♢
The castle was just as Asteria remembered it. As the students packed themselves into the Great Hall, Asteria spun in a circle as she took in the castle that she had not been in for three months. A soft exhale of joy escaped her, one that Lily joined her in. The paintings still chattered over each other, and Peeves could be seen bolting about, dropping balloons filled with water on unsuspecting students' heads. Asteria masterfully ducked out of the way, not wanting a repeat of last year's wet robes. The ghosts filled the Great Hall, excited by the return of the students so finally they'd have people to talk to that weren't each other. As Asteria neared the Gryffindor table, one of the ghosts crashed through a window on his horse, running right through Asteria. A quick chill ran through her, but a smile remained on her face as she took in the flurry of ghosts. Nearly-Headless Nick popped his head through the Gryffindor table, starting up a conversation with Mary as the girls sat down.
Craning her head, Asteria turned to look at the Slytherin table for a sign of Magnolia. She saw the Slytherin girl sitting beside her brother, a look of pure desolation on her face as she nodded at whatever Avery was saying. Asteria's heart ached, wishing that she could do something to help the Slytherin - but what could a 12 year old say that would undo centuries of house rivalries? Sighing, Asteria turned back to the Gryffindor table and frowned. Lily noticed, and as if knowing what the matter was, placed a hand on Asteria's shoulder and squeezed. The two simply sat there for a moment, mourning the loss of their friend, before Asteria glimpsed Remus entering the hall. She waved him over, and much to Lily's dismay, the rest of the boys followed behind him. Remus took a seat between Lily and Asteria, giving the redhead a hug as they began to catch up over anything they'd missed that summer. Asteria offered James and Sirius a small smile as they sat across from her, while Peter sat beside Mary and engaged her in conversation now that Nearly-Headless Nick had moved on to another cluster of students.
"It's weird to be back here, not as first years," James said.
"I'm glad to be," Asteria said, "I missed it here." Sirius nodded, agreeing with her, but avoided looking into her eyes. He couldn't bear to deal with the look of worry and pity she was no doubt looking at him with.
But if he did make eye contact with her, he would see nothing but frustration, as Asteria wanted nothing more than to corner him and make him tell her about his bruises. But for now, she tuned into whatever Dumbledore was saying, cheering as the first years walked into the hall. They looked so small and afraid, and for a moment, Asteria wondered if that was what she looked like walking into the Great Hall for the first time. She remembered the anxiety encapsulating her entire body as she walked up to the Sorting Hat to be sorted; the fear she had felt when it had put her in Gryffindor, then the immense sense of belonging as the table had erupted into cheers. A part of her felt completely different from the girl she had been when she had first entered Hogwarts; as if, in the span of a year, she had gotten more comfortable being herself.
And she had.
The Sorting soon began, and Asteria cheered as the first student went into Ravenclaw. Her eyes widened as Regulus Black walked up to the stool, her gaze wafting over to Sirius who had his eyes trained on his brother.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled, and Asteria could see Sirius physically deflate. Regulus didn't cast a look at his brother once, sauntering over to the Slytherin table and taking a seat right beside Avery and Magnolia. She froze, knowing that a boy like Regulus would fit right into Avery's posse - and it was then that she resolved to ask Magnolia to watch over the younger Black brother, to make sure that he wouldn't be brainwashed.
So the Sorting continued, Asteria applauding loudly whenever Gryffindor gained a new member. Asteria recognized the sleeping girl on the train - who she discovered to be named Pandora Ollivander (who knew that the famous wandmaker had a relative who attended Hogwarts!) - and watched her get sorted into Ravenclaw. She took a seat beside another boy in Asteria's year, who she vaguely recognized as Lovegood, and the two immediately settled into conversation. No doubt both knew whatever it was Wrackspurts were, as Asteria had overheard the pale-haired girl muttering about them in her sleep.
After the feast and the Sorting, the group of second years began to follow their prefects back to the Common Room. Asteria longingly glanced back at the Slytherin table, trying to find Magnolia - but found the Slytherin quickly making her way out of the Great Hall. Seizing her chance, Asteria stood up.
"I'll catch up with you later," she told Lily and Remus, who she had previously been in conversation with.
"Password's Fortuna Major, I overheard Weasley talking about it," James added, hearing Asteria's statement. She nodded gratefully, before running out of the Great Hall in the direction that Magnolia had gone, trying to avoid being seen by any of the other Slytherins.
The corridors were still empty, as most students were still finishing up the feast. She could hear footsteps not too far away, and quickened her pace so as to catch up with the dark-haired girl. Seeing her turn a corner, Asteria put every ounce of her strength into her feet and caught up to Magnolia.
"You can't keep avoiding me," Asteria said, panting. Magnolia whirled around with wide eyes, looking back and forth to make sure no one could see them.
"Not here," was all Magnolia said, before she grabbed Asteria's hand and dragged her into an empty classroom, locking the door behind them. "I don't have much time, Max will notice if I'm not in the Common Room by the time he gets back. Look, Asteria, I think it's... for the best if you stop trying to seek me out. Please. I don't want you to get hurt, my brother he's - this summer has been long, and he's learned a few things. I'll try to find you, whenever I can, but I can't promise how often it'll be."
Asteria's eyes filled with tears, and she wrapped the Slytherin in a hug. Once again, Magnolia froze; this time, after a pause, she gingerly wrapped her hands around the blonde's figure, and the two stood there for a while.
"How are you?" Asteria finally asked, pulling away. "Are you alright?"
Magnolia smiled sadly. "I've been better," she admitted, then shrugged. "But I'm not doing too bad. I'm just sad that we won't be able to see each other as much anymore, yeah?"
Asteria sighed, leaning against the door as she sat down. Magnolia quickly glanced at the clock, before sitting down in front of Asteria. "Your summer was dark too, wasn't it?" the blonde finally asked. Magnolia nodded, looking down. "Things are changing, I can feel it."
"We'll be alright," Magnolia clasped Asteria's hand comfortingly. "We've got each other."
The two twelve year olds sat for a bit, minds mulling over the things they had heard and experienced over the summer.
"Will you take care of Regulus?" Asteria finally blurted out, before reddening. "He's Sirius's brother, but he was sorted into Slytherin. Can you just... make sure he doesn't get, I dunno, brainwashed?"
"If he's anything like his brother, the odds of that are slim," Magnolia chuckled. "But yes, of course. I'll babysit the little Black."
The two girls shared a laugh, before simultaneously both stood up. Once again, Magnolia smiled sadly, enveloping her friend in another hug. "I'll see you soon, Asteria."
And before Asteria could say anything else, the Slytherin disappeared.
The blonde stood in shock for quite some time, evaluating everything she had learned. She had been so focused on her own summer, worried for her sister, that she had failed to take into consideration how other purebloods' summer would have been. Clearly, Sirius's parents had done something to Sirius that turned him into almost a shell of who he was last year; and now here Magnolia was - the first time they were able to speak in three months, and the dark-haired girl had been incredibly dodgy and scared. The Dark Lord's grip on the Wizarding World was quickly expanding, enveloping every pureblood family into his spiderweb.
Gathering her wits, Asteria swallowed her worries away and found her way to the Gryffindor Common Room, where the presence of her friends was sure to comfort her. When she got there, however, she was surprised to see a cluster of students gathered outside. Spotting Lily's red hair in the crowd, Asteria elbowed her way through to her friend, tilting her head as she stared at the Fat Lady.
"What's she doing?" Asteria whispered, and Lily all but jumped.
"Blimey, where'd you come from?" Lily yelped. She shook her head before pointing at the painting. "She's been forcing us to listen to her sing for the past 10 minutes."
"Oh, Merlin's sake," Asteria huffed, elbowing her way once again to the front. There, she spotted James and Sirius, who were performing some sort of dance to the Fat Lady's song. She merely rolled her eyes, before looking squarely at the Fat Lady and saying: "Fortuna Major."
"Tut-tut-tut," the Fat Lady wiggled her finger, glaring at Asteria for interrupting her song. "I'm not quite finished yet!"
"Bloody hell woman, just let us in!" Asteria finally exclaimed, crossing her arms. "I would like to go inside."
The Fat Lady glowered at Asteria, and seemed to sing louder just to spite her. The blonde girl threw her arms up in the air and pouted, but a saving grace in the form of a tall ginger boy appeared.
"Please let us in," Bilius Weasley said, puffing his chest out, "I'm Head Boy this year, and that means you gotta listen to me. Capiche?"
"Who in their right mind made you Head Boy?" the Fat Lady answered, eyebrows raised in wonderment. Weasley only smirked, until finally, the Fat Lady swung upon, revealing the Common Room.
Asteria all but shrieked in excitement before running in, immediately sprawling out on a couch. Lily merely laughed at her friend, before following Marlene and the rest of the girls up to their dormitory. For some reason, Asteria couldn't fathom going to sleep now; she was much too exhilarated at being back at Hogwarts, and wanted a moment to herself to truly take in the castle after the summer she'd had.
It seemed one other person had the same idea, as the rest of the Gryffindor students made their way up to their dormitories. Sirius sat down beside Asteria, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the couch. Neither said anything, Sirius seemingly falling asleep while Asteria stared wistfully into the fire. That is, until the Common Room completely emptied and Asteria decided to move closer to where Sirius was sitting.
"Are you alright?" she questioned, and the boy slowly opened his eyes. Without saying anything, he simply nodded, then closed his eyes once more.
"Why are you still down here?" he asked softly. Asteria shrugged, then realized he couldn't see her.
"Not tired," she answered, before poking his shoulder. "Why're you? You look like you're about to fall asleep."
"Needed a moment alone," Sirius said, shooting her a playful glare as she continued poking him. Asteria didn't stop, continuing her assault on the boy's shoulder. "Did you not hear what I just said?"
"I did, I'm just choosing to ignore it," Asteria answered, sticking out her tongue, "a taste of your own medicine."
Sirius sighed and leaned his head back once more, hoping that Asteria would get bored of poking him should he give her no reaction. She, in fact, did not; her prods only became more incessant and suddenly he reached up and grabbed her hand, pushing it away from him. Once he realized he was holding her hand the boy immediately let go, and Asteria swore she saw his cheeks redden. It was probably the crimson of the common room reflecting, though.
"You're no fun," Asteria said, before pausing. "You and James are always attached at the hip, what's changed?"
"Nothing!" Sirius quickly replied, sitting up. "I told you, I just need a second alone."
"You've been alone the entire summer," Asteria said bluntly. "Something's up with you."
"You're so bloody annoying," Sirius said, frowning.
"It's one of my better traits."
"As if you have any good traits," Sirius rolled his eyes, before pressing his lips together. "But, if you must know, it's - it's my brother. I'm worried for him."
The boy didn't know what possessed him to suddenly spill his guts to the blonde girl sitting across from him. He had grown accustomed to simply sitting with his thoughts, letting them mull around in his head until eventually they dissipated. Never before had he had an opportunity to talk about his worries, his thoughts, his feelings. Yet here he was, blurting out his concerns about his brother to Asteria.
To her credit, Asteria simply nodded in understanding and continued staring into the fire. She didn't particularly know what to say; though she had gotten the truth out of Sirius, she hadn't thought far enough ahead to know how to respond. Fortunately, Sirius hadn't expected an answer from her - he felt lighter just sharing his troubles with another, especially because he truly believed Asteria would understand in a way that James never would.
"He'll be alright," finally, Asteria said, her voice so quiet he barely heard her. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly whilst still looking at the fire. Sirius stiffened at her touch, before standing up and clearing his throat.
"Well - erm - I'd better get to bed," he said, looking anywhere but the girl. "Classes tomorrow! Remus'll wake us up bright and early."
Asteria stared at Sirius with furrowed eyebrows as he ran for the stairs, disappearing from her sight once he rounded a corner. Two seconds ago, he was telling her about his brother and now he was bolting away.
Strange boy.
Sighing, Asteria tore her eyes away from the stairs and stood up herself, deeming it late enough to finally head to bed. She could hear the giggles from her dormitory as she approached, before she threw open the door and ran in.
"You're back!" Lily exclaimed, jumping on Asteria's bed. The other girls broke from conversation and all ran to Asteria's bed, crowding around it.
"Where'd you go?" Mary asked.
"Was talking with Sirius downstairs a bit," Asteria responded, before tilting her head, "he did something so curious. He was like, being genuine for once and then two seconds later he was running away!"
"What'd you do to him?" Marlene gasped, but Asteria only shot her a weird look.
"I, erm," Asteria's face reddened in embarrassment as she debated whether or not to tell her friends the truth. "I squeezed his hand - which now, thinking about it - why did I do that? Blimey-"
"That's why he ran away!" Marlene laughed. "He's a boy, they don't know how to react when you do something nice for them."
"It's true," Lily added knowingly, "Every time I get close to Severus, he freaks out. I thought it was just a him thing, but maybe it's just a boy thing?"
Asteria scrunched up her nose at the mention of the Slytherin boy, a fact which Lily, thankfully, did not notice. Though Asteria did not make her dislike of Snape obvious, she didn't try to hide it, either; Lily had gotten used to the fact that Snape and Asteria wouldn't be friends, but she always scolded them if they insulted the other in her presence.
"Totally just a boy thing," Dorcas said, humming in agreement.
"Maybe he fancies you," Mary suggested to Asteria.
Asteria choked out a laugh, shaking her head vehemently. "As if," the blonde girl rolled her eyes, sprawling out onto her bed. "Sirius Black? Fancying me? I've been nothing short of rude to him for the past year; we were only friends for the last few months of last year, and I barely talked to him all summer."
"Yes, well, just a thought," Mary raised her arms in surrender, but as the rest of the girls dissolved into giggles, Asteria merely grumbled.
"He doesn't fancy me!" she kept repeating, but her words fell on deaf ears. Eventually, she gave up, crawling under her blankets and pulling them up to cover her face - which, coincidentally, had become as red as her comforter.
"Wait," Marlene's voice paused the sound of laughter, and Asteria peeked her head from below the blankets. "Do you fancy him?"
The blonde girl raised her eyebrows, before uttering a genuine laugh. "Really? Of all people to like, you think I'd like him? If it were to be any of the boys, it'd be James! Or Remus, really. Even Peter, before Sirius."
"Are you trying to convince yourself or us?" Marlene laughed, and Asteria threw a pillow at her.
"Come off it! Boys are disgusting, I couldn't imagine fancying anyone!" Asteria defended herself, and Dorcas nodded.
"She's right, you know."
"I'm always right," Asteria said smugly, but Dorcas merely rolled her eyes.
"Some boys are gross, sure," Marlene started, before a mischievous grin crawled onto her face as she wiggled her eyebrows, "But you know who isn't? Your broth-"
Before Marlene could finish her sentence, another pillow was thrown at her. Asteria glared at the other blonde girl, shaking her head.
"Shut up - oh not you too, Lils!" Asteria turned to see Lily nodding, but the nod quickly turned to a shake of her head as Asteria's glare focused on the redhead.
"I didn't say anything!" Lily exclaimed, but her smirk said otherwise.
"I hate you all."
"Love you too!" Mary laughed, kindly throwing Asteria's pillows back onto her bed. The blonde rolled her eyes once again and ducked under the covers.
"Good night," she stated, before snoring exaggeratedly to prove her point. After a few more laughs, the rest of the girls headed to bed as well - and with that, their first night at Hogwarts came to an end.
✧･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
a/n: guys i love the girls' friendship so much. like they're so cute
also i recently rewatched the 3rd movie and had to include the fat lady scene ok