Quite a lot of people were in the common room today. Some of them have already claimed most of the couches so George and Lee sat on the ground while Anastasia sat on the further end of a couch along with some other Gryffindors. Fred sat at the couch's armchair beside Anastasia.
Fred and George were current life complaining about their upcoming quidditch match because apparently, Snape was refereeing the match.
The twins have gotten dramatic because of it.
" Ugh I'm telling you! He's going to find a way to make us loose somehow! ", George exclaimed as he put a hand on his forehead in a dramatic way.
Fred was doing the same. He had a hand on his chest as he spoke. " This is terrible! If only someone could tell Snape to back out! "
Immediately, the three's eyes were on her.
Anastasia sighed. " No. I'm not telling him to back out. Besides, surely he won't be able to find a way to make Gryffindor loose with so many people watching including the school staff. "
The twins let out a mournful cry whilst clinging onto the girl while Lee laughed hysterically at them.
The golden trio was also with them at the common room. They stared at the twins as they let out their dramatic mournful cries before going back to their conversations.
" Anyway, you should just back out from the match. Just this match. ", Said Hermione.
" Say you're ill. ", said Ron.
" Or just pretend you broke your leg. ", Hermione suggested.
" No. Really break your leg for real. ", Ron refuted.
Anastasia quietly listened to the golden trio.
" I can't. There isn't a reserve seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all. ", Harry said.
Just then, a distressed Neville hopped inside the room. His legs were bound together by some invisible force. It was a mystery how he got into the portrait hole.
Almost everyone in the common room laughed at the sight, even the twins. Anastasia glared at them, causing them to quickly silence themselves. She then turned back to Neville. " Neville, what happened to you? "
Hermione helped him sit together with her friends. " It-... It was Malfoy. ", Neville said with a trembling voice. " I met him outside of thr library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice the leg-locker curse on. "
Anastasia's face turned red from anger towards her friend. What has he been doing again?! She thought he has finally gone quiet from his schemes!
" Go to Professor McGonagall! Report him! "
" I don't want more trouble... "
The voice of Anastasia's housemates soon faded from her ears as she began walking away. She needs to talk to that ferret friend of hers. How many conversations will they need to have in order for him to finally stop?
Fred, George, and Lee meanwhile, decided to quietly follow their seething friend. They have an idea of what'll happen but they want to witness it for themselves.
Anastasia stopped in front of the library, where she spotted Crabbe and Goyle pointing at the books their holding before laughing together. She walked towards them before speaking. " Have you two seen Draco? "
The two abruptly stopped their laughs as they heard the girl's voice. Unlike usual, the girl had a tint of anger in her voice as she spoke. But still, they have to save their boss.
" U-umm. He went that way. ", Crabbe and Goyle said at the same time yet pointing at different directions.
Anastasia gave them a deadpan expression in return.
But it seemed like she didn't need to do anything more, as the guy she is looking for is now walking towards them. He smiled upon noticing her.
" Ana! Have you come to visit? Were you looking for me? ", Draco said excitedly that Anastasia began to feel reluctant to scold him.
" You... " ,Anastasia started before sighing. " Follow me. " She finally said before walking away.
Draco looked at his friends in confusion. " Did you two do something? "
They immediately shook their heads. " N-no! In fact, she talked to us because she was looking for you. ", Crabbe answered.
Draco nodded before eventually leaving them behind and following after the girl. They arrived at the black lake. And there, they stood at a familiar spot.
Anastasia sat down a huge stone with Draco following her actions. She then began to think of what to say. How do you even scold someone without sounding harsh?
" Um, Ana? ", Draco called out after a minute of silence.
" Draco. You have been doing your schemes again behind my back. "
Draco looked shocked and nervous. " What? What are you talking about? "
Anastasia glared at him. " Don't act innocent, Draco. You casted a leg-locker curse on Neville. "
Draco's face turned shock, then to annoyance, then finally to guilt. He looked away from her as he felt his throat tighten at her glare.
" Draco. ", Anastasia called out, much softer this time. " Why did you do that? "
" I... I was somewhat annoyed with him. He just keeps making mistakes over and over again. Even after each mistake, he still repeats his actions. It just makes me annoyed... ", He whispered, still not looking at her.
Anastasia didn't know how to react.
" Well... ", she started. " I think it's very admirable. "
That caught the blonde boy's attention. He finally turned back to her before asking? " Why? How is that admirable? "
" He still doesn't give up even after making mistakes and repeats them in an attempt to fix it in hopes of it turning out better. That's a good mindset if you ask me. "
Draco went silent at that. The two children gazed at the lake before them in silence for a while, merely taking in the view. A siren even popped out curiously, giving them a wave by its tail before diving back down.
" Sorry... ", a whisper came out from the boy's mouth.
Anastasia finally let out a smile at that word. " I forgive you. Though I'm not really the one you should be saying that to. "
Draco smiled at those words before leaning in to embrace her. Anastasia chuckled fondly at the gesture as she combed his hair by her fingers.
" Let's get up now, Draco. ", said Anastasia as she broke off the hug and brought out her hand. Draco accepted it and let himself be pulled up by the girl.
" Let's go back now or else your housemates will get suspicious by your sudden disappearance. "
Draco frowned slightly in those words. There was an obvious look of worry in his face.
" Alright then. I'll see you around, Ana. ", He said with a smile before running ahead towards the castle.
Anastasia stayed behind for a bit just to admire the lake. She always felt like diving into the cold waters whenever she's here. Back then when she still loved at the castle, she wound sneak off at nights in order to swim at the lake. How she managed to swim without learning it was a mystery to everyone including herself. Snape ended up getting furious that night and scolded her throughout their way back to her room, even at the next day.
'' Hussshhhh.... "
There it is again. The strange whispers she's been hearing whenever she's near the lake. Sometimes, they would be broken words.
" ~irst child of maaaa~~~~ ", the last word was quickly blown away, making the girl frown in disappointment.
She then heard footsteps behind her, causing her to turn around. It was the twins with Lee.
" What are you doing out here? You looked like a loner. ", Fred joked.
" Is something bothering you, Ana? ", Lee asked.
Anastasia smiled at them and shook her head. " It's nothing. I was just admiring the lake. Let's go back now? "
[<>]
It's the day of the Quidditch Match.
Fred, George, and Lee were quite nervous, Anastasia could see it. And she tried her best to keep their spirits up and wished them luck. But even with the match possibly ending by Slytherin's favour, they were still held their chins up.
" We better not see you supporting the other team, Ana. ", Fred said with a funny stern voice. His eyes held the same mischievous glint.
" She has all eyes for you~ ", George whispered as he sang, earning yet another laugh from Lee.
Anastasia and Fred looked at them weirdly.
" Alright you two. ", Wood gestured to Anastasia and Lee. " We need to go in five minutes. Go say your last good lucks. "
" Well, that's about it. Good luck. You too, Harry. ", Anastasia said, giving Harry a smile.
Harry, who been quietly standing by himself, raised his head in surprise before giving an embarrassed thanks.
Anastasia gave him a thoughtful look. It seemed like they're on the move now. She honestly admires his bravery to still play the game with his messed up mind. She walked closer to him before gently resting her hand on his shoulder.
" Are you alright? You seem deep in thought. "
Harry looked even more embarrassed. " I'm alright. Thank you for asking. "
" Okay. Don't pressure yourself and just act as you do. ", She said before finally giving the twins one last smile before walking out of the changing room with Lee.
The two then walked over to the stands. It was almost fully crowded at this point. Many students have already settled themselves at the seats.
" It's going to be difficult for us to find an empty seat. ", said Lee.
" Let's look around. We should be able to find a free seat. Not every Ravenclaws are going to watch anyway. "
They then walked towards the stands and looked around for any free seats, eventually reaching the part where Gryffindors sat.
Above them, Anastasia saw Hermione and Ron talking seriously by themselves when suddenly, Draco appeared behind them with Crabbe and Goyle. He was about to bump into the red-haired boy when he took notice of the two people staring at him from below.
Lee had a curious look pointed at him, no doubt waiting to see what'll happen. Anastasia on the other hand smiled brightly at him. Draco ignored his sudden urge to bother the two in front of him and instead smiled in return to his friend.
" Ana! Come sit here with us! You can bring your.... ", Draco's face then turned a little sour. " Friend... "
" Thanks, Draco! ", Anastasia hurriedly pulled her friend up the seats, greeting the shocked Hermione and Ron due to the blonde's sudden loud greeting.
Anastasia sat down by Draco's side, patting the spot next to her for Lee to sit on. Crabbe and Goyle awkwardly sat by their friend's other side.
Once the match started, each of the houses yelled in uproar. The Gryffindors were the loudest as expected.
Draco covered his ears and looked at his friends in annoyance as they yelled loudly for Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle took notice and immediately brought their hands down and closed their mouths, glaring at anyone who was screaming.
" Look! There's Fred and George! ", Lee called out.
Anastasia removed her gaze from the loud crowd before following his gaze and found the twins standing out due to their bright hair. Fred? George? She can't really tl from this angle but one of them noticed them and waved excitedly.
Anastasia happily waved back. " Hey Lee, do you know which twin that is? I can't tell from here. "
Lee was also waving back. " Can't tell either. "
Wood then approached the waving twin before scolding him.
" Do you think we have a chance of winning? ", Asked Lee.
Anastasia shrugged. " Don't know. I haven't really watched them play yet. I do hope we'll win though. "
" I heard the Slytherin team is great. ", Draco butted in. " Father told me they've won repeatedly. "
The girl nodded in amazement whilst her friend rolled his eyes.
" We'll win! Our team's got Harry! He's a natural at flying! ", Ron argued.
Oh, Anastasia completely forgot they were still there.
Ignoring the ruckus behind them named Ron and Draco, Anastasia, Lee, and Hermione decided to just keep watching the match. It went nice, the Gryffindors started out pretty good. Harry was already getting used to it.
Though, Anastasia found it hard to keep in her laugh whenever she sees Snape up in the air, frowning at everything on his broomstick.
Snape turned around just seconds before something was about to hit him. It was something shiny and scarlet. And after that, Harry has pulled out of the five that he did earlier, smiling in triumph at the snitch in his hands.
The crowd erupted loudly, mostly the Gryffindors. Everything happened so fast it made things even more exciting. Anastasia, Lee, and Hermione were among the people screaming in victory.
They were in pairs. Lee and Anastasia held each other's hands while jumping up and down happily while Hermione was hugging Parvati Patil in joy, looking for her ginger friend that has somehow gone missing along with Draco and his followers.
Up in the air, Fred and George waved their hands around wildly at the jumping pair.
[<>]
" That Weasley and Longbottom! I swear I will make them regret ever hurting me! "
Anastasia, Draco, and Pansy were walking along the bridge of the castle. For the past twenty minutes, Draco has been ranting about his fight with Ron and Neville during the match.
" You weren't even hurt. ", said Anastasia.
" I am! ", Draco clutched his head dramatically as he said that. " That Weasley pulled my hair! "
Anastasia refrained herself from laughing. Because honestly, that was better than getting a black eye like what happened in her memories. Instead, Anastasia looked at him in pity. " Ehem.. Well, did it really hurt that much? ", she said as she gently touched his head.
Draco's face turned red, his eyes widening before shutting down quickly. " I-it did! It hurt so much I almost didn't get any sleep! ", he complained.
Pansy looked at him with a deadpan expression. " You slept like a- "
" A-anyway! ", Draco said, cutting the short haired girl off. " Snape told us to call you earlier. "
Anastasia stopped in her tracks at that. " Earlier? When? "
" Umm... Maybe half an hour ago? "
" Draco! ", Anastasia exclaimed with a horrified face. " What if it was something important?! "
" Not important... I think he's just sending you on an errand. He has letters and documents on his table along with some other stuffs. ", said Pansy.
Another errand! A chance to get out of Hogwarts!
And with that, Anastasia quickly turned around and began running the opposite way. " I'll get going now! I'll see you guys around! "
After a huge amount of time spent on running, Anastasia was finally able to arrive at the potions classroom. She inhaled a huge amount of air in exhaustion before knocking on the door, coming in once the Professor told her to.
Snape, who was about to scold her for being almost an hour late, paused at her exhausted state. " And what happened to you? "
" Draco... Forgot to tell me that... You called for me.... Ran all the way fro-... From the bridge... ", Anastasia said in between breaths.
Snape frowned at that. " Then go back for rest for now. Actually, walking all the way to the Gryffindor Common Room will even exhaust you more. Sit down for a while then rest. Tell me once you feel better so I can send you on an errand. "
Anastasia didn't argue at that and sat down on a chair, letting out a sigh of relief. " By the way, Professor. The badge you gave me the last time. It seems like you forgot to take it back. ", She said, taking out the green badge from her pockets.
The green and black fabric used for it was hard and seemingly strong. A snake and an apple was embroidered at the middle of it along with the word Ivy on top of the snake. Earlier this morning while trying to cut a strand of her night dress' fabric from the badge, she accidentally snapped the scissor at the badge. Yet it didn't get harmed, not even a bit. It was completely unscathed. It seems like it did have some magic in it.
Snape gave it a glance before going back to his work. " Keep it. Don't loose it. Wear it at all times. It should be able to protect you from most dangers. ", was all he said.
After that, Anastasia soon drifted to sleep.
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Soft giggles were heard throughout the space as soon as the water droplet fell. They sounded strange. It was as if voices were speaking underwater.
" Now, now. Stop pulling her deeper into the water! She'll drown! ", a voice, the one who giggled said.
" But she doesn't drown. She can't. ", another voice said.
" With a calm mind she can't. But if you keep scaring her like this, there's now ay she'll be calm! "
" I can hear her heartbeat raising. "
" Of course, she's scared. Look she's thrashing around! Let her go now! "
" I already did. She's not calming down. Let's wake her up now. "
" I will se~~~~~ "
Anastasia snapped her eyes open as she jolted awake. She looked around madly in confusion for a bit before eventually calming down.
She's still at the potions class. Except... Why does it look like a tsunami happened here?
The floor was flooded. Water was dripping down from the ceiling and the walls. And Snape was beside her, looking terrified as he held his wand. Only then did Anastasia notice the shield around them.
" What... ", she couldn't get the words out of her. What is she even supposed to say?
" Anastasia. ", Snape called out. " Did you dream of something? You looked like you were struggling while you slept. "
Anastasia then became hesitant. Should she tell him what happened?
In the end, Anastasia ended up telling him. There's no way she'll be able to hide something like this anyway. She's never gokd at hiding secrets.
Snape looked even more terrified. But most of all, he looked worried. With a flick of his wand, he whispered something, causing the waters in the room to dry up. " Go back to your dorms and rest. You can take your errand tomorrow. "
" Wait, no! ", Anastasia immediately refuted. " I... I want to go out! Please, I think I need some time to think away from everyone for a bit... ", she said, voice getting lower by the end.
It was true. She's not sure if she can face anyone at the moment. Anastasia still felt shocked at what happened. She's going to need some time to think by herself.
Snape looked troubled by the request. But he understood. He knew that the little girl was probably feeling troubled at the moment and saw the errand as an opportunity to be left alone. And so, he agreed.
" The badge, Anastasia. ", Snape reminded after he's given the cased bag to the girl.
Anastasia nodded in daze and locked the badge on her uniform. She'll be needing a long bath after this.
__________
AN : I don't think I've discussed this before but if you've noticed that Ana is too forgiving, too trusting, or anything that seems close to it, please bear with it for the early chapters. I don't mean that in a mean way btw 😅 I'm just saying that I made her like this for a purpose, but she'll mature soon, just not now. I hope you can understand that, if anyone's reading this. :)