𝑬𝑼𝑷𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑨|| 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

~22~

Asteria woke up on Christmas morning and headed down to the kitchens. Although it was the magical winter day every child loved, it did not look like it in the Parkinson Manor.

There was not a single wreath or socking or present. She redid her ponytail which she had slept in before grabbing a croissant from a basket on the table. She then pulled out the chair which she uses to stand on to bake with her mother and opened her mouth to take a bite when Catrina walked in.

"A croissant? I'd suggest keeping to one before you become fat." She hissed at the young girl who let out a sigh before she got up, threw the bread into the bin, and grabbed an apple.

Then she walked out the kitchen, leaving the sly woman alone.  Asteria headed out of the back door and towards her mother's grave. She sat down in front of the lavender plant which had died due to the snow which had suffocated it.

Asteria ran her fingers along the edge of the stone before brushing any snow off. "I miss you mum," She whispered, her voice breaking slightly and her eyes doing red but she wiped them with the back of her hand and headed inside to get ready for the ball as it seemed to take her hours to get ready.

-☘︎︎-

Asteria was laying on her back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling of her room. Suddenly, the door opened and she jumped up. "What are you doing you, useless girl?" Catrina exclaimed.

"I need to help you as you've been too lazy to get ready earlier." She hissed as she walked behind the girl and started to pull the strings of the corset tighter. "Aren't I meant to breathe?" Asteria asked as she held onto her stomach.

"Don't give me that attitude." She hissed back as she tied the strings in a small bow. The woman opened the girl's wardrobe and threw a dress onto the bed. "Put that on and be quick." She ordered before leaving the bedroom.

Asteria sighed, attempting to loosen the forest but she was unsuccessful. After giving up, she headed over to the dress and lifted it up above her head, and pulled it down.

The dress was a light cream colour. It came off of her shoulders and was lined with lace. She carefully put in a pair of silver earrings and doing up her heels which she was forced to wear by her stepmother.

She then left her room to see them waiting by the door for her. "What is she wearing? She looks like a whore!" Cepheus exclaimed when he saw his daughter. "Calm down dear. How else do you get the attention of men?" She replied as she put her hand on his arm.

"You realise I'm not an object for men?" Asteria asked with raised eyebrows as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Honey, that is why women were made," Catrina replied with a slight laugh in her voice.

Asteria rolled her eyes as she walked behind them as they opened the door and started to walk up the pebble path. "We need to find her a suitable husband, especially because the one with that Sirius didn't plan out," Catrina told her husband who nodded in agreement.

-☘︎︎-

Asteria trailed behind her father and stepmother as they walked up the stairs to the Black house. Cepheus knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.

The door soon opened, revealing Orion Black and his wife. "Ah Cepheus, come in." He greeted the man. As the dress providing little warmth, her shoulders were covered in goosebumps.

"Ah Asteria, I'll call Regulus down," Walburga said when she saw the girl. "Regulus!" She called up to her son who slumped down the stairs. "Posture son!" Orion told the boy then straightened his back.

"Maybe one day he'll be waiting for you to walk down the aisle." The thin and tall whispered to the girl which made her laugh awkwardly with wide eyes.

"I don't think I can survive another second with them." She hissed at the boy as she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the ballroom at the house.

Usually, the room was empty, eerie, and melancholy but when the Blacks held a ball, the room was brightly decorated. In the middle of the room were men and women dancing, something Asteria wanted to avoid so she grabbed a glass of champagne and stood with the boy in the corner of the room.

As they were stood in the corner, they were invisible to the other purebloods in the room.
"Why do they hold shit parties like this?" Regulus asked the girl beside him. "Yeah! Where's the fucking line!" Throughout the time they stood in the corner, she was tempted by the grand table of champagne beside them and she had drunk several glasses.

Regulus looked over with wide eyes to see her bright red cheeks and her eyes which drifted around the room. "I suggest not shouting that in a place like this." He replied which a chuckle.

Suddenly, a tall man with dirty blonde hair approached the girl with a certain look in his eyes. "And what might your name be beautiful?" He asked the girl who glanced back at Regulus with a look of disgust. "That would be Asteria." She replied drunkenly, her neck feeling like it was unable to hold up her head. "I'm-"

She interrupted him. "Merlin! You look like that ferret I saw outside eating out of the bin! I knew you looked familiar!" She exclaimed which made him scoff before walking away and back to the dance floor.

This made Regulus burst out laughing and her look around in confusion. "What did I do wrong?" She asked the boy who jokingly shrugged.

But the boy soon stopped laughing when Catrina stormed over and grabbed the girl by her arm and dragged her out of the room. "What is wrong with you!" She shouted, classical music playing in the background coming from the ballroom.

"He was a Nott! He was a suitable match!" She shouted at the girl in a high pitch and whiney voice. "It seems like you're a drunk like your mother." She added with a hiss. "Don't you dare talk about my mother! She's the woman you wished you were!" Asteria shouted back.

"Was, Asteria. She's dead." Catrina replied sharply before she called her husband. "Your selfish daughter had to ruin the night. We're going home early."