( ASTORIA SLYTHERIN )

❝𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖❞

"tony, we'll be late to astronomy" cho chang's heavy scottish accent filled the girls ears as she sat reading her astronomy book in the library. the girls had promised to revise but antoinette had gotten too interested in the constellations section.

"i'll be alright, go ahead without me" she waved cho away as she traced her fingers over the constellation, arcturus, something about it making her want to find out more. the girl didn't see cho slightly roll her eyes before reluctantly leaving her behind.

hermione who had been in the section that antoinette was sitting in slightly let her eyes trail over to the girl every so often well also looking for the enchanted slytherin history book. she had never spoken to the girl but there was always something peculiar about her. after finding it at the end of the shelf she quickly grabbed it before passing to the other side of the bookshelf where harry and ron sat.

"have you heard of marina alvardo?" hermione asked the two boys as she whispered not wanting to be too loud considering it was a weird subject to speak about. harry and ron shared looks before shaking their heads. hermione groaning before flipping the book open and beginning to search for a page.

"she's asotria's mother. she went to hogwarts the same time as your parents harry. your parents and her were friends. look here" hermione said as she turned the book to the boys to show a latina women with lily evans, james potter and three other boys, a blonde and a darker skinned women.

harrys eyes widened as he pulled the book towards him, looking at how happy they all looked together. it did come as a shock that astoria's mother was friends with his parents.

"wait so what's the tragedy of the slytherins?" harry asked hermione as he was confused on what a picture had to do with what she was telling them.

"astoria's mother died around the same day as yours, maybe two hours before " hermione said hoping that harry would understand what she was saying, ron however stared at the page looking over the people's faces before feeling scabbers bite him from inside of his robe.

"ow, you stupid rat" ron said flicking his hand out before getting up quickly and exiting the library, passing antoinette who had heard what they were speaking about and was using a charm to enhance her hearing.

"harry, don't you understand? her mum tried to hold back voldemort from getting to your parents" hermione said as she looked at the boy with wide eyes before his widened as well.

"so astoria probably doesn't want him to come back, considering he killed her mum!" harry said as he looked from the book to hermione. "what about her brother?" he asked curious if he thought the same, forgetting about what hermione said in the forest.

"he died last year, someone used the killing curse on him. the wizarding council never figured out who" she said as her lips turned into a straight line. they didn't want it in the papers but she remembered overhearing some people talking about it.

"so she only has her dad?" harry asked, confused on if the man was against voldemort considering he killed his wife and someone who supports him probably killed his son.

"i hear he's very big on pure-blood supremacy and is a death eater" the girl said as her voice went very quiet not wanting to be heard incase any slytherins were around.

harrys face turned to one of confusion wondering why a man would support the man who broke his family apart. but he was still unsure if the girl thought the same as her father and would need to find out. "that means that astoria could still be a supporter" harry groaned as they hadn't really made any progress.

"she's not" a voice spoke up behind the two making them snap around to come face to face with antoinette blossom, the ravenclaw in the same year as them. although, neither of them had ever spoken to her.

harry slammed the book shut before hermione leaned forward trying to hide the book "did you hear us?" hermione asked accusingly scared of what she'd do.

"i heard everything. and you two should be more quiet, wouldn't want the wrong people hearing. but i know quite a bit about the slytherins, if you want my help?" she asked raising an eyebrow as she pulled a chair out next to harry.

"no!" "yes!" hermione and harry exclaimed at the same time making ms. pince the librarian shush them. "hermione we need to find out everything we can" the boy told her making her cautiously remove her arms from the book.

"my mother was friends with yours and astoria's, harry. my mother wrote about how amazing marina was. and if astoria is anything like her mother you have nothing to worry about " the girl said casually as though it were normal making harry and hermione's eyed widen at the new information.

"this is her here, dorcas meadowes. she was apart of the order" the girl explained as she pointed to the darker skinned women in the picture that harry and hermione had just been looking at.

"my mother left me some letters from the night she died, if you want i can lend them to you. but i must have them back, they're sort of all i have left" the girl said grimly as she took a serious tone wanting to make sure they promise.

the girl may have held hope within her but it didn't mean that she wasn't cautious of trusting people and the subject of her mother was something very close to her. it was because of her that antoinette had any hope inside of her. she was the reason the girl wasn't vengeful towards voldemort for what he did to her mother.

"i promise. thank you so much" harry said gratefully as the girl sent him a smile making his cheeks warm slightly, a slight blush taking over him.

"i'll bring them over to your common room tonight" the girl said before standing up and waving a goodbye.

"she's brilliant!" harry said with a large grin making hermione look at the boy with a teasing smile telling harry was blushing a bit.

"harry you think that about any girl who talks to you " hermione said accusingly with a joking undertone not letting harry answer before he stuttered out a no.

――――

astoria had dropped off draco's bag to madam pomfrey before making her way through the halls to the great hall to meet margerie for their study period. as she weaved through the halls she could feel someone had been following her ever since she left the hospital wing.

"finally decided to say hello?" she said bitterly as she stopped where she was and turned around to face her cousin, orion slytherin.

the boy with light brown hair, freckles scattered across his cheeks and bright blue eyes which matched her fathers held a remorseful look on his face as he stood stiff after being called out.

"what, no hello for your big cousin?" he asked sarcastically as he slightly loosened up before walking towards her with outstretched arms for a hug making the girl step back declining it.

"what do you want?" she asked with hostility in her tone as a look of hatred filled her eyes.

he didn't blame the girl for how she looked at him. he would look at himself the same way. he had stopped speaking to her for good three years prior and the last time they saw eachother was at nicolas' funeral where he avoided her like the plague. it always filled his memories how alone and broken she looked that day and how he wasn't there for her. it was his choice but he had done it all to protect the girl he saw as a sister.

"i wanted to know what you were doing helping out malfoy, word spreads fast" he said as he put on a fake tone of hostility as well not wanting the girl to think he cared.

"that's none of your business" she scoffed before turning around and beginning to walk away already done with the conversation.

the boy rolled his eyes at her attitude before rushing to catch up with her and grabbing her arm softly to stop her "he's bad news tilly" the boy said deeply as he tried to whisper it.

the boy pulled her arm out of his grasp before sending him an offended look "don't call me that" she said not liking how he used her childhood nickname him and nicolas gave her "and you aren't?" she said with a chuckle wondering how he felt he could have any input.

she knew her uncle was just as bad as her dad and remembered how keen orion had been on pure blood supremacy the last time she saw him. he was everything she despised in the form of her once loved cousin. sure, it hurt her that he turned out that way but she wouldn't interfere with him with the risk of her father finding out.

"don't speak on things you don't understand, you're only a child" he scolded lowly as the girl backed up with glossy eyes angry that he would say that knowing she had been through enough things in her life to be more mature than their whole family.

"i stopped being a child when you made me get through nicks death alone!" she whispered harshly as she walked closer to him well poking him in the chest, a stray tear escaping her eyes. a hurt look went over orion's face before he grabbed both of her wrists making her look at him.

"you're not the only person that lost him" the boy said as he slightly raised his voice making the girl freeze scared at what he'd do to her, the children of the family not being strangers to punishment.

the boy saw the look that crossed her face and let go of her wrists and "i'm sorry" he said as his voice cracked before he took off the way he came leaving her in the halls with a tear stained cheek and a sore throat.

the girl quickly cleared her throat before straightening out her robe and wiping her eye, before she began making her way to the great hall seeing she still had a few minutes to get to class . although, orion's words still swam around in her head wondering how much he could've cared if he hadn't even spoken to her brother in years before his death.

――――

as the girl approached the halls doors she paused to make sure she looked presentable not needing anyone to know she was crying for it meant some sort of drama would come out of it. she didn't notice the ravenclaw she saw yesterday standing opposite her staring at her with a tilted head.

"astoria?" antoinette asked as she slowly walked up to the girl, she could sense the girl wasn't in the best of moods and was too curious not to ask.

"hm, sorry" the slytherin girl apologised as she turned to the girl thinking she had asked her something, only to have her heart speed up a bit when noticing it was the pretty ravenclaw she was staring at yesterday. the "blood traitor" as pug face called her.

"are you alright?" antoinette asked as she placed a soft hand on the girls shoulder making astoria drop her shoulders feeling safe in the girls presence.

"yeah, just a disagreement with my cousin" she said as vaguely as possible wanting to keep her family business in the family.

antoinette didn't push as she smiled and gestured her head towards the hall, "i'm antoinette blossom by the way" the girl said with a tiny smile as they walked into the hall, ignoring the looks and scowls they got from their houses for interacting.

"well you already know i'm astoria" the girl laughed slightly as she looked at antoinette closely seeing something familiar about the girl but not putting a finger on it. "do i know you from somewhere?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"not that i can remember" antoinette shrugged before stopping in her steps in front of the slytherin table "well i'll be over there, see you around" the mixed girl waved before making her way over to the empty spot next to cho chang's friendship group.

"what took you so long?" margerie asked across from astoria as she looked up from her transfiguration homework with as the girl sat down.

"nothing, just got lost" she lied not wanting to tell her about her cousin, margerie could tell their was something on her mind and just nodded letting it go.

"i see you met antoinette" the blonde spoke up as she pointed her quill behind her to the table where antoinette sat with her nose stuck down a book as though she had been reading it for hours "she's quite strange, but one of the most beautiful girls i've ever seen" margerie said as she continued with her work.

"i can agree with both of those" astoria giggled, not in a mean way but finding it funny how margerie thought the same as her. "what do we have next?" astoria questioned as she raised her head in question.

"defence against the dark arts. with professor lupin" margerie said making astoria tilt her head unaware of the man and not remembering seeing his name when her father told her all the professors of the year.

――――

the gryffindors and slytherins stood in the defence against the dark arts tower, in front of them stood a wardrobe that was shaking slightly. astoria looked around at all of the kids confused faces and wondered how they had never seen a boggart.

"intriguing, isn't it? would anyone like to venture a guess... as to what is inside?" professor lupin said from the back of the class as he walked forward.

"that's a boggart, that is" a boy named dean thomas from gryffindor spoke up from his space in the middle of the gryffindors, astoria and margerie turned at the same time as the slytherins as they had found themselves stuck next to malfoy.

"very good, mr. thomas. now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?" the man asked as astoria changed which foot she held herself up with as she grew impatient.

"no one knows" the girl who was friends with ron and harry spoke up making ron turn to her with wide eyes.

"boggarts are shape-shifters. they take the shape of whatever a person fears the most. that's what makes them so..." she trailed of not knowing how to describe them.

"can you stop fidgeting?" draco asked harshly as he turned to astoria with a bored look in his eyes making her stop.

"sorry, mr. malfoy" she said sarcastically and quite surprised that the boy spoke to her in such a way considering everyone else seemed too scared to even speak to her

"so terrifying, yes, yes, yes... luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. let's practice it now. without wands, please" the man said interrupting their quarrel as he kept his gaze on astoria making the girl feel uncomfortable.

"after me. riddikulus!" remus shouted out as he moved his eyes to harry making astoria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"riddikulus!" the class shouted out all together, well everyone except draco who scowled before pushing himself off the beam he was leaning on.

" a little louder and clearer" lupin instructed them as the class did just that, astoria making sure to be louder to piss off malfoy a bit.

"this class is ridiculous" the blonde snapped to his two goons behind him who stopped talking before he sent a slight glare in astoria's direction.

"very good. so much for the easy part. you see, the incantation alone is not enough. what really finishes a boggart is laughter. you need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. let me explain. neville, would you join me, please?" the man asked as the boy slowly walked up.

"hello. neville, what frightens you most of all?" the man said with a cheerful smile making neville relax.

neville muttered an answer making everyone look at the boy curious what he said. "sorry?" professor lupin asked wanting him to repeat.

"professor snape" neville said earning laughs from the slytherins, especially draco making astoria nudge him with her elbow making the boy wince loudly before groaning.

"professor snape. yes, frightens all. you live with your grandmother" lupin asked as he chuckled at the first sentence with a reminiscent look in his eyes.

"i don't want it to turn into her, either." neville quickly said worried making margerie and astoria let out small breathy laughs, as the boggart shook the wardrobe again.

"no... it won't. i want you to picture her clothes. only her clothes, very clearly, in your mind" the man instructed as he put a hand on neville's shoulder so he also could see the wardrobe.

neville began describing her out loud before professor lupin told him to think it instead, before he cast a spell at it making the wardrobe open, neville's wand at the ready. slowly a look-a-like of professor snape walked out towards neville.

"riddikulus" neville spelled as he pointed his wand at the man before a large ugly hat, red handbag and green dress appeared on snape making the class laugh.

"well done, longbottom!" astoria encouraged earning glares from the slytherins and making neville send her a grateful smile.

"wonderful! okay, to the back neville. everyone form a line" lupin instructed the class as they all did as told, astoria getting stuck behind harry potter and margerie in front of him.

ron walked up before the boggart turned into a large spider making him shake and a small whimper leave his throat as he pulled his wand out yelling "riddikulus" making the spider have roller skates at his feet causing it to fall over.

ron walked back earning high-fives from everyone before it was margerie's turn "wilson, next!" lupin instructed well still laughing at ron's one. the spider turned into a clown making her eyes widen as she froze in fear.

"riddikulus!" she said loudly before the clowns makeup got wiped off and its wig changed making her breath out in relief that she wasn't looking at it anymore.

"wonderful, potter next" the man said as harry walked up with a large smile before the creature began shaking trying to figure out what to change to before a dementor came out. professor lupin ran in front of the boy shouting at the creature causing it to disappear and turn into a full moon as astoria grabbed a hold of harrys cloak pulling him back.

"riddikulus" lupin shouted before the moon turned into a balloon as whizzed around the classroom.

"right. sorry about that. that's enough for today. collect your books from the back. that's the end of the lesson. thank you! sorry! sorry, you can have too much of a good thing." the man said dismissing the class as they all groaned in disappointment before listening

"are you alright, harry?" astoria asked as she pulled the boy out of his frozen trance making him snap his head to her before nodding making her let out a breath of relief.