Iridian (Didi) Blake was as tall and outspoken as Astoria was slim, slight and reserved. She was also the most mischievous of all Slytherin's Astoria had ever met. Their friendship was inevitable.
"Astoria, sweetie- look at your plate! That's barely enough to feed my mother's blackbird!" Didi chided her good naturedly.
Astoria threw her a glare. "The only thing that could induce me to eat more is if your mother's wretched blackbird was roasted on a dish!"
Didi giggled in delight. "Imagine! Mother would throw a tantrum!"
Astoria smiled slowly. "She would burst through the doors, with flames shooting from her eyes."
"And march right up to Professor Dumbledore, glaring at him so frightfully that he would be obliged to resurrect the poor bird." Said Didi gleefully.
"-but it was already cooked, so she would have to take it home alive and chirping, completely featherless and a little crispy." Astoria murmured, as her friend collapsed in a fit of giggles.
"And don't forget-" Didi managed between gasps, "you already took a bite out of it."
Astoria laughed at that. "Oh dear, your mother will never allow me in your house again!"
...
Didi was always the reason Astoria got in trouble.
Later that week, in Transfiguration, McGonagal had them transfigure pewter cauldrons into white hares.
Gregory Parkinson's hare ended up with no legs. Astoria had never seen anyone look so shocked. Gregory's spotty face widened into an o of dismay. "Uh, professor?" he quavered, as behind him Didi split her sides laughing.
Professor McGonagal was obligated to spent several minutes personally tutoring Gregory in wand motions. Behind her, several hares were bouncing off the desks as Didi, with a sneaky grin, shot sparks at them from her wand.
Astoria's own cauldron turned into a beautifully large, gleaming white hare, and Astoria regarded it proudly. She had worked hard in transfiguration that term.
An out of control Didi pointed her wand at Astoria's magnificent hare. It transformed into a crispy, featherless, squawking blackbird.
Astoria stared at it for a moment, looked around to find Didi's dancing eyes, and snorted.
She looked back at the ridiculous bird, and couldn't help herself. She almost fell off her chair laughing.
"Miss Greengrass!" a cross McGonagal rapped her knuckles on Astoria's desk. Astoria looked up at her with wet, bright eyes, desperately attempting to hold back giggles.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Professor gestured to the roasted blackbird, which was waddling along the desk.
Astoria found herself in a predicament. She wanted to explain, but it was impossible when her stomach kept convulsing with more laughs.
Professor McGonagal was not impressed. When she finally got the story out of Astoria, both her and Didi were put promptly on detention and 10 points each was docked from Slytherin.
...
Daphne stopped Astoria in the corridor, showing off her new purple blouse. She had bought it a few weeks earlier, despite Astoria trying to dissuade her from it. Astoria hated purple.
"Pansy said this blouse suits me beautifully!" boasted Daphne in her sweet girly voice.
Astoria was not as impressed. She raised her eyebrows sarcastically. "and I suppose this means you'll be wearing it for the remainder of the year. Honestly Daph!"
The satisfied smirk dropped off Daphne's face. "You just don't get it, honey." she said in patronising tones.
"What you don't get, sweetpea, is that she's a Parkinson." said Astoria, assuming the exact tone Daphne had just used on her.
"So what?" Daphne narrowed her eyes.
"So it's utterly ridiculous of you to put so much stock on her opinion of it. You're a Greengrass."
"What do you even mean, Astoria?" Daphne was losing patience. "You're so strange sometimes."
Draco Malfoy suddenly appeared beside them, causing Daphne to jump and Astoria to sway gently out of the way.
Draco smirked down at them for a moment, and addressed Daphne. "You'll find that the mini Greengrass is referring to the unsuitability of you taking into account those of inferior rank. Greengrasses have a notably purer blood status than Parkinson's."
"Oh." Daphne looked surprised and suddenly amused. "Good thinking Torie." She flicked her light hair back and flaunted off.
Draco remained, half laughing at Astoria. "She's such an airhead sometimes."
"I know." Astoria rolled her eyes. "I've been trying to train her."
"Not working for you?" He actually grinned at her.
She shrugged, slightly taken aback by the Malfoy smile, which she hadn't seen all that year. "She seems to think I'm the one being trained."
Draco looked down at her. "Interesting."
With that, he turned and walked after Daphne.
Astoria watched him stalk off. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him.