1.
Circa 2700 B.C., Thuban was the North Star. It's got something to do with
the precession of the Earth's axis. The procession of
your connect-the-dots and your paint-by-numbers.
Circa 2700 B.C., I hadn't been born, but I hadn't died, either. That's something.
Thuban means dragon's tail. The earth revolves around constellation Draco and
his nurses Ursa big and small wring milk into his mouth because
he's too young to eat fire.
Egypt mistakes him for a crocodile and
everyone walks in profile. A diamond-headed false cry-baby coiled up in the Arctic and
your rowing slaves disappear below the horizon before the sails have said so long and
that means a sphere. Imhotep lays blue tiles at
Sakkara and the first pyramid offers a triangle of
shade.
Hera installs her dragon friend in the heavens and
her servants scatter apple leaves over
dragon blood and laboring demi-god sweat. But
the fruit loses its luster when it doesn't reflect gold off
those scales.
Eleventh labor of Hercules.
One hundred heads of Ladon.
Circa 2700 B.C., the earth revolves around Draco and
Draco was born three thousand years late.
2.
When I was six years old, Draco Malfoy saved my life, and I follow him now to return the favor. Not only undying love for also unblinking attention. I begged mum to take my cloak away at the playdate, because my dress was a snowflake flare and when I spun it lifted high above my knees and tried to keep on swirling even when I stopped, like the skirt was dizzy, too. They dared me to climb the trellis and hooted when they saw my panties, and I was so angry and happy. But I don't get along with flowers (even my name) and the thorn stabbed me and I fell. Only Draco was there beneath and I just got a bruise on my bum and he got a shiny leather toe in his eye. Serves him right for saying they reflect up, but he wouldn't speak to me and went and told Aunt Narcy. I never got a chance to thank him properly and I figure
hanging on his arm at some school dances is not much of a trade for my life, but it's all I've got to barter and besides, if I didn't go with him, who would?
3.
His constellation is large but faint. You can see it best in
July
it burns brightest in
July
Draco sunburns red in
July
you can see him a mile away in
July
Potter was born in
July.
4.
He asked me up to the Astronomy Tower once. I sneered and said if you're lucky I'll be there, only it came out as a smirk and a squeak and it would be nice if Slytherins could manage facial expressions and sounds that don't begin with the letter 's'. I used to lisp and it's only being in this house that's cured it.
He asked me up to the Astronomy Tower once. I
wet my lips and I
pinched my cheeks and I
said to hell with my mother's makeup and I
broke out the spells and my
eyes sparkled and my
hair shone and he
said what are you all gussied up for? I want to show you my stars. What's my name?
Draco.
As in?
As in dragon--
No! and he
took my hand and I
pointed at Thuban and he
asked me up to the Astronomy Tower once.
He asked me up to the Astronomy Tower once, and that's also where I first saw
them.
5.
As the year goes by, Draco flips upside down.
The constellation with its back up in the winter,
My boyfriend flat on his back in the summer.
Potter was born in July.
This coiled dragon hasn't got one hundred heads.
He's only got one and just now it's
bobbing between Potter's legs it's
bobbing for golden apples but it's
forgotten its mistress Hera.
The constellation used to contain many more stars but
just now it's only got one between its
teeth. Polaris with its temporary navigational reign.
The earth revolves around Potter and
Potter was born just in time.
6.
If anyone asks, I'm in the library to study. It's night. What better time to study astronomy. An axial wobble has kept me from becoming consort of the one you look to for guidance. Those in peril on the sea don't look to the dragon. An axial wobble means I'm here to study astronomy and to study Draco's mouth open like he's been shot over the garden wall. Someday he'll marry me. If you save someone's life, even by accident, you've got to marry them and let you save them back. Hurt-my-knee Stranger's probably as wet from the stacks of books as from these two boys fucking, these two fucking constellations. She thinks they're sweet. They're not sweet; they're so hot at the core we'd melt and they're subject to precession and the earth's revolution is subject to them.
And here we are watching, her mouth mashed open against my palm. That's another myth: Actaeon stumbling upon Artemis as she bathes. He's turned into a stag for seeing her tits and his own dogs tear him to pieces.
7.
North Stars We Have Known:
A Study of Axial Procession
by Pansy Parkinson
7th year, Slytherin House
Astronomy: Prof. Sinistra