SCORPIO ROSIER

"You've fallen in love with my sister, Libra Rosier."

My voice shook as I said it because I desperately wished it was all a lie. As much as Rookwood's betrayal had hurt me, nothing struck harder than knowing my sister had fallen for him. Gemini had never been 'good news.' He was a lying, sneaky cheat, and my little sister was seeing him. As much as Patil and Selwyn had insisted, I found it highly improbable that Gemini was even capable of love. Everything about his relationship with my sister terrified me. I wanted to protect her from him so desperately. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, like I always had when we were kids and our parents were quarreling.

I didn't want Rookwood to one day hit my sister the way my father hit my mother.

She sided against you. You offered her safety with the Death Eaters and yet she left to join Potter.

You need to forget about her.

Gemini's expression hardened, his jaw setting resolutely. "Yes."

I stumbled, shocked by the directness of his voice, by the tone he had taken. "I love Libra. I've loved her since the start of this year, when she wrote to me through spelled books."

"Spelled books?"

"Yes. I put a charm on the last textbook at Flourish and Blotts. She just happened to be the one who took it."

"That- that's hogwash."

"No, it isn't. We were meant to be, Scorpio. I admit, I've been... cold in the past, but with her, it's different. I want to protect her. I would die before letting her come to any harm. It's like our hearts beat as one, like we're twin flames, united through what could only be fate.

"She is my soulmate, as I am hers. You, of all people, should be glad she has my protection."

Anger boiled up inside my stomach, but so did a strange sense of comfort. Knowing she was loved, knowing she hadn't been completely deserted... it beat any anger. After all, she was my sister. My own flesh and blood.

That being said, I couldn't let Rookwood go. He was a traitor, a felon, within the ranks. He had to be punished.

"You can murder me, torture me, dispose of me," Gemini said, face gaunt. "I have spoken my truth."

"Cruc-"

"Expelliarmus!"

Taurus Weasley stood at the peak of the hill with Sagittarius Shacklebolt, wand outstretched, a blazing expression on that sharply-featured face. "Watch yourself, Rosier," he shouted. "Get out of there, Gemini!"

As Rookwood turned and fled, I made my way towards Taurus, fumbling up the hill-

"Stupefy!"

A curtain of blonde hair was the last thing I saw before I began to fall.

.....

CANCER MALFOY

I huffed, hurrying to join Sagittarius as Scorpio's body settled on a flat plain. "Thank you, Cancer." He smiled, and my insides seemed to melt. His voice was like a glass of hot chocolate, his skin the colour of ganache.

What was I thinking?

Libra hurried out from behind a boulder, throwing herself into Gemini's arms. "Thank God! You're okay!"

And just like that, Libra Rosier, the one who used her humour to mask her feelings, began to cry openly. Sagittarius smiled gratefully, happily, peacefully. In that moment, I knew what I had to do.

"Listen-"

"Wait. Not here. Not now."

Sagittarius turned toward me, features glinting in the sunlight. "W-What?" I stumbled, confused. I wasn't used to this feeling. The butterflies in my stomach, the discomfort I felt. It was foreign territory. "Parvati told me everything."

My heart sank. He doesn't feel the same way.

Gemini, Taurus and Libra were long gone, a blur of black, red, blue and yellow.

"Look, Sagittarius, I never meant for you to know. I've liked you for a long time now and I've never let it interfere with the job, but either way, I'm glad you cleared it-"

His lips touched mine and my eyes closed, hands around his neck. The kiss was like nothing I'd experienced before. Sagittarius' lips weren't delicate and plump like a girls'. No, they were rough, a little scarred. They were new territory for me, excitingly new territory, and so was Sagittarius's face: angular, sharp, precise. As Sagittarius' hands slid down to my waist, I realised how truly weathered the Gryffindor boy's hands were, rough and cold against my skin in all the best ways.

I wanted this feeling to last forever.

Sagittarius pulled away, breathing heavily. I leaned in again planting small kisses on his lips, hands around his neck-

"Stop, Cancer. Stop."

He pushed me away.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't know how long I've wanted this. When Parvati told me, I-I think I nearly fainted."

"Well then, what's the problem?"

"I don't want you to rush into this, Cancer. I know you're still figuring yourself out, and-"

"This is what I want," I exclaimed breathlessly. "I don't know exactly what I want, but I do know that right now, I want you. I want you and only you, Sagittarius. I-I want to stay up at night, listening to you drone on and on about your constellations, and I want you to beat me at Gobstones yet another time, and I want to hold your hand underneath tables during class. I love you, Sagittarius."

I was just about to take Sagittarius' hands when a snigger behind me caused me to turn around.

"Well, brother, didn't know you swung in this direction."

I bristled, placing myself in between Sagittarius and Draco.

"If you can't accept that I love who I love, then-"

"Relax. I just didn't think you fooled around with words like love. I couldn't care less about your little boyfriend."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, letting my shoulders fall. "But..." Draco chided, "Mother and Father might want to know about your extracurriculars."

He knew. Somehow, he knew.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough. You're working with Potter, aren't you?"

"I-"

"Wonder how Father would react."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Or would I?"

Sagittarius growled, stepping forward. "Now, you listen here, Malfoy. You're going to do exactly as I say, or you'll pay-"

"Imperio!"

Sagittarius' eyes lost their fire and his jaw went slack.

"Now, Sagittarius...

"You're going to beat Cancer until he bleeds out and dies."

Draco turned away, sniggering.

"Brother!" I yelled angrily.

Draco turned, his expression gaunt.

"Be glad I saved you from a fate much worse than this one, brother.

"I'll see you in another life."

Sagittarius came toward me, sobbing, trying to contain his fist.

"Just do it," I gasped.

His fist made contact with my face, and so it started.