Pet

[Galina Dragova]

Galina was bored. It was not a terribly new feeling to the young woman who found herself to be so terribly above her fellow students but it was, nonetheless, an irksome thing to be feeling. So it was because of that boredom that she closed her books and set off to the common rooms where she was sure to find her little pet. Astraea was a great companion if she had to choose any. Compliant and well mannered - not to mention pureblooded and from a family of sufficiently high standards. If Galina had to bestow the title of friend upon anyone, it would be Astraea. She was still reluctant to do such but for simplicity sake she often did ascribe the title to her.

Just as she had supposed, Astraea was at a table in the common room tied up with some book or another. She approached with a slight smile that was neither warm nor in-genuine and sat promptly next to her 'friend'. "Hello, Astraea dear. I do hope you'll allow me to interrupt." She said it with no short amount of authority in her voice. To others she would surely sound kind enough but Astraea would know well enough that Galina was more or less demanding her attention and - unless she'd managed to get herself a backbone - comply to Galina's wishes. She did so love the idea that Astraea was so eager to cater to her whims but she was also conscious of the fact that Astraea had knowledge that could ruin her. So she added, "I find myself in need of my dearest friend to save me from insufferable boredom." Yes, that would do. Stroke the pretty things ego and she would easily be willing to put aside whatever she was doing to entertain Galina.

  

[Astraea Nott]

Astraea had only picked up her astronomy text to distract herself from the letter that lay crumpled and sizzling in her dorm's hearth. There were certain people and certain topics that contented themselves with making the girl upset, and her sister not only was one of those people, but knew just what to scribble down in her atrociously neat cursive to rile her up. It seemed, of course, that Megaera also had some innate sense that told her just when Astraea needed to hear her thinly-veiled derision. She hadn't been able to see Perseus the entire week for some reason or another and her last history of magic essay had been returned with a scarcely adequate grade.

So, when Galina came up to her stewing in the common room, Astraea was grateful for the more involved distraction. "You interrupt nothing, my friend --" She thought for a moment why it would have been so easy to say lady instead of friend and furrowed her brow almost inconspicuously. "-- but that same boredom you feel. What did you have in mind?" Her words were soft and dutiful, as she always was to Galina. Did she deserve any less? Astraea thought not, and thus hid away her earlier feelings of upset and disappointment to please them both.

  

[Galina Dragova]

The grin that spread across her lips bordered on devious but she was certain no one would notice save perhaps Astraea. But then again she hardly cared if Astraea was a bit more privy to her true nature than others. Sure, it wasn't ideal that Astraea knew her so well as she did but it could hardly be helped. If she had to spend her life manipulating the pretty thing into keeping her secrets then it would be fine for Galina. She was pleasing to be around - ever compliant and not at all as dim as so many other ladies of their station were - and if Galina had to say she really liked anyone at all then she supposed she did like Astraea a little bit. Or, if nothing else, her seeming eagerness to please her. Yes, that was very nice indeed.

"Oh, my sweet thing," She said it in a hushed tone with some air of affection to keep her friend complacent, "your company will do well enough. There isn't much fun to be had in Hogwarts, after all." The smile was fading into her more neutral look but the spark of amusement was still in her eyes, twisted with more darkness than any youthful playfulness that other young women might wear. "You do know I value speaking with you, after all." It wasn't particularly true in the way most friends would mean it. She valued Astraea's loyalty and her willingness to please her. She enjoyed how she was able to bend Astraea to her will. Yes, she enjoyed that but it was not so much Astraea herself as it was Astraea's tendency to do as she wanted her to.

  

[Astraea Nott]

Astraea was rarely referred to by her first name in her oldest friend's presence, but she found she rather liked it like that. It was pleasing, if a little forced, to hear Galina coo a pet name, as if to placate her. She should have been offended, perhaps even disturbed, by the level of familiarity they shared, but the girl couldn't bring herself to feel things that were so contrary to her natural emotions. The mischief dancing in the clear teal of her eyes, too, was far from foreign to her. If Galina wished to entertain herself, Astraea would do everything in her power to keep the sharp smile on her friend's lips.

"I am of the same mind; there isn't much Hogwarts has to offer besides tonnes of class work and the damp smell in these dungeons," Astraea wrinkled her nose as if to emphasize her point, words quiet and breathy as if she feared being overheard. She almost always agreed with her secretive friend. Truthfully, even when she did not, it was easier and more natural to feign accordance than to be contrary. "Would you like to go up to the dorm, then? It would allow a more private and quiet place to converse than here." She flicked her gaze over to the room at large, inadvertently making eye contact with a first year mudblood - who let mudbloods into Slytherin house? - and narrowing her eyes slightly, contemptuously, in response. Yes, it would be much nicer to speak with Galina sat across from each other on one of their beds, curtains drawn tightly around them and enchanted so that the heavy emerald velvet absorbed their words as they left their parted lips.