A.N: Here is yet another new chapter. I have to say, this is not my personal favourite, and I promise that the next one will be better. But without any more boring text, here it is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Never have, never will.


"Then tell me", he said, "why do you care?"

After those words Draco left. Astoria had no intention of going after him. She was done with him. She was done with his secret and the fact that he'd almost killed someone. Why did she even care? It was obvious that there was nothing she could do to stop him. There was nothing she could do to make things better either. If the Dark Lord had given Draco a task, Astoria wasn't going to get involved. In fact, she decided that she would stay as far away from him and his task as possible.

When Astoria was walking back to the dungeons to get her books (which she had completely forgotten), she suddenly heard someone calling out for her.

"Astoria!" the voice called. Astoria turned around to find that Theodore Nott was running towards her.

"Where on earth are you going in such a hurry?" he asked.

"What do you want?" Astoria asked, she really wasn't on the mood to talk to Theodore or anyone really.

"I want to know if you've had any luck with the thing I asked you to do?" Theodore asked. Astoria rolled her eyes a bit. Of course, Theodore wanted to know if she'd managed to get Daphne to break up with Blaise yet.

"No. Not really. But I'll start today," Astoria assured. Theodore just nodded and continued his way to somewhere else. Astoria was, again, a bit angry. What was it with Slytherin guys? Why did they always just walk away? You know, Astoria thought, the terms 'goodbye' and 'I'll see you later' are invented! You could use them! It's not that hard!

With a small grunt Astoria continued her way towards the dungeons again. When she entered the common room she saw her sister sitting on a couch, alone. Astoria took a deep breath and walked to her.

"So. What have you been doing?" she asked from her sister who was clearly shocked about Astoria's arrival.

"Nothing, why?" Daphne said. Astoria could see that Daphne had no idea why she was asking questions.

"Oh, no reason. I just wanted to ask if there was something you wanted to tell me," Astoria said while looking down at her hands which were on her lap.

"No, I don't think there was anything special. Oh, Astoria, have you heard anything from father?" Daphne asked.

"No, and don't change the subject!" Astoria saw no reason in telling her sistrer about the letter she had sent to her father about Malfoy.

"I don't understand what you mean!" Daphne insisted. Astoria rolled her eyes one more time before turning to look at her sister straight in the eye.

"You're dating Zabini, right?" she said. Daphne eyes widened.

"No!" she said.

"Right! I'm not an idiot you know. I see things. I hear things," Astoria said, "I just thought that you would've told me. I am your sister after all."

"I didn't know that you wanted to know. I thought you hated him," Daphne said. This made Astoria turn to look around the Slytherin common room.

"I do. That's exactly why I thought you'd tell me. And we both know that mother wouldn't have liked him," Astoria said. It hurt her to mention their mother but she had no choice.

"Oh really. Why were you talking to Theodore Nott, by the way?" Daphne asked, turning to glare at her sister,

"No reason. The usual 'what are you staring at blood-traitor?' thing," Astoria was lying but Daphne didn't know that. Daphne didn't even know Astoria could lie. It was a fact that Astoria knew very well. Everyone always assumed that she was telling the truth. After all, why would the childish little blood-traitor girl lie about anything?

"Anyways. I need to go," Astoria suddenly said. She was getting the feeling that the first part of her still unfinished plan was complete.

"Right," was Daphne's answer and soon enough she turned back to the book she had been reading and Astoria went back to her usual spot on the other side of the common room, where no one ever saw her.

While sitting on her lonely place in the corner, Astoria observed her fellow house mates. Her gaze landed on Daphne first. Astoria knew that when she had mentioned their mother to Daphne, she had made Daphne doubt her relationship with Blaise. Because even though Daphne Greegrass would never admit it, her mother had meant just as much to her as she had to Astoria. And Astoria knew that that doubt would only keep growing in her mind.

The next Slytherin to be observed was Blaise Zabini himself. He had just entered the common room, followed by Thodore Nott. Astoria couldn't understand how Theodore could stand being near to Blaise. Not that Astoria had ever really been given any reason to not like Blaise, it was just the tiny fact that he was dating her sister.

Astoria was not surprised when she noticed that Malfoy was not in the common room. Neither was Crabbe or Goyle for that matter. They rarely made an appearance, really. Not that Astoria cared though, she had had enough of Draco Malfoy. But the more she tried to think like that, the more she realized that she really did care about what Draco was doing. 'After all, he might end up killing someone', Astoria thought.

With a shake of her head, Astoria went to get her books and prepare for the days classes.

Astoria was bored out of her mind during all of her classes and she was more than glad to get out when the class finally ended. Astoria was just walking by the hospital wing, when she saw Pansy Parkinson coming towards her. Trying to hide from Parkinson, Astoria opened the door to the Hospital Wing and slipped inside. Once inside she held her breath because she thought she'd seen Pansy looking straight at her.

It was only then that she saw that she wasn't the only person in the Hospital Wing. Someone was lying on a bed not far from her and there was a group of people looking down at the bed. Astoria wanted to vanish into thin air as she noticed who was lying on the bed. It was Ronald Weasley.

Astoria, being rather gifted in potions, knew very well what a poison could do to someone but still it made her sick when she saw Weasley lying on the bed looking almost dead. And it wasn't even that that made Astoria feel sick, it was the fact that she knew very well who had done it.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed that all the people around the bed were staring at her. There was a couple of adults (who Astoria realized to be Mr. and Mrs. Weasley) and the twins, Fred and George Weasley and Neville Longbottom along with Ginny Weasley.

Astoria stood frozen in her place.

"Greengrass?" Ginny Weasley asked, "What are you doing"

Without hesitation Astoria answered. "I'm hiding from Parkinson. I really don't want to duel again."

Ginny nodded but earned a few curious glances from her family members, who knew nothing about this duel Ginny and Astoria spoke of.

Clearing her throat Astoria muttered a small: "I'm going to go now...Sorry."

When she was out of the room, Astoria let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She ran away from the hospital wing as quickly as she could, and did not turn to look back. But if she had, she would've seen a very curious Vincent Crabbe looking after her.


Thank you for reading.