STRANGE LOVE | O. WOOD ✔

[25] : FIRST TASK

Astrid sighed as she placed the last box on the shelf and she stepped back to admire her work. She smiled to herself, nearly jumping when she suddenly heard Mr Ollivander's voice from beside her.

"They are going to get mixed up again." He softly said, looking at the shelf. Astrid had organized them alphabetically and the others by size. "They always do." He hummed, picking up a box and opened it. "It's a real beauty isn't it?"

"It is." Astrid replied, though it was true. The wand was a dark brown and Mr Ollivander held it up to show her the engravings on the side. "What does that mean?"

The man opened his mouth but stopped when the chimes at the door jingled and he looked at the man that had entered, Astrid gave a little groan as she noticed who it was.

"Mr Van Halen, I did not expect to see you back here so soon." Mr Ollivander said, rushing over to Leo, who looked angry. Astrid guessed it could be Colette or one of his other friends, even though it seems as though Leo had no friends.

"Ah yes, Mr Ollivander." Leo smiled, his anger completely dissolving into nothingness. Astrid was impressed at how good he was at hiding his emotions. "Recent events happened and well, my wand broke."

"Recent events?" Astrid hummed, raising her brow at him. He smiled at her, his eyes softening. "What recent events?"

"Astrid! How wonderful to see you! Are you here to purchase a wand as well?"

"I work here, I'm surprised Colette didn't tell you." Leo furrowed his brow in confusion.

"So am I." He hummed before turning back to Ollivander and raised his brow. "My previous wand had—"

"Your wand core was unicorn hair." Ollivander said gleefully, turning back to the boxes and shooed Astrid out of the way. "I remember every wand I ever sold Mr Van Halen. Astrid's wand over here, ebony, unicorn hair—" He grabbed a box and thrusted it at Leo, who opened it and gave the wand a little wave. The wand hummed angrily before the windows exploded and Ollivander shook his head. "That won't do, that won't do at all. Astrid, be a dear and repair the windows."

Astrid obliged, flicking her wand and muttering a soft, "Reparo." She looked back to see Leo give another wand a wave, thankfully nothing happened. Leo turned back at her.

"When does your shift end?" Astrid first said nothing, looking back to see Ollivander muttering quietly to himself about how interesting it was that the dragon heartstring reacted so good to Leo but it hadn't the first time he came to purchase a wand as a boy and Astrid rubbed her head in annoyance, her face turning a light shade of red. All her hard work had gone to waste. Ollivander had thrown boxes on the floors, wands were everywhere and this upset Astrid even more. She had spent the last three days organizing them and now, it's all gone.

"I think that's enough for the day Astrid." Ollivander's said, smiling at Astrid, who eyed him angrily, however the man seemed unaffected by this. "It's getting dark outside, wouldn't want your father to worry, now would you?"

Astrid said nothing but bid him goodbye to him. Sirius wasn't home at the moment, the only people who were in the house were Astrid and Kreacher, and Walburga if you're counting her constant screeches and profanities obviously directed at Astrid and Oliver.

"Your hair." Leo said, walking beside her although Astrid was a good arms length away from him.

"I have hair. What about it?" Astrid questioned him with a raised brow. Leo shook his head, thinking about how oblivious Astrid truly was about her family. Leo felt sorry for her, but he knew he couldn't tell her. Sirius was the one who should tell her, not him or Molly or Remus. But Sirius.

"Nothing I guess." Leo said, flashing her a smile. Astrid rolled her dark eyes at him, thinking about how annoying and pervertic Leo was. "When you look at me, and be completely honest, what do you see?"

Astrid sighed. Not this fucking bullshit again. When is he ever going to take a fucking break? She thought as he looked at her. "Like I told you last time Leo, I see a narcissistic, piece of crap, selfish Pure-Blood perv, self righteous Slytherin. You are the reason why they give our house a bad name."

Leo chuckled, just like he had last time and flashed her a smile, trying to hide the fact that he was hurt that she thought that of him. He was nowhere like that. Astrid was not in the mood to entertain his silly games, like this guessing game.

"Wrong, again."

"Oh no, how shocking." Astrid muttered. "Yeah, I need to meet up with Mia at Gringotts. So nice seeing you."

"Hufflepuff." Leo said with a bright smile and Astrid raised her brow in pure confusion. "My house. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, and I'm nothing like you described. That's why you should never judge people based on what you see."

Astrid sighed. "Leo, I'm sorry to break this to you but I really don't like you. And I don't care if you were in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, now please, I have to meet up with Mia." For a split second, Astrid swore she could see hurt wash over Leo's face but it disappeared as soon as it came. Leo gave her one sad smile and bid her goodbye.

*

"Now I feel really bad Mia. I shouldn't have said it outloud, I was thinking it, yes but I shouldn't have said it." Astrid sighed, they were currently at Mia's house and Astrid was a tad uncomfortable.

"He'll get over it dearie, you don't worry. Now how about I take your mind off Galileo? Have you heard what the first task is?"

"No, I haven't." Astrid replied. "Don't tell me it's jinxing and hexing each other into oblivian, I still need my best friend."

"No dearie, it's much better and safer than that!" She beamed. "They have to take a golden egg from a dragon! They each get one! Isn't it exciting?!"

Astrid furrowed her brow. That wasn't safe, better or exciting at all. It was dangerous, they could die and Astrid didn't want that for either of them, for Harry, for Cedric or even Fleur. And this worried Astrid greatly, as in her dreams Cedric does. Cedric couldn't die now though, he still had a dream to live for, he couldn't die now, he was her best friend. Cedric just couldn't die.

"That's not safe Mia. Or exciting." Astrid said in a soft voice. Mia smiled at her, clearly thinking otherwise.

"If it wasn't safe dearie, would Dumbledore allow it? I think not." Astrid bit her bottom lip. She wanted to tell Mia that Dumbledore was a git, because in her fourth year, Quirrell nearly killed Harry but he still hired the man. And in her fifth year, he hired an idiot to teach them. She can only imagine who he had hired this year and she shuddered, maybe he was stupid just like Gilderoy or sketchy like Quirrell. Or he was the combination of them both. Astrid just sighed and smiled at her, mentally preparing herself for Cedric's death.