As It Was *Complete*

27. I Like My Penis

And so Astra agreed. She was glad she didn't have to tell Harry just yet. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it exactly or when but she knew she could not hold out for long. It wasn't right. She felt awful for hiding this from him.

And she wasn't exactly sure how long Draco would keep her secret.

Not that she was really speaking to him. Well...she wasn't. She would ignore him during class and in their dorms. If the group were seated in the common room, she would head to her room. If they were somewhere else she would hide in the little window bay behind the stairs that she wasn't sure if anyone else had even noticed. She would make sure to be in bed before Maddi got in and would have her curtains drawn. Something she never did in previous years.

She did feel stupid. It was such a childish fight but she was annoyed that they had laughed about her behind her back or even let Draco carry on making fun of her. She knew it was silly. She did but she could not help how she felt. She didn't know how to deal so she ignored the issue. Not that it was an easy task. She seemed to bump into one of them or all five of them at one point or another.

She was happily sitting in her little hiding spot when Harry entered the common room and made a beeline for her. "You are not still hiding are you?" He smirked as he swung himself around and sat next to her, lifting her blanket up and throwing it over him too. "What are we reading?"

"I am still hiding. Or I was until you found me. And what do I always read when I am feeling a little sorry for myself?" She chuckled and held up her book.

"That's not Hermione's copy," he noticed. As she didn't have books before, she always borrowed Hermione's and she was happy to loan them to Astra as she knew how much Astra loved to read. Just like Hermione herself.

"Nope, this one belongs to me," she smiled happily.

"Damn, I was going to buy you that for Christmas. Now I am going to have to think of something else." Harry frowned.

"Aw now I feel bad," she said. "It would have meant so much more from you."

"Don't worry I will get you something better." He said leaning back against the window. "So why are you hiding. I haven't seen you with Maddi in a while."

"A week actually," she sulked. "I was told that she and the Slytherin's had quite a few laughs at my expense last week in Hogsmeade. I just don't appreciate it."

"I am sure you don't," he said rubbing his neck. "Not to sound too mean, but are you surprised?"

"Harry!"

"What? You can't expect them to completely change who they are overnight. Malfoy was a bully. He made fun of people. He may not be as bad as he was but come on, you can't expect him to flip one-eighty and suddenly be Mr Nice all the time can you? I will admit that it is surprising coming from Maddi, but maybe she just went along with it because she didn't want to be ganged up on or she didn't want Malfoy to start making fun of her. What would you have – never mind," he quickly retorted.

"No what?" she asked.

"I was going to ask what would you have done, but I know what you would have done. You would have slapped him clean across the face or hexed his balls off." He laughed.

"I did knee him in the balls," she offered and Harry burst out laughing.

"And that is why I love you." He sighed. "Do you want me to talk to Maddi?"

She shook her head. "No thanks, I will do it when I am ready. When I am done being angry and feeling sorry for myself."

"Alright then," he turned to get comfortable. "Go on," he encouraged.