𝑬𝑼𝑷𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑨|| 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

~56~

It was the night before the students left to go home for Christmas as well as the day to give out secret Santa. The group of students sat in Gryffindor's common room by the fire which filled the room with a warm light.

Asteria watched as everyone gave out their presents. Sirius ended up getting her and had gifted her a silver necklace with his name on it. "I'm sure my father will be happy to see I have a necklace with a blood traitor on." Asteria laughed before putting it on.

"Remus," The Hufflepuff called out before handing him a knitted pillow made of wool. "The stuffing is infused with lavender oil to help with sleep. At least that's what the herbology book says." The Gryffindor thanked the girl.

"Um, Asteria." She looked beside her to see James holding out her present. It was a knitted Bowtruckle, about to fall apart but it was still impressive. "I thought you said you had Pete," Asteria said.

"I guess I lied to you." He replied with a smirk which made her roll her eyes before watching Lily gave her present to Marlene.

-☘︎︎-

Asteria ran her hand through her hair when she waited to board the train back home. Finally, the crowd started to move onto the train which was when she bumped into Regulus.

"Reg, where are you sitting?" The Hufflepuff asked. "Thinking of sitting with Cissy," Regulus replied. "Oh, alright." She said with a smile before finding an empty compartment.

She pushed her suitcase up on the shelf above her seat before slouching in the cushioned seat. Asteria leaned on the window watching the passing hills.

Asteria whistled to herself but jumped when the door to her compartment slid open. "Can I sit in here? Sirius is pissing me off." Remus asked the Hufflepuff who nodded and watched him sit on the chair opposite.

"Almost that time of the month?" She asked the boy who nodded. "I can kinda relate," Asteria added with a smile when the trolley lady approached the door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" The silver-haired woman asked the students. Asteria handed the woman a few coins which were traded for a few bars of chocolate.

Once the woman pushed the trolley away, she closed the door and handed the chocolate to the boy. "You don't need to do that," Remus said but she shook her head. "It's the least I could do." She replied before handing him a handful of muggle money.

"Here. My father will kill me if he finds it." She explained which made him reluctantly take the money and put it in his pocket. "I'm already dead for kissing James," Asteria added.

"Did you actually kiss him?" Remus asked with furrowed eyebrows. "I was drunk." She replied as she rubbed her eyes.

-☘︎︎-

The train came to a halt and Asteria got up and hurried off the train, trying to beat the crowd to get her lecture over with. But when she approached her father, he did not talk or even look at her and instead started to walk off the platform.

She let out a sigh before following him off the platform. But she knew that she had a strict lecture waiting for her when they got back to the Manor, and she was correct.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Cepheus swiftly turned around to face his daughter. Before she could react, Cepheus raised his hand and struck the girl.

"You disgusting girl. Kissing a blood traitor." He hissed at his daughter. "I didn't mean to." She replied as she pressed her hand over her cheek. "He forced you! I will kill that disgusting Potter family myself." He shouted which caught the attention of Catrina who walked in.

"No, father-" Asteria tried to argue back but she was cut off. "Go to your room!" He shouted at his daughter, his face red with anger. Asteria ran up the staircase and into her room.

She slammed the door close before leaning against it. Hot tears ran down her red cheeks as she slowly slides down the door until she was sat on the floor.

She covered her mouth with her hand to try and muffle out her sobs so that her father couldn't hear her. Once she felt like she had no more tears left, she wiped her bloodshot eyes and opened the window in her room.

Under her window was a roof to a room that no one had used for years. She let the cold night air dry out her wet cheeks before jumping out onto the roof.

Asteria moved to the edge where a patch of grass grew before pushing herself up and landing on the grass which cushioned her fall.

After wiping her clothes down, she crept over to her mother's gravestone so that her father didn't see her. She sat down in front of the gravestone, inspecting the lavender plant which had grown back during the time she was gone.

Asteria picked up a small stick which she began to scrape the moss out of the carving of words on the stone until it was readable again.