Back to the present...
After that night Asha had tried her best to forget about Parselmouth. What did it matter who her parents were anyway? They were either dead or they didn't want anything to do with her. Yet, in the early hours of the morning, when she wished she was fast asleep like the rest of her dorm instead of standing out in the biting air of the Black Lake shore, her mind drifted to the Parselmouth mystery and what it might mean about her heritage.
Despite her buzzing mind, Asha felt her eyelids growing heavy. She lay down, feeling the sharp bumps of the cold, stony shore press into her back with her knees pointing to the sky. It was a clear night and the Scotland sky was densely packed with an impossible number of stars. She loved how the night sky reminded her of how insignificant and small she really was. It was a calming thought. Everything's fine, thought Asha, none of this stuff really matters.
With one arm tucked behind her head, she used the other to flick her wand and gracefully guide a dozen pebbles up into the air above her. She watched the stones seemingly swirl among the stars, dancing to the whisper of the trees. In that moment, the whole world felt so at peace.
"And what," came a deep, drawling voice, "in Merlin's name, do you think you are doing out here?"
The voice was deadly quiet but, compared to the slight rustling of trees and lapping of the lake, it was booming. Asha's heart gave a jolt as her moment of ease was sucked away and her concentration wavered. She was forced to cover her face with her arms as the stones once floating serenely above her came pelting down. Asha couldn't bring herself to move. She closed her eyes in frustrated defeat. She couldn't believe this was happening. Suddenly a hand gripped her upper arm and wrenched her to her feet. Asha spun around and faced Snape.
In general, Asha was a favourite among the staff - respectful, hardworking, and a top student. Severus Snape was the unfortunate exception. He already did not have the highest opinion of her. Partially because he seemed to dismiss all Hufflepuffs for soft-hearted idiots, but also due to her lack of enthusiasm for his subject. Asha understood potion brewing was a powerful and extremely useful skill. However, an illogical part of her (a part that she couldn't seem to control) just wasn't interested. Actually using magic was infinitely more appealing. It was instantaneous. You could feel it flowing through your veins. Brewing potions required patience and unwavering focus on the dullest of tasks: 'Stir the caldron six and a half times anticlockwise, add one drop of aconite fluid every seven seconds...' Hence Asha's attention often wandered in potions class and as a result, she was below-average and definitely not one of Snape's 'promising students'.
"Professor," she kept her voice calm and confident. "I am..." His piercing eyes were like two swirling black voids, sucking in the moonlight. "...definitely breaking the rules."
"That, might be the only correct answer you've provided me with all year". His voice was filled with venom and Asha felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. "Never, in my time at Hogwarts, have I had the displeasure of meeting a student so disgustingly arrogant to be out nearly five hours past curfew. And not only that, but outside the castle, lounging next to the most dangerous section of the grounds." Asha's eyes flicked to the Forbidden Forest that lay a couple hundred meters further down the shore. Even without looking at him, she could feel the anger radiating from his body. She sighed and pulled herself together.
"I'm sorry," she said, dragging her gaze back to his eyes. "I was being stupid and reckless and disrespectful. And I'll accept the consequences". Snape's glare didn't waver. Had he even heard her?
"First the library and now this! How many times have you been out here, Winters?" he hissed.
"Do you mean ever? Or after-"
"Of course I mean after curfew!" he snapped.
"Just this once," she replied. The lines on Snape's face deepened as he stared fiercely into Asha's eyes as if he were searching for proof of the lie he knew was there. Asha kept her face blank and stared determinedly back.
"So," Snape sneered sarcastically, "I suppose you mastered all that ridiculous stone whirling between all your classes and homework and gossiping with your little friends?"
"I suppose," said Asha. Snape's face contorted with fury as he grabbed the shoulder of her hoodie and started dragging her back up towards the castle.
"Just another insolent brat," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Fifty points from Hufflepuff and the headmaster will certainly hear of this. You will see me after your potions class tomorrow to discuss further punishment." Asha was starting to feel angry now. How could she have let herself get caught! And FIFTY POINTS?! Hufflepuffs never lost that much at once. People would definitely notice and she did not need them asking her questions. Asha realised words were still coming out of that ominous, billowing cloak. "...And if I see you out of your dorm so much as one minute after curfew, I can assure you, you'll be on the next train home."
Asha scoffed under her breath: "Wouldn't that be nice". A home.
Asha came from a town in New Zealand called New Plymouth where she had been raised in an orphanage - well, it wasn't called that these days. The place was titled 'St Andrews Public Institution for the Care of Orphans'... much more PC. It was a grim little place but it was safe and she and her twin brother, Cole, found lots of ways to have fun.
Asha and her brother were found buddled together on the doorstep of the orphanage on the day of the Winter Wildfires, hence providing the inspiration for their first names. 'Winters' came from the tradition at St Andrews where any child of unknown parentage is christened with the surname of the season in which they were born.
When she was eleven-years-old, immediately after her brother's death, she had found herself in shock and distraught in Dumbledore's office. She vaguely remembered him telling her she was now in Scotland but would be sent to the 'East Sussex Adolescent Group Foster Home' until September, at which time she was to come to Hogwarts to learn magic because she was a witch. Her memories of that time were all very hazy but things started to stabilise once the school year began.
The sorting hat assigned her to Hufflepuff. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear to Asha that she didn't fit in - perhaps the trauma of losing her brother had changed her; clouded her usually more cheerful and accepting nature, making her bitter and detached. But even though Asha felt like a black sheep, from the outside she appeared to fit in just fine. She found life was easiest if she stuck to her Hufflepuff facade. She had a large group of friends, and people tended to like and confide in her.
Asha's main strategy at school was to blend in. She didn't want any trouble and she didn't want any attention. Ironically, when she first arrived at Hogwarts she was significantly taller than most of her classmates, meaning she stuck out like a Grindylow in the Ministry. Asha's first year was characterised by constant teasing, with nicknames such as Lanky, Bowtruckle and Beanstalk going in and out of vogue. But a few snide comments were the least of her worries and now she was in third year, the rest of her peers had almost caught up height-wise and there was nothing left to draw her from the crowd.
The morning after Snape had dragged her from the lakeshore, Asha reluctantly pulled on her school robes, grabbed her bag, and headed down to breakfast with Maive. She would've preferred to skip breakfast altogether and enjoy an extra half hour's sleep, but the desire not to draw any unneeded attention to herself was too strong.
The great hall was filled with the chatter of students and the clinking of cutlery. Asha and Maive took seats near the middle of the Hufflepuff table and greeted the adjacent group of fourth years.
"Did you finish that essay on the properties of Flobberworm mucus?" Maive asked. Asha lowered her spoon of porridge feeling her appetite diminish rather abruptly.
"Um, yeah. Well, sort of" said Asha, flashing a guilty smile. "I mean, I wrote it but I didn't bother looking stuff up in the textbook so I'm fairly sure most of what I came up with is total rubbish. But Snape can't say I didn't hand it in..."
Maive giggled, returning the guilty smile; "Yeah, it was a hard one! I ended up copying half of Matt's."
Just then, Alisha Cotton came storming down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables and slammed her hands down in front of Asha and Maive looking outraged.
"Have you seen the house points?!" she cried, causing all heads in the vicinity to turn. Maive glanced around, looking embarrassed.
"No, why?" Asha asked, feigning confusion.
"Last night we were in second place. Now we're coming last! We're even behind Gryffindor! How can that have happened overnight? We must've lost at least 50 points!"
A chorus of scandalised chatter erupted from the Hufflepuff table. Satisfied with the reception of her news, Alisha took a seat and began serving herself eggs.
"That's weird. Maybe Filch caught someone out past curfew," suggested Maive.
"Yeah, trying to sneak into the kitchens for some more of that chocolate gateau no doubt," Asha joked, "the house-elves were on point last night!"
"Well, in that case, it must've been a bunch of people because that's only worth a 10 point penalty max," said Alisha. Asha shrugged taking a bite of porridge.
"Ooo, maybe that fourth year Hamish Knighton finally got caught for steeling that duelling book from the restricted section!" Maive whispered, "did you guys hear about that?"
She and Alisha launched into a hushed conversation about this 'thrilling' piece of gossip, but Asha had stopped listening. She'd just had a thought. She had never thought to check the restricted section for information on Slytherin lineage; because why would it be in the restricted section? Then it hit her. Of course! She had to resist the urge to facepalm. If Voldemort was involved in the bloodline then of course that information would be in the restricted section. How could she have been so stupid!
Despite Asha's sudden yearning to search the restricted section, she still had a whole day of classes ahead of her. Potions was first period and even more of a struggle than usual. Try as she might, Asha's eyelids kept drooping and her mind wandering. In fact, she was yawning so often that at one point Matt, who shared her table and was clearly getting annoyed by his partner's lack of focus, asked her if she needed to go to Madam Pomfrey for a shot of Pepper-Up Potion.
Mid-period, when Asha was mindlessly staring at the jar-lined wall while stirring their potion (having totally lost track of when she was supposed to change direction), Snape's threatening glare materialised in her line of sight causing her to snap back into reality. She quickly switched to anticlockwise stirring and motioned for Matt to add the ginger root. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the bat-like figure glide over to their table.
"Don't forget to see me after class, Winters" he murmured venomously over her shoulder. The tickle of his breath on her neck made her shiver.
When the rest of the class was packing up and heading out the door, Jules, Alisha and Maive skipped over, waiting as usual for Asha and Matt to accompany them to Care of Magical Creatures.
"You guys go ahead, I've got a question about the essay,' said Asha. Maive gave her a questioning look but followed the others out. The door swung shut on its own accord and Asha turned to see Snape leaning against his desk, wand in hand and a smirk on his face.
"A question is it?" he jeered, "Now that is surprising to hear, seeing as it seems quite clear...", he strolled around his desk and shuffled through a pile of parchment, "...that very little, if any, thought was put into this abysmal piece of scribble." He held up her essay between his thumb and forefinger as if it were an infectious rag. Asha kept her expression blank and approached his desk. He placed the essay back on the pile with an air of revulsion. "Don't want your little friends knowing about your midnight activities do you, Winters? Or is it more the fact that you don't want them suspecting that you are responsible for the loss of all those points?" He was glaring at her, expecting an answer.
"Quite right, Professor," she replied calmly, "I'd prefer not to become the most hate member of my house if I can help it."
At Asha's snarky response, Snape straightened up and loomed over her.
"Well, hand in another homework assignment as dreadful as this one and I'll make it my personal quest to ensure the entire school knows you were the perpetrator, he growled. "Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Snape took a seat at his desk.
"I want you here at 1 pm on Saturday for your detention," he drawled.
Before Asha could stop it, a look of annoyance flashed across her face - Hogsmeade was this weekend! But she quickly replaced it with her well-practised respectful, compliant expression and agreed she would be there. She could feel him continue to scowl at her as she left the room.
A/N: If you're enjoying the story let me know by leaving a vote! It makes me more excited than I like to admit haha :P