Hello, sorry about never updating this. These past few months have been quite hectic; I moved out without a computer (therefore no internet), moved back in gaining my computer back but now computer is unhooked in my bedroom, were surprise, I can't get internet… Anyways I've been so incredibly busy like you wouldn't believe and I reread this chapter and I realized that there were things I liked but also a lot of things I didn't, soooo, I rewrote some of it, most of it being Draco's character, he seemed way to nice to Astoria at first (unrealistic!) Okaay, I hope there are still people that will read this because I worked hard on it!

Oooh, and I don't own this! JK Rowling does.


I hate my life.

I was at a Christmas party I was forced to go to by my parents. It's not like they'd understand anyways. They don't know what it's like being a teenager these days.

So here I was, where my story begins. It was pretty pathetic, at a party were 90 percent of the people were wasted, nine percent were acting like they were drunk and either shagging or about to shag and then there was me, the one percent. Well actually the one percent consisted of me and one other person; they sat in the corner and read a novel. I would go up to them and be friendly, if they didn't reject my first attempt. How was I supposed to know that in fact they did like being the weird kid in the corner? I sighed disgusted, why did me parents do this to me?

I knew why though, they wanted me to make more pure-blood friends, they wanted me to fit in, they wanted, they wanted, they wanted a lot of stuff… I just have to stick it out a little longer, I kept telling myself. It can't get any worse. But I sighed because I knew that was a lie and the worst probably has yet to come.

I turn my head several direction, looking around to find anyone familiar. My best friend Gracie was probably dancing -or not dancing- with her boyfriend Cameron right now. I wasn't mad at her for leaving me to fend for myself while she was with him. Okay, I wasn't that mad. After all they don't see much of the other during the Christmas holidays. Cam's always gone visiting relatives in other countries and he just came home with a few days to spare before Christmas holidays ended and he wanted to spend it with Gracie. It was the oddest yet most perfect couple ever. A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw. And what made it weirder yet was, he was the Ravenclaw.

It boggled my mine that he was actually allowed to go to this Christmas party. But I guess since Gracie's family is the richest pureblood family other then the Malfoy's and the Parkinson's and the Zabini's, it helped with the situation a little. The thing was though that I didn't except Gracie's parents would care that he wouldn't be able to come. But what makes their daughter happy makes them happy. Sure Gracie may be spoiled but she didn't act like it. And her parent's weren't pushovers like people might think they are.

I guess they just don't really care about the house sorting as much as everyone else does. Gracie's parents were as surprised as the next person when they heard their only daughter was put into Slytherin, when their son was put into Gryffindor. They were pureblood, but apparently their children where very dissimilar. But it's not like people can really have a shit about it that much. Even though he's a Ravenclaw he was a pureblood as well. So anyway Gracie's parents -who are like my second parents- can be very persuasive when needed to be. They helped her make it so that Cam would come to the party as her guest. Like I said, being rich has its quirks.

I felt the couch skin slightly down to the right of me and an arm brush against mine, confusion jolted me out of my daydream but I didn't bother to look over to see who my visitor was. Maybe it was just a drunken person, needing somewhere to sit, or maybe it wasn't a drunken person. Maybe it was just a friendly person looking for a friendly conversation… or maybe it was an unfriendly person sitting in the only place available… Either way, I sort of wished it was a drunken person, it would be better than the alternative and having to actually make conversation with the person.

But no. Because apparently I was a very, very bad person in my after life, who killed pets for fun and watched children drown. God hates me now and never lets things go my way.

"Hey," a voice said.

I didn't exactly look up to the voice, but I did acknowledge it. That should count for something, but of course it didn't… because I killed bunnies and puppies a few decades ago.

"Hello," I said back politely, my face still in my book.

"You're a Greengrass, right? Daphne's little sister?"

"Yeah."

"What's your name again? I can't recall it…"

Probably, I sighed, because I never told you it. But he was trying to be nice, so what I said out loud was, "Astoria," finally looking up. I almost gasped, which was much too dramatic for me, but I was pretty sure my jaw did drop.

Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was trying to make small talk with me! I decided very quickly that it would be best to play with him.

"And… you are?" I asked curiously, raising one eyebrow all the while wishing to Merlin that he didn't see my small lapse before.

Now it was his turn to look shocked. "I'm Draco…" I raised my other eyebrow. "Draco Malfoy…?"

"Ooh, sounds familiar… You're in Daphne's year?"

"Yes…"

"Hmmm…" I murmured and went back to my book I had opened in my lap though I haven't read a page of it yet. It was mostly just a precaution for small emergencies like this.

He pressed on the subject. "Had Daphne ever talked about me before? Is that how you recognized me?"

I scowled good to know I didn't hurt his ego. I looked at him blankly, blinked a few times before I said deadpanned, "I didn't recognize you."

The small smirk he wore turned into a frown and he changed the subject quite quickly. "What are you, in third year now?" He almost sneered.

"Fourth, actually."

"Why are you so small? And what are you doing at a party like this? Do your parents know you're here? Don't you have friends?" He laughed.

"Yes, I do actually. They're just not here. You see, I don't usually associate myself with snobby, self-centered purebloods like yourself."

He didn't look the least bit offended, but of course he didn't, nobody offends Draco Malfoy. "Well, well, well… look at little Greengrass, all grown up. You're not at all like I remember you…"

I winced, "Well Draco, we all need to grow up sometime. Don't worry, you'll get there, boys seem to mature slower than girls do usually, it's normal."

The amusement in his eyes didn't burn out, causing him to look a lot younger than he was. I noticed him around school quite a bit, he had grown an awful bit since fifth year. Though along with that time passing also made him look almost sickly; too skinny for his height, hollow cheeks and dark circles under each eye.

When I was in second year and Draco and Daphne were both in fourth year, our parents used to get together a lot and that was when Daphne and Draco first became friends. I was always kind of lonely to be honest, and Draco scared me a bit so I never wanted to hang out with them, not that they'd let me. Sometimes it wasn't only the Malfoy's who'd come over to, but they occasionally brought the Parkinson's and the Zabini's and the Davis' and other pureblood families with them as well. The lot of them always hung out and I was just Daphne's weird younger sister that read books and nobody really wanted to get to know.

The Malfoy's and the others would usually come over around twice a month for about a year and then suddenly stopped at the end of the school year. I knew why all parents got together, everyone did. It wasn't much of a secret, our parents expected us to know and expected us to feel the same way and follow in their footsteps. When Voldemort came back at the end of my second year, all of our parents made sure to become Death Eaters in which they were fully supported, afraid of what would happen if they didn't.

My parents were full supporters, even though my mother at times had her doubts. My father, "kept her in line" though. His words, not mine. I always thought it was horrible, what my family was supporting. I had doubts also and a nagging feel that wouldn't go away, but I just tried my best to ignore it. When I young I use to wonder if everyone had that feeling, the one that continuously asked if this is what you really wanted to be a part of. For a while I thought that they did and they were just much better at ignoring it.

But meeting other families like the Malfoy's, and people like Lucius Malfoy, I knew for the first time that there were people in the pureblood, death eater society who had no nagging feeling or doubts at all, never regretted anything that lead them up to this. I thought it as having no conscious, not concerned at all what Voldemort has done, is doing and is going to do. They appeared to not mind in any way about the lives that have been taken and destroyed, they didn't seem to be bothered that they supported that.

After that moment of insight I observed Draco Malfoy and all of his horrible friends in a different way. Draco was the leader in all sorts and he was the one who started all of the terrible things, sure his friends helped but he was the one who added the fuel to the fire. I never saw him again as the intimating yet cool and attractive guy that everyone wished they could have. I saw him as a cowardly little boy who made fun of people who he was jealous of or felt threaten from. I saw him as a bully and a horrible excuse for a person, and from then on, I promised myself that I would never voluntarily talk to him or have any kind of feeling towards him other then despise.

And there I sat with him beside me, trying to achieve the impossible.


So you may have noticed that I cut this chapter in half because I'm not quite sure how I'm going to write the next bit of it.

Please review if you like this because it didn't get much last time which may have explained the delay updates. :(