A/N: Hello, guys! After a long absence from my Drastoria, I returned and decided that I had to make a choice about Unexpected Consequences. My love for Drastoria never went away, and that story was my first-ever fanfiction. Despite that, rereading it and seeing my writing from two years ago was positively atrocious and I've decided to start all over by rewriting and revising off of it. Therefore, this story will be recognizable in certain parts, but completely changed at the same time. Keep in mind that this is all for me to relax my mind with and channel my imagination and need for writing, so it will be written as I go. However, I do hope you enjoy and review, and feel free to share any ideas with me. Anyway, time for the authoress to stop talking and let you go on reading her muck!
Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize. Please don't sue me.
Astoria had always been the singularly forgotten one in her family, that daugher that was overlooked like a needle in a haystack. No, she could never compare to the jewel of the Greengrass family, Daphne, with her flirtatious blue eyes and vivacious demeanor. Astoria was accustomed to being in her older sister's shadow. She was the opposite of Daphne, and preferred to spending her time with books in the vast library. She was content being on her own, and avoided socializing as much as she could.
Callidora and William Greengrass prided themselves on having a perfect daughter, and were more quiet about the untraditional, bookish Astoria. Their standards for their daughters were that they had to be marriageable, clever, and witty. Their younger child was clearly the exception.
Mrs. Greengrass had been friends with Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy since their Hogwarts days, and she was set on marrying one of her girls to the Malfoy scion, Draco. Callidora was painfully proper and ambitious; it was difficult to take her focus away and she ruled her household with an iron fist. All that her husband really wanted was political ties to other great Pureblood families and to promote the family reputation.
The two sisters were pawns in the great chessboard of Pureblood society. The only rule was that if they get knocked off the squares that they were so securely set on, they'll be left behind.
On a particularly special morning, Astoria sat up in her plush bed, extremely ecstatic and glad to see the seemingly never-ending night light up with the sun. Pushing back the satin sheets, she swung her feet to meet the dark polished wood floors and glanced at her calendar. "September the 1st," she whispered excitedly. After brushing her dark, riotous curls and pulling on a simple dress, the young girl slipped down the extravagant staircase and into the breakfast room. Her father sat at the head of the table with the Daily Prophet perched between a basket of bread and a pitcher of pumpkin juice, and the pretty brown-haired Daphne was further down with a cup of chocolate.
"You're finally up, Tori," Daphne remarked, glancing up at her younger sister with a pair of matching blue eyes. Astoria slipped into the seat beside her sister after kissing her father's cheek and helped herself to some treacle tart with a shrug and a small smile.
"Yes, indeed. Where's Mother?" Astoria yawned, chewing on her food lazily. She never looked forward to seeing her mother in the morning, a proper and straitlaced Pureblood socialite who always had a new piece of criticism to rain down on her daughters. All she ever did was criticize Astoria and praise Daphne to the stars. With a sigh, she looked over to her handsome, portly father. Astoria had inherited her father's studious qualities and sleek dark hair that so characterized the Greengrass. Her keen blue eyes, however were carbon copies of her mother's. William read his paper avidly, brow creasing here and there and occasionally spooning some oatmeal into his mouth. As he got up to head for the sideboard that was brimming with foods, he dropped a kiss onto his younger daughter's head.
The doors to the breakfast room suddenly cracked open, and a beautiful, older woman glided in haughtily. Her smooth dark-blonde hair was worked into a chic chignon and she wore emerald robes over her black silk wrap dress. She was known as Callidora Greengrass, the matriarch of the Greengrass clan and high-bred aristocra. Born into the Selwyn family, Callidora held the typical Pureblood ideals and was powerful in her own right, making sure to enforce the ideas into her daughters and she was easily dissatisfied.
"Good morning, Mother." Daphne chirped, walking over to hug her mother. Mrs. Greengrass hugged her favorite child and kissed her cheek.
"Hello, my darling. Astoria, have you finished packing your things? We leave within the hour and I do not want you running about looking for things at a time like this," Mrs. Greengrass stated firmly in her silky voice. Her cold blue eyes bore into her younger daughter's identical pair.
Astoria nodded, sipping some pumpkin juice and demurely glancing up. "Yes, I finished last night, Mother."
Nodding in approval, Mrs. Greengrass left the room as abruptly as she came in. A house-elf, Nira, followed her closely, ready to obey her Mistress' wish. Soon after, the rest of the family finished eating and they were all corralled into the foyer. Astoria bounced with excitement at the prospect of her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and played with her rosewood and unicorn hair wand as her mother oversaw the moving of the trunks from the bedrooms to the foyer with a critical eye. Daphne stood dutifully beside her mother and fidgeted in boredom, twirling her lustrous locks between her fingers.
"You must be very excited," Mr. Greengrass chuckled fondly, passing his daughter with a trunk levitating in front of him. His green eyes crinkled as he smiled at his youngest. Astoria nodded happily hugged her father, who she knew truly loved her, unlike her indifferent mother. Mr. Greengrass had always spoiled Astoria with books and outings out of the estate that she was normally trapped in, as her mother disapproved of a Pureblood girl prancing about. Mrs. Greengrass believed that Astoria would pick up corrupted thoughts and habits, and was often chagrined at her husband.
An hour later, the family stepped on Platform 9 and ¾ amidst the steam coming from the train. Taking in a deep breath, Astoria caught an eyeful of the scarlet steam engine, whispering," The Hogwarts Express!"
She was bubbling over with both anticipation and excitement, taking in all the students and listening to the noise and ruckus of the owls trapped in their cages. It was hardly believable for the young girl, who had dreamed for so long of finally embarking on the most important adventure of her childhood.
As the family stepped onto the crowded platform, Daphne broke away and headed towards her friends. She waved to a pug-faced brunette girl clinging to Draco Malfoy's arm, and beside the pair stood a scowling dark-haired girl and a handsome black-haired boy.
Astoria took in the sight of the various families saying their goodbyes and listened to the owls screeching in their cages as her mother called Daphne back over and chided her on her flighty behavior. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Harry Potter and two other people, a tall, lanky red-headed boy, and a bushy-haired girl with an armful of books.
"Daddy, look! It's Harry Potter!" she said excitedly, having never set eyes on The Boy Who Lived until then. Her mother immediately slapped her arm and Astoria cowered against her father. Mrs. Greengrass was a prejudiced woman and found it distasteful for her daughter to be intrigued with the likes of Harry Potter.
"Come now, Calli. It's Harry Potter, there isn't a child in our world that doesn't know the boy." Mr. Greengrass said, his forehead creasing into a frown. Mrs. Greengrass ignored her husband and turned onto Astoria.
"Do well and stay out of trouble. Go to your sister if you need anything and please, do not consort with riff-raff like Harry Potter. Remember who you are," she instructedly disdainfully, smoothing down Astoria's dress and tucking her hair behind her ears. Astoria nodded obediently as her father kissed her forehead.
"Go on, then. Write to us and have a good term Tori," Mr. Greengrass smiled, putting an arm around his wife with a misty look in his eyes. Astoria bounded onto the train with a final wave, an excited euphoria seeping into her. She jolted past various students and shyly kept her eyes down as she proceeded down the carriage, hugging her owl cage like a security blanket. Thoughts flew to her mind, of both small and distressing matters, hoping with all her heart that she would be sorted into Slytherin. Her life would be a living hell If her mother was not satisfied.
"Tori!" a high voice called. Astoria whipped around to see her sister and a group of older Slytherins sitting in a compartment. Daphne motioned to the only open seat across from her, which was next to….
Rolling her eyes, the younger sister inwardly groaned," Out of all the people on this damned train, Merlin put me beside that arrogant prat!"
Smug and handsome, Draco Malfoy sat lazily on the light blue seat, twiddling his wand with considerable boredom. Astoria and Draco had played together a handful of times as young children, and clashed many times in a contest of wills. The petite Pansy Parkinson sat on one side of him, pointlessly blabbing on about the most nonsensical things that her 'boyfriend' obviously didn't hear.
"Well, what are you waiting for? You're not going to stand out there staring in here for the whole journey are you?" laughed a girl with dark-brown curls that fell to the middle of her back. Her honey-brown eyes surveyed Astoria with polite interest as the handsome boy beside her seemed to almost calculatingly observe her. It was the pair beside Draco and the insufferable Pansy out on the platform earlier, and two of the regulars that Astoria remembered as Daphne's closest friends along with Malfoy and Parkinson.
"You should sit down." Draco suggested, or rather demanded, as he ran a hand through his pale dark hair. Astoria had to admit he was quite good-looking, and inwardly smacked herself for even contemplating that.
The dark-haired boy next to the girl who spoke earlier winked at Astoria and waggled his brows at Draco, chuckling. Astoria flushed pink and stepped into the compartment, taking the plush seat beside Draco. He winked at her arrogantly and pulled a Snitch out of his pocket. The feathery wings fluttered open, and it flitted around squeaking.
"Tori, I should introduce everyone so you don't feel awkward." Daphne giggled. The girl who told her to sit was Tracey Davis, the only half-blood in Slytherin but with enough bite to overshadow her blood purity. She was witty and clever, clearly someone you would not want to get on the wrong side of. Apparently, Tracey was involved with the boy beside her, Theodore Nott. Astoria was familiar with Nott, who was nice enough and as handsome as they came. A pretty strawberry-blonde girl who sat by the window was Irina Carter, and the two burly boys by Draco were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. They looked more like hulking monkeys than boys, in her opinion. There was also, of course, the insufferable Pansy Parkinson, who Astoria strongly disliked.
"Hello." Astoria greeted succinctly, before pulling out a novel and cracking it open, earning her a few strange looks from her neighbors..
As the sky outside the double-paned windows grew darker, the occupants of the compartment grew either quieter or rowdier. Malfoy, Nott, Parkinson, and Daphne played a loud game of Exploding Snap as Davis slept through it all, a mask concealing her eyes. Astoria had changed into her robes and fed her owl, Athena, as she watched the passing scenery until the train slowed and eventually came to a screeching halt.
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" boomed a deep voice from outside the train.
"Stupid, overgrown filth," Draco smirked, as he pulled open the door and pushed his way out with Pansy following him closely. Irina chuckled at Draco's cruel remark and strutted out with a cold smile at Astoria. Daphne held out her hand to her little sister, and Astoria took it. They stepped off the train together, thrown off by a gale of wind that shook the trees.
"That's Hagrid, the groundskeeper. He takes the first-years to the castle by boat and will make sure you stay out of trouble. Go on." Daphne nudged her sister towards the group congregating around a very large, hairy man, and skipped off toward the carriages with a wave. Astoria joined the group of new students, shivering against the cold weather.
She casted her eyes toward the lake excitedly, and could distinctly make out the outline of the castle, magnificently luminous and imposing. With a shiver, she turned toward Mr. Hagrid, who was waiting for the rest of the first-years to join the group with patience. A girl handed her a scarf, tapping her arm with a warm smile. Surprised, Astoria took the warm garment. "Oh… thank you, but it's rather cold. Wouldn't you rather use it?"
The raven-haired girl smiled and shook her head with a giggle," I have two. Use it, it is really cold out here." Her navy-blue eyes showed warmth and kindness and she grinned broadly, displaying perfectly even teeth.
"I'm Lauren. Lauren Caraway." she greeted, offering a hand. Astoria took her hand and shook it firmly, timid and caught off guard. She recognized the name, as the Caraways' were contemporaries of her being so, it surprised her that Lauren was so friendly.
"I'm Astoria Greengrass."
"I know. My sisters Caroline and Emma are in the same year as Daphne. She came over in the summer," Lauren grinned. Astoria smiled at Lauren, who was seemingly one of her first friends and she was grateful for the other girl's bright personality as it made her own awkwardness much more bearable. As they boarded the little boat, Lauren turned to Astoria with a friendly smile.
"You're very nice for a Pureblood girl. I think we'll make very good friends, Astoria."