The Slytherin Princess

Chapter 4: Balancing the Vampire and the Student

Draco

I started piecing all the information I had on Astrid together. She was secretive, new, and a loner, she has to be the Heir of Slytherin. Potter just had to go and open his big mouth to reveal that he is a Parsalmouth and could potentially be the Heir too. I want to, no, I have to help the Heir of Slytherin rid the school of mudbloods. However, the thought of having to help Potter turned my stomach. Astrid better be the Heir. 

I lounged on one of the couches in the common room along with Crabbe, Goyle, and Astrid. Crabbe, Goyle, and I exchanged our usual insults about the people we hated in the school, but Astrid gazed into the green fire, deep in thought.  

"You alright, you look stressed," I asked. She didn't respond but kept staring at the flames. "Hey, earth to Astrid." I poked her shoulder, which startled her out of her trance-like state. 

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," She rushed. "Just thinking about today's events."

"Pretty crazy right. I saw you staring at the snake, you must have been curious about what would happen to that Hufflepuff." The boy who was attacked was a mudblood. Maybe if I mentioned the events Astrid will drop some hints on who she really is. 

"Things almost went... wrong." She strained to say the word wrong as if that's not the word she wanted to use.

"Yeah, and to think Potter was egging the snake on. If it wasn't for Professor Snape I bet that Flynn-Fletchley would have been the snake's dinner." What a show that would have been, one less mudblood to deal with. I smiled at the thought of me helping with that victory by conjuring the snake. 

"Egging the snake on?" She said confused. "That's not what Harry did. He told the snake to back off of the Hufflepuff, not attack him. You were there., you heard him." Astrid motioned with her arms angrily. 

"You can understand parseltongue?" I asked staring at Astrid in disbelief. This was it, the proof I needed. It has to be Astrid. But that still begs the question of how can Potter speak to snakes too?

"Yeah, I've been able to for as long as I can remember." She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, then cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to bed. Gosh, dueling is exhausting," She gave a short nervous laugh and nearly sprinted out of the room. She was hiding something, even if I'm wrong and she's not the Heir, she is hiding a secret. 

Astrid

I swear Draco prying into my life to figure out my secret is going to drive me insane. It's bad enough with these attacks people will be more alert and guarded. Not to mention it will be harder to sneak around the castle or to hide my fangs when I lose control.

Right before Christmas break the Hufflepuff from dueling club, Justin Flynn-Fletchley was petrified and so was nearly-headless Nick. I was looking forward to the upcoming holiday, fewer people meant fewer prying eyes which meant more chances to sneak out. 

I made the plan to sneak out and go hunt in the forbidden forest a while ago. I heard that unicorns lived in the forest. Unicorn blood tasted like sugar and honey. Really rare stuff that even I, a Princess, have only had once when I caught one on a hunt with my Father.

I walked down from my dorm and noticed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle chatting. Draco waved me over. Everyone already left for the holidays so the common room was empty besides us. 

"Hey Astrid, you're staying too?" Draco smiled, overly joyous compared to his usual cold nature. 

"There is an ocean separating me and my home, besides, my parents don't even want me there. What's your excuse?" I sat next to Draco.