Harry Potter Next Generation discussion

The Astronomy Tower is the tallest tower at Hogwarts Castle surrounded by a parapet and turret. It is where students study the stars and planets through their telescopes in Astronomy lessons with Professor Aurora Sinistra. This is usually done at midnight where the stars are best seen. The tower is usually out-of-bounds except for classes. All the way down from the boathouse you can see the huge window of the Astronomy Tower.

((Ruby))

Dominique stared ahead as she leaned on the railing of the Astronomy Tower. Her hair billowed in the cool breeze, flying in every direction. The Tower was one of her favourite places at Hogwarts. She stood there, thinking of stories her parents used to tell her before she went to sleep; the Battle of the Astronomy Tower being one of them. Dominique looked down at her feet and around her, imagining the scenarios. People had died right where she was standing. It felt weird. She tilted her head to one side, pondering.

Ruby climbed all the stairs until she reached the top, out of breath. She then composed herself and noticed her little cousin was there, which was odd. The night sky was filled with stars and a crescent moon, the reason why she was up there. "Hey Dom," Ruby smiled. She had walked quietly into the room so her younger cousin might not have heard her approach. "Whatcha doing up here?" she questioned.

Dominique tensed and slowly turn around. She relaxed upon the sight of her cousin Ruby. To tell the truth, Ruby looked a lot like her Uncle Harry, with the same jet black hair and green eyes. "Ruby," she smiled. "Nothing much. Just enjoying the sight of the night sky," she managed without sounding terribly French. "What are you doing here? Do you come here often? I don't 'sually see you here," she trailed off. Of course, she could be wrong, for they might come at different hours. "How's Lily?" Dominique grinned, revealing white teeth.

Ruby observed Dom when she turned. She had always admired her long, blonde hair. It looked perfect on her, whereas it wouldn't look good on Ruby. "Oh I just came here to think. Look at the stars," she said with a goofy grin on her face. She couldn't help but think about her best friend. Or was he her boyfriend now? She would have to clarify things with him later. "I usually come here later in the night," she giggled, which was odd because she wasn't someone who giggled. "Lily's fine, I think. Haven't spoken to her in a while," Ruby shrugged. They had never been close like twins normally are. They were just... Different.

"I see," Dominique replied. "Same here...what's with the grin? You look happy," she raised her eyebrows at her cousin's expression. She had never seen Ruby so cheerful before. Perhaps it was because they weren't as close as she was with Lily and that they never hung out a lot. It was either her, Lily and Roxanne or the entire gang of cousins, and things usually got pretty messy and out of hand if it were the second case. "And did you just giggle?" Dominique smirked. "Who are you and what 'ave you done to Ruby?" She laughed. "That's very unlike you. I mean, that's what Lily usually does, and you too are opposites, or so I think. You're tougher, to be honest."

Ruby's grin grew, if that was even possible. "Oh, nothing," she lied in a singsongy voice. "And yes, I did. You have as problem with that?" she raised an eyebrow, obviously teasing. "I am Ruby Minerva Potter and no one can deny it!" she exclaimed happily. She couldn't help but smirk. "I'm tougher, eh?" she laughed. "I'll agree with that. Anyways. Why I'm happy. There's just too many reasons!" she sighed happily, looking out at the stars.

"Liar," Dominique laughed. "Well, yes, because you never really do," she snickered. "I mean, your laughter is usually different. Girls often giggle when..." she trailed off, a devilish smirk slowly appearing on her face. "Is there something you're not telling me, Ruby?" She teased back. "Good news? Grades? Boys?" She guessed. "That's right. Child of the-boy-who-lived. How does it feel like, to be a daughter of perhaps the greatest hero of all time?" Dominique had always wanted to ask that question but she never really got that much in depth with her cousins, except Hugo, probably. "Don't take my question too seriously. Lily's outgoing too; she's crazy, actually. But she could be whiny sometimes," she explained. "Don't tell her I said that!"

Ruby laughed. "I don't know. That's really for you to decide, whether I'm telling you everything, oh perceptive one," she teased. Her grin faded as she sincerely thought of what it was like to be the daughter of Harry Potter, ignoring the previous question. It was obviously boys. "Well," she began honestly, "It seems like everyone expects more from you, in a way. Everyone compares you. Lily carries the Potter name, yes, but I am recognized as his daughter more. It's obvious in the traits I've inherited. Privacy is less when I'm with my dad, which sucks sometimes. Whenever we are out, people crowd. It's always a bit depressing, constantly being compared to a legend. But to me, he's just my dad. Sure he went through hell to get where he is now, but he's just my dad," Ruby shrugged, finished with honesty hour. "We're not alike in the slightest," she laughed. "I can't remember when the last time we actually agreed on something," she admitted. "I agree though, Lily can be a bit of a complainer," she smirked. "Me on the other hand, I'm just naturally tough," she reiterated Dominique's words.

"Ah, perceptive? I'll take zat as a compliment," Dominique smiled. She noticed her accent was starting to get ahead of her again. Why try hiding it? Ruby was her cousin, not a stranger from class. Dominique hated how she couldn't be herself sometimes at school. She perked up when Ruby said the word "comparing". "I get it. I'm always second best in my family. Victoire is ze perfect daughter. I don't surprise people anymore, because most of ze stuff I do has already been done by her." She was annoyed, and when she was annoyed Dominique's grammar and accent became erratic. "I love my sister a lot, but I'm tired of people comparing the two of us, especially when it's obvious zat she's better. Speaking of agreeing on stuff, you've seen me argue with Louis," she chuckled. "Victoire and I are opposites too. She's a goody-goody. I'm not saying zat I'm a 'bad girl'," she smiled mischievously, "but being perfect is boring. I just hope one day Maman and Papa would realize zat," Dominique rambled and took a deep breath. "Excuse me for my accent," she said, this time sounding perfectly British.

Ruby noticed how Dominique's accent came back, which she found cute. It was just so much like Dom, it was odd to Ruby how much her cousin didn't like it, choosing to imitate a British accent. But it faded into the natural French accent, which caused her to grin as well. "Second best? Ha! A little competition for favorite daughter is always great," she winked. "Well, I know some things Tori hasn't done," Ruby smiled wickedly. "If you can't be the precious, good daughter, might as well be the rebel of the family," she reasoned.

"And amen to that. Just because Lily is my twin, doesn't mean we're the same. So in my opinion, comparing is just another way of discrimination. It's not fun, and we should stop doing that." Ruby listened to Dominique say that her sister was better. "Dominique," she began. Ruby never used anyone's real first name unless she was serious. "Dominique, she is not better. You can't compare yourself to her! Your self-confidence will deteriorate and you will never truly be content with yourself if you continue to do so," Ruby told her, looking straight into the younger girl's eyes.

"Exactly! She's the goody two shoes in the family. You might as well be the bad ass," she laughed. "Perfection is far less appealing that most people think. When you're perfect, you can't have nearly as much fun," Ruby smiled mischievously, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "No, I love your accent, Doms! It's part of who you are, and if you ask me, it sounds better coming from your mouth than your sister's. She just sounds like a snob, in my opinion. She overdoes it," Ruby giggled.

"Thanks, Rub," Dominique grinned. "Well, I zink being rebellious is one of the reasons why I'm second best. To be honest even Louis iz well-behaved," she chuckled. She stopped short when Ruby called her by her full first name. 'Things just got real,' she thought. Ruby suddenly reminded her of Maman. Dominique prepared herself for the scolding; she could feel it already. "Wow, Minerva's speaking wisdom. Makes sense though, you're named after the Deputy Headmistress, and the Greek Goddess of wisdom 'as the same name too," she snickered. "Perfection is far less appealing than most people zink," Dominique echoed. "I like zat! I'll keep zat in mind." She pondered on Ruby's last statement. "Snob, eh? She asks like one indeed. But sometimes, I miss her, you know? I mean, I see 'er at school and all zat, but sometimes I just wish we could go back in time, back when she would still tell me bedtime stories and stuff," she fidgeted with her fingers. Besides Hugo, Dominique had never confided in others before. It felt great to have found someone she could trust. "Can I ask you something? Do you ever fight with Lily?"

"No talk of second best," Ruby scolded playfully. "What's the joy of being the good child? No, rebellion is more fun," she gave a wicked grin. Then Dominique compared her to Minerva, her namesake. "She's awesome and all, but I'm more like Fred and George as one awesome person," she grinned. "Master of the pranks," she bowed jokingly. "And you better keep that in mind," Ruby winked. She softened. "Yes, I know. James can be a prick sometimes, but I miss just talking and goofing around." Then Dominique asked her the question of the year. "Do I fight with Lily?" she snorted. "All the time. We're sisters, after all."

“Do you give advice this often?” Dominique asked. “Well that’s true. It’s not what a parent would want, but it’s what makes you stand out from your siblings,” she shrugged. “McGonagall’s an amazing person. She’s a bit strict and ’as a sharp tongue, but there’s a warm personality underneath,” she smiled. “I do wish we got to know uncle Fred. Uncle George is quite fun, but I’ve caught him zoning out many times. ’e’s not in his full spirit, yeah?” She looked at the night sky with a sad expression. Dominique burst out laughing when Ruby answered her matter-of-factly. “I know, but have you ever wished that you were her? Literally? Because I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wished that I was Victoire herself. Not anymore, of course,” she smirked.

Ruby laughed. "I'm easy to talk to and people actually value my opinion and advice," she shrugged. "So I guess I do. And you don't always need to make your parents proud. As long as you're proud of yourself and content, you be you. Don't try to be a copy of someone else." She broke into a grin. "Minerva's the best. She's warm and like a mother to me. She's brutally honest and cares for your wellbeing, but I wouldn't say she's strict and sharp," Ruby pointed out. But, after all, Ruby was one of the people who knew Minerva McGonagall the best.

Her smile faded at the mention of Fred. "Yes, he is missed," she sniffed, keeping her emotions at bay. There was so much sadness, there was no point in wasting tears over it. "George... Well, from what I've heard from the adults, he isn't nearly as.." she paused, looking for the right words. "He isn't nearly as whole and goofy as he used to be. It's like half of him is missing." Ruby was silent for a moment while she realized that the same could happen to her. If Lily died, she would never feel whole again. She'd feel guilty and depressed. And in that moment, she knew how her Uncle George felt. She shook her head, putting those dark thoughts in the back of her mind.

Then Dominique laughed, and Ruby pondered her question. "Sure, I've been jealous of Lily a few times," she slowly replied, gathering her thoughts and conveying them carefully. "But I feel like I've always been content with who I am. I might get a little insecure at times, but I know I have room to improve. No one's perfect, even if they are in your eyes," she wisely responded to her younger cousin.

Dominique raised her eyebrows slightly. She had never noticed how perceptive Ruby was before. “I should try to act more like myself,” she mumbled to no one in particular. “I know she’s fair and square, but I bet she secretly favors you more than others deep inside,” she grinned. “It's just my opinion. I don’t know her too well, so I can’t say much, you see. I envy the respect she gets from both students and teachers, though,” she said as she stared down at the grounds of the school. “That I’ve ‘eard of too. Whenever maman and papa take us to visit the Burrow, papa tries not to look at uncle Fred’s clock hand. They never removed it either. I know I talk of Victoire like I hate her with all my guts, but if she disappeared one day I won’t know what to do. Literally. Siblings relationships are one thing I’m pretty sure I would never get,” she sighed. “I get it. It’s just that sometimes you wish you were another person, just for a day. You act more like a Ravenclaw to be 'onest,” she chuckled. "Any updates on your school life? I just like keeping track of everyone, that's all. I don't want to sit there like a fool at the next family gathering, confused at what everyone is talking about."

Ruby laughed. "Oh don't let that fool you. She may love me and know me more than the other students, but she's actually pretty strict with me. Like my mother away from home. She tries to keep me out of trouble, but she's also there to put me in detention," she grinned. "She's just the type of woman who won't take crap from people. Someone who demands respect," Ruby commented.

She was quiet for a minute. "Imagine what George feels. He didn't just lose a brother, he lost his other half. His best friend," Ruby softly thought aloud. "It's different with twins. You're not just losing a sibling. No, you're losing a best friend. Half of yourself. If Lily died..." she trailed off, looking out the window. "Well let's just say I wouldn't be the same," she quietly remarked. Then Dom began joking around, calling her a Ravenclaw. And like that, the mood changed from melancholy to humorous. "Me, a Ravenclaw?" Ruby snorted. "I'm a Gryffindor through and through. Brave and confident," she grinned. "But I'll tell ya a secret," she began mischievously. "The sorting hat didn't choose my house, I did. It said that I would succeed practically anywhere," she laughed.

"Updates?" she blushed. "Er... I made the Quidditch team. I'm the new seeker," she smirked. "And then there's letters from home, my love life, and annoying siblings," she quickly said, knowing that Dominique would press about the love life part. But Ruby wasn't quite ready to make their relationship public to her family. Now that was something she didn't want to do yet. Connor meeting her parents, cousins, everyone. She thought that he might be a little intimidated.

"You seem pretty close with her," Dominique replied with admiration. The queer relationship between her cousin and the Headmistress was rarely found in student-teacher relationships. "She's been in Hogwarts for so long, it's hard to imagine. She's taught our parents and I bet seventy galleons she knows z'em better than we do. 'Dominique, your mother was very brave while defeating the Common Welsh Green during the Triwizard Tournament'. I really want to follow in her footsteps. I could become a future Astronomy teacher in zis school," she tried.

"If I had a twin, I z'ink we would have a bigger rivalry than the one I have with Victoire right now," she said thoughtfully. She secretly thanked Merlin that she had an older sister and not a twin. She raised her eyebrows when Ruby claimed herself to be a hundred percent Gryffindor. "Zat's a lot of confident I see," she grinned. "And that's what a Gryffindor would do. They'd have the confidence that z'ey would do good anywhere, and have ze confidence to tell it to the Sorting Hat," she nodded.

Dominique noticed a faint blush spread across Ruby's cheeks and her eyes narrowed a bit. "Zat's great! You'd have to race with me if our Houses had a match together thought," she said with a devilish grin. She let out an audible gasp when Ruby mentioned her love life. "Blimey!" She exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye. Her cousin had a crush and Dominique felt giddy. "You like someone and you zidn't tell me?" She skipped towards her cousin and shook her shoulders slightly. She wasn't interested in her own love life but she loved hearing about others. "You can spill it if you want. I don't tell secrets, I have too much of mon own," she ended the last part in a sharp whisper. "You can keep it to yourself and tell me when you're ready, but I'm warning you, I have my ways," she smirked.

Ruby laughed. "She is my godmother. Of course I would be close with her! I've known her my whole life," she smiled. "I've heard quite a few of those stories our parents.. 'forget'," she smirked. "Minerva started telling me stories about our family as soon as I could keep a secret." Then she heard Dom talk about wanting to be like her mother "Just be you. You don't need to become what she wants. Become what you want to be. Travel the world. Get in some fights. Explore your options," she advised.

Ruby grinned. "There's some rivalry, but ultimately, she's not just my sister, she's a friend. It's easy to talk to her and she has really helped me out, even if she doesn't know it." Then her cousin began talking about confidence, and she stood a little straighter. "I don't just have the confidence to succeed, I know I'll succeed," she joked.

"Sure! But I can't guarantee that. I'll be focused on winning," she admitted. Ruby rolled her eyes at the gasp. It seemed like many people liked to hear about her life. For the short time she'd been alive, she had quite a few exciting stories. "Oh it's nothing new. He's liked me for forever and he was kind of friend zoned for a while..." she blushed. "Then he told me he liked me and I was just staring like an idiot." Ruby blushed a little redder. "And then he started to walk away when I kissed him," she revealed, as red as a tomato. "No telling my mum or dad. He's already been approved to stay the summer, I don't want them to revoke that invitation," she warned. "Promise you won't tell?" she asked. Well, she demanded. Ruby was counting on her secrecy, whether it be willing or forced. And damn, she could be persuasive.

"Z'at's nice to hear. It's funny how we're closer to other family members than our own parents. I'm glad you've got Minerva on your side," Dominique smiled. "I'm closest to Uncle Charlie. He's the only one there when I bawl over my life--other than you, of course. On my thirteenth birthday, I cried because blimey, it was my birthday and the family was busy fawning over Victoire and some prefect stuff she was doing. Charlie told me he used to be second best too, but he kind of rebelled and went off to Romania to play with dragons," she chuckled. "You sound like him now! Both of you told me to just do things that would set me apart from Vicky. I was pretty blunt and I complained I couldn't run off to Romania since I was still thirteen," she snorted. "I'm dyeing my hair for sure."

"Victoire would occasionally be z'ere for me too, but she's so busy these days. Plus, I don't know how to talk to Louis at all; we end up fighting physically all the bloody time," she rolled her eyes. "We would be breaking things and pulling each other's hair the first minute and the next we're playing sweet games that have the weirdest rules," she shook her head. "I like teasing him a lot, but I'm afraid of losing him too. What if one day my pranks go too extreme?" Dominique sighed. She laughed at Ruby's joke. "Z'at's the spirit! I feel quite honored to be your cousin."

"Of course! I'd still congratulate you if your team wins," Dominique shrugged. She listened with interest at her cousin's story. "You friendzoned him? Were his actions obvious or was he really that shy around you?" She grinned as she imagined the scenarios. Everything was just too sweet. "Brilliant," she said and snickered at her blushing cousin. "I'm truly happy for you. Why would I tell your parents? I don't gossip and spread news like fire," she sighed. "He's what--staying at your house? How did you manage to persuade Aunt Ginny?" Dominique looked amused. "Looks like I underestimated you. And please don't go all over each other like Victoire and Teddy do. I'd rather volunteer to be a test sample for George's new experiment than to watch them fawn over each other. What's his name, if I may ask?"

"Well, I'm close with my parents. My dad just gets a little... overprotective at times. And mum has a bit of a temper. It's just more difficult to talk to them than to a friend or a relative that isn't my parent," she thought aloud. She smiled. "That's nice that you can be close with an adult. It's a little harder for me, although you may not notice. It's more of an internal thing," she admitted. Ruby frowned. "I'm sorry, Dominique. I understand. Since I share a birthday with Lily, I just celebrate a few days late or early because I don't ever enjoy my birthday. It feels like I'm the lesser child, in a way. That I'm not as important as Lily or James or Albus," Ruby confessed quietly.

Then she perked up, grinning. "I'm like the best uncle," she laughed. "I'm actually planning on doing things similar to what he did after graduation. And if you ever feel like running away, I'll come with ya," Ruby winked. "I've always wanted to dye my hair too," she told Dom. "I was actually planning on doing it soon. I can help you too. I've mastered the spell," she grinned.

Then her face darkened. "Lily doesn't care anymore, and James is a wanker. Albus listens, but I can tell that he's distracted. I feel like my relationship with them is.. strained. I haven't talked with them much lately," she shrugged. "And when Gryffindor wins," she teased, "Ill expect you to keep your word." Ruby laughed, obviously kidding.

"Well, we would flirt shamelessly. But that was just our relationship. I didn't know he liked me like that, he was just a friend for a long time," she explained. "And I didn't say you would tell mum and dad, but I'm asking you to refrain from telling anyone," she reworded. Then Ruby smirked. "Yes, he's been invited this summer. We've been friends for forever, but mum doesn't know about us yet," she admitted. Then she blushed again. "We're not like Teddy and Vic," she mumbled, ignoring the last question. Dominique would know him, as they had been inseparable all of the previous year. Connor and Ruby would prank together and just hang out. Do homework, sneak out.

"Uncle Harry's fun to talk to! He's extremely selfless; sometimes I tell him my insecurities. He's extremely busy, though," Dominique shrugged. "Papa's always traveling too, so I don't see him often. Maman's...oh, I don't know. She's hard to talk to sometimes," she frowned. "It's fine, Victoire's still my sister and I love her a lot. I can't envy her for the rest of my life," she smiled. In turn, she felt sorry for her cousin. "I'm sorry, Ruby. You know what, I'd celebrate with you! We could hang out on whichever day you like, earlier or late. You could bring your boyfriend along. Z'e two of you could pose for the camera," she offered. Dominique loved taking photos of her family members and she was so bringing her camera with her on that day.

"That'd be great!" she laughed. "We could rebel together. Let's decide on a color first," she smirked. Her smile faltered when she saw her cousin's expression sadden. "I'm sure they still do care. I haven't talked to Lily in a while too, and my relationship with my siblings are strained too. But I know that if I get injured one day or some'ing like zat, they'd still care. Maman would surely scold me and say 'we never had this problem with Victoire before', but Vic might defend me," she said quietly with a small smile. "Of course," she sighed happily.

"Don't worry, I keep my promises," Dominique reassured her. "I'm kidding, of course you guys aren't." She tilted her head, trying to remember a boy always tagging along with her cousin. An image appeared in her head; blond hair, blue eyes and athletic. She had actually shipped them at one point, but seeing their relationship had appeared platonic, she had dismissed the idea. The problem was that the young Ravenclaw couldn't quite recall his name. What was it? She had often spotted him with Ruby in the hallways, and she would call him...Charles? Corbin? Co--what did Ruby yell angrily last week? She bit her lip hard, thinking. "Hold your hippogriffs, Connor from Gryffindor!? Ze beach boy? Well well well, well done, Ruby," she teased. "But I'm happy for you! We are so going to Hogsmeade together!" She piped up, jumping up and down.

"That's the difference between an uncle and a father," she pointed out, "Father's have more control on your life. You screw up and tell an uncle, they'll help you through it and laugh. You tell your dad, you get the disappointment lecture," Ruby frowned. "Sure, he's selfless, but he's busy often. With so many relatives, he tends to forget about his kids occasionally. You see, with him being famous and an Aurorer, it's difficult to find time to communicate. Plus whenever we're together, some relative ends up coming over for a visit and it's uncomfortable," Ruby admitted. "It seems like I never get a second with my parents by myself without someone coming over, or asking for an autograph. And when I do, I'm most likely being punished," she bitterly confessed.

Ruby grinned. "That sounds nice. I don't see him willingly taking pictures though. I might have to blackmail him into it, or pull the 'It's My Birthday' card," she laughed. "I call the colour blue! You need to do something bright too," she suggested. "And James? I don't think he'd care much, if something were to happen to me. He probably wouldn't even notice, honestly," Ruby frowned. "But that's okay, he's the sibling I fight with the most, when I do see him," she confessed.

"I know you do, I was just making sure you wouldn't breathe a word," Ruby amended. She could tell Dominique was attempting to remember Connor, the boy who's eyes she got lost in every time Ruby glanced his way. "Connor, my prankster," she grinned. "Beach boy?" she laughed, "I haven't heard that one before." Then Dom began to jump up and down, pressing for a trip to Hogsmeade. "I can't make any promises. I might have Quidditch practice during the next Hogsmeade trip. But I'll try to come, and drag that boy along with us," Ruby winked at her cousin.

'Consequences of being famous, though,' Dominique silently thought in her head as Ruby spoke of her family bitterly. Her own father was a good ol' Curse Breaker at Gringotts while her mother was a Triwizard champion; she was satisfied at their positions, and she was pretty content with the normal life they led. However, sometimes she felt that the things they did were too mainstream she had the urge to break through social norms. "Have you tried talking to him?" she asked quietly. "I'm sure he'll listen. He might even take you out on a trip; after so many years of being the center of the spotlight, there's no doubt he'll know how to avoid the paparazzi."

Dominique knew many things, but how relationships worked was not one of them; or what she had expected them to be like. "But I thought couples were supposed to listen to each other?" she asked naively with a confused expression. "Or is that why they yell at each other all the time?" she snorted. As for her hair colour..."I'm fine with any. Surprise me," the blonde haired girl grinned up at her older cousin. "Aye, that's my relationship with Louis," she muttered.

Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch. Sometimes Dom wondered what was up with their whole family and the wizard sport. "I think from a very long time ago, McGonagall was already keeping track of how many next generation Weasley and Potter kids would be attending Hogwarts all at once so that she could start to plan out Gryffindor's genetic all star quidditch team," she joked bluntly. "You said it!"