a/n Obvi if you recognize it, it doesn't belong to me, it's JK Rowlings. This is a second chappie for you because the other was short!
August 1992
"Meda! 'Mione's going to be here any second! Can't this wait?" Ascella shouted down the stairs at Meda. Meda wanted her to come taste some experimental potion that induced happiness. She was always trying to get Ascella to taste test her potions and not even for the effects because those were already ironed out, no it was always for the taste. Meda was a witch who liked to experiment, usually with potions. She'd gotten praise and prizes throughout the years for her research and potion inventions.
Normally Ascella was fine with being the guinea pig, she and Meda would spend hours talking about the potion or just laughing at how awful some of their taste "improvements" turned out, but Hermione was coming to visit for the rest of holiday and Ascella had yet to clean her room. There was clothing strewn everywhere, hanging off the back of her desk chair, and school books flung in a corner, left untouched for all of summer despite their summer homework (Ascella bet Hermione had already done hers, Ascella would probably scramble something together the night before) and bits of ink and parchment as well as some owl droppings Ascella was disgusted to find near Esmeralda's cage ("That's it you bird you! You are outside only!"). She thought about just asking Meda, who was very good at cleaning and organizing spells, but she knew that wouldn't go over well. Unless Meda was really keen on her help... hmm.
Ascella went to the door of her room. "Meda?" she called down the stairs sweetly. "How much do you love me?" Meda appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She grinned at Ascella.
"Not enough to clean your room for you," she said. "You knew you should have done it ages ago." Ascella humped, returning to her room. Yes she did know that.
"Why must you always be right!" she called down the stairs throwing her head back.
"Love you too Cella!" Meda's voice rang back up the stairs. Ascella rolled her eyes fondly, before beginning to clean.
An hour later the room was looking much better. The clothes were all put away (or more accurately put in the hamper as she couldn't remember if they were clean or dirty), the owl droppings cleaned up (with only minimal swearing and almost retching), and the books at least piled up on her desk with the parchment. Meda came up about this point to set up the bed Hermione would be staying in.
"There," Meda said with a wave of her wand. "Now come taste this one! I think it tastes rather like Droobles Best Blowing gum but I'm worried it might be off putting for inducing happiness."
Ascella and Meda spent the next hour laughing and trying different flavors of happiness potion, to the point where they were in such a good mood when Hermione arrived via floo, that they both greeted her with so much enthusiasm and joy that Hermione was almost knocked over by the hugs and didn't quite know what to do with them. Meda came to first and had the good sense to explain the potion to her. Hermione's eyes widened in interest and soon she too was giddily happy with the rest of them.
Ted later commented when he got home that they should take that potion every day if he was going to get such a welcome when they did.
Hermione seemed to really love the house. She kept finding everything very fascinating ("What do you mean you don't have a refrigerator?" "No eek-lek-city 'Mione." "But how do you keep food cold?" "Oh here we go again. Hermione sometimes I really think you forget we have magic.") and so Ascella spent much of the next couple of days wandering around the house and village (the magical parts of the village in particular) explaining and showing Hermione how wizards lived. They even walked by old man Archy's house ("you have to watch out for him. He likes to do his yard work in his undergarments, and he is always forgetting to not use magic outside. The ministry is called in at least once a month to sort out some poor muggle. Personally, I think they perform the memory charm more to take away the image of the man in his skivvies than because they saw the magic...").
Then came their school letters. Hermione was very excited to see a full set of Gilderoy Lockhart books on the list of books to buy. " Oh I've heard of him!" she'd exclaimed. "He's supposed to have defeated a whole host of dark creatures and the like." Ascella and Meda had been less enthused. Meda had even commented under her breathe, "He's an absolute nut-case." Ascella had tried to stifle her laugh. Meda had gone to school with Lockhart and had never thought very much of him.
Now that the school supplies had been sent out Hermione was on Ascella's case about finishing her homework assignments. Ascella had laughed in her face but she did concede that they'd best head to Diagon Alley. Ted decided to take the day off and accompany them there. They traveled by floo and arrived unharmed in the Leaky Cauldron. They were pleasantly surprised to see the Weasley's gathered around. Ascella and Hermione were hugged by Mrs. Weasley while Mr. said hullo and chatted with Ted. They'd apparently at school during the same time, though Ted had been in Hufflepuff.
Ascella quickly learned that while Ron was happy to see herself and Hermione, they'd been waiting for Harry and had just realized he might have not spoken clearly enough and as such was most likely a few fireplaces down. Ascella had laughed, while Hermione looked concerned. Ascella was spotted by the twins before she could question Ron further, who proceeded to greet her by giving her an enthusiastic double hug. Percy gave a brief hello before bustling off to Diagon Alley.
"Been like that all summer," Ron said. "Been rather peaceful to be honest." Ascella laughed.
"Well I guess we'd best find out if the Boy Who Lived is in fact still alive," Ascella said moving with the crowd of friends and family for the entrance to Diagon Alley. Ron laughed but Hermione looked horrified.
"Oh 'Mione, give it a rest, he'll be fine. He's already lived through an unforgivable curse, at this point he's untouchable," Ascella said. Hermione looked at her even more horrified. Ascella continued to ignore her. It wasn't that she wasn't worried. She was, she just dealt with worry by pretending she wasn't and trying to fix it, like moving to go look for Harry.
Luckily they found Harry quickly. He was being escorted out of Knockturn Alley by Hagrid. Ascella was mildly jealous he'd gotten a look down there, but Meda had assured her many years ago that she really wasn't missing anything but some nasty nightmares. Ascella had grudgingly let it slide figuring Meda knew what she was talking about considering who she'd been raised by.
When Ascella saw Harry she threw her arms around him. But not because she'd been worried. Oh no never that.
Harry of course called her out on it, but she just hit him. The Weasley's, Hermione's parents who'd joined them for the day, and Ted all much releaved then took them to Gringotts to get money. Ascella refused to let anyone but Ted come with her to her vault, even Harry as even he would be disgusted at the wealth in the Black family vault. When they returned last as the vault was down deep by the dragon they found Mr. Weasley chatting enthusiastically with Hermione's parents. Mr. Weasley was fascinated with Mr. and Mrs. Granger as he loved muggles and found everything about their world fascinating. Ted laughed joining them and acted as a translator for both the Granger's and Mr. Weasley; he had after all grown up to muggle parents. After that the adults let them wander, Mrs. Weasley telling them to meet them at Flourish and Blotts in an hour.
Ascella walked around the alley happily with her friends, glad to be all together again. An hour later they found themselves outside of Flourish and Blotts only to see the bookshop more busy than they had ever seen it before.
"What's going on?" Harry asked trying to crane his head above the crowd.
"Book signing," Ron, who was the tallest of the four, answered. " Oh bloody hell, it's for Lockhart. That bloke who's written all our new defense books."
Ascella groaned. Hermione was so excited she was bouncing on her feet. Harry looked amused at his friends' differing reactions.
"Well come on. We'd best find the adults," Ascella said enthusiastically, pushing her way through the crowd. They found them inside the crowded shop. They'd already picked up the rest of their books and were now just waiting on the Lockhart ones. Mrs. Weasley in particular was bursting with excitement at the opportunity to meet the man; she and about every other witch in the country it seemed to Ascella who, upon looking around, noticed the shop was filled with mostly women.
From their spot in line the foursome and the rest had a view of the man himself. Ascella appraised him; sure she could admit he wasn't a bad looking bloke but he was just a bit too much for Ascella's liking. Ascella then noticed the man with the camera standing next to Lockhart.
Turning to her friends she was about to comment about how the Prophet was here when Gilderoy Lockhart stopped suddenly, his eyes lighting on Harry.
"Oh no," Ascella had time to mumble before Harry was ushered forward to awkwardly stand next to Lockhart for a photo.
Mrs. Weasley and Hermione didn't seem to agree with her sentiment though, thinking Harry was lucky to be singled out by the famous wizard (who clearly only wanted more fame and as such was using Harry to get it, Ascella thought). Lockhart made a big show of giving Harry his entire collection of works on the house. Ascella almost gagged, but she was glad when Harry gave the brand new books to Ginny, who'd had to get all the rest of her school supplies second (or third) hand.
They gathered up and made to leave when a voice stopped Ascella and her friends.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" It was Malfoy. Ascella turned and readied herself with a snappy retort but Ginny got there first.
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" she said. Ascella was impressed. It was the most she'd ever heard the girl say in front of Harry, normally she was too tongue tied because of her little crush. Which of course Malfoy then felt the need to make fun of, teasing Harry snidely about his new girlfriend before turning on Ron and having a go at him for not having any money. Ron looked about ready to jump Malfoy but it was about that time that Malfoy senior made a comment that resulted in Mr. Weasley launching himself at the man.
Ascella's mouth dropped. Then she grinned as the twins started cheering on their dad. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy were in a fist fight at a book signing in Flourish and Blotts. It couldn't get much funnier. Hagrid with the help of Ted managed to separate the two men.
The group separated soon afterwards with mixed happieness.
Padma arrived promptly at noon the next day.
The first words out of her mouth were, " Oh thank Merlin you invited me to stay. I don't think I could have stood another week with my sister's friend Lavender Brown," as she hugged Ascella tightly. Ascella laughed returning the girls hug. Pulling away from the hug Padma spotted Hermione and she grinned at her.
"Alright Granger?" she asked. Hermione replied she was well. The two girls helped Padma with her stuff up to Ascella's room. Ascella asked what was so awful about Brown.
"Ugh," Padma replied heaving the front end of her trunk up. "Surely you've met her spending nights with Hermione in Gryffindor. She's just completely ridiculous. And she makes my sister that way too. I swear usually Parvati is quite rational, but introduce Brown and I swear she loses about 50 IQ points and is reduced to a hopeless giggling mess!" Hermione let out a shout of laughter before she tried to hide it. Ascella had no doubt Hermione shared Padma's opinion but Hermione wasn't one to speak bad about the girls she had to share a dormitory with, unlike Padma and Ascella who didn't bother to hide their dislike of Turpin.
Padma turned to Hermione amused at her laughter. "Seriously? How do you put up with them?" Hermione smiled and shrugged as they all dragged Padma's trunk into Ascella's room. Meda had added another bed to the room.
"They can be rather much at times, but I'm not in my dorm all that much so I don't really have to bother with it," Hermione replied.
"She's too nice," Padma said to Ascella. Ascella grinned.
"I know. We need to corrupt her."
Over the next week, while the girls weren't able to corrupt the Gryffindor bookworm, they were able to get her to relax a bit and be girly with them. They painted her nails, Hermione even let them play around with different hair products on her curls and got her to talk about stuff other than things she learned out of a library book. They found out that Hermione shared Padma's obsession with Lockhart ("he's just so dreamy"). Ascella had scoffed at them both.
Ascella and Padma even received a post card a few days before term from one Terry Boot. Padma had smirked knowingly, before cursing Boot for the much less heartfelt one he'd sent her ("Huph, apparently he thought I'd be easier to appease," she'd said). Ascella spent the night before heading back finishing up her essay's and making sure everything was packed while Hermione and Padma were reading one of Lockhart's books for the upteenth time. Being with her friends for the past two weeks had made Ascella yearn for Hogwarts. She couldn't wait to get back and see all her other friends, but mostly she couldn't wait to see Harry again. Quidditch this summer hadn't been enough and she'd only seen him once in the past two weeks. No it was high time that the dynamic duo, Black and Potter, were reunited.
