My entire life I had told Daphne I would be the perfect wife. I expected to be the one married right out of school to a marvelous wizard with dreamy eyes, wonderful hair and romanticism that would make me melt into his arms. He would have a good job but still make time for our family, a boy and a girl, and always talk to me with respect. There would be not fights, unless they were playful jibs, and I would never be expected to work besides raising our children and keeping our home. My life would be lovely. Daphne had agreed with me, being the older sister, and decided she would be the working woman. That was her, competitive and hard working to please our parents; but it worked out to our advantage. I was a different story. I wasn't clever enough, socially smart or extraordinary in any way, as Mum and dad often told me, but I was determined to get honorable glory in some way. I was a Greengrass after all, and our hunger for power could easily compete with the Black, Lestrange and Malfoy families. And Merlin did I want it, just to make my parents and myself happy.
But then the Second War came. Dad and Mum's letters came less as the power of the Dark Lord increased. When I asked the Carrows about it when they were in charge, Alecto threatened to let Greyback tear my throat out for being as nosy as my parents had been. I slept with Daphne that night, having nightmares about the fury abomination tearing my mother's throat out. The next day, we received word from the Headmaster that our parents were imprisoned for the time being for "questionable loyalty" and that Daphne and I were being cared for by our grandparents. By the end of the war, my sister and I would find out that our parents had been killed for treason; they making plans to flee the country with us.
I remember the night Potter killed the Dark Lord well. Daphne had ordered me to stay with Zabini and younger children in our common room. When the seedy black wizard asked Professor Slughorn why he couldn't fight, the walrus of a wizard simply told him: "You're the den father of these children, Blaise. You have become their caretaker since the school was taken over. I only trust you to put your life before theirs." Truthfully, Zabini had only taken that role on because he found it outrageous that his mother would let him attend a school where werewolves and imbeciles like the Carrows ran free. But thta didn't matter any. When the battle was over, more were dead than alive. When we were released, I walked to the Great Hall to look for Daphne. I started breathing hard when I couldn't find her, my asthma getting the better of me.
"Hey, clam down. It's okay, come over her and sit." I was pulled to an empty seat by one of the older students. He sat down, covered in blood and dirt from the battle. The wizard had a nasty gash on the side of his face. I pulled my wand out and did the calming charm Mum had taught me to do to myself then healed his injury. He smiled at before shoving his bangs out of the way. The lightning bolt scar on his forehead caused me to start hyperventilating again. I redid the spell and tried to calm down, looking around for my sister. "Who are you looking for?"
"My sister. She might be in the Hospital Wing."
"Do you want me to go with you?" I nodded, afraid of passing through the chaos and death on my own. When we arrived to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey saw me and ordered me to help because she'd heard from Flitwick of my ability with healing charms. "I'm looking for Daphne, Madam Pomfrey."
"I haven't seen her! Now get to work on those few over there! Potter, Minerva is looking for you, she's in Dumbledore's office!"
I must have assisted in healing over three hundred people that night. After caking my favorite bed robes in blood and dirt from countless people, Potter had returned with a grave face. He sat me down on the bed I had just cleaned, looking nervous. It was around six in the morning and I just wanted to find my sister, take a shower and go to bed.
"Excuse me, Potter, but I need to find my sister"-
"Astoria Greengrass, right?" I nodded as he spoke, fumbling with clasped hands. "McGonagall informed me that your sister was trying to freeze a group of werewolves headed for the Dungeons. Crab's father was trying to fire a killing curse at somebody and she moved in the line of fire. I'm so sorry."
I had spent that entire evening trying to act numb. The blood, violence and death I had seen should have easily outweighed this announcement. I had people die in my hands tonight. To top it off, after the chaos was over, Pomfrey informed me that she had mixed me up with my sister and should have never had a fifteen year old girl working in such an environment, though she had said I had done well. Despite that, I felt as if a rock had been thrown at my face. Mum, Dad and now Daphne were taken from me. But I didn't cry. I never shed a single tear; I simply let my eyes close and fainted.
A week later I was sent to live with Gran and Grandpa Beaumont. They were nice enough I suppose. I had only met them twice since I was born, as they didn't approve of my Dad very much. They had all my things moved to a house behind their manor and gave me plenty of space, too much than they should have allowed. I had full access to my parent's fortune and the house left to me, though never really used it. Instead I spent most of my time sneaking Firewhisky out of the Beaumont's Manor. The next two years went on rather quickly and stressless because of the way my mother's stone faced parents handled me. I kept my grades up in fear that Gran would make me move into the room next to her and Grandpa's, drank more than anybody in my year and probably should have been expelled for how many times I sneaked out after curfew. No matter who caught me though, McGonagall always kept me enrolled with an earful of detention.
"You do realize that she has been caught past curfew nine times this year, Headmistress." The Head Boy my seventh year informed her. It was some Ravenclaw boy named Featherbone that was almost as annoying in his position as Hermione Granger had been the year before as Head Girl.
"Augustus, I understand you take your job seriously, but leave private matters to me. Now head to bed." Featherbone glared at me like I had just eaten his scone and left, slamming the door. McGonagall peered at me, thumbing through my thick file. "Greengrass, is everything alright at home? Isabella and Justice seem to think you are having problems. They say you're a quiet person and I would agree, had I not known you from years prior to the war."
"I guess I'm growing up, Professor." I told her simply. I needed a drink, badly.
"I would disagree." McGonagall sighed over her frames, shaking her head. "Many people were lost that year, Greengrass. But we have to accept it and move on, dear. You're smart and have scores equal to what your sister had. You should start planning for your future. Professor Sprout and Flitwick say you have a knack for healing charms. Have you thought about healing?"
I hadn't even considered it. Daphne was always going to be the successful career going daughter while I was the simple and honorable house wife. McGonagall handed me a stack of papers from her desk and started talking to me about it. I had taken all of the needed classes and just needed to improve scores in potions to qualify for the program. An hour later, she sent me to bed and ordered me to work towards this career. "You parents and sister would have wanted it."
Four years later, I had finished my healer schooling and was assigned to work at St. Mugo's under the instruction of Healer Chang in Emergency, whom had been a year above Daphne. She had no recollection of me, which I considered a good thing. My first solo case was aiding Aurors who had been injured in a recent raid. Despite my annoyance of having to heal minor injuries as my first big step in medicine, I walked in with a polite smile to find the lot bitching or talking like obscene baboons. I recognized four of them from school- Potter, Weasley, Granger and Malfoy- and the other two sounded as if from different regions.
"My name is Healer Greengrass and here is how this is going to work. Potter will go first since he's of priority and needs to talk to the Kingsley ASAP." I announced. I walked by one of the unknown Aurors who decided to smack my arse. I stopped, already fed up with stupidity. I was out of bloody school for Merlin's sake; this was supposed to be over. I scanned the information charts and looked at the dark skinned wizard, my mouth taunt. "Glenn, you may have hit your head while chasing criminals but that isn't going to get any sympathy from me. I don't swoon because of the overly cliché tough bloke cover, nor am I a bar waitress getting an extra tip for letting you grope me. Now, I suggest you keep your bloody hands to yourself unless you want me to give you another injury."
"Oh, tough Healer. You know what they say about them, Marcus?" The bastard cackled, receiving a laugh from the Auror next to him. "What are you doing after shift, Love?"
"Glenn, this witch changed the Octavian level in Jimmy McLaggen's voice her sixth year." Potter snapped, looking at me apologetically as he took charge. "Shut up unless you want suspension. I'm missing my fiancée's birthday party and don't want to put up with your sexist stupidity. "
After that I focused on Potter, looking at a large scrap on his stomach that wouldn't heal.
"It's an Haud vigoratus Curse. They're a new fad going around neo-Death Eaters. I've seen it a lot lately. There are four of them: scraps, broken bones, sterility and asthma. They have no reverses yet so they are a pain to deal with. You'll have to let it heal naturally and be glad you received the minor one. Sign here, Potter."
"Greengrass..." The wizard signed my clipboard and caught my eyes, squinting in remembrance. "Astoria Greengrass? Sister of Daphne Greengrass?"
"Yes, please go so I can get this done." I asked as I moved to Weasley. Potter merely nodded and rose, leaving me easily.
I ended up doing Granger after that and then Glenn, who was silent the entire time I worked on him, then Marcus. When those three left, I turned to Malfoy with a furrowed brow as he brushed dirt from one of his cuff links. "You're not an Auror, Malfoy."
"I was their bloody decoy." He snapped. I rolled my eyes and examined him, catching a badly banged up jaw. "You're the Greengrass Heiress?"
"Guilty." I stated darkly. That title had been given to me in wealthy society along with petty gossip. I had enough money for my family and three generations after me to live happily without employment, yet I was working. It was such a scandal that most people on that level chose to avoid me because of it. "Try not to move, I'm trying to figure out if you were hit with a Haud vigoratus or not."
Malfoy went silent. After determining he had been lucky and had merely received a blow to the jaw, I looked at rib injuries on his scarred body. I healed each broken rib wile subconsciously counting the scars, only getting halfway done at thirty-three. After that I rose and turned to get my clipboard when I caught a glance of the tattoo on his left arm. A sudden wave of anger filled me and I looked away, suppressing the rage I wanted to give to the wizard.
"Sign here and go."
He did so and looked up at me, confused for my sudden coldness. "If I insulted you I apologize. I'm quiet thankful for the treatment you've given"-
"Stop playing politics and just go, Malfoy." Why Daphne had had such a huge crush on him in school was beyond me.
I clocked out that night to run into Potter walking my way. "Hey Greengrass, you off the clock?"
"Yes, can I help you with something?" I asked, stopping as he met me.
"Care to have a drink with me? For thanks for the treatment." I opened my mouth to decline and he laughed. "Right, you lot have a policy about not accepting additional payment. How about a drink between old friends then?"
"How exactly are we friends?" He didn't answer me, but I followed him anyway. I was due for a few drinks to put me through tomorrow anyway. We walked to a tavern a block away from St. Mugo's that had become my regular spot and walked in. I took my cloak off and ordered a tall Firewhisky while Potter ordered Butterbeer.
"My fiancée has been onto me about the liquor. It's addicting, that stuff is." Our drinks arrived and Potter watched as I drained the glass easily. "Hermione wasn't lying when she said you won every drinking game you played your seventh year."
"Potter, don't judge me please." I stated, snapping my fingers for a refill. "I may have to save your life one day."
"Right." Potter chuckled, sipping his glass as I drained mine again. "You know, every time I tell somebody their loved ones are gone I remember that day at Hogwarts when you fainted. They all usually cry, but you didn't. Why?"
"Why cry over spilt Butterbeer?" I shrugged, ordering another glass. When it arrived, Potter caught my eye with his probing green orbs. "What Potter?"
"Did you seriously just compare your sister's death to spilling a beverage?" He shot, sounding almost sick. I responded, telling him that people die every day and that it's something I'm used to in my line of work. "Which is why you come here after ever shift you fill and drain Firewhisky like it's water."
"What, are you bloody stalking me now?" I snapped, grabbing my cloak to prepare to leave. Potter grabbed my arm and looked at me, his eyes steady.
"This place is going to be raided within a two day time slot. Do yourself a favor and don't be here, Greengrass. By the way," He pulled an envelope out and handed it to me. "My wedding is next month and I would be honored to have you there."
"Why would you want the apparent alcoholic there?" I snapped. "What if I get in the wine and make a mockery of you?"
"You wouldn't have a job at a hospital if you were an open alcoholic, Greengrass." Potter stated logically as he rose, pulling sickles out for his order. "And I wanted to invite you because you taught me a valuable lesson. Everyday, people can change for the better. Voldemort was dead for a measly ten minutes when you healed the scar on my face, despite your family background and knowing who I was. You gave me hope for our future, and I thank you for it."
