Secrets and Masks

39. What else?

10th June

It'd been five days since Malfoy had disappeared.

After his conversation in the graveyard with Hermione, after he'd confessed that he wanted to change, that his loyalties weren't with his master anymore, he'd vanished. He didn't say a word. Just got on Narcissa's back and the two of them disappeared into the clouds. No one had any idea when he was going to come back.

No one had heard even a whisper from him since, and Astoria, in a few words, was absolutely fucking seething.

Now that she was fully recovered from her accident, she'd been wanting to throw a birthday celebration for him, and his absence had not gone down well with the newly revealed Medusa.

Originally, Astoria had decided to postpone the celebration until Malfoy came home, but when he failed to return after three days, or four, Astoria's patience finally depleted and she announced they would be having the party without the guest of honour.

Unfortunately, both Blaise and Theo were called on separate assignments that evening, so Astoria and Hermione were left on their own. To drink. And talk.

They spent the entire evening in one of the cosier sitting rooms, sat on opposite sides of the same sofa, exchanging stories over their glasses.

Hermione talked about her childhood, retelling stories of her parents and the holidays they used to take as a family. Although it was clear that Astoria didn't know much about muggle traditions, she did ask about the 'metal boxes on wheels'. And she gave Hermione a knowing smile as she described the caravan's her father used to rent for their summer holidays in the South West of England.

And Astoria - she talked about Daphne. Astoria talked about her endlessly, how she'd always envied her sister's natural beauty, how Daphne had shielded her from her father's alcoholism as a child, how she'd guided her through years of elocution lessons and how she'd taught Astoria how to walk in even the highest heels without toppling over.

She smiled brightly and laughed as she talked, but her expression grew sombre when Hermione had asked her about her father.

Astoria didn't say much about him, only that he'd died on an assignment very early on in the war - a mere few months after Voldemort's resurrection - and that after his very small - and very private - funeral, Narcissa Malfoy had opened her arms and her home to the orphaned Greengrass's, and they'd lived at the manor ever since.

Astoria had choked up as she finished the story, but as a few tears escaped, she wiped her cheeks, downed the remains of her glass, and swiftly changed the topic of conversation back to Daphne.

It was heart-warming to see Astoria finally talk so freely and openly about her sister, even though Hermione understood the reason she never had before.

Since Daphne's death, her name had become taboo around the manor. She'd been labelled as a traitor by Voldemort, a disgrace, so even uttering her name was seen as treason. But since the reveal of Medusa's identity, there had been a shift in the atmosphere at Malfoy Manor.

Beforehand, the others hadn't known if they could trust Hermione, but now their interests aligned and they were on the same side of the war, the walls had dropped, and now everyone spoke freely about their fallen friend.

Blaise was a little reserved when Hermione asked a question about her, but Theo - Theo seemed to come back to life whenever she was brought up, as though the very word 'Daphne' breathed the life back into him. There was still a sadness in his eyes, but he was animated again. He smiled a little whenever someone else talked about her, would listen quietly whenever Astoria told stories of their youth or Romy retold the times she'd tried to teach him the dance moves to her 80s songs.