Pain- has an element of blank- it cannot recollect when it began- or if there were a time when it was not.-Emily Dickinson "Pain"
Astra woke lazily from a very terrible dream. She had for some reason dreamt about Malfoy and his two goons. She swore that she felt each punch they had inflicted on her. She tried to move out of the bed but felt a surge of pain. She cried out. Instantly she felt a hand touch her gently. She withdrew from the touch.
"Astra honey. It's mom." She heard her mother's soothing voice. "Mom?" Astra opened her eyes and they welled with tears of pain. "Where am I? I hurt so badly."
"I know honey; you're in the hospital wing." 'It wasn't a dream?' She thought terrified. 'Malfoy actually attacked me?' panic rose in her throat. 'What if he comes back to finish the job?' Was her final thought.
"What happened Astra?" her mother asked softly. "Do you remember?" "Yes." She croaked "I was attacked."
"Do you know by who?" her mother asked hoping that her answer was not Malfoy. "Draco." Was all she could get out.
Serena's hope diminished with that answer. "You need to drink this dear." Madam Pomfrey said entering the room with a glass of foul smelling drink.
"What's in it?" Astra asked taking the glass. "Why does it matter?" Madam Pomfrey asked "if it will make you feel better."
"I don't drink anything unless I know what is in it." Astra said stubbornly. "It's a simple healing potion mixed with a sleeping drought. That is all you need to know Miss Snape." Madam Pomfrey told her sternly. "You are too much like your father you know."
"What do you mean?" Astra asked. "He wouldn't take a potion when he was given it without knowing what was in it either." Madam Pomfrey snorted.
Astra shrugged and drank the potion as fast as she could without having to taste most of it. She gagged as she handed the glass back to Madam Pomfrey.
Just then the door to the hospital wing opened. From behind the curtain she heard her father's voice. "Any change?"
"Daddy!" Astra croaked "Astra?" Severus came around the curtain. He knelt beside her bed. "Thank Merlin." He muttered as he kissed her forehead. "You had us so worried."
"I'm sorry daddy." She sobbed. "Mom." "Oh sweetheart don't cry." Serena soothed her daughter.
"We're just glad that you are awake." Severus said. "I should go and get Sarul. He'll be so relieved." "Please don't go daddy." Astra pleaded.
"I'll be right back Astra." he promised her. "Okay." She said sitting back with a groan.
Severus closed the door behind him. It was breakfast time so he knew where to find Sarul. He headed to the great hall with all the swiftness of a bird. He got to the double doors and was about to enter when he heard a voice behind him.
"Ah. Severus." Dumbledore said cheerfully. "How is the child?" "All is well Albus. She has finally awakened." Severus said brightly.
"Well and good, Severus. I am happy to hear that." "Thank you. I was just coming to fetch Sarul." Severus told him.
"Well then I won't keep you." Severus nodded and entered the great hall. He quickly made his way to the Slytherin table and stood behind Sarul. He bent down and whispered so only his son could hear.
"She's awake." Sarul's head shot up and he turned to face his father. "Really?" he said excited.
Severus nodded and Sarul jumped up out of his seat and bolted out the door of the great hall before Severus could even blink. Severus started for the doors to leave when a hand touched his cloak.
"Professor?" Harry said weakly. "Please. I just want to know. Is she okay?" "Yes Potter. She's fine. She just woke up a moment ago. I'm sure she would like to see you, if you would like to come up later. But right now it will just be family."
"I understand." Harry said "Thank you." Snape nodded and left. Heading back to the hospital wing. When he got there he heard a strangled cry and feared that the worst had happened. He rushed in to see his children embrace with tears running down their faces. He stood back and admired his family.
'Well. I can't have done that bad.' He thought. 'At least when it counts their still there for each other.' He moved beside Serena and placed a hand on her shoulder. They looked at each other briefly, and then turned their attention back to the children.
After her family left her to sleep (even though she was not truly tired) Astra heard a knock on the door. Madam Pomfrey answered it.
"No she can't have visitors right now. She is sleeping." Madam Pomfrey whispered. "Actually ma'am I'm very much awake." Astra said
"Oh!" Madam Pomfrey said pulling back the curtain a bit. "You're supposed to be asleep young lady!" Astra shrugged, and then winced with pain. "Not really tired I guess." She said through gritted teeth. "Who is it?"
"It's me!" Harry shouted. Madam Pomfrey gave him a stern look and Harry blushed.
"it's okay Madam Pomfrey. I'll see him." "But you're supposed to be asleep!" Madam Pomfrey protested.
"True. But I can't sleep so what good is that kind of reasoning doing you?" Astra said sweetly. "Kids!" Madam Pomfrey muttered throwing her hands in the air and walking away.
"You know of course that she won't give up." Harry said walking toward the bed. "I know. But it sure was fun to exasperate her!" Astra giggled.
"So how you feeling?" Harry asked tentatively. "Like I was put through a meat grinder." She winced "Twice."
"Ugh." Harry made a face of disgust. "Man if I could only get that jerk alone. I'd make him pay." "Look. Revenge is not going to get you anywhere but into trouble Harry." Astra told him. "As much as I'd like to see him pay. He's just not worth it. Let it go Harry."
"I can't." Harry said looking at the floor. "You're like the little sister I never had but always wanted. I can't let it go." "You can and will Harry." She said. "Harry look at me." He looked up. "You can."
"I guess so." He said soberly. "Well on a cheerful note. My brother promised not to prank me until I was better. So..." she trailed off for a moment then said "We'll just have to get him before then!"
Harry chuckled. "Can't give it a rest for even the time to recuperate huh?" "Are you kidding?" she said in mocked astonishment. "And miss the opportunity of a life time? No way!"
Harry shook his head. "Alright." He said sitting down on her bed. "What's the plan?"
Before Astra had been attacked she had read in Padfoots journal about an exceptionally funny prank that they had played on her father. She asked Harry to retrieve the journal from her room (he had to ask Hermione to get it). Then she described everything he would need to do for the prank. She had been trying this on her kitty Starla before and figured out how to rotate the colors. What was supposed to happen initially was the person (or animal) was hit with the caliapernum charm and it turned them rainbow colors. Then say the strutavarius charm and the colors would move around like a strobe light. Since she wouldn't be able to leave her bed it would be up to Harry to do this. The day that they had arranged for the prank to be pulled Astra was sitting up in bed reading a book (which just happened to be the journal.) when Sarulan stormed into the Infirmary. He looked like a rainbow circus tent.
"You had something to do with this!" Sarul screamed. Astra looked up at him in surprise. "What on earth makes you think that Sarul?"
"You did! I know you did!" "I'm sorry but you would have to prove that and," she looked at him trying to smother laughter." As madam Pomfrey can vouch, I have not left my bed."
"I don't care who vouches for you! You did this to me and I'll make you pay Astra" Sarul stormed back out of the Infirmary.
As soon as the door shut behind him Astra burst into hysterical laughter. She didn't care how much it hurt to do so. R Astra had wondered why they always said "Laughter is the best medicine." That was until Sarul kept getting pranked due in large part to herself and Harry. After the color rotating skin they had also done an 'I love Draco' sign that every one could see (except Sarul and Draco.), this one took a while for them to realize. When Sarul finally found out why he was getting cat calls and "hey Sarul how's Draco's kissing?" or "Who plays the female?". Sarul stormed into the infirmary and yelled at her until he was red in the face. All the while, Astra would be holding back laughter and as soon as he was gone she would burst. She could only imagine what he was going to do to her once she left the infirmary. She knew it would be a doozie.
She just didn't expect this. One moment she was walking through normally to the great hall and the next she was looking through her robe opening at the ground.
"SARUL!" Astra shrieked "Get me down from here!" "Naughty, naughty ickle firstie." She heard Peeves say above her. "You shouldn't be walking on the ceiling!"
"PEEVES! Let go!" she screamed. Peeves's face shown through the opening in her robes. "If I do you go splat." He grinned evilly.
"Let me down now!" Astra said loudly. Peeves stuck out his tongue and gave her the 'raspberry' then went out of her line of sight.
She felt a jolt that told her she was in motion. "PEEEEVEEES!" Astra cried "LEEET MEEE GOOO!" Astra could hear laughing but could not see any faces.
"PEEVES!" she heard a man shout. "PUT HER DOWN!" Astra felt the grip loosen on her ankle and heard gasps as she started to fall. She noticed a faint glow around her and her speed slackened. She landed in someone's arms with her robes still around her face.
"Astra?" she heard Harry stammer. "Are you okay?" She moved the robes from her face and saw that she was in the great hall and had landed right in Harry's arms. Astra blushed and quickly got off Harry's lap. "Fine!" she growled as she looked over at Sarul.
He beamed at his sister, and then became very interested in his food.
Astra glared angrily at him as Harry muttered.
"You knew he'd pay you back." "Oh shut up!" Astra said icily and started to eat.
"Sorry, but you did." He whispered. "Yeah? Well, he'll pay dearly for that one." Astra said.
Harry looked at Astra and noticed that she had that evil twinkle in her eyes again. 'Oh Merlin.' He thought. 'Here we go again.'