Snake Charmer

Chapter 10

Asteria glanced around frantically. She had no idea where she was. The hallway was dimly lit 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 heartbeat 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 lungs. Tom sat behind a desk, and he was looking down at something on the table.  Asteria inhaled a shaky breath as she tilted her head trying to look at Tom's face. 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 let 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 jumped 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.

                                                                    ***** ***** *****

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 supposed to look after her, when she was sleeping.

"You alright little moon?" Asteria's eyebrows drew together, and her nose scrunched at the sound of Sirius's voice. He seemed genuinely concerned about her.

"Don't call me that Black." She answered tiredly, lifting her eyes to meet his across the table. He smiled sweetly at her.

"You don't like the nickname? It's kind of my thing. I gave the boys and myself nicknames." Asteria arched an uninterested eyebrow at him. She should not have said anything. Now he talking to her.

"Don't you have Quidditch practice?" James cursed under his breath before grabbing Sirius by the collar and dragging him up from their seats. Asteria smirked and waved sweetly as Sirius glared at her. He knew that she had done that on purpose.

"Sorry about them Ari." Warmth spread through Asteria's chest as she turned in her seat to look at Remus. He hadn't even looked up from his book to apologize to her.

"It's alright Lupin. If you will excuse me, I need to speak to- Professor McGonagall."

Asteria rushed 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 grumbled to herself and stepped in the room. Asteria shook 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.