Deathless (Harry Potter)

Chapter 4

The same night Astoria couldn't sleep so she sneaked out of her bed. Harry was already waiting for her sated next to the window. He heard her footsteps and quickly turned to greet her with a smile.

She didn't respond, but awkwardly took her place next to him and stared at the window.

"Wednesday's tomorrow" she stated.

"I though you'd want to talk"

"Not really", she confessed.

Harry sighted and turned to the window. They both remained silent for a while. Astoria bit her tongue as she feared if she spoke, the words will start falling out of her mouth and she would cry. She despised tears as they made her feel weak.

"Did he hurt you?" Harry carefully whispered but didn't look at her.

"No", she said sharply, sighted and accepted that she can no longer stay quiet, "He mistook me for someone. I don't know why, I just reminded him of someone else".

"Do you know who?"

"No, but he was afraid of him".

"Could it be..."Harry started his sentence but quickly abandoned the thought. It wasn't hard to figure out.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm no Voldemort" Astoria snorted and her face twitched with disgust.

"He was young, once", his voice sounded guilty as if he felt he offended her.

"You said you saw him young. As Tom Riddle. Do we look alike?"

Two green eyes captivated her in that moment as his gaze studied ran through her features. Hundreds of stupid thoughts came over her. Was her hair alright, did he like it in a braid or let loose? Maybe she should've put on some makeup. Or at least use magic to freshen up.

Then came anxiety and her teeth sinked in her mouth as she bit the inside of her cheeks to remain expressionless.

The sudden image of Voldemort came on her mind to distract her. More like Tom Riddle – when he was still human. In second year Harry had described him to her after seeing a glimpse of the boy in the Chamber of Secrets. Tom had curly black hair and hers was ashy-blonde, an almost grey color. Her face was roundish, and even though she had cheekbones, they weren't as sharp as Tom's. Harry had told her his face was bony like a skeleton's.

There should be no suspicion of a resemblance but the color green she wore everyday still haunted her. Nightmares came with unidentified screams in them.

"No", Harry finally concluded as he smiled to her. His green eyes glimmering under the moonlight. A release in Astoria's chest.

"Then someone else", Astoria quickly turned her face. "I know he was a Death Eater, maybe someone in the ranks he knew from the war".

"How do you know he's a Death Eater?", he blinked in surprise.

"Used to be a Death Eater", Astoria quickly corrected him, "Malfoy said it to Goyle."

"Is there any progress in speaking with them?"

"No, I did warn you, they don't like me and they rarely share with me", she stopped for a second to reconsider, and then added, "Maybe Theodore Nott. I don't know if he likes me, but I think he doesn't like Draco".

"My enemy's enemy is my friend", Harry said firmly.

Silence remained. There were things left unsaid, yet they refused to leave them like that. So they waited for each other. Astoria bit her lip, trying not to think about it. The awful conclusion that she herself made. Maybe she also was a child of war. But not like Harry. Maybe she was just unwanted, inconvenient as magic pregnancies weakened witches. Afterall, she was a Slytherin.

"I guess you would be right", Astoria finally spoke, "All Slytherin children are in a way related to Death Eaters".

She was afraid if she blinked tears would fall. Her whole body was tense, trying to contain her emotions. Cursed magic boiling inside.

"You don't know that", Harry said and held her hand.

As if the world bloomed in spring. Astoria turned to face him. Different emotions now filled her head, her cheeks grew red and she found herself lost for words.

"Don't make conclusions based on nothing. But even if it is true, what does it matter? You're not a Death Eater and you're not like the rest of them", Harry smiled warmly.

"I try not to be", Astoria confessed.

"I know you in your core. You are good".

Her body leaned closer to his by instinct. Their faces were inches from each other and Harry pulled back. Their hands were still tangled with one another but Astoria removed hers first before he could take the chance away from her.

"I have no other useful information to you. Maybe give me some time"

"Right", Harry coughed, "Maybe not tomorrow, but let's schedule for next Wednesday then"

"Agreed", Astoria waited a bit, then added hesitantly "What about the ball?"

Harry blinked with surprise. He looked confused.

Instant regret came over her. It was too soon to ask but she couldn't hold it in anymore. There was no one else to go with. No one liked her in Slytherin and besides they all seemed to be already obvious as pairs. Except her.

"The Yule Ball, are you going?"

"Probably, I'm not sure if I can find a partner", Harry confessed.

"Why?", Astoria's question came to him fast and direct, as he noticed her impatience. She also knew she slipped.

"I think I know who to ask, but it's hard. She is always with other people and is from a different house, I see her rarely".

Her heart skipped.

"I don't know with who to go either", she said but felt embarrassed and tried to change the subject quickly, "I think it's going to be an important event for whoever the champion is".

"Yes", Harry agreed, yet though to himself that it didn't make much sense to him what she meant.

They parted ways. Harry felt awkward as he had to admit to himself that being Astoria's friend came harder to him then with Ron or Hermione for example. It was easy with them. Touching them was also easy, and with Astoria it always felt like crossing a line. As if it was wrong.

He also worried she might be right. If she was related to a Death Eater and didn't knew, that put her in danger as well as himself. They could use her to get to him, he thought. It was necessary to consider this.

There was good in her, that was undeniable. But there was also something else and she seemed blind to it. It was hard to notice too, he sometimes thought it was his prejudice or maybe just overthinking. Thinking too often about her lead to that.

Ron confirmed it to him, however. One day he mentioned how odd it was she always walked alone. How odd it was that she would move quickly and with precision one time and then trip in her feet or seem lost in her movements. There was something misleading in her.

Slytherin's nature, Ron had said.