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There was a crack in the window frame that let in a terrible draft. She counted it as a boon; it allowed air to circulate through the dusty observatory attic, though it made the edges of thin, sprawling paper charts ripple on the tack board. The squalls were a sign of a changing air pressure, one which cleared away the haze that hung in the night air. The sky was clear.
A soft padding of feet and creaking wood heralded a visitor from downstairs. A red cap rose up first from the hatch above the stepladder.
"Dreadful wind out there," she sighed, unraveling her long scarf.
The cross-draft increased to a harsh whistle, the fluttering pages joining in on percussion. The newcomer doubled back, adding the squeal of under-oiled hinges to the symphony as she forced the hatch shut.
"You haven't stopped up that gap yet? You're going to catch cold. If you take ill, who's to straighten up in here?" she chuckled. "Not me, I'll tell you that."
She padded up softly behind, looking over the resident's shoulder. "So, what did you find?"
"You were right about M-406. Look there, point-seven degrees north-northwest of M-218."
"Was I?" The visitor sounded more smug than surprised. She pressed her face to the eyepiece. "M-406, you rascal."
There was no mention of how Adina hid up here alone again, though she did. Nor did the expected scolding come for sneaking out of the assembly hall without a word, which she had. Yet, the young astronomer's shoulders quaked.
"You know," started the other, in that certain tone.
Adina cringed for the lecture that was sure to come. But it didn't.
"Binary systems like these are more common than most scholars think, and that really is a shame. Their very existence is something I'm sure the poets would treasure. Two great souls sitting in a vast expanse, circling forever around each other's gravity. And all we can do is marvel at them from afar."
The visitor pulled up a stool beside her and sat down, short legs dangling.
"Whether you're the observer, or whether you're the star, I think there's a beauty in it all."
Adina brushed back tears, and the other took her hand. She bade her rest her head upon her shoulder.
"Hello, astronomer."
"Hello, astronomer."