AN: OK, I'm SOOOoOoo sorry about the late update! I've been trying to get a schedule by prewriting some chapters. Thanks so much for all the support. Everyone, Happy Whatevr You Celebrate, and OH MY GOSH I am JUST SOOOOO HAPPY TO BE DONE WiTH THIS CHAPTERRRRRR!

Date Updated: 12/31/2020

WORDS: 4138

To make up for it, I present an extra-long chapter and some great recommendations!

Reccs:

Slytherin's Princess by skigirl51 : Hermione a Slytherin. Dramione.

Aspirations Forged Manipulations by skigirl51 : Draco's twin sister x Harry. Grey Harry.

Now, there are lots of good LONG fics, but how about an amazing short one?

Read A Death Eater's Son by Ebenbild. Short and sweet.

Like Time-Travel fics? Why dontcha read A Slytherin Through Time by Mikill? It's our favorite Slytherin, Drakey-Drake, all the way back!

Tomione?

Try Addendum: He Is Also A Liar by Ergott - Time Travel, but Childhood Friends.

Or even Birds of a Feather by babylonsheep.

Pygmalion by Colubrina isn't bad, but there are quite a lot of lemons.

And oh! Like Twin-AUs?

How about A Tale of Two Sides by Emiliya Wolfe? In which James Potter has a Slytherin Twin!

So Above, So Below by Cassia4u is in-prog, and isn't too bad!

I think I already recommended To Be A Slytherin by Morgana Deryn.

Calla Potter by LeFoxx is good.

Oh! Sirius-Has-A-Child fics are always awesome.

Black Bond by Rajatarangini is awesome, but there are a lot of lemons because it includes Sirius' daughter x Harry with a Soul Bond.

Green Light in the Dark by AStrangeHopefulDreamer is in-prog, it includes a Raised-By-Walburga daughter, I do like it.

Renewal by Azenor Sage is awesome! It's Regulus Black reborn as Sirius' child - an amazing must-read.

And I just checked out Black's Daughter by Siriuslyy Serious, it's awesome.

The best one ever: As Black As Night by Roses and Lavender.

I invented a spell: Confractus Ossa, literally meaning "break bones" in Latin. :)

Also, please note I do NOT own the potions recipe - I got it from the Harry Potter wiki.

"Duel?!" Astra asked, a bit of fear bleeding into her voice.

"Duel, Astra." Grandfather confirmed.

"Like, a duel with..spells…and lights?" Draco's voice quivered.

"Yes, Draco. A duel." Grandfather said impatiently.

"But…we don't know how!" Draco protested.

"What do you think I'm here for, child?" Grandfather rolled his eyes. "I shall be your teacher for Occlumency, Legilimency, if you have the affinity, and Battle Magic, though of course I cannot teach you everything. You should be miles ahead of the other children at your school when you go."

His face creased, "do not mistake me for a nice teacher. You shall follow my rules or you shall leave."

"Yes, Grandfather," Astra and Draco chorused.

"List the spells you know," he ordered.

"Wingardium Leviosa…" Astra started nervously.

"Lumos," Draco said.

"And, uh Alohomora?" Astra tried.

Grandfather rolled his eyes. "Bah! All useless! Today I will teach you a spell you can use in a duel." His eyes glinted. He waved his wand, and thirty human-sized white dummies appeared.

"Confractus Ossa!" He slashed his wand sideways, pointing at one particular dummy. A sickly purple light shot from his wand and instantly a web of cracks were blasted into the center of the dummy's chest. "The Bone-Breaking Curse. Quite powerful. Perfect for shattering the skulls of your opponents. Try it, Draco."

Draco stepped forward nervously and tried to copy Grandfather's motions. "C-Confractus Ossa!" He managed to shout. A faint purple light shone from his wand and a small crack appeared in the dummy.

He frowned. "Why didn't it work?"

"You are a child," Grandfather explained simply. "You do not have the magical ability to perform such a spell."

"Then why did you teach it to us?!" Draco whined.

"What color was the spell?" Grandfather startled her by changing the subject.

"What?" Astra and Draco asked at the same time confusedly.

"What color?" He repeated.

"Purple?" Astra said tentatively.

"Yes, purple." He agreed.

"So…" Astra just stood there.

"There are three types of magic." Grandfather startled her again.

"What?" Astra and Draco asked again.

"They are Dark, Grey, and Light." He continued. "Dark magic is represented by colors such as black, green, and purple. Grey is represented by blue, red, and of course, grey. Light magic is represented by white and white alone, because there are few spells that are purely light. Do you know why?"

His gaze landed on Astra.

She quivered a little.

Grandfather answered for her. "No. You do not. The answer is that the spell must be able to only be used for good intent. Wingardium Leviosa, for example, can be used to Levitate someone off a building and kill them. Albus Dumbledore and his fools classify all the magic learnt at Hogwarts as Light, when truly, those spells are anything but.

"Now tell me, Astra - what type of magic was Confractus Ossa?" He asked her.

"Dark." She asserted.

"Correct," he nodded approvingly. "Draco."

"Yes, Grandfather?" Draco looked him in the eye.

"What type of magic, say, would be Alohamora?" He asked.

"Um...Grey?" Draco bit his lip nervously.

"Yes." Grandfather said.

Astra smiled a little. It was good to see her brother so in his element.

"Now, you perform the spells all in one. This will expand your magical core…a little." He nodded at them.

Astra and Draco both took out their wands.

"Lumos, now!" Grandfather commanded.

"Lumos." The white light appeared on Draco's, shining prominently. Astra's too shone beautifully.

"Wingardium Leviosa, please," Grandfather said as he gracefully waved his wand and a feather appeared out of thin air.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Astra said loudly. The feather flew above Grandfather's head.

"Draco?"

"Wingardium Leviosa," Draco said. The feather rose in a similar manner.

"Good job, children." Grandfather gave them a slight nod. "That is enough for today. Now, we shall move on to Occlumency-"

"What's Occlumency?" Astra blurted out curiously.

Grandfather fixed her with a startling glare. "Do not interrupt me, child!" A little anger seeped into his voice.

Astra quailed. "'M…'M sorry, Grandfather," she mumbled.

"Good." Grandfather's voice was businesslike again quickly. "Occlumency is the study of blocking the mind from an art called Legilimency, which enables the caster to see one's innermost thoughts by looking them in the eyes."

"Oh." Astra said meekly.

"Today, you shall simply clear your mind. We shall not start practice for many days." He informed them.

"Boooring…," Draco groaned.

"Be patient, Draco. We are Malfoys. It is unbecoming of you," Grandfather chided.

"Sorry," Draco said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Now, clear your mind." Grandfather instructed.

"Uh...How?" Astra mustered up the courage to ask.

"Close your eyes and think about something that pacifies you. Something that would calm you, steady you."

Astra, in her mind's eye, saw raindrops, falling from the sky. She shuttered all her thoughts to the back of her mind, imagining them as raindrops, getting absorbed by the ground.

Raindrops.

"Good, Astra!" Grandfather's proud voice broke through her reverie.

"Thanks.." She said shyly.

She saw an angry frown work it's way onto Draco's face.

Quit moping.

I am NOT moping.

Are.

NOT.

"What were you thinking of?" Grandfather asked.

"Raindrops," Astra admittezd.

"Try it, Draco," Grandfather suggested.

"It won't work." Draco said.

"Try it." Grandfather insisted.

"Okay.." Draco closed his eyes.

Astra watched passively as her brother visibly relaxed, a passive smile appeared on his face.

She stayed silent for a long time until Draco opened his eyes.

"Hooray!" Astra cheered for her brother, a giant smile on her face.

"Hooray," Draco agreed.

Grandfather looked down to check his watch. "I must take my leave of you now. ," he said coolly.

The door banged open. "Father, I have him!" Lucius said as he entered the room.

Astra and Draco exchanged curious glances. Who was he?

"Ah, yes," a fond smile appeared on Grandfather's face.

An average heighted, black haired, hook nosed man entered the room behind Lucius.

"This is my Potions Master, Severus Snape. I shall let Lucius introduce him."

And then he twisted on the spot and Apparated away.

Abraxas entered his oldest friend's home quickly and swiftly without waiting for an invitation.

"Ah," Tiberius Nott was unsurprised, "Abraxas." He glanced at his watch - centuries old - "You're late."

"Just a minute, Tiberius," Abraxas informed him peevishly, "I with my granddaughter."

"Potter?" Tiberius raised an eyebrow.

"Malfoy." He corrected.

There was a pregnant pause.

"I have a grandson about her age." Tiberius said abruptly. "Theodore. He is intelligent, he has inherited the brains of the Nott scholars of old.."

"Yes, I believe Lucius mentioned him." Abraxas was confused.

"A betrothal, perchance, should truly...assuage all doubts." Tiberius suggested.

"I do not think so. My granddaughter is a headstrong young girl, and I daresay she will not allow anything other than a partner of her own choosing." Abraxas said stoically.

"What, Brax?" Tiberius's laughter was bitter. "Are you hoping for a great love story? An epic tale of the lost granddaughter finding her one true love?"

"You, of all people, would know about a love story, Tiberius." Abraxas reminded him.

Tiberius's face creased as he became lost in old memories…

"SLYTHERIN!"

Tiberius grinned at Abraxas as he ran over to the table. Abraxas punched his arm playfully, "I knew you'd get in."

"And I, you," Tiberius agreed. He saw a mousy brown-haired girl with a fair complexion start speaking to...ah, Elladora Selwyn, Abraxas's betrothed.

"Your fair lady, how is she?" Tiberius elbowed him with a grin.

"Elladora? She's fine, though I don't believe we've formally met yet," he answered as Riddle, Tom was Sorted into Slytherin.

"Riddle, Tom?! That's not a pureblood name," The brown-haired girl said. She narrowed her eyes, "who is he?"

"I don't know…" Tiberius murmured softly.

"Honestly, Sacred 28 or no, that brown-haired girl - Shafiq - is such a Ravenclaw! Her nose is always in her books!" Abraxas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Tiberius agreed, "she is."

Around his third year, he started to notice Evanna Shafiq who had an older brother in Ravenclaw hanging around that Riddle mudblood quite a bit.

"Tom, I don't think that's how the equation works," she said quietly.

"Evanna," Riddle told her, "it does, you see. The integer fits quite interestingly with the equivalent fraction."

Shafiq glanced at her homework and smiled, "you're right, Tom! Thanks for the help!" She kissed him on the cheek.

She kissed him!

He saw Abraxas glare at her angrily. "Shafiq! Why are you kissing a mudblood?!"

Shafiq's hazel eyes were like unforgiving embers. "Don't insult my friend, Malfoy! Come on, Tom! Let's go." She turned on her heel and dragged Riddle up and she walked away.

Abraxas rolled his eyes. "What a blood traitor," he said and Tiberius watched on.

Tiberius couldn't forget the kiss. He couldn't forget Evanna - when had he started to call her Evanna? - 's face, her beautiful smile as her lips fell on Riddle's cheek…

He looked around. Nobody was awake. He saw Riddle a few bunks over, his face placid.

He rolled over and got out of his bed. Tiberius tiptoed silently towards Riddle.

He raised his wand.

Then, he saw Evanna's hazel eyes, and he imagined what it would feel like to have her burning rage set upon him.

No, no no!

He never wanted her like that. He wanted her smile, her beautiful smile directed at him, not stupid Riddle.

He slowly walked back to his bed and closed his eyes.

A little sigh escaped his lips, and he fell asleep, a beautiful brown girl flying through his dreams.

In his fourth year, he realized what was wrong with him.

He had a crush.

And he decided the only way to work this out was to make Evanna Shafiq love him back.

He tried everything. He got close to her friends to get close to her, he asked her out repeatedly, he told Abraxas to lay off Riddle(stupid Riddle, what did he know), and Evanna got prettier and prettier as the weeks past.

She had certainly filled out nicely, he mused as he began to walk towards her.

As usual, she refused.

So he decided it was time for some drastic action.

He failed all of his homework.

He got a Howler from his mother.

But he didn't stop failing.

The teachers hired Evanna to tutor him.

Around the third lesson or so, they started using first names. Around the sixth, she kissed him.

"E-Evanna?" He whimpered.

"Ask again," she said softly.

"Evanna Shafiq...will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Yes."

"I do remember, Abraxas. I remember." He said, his voice layered.

"We must adapt, Tiberius! The times are changing! Betrothals are simply a crude way to produce heirs." He sniffed.

"You would say that. You have two grandchildren who may sire heirs, I have but one." Tiberius told him.

"Let us stop this idle chatter." Abraxas said.

"Yes," Tiberius agreed.

Snape looked a little out of place in the white room. When his gaze fell upon Astra, she saw a little longing, fondness, and white-hot rage. She ducked her head a little, feeling perturbed.

"Uncle Severus!" Draco cried. "You haven't been in so long!" He grinned and ran into the sallow man's arms.

A twinge of jealousy ran through her. Stupid Snape.

Who's he, anyways?

Your godfather!

What?!

He's our godfather!

YOUR godfather.

Ours.

I don't even know him!

Well, you didn't know me. Try and get to know him. Severus's nice!

"Uh...hi?" Astra tried.

"Potter," Snape said.

"Nah-uh." She shook her head. "Malfoy."

Something in Snape's eyes seemed to clear, and Astra got the feeling she'd just passed a test of some kind.

"Draco, let go," Snape - Severus - said.

Draco released him with a sheepish smile. Severus smiled back at him, an expression that oddly seemed to fit.

"I shall teach you Potions," Severus said. He snapped his fingers. "Tripsy!"

A house-elf appeared. "Yes, Master Severus?"

"Bring me my supplies." Severus said.

"Yes, Master Severus." Tripsy spun and with a crack disappeared.

Severus made eye contact with Astra again, and the anger had disappeared. Now there was only wariness, and perhaps a bit of longing still.

The house-elf popped back in, this time with three cauldrons, numerous potions ingredients, two heavy set books, and a table(with chairs).

"Sit." Severus instructed.

Hesitantly, Astra and Draco took their seats.

"Today, you shall brew the Cure for Boils. Do you know what it does?" Severus asked.

Astra didn't know, but apparently Draco did.

"It...removes your boils, I think?" Draco asked a little unsteadily.

"Correct," Severus nodded approvingly. "Here is the list of ingredients. Read and assemble them."

He leaned forward and opened Astra's book up. On the page was a headline with large letters that read, Cure for Boils from the Book of Potions.

Below, there was a list of ingredients. Draco opened his book to the same page and they started reading.

Crushed snake fangs.

How many? Astra wondered. She looked over her ingredients and grabbed ten. Just in case.

Two Punguous Onions.

Silver knife.

Well, it's a bit obvious that I'll need it…

Dried nettles.

Flobberworm Mucus.

Powdered ginger root.

Pickled Shrake spines.

Stewed horned slugs.

Porcupine quills.

Ah! Astra thought as she finished collecting. Since the snake fangs weren't crushed, ginger root wasn't powdered, the Shrake spines weren't pickled, and the horned slugs weren't stewed, she figured she'd have to do some preparation.

Astra crushed the snake fangs easily with the pestle.

Then, she started mashing the ginger root into powder as the recipe suggested. Once it seemed as squashed as it could be, Astra set the pestle aside and moved on to the Shrake spines.

Now how do you pickle something? She wondered. Should she ask Severus? No. She wanted to make him like her like he liked Draco, so he'd surely like her if she did everything right.

She took the pickles and mashed them into pickle-mush. Astra rolled the Shrake spines around in it, hoping it would work.

Horned slugs...how did she stew horned slugs? What did that even mean? She decided to risk rolling the slugs around in pickle mush.

"Done," she said quietly.

"Me too!" Draco added.

Severus swooped over them like a bat. He started with Draco. "Good, good, Draco. However if you had read ahead, you'd know that the potion calls for six crushed snake fangs, not seven."

Uh-oh! Astra quickly removed some of her crushed snake fangs out and threw them on the floor wildly as she watched Severus pull out a small handful of crushed fangs and put them in his pocket.

"Your ginger root is not powdered and your Shrake spines are not pickled." Severus informed Draco. "Get to it."

Draco glanced a little helplessly after him. Astra took pity on her brother and sent him the image of what she had done through the mind link.

Thanks so much.

No problem.

"And...Astra." He surveyed her work. A little smile came onto his face. "So you have inherited your mother's talent."

"Mother?" Astra asked confusedly.

"Lily." Severus corrected. The smile disappeared and he was businesslike again. "Your snake fangs - crushed nicely, though it looks like you have unfortunately put five and a half fangs instead of six." He removed a pinch of fangs from his pocket and sprinkled them into the bowl.

"Unlike your brother, you powdered the ginger root and pickled the Shrake spines." He said. "Good work. Very inventive, your strategy for the Shrake spines.."

Astra grinned at him proudly. "Thanks, sir!"

"However…"

The grin fell off.

"Rolling the slugs in pickle juice was not the way to do it. May I ask what you were thinking?" Severus demanded.

"I-I thought that it would s-s-stew them." She whimpered.

His eyes softened. "A creative idea, but the horned slugs were pre-stewed by me. Stewing is not an assignment I'd give to even a First Year." He waved his wand and vanished the pickle juice.

"Okay..thank you." Astra said, a little downcast.

The rest of the brewing was easy for both her and Draco. She was quite proud of her work when she showed it to Severus, and he smiled and said if this was her work in his class he would give it an Outstanding.

The next day, Daphne came over.

And she brought her sister.

"This is Astoria," Daphne introduced her. "She's my twin."

"Why didn't she come over with you?" Asked Draco.

"I was in Saint Mungos," The thin, black haired girl who only had her pale blue eyes in common with Daphne said.

"Why?" Astra and Draco asked at the same time.

"Sickness." She shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Sucks, Astoria." Astra, who had been sick many times back at the Dursleys', said sympathetically.

"What d'you wanna play?" Draco asked them, the matter of Astoria's sickness promptly closed.

"Quidditch," Astra, Daphne, and Astoria said in unison.

Draco scoffed. "You guys are girls!"

Astra narrowed her eyes. "We are."

"So?" Astoria suddenly didn't look so frail.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Daphne asked dangerously.

Draco should have seen the warning signs…

"Girls can't play," he said obviously.

Astoria punched him in the face.

He reeled back, blood spurting from his nose.

Daphne and Astra laughed hysterically.

"Hey!" Draco whined. "You're supposed to be on my side Astra!'

"Not when you deserve it!" Astra laughed some more.

"My father will hear about this!" Draco yelled.

"Uh-huh, your father will hear about how you, the 'illustrious heir to Malfoy' got punched by a girl? In his nightmares!" Daphne cackled.

"You still can't play Quidditch!" Draco said smugly.

Daphne, Astoria and Astra shared a glance.

"Oh, can't we?" Astoria asked him.

"Prove it." Astra challenged.

"Fine! Me and...Astoria, a chase for the Snitch!" Draco yelled.

Astra glanced a little nervously at her new friend.

Astoria looked determined. "Fine."

And so that was how four children ended up on the Malfoy family Quidditch Pitch, two of them sporting Comet 140s and preparing to ride.

"Best out of three!" Astra shouted as Daphne opened her palm, and the Snitch zoomed out, racing past Astoria and Draco, swerving around them, glinting in the sunlight.

Astoria leaned forward, her eyes narrowed into slits. She sped forward like a bullet, her broom angling towards the Snitch.

Draco was hot on her tail, his broom following Astoria's with ease.

"HA!" Astoria shouted gleefully. "IIIIIIIIII'm WINNING!"

"YOU WISH!" Draco screamed back. He got faster. Astoria suddenly stopped.

What is she...oh. Astra realized. The Snitch wasn't there.

Try as she might, she couldn't spot it. "GUYS!" she yelled, "Where's the Snitch?!"

"WE DON'T KNOW!" Astoria yelled back.

Astra looked up.

She saw the Snitch hovering above her head.

It was out of the Pitch! It was in the stands!

"Here!" She called. "The Snitch, it's here!"

Draco and Astoria swiveled their heads in unison. It was almost funny the way they both hurtled forward.

They followed the Snitch around the stands. This went on for the next thirty minutes, and slowly Astra and Daphne began to get bored.

"You think they'll catch it?" Astra muttered.

"Yeah...in a few months," Daphne answered grumpily.

They watched Astoria and Draco fly, and finally Astra slapped her hand on the case that held the other Quidditch balls. "Let's go."

She grabbed two Comet 140's and hauled them over.

"Astra, what?!" Daphne asked.

"Let's go get the Snitch!" Astra grinned as she mounted the broom.

"What the- oh, alright," Daphne sighed as she unsteadily boarded the broom. The broom wobbled, and it became obvious that Daphne did not have her twin's talent.

Astra held back a snicker. Unfortunately, Daphne saw it. "Oh, thanks," she huffed. "Now come on. We've got a Snitch to catch!"

She managed to maneuver her broom forward. Astra flew closer to her and said soothingly, "I've gotcha."

They rose, heading for Draco and Astoria, who were still racing around the stands. "ASTORIA! DRACO!" She screeched.

"Wha- Astra?" Draco gaped. "What are you guys doing?"

"Helping you with the Snitch," Daphne informed him coolly.

"But - we're playing! Not you!" Astoria protested.

"Nuh-uh-uh, we're here to give you the help you need!" Astra waggled a finger at her mockingly.

"Teams! Team Blue - you and Draco - versus Team Red - me and Astra!" Suggested Daphne.

"First Team to catch the Snitch wins!" Astra added.

"Fine," Draco groaned.

"ALRIGHT THREE TWO ONE GO!" Astoria shrieked, and the 'Teams' were off.

The little gold ball was sprinting around the stadium with four spindly children in tow.

Astra sped up a little, and like a whip, got past Draco, Astoria, and Daphne. She was about one foot away from the Snitch.

"HEEEEELP!" Someone screamed.

Fear was like a lightning bolt as Astra turned around -

And then watched Astoria and Draco speed ahead of her.

"Hey! You cheated!" She yelled.

"All's fair in love and Quidditch!" Draco called back.

"Ugh!" She groaned.

Draco and Astoria neared the Snitch.

Their fingers touched it.

And closed around it.

"MINE!" Astoria whined.

"No, it's MINE!" Draco whined back.

"Can't you stupids just share?" Astra asked annoyedly.

They looked at her like she was insane.

Then the three continued squabbling even as they flew to the ground until finally, Daphne snapped.

"SHUT UP! All of you, shut freaking up!"

Astoria, Draco and Astra looked at her with identical guilty expressions.

"Astoria - it's just a bloody Snitch! Make like a tree and deal with it! Draco - your team won anyways, what's the trouble?! And Astra - yelling at them doesn't help! At all!" She shouted angrily.

"We're sorry," They chorused.

"Yes, you are. Now let's go inside." She stuck her nose in the air and marched away.

From that moment on, Astoria Greengrass was one of Astra's best friends.

AN: Oh my GOSH, I am SO GLAD this is DONE, I had one of my biggest writers' blocks ever here! Anyways prepare for an extra-large time-skip all the way to Diagon Alley, in which we meet...HERMIONE! Happy New Year, all!