As It Was *Complete*

11. Whats Love Got To Do With It

"You were what?" Theo, Draco, and Blaise all snapped at once.

"When was this?" Theo asked, trying to remember hearing about a student on the hospital wing.

"What did they do to you?" Blaise snapped, looking like he could spit fire!

"And why did no one do anything?" Draco asked his knuckles, cracking in frustration.

Astra tilted her head to look at the three boys. She was not used to having boys to protect her like this. All three looked like they would duel right now to defend her. She wasn't used to this. It was usually just Astra and Maddi. She was friends with Harry, of course, but he was always a little shy. More a lover than a fighter.

The fact that these boys were so protective actually made her blush.

"Well, Madame Pomfrey was swamped with students, and it was towards the end of the year." She tried to justify.

"And?" Blaise asked.

"And I was moved to St. Mungo's to recover, which I did. When I got back to Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall took me straight to The Room of Requirement. I didn't go back to classes. I suppose no one knew where I was, which kept me safe."

"Safe? You were a mess when you came back. You didn't sleep for weeks. You had us all worried. That's when you started making the Felix Felicis as a way to keep yourself busy."

"Which ended up working in everyone's favour as it was used to keep everyone safe, so I mean silver linings and all that." Astra shrugged. She hated talking about herself.

"Astra, I had no idea," Pansy said and then smacked her arm. "And you let me harp on at you about having to duel as my punishment or being locked in that underground cellar. I didn't have it half as bad as you guys did."

"Doesn't matter how much or how little you had. They treated everyone horribly." Astra said, smiling and patting Pansy's hand.

"Those bastards!" Blaise said.

"I can't believe this went on, and our dear old Headmaster Snape allowed it." Theo frowned.

"Snape was never there. He was always out doing spy work for the Order," Maddi said. "He had to pretend to be Voldemort's right-hand man. I am sure it wasn't an easy task - fooling him, I mean."

"That part still has me stumped," Blaise admitted. "So Snape was never evil?"

Astra gulped. "Well, he was during the first war. He wanted to be a Death Eater during his time at school. He used to brag about getting the mark. But he was in love with a girl from he was a little boy."

"Yeah, Harry's mother," Pansy said.

"Exactly," Astra went on. "When Riddle targeted Lily, I think he realised he was on the wrong side. He went to Dumbledore and asked for his help, and in exchange, he would turn spy and keep Dumbledore up to date on what Riddle is up to. So to answer your question, I think he was evil, at one point, but he turned...for love."

Draco scoffed. "Love?"

"Did I stutter?" Astra said, looking up at him. He was already looking into her eyes. She had not expected him to be sitting very close to her.

"Love is an absurd notion for women," Draco rolled his eyes.

"What?" Pansy gasped.

"It's a ridiculous idea that women have. Love." Draco sneered. "There is no such thing. I have never had romantic feelings for anybody. Not even a crush. It's simply how I am. When you don't even know what romantic 'love' is, it seems completely ridiculous that there are billions upon billions of galleons poured into all sorts of things that venerate it - Valentine's Day and romance books are the first things that come to mind, but it goes further. People drive themselves to tears, ruin their lives, and sometimes even commit heinous acts in the name of some sort of chemical reaction in their brains. However -"