Sweets: The Tale of Astoria Greengrass

Enchanted to Meet You

Astoria threw open the door to her room. She beckoned Draco in, and then used her wand to remove a floorboard. She knelt down, and pulled out a large pewter box with a magical lock that only responded to her touch.

She looked to Draco, who just nodded, his gray eyes completely unreadable. She opened it, and began pulling out objects. A long pink metal cylinder with a longer black cord trailing from it was the first of such objects. Then came a large box with an arch over it with two spherical ends to it and a circle on the front that had numbers within circles within the circle. Several glass spheres with wiring inside were collected over the years. Muggle paper currencies collected dust at the bottom of the box. The key to their horseless carriages- cars. Astoria believed they were called- was a particular favorite of Astoria's.

But her absolute favorites were the books. Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Anne Frank, Peter Rabbit, Ballet Shoes, and Pride and Prejudice, among others. Jane Austen and Noel Stratfield were her favorite muggle authors, although Lord of the Rings felt like home to her.

She gently lifted these books and handed them to Draco.

"These are muggle books, then?" Draco asked. Astoria could see a small look of disgust, then guilt on his face before he surrendered to the passive emotionless of before.

"Yes."

"I'm not taking these, Baby Greengrass," he said.

"Why not?" she asked, widening her chocolate brown eyes to an incredibly puppy-like size.

"Because I'd probably ruin them," he said.

"I can always buy more," she said. "Besides, I want to share these with you."

"Why?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers in an intense expression.

"Because friends should have something in common," she answered. "Besides, you might be surprised at what you find."

He managed a smile, a bigger one than before. "Thank you. I'll try to return them soon."

"Take your time, enjoy them," Astoria implored.

"I will."

A comfortable silence settled between the two of them as they stared at each other. Astoria did not understand the warm, electric feeling in her body.

"We should probably get back downstairs," Astoria said. "I doubt Pansy would like it if we were to be found up here."

"Probably not," he said reluctantly.

Astoria put back her things, and headed back down the stairs. To her relief, Pansy and Daphne were not back yet.

"You're not so bad, Baby Greengrass," he said.

Astoria smiled, although she secretly wished he'd call her by her name again.

"Thanks," she said. "You're better than the rest of the lot."

"The lot of what?" Draco asked.

"Never mind," Astoria said, realizing who she was talking to.

"No, I want to hear this, who?" Draco asked.

"The lot my sister brings around," Astoria said.

"The others didn't join the Death Eaters," Draco reminded her.

"Yes, but you and I both know you regret that," Astoria said.

"I do. That doesn't make a lot of difference to most people, though," he said.

"Oh." Astoria didn't know how to respond to that. "Why do you always come over with Pansy, even though you'll get left behind here?"

"I have nowhere else to go."

"Really? Why not just stay home, then?" Astoria asked.

"Mother and Father act like your mother," Draco said. "Would you stay near that, if you didn't have to?"

"No," Astoria admitted. "It's funny, how she was allowed to stay till I graduated to be a mother to me, but I've hardly even seen her."

"We all deal with grief and guilt in our own way," Draco said with a shrug. "But you understand my plight."

"Why not go to Blaise or Theodore or Goyle?" Astoria asked.

"Theodore's alright, but he's often busy," Draco said. "Goyle wants nothing to do with me, after Crabbe died. I can't stand Blaise, quite frankly, especially when he starts drinking."

"And those are your only friends?" Astoria asked.

"That leaves Daphne, and that's why I'm here," he said. "I don't mind being alone in this house. Madam Greengrass is quite the charmer when she comes out of her room."

"You've been talking to Mother?" Astoria asked, a pang of envy in her chest.

"She's really opened up when there's a guest around," Draco said with a shrug. "I remember when Mother used to come to her parties."

"I remember you coming to those parties," Astoria said. "You were a horrible dancer, and often sat on the sidelines by the end of the first hour."

"I don't remember you being there," he said with a small frown.

"Because I was on the dance floor," she said. "And I don't expect you to. I'm Baby Greengrass. Daphne's little sister. I'm not exactly remarkable-"

She broke off into a coughing fit that rattled her little body.

"Astoria?" Draco's voice rose in panic.

"I'm-" she coughed again- "fine! Just the-" cough-"curse!"

"Just a second, I'll be right back," he said, raising a hand as he stood. He then ran into the kitchen. Astoria couldn't put a coherent thought together as the fit continued, shaking violently against the couch. She hoped blood wouldn't come up this time.

Draco ran back into the room with a small vial. "It's a cough potion- drink it."

Astoria took it, coughed, and then downed the potion in one gulp. She took deep, shuddering breaths, and the fit was over. She looked up to Draco. "Thank you."

"It was just in the other room," he said. "But you're welcome. I doubt Daphne would appreciate her sister dying with me in the room."

"I wasn't dying," Astoria protested. "I wouldn't- not from that. But thank you. That saved a lot of pain and time."

"At least I can help someone," Draco said bitterly.

Astoria gave him a gentle, grateful smile. "Thank you." She placed her hand over his comfortingly for half a second before realizing how inappropriate the gesture was. She yanked her hand away.

Just as she did, there was the crack of Apparition, and Daphne, Tracey, Millicent, and Pansy were in the room.

"Hello, I hope she wasn't too terrible for you," Daphne said to Draco.

"Not at all, had a pleasant little chat," he said.

Astoria noticed Pansy glaring at her. Nothing happened. And we both know it.

"Well, thank you for entertaining our guest," Daphne said. She looked to the cookie platter and ate one. "One of your best, Tori."

"Thank you," Astoria said. She felt a disappointment. She would probably never talk to him like this again. He would be married to Pansy soon. She knew she never had a chance, but part of her wished that she did.