Always, Astoria

6. Friends

1994

Astoria looked at herself in the mirror of her dormitory bathroom and regarded how her body had changed over the past year. She wished she had a skinner body type; she wanted her legs to be long and her chest to be larger. Astoria was a short young woman, merely 5'2. She often wore heels to hide her height, but it was getting difficult when all her friends were over 5'5 and she was still the same height she was two years ago. Astoria had insecurities like any teenage girl, but she always had her mother's voice in her head saying, "You are perfect. You are the epidemy of elegance my girl." She did not feel elegant. She slapped on a smile and walked out to find Fleur was dressing for potions class.

"Morning Tori. I am off to my potions class. Would you like to meet at the hall for dinner tonight?" Fleur asked while pulling a Beaubaxton Academy blue crewneck over her chest.

Fleur was more endowed than Astoria might ever be. Fleur had a nice figure, along with long blond, wavy hair. Astoria' s hair was also blond but over the past year she kept it blond. She wanted to blend in better and all boys love a sweet smiled blond girl.

"Okay. I must do some studying for DADA in the library after divination though. I will meet you after I am done." Astoria applied some nude-colored lipstick to her face and began walking to her first class, Transfiguration. Transfiguration was one of Astoria's best courses at the Beauxbaton Academy of Magic, so she was excited to see how the schools differed in teaching methods. 

"Good morning class. Today we are going to start off the year with some advanced magic. You are going to pair up and turn your partner into a harmless animal." McGonagall said sternly. The older witch began to pair up the students and she finally made her way over near Astoria.

"Greengrass and Malfoy. Over here." McGonagall pointed to a nearby corner.

Astoria looked at her partner and she felt like she knew him from somewhere. She did not know his first name and she has not seen him around, or she merely had never noticed him until now. He was in Slytherin house, had platinum blond hair, grey piercing eyes and a smirk that could kill.

"Well, well. Looks like it is my lucky day." The blond boy spat out while leaning against the wall next to Astoria.

"Erm... sorry? I am afraid I do not understand." Astoria said while peering down at her old Transfiguration notes.

"It is not every day I get paired up with a fine French girl with yet an English accent." The pale man smirked while looking at Astoria.

"Well, maybe if you had done your research you would realize I am not a true French girl. My mother is French, but my family resides in England." Astoria began reaching for her textbook when the pale boy abruptly approached her and stood millimeters from her face.

"I do not need to do research. I know who you are Greengrass." Malfoy spat while smirking.

"Astoria." She said while looking up at him. She realized how tall he was while he was looking down upon her.

The blond boy paused and took a step back.

"Malfoy."

"I am going to turn you into a mere mouse. How does that sound?" Astoria inquired lowly.

Malfoy snorted and threw his arms in the air.

"Frappe-moi avec ton meilleur coup." Malfoy said while smirking. Astoria was slightly taken aback that this boy knew how to speak French, but by the way he dressed she knew he was aristocratic. So, in other ways it did not surprise her that he was cultured.

"If you say so." Astoria said while pointing her wand at the blond.

Astoria left her class and went into the girl's lavatory. She wondered where she knew Malfoy. Was he a family friend? Had she seen him around the great hall? Astoria lit a cigarette and then realized. Her first night in the castle, when she sneaked out for a smoke, it was him. The boy whom she bumped into and was extremely rude to her. She still had not even known his first name yet, but she knew already she did not like him. His cockiness, his demanding nature, and his piercing, beautiful, eyes. She took a puff from her cigarette and walked out of the lavatory, right before bumping into a hard chest with a yellow tie around it.