Just A Hobby
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"Mrs Weasley I'm sure that it'll be fine," Aster objected to the woman who tried to convince her to have a proper birthday party, "really, just having a nice relaxing day with you guys is all I need."
"Are you sure dear?" Molly said hesitantly, "I could make a cake and get you a present."
"No, it's more than alright, you don't have to go through the hassle of baking."
"Dear, it's no hassle," Molly laughed, "please let me do something for you, after all, you do help out more than needed around here."
"Fine, but would you let me help you bake, I can teach you how to bake a cake the muggle way," Aster tilted her head in question and Molly smiled.
"Sure, sweets," she agreed, placing her hand on Aster's shoulder and hugging her. Aster smiled and placed her arms around Molly, she felt at home, more than ever, she felt like everything was set.
"Oh, Molly, that goes in this bowl," Aster smiled before Molly had put the strawberries in the wrong place, "we want to make sure they get in the entire cake." Molly smiled and poured them in the bowl where she was also mixing them in.
"This is quite fun," Molly smiled looking over to Aster who had pink cake mix in her hair, highly contrasting from each other, "I see why you chose this."
"Yeah, my mother and I used to bake cakes together all the time for her business," Aster smiled back as she helped mix the batter.
"What was the business?"
"Well, it was just anything that had to do with sweet things, so she made candy, cakes and desserts," Aster told her, "my aunt runs the store now."
"That's why she called you sweets then?" Molly asked Aster nodded looked over at her, noticing that she was the same height as Molly.
"Yeah, and honestly, I think I'm happy with you calling me that," she said looking back at the batter, "it makes me feel at home."
Once they were done and the frosting was made when the cake cooked, they decorated the cake and called the rest of the family, who were warned to stay out of the kitchen, back in to have some. Soon Percy, Ginny, Ron and the twins came down one at a time, well, besides the twins.
"Mum, I'll be going to the ministry," Percy announced as he stood up causing everyone's attention to him and Molly.
"Very well dear," she said almost heartbreaking, "be safe," she waved goodbye and was about to hug him, but too soon as he left already. Aster held her breath and looked at her sadly as a look settled on her face. "Oh, must be important," she waved off, sitting back down and taking a bite of the cake, "we should bake like this more often."
"I'd love that," Aster said warmly with a comforting smile, placing a hand over the mother's arm.
Aster played her violin, something she hadn't done in so long, and it felt relieving. She was finally able to play without interruptions or anyone listening. Since she was standing outside of the Burrow at one in the morning. Although alone in the vicinity, Fred sat underneath his tree and listened along with the song as she played, humming the familiar tune she heard her play other times.
From the distance, he could see the gold stream wrapping around her like a snake or river. As she played, it almost covered her until she ended the song slowly, with the stream receding back into the violin.
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Hello Aster, I hope your summer holiday is going well, I heard the big Quidditch World Cup is happening soon, be safe and have fun there. I do wish to see you soon and makeup all the time I haven't seen you, and as your godfather, I hope that time is well spent. In this, I gave you one of the best chocolates I've ever tried. I know it's late, Happy Birthday. Black is doing fine, he's resting in a hidden place, he told me he's begging to meet you. Write soon.
Your godfather, R.J. Lupin
Hey, Lupin/Remus/Señor Wolfy/Godfather, well I'm not sure what to call you. Tell him I say hello and that I hope we meet as well, and I hope to see you too of course. Thank you for the chocolate, I bet it's amazing. Maybe sometime I can go over, or the Weasleys would be more than happy to have you along here, I can talk to Molly about it. I will do that actually, I'm excited already, I may have eaten too much cake and chocolate, whoops. How is everything over there and whatnot?
Aster
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"Aster," a female's voice said to her, "wake up, it's time to go," Ginny's voice became more clear and excited, "I won't hesitate to bring Fred in here," she warned, a smile evident in her face.
"Try me," Aster groaned, her eyes still closed, she laid on her stomach and gave a low chuckle. Ginny laughed, stepped out of the room and appeared with two more sets of feet. Aster still didn't move, "you wouldn't dare," she muttered with her voice muffled by the pillow.
"Hello," similar voices echoed, one a slight bit lower than the other. As they did so, the two jumped on the bed and sat on her back.
"No," she muttered, "why do we have to get up so early?" She asked as they bounced on the bed, after a few seconds, she finally decided to wake up, "jump one more time and I'll make your toes too big for your feet." They suddenly stopped and got off the bed while snickering.
"Fiesty one in the morning, ain't she?" Fred chuckled, looking at Ginny who was packing a bag.
"Oh, shut it," Aster growled once again, throwing a pillow at them as they left. "Can you hand me that bar of chocolate," she asked Ginny, rubbing her face and sliding on her glasses, Ginny handed her the chocolate and smirked.
"Grumpy without your morning chocolate?" She joked with a smile, Aster sent her a playful glare and smiled. Getting up she took her bag and began to walk out the door before turning to Aster once again, "get your bag and get dressed, we leave in two hours."
Aster grabbed a small bag and put some money and some clothes inside, along with grabbing her violin case and strapping it onto the bag. She sighed, putting on some new clothes and slung the bag over a shoulder, her violin making a clanking noise as it hit the bag.
Walking down the stairs, she heard singing from the kitchen and soon saw Fred and George around Ron who looked gloomy as the twins sang about the Irland Quidditch team. Aster gave Ron a slight pat on the shoulder as Molly greeted her a good morning. As the twins stopped singing, words were replaced with laughter as Mr Weasley entered the kitchen and greeted every one of the children. Hermione and Ginny giggled about something earning a glare from Fred as he went to standby Aster.
"Ready everyone?" Mr Weasley smiled. "We will see you after the game," he assured his wife who gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, Aster here's some toast for the walk," Molly smiled as she handed the girl some toast, Aster thanked her then did a double take on what Molly had just said.
"Walk?" She stuttered, "what walk?"
"Don't worry, my princess," Fred sang, "if your legs break, I'll carry you," he took her hand and gained a laugh from the others.
"Shut up, I am more than capable of walking myself," Aster rolled her eyes and shot Fred with a smile.
"Are we there yet Mr Weasley," Aster asked, dragging her feet against the ground.
"Twenty minutes dear," he smiled earning a groan from Aster, Ron and Harry.
"Hey, you're the one who conquered one of the most powerful wizards, you're the boy who lived, and you're complaining about your feet?" Aster joked, Harry looked at her and chuckled a bit and pushing her slightly.
"At least you have Fred to carry you," he said making the red-head turn to them, "right Fred?"
"Right," he beamed, not know what they were talking about, "how is shorty doing over here?" He walked over to Aster and ruffled her hair, while Harry went back to his conversation with Ron.
"I'm not that short," she argued, pushing his hand away, only to have it be slung over her shoulders, "no, no, you're putting too much pressure on my feet that it already has," she whined.
"Oh come on," he snickered before swooping her up in his arms.
"Why do you do this," she sighed as they walked past Ginny and Hermione who giggled. Aster glared at them then turned to Mr Weasley who called them over to meet a man.
"These are my kids, well, all the red-headed ones," Mr Weasley waved them over and said their names to them.
"Hey Cedric," Aster waved once she saw her good Hufflepuff friend, "how's your summer?" She asked, still in Fred's arms.
"Good, yours?" He chuckled as Fred put Aster down and went to talk to his twin.
"Quite wonderful," she smiled widely at the taller boy before the two fathers gained their attention.
"Everyone, grab on," he said as they circled the boot. Aster and Harry looked at each other once he said that, as they all stood around, they took the boot.
"Harry, grab it," Aster muttered as Mr Weasley counted down. He quickly grabbed it as they were sent flying in the air, what seemed like clouds flying around them.
"Let go!" Mr Weasley yelled, earning a questionable scream from everyone, "Now!"
As everyone let go, people were sent flying and landed on the ground, well Aster landed on a person. "Oh, I'm sorry Hermione," she groaned as she got up and helped up the brown-haired girl.
"It's alright, you okay?" She asked laughing a bit, "your hair is a bit." She giggled as she fixed the girls hair.
"Oh, thanks," Aster blushed and turned to see Mr Diggory, Mr Weasley and Cedric gracefully gliding down to the ground. "Wow Digs, can't even be out here without you making a grand entrance," Aster laughed as Cedric landed and went to help up Harry whose hair was a mess.
"I told you not to call me that," Cedric groaned but chuckled, "I don't like that name."
"Digs, Diggles, Ceddy rick, Charming Ced," Aster listed, "just pick one."
"Charming Ced?" Fred laughed as he met Aster's side.
"Every girl in the common room calls him that," Aster said loudly so everyone could hear.
"No, they don't," he laughed as they walked to the giant stadium.
Aster began walking next to Harry who was following Mr Weasley to a store where they could get a tent, however when paying, Mr Weasley needed assistance with the muggle money.
"These," Harry assured, "just these, and it'll be fine," he smiled, Aster nodded in agreement as Mr Weasley thanked them and got the tent they needed. After Aster helped the boys set up the tent, since they've never done it without magic, Harry and Aster entered the tent to see that it had an expansion charm on it, making it three room sizes bigger.
"I love magic," Aster and Harry muttered under their breath as everyone took their own beds and made themselves at home.
"Come on Aster, we'll be bunking together," Hermione smiled, dragging her into another part of the tent. Once Aster sat on the bunk Hermione and Aster started talking about a familiar subject that Aster seemed to avoid almost the entirety of being in the girl's dorms at Hogwarts.
"Come on Ginny," Hermione giggled, "you still like him, I know it."
"No I don't," she objected, crossing her arms and trying to hide her red face.
"Yeah Hermione, what about you and Ron then?" Aster smiled, Ginny immediately smiling and giving her a mischevious look.
"Yeah, you and Ron seem pretty close now," Ginny agreed with Aster nodding, "what did you and the twins bet."
"Fred got 15 by 6th, George got 12 by 5th and I got 10 after school," Aster said, Ginny nodded and thought for a second.
"Beginning of 7th for 20," she added to the list, earning an eye roll from Hermione.
"Well, I guess none of you will win considering we won't be dating," Hermione said quickly looking away from them.
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