The train back to Hogwarts felt completely different from the one back in September; she wasn't nervous of the unknown at the end of the journey, and she could immediately seek out friends with who she could ride with. She managed to find Theo not far from their original compartment and clattered in with a grin as Binky trotted besider her - he wouldn't go into his carrier. Clacker was perched in his cage in a grump, glaring at anyone who got too close since he had to be wrangled into it. Aster didn't want to risk people hurting him thinking that he was a wild crow which had got stuck in the station.
"Morning!" Aster cheered, beaming a smile in his direction as she flicked the cage door open.
"Morning. You're in a good mood." Theo greeted, closing the book he had been reading.
Aster shrugged, "No more than usual, I don't think."
"It's suspicious. I don't like it."
"Noted. Anyway, how was your holiday?"
"It was alright as ever. Opened gifts, read, did homework and went to the Malfoy Ball."
"Sounds riveting. How ever did you cope?"
Theo snorted, "With a lot of sighing. Thanks for the books, by the way. Don't think I've ever read anything on Fae before. Where'd you get them?"
Aster made herself look busy in arranging Binky and checking her uniform. "Down Raven Path Way. My Grandfather knows some people."
"Nice. Er...did you, um, like yours?"
Aster looked up at his uncharacteristic insecure tone. "Of course I did! I loved them!" She assured before pausing. "The, er, book...was it your mum's?"
Theo smiled as he shook his head. "No, it was my grandmother's. Dad is a right twat but he treasures mum's stuff. He couldn't give two figs about his mum though. You don't mind it wasn't new?"
"Thank g-Merlin. And why would I care it wasn't new? I actually prefer it isn't. Did you know she had made notes and stuff in there too?"
"Mhm. She used to do that for a lot of her things. She thought she always knew best. Oh, hello Zabini." He said in a flat tone without even checking it was him who came in.
"How'd you know it was me, Nott?" Blaise pouted before brightening. "My fellow Slytherins! How lovely it is see your fair faces." He exclaimed as he dropped next to Aster, tickling Binky under his chin.
"Good to see you too, Blaise. Had a good - oh, is everyone coming here?" Aster laughed as Daphne and Pansy flounced in, pushing Theo further to the window.
"Appears so. I don't know if Draco will be though." Pansy said in between her conversation with the blonde girl.
"I am. I need to escape Crabbe and Goyle. Move up, Zabini. Potter doesn't need that much space, and her cat doesn't need a space." The newest arrival sneered, making Blaise apologise to said cat as he picked him up and placed him half on his lap and the other on Aster.
Scowling at Malfoy Aster stroked Binky, cooing at his disgruntled face and tail flicking in aggravation.
The compartment was filled with chatter as the group of children talked of their holidays and the gifts they had received. They all thanked one another for the ones received from each other and gushed over other things.
"So, Aster, I must say I was disappointed that you weren't at the Ball." Pansy said, oblivious to the way Malfoy had stiffened and Aster's eyes to narrow, thinking that she was making a dig at her.
"Yes, how come you were there?" Daphne giggled as she watched Binky's kneading claws dig into Blaise making him wince.
"I...wasn't invited?" Aster explained, although her statement ended up as a question. "I didn't even know it was a thing, to be honest."
The girls gasped and stared at Malfoy. "Draco! How could you not invite her?!"
"Take it up with Mother, if you must. I have no say in the guest list." He sniffed, not wanting them to know he hadn't even thought of her when his parents asked if he wanted anyone to be there.
"We shall! Oh, poor Aster! You would have loved it." Pansy simpered, genuinely upset at the thought she hadn't even had the chance to decline.
"No she wouldn't." Blaise snorted. "She'd have hated it. It's just a bunch of prissy people showcasing their wealth and sniping at each other." He informed her with a sardonic smile.
"Sounds pleasant."
"I actually think she'd like it because of the sniping. What a way to sharpen her sarcasm." Pansy sighed as she spun the ring on her finger.
"I think I'd best learn to refine it before swimming in the depths, Pansy. I don't quite like trial by fire." Aster drawled, carding a hand through Clacker's feathers once he dropped to her knee and nestled in for a sleep.
The girls acquiesced to this line of thinking and went back to discussing the outfits of the attendees of the Ball, going into raptures over gowns and hair then cackling at those who were less than impressive.
Theo and Malfoy settled into a conversation over Quidditch, arguing over who was best. Despite Aster enjoying the few games she had seen before the Yule holiday, she enjoyed the feeling of flying over the sport. Probably because she knew that her chance of getting on to the Slytherin team next year was slim to none - apparently girls hadn't been accepted for decades.
Blaise and Aster sat discussing ideas for her Grimoire, bouncing possible Charms to include, and whether she should also do things such as plants she was looking into, crystals and runes she was interested in using and how she looked after her familiars.
"Mum was quite happy when I told her what I was giving you for Yule, you know. She spent quite a bit of time finding a good book for you. I had the basic idea - I knew I wanted it to have a wooden cover - but all the burning was her." Blaise confided in a low voice, tilting his head a little so that the others couldn't easily overhear.
"I love it. Grandfather was also pretty impressed as well - he hadn't heard of many people doing Grimoires for ages, he said. He was also impressed with the suggestions your mum had enclosed too." Aster admitted with a grin, thinking of how he had explained the benefits of each suggestion and whether it would suit her or not.
They spent the remaining journey thinking of how she could organise the contents, whether she should have separate sections like a cook book - one for plants, one for crystals, one for runes etcetera. They decided it would be best to look in the library to see if there was a spell that could add pages in a singular section as opposed to at the back. They also were going to look into how they could protect the book with their skill level - they can always develop as they did.
When they got to Hogsmeade they were ushered on to horseless carriages, which was kind of creepy, to take them up to the school. The six of them managed to squish into the same one, still with Binky, who had decided he was good enough for the feast. Clacker had buggered off somewhere.
"Potter, you know your cat can't come into the feast don't you?" Malfoy jeered, warily watching the grumpy tabby cat.
Aster looked at Malfoy then back to Binky. "You're welcome to inform of that."
"I think the professors will have something to say, don't you?"
"I think they have better things to do, but they, too, are welcome to try and remove his attendance."
"I think the key word there is 'try'." Theo snorted, thinking of the times he had seen other students trying to move the cat from wherever he was and gaining a fair few scratches in return. Clearly Malfoy was thinking along the same lines as he didn't say anything else on the matter.
When they managed to squeeze through the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall the sky had darkened a few hours prior, and the entire student body was eager to sit down and eat their entire weight in food.
Nobody said anything about Binky, though it did look like Snape had rolled his eyes.
The following day was rather unremarkable, the teachers had to corral the students into paying attention instead of blathering on about their holiday and how they spent their Yule. McGonnagall in particular seemed to be at her wits end, barking out the instructions on the board and taking points off if someone needed to be told more than once to focus.
Snape was in fine form, taking off points relentlessly, snarling at people to pay attention and leave their frivolity at the door.
"Mr Longbottom, if I wanted to hear a play by play of your numerous and unremarkable exploits over Yule, I would demean myself to pay attention to the Prophet so as not to hear your droning." He snapped one day, after hearing the same information for the third time that week.
"As I do not, in fact, care, please let me give you some advice: silence is golden."
"But sir! Neville - "
"Can defend himself. He certainly likes to show his ability to talk relentlessly, well enough. Ten points from Gryffindor. Five for you, Weasley, for interrupting a teacher. And five from Longbottom for his disruption." He growled, looming over their bench until they started to pay attention to their bubbling cauldron before moving off.
"Thank Merlin for that. He was giving me a ruddy headache." Aster muttered, checking the time left for the simmering stage as well as making sure that it wasn't bubbling over.
"Maybe we can dose Longbottom with the Forgetfulness Potion once we're done. Maybe then he can forget being such a pest." Theo responded quietly, checking over their notes for the next few stages.
"Don't be mean, Theo," Aster rebuked, making him gape at her in surprise. "You underestimate his innate talent of being a prat." She sneered, making Theo choke on a laugh.
"I do hope you're paying attention. I'd hate to take points from my own House." Snape mused lowly, looking into their cauldron. It was hard to tell if he was pleased, but his eyebrow did twitch minutely and his eyes seemed to gleam in satisfaction.
"Not at all, Professor. We were merely speculating on the...gifts...that Longbottom is graced with." Theo politely replied, Aster's mouth twitching as they heard the Gryffindors bluster in frustration. They had quickly learned that if Aster tended to talk there was a fifty-fifty chance of them being told off, so Theo would speak the majority of the time.
With a doubtful hum Snape moved off to check the rest of the class' work, making the students tense up under his scrutiny. Only Malfoy didn't seem to be bothered, but he never had.
The next few weeks passed in a blur of homework and busy weekends. Pressure was starting to be made as the teachers began to enforce the idea that exams were only next term.
Daphne had also restarted Aster's Pureblood lessons, especially now she had a goal of getting her invited to the Malfoy Ball as soon as possible. None of their small group thought that she'd be invited to the next one; she still barely had anything to do with Malfoy for the most part, and he still spouted enough bigotry that made Aster turn her nose up at him.
"So when is your goal for Fair Flower to be accepted at Malfoy Ball then, Greengrass?" Blaise asked one Saturday morning that they were spending in the old classroom that Aster had found for his birthday.
"My best hope is for when we're in third year, however if they stay on this...polite indifference to one another, then I honestly have no idea." Daphne foretold with a pursed mouth.
"I'm right here, you know." Aster sassed from her spot lying on the floor reading a book that Daphne had chucked at her on different etiquette techniques.
"I'm trying to ignore that fact with your undignified pose. Physically you're there yes, mentally? That's debatable."
"Well that's rude." Aster objected, lowering her book to scowl at the other girl who had raised an eyebrow. "What? I said it was rude, not untrue."
"Whatever. Are you actually taking in any of that book?"
"Yes. Anyone who wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth are animals."
"That's an exaggeration." Blaise scoffed. "You were born with a silver spoon and you're still an animal."
"Bite me, Zabini."
"No thanks. You may have rabies." Blaise rejoined, snickering to himself as he tended to his small growing garden - meaning his asphodel plant and a dittany sapling he stole from one of the greenhouses.
"Right, then. Test time, Aster. Get up." Daphne declared, crossing her legs and smoothing her skirt down and flicking her wand so the a chair knocked into the back of Aster's knees once she stood up.
"We'll start off easy. How do you use a place setting?" She said before quickly adding, "and don't say with your hands." When Aster opened her mouth.
"You go from the outside in." Aster huffed, and at the other girl's impatient gesture for her to continue she elaborated. "The spoon that is more round is for soup, the titchy fork with a bulky bit is for cakes and things. The smaller normal looking cutlery is for starters or salads. A steak knife is used for meats."
"Hm. It'll do, basic but you won't be laughed at. How do you hold the different styles of glasses?"
"If they have a stem then by that, wine glasses can also be cupped at the base. Once you've taken a drink then you have to use that exact same place for the duration." Aster intoned, her eyes already glazing over at the repetition.
"Good. Bonus points to you. How do you lay your cutlery on your plate?"
"Er...if you want a second plate, or ready for it, then you over lap them in a cross? Er, pausing your meal you have them at an angle with them pointing up...finished you place them next to one another across the plate."
"And if you don't like what's served?"
"You eat it anyway?"
"Well, yes, but the official way is to place your knife within one of the tines of your fork, at the same angle as when you pause. Now, what do you do with a napkin?" She demanded, ignoring the grin Blaise was sporting at the inquisition from his corner.
"On your lap and you dab your mouth with it. No wiping." Aster nodded in certainty.
"Elbows?"
"Off the table. The most you can do is rest your wrists on the edge, as long as the lip of the table is curved."
"How did you remember that?" Blaise laughed.
"Cause I'm likely to put my elbows on the table." Aster said as if he was an idiot.
"At least you know some of your failings. Now on to social niceties. Someone passes you, what do you do?"
Aster paused, panicking. "Er...say hello?"
"Oh gods no!" Theo cried, "that'll either make them engage you in a conversation or get you mocked. Just acknowledge them with an incline of the head, and possibly a smile."
Daphne pointed at him, "Exactly. Only greet them if you wish to talk to them. And certainly don't greet someone you don't know - you need someone to introduce you first."
"Well that's both annoying and helpful. At least that means I can limit who I can talk to." Aster sighed. Nobody could complain she was anti-social if she had a limited circle. Actually, they probably still would. They'd just be more sneaky about it as she'd be following the rules.
The four of them spent the remaining of the afternoon going over their homework, shelving the rest of etiquette lessons for the time being. The benefit of their classroom meant they at least had the quiet they wanted without having to go to the library, which Daphne and Blaise were not fond of, as the common room was so noisy and busy due to the colder weather.
Aster had also taken to trying to stay away from the library as there had been several times when Granger had sat with her and continued trying to engage her into a conversation. Aster wouldn't have minded so much if she talked of anything remotely interesting and not the antics she and Dumb and Dumber got into. When the girl had then picked up on her antipathy to her friends she then began a crusade on showing Aster they weren't too bad.
She didn't like her blunt response of, "These are the boys who bullied you, yes?".
On February 1st Professor Sprout was in high spirits, decorating the corridors with flowers and changing all the candles to be red, and cinnamon sticks were placed on the dining tables for the next two days. Everyone were encouraged to visit the greenhouses and tend to one or two plants to help nurture the incoming spring flowers. Then after February 2nd everything disappeared back into normality.
When Aster asked about it Blaise shrugged. "Not everyone makes a fuss of Imbolc. I think they do a token effort for people like Sprout then move on."
"I thought Imbolc was like the Christian Easter?"
"Eh...from the little I know of that, I imagine it's based on the beginning of spring? But no idea, honestly." He admitted as he went back to tending to his asphodel, which he was quickly becoming very attached to.
Valentines Day, Aster was horrorfied to see, was celebrated at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore went about wearing pink robes with fluttering red hearts, and, for some unknown reason, glitter flickered down from the ceiling in the Great Hall. The feast also reflected the event; there were potato hearts, pastries rolled to look like roses, charteurie boards arranged as hearts with hams rolled into roses and other flowers, breadsticks were also shaped into hearts, and the less said about the desserts, the better. By the end of the day only girls like Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil in Gryffindor were still liking the holiday.
As March began to step onto the scene the last of the snow started to melt away, letting the beginning of spring to be seen, with daffodils struggling to grow and bloom.
The dungeons were still dreadfully cold, the majority of the students in the common room could be seen draped in blankets and jumpers, especially those not old enough to snag the seats closest to the large fireplace. The first years in particular eyed the sofas with envy, counting down the days that they could kick people out of them. Malfoy was sure they could start doing that around third year with the weight his name carried. Blaise was of the opinion it more likely be fourth year at the very earliest.
On 20th March the day broke into the first day that could be declared as relatively warm. Despite it being a Friday, students were allowed to take one hour to dedicate to celebrating Ostara in their own way.
Blaise immediately went to Sprout and asked for seeds for him and Aster to plant - Theo having no green thumb whatsoever and Daphne hating to dirty her hands. McGonnagall had Transfigured a load of things into eggs and taught the older students how to inlay them with Charms with the help of Professor Flitwick, the younger years were taught to Transfigure eggs themselves in a pattern they were to design and think of. Hagrid could be seen
carrying bundles of flowers and arranging them in surprisingly good arrangements.
The feast that night was not too dissimilar as those of a traditional Easter feast. There were hot cross buns, seeds and nuts, roasted meats fragranced with thyme and rosemary, vegetable soups of several flavours. It was one of Aster's favourite so far.
Things seemed to be going well, Quirrell had barely covered any lessons as Fawley had been present more than he had been the previous term. That is not to say that Fawley had lessened his work at the Ministry, with whatever it was that he did, but he seemed to do as much as he could at Hogwarts. There were more lessons focused on theory, with them reading from their books, than demonstrations, which allowed him to deal with whatever else he was missing in those times.
The lessons that Quirrell did oversee were still taught with tension for Aster and Theo, both keeping an eye on him as subtly as they could so that they wouldn't be taken by surprise if he did something. Nobody else seemed to remember his snapping of them before Yule however they did become less prone to ridicule him. But that could simply be due to their boredom of hitting the same target for the same thing. Unlike Dudley, they appeared to have brains larger than a garden pea.
Longbottom, Weasley and Granger seemed to have cemented their friendship further, and could be seen glaring at the Slytherins, and Snape in particular. There were times Aster was sure that they were whispering about a Stone and how whoever was looking after it was doing a shoddy job. Why they thought it was their problem, was beyond her. She thought Granger, of all people, would notify a teacher about any suspicions. But then again, perhaps Longbottom's arrogance had reached them by osmosis and they thought they could meddle in adult affairs.
It wouldn't have been the first time, she couldn't help but think as she recalled the incident of Samhain.
So as Aster's spring term charged ahead with minimal issues she was happy to realise that she had managed the most of a year without seeing her dreaded relatives and nearly finished one year of Hogwarts.
She should have known it wouldn't last.