Ello – little word from the ginger =) Skip if you can't be bothered to hear what I need to say
After reading Draco + Astoria stories I decided to make one of my own. Knowing Draco, I thought he wouldn't have a random change of heart towards Astoria (and since she's barely mentioned in the HP books, I assume she isn't close to Draco) …unless of course, he's bipolar. Though let's assume he's not. The beginning just shows how "litte invisible Astoria" becomes the prime target of Draco's anger..for a while – I promise romance! Just wait :D Btw, "little invisible Astoria" changes to become more outgoing because she thinks she's going to die this year anyway, with Snape as headmaster and death eaters in the school, so hey – make the most of it while you live!
A little moto Astoria Greengrass had invented since she was little was "keep your head down." And she had kept to that moto up until her fifth year. But then everything changed. What was the point in keeping your head down when there was such a large possibility you were going to die anyway? At least not without a fight. And without fighting Draco Malfoy – the cause of all of this.
She kept her head down as she lugged her suitcase onto the train and moved down the hallway to the Prefects Carriage. Then she saw him – Draco Malfoy. Headboy. She was always bad at keeping her anger invisible, so she gritted her teeth and practically slammed into him while passing him. She didn't even look back when he angryily yelled at her.
"I think you better go apologize." Someone massive growled at her, standing up and towering over her.
"Unfortuantly, I don't apologize to those who have no souls. Which would seem to include you."
This created a buzz inside the Slytherin carriage, who started muttering furiously amongst themselves.
They knew she was a Slytherin by her robes, but they didn't remember her from anywhere, never seen her before. Who did this girl think she was? Standing up to Draco Malfoy and his giant friend, Goyle?
Goyle didn't move, she pointed her wand upwards, "Aguementi!" She whispered and a jet of water spurted out and he spluttered, drenched. Some people snickered, but were quickly silenced by his death glare as she quickly darted around him and shut the door shut before he could come at her. He looked furious. Raising his wand he roared "Crucio!" Just as she yelled "Collorpus." The door turned into a piece of steel with multiple locks on it, and his spell was just absotbed into the metal.
Once more he yelled in anger and started to hammer on the door, until a cold hand was lain on his shoulder and he froze. Draco looked at him with steel grey eyes, "Get her later – you're making a fool of yourself, now move. I need to get to the Prefect's Carriage, where I assume she's going. I'll deal with her."
Goyle's face was red but he didn't argue with Draco as he sat down and let a random, terrified girl tend to him and dry him off with a spell. He glared at the door with a sullen expression and Draco quickly took the spell off and walked through the door, sneering as he did.
Astoria's heart hammered as she quickly placed her suitcase in some empty carriage and walked into the Prefects carriage, "Idiot, idiot girl!" She muttered to herself. She should never have let her anger take over her like that – who did she think she was? A bloody Death Eater? "Damn, damn, damn! He's a Head Boy!" She groaned and banged her head against the window, then jumped as someone entered. Snape. Once again her heart froze. He looked at her for a second before standing near the window, looking out.
Slowly, more Prefects and Head Boy and Girls trickled in; she sighed with relief that Draco wasn't here yet.
A Sixth Year Hufflepuff sat next to her, and a Ravenclaw Head opposite her. Professor Snape sighed and started to talk – about how he was the new head, there would be new rules, new teachers, new curriculum. All of it didn't sound good to Astoria. The Slytherins seemed relaxed, smirking. The Gyrffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws appeared terrified. The Hufflepuff sitting next to her was practically hyperventiliating, and Astoria couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Never appear weak – you were an easy target.
The carriage door opened and Draco walked in. His eyes locked on her; she blinked, frozen. It was her who looked away first, finding the loose strand in the carpet very interesting at the moment. He sat down next to her, shoving the hyperventialing Hufflepuff aside. Astoria froze and tried very hard to ignore his shoulder pressing against hers, or his leg near her knee – instead trying her best to focus on what Professor Snape was saying.
She lost focus and her eyes trailed down, observing Malfoy. His hands were placed tightly on his legs, almost clutching them. She noticed his fingers were long and elegant – artisans hands. On his forefinger was a thin metal ring with delicate engravings on it. She could just make out his wand sticking out of his black coat pocket. Looked very expensive – of course it did. He was Draco Malfoy. Favoured Death Eater, everyone knew that, though he didn't brag about it.
Which surprised Astoria – he bragged about EVERYTHING and anything. "Pig." She thought, forcing her eyes to travel back to Professor Snape, focusing on his lips. But she wasn't paying attention to anything he was saying. She couldn't take her focus off of the feeling of him.
Eventually the meeting was over and everyone filed out hurriedly to get away from Professor, Headmaster Snape. She tried to get out as well, but found she was blocked by Draco. "Malfoy, can you move, I kind of need to get out, and you're blocking my way. You know, maybe you should lay off the pumpkin tarts, they're not doing much for your figure."
He sneered at her, "I want to have a talk with you first. You should know I'm very close with the Headmaster. Plus…I'll be doing much better things after I'm done with this dump of a school…"
She burst out laughing – a nervous habit she had. Her bodies way of trying to shut out the fear coursing through her, "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
He twirled his wand in between his fingers, "Yes, especially for so carelessly throwing yourself into my path, and then humiliating my friend. Tell me your name now…believe me, it'll be less painful."
She ignored his question, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you owned the train carriage. The message must've been lost in the post." Something flashed in his eyes, and for a second he looked shocked anyone would dare talk to him this way, then replaced by a hard, cold anger.
"Listen here, give me you name now, and maybe your punishment might not be too severe."
She snorted, and muttered "Might."
She looked him the eyes, "Fifth year. Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass. Don't bother trying to punish or yell at my sister – she's not here. She's a bit too sick to come to school at the moment."
He flashed an unnerving smile, "Well, I may just have to punish you instead, Little Greengrass. I'm very good at punishment."
"I believe you, must've had a lot of practice already." With that, she sidestepped him, and this time he didn't try to block her. She opened the door quickly and stepped out, briskly walking to her compartment, heart hammering. "Idiot child." She whispered to herself, sitting down near the window. "Congratulations, Astoria. The school is being taken over my Death Eaters, and you chose this year to stand up for yourself. You, Ms. Greengrass, have just placed a death wish upon yourself."
She sighed and stared out at the changing landscape until it was dark, where she was slowly lulled to sleep. She never could keep away in vehicles.
~O~
She was the last one in the carriage and rode alone to the school. She made her way to the Great Hall and was surprised by what she saw. Instead of the happy chatter that flowed through the halls, the ghosts scaring new students and greeting the old, the lights flickering down the hallways, giving it a cosy atmosphere – instead there was…well, nothing.
Barely any torches were turned on, she couldn't see the ghosts, and the school was so silent. The whole atmosphere was dark and gloomy – abanonded.
For a moment she thought the whole feast was moved somewhere else, but upon seeing the Great Hall everyone was there. The chat was less enthuastic and loud then it usually was. Astoria took a seat at the end of the table, and started placing some food on her plate – in truth, she wasn't hungry, and mostly just pushed the food around on her plate.
What she didn't notice was that up ahead, Draco was doing the same with his food, a sullen look on his face.
Immediately everything was silenced at Headmaster Snape stood in front of the great bird stand, the one Dumbledore always used to stand at. Her shoulders slumped as the realization was finally starting to dawn on her – Hogwarts really had changed.
He went over everything he had told the children in the carriages, "Furthermore," he droned on, "We have two new teachers. Professor Amycus Carrow will be teaching the Muggle Studies, and her brother, Alecto Carrow will be teaching the Dark Arts. Those who have detention will report to either Alecto or Amycus. No one may be outside their dormitories after nine." This caused a lot of muttering which was quickly silenced.
"What the hell?" Astoria thought. "This school is turning into a prison."
Professor Snape announced the new first years to try on the hat, and she noticed the size was significantly reduced. There were about twenty this year, half the size of usual batch. Eight were sorted into Slytherin, and the rest Astoria didn't pay attention too.
As soon as they were done she rushed to the basement – or would've. If Jonathon Amcotts hadn't yelled at her to come. Of course, she was a Prefect now. She made her way over to him, until Draco slammed into her shoulder so hard she lost her balance and almost fell.
She turned around to see he hadn't even bothered looking back as he walked out of the hall. Astoria shook her head, and started calling for the First Years to come over here. It wasn't that hard, there were hardly as many students this year.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw other houses trying to soothe the younger kids, though they didn't look much more calm themselves.
They headed towards the portrait, "Superior." Amcotts declared. The door swung open and they entered.
She showed the First Years where their beds were and quickly went into her room. As usual she took the bed to the right of the room, farthest away from everyone. For good measure she pushed it further towards the wall.
~O~
"Do you love me?"
"Yes." She said, so simply there could be no questions, no denying. There was no thought to it. She breathed, she ate, she played violin and flute, she loved Draco. It just was.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"…Yes." She said, then leaned into his shoulder. "I'm afraid of you, and everything you stand for. I'm afraid someone is going to find out. I'm afraid…I'm afraid…for you. I don't want you to get hurt. And I'm afraid you will, because I cannot protect you."
He wrapped an arm around her and placed his cheek on her soft brown hair. They sat there in silence, watching the sun rise over the Forbidden Forest.
The sunlight streamed in and she shot out of bed. There was a dream tickling the edge of her memory and she desperetly tried to recall it – upon doing so she groaned and threw herself back onto her bed, wishing she hadn't remembered. She couldn't tell what scared her more…She had said she loved Draco and was scared for him, or that comfort he brang when she had rested on him.
"Dream," she scoffed, "More like a bloody nightmare."
With that she swung her legs out of bed and got ready for breakfast. She let her hair with it's soft waves fall around her face – like she always did. With a small smile she remembered her sister, always scolding her for not wearing her hair up so people could see her face. "That happens to be the point." She would always tell her sister.
As usual she was the first one down to breakfast. The Great Hall was silent as she sat down in her usual spot. She grabbed a grapefruit and then jumped as a meaty hand clenched her shoulder. She had forgotten her wand upstairs – now Goyle was going to kill her right here in the eating hall.
Slowly she turned around and came face to face with a hideous woman. She gave something between a smile and a grimace, "Amycus Carrow, dear. You are?"
"Oh – oh, right." She shook her head to quickly clear away the initial shock, she gave Amycus the dazzling smile she always gave teachers, "Astoria Greengrass, Professor Carrow. Pleasure to meet you."
Professor Carrow seemed enthused by the warmth and respect of this new student. She gave a smile before tottering up to the front of the hallway.
Astoria breathed a sigh of relief and resumed peeling her grapefruit.
Then she swore under her breath as she remembered she was supposed to guide the first years. She should seriously have brought along the Rememberall her sister had gotten her last year as a joke.
Breakfast was normal, although she blushed when Draco came in. Which she immideatly scolded herself for. He did not need his ego inflated by thinking he had another admirer. Which he certainly did not.
Review if you like, or hate so far (: Just any kind of reviews :D
I know there's not a lot of Draco and Astoria yet, and not too much dialogue yet, but there's going to be more in the next chapter.
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!",
Gingerfiend
