astronomy • marlene mckinnon

twenty two

t.w. abuse

Astraea was supposed to be in her room.

Not in the corridor on the ground floor, with her ears pressed to the locked door of the drawing-room, where her parents and Lord Voldemort were in, discussing about her.

After Astraea had discovered that the man who had tried to explode her brain was Lord Voldemort and then clearly announced that he wanted her to be a death eater, the whole night had been a blur.

She could vaguely remember Constance Malfoy eagerly telling everyone about how her family was amazing, and then Walburga Black, wanting some attention to herself, announcing her daughter's engagement with Evan Rosier.

She remembered Narcissa and Bellatrix congratulating her, not bothered by the fact that Astraea and Evan were both their cousins.

"And by as soon as possible you mean..." Orion trailed off from inside the room.

"This summer," Voldemort said, Astraea supposed she was supposed to address him as the dark lord from now onwards.

Well, if she was being honest, the title did sound better than Voldemort.

Astraea heard the creak of the chair her father sits in, signaling that he was getting up and the raven-haired girl rushed upstairs.

The girl paused in front of her door as she heard footsteps and tried to hear whatever the three adults were talking about.

"She'll get the mark this summer," Voldemort was saying. Astraea furrowed her eyebrows and moved slightly closer towards the staircase to hear it clearer. She knew what mark he was talking about, she had seen it on Evan's wrist, and she knew who he was talking about.

"Of course, she can't attend the meetings without the mark, but I will have Mr. Rosier fill her in about whatever we discuss."

"Yes, my lord." Walburga's voice echoed throughout the house and Astraea was sure she was nodding.

"Your daughter is quite powerful Walburga," Voldemort continued. "We wouldn't want anything too damaging to happen to her. Nothing should affect the magical capabilities she has, keep that in mind."

Astraea stifled a gasp. She was sure Voldemort knew what happened inside the walls of number twelve Grimmauld Place, his underlying tone was yelling so.

Did he see what goes on in Astraea's mind at the gala when the girl was distracted and had let her walls fall down, or had he just read her mother's mind?

"I don't-" Walburga started but Voldemort cut her off.

"You know very well what I'm talking-"

"Would miss Black like anything?"

'Yes Kreacher,' Astraea thought scornfully as she clenched her jaw and looked at the house-elf standing right in front of the staircase. 'I would like you to stop revealing me whenever I'm trying to eavesdrop on a conversation.'

The raven-haired girl was about to throw a very rude and spiteful comment at the small creature when she realized that everything was quiet, and the three adults knew very well that she was not in her room as she had been instructed.

"Well, I was about to go to the kitchen to get myself a slice of chocolate cake," Astraea said sweetly, as she pushed down all her anger. "But if you could get it for me, that would be great. I have been told to not go downstairs after all."

She spoke the last part a bit louder, making sure that her parents heard it.

"There is no need for that right now, Kreacher." Orion's cold voice echoed and Kreacher nodded and vanished with a crack. "You can come down now, Astraea."