"Do you have everything you need Astrid? Do you have your robes?" Narcissa asked that afternoon when Lucius and Draco entered the house, looking rather angry. Astrid groaned.

"Yes aunt Cissy! You're acting like my mo—" The girl stopped herself, realizing what she just about to say. Astrid never had a mother, she never knew her biological parents. Sure, the Potters treated her like their own daughter and Narcissa treated her like her own flesh and blood but none of them had filled that hole in her heart, that burning feeling of wanting to know her parents, that burning feeling of wanting to have this silly argument with her real mother.

"We got Lockhart's books." Lucius said, changing the subject. Astrid then beamed as though what she just said had just evaporated into thin air.

"We also ran into Potter and those scums, the Weasleys." Draco sneered and Astrid gasped. She had always been fond of the Weasleys, at first it was because they were Pure-Bloods but now it was sinply because they all were extremely funny, especially the twins and their younger brother, Ron. She also liked Percy, which was weird. She guessed she had formed an unlikely liking to him like she did with Quirrell, even though she clearly knew he was with Penelope Clearwater. But it's not like she'd do anything about it.

"Draco, we spoke of this." Lucius said in a disapproving tone. His eyes flickered to Astrid, who gave him a smile and he kindly returned it.

"Come now! We can't afford to be late! Oh please take care of my Draco! And you better take better care of yourself young Missy! We don't another scare like that!" Narcissa wailed. "Dobby! Dobby!"

The house elf didn't appear and Astrid worried. Unlike her uncle and her cousin, she treated Dobby as though he was an equal. She didn't treat him as though he was vermin. Narcissa didn't treat him like Lucius but she didn't treat him any better either.

Dobby appeared after a few minutes, looking terrified beyond belief as his big, green eyes landed on a fuming Narcissa.

"Where have you been?!" She growled and Dobby flinched. "Is the food ready?! We're going to be late! And they have to eat!"

Dobby squirmed like a worm and Lucius kicked him and he roughly hit the door. Astrid rushed to his side.

"He was going to explain where he was!" She yelled angrily but the two adults scoffed and Draco sneered, clearly they believed otherwise. "Tell me where you were okay? But not now, perhaps in the kitchen?" Astrid smiled at him and he nodded, rubbing his hands together in a worried manner.

"Well, what are you waiting for? For rain to turn into gold?! Go prepare the damned meal!" Draco growled at the already shaking elf. "I'm starving!"

The elf scurried away, crying and Astrid shot Draco a glare before sprinting after the crying house elf.

"Dobby, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did uncle Lucius kick you hard?" Astrid asked the house elf who merely shook his head, he was still crying and all Astrid wanted to do was to wrap him in a hug but she knew this would only make the elf cry even more, and that was not her goal at the moment. "Dobby, look at me." She demanded and soon, big green eyes peered at her. "Where were you? Tell me, please."

"Mistress Astrid will punish Dobby if he told her!"

Astrid smiled. "I'm not like my uncle, cousin or aunt." She enveloped his hands in hers and Dobby gasped, not expecting such kindness from anyone, let alone a Black. "Hey, I know it's hard finding that light, but just walk through the tunnel and you'll see the light right at the end."

She left the elf alone after that, Narcissa bellowed that they were going to be late and told the elf to leave everything. They hurried off to yet another long, dramatic year at Hogwarts.

*

Astrid sat with Oliver at the Gryffindor table, but she was barely listening to what they were saying. She was too worried about Dobby, she knew she'd sound absurd if she told them what worried her. And that's the last thing she'd want.

"Astrid? Are you okay? You look —" Ron stopped himself, looked around, saw that Snape was looking at them and inched closer to Astrid. "A little pale."

She faked a smile. "I'm good, just didn't eat before we left, we had — uh — a little hiccup at home." She said, deciding to push her worries back. "Good news, Snape might let me back on the team thanks to a certain visit by a certain someone. But you know, don't want to get my hopes up high."

She started piling tarts unto her plate and grabbed a few sausages Ron handed her. "Your uncle visited him, didn't he?"

"Nope!" She cheerfully said. "Someone far more intimidating. I mean sure, uncle Lucy is kinda scary but this person is way more scary. On a scale from one to ten, she's a twelve."

"Uncle Lucy?" Harry asked with a horrified expression on his face. Astrid only glanced at him before looking at the others. Hermione couldn't believe that that was the thing that scared him most. Astrid had just told them that this person is more vile, more evil than Lucius and all he has to worry about is the stupid nickname Astrid picked out for her uncle. Hermione admits to finding the nickname slightly horrific since Lucius is a man and he is anything but a Saint.

"Blimey! Who is she?" Ron asked, gasping.

Astrid smirked, looked at Snape and proudly stated, "My aunt Cissy."

"I don't think it worked. Snape's glaring daggers at you." Oliver spoke and surely Snape was glaring at them. Astrid cheerfully smiled at him.

"Well, I tried. The least I can do is try to have Draco on the team." She shrugged. "But I don't know." She stuffed a whole sausage in her mouth and choked. Oliver immediately slammed her back with his hard and unforgiving fist and the sausage went out flying towards the Hufflepuff table. It hit Hannah on the back and the Hufflepuff girl didn't need to turn around to look who threw a sausage at her, or rather spat one at her.

"Blimey Astrid! Do you ever stop being gross?!" She never turned around but the mentioned girl apologized nevertheless.

"She's got a point you know?" Oliver grinned at her and Astrid rolled her eyes at him. She picked up a tart.

"Shut it Wood." She stuffed the tart in his mouth. "Next time, it won't be a tart I'll be stuffing in your mouth. Watch out." She winked at him and they both laughed.

"I'll be keeping my eyes open." He winked back and the younger kids swore they just watched a horror movie unfold right in front of their innocent eyes.

It felt good to be back home. That's until she later looked at her timetable and she suddenly felt like she was in hell. She had Potions first thing in the morning.