A month later and it is still moving slowly.
"I love you, dad," she whispered softly.
Sirius let out small cry as he held her close squeezing her tight, "I love you to Atty."
She smiled to herself once again as she listened to the words over again in her head "Atria," Daphne snapped having have called her name multiple times ready for the next direction.
"Sorry," Atria said shaking her head as she started to read form the potion book once more.
Daphne looked back to her as if only realising now what had been going on, "And I thought you weren't one to daydream."
Atria shook her head with a small smile before reading, "You can crush those now," she said before Daphne picked up her pestle to crush the beetles.
"Daydreaming about a certain boy perhaps," Daphne asked slyly as she looked cheeky down at Atria.
"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. Miss Granger," Atria heard Snape's icy voice say, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
Atria and Daphne both turned to the three Gryffindor students Snape had just zoned in one. Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them.
"Ah...reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor...oh but of course..." Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings..."
The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. Atria shook her head she bit her tongue,
"'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache...dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps...'"
Atria looked as Harry's face turned red with a blush. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
"'...Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching," sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. "Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter snakes eyes landed on atria before he shook is head cruelly " I think not - that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."
Atria watched as Harry furiously threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table in front of hers. Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched Harry unload his cauldron.
"All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head. Potter," said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again.
"You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you," Snape went on, so quietly so that most of the class count hear him. But Atria could.
"but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me. Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."
Atria watched as harry hands began the shake with anger as he tipped the powdered beetles into his cauldron and started cutting up his ginger roots, ignoring Snape.
"So I give you fair warning, Potter," Snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not - if I catch you breaking into my office one more time -"
"I haven't been anywhere near your office!"Harry snapped suddenly making Atria jump. Atria kept her eyes glued to the table as she felt Snape's eye latch on to her, he now knew she was listening.
"Don't lie to me," Snape hissed, "Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry lied coldly.
"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed. "I know it. Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"
"Right," said Harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. "I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there."
Atria peaked up ever so slightly just to see as Snapes hand go
Inside of his black robes,"Do you know what this is. Potter?" Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again.
Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion.
"No," Harry said.
"It is Veritaserum - a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said Snape viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" - he shook the crystal bottle slightly - "right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter...then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."
And with that Snape walked back to his desk leaving the threat in the air.
Harry sat down as turned ever so slightly so his eyes could lock with atria.
'Did you?' Atria mouthed over to Harry.
'Maybe,' Harry mouthed back.
Before another message could be passed a loud knock came from the potions room door.
"Enter," said Snape in his usual voice.
The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape's desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated.
"We need to talk," said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape.
"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him.
"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me."
"After the lesson," Snape snapped.
"Am I done with the beetles yet?" Daphne asked.
"No not yet," Atria said as she counted to look down at her book her eyes still peaking as she watched the exchange between Karkaroff and Snape.
Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry.
Karkaroff hovered behind Snape's desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class.
Two minutes before the class ended a large smash soup did through the classroom. Atria looked up. It seemed that harry a knocked over his armadillo bile.
"Come on let's do," Daphne said as she finished cleaning up their station.
Atria took one last look at Harry before she followed Daphne out of the room.
"You go on I'll meet you ahead," Atria said the Daphne as soon as they left the room.
Daphne looked between the moving group of students and Atria before giving a nod, "Alright I'll see you later," she said before walking away.
Atria looked back at the potions door before taking a few steps away and leaning against the wall. She heard the door open and looked to see a very angry Karkaroff storm off and away from her and it wasn't long after that Harry came rushing out of it, a look of conviction on his face.
"What happened," Atria asked as he rushed out of the room.
Without a word Harry grabbed her hand quickly before leading her away, "come on, we have to find Ron and Hermione."
Atria had sat in the train compartment alone this year, Daphne, Harry Ron and Hermione had decided to stay at school for the short holiday, her only company was Caspian.
Coming off the train she spotted Andromeda and Atria sped forward meeting her in a hug.
"Hello darling," Andromeda said before pulling back, "have all your things?"
"Yes," Atria said.
"Alright then, let's go home," she said before taking Atria's hand.
They continued walking and Atria's gaze remained on Caspian as they walked through the people on the busy platform. But something made them halt and Atria didn't notice until she heard Andromeda speak.
"Narcissa," Andromeda greeted.
Atria looked up just in time to see Narcissa smile drop, "Andromeda," she replied. Atria's eyes remained glued on her aunt trying to pay no notice to Draco who stood to her side.
"Now is not the time Narcissa," Andromeda said lightly, "we would like to go home."
"I'm saying hello to my niece," Narcissa said before turning back to Atria and smiling once more and beginning patronisingly. "Darling, I know things are hard right now, but I think you've made your point I would very much like for you to come and spend some time home."
Atria lifted her chin, "And I will, I'm going home now, let's go Andromeda."
"Atria Alphia Black," Narcissa began sternly, "do not sass me."
"Narcissa enough," Andromeda snapped.
"Do not talk to my mother that way," Draco spoke up threatening.
Andromeda's eyes travelled the boy, "Draco I presume, " she said as she looked back towards her sister. "Very much like his father," she said before leaning in and cruelly adding, " and that is not a compliment."
"How dare you talk about my son like that!" Narcissa said furiously, losing her temper.
"I'll talk about him how I please," Andromeda said cooly, "Atria, come along," she said before walking away. Atria kept her eyes on the ground as they walked ahead. Andromeda put her arm around her shoulder, "Are you alright?" She asked as they walked away.
"Yes I'm fine," Atria said looking up at her, "thank you," she said softly.
Andromeda smiled down at her before squeezing Atria closer to her. "It's fine I always love giving her some sass."
They walked through the front door of the house and Dora came running at her throwing her into some sort of hug. "Hello short stuff," She said as she pulled back, "Finally you're back, we can eat."
"Take your things up and then we'll have dinner," Andromeda said.
Atria walked upstairs before opening her bedroom door. Caspian ran past her to find his familiar place on her bed. She smiled down at him giving him a soft pat as she laced her trunk on her bed.
She headed down stairs to the familiar sound of plates flying across the kitchen to lay themselves on the dinning room table.
"Hello sweetheart, " Ted said giving her a hug and kiss on the head, "How is the school year going so far.
"Good," she said as she took her seat at the table.
"Draco not giving you any trouble," Andromeda said as she sipped at her wine.
"No, not really, " she replied as she began to eat.
"Not really," Dora piped up, "So a little bit."
"A little bit," Atria said covering her full mouth.
"Just give him some time it will pass," Andromeda said,"how are your friends?"
"Yes, Harry Potter," Ted said an excited glint in his eye.
"He's fine," Atria said with a smile, "they're all fine."
"And moody how is he?" Dora asked as she ate, "Not too tough I hope."
Atria bit her tongue as she shook her head, "Not at all."
His father stood by his desk as he placed the ring on the large dark wood desk that sat in his office, "Pansy found it and gave it back."
"But she was wearing it?" Lucius asked.
Draco nodded slowly, "Yes."
"Excellent," Lucius said his lips twisting into a dark grin as he reached down for the ring on his desk, "We'll return it to her in due time."
Lucius looked over to his son who seemed not to be sharing his gleeful response. He placed a hard hand on his shoulder, "She'll be home by the summer. I promise you Draco."
Draco nodded.
"There's a good lad," Lucius said giving his shoulder a hard pat. He walked to the other side of his desk and opened his top draw before placing the ring inside, "close the door on your way out," he said as he sat.
Draco left the room closing the door softly on his way out. Trying to ignore the deep feeling inside him that told him what he was doing was wrong.
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