He pulled back looking at his mother in shock and confusion.
"What is this?" he asked not leaving her gaze, he knew it was something to do with just him and her. Sometimes it felt like they were both part of two different families, the one surrounding him and the one between him and his mum and that is just as he liked it.
"You know what it is. He would want you to have it," she reassured him, still holding his hand with the key in it.
He smiled back at her, pulling her into a tight hug. She grunted slightly as he pulled her in, he was so much like him, it was almost unbearable.
"For Salazar's sake Astoria hurry up!" Daphne shouted from the stair case, trunk by her side and mother storming up behind her.
"Daphne will you please stop being such an annoyance and shouting all the bloody time," she sneered walking up the stairs into Astoria's room. It was filled with expensive furniture none of the girly things you would expect in the room of a 11 year old, sophisticated art hung on pale walls, ornaments sat on deep wood dressers, a huge four poster bed and a vast walk in wardrobe. "Have you got everything Stori?" Stori, one of the irritating nicknames she had, there were so many it was as if everyone knew her by something different.
"Yeah, I think so..." she trailed off trying to tick off the check list in her head. Wand. Check. Cat. Check. Robes. Check. Knickers. Check. Bras. Check….
Her mother walked over to her bed, the tail of her robes drifting behind her giving her an airy movement that emulated her personality perfectly. Astoria shut her trunk and walked over to her full length mirror, she admired her long, wavy blonde hair, her bee stung lips and boobs that were coming into form nicely. She could see her mother's refection in the mirror, smiling at her, "what?" she asked seeming almost angry that she had broken her concentration from herself.
"Nothing, you've just grown up a lot these last few months," Astoria rolled her eyes, smoothing down her hair as she walked out of the room leaving the trunk to be brought down by one of the house elves.
Her mother followed her out of the room, "Nathanial, they are leaving now." Astoria's dad almost ran out of his study, very unusual practise from a man who prides himself on being calm and poised at every moment. "Wait I'm going with them," walking down the stairs to Astoria's side, tapping her shoulder, "can't have my little girls head off to Hogwarts by themselves can we?" Both the girls knew the exact reason why he wanted to join them, Lucius Malfoy; he took every excuse possible to talk to him. Though Astoria hadn't minded at summer, her, Blaise and Draco had been practically inseparable since her parent's ball. Spending almost every waking hour together, much to her parents and the Malfoy's delight, which mostly consisted of teasing each other and pulling pranks on Daphne. But since the pair of them started Hogwarts things had been a lot different for Astoria, she had no other friends apart from them, and for some reason that she couldn't fathom, other pureblood girls didn't really like her. Though her sister had no problem informing her it is because her favourite topic is Astoria and won't listen to anything else.
"You excited to see Draco again, Stor?" He asked wrapping his arm around her and grinning. She wouldn't mind the attention so much if it was given any other time except when the Malfoy's were mentioned. He barely ever remembered Blaise's name unless it was said with Zabini. And then he would growl and say, "its very good of Lucius to let his boy hang around with such a tainted family." Astoria gave her father a half smile before walking away from him toward the door, she just wanted out of the house, away from the vindictive mother that she wished she would never turn into and the money crazed father that never stopped talking of pureblood traditions.
When they arrived at Kings Cross station, the three of them walked together in unison, proud and important, it was both their striking appearance as well as how they carried themselves that almost always made heads turn wherever the Greengrass's went. Much to Nathanial's upset, when they arrived at platform 9 ¾ it appeared that the Malfoy's had been and gone, he gave a quick goodbye to his daughters before disapparating almost instantly. Leaving Astoria and Daphne alone on the platform, albeit not for long, in the time it took Astoria to tut at the ginger girl having her face wiped by spit from her large mother and turn back to inform her sister of the disgusting display, Daphne had left her side.
Astoria looked around at the families fare welling their children, though she held her head up high she couldn't help but feel a little sad that her parents had not said goodbye like that. She took a deep breath and accepted that she was on her own. Boarding the train, trying to stop her eyes darting around so as not to look too out of place, she did of course have an image to uphold, she walked toward the nearest carriage. She stopped dead in the doorway. A girl with ridiculously long blonde hair and various multi coloured hair clips sat in the corner. She stood staring at her as if something vile had just been wafted under her nose.
"Hello. I'm Luna," the girl said vacantly. Astoria glared at her, as if she was surprised she was able to muster any sort of words.
"Well, bully for you," she replied in a sharp tone, still standing in the door way.
Something touched her back.
"Ria?"
No need to turn, she knew instantly it was Blaise, one of the upsides of having so many nicknames is that you can always tell who is calling you. She let out a sigh of relief, smirking at the strange Luna girl before turning her back to her and facing Blaise. He smiled at her, grabbing her arm and walking her into the Slytherin carriage.
"I'm pretty sure this is where you belong," he smirked, letting go of her arm and sitting down, sliding over making room for her. She stood for a moment, waiting for the blonde boy opposite to notice her, but he seemed to busy with the pug faced brunette next to him. Giving up, she slumped down rolling her eyes grabbing the attention of the girl.
"Astoria," she spat, looking her up and down.
"Well done, now do you remember your own name?" Astoria replied, narrowing her eyes and cocking a smile. She could feel Blaise next to her shaking with laughter, but no noise escaped his lips. It was silent, Astoria and Pansy staring intently at each other.
"At last, someone who can give Pansy a run for her money," he said, breaking the silence, Draco had apparently decided to pay attention to Astoria at last, she could feel him smirking at her but she daren't move from Pansy's gaze. One thing she hated was losing, her face taunting Pansy, who gave up and turned back to Draco huffing. Her eyes also turned to him, he was staring at her and smiling, she smiled back letting out a little laugh which caught Blaise's attention from Goyle, A ugly and round boy who always looked dirty,
"Heard your mum fell over outside the train this morning Pans," Blaise laughed, clearly Astoria wasn't the only one who enjoyed poking fun at her.
"Shut up Blaise"
"Fell in puddle Goyle says," Draco and Astoria were laughing long with the majority of the carriage.
"Draco! Tell him to shut up." Draco ignored her smirking at Blaise in-between chuckles.
"Awh, hurting your feelings am I, Pansy?"
Pansy elbowed Draco hard in the ribs, he gave her a stern look pushing her away. She groaned and stood up, leaning over the table to Blaise and whispered, but making sure it was loud enough for Draco and Astoria to hear.
"At least my mother isn't a murderer," she walked away fast, knowing instantly that was the wrong thing to say. Blaise shot up, his fists clenched and jaw tensed. Astoria looked over at Draco, hoping he would do something to calm him down but instead he leaned back waiting to be entertained. She sighed, glaring at Draco before turning to Blaise and grabbing his arm, pulling him back down. "Ignore her, you know she's an idiot," she whispered to him, stroking his arm. He took a deep breath, his face stiff and angry staying silent the rest of the trip. Astoria too was silent, both from her anger at Draco and nerves as they got closer to the castle.
When the train arrived at Hogwarts she ignored Dracos goodbyes but made sure he saw her hug Blaise before heading to the lake with the rest of the first years.
SLYTHERIN.
She walked calmly to the long table full of the faces she grew up with, and sat next to a brunette she had never seen before with sunken eyes and sharp cheek bones, she was in no way pretty but menacing, certainly someone you wouldn't want to see at night in an alley. As she took a drink she noticed a boy a few seats away on the opposite side of the table staring at her. Miles Bletchley,
he missed his mouth when she met his gaze making pumpkin juice spill down his front without him even wincing. Draco noticed, leaning over to her. "looks like you have a fan club already, Tori," he taunted. Astoria glared at him but let the corner of her mouth turn up into a smile. Even at the tender age of 11 she was used to the effect she seemed to have on the opposite sex and also well aware of the effects on the girls too, they either stayed well clear or sneered at her whenever she past, neither of which bothered her in the slightest. She may have been young but Astoira Greengrass knew exactly how to get what she wanted. Like the best bed for example, all she had to do was give the other girls a snarky look and they backed away, she even could get Blaise to do a lot of her potions homework for her until Draco told him not to of course, she couldn't stand the way Blaise trailed after him.
"Blaise, make her do it herself!" He moaned, chucking Astoria a irritated look, to which she just smirked.
"No, Blaise you do what you want."
"He wants to come practise Quidditch with me," shouting he grabbed the parchment from Blaise and scrunched it up, throwing it at Astoria.
"You are so bloody, childish Draco!" she screamed, storming out of the common room, leaving Blaise feeling awkward and Draco with a wide grin on his face.
Astoria's first year at Hogwarts could have gone better, she never paid attention in class, no one in her own year spoke to her and ever since people began getting petrified the whole school started pointing the finger at every Slytherin, mainly one in particular.
Late one night, Astoria had been finishing off her potions homework that she was unable to coax Blaise into doing, packing her things away she noticed she wasn't alone in the common room like she had thought. A shadow was flickering in the big leather chair by the fire. She curiously walked toward it.
"Draco? Why are you still up," he ignored her. She may have thought he was asleep if his eyes were not wide open, starring a hole into the back of the fireplace. She walked around to face him, watching him. "Whats wrong?"
"Nothings, wrong Astoria," he snapped.
"Right, because you normally sulk by the fire at gone midnight with no audience." She falls silent, studying his face, his blonde hair draping at the sides of his pointy yet handsome face , obviously he had showered but not bothered to dry or fix his hair, a clear sign something was up.
"Is it to do with the chamber being opened?" she asked finally.
"No," eyes still fixed on the fire.
"is it cos people think you did it?"
"Astoria! If I did it all the mudbloods would be dead by now." He spat, sharply turning to face her, glaring.
"So you're upset it wasn't you?" Her expression was confused as she shook her head at him, his silence was enough to confirm. "Wow Draco, you are such a twat sometimes. Who cares who opened it. Probably that weird Potter bloke did it." She stared at him then smiled sweetly, insulting Potter was always a sure-fire way to put a smile on his face. "I'm going to bed, you should too." He stood up smiling weakly as they left the common room up to their beds.
