Letter from Home

Astoria took a deep breath in an attempt to relieve herself of all the stress and tension she had been experiencing since the past few days. But she couldn't stop feeling nervous and worried. There was hardly a week left before her final year at Hogwarts ended and her emotions were all over the place – it had nothing to do with her exams which had taken place the previous week; she had done them quite well in them, in fact.

The reason for Astoria's nerves was entirely different. On the last day of her exams, she had received a shocking letter from home which had changed Astoria's mindset completely.

Dearest Astoria,

We are so glad that you will be home soon. We have some great news and are ecstatic for your future. I had hoped to tell this to you in person, darling, but Daphne suggested that informing you through a letter to spare you of the shock would be a much better approach. Also, things are moving at a much faster pace than we had expected them to. I suppose it's only right to tell you now instead of overwhelming you when you're home and have lots to do.

A month or so ago, we received a proposal for you. Now that you have finished school, you father and I thought it would be best to encourage it and take things forward. Since we knew that you weren't seeing anyone (which isn't such a shame now) we went on ahead, darling. Narcissa Malfoy approached us to seek your hand in marriage for her son. I know! We were apprehensive and surprised as well, and weren't quite sure if it would be a good arrangement for our family. After checking everything, your father and I've concluded that it will be. We have had a chance to meet Draco a couple of times, and he's an absolute gentleman. Daphne of course knows him much better since they were in the same year back in school. She thinks he's perfect for you, too.

After you return home, we'll tell you more about it – I'm sure you will be very happy when you start to live your new life. We can't wait to get your engagement in motion, don't worry – Daphne and I have everything under control. You will have some busy days once you're back home, so do enjoy your free time in Hogwarts.

Love,

Mother

Unable to react and believing it to be some sort of a prank, Astoria had simply stared at the letter in shock when she had finished reading it. And then read it five more times thinking that she had imagined the contents. But nothing changed. As she had sat there, she didn't realize that she was in the same position for more than forty minutes. Her roommate, Maria, had to pull her out of her stupor.

"What's wrong?" Maria had asked, her eyes widened with worry. "Is everything alright at home?"

Astoria had stared her friend stupidly before answering very feeble 'yes.'

"Everything's fine," she had added, almost as an afterthought.

"Are you sure? You look very upset," Maria had continued.

"I – uh . . . I think I am betrothed," Astoria had replied. She could recall what she had felt very clearly. It had seemed as if she was underwater and everything around her was buzzed. Nothing had felt real. It still didn't feel real.

She sat on her bed, leaning against the bed frame, and looked around her dorm room. Nostalgia hit her hard. The green and silver colored furnished room had been her second home for a very long time, and now to say good bye and never return – it was going to be hard. Especially after knowing that she would not being staying for long even in her actual home. It made her feel like she was stuck in some sort of void.

"I'm going to miss this place," her other dorm mate, Janet, said, voicing her thoughts. Their dorm comprised Astoria, Janet, Beatrice and Maria.

"I don't want to go home," Astoria mumbled out loud, her heart beating faster than usual in fear over the anticipation of the future waiting for her. She had had days to think about her arranged marriage but she didn't feel that she was ready. In fact she was very, very scared and the thought of marrying someone, Draco Malfoy, filled her with dread. This was not what she had planned for herself!

"I don't know why you are so worried, Astoria! Draco Malfoy is one of the most eligible men around, you're lucky!" Beatrice spoke out. Astoria felt very uncomfortable about her tone. Out of all her friends, she liked Beatrice the least.

"Yeah, he is." Janet agreed. But the way she said it didn't fill Astoria with much hope. All of them knew what had happened to the Malfoys after the war. Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban, paying for his crimes; and Narcissa Malfoy had only just escaped it by Harry Potter's testimony. After the trial, and being hassled by reporters, Narcissa and Draco had retreated into a less social life than the one they had known before. Though they were still a part of few old circles, their appearances in them were very limited. But their wealth seemed to have survived, there was no way her father would have agreed unless the Malfoys' financial assets weren't safe!

"That's not the problem, I had different plans . . . and I'm not ready," as Astoria said the words, tears filled her eyes.

"Yeah, I can't believe they sprung it all on you," Maria said, sounding sad too. "But it's not all over now, is it? You can still convince your parents after you return home and you can talk to Malfoy as well."

"Do you really think that's going to work?" Janet said rolling her eyes. "They have pretty much planned everything."

"Well, she can try!" Maria exclaimed defensively.

Astoria didn't agree or disagree out loud. Deep down, she knew that her parents wouldn't be persuaded very easily. Especially since they seemed to have gone to great lengths of effort to secure this arrangement. She wondered what Narcissa had offered her parents in return. Astoria was sure that the Malfoys were looking to reinstate their status in the society. And choosing a family which had been neutral during the war was probably the best way to do it. This was how things progressed in their circles after all! She had attended quite many weddings during her holidays last year. Some of the marriages were simply arranged for a lasting alliance and change in social standing. This was the norm.

"Let's just enjoy our last few days here, we'll never be get to be students at Hogwarts again," Astoria stated, changing the topic of their conversation.

The rest of the girls agreed with her and there were wistful sighs all around the room, each lost in their own thoughts.

A/N: This story has been in works for a very long time – years, really – I wanted to wait until I had all the chapters written before posting but I realize that if that were to happen, it would have happened years ago. So, here you go! I'm hoping that weekly posts will help me write regularly. My inspiration for this plot was an Arranged Marriage Challenge on HPFC and the song Magic Works by The Weird Sisters.

Also, it's been quite a long time since I posted anything here. Please forgive my rusty writing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do share your thoughts!