If I Lose Myself

Chapter Twenty-Four: Astoria & Draco

If I Lose Myself
by EMPG22HoPe

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Chapter Twenty-Four: Draco & Astoria

Trigger warning: This chapter will contain a scene of violence, such as the use of knives and the appearance of blood. Please proceed at your own precaution, especially if you are easily triggered by previously mentioned concerns. If you wish to skip over those scenes, you may bypass the second half of Astoria's POV.

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November 1997: Astoria

During the course of the last month, Astoria had been sneaking in and out of the Room of Requirement whenever time allows it. Being inducted into Dumbledore's Army was pretty much the cherry on top of her already disgruntled "blood traitor" status at Hogwarts. If her parents or her sister were to find out, no doubt they would have disowned her the very second she even entered the Room of Requirement. But that didn't stop her from helping the group.

Since the inflation of student injuries at the hospital wing, the D.A had been taking the other students who couldn't squeeze in an appointment with Madame Pomfrey under their wing into the room of hidden things. With Astoria's high aptitude for potions and for knowing a number on healing magic, she was actually quite an asset despite being a Slytherin.

Granted, she didn't get much of a great welcome party when she first stepped in. Half the group was a couple skeptic Gryffindors who couldn't be bothered with a snake joining their little den. Arguments ensued the moment Hannah proclaimed her as an official member, one of those included Ginny Weasley—who couldn't keep a proper conversation with Astoria without a sneer or a look of disgust her way.

Not that Astoria could really blame them. The color of her tie was enough indication that she could be the next Marietta Edgecombe of their army, the girl who had apparently betrayed their location to the Inquisitorial Squad back in the day. But for the most part, she was allowed in because Ginny trusted Luna's judgment on her; and Astoria supposed that was more hope and trust than she could possibly ask for.

Her first week in the D.A. had been mostly scouting for injured students courtesy of either the Carrow professors or her own Slytherin classmates. The lot of them didn't trust her to touch the injured students until they simply took her on as a last resort.

"He won't stop bleeding!" Ginny exclaimed as she continued to wrap Michael Corner's arm with a cloth she had ripped off from her own uniform. There was a panic in the Gryffindor's voice Astoria had never heard since she joined the group. "He's been like this for an hour now! I don't think he'll make it."

Everyone else were running around like headless chickens, because if their prime leader, Ginny Weasley, couldn't keep her head over their bleeding member—how else would anyone keep theirs?

"He needs a Blood-Replenishing Potion." Astoria suggested, causing some of the members to look at her as though she had lost her head as well.

"Unless you can sneak into Pomfrey's office—" Ginny started.

"I know how to make one." She interrupted stiffly, staring the red-headed Gryffindor down. "Clean the wound with soap and water. That should buy us some time from infection getting into his system. I can brew the potion in under ten minutes."