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"A year changes a lot"
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ASTRIA REGULUS BLACK and her cousin talked for some time. He had told her he wasn't mad about what she had done and that he would have done the same.
But even after everything she still felt exceedingly guilty.
A way through their talk, she hesitantly asked her friend why no one had used magic to heal his bruise. Without context she knew this sounded harsh and blunt, however, the Malfoys never let her or him go into the public eye with a single bruise apparent.
"Father said he wanted to send a message to someone," He looked around the compartment before making eye contact with Astria, "I didn't understand before," He inhaled loudly, "I do now."
He must have seen the gaze of unfiltered self-hate that rushed over Astria like a tidal wave.
"Don't feel guilty Tria, it's not your fault," He looked at Pansy and Blaise, "It's no one here's fault, It's just how things are."
Pansy's voice, softer than it was ever in public, split through the atmosphere.
"I know you feel bad about what you did Astria, but like Draco said before," The girl looked out the window, watching as the world passed by, "We would have done the same, we would have left you in an instant if it meant things would be different."
Astria knew what she said could make some people feel very horrible, but she understood what Pansy was trying to say.
"Our life isn't set up to be filled with promises and happiness," She continued, "You owe us nothing Astria, if anything we owe you," She smiled a sad smile, "I know your heart is too pure to understand this, but you did nothing wrong when you left."
She was wrong, Astria understood, however part of her would never agree.
They kept saying it wasn't her fault and reassuring her. It didn't feel right. After all this time, she should be reassuring them, she knew that and that's all she wanted to do. Of course, she was touched by their efforts, but she also knew they had so much they already had to deal with, and she felt even more guilty adding herself to the list.
