As It Was *Complete*

16. Thank You

The following morning, Astra was awoken by Maddi frantically running around the dorm in a state. Astra slowly sat up in her bed as she narrowly avoided a hairbrush being thrown her way.

"I am not alert enough to fight off flying objects," she chuckled.

Maddi gasped. "I am sorry, Astra. I just... I can't get my hair to sit right, and I smudged my mascara and I can't find my good ring my mother gave me." She said, sounding panicked. Astra tried not to laugh at the sight of Maddi. Her uniform on but her tie undone and hanging around her neck. She had one sock on and one shoe. Her hair was sitting in a ball at the top of her head and her makeup was perfect, aside from one eye in which the mascara was running down her face.

Astra climbed out of bed as Hermione sat up. "It's fine. We will find your ring." Astra said. "Ostende mihi anulum," she called, and a blue wisp appeared in front of Astra and moved towards Maddi's bed before diving underneath. Astra dropped to her knees and followed it under the bed up towards the headboard. Sure enough, there was Maddi's ruby ring lying on the floor. "I got it!"

"Astra, have I told you lately how much I love you?" Maddi screeched, hugging the ring to her chest.

"What was that spell you used?" Hermione asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Ostende mihi. It's a spell to basically point you to what you are looking for. Eileen taught me. She was always losing things. You just add whatever it is in Latin at the end." She turned to Maddi. "Now sit so I can do your hair." Maddi did as instructed and sat on the vanity stool. "How about a French braid?"

"Oh yes!"

Astra hummed as she finished and smiled. "All done. Hermione, do you want your hair done?"

Hermione smiled. "I won't say no. I am helpless." She sat on the now vacant seat, and Astra pulled it into an up do, adding a diamond clip to it.

As she worked, Hermione cleared her throat. "I wanted to say sorry about last night with the boys. You were right. We gave as good as we got, and Harry did step over the line with that spell. It was reckless, and I was so glad that... Draco was alright."

"I didn't mean to snap at them."

"No, you were right. They needed to hear it. Sometimes I think the boys have a bit of a....well, they have a big ego, and they need to be knocked down a peg or two. Plus, you know Harry adores you and thinks of you like a sister, so you will get away with saying that, whereas he would huff if it was me or Maddi."

"Harry and Ron have both fallen out with me for far less," Maddi laughed as she pulled off her sock and on her tights.

"Maddi, who are you getting all dressed up for?" Astra smirked as she brushed her own hair and pulled on her robes.

Maddi froze. "What? No one!"

Hermione and Astra both smirked.

"Well then, let's go and see if Theo, Pansy, Draco, and no one are in the common room."

Turns out no one was in the common room, and his eyes lit up when Maddi came downstairs behind the other two girls. Hermione winked and headed off to the couch where Ron looked to be in deep thought. Harry was staring into the fire.

"Good morning, ladies," Blaise almost bowed. "Ready for breakfast?"

Harry watched as the group exchange hellos.

"Alright, Draco?" Dean said as he walked past with Neville and Seamus.

"Well, Dean, how are you?" Draco perked up.

"Not too bad lad, not exactly looking forward to lessons today, but I will be excited when Quidditch starts up again. Are you trying out this year?"

Draco smiled. "Of course! It will be good to get flying again."