Word count: 1831
Walking on Both Sides
Astoria walks through the castle and all she feels is gloom. It's a starling contrast to the happiness she's used to feel seeping from the walls at that time of the year. Even last year, when everyone knew the Dark Lord was really back and that there was a war brewing out there, everyone had believed themselves safe and Christmas had been happy.
Now though, there are no laughs in the corridors, no couples kissing themselves more or less discreetly under hastily conjured mistletoe. Groups of students walk through half-lit corridors – the lights have been dimmed long ago, the Carrows thinking that too much light lifted their spirits a bit too much. Of course that wasn't the excuse they had used – Astoria was a Slytherin, and Slytherin were favored these days.
From pariahs they had become princes and princesses – with the Carrows as king and queen. Except that their crowns were only paper crowns, fragile and granted by a higher power almost no one respected here.
She's lucky, she thinks, because no matter who wins she wins too. She's a Slytherin after all – one of the true ones. She's not one of those stupid Pureblood who end up in Slytherin just because there is no other House for them – Salazar decided to accept all Purebloods after all. No, Astoria is a real one, she's in there because she deserves it, because she's sneaky and knows how to make the most of every situations.
It's why she's walking, alone, in the corridors of Hogwarts on Christmas' day when she could be safe in her Common Room with her Housemates. Being a Slytherin grants some privileges, wandering outside instead of obeying and staying inside wasn't one of them.
There aren't a lot of things she can do to help the members of the resistance so that if they win she'll be remembered and that at the same time won't earn her a painful death should it become known, but she does all she can.
Mostly, she helps the younger students, the first years who don't understand why answering a question wrong earns them a session of torture and the second years who remember that it was happier before and still have the heart to claim that those treatments are unfair – they haven't learned any better yet.
It's oddly reminiscent of the way she used to take care of the new Slytherins for the first few weeks – some of them were homesick, but most just couldn't comprehend why the whole school seemed to hate them.
Now those young Slytherins strut through the castle and her heart tighten just a little at seeing those who once were innocent (just like everyone else once was) blacken because of petty revenges.
Her steps guide her easily toward the seventh floor and she pass three times in front of the horrid portrait she remembers she used to mock thinking of the message she was given: 'I want a safe haven to escape the war'. A door appears, and though it isn't the first time she sees it, the amount and the kind of magic it implies were used still steals her breath away.
It has taken a long time to earn the privilege to know of this place, or more exactly of the right password to access it. Thankfully, she had known Ginny Weasley before – they had been paired a few times in classes, and she had always made a point to show that she wasn't supporting her Housemates – and her actions since the beginning of the year worked for her.
"No one followed you?" Those are the only words of greeting she gets when she opens the door and is dragged inside.
"Of course not," she answers as she shrugs off the hand gripping her arm. "I'm good at avoiding attention Longbottom, I thought you knew that."
He smiles and it brings back some of the old Christmas spirit. Two months ago he wouldn't have spotted the sarcasm and thought she was insulting him, now the Gryffindor just shadows her as she makes her way to the back of the room no longer suspicious but not quite trusting yet.
The back of the room is where they stock the food. House-Elves know where the room is, but when the pop in with food it's considered as conjured food – and for some reason conjured food disappear in the Room of Requirement. The only way for those hiding in there to get food is if other people bring food when walking through the door.
It is one of the things Astoria has chosen to do. The kitchens aren't very far from her Common Room and she has more liberty to move in the school than others. Where Gryffindor's bags are searched randomly every day, hers is a safe place. She's perfect to pass small messages – only the most urgent though because she can't risk getting caught – as well as bring the much needed food.
She put an extension and a weightless spell on her bag a long time ago, so that it could hold all her books without hurting her back – but today she used it to take enough food to hold a Christmas feast here for all her classmates who couldn't take the risk of leaving this room and yet couldn't leave the school either.
"You shouldn't have done that Astoria… There's no need to take this much, it could put you in danger," says Ginny when she sees all that the bag contains.
Astoria laughs for the first time in weeks and it feels really good. "For food? Please, like I'd get caught for something so simple!"
With a thought, a clock appears on the wall and she frowns as she sees the hour. "I should go, before someone notices my absence."
Ginny looks concerned for a moment, and it warms Astoria's heart to know that the Carrows haven't destroyed all good in the school. She may be ensuring she'll stay alive and in a comfortable position no matter who wins this war, but it doesn't mean she can't have her preferences.
She exits the room less than half an hour after she entered it and slowly makes her way back to the dungeons. No matter what she said, she isn't really in any hurry. As she told Neville before, she knows how to make herself discreet, and as long as she doesn't make too much noise when entering her dorms, she'll get in her dorms the same way she left them.
Getting in is, as she planned it, no problem at all. Slytherin are allowed to party – more than half the students in her House are Death Eaters sons and daughters and even though they want to rule Hogwarts firmly, the Carrows and the Headmaster know better than to deprive them of a feast – and what little sound she makes is drowned by the one they do.
However, her entrance doesn't go as unnoticed as she had hoped it would. And of course, it is noticed by the last person she wanted it to be.
"Astoria, how charming of you to finally grant us the joy of your presence," Draco drawls, suddenly appearing by her side.
"Draco, what a surprise to see you here! I heard you wouldn't come back to Hogwarts!" She exclaims while dragging them toward a calmer corner of the room, sensing a bit of privacy will be needed by the end of this conversation.
"Really? And whoever told you that?"
"I can't remember. Sad, I know." She jokes, but to tell the truth, each time he leaves the school she wonders if he will come back. She knows that one day he wouldn't and she'll be left wondering what happened to him, and she dreads for the day it would come.
"Astoria, I'm serious here. I know what you've been doing, and you have to stop it. If the Dark Lord learns of this…"
"He won't," she cuts him confidently.
"But what if he does. Astoria, he already holds my mother's life over me. I can't lose you too."
It's the closest thing to a love's confession she heard him say and her heart goes out to him.
"He won't," she repeats. "And you won't lose me, I swear."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"I'm not. If he ever get wind of what I'm doing, which by the way is impossible then what tells you he would care? Surely he has better things to do that worry about what I might have done here."
"He'd care because he 'cares' about my family. We Malfoy have sworn to help him, and you-"
Astoria perks up. "Draco Malfoy, is that your way of asking me to marry you?"
"No," he splutters. "I mean, yes I will but I didn't want to say that. You aren't supposed to know yet. I don't even have a ring…" It's the first time she sees him lose his composure so, but she can't help but think it looks good on him.
"I'll wait then, don't worry."
"Thanks," he says, relieved.
"Don't mention it. And Draco, I mean it. You won't be rid of me that easily. If it comes to it and the Dark Lord learns of what I've done, I'll tell him I've been doing it to earn their trust and gain information on their activities."
"He'd know you lie."
"But that the best thing," she says as she wraps her arms around him, and from the tip of her toes, she whispers in his ear. "Who says I'd be lying."
"Are you telling me you're spying on Potter's little friends?"
"I call it gathering information and ensuring I survive this war safely."
"That's a clever way to put it. And they don't suspect anything?"
"Not a single one. They're a trusting bunch by nature, as you well know."
"They never trusted me," Draco half pouts, half stats.
"That's because you never gave them reason to."
"So, what kind of information do you have?" He asks, knowing better than to argue with her.
"Hn hn, it's a secret. I'm not telling. Get your own information if you want it."
"But I thought you were spying on them for…"
"Just because I am doesn't mean I have to volunteer those informations. As I said, they're secrets."
"I could make you tell me…"
She arches an eyebrow, showing him that his threats aren't really impressive.
"You could, but I think we both have better things to do by a Christmas' night…"
"Like what?"
"Well," she says as she gets a bag of small and colorfully wrapped candies out of her bag. "I have butterscotch and I know you have Firewhiskey stashed somewhere. Wjat do you say we have our own celebration?"
"I think I like that idea very much."
"Then why are you still here? Go find the alcohol," she orders with a smile.
"As the lady wish." Yes, he definitely liked that idea.
AN/ So this was my first attempt at Draco/Astoria… I think I liked it, though it did totally get away from me. Originally, I only had the scene at the end in mind :p
This was written for:
-the 400 Fragrants Prompts Challenge, butterscotch (paper crown, dimmed light, castle and Draco/Astoria)
- The Girl Scout Cookie Competition, Thanks-A-Lot
-the HP Potions Competition, Invisibility Potion
-the Gemstone Competition, Sodalite
-the Color Competition, Silver (negative)
-the Dark Side Competition, Salazar Slytherin's Locket
-the Months of The Year Challenge, March
-the Ultimate Doctor Who Competition, the Beast Below
-the 6 Senses Competition, Emotion: Confidence
-the As Strong As We Are United Competition.
Please review :)