Sweets: The Tale of Astoria Greengrass

Will We Die, Just a Little?

Astoria awoke to no alarm of any sort. Just the first Saturday morning of the school year. She smiled and stretched. Alice had already left. She got to her feet and she pulled on a long, flowing dress and sandals, and slipped out onto the castle grounds.

The morning air was cool and clean, and Astoria smiled at the pleasantness of it all. Steam rose off the lake as the early morning sun hit it just right.

At the edge of the forest, Astoria saw the thestrals coming out of the woods. Feeling drawn to them, Astoria slowly approached, so she wouldn't frighten them. A little foal stumbled towards her and she patted its nose. It was a bit bony, but the fur was surprisingly soft.

"I see you found Kali," a voice said.

Astoria turned around to see a tall sixth-year with deeply tanned skin and dark hair and a petite blonde wearing the strange clothes and carrying a bag that reeked of raw meat approached.

The boy smiled. "I'm Rolf, and this is Luna."

"We like to visit the thestrals," Luna said.

Luna Lovegood, Astoria realized. She watched as the tiny girl fed a thestral a slab of meat from her bag.

Rolf smiled, and approached the biggest, most scary-looking of the herd. "Hello, Tenebrous, how are you today?"

He seemed to have an instinctual relationship with the thestral, as he just patted Tenebrous's snout and touched his forehead to the animal's in response to his own question. Astoria longed to have a similar relationship.

"Who did you see?" she asked gently.

"A boy in my year, during the Battle of Hogwarts," Rolf said quietly. "He died in my arms."

"I'm sorry," Astoria said.

"Who was it for you?" Rolf asked.

"My uncle," Astoria said. "And everyone in the Battle of Hogwarts."

Rolf nodded knowingly.

"It was my mother," Luna said. "I remember seeing thestrals for the first time, and knowing what it meant when no one else could see them- that's how it started, you know."

"What?" Astoria asked.

"People calling me rude names, taking my things," Luna said. "They're a lot nicer this year!"

"Well, that's good," Astoria said, feeling awkward and wondering what more she could have done.

"It's nice out here, don't you think?" Luna said. She smiled as she gave up the last of the meat. "The thestrals are very calming."

"I'd like to think it's because they make you less afraid of dying," Rolf said. "That they help you accept it more."

"I accepted that I'm dying a long time ago," Astoria murmured.

"I'm sorry," Luna said quite simply. "You must be hurting badly, then."

Astoria shrugged. "Not badly enough to stop living. Yet."

"Very brave," Rolf said.

"I don't quite think I am," Astoria protested. "I'm a Slytherin, you see. It's just part of self-preservation."

"Living's not the same as surviving," Luna said. "It takes courage to live. That's what my mother taught me."

"Besides, who said that being a Slytherin made you a coward?" Rolf added with a laugh. "We both fought for our school. That matters more than our houses."

"You're not being constantly investigated," Astoria pointed out.

"No," Rolf admitted. "We're not. I wonder if the whole House thing was a bad idea to begin with or it it slowly became the way it is now."

Astoria shrugged. "I don't think it's up to me to answer that question."

"Where are your friends?" Luna asked. "The boy and the girl you're usually with?"

"They're probably snogging somewhere," Astoria said, the words coming out much more bitterly than she intended.

"This early in the morning?" Rolf asked with a grin on his face.

"Well, I don't know where else they would be," Astoria said. "Alice left before she could tell me."

"They could be up at breakfast," Luna said. "That's where most people go this time of day."

"Have you eaten anything yet today?" Rolf asked.

"No, I don't feel hungry yet," Astoria said.

"You probably should eat something," Luna said.

"No one needs to be my mother," Astoria said, thinking of Daphne and Queenie.

"She's just trying to help," Rolf chided gently.

"I just- Never mind. I'll go up to the Great Hall," Astoria said.

"Will we see you again?" Luna asked, her moon-gray eyes pleading with Astoria.

"Sure," she replied, thinking of how if Luca and Alice went missing this much throughout the entire school year, she might as well have other friends. Besides, these people were rather nice, in Astoria's opinion.

"Have a nice day," Rolf said.

She found Luca and Alice up in the Great Hall, talking about their vacations to Italy and Ireland rather passionately. She was ignored as she sat down and she poured herself a cup of morning teas.

An owl came, dropping a letter from Daphne.

Tori,

How was your first week of school? I hope your week had gone well! Draco Malfoy of all people was asking about you at the wedding planning luncheon!

My week has gone fabulously. I've managed to get Mother down to one glass of elven wine a day, and I may get a promotion to an actual position in the Wand Clerk office instead of just being an intern!

Love,

Daffy

Astoria sighed, not knowing what to tell her sister.