Malfoy's Daughter

Chapter thirteen; Broken Letters?

Two months later, Asteria still hadn't acted on her anger towards Umbridge. Snape's words about not getting caught constantly played along with her head every time she thought of just outright hexing the pink witch. She had written to Alice, using a code they had created in Asteria's first year and hadn't received a response yet, it had begun to worry her. A full month without a response from her best friend was beginning to look suspicious. And on that Friday, she received a letter, not from Alice but from Sirius. Written diligently in code, but Asteria knew her cousin's writing. 

Sia, 
How are things? How are your classes? The teachers? How are your friends? Listen, I need to tell you things, but it's sensitive information. We'll talk about that later. How are the head common rooms, still overly posh? Does it still have some gaudy fireplace in both rooms? James had hated his, but it had many uses.
Yours,
Padfoot. 

It was short and too the point, and Asteria had a irking feeling in her stomach about whatever it was that Sirius wanted to talk to her about, when another owl dropped a letter in front of her breakfast. Only her name graced the front of the envelope, so when she opened it, she was cautious, holding the letter a bit away from her, and revealed a letter from the headmaster. 

Ms. Black, 
I require your presence by 8am, don't fret you are excused from your classes, but it is of utmost urgency that I speak with you. The password is Lemon Drop. 
Headmaster Dumbledore.

Now, she was even more concerned, glancing at her watch, she stood, clutching both letters to her chest and went towards the headmasters office, she shoved the letters in her pack, and took a deep breath before officially approaching the gargoyle guarding the office. 

"Lemon Drops." She whispered, and quickly, taking the steps two at a time, headed towards the office, where the door stood open, and she caught a glimpse of Laney Jones, Alice's mother. And Asteria felt her heart drop into her stomach as she walked through the doors. "Headmaster? Mrs. Jones? What's going on?" Asteria asked, feeling her voice quiver in fear. 

"Oh, Sia!" Mrs. Jones seemed to collapse into Asteria's arms, tears running down her face, and Asteria couldn't breath as she held the older woman up. 

"Mrs. Jones, come to have a seat, you as well, Ms. Black." Dumbledore insisted, prying Mrs. Jones off her, and helping her to a seat, and Asteria followed suit. "Well, it has come to my attention, that Ms. Alice Jones has disappeared," Dumbledore said with certainty, and Asteria felt her throat close up. 

"What-" She paused, trying to breath, "What do you mean, sir?"

"She was staying in London, because she didn't want you to be alone." Mrs. Jones supplied, and Asteria nodded, she knew that much, had seen Ali on countless occasions. "When I came to check on her, her room was thrashed, and Tom didn't know where she had been, but he seemed to be hiding something."

"I sent a mutual friend of ours, Asteria, to talk some sense into Tom, to figure out what happened, and the last person saw anywhere near Alice's room was Lucius." Dumbledore supplied, and Asteria nearly broke right there. Her father? Her dark, corrupted father was near Ali? 

"Why?" Asteria felt the shattered emotion in her voice, and couldn't stop it.

"To hurt you." Dumbledore replied, and she sat back in shock and looked at Mrs. Jones. 

"If...If something happens to my baby girl, I don't blame you, Sia." She choked, "Ali made her choices, and I know you denounced your father. No choice he makes or made, effects the fact that you are like a daughter to me as well." She stuttered out, and Asteria couldn't breathe, she couldn't be here, she went to stand when a bird flew into the office window, dropping a letter in Dumbledore's hand. He quickly read it, and she could see it in his face. She could feel it in her very soul. There was no way Ali wouldn't have responded to her letter.