Snake Charmer

Chapter 18

Regulus frowned at Asteria. He hated this plan. Asteria glared at him softly.

"It's a good plan. I can get you into the common room and you can get into the boys' dorms. All you have to is get something of Peter's and get it to me." Regulus eyed her for a long moment and then rolled his eyes.

"And if my brother or someone pops up while I'm in there, what are you going to tell them?" Asteria frowned at the doubt in his voice and his lack of faith in her.

"I'll tell them that I wanted to spend time with you and invited you in." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders like it wouldn't be a big deal that a Slytherin was in the Gryffindor common room. Regulus groaned and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling.

Asteria let out a clipped sigh and ran her fingers through her hair roughly.

"Reggie, I don't have time. Tom will come for me sooner or later and I need to protect them" Regulus's head snapped back down to Asteria as he scowled at her.

"What do you mean he will come for you?" Asteria inhaled a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

"He's been searching for me a lot longer than you've known him. And frankly, I'm going to let Bellatrix take me to him." Regulus let out a low growl and stood up from his seat, before pulling Asteria to her feet as well.

"He will kill you. Is that what you want?" He snapped, his face inches from hers. Asteria smiled softly.

"Tom couldn't hurt me even if he tried. Tom has one weakness and its me." Regulus scoffed and let her go.

"And you're willing to bet your life on that?" Asteria was trying to be patient with Regulus because she knew that it was his emotions getting the better of him. She slowly stepped toward him and took his hand in both of hers.

"I'm not putting my life in danger. There is something that I need to do, that I can only do if I am in his presences." Regulus shook his head and glanced down at their hands.

"Now I don't think that our mutual friend will like this Regulus." Asteria stiffened at the sound of Lucius's voice. Her gaze turned icy as she turned to look at him. Regulus glared at Lucius and took a step toward him.

Asteria smirked and yanked Regulus back toward her.

"You know who and what I am to your friend and yet here you said harassing me. What do you think would happen if I told him that you touched me?" Lucius's face paled as he glanced between Regulus and Asteria. Regulus pressed his mouth into a thin line to keep from laughing.

"I wouldn't keep him waiting for much longer. He wants to see you by Christmas." Asteria inhaled a shaky breath and nodded her head. Once Lucius was gone Regulus pulled her into his arms and held on to her tightly.

"I trust you. Let's do this." Asteria nodded and smiled faintly.

Asteria spend the afternoon with her father, and she had tried to tell him several times about her plan to go to Tom. But she knew that her father would do everything in his power to keep her from doing that.

She had requested that her father pick up Christmas gifts for her friends. But she had left out the part where she had planned to enchant the items so that they would be safe once she was gone and that they would remain safe from Tom and his death eaters.

Asteria peeked her head around the corner to make sure that there was no one in the common room before she brought Regulus inside. Once she knew that the coast was clear she drug him inside.

Regulus frowned as he looked around. He still hated this idea. More than anything if they got caught, he had no idea how to explain his way out of it.

"I really don't like this idea." Asteria growled a sigh and gently pushed Regulus toward the stairs.

"Get the jumper and bring it back." Regulus groaned again and glanced back at her as he neared the stairs. Asteria watched as he disappeared up the stairs and she began pacing the floor. She checked the entrance a few times to make sure that no one was attempting to come in.

Regulus sighed heavily as he made it to the last step and glared at Asteria.

"Their dorm smells of sweat and Broom wax!" Asteria fought a giggle as Regulus shoved the jumper out toward her. Asteria glanced down at the black hoodie and could feel the dark magic that stained the material. She inhaled a steady breath and gingerly took it from Regulus.

"Now what." Asteria gave him a pointed look as she closed her eyes focusing on the energy. She groaned as a piercing pain struck the middle of her forehead and then came the images.

Peter was getting the dark mark.

He had agreed to be a spy. There was a flash and then he was older standing in the doorway of someone's home. Asteria's heart stopped at the sight of an older James and then A man stepped up behind Peter.

But there was something wrong with the man. He seemed more snake like than an actual man. Asteria let out a strangled scream.

James fell to the ground dead and then images of Lily flashed before, Lily stood in front of a crib that held a small child a boy.

Asteria dropped the hoodie. Her eyes darkened and the emotion drained from her face. Regulus took hold of her upper arms.

"Ari what did you see?! What's wrong?" Asteria's head snapped toward the entrance as someone stepped inside.

Her jaw set and a red haze took over as her eyes met Peter's.