It seems pretty clear that Merula is Astraeus’ mother. So, what is the story of how Astraeus was taken in by the Coppers? Who is the father? What was Astraeus’ birth name? I need the backstory.
This was sent over a year ago I'm so sorry anon KDFBNGKJDF
But yes, you're correct XD
Small change from his original profile:
He was adopted shortly after he was born, which was the September before the Battle of Hogwarts, rather than directly after it.
Astraeus didn't have a birth name, as neither of his bio parents had any sort of attachment to him, much less each other. He was only conceived for the sake of the family legacy. The parents in question? (You're not prepared, maybe)
For more context on Antonious, I have all posts from his tag here. Basically, he's a discount Malfoy with none of the charm, and absolute wimp of a man that loves to say the most out of pocket things thinking his wealth will protect him, and then wonder why people hate his ass.
Merula had been sentenced to life in Azkaban back at the end of Year 6 for committing murder using the Killing Curse. Nearly a shell of her former self, one thing she didn't lose was the resentment she had for her former classmates, especially Reina. There's another reason why her hatred for Reina persisted, but that'll be for another post. Just know that the Snydes lost favor with Voldemort due to a past incident that Merula incited.
The Rust-Thornes weren't held in high regard either, due to their ancestral history of acquiring wealth through deception. Although they were Purebloods, Antonious and his parents only joined for protection. Mrs. Snyde and the Rust-Thornes were so desperate for their bloodlines to continue that they reached an agreement for their respective children to do their part.
In the Snyde Twins AU, Mavis is never brought up due to being disowned years prior for being a Squib. Merula still brought her up as someone to deal with Antonious, but her mother immediately shut it down.
Antonious and Merula deeply hated each other. Merula saw him as incredibly pathetic, whiny, and cowardly. Antonious saw her as catty, ugly, and beneath him. The one thing they had in common was that neither of them had enough of a spine to say no to their respective parents. They were given a month to find a suitable Pureblood partner of their preference, but no one wanted to go near them. The two had no choice but to carry out their families' wishes.
Merula had no maternal connection or emotional attachment to her unborn child throughout her pregnancy. The only upside for her was that the Demons tormenting her left her alone, as she was carrying an innocent Soul, and that's a line they didn't cross.
At the height of Voldemort's return, both Ben and Ismelda went undercover as Death Eaters. Ben himself simply used a disguise through Glamour Magic. Merula and Ismelda found themselves being civil enough with each other that Merula trusted Ismelda to vent about her arranged union.
After a serious conversation, it was agreed that Ismelda would secretly take the child in once he was born. Ismelda had her twins in June of 1997, while Merula delivered her son that following September and immediately handed him over to the former. Her mother and Antonious' parents were killed on a mission some weeks prior, so she lied to Antonious, claiming to have suffered a miscarriage.
They both saw this as a blessing, as it meant they didn't have to deal with each other anymore. The two of them would meet their demise at the Battle of Hogwarts.
Since Ben and Ismelda planned to name their twins Artemis and Apollo, with the inclusion of their now-adopted third child, they named the baby Astraeus. His birthdate was changed to that of his new siblings to throw off any potential suspicion.
After the battle, Ben and Ismelda would move on and raise their three children. From a very young age, Astraeus never liked his eyes for reasons he didn't understand. Although Merula had always used Colovaria to change her eye color to the signature violet, Astraeus would inherit it as a natural color.
Once he was old enough, his folks told him about his true heritage. Understanding who his biological parents were, Astraeus saw the Coppers as his one true family, and they, in return, always loved him all the same.
He eventually gets over the dislike of his eyes once he reaches adulthood, growing to accept them as part of who he is, but not what defines him.
In the Snyde Twins AU, he adored his aunt Mavis from day 1 and the two are practically best friends. He'd learn more about their family from her perspective.
Wanted to include a photo of the parents alongside the kids, so here's my take on their appearances as of 2008. Knowing me, some stuff might get changed up later on, but for now I'm happy with these results.
The Copper Family
Well before the first Beyond Hogwarts leaks, I've always envisioned Ben becoming an Auror and growing a full-on dad beard once the kids were born. While he's mellowed down considerably from his edgy teen days, he's still more than capable of getting dangerous if he has to.
Ismelda herself would use her Doll Magic and make a business out of selling custom dolls. True to her roots, she'd also use them to scare off any rude kids and annoying neighbors. She especially enjoys messing with the local Karens.
Sometimes people around them are left wondering how the two ever got together given how drastically different they appear to be.
Info on their kids will be here
The Celestia-Winger Family
So fun fact, Talbott's height actually stops at Reina's shoulders, but I made him taller for the pic cuz otherwise it'd look really funny to me.
Sometime after getting married, they considered having no more than two kids to see how things would pan out. The universe had other plans and they instead had their quads lol It was a nice surprise, and they cherish their baby birds.
Reina works at her bakery and after the Battle of Hogwarts, Talbott switched from being an Auror himself to becoming a Healer. Wanting to be there for his family, he wanted to have a career that wouldn't put his life at risk anymore.
Info on their kids will be here
Ricardo De Los Santos and Naomi McDaniels
The two didn't really get the chance to become a family as Naomi had Ascended into an Angel and had to reach the Departure shortly after Rel was born. As it marked the end of her human lifespan, she was essentially dead.
The pair met in Las Vegas in 1993. Ricardo went there to get over Chester dumping him, while Naomi had been there with her group of "friends" that quickly ditched her. Deep down she knew that her time was coming to an end, so she was there to live out her final days as much as possible.
The two enjoyed each other's company and hooked up almost instantly. Thanks to some drunken shenanigans, they find out they were expecting. They decided to confide in each other and told their biggest secrets, with Naomi learning that he was a Wizard, and Ricardo realizing she had Ascended and was on her final days as a human.
Her Departure gets delayed due to her pregnancy, and they're aware she'll pass on once the baby is born. In the year they got to know each other, they grew very close. She got the chance to hold their daughter and gave Ricardo the idea to name her after his late older sister Rel. Ricardo would see her off once the Departure was initiated.
He always remembers her fondly and has a memorial for her at his home. Rel was told about her mom once she was old enough, and loves her all the same.
I've had Artemis and Apollo's designs in my head for well over two years now?? I had always planned on including an adopted third child which resulted in Astraeus, as being the basic bitch that I am, I wanted to give them a sun/moon/star motif.
As a whole:
They were born in 1997. Apollo and Artemis were born in June, while Astraeus was born that following September.
They created their masks out of Magic for aesthetic reasons. They're used primarily for communication and spying if needed.
The three of them operate a little business that can range from acquiring certain items to completing homework for a price. The higher the desired grade, the higher the fee.
All of them can use Vytarian Magic but aren't dual-enrolled at the academy.
Childhood friends with the quads.
Individual profiles will be below
Apollo Copper
He/Him
Ravenclaw
Introvert
Pastel Goth
Younger twin
He's the one that does the homework of students that pay him. He'll make sure to copy their handwriting to avoid getting caught.
Wields Mannequin Magic, which he'll sometimes use to prank other students.
In his downtime, he enjoys customizing dolls.
Artemis Copper
She/Her
Slytherin
Extrovert
Goth
Older twin
She's the one that will seek out specific items that classmates ask for when she's paid. She draws the line at Love Potions, however.
Uses Illusion Magic, which she'll sometimes use to prank classmates and avoid trouble.
She's best skilled in both Charms and History.
Astraeus Copper
He/Him
Gryffindor
Ambivert
Punk/Goth
Youngest child
His birth parents were Death Eaters that only had him out of necessity to continue the bloodline, and didn't care much for him or each other. Following their deaths at the Battle of Hogwarts, Astraeus was adopted by Ben and Ismelda, who also gave him his current name.
He's fully aware of his heritage, but considers the Coppers to be his true family.
He doesn't like his eyes because it reminds him of his birth parents, having seen photos of them before. The masks were created for this reason.
Artemis and Apollo wear their own masks as a show of support.
