This is Our Love Story
The Harry Potter Franchise belongs to those who created its magic; JK Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Bros., and all other parties involved.
This is a response to the Song fic Challenge hosted by spuffypotter1997; the song I received was Love Story by Taylor Swift
Frilly dresses; she hated frilly dresses. They itched and were too tight, but Mother demanded she be in them when she went to these dinner parties. And, of course, she dragged her youngest daughter around. When asked why Sissy wasn't going, Mother's response was that "Sissy" knew her future husband. Future husband? She was six. "But Mummy, I do not want to meet boys. They're yucky."
"You know what to call me, Astoria." Her mother warned. "Plus, just think, we'll be in the Malfoy family. Aren't you excited, dear?"
Astoria mumbled a "no" which got her a glare from her mother. As they walked up from the apparition point of the Malfoy property, Astoria got to listen as to why the Malfoy family was so great. They were so high in the Ministry and they had great contacts, and were so high up in the Dark Lord's ranks that the purebloods and the Lord himself were sure to come out on top.
"Just think of it, Astoria, you'll have wealth, status, and power." Her mother went on and on. It had Astoria wondering if Daphne had to go through the same thing when Mummy had dragged her to these dumb parties. Father was just behind them. He had some business apparently to discuss with the Malfoy Head. They had got to leave Daphne with the Nanny. Something Astoria had hoped would be able to happen to her as well.
But of course, that just didn't happen. Her mother made a swift knock to the door to alert the Malfoy's of their arrival. It opened to show the woman and man of the household. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were some scary looking people in her mind. Narcissa had on so much foundation and rubbish on her face that it made her look like one of Astoria's dolls her Grandmother had gotten for her in Paris. Lucius was just plain scary. She had heard of stories about the Dark Lord and this man in front of her made the Dark Lord seem like a teddy bear. "Ah, good evening, Narcissa." Her mother spoke with poise and authority – much the same way she would speak to Astoria and Daphne. "And to you, Lucius." Her mother nodded to him as he took her hand to place a kiss to it. "Where is young Draco?"
"Good evening to you, Dorothea, Robert, and miss Astoria." Narcissa replied back, much as her mother had spoken. Astoria gave the doll-like woman a shy smile and hid behind her mother. "Draco begged to have some friends over during this so I figured it would keep him occupied for the time being. Plus, he is usually much more subservient when we allow a few friends." Narcissa explained. The three entered the grand manor and Astoria quickly got away from her parents. She wasn't in the mood to find Draco, but if she found someplace she could be alone for a bit, then maybe she would be more apt to meeting and agreeing with this forced marriage at such a young age.
Climbing the grand staircase, Astoria wandered for a bit before she opened a couple doors. In one room – what looked to be a guestroom – she went in, closed the door and went to the glass doors. A balcony. It was definitely a quiet place to sit alone and think over what her Mummy had just told her. Picking up the frilly gown her house elf Tilly had put her in, Astoria went to sit on the floor of the balcony and dangle her legs off of it. A husband at six! Daphne had explained it to her; they weren't going to get married now, but later on in life. They were just here to make the arrangements right now. Make sure everyone was happy and settled with the deal. But she wasn't; she didn't like boys. They were crude and gross, especially to her.
"You're not supposed to be here." She jumped a tad and turned around to see two boys. One looked to be the spitting image of Lucius Malfoy – blonde hair, blue eyes, and a cruel smirk on his lips; that was Draco Malfoy – and next to him stood a boy who seemed a bit lankier than him. His dark hair slicked back on his head. His eyes were as brown as the skin all over his body. "What is she doing here, Blaise?" The mini Lucius turned to the boy apparently named Blaise who shrugged.
"Didn't your mother say that Greg, Pansy, and I could be here because you were meeting with some girl today?" He asked. His eyes never left hers as he stared at Astoria.
"Do you suppose it is her?"
"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here!" Snapped Astoria; a glare of her own growing on her features. The blonde left the room, leaving Astoria in the room with Blaise. He seemed to smile at her, letting her smile back before her father came into the room.
"Astoria Greengrass, what in Merlin's name are you doing up here?" Her father asked her. Hanging her head, she stood up. "Your mother was getting frantic. If Draco hadn't gotten us she might have had a breakdown." Robert grabbed his daughter by the arm and dragged her out. "And what were you doing in there with that boy? It's Draco you are to be marrying."
Astoria was brought back down to the dinner party; so many people were there in the back gardens. They were ignoring her, including her own parents. She sighed and sat down on a bench in a type of gazebo and swung her feet back and forth. "Hello." Looking up, Astoria saw one of the boys who had found her on the balcony. It wasn't Draco as the hair was the dark brown; it was Blaise. "Sorry about Draco, he doesn't like these parties."
"I doubt if any of us do." Astoria mumbled.
"Pansy does, I know that. She loves dressing up and going with her Mother to these things. I don't like them though. These robes are always too big and never look right."
"I think I'd rather wear robes than this stupid thing."
"I think it looks pretty on you." Astoria looked up.
"You think so?" The Blaise kid nodded his approval and made Astoria smile. "They're so itchy though. I hate them."
"Oh, well I guess that could be a bit annoying." They were quiet for a bit before he asked a question. "How old are you?"
"I'm six. What about you?"
"Going to be nine this August." Astoria nodded. "I'm Blaise by the way. Blaise Zabini, or at least, that's my real Father's last name."
"Astoria Greengrass. You don't live with your real Father?"
"No, Mother says he died when I was a baby. But she's had four other husbands right now." It was Astoria's time to let her lips form an 'o' in understanding.
"Astoria, who is this?" Astoria looked at her father, his eyes concentrating on the boy.
"Hello sir, my name is Blaise Zabini. I'm a friend of Draco's." Blaise held out his hand to her father, but he didn't take it.
"Then I suppose you go find your friend, Mr. Zabini as my daughter is off limits." With that her father walked away.
"You don't have to leave." Astoria told him, her eyes were beginning to sting with that uncanny way that meant the tears were going to come. He could be so cold and so mean sometimes.
"I should leave."
"P-please don't. Why don't we go somewhere where no one can find us for a while." Astoria's watery eyes looked at Blaise and he just nodded, leading her to the large garden maze that was further into the Malfoy's property.
That was the first time she had met him. That night had been full of laughter and jokes. They forgot the façade they were supposed to be putting on for everyone around them. They had told the other of their secrets and dreams. She had learned that he didn't want to Dark Lord to come to power and that a kid his age had to fight him.
Harry Potter. She had heard that name before. It was not a name permitted in her house. The imp had supposedly defeated the great Lord, but the pureblood families that had joined – including her own – knew better. He was still somewhere, hiding and regaining his power.
The second time she had met with Blaise was at another gathering. She was ten and he was twelve. He told her of his first two years at Hogwarts and how the Harry Potter was in his class, well, not his house, but the same year as him. They even shared some classes such as Potions and Transfiguration. Blaise got her excited about going to the school as Daphne had refused to tell her anything about the school.
The third time they met, it was outside of a family dinner. She was fifteen and he was seventeen. Blaise had somehow – as she had never asked him how he did it – got to her manor and had tossed a pebble or two at her window, waking her from her intermittent slumber. She had found him outside her window and smiled greatly. Donning her dressing gown and slippers, Astoria left her room and went down to the backdoor that led to the family garden. She held a single digit to her lips to tell him to be quiet.
They walked hand in hand to the greenhouse and Astoria opened the door. The moment the door closed, Blaise brought Astoria to him and placed a sweet kiss to her lips. "Be safe this year." Astoria murmured into his lips, the tears in her eyes once again. The last year was not something great and with Professor Snape as Headmaster this next year, things were ought to be much different than the muggle-loving fool Dumbledore had kept the castle.
"You too, Tori." Blaise whispered back as he rested his head on top of hers. "I think I may love you, Astoria." That was the last thing Blaise got to say before the lights to the house came on and Robert came out to the greenhouse where the two teens were standing. "I need to go."
"Please don't go… just, take me somewhere else. Bring me to that secret place again." She could feel his head shake and Astoria began trembling.
"I'll be back for you, just promise me you will be safe this year as well. Please?" The word sounded so funny coming from his mouth; he never begged.
"I promise. I love you, Blaise."
"I know." Astoria watched as Blaise went to leave, only to be caught by her father.
"Mr. Zabini, how wonderful it is to see you once again. However, I do believe it is late and your mother must be worrying herself to death."
"If you please, sir, my mother could care less about me. And to be quite honest, I don't care all that much either."
"Mr. Zabini, stay away from Astoria. She is taken." Astoria looked to the ground, not saying a word as her father and her lover spoke to one another.
Blaise left with that and Robert looked at his daughter. His gaze wasn't pleased at all and Astoria closed her eyes as the tears begged to fall. She never heard him ask 'please'; it was so odd and yet, she loved it. "If I find Zabini here again, you can bet that you will not see another man until your wedding to Draco Malfoy."
"I don't love Draco, Daddy." Astoria burst, instantly regretting it. He was not Daddy; he was never Daddy. Always Father.
"What did you just call me?"
"F-father." Astoria stumbled.
"That was not what I heard. I know what you said. Now get to bed, now."
"Yes, Father." With that, Astoria went outside and went back to her room and to her bed.
xxx
Four year passed since the end of Voldemort's reign on her family and that of most purebloods. Every day of those four years since she had last seen Blaise, she thought of him. He promised that he would come back for her. He told her that he loved her, and she got to tell him before he had to leave as well. The entirety of his seventh year, he ignored her, almost as if he were complying with her father's threat. No, she wasn't taken. She had told Draco so long ago that she didn't love him; he didn't love her either, but neither of their parents seemed to take that into consideration. No, according to Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy and Dorothea and Robert Greengrass, Draco Malfoy and she were still engaged to be married.
The entire four years after Voldemort's reign, Astoria had two sets of parents telling her that she loved Draco, that he was the one who she was to marry. At least it was nice to know that Draco didn't want to get married to her either. He knew she loved Blaise and vice versa. Still, she was getting weary and her resolve was slowly breaking. Her faith in Blaise was breaking as well and one day, her mother suggested that a day out in town would be nice for her. Astoria nodded dumbly and did as told. The twenty-year-old walked out of the house and apparated to Diagon Alley where she began looking around.
She went from shop to shop, looking at each and every item they had to offer but it wasn't enough to keep her mind off of Blaise. Everything just seemed to remind her of him. The brooms made her think of Draco who in turn made her think of Blaise because Draco knew of their affection towards each other. The book store brought her thoughts to the late night studying they would do every so often during Blaise's sixth year. Looking at specific books that she knew were his favourite made her think about him. The ice cream parlour gave her a thought of when she learned of his favourite ice cream.
The pet shop had her thinking about his family owl who'd delivered so many letters to her personally, making her smile or laugh or even cry at some times. The wand shop made her wonder what his experience was when he first got his wand. Everything just reminded her. Even Gringots. How could it not? All of the money he had to his name was in that bank. With a sigh, Astoria walked out of the town. Nothing there could help her forget about him and it was killing her that in a few months' time they would begin getting ready for a wedding that should never be.
"Astoria!" Oh, now his voice was calling her name. It sounded so close. "Tori!" Her eyes watered. It was the only nickname anyone called her and only one person was allowed to call her it. "Astoria, love." She shook her head and wanted to turn around. To tell the jerk impersonating her love that he was a right git. How could he hurt her more. "Tori, can't you hear me?" Arms circled around her and she began fighting. "Hey, hey now. "Astoria, it's me. It's Blaise." Astoria turned around and looked into those eyes. Those beautiful deep brown eyes she had fallen in love with.
"Blaise?" She questioned; she couldn't believe that it was him. It couldn't be.
"Hey now. Wipe those away." Blaise kissed her wet cheeks, stealing away the tears and pulled back when they were all gone. "Are you alright?"
"Oh Blaise, save me. I've just been feeling so alone. I kept waiting for you, but you never came for me. Is this in my head? Are you really here? I-I don't know what to think."
Blaise shushed her with a kiss before getting down onto one knee. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and held it open. "Marry me, Astoria, and you'll never have to be alone again. I love you so much. I spoke to your Father and asked for your hand in marriage. He told me yes. You get to pick out a beautiful wedding gown." Astoria was speechless. She looked at the single diamond ring he held out to her. It was small but simple, just like her. "Please just say yes, darling."
"Yes!"
Author's Notes: Well, another story I'm really proud of. I do adore this song and when I got it, I was grateful for not having to ask for a different one (after going through three other songs that I just couldn't get into) and I thought about what I could do to make the song fit. Who could I put with who that would make a good story. I think I'm beginning to like this pairing and I'm starting to like writing Astoria. And don't forget to look at my other song-fic I'm really proud of!
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