(A/N) I own nothing. Of course. Except maybe Cadmus and Selene and a couple of other people you'll be meeting later on. But then again, I don't even really own them anyway.
"So you see, Malfoy, don't you?" said Cadmus Greengrass, leaning in to fix his gaze on the younger man. "She's just not mature enough. I need you to be at her side at all times, do you understand?"
Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You needn't tell me, Cadmus. Our families have been friends for generations. It would have been beneath me to leave her at the mercy of the Italians."
The oak-panelled study they were sitting in was majestic in both size and decor. With lush dark green carpeting and oak and mahogany furniture and a colossal desk in the pride of place, it made quite an impression on any visitors. This, coincidentally, happened to be the exact effect Hyllus Greengrass had planned on creating when building Green Court, the family home. Although fiercely proud of their lineage and their links to both Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses, the younger Greengrasses had tried to remain low during the war. Their father had been a follower of Voldemort from the start and had entered into battle. Hyperion, his eldest son, who had been fighting for the other side, had died trying to protect his father and had left behind a young widow and baby daughter.
"It's not so much about leaving her at the mercy of the Italian wizards." said Cadmus. "Mother has sheltered her too much. She does not understand that your family and ours have come under a lot of scrutiny in the past five years; that we face taunts and discrimination wherever we go.
"She needs to face reality, Malfoy, which is why I have agreed to let her go on this trip. But the fact remains that she is my little sister, and I would certainly not want her sitting in some foreign country on her own, being judged wherever she goes. You will be in enough danger as it is. I need to someone is there to take care of her."
Draco huffed. "Look here, Cadmus. I'm perfectly happy to help you out and make sure that she's alright, but she is twenty one years old. She's only just over a year younger than me. She's no child and I'm no nanny."
"I'm perfectly aware how old my sister is, thank you. As I am of what your occupations are. I just need your assurance that she will be safe from all manner of danger whilst you are away. I am the head of my family, Malfoy, since the Dark Lord took my father and brother with him," said Cadmus bitterly. "We may be in the twenty-first century, but as an unmarried woman her well-being is still my responsibility, and I treat it seriously."
"Of course," said Draco. "Of course, I understand."
"You will, then?"
"There was never really a doubt about it was there?" Draco smirked. "I'm honoured you asked me. I know how much you care for your sisters and their safety."
"You're one of the few men I would dream of asking," said Cadmus, rising from his seat and offering his hand to Draco to be shaken. "It is settled then. I appreciate it, Malfoy."
"It's Draco, Cadmus." said Draco, shaking his hand. "Nothing else has changed in the past five years, has it? We've still known each other since birth."
"That may be, Draco," Cadmus smiled gently. "But things have changed. I shouldn't ever have become the head of the family, that should have been Hyperion, and neither of us should have had to do it so young."
"The scars of war never really go away." Draco muttered. The two men slowly made their way towards the fireplace.
"That's true enough. Your cousin was killed, was she not? I believe she left behind a very young son, not much younger than Selene was when Hyperion died."
Draco nodded. "Teddy. The name leaves something to be desired, but he's single-handedly been pulling the family together. Mother fell in love with him on first sight and her relationship with her sister is almost back to normal."
"Children are wonderful that way," Cadmus agreed, indicating to a photograph of the Greengrass clan on the wall. At the front of the photograph a small girl sat on a elderly woman's lap, grinning widely at the camera. "If it weren't for Selene, I don't know whether Thea or Mother would have ever fully recovered from Hyperion's death."
As they approached the fireplace, Cadmus turned to his old friend again and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I can't thank you enough, Draco. You know how headstrong and naive Astoria is; she insisted on going on this conference and I wasn't about stop her like Father would have. She needs to have a life outside our walls, but that doesn't stop me worrying. I need to make sure she's alright, I don't think this family could handle more loss."
Draco nodded. "Of course, Cadmus. I understand. I know you would do the same for me, if I had a sister."
Cadmus picked up a small gilt jar from the mantle-piece and offered the Floo power in it to Draco. "Oh, and Draco?" he added, smiling as the latter stepped into the fireplace. "If you could keep her from any Casanovas prowling around, that would be much appreciated."
Draco laughed. "I will try, but I somehow doubt she's going to appreciate it." He tucked his robes around his ankles and raised his arm. "Malfoy Manor!"
Cadmus watched as the inferno of green flames leapt up. With a satisfied smile on his face, he turned around. That had gone quite satisfactorily. Now comes the bigger problem, he thought.
"Gerty?" he called. There was a sharp crack and small house-elf swaddled in a dish cloth appeared before him.
"Yes, Master Cadmus?" said Gerty.
"I want you to fetch my sister, please Gerty."
"Miss Daphne or Miss Astoria, sir?" she squeaked.
"Astoria. Be sure to tell her it's a matter of great urgency, won't you?"
Gerty disappeared with a crack.
He settled back into his chair at his table and went to the perusing through the Daily Prophet, as he had been doing before Malfoy had turned up.
"Master Cadmus?" He looked up. Gerty was back, looking decidedly nervous. "Master Cadmus, Miss Astoria says to tell you that if this is in regard to another marriage proposal, she is not interested. If Master Cadmus, er, pesters Miss Astoria again this month, sir," Gerty wrung her hands. "Miss Astoria says she'll turn to having girlfriends instead!" At this the house-elf clamped her hands over her large ears and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I is sorry, sir! Gerty was only telling Master Cadmus what Miss Astoria said!"
"Don't worry yourself, Gerty," Cadmus sighed. He rested his elbows on his table and dragged his palms over his face. "She doesn't mean it. She's been trying to stir up trouble since she could walk. Where is she?"
She was in the Garden, he was told, playing with her niece. The gardens of Green Court were a source of pride to that family that owned it and jealousy to those that did not. Comprising of a large maze, a rose garden, a glass house and a huge water structure as its main features, it was the focal point of the house and was the venue for most of the parties hosted by the family. At the centre was the Garden, a vast expanse of lawn where a girl was running around, trying to hit an enchanted softball with a Beater's bat. A young woman was laughing and running after her with an identical bat. As she saw her brother approaching, she stopped and waved him over.
"Cad," she called. "Join us!"
He rolled his eyes in response, but couldn't help smiling at the spectacle they were creating. At least there was no one here to witness this, he though wryly. Astoria Greengrass, despite being only two years younger than her sister Daphne, was nothing like her in personality or appearance. With dark brown locks that fell to just below her shoulders and eyes that were more black than brown, she was certainly more striking looking, if not considered a beauty in the traditional sense.
As the head of his family, having an unmarried sister of marriageable age was proving to be an unprecedented headache for Cadmus.
"Astoria, really," he sighed as he came closer. "Is this wise? Must I remind you of the example you set to Selene?"
At the sound of her name, Selene threw herself at him and raised her arms. "Uncle!" she grinned.
Cadmus smiled and hoisted her into the air. "Selene, you're getting bigger every time I see you."
"I drink my pumpkin juice every day," she replied, nodding.
"I can tell!" he said, placing her back on her feet. "Now, would you mind if I borrowed your aunt from you for a few moments?"
Selene shook her head. "I can play by myself, but you'll come back soon, won't you Auntie Tori?" Astoria nodded and that being confirmation enough, Selene took off down the garden with her bat.
"Auntie Tori?" said Cadmus, cocking an eyebrow. "This is new."
"She's five and I'm only twenty one Aunt Astoria makes me sound so old, and besides, what's wrong with Tori?" Astoria linked an arm through her brother's as they made their way towards the rose garden. "It's a perfectly good name."
"As is Astoria, but I'll not enter into that discussion with you."
"Why not?" she asked, eyes twinkling.
"I have more pressing things to discuss with you."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Cadmus, really. I've told you and I've told Mother. If I get married, it will be on my own terms and to whom I please. I refuse to marry an ape like Terence; Merlin only knows what was going through Daphne's mind." She shuddered.
"Astoria, you will not talk about our brother-in-law in that manner." said Cadmus firmly, although the corner if his lip twitched slightly. "He is a good man, and they are good match."
"But seriously," she cried now, stopping. "This isn't the eighteen century. I'm not saying that I'll never get married, that will just give Mother a hernia, but I can't, Cad, not yet."
"Truth be told," said her brother, starting to walk again. "This isn't what I came to talk to you about. That trial you wanted to go to?"
"The Ernetti murder trial? What about it?"
"I really do think that you should go." he said. "I know that I was against it at first, but I really had no right to stop you and-" he was cut off here by his sister throwing her arms around him.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she mumbled, squeezing him.
"Astoria," he laughed uncomfortably. "I had no right to stop you in the first place. Malfoy's right, you're a grown woman-"
"Malfoy?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "What did he want?"
"He was here."
"Why?" her eyes narrowed further.
"I asked him to come."
"Well, he wouldn't turn up uninvited, Cadmus, even he's not that obnoxious." she huffed. "Stop evading the question."
"He's coming with you." said Cadmus, bracing himself.
"Well, yes, I knew that," she replied brusquely.
"No, I mean," he hesitated slightly. "Look, Astoria. I know you're not going to take to this too kindly, but I implore you, try to see this from my point of view."
"Take to what too kindly, Cadmus?" she asked.
"I have asked him to accompany you."
"But he was coming anyway; he is in the same department as me after all. We were all invited to attend the trial in Venice."
Cadmus winced slightly. She still hadn't understood. "No, you misunderstand. I've asked him to accompany you."
She froze. "You've asked him to be my bodyguard, is that it?" she growled. "Little naïve Astoria needs protection because she doesn't know what's out there in the big bad world? Never mind that she works in Magical Law Enforcement and comes into contact with criminals every day, the poor child still can't handle herself?"
"No, it's not like that." Cadmus could feel the mother of all arguments brewing.
"Then what is it like, Cadmus?" she snapped. "Please, enlighten me."
"I don't want anything to happen to you." he muttered weakly.
"And what do you suppose can happen to me in a week in Venice? I'm not going to fall into a canal, Cad."
"I know that," he sighed. "Please, believe me. It's not that I don't think you can look after yourself. I know you can. Don't look at me like that; I have full faith in you. I just want to make sure that if anything does go wrong, you are safe."
"Fine." she snapped after a minute of silence.
"What?"
"Fine. I'll cooperate, on one condition. You and mother will back off when it comes to marriage. Deal?" she stuck out her hand. She wasn't amused. How dare he make decisions for her and send annoying, immature young men to act as her chaperone?
"Come now, Astoria-"
"Deal?" she repeated, more firmly this time.
He sighed loudly, before grasping her hand in his. "Yes. Fine. Deal."
"Good," said Astoria. "I'll be off then. I made a promise to my niece." She gave him a pointed look and a curt nod before removing her hand and going back the way they had come.
Cadmus groaned. Something told him that this wouldn't be the end to the problems his youngest sister would cause him. And it wouldn't. By a long chalk.
Thoughts, please?