Astra

LXXXIX - The Loyalty of Percy Weasley

ASTRA GOT NO LETTERS back in response, though she was definitely glad about it. Any slightly suspicious responses would have been taken into thought, and she was the one with spies, not them.

She knew Sirius, though very frustrated about it, was going to be staying even safer in his home, and she couldn't be more grateful. It seemed that she had at least earned some sort of respect from the order (and she definitely believed she deserved it).

So, while not taking away all her worries, Astra was able to relax for the first time in a while, focusing on the matters that most students were at her age, OWLs, homework, and quidditch (she wasn't on the team but listened to everything Harry and Ron talked about).

Luckily, even without Lily's pestering, she managed to finish her old subjects quickly, now discussing arithmancy with Hermione.

It was her first year in the actual class, but she knew Professor Vector well enough, and math had been one of the things she learned in the orphanage.

The group of four spent the whole of Sunday in the common room (Luna was finding herself spending more time studying the Ravenclaw common room's wide variety of books), buried in their books while the room around them filled up, then emptied. It was another clear, fine day and most of their fellow Gryffindors spent the day out in the grounds, enjoying what might well be some of the last sunshine that year. 

By the end of the day, Astra had finished all of her homework with ease (though she couldn't say the same for Harry and Ron), and was now happily knitting with Hermione and Ginny. Yes, the clothes were for the house-elves, something she was definitely against, but it did take her mind off of things and allowed herself for once to feel like a normal teenage girl (even though she didn't think that many teenage girls who liked knitting, but she could admit all her friends were a bit strange). She decided to make a scarf for Tonks, trying to match her usual shade of bubblegum pink, and it seemed to be going relatively well, while multitasking and trying to get ahead with her Defense reading.

The sky outside the windows became steadily darker, and Ginny left yawning at about 11. Hermione was still working quickly on her house-elf socks as Astra looked over at the two boys.

With a sigh, she walked over to check on how far they were, knowing that Hermione was definitely going to disapprove.

"What're you working on now?" her hands were still knitting, and she looked over Harry's shoulder to their parchment. 

"Astronomy," said Ron shortly.

Astra shot a glance at Hermione before setting down her three-fourths done scarf.

"Give it here."

Ron and Harry looked up in surprise. Astra rolled her eyes. "You won't get anywhere if you're doing it while tired, I've spotted three mistakes already. My entire family's history is based on stars so I know what I'm talking about. Take the offer or leave it."

Harry practically had heart eyes. Ron looked starstruck. Nonetheless, they both shoved over their papers and quills, allowing Astra to start scribbling out lines and rewriting them.

"You'll have to rewrite it, I don't have your handwriting, but it's the best that I can do."

"You're a lifesaver."

"I know," she responded arrogantly.

For the next ten minutes, she finished Ron's essay, and he promptly copied it onto another sheet of parchment, and then moved on to Harry, keeping a lookout to make sure Hermione wouldn't come over to lecture them.

It was half-past eleven when Hermione yawned and came over, and Astra made the last mark on Harry's essay, shoving it over to him before the bushy-haired girl would notice.