Astoria → Draco Malfoy

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"you're still an innocent"

Astoria closed her eyes and took a breath. Today was not the day, she would not let her father ruin another Christmas. Somebody needed to know about what she had seem in the common room, but she wasn't sure who she could tell.

"Everything okay Astoria?" Theo questioned as he made his way down the stairs and into the common room.

She wiped the shocked expression off her face, "yes, just getting ready for lunch!"

Pansy made her way down the stairs with Daphne close behind her, "do you know who stayed in the castle from the other houses?"

"I haven't seen many other students over the past few days, I think it might just be us and a few Hufflepuff stragglers," Blaise winced at the thought of sharing a meal with Hufflepuff students.

Daphne thought of the upcoming meal in the Great Hall, "I am not excited to eat with the teachers and Hufflepuffs, I wish we could just bring our meals back to the common room."

"We should get going," Astoria rose to her feet with an uncomfortable smile, internally debating whether or not to tell her sister.

"You're right," Theo added as he began to lead the group of students out of the common room and through the Dungeons. After a short walk, they stumbled into the Great Hall.

Sparkling silver frost lined the walls of the Great Hall, glistening in the artificial moonlight. Looking up at the ceiling Astoria saw the enchanted snow falling down, beginning to form a thin layer on the cobbled floor.

Astoria tugged on her sleeve as she took a seat at the only table in the Hall. She sat beside her sister alongside her Slytherin friends and as far across from the few remaining students and teachers on the table.

"Welcome students!" Professor McGonagall beamed down at the ten students sat at the table, "please tuck in and enjoy yourselves this fine Christmas day, the house elves worked for hours to bring you this delicious meal!" She waved her hands over the table as piles of hot, steaming food began to appear on the table.

Astoria hadn't had a Christmas dinner like this in years. Mountains of roast potatoes, platters of sausages, boats of thick, gravy and stacks of crackers lined the table.

"I am starving!" Theo announced, serving himself and Blaise large helpings of meat and potatoes.

As much as Astoria was in awe at the display before her, she couldn't shake her conversation with her father from her memory.

Astoria I'm coming back.

She couldn't forget what he had said. Her father, a man she feared would soon be returning. She wasn't sure how much she could trust what he had said, was there any truth to his words?

Something in her hoped he was lying, but a bigger part of her knew it was the truth. Soon her father would be here.

Astoria had to tell someone, it was only a few days ago that her friends had all been sat around the fireplace agreeing to do just that, but there was nobody she could turn to. It would kill her sister to know that her father had reached out to Astoria rather than her. As for Pansy, Theo and Blaise, she simply didn't know if she could trust them. They all adored their parents; she couldn't ensure that they would be willing to do anything about it.

"Astoria," she felt her sister nudge her, bringing her attention back to the meal before her. "Eat up," Daphne handed her a plate of chicken, potatoes and vegetables, shooting her a smile.

Astoria nodded as she took a bite of some chicken, forcing a smile on her face once.

"How is everyone enjoying today?" Theo asked around between mouthfuls.

Blaise finished swallowing, "this is the best Christmas I have ever had!"

"Agreed!"

"You aren't wrong," Pansy added, "it is far better than any other Christmas I've had!"

Although all of the Slytherin students had been from rich families, they were rich with everything except from love. Christmas was never a time for family, it was simply another day. A day that went by without proper celebration.

Astoria faded into the background as the rest of the Christmas dinner passed by uneventfully. "Students!" McGonagall rose from her seat, "please do enjoy the rest of your Christmas day!" She left the table, heading out of the Great Hall.

Everyone stood up from their seats at the table and the Slytherins made their way back to their common room.

Although the walk to the common room was short, it made Astoria think. Every destination she passed in the castle reminded her of her previous year, every step she took seemed to bring back another painful memory. As she traipsed through the castle, Astoria realised she had to tell someone, and as much as she was unsure how well that would go with Daphne, that was the only person she could truly trust.

"Daphne," Astoria tugged on her sister's sleeve, pulling her aside, "can we talk?"

Daphne nodded in response, "let's go up to the dorm," she turned to face the rest of the group, "we'll be back in a few moments."

The Greengrass sisters linked arms and made their way up to the dormitory, seating themselves on the edge of Astoria's neatly made bed. Astoria took her sisters hand in her own, "Daphne," she began.

Daphne spoke quietly, "what is it Astoria?"

"I need to tell you something," her mind went back to everything that they both had experienced just one year ago, "I think something bad is about to happen."

"Astoria we are finally safe, nothing bad is going to happen to us, I prom-" she squeezed her sister's hand.

Astoria cut her off, "no!" Her tone was harsh, far harsher than anything Daphne had ever heard before. "Daphne, you need to listen to me!"

She pulled her hand away, "I am listening, please, just tell me what's going on?"

"It-" she stumbled, trying to find the words, "it's about..."

Before Astoria could finish what, she was trying to say, Pansy bundled into the dorm with a smile, "what are we talking about?"

Daphne turned to look at Pansy with a blank stare, "Astoria was just about to tell me something..."

Astoria gulped.

"What was it?"

"Well, you came in before she could tell me..." Daphne trailed off rolling her eyes.

Pansy threw herself on her bed, "well that's boring, anyway."

Daphne leant closer to her sister, "what was it you were going to tell me?"

Astoria shuffled away, "it doesn't matter. I have something else," she reached underneath her bed, revealing a small brown package and dropping it into Daphne's hands. "I got this for you too. It was our mothers."

Daphne began to unwrap the gift, smiling as she did so. "It's her necklace," she breathed out quietly, "oh Astoria." She held the necklace close to her, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "It's beautiful."

"I know she wanted you to have it," Astoria had known that when her mother was alive, there was nothing she cherished more than that necklace, and for Daphne it meant an awful lot.

Daphne pulled her into an embrace. She let her body sag; her muscles become loose. Astoria cradled her like she were a child, and despite being the younger sister, it simply felt right. She embraced her sister as though she were a cocoon, holding her safely until she was ready to exit as a butterfly.

After what felt like hours, they pulled away. And when they did, Pansy was no longer there.

"What was it you needed to tell me?"

"It was nothing," Astoria whispered quietly.

It could wait.