Chapter 4

Astrid had a busy summer, but it was one of the best ones she had in a long time. She never felt such freedom before. She was able to do what she wanted and when she wanted without having to worry about anyone trying to control her.

Since she found it easier to work out and run without having to maneuver around crowds in Diagon Alley, she spent a good amount of time in the muggle world. Astrid was surprised to see her body undergo a transformation that she never even thought of. Her arms developed a good amount of muscles and her abs are more visible when she wears tight shirts. As a result of this, she noticed she was receiving more attention from women and men of all ages. This revealed another part of herself that had changed since getting purged. Astrid was always shy and silent but without the compulsions, it seemed like she attracted both genders with a charming smile and some words.

Astrid spent a lot of her free time in her room at the Leaky Cauldron. She always had her head in a book. At first, she was overwhelmed by her role as Lady of many houses, but she quickly learned what it entailed. She realized that she could use her titles to take back control of her life and she could also help Sirius. It came as a shock to her when she read it was rare to head to multiple houses. It was also satisfying to know that she possessed a lot of power and that isn't solely based on the stupid title 'girl who lived'. However, she wasn't naive enough to ignore that her title might also help her in the long run.

Astrid had been conversing with Hermione back and forth. She soon found out that Hermione also had her doubts about the headmaster and how she was weary of his role in Astrid's life. She had informed her that she wasn't at the Dursleys anymore but didn't give off any hint of where she was. She didn't want to disturb Hermione's summer as she knew she would have come to the Leaky Cauldron as soon as she heard. She missed Hermione, Sirius, and Remus. Merlin, she missed them more than anything but she needed the summer to herself. Selfishly enjoying her freedom now, she knew that her little bookworm would lecture her about her ventures outside of Diagon Alley.

Today was July 31st, Astrid's fifteenth birthday. However, her birthdays never felt special to her because she grew up with a family who never acknowledged the day she was born. However that morning she was awoken by a surprise not only from Hermione, which, causing her heart to skip a beat, but also by Sirius and Remus.

Astrid had half-expected some books from Hermione but was shocked and in awe that she gifted her a leather jacket. Hermione explained that it had charms that would fit her figure perfectly. Which she was glad about because she had yet to see how much she had changed. Sirius' gift was a bit confusing but she found a note explaining that it was a two-way mirror. One that belonged to his father and was often used to communicate with Sirius' whenever they were separated. While she was amazed by the gift, she was rather hesitant because he was also unaware of her changes. She was going to surprise them when she showed up at Grimmauld Place in a few weeks. She was also going to inform him that she collected her Black Heiress ring. Remus' gift was chocolate and a photo album that had pictures of his parents and their friends. Astrid noticed that Peter was spelled out of all of the photos he was in.

Currently, Astrid was wandering around Diagon Alley after spending an hour reading over her fifth-year material. She kept away from Knockturn Alley as she was still feeling a bit uneasy about a brief experience during her second year. She glanced around, and she found an alley that led off beside Gringotts.

Horizont Alley was wider than Diagon Alley and Astrid found that the stores were more vibrant and inviting. She couldn't understand how no one ever mentioned such a place but also wondered if no one knew it existed. She made a mental note to ask Sirius and Remus later when she saw them.

The first shop was painted in a bright, light blue and had a large sign that read 'Style and Cuts'. She realized that it was a hair salon and she peeked inside, she was taken aback by what she saw. Witches and Wizards got their hair cut without any magic and it was quite busy. She decided if she ever needed a haircut she'll come back.

She moved to the next store which was just as bright and was pink. She was shocked to see two mankins in the window. One was dressed in a wizarding robe while the other was dressed in a muggle-style outfit.

"Hello there, young lady! Are you interested in any of our new collections? I think you'll look gorgeous in our leather two pieces." Astrid blinked in surprise at the excited witch who looked like she had run out of her store as soon as she saw her. Her brown hair was in a tight bun, her clothes were in odd colors and patterns and her face had a lot of makeup but she wasn't one to judge. Especially if she felt confident enough with how she looked.

"No ma'am. Thank you though. I am just looking at the moment, but I may just come by another day. It's my first time being down here and I'm intrigued." She responded with her usual charming smile causing the older witch to chuckle.

"I'll be waiting then." She said with a playful wink before going back into her store. Astrid laughed and shook her head. Even if she was fifteen, she knew she looked somewhat older than her age. It amused her to see some older women and men flirt with her or act flirtatiously.

As she walked through the alley, Astrid noticed several shops like restaurants, clothing stores, and bakeries and they all had apartments above them. She stopped outside a matte black-painted store. Growing intrigues as it was completely different from the vibrant stores that surrounded it. Looking up, a smile made its way to her face as she read the sign 'Tats and Piercings'.

She was debating on whether to enter or not, thinking she was too young to get any tattoos but was wondering if her Ladyship would give her some leeway. Since in the eyes of the Wizarding world, she is now an adult. With a hum, she entered the shop and was met with some music. The front of the store held a long dark red counter with different designs taped to it. Same with the right side of the waiting area. Behind the counter was an archway and Astrid assumed it led to an area where she'd get her tattoos and piercings.

Astrid placed her hands on the counter, with her Darling ring on show as she waited. It wasn't long until a black-haired wizard, who didn't look much older than eighteen, approached with a beaming smile. He had tattoos on his neck, chest, and arms fully displayed.

"Good afternoon welcomes to Tats and Piercings. How can I help you?" He asked and Astrid's lip twitched into a smile before lifting her hand to move her hair that had fallen. She barely hid her smile as the wizards caught sight of the ring. "Oh! Lady Darlings, it is such an honor!"

"Hello, please call me Astrid. I was wondering if you're free to do a few tattoos and perhaps a few piercings as well?"

"Yes! Yes, of course, Lady Darlings. I'm free the rest of the day. Why do we go back and get started? Do you have an idea of what you want or do you want to give me a few ideas and go from there?" Astrid giggled at the man's enthusiasm and let him design a few of her ideas.

Astrid spent five hours in Tats and Piercings and was surprised with how they combined magic into the muggle technique. Jasper, the wizards' name, explained that using a muggle tattoo gun was easier than doing what other witches and wizards do. Which is using their wands to spell the ink into their more painful skin. Astrid was relieved when Jasper used a numbing charm on the areas where she was getting tattoos. This allowed her to lay back and enjoy the experience rather than going through an unnecessary amount of pain. After each design, she was given the option to infuse magic into them so they could move on demand and also heal in about an hour.

Astrid only planned to get a few but some of her designs were broken down after speaking with Jasper about them. She got her chest, right side, and left arm tattooed. They all had meaning behind them and were very thought-out.

Of course, her favorite ones were dedicated to her parents, Sirius, Remus, and Hermione. For her dad and Sirius, she got their animagus forms on her side with a wolf howling in the middle for Remus with a moon above them and Lilies on the bottom to represent her mom. On her chest above her heart, she got their animagus's names tattooed, Padfoot, Moony, and Prongs with the name Prongslet for her mom. For Hermione, she got a stack of books with the top one open, parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink with the quote "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading." on the piece of parchment. She chuckled at the memory. On her arm, she had "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good".

Of course, she got a few piercings as well. She got her ears pierced, with a helix and her tongue pierced.

"I must say, you are the coolest Lady I've ever seen and met." Jasper teased with a playful nudge. Astrid chuckled at that with a shrug.

"You should see my Godfather" She responded with a smirk, earning a raised eyebrow from the tattooist but didn't comment. "How much do I owe you?"

"320 Galleons" Astrid hummed and took out her card, not noticing the shocked look on Jasper's face.

"Take 100 Galleons as a tip." Jasper spluttered, never receiving a tip that large before. He shouldn't be too surprised. He spends five hours with Astrid and finds that she is laid back despite being a Lady of a prestigious house. She also had a sense of humor but was also generous and humble.

"Oh wow! Thank you, I appreciate it, Astrid." The young Lady waved it off with a bright but soft smile, showing her dimples.

"Think nothing of it. Make sure to stay in touch. I'll be coming back again." With a wave goodbye, Astrid walked out of the store and was surprised that it was getting dark. She was thankful that Jasper got one of his colleagues, Jayce, to get some food for them since they were busy with their clients and Jayce was the only free one for an hour.

She decided to go pick up some pastries and sandwiches from a bakery called 'Pastries and Chocolate Delight' before returning to her room at the Leaky Cauldron. After she ate and took a bath, Astrid fell into a peaceful slumber.