when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

Year 6 - 134

It was a Saturday - the first weekend of the school year and yet still, although physically she wouldn't have much to do, Astrid doubted she'd get much rest. Astrid had learned to put on a great show of ignoring all the spiteful looks and occasional comments, shaking them off with an easy smile or an annoyed raise of her brows. It looked like it was working too, because one by one people did quite having any interest in her whatsoever. 

Astrid Ninomae didn't act any different from how she did any other year - she and Malfoy fought, she and her friends were still some of the loudest by the dinner table, she held her chin high just the same and moved her gaze about slowly, amused at all and everything that she saw - the same as she had always. There wasn't a real reason to think anything about her had changed at all. 

While the suspicions about her only lessened, the flame of rage within her never vanished. 

Astrid sat relaxed over the bench on the right side of the Quidditch pitch. An easy smile on her face, she sent Potter a small wave of her fingers to where he was looking at her as the Gryffindor team headed off to the locker rooms. 

Rude... Astrids scoffed in her mind as the lad gave no wave back but instead turned to talk with Weaslette who had been tugging on his arm. Eyeing the redhead girl up and down, she cocked her head a little, wondering if she'd found her new Raidlly-level opponent to play a rough game against. Elbow to elbow sure appeared like a great way to ease some of the rage within her. Lovely...

Loud chatter broke out from her left and she didn't have to turn to know the Slytherins had come outside for tryouts. Faking indifference, waiting for the self-righteous bark of Malfoy, their quidditch captain, about why on earth she was wearing the official uniform before he had even confirmed her to be on the team, she admired her nails. Though as she did so, she paused, her eyes lingering on Voldemort's ring for a tad longer. Trying out her luck, she tried moving the ring but it didn't as much as twitch. It stood melted into her skin the same as it now had for quite a while. Sunlight reflected off the dark green gem softly and not for the first time Astrid got distracted by the swirling of the intricate engravings. They weren't actually moving, but the way they had been engraved, it looked like they did with every slightest change of the way the light fell on them.

"Ninomae, why are you wearing the uniform?" barked a voice Astrid realised wasn't at all the platinum blonde she had expected.

Ignoring him, she glanced around confused, the gaze of all the curious boys persistently trained onto her. "Where's the platinum prick?"

"He's sick," called a familiar voice and when Astrid turned her body, swinging her one leg over the chair to better view the other direction, she was met with the dark calculated eyes of Blaise Zabini.

"What are you doing here? You don't play quidditch."

Blaise rolled his eyes, and Elijah, a seventh year who had been on the team since just the previous year spoke instead of him. "You're not either, Ninomae. So-"

"Oh come on, LJ, I've been on the team since second year, unlike the lot of you, of course, I'm on the team," she stood up, crossing her arms over her chest annoyed. "Now who is leading the tryouts then?"

Elijah, crossed his arms just the same, taking a few steps forward and walking around her, his lip turned up a tad. "I am."

Astrid wanted to exclaim surprise, and she just barely held her tongue, having seen the look he had given her. She doubted the boy would take her bullshit the same way Malfoy did. He wouldn't enjoy the banter; Elijah would just send her away.