her friends study habits.

She laughed softly at his question, looking back up at the constellation and raising an eyebrow. "Hmm...fleas? Well, who's to say he wouldn't? Maybe the stray shooting star bothers him." She folded her arms behind her head and looked towards another one. "And that there's Taurus."

"I really was listening," Sasha insisted, glancing briefly towards Evelyn with an awkward though good-natured grin.  "Mostly.  I mean, yes.  I was listening.  I was just ... multi-tasking."  Admitting as much probably wasn't going to help but he had been listening ... as well as thinking.  Thinking about things unrelated to what he was listening to.  Of course, she already knew that.  Not only had she called him on it, it was somewhat to be expected.  Either way, "I heard what you said."  Which probably only proved he was worrying too much.  Again. 

Sasha nodded his head, crossing his legs more comfortably underneath him.  "I have everything," Sasha admitted.  "All my old notes and textbooks and essays.  My second year, I splurged and got a trunk with an expansion charm.  I didn't know what else to do with it all.  I can't just throw it away."  And, he'd been glad he hadn't when it came time to review of O.W.Ls. 

He turned back towards the sky overhead, gazing into the blackness.  "Schade[1].  Too bad, he can't just move Adhara and scratch them."  Space fleas?  Moving stars to scratch?  Apparently, when one used all their brain cells on studying, they didn't really have many left to use for casual conversation that managed to remain intelligent as well.  Not that Sasha excelled in casual chatter under normal circumstances.  Unlike Evelyn who always seemed so relaxed and outgoing in the common room.

"Do you think they've all been named something else?"  Sasha asked, scowling slightly in thought as he stared at the sky.  "I mean - obviously, Taurus is only Taurus to us.  Right?  From one of the Keplar planets, there'd be no Taurus. Everything would look entirely different.  Do you think they've named everything, too?  And, would it really be that different?  Or, does it all end up the same?"  After all, people pretty much looked for what they knew in the sky.

1.

Shame

Evelyn laughed at Sasha's tone, smiling back at him. "I was joking Sasha. Relax. Tsk, you're the only person I know who can multi-task in their head. I believe everyone else calls it....worrying," she said after a pause, raising her eyebrows. She simply smiled when he insisted that he had in fact heard what she said and looked back up at the sky.

"Well, you're more organized than I am, that's all I can say. I have no idea where any of my things from second year are, or if I have any of it still. I have an expansion charm on my trunk too, and yet it seems like there's never enough space," Evelyn said mournfully, shaking her head. "I suppose it paid off for you during the O.W.L.s last year. I wish I'd been that prepared."

She smiled ever so slightly again at Sasha's comment about Adhara. She could tell that Sasha felt flustered, but she didn't comment on it. She found it amusing that he thought she was an outgoing person. In comparison, she supposed she was. But next to other people, Evelyn still looked very quiet and introverted. It's why she enjoyed spending time with Sasha, they never had to talk.

"I don't know," Evelyn murmured, looking up at the sky. "I know that in the Muggle world, they understand much more about that. For being so advanced in some ways, we really are quite archaic in the wizarding world. We don't explore space, or wear modern clothing, or anything. I know a little from my Mum, but...who knows. I'd like to someday see the stars from somewhere else. Just imagine, having two suns!"

"I ... well, I didn't really have much of a choice," Sasha admitted.  It still felt really strange for Sasha to talk candidly and openly about his home life to classmates at school.  For four years, he'd spent every moment of his day working tirelessly to keep his world at home and his world at Hogwarts at arm's length and only a handful of people in either world had been aware of the layers of lies.  His parents didn't know he attended a school for wizards and no one at Hogwarts knew Sasha's parents believed he attended a private boarding school in Switzerland.  He'd certainly never told any of his classmates and it was only during the previous year when Skeeter started publishing those articles that the rumors had percolated through his classmates. 

In hindsight, most probably didn't care.  Quite a few still probably didn't know.  But, it still felt very strange to talk about it out in the open.  Even though the need to keep it all secret was unquestioningly and definitely past.  "I couldn't take my school supplies home so they always stayed here over the summer.  It was either that or throw them out during exams." 

"I'm sure you did fine on your O.W.Ls," Sasha insisted.  Level of organization, after all, didn't count for that much of what went into preparing for exams.  "I can't imagine you didn't pass any of them.  What are you continuing with in N.E.W.Ts?  Do you, you know, know what you want to do after school?"  It was that horrid, horrid question adults had been asking them since the middle of the previous year. 

"We don't have to be archaic," Sasha pointed out, glancing around them to make sure there were no Slytherins overhearing before forcing himself to lay back and relax on the blanket.  He'd been up studying since six; he could forget about homework for an hour or so.  "A wizard on a space ship would be problematic.  Worse than using a cell phone on a plane."  That was an understatement.  "Just having my wand in my bag in the Chemistry lab makes all the instruments act crazy.  I usually have to leave my wand at home during lab experiments."  Apollo 29 - mission flight brought down by a stray patronus.  It wasn't really funny but, despite himself, Sasha couldn't help chuckling slightly. 

"It would be interesting," Sasha agreed.  "Going into space.  Hogwarts doesn't really prepare us to be astronauts, though.  Imagine, though.  How interesting it'd be to-"  He cut himself off. 

Evelyn glanced over at Sasha, raising an eyebrow as he hesitated. She knew that her friend had a past, and a present life that he didn't talk about. He'd never confided in her the details, but after knowing him for so long, Evelyn had begun to pick up on little things. Nuances about how he talked about his family, or more often how he didn't talk about them. She had heard, of course, the rumors that the terrible Skeeter woman had spread, but she had chosen to ignore most of it.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense. I never looked over my things during holiday anyway. It would have been safer to keep them here," Evelyn mused. She wanted to ask Sasha why he couldn't take his things open, but she stopped herself. She knew Sasha valued his privacy. 

Evelyn smiled gratefully when he insisted that she'd done well on her OWLs. "That's sweet, but I'm not as great of a student as I seem to be. I did dismally in Potions and Herbology. I'm taking Astronomy, History of Magic, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, and Ancient Runes. Oh, I don't know..." she replied, shaking her head at his question. "Something in the Ministry I think...maybe in International Co-operation. Although I do love astronomy...but Professor Trishna doesn't seem likely to give up the position here anytime soon. You?" she asked.

Evelyn scoffed, shaking her head. "It drives me mad, magical items not cooperating with muggle technology. I have to store my wand on the other side of the house half the time. It's bound to cause a disaster sooner or later. Yes it would..." She glanced at him when he cut himself off. "To what?" she prompted.

"Maybe.  Or, it should be safer."  In theory, leaving school things here should be safer.  Of course, that really depended on one's housemates.  "Unless you get a first year stalker who steals your textbook."  Well...Eirene hadn't exactly stolen it.  More, borrowed it without permission.  While her intentions hadn't been completely innocent, they had been endearing.  "How do you lose them at home, though?  Do you have different places you keep schoolwork?" 

Sasha had to assume that when Evelyn said she'd done 'dismally' on her potions and herbology O.W.Ls that she meant she'd done dismally by Ravenclaw standards.  She was, of course, at the start of her seventh year, though.  Which meant, for her, N.E.W.Ts were just around the corner.  "Are professors already stressing about exams they way they had for O.W.Ls?" he asked.  "It has got to be unnerving.  The Department of International Cooperation is fun; there's some interesting individuals there."  And, a few unfortunate scapegoats.  Sasha couldn't help but wonder if Kaydn had found out, yet, that his name and signature had been borrowed.  "I've been doing an internship with one of the Linguists there.  If you like politics and negotiating and stuff it can be good.  Or languages.  You get to meet a lot of different witches and wizards from all over." 

"I hope not."  Sasha shook his head at the idea of Professor Trishna giving up the Astronomy spot.  "I know he hasn't been very popular here to some but he's not allowed to leave for another two years.  I'm sure you'd be excellent,"  he quickly added, not wanting to give the impression he didn't think she could teach Astronomy.  It just so happened that there were very few in the wizarding world that could help Sasha achieve his goals.  Being not only a Hogwarts Astronomy professor but a university-educated scientist made Professor Trishna one of very few that had the qualifications to help Sasha get through all of his exams.  And, that didn't take into account the fact that Sasha had come to count on Professor Trishna for support and advice.  Not to sound entirely selfish, Sasha added with a grin, "you can have the job after I finish N.E.W.Ts." 

"I'm taking Herbology and Astronomy and-"  Listing them out didn't quite make a whole lot of sense.  "Well - everything.  I haven't dropped anything."  Yet.  And, so far, he was managing okay.  At least, superficially.  The second question was harder to answer and it tied into her prompt.  Sasha still hadn't figured out how much detail he should go into with his fellow classmates about his future plans.  Telling Professor Trishna was one thing; telling other students was another entirely. 

"Well, I think I'm continuing with school after Hogwarts.  Going to University, either in London or back in Munich.  At that point, there'll be a couple different options.  I've got a couple vague ideas but ... it's kind of hard to explain."  And, was not a very popular route in the wizarding world.  He could, though, finish his previous thought.  For wherever it led.  "But, it would interesting to see what magic did in space.  If it would, you know, be the same as here.  Would lower levels of gravity effect wingardium leviosa or does the physics of gravity really not have an effect on the spell?"  If only there was a way ... some way to get a wand up there.  Borrow muggle technology and use magic to make it work.  Like the wizarding wireless or wizarding modified cars.  Only in the form of orbital space craft.  Fiendfyre-fueled rockets.  But, if it were only possible - imagine what one could learn.  It was almost enough to make him giddy.

Evelyn nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, for all of Hogwarts' merits, there were still plenty of students who wouldn't be at all ashamed to steal things from their fellow classmates, and most students had at least one item stolen from them during there time here. "That's...rather bizzare." Evelyn commented, raising her eyebrows. "And who was this first year stalker? Oh, I just place them all over, in drawers, notebooks...I think my cat gets into them, who knows...."

"Oh yes." Evelyn replied to Sasha'a next question. "They like to remind us every day that they're just around the corner, and that we had better start getting serious if we're going to pass. I think personally they just enjoy terrifying us. I ignore most of it. I'll study when and how I want. Oh, yes, indeed." Evelyn said, with a little sarcasm in her voice. "My sister works there and...well, interesting is a good word for the people there. Really? I didn't know that! Do you like it?" Evie asked.

"I hate that people are so quick to judge. I think that Professor Trishna is one of the best teachers here at Hogwarts. And the people who make fun of what happened to him...well, they're just immature." She waved his concern away, knowing what he meant. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to steal his job. I suppose I could always teach at another school, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about that." She didn't think that Durmstrang or Beaubaxtons would be too eager to have a former student of Hogwarts teaching there. But perhaps Salem wouldn't mind...

"You haven't dropped anything?" Evelyn repeated in amazement. "Sasha, you're amazing...or mad. I haven't decided which. How do you do it?" she asked, shaking her head. She felt overwhelmed with just the five classes she was taking. She truly had no idea how Sasha could keep up with everything, but then he'd always been more on top of things than she had been.

"Really? I've thought about university, but most students don't do it. I guess they figure you learn everything you need to know in Hogwarts. Oh?" Evelyn questioned, when Sasha told her it was difficult to explain. "I'm sure I can keep up....I'd love to see how magic works in space." Evelyn said, rather dreamily. "I've always wondered how it would behave, if it would work there...A new facet of magic...." The possibilities seemed endless, staring up at the sky.

"It was-"  Sasha didn't want to give the wrong impression though it was rather easy to do.  "It wasn't really ... the first year wasn't trying to steal it.  She-"  Sasha sighed.  "She had this silly little crush on me," Sasha whispered, "and I guess she took my Chemistry textbook so she could sound smart about covalent bonds when she talked to me."  Of course, Sasha was speculating about the covalent bonds being the girl's focus.  Eirene never would have gotten that far.  "My textbook was in German, though.  So, even if she could have understood the Chemistry, it didn't do her any good.  And, it was Eirene?  Don't tell her I said anything, though." 

Sasha shook his head.  Memories of the mad dash towards O.W.Ls was a little too fresh in his mind.  He was glad he had at least a few months before he really would start worrying about N.E.W.Ts.  "Well, nine months from now, it'll be behind you.  You're on the home stretch to the finish line.  Good luck.  Who's your sister?"  Sasha asked, trying to figure out if he'd recognize her from the Ministry.  "Do you know what department she works in?  I did like it.  It was a lot of written translations but I did get to work directly with a few clients." 

Sasha nodded but didn't comment on Professor Trisha's unfortunate accident.  He'd been embarrassed by and furious with his classmates' behavior.  And, he'd tried to help as discretely as he could - which only seemed the least he could do, given how much Professor Trishna had helped him over the last year. 

"No," Sasha confirmed, shaking his head.  "I'm taking, well, thirteen classes.  Plus some extra, independent study courses.  I've just got my study time pretty carefully scheduled.  Like my class schedule.  And, I just remind myself, it's only two years."  It was like a really really long marathon sprint.  He'd get to the end, exhausted, but he'd get there.  "I'm just not sure what classes I won't need in the future.  So I'm afraid to drop anything." 

"Well, Hogwarts doesn't really prepare us for University.  We can't even really apply without A-Level scores.  Not in the UK at least.  There are a few programs that are available for adults wanting to go back to the University but it's hard to even apply for those if you can't account for any sort of primary education.  You should do it if you're thinking about it but, it's tough," Sasha admitted.  "And, doing both is even tougher."  At least, that's what Sasha gathered from both his own experiences balancing the two and his discussion with Professor Trishna.  Speaking of which ...

Sasha hesitated further, unsure how truthful to be with Evelyn about his future plans.  It wasn't her; Sasha expected she'd take the idea better than most of his classmates.  If he was being selective, she was definitely in the 'safe' category.  It was just ... Sasha cast another quick glance around them before looking forward.  "Please don't tell anyone; I know it will likely get me grief from the wrong crowd.  But, I want to study the role magic plays in the natural world - and the whole natural world.  Not just the wizarding world.  Like, how does magic impact the natural laws of physics or how do Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration effect the principles of the mundane world.  I guess ... investigate more closely where that line between science and magic really is and ... well, what happens there."