Malediction: the love and life of Astoria Malfoy

Chapter One

I woke up ludicrously early that morning, unable to doze off again. It was a gray day, the sun illuminating the clouds it hid behind, shining pale light through my curtains. This would be the last day I would wake up in this bed for a while, the familiar lavender walls and white curtains to be replaced with a (hopefully green) dormitory. I got ready quickly, packed my trunk, re-packed it, made my bed, and re-packed my trunk again, trying to kill time.

Three knocks racked my door. "Come in," I said, placing my wand in the trunk.

"I can't believe it's already time for you to go to Hogwarts! Are you excited?" Daphne said, sitting on the corner of my bed.

I sighed. "Hmm, I guess," I said unenthusiastically, snapping the fastens on my trunk shut. She got up and stood in front of me, wheeling me around to face her.

She took a deep breath, her hands on my shoulders and blue eyes locked on mine. I could tell she wanted to say something -- it was right there, floating in between us, invisible unless she shone a light on it. But she didn't.

Shaking off whatever was about to pass between us, she smiled down at me, recalibrated, back to her neat self. "Come on, it's about time for us to leave," she said, taking hold of my trunk.

She left the room, head held high, back arched with perfect posture. I lingered in the room for a moment.

I knew what she was thinking, what we all were. How would I fare away from home, out in the world. I wasn't sure just what thoughts were being stitched together in her mind, maybe thoughts of worry? Of annoyance, knowing she would have to protect me? Anger, angry I couldn't be normal? Maybe not. Maybe just wondering why, of all the people in the Greengrass family, why I had to end up with the curse.

Generations ago, a blood curse was placed on one of the Greengrass'. Almost forgotten, and surely out of everyone's head, out I came with the blood malediction. These things can resurface after generations.

It left me weak, frail. I couldn't run, or ever really play without becoming faint, or, in the most embarrassing of scenarios, actually fainting. I was not destined for old age, that much was apparent. With each passing year I faded a little, withered.

It proved to be a conundrum for my parents, unsure how they would pitch me to an established pure-blooded family for marriage one day with this disease, considering I probably wouldn't be able to produce an heir. This was the cause of my parents, should I say, issue with me, and they decided Daphne was my lifeline. The one that would have to look after me when I was an adult, not that it would be for long. Unfortunately for her, she would have to serve doubletime in that position for the next five years of her school career.

"You coming?" She said, reappearing in the doorway.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," I said, grabbing my owl, Reinaldra's, cage.

* * *

"Disgusting," my father muttered as we walked through King's Cross Station. My mother nodded in agreement, horrified by the filthy muggles. After all these years, you would have thought they'd come up with a better, less muggle-ey way to get to Hogwarts.

Muggles were pushed from my mind when I saw it, Platform 10. There it was, well, would be, as soon as I got to the other side.

"You ready?" Daphne said, bracing herself, gripping her trolley, bending her knees. I nodded excitedly. She made towards the wall, hiding how difficult the task was, considering she insisted half my stuff went on her cart so I wouldn't have to push all that weight. Within a second, she had vanished.

Despite the times I'd come here to see her off, it still shocked me, and I turned, awe-struck to face my smiling parents.

You can do this Astoria. I convinced myself. I shut my eyes tight, and made hard at the wall. When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by a grand train, the Hogwarts Express. Rolls of thick white smoke curled off in swirls that hung around the platform.

My parents appeared behind me, and we found Daphne with her friend Pansy Parkinson. The girl looked me up and down and smiled a forced smile. I nodded back, unable to really say anything, slightly petrified by the glare and grimace embossed on her face.

"We'd better find a compartment before they're all full," Pansy said in her somehow shrill yet drawling voice.

"Yes," Daphne said, then hugged mum, then dad. They turned to me. Father scooped me into his arms and hugged me.

"You'll do great, Astoria." he said, really trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

My mother tucked a chocolate brown strand of hair behind my ear. "You'll write? Every week?" She said, worry etching the creases in her forehead.

"Of course" I promised.

Just as we were about to walk away, from the corner of my eye I saw my parents lean into my sister, whisper something and dislocate, a stiff nod and a sullen look on Daphne's face. It wasn't hard to assume what they said, what she would already do: watch out for me.

She brushed it off, her orderly disposition back after the brief moment of emotion. "You girls ready?" she said to me and Pansy, who quite frankly, I forgot was even there.

As we walked down the hall of compartments, Pansy stopped dead in her tracks, gluing her face to one compartment, waving like a little kid to whoever was in there. Daphne rolled her eyes, amused.

Before I could ask any questions, Pansy turned to us. "Come on Daph, let's sit with them."

"Uh, there's not enough room for us" -- she cocked her head in my direction -- "and them," she said.

Pansy bent her knees and came face to face with me. "You don't mind if your sister and I sit with the boys, right?" She said, as if she were talking to a toddler.

"Uh- no, go ahead," I mumbled, staring at Daphne.

"No. Pans, you go, we'll find another compartment."

"But- Daph--" Pansy started, looking with bewildered eyes at Daphne.

"Besides, squeezing in next to Crabbe and Goyle is not my idea of an enjoyable train ride," Daphne said, winking at me.

Inexpressible gratitude washed over me. How did I end up with the best sister in the world?

"Whatever." Pansy huffed, marching into the compartment in question. "Hello Draco," I heard her pur as we walked by.