On the night before her return to Hogwarts, Aster was sitting in the living room with Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys. She had taken Mrs. Weasley's advice, and for the last month, made an effort to come out of her room and mingle with everyone. She found it helped immensely, taking her mind off her pain of missing Cedric.
To her surprise, the Weasley twins had a lot in common with members of Slytherin. They were devious, enjoyed tricking people, and were working on starting their own joke shop. The twins made her laugh, and laugh a lot, especially Fred.
Hermione was another great friend, she found out, even if she took schooling too seriously. And that was coming from Aster, the girl who over studied to the point Cedric would even laugh at her. Hermione was extremely smart, and always had loads of advice. She helped Aster make her first successful sleeping potion, and when Aster found she wanted to dabble in other healing spells and potions, Hermione was more than willing to lend her a helping hand.
Ron was interesting as well. He always had snacks at hand, and constantly made sure no one was hungry. He was a bit oblivious, making him a great target for the twins, and was so painfully unaware of Hermione's affections. However, he had a great smile, and was funny at times without even trying.
Harry was easy to talk to, which Aster hadn't been expecting. He always seemed closed off, friendly of course, but it was clear that he only would talk to a select few people. It helped, quite a lot, to talk with him about Cedric. She cried, a lot, and Harry even did a few times, but together, they seemed to heal enough to make a difference.
The hole in Aster's chest seemed to be slowly mending back together. The flames were still there, and at night, they licked hungrily, but it was getting easier.
Fred and George were demonstrating one of their newest inventions, Nosebleed Nougat, part of their collection of Skiving Snackboxes. They each bit one end of the candy, and, slowly but surely, blood started dribbling out of their noses, leading to a steady stream, and they each quickly pressed a cloth to their nose. They bit the other end, swished their wand to make the blood disappear, and bowed proudly as everyone clapped, showing that their product was successful.
"It's all thanks to Harry!" George slung an arm around Harry's shoulder, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"Couldn't be here without ya, mate." Fred agreed, giving Harry a giant hug.
Everyone laughed. They were all in a good mood, as they were going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Aster did feel apprehensive, as she had made 12 Grimmauld Place a safe place for her, but she hoped the familiar memories hidden in the castle wouldn't hurt too badly.
Someone behind Aster cleared their throat, and they all turned to see who it was. To Aster's complete surprise, Severus was standing in the doorway, arms crossed as he looked at her.
"Aster, may I speak with you," Severus paused, his eyes looking disdainfully around the room at the others. "Alone."
Aster nodded, slowly getting up from her seat. She followed him into the room the Order used for meetings, seeing the long table empty. They each took a seat, and Severus paused, his eyes taking in her smaller appearance.
"I apologize for not coming to see you sooner," began Severus. "There has been much I've had to do, in order to keep my cover."
"Yeah, like running right to Voldemort." Aster couldn't help the bitter words slip out of her mouth. Severus' eyes flashed with pain, and he heaved a long sigh.
"Aster," he paused. "I know you must harbor dislike for me with everything you have gone through. I know you are upset that I kept your parentage a secret, and I know you aren't happy that I'm working as a double agent for both The Dark Lord and Dumbledore."
"I just don't understand why," replied Aster bitterly, shaking her head. "Can't you just ignore Voldemort? Dumbledore would be able to protect you."
"It isn't that easy," said Severus carefully. "I am more useful to the downfall of The Dark Lord if I can pass the information along to the Order. If I were not there, slipping the information along, we would be completely blindsided by The Dark Lord's orders."
"I hate it," tears welled in Aster's eyes. "Everything changed, so fast, Cedric died, you weren't my father anymore, and I never got to go home again."
"Aster," Severus seemed to weigh his next words carefully. "I'm still your father. Just because I'm not biologically, doesn't erase the years I did care for you."
Those were the words Aster had wanted to hear for the past two months. She had worried that with her living with her godfather, that Severus no longer wanted anything to do with her. She could understand, now, that she was here only because it was the safest option.
Severus opened his arms, and Aster hugged him tightly. She let her tears soak his thick black cloak as she breathed in his usual scent of cauldron smoke and old books, the smell calming her. They pulled away, and Aster sniffled and wiped away her tears.
"Now, for the hard part," Severus sighed, and his tone grew serious. "I have laid the stage that you are my biological daughter, and that you have gone to live with your mother from the distress your boyfriend's death caused you. As far as anyone knows, you have spent the summer in a small rundown town The Dark Lord wouldn't bother checking. We are estranged, as far as The Dark Lord knows. He has promised not to hurt you.. But with him, you can never be too careful."
"So, I'm on his radar?" questioned Aster, the thought making her blood run cold.
"Not really," Severus said quietly. "Right now, it is your brother… although I fear, when the time comes, Draco Malfoy will be beckoned to join him."
Aster stopped short. The memory of Draco Malfoy buying that book for her, seeming kinder, more human, clashed with the thought of a boy being sought out by Voldemort. "So his parents really are Death Eaters, then?"
"No," Severus shook his head. "Just his father, Lucius. Aster.. This year, more than ever, I need you to stay far away from my god son. Draco is complicated, the boy has his fathers head but his mothers heart, and Lucius has far too much control over him."
"So what are you suggesting I do?" Aster questioned, her eyes narrowing at his train of thought.
"Stay out of his path," Severus said simply. "He is not someone to make friends with. I know there was a time, when you were younger, that you held a friendship with the boy. But that boy is long gone, replaced with a product of his father."
"So I'm just to completely ignore him, as you've instructed me to do every year?" clarified Aster, taking Cedric's scarf in her hands. It was so worn, now, from her rubbing it between her fingers. It had long ago lost his scent.
Severus nodded, his lip curled slightly. "Exactly."
Aster bit her lip. "Okay."
Severus nodded. "Alright. I have to leave soon, I still have to speak with Dumbledore before heading back."
They both got up from the table, and gave each other a hug. Before they left the room, he placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her eyes.
"How have you been dealing with things?" Severus asked her carefully, gauging her expression.
Aster faltered slightly, deflated a bit. "I've been doing alright, I s'pose. Sirius and Harry have both helped me. Harry is good to talk to about things, 'cause he was there with Ced. Sirius taught me a lot of calming and centering methods that helped him to get through Azkaban."
Severus nodded slowly, his distaste for the two showing. Aster got annoyed.
"They're important people to me. Please, just.. Be nicer to them. Try and make amends."
Severus' lip curled. "Very well."
"You know," Aster paused, deciding to say the thought in her mind anyways. "Sirius told me about you and my mum. I find it a bit hypocritical that you tell me to stay away from Draco, when you got upset with others telling the same to her."
Severus opened his mouth, and then shut it again. Aster could tell that he recalled the unrequited childhood crush Aster had harbored for the boy she had grown up with. He opened the door, staying silent.
They left the room then, Severus slipping out the front door, and Aster returning to her overstuffed armchair. Sirius had joined them, and was joking along with the twins about something. Hermione and Ginny had their heads together, and Ron and Harry were just rejoining the twins and Sirius with mugs of Butterbeer.
"Oi, how was your little talk?" Fred asked Aster, pulling away from the group to sit on the armchair of her seat.
"It was fine," Aster said quietly, still mulling over what he had said about Draco. "The cover story is that I'm still his daughter, and that I've been living with my mother this summer."
Fred let out a low whistle. "Blimey. That's morbid, considering the state of things."
Aster nodded, resting her head on his leg. Fred placed a hand on her head, gently weaving his fingers through the strands of hair. Aster shut her eyes in appreciation, listening to the sounds of her family around her.
She had drifted off to sleep when she suddenly was woken by a small nudge, and a soft voice. She kept her eyes shut, wanting to stay curled up asleep on the armchair, but the words she heard made her listen intently.
"Oi, Freddie's got himself a girlfriend," George teased, and Fred quickly shh'd him.
"I do not!" Fred replied hotly, and Aster felt him get up from the chair. "She's a friend, George."
"Right, and dementors are just guards."
The two of them sounded as though they got in a scuffle then, and Aster chose that moment to open her eyes. The two eldest Weasley's were wrestling to the chants of Harry and Ron, and Aster felt a grin grow on her face as she watched.
"Enough!" Molly Weasley appeared, looking rather annoyed. "Off to bed, the lot of you! You've all got a train to catch tomorrow!"
With a grumble, the boys exited the room, Aster following behind. The boys went into their separate rooms, and Aster went into her own. As she lay down on the bed, she stared at the ceiling of 12 Grimmauld Place, fingering Cedric's scarf, and wished she could stay in this moment forever.
hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter! please let me know your thoughts.
-TheFlyingGraysons