Noble House of Black

3.

Just one week since I've last seen my father. Since I've had the chance to hug him. To hear his voice. One week ago. It definitely didn't feel like it's already been a week. Today's main focus was mostly just finishing packing up the rest of my much-needed supplies for my fifth year at Hogwarts. Lucius had taken Draco and I to Diagon Alley to complete the lists we've both received earlier today, a bit proud and gloating at his son being named Hogwart's Slytherin Prefect. You can't be too upset about it. At least Draco's father boasted over his accomplishments; although, I wouldn't have wanted to be Draco around his parents if he hadn't received that Prefect badge.

The Malfoys tend to boast about how they present themselves in both intelligence and appearance; receiving that badge was just Draco's way of proving his worthiness to his father. I've assumed my own family (the Blacks) were the same as them - Narcissa had already explained to me the story behind both my father and her sister, Andromeda, when I was younger. I doubt she wanted to speak much of her older sister's name, but younger me kept pushing for answers to questions I've had.

I never received a Prefect badge (as I've assumed the female Prefect in Slytherin would be Pansy Parkinson), so at least my father wouldn't have to feel bad about missing out on an accomplishment of his daughter. Can't miss out on something that doesn't exist. Not that I expected to get the badge, myself. My concentration in school seriously lacks. Narcissa hates it; says I should try harder to look good for my family name. The family name. The same name to the family that labeled my father a blood traitor and burned him out with no shame whatsoever. But sure... I'll be right on track to make sure I'm not the one to tarnish their name.

My bedroom door opened as Draco entered, closing the door softly behind him, "Hey Astra." He let off a small smile.

"Finished packing already?" I asked him, placing the last of my books on top of the folded piles of clothing inside my trunk.

"No." He chuckled, "Almost, though. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Why?" I didn't look up from my trunk, just focused on shoving the books down into it.

"Nobody has really talked to you about what happened a week ago. I just wanted to-"

"About my father coming here?" My eyes looked up towards him, "Draco, that's-"

"That's not the incident I'm talking about."

"Oh." My eyes focused back on the trunk once more as my fingers fiddled with the pages to one of the books. The thing with The Dark Lord.

"It's not that uncommon for something like that to be just swept under the rug here, Astra."

"It wasn't." I answered him quietly.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't beating yourself up about it." He continued.

"Draco." My eyes shot up at him, "It's fine. Lucius already talked about it with me. I'm fine."

"M-My father?"

"Is there another Lucius walking around the Manor, Draco?"

"Why would he-? He nearly bit my head off in my room that night for even mentioning The Dark Lord to you."

"Oh, I know." I smiled at him, "That was pretty stupid of you, by the way. Going against both our parents to feed me information."

"You asked me to tell you, Astra." His voice raising a bit as he spoke.

"Hey." My hand shot up, placing a finger to my lips to signal that he should probably lower his voice, so nobody was to hear us (the walls of the Manor always felt as if it had ears - even when the two of us were kids), "I never said I didn't appreciate it."

He let off a sly smile.

"Anyways," I informed him, "You don't have to worry about me. Not when you already have all that you do on your plate."

"What'd you mean?"

My eyes shot up at him, before going back to closing the trunk and managing to push it off my bed so that it was sitting upright on the floor in front of my bed, "Being a Prefect. Making both your parents proud."

He boasted himself, standing straight and presenting a smile wide across his face, "Jealous?"

"As if I even had a chance." I scoffed, "You deserve it more anyway. You're a much better wizard than I am Witch."

"I'm sorry?" He asked me, "I don't see my hands and eyes glowing a different color whenever I get a surge of magical energy."

"That's only when I'm upset." I told him, "And it's probably mostly due to the family tree I'm apart of; it's just genetics."

"I'm on that tree as well." He spoke, "I don't-"

"Maybe the Malfoy name outshines the Black name." I let out a light chuckle, grabbing ahold of his hand, "Just be thankful you don't have to walking around the Manor with a name that probably reminds The Dark Lord of a Deatheater he once considered closeknit. I don't know much about my Uncle Reggie, but I'm sure my name turned heads when realized I was here."

"I'm starting to-"

The door cracked open once more, revealing a small fraction of Lucius' face as he spoke through the crack, "It's getting late. Bed, soon."

"Sure thing, father." answered Draco.

"And, Astra?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, Lucius?" I asked him.

"Don't worry about what we discussed. Everything'll be fine."

"I won't." I told him, "My focus is on the new year."

"Good. Good." The door closed once again and Draco looked at me.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing." I told him, "But you should probably go back to your room before your father notices that you never finished packing." I laughed out, imitating Lucius' voice as best as I could, "Malfoys don't arrive to places late. Always right on time, as scheduled."

"Shut it." He smiled, exiting the room before poking his head back into the room once more, "Your impression of him still isn't good."

I threw a pillow at the door, to which Draco quickly exited before the pillow shut the door completely. I fell backward onto the bed, as the back of my head smacked the pillow.

Don't worry about what we discussed. Everything'll be fine. Like I'll ever be able to do that.