This was written for The Golden Snitch's Movie Madness: Mean Girls contest on behalf of House Mizu (Mahoutokoro).
Prompt: Spring-fling tiara: Write about a fancy Pureblood occasion, such as a ball.
Work Count (not including A/N): 1,388
"Tori, Mum is getting impatient. We need to go."
"Coming, Daph!"
Astoria Greengrass took one final look in the mirror. She brushed out an imaginary wrinkle on her pale mint robes, checked her lip gloss one more time, and readjusted her tiny hat.
This was her first summer tea, and she was not going without looking perfect.
She made her way to the Floo, working to glide just as her mother had instructed. Daphne stood with their mother, looking perfect in her lavender tea dress.
Astoria hated that her sister took to these events with no issue: he pale blonde hair curled perfectly under a dainty fascinator that matched her dress. Daphne didn't even really need makeup; Astoria was sure she'd figured out a permanent sticking charm that kept her face immaculate. Given that Daphne was now thirteen, she was even allowed a slight heel in her shoe.
Astoria looked at her own feet—in flats, of course—and just barely restrained a scowl.
"Come, Astoria. Posy is wretched when people arrive late to her teas." Her mother gestured the two girl toward the fireplace, threw in a handful of Floo powder, and called out "Parkinson Place!"
After they arrived, Camellia Greengrass waved a light cleaning charm over the girls, banishing any residual ash, and made her way to the Parkinson's gardens.
Astoria followed dutifully behind Daphne, doing her best to look both perfectly at ease and like the whole tea tea beneath her. Daphne, who had apparently been dubbed the Slytherin Ice Queen due to her mastery of that very look, greeted Posy Parkinson and quickly disappeared with Pansy Parkinson, wearing bright blue robes that were far too much for the occasion, even given her youth, and Millicent Bulstrode, who looked wildly uncomfortable to be in a dress at all.
"Posy, this is my youngest daughter, Astoria." Astoria's mother gestured to the dark haired girl, who executed a perfect shallow curtsey.
"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. Thank you for inviting me."
Mrs. Parkinson smiled at the young girl. "She's quite pretty, Camellia. I imagine you'll be approached in the next few years with more than one contract." The woman turned back to Astoria's mother. "Have you heard that we're in negotiations with the Malfoys for Pansy?"
To a casual observer, it would have looked at though the two mothers were discussing something as innocuous as the weather. But Astoria could hear the smugness in Posy's voice, the glee in matching her daughter to the heir of the Malfoy family.
"How lovely," said Camellia. "I imagine Narcissa is thrilled. Has she arrived yet?"
Astoria could tell from her mother's demeanor that Narcissa Malfoy was going to reap what she sowed if she did end up with Pansy Parkinson as a daughter-in-law.
Posy gestured to a one of the tables, where Narcissa was seated with Medea Flint.
Camellia smiled. "I must congratulate her. Come Astoria, we'll find your seat."
As luck would have it, Astoria was seated at Narcissa and Medea's table, along with Pansy, Bellina Burke, and Rosemary Selwyn.
Astoria made small talk with Bellina and Rosemary while Narcissa and Medea listened to Pansy simper about her previous year at Hogwarts. At a socially appropriate interval, Narcissa turned to Astoria.
"Miss Greengrass, are you looking forward to beginning Hogwarts?"
Astoria took a sip of tea. It never hurt to pause before responding to a question, even if you knew exactly what you wanted to say. It made people feel as though you were giving them due consideration, even if you weren't.
But this was Narcissa Malfoy. She chose her words carefully.
"I am, Mrs. Malfoy. I enjoy spending time with my mother in the gardens, so I'm especially looking forward to Herbology. But Daphne has spoken highly of Charms as well."
Mrs. Malfoy nodded. "Pomona Spout teaches Herbology. She's a lovely instructor; she helped cultivate my own interest in the subject."
"Oh, I love gardening too," interjected Pansy. "The roses are my favorite."
"Which ones?" asked Astoria politely.
"Excuse me?" asked Pansy, clearly confused. Astoria saw Mrs. Malfoy smile slyly into her teacup.
"Which roses are your favorite. You have a beautiful bush of English roses near the entrance to the garden, but I do favor Gallica roses, and you have such a lovely bush near the morning room. Do you have more varieties here as well?"
Pansy muddled through her answer, and while she might have been a little too obvious in the glares she sent Astoria over the rest of the tea, Astoria never once lost her mask of pleasant indifference. As the tea progressed, her anxiety about her first event as a witch of the aristocracy melted away as she spoke genially with all the women at the table.
At the conclusion of the party, Mrs. Malfoy descended on Astoria and her mother while Pansy stole Daphne to pout.
"Well done, Miss Greengrass," said Mrs. Malfoy, smiling at her. "You'll make a lovely addition to our teas." She looked up at Astoria's mother. "She really is quite something, isn't she?"
Mrs. Greengrass smiled. "Astoria has always been special. We're looking forward to seeing her excel at Hogwarts."
"I'm sure she'll have the boys of Slytherin eating out of her palm by Yule." Astoria watched blond woman's eyes take stock of their surroundings while still being utterly focused on her mother. "You must come by the Manor sometime soon and bring Astoria with you. We had a lovely conversation about gardening, and I would very much like to show her my tea roses."
From the corner of her eye, Astoria watched Daphne and Pansy nearing them. She also knew Mrs. Malfoy was aware of the approaching girls, well within hearing distance.
"It would be a perfect opportunity to introduce her to Draco. I'm sure Daphne will acclimate her admirably, but it never hurts to have an extra champion in her corner."
Astoria noted that as much as she had learned from her mother, it was clear that Mrs. Malfoy was the queen of the pure-blood witches, and she played the game flawlessly. It was a perfectly appropriate thing to say, but at use of the word 'champion' Pansy's eyes went wide as saucers. She also noted, with not a little pride, that it was clear Narcissa Malfoy approved of her.
"That would be lovely," Mrs. Greengrass responded warmly. "Owl us a convenient time in the coming weeks. We'll be spending August in France. Gerard has business there, and we ladies have taken to having a holiday at the same time."
"How lovely. Do you speak the language, dear?" Mrs. Malfoy look at Astoria.
"Mais oui," she responded brightly. She then blushed. "I'm fluent, by I still have an accent."
"Have no fear, it will come. I dare say you won't give up until your accent is flawless." Mrs. Malfoy smiled at the young girl, then turned to her mother. "It was lovely to see you Camellia. I'll be in touch."
That evening, after dinner, Daphne came to Astoria's room. "What happened at tea? Pansy is furious with you. She said you intentionally made her look bad in front of Mrs. Malfoy."
Astoria hadn't done it intentionally, but she knew Pansy had looked foolish. She decided to play innocent, knowing that Pansy was a close friend of her sister's.
"She said she liked roses. I just asked which were her favorite. I thought she might show me the gardens afterward; you know how much I love flowers, Daph." She forced a frown. "I didn't mean to make her look bad, honestly. Do you think she hates me now?"
Her sister eyed her carefully. "Watch out for Pansy, Astoria. She's as vicious as a dragon when she wants to be, and since she's all but secured a match with Draco she doesn't have to play nicely, even around the boys at school."
XXXXX
Years later, when Astoria Malfoy would host summer teas of her own, she would take great joy in sitting Pansy Yaxley at a table with her mother-in-law, near Narcissa's prize tea roses. And every year, Narcissa, recognizing the mastery of her daughter-in-law's social move, would draw her table's attention to those roses and comment about how Draco and Astoria's love had bloomed in that very garden.