Minutes ago – Hufflepuff Girls' Dormitory
The soft golden light of enchanted sconces bathed the round room in a warm glow. Quilted tapestries of badgers and autumn leaves hung between polished wooden beds, each one with cozy yellow curtains drawn mostly shut. Rain pattered faintly against the high, curved windows. The hour was late, most of the dorm was asleep.
Susan Bones sat upright on her bed, knees pulled to her chest, a faint blush still coloring her cheeks.
She was staring at her hand.
More precisely, at the ring, the ring, the one Aster had crafted with surprising care when they had been in the Ministry. It shimmered faintly even now, a subtle pulse of silver-blue light as if it had heard her voice.
"I want to talk to him," she had whispered moments ago.
She hadn't meant it literally.
Then, shift.
The air warped, like heat rising from stone.
Suddenly, Aster stood at the foot of her bed. Confused. Half crouched. Like someone pulled from sleep and dropped into a dream.
Susan's breath hitched.
"A-Aster?!" she stammered, scrambling to pull her blanket up to her chin. Her face flushed deep red, her mind racing to catch up. She pinched her own cheek. Nothing.
Still there.
Aster looked around the room, his expression unreadable. He blinked once, then again. The warm scent of honeysuckle drifted from the nearby window box. A faintly glowing charm stone hanging above the hearth crackled with a flicker of pale firelight.
'This is… the Hufflepuff girls' dormitory,' Aster thought, his eyes narrowing. 'That should be impossible.'
He turned toward Susan, about to speak, but then came the sound of footsteps just outside.
The door creaked.
Susan acted without thinking. She grabbed his sleeve and yanked him under her blanket, pulling him down onto the bed with surprising strength. Aster tensed, momentarily stunned by the sudden closeness.
The door opened.
"Susan? Still awake?" came a familiar voice—Hannah Abbott.
Susan swallowed and forced her voice steady. "Y-Yes?"
Aster lay frozen beneath the blanket, shoulder pressed lightly to hers. Her hair smelled like chamomile. She was trembling just slightly. So was he.
Hannah's voice again, now closer. "I told you already—you should give up on that boy from the House of Black."
Susan stiffened.
Aster did too.
Hannah's footsteps moved across the room—probably to her bed. There was the sound of shoes kicked off, a robe hitting the floor.
"He's a famous womanizer now, right?" Hannah continued casually, unaware. "They say he's collecting girls in all four Houses. And didn't your aunt back him? You should be careful. Especially if he's... The heir or something."
A pause.
Then, softly, as if it hurt to admit it: "Your aunt wouldn't want you getting close to someone like that."
Susan's voice was very quiet. "Thanks, Hannah. But… It's not that simple anymore."
Aster blinked.
Hannah didn't respond. The bed creaked slightly on the far end of the room.
When the door closed and the lights dimmed further, Aster finally exhaled. He turned his head just slightly. Susan was already looking at him, face red, eyes wide, lips parted in surprise.
"…You vanished," she whispered, breath brushing his cheek. "How did you even, how are you here?"
"I don't know," Aster said quietly. "One moment, I was in the courtyard with Hermione. Next thing I know... I'm here. I didn't apparate. I can't even use magic right now, something's been off since... well, since I came back."
'Can't use magic?' Susan thought but didn't ask.
Susan glanced down again at her ring.
"…I wished for you," she murmured. "I said I wanted to talk to you. It… it glowed."
She looked up, and her voice came out like a confession. "I didn't think it would actually bring you here."
Aster stared at the ring on her hand. "That ring was made with magic I don't fully understand. If your wish pulled me through the wards of Hogwarts…" He paused. "Then it's way stronger than I thought."
Susan's blush deepened. "So I… I summoned you?"
He nodded slowly.
"…That's terrifying," she whispered. "But also kind of…"
"Intimate," Aster finished. "Yeah."
Susan didn't look away. "I didn't mean to. But… I'm not sorry, either."
He nodded. "Not intentionally. But your desire must've... reached out. Ancient magic doesn't always wait for permission."
She let that settle for a moment. Then, slowly, she reached forward and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, her fingers barely grazing his temple.
"I missed you," she said softly. "Even when you were being cold. Even when you stopped talking to me."
She even thought he was kind of cool.
Aster looked away.
"I thought I was protecting you," he replied, his voice low.
Susan smiled sadly. "I didn't ask to be protected."
He met her eyes again, and for a moment, they said everything words couldn't.
Aster shifted slightly beneath the blanket, careful not to rustle it too much. He scanned the room—quiet, dim, the only sounds were the soft crackle of the hearth and distant thunder outside.
There was no one else awake.
He sat up halfway, preparing to slip out from under the covers, but Susan immediately reached out and pressed her hand gently against his chest, stopping him.
"You can't," she whispered, eyes wide with urgency. "If someone sees you, if they catch you, you'll be expelled."
Aster looked at her.
Really looked.
Her hand trembled slightly against him, but her eyes were steady. Serious. She wasn't just being shy. She was afraid for him.
He opened his mouth, voice low and uncertain. "What can I do, then? I can't stay here… I can't sleep in your bed like this…"
Susan bit her lower lip. Her face was flushed, but her expression didn't waver.[1]
"You said you can't use magic right now," she reminded him. "Then… then leave tomorrow. After the first class. The common room will be empty. No one will know."
Aster hesitated.
It would make sense. No one would question a quiet student slipping out alone later in the morning.
But he wasn't hesitating because of rules. Or the awkwardness. Or what people might say.
He lowered his gaze, a shadow passing behind his eyes.
His real reason was other, he didn't want to hurt her.
What if he's dangerous when he sleeps?
What if he hurt her, like the roosters that went silent on the grounds?
Susan waited, watching his face.
He should leave. He knew that. But her hand on him… it felt like an anchor. Like a memory of being human.
Finally, he sighed, voice soft, almost a whisper.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said.
Her eyes softened.
"If you ever start moving at night, wake me," she said gently. "I'll be here."
He looked into her steady gaze, and something in his chest eased.
"…Ok," he said.
Susan smiled softly.
"Then rest," she said. "I'll keep you safe tonight."
He laid back down beside her.
Next Morning Hufflepuff Girls' Dormitory
The morning light filtered softly through the ceiling window, casting pale gold beams along the stone floor. The air was cool and fresh with the scent of rain from the night before.
Aster moved quietly, following Susan's instructions carefully. The first class was Lockhart's, a fact that both amused and relieved him. Nothing important would be taught; it was safe to take this risk.
He soon reached the Hufflepuff common room, heart steady but alert.
To his surprise, someone was there, Dumbledore.
The headmaster's eyes twinkled gently as he noticed Aster. His soft smile carried no surprise at seeing a boy emerging from the female dormitory, only quiet acceptance.
"Good morning, Aster," Dumbledore greeted warmly. "Had a good night?"
Aster hesitated, then nodded.
For the first time since he had died and come back, he realized something remarkable: he had slept through the night. No nightmares clawing at his mind, no waking up in strange places.
His dreams had been calm, normal, a precious, fragile peace.
The simple truth settled inside him like sunlight after a storm.
[1] No horny