Author's note:
So, part two, and the second to last chapter. . . i feel oddly sad that I'm almost done. and yet i feel quite satisfied, having finally finished something, for the first time :) or well in a chapter i will have :P
Involuntary Redemption
Asteria was in a state of mix between confusion, disbelief, and empathy. She was mostly confused. The Wizengamot had cleared her completely, with nothing more than a few sentences said by Longbottom. Although, he had become somewhat of a hero after the war. So she suspected that was the reason for it.
Daphne gently led her out of the court-room, and into the corridor. Theo took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. She thought she heard Daphne mumbling under her breathe, but she didn't have the energy to ask her what she was thinking.
"Asteria!" She turned slightly at Longbottom's shout. Daphne hesitated, and Theo looked suspiciously at the man coming towards them.
"Yes?" Asteria asked hesitantly. Longbottom seemed to pause for a moment, and a slight frown appeared on his face.
"Why. . Why didn't you explain about you helping us, at the first hearing?" Longbottom asked with a bit of concern in his voice.
"I don't know." Asteria whispered, almost to herself. It would have been true a moment ago, if she hadn't just remembered. "But. . Thanks." she said without meaning it.
Daphne put an arm around her shoulders, and gave Longbottom a smile, before taking Asteria towards the elevator.
Asteria said nothing until they arrived at Nott Manor, not when people turned they're heads to stare at them, or for anything else. Then she, for some unexplainable reason, started crying uncontrollably. Daphne looked concerned out of her mind, and Theo just looked plain uncomfortable.
"Don't." She stuttered out through her sobs, when Daphne tried to comfort her, and then she ran for her room.
She lied down on her bed, and let herself cry. For once she didn't care that she was being weak or pathetic. Because now she was free, and he was in Azkaban, hundreds of miles away. At least when she was there, it felt like she was closer to him. Now she had to pretend. She was sick of pretending, and sick of lying. And she just wanted him back.
Daphne stared after her as Asteria escaped to her room. She then looked at Theo, who looked back at her with a helpless expression.
"What's wrong with her?" He asked with a frown.
"She's been to Azkaban, I don't think you can come out of there without there being something wrong." Daphne said, and sighed. "We'll give her some time. At least she's back now."
Daphne walked towards the living room and Theo walked into some other part of the Manor.
"I'm not going." Asteria nearly yelled as Daphne slammed her Hogwarts letter down in front of her.
"Asteria, you've practically been given a full pardon, you are going to Hogwarts!" Daphne shrieked, and Theo looked up briefly from his breakfast. Asteria shot him a glare, and he looked back down.
"No, I'm not." Asteria said with stubbornly, while staring down her sister. Daphne's nostrils flared as she breathed out frustratedly.
"You are not seventeen yet, I am your older sister. You don't get to choose." She said furiously. Asteria practically growled at her, and snatched the letter up from the table.
"You are not my legal guardian, so you sure as hell don't get to choose for me." She said and tossed the letter towards the fireplace. Daphne intercepted it before it landed.
"No that would be me." Theo said lowly, and both sisters turned to glare at him.
"Well then tell her she's going!" Daphne shouted, making Asteria turn to glare at her again.
"No Daphne. If she doesn't want to go, I'm not forcing her." Theo said and got up from the table to walk out of the room. Daphne let out a groan, before stomping from the room, and Asteria breathed out heavily before sitting down at the table.
She didn't want to go back. She didn't want to face the students who had all read about both her imprisonment and her release by now. She didn't want to put up a front, and she didn't want to defend herself. And she sure as hell didn't want to look Longbottom in the eye if he came back. He had saved her from Azkaban, well she didn't want to be saved. She wanted to stay locked up, until. . . well until. . . until there was something to come out to. Asteria felt a tang of guilt. She had Theo, she had Daphne. . . but she wanted him too. Draco. . .
Asteria's eyes flashed to where her Hogwarts letter was lying after Daphne must have dropped it. She picked it up and threw it in the flames of the fireplace.
"Just because you're not going back, doesn't mean you're not coming to Diagon Alley with me today." Daphne said bitterly form the door she'd exited a few minutes earlier.
"They're going to see me as a Death-Eater, you do realize that right?" Asteria snapped.
"We're Slytherins. We're all Death-Eaters in their eyes." Daphne said gravely, and left the room again. Asteria groaned, and followed Daphne into the entrance hall.
Asteria had expected it to be bad going out in the world again. Well, it was worse. She concluded as she received yet another glare from strangers on the street.
"How do they know my face, if there was no photos in the article?" Asteria whispered tensely to Daphne.
"I don't know." She said calmly, and walked into Flourish and Blotts. Asteria stayed by the entrance, as Daphne found whatever books she needed, and looked uninterestedly at a few titles.
"Asteria." She froze and turned to face Mrs. Malfoy.
"How did you know I'd be here?" She asked accusingly, not believing it was a coincident. And true enough Mrs. Malfoy nodded towards Daphne.
"I just wanted to apologize. I think you put yourself through a great deal more then you had to because of me." Mrs. Malfoy said serenely. Asteria nodded slightly.
"Well, I don't think it was your intention." She said blankly.
"It wasn't. And I just wanted to tell you, that even though you may not like me, I did know your mother, and she had a way of coming back from even the hardest set-backs. I hope you take after her in that regard." Mrs. Malfoy said with a smile. And Asteria felt a jab at the mention of her mother, but found it oddly soothed.
"As do I." She said lowly.
"Either way, you know I have the Manor to myself now, and I just wanted to let you know you're welcome any time. If you ever need someone to talk to." Mrs. Malfoy said kindly, and headed for the exit.
"Well that was interesting." Asteria murmured, and shook her head slightly.
"Yes I agree." Daphne said from behind her, and Asteria turned to give her a glare.
"It's not polite to listen in on other people's conversations." she snapped. Daphne simply smiled.
"Well, I knew what she'd say. And it's not like you're any better." She said and they walked towards the door.
"Not the point, still impolite." Asteria said casually as they walked down the street with more glares shot their way.
"Theodore. Please tell me you are joking." Asteria said with a scowl, as Theo sat across from her at dinner. Daphne was watching them with a big grin on her face.
"No I'm afraid not, I think you should return to Hogwarts." He said seriously.
"What happened to not making me do anything?" Asteria asked outraged.
"I said force. Making is not the same as forcing." Theo said calmly.
"It's the same thing!" Asteria said with a deeply furious look.
"It might help you forget him." Theo said calmly, and Asteria's scowl immediately disappeared to be replaced by a blank expression. She left the room without a word.
"Besides Daphne already bought the books!" Theo yelled after her, and she snorted loudly.
A/N:
I know it's a little short, but it just fit that it ended here. I hope you liked it, and I'd just like to point out that i'm only two reviews away from fourty. FOURTY! that is insane, but wonderful, and i can't tell you how much that means to me as a writer :D
The last chapter wont be too long, I've had it planned since the middle of the story, and I'm starting as soon as I'm done with this note :P
