Asteria paced nervously in the courtyard. It was the first day of sixth year and she hadnt seen Tom last night and that worried her. They had become friends last year and he barely wrote to her over the summer. She throws her friends up into the air muttering curse words to herself. She was being ridiculous!
Tom watched her amused. She was freaking out for some reason. She wore a knee length thin strapped summer dress, she looked nice. Half of her stark white hair was tied back into a bun and she huffs an irritated breath before spinning around. Her eyes widening as she took in Tom and his all black attire. Tom fought his smirk as he pushes off the archway walking toward her.
A blush crept up her neck into her cheeks as she stared at him, How had he gotten taller?! Her surprised expression turned into a scowl as Tom stepped closer to him. He smirks down at her. She was cute when she was angry. She swats his arm, aggravation evident in her eyebrows.
"Where were you?!" He tilts his head giving her a playful grin.
"Where you worried about me Dumbledore?" Asteria scoffs and rolls her eyes.
"You wish Riddle." Her eyes caught the pin on his jacket, she smiled brightly before pulling her hair aside revealing that they had matching perfect badges. Tom snorts and shakes his head lightly. Her emotions changed so quickly all of the time. Sometimes Tom wondered if she was Bi-polar. It was a muggle condition but it was still possible for a witch or Wizard to have it.
"Well, look at that. Did you're father appoint you?" Asteria's eyes narrowed at his accusation. Like he thought that she didn't earn it through her own merit. She scoffs biting her tongue before moving passed him. It was stupid that she was excited to show him. He was still the ass that he was. Asteria throat slowly closing. She should have known better.
Tom let her get a few steps away, when he saw her shoulders tremble ever to slightly. He mentally curses realizing his light teasing was directed in another direction. He growls a soft sigh before rushing to her, grabbing her arm pulling her back to him. Asteria squeaks in surprise turning to loo at Tom with a surprised expression. Tom huffs a breath before closing the distance between them, pressing his lips to the top of her hairline. Asteria's Face flamed at his sudden show of affection in the middle of the courtyard. Where others could see them.
"T-Tom! What are you doing?" Her breathing had picked up and her heart threatened to explode in her chest.
"I hurt your feelings, I wasn't trying to." Asteria fought her smile and shook her head at him. Maybe he had changed..But there was still a sinking feeling that she couldn't shake.
In the weeks to come she had noticed that Tom's silver tongue reminded her of her Papa and it frightened her. But what was worse was the fact that some of the older students had been talking more about Grindelwald and his way of thinking that it frightened her to no end. She knew her papa's way of thinking was wrong
Asteria sat next to Tom in Potions reading over their books quietly when the conversation from the next table drew her attention.
"The Ministry should just kill him, instead of trying to catch him. Even if he has a family they would be better of without him" A random Ravenclaw boy spoke making Asteria head snap toward him a deadly look in her eyes that Tom had never seen. Tom's eyebrows draw together as glances between her and boy.
"Maybe we shouldn't be talking about Grindelwald. Professor Slughorn could take house points. He threatened it last time someone brought him up." Another boy replied glancing around the room until his eyes met Asteria's murderess gaze. Making the Ravenclaw boy look toward her too. He gives her a funny look, before opening his mouth.
"Is there a problem Dumbledore?" Asteria's fingers twitched as she placed a hand over her wand on her desk.
"I find your stupidity astonishing." She snapped loudly drawing others attention. Tom's eyes flicker down to her hand that lay over her wand.
"Whats your problem?! Its just Grindelwald. He's a monster!." The boy's words stung and it was almost as if he had physically slapped her. Tom's confusion was growing at how she was reacting to the boys words.
"Say. That. Again." Her eyes darkening and her hands began to tremble. Tom's hand grabbed Asteria's thigh grabbing her attention. The anger in her eyes dying down. He leans toward her, invading her vision so that he was the only thing that she saw.
"Ignore them." He spoke softly and Asteria searched his brown eyes before her hand dropped away from the table and over his hand. She turned back to her book with a small sniffle and tried to concentrate on the words. Tom cuts his eyes toward the boys and they flinch under his gaze.
"Detention the both of you." His words cut through the tension that had built in the room. Tom kept his hand in place only because it seemed to calm Asteria.
Asteria's mind was consumed with her Papa and the fact that she had lost all composure at the fact that someone had called him a monster. She was sick of hearing people talking that way about him. Of course she didn't believe in the same things that he did but he was still her Papa and she loved him.
Asteria sighed loudly and grabbed her things before rushing out of the room. She needed to see her Father. She needed to vent and speak to him before she snapped. It would have been nice to have a friend to talk to about this but she knew she would be putting them at risk if she were to do that.
She ran down the corridors and all the way to her fathers class. Not caring if he was teaching in that moment she just needed to see him. She through the door open and stopped. She didn't know the man that her father was currently talking to. But the man slowly turned and looked at Asteria in shock.
"He HAS a CHILD?!" Asteria flinches at the man's raised voice. Albus clears his throat and takes several steps toward her. Which catches her attention quickly.
"This is my daughter Asteria." He says proudly, but Asteria could sense the tension in the room and it was unnerving her. She wanted nothing more than disappear now. The man scoffs and disgust crosses his face.
"You and Grindelwald had a child and you didn't think that it wasn't important to inform the Ministry about it?" Asteria's eyes harden at the man and he flinches slightly.
"We are done here. Leave." She spoke calmly. But she wasn't in the mood to hear anyone else call her papa a monster. The Man arches an eyebrow at her and then looks at Albus. But Albus was looking at his daughter. He had never been more proud of her than in this moment.