A/N- Hello! I hope you're having a great day- as a quick warning this story is very much a fabricated prequel to the HP series (it takes place in the nineteenth century) so if that's not for you then no worries! I promise there are a few familiar faces but also lots of new ones (though if you're determined enough, and have too much spare time, you can find most of them on Pottermore) so read on if that sounds appealing. I'd love feedback but don't feel pressured on that front. I'm rating this T for now, when my paranoia undoubtedly increases, I may change that, haha. Later on I'll probably include trigger warnings as they become relevant.
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Astra Blishwick - One
Astra stared at the ceiling. She knew it probably wasn't Iola Black's fault that she snored like a dragon but still, Astra didn't envy whoever it was that Iola would eventually end up married to. Strands of long dark hair fluttered slightly over the face of the snoring girl as she continued to attack Astra's eardrums. At this rate, Astra would sleep through the entire journey to Hogwarts and likely be left on the train as everyone else headed to the feast.
"Nah," she said to herself in the darkness, "Aug would come and find me. And then yell at me." She sniggered, perhaps a little too loudly, as Iola made a mumbling sound and waved an arm around. Astra watched carefully but her cousin simply rolled over and returned to her snoring. She had probably found sleep a much more welcome companion than Astra had due to her vast experience in the large, creaking house. Astra only visited the Black family home for extravagant occasions and the compulsory one night a year before returning to Hogwarts with her cousins. It was going to be different this year, though.
For the first time, it was just Astra and Iola catching the train from platform nine and three quarters at eleven o'clock the following morning. Every other year Astra had spent at Hogwarts Iola's sister, Elladora, had been with them but she had finished that summer. For the first few years even Phineas, Iola's older brother had been with them, but he was a teacher at Hogwarts now and so they would not see him until they arrived.
Deciding that she might just be a little too cold to sleep, Astra grabbed for her wand in the dark and muttered, "Accio blanket." She was grateful that there was nothing stopping her from using magic outside of school. She had heard Aug mention to her parents that such a law was being considered by the Ministry of Magic but by the time it came into being Astra would be old enough not to let it worry her. Her final year at Hogwarts began tomorrow and Astra was determined to make the most of it.
-AB-
"ASTRA!"
Astra groaned. The sunlight was breaking through the disgustingly embroidered golden curtains and somebody in the house clearly had a death wish.
There was a rapping on the door and Iola's voice floated through it, "Astra come on! Mother says we have to be leaving within the hour!"
Astra frowned, looking to where Iola had been sleeping. The grand bed was now neatly made up and all of Iola's things were gone. Her frown deepened slightly. But, then again, she thought, it wasn't unusual for her to sleep through noise. She had eventually slept through Iola's continual snoring after all.
"Sometime this century please, Astra." She heard her own father calling.
Astra shrugged to herself; if she had until 1900 to get ready then she needn't rush, it was another 31 years. Although, somehow, she had a feeling that wasn't what her father had actually meant. With a groan, she stumbled around, looking for her clothes.
Astra's usual garb consisted of trousers, boots and a loosely tucked in shirt with robes. She owned some more casual gowns, but they were mainly reserved for formal events. She deliberately kept her dirty blonde hair short so that she did not have to spend hours plaiting it into a monstrous bun similar to the one that Iola carried around on her head. Astra had told her more than enough times that there simply must be a spell to do it for her, but Iola insisted that plaiting her hair was calming and enjoyable.
Grabbing her trunk and wand, Astra stalked toward the door. Iola's expectant face greeted her on the other side.
"Ready?" the smaller, dark haired girl asked. Her hair was already pinned up and neat. She had on a simple green dress and was rubbing her hands together furiously.
Astra raised her eyebrow at her cousin, "Are you nervous, excited or just cold?"
"All three!" Iola chimed, "Now come on!"
Astra's father, Jimbo Blishwick, levitated all of their luggage into the carriage that would take them into London and to the train station whilst Iola's mother, Ella Black, fussed over the pair of them relentlessly.
"Oh, Iola darling, you look simply wonderful, we'll have you married to a wealthy pure-blood wizard before the year is out!" Ella Black cooed, brushing her hand against Iola's cheek.
"Mother!" Iola hissed, swatting the hand away, but, unusually, she didn't protest the actual statement. Ella looked slightly put out until she turned on Astra. Astra bit back a groan.
"And you, Astra Blishwick, how do you expect to make a good impression on our dear friend, Master Prince with that choice of clothing, hmm?"
Astra opened her mouth to reply angrily when her own mother appeared, entering the grand entrance hall through the carved wooden doors. Her heels clicked on the marble floor and she cleared her throat.
"Girls, we are leaving." She announced in her commanding tone, "Now."
As much as Astra disliked her mother, she felt relief flood through her. She turned to Ella apologetically and shrugged, "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere, please accept my apologies Mrs Black."
"Goodbye Mother!" Iola called over her shoulder and the two girls hopped into the awaiting carriage.
Astra's mother, Misapinoa Blishwick, soon joined them, her mouth set in a tight line. Astra knew why; Misapinoa despised muggles and anything to do with them, if she had her way then they'd be travelling to the station in a carriage pulled by thestrals but, as it was, horses were being used to avoid any muggle confusion.
There was audible conversation outside of the carriage and then Jimbo clambered in and they began to move. Almost immediately, Misapinoa was at her daughter's throat.
"Ella is right, you know Astra. You are making no effort whatsoever to impress Master Prince and you know how important that is. You are acting as if he is nothing to you when, in fact, he is going to be entirely responsible for your future." The woman snapped. She had wispy brown hair that was pulled back in a bun similar to Iola's. The difference was that Iola didn't always look like she had just sucked an extremely sour lemon.
Jimbo Blishwick shifted uncomfortably next to his wife but she elbowed him sharply. He coughed, "Uh, yes, Astra. Your mother is right. Especially since he has recently hinted at a proposal and-"
"What?!" Astra blurted, "But I can't stand Constantin, he's a nightma-"
"Be quiet, Astra!" Misapinoa ordered harshly.
Astra chanced a glance at Iola who was, conveniently, staring wistfully out of the carriage window. Trust Iola not to be there when she needed her. Astra gritted her teeth.
"Constantin Prince, and that is Master Prince to you, is an honourable man of good family and pure blood. To question that would be to question your own sister and we will not stand for it."
"Sit for it then." Astra muttered, earning her a glare from her mother.
"Now, now, Astra." Jimbo said, not unkindly, "You'll come to see soon that this is the best path for you. The Princes are good friends of ours and Eily is most happy about her match with Valentin, you know that. Take a leaf out of Iola's book and just enjoy the knowledge that your future is well catered for. Now, who would like to bet on when the baby will come?"
Astra ignored the following conversation about when her sister, Eily, would finally give birth to the baby inside her ever-swelling womb. Her parents always insisted that Eily was happy married to Valentin Prince but Astra wasn't convinced. The man was cold and rude, much like his younger brother Constantin. And, not to mention, he was more than twice Astra's age. Of course, Eily was older than Astra by nine years, but there was still a considerable gap between her and Valentin.
Astra watched her cousin weigh in on the due date. How did Iola manage it? She too was expected to marry a pure blood wizard within the year, and it would most likely be a reasonably close relative of theirs, given the Black family obsession with pure blood. But Iola did not seem bothered in the slightest. Perhaps it was because her sister, Elladora, had not been married off yet and that gave her some hope of more time. But Astra wasn't sure. Surely there must be some worry in the girl? Astra's worst fear was ending up as a mother, dependent on a much older pure blood wizard to provide for her and their children. Maybe Iola wanted that future? Something told Astra that that was unlikely.
As the carriage trundled along an exceptionally bumpy pathway, Astra's mind flicked to her school friends. It was the last year she would be able to spend with them, since none of them met her family's standards, and it was important that she enjoy it.
-AB-
Kendra Frey was ready and waiting at the crack of dawn. Her parents weren't quite so enthusiastic.
"Kenny dear," Her mother mumbled, rubbing her eyes, "we don't need to leave for another few hours."
"That may be so, mother, but I wanted to have everything ready before Percy comes to visit so that I needn't rush him." Kendra said. Her mother muttered something that sounded like "Alright then." before disappearing back into the bedroom she had emerged from. Kendra sat, listening to the birds and drumming her fingers on the solitary table that occupied their one living space. They were lucky, she knew, to have the tiny house to themselves. Just one street down from them, several families shared each house, living in disturbingly cramped conditions and always looking as if they had climbed out of a grave. Kendra liked to convince herself that she allowed these people first chance at the communal water tap because they were so poor and uncared for, but she knew in her heart that she did it to avoid them and that was even worse.
Kendra wished she could use her magic to help her parents. Maybe to do daily tasks for them and make their lives easier, but they wouldn't let her. Her muggle parents were not opposed to magic, but they did not wish to use it to their own advantage. They told Kendra that it was because they'd have nothing to keep them going if not the daily tasks, but Kendra knew it was because they did not want anyone nearby finding out she had magic. If they did, she would most likely be ambushed by crowds of desperate people asking for help. Kendra's parents didn't want that for her.
The sound of sloppy footsteps signalled Percival Dumbledore's arrival and Kendra leapt up to allow him in. His pale face looked worried and she frowned.
"Sorry," he murmured, "I just can't stand seeing how these people have to live. I wish I could help them."
"Agreed." Kendra said, before rushing to throw her arms around him. "I've missed you." She said, her voice coming out muffled against his woollen jumper.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, "I've missed you too, Kenny. Sorry I couldn't come sooner; I've been held up for so long at the Ministry."
Kendra told him not to worry about it and gave him a quick kiss before they both sat down at the decrepit table. They spoke for a long while about Percival's new job at the Ministry, under Faris "Spout-Hole" Spavin, one of the oldest Ministers for Magic there had ever been.
"Honestly, Kenny, he's like a skeleton with skin, creeping around corners as if he thinks Death is trying to catch him off-guard!" Percy insisted, Kendra giggling uncontrollably.
And then, "Do you think you'll ever see Blishwick again? After this year, I mean." He asked quietly.
Kendra squeezed his hand to let him know it was alright that he had asked. After all, Percy did know Astra. He had only been one year above them at school and Kendra often hung around with Astra even after she started courting Percy.
"I don't know, Percy." She sighed, "I'd like to think so, but I also know that Astra is under immense pressure to do as her family wants, not as she wants."
"Yeah, they're like that, those pure bloods." Percival said, scratching at the table-top.
"Astra's not." Kendra asserted.
There were a few seconds of silence and then she piped up, "I think Kerrick and Venusia might want to work in the Ministry next year."
"Kerrick and….." Percy bit his lip in concentration for a while and then, "Ah, Shacklebolt and Crickerly?"
Kendra nodded, remembering Percy's annoying habit of calling her friends by their surnames.
"Interesting," he mused, "Shacklebolt's certainly the type to do well in the Ministry. Crickerly, now that's an intriguing one."
"I think she'd be brilliant." Kendra said, daring Percy to disagree. He caught her stare and chuckled, "Right you are, Kenny. I'll put in a word for her then."
Kendra's face lit up. Venusia would faint when she told her.
