Promised [F.W.]

Chapter 11

Jinxed Threats

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"Jerks," Aster muttered as she sat next to the Weasley twins at breakfast the next day.

"What did we do?" George asked with a grin then looked at his brother who shrugged.

"Not you," she shook her head, as two first-year Slytherin boys headed to their table, "those brats," Aster growled, "picking on Lance this morning, he had to go back to the common room, it was so bad."

"You want us to handle them?" Fred asked looking over at the two boys who were cautiously eyeing Aster.

"Don't worry, I got them," Aster softly said as she smirked to herself as she looked at her plate of bacon and toast, "made them dance and sing in front of their little friend group, you know," she looked at the twins with an unimpressed smile, "they are horrible at singing."

"Oh, I've taught you well," Fred said in glee as he hugged his friend, "I'm such a proud friend," he whispered wiping a fake tear out of his eye. Just then, a red-faced Lance entered the Great Hall and immediately walked over to Aster and plopped himself down.

Aster put an arm around him protectively and stared down the Slytherin boys for a minute, who averted their eyes and went back to eating. Fred and George could hear the sniffling from Lance and soft hums from Aster. The twins got up and sat on the opposite side of Lance and started to stare down the boys who crossed Lance and Aster.

"Listen," Aster whispered to Lance, "if you have any classes with them, or if anyone one at all tries to bully you or pick on you, come straight to me," Aster told him, he nodded and smiled at her then to the twins.

However, that day didn't come easy for Lance and Aster knew something was wrong. He didn't show up for lunch with tipped her off and caused her to go searching the castle to find him, and eventually finding him in an empty stairwell. She could hear his sniffles echoing down the hall and rushed into the stairwell, causing Lance to look up and start wiping his eyes.

"I," he sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve, "I couldn't," his voice faltered as he looked away and buried his face in his knees.

Aster walked towards him and sat on the stairs next to him, "it's okay," she whispered, wrapping an arm around him. Lance leaned into her touch and his sniffing stopped, "what did they say to you?"

Lance paused and shut his eyes tightly as if trying to remember something he long forgot, "they hexed me and jinxed me," he hiccuped, "they called me names," he quietly said, "really bad ones." Aster looked at the boy with a worried look and anger in her eyes. Then he started crying again, leaning into Aster more as she hugged him tighter.

"What's their name?" Aster asked in a serious tone, "What house are they in?"

"Brian Smith, he's in Gryffindor," Lance tried to remember the other student's name but was interrupted by Aster standing up and pulling him out of the stairwell, her wand now in her hand, setting off to go to the Great Hall.

"Let's find him," Aster muttered still holding Lance's hand, they enter the Great Hall and earn the attention of Fred and George. Aster looked up and down the Gryffindor table and finds a blond student looking directly at Lance with a defiant smirk. "That's him?" Lance nodded. "Go sit with the twins," Aster ordered as she stalked over to the blond boy who now eyed Aster.

The twins sat around Lance as the three watched Aster with an awestruck look, "oh so I guess you're Lancy's bodyguard," he said in a baby-ish high voice, "makes sense for a wheezy baby like," he wasn't able to finish his sentence as Aster sat next to him with a killing look.