"Daphne!" The group of lipsticked,hair charmed and corseted girls keened. Astoria nearly choked on the cloud of perfume that followed the pack of teenage girls who were giggling and gossiping excitedly with her sister. Daphne gave Astoria a guilty look as she turned to her girlfriends leaving the soon to be fifth year ,alone in the filled manor.

Astoria looked down avoiding eyes as she picked her way through the crowd pushing a lose lock behind her ear nervously as she watched the dance floor a slight feeling of hopefulness pressing at her as she looked across the various faces of her and her sisters years hoping for a bloke to make his way over and bow to her formally and take her to the floor proudly.

Astoria couldn't help but feel jealousy and a tad bit of annoyance as she glanced across the room feeling displaced and alone as couples flirted and girls skipped past her all enjoying themselves. She felt a bit spiteful she realized as she edged her way over to the wide opened doors inspecting the large beautifully kept park that surrounded Malfoy Manor.

Twilight edged across the large lawn and Astoria felt her breath catch in her corseted chest as she made her way over to the large patio ignoring the slight bite of chill as she wrapped her fingers around the marble of the banister leaning out to breath in the trees and grass.

She felt more at home outside; than in high end social parties and in tight silk gowns. It wasn't her,Astoria was quick witted,sharp tongued and a bit rude at times,she tended to be a tad abrasive , not to mention she didnt posses the elegant willowy grace of her mother and sister a fact that tended to disapoint those she met for the first time.

She exhaled again wishing she could lossen her corset. "Beautiful night." She turned at the words surprised anyone was behind her she gasped at the intrusion her breath leaving her in a wosh as she looked down feeling her face and tips of her ears heat as she looked up meeting Draco Malfoy's gray eyes with her own blue ones.

She had seen Draco from afar at school and had always harbored a tiny bit of a crush for the heir to the Malfoy home. She blushed not knowing what to say as she turned from him glancing across the large green way.

He had always been two year above her and her sisters friend,and he'd also always been Pansy Parkinson's. And now...he was talking to her. He waked up besides her than, his hand coming to rest next to hers across the marble banister smirking slightly. Now he was flirting with her!

She felt her stomach twist as she looked through her fringe to him smiling nervously as her mind raced trying to think of something clever and witty to say. "Do you even know my name?" She scoffed tracing the marble as if it was more interesting than Draco,which was not the case at all...not even close.

But Astoria was no idiot and her mother had trained her and her sister int eh art of flirtations and the appropriate times to giggle and touch a boys arm. "Astoria" He smirked slightly as if he had bested her as Astoria looked up feeling herself smile slightyl at the look of proudness on the boys features.

"Hmm..."She hummed slightly looking up at the long branches that tumbled down from the trees above the teenagers. "Are you enjoying the party?" He asked formally as Astoria looked up turning slightly to glance at him from under her long auburn hair.

"It-it's lovely." She promised wishing it had sounded more sincere and gushy. "No it is not it's horrid." Draco shrugged still smirking a bit as he picked up a frosted glass filled with a deep liquid gold drink that she suspected to be firewhiskey.

He sipped at it casually before turning back to the fifteen year old who was still eyeing him. "Want a sip?" He asked his eyebrow raised as if daring her. Astoria held her head higher looking him straight in the eye as she took the drink from him trying to act casual,as if she drank all the was a lie,her mother would flip goblins if she saw her daughter with firewhiskey in her hands.

Astoria took a at the burning taste. It hurt her throat and her eyes like some terrible potion for dragon poxs or something. "Too strong?" He asked still smirking and laughing slightly as Astoria's eyes watered slightly.

"Not at all." She shrugged trying to appear casual as Draco hid a smile into his shoulder before turning back to his drink. "Why did you say the party was terrible?" Astoria asked attempting to take the focus off of her and her lack of drinking experience.

"The sturtting around and people trying to one up one another-" he scoffed slightly making her feel very young and inexperienced. "Plus trying to avoid all the witches my mother is always attempting to marry me off-" He laughed again this time more bitterly and Astoria smiled slightly to herself.

She knew the mother was constantly trying to introduce her to various wizards from well to do families. "-Draco!" Both of them turned at his name in time to see Pansy Parkinson slip onto the marble balcony. Her short black hair was charmed curly and her pink gown gave her the apperance of a stuffed sausage.

Draco made a face before downing the rest of his drink in one fast move. Astoria felt her face begin to heat with annoyance at Pansy for ruining her moment. "I was-oh...hello...Astera" Pansy smiled sickiningly sweetly before turning back to Draco,she went in closer fanning her fingers out across Draco's chest and Astoria felt a hint of strange jealousy at this.

Astoria leaned back against the marble railing's trying not to speak out of was proving difficult. "I was going to ask if you were going to dance with me and-" Astoria,summoning all of her courage as she stepped forward. "Draco was just going to take me in to dance.." She trailed off before slicking her fingers towards the door and giving Pansy a very slight smirk.

Pansy turned than faining someone calling her as she scurried off leaving Astoria to turn to wards Draco who looked at her with a mixture of annoyance and surprise. "I suppose we can dance-" He trailed off as Astoria rolled her eyes at his obvious annoyance towards her.

"Oh well if you 'suppose'. " Astoria mimicked,she was annoyed with the boy. Sure he was handsome enough...but there was somehting slightly infuriating about Draco Malofy. Perhaps that annoying self assuredness or the way he made her fele like a stupid insignifigant girl...

"Alright...will you dance with me-" She gave him a look that she was sure was her full and unmasked annoyance at him. "-please." He managed the please sounding forced as she finally allowed a smile to take over. "Yes." She looked up as she took her partners arm.