♢
For once, Asteria had gotten out of bed willingly, excited to attend classes (this thought process would last right up until they entered the greenhouses, when Asteria immediately began complaining about how tired she was and how much she detested homework). For now, however, Lily enjoyed the blonde girl's excitement; the two of them woke the other three up bright and early, trudging down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
They babbled about whatever it is a bunch of twelve year olds babbled about, before the boys graced the Great Hall with their presence. As usual, they approached the group of girls with a grand smile on their face; Lily rolled her eyes and turned to face Mary, while Marlene and Dorcas were engaged in their own conversation... which led Asteria to smile at the boys as they sat down across from her. She eyed Sirius warily, but he wouldn't meet her eye, talking rapidly with James about the upcoming Quidditch tryouts. Remus took a seat beside Asteria, and the two immediately delved into comfortable conversation about their classes and the upcoming year, neither mentioning Remus's little problem.
Eventually, McGonagall came around with their time tables, stopping with a loud exhale once she reached the boys. "Do try to stay out of trouble this year," she told them, before looking pointedly at Asteria. "And please refrain from dragging Ms Grey into your activities."
Asteria grinned once McGonagall turned her back, knowing that half their pranks were her own creation. James and Sirius looked at her with narrowed eyes, but she only raised her eyebrows innocently.
"Stay out of trouble? Yeah, right," Sirius laughed, shaking his head as he looked at McGonagall's retreating body.
"We just won't get caught," James added, before grinning wickedly. "We are the Marauders, after all. Slick, prank-masters, and most importantly - the most attractive in the entire school."
"You wish, Potter," Lily spoke up, tearing herself away from her conversation with Mary. James looked surprised that the redhead had spoken to him, but gathered himself and sent her a wink. Lily only rolled her eyes and turned away again, but not before narrowing her eyes at Asteria, as if asking "why in the world are you friends with him?"
Asteria bit back a smile, always appreciating the interactions between her best friend and James. However, she turned to look at the boy quizzically, tilting her head as she asked, "The Marauders?"
It was Remus who answered, chuckling softly. "That's the name we gave ourselves. Or, rather, James gave us."
The boys looked at each other as Remus said that, as if wordlessly saluting each other. They had decided on the name last night mid-gossip session, following their reunion after 3 months of not seeing each other. James had claimed that they needed a name to call each other, as they were a brotherhood - or, as Remus jokingly called them, a cult. Remus's heart had warmed up at the suggestion, but he felt like he was cheating them by calling himself part of the brotherhood; after all, he was hiding the greatest secret of all from them. And he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep hiding it. How many lies could he, Asteria, or Lily come up with?
Maybe one day Remus would tell the rest of the boys, like Asteria thought he should. But until then, he was part of a brotherhood; a brotherhood that didn't know he was a monster.
"That's a really big word," Marlene spoke up, having been eavesdropping on the conversation with Dorcas. She never missed an opportunity to tease someone, and the boys were no exception. "Are you sure it was James that came up with it?"
The boy in question sent her a glare, before pouting as he ate his pancakes. "Yes, I read it in a book," he huffed, and Asteria burst out into laughter. He looked like a wounded puppy, and part of her actually felt bad for him!
"Since when do you read?" Marlene continued, and Asteria's laughter only deepened.
"Watch it, McKinnon," James said, glowering at her. Marlene simply sent him a dazzling smile as she bit into a piece of bacon. "Why're you being so mean to me?"
"Gotta make up for lost time," she said with a full mouth, causing James to look away in disgust as she beamed, crumbs of bacon falling from her mouth. Asteria had failed to realize that her dorm mates had actually become close with the boys as well; being the only Gryffindors their age, it was unsurprising that they all became quite close, not to mention the numerous times they'd hung out as a group. And, it certainly didn't hurt that both James and Marlene had stayed at Hogwarts last Christmas, allowing them to truly bond. This was the first time Asteria had seen their weird dynamic in person, however.
"Your words wound me," James said, placing a hand over his heart and leaning backwards dramatically.
Marlene didn't say anything in response, looking over her time table with wide eyes. She let out a wide groan, before waving her parchment in Lily and Asteria's direction. "We've got Double - bloody - Herbology bright and early today," she said, scrunching up her nose. "I don't think I can get through this. Someone avada kedavra me, right now, I beg you!"
Asteria didn't know how it was possible, but Marlene had gotten even more dramatic over the summer. Sometimes, she even gave James a run for his money.
"Oh, calm down," Dorcas said, shaking her head. "It's just a bunch of plants, they can't hurt you."
"Can't hurt me?" Marlene almost screeched, glowering at Dorcas. "Do you not remember last year? I was in the hospital wing for a whole hour because of that stupid - whatever it's called. I swore I would have a vendetta against plants for the rest of my life, and here I am!"
Asteria had tuned out the conversation, her gaze coming to rest on - what a surprise - Sirius. He was merely looking down at his meal, poking it half-heartedly before uttering a small laugh whenever Peter or Mary referred to him. Lucky for him, James was busy with Marlene's dramatics and didn't notice that his friend hadn't eaten; in fact, James barely noticed that Sirius had grabbed his book bag and began to leave. Frowning, Asteria decided this was another perfect chance to corner him and ask why he had disappeared so suddenly last night.
"I'll see you in Herbology," she muttered to Lily and Remus, who had been engaged in a conversation of their own while Marlene complained about Herbology to Dorcas and James.
"Where're you going?" Lily asked, but Asteria had already walked off. The redhead turned to look at Remus, who was staring at the blonde's back in confusion.
"Has she been... off, or is that just me?" Remus asked the ginger in hushed tones, to which Lily nodded.
"She's been spending an awful lot more time with Sirius, too," Lily added, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Speaking of - was he acting strange last night, at all?"
Remus raised an eyebrow, pondering the question. "A bit, I suppose, after he came up from the Common Room. He wouldn't really talk to us, but whenever he did, he'd stutter, or something. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason..." Lily said, but a knowing smile crept on her face.
♢
"Sirius!" Asteria called, walking quickly to catch up to him. The boy turned around, bag slamming against his legs, and his eyes widened when he saw the girl. She came to a stop before him, noticing how out of breath he was despite the fact that he had barely even walked all that much. "Where're you going? Herbology is the opposite direction."
Sirius clenched his jaw. "Bloody hell, why do you keep following me?" His eyes immediately filled with regret as he said the words, but the damage was done. Asteria stepped back, pursing her lips as she stared at him.
"Get your head out of your arse, I'm only following you cause something's wrong," she snapped, crossing her arms. "Out with it."
"Why do you even care?" he said bitterly, "You hated me up until a few months ago-"
"Sure, and now we're friends," Asteria cut him off, "And that's the whole point of friends - to care. Merlin's beard, what is it with you boys and not understanding what friends are?" she whispered the last sentence under her breath, clearly referring to Remus. Asteria had refused to push in his case, waiting for Remus to tell her the truth on his own. In the end, he didn't even tell her. She had figured out on her own that his illness was actually him being a werewolf, and she'd also realized that the only reason he hadn't told her was because he thought she'd hate him. That was the moment she had decided to change her tactic at 'being there for her friends,' as she had so eloquently put it. Most of her friends hated talking about their feelings, which Asteria understood, to some extent. But it annoyed her to no end. Thus, she'd keep pushing, until eventually, they either ended up hating her or telling her the truth - and feeling much better for it.
Clearly, it was a foolproof plan.
"Look," Sirius exhaled slowly, shaking his head, "I appreciate it, and all, but I promise I'm fine. I'm just tired, so-"
"So you were gonna skip our first class of the year?" Asteria asked. "Not to sound like my dear friend Lily, but are you mad? It's our first class! You can't just-"
"Merlin, if I agree to go, will you shut up?" he asked, and Asteria nodded brightly. Grumbling under his breath, Sirius started heading in the direction of the greenhouses, Asteria bounding behind him proudly. She was getting through to him, she could tell.
The pair arrived at the greenhouses late, but fortunately, their professor let them off with only a warning. Sirius went off to the Marauders, while Asteria approached the group of girls and took a seat beside Lily, who sent her a quizzical look. Asteria shook her head, mouthing "later" before paying attention to what the professor was saying.
Marlene grumbled the entire class period, and her complaining only increased when they headed off to Transfiguration. Asteria joined Marlene in her protests, regretting having ever said anything about looking forward to classes. Their new professor, a young woman by the name of Professor Sprout, had decided to assign them three feet of parchment about Mimbulus Mimbletonia, which would be the plant they would be studying for the next few months.
The girls had no doubt that Professor McGonagall would assign just as much homework, if not more, despite the fact that it was only their first day. Upon entering the classroom, it was evident that McGonagall had not yet arrived. There was only a cat perched on the table in front of them, peering curiously as the students shuffled in.
Asteria pursed her lips as she realized that each desk sat only two students; but, being herself, she simply grabbed a chair and dragged it over to where Lily was sitting down, Mary sitting in the other seat. Once everyone had settled in, silence followed, as the students looked around for wherever their professor was. Asteria began tapping her foot on the ground impatiently, but her eyes quickly widened when the cat in front of them leapt up into the air and transformed into Professor McGonagall.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts," McGonagall started, looking over the wide eyes of all of her students. "Today, we will start with - yes, Ms Grey?"
"How did you do that?" Asteria breathed, looking up at the professor in wonderment.
Professor McGonagall coyly smiled, "First, Ms Grey, might I inquire why there are three chairs at a table where there are supposed to be two? There is plenty of space in my classroom, I'm sure you can survive without Ms Evans for a class period."
Asteria pressed her lips together, gathering her books and papers as well as her bag before moving to sit at another table. She could hear James and Sirius chuckling quietly behind her, and turned to give them a glare, but it was then that McGonagall began to explain her uncanny ability to turn into a cat.
"I am what is known as an Animagus," McGonagall explained, and Asteria's attention immediately skipped from the boys behind her to the professor. "An animagus is a witch or wizard that can transform into an animal at will. Much like a patronus, you cannot decide what this animal will be; one simply transforms into the animal that fits them best. When one is in their animal form, they retain their ability to think like a human, their emotions, and their life expectancy."
Asteria raised her hand, and McGonagall paused in surprise. It was rare to see Asteria so active in class. "Yes, Ms Grey?"
"When will we learn to become animagus-es?"
"Animagi," McGonagall corrected, before shaking her head. "This is a skill not taught at Hogwarts. It's an incredibly long and arduous process, with disastrous consequences if a mistake is made. It is also not something you can simply learn at home," this comment seemed to be pointed at the boys in the back, as McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "When I say it is difficult, I mean it is almost impossible to do without guidance. Professor Dumbledore aided me with becoming an animagus, and upon my transformation, I had to register myself. Failure to join the registry may result in being sent to Azkaban."
Asteria's heart dropped at the professor's words, the excitement deflating from her as she slumped in her seat and crossed her arms. Imagine being able to transform into an animal! Asteria wondered what animal she would be - she hoped for a dragon, though it was doubtful.
After McGonagall's demonstration with transformation, the rest of the lesson seemed boring. The beetle into button spell was not something that was too hard; Asteria's skills in practical Transfiguration were exemplary, it was the essays that she typically had trouble with. The blonde girl had always been better with performing magic rather than theoretical magic (except for Charms, of course, those pesky wand movements always confused her. She was getting better at it, though, with Mary's guidance). After Lily, Asteria was the second in her class to master transforming the beetle into a button, though her button did have the same texture as the beetle. Remus transfigured his next, followed by the rest of the girls. James and Sirius had trouble with theirs - when they finally managed to get their buttons, James's hopped away while Sirius's continued squirming around. Peter, at that point, had given up, and McGonagall had to go up to him and help him through the steps.
After Transfiguration came lunch, and Asteria was the first to enter the Great Hall, followed by Marlene. It was a very short affair, filled with worries about their classes and complaints about the Double Potions they'd have to face next, with the Slytherins. A part of Asteria was excited for the class, as it was her favorite subject; however, she knew she'd have to find a new partner, as Avery would not let Asteria partner with Magnolia as they had last year.
The second years hurried to the dungeons following lunch, Asteria and the girls chattering amongst themselves while the boys - the Marauders - remained behind, enjoying their food. As they entered the classroom, Lily gave her friends a sheepish look and went to sit beside Severus, whose eyes widened in surprise as he saw the redhead. They immediately burst into hushed conversation, while Asteria looked at Mary with a raised eyebrow as Marlene and Dorcas hurried off.
In the very front of the room, Asteria glimpsed Magnolia sitting beside another girl, presumably in Slytherin by the looks of her robes. They were engaged in a passionate conversation, and Magnolia didn't look as bad as she had earlier - for that, Asteria was grateful, and so she took a seat beside Mary.
"I have to warn you," Mary started, smiling sheepishly. "I'm not the best at Potions."
Asteria shrugged, grinning widely. "Well, not to boast or anything - but I am. I could make every potion last year with my eyes closed!"
Mary laughed, but quieted down as four boys entered, followed closely by Professor Slughorn. He directed them to their seats, before bursting into lively conversation about the potions they would be brewing that year and the ingredients that they'd need. After finishing his lecture, Slughorn assigned them to brew the Hair-Raising Potion, as well as write fifteen inches on the potion for homework.
"Go get the ingredients, I'll get started on the essay," Asteria winked, which caused Mary to raise her eyes. "I always start the essay in class, means I have to do less later."
"So that's why you always had less Potions homework than the rest of us!" Mary exclaimed. Asteria grinned and nodded, pulling out a piece of parchment while Mary ran to grab whatever was needed.
With Asteria as her partner, Mary felt herself slowly understanding the concept of potions. It was all down to specific measurements and intuition, something that Asteria was well-versed in. While Mary cut up the ingredients, Asteria carefully watched over, trying to teach Mary how to know what the right amount was without risking their potion. By the end of it, Asteria looked into their cauldron and beamed when she saw it a beautiful, emerald green color, bubbling with the faint aroma of burning.
Slughorn walked over with an expression of surprise on his face. He peered into the cauldron, before looking up at the pair, clearly impressed. "My my, Ms Grey, Ms MacDonald! Not only have you finished first, but this is the most exceptional potion I've seen so far! Well done - 10 points to Gryffindor!" the professor nodded, before walking away to inspect other cauldrons. Asteria high-fived Mary, before looking around to make sure Slughorn had moved on and then moving her parchment closer to Mary's.
"Here, copy this, just change the words up a bit," Asteria mumbled, and in response to Mary's quizzical look, said, "We're partners, he won't suspect a thing. Besides - you help me with History of Magic, I'll help you with Potions. Deal?"
"Deal," Mary nodded, and immediately began scribbling on her parchment.
The remainder of class was boring, as both girls had finished their potions much earlier than everyone else. Even Lily and Snape, who were both incredibly talented, took five more minutes to complete theirs - and, based on Slughorn, Asteria's was better. She felt a small hint of pride bloom in her chest, proud that she was better at something than her genius friend.
At the end of class, as Asteria was heading out, Slughorn called her back. She turned around, afraid that she had gotten in trouble, but paused when she saw that a few other students had remained as well - Lily, Severus Snape, and Sirius. Asteria furrowed her eyebrows, coming to stand beside Snape as she looked quizzically at Slughorn.
"Well! I assume you are wondering why I have asked you to remain," Slughorn began, leaning back on his desk. "I host... a sort of club, if you will. We meet once a month on Fridays for dinner, and right before the holidays, I host a Christmas party! Each of you has proven to be spectacular at what you do, and I see it fitting to invite you. Now, will you come?"
The four students nodded hesitantly, afraid to say no.
"Splendid! Wait for my owl, then. Now, off you go!"
The second years scurried away, Severus running after Lily as he yelled her name but she promptly ignored him. Asteria sighed, knowing that the greasy boy had said something to offend her best friend once again, and reminded herself to bring it up to Lily later. Dragging her feet, Asteria left the dungeons, so trapped in her thoughts she barely noticed Sirius walking beside her until he coughed.
"I'm surprised the rest of 'em didn't wait up for you," Asteria said, raising an eyebrow.
"Told them not to, in case it was about my horrible potion skills," Sirius said, "if the exploding potion wasn't evident enough."
Asteria giggled, shaking her head. "The potion wasn't even that hard! You must've put the wrong ingredient in - honestly, can't you read?"
Sirius playfully glared at her, "It wasn't even my fault, it was James." Asteria stared at him. "Okay, fine, maybe it was my fault. I've never been good at Potions! I never will be!"
"If you need help, just say the word," Asteria offered, turning a corner as they headed to their next class - Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"R-really?" Sirius asked, eyes wide. "I mean, yeah, alright." The boy cleared his throat, before tilting his head. "I wonder why Slughorn invited me to his little club. I'm rubbish at Potions, so it must've been another reason?"
Asteria tapped her chin, searching her mind for a reason. She vaguely remembered Adonis telling her about a dinner he had attended in the dungeons, surrounded by students with impressive parents. That must be it. "He's inviting everyone who has some sort of potential," Asteria said hesitantly. "You, because you're a Black. Lily and Snape because they're amazing at potions. And me, because I'm a Grey."
"And you're amazing at Potions," Sirius said, to which Asteria blushed and simply waved him off. "Well, in that case, I don't think I'll go. I could probably do a million better things on a Friday night."
Asteria rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything in response as they had neared the D.A.D.A classroom. The rest of the second years were already inside, so Asteria and Sirius hurried in, taking a seat near the back as everyone else had already paired up. James sat with Peter, Remus with Lily, while Mary had joined Dorcas and Marlene in the front - a fact which their professor, unlike McGonagall, didn't mind.
The class was rather interesting, though Asteria didn't quite like the professor last year. She thought him to be incompetent, preferring to teach his students theory (which Asteria hated) rather an actual magic. This year, however, the D.A.D.A classroom was riddled with various depictions of dangerous creatures and medals. Their professor, a stern-looking middle aged woman called Professor Baudelaire, was clearly much better than last year's. She spent the majority of the class reviewing material they had learned last year and providing a glimpse into the spells and subjects they would learn this year. Asteria took careful notes, jotting down everything Baudelaire said so she could look over it later. To her right, however, Sirius simply leaned back in his chair, playing with his quill as he half-heartedly listened to their professor.
"Are you seriously not paying attention?" Asteria hissed, and she surprised even herself with how alike Lily she sounded.
Sirius grinned at her. "I am siriusly not paying attention."
Asteria stared at him, unimpressed.
"You set yourself up for that one..." Sirius's voice trailed away as Professor Baudelaire walked up to their table, her dark eyes narrowed, blonde hair pulled meticulously back into a bun.
"Am I bothering you, Mr-?"
"Black," the boy said, "Sirius Black."
"Ah," Professor Baudelaire sounded surprised, her eyes narrowing in on the Gryffindor badge pinned to his robe. "It would do you well to pay attention, Mr Black. I will not tolerate interruptions or disrespect in my classroom. Are we clear?" The woman had a faint Russian accent that rang through with every word she spoke, inducing even more fear into those who were foolish enough to cross her.
"Crystal," Sirius said, though the usual snark he spoke back with to teachers had disappeared. Professor Baudelaire had an aura of danger and mystery around her, and Sirius knew then not to mess with her.
The rest of the class passed uneventfully, though Sirius still did not take notes. Asteria sighed, but couldn't judge, knowing that she had done the same thing just last year. This year, she was adamant about getting even better marks. She would pay attention, in this class especially, to prepare for the world that awaited her outside Hogwarts. Defense Against the Dark Arts would most likely prove to be the most useful subject, and Asteria was keen on learning as much as she possibly could.
Maybe, just maybe, she could save herself from the fate that awaited her.
♢
The next few days passed impossibly quickly, as Asteria attended every class with her attentiveness at an all time high. By the time the weekend arrived, all of her friends had noticed the change within the girl; she had always studied and done her homework on time, but this year she seemed to be putting a lot more effort into her work - particularly Charms and D.A.D.A, two classes which she had not shown particular interest in before.
Saturday morning, only days after their first week of classes, was the day Asteria had been waiting for for months. She knew that the beaters from last year had yet to graduate, but Asteria still refused to give up hope. The captain, Bilius Weasley, who also happened to be Head Boy, was holding tryouts for every position of the team - although previous members were almost guaranteed the spot, Asteria still wanted to try out. If anything, she could get comfortable with her future teammates for next year.
Adonis had lent her his broomstick for tryouts, promising to owl Callie to buy Asteria her own if she got onto the team. Waking up bright and early, Asteria got ready and grabbed her broom and one of her lucky bats (at this point, she had built up a collection). She then headed down to the Common Room, where she saw James and Sirius conversing right by the Portrait Hole. She walked closer to him, and as she did, heard Sirius hyping James up. Asteria bit back a laugh, approaching the two.
"Are you trying out, Sirius?" she asked, causing both boys to jump in the air. She knew James's answer, but was confused as to why Sirius had awoken so early.
"Only here to cheer James on," Sirius said, shaking his head, though he still wouldn't look her in the eyes.
Asteria beamed, "And me, of course."
"You're trying out for Beater?" James asked, bewildered. Asteria sent him a look.
"Okay, I know I won't make it on, but I think trying out proves my dedication and whatnot," she explained, tying her hair into a ponytail. James shrugged.
"Understandable," Sirius stated, before pushing them out of the Common Room. "Now come on, or else you'll miss it."
They walked down to the pitch in silence, Asteria anxiously twisting a strand of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail between her fingers. She walked behind the boys, both of whom were chattering in excitement while she all but quaked with every step. As she approached the field, her eyes widened upon seeing it filled with boys - the only other girl was the current seeker for the team, Fiona MacMillan.
At precisely 7am, Weasley waltzed out onto the field with a grin on his face, his co-captain Jason Thomas standing beside him.
"Welcome to our '72 Gryffindor Quidditch Team tryouts," Weasley began, surveying the people before him. "Sadly, our beloved Troy Lee graduated last year, so we're looking for a new Chaser. Now, just 'cause you made it on the team last year doesn't guarantee you a spot this year. Wow me, and you'll make it on the team."
After his little spiel, Weasley split everyone who had showed up into groups based on what position they were trying out for - Asteria found herself surrounded by last year's beaters, Flynn Stewart and Elliot Wood, as well as a few other muscled boys. They all looked at her with raised eyebrows, but Asteria narrowed her eyes and held her bat tightly, trying to prove to them that she had just as much of a shot as making it as anyone else.
Sadly, she didn't. By the end of tryouts, it was clear that Stewart and Wood were the ones that would become Beaters after all. That said, Asteria had managed to hold her own against the other, more built boys. Had Stewart or Wood not shown up, she definitely would have been the new Beater. As they all flew down to the ground, Asteria pursed her lips and walked away - but not before Wood walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Remind me again, what's your name?" he asked, peering down at her. Asteria's eyes widened, and her voice died in her throat, utterly baffled that Elliot Wood was talking to her.
"Asteria Grey," she said in a small voice, and the boy grinned.
"Little Lion!" he exclaimed, knowing that she had looked familiar for a reason. "You scare the living shit out of Longbottom - I hope you're proud of yourself, that's quite an accomplishment." He chuckled a bit, remembering witnessing a few of Asteria's theatrics last year in the Common Room. Wood paused for a moment, before continuing with bright eyes, "You were amazing on the pitch! If I didn't want to play Quidditch as much as I do, I'd force Weasley to put you on the team. Shame I'm graduating this year, I'd have killed to play a game with you - wait, okay, I'll talk to Weasley and make sure he appoints you as my replacement. But as my replacement you have to be the best of the fucking best, because Quidditch is the most important thing in the world. Schoolwork comes second. Your friends come second. Your life comes second. Only under these circumstances will I train you - do we have a deal?"
Asteria stood there with her mouth gaping, barely able to keep up as the boy spoke at a rate of a million words per hour. So much information had just been thrown at her, but she was sure of three things:
Elliot Wood knew who she was and was talking to her.
Elliot Wood wanted her to be his replacement.
Elliot Wood wanted to train her.
Unable to hold herself back, Asteria let out a scream and wrapped her arms around the seventh year boy, dropping both her bat and her broom. "YES! I'd be honored," she beamed, looking up at him. Wood laughed, shaking his head.
"Perfect. I'll see you around," with that, Wood grinned and walked away after saluting her, and James and Sirius ran up to her immediately.
"Why was Wood talking to you?" James asked, jealousy clear in his tone. Asteria had completely forgotten that he had been trying out too, but she was sure that he would make it on the team. None of the other Chasers looked like any good. Or maybe she was just biased.
"Well, he basically insinuated there was no way I was gonna get on the team as long as him and Stewart were still here," Asteria explained, and James grimaced. "But, he did say - and I fucking quote - that "I was amazing!" That's right, Elliot Wood said I'm amazing. I'm never gonna shut up about it. And he wants to train me! Even if I don't make the team next year, I get to train with Elliot Wood." Her voice was dreamy, filled with content that had been missing for the past weeks, as she stared wistfully at Wood's back, but a slap on her shoulder yanked her out of her daydream.
"That's great for you," James said bitterly, but Asteria was too busy glaring at Sirius for slapping her.
"Aw, no need to be so jealous Jamesy-boy," Asteria ruffled James's hair, and the boy shrieked in horror as he hurriedly patted down his hair, hopelessly trying to fix it. Of course, his efforts were for nought; James Potter's hair was permanently messy. "I can introduce you, you know."
James glared at her before angrily stomping away, muttering under his breath about how unfair it was, about how he deserved to be trained by Elliot even though he had no intentions of being a Beater. Asteria and Sirius both laughed, following James up to the castle and chuckling the whole way there, forgetting about all of their worries for the time being.
Though she basically knew she wasn't getting on the team, Asteria couldn't help but hope. She spent the rest of the day in her dorm studying and reading, anxiously awaiting the results despite her friends' pleas to spend time with them. At some point, she descended to the Common Room, but upon seeing other Quidditch players down there she felt sick and ran back up to her dorm, cuddling into her blankets.
It was Lily who found her right before dinner, squatting beside the blonde's bed as she looked at her concerningly. "Asteria, you can't possibly have stayed in bed all day!" the redhead exclaimed, shaking her head. Asteria didn't answer, turning on her side so she wouldn't have to look at Lily. "Is this about your Quidditch tryouts? They didn't go bad, did they - I overheard Potter talking about how you got to meet Wood and he didn't, isn't that a good thing?"
Asteria huffed and turned around, creases on her forehead from where she'd been laying. The momentary thrill of being spoken to by Wood had worn off, and everything came rushing back. "No, of course it's not a good thing! It means I didn't get onto the team! Wood just wants to train me, so I can replace him next year. I can't wait till next year! I want to be a Beater now-"
"Okay, I know this is definitely not just about Quidditch now," Lily said seriously, and stood up before perching on Asteria's bed. "Something's bothering you, and you're using Quidditch as an outlet."
Asteria didn't say anything, staring at the ceiling without blinking. Sighing, Lily grabbed the blankets and yanked them off the blonde, ignoring her protests. She then yanked Asteria to her feet, before dragging her down the stairs to the Common Room. It was empty, seeing that everyone had made their way to dinner - except for Remus, who had gotten so distracted with his books that he hadn't noticed the two girls even walking in. Lily cleared her throat, and the boy looked up, smiling when he saw who it was.
"Fancy going for a walk around the lake?" Although Lily posed the statement as a question, it was clear neither of them had a choice. Remus wordlessly nodded before leading the way out of the Portrait Hole, and so the three of them made their way down to the grounds in silence. Wordlessly agreeing with the others, Lily led them to the tree that had been designated as their own last year, and Asteria immediately lay down underneath. Tendrils of sunlight still fought the incoming darkness, splatters of red and orange decorating the sky as the sun was gradually forced into hiding. Asteria breathed in the fresh air; a fresh summer breeze reminded her that summer was ending and autumn was quickly arriving, and with it, freezing cold weather. She appreciated being dragged out onto the grounds for the good weather, but her mood was quickly soured when she saw Lily and Remus staring at her pointedly.
"How was your summer?" Lily started, but Asteria refused to say anything. She kept her gaze on the singular cloud in the sky, trying to make a shape of it but failing. "Asteria, what happened over the summer?"
Asteria remained silent, though this time she shook her head. She had spent the entire day worrying about Quidditch to escape the thoughts that plagued her about her sister, her family, the Dark Lord. And now here were Remus and Lily, trying to bring up those same thoughts that Asteria had been escaping from. She bit her lip harshly to get rid of the tears welling up in her eyes, playing with her hair casually so that they would fall down to cover her eyes.
"Ria, talk to us," Remus tried again, though his voice was much softer this time. "Did your parents... do something... to you...?"
It was at those words that Asteria abruptly sat up. She stared at Remus, her eyes widening to almost comical proportions as she thought about his question. Why would he ask such a thing? Did she act as if her parents had done something to her? Or maybe - or maybe someone else's parents had done something to them, and Remus knew about it, and-
"No, they were gone almost all summer," Asteria said quickly, before pursing her lips, "Why do you ask? Did - did Sirius say something?"
"Sirius? What does he have to do with this- oh," Remus nodded in realization, exchanging a look with Lily. "Is that why you've been hanging around him so much? You two have been, erm-"
Asteria cut him off, not even wanting to hear where he was going with that sentence. She exhaled, clearly exhausted, before dropping her head into her hands. "It's not that I don't want to talk to you two about these things. It's just that, you know, Sirius and I had the same childhood and it's just, it's easier to talk to someone who's been through it, you know?"
Remus and Lily were silent, mulling over Asteria's words thoughtfully. It was true, what she said. Remus and Lily had loving families, for the most part. They would never understand what it felt like to be sorted into the wrong house, to actually care for people despite their blood status and be called a disgrace because of it. Sighing, the two nodded, enveloping Asteria into a hug.
"We may not get it, but you can still talk to us," Lily whispered sadly, and Asteria nodded.
"I know."
The three sat in silence for some more, until the sun had completely disappeared and the moon had taken up its spot in the sky, stars surrounding it. It was dark now, much darker, and the moonlight was the only source of light illuminating the grounds. Asteria smiled as she looked at the stars, finding the constellations and whispering them under her breath. She looked at her two friends, who had dragged her out onto the grounds in concern, and her heart felt warm once again.
"Ugh, I'm so sick of talking about my summer," Asteria finally said, crossing her arms. "It's way too depressing, and I don't wanna think about it anymore!"
"You're right," Lily nodded determinedly, before a smile grew on her face. "Is it really true that Elliot Wood talked to you?"
Remus rolled his eyes, but Asteria nodded excitedly. "He did! He came up to me right after practice and told me I was amazing on the pitch. Isn't that fantastic?!"
"You'll definitely make the team next year then, if you don't make it this year," Remus said, but Lily was staring off into the distance.
"Elliot Wood..." she breathed. "That man is-"
"Even more handsome in person," Asteria confirmed, reddening as she thought of him. Lily turned to look at her with a smirk, giggling.
"You two really had to have this conversation now," Remus deadpanned, staring between the two of them. Both girls blushed and quickly apologized, but erupted into giggles whenever they thought of the Beater. "Why do I hang out with you two?"
"Because we're amazing-" Asteria began.
"Smart-"
"Awesome-"
"Funny-"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Remus exclaimed, laughing as he raised his arms up in surrender. "Merlin, I'm hungry. You think if we go back now we'll make it time to get dessert?"
Asteria nodded, and the three stood up. Grinning, the blonde looked between the two and yelled, "Last one there has to jump in the Black Lake!" and immediately she took off, before Remus or Lily could realize what was going on. And of course, neither were a match for the girl's competitiveness.
Despite her parents' absence, Asteria's summer had been absolutely dreadful. Now that she was back at Hogwarts, she was bound to make up for the three months of misery. In her mind, she had decided that sorrow and sadness had no place at Hogwarts; she would save up any of those negative feelings and experience them only at Grey Manor, where she had a reason to do so. No, Hogwarts was a time to be with her friends and pull pranks and be happy. And even though a part of her felt guilty for being happy while her sister was forced to work for the Dark Lord, the other part didn't care. Her parents had put her through so much as a child, she was allowed to be happy now, wasn't she?
Merlin, being a pureblood was complicated. But at least she had Sirius by her side, who understood where she was coming from, even though he'd been acting strangely lately. And she had Remus or Lily, who promised to listen despite having no clue how to comfort her. All in all, Asteria was incredibly grateful for the friends she'd made. And as she ran into the Great Hall, laughing, she forgot about all of the horrible things that awaited her when she returned home.
✧･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧