Always There For You (Harry Potter OC X OC)

50. Astoria Greengrass-

Sandra thought hard about it. She shouldn't, but there wouldn't be any competition to hinder if she gained house points by doing Dark Arts assignment. She was thinking hard, while drinking a goblet of cold butterbeer.

Meanwhile, Lizzy eyed Toby who was at a table with his friends. 'I need to talk to him,' Lizzy said.

Sandra's thought broke off. She was taken aback. 'Don't. Leave that rat alone.'

'Professor McGonnagall said I have to straight things out. He has to understand who I am, so he wouldn't try such a thing on me ever again.'

Sandra watched her best friend go. She let her do her thing, even though she was worried. She went back into worrying about Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment. She knew nothing about resurrecting an jnferni. She had to find a way, to find the knowledge. Who would know such things? Except... She saw Astoria Greengrass, a slytherin, walking into the Great Hall with her friends.

Astoria rarely smiled; more frequently looking disgusted about everything. The only times she smiled was when she talked to her "real friends". The pureblood slytherins.

Astoria sat at the Slytherin table. Her coldness melted as she settled with the twins of Carol and Coral Yaxley; her sister, Daphne Greengrass; Draco Malfoy; Pansy Parkinson; Gregory Goyle; Vincent Crabbe, and other sylethrin purebloods. What a scary sight to see.

If Sandra's parents were as fanatic as them, Sandra would be one of them. But her parents had never taken her to any pureblood formal parties. Her parents didn't want Sandra to get into the politics.

'What matters is how you do well in school, Sandra, with whoever you meet. You'll be an excellent witch,' mum had said.

Sandra knew Draco Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass, Gregory Goyle, and many others on that table when she was little. But she only really knew them of their names.They must know how to pass Defense assignments, Sandra thought.

Lizzy came back with a questionable look.

'How did it go?' Sandra asked.

'Fine...' Lizzy said. 'Too fine... I thought he'd put up an argument or something... but he only says okay.'

'Okay?' Sandra repeated and laughed.

'Well, whatever. So, about your ten points... Do you really need it? People have covered it for you. We got lots from answering questions.'

'I really feel like I owe hufflepuff. I have to find a way.'

'As long as it's not Defense class.'

'Whatever it takes to get ten points...'

'San...'

'I know what I'm doing, just eat your roasted chicken in peace.' Sandra subtly leered at the slytherin. She needed to talk to Astoria. She took out her wand and muttered spells to summon a paper and pencil. She scribbled under the table. Then folded until it became a paper plane. She enchanted it to fly.

The paper plane flew over the ravenclaw table, then to the slytherin. It landed on Astoria's lap. Astoria noticed the paper and read it.

Carol and Coral noticed it too and asked for it. But it seemed Astoria brushed them off. She spoke to the others and stood up, walking away toward the open door. She glanced at Sandra before leaving.

Sandra took a deep breath. 'I'll be back,' she said.

She followed Astoria in a distance, took several turns, but Astoria kept walking.

'Astoria,' Sandra called.

Astoria kept walking and finally stopped at an empty classroom. 'Get in,' Astoria said sharply.

Sandra obeyed. If she was going to get murdered, this would be a likely scenario. She got in first. Then Astoria. Astoria took her wand out.

Sandra gasped. Well I guess this is the end...

Astoria looked offended. 'Calm down,' she said coldly. She pointed her wand at the door. 'Colloportus.' The door closed in a lock. 'So. What do you want, Flint?'

Sandra took a deep breath. 'This is weird coming from me... We haven't been good mates have w--'

'Seems unlikely. Especially from you, being in a hufflepuff.'

If Astoria wasn't a slytherin pureblood, Sandra would have insulted her already for being rude. Memories came back to remind her why she liked to stay away from her. 'Alright... listen... We all know you and the others like you, likes dark magic,' Sandra said. Astoria's eyes widened slightly in interest. 'I just want to ask... can you tell me a spell... to bring up... the dead?'

Time stood still. A rare expression came up on Astoria's face. A surprise wonderment. 'Am I hearing this wrong?' asked Astoria. 'Did you just ask me how to bring up the dead? An inferni?'

'Y-yes. For Professor Moody's class.'

Astoria was very surprised. 'You're serious?'

'Yes...'

Astoria composed herself. 'I suppose it's natural for you... I'd laugh at you if you weren't a pureblood like me.'

Sandra didn't understand what that meant.

Astoria continued. 'But why are you asking me? Do you think I know something like that?'

'I just thought... I just need to know the spell for his class... and maybe another for another extra five...'

Astoria quirked her eyes in realization. 'This is about that ten house points you've been trying to get, isn't it? You were also going at my field in herbology,' she snorted. 'Oh Sandra Flint. This is comical!'

Sandra frowned, which made Astoria more amused.

'I would like to lend you our book... The Nightshade Guide to Necromancy, I believe. It's a whole book dedicated to inferius... It's in the slytherin's private library, though, in our common room.'

'Okay...' said Sandra. 'Can I... borrow it?'

'I'm afraid I can't. Those books are meant to stay in Slytherin. It'll curse whoever brings it out of the dormitory,' she said, sympathetically.

'Oh...' Sandra didn't know what to think.

'But... I can write notes...'

'You would?' Sandra was surprised Astoria wanted to help.

'But of course, I assume this is very bad for a goody Sandra Flint. But the Slytherins will be proud of you.'

'C-can you... not tell anyone? I don't want to learn the dark arts if it's not about for this ten points. Even my parents forbid it.'

Astoria frowned. 'That's the problem with your family... You've gone soft. Weak. Sooner or later you'll be the Weasley's kind, hanging out with Harry Potter and... befriending a mudblood like Hermione Granger. Oh wait... you're also with that mudblood... what's her name again? Elizabeth Clark?'

Sandra would like to hex her right there. 'Why are the lots of you so uptight? My best friend Lizzy is as good as a witch as you are.'

Astoria frowned. 'Ew, gross. Be careful Flint. You don't know who you're talking to.'

'I know who I'm talking to. Astoria Greengrass. Second daughter to Gibson and Willhelmina Greengrass. Proud pureblood. But you're not so different like me. You're only thirteen. You're ambitious in herbology because you enjoy it, not for the dark arts. You are no different than--'

'We are different!' Astoria shrieked in repulse. 'Unlike a careless selfish loser like you, I have duties. My family depends on it. You may not have any pressures from your lazy family, but I do! So if you're just going to waste my time, I'm leaving!' Astoria swished her wand. 'Alohomora,' she spoke in anger. The door opened wide and she stomped out of the classroom.

Sandra didn't know what to make of it. She made an enemy out of Astoria. She had just realized that she had been tensing her shoulders in this classroom, thinking about it. She felt achy when she finally relaxed. Did she thought Astoria Greengrass would help? Was it possible she would curse her if she egged her hard enough? Sandra could only thought.