Snake Charmer

Chapter Eight:The Next Day

Asteria picked mindlessly at her breakfast. The nightmare from last night had unsettled her. And it wasn't like there was someone that she could talk to about it....But she was going to have a conversation with her father about Nagini being with Tom. He was suppose to look after her, when she was sleeping.
"You alright little moon?" Asteria's eyebrows draw together and her nose scrunches at the sound of Sirius's voice. He seemed genuinely concerned about her.
"Don't call me that Black." She answers tiredly, lifting her eyes to meet his across the table. He smiles sweetly at her.
"You don't like the nickname? Its kind of my thing. I gave the boys and myself nicknames." Asteria arches an uninterested eyebrow at him. She should have said nothing. Now he talking to her.
"Don't you have Quidditch practice?" James curses under his breath before grabbing Sirius by the collar and dragging him up from their seats. Asteria smirks and waves sweetly as Sirius glares at her. He knew that she had done that on purpose.
"Sorry about them Ari." Warmth spreads through Asteria's voice as she turns in her seat to look at Remus. He hadn't even looked up from his book to apologize to her.
"Its alright Lupin. If you will excuse me, I need to speak to- Professor McGonagall."
Asteria rushes out of the great Hall and down the corridors, trying to avoid prying eyes that were staring at her. She didn't stop until she was outside her father's office. She didn't hear anyone inside, she slowly opened the door to peek inside.
Albus stood in front of his phoenix, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Little Dove?" Asteria grumbles to herself and steps in the room. Asteria shakes her head lightly almost laughing. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that her Father would be the Headmaster. But she was still very proud of him for it.
"What is it?" Albus watched his daughter carefully. She looked tired and drained. That's how he knew that something was bothering.
"Where is Nagini?" Albus blinks in surprise. He didn't think that she would ask that first thing.
"I'm assuming that you already know the answer to that." Asteria's jaw sets and she openly glares at her father.
"How did he get her?" Albus sighs and moves over to one of the high back chairs and sits down. He motions Asteria over and she obeys quietly. Albus inhales a steady breath.
"He didn't come after her. I'm assuming that she went to him. You could feel how she was feeling, but Tom could actually speak to her and understand." Asteria rolls her eyes and wraps her arms around herself tightly.
"He's having her eat people. And she is just obeying like it inst a big deal. Nagini would NEVER eat a person!" Albus shakes his head.
"So you had a vision then?" Asteria bites down on the inside of her cheek.
"Yes. Its not like I want to see him." Albus knew his daughter and he knew that no matter how much she tried to hate Tom, there would always be a part of her that loved him. He was the first boy that she had let in completely and he wasn't afraid of her.

"I did not say that sweetheart. But you have to realize that you are in-tuned to him because of the connection that you shared." Asteria wanted nothing more than to scream.
"These people are to welcoming by the way." Her frown deepens as Albus chuckles lightly.
"They are amazing caring, people that would protect each other with their lives." Asteria rolls her eyes. Of course they would. That is why she needed to stay the hell away from them. She wasn't here to make friends and she couldn't afford to have more people that could get hurt because of her.

Asteria wanted to pull her hair out by the afternoon. She had classes with at least one or all of that group and all they wanted to do was talk to her and get to know her. Asteria was never a rude person, so she spoke to them and gave them the basic things that they could know about her. She wasn't in the best mood when she began making her way toward The Great Hall, with James talking her ear off. She tried ignoring him, but the boy was quite charming when he wasn't trying.
Asteria hisses as someone bumps into her, knocking her into James. His reflexes allowed him to steady both of them before they ended up on the floor.
"What the hell Malfoy?!" James nearly screamed placing Asteria slightly behind him. Her eyebrows draw together as she looks at the young man who was smirking at James. He was wearing Slytherin robes and it instantly made her skin crawl.
"She was in my way." James stiffens and then takes a step forward. Out of reflex Asteria reaches out and grabs James's arm.
"Jamie don't. He's not worth it." James swings around fast Malfoy quickly forgotten as James smiles at Asteria like a child in a candy store.
"You called me Jamie." Asteria's eye twitches. She was more annoyed with herself. The stupid nickname had slipped out before she could realize that she had even done it. James smirks and wraps an arm around her shoulders and drags her away from Malfoy.
James was still smiling when he pulled Asteria over to the Gyrffindor table making her sit between him and Sirius.
"Why are you smiling like that James?" James wags his eyebrows at Asteria making her groan and drop her head onto the table.
"Well that would be because our dear, sweet Ari here called me Jamie!" He chuckles more to himself until Sirius gasps dramatically.
"Why does James get a nickname and you refer to me as Black? You truly are cold!" Asteria's head shoots up as she stares daggers at Sirius. Who was clearly picking fun at her. She really wanted nothing more than to hit him in his smug face.
"Maybe because Potter is less annoying than you?" She says shrugging lightly before turning her full attention to her food. The boys talked loudly around her, but strangely she didn't seem to mind it. They all seemed happy.
"Oi! Scamander." Asteria grinds her teeth together as she turns to look over her shoulder. It was the Malfoy boy again. James and Sirius both turned to look at him.
"I really don't want to talk to you." Asteria could feel her magic surge in her veins as she stared at him.
"You, I have this Friend he says that you look strangely familiar." Asteria's heart skips a beat and she frowns. Her vision resurfacing in her mind.
"What's your friend's name?" Her voice was dangerously calm and the light had left her eyes, replaced with a lethal look. James and Sirius look down at her curiously.
"I think that he would be interested to know that you are here." Before Sirius could blink, Asteria shot up from her seat and bolted forward slamming Malfoy's head against the table.She leaned down close to his face.
"Do not threaten me. Boy. I am not afraid of your master. And you have no idea who You are toying with." She hisses in his ear before releasing him. Asteria wiped her hand on her robes and stormed out of the great hall.
She had never been so angry in her life. She needed to get away from everyone. It was dangerous when she was angry. Her magic would away from her and she couldn't risk hurting someone on accident.

***Author Note*****
The photo at top is what I use in my videos to get a better visual of Asteria.