Snake Charmer

Chapter Seven: The Marauders Era

Asteria followed behind her father as he went to the front of The Great Hall. She tried to not make eye contact with anyone. She didn't want to draw anymore attention to herself than she already was. Albus clears his throat as he turns to face the other students. Asteria growls out a sigh and slowly turns around so that everyone can get a good look at her.
"I would like to introduce you all to our new transfer student. Miss Asteria Scamander. She will be with the other sixth years. She has been privately sorted into Gryffindor." Albus says proudly.
Asteria had not been sorted again. Her father was just placing her in somewhere familiar. She shakes her head lightly as the Gryffindor table cheered loudly. Wonderful they were still a noisy lot. Asteria casts an unamused look at her father who gives her an encouraging smile. She suppresses an annoyed eye roll before making her way over to the Gryffindor table.
"You can sit next to me if you like." The feminine voice made her stop in her tracks and turn toward the voice. The girl was giving her a friendly smile that lite up her green eyes. Asteria tilts her head at her curiously. The girl's red hair reminded her of a Weasley that she use to know.
Hopefully she wasn't related to the Weasley boy. He was annoying and was always playing pranks that weren't funny.
Asteria forces a smile and sits down by the girl.
"I'm Lily Evans. It's nice to meet you Asteria. Can I call you Ria for short?" Asteria's eyebrows draw together. Why would she give her a nickname?
"I'm alright with that." Asteria had to deal with these people for Godric knows how long and she had to remain friendly.
"Are you alright?" Asteria was taken back by Lily's question. What did she mean by that?
"Yes, I'm sorry if I seem off put. Its difficult for me to make friends." Lily gives her a sympathic look and then takes her hand.
"Well, you've just made your first friend Ria." Asteria's cheeks warmed as she smiles softly at Lily, flashes of Lily when she is older and pregnant flash before cher eyes and her smile brightens then. She was a good person.
Lily had taken it apon herself to warn Asteria about the boys that were in her friend group. But she made sure to tell her that they were all friendly and welcoming. Asteria wasn't buying it though. She wasn't here looking to make friends. She just needed to wait for Tom to turn up.
The hairs on the back of Asteria's begin to stand on end, making her scan the room slowly. She turns toward the Slytherin table and there her icy irises rested on a young man with dark curls and hazel green eyes. His eyes were slightly narrowed as if he was trying to figure her out. Her stomach tightens. She recogized this boy. Tom had called him Regulus in one of her visions that she had, had while she was sleeping.
"That's Regulus Black." Asteria frowns. She knew the last name Black...He must be Orion's son.
"Would you like to head to the common room?" Asteria forces herself to smile and nod as she got up silently and followed Lily. She knew where the common room was. But she figured that it would freak Lily out if she had accidently let something slip.
Lily smiles nervously.
"So just a friendly warning. My friends are flirts but they are good guys!" She says quickly. Asteria had to fight her own smile. Lily was worried that they would scare her away? They sounded like normal Gryffindors to her.
"I'm sure that it will be alright." Asteria trysto reassure her. But Asteria knew that if they pushed to hard that she would end up hurting them. People still made her uncomfortable. Execpt for Tom. Her heart ached at the thought and she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. He wasn't the boy that she knew anymore.
Asteria steps behind the potrait and she frowns as she hears loud laughter. Groaning softly she enters the common, and lets out a small relieved sigh. Not much had changed in the common room.
Asteria's eye twitches as she notices the four young men. One was reading in the over sized chair that she use to love to sit in when she read.
The other three were rough housing on the sofa. Anger licked her insides as she noticed one, dark hair that broshed the tops of his shoulders and his dark brown eyes landed on her. This one she knew was Orion Black's son. He looked a lot like him when he was younger.
She tilts her head curiously at the next one that was wearing a Quidditch jersey and round glasses. She found a smile, that one reminded her of Fleamont Potter. It must be his son and the blonde....her face paled. He looked familiar but she couldn't place him.
"Alright you band of baboons! Stop and pay attention!" The boys froze and looked up first giving Lily an offended look and then eyeing Asteria curiously.
"Whose your friend Lily flower?"Lily rolls her eyes at the one in glasses and then turns to Asteria giving her an apologetic sigh.
"Asteria Scamander, these are my friends. James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin." She pointed to them one at a time and Asteria waved awkwardly.
"She's adorable." Sirius says grinning widely and tilting his head to look at James. Peter laughs under his breath and Remus just shakes his head.
"You are awful! Come on Ria I'll show you to the dorms."

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Asteria glanced around frantically. She had no idea where she was. The hallway was dimly lite and goosebumps danced across her skin. Inhaling a shaky breath, she took slow steps down the hallway. She could hear muffled voices that, made her heart beat rapidly.
She knew that something was terribly wrong. The door stood open to the right of her and she stepped inside, the air was forced from her lings. Tom sat behind a desk and he was looking down at something on the table. Malfoy and Goyle stood off to the side speaking to one another. But, then Asteria's eyes traveled down to the floor and her chest tightened.
Nagini slithered just under him. What was Nagini doing with him? How had he even come to possess her? She knew that Tom could speak to snakes but Nagini wouldn't have left her for no reason. Tom glanced down at Nagini and lert out a clipped sigh.
"It seems that Asteria had woken up." She stiffened at the sound of her name. Malfoy and Goyle's head shot up, eye wide as they stared at Tom.
Asteria jumps at the loud thud from behind her, making her turn to see a badly beaten muggle man being thrown in to the room.

"Nagini, dinner." Asteria stomach twisted at the venomous tone in Tom's voice.

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