they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 3 - 27

"Eric!" Astrid's mum gasped lightly hitting his arm onto which she was also holding onto.

They were all walking up the path to the Greengrass Mansion on the evening of December 25th. Astrid had always known that Daphne lived in a huge house, yet she had never imagined it would be that big. But her mum was more shocked than any other member of their little family. "Why didn't you tell me they were this rich. I would've worn a better dress."

The woman was speaking through gritted teeth and Eric just chuckled in response, pulling his hand out of his pocket and pulling her closer by her side. 

"Cyrus didn't live here the last time I visited. Whomever he married must've been, well... much richer."

"Daphne's mum's name is Laurel Ro-" Astrid chimed in but was interrupted.

"Rowle?" he chuckled with his eyebrows raise. Eric smirked to himself. "Of course... I always knew he'd eventually go after Laurel."

They walked up closer to the house and it appeared to only be growing bigger and bigger.

"Eric we are terribly underdressed!"

"Honey, don't tell me that now. I didn't even want to come here in the first place."

The train back home had been on the day right after their Hogsmeade visit. Astrid had told her parents about the invitation the second she remembered about it and her dad was quick to deny. 

That was the moment she had found out her father had run away from the Wizarding world. She found out he had hoped he'd never have to involve himself with the magical world again. Of course, that was until Astrid had gotten her Hogwarts letter. He knew he couldn't avoid it completely but he just wanted to stay away from it as much as he could.

Astrid didn't know why. Nobody was telling her why. Their excuse was that she was still too young. The excuse that pissed her off the most. She was thirteen, after all. In her opinion, she already knew everything and there was nothing she 'couldn't understand just yet'. The girl just found it as a stupid excuse people said when they wanted to keep secrets from their children and she very much so didn't like it.

All that combined had resulted in one of the biggest arguments the family had ever had. Astrid was mad about that they thought she was still a toddler. Laura was mad Eric was just running away from his problems. Eric was mad that two women were simply pissing him off and not letting him live in peace.

The woman in the house had won. The winning argument Eric hadn't been able to refute being that Astrid was now invariably a witch and that whether he wants that or not they wouldn't be able to avoid other magical families forever.

Very reluctantly the man had given in.

Now they walked up the small set of stairs leading to the door and before they could even knock a house elf opened the door before them. 

Laura gulped pressing her palm deeper into her husband's arm. Eric laughed seeing her stricken expression as she tried to curl her lips into a polite smile.

"Honey, that's not Laurel," he laughed knowing very well what was going through his wife's mind. "That's their house-elf."

"Ninomaes?" the house-elf questioned shyly.

Astrid nodded smiling politely.

"Come in! Come in! Tilly will call the Masters."

And with a pop the elf had disappeared from sight, making Astrid's mum slightly jump once more. Eric laughed again, finding her reactions utterly amusing.

They had barely stepped inside when they heard frantic clicking of heels coming their way. And then a gasp.

"Eric," a woman's voice said and the family turned to look at where the sound had come from. That was unmistakeably Mrs Greengrass. She and Daphne were like two drops of water, only one visibly younger. "It really is you."

"You thought you were inviting a complete stranger?" Eric forced a smile as a man appeared on the woman's other side. A man Astrid supposed was Daphne's father. "Good evening, Cyrus."

The two men shook their hands. Cyrus pulled Eric closer whispering something into his ear making the both of them laugh. Laurel had walked over to Laura and although, as much as she tried to appear polite, Astrid could see the hint of repulsion in her stare. After all, Astrid's mum was a muggle and had their father's know one another or not, this was still a pureblood household.

But Laura wasn't noticing it. In fact, she was genuinely smiling back as they shook hands. The woman was simply excited, much like her daughter. 

Astrid heard another set of footsteps in the background and soon Daphne had appeared engulfing Astrid in a tight hug. It was a little weird seeing Daphne in such formal attire and for once Astrid was glad her mother had made her put on a dress. Had she come in her usual street clothes she would've stood out like a sore thumb. 

"Thank God, you had sense enough to befriend a Greengrass," she heard her father whisper to her as they all made their way to the dining room. He ruffled her hair lightly, hiding the fact they were whispering. "God knows what would I have to do if we were to have dinner over at the Malfoys."

Astrid had been itching to find out more about this particular connection. "You know the Malfoys?" she asked what she hoped was innocently.

"Yeah..." he scoffed taking the girl by surprise. "I know the Malfoys."

She looked to the side and although he tried to keep a casual face, Astrid could sense the intense emotions boiling within him. She decided not to question her dad about it any further. If anything it appeared he hated the older Malfoy just as much as she hated her own younger version of him.

Although Eric was smiling and joking the whole evening, it was clear to Astrid he wasn't entirely comfortable. After all, he was the one she had learned the same act from. She knew how to tell apart his real and forced smiles. Jokes were the best defence in uncomfortable or unpleasing situations - that much she had picked up from him. That much she always knew to do whenever she was feeling a similar way.