A/N: Thanks to all those that read the first chapter! I'm hoping to update this story weekly, but we will see what happens! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second chapter!
"Look it's the new Nimbus 2000!" Draco cried out as they reached the store. "I hope Father will buy me one of these for getting into Slytherin. My Comet Two-Sixty is getting old now."
Astera rolled her eyes. "You've only had that broomstick six months, how is it old? And anyway, you haven't even got into Slytherin yet. You might end up in Hufflepuff for all you know!"
Draco turned angrily. "I will not end up in that wuss of a house! I'm not soft like you," he sneered. "My family has always been in Slytherin for as long as it has been recorded, and so has yours for that matter. You're more likely to end up disgracing the family name than I am!"
"It still doesn't mean your father will buy you that broom, the one you have is fine!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a girl. Girls don't understand broomsticks," the boy sniped before turning and walking haughtily into the shop, leaving Astera to follow him.
Although she was not massively into Quidditch like Draco, she still enjoyed it and absolutely loved to fly. She had Draco's old broom, a Cleansweep that was now a few years out of date, but she didn't care. To her, flying was freedom, a chance to get away and not have to think about pureblood etiquette and how to act like a lady. In the sky, it didn't matter what she did, what she said, as there was no one else to see or hear her.
As she thought, she wandered over to the stacks of leather Quidditch gloves, dyed nearly every colour imaginable. She'd always wondered why someone would want a pair of gloves stained a mix between a dull grey and pale brown or a bright, putrid orange, but she supposed that there must be someone somewhere who had bought them as otherwise they wouldn't be on the market.
She gave Draco a few minutes longer before her anxiety won over and she went to find him, ready to insist on leaving straight away. As usual, it took a bit of persuading.
"Draco, please! Your parents are going to be furious if we don't leave now!" Astera tried. And, obviously, it will somehow be my fault, she added sullenly, although she didn't voice this out loud.
The boy turned to her and glared. "For goodness sake! If you're going to moan all the time, we might as well go now. You ruin everything."
Astera rolled her eyes, hiding the fact his words had stung. Any insult Draco threw her way stung, they always had done. "Do you always have to be such a drama queen? I'm only trying to stop us from getting into trouble."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, let's just go! And, for your information, I am NOT a drama queen."
"Yeah right," Astera muttered, and earned herself another glare from Draco's direction.
As they arrived at Fortescue's, Astera spotted Narcissa and Lucius straight away. Two straight-backed blonds stuck out easily in the ice cream parlour full of happy, laughing families.
"And just where have you two been? I thought I told you to come straight here?" Narcissa's sharp voice snapped at them as they approached the table.
Astera didn't say anything, hoping that Draco would answer. When he didn't say anything either, the young witch stared at the ground, suddenly finding the sparkling black marble tiles more fascinating than they should have been.
"Well? Your mother asked you a question, are you not going to answer her?" Lucius asked, an eyebrow raised.
There was another moment's silence.
"Astera? Would you care to explain?"
Wincing, the girl looked at Draco, but he cruelly turned his gaze away, leaving Astera stuttering as she tried to think of an excuse that would get them both out of trouble.
"Well? We're all waiting, Astera." Lucius's cold tone had the witch shakily turning her gaze to his.
"I… Uh… Draco, he wanted a quick look in Quidditch Supplies, so we went in there for a bit," she tried to explain. "I'm sorry, I didn't think a few minutes would hurt anyone…"
"And what if something had happened? We wouldn't have known where you were!" Lucius snapped, eyes furious as Astera lowered her head. "You should be more responsible, you're quite a few months older than Draco and there you are, leading him into potential danger! Think what you're doing, girl!"
"I'm sorry, Sir," Astera said quietly, knowing that any attempt to give an excuse would only get her into more trouble.
But Lucius wasn't finished yet.
"Well, since you have arrived so late, we no longer have time to stop for an ice cream. Astera, you will take Draco straight to Madam Malkin's whilst Narcissa and I collect your other supplies. Absolutely no detours, am I clear?"
"Yes, Sir."
There was another moment's silence before Lucius cleared his throat noisily. "Well, are you going to going to go with Draco or just stand there, staring at the floor all day?"
Biting her lip to stop the tears already welling in her eyes, the girl barely glanced at her guardians as she scurried out of the shop after Draco and into the warm sunshine.
As she made her way towards Madam Malkin's, the scolding from her guardians refused to remove itself from her mind. Why did they always pick on her? It wasn't her fault that their son had wanted to visit Quidditch Supplies. She may be older by nine months or so, but that didn't mean she had any authority over him. In fact, he was always the one in charge seeing as though Astera wasn't technically part of the Malfoy family. And why hadn't Draco helped her out? They always used to stick together when they were younger. He knew how much his parents hated her. Apparently not any more.
When she arrived at the shop, Draco was already in the back, stood on a stool and waiting for someone to measure him. His striking grey eyes were staring round the shop, his mouth twisted into a scowl of impatience.
"Ah, Hogwarts too, dear?"
Astera jumped at the woman's voice and moved to the side as an older lady with greying hair bustled past, arms full of black cloth as she looked back expectantly over her shoulder at the startled girl.
"Yes."
"Well, step up onto the stool beside this young man then and we'll see what we can do."
The woman, Madam Malkin, turned to Draco. "Could you just slip this over your head for me, dear, whilst I fetch a robe for your friend here?"
Draco obliged, taking the black cloth from the woman and putting it on. It fell way below the bottom of the stool, pooling onto the ground.
"It's quite exciting, isn't it?" Astera tried to smile. Anything to stop the tense silence.
"What, buying robes? We've done that many times," Draco grumbled.
"I don't mean ordinary robes, I mean Hogwarts robes! I can't believe that we're finally old enough to go."
"Yeah, I suppose so," Draco shrugged. "I'd much rather play Quidditch all day than sit in a stuffy classroom though."
Astera had had enough. "What is it with you at the moment?!" she snapped. "Why can't you take an interest in anything I say anymore? You used to be so excited by the prospect of going to Hogwarts and now… well, now all you do is shrug."
The girl had to force herself not to roll her eyes as Draco did exactly what she'd just said: he shrugged. At that point Madam Malkin came hurrying back, her arms once again full of dark fabric.
"Here, just put this on and I'll fetch Jenny to help this young man. I'll be with you as soon as I can," the woman instructed, looking rather flustered and dumped the robes into Astera's arms before bustling off once more, shouting for her assistant.
"I'm not entirely impressed with this service," Draco commented as the two stood waiting on the stools. "I might ask Mother if next time we can go to Twilfit and Tattings. They should be more organised. After all, there is no one else in the shop, so why are we waiting?"
"Give them a chance, Draco," Astera sighed as a young woman hurried towards them, a few tendrils of her blonde curls having escaped her ponytail and were flying loosely around her flushed face.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. It's been very busy today with all the Hogwarts letters having arrived," she explained.
"That's completely understandable," Astera replied quickly, shooting Draco a look that clearly read 'don't say a word'.
"Now, I believe you were first?" Jenny asked, turning to Draco. He nodded and the woman bent down to pin up the bottom of the robe. "First years, I presume?" she continued.
"Yes," Astera answered, glancing at Draco, whose mouth was pulled into one of his 'famous' sneers. "Did you go to Hogwarts?" she added.
Jenny was saved from answering as Madam Malkin's voice announced that someone was about to join them. Sure enough, a moment later, a boy with rather scruffy black hair, round glasses and bright green eyes approached them nervously. As the young woman instructed him to step next to Astera, Draco spoke.
"Hello," he said. "Hogwarts too?"
Astera nearly fell off her stool in shock at his polite tone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco smirk at her.
"Yes," the boy replied, albeit hesitantly.
"My mother and father are up the street collecting our supplies." He indicated to Astera. "Then, I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first-years can't have their own. I think I'll just bully my father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Astera sent the boy an apologetic look, but before she could even open her mouth, Draco continued.
"Have you got your own broom?"
"No," the boy replied, looking down awkwardly at Madam Malkin fitting his robe. Draco didn't seem to notice.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No," the boy said, yet again, his brow now crinkled in confusion. Still, Draco didn't take this in.
"I do – Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"No."
Again, Astera went to intervene, the boy's uncomfortableness becoming painfully apparent. However, yet again, Draco got their first.
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all my family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff. I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"Mmm," was all the boy said.
"There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff!" Astera protested, but the blond-haired boy's attention had already switched to someone at the front of the shop.
"I say, look at that man!" he exclaimed, pointing at a huge man with a head of long, frizzy black hair holding two dripping ice creams, his hands easily bigger than the cones themselves.
"That's Hagrid. He works at Hogwarts."
Astera's gaze switched back to the boy who had just spoken. He knew the giant?
Then, Draco put his foot in it. "Oh, I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
Astera's gaze now span to the boy the other side of her. She gaped at him, uttering his name. Draco ignored her.
"He's the Gamekeeper," their new friend answered, unable to keep the clear dislike out of his voice.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage – lives in a hut in the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed," Draco smirked, making Astera wince.
"I think he's brilliant," the other boy said coldly.
It seemed at this point, Draco finally caught on to the boy's feelings. "Do you?" he said with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," the boy replied shortly.
"I'm so sorry," Astera gasped and then nudged Draco when he didn't say anything, shocked that he wasn't being more sympathetic.
"Oh, sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"Draco!" Astera hissed. "I'm sorry about him," she added, turning to the dark-haired boy.
"It's alright," the young wizard smiled at her. Then, he turned to Draco. "They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine! I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname anyway?"
However, before the boy could answer, Madam Malkin spoke. "That's you done, my dear." She smiled and the boy moved away quickly, clearly eager to get away from Draco's interrogation.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," Draco called after him, but the boy didn't reply. Instead, Draco turned to Astera. "Well, that was rather rude," he commented.
"I think he found you rather rude to be honest," Astera told him quietly.
The boy's eyes widened. "Me? What did I do? I was only asking him about school. You were the one that said I wasn't interested enough in going!"
"Yeah, but he clearly had no idea what you were talking about!" the young witch retorted. She didn't understand how he couldn't realise how rude he was being.
"But he had a witch and wizard for parents!"
"Doesn't mean he was brought up in the wizarding world. His parents are dead, remember?"
Draco was about to retort back when Jenny cleared her throat. Both children looked at her. "You're done, Master Malfoy. If I could ask you to step over there and wait for Madam Malkin whilst I measure up your sister here."
"She's not my sister, she's a Lestrange," Draco corrected before stalking away.
Jenny looked up at her, alarm written across her features. "I'm so sorry, Miss Lestrange. I do hope I haven't offended you," she babbled nervously.
"No, of course you haven't!" Astera said kindly, trying to smile at the young woman. In truth, she would prefer to be thought of as a Malfoy than a Lestrange, she thought, and that was saying something. "Please ignore Draco, he just likes to make people uncomfortable."
However, she got no reply as Jenny hurriedly turned back to her work, avoiding eye contact. Draco letting slip her real name had clearly unnerved her.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, the woman told her she was done and Astera quickly hopped off the stool, thanking her before heading over to where Draco and Narcissa stood waiting.
"Why did you have to tell her I was a Lestrange?" she demanded of Draco as soon as she reached them. "She was too scared to say a word to me after that!"
"Astera, you should be proud that your name has such an effect," Narcissa scolded, and then indicated for her to take her new robe off so she could pay for it. "Your family were well-respected Purebloods."
"Until they ruined it," she muttered under her breath. Although Narcissa didn't hear, Draco did and he glared at her.
"You be careful what you say," he hissed quietly. "That's my Aunt you're talking about."
"I don't care! If it hadn't been for your Aunt, I would have most probably been brought up by my own father! After all, it was her idea, wasn't it?" She went to turn away, tears welling in her eyes. However, before she could, Draco's hand shot out and gripped her arm tightly, yanking her back to face him. She struggled to free herself, but his grip only tightened, causing her to wince.
"You stop that right now!" he whispered fiercely in her ear. "You know Father has forbidden you from talking about this at all, let alone in public, so just stop. Before Mother hears you." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Or have you forgotten that you're talking about her sister?"
Astera didn't reply, Draco's stormy eyes threatening something more if she said another word. He narrowed his eyes one more time before turning to his mother. Astera immediately turned away, nursing the arm that was sure to have a bruise the next morning.
"Right, are we ready?" Narcissa asked, apparently not having noticed anything was wrong. "We're meeting Father outside of the Owl Emporium."
"Why the Owl Emporium, Mother?" Draco questioned.
"We'll have to see, won't we?" Narcissa smiled fondly, placing an arm around her son's shoulders.
Astera rolled her eyes, not looking at either of them. How could Draco be so mean? Why could he never see it from her side? And now, now she had to go and watch him get another treat, judging by the look in Narcissa's eye. Probably for getting into Hogwarts. Any excuse to treat their precious boy.
"Quickly Astera, we don't have all day," Narcissa snapped as they ducked back into the busy crowd, she and her son navigating their way with ease as Astera struggled behind them, not having the typical 'Malfoy grace'.
When she finally spotted Lucius resting rather impatiently against his cane, she was somewhat glad to be out the crowd that seemed to be growing busier and busier every minute. Beside him stood their shopping and two rather large metal cages.
"Astera!"
Narcissa's sharp tone had the girl quickly fighting her way out of the crowd and hurrying over. She'd angered them enough today already.
"Draco, your mother and I wished to get you something for getting into Hogwarts," Lucius said. "As you know, there is a tradition whereby a parent buys their child an owl when they start Hogwarts, so we paid a visit to the Owl Emporium."
"Thank you Father, Mother," the boy said, really not sounding that grateful at all. Astera knew why. He'd wanted a new racing broom, not an owl.
Lucius passed the first cage to Draco. Inside perched a gorgeous Eagle Owl, a plumage of rich brown to match the two bright yellow eyes peeking out from the bars.
"He's stunning, Draco!" Astera said, reaching out a hand to stroke the bird through the bars.
"Yes, and he's mine, so don't touch him!" Draco snapped, pulling the cage away from the girl's reach.
"Astera," Narcissa said, bringing her attention away from the scowling Draco. "Your father wished for you also to get an owl. He had some extra money transferred to our vault last Christmas, so here you are."
She plucked the other, slightly smaller cage from the ground and handed it to her. Inside was a rather small, scruffy-looking owl. It squawked excitedly as Astera let her finger brush the back of its head through the bars. She knew that the scruffiness was meant to be a dig by the Malfoys to bring up the fact she didn't have parents to buy the best-looking owl for her, but she didn't care. She was used to it by now. Anyway, the one in front of her was perfect. The grey fluff instead of sleek feathers only served to add to the bird's cuteness in Astera's eyes. What did it matter that it wasn't as handsome as Draco's owl? It was still hers; her own owl to look after and care for. That was more than she could have hoped for, even if it wasn't the most gorgeous of birds she had seen.
"Thank you," she said, beaming happily. On getting no form of reply from her guardians, her smile dropped slightly. However, she swallowed the disappointment and helped to pick up a few of their purchases with her spare hand. She had an owl, she wasn't about to let the Malfoys spoil that for her.
