Snake Charmer

Chapter Twelve

Asteria frowned as she sat next to Remus in the Gryffindor stands. The wind was chilly and she was not built for the cold. She wanted nothing more than to stay in the Gryffindor common room and read. But, she had told Sirius and James that she would come to the match. Lily sat closer to Asteria, liking their arms together as she tried to fight off the wind. Asteria smiles softly before looking at Lily.
“Why do you torture the boy so much?” Asteria had every intention on staying out of whatever was going on with James and Lily. But, her curiosity was getting the better of her. Lily giggles and glances over at Remus.
“What fun is it giving in that easily?” A laugh bubbled out of Asteria’s throat before she could stop it. A laugh that she didn’t have to force, one that came naturally and it was because of these people that had broken down her walls and gotten her to care about them and their well being.
“Excuse me? Are you Asteria?” Asteria looked passed lily and a young woman with storm colored eyes and stunning, platinum hair stood there holding onto a Slytherin Quidditch jumper with the ‘Black” written across the back. Asteria’s eyebrows draw together as she looks up from the jumper.
“Yes that’s me.” The girl smiles softly at Asteria, extending the jumper out to her.
“Regulus asked me to give this to you. He said that you would probably be complaining about the wind.” Hesitantly Asteria took the jumper and glanced at lily, who was giving her a cheeky look.
“Thank you.” The girl nods at her and quickly turns on her heels and rushes away from them. Shivering, Asteria pulled the jumper over her head. The thing swallowed her and the arms were so long that they reached well passed her fingertips.
Asteria tried to pay attention to the match the best that she could, but she couldn’t get into it like everyone else was, so she leaned closer to Remus peeking at his book. He turns his head to look her, smiling curiously.
“Ari..you told them you’d watch the match.” Asteria let’s out  a small whine.
“Rem this is sooo boring. Cant I just read with you instead” Remus sighs, his smile never leaving his face.
“As cute as you look pouting, I don’t want to hear Sirius whine about you not keeping your word.” A blush tinted Asteria’s face as she stared at Remus in shock. Asteria didn’t realize that Remus could flirt. But he had done it so easily with her just now. She turns back toward the match and she searches for Sirius and James.
Asteria’s stomach bottoms out when she notices one of the slytherins purposely knock into Sirius and another rush from the same side, knocking him from his broom. She didn’t think in that moment. Her mind only went to keeping Sirius safe. Asteria flung herself to her feet and held her hand out toward Sirius’s falling body, slowly closing it into a fist, Sirius’s body slowed all the way down to the point, it looked like someone was levitating him down gently, A cold sweat ran down the side of Asteria’s face and her knees buckled, Remus shot up from his seat and wrapped a supportive arm around her waist, keeping her up right.
“Ari are you okay.” Panting softly she nodded her head and let her fist uncurl when Sirius was safely on the ground. She knew that her father was going to be furious with her and that amount of magic being used was going to alert Tom. But she couldn’t let Sirius get hurt. 
“Can you walk?” Asteria tries to pull away from Remus and stumbles. Remus frowns and lifts Asteria into his arms carefully. Asteria opened her mouth to protest with him, when Remus gave her a stern look, telling her not to argue with him.
**** *** **** ***
Albus sat there staring at his daughter. Trying to figure out if he was proud of her fro saving someone that she obvious cared about or yell at her for using her magic like that so recklessly. But Asteria seemed so far away like she was in a daze.
“How are your nightmares?” Asteria shrugs, a frown forming on her lips. Albus sigh heavily, she was trying to avoid all conversation with him and he didn’t like it.
“What is it? Something is obvious bothering you.” Asteria tilts her head at her father and just blinks for a moments before speaking.
“Something is going on with Pettigrew. He’s always busy and something feels off. I can sense lingering dark magic around him.” Albus’s eyebrows draw together as he considers her words.
“Do you think that if you touched him or something of his that you could get a vision off of it?” Asteria sits a little straighter. She did not like using her seer magic. It was unpredictable and could be painful at times if she wasn’t careful.
“I’m not fond of that Idea and I cant get into the boys dorms because of the charms you have on it and I cant involve the others..I wont put them in danger or second guess someone that they have known their whole lives.” Albus gives her a sad smile and nods his head.
“But you can ask young Regulus yes? Would he be willing to help you? I know that he knows who you are.” Asteria’s jaw clenches as she thinks about Regulus. She knew that he carried the dark mark and she hated it. But she also knew that he was spying and reporting back to her father. She wasn’t fond of that, considering that he was so young.
“I’ll think about it….I need to see papa. If that is possible?” Albus’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Asteria hadn't asked to see Grindelwald since he
was imprisoned. And he wasn’t sure if the ministry would allow it.
“I will speak to Fudge and see what he says.” Asteria nods, neutral expression falling into place.
“I need to head back. Remus was worried about me even coming here.” Albus smiles and nods. He was glad that Asteria was allowing herself to care for the people that she surrounded herself with.
Asteria stood and turned to walk away, until she looked over her shoulder and offered her dad a small smile.
“Love you Dad.” Albus chuckles softly.
“I love you too little dove.” The breath caught in her throat at the nickname. Yes her father had given it to her, but Tom was the one who used it the most after they had gotten closer and now hearing felt like someone was twisting a blade in her heart.
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The following day, Asteria kept a watchful eye on Peter. He was smiling and laughing with the boys, but every time that he had caught Asteria looking at him, he would shift uncomfortably in his chair like he knew something that he shouldn’t. Asteria’s eyes narrowed.
“Little Lion, can I borrow you for a moment?” Asteria glances over her shoulder and Regulus stood there with a small smile but she noticed the worry creased in his eyes. She nods silently standing, to her surprise Regulus wraps an arm around her waist pulling her closer to him, she gasps and her face flushes a light pink. Several whistles erupt around the room, making her blush deepen. This was not what she needed right now! Regulus smirks a little pulling her along out of the Great Hall.
Asteria kept glancing around waiting for something, anything to happen. The air was thick and she could feel that something was off. Regulus pulls her into an empty classroom, before locking the door and casting a silencing charm.
“Tom has informed everyone that there are going to be a few new members joining the ranks at the next meeting and I’ve noticed that Pettigrew looks terrified of you.”  Asteria snorts. It wasn’t like that had gone unnoticed.
“Seems like I wasn’t the only one who noticed it. When is the next meeting?” Regulus’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. He didn’t understand why she was asking him that.
“In a month why?” Asteria blows out a frustrated breath.
“I may need your help with something, in the coming day. But there is something that I have to do first. Someone that I have to see.” Asteria tries to force herself to smile and Regulus frowns but remained silent. Instead he walked over to her collecting her into his arms. She inhaled his wintery scent, that strangely calmed her rising nerves about seeing her papa.
“Is Dumbledore going to go with you?” Asteria nods, soaking his his warmth as her fingers curled in the sides of his shirt. Strangely Asteria took comfort in the small things that Regulus did for her. And he seemed to take comfort in her as well.
Regulus smiles down her, He liked that she was so comfortable with him and that she wasn’t afraid of him, just because of his name and the house that he had been sorted into…It made him wonder if this was how Tom felt when he was around her. If this was why he was so obsessed with her.
“I may have been named after a star, but your hair, it reminds me of starlight…” Asteria sniffled a giggle.  She lifts her head to look up at Regulus, his hazel eyes boring into her. They held nothing but affection for her. But she couldn’t allow her self to fall in love again. One of them would just end up getting hurt and she couldn’t let that be Regulus. Asteria inhales a steady breath and pulls away, taking a step back away from him.