Serpent On Fire | DRACO x OC | HERMIONE x OC

Haunt

Hogwarts had an ominous air at night. When the sun's rays ceased to meet the stone walls, all that was left was the glow of a hundred fire-lit torches lining the walls in between the many conversations of centuries old portraits. During spring, the stone was cold, keeping out the cool breeze, and all that was left was still air. Still, calm, and eerie.

Aster had never been more grateful to see the castle so empty. Any stray person she managed to bump into, she found some serious excuse for them to go back to their dormitories. If they insisted on asking why, she'd threaten them, ignoring the sour faces and frightened tones in response. When she made it to the Gryffindor common room entrance, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville had just come crashing out, frantically on alert just as Io said.

"Aster!" Hermione ran to Aster, throwing her arms out in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy you saw the message. Where's Io?"

"She'll be here later. What's happening?"

"We don't know yet," Ron said. "Harry told us to wait. We need to let the Order know, or else we're done for."

Aster remembered Dumbledore mentioning the Order of the Phoenix whose members triumphed last year in the Department of Mysteries. If they were here to help just as Ron said, they would stand a chance.

"You go find the others," Aster started to make her way out. "I'm going to the courtyard. Io is in the Astronomy Tower."

Hermione stepped forward. "I'll go with you -"

"- no. Stay with your friends. Protect each other, just be ready when I call out."

"You're my friend, too." Hermione took Aster's hand and gripped it tightly. "And I'm going with you."

For a second, Aster forgot what was at stake. The tone of Hermione's voice was so sure, so firm, and it made everything blurry. Had this not been the impending hour she'd dreaded all these months, Aster would have found a way to savor the moment.

Ron, Neville, and Ginny exchanged confused glances, but the sound of spells shattering glass pulled away their attention.

"We need to go," Aster nodded, pulling Hermione close. "Neville, Ron, go tell the others. Hermione, Ginny, and I will hold them off as best as we can, so hurry."

As the group separated, Hermione held onto Aster's hand all the way until the courtyard where the smirking faces of Death Eaters were ready for them. Without another second, there were curses flying everywhere. Stone pillars crumbled, statues destroyed. Aster had never felt this kind of focus in her life as her mind was stretched on more than one battle at a time.

Through all of this, she would look over to Hermione, making sure she was still standing.

Ginny Weasley's gasping breaths pulled them both away as one Death Eater had her by the throat and was holding her against a wall. Aster whipped her wand in his direction, and with a bright flash, he was passed out, twitching on the floor.

Hermione ran to Ginny who was massaging her throat but otherwise okay. She mumbled her thanks, and Aster ran off again.

The Death Eaters were suddenly focused on others. Professor McGonagall was among the crowd, expertly defending the school. At her side were more faces Aster recognized - Remus Lupin, the former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Nymphadora Tonks who had been placed in the area in the event of something like this, a taller boy who resembled Ron, and several others.

Aster ran in between the spatter of curses, rebounding everything into the ceiling. She frantically looked everywhere as Ron and Neville rejoined them, but Io was still out of sight.