Snake Charmer

Chapter Twenty-One

Asteria struggled against Barty's hold on to her upper arms. Her hands were bound behind her back, and they had forced her into a blindfold. Barty grunted as Asteria's elbow connected with his torso.

"STOP! Stop struggling. If I leave a mark The Dark Lord will not be pleased." Asteria chuckled darkly.

"Is that really what he is calling himself now?" Barty groaned at her comment and in one swift movement, Bellatrix had her hand around Asteria's throat and squeezed.

"How dare you! You will show respect to him!" She hissed next to Asteria's ear. But Asteria remained unphased.

"You do not frighten me Black. It seems that Tom hasn't told you everything about me after all." Her snide comment got her a blow to the torso from Bellatrix. Asteria gasped and doubled over. But she didn't drop her knees the way that she wanted to. She'll be the first to die.

Barty shoved Bellatrix away from Asteria.

"I'm not getting punished because of your obsession with the dark lord! Keep your hands off of her!" Asteria chuckled and flew her head back. Of course, the crazy bitch was obsessed with Tom!

Bellatrix scoffed and snatched Asteria by the arm and yanked her forward almost causing her to fall, until Barty reached around wrapping an arm around her torso helping her to right herself.

"Your funeral Bella." Asteria smirked. He had no idea how right he was. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at Barty and pulled Asteria along roughly. Asteria hated that she couldn't see what was going on around her.

She could here doors open, and Bella shoved her forward, making her stumble again. Asteria huffed as she caught herself.

Regulus stiffened as he watched Asteria stumble, and it took everything in him not to rush forward and steady her. But his eyes roamed the room until the fell on Tom. He sat stone faced at the Head of the table. But his eyes gave him away. Regulus could have sworn that he saw hope in Tom's eyes then.

Bellatrix ripped the blindfold off of Asteria and she blinked hard against the light. Regulus inhaled a sharp breath as she lifted her eyes to meet Tom's curious gaze. Her eye held no fear.

"Did you miss me Tommy boy?" Regulus blinked in shock when a ghost of a smirk appeared on Tom's face. Bellatrix struck Asteria in the side of head, making it snap to the side.

"Show Respect!" Tom stood abruptly from his chair.

"Touch her again and I'll cut your hand off." He snarled a lethal look in his eyes as he glared at Bellatrix. Regulus's eyes widened as he slowly turned his gaze toward Asteria. She grinned wickedly at Regulus. He cursed under his breath. She was right...Tom did have a weakness, and it was her...

Asteria rubbed her wrists, trying to get the ache to subside. She glanced around the fully furnished bedroom that she was in. The bed was a king size with black silk sheets and a think comforter. The canopy held sheer black curtains, and she frowned. The room was basically consumed in darkness.

The door to the room creaked open and Asteria flinched and swung around quickly. Her heart pounded in her ears at the sight of Tom. He didn't look a day over nineteen.

So that's how he was getting the younger followers. His eyes wandered over her like she was an illusion that his mind had created.

Movement at Tom's feet drew her attention. Asteria let out a breathless gasp as she dropped to her knees.

"Nagini!" The overly large snake slithered toward her and flicked it tongue out at her, before she tried to slither into Asteria's lap.

Asteria laughed softly as she stroked the snake's head affectionately. Tom watched them closely as he sat down in a chair across from them. He propped his leg up and rested his head in his hand.

Asteria tried to ignore his gaze on her. She didn't want to speak to him. She didn't even want to be in the same room as him. But there were things that she needed to know.

"She missed you." Asteria flinched at the tenderness in Tom's tone. She knew that he was trying to manipulate her. He was good at that. Just like her papa.

"I never told you about my parents, did I?" Tom's eyebrow quirked up.

"I know that Dumbledore is your father. You didn't mention your mother." Asteria smirked and glanced up at Tom.

"Nagini didn't tell you?" Nagini hissed in Asteria's lap. Tom leaned forward; his face held no emotion as he stared at her.

"She didn't. So, who is your mother?" Asteria let out a clipped laugh.

"Technically I don't have a mother. I have a papa. Someone that you are a lot like actually. Grindelwald." A ghost of a smirk graced his lips as he sat back, and he gave her an impressed look.

"Explains a lot. Well as to why you had Nagini." Asteria's eyes narrowed as she stood up from Nagini who tried to slither around her leg.

"My Papa is in Azkaban because of me. I turned him in." Tom did smirk then. He loved the defiant look in her eyes. Always loved that look. All the more fun to break it.

Asteria shivered under his gaze and Tom flicked his wrist. The fireplace roared to life and Asteria stared at him flatly.

"You have twisted his idealism more than he ever could. You are not my Tom." Tom chuckled and stood up taking a step toward her. Asteria stumbled backwards in an attempt to keep distance between them. Tom narrowed his eyes at her and tilted his head in confusion.

"Are you afraid of me darling?" Asteria ground teeth together. She wasn't afraid that he would hurt her. She was afraid of what would happen if he got close to her.

"You'd never hurt me." Her chest tightened as the words left her mouth and Tom's expression softened. He took another step toward her.

"I'd never hurt you. You're too important." Her bottom lip trembled.

"Then stop all of this. Walk away from it." Tom's expression hardened again, and he closed the distance between them. Asteria gasped as her back collided with the bed post behind her. Tom hand wrapped around her delicate throat, and she held his gaze.

Nagini hissed in warning as she curled into a striking position. Asteria held her hand out toward Nagini telling her to be still.

"I'm not stopping. Your weak attempt to appeal to whatever feelings I have for you won't work." Asteria's eyes burned. As she blinked willing her tears away.

"I loved you." Something flashed in Tom's eyes, but it had disappeared just as quickly.

Asteria's lips parted as Tom moved inches from her face. Her crystal orbs flickered down to his lips and her mentally cursed making herself look back up into his eyes.

"What do you want darling? Use your words." Asteria's body flushed with heat as his breath ghosted over her face. Her eyes fluttered closed as she resisted the urge to fall into his arms.

"I want nothing from you." She ground out as she held eye contact with him. Tom smirked and backed away from here.

"You'll come to me soon enough." Asteria scoffed as she watched Tom leave the room. Nagini slithered back toward her and Asteria inhaled a shaky breath.

"So, you're my babysitter then?"