From the roots to the stars - Neville Longbottom

One

Asteria was brought into the world silently, born nearly a minute before taking her first breath. Her grandmother Walburga would repeat this fact throughout her childhood, a reminder that she would grow up to be just like her father Regulus. She would be the perfect heir. She could've been too, she could've been if she had not made the same mistake at eleven years old and ended up in Gryffindor like her uncle. She knew it was the old age that took Walburga Black, just as it did Orion years before, but part of her always thought it was disappointment that Asteria couldn't be who she wanted her to be.

Asteria would always wonder now that she knew everything she did if she should have come out kicking and screaming- her shrieks muffled by the war raging around her. It seemed more fitting for a child who would lose her father before she was born, her mother during birth, and her grandmother before she could take the Hogwarts Express home for the first time for winter break.

The custody battle was a difficult one, not because there were too many takers, but quite the opposite. The most legitimate family member had been Sirius Black, but he was in Azkaban. Then, there was Andromeda Tonks, but she had been banned from the family making her ties illegitimate. There was Bellatrix Lestrange as well but she had the same issue as Sirius. This left Narcissa Malfoy, who was willing to take her in, but Lucius was opposed and that was the final decision.

Asteria was never entirely sure how Remus Lupin was even a suggestion, besides a schoolmate bond with her uncle they had no relation. Nonetheless, he was the only one willing to take her in. She knew he regretted it from the moment she stepped foot in his house. Almost all of her actions would be meant by a comment of "Sirius used to do the same thing", and despite his empty chuckles afterward she knew the words were not affectionate.

The two never talked much until the end of the third year when Sirius' name was cleared. It was as if she needed to be exonerated for his crimes. Neither of them ever mentioned this change in attitude between them, just one day Sirius and Remus were eating dinner together and invited her to join them and that is how it was for years.

This way of communication worked for the time being, Sirius had been living in the cottage with them for months and barely any family dinners had been skipped. The only issue was how much was being left unsaid, everyday the air only grew heavier. It was the night before the start of her fourth year when Asteria finally found the needle to deflate the tension.

August 31, 1994

The door was locked when she stumbled home. Which, okay yes, made sense. It was the middle of the night and her godfathers were under the impression that she was fast asleep. It was fine, she just needed to do the alohomora spell. She reached inside her coat pockets and grabbed- nothing. Okay, okay, that was more of an issue. It should be in there, she knew it was in there (or at least thought it should be the last time she could truly recall seeing it was somewhere between the second cup of fire whiskey and the third shot of vodka).

She could figure it out though, she had just finished reading a textbook on wandless magic. Lifting her hand and an awkward twitch of her fingers later the door was able to open. Unlocked? No. Lock broken? Yes. But, that was alright because she was inside now. Maybe it was the metal breaking or maybe it was her unsteady shuffling but she was not as quiet as she had tried to be.

"Asteria?"

Remus hovered in the doorway of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes. Asteria flinched suddenly becoming acutely aware of the lingering cinnamon scent of the firewhiskey.

She slid off her shoes, stumbling on her heel in the process. "Sorry moony, didn't mean to wake you."

"What time is it?" Remus asked, his tone showing no proof that he'd caught onto her intoxicated state.