𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧 | 𝐭.𝐦.𝐫

𝟎𝟒

The air was tense between the last two Black men outside the hallway of Aster's bedroom. The girl paid no mind to anything else after her conversation with her supposed father, pulling out the family grimoire from underneath a cushion immediately after his exit. It wasn't entirely hers as it belonged to those worthy in the family, only those chosen by the Head.

Yet despite all her curiosity about devouring deeper magic, the deep murmurs outside her door weren't at all hard to listen in on.

Grandfather's voice wasn't hard to pick out with its gruffness, and it would be difficult to forget a voice she had just spoken with earlier on.

"How did it go, young man?"

"As well as it could, she took it better than I presumed." Sirius sniffled.

Arcturus took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket. "Oh, pull yourself together. You've had a full year for recovery, don't tell me you need more time in the ward."

"I'm handling it better than I thought, actually." Sirius dabbed at his wet face with the cloth. "She grew up well. She looks healthy."

"No thanks to Dumbledore." Arcturus scoffed.

Even after knowing the result of the old man's deeds, being collateral damage himself, it troubled him still the magnitude of how wrong he was. Get thrown to Azkaban for a couple years and suddenly your life is flipped upside down.

The past year of recovery had been difficult for Sirius. And still, he won't ever be fully healed from years of dementor exposure. He won't ever be the same as before. But maybe he can be better in other ways.

"Can I visit her again soon?"

"If she agrees to it." Arcturus nods.

"And what are my chances?"

Arcturus opened his mouth to answer but closed it again in hesitation. Despite the girl's gentle demeanour, he had lived long enough to spot things that were off. And this girl's shadow was bigger than the form it lies under.

Unbeknownst to the two men, the girl inside her room began thrumming with familiar warmth. Red whips of ribbon swam around Aster, which she now learned was a manifestation of her magic. But this time she wasn't angry. She was just annoyed. Apparently, stupidity can muddle even the minds of magic folk.

It annoyed her that she was that easy to give away. It annoyed her that family could treat her the way they did. It annoyed her that her parents chose to fight a war while starting a family. It annoyed her that the only time she was a priority was to be someone else's tool.

So maybe she didn't like Sirius all that much, his past glory merely a shadow upon him. He didn't have to know that's what she thought.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Despite past promises, visits from Draco and Narcissa became sparser, eventually coming to a halt. It did not bother Aster, though the loss of entertainment paved way for pursuit of the forest's embrace.

Aster wasn't exactly sure what friends were, other than the kind Grandpapa would read to her from the story books. She had come to accept the absurd array of magical creatures of her world, yet she found talking animals most preposterous. Yet it was animals which kept her company in her time outside Grandpapa's watch.

That was another strange thing Aster had to get used to. In her short life, she had come to learn how unforgiving the world can be. That the world waited for no one.