AN: Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.

we must unite (or crumble from within)

AlwaysPadfoot

Astoria was totally in her own world when a triangle of parchment landed on her desk.

Frowning, her hand snatched it up before Professor McGonagall could see it. She glanced around for the source. Her gaze found a Gryffindor, Derek Woolton. He sat two rows behind her, chewing the end of the Muggle writing tool he always wrote with and grinning slightly. He nodded, silently encouraging her to open up the note.

Secretly, she hoped this wasn't about them going on another date; she had thought that they'd agreed it hadn't gone well — that they should just work on finding their soulmates.

Her eyes drifted to Professor McGonagall before she tentatively opened the note.

I think we should make a bet — first person to find their soulmate gets five galleons off the other.

Astoria looked at him curiously and then picked up her quill to respond. Underneath, in purple ink, she wrote a message out in messy cursive.

You're on. You better not have a head start in some way, you little shit.

She folded the parchment over, waited for McGonagall to turn to the chalkboard, and then twisted in her seat to flick it back over to Derek. The parchment arched high above the heads of the class of red and green edged robes and dropped squarely onto the blonde's desk. Astoria celebrated silently. Watching him closely, Derek looked wounded at the little shit comment, but then flashed her a smile that was all pearly white teeth. He leaned over the parchment, writing a short note, before tossing it back across to her.

No head start. Let's do it.

"Miss Greengrass, Mr Woolton, if you truly believe that I can't see you tossing notes back and forth across my classroom then you are both unbelievably naive."

Professor McGonagall's voice made Astoria jump, her eyes snapping to the front of the classroom.

"Sorry, Professor," they chorused.

"If you continue, I will put you both in detention," the Professor warned.

Astoria ducked her head, hiding pink cheeks, and went back to her work. She could do with staying out of trouble after Professor Snape had told her off for getting detention three times last week. Besides, Professor McGonagall was not the person to piss off.

oOo

Astoria used a sleeping draught for a few nights in a row to ensure that she would sleep well enough to dream. She was normally a light sleeper, and between Asha's snoring and Emerald's sleep-talking, she had no hope of learning anything useful about her soulmate without a sleep aid.

She was hopeful that the day she found her soulmate things would sort themselves out. Confident that her soulmate would bring her happiness, Astoria was determined to find them — and to beat Derek. She'd taken to noting down absolutely everything she remembered as soon as she woke up, and this morning was no exception to that rule.

Day Six - My soulmate climbs trees — we were in a forest tonight in my dream. They're a risk taker, but determined. They laugh loud and move fast. They seem small, perhaps in height or weight. Or maybe this is a metaphor for me to expect someone quiet and unexpected. Also, we ate freshly baked bread. I have no idea why that's relevant.

Once she'd written everything she could remember, Astoria looked back over the previous days to see if there were any points she could connect together. All of the dreams had been mostly set outside, so maybe her soulmate enjoyed being in the fresh air, maybe they worked outside with creatures, or enjoyed flying. She just had no way of telling. The only segments of dreams that took place inside were in places that looked cosy and well-lived in, messy even, as though multiple people used the same space. Did her soulmate have a large family? Astoria secretly wished for that — nothing would make her happier than a gaggle of people to get to know. She liked talking to people, finding common ground. A large family was her dream.

"Morning, Astoria," a sleepy voice said.

Astoria closed her notebook and glanced to her left, where Asha Khanna was stretching her arm's skyward. "Morning, Asha. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby," she responded before swinging her legs out of bed and getting to her feet. "Is Leah already in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, and Emerald," Astoria responded.

Asha huffed. "Of course, today's the day that everyone gets up early. Honestly."

Astoria laughed quietly as the dark-haired girl collected her pink-and-cream-coloured towel from the end of her bed and dragged her feet on the way to the bathroom. The friendship amongst the Slytherin fourth-year girls always surprised her, mainly because Daphne had always complained about the majority of her yearmates. Everyone being somewhat easy to get along with had been a nice surprise when Astoria had started Hogwarts.

Reluctantly locking her dream journal back in her bedside drawn, Astoria began preparing herself for the day of lessons ahead.

oOo

A month into their bet, Derek caught up to Astoria as his lesson ended and hers was about to begin outside the Greenhouses.

"Mayday! Mayday!" He said putting on an odd accent as he spoke. "This soulmate shit is hard as fuck to figure out."

Astoria rolled her eyes as she scoffed. "I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be easy, otherwise we'd wake up knowing their face and name."

Derek pulled a face. She suspected he didn't like the fact that he had to actually put the effort in to find his soulmate, whereas Astoria was sure she was getting closer and closer to her goal. She had a feeling that her soulmate was female now. It was the little details she'd picked up: the softer freckled skin; the hugs where her soulmates chin would be on her shoulder; the lingering smell of mango shampoo. The search was heating up and Astoria was sure she would win.

At first, the idea of her soulmate being a girl had been anxiety inducing, but then she realised it meant that one day she'd be able to slip out from under her family's ideals. That made her more determined than ever to seek her soulmate out.

"...I guess. He must make you all warm inside like she does me."

Astoria had a feeling she'd missed the important part of Derek's sentence, but decided to focus solely on the bit she'd heard.

"She gives me butterflies," Astoria explained. "Even now, when I think about the dreams during the day.

"She?" Derek queried, cocking his head to the side. "You think your soulmate's a she?"

"I know she is. Besides, I like beautiful boys and beautiful girls, so there was a fifty percent chance of it going either way."

Derek half-laughed and then ran a hand through his mop of blonde hair. "I think we've taken on an impossible task."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Astoria wasn't convinced it was impossible, more like a riddle that you either know or you don't. She knew she had the answer.

She just had to find it.

oOo

Derek, Astoria, and her older sister Daphne had been hiding out in the potions classroom when the Death Eaters had struck the Astronomy Tower. Daphne had run up behind them and wrenched them inside to hide before locking the door firmly behind her. Common Rooms had been sealed and Professor McGonagall's voice had echoed around the school corridors, instructing students to hide wherever possible.

Being a Muggleborn, Derek had been terrified. His wide brown eyes had been practically luminous in the half-light of the classroom because of the tears he had shed.

Astoria didn't blame him. She'd been scared too, more scared than she was sure she'd ever been before, and according to Daphne, it was all about to get a lot worse.

The whole thing reigned in a dismal end to the year. The Death Eaters and You-Know-Who had been ebbing in the background, and now, with Dumbledore dead, they would rise up. Astoria felt a sick feeling every time someone brought it up, but the impending war, unfortunately, was on everyone's minds. It led to a rather morose and depressing leaving feast. The Professors had even left the Headmaster's chair empty.

"I hate to say this, but this year, I'm so relieved it's over."

Astoria couldn't help but agree with whichever Ravenclaw had spoken from somewhere on the table behind her. The war had reared its ugly head and Astoria had been unable to pin down exactly who her soulmate was.

Neither Derek nor she had won the bet they'd started three months ago.

Unfortunately, the summer was no better. The Ministry fell to its knees and was subsequently overtaken. All the Muggleborn students either were killed, or were forced to go underground, and Astoria had no idea which of the two Derek had succumbed to.

The dreams with her soulmate felt suddenly felt dangerous, as though her soulmate were in peril. She repetitively woke up, drenched in sweat, her heart racing, and it terrified her. She couldn't stand the idea that she wasn't able to help. Filling the dream journal up with every single last detail she could remember, Astoria spent hours desperately trying to figure out who she was destined to be with.

She'd find her soulmate; she'd protect her, or she'd die trying.

oOo

Astoria had been convinced she'd have to question every girl in school to identify her soulmate, but at the end of the day, it was fate that put her in the kitchens that night. Having become sort of a refuge for students from all houses who couldn't sleep at night, the house elves served hot chocolate to students in large mugs shaped like owls.

She'd found a spot in the corner alone, thinking about how she would much rather be asleep dreaming about her soulmate, when she overheard the conversation behind her.

"Yeah, we were celebrating my brother's wedding when we heard about the ministry," the voice said. "Dad got sent a Patronus."

As though the words had ignited something in her brain, Astoria was suddenly reminded of a particularly vivid soulmate dream she'd had. She'd been standing in a marquee, fairy lights adorning the edges. Faceless people had danced; music had made her body vibrate. It could have easily been a wedding. She remembered the feeling of her soulmate's skin as they danced together. Then, suddenly, there had been a bright, white light in the centre of the marquee, and Astoria had jerked awake.

Turning in her seat, she searched for the source of the voice. Her gaze fell to the table housing three older students. Astoria focused on the girl closest to her — Ginny Weasley; she knew her from when she played as a Chaser the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Ginny's red hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she wore a knitted jumper over her well-worn pyjamas.

"We have to do something," said a blondish boy in red-striped pyjamas, who sat opposite Ginny. "The Carrows are making life here a living hell; we have to show them we're strong — that we're willing to fight. I propose we restart Dumbledore's Army."

Astoria remembered that name. Dumbledore's Army had been a Defence Against the Dark Arts club back under the reign of Dolores Umbridge. She'd been in third year and absolutely in awe of the club. The idea of sneaking around for the sake of a just cause was one that greatly appealed to Astoria's mischievous side — a side she very rarely got to indulge. If Ginny, the girl she was almost certain was her soulmate as elements of her past dreams came together, was going to be part of an underground resistance then she was going to be too. This was their chance to find one another — for Astoria to find happiness.

In one fluid movement, Astoria stood with her mug of hot chocolate and joined the table she'd been eavesdropping on.

"I'm in," she said simply.

All three stared at her, their eyes wide and suspicious.

A boy with short brown hair and dark circles under his eyes was first to speak, his accent Irish. "Who are you — aside from being a nosy little shit?"

"Seamus," the other boy said with a disapproving tone in his voice.

"Neville," Seamus imitated him with a slight smirk on his face.

"I'm Astoria. Astoria Greengrass. And I want to join Dumbledore's Army," Astoria explained before they could start arguing.

She could see Ginny studying her in her peripheral vision. She wondered what the Gryffindor was thinking; what her first impression of her was. All three of the other occupants at the table seemed to not know what to say or do, and that amused her greatly.

"Why?" Ginny finally spoke, her expression curious rather than suspicious.

"A handful of reasons really, but I expect the one you will all be most interested in is the fact that I'm a Slytherin," Astoria replied. "I'm low key; no one will suspect me, and that will be invaluable in the months to come."

Seamus scoffed. Ginny looked between the two boys who were showing two very different levels of enthusiasm.

"She's right," she said. "You guys know that, right?"

The blonde, Neville, agreed immediately whilst Seamus made a disapproving noise into his mug of hot chocolate as he took a sip. Astoria watched as the three appeared to have a silent conversation. No one spoke for almost a minute. And then, finally, Ginny offered her hand to Astoria.

"Welcome to Dumbledore's Army."

oOo

The battle was fought with vigour.

There was little grace in war. People died; people changed; people broke. You-Know-Who had no intention of giving anyone mercy and all the intention of reducing people to a shell of their former selves.

Astoria chose not to leave Ginny; she couldn't bear to think what might happen in her absence. She stayed to fight at her soulmate's side. Fully aware of their meaning to one another after seven months of fighting together with Dumbledore's Army, neither witch had any intention of leaving the other behind.

The battle raged on under the cover of night.

Spells soared through the air. Screams filled Astoria's eardrums and wandlight flashed in her vision, but she felt decidedly calm. She was focused. With the DA, she'd focused her skills, and with so much to live for, Astoria was getting through on sole determination. When the light won, she and Ginny could be a real couple. There was so much they'd be able to do when the war was over.

"On your left, Gin!" Astoria shouted as a Death Eater lunged towards her.

Her soulmate twisted on the spot and cast bombarda, sending the Death Eater flying through the air. His bones cracked as he hit the wall, then crumpled in a heap on the stone floor and didn't move. He was dead. Astoria knew that he was, but it didn't matter because there were others just like him ready to kill.

Moving in towards Ginny, Astoria was throwing spells off left, right and centre. A streak of purple narrowly missed her and she turned, white noise in her ears as she cast diffindo. The spell sliced across the perpetrator's leg, cutting through robes and drawing blood to the surface fast. The Death Eater's eyes narrowed fiercely. His wand went upwards and a flash of bright yellow crashed into the ceiling directly above the girls.

Astoria panicked as the ceiling cracked. She turned, unable to breathe for fear that Ginny would get hurt.

She ran full sprint at her soulmate, knocking her hard sideways.

The ceiling crumbled.

Comps and Prompts

Romance Awareness: You dream about your soulmate every night, but when you wake up you can never remember their face.

LiM: Fem - Astoria/Ginny

Assignment 2: Philosophy, Task One: Write about someone who is motivated by achieving their own happiness.

IHC: 356. Potion - Sleeping Draught

365: 162. Item - Quill

SC — Days of the Year — June 10 2018 - Ballpoint Pen Day: Write about a witch/wizard using a pen instead of a quill.

SC — Colour Prompts — Cream

SC — Birthstones — Topaz - (dialogue) "He/she gives me butterflies."

SC — Flowers — Peony - (sexuality) Bisexual

SC — Elemental Challenge — (word) Luminous

SC — Shay's Musical Challenge — 25. Mean Girls the Musical - write about being popular

WC — Character Appreciation — 3. (trait) competitive

WC — Disney Challenge — T1. Write about a male/female friendship.

WC — Cookie's Crafty Corner — Cast Off: Dialogue "I'm so relieved it's over."

WC — Book Club — Ofglen: (word) Mayday, (scenario) joining a rebel cause, (word) Friendship, (word) Underground

WC — Ami's Audio Admirations — 2. The A-List - Write about someone popular.

WC — Sophie's Shelf — 15. GinnyAstoria

WC — Em's Emporium — 10. Ana (obscurialdefenseclub): Write about someone doing their best and succeeding.

WC — Bex's Bazaar — 3. Elephants purr like cats as a means to communicate - Write about someone communicating without speaking. Alternatively, write about one of the cats from canon.

WC — Film Festival — 54. (word) hiding

Word Count: 2617