As It Was *Complete*

40. The Irony Isn't Lost On Me

Thankfully Atlas settled into...well trunk life pretty well. He adored Astra and had plenty of room to keep him occupied while she was in class. She would let him out in the evenings and he would potter around while she did her homework and read.

It meant she spent a lot of time in her trunk and as Draco was the only one who knew about where she was, everyone else thought she was in the library. She ended up deciding to introduce everyone to Atlas so they didn't think she was ignoring them.

"Angel?" Theo asked one Saturday morning about two weeks after she took Atlas home. "Why are we in your room staring at a trunk?"

"I want to introduce you to someone," she smiled.

Instinctively the six (Maddi, Blaise, Theo, Pansy, Hermione and Ron) who were unaware of what was happening took a step back as Draco chuckled. "You don't have someone in your trunk like Mad-Eye in the fourth year do you?" Maddi asked.

"No," she rolled her eyes and opened the trunk. "Come on," she gestured as Draco stepped in first and headed down the stairs. "It's perfectly safe, trust me."

"Come on you tossers!" Draco called.

Surprisingly it was Pansy who went first. "If I am about to get murdered I am going to be so pissed at you." She mumbled but stepped in and gasped as she headed downstairs, Theo following her, then the others.

When Astra headed downstairs after them as Hermione turned to her. "You did it," she smiled.

Astra nodded. "I had Professor Flitwick help me with the incantation and he made sure it was sturdy so it wouldn't cave in. But yeah I did it."

"Are we still in school?" Theo asked.

"Are we in your trunk?" Ron chuckled.

"Yes, and yes," Draco answered standing next to the cage.

"And this," Astra said opening the cage and letting him climb on her arm. "Is my new little companion Atlas. Atlas these are my friends."

Hermione reached forward first. "He is precious Astra. Where did he come from?"

"Hagrid -"

"Of course he did," Ron chuckled.

"He was the runt of the litter and was being picked on by his siblings. He was too small to fight back so Hagrid had to separate them and feed this little guy by hand. But it was too hard to keep them apart. So he gave him to me to look after."

"So you have a pet ferret?" Blaise smirked. "And you're matched with a ferret?"

"The irony isn't lost on me," Astra smirked.

"He is actually quite cute," Pansy smirked as Atlas jumped from Astra's shoulder to Draco's and then proceeded to wave at Pansy who waved back.

"I just didn't want you guys to worry about me. I know Hermione thought I was avoiding people because of everything that happened and I wouldn't sit in the dorm and -"

"I was just worried about you," Hermione frowned.

Astra took her hand. "And I adore you for it. I am sure Ron never even noticed I was missing?"

"Oi, you!" He scolded and Maddi and Theo chuckled. "I did actually. Well, Harry always asks after you." He shrugged.

Everyone turned to Astra. "What's the latest on that?" Blaise asked.

"What do you mean?" Astra tilted her head. "He made himself perfectly clear that night. He doesn't have a sister. Just because he realised he was wrong doesn't mean he gets to apologise and make everything right."