Malfoy's Daughter

Chapter eleven; Final Year?

"Has that damned Headmaster lost his mind?!?" Asteria finally snapped, staring at the letter in her hands. She had repeated this statement 10 times since opening her school letter. After celebrating Ron and Granger's rise to Prefect, she opened her letter to learn, she'd risen to Head Girl. 

"Head Girl? I just don't get it." She added, and Potter shook his head at her as he dusted a curtain. 

"Asteria, please, stop shouting." Molly answered exasperated. The doting mother didn't fully understand why Asteria didn't want to be Head Girl, Potter did, as did Sirius. It pulled her into the light, and put her in an authoritative position. She had never wanted to be Head Girl, or Prefect or anything like that. She wanted to keep her head down, and get through her last year, with gathering as much information on defensive magic, and the HOW Voldemort was back. She knew that some privileges that came with her position was she could get into the restricted section. But it pulled her into the light, which wasn't good. 

"I'm sure Dumbledore had his reasons, Sia." Granger supplied, and the older witch shot the younger girl a glare, softening after a second. 

"I'm sure he did, probably to keep me safe from dangerous Slytherin's, but this just looks worse." She sighed, folding the parchment, and left the room and headed downstairs, she was heading to Diagon Ally to buy books for everyone, a suggestion made by Remus to keep Potter safe, and she agreed, even to her needing a guard, at Potter's request. So Tonks stood near the door, her face morphed just enough so no one would know the Auror was associating with her. Which didn't bother her, simply because she enjoyed her cousin's company? 

Asteria grabbed her cloak, and put her wand into the side of her boots, and tossed her hood on, to hide her face. She followed her cousin out the door and apparated directly outside of the Leaky Cauldron. Asteria refocused her hood, and walked directly towards Flourish and Blotts, the haul would be big and pricey, but she didn't mind, although Molly would be furious, when she realizes that Asteria slipped out before checking with her, for money. Asteria intended to buy everything; firstly, because the Weasley's deserved it, and two, they had enough to deal with. She had enough money to afford all the books 500 times over, so it wouldn't hurt her. She had learned a few months with the Weasley's, that they were a proud bunch, and they were incredibly caring. Asteria walked towards the desk, and the bookkeeper's eyes widened at her face. 

"I need 3 sets of Seventh-year books, 2 sets for the fifth year, and one for the fourth year, can you do that?" Asteria asked, "And can you do it quietly?" She added, placing a little pouch of galleons on the counter, and he nodded quickly, bustling around, and pulled out 6 large stacks of books, tied together with rope. 

"Just so you know, ma'am, I believe you and Mr. Potter." He whispered, before pushing the pouch away from him, back towards Asteria. He gave her a nod, and walked away to help another customer, while Tonks waved her wand, shrinking the books to fit in a bag, and looked at Asteria. 

"Well, at least we know Fudge hasn't gotten to everyone." Her cousin supplied before they both excited, and Asteria led the way for the Quidditch shop, where she grabbed a new Nimbus for Ron making Prefect, and a new book and broom cleaning kit for Potter's birthday. She paid silently, as the shop keeper eyed her suspiciously. They went into Madam Malkin's shop, and the older, plump witch froze in her work and flashed a bright smile. 

"Ms. Malfoy, come in. How may I assist you today?" Malkin's said in her usual cheery voice. 

"I need some robes," She pulled out a piece of parchment, holding everyone's sizes, from Fred and George, down to Ginny, it even included her own. "I need at least four sets of each size, eight for the size at the top, they are twins." And handed the note to Malkin's who nodded, and went instantly to work. It took the witch 20 minutes to return with shrunken boxes, tied with ropes, and stacked, which Tonks book in the bag with the books and other things.