Nice To Meet You
December 25, 1985
All that can be heard through Nott Manor are the screams of two children, Astrea and Theo begging anyone that may be near, may be listening to help their mother. To save her. Thoros Nott is long gone after murdering his wife and leaving his son and bastard of a step daughter to find Desdemona, his now late wife slowly being drained of her blood on the living room floor. No one arrives to aide them for over 36 hours, when in walks Naga, Evan Rosier. Astrea doesn't move from her protective stance over her little brother, only four years old until she is sure that they won't be anywhere near Thoros ever again, she had just lost her mother and had never been able to see her father after watching him be dragged away by the aurors when she was three just months after her little brother had been born. There were a lot of people trying to talk to Astrea and Theo but it wasn't until the next day when the kids had finally calmed down and came to terms with the death of their mother were the Aurors able to finally get any answers to what had happened. After that everything moved quickly; Thoros was arrested and sentenced to the rest of his life in Azkaban, Theo was sent to live with his God Parents the Malfoy's, and Astrea was sent to live with her godmother Tina Scamander and her family after making it through her seventh birthday where her mother had been murdered.
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August 15, 1991
"STREA! Get up here now please, I need your help with something!" came from upstairs, Aunt Tina yelled down the stairs of the basement where I had been putting away my newest purchases from Florish & Blotts. "Coming!" I shouted back while making my way up the stairs, once I had made my way up to the main floor and shut the door behind me, I saw the madness that my Uncle Newt had just released unto the Scamander family home. There were at least 4 nifflers that were exploring the sitting room, Tina looking at Uncle Newt like she was going to hang him by his ankles outside of a window in the top floor of the house... again. "Astrea, good! If you would please get the nifflers down to the sanctuary before they completely destroy the house it would be a tremendous help, because after I may need help hiding your uncles body." Tina asked me as I started to unclasp my golden necklace to use it to lure the nifflers over to me and away from my godmothers good china. "Sure Ti but I would advise against killing Newt, seeing as you loved him enough to marry him and have a kid. But that's completely up to you. Just let me know if I need to bring a shovel or if I'm needed for an alibi." I said giggling while make my way with the four nifflers down to the animal sanctuary that lived underneath the basement that hides my library. Once it hit the bottom of the stairs I could hear my uncle Newt start to make his way down the stairs behind me, most likely coming to help me get the nifflers set up for him to check out to make sure that they didn't have any injuries before he got them settled into the temporary home before rehabilitating them back to the wild. Once I knew that they were all having fun getting acquainted with Newt I started to make my way over to the habitat that housed my favorite of my uncles rescues, the Hebridean Black that he rescued from being killed for her heartstrings and scales in Scotland not that far from Hogwarts. Uncle Newt and I had worked to rehabilitate quite a few dragons until they were healthy enough to be transported to a dragon sanctuary where they could be fully healed and where dragonologists could determine if they could go back to the wild or not. One of the dragonologists that we work with a lot is Charlie Weasley, he has taken somewhat of a big brother role in my life which is quite ironic to me since his twin brothers, Fred and George that are the same age as me, barely acknowledge that I exist, no matter what I do anymore. But that is neither here nor there, Kaida is waiting for me once I make it into her enclosure. When Uncle Newt and I found her in the hills of Scotland she was still an egg, and one that had been severely damaged. So much in fact, that we were worried about if she would hatch or not, but she did eventually. Now though she is what would be considered a dwarf sized dragon, about the size of a female water monitor and she is extremely docile now. When Kaida first hatched she lashed out but once she realized that Uncle Newt was only trying to help her and protect her she calmed a lot, now she is almost like a god in relation to her personality. Kaida is only down in the enclosure because she injured her wing the last time she went out on a trip with Newt. But today is when she can come back upstairs where she usually resides, so she follows me out one she eats the smaller scraps of deer that were cut up for her since she can't eat full-grown live deer like most Hebridean Blacks can.
Uncle Newt shoots me a small but grateful smile for helping him escape from the wrath of his beloved wife. He is slightly surprised when he looks at my frame closer not realizing at first that Kaida had climbed up my back and was resting her head on my shoulder while clinging to my back until she rustled her wings to get more comfortable on the walk up the stairs. Aunt Tina's reaction was much different, once she saw Kaida resting on my back she walked over to give the dragon some pets and a small kiss on her head. " Charlie is here to see you, my love. he is waiting outside for you weekly chat about anything and everything." Snickering as she rolled her eyes about how instead of going to a therapist like most people with a lot of trauma do, I talk to a dragon tamer. I nodded my head and made my way through to kitchen, grabbing a few butterbeers and some crisps for us to drink and snack on while we caught up on the happenings of the week, after that I pushed my way through the door to see a head of fire red hair lounging by the pond in the yard. Charlie is tall, about 6,6 with an extremely strong build. Something he needs with he work that he does. His arms smattered with scars from the numerous dragons he has helped rehabilitate and tattoos to remind him of the dragons that he has lost, eight in total last I had heard. "You're early Red, what happened this time?" I shout as I start to make my way over to him, I had apparently startled him because he jumped and whipped his head around to see who was approaching even though I assume he knew it was me. I can see him chuckle as he watches me walk over while Kaida who was still on my back start to make her way further up my shoulder so she could jump off to glide over to him like she always does when Charlie comes to visit. " Mum is losing her mind on the twins again, seemed like it started even before Bill and I got to the Burrow, Ron and Ginny had already escaped to freedom outside. Bill offered to try and get mum to stop ragging on the twins about the pranks that they keep pulling on Percy. I wished him luck and ran." he said while letting the little dragon that was currently climbing all over him chew on his boot. By this point, I've gotten on the ground and settled myself next to Charlie with a handful of crisps just listening to him lament about how his mum nitpicks all of her kids that refuse to follow the path that she thinks is the most noble, The Ministry. I can understand both sides of the family, yes working for the ministry is a noble job for people that can make an actual difference, at least before they are bribed or blackmailed into doing the bidding of some of the more corrupt members of the Sacred 28. But so far most of the children of the Weasley family have chosen jobs that they actually love and can do the most difference in. Bill is a Curse Breaker and a spectacular one at that according to Charlie, making great finds and helping to find riches that were thought to be long gone. Charlie is caring for animals that most would just write off that have far more impact on the world than most realize, not to mention that while I may be biased, they are some of the most beautiful and caring animals that I know of. I know that Percy is on his way to the Ministry after he graduates and hopefully he can make the change that he says he will without losing himself in the process of working there, but we will see. "So how has your week been little dragon?" Charlie asked me after apparently finishing up his rant about his family. "That's Kaida and you know it." I say while glaring at his nickname for me. "But I've been fine, only two nightmares about Thoros this week. Kaida is better so now I have my emotional support dragon back with me. I'm planning on going to get everything that I need for Third Year within the next few days, but I'm not at all excited about having to go back to wearing the mask everyday around people again you know?" I get out quickly with Charlie nodding along as I talk about everything that's been on my mind without really talking about it.
"You don't have to mask your emotions Astrea, you only do that so you don't show people how much they are actually affecting you. I say you just give up on masking and let people know when they made you so pissed that you need to walk away or else you will do something you'd regret." he states for about the millionth time this summer. I sit there for a moment gathering my thoughts before I respond. " I want to, but I feel like it wouldn't end well. Most of the time I'm not actually angry at the people I end up arguing with I just get in my head about everything that has happened and the only ones that really understand that while I'm at school are Theo, Draco, Blaise, Malyn and Roger. Sadly that means I usually end up arguing with the twins which I don't want to do, you of all people know that I used to be close to them when you watched the three of us when we were younger and I just wish that we wee all still close but its just not meant to happen." I state while brutalizing the grass beneath my legs, and after a few quiet moments I look up to see Char looking at me funny. I let the silence go on while he puts together whatever it is that he is thinking so hard on, but after a bit it gets awkward so I ask him to share what's on his mind just to try to clear the awkwardness. "What if it is explained to them?" Charlie asks. At that I freeze, "What do you mean? Telling them that i'm not actually an arse I'm just traumatized. if anything that will just give them more of a reason to distance themselves from me!" I shout as I jump to my feet to start pacing. "No, no, no!" he shouts just as loud as me. "I sit the three of you down and make you air your grievances just like when you were younger and two of you were taking the side of the other. You can tell them as much or as little as you would like but I can make sure that they aren't getting fired up for an argument and actually listen to you and I can do the same for them. I know that they miss you as well they have told me as such. They just don't know how to approach the situation in a way that will end in peace." he explains while holding his hands up to calm me as if I am an actual dragon that he would work with in Romania. I stop pacing to look at him and I process what it is that he was actually saying. They miss me just like I miss them. When we were younger we were inseparable, it was the little bit of normal that I had after not being able to be with my brother, Draco and Blaise anymore. "How soon can we do it Charlie?" I ask him, hearing the hope that was spreading through me show itself in my voice. "I could go and get them now if you wanted me too, we could all meet back here in a hour. That would give you enough time to get your thoughts organized, I know you need a moment because otherwise you'll stumble your way through what you want to say and then get angry. Plus it looks like Tina needs you for something. Come on we can fill her in and then put this plan into motion." he says while grabbing my hand and leading me behind Kaida who started to make her way to the backdoor once I had stopped pacing.
Aunt Tina needed my help getting the food prepped for dinner and once she heard what Charlie was planning on doing for my twins and I to help us she told Char that the three of them could stay for dinner so that we weren't trying to rush. That and so that the three Weasleys could get some separation from Molly Weasley who seemed to still be on a rampage.Charlie took his leave shortly after finishing his conversation with Tina and by that point I was fully immersed in my head going through everything that I would want to say to the twins while I was busy chopping veggies for a salad. I was vaguely aware of Aunt Tina and Uncle Newt working along side me to get dinner ready and I didn't realize that the twins had arrived with Charlie until I heard Rolf come screaming down the stairs excited that the three of them were here. " FRED! GEORGE! What are you doing here?" Rolf shouts while sliding down the railing for the stairs from upstairs. I look up just in time to see Rolf slide in his socks into the three Weasleys that were standing in front of me watching in amusement that I apparently hadn't been paying attention to anything that had been happening. " You were stuck in your head my dear, that's why you are getting the looks." Uncle Newt whispered in my ear while making his way out from behind the kitchen counter to shake the twins hands. "How're you doing lads, it's been a while since Tina and I have had this many kids blessing our home." Newt asks Fred and George. They look surprised for a second when they heard that for some reason. " We're doing well sir, just the usual stuff, pranking the family and cementing our position as the disappointments of the Weasley Family. But what did you mean you haven't had this many kids in the house in a while?" Fred and George ask still looking at me confused. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the most popular person in our year. I meet up with the team at Rogers house and Malyn always tags along since she has deemed herself the Ravenclaw quidditch team mascot. Those are the only people that deem me sane enough to spend time with. Well them and Charlie but I still think he only comes over here for Kaida, I'm just a tagalong." I tell them while I keep my hands busy by helping Tina finish dinner up. "Alright I know the three of you are here to have a long overdue conversation but we are going to eat first so that I know I have completed my obligation of feeding all of you." Tina says while she starts to bring the food over to the table that Rolf had set without me noticing. I get Kaida set up to eat her food on the floor next to me at the table and sit in between Newt and Rolf with Tina at the other end of the table and the three Weasleys on the other side of the table. I look up to see Fred directly across from me staring intently as if trying to figure out what was happening in my mind. Once we had all eaten Uncle Newt led Rolf downstairs to help him with the menagerie that was in the basement and Tina had started to clean the kitchen ushering all four of us outside to talk. "Okay then darling, you are going to start us off because I know you've spent quite a bit of time working through all that you are feeling and if you don't tell the twins soon I fear you will spontaneously combust." Charlie says while the lot of us were getting settled in the grass where we had been sitting earlier in the day. "Twins you are going to sit and let her talk, no outbursts, just hear her side of the story. Alright?" Charlie tells the twins to which they nod their agreement. I take a deep breath to hopefully keep me from passing out once I start the long winded rant I know my thoughts are going to turn into. " I just want to say this first, I miss the two of you, I don't understand what happened between the three of us that made the two of you act that you had no idea who I was once we started school. I don't remember anything that I could have done that would account for that. The last thing that I remember before you dropped out of my life was we were having out here planning everything we would want to do during our first year and then the day after we get to Hogwarts ... nothing. You didn't talk to me, you ignored me in the halls. Then the fighting started and it just kept getting worse from there." While I was talking I again started to mutilate the grass beneath me just to give my hands something to do. I couldn't bring myself to look at the two of them so I focused on Kaida who had wrapped herself around my body with her head laying in my lap, just watching her breathe. It took them a bit to respond, so long in fact that I finally did look up to see them looking at each other seemingly having a conversation with each other without saying a single thing out loud. Just like when we were younger except then I was usually included but now, I have no clue what they are saying. Suddenly they look at Charlie asking if it was their turn to speak. He gave them a nod and they began. "We felt betrayed, growing up we all talked about being in Gryffindor together and when we got there you were sorted into Ravenclaw almost instantly. After that we just assumed that you didn't care as much as we did so we backed off. After that I guess we just got upset that you could give up so easily, so I couldn't even look at you and Fred would get into arguments with you. We can see now that was probably the wrong way to go about it but at the time it felt right to us." George said speaking for the both of them. I was shocked, the whole reason this happened was because of where I was sorted? " Boys, the two of you were the ones to talk about going into Gryffindor, she never did. Anyone could see that she was destined for the brainy house. even when the three of you were tots we could tell." Charlie said to the twins, while I thought back to our memories trying to remember if Charlie was right. " I've never been brave enough to be in Gryffindor." I said quietly, starting to get up to walk away. "Woah! Where are you going?" Fred practically shouted once he realized that I was trying to get away. I could feel the tears making their way to the corners of my eyes and I didn't want either of them to see me like that. " I lost two of the most important people to me because I got placed into a house without the hat even really asking me if that was what I wanted or not. Even if we had talked about all going to the same house I didn't have the opportunity to make that work. I just need a minute to compose myself I don't want to break down in front of the two of you and my other option is yelling which won't help us at all." I said walking a bit away to breathe and think, Kaida on my back while I could hear Charlie explaining some of the things that the two of us had discussed in our many talks. Once I was less likely to burst into tears I walked back over to the red heads to see that Charlie had gotten the twins to a point where they understood that all of us had assumed wrong and it worked against us. "Can we start again?" Fred whispered once I had walked close enough to the two of them. "Please?" George all but begged. "Of course we can." I said while all but leaping into both of their arms. I knew we still had somethings to work out but at least this was a start to a better relationship between the three of us. " Darling, if it alright with you, could I fill the two of them in on some of your past? I think it would help them to know, they could understand why what had happened affected you the way it did." Charlie asked me. I nodded somewhat lamely, I know what he was saying was true but I was slightly afraid that if they know about what had happened because of Nott Sr. they would see me differently and I just don't want them to treat me like I was broken. After we had gotten the traumatic history of what had happened to my mother out of the way my twins and I got caught up with what had happened to us the past two years. Fred filled my in on all the pranks that they had successfully pulled while George told me about some of the pranking supplies that they had started to create or tweak so that they could work better. They filled me in on their dreams to open a shop where they could sell all things they create and how because of that Molly had started to pay closer attention to them which made it hard for them to do much of anything. I introduced them to Kaida and she took to them just as quickly as she had to Charlie. We talked about quidditch and about how after I had lost the tow of them I was basically taken under my cousin Malyn's wing and after that her and I quickly had become friends with Roger Davies. At this point it was getting pretty late so Charlie had to take Fred and George home but before they did I pulled both of them into a hug and told them that if they truly felt they couldn't work on their products at home they could always work on them here. At that the smiled and hugged me tighter and we said our goodbyes. Charlie apparated them all home and I walked back into the house with Kaida to see my family sitting on the couch waiting for me. So I sat next to Rolf with Kaida curled up on our laps and filled them all in, they were excited that we had worked a lot of the issues out but I think Rolf was more excited that the twins would be by the house more and would give him something to look forward to for the rest of the summer holiday. After that we all went upstairs and started to get ready for bed. Once I was ready I called my owl Nyx and asked her to take the letter I had quickly penned out to Narcissa asking if I could come over tomorrow to see her and my boys to fill them in as well.