Deathless (Harry Potter)

Chapter 1

Not all orphans were lucky as Harry Potter, thought Astoria while watching him from afar. He was not only the child of prophecy, but also a favorite of everyone who ever met him.

"He is charming", she concluded as she watched him pass trough the hallways, accompanied by Ron and Hermione, laughing about something. His messy hair made him look cool like he wasn't trying to be perfect. Harry never noticed how many other students and girls were interested in him.

His charm explained the reaction most people had to him. He was a natural leader, though it often occurred to her he wasn't fully aware of that. That was his redeemable quality that kept him from appearing arrogant – a sweet sense of naiveness in him.

Astoria hated him even before she even met him. Albus Dumbledor had told her who was Harry Potter and that he will also be a student in Hogwarts at the same time as her. There was a little hope inside of her that they would meet and become friends. It seemed natural as they had a similar childhood, both orphans.

However, Astoria quickly noticed that there was some kind of difference between them. It showed in the way Dumbledore spoke of Harry, yet he never spoke to her like that. People didn't seem interested in her from first glance. But she saw people pushing to gain his favor since the first day in Hogwarts.

The headmaster's special treatment of Harry Potter became very clear in the end of first year. This was  Astoria's worst year in school. Even now she felt as if she was still that awkward little girl that no one spoke to. Being accepted to Slytherin felt like her first mistake and Dumbledore grew colder towards her ever since.

In all fairness, Albus Dumbledore never acted as a parent figure to her. He mostly left her to other people for care. It was her that wished he would replace her dead parents as he came for her and took her from the Orphanage.

Harry waved to her as he passed her by. He was always shy in his manner towards her, embarrassed someone else might see that they are friends.

Things between them changed in second year when Gilderoy Lockhart took interest in her as well as Harry. Lockhart, then a professor, asked her a lot about her parentage and about herself, which made her uncomfortable. It was Harry who stood up for her once during class. Then both of them were forced to spend time with Lockhart. Eventually they got close.

What they had left from the traumatic experiences from second year was a night ritual of meeting secretly. They'd meet and scheme on taking Lockhart down or finding Slytherin's true hair. Then other adventures and dangers came.

Tonight was no different. The day ended as normal and when students went to bed, she slipped from Slytherin's dorm and went to the castle's ceiling. In the highest point of the castle any space that could be found, was mostly useless with little space to be utilized as more than a storage.

This is where Harry had called for her during second year to share his suspicion towards Lockhart motives, as later he turned out right and managed to expose him. Their favorite was a small space next to an oval shaped window that had a view towards the forest. You had to sit in order to get close to the window as there was no space for a person to stand up.

Eventually they will grow up and that space will be uncopiable. It felt like a great metaphor for their relationship.

Tonight, Harry came late.

"Recently I barely see you", said Astoria when he finally sat next to her.

"Is this why you stalk me in the highways?", Harry chuckled but his smile quickly disappeared, "I do admit I haven't come here in a while. Sorry for that".

"Don't apologize. We had an agreement to come only when we have something important to share. And you have improved mentally a lot since what happened in the Chamber of Secrets."