STRANGE LOVE | O. WOOD ✔

[20] : MEETING MIA

Astrid was woken up by a female voice screeching and she recognized it as Walburga's voice. Sirius' voice followed, screaming at her to shut up. Astrid stood up from bed and was face to face with the house elf, Kreacher. She shrieked but relaxed when she noticed it was him. She then remembered Dobby and she sighed. She wondered what Dobby is up to and if he is doing well.

"My Mistress would be so upset!" The elf had shrieked and Astrid blinked. "Filthy Half-Bloods and blood traitors in her house!"

"Kreacher! Enough!" Sirius suddenly said as he approached the house elf. Kreacher glared at Sirius as he left, muttering things to himself. "I'm sorry about him, he never was kind, even when I was a boy." He sat down on the bed next to Astrid. "Are you sure you want to stay cooped up in this house? You can go to the Quidditch World Cup you know, I can organize something for you."

"Oliver invited me but I declined." She smiled at him. "Cedric too but I can't go." Sirius opened his mouth but she nudged him in the ribs and he closed it. "Remember I told you that I dream of Andromeda and Ted?" He hummed. "I dream of Cedric too but he's dead, I dream of others, like Fleur but I don't even know them. They tell me their names, Andromeda first told me, Fleur was second and last night, the girl with the pink hair told me she was Nymphadora."

"Is that why you screamed in your sleep last night?" Astrid nodded and sighed.

"I dream of Bellatrix and you too. You fight each other and then she kills you." She sighed again, feeling tears prick her eyes.

"Hey, I'm here my star and Bellatrix is in Azkaban, where she belongs." Sirius engulfed her in a hug. "Let's go downstairs, since you're not going to the World Cup, there's breakfast and there's someone who would like to meet you. Now when you do see her, don't be alarmed by her screaming. She can get a little — um — unhinged sometimes."

*

Sirius was right, the short plump lady gave out an inhuman squeal when she spotted Astrid walking down the stairs with the help of Sirius, her ankle was a whole lot better now but it still hurt when she put her weight on the leg.

"Hi! I'm Mia Dragonhart!" She shook her hand vigorously and Astrid pleaded with Sirius with her eyes. He let out a chuckle. "Sit down my dear, here." She pulled out a chair for Astrid and Astrid sat down. "I'm really digging your freckles by the way! And you're rocking that blonde hair! I'm a brunette and I would die for blonde! It brings your green eyes out more!"

"Mia." Sirius sternly said and Mia made eye contact with him. Sirius shook his head and Mia nodded. She pulled the pancakes closer to Astrid.

"You must be color blind, I have dark eyes, black hair and I have zero freckles." Astrid said and Mia instantly agreed.

"Stupid me!" She laughed. Sirius said he had something to do but never said what and he disappeared.

"So are you and my dad—?" Astrid asked as she stared at the pancakes. It was stupid but she remembered that one afternoon three years ago when she and Cedric did their homework together in the kitchen. She remembered the stack of pancakes she had drizzled honey on and the near heart attack the elf got when she thanked him. She remembered Cedric saying that he will tell Snape that Astrid was a lifesaver, something he might have done already. She remembered them laughing together and doing bad Snape impressions. She sighed, those were the good days, now, they were headed into the bad ones.

"Oh no dearie! We just work together! Besides, I'm married!" She flashed Astrid her diamond ring and then began telling Astrid how she met her husband. "I too was a student at Hogwarts, Hufflepuff. Roger was a Ravenclaw. We never got along really, it was until we had to do a Herbology project together for our OWLS. Nearly strangled him." She snorted and Astrid giggled. "We realized that we wanted to claw at each other's throats the entire time because we actually liked each other. And we got married the year after we graduated." She flashed Astrid a smile. "His parents don't really like me because I'm a Muggle-born witch and he's a Pure-Blood." She snorted again. "Gee, you'll swear it's like I'll give him an unknown disease!" She laughed, she didn't seem bothered by this all and Astrid joined in. "What about you Starla?"

"Starla?" Astrid asked confused. Mia nodded.

"You know, cause your name is star related." Astrid was still confused but nodded anyway. "So, are you dating anyone?"

"Oh yeah, I am." Astrid smiled as she imagined Oliver's soft brown eyes looking at her and his beautiful smile. She remembered their first kiss, it was awkward as Oliver didn't know how to kiss but soon got the hang of it. She remembered all the nights they lay side by side in Professor Sinistra's classroom, looking at the stars. She remembered the one Oliver named after her, it was brighter than the rest. She suddenly felt really bad for not accepting his offer and she made a mental note to write him a letter tonight. "Oliver Wood."

"Okay, I'm guessing, just from his name and that sparkle in your eyes, that he's a real hunk. Big muscles and probably obsessed with sports." Astrid giggled, it was almost spot on.

"I guess you can say that."

"How'd you two meet? Or was it one of those “I look across to the —” What's his house?" She asked and Astrid smiled. Astrid believed that the house thing was just there to divide them, not all Slytherins are cunning and evil, not all Ravenclaws are wise and stuck up, not all Hufflepuffs are soft and cry babies, and not all Gryffindors are brave and courageous. She believed that they all were the same deep down, scared kids who want to fit in badly.

"Gryffindor."

"Okay, where was I? Oh right! “I look across to the Gryffindor table and I notice this hunk staring at me and I slide out my tongue because I am a Slytherin and I'm telling him he can slither in.” or was it not?"

Astrid laughed hard at this and she shook her head. "No, we've been friends since I was in my first year and we realized we love each other when I was in my fifth and he in his sixth."

Mia wiggled her eyebrows at her. "You know Astrid? You're amazing and —" She leaned closer to Astrid. "Fuck your mom for leaving you!" Astrid couldn't help but laugh, even though tears wanted to spring to her eyes. "Say no more little star! I'll be your new mama! Bring it in!" She stood up and banged her palms against her chest. Astrid noticed the red marks that appeared almost instantly. When she noticed Astrid couldn't really stand, she said, "Ah fuck my nuggets, forgot about that!"

She laughed so hard tears sprung to her eyes and she didn't see Sirius enter.

"Astrid, there's someone, again, who wants to meet you. And I promise she's not as loud and crazy as Mia." Mia pouted at this and Astrid wiped away the tears that had fell from her hard laughing and she stood up with the help of Sirius and she waved goodbye to Mia.

Astrid concluded that she absolutely loved Mia.