☞ 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 16𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 1996

Another lonely dinner, filled with small talk with random boys trying their luck and the odd girl hiding their hate behind a fake smile. Astoria is still very absent, and the events that played out before my eyes remain prominent in my mind.

Slowly, I walked back to the common room, with my eyes focused on the stone ground my feet padded on. Worry flooded my mind. Worry about seeing Mattheo or Astoria, and having to pretend I hadn't seen and heard what I did this morning. Worry about what their words meant. Worry that they are in danger.

"Forever Pure." I mutter the password to the common room, and the bricks slide apart, revealing the staircase down to the common room. The staircase I used to fear waking down, fearing Parkinson would be around the corner. My footsteps echoed down the spiral stairs, carrying the sound down deep into the chamber.

I find myself still glancing around corners and hiding myself away in the corners of rooms, old habits of mine. I seem to forget that I am now liked by the majority of the Slytherin house. I seem to forget just how easily people change their minds about something.

As soon as my footsteps into the large yet chilled room, Miles Bletchley, from the year below mine, runs up to greet me. "Congratulations, Snape." He smiled and shook my hand. Confused, I asked him what was I being congratulated about. His blue eyes widened in realisation and a small smile crossed his face. Suddenly, he pointed at the wall behind me. "Take a look."

My eyes landed on the wallpapered wall, where a note hung proudly beside the older posters around it. I walk up to the parchment and notice it's the final decision for the quidditch positions.  My heart thumped in my chest as I took a step closer to read the inked letters more closely.

𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼:

𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻: 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓵𝓮𝔂

"I made the team?" I whispered to myself in utter disbelief. My fingers lightly trailed across my name, neatly written in black ink on the yellowed parchment. My heart swelled with pride as a smile grew on my face. My first smile since witnessing Astoria and Mattheo argue. I can't wait to tell Father.

Suddenly, I felt a presence beside me. "You deserve it more than anyone." His hot breath fanned my cheek as a waft of cigarette scent filled my nose. I turned my head and saw Mattheo Riddle leaning against the wall beside me. "Your skills on the pitch were impeccable." He smiled as he took another drag of his cigarette which sat comfortably nested between his middle and ring finger. I hadn't noticed before, but on said ring finger was a silver ring with the Slytherin emblem carved into it.

"Thank you!" I gleamed at the boy. Mattheo turned away to blow out the smoke from his lungs, making me grimace at the sight and smell. "You shouldn't be doing that." I began, rolling my eyes. "Smoking kills."

Mattheo chuckled. "One can only hope." He dramatically waved his cigarette around and went in for another drag. Without thinking, I grabbed his cigarette and weaved past groups of people and sofas. Mattheo was hot on my trail, however the boy was too slow, as I threw it into the fireplace once I was close enough.

Mattheo's mouth fell as he stared blankly at the fire, as he watched his cigarette burn up in the amber flames. Blaise started cackling as he pointed between the fire and me, clutching his stomach. "Nice one, Snape!" Blaise gasped out between silent tears of laughter.

I thanked the boy, before turning back to Mattheo with a cheeky grin. "You'll pay for that, Y/n." Mattheo tried to seem angry, however his unwavering smile gave away his amusement.

"Will I?" I chuckled as Mattheo shook his head, poking out his tongue on the inside of his cheek. His eyes then locked with mine, his dark brown pools of deep desire stared fondly at mine. For a moment, his gaze flickered down towards my lips. My skin tightened with goosebumps as a smirk spread across his devilishly handsome face. Then my body stiffened as I became increasingly aware of the little space between him and I.

Astoria. My stranger of a best friend sped through the common room, drawing my eyes away from the boy in front of me. I cursed at Merlin for ripping this moment from me, however, I was quickly reminded of what happened this morning between her and Mattheo.

Quickly I bid Mattheo goodbye and chased after my fleeting friend. Astoria slammed the dormitory door as I reached the top of the stairs. I bolted down the corridor, my eyes fixed on my dormitory door. The door slammed open, and there I found Astoria pacing the room, hyperventilating.

"Astoria?" I spoke softly as I slowly stepped into the room. As though my voice pulled her from a trance, her teary eyes snapped to me, and her face fell pale. Her shirt was untucked with the top button undone and her tie hung loosely and carelessly around her neck. Not to mention her wrinkled skirt and ripped tights. Smudged mascara painted her red under eyes a musky grey, and her hair was slightly noted and frizzy.

"N-no. Go." Her voice strained out behind her deep and quick breaths. She turned her back to me as her fingers found her chapped lips, she began picking at them until they began to bleed.

"What's wrong?" I inched closer to her, hoping she'd acknowledge me. Those two words are the first words she's uttered since the beginning of this month.

Her hands shook as she desperately tried to hide them from me. "N-nothing." She gasped out as more tears fell from her tired eyes, her back still facing me.

"It's not nothing. Where have you been? Why have you been skipping meals? Why have you suddenly shut me out?" With each word I took a step closer to her, now I stood a foot away from her. I concluded that now was the time to ask her the question that I had been dreading. "Did- Did I do something to hurt you?" My voice was small as the words fell out of my mouth.

Astoria turned around quickly and shook her head. "No! No, it's not you." She took a deep breath and began to bite down on her nails. A nervous habit she had when she was young, although I haven't seen her do it since second year when she failed to brew a potion for the first time.

"Then what?" My voice broke seeing her so... scared. It was strange seeing a usually confident and bold lady break down before my eyes. What has she been bottling up? How long has she been hiding these feelings?

"It's-" She choked up a sob. Her hands flew up to cover her face and muffled her cries. My arms latched around her, pulling her closer to me.

There we stood, her arms and mine holding each other close as she sobbed into my shoulder. Soothingly, my hand stroked the back of her head, and now and then I would tighten my hold on her to subtly remind her that I was here for her.

After a while I pulled her towards my bed, where we climbed under the covers, her head on my shoulder and my head on hers. My fingers softly brushed through her hair as we both stared blankly at the wall.

"I-I know you have questions." Astoria took a moment to steady her shaky breath. Quickly I shook my head, not wanting to force her to tell me. "I wish I could tell you." She choked up again and quickly worked to calm herself.

I ran my hand up and down her arm. "You don't have to tell me anything." I muttered sweetly. "If it's easier you can write it down, or show me. I'm very worried about you and I want to be there for you." Astoria sighed and pulled away, sitting up straight in my bed as I followed her.

"It's... complicated." Astoria replied as she rubbed her puffy eyes. Her eyes then latch onto the wall opposite us, as her fingers fiddle with her sleeve.

"When have things being complicated ever stopped me?" I joked with a smile. Astoria shook her head in amusement, a small grin forming on her face. "Whatever it is don't shut me out again. You don't have to tell me, just don't ignore me again."

Astoria's eyes welled with tears, as did mine, and she turned to face me. "I won't." We pulled each other into a hug, and laughed with relief. Oh, how I've missed my best friend.