centuries spent waiting is worth it for you
Astoria isn't sure what year it is anymore, not really. Sure, she writes the date at work, but the years all blur into a mass of numbers these days. She's forgotten how old she is — she thinks she's three, maybe four hundred years old, but she can't be certain. She doesn't look like she's in her hundreds.
Everyone ages around her. She loses friends, family, lovers. She watches her parents age together and die. Her sister, after a couple of decades, finds her soulmate and grows old with him. Their children do the same. Friends move on. They find their soulmates and begin to grow old. They have no time for somebody stuck in their twenties. She has a string of lovers, desperate to find the one she's destined to grow old with, but he never comes.
So she throws herself into work. When education is popularised she attends colleges and universities, learning as much as she can, branching out into not only business studies and economics, but into psychology, English, and design. She learns as much as she can and, with the knowledge she's gained through decades of work and education, she creates her own business. It's a small design firm focusing on clothing at first, specialising in creating easier alternatives to the elaborate styles popularised by the Royal Family.
Her business quickly grows and evolves. It goes from clothing to all textile-based designs including home furnishings. She opens up a second branch focusing in print news and literature. When the television is invented, Astoria can sense that technology is going to be the future. She studies part-time while transforming her business so that they can adapt to the rise in technology when it comes. By the time the mobile phone is invented, Astoria's business is the leading technology-based business in the United Kingdom. Her textile and print businesses have spread overseas.
She's the richest woman in the world, and she doesn't look a day over twenty.
Astoria enjoys the sound of her heels clicking against the floor. The sound reverberates through the corridor as she walks from her office to reception, making her feel powerful with every long stride. She needs the power today. It's interview day, and while the men in the office know she's committed to her work and isn't looking for a date, every new set of potential employees hosts an abundance of boys more interested in romancing her than the job.
She smooths down her jacket — a powder blue that compliments her light skin tone and perfectly matches the heels she is wearing — and takes the time to make sure her face isn't betraying even a hint of emotion. Facing the interviewees isn't a particularly enjoyable task for Astoria, not anymore, but she's developed a habit of intimidating them before they've even set foot through the door of the interview room. It filters out those who would be too weak to take on the job long-term.
The collective intake of breath as she enters the waiting room tells Astoria all she needs to know. It's a sound of shock, but it's not because they weren't expecting to see the owner. No, it's too lustful for that. It's the sound of a room full of men marvelling at her beauty.
Her eyes scan the room. There are a few terrified faces, genuinely terrified. Astoria has gotten good at being able to guess the motivations of the people applying over the years of running the place. The terrified ones are usually those who don't want to be here. The ones whose parents pushed them into applying for her company. She feels sorry for them - she knows what it's like to have pushy parents. The only saving grace of having lived for hundreds of years is that her family can no longer tell her what to do. They're the people that she gets Susan, her receptionist, to offer drinks when they go into the interview room.
Then there are the lustful faces. The people who have only applied because they think they'll have a chance at winning her affections. Sometimes she'll interview one or two of them — she likes to see the light in their eyes die as they realise they'll never have a shot with her — but usually, they don't even make it to the interview room.
The people Astoria does want to interview are the ones that try not to look at her. The ones whose eyes flit around the room searching for somewhere to look, or who have their noses buried in their portfolio, no doubt going over in their mind what they think the key things to talk about are.
There aren't many of those this time. She's about to invite one of the particularly leery boys into the interview room, one that looks like he needs to be put in his place more so than the others, when a redheaded girl rushes into the room.
"I'm not late, am I?" she asks the boy sitting nearest to the door. His eyes flit between Astoria and the girl, and a second later she seems to understand who Astoria is because her eyes widen in fear.
She looks as if she's about to speak, but Astoria cuts in before she can.
"Since you're on your feet already, you can come first," she says, putting as much ice in her voice as she can.
Astoria starts walking back to her office, enjoying the way everyone in the room flinches at her words, not just the girl she was attempting to intimidate. She doesn't look back to see if she's being followed; she can hear the dull thud of the girl's footsteps falling in time with the click of her own shoes against the hardwood floor.
When they reach her office, Astoria motions for the girl to sit before closing the door and taking her own seat on the other side of the desk. She doesn't say anything as she flicks through a stack of papers on her desk, and when the other girl looks like she's about to say something, Astoria holds up a hand to silence her.
It's clear the girl doesn't like this, and Astoria is thankful that years of practice means she's able to keep her face neutral despite the desperate urge to smirk.
"Ginevra Weasley," Astoria says. It was easy to find her application form; she was the only female applicant this time around.
"It's just Ginny," Ginny replies.
This time, Astoria can't quite keep her mask intact. Her eyebrows raise slightly in shock at Ginny talking back to her.
"Okay, Ginny, tell me about yourself."
The look of surprise that crosses Ginny's face amuses Astoria. Clearly, she hadn't been prepared for being asked about herself. It's why Astoria always asks that first. The interviewees always expect to be asked why they applied, and Astoria doesn't want rehearsed answers, she wants to see the person underneath.
"Well, I'm the youngest in my family and the only girl. I have six older brothers who have all achieved brilliance — two of them have their own business, one of them works for the Prime Minister — so it's a lot to live up to. I only left university a month ago but I figured go big or go home, right? So here I am."
Astoria smiles. Ginny has managed to say all the right things already. It's clear she has the drive and determination to survive here. The rest of the interview passes smoothly, and after speaking about her family, Ginny seems much more relaxed.
"Thank you for letting me come for an interview here, Ms Greengrass," Ginny says as the interview comes to a conclusion.
She offers a hand, and Astoria shakes it.
"The pleasure was all mine," she says, a warm smile taking over her face as she lets the intimidating act drop for a few moments. "But please do remember that while the dress code may not be strict, I do implore my employees not to be too casual in their attire."
She notices Ginny blush slightly as she looks down at the turquoise shirt that has come untucked from the white skirt Astoria can tell she's uncomfortable in, and the ankle boots that are showing several years worth of wear. Then, her brown eyes widen as she takes in Astoria's words.
"You mean I...?"
"You got the job. Congratulations, Miss Weasley."
Something's wrong.
Astoria isn't sure what, but as she looks in the mirror, she can tell that there's something different about her. She briefly wonders if it means something, but shakes the thought immediately. It's probably just the weariness from being stuck interviewing complete idiots all day.
She shudders as she thinks about the candidates. Aside from Ginny, the only other person that made a positive impression had been a boy named Colin, but he had been much more interested in the marketing aspect of the business - having a Photography degree and wishing to break into the industry somehow - and hadn't realised the job they were interviewing for was more focused on internal affairs. She had passed his details on, though, and told him to expect a call.
The others had all been completely wrong for the job in one way or another. Most just wanted the flashy name to add to their CV. They'd have stayed a year, maybe two, before moving on to something else with a reference from Greengrass Enterprises following them. A couple clearly had no interest in the field at all and Astoria had sent them packing pretty quickly.
Then there had been Blaise Zabini. The boy hadn't stopped trying to get a look down her shirt from the moment he stepped foot through her office door. Well, she'd had a few harsh words for him, to put it nicely. She'd seen him trying to chat up Susan when she had gone to fetch the next interviewee and promptly humiliated him in front of the entire room. It had managed to evoke fear in the rest of the boys - for that's what they were to her, boys - gathered and not one of them had tried to flirt with her after that.
Astoria shakes her head, clearing the thought of Blaise from her mind. It isn't what she needs right now. She's had a long day, and nothing soothes her after a long day more than a bubble bath and a glass of wine.
The changes are subtle at first. A welcome pocket of fat on the body she had worked so hard to stay stick thin for when she stopped ageing and her appearance was frozen, her bra fitting a little tighter than usual, an extra line around her eyes when she laughs.
She doesn't want to think too much into what this could mean, but she does anyway. She can't help it. As much as she enjoys her work, as much as she prides herself on the business empire she's created, she can't help but be pleased with the fact that she may possibly have found her soulmate.
Her wardrobe is full of suits - Astoria has a fondness for them after spending so long in a male-dominated world where she was forced to wear skirts - yet none of them seem right. She wants to look perfect, needs to look perfect, if this is going to go the way she wants it to.
She riffles through them, throwing one luxurious suit after another onto her bed one after the other until her hands rest on one that had been tucked behind the rest. It's the suit she wore to graduation, her first graduation. It's the suit she had tailor-made to shock the men at her university that expected her to wear a dress.
Excitement overcomes her as she dresses. She can't remember the last time she put this much effort into an outfit she was only going to wear at work. As she looks in the mirror, however, she's pleased she has. The suit is a gorgeous champagne colour that's only a shade or two lighter than her hair, and the deep purple shirt and shoes she's wearing with it add a pop of colour that brings the outfit together.
When she gets to work, she pulls out a packet of cigarettes from her bag and lights one. She doesn't usually like to smoke at work, especially given that it's the dead of winter and snowflakes are drifting to the ground around her, but she's so on edge that she need to give into the urge to calm herself. She pulls her coat tighter around her to stop herself from freezing as she tries to think up a strategy. As proud as she is of how far she's come to build her business, Astoria has never been particularly good at using her imagination.
Despite the cold weather, when Astoria finally makes it up to her office she asks Anthony - her new receptionist while Susan is on maternity leave - to bring her a large glass of water with plenty of ice. She wishes it could be red wine - what she wouldn't do for a drink to calm her nerves right now - but she likes to set a good example at work.
"Can you pass this along to Ginny Weasley, please?" Astoria asks, passing a thick folder to Anthony when he returns. "Tell her that it needs to be finished tonight. If she needs to stay late, I'll triple her pay."
"Right away." Fear fills his voice as he speaks, and Astoria has to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She really doesn't want to intimidate her employees, especially not those close to her, but something about her age always seems to scare them into obeying.
Once he leaves, Astoria's mind is firmly fixed on one thing. Ginny. Or, the more pressing detail of the fact that Ginny is female, and Astoria, who has only dated men, can think of nothing more wonderful than finding a way to kiss her.
For the first time in her life, Astoria finds being at work stifling. The ice in her drink rattles against the side as she takes a sip, and she finds taking pleasure in the small, cooling drips that fall from the glass onto her lap. She knows she has to act soon since Ginny is a fast worker and won't be staying too much longer, yet there's a war waging on in Astoria's mind that's trying to force her to stay.
Eventually, she does pull herself up from her chair, taking the time to straighten a wonky pile of paperwork and put away a stray envelope before she leaves the comfort of her office.
The usual click of her heels against the floor doesn't fill her with as much confidence and power as it normally does. It helps a little, of course, but her nerves are all over the place as she rounds the corner to the open plan office space where Ginny is working.
"May we have a word in my office?" Astoria asks.
Ginny's head snaps up. She scans the room, searching for whoever it is that Astoria would be talking to. When she sees it's only her and the janitor in the room, Ginny stands.
The walk back to the office is broken only by the sound of Astoria's heels and Ginny's dull, thudding footsteps.
"I've been waiting a long time for you," Astoria says once the door is closed behind them. At Ginny's confused expression, Astoria mentally curses herself for being so forward.
"Have a seat," Astoria says in a desperate attempt to start again. "How are you finding working here?"
"Apart from the late night, I'm loving it," Ginny says.
Ginny's hands are fiddling with the necklace she's wearing and Astoria can tell there's something pressing on her mind. Thinking back to her interview, Astoria remembers that Ginny had a habit of opening up after talking about something personal.
"That's an interesting necklace," she says. "Where did you get it?"
Although Astoria is only asking to get Ginny to be more open with her, she is interested in the necklace. The pendant is a little golden ball with wings, the likes of which Astoria has never seen before.
"It was a graduation gift from my university volleyball team. Everyone gets one. Mine was custom made with wings because they said I could jump so high it was like I was flying."
Ginny falls silent and Astoria watches a bead of water run down the outside of her glass.
"What did you mean before?" Ginny asks. "When you said you'd been waiting for me, I mean."
Ah, so that's what she wants to know.
"Just what I said." Astoria shrugs in an attempt to hide how nervous she's feeling that the conversation has reached its true purpose already. "Do you know how old I am?"
Ginny shakes her head.
"Neither do I. I think it's somewhere in the region of four hundred," Astoria says. Ginny's eyes widen in shock. "I haven't aged since I was twenty and my body hasn't changed a bit. That is, until I hired you."
She doesn't look at Ginny as she speaks. The only indication that Ginny realises what Astoria's words mean is her sharp intake of breath.
Astoria chances a glance up and is surprised to see something akin to joy in Ginny's eyes.
"Is this why you had me work late?" Ginny asks. "So you could get me alone?"
Astoria nods. She's desperate to claw her confidence back, but she wants nothing more than to curl up into a ball and hide from her actions. Why did she ever think that would work?
Ginny laughs. "You're a sly woman, Astoria Greengrass."
"I like to think of it as cunning," she retorts, and suddenly the confidence she was so desperate for only seconds ago returns. "And it worked, didn't it?"
"That it did."
Astoria's arm automatically falls onto Ginny's shoulders as the woman snuggles up against her side, feet tucked underneath her on the sofa. There's a mirror on the wall to the left of Astoria and she can't help but stare at their reflection.
Both women have wrinkles beginning to etch themselves into their skin. They have bags under their eyes from sleepless nights, and their skin doesn't glow in the same way it did when they first met. If she looks hard enough, Astoria can see the few grey hairs on her head that blend into her pale blonde hair. She's never seen a more enticing sight.
Of all the things Astoria has accomplished in her lifetime, from fighting for equality, starting her business, and passing it down to her eldest daughter, finding Ginny and having the confidence to ask her out is Astoria's greatest achievement.
Sitting on the sofa and sharing a bowl of popcorn with her wife as they both read their books, Astoria is the happiest she's ever been.
She leans over and plants a kiss on Ginny's forehead, distracting her from her book.
"What was that for?" Ginny asks.
"Am I not allowed to kiss my wife?" Astoria teases.
"Not like that you're not."
A moment later, Astoria's book is crashing to the floor as Ginny climbs on top of her and pulls her into a deep kiss.
Word Count: 3,225.
This is for:
Hogwarts Assignment One – Mythology;
Task 7 – Write about a headstrong and fierce woman who men fear
Hogwarts Yearly Challenge – Insane House Challenge;
571. (plot point) searching through your wardrobe for something to wear
Hogwarts Yearly Event – 365 Prompts;
99. (dialogue) "I've been waiting a long time for you."
Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Days of the Year;
Business Woman's Day – Write about a career-oriented woman
Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Summer Prompts;
(word) Stifling
Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Colour Prompts;
Champagne
Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Shay's Musical Challenge;
Hello, Dolly! – Write about finding love
Hogwarts Writing Club – Character Appreciation;
7. (word) Strategy
Hogwarts Writing Club – Disney Challenge;
C5 – Write about a woman in power, or a woman who is fighting for power
Hogwarts Writing Club – Cookie's Crafty Corner;
Scarf – (word set) freezing, gift, sharing, wonky, comfort
Hogwarts Writing Club – Book Club;
Serena Joy – (scenario) independent woman in a patriarchal society, (trait) cunning, (colour) powder blue
Hogwarts Writing Club – Showtime;
9. (word) Imagination
Hogwarts Writing Club – Count Your Buttons;
S2 – Girls - Rita Ora
O4 – Cigarette
W2 – Luxurious
Hogwarts Writing Club – Lyric Alley;
15. Look out 'cause here I come
Hogwarts Writing Club – Ami's Audio Admirations;
8. Write about someone stuck working late
Hogwarts Writing Club – Sophie's Shelf;
Trio F/S – Ginny/Astoria
Hogwarts Writing Club – Em's Emporium;
17. Gabby – Write femslash
Hogwarts Writing Club – Angel's Arcade;
Sub Zero – (object) ice, (weather) snowing, (colour) powder blue
Hogwarts August Event – Romance Awareness;
Day 3 – You stop ageing at a certain age, until you meet your soulmate and grow old together
Hogwarts August Event – Auction;
(colour) white
Hogwarts August Event – Dragon Breeding Club;
Swedish Short-Snout (Peter) – (Word count) 3,225
Hogwarts August Event – Gobstones;
Brown Stone – Working
A – (item) envelope
P – (item) book
T – (item) necklace
Hogwarts Fortnightly Event – Amazing Women;
4. (sound) The click of high heels on hard floor
Camp Potter August Activity – Ice Cream Making Station;
Chocolate – (character) Ginny Weasley, (colour) turquoise