Chapter Text
The Astronomy Tower after curfew belonged to silence.
Not the peaceful sort one found in the library when Madam Pince wasn’t looking, but the older kind—the silence that felt like the castle itself was breathing slowly in the dark. Wind threaded through the stone arches, tugging lazily at the curtains around the telescope. The night sky stretched vast and velvet-black above the battlements, scattered with cold white stars.
Peter Pettigrew crept up the spiral staircase with the careful, exaggerated stealth of someone who had never once succeeded at being stealthy.
His satchel clinked faintly against the wall.
Peter froze.
He held his breath.
Nothing moved.
“…Right,” he whispered to himself.
He continued upward.
The Marauders’ latest prank—James’s idea, obviously—required two very specific things: a bit of star-chart parchment from the Astronomy classroom and a handful of powdered lunar crystal that Professor Sinistra kept locked in a cabinet.
James had sworn it would make the fireworks “scientifically accurate.”
Peter had no idea what that meant.
But he had drawn the short straw.
And so here he was.
Alone.
Past curfew.
At the top of the tallest tower in Hogwarts.
“Brilliant,” Peter muttered under his breath as he reached the final stair.
The door to the observation platform creaked softly as he pushed it open.
Moonlight spilled across the stone floor.
Peter stepped inside.
The telescope stood quietly near the centre of the tower. Star charts were pinned along the wall beside a small wooden desk.
Perfect.
Peter hurried over, rifling through the charts with nervous efficiency.
“Right—just grab the one with Orion—James said Orion—”
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Peter screamed.
Actually screamed.
He spun so fast he nearly tripped over the desk leg.
Regulus Black stood about six feet behind him.
Peter had absolutely no idea how long he’d been there.
The boy leaned lightly against the stone railing, arms folded, moonlight outlining the sharp edges of his face.
Grey eyes watched him with quiet interest.
Peter’s heart attempted to escape through his throat.
“Oh—Merlin—Bloody hell—Jesus—don’t—don’t do that—!”
Regulus blinked.
Peter immediately started talking.
“I—this isn’t—well—it is what it looks like but not in the way you think—actually that sounds worse—what I mean is I’m not stealing anything, technically—well maybe borrowing—but not like permanently—”
Regulus said nothing.
Peter kept going.
“It’s for a project.”
Pause.
“A class project.”
Longer pause.
“For Professor—uh—Sinistra—”
Peter swallowed.
Regulus was still staring.
Peter’s brain short-circuited.
“And if you’re going to hex me I’d really appreciate like—just a warning first—”
Regulus tilted his head.
“Hex you?”
Peter nodded frantically.
“Yes please.”
A moment passed.
Then Regulus said, very calmly,
“Why would I hex you?”
Peter stared.
“You’re a Black.”
Regulus blinked again.
“…Yes.”
“And Sirius says your family hexes people for breathing wrong.”
Regulus stared at him.
The silence stretched.
Wind drifted through the tower.
Finally Regulus said,
“…He says that about everyone.”
Peter nodded nervously.
“Yeah but he says it about your family with like—extra emphasis.”
Regulus looked mildly thoughtful.
Then he shrugged.
“Well.”
Peter flinched.
Regulus walked past him.
Peter flinched again.
Regulus stopped beside the railing and leaned against it, looking up at the sky.
Nothing happened.
Peter waited.
Still nothing.
“…You’re not going to hex me?” Peter asked cautiously.
Regulus glanced sideways at him.
“No.”
Peter blinked.
“Oh.”
Regulus studied him for a moment longer.
“…You can stay if you want.”
Peter froze.
“…What.”
Regulus shrugged slightly.
“You’re already here.”
Peter eyed him suspiciously.
“…This isn’t like a trap, is it.”
Regulus looked faintly offended.
“No.”
Peter hesitated.
Regulus had already gone back to looking at the sky.
Peter slowly shuffled closer.
He sat down on the stone floor about three feet away.
Just in case.
They sat in silence for a while.
Peter kept glancing sideways at him.
Regulus looked completely relaxed, one arm resting on the railing, face tilted toward the stars.
After several minutes Peter said,
“…So you just come up here?”
“Yes.”
“To… stargaze?”
“Yes.”
“…That’s it?”
Regulus looked mildly confused.
“What else would I do.”
Peter shrugged awkwardly.
“Plot revenge.”
Regulus snorted softly.
Peter blinked.
That had been… surprisingly normal.
Another few minutes passed.
Then Regulus pointed upward.
“That one.”
Peter followed his finger.
A faint star glimmered near the edge of a wide constellation.
“That’s Regulus,” he said.
Peter leaned forward.
“…That one’s named after you?”
Regulus made a small dismissive sound.
“I’m named after it.”
“Oh.”
Regulus shifted slightly.
“It’s part of Leo.”
He traced a shape through the sky with his finger.
“That one is Denebola. That one is Algieba.”
Peter squinted.
“…You can actually see the pattern.”
“Yes.”
Peter frowned harder.
“…I cannot.”
Regulus looked amused.
“It helps if you know what you’re looking for.”
He pointed again.
“That’s Sirius.”
Peter immediately laughed.
“Oh I know that one.”
Regulus’s mouth flattened.
“Yes.”
Peter tilted his head.
“Bright one.”
“Yes.”
Regulus stared at it with mild irritation.
“…Very loud star.”
Peter blinked.
“…Loud?”
Regulus nodded firmly.
“Extremely loud.”
Peter tried very hard not to laugh.
Regulus continued.
“Very dramatic.”
Peter bit his lip.
Regulus gestured vaguely toward it.
“Always shining.”
Peter coughed.
“Right.”
“Thinks it’s the centre of the sky.”
Peter coughed again.
Regulus crossed his arms.
“Frankly very irritating.”
Peter stared at the star.
Then at Regulus.
Then back at the star.
“…You’re talking about Sirius.”
Regulus looked offended.
“I’m talking about the star.”
Peter nodded quickly.
“Yes of course.”
Regulus scowled up at the sky.
Peter watched him.
The scowl slowly turned into mild grumbling.
Regulus muttered something under his breath about “ridiculous brightness” and “completely unnecessary attention.”
Peter found himself smiling.
It was oddly… adorable.
Regulus kept going.
“And it’s not even the largest star in the sky.”
Peter snorted.
Regulus shot him a look.
“What.”
“Nothing.”
Regulus turned back to the sky with a small huff.
Peter tried to compose himself.
They sat quietly again.
Eventually Peter said,
“…You know a lot about this.”
Regulus shrugged.
“It’s interesting.”
Peter nodded.
“…Yeah.”
Regulus glanced sideways at him.
“You don’t think so?”
Peter hesitated.
“Well—”
He looked up.
The sky stretched enormous above them.
Hundreds of stars.
Cold and distant.
“…I guess I never really looked before.”
Regulus studied him thoughtfully.
Then he shifted slightly closer.
“Look there.”
Peter leaned forward.
Regulus pointed again.
“That’s the tail of Leo.”
Peter squinted.
“…Still looks like random dots.”
Regulus sighed.
“Here.”
He reached over and lightly took Peter’s wrist.
Peter froze.
Regulus guided his hand upward, aligning his finger with the stars.
“Start there.”
His voice was quiet.
Peter followed the line.
“…Oh.”
“Now there.”
“…Oh.”
“And there.”
Peter blinked.
“…Wait.”
Regulus let go.
Peter stared at the sky.
“…I can see it.”
“Yes.”
Peter grinned.
“…That’s actually really cool.”
Regulus looked faintly pleased.
They sat back again.
Peter realized he wasn’t scared anymore.
Regulus leaned against the railing again, looking up thoughtfully.
“…My star used to be used for navigation,” he said after a moment.
Peter tilted his head.
“Really?”
Regulus nodded.
“Ancient sailors used it.”
“…That’s cool.”
“Yes.”
Peter looked up again.
“…Seems lonely though.”
Regulus frowned slightly.
“What does?”
“Being a navigation star.”
Regulus looked puzzled.
Peter gestured vaguely.
“Everyone uses you to get somewhere else.”
Regulus was quiet.
“…That’s the point,” he said finally.
Peter shrugged.
“Still.”
Regulus looked up at the star again.
“…I suppose.”
Another pause.
Wind drifted through the tower again.
Peter leaned back on his hands.
“You’re not scary.”
Regulus looked offended again.
“I never said I was.”
Peter shrugged.
“Sirius did.”
Regulus snorted softly.
Peter smiled.
“…You’re actually kind of nice.”
Regulus blinked.
“…I am not.”
Peter laughed.
“Yes you are.”
Regulus looked extremely sceptical.
Peter pointed at the sky.
“You just gave me a whole astronomy lesson.”
“That was basic.”
“Still counts.”
Regulus opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Peter leaned back, watching the stars.
“…Thanks for letting me stay.”
Regulus hesitated.
“…It was amusing.”
Peter grinned.
“Because I thought you were going to hex me?”
“Yes.”
Peter laughed again.
Regulus glanced sideways at him.
“…You’re still here.”
Peter nodded.
“Yeah.”
They sat quietly.
The sky stretched above them.
Peter found himself watching Regulus more than the stars.
The way his eyes followed constellations.
The small thoughtful frown he made when thinking.
The soft way he spoke about the sky.
Peter didn’t notice the quiet warmth settling somewhere in his chest.
He only knew the tower suddenly felt like his favourite place in Hogwarts.
And he hoped Regulus Black liked stargazing often.