Teddy's Birthday

2ND MARCH 2011

"Are you sure you want to do this, dearest" Andromeda implored as she watched her niece hurry around the Ancestral Home

"Not at all, Auntie," Astrid sighed in resignation, looking at least a century older. "But this is Teddy, and I just want to make sure he never has a birthday like mine"

It wasn't just the past coming back to hit Astrid over the head with a lead pipe; everything was hectic at the moment.

It seemed everyone in the Quarter was looking over their shoulder; Wicca's in particular. There had even been whispers of Regent LaRue coming out of her hole she hid herself in

"Tell him we love him and—"

"Wish him another year of magic," Astrid finished with a knowing smile. "Of course, Auntie"

"What do you think?" Narcissa fretted ignoring everyone else in the room, looking in the floor-length mirror she just conjured. "Am I smart enough?"

She was heading to a medical conference for the supernatural; it was something that happened every year, but this time she would be doing a speech on The Different DNA and Physiology of Supernatural and Humans. And how to hide them

Every daughter of House Black could dictate the speech in English and French from the number of times Narcissa Tsiuri Malfoy rehearsed.

"Tu regarde magnifique, Maman," Columba smiled sweetly, after tying her shoes by herself for the first time

"Couldn't have said it better, Dove," Astrid agreed, taking in the Raisin coloured floor length dress.

It was something Lady Malfoy hadn't worn in a long time, but you wouldn't have known from the way it hugged her stunning frame.

The knee-high slit, gave a teasing look at the sharpest pair of black high heels; a weapon Narcissa has used before.

One look and everyone at the conference should be on their knees for her

Giving the 52-year-old her sterling silver trench coat that was the exact shade as her eyes, Astrid kissed her cheek announcing "We will be back later"

"Don't start an international incident"

"No promises!" Astrid smirked, disappearing with a Pop

Turning to her baby sister, Andromeda Tonks muttered at the spot her last occupied "She does that on purpose"

Handing a large glass of Bourbon to the sharpest lawyer in the Quarter, "Be thankful, she doesn't leave the country long enough too"

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Landing on the bridge she left almost 13 years ago, Astrid quickly steadied Columba; the young girl was wobbling. She had never liked Apparation, but The Floo Network or Portkeys were something her family only ever did for emergencies.

The number of Portkeys made in the past 13 could be counted on one hand, everyone knew the crippling fear the ominous blue glow emitted in Astrid

Looking at the enchanting castle, Columba's little jaw dropped in awe. Her molten grey eyes began to unconsciously close, the magic that caressed her cheek was just like when her Maman, Tante, frère, or Les cousins would do.

It was just like home.

The youngest member of House Black, held onto Astrid's hand with a bounce in her step. If either of them noticed the flowers that were blooming behind Columba; neither said a thing.

They were both too focused on the Castle in front of them

Despite her young age and her innocent smiles, Columba was very observant. It was something she just learned from her family, and living where they did in the heart of the French Quarter; the skill was imperative for survival.

This prompted her to ask the unblinking immortal beside her "Is it odd, Poison?"

"Extremely"

Every time Astrid blinked, bodies seemed to taunt her. They were dull, blending into the mounds of never-ending rubble. Hidden in the pools of rusted blood. Or just gone, slipped into the plumes of grey smoke that followed the broken castle.

Yet, his body just laid there, in peaceful slumber, warmed by the cleanest thin cloth she had seen

It wasn't just the memories of the war that hurt, no it was the ones before; the ones where she felt as if the world could end and she would be safe.

Her friends that turned to family and now enemies. Or her Enemies that turned to friends and now family.

The laughter of running up and down the halls drunk after a party or how he came and walked her back through the One Eyed Witch passageway after celebrating in the Hog's Head, surviving another day 5th year.

Or dancing with anyone who took her fancy at the Yule ball. Or kissing Susan Bones on New Year's, taking Parvati Patil and Hermione Granger on a three-way date when Lavender and Ron got together. Or when she lost her virginity to Blaze Zambi and Theo Nott in an abandoned room on the 6th floor

Or every second with him.

It was the reason she hadn't been with anyone since him. Yes, Astrid had kissed many men and women, and been on more than a handful of dates. But to even think of another touching her like that, made her sick.

Kol knew, after all, he was her companion.

Astrid liked the word, companion, a friend that would kiss each other senselessly, one to call when too drunk or high on blood or lonely. 

They fit each other. They were their person. And both of them were very possessive; Kol was more so.

Perhaps, it was from his time before. Before living in this age. In the short month of 1821 and 14 years in the early 1900s, companions were sort out, advertised for, normally for women who had no one else. But before that, companion, was another word for marriage.

Whatever it meant to Kol Mikaelson, it didn't matter, in his eyes she was his and he hers. Astrid saved him, Astrid looked at him and didn't cower; not when covered in blood, filled with rage, and acted too rashly.

In his long life, Kol had never had one, a companion. Prostitutes, many; he had pleasure houses built and protected for them. Pets, little walking blood bags who lasted a month at most before they succumbed. Witches, who Kol worshipped.

But never a companion, they were too much commitment, and yet he proposed such a claim.

Kol would do anything for Astrid, and she the same. Which was why he was currently working in her Café, covering for Lady Black while she was in Scotland.

Normally Kol's days compiled of helping Davina learn how to harness the power of the Harvest, control the magic that wasn't even hers.

Help her commune with the first Ancestors.

Help the wonderous Narcissa get ready for Beltane, something Kol himself hadn't practiced for centuries, before Niklaus's first attempt at freeing his wolf

Kol would sometimes leave the city, travel to his playhouses, but he would call at least every few days, and text every day. Even if it was a 'Good Morning, Darling' or 'Night, darling. Hope your dreams are filled with me'.

Kol made sure he knew how long it would take for him to get back to her, if Astrid needed him. And one excessively humid February evening, Astrid called needing him.

Thankfully Kol was only in Baton Rouge, as she was in tears, drunk, sitting very near the Mississippi.

It scared him

Astrid clinging to a flask filled with strong liquor, while spinning a ring in her hand.

It was the night, the anniversary, her dead lover proposed, with a ring he had made with his magic.

Kol was bitter, filled with jealousy that even after 13 years, his companion mourned for a ghost. It was because he knew nobody would ever mourn for him as such. Not even his family.

Yet, the youngest living Mikaelson held every quip, every harmful word on his tongue. Just saving her, looking at her, and not cowering.

So for Astrid Sirius Black to go back to the place where every good memory was shadowed with so much grief, Kol was worried. 

He told her that too

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Meandering through eerie Hogwarts halls, Astrid's eyes were slowly glazing over.

If it wasn't for her littlest cousin giving her a tether to the present, it would be Belladonna Astrid Potter who would be vibrating with blazing fury stomping her way destroying everyone and everything in her way

Passing The Suit Of Armour, which concealed a small snake etched into the stone and an entrance she used more than once, especially 5th year, when a sharp familiar Scottish accent called, "Potter"

"It was Malfoy," Astrid exclaimed as a reflex, making Columba laugh in delight

They turned, both tilted their heads to the right, and owlishly blinked at the century-old Wixen. Minerva McGonagall was frightened, her heart began to pound. She was all too familiar with the genes of the Black Family, dating back to her own years of a student wondering the magic Castle. That doesn't mean she was better at understanding the maddening House; every generation was worse than the last 

"Oh Merlin, you've multiplied"

"Rude, Minnie," Astrid chastised, placing her hand on her hips, much like her 13-year-old self had done. Now that night was interesting.

"I would you to meet Columba Griffith-Black"

"I'm her cousin, Minnie" the 7-year-old smiled as she rocked back and forth on her heels. She looked like an angel and if she was anyone else, McGonagall would have believed it

The Scot's lips thinned comically, "Follow me"

"What did you do?" Dove asked her Lady quietly; yet the simple question echoed through the empty corridor and Astrid's mind

"What didn't she do Miss Griffith-Black is the correct question"

Astrid scoffed in disbelief, "At least I didn't ignore the torturing of Students"

"No," Minerva retorted, facing the girl the whole of the Wixen World abandoned more than once. "You just created a rebel group to infiltrate the Ministry"

"And I still managed to get an O in my every OWL," Astrid hissed

Breaking the glaring contest first, the Headmistress cleared her throat, "Rules you must abide by today"

Rolling her eyes, Astrid caught the sight of a very familiar mop of honey-blond hair "Neville?"

Motioning to the strapping young Lord, "That's Neville"

Walking away, she shouted, gaining the Head of Gryffindor's attention "Neville, it's me"

"Miss Potter, just broke Rule 1," the Headmistress flatly said

"Greet people?" 

"Walk off unsupervised"

"What's rule 2?"

"Snape has a portrait; I'm going to burn it to the ground"

The headmistress sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose "At least Mr Lupin-Black is calmer than her"

As if Edward Arcturus Remus Lupin-Black was summoned; walking out of the Great Hall, and a boy whose hair turned a perfect imitation of the clearest sky on a summer's day murmured "Maman?"

Getting his friends' attention, by motioning to the young woman with the aura of a supernova "C'est ma Maman"

Walking towards her, loudly saying "Maman, you're here"

"I'm here too, Petite lune," Columba said, crossing her arms over her chest looking increasingly more and more like her mother by the second

"Dovey-wovey," Teddy gasped, hugging the living daylights out of his younger cousin. Whispering into her neck, "I've missed you"

"Don't call me that," Dove pouted, but her molten grey eyes betrayed how happy she was

"Happy 13th year alive, Teddy-Bear" Astrid announced with one of the warmest hugs of all time.

"Andy and Cissa send their wishes, but unfortunately couldn't come as the city would burn to the ground without our supervision"

Teddy nodded seriously, "Thought so"

"How about we go to the Black Lake, and you can introduce me," Astrid suggested towards the growing group of students "Or we could eat in the Kitchens?"

"You know where they are?" A Raven asked who seemed to look at her with stars in his eyes

"Do I?" Astrid smirked wickedly, "Follow me, magic people"

"What did Grand-mère say to Maman before she left?" The untriggered Hybrid stressed. As his hair slowly turned a sickly yellow

Fire danced along the Wicca-Wix's fingers, answering "'No international incidents'"

They both took a breath before nodding seriously, and marching off to find their Lady as the two children were going to try their best to insure Astrid didn't do anything too bad.

It would be a ballache for everyone involved, but this would be the time it did happen. After all, the pain that was inflicted in these walls, more than a decade later, still lingered.

*•.:.:°*•.••:..•:*.:°*..*.:.•*•:°**.°**.:⭐•:°**.:.••:°*:*.:.•⭐

Astrid rebuilt the castle; that fact baffled everyone.

She waved The Elder Wand, no spell left her lips, just the image of what it was the second her eyes fell upon the castle on the First of September 1991

Every stone, every warm glowing torch, even down to the last ink well with a small trail of ink running down the side

But it could never be the same, and the Castle wasn't.

•The stairs no longer moved; which made everyone happy, especially the ones living in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor towers.

•The library was bigger taking up a whole floor. Filled with large floor-to-ceiling windows, tables and chairs of all shapes and sizes were dotted around. Books new and old were still being delivered to this day, on all different branches of magic

•There were more secret passageways; ready just in case someone else tried to attack.

Teddy had already made headway in adding them to the Map, continuing the tradition after Astrid added in the Chamber Of Secrets and all the Parcel Passages hidden in the walls

However, there was a chill in the Astronomy Tower, now referred to as the Tower Of Remembrance. It wasn't mended, it was a memorial.

Pictures of everyone who died, light and dark, Pheonix and Knight, the innocent and the ones who had no choice.

Not many people ventured in, not unless they wanted to meet the people they were named after or a relation of theirs

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"Hasn't mellowed, has she?" Neville said to his former Head Of House, as his eyes never strayed from his God sister leading a group of students like ducklings

"Indeed, Mr Longbottom" Minerva agreed, as her eyes never strayed from the girl who lead a bunch of easily influenced third years

"Let's hope she doesn't run into him" Lord Longbottom mused as Astrid disappeared from sight. Only for a contemplative look crossed his face, "I'll go find him" 

Neville knew where to find him, and the herbology professor hoped when he did hear that Belladonna was at Hogwarts; she was long gone. 

Who he had just met was different from the girl who looked at the people around her for support, no the woman who he just met was Lady Astrid Sirius Black.

And despite how much they loved each other, they weren't right for each other. But with one look at each other; Neville knew, she would crumble.

They were never bound to last, everyone knew it, even they did. But they never had the chance; not properly.

Astrid was too oblivious to know he liked her; a dance of jealousy that would leave them both in tears more often than not.

Neither of them were innocent, yet, their start was. Letters once he left, small encounters that left pounding hearts and haunts of "What if's"

But it was war, and just a spark of something was all it took. They wanted a dream, they needed to feel even if it was inevitable heartbreak, they needed the world to stop

In simple terms; they were selfish in a world where everyone else was begging Astrid to be selfless

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Warm pinks and oranges, swam in the reflection of The Black Lake, as the three youngest and most powerful members were left enjoying the Highland air. Columba was still signing with a Merperson on the dock; what looked like wanted to know the magic she could perform. 

So far nothing was set ablaze, so success

Astrid, for the first time in over 15 years was cloud watching, taking time in the small things. She hadn't realised she had closed her eyes, until the unusually small and timid "Mama" made her eyes snap open and grab her wand ready to defend them all

Once seeing and sensing nothing near them who wanted to cause harm, Astrid's whole body softened when looking into the lavender eyes of her son, replying just as quiet "Teddy-Bear"

"Why did you come here?" The last Lupin questioned, not maliciously just curious. His insecurities about who he was, what he was always at the forefront of his mind, even hidden behind a smile

"Not that I don't want you here. I mean, I love you and everything. But I was expecting a howler in rapid Creole. Not—"

"Me"

"Vina and Dovey keep me updated," Teddy sighed. "I know about the children"

"You know I'm very busy," Astrid said looking as if the world perched on her shoulder and never left.

"I run the Café, help people who need it, I never stop. But for one day I can, the world can. So, I chose today for the world to stop, just for a moment. Just for you"

"Je t'aime, Mama"

"Toi aussi, Teddy-Bear"