Finally! I'm back! I started writing as soon as I got back; I figured if I didn't like waiting, you guys don't either. Please review and thank you to all who have, I love you so much!

First and Second Impressions

In the two years that Daphne had been away at Hogwarts, she had never once described what the castle had looked like. Astoria had seen her fair of nice manors and estates, but nothing could give justice to the elegance and grandeur that Hogwarts seemed to possess. The only thing she had yet to complain about were the dementors and the oaf of a groundskeeper.

Astoria found herself in a group of unsorted first year girls, who were giggling and pointed at the magical ceiling and floating candles. Muggleborns, she scoffed in her mind. Thankfully, the girls were soon quieted as the Headmaster gave his foreboding speech. The Sorting started as Astoria stared longingly at the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, which were side-by-side. Daphne waved joyfully from the Slytherin table and Pansy glared at her for some unknown reason. It was probably because Draco Malfoy had been staring at her all night and completely disregarded Pansy.

Before she knew it, Professor McGonagall had said, "Greengrass, Astoria." She walked confidently to the stool where she sat and had the hat set upon her hair. Ah, a Greengrass, it said. You are not like your family. You are smart and logical and would do well in Ravenclaw. Astoria already knew this, as she had been told this several times. I do not wish to be told what has been said to me several times, she thought back.

You have some fire, I must say. Enough to make you a Gryffindor and you are loyal enough to be a general Hufflepuff. But you are very ambitious and cunning, and would do what it takes to get what you want. As a pureblood, you would be a natural Slytherin Princess.

Astoria nor her family saw anything in her that sounded like what the hat was saying. They called her too meek and reserved to be a Slytherin. Ravenclaw or Slytherin you would do well but it better be- "SLYTHERIN," it shouted. Astoria put on a calm facade as she walked towards her new House table and sat down by Daphne.

"I must say, Ria, that I'm very surprised. You must write Mother and Father they'll be so surprised and happy with you. You seemed too much like a Ravenclaw to all of us that we never imagined you being in Slytherin." Astoria nodded as the Sorting continued. Daphne leaned in to whisper, "Mother will be happy with you Astoria. You will become a better daughter in her eyes, she may even come to love you."

Again, Astoria nodded and turned to the feast in front of her, but not before she saw Draco eye her and Daphne with suspicion. She wondered if Draco had heard their whispered conversation from across the table. "We are so happy that you joined the proper pureblood Slytherins, Astoria." Astoria's forced smile was fleeting as she turned to the first year girl next to her.

The Start-of-Year feast was soon over and it was time to go to their respective common rooms. Astoria followed behind the people in Daphne's year. She saw Daphne cozy up with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini and Pansy hang on Draco while he shoved her off. Astoria smirked at the wretched girl's rejection.

The Slytherin common room was beautiful. Astoria could hear the gentle waves of the Black Lake and see the blue reflecting off the dungeon walls. Astoria walked up the stair to her dorm room and smoothed out her bed. She had already met the other three first year Slytherin girls; Charlotte Rosier, whom she had sat by at the feast, Althea Travers, whom she had conversed with since childhood, and Alexandria Fawley, a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight but not from a very powerful Pureblood family.

Astoria's first lessons had come easier than it seemed like it had for Daphne. Astoria soon became adjusted to her schedule, though studying seemed difficult for any first year. Astoria had written her mother about her new House and acquaintances. Her mother seemed please, but Astoria's mother was never happy with her. Astoria had all but ignored her sister and paid no mind to Draco Malfoy. Since the night of the Sorting, he had become even more of a git and she often caught him hexing first year Hufflepuffs. She never spoke to him and always walked the other way when she saw him alone in the corridors.

Draco was soon getting annoyed by this. She had ignored him throughout her first year and sat by her sister instead of him on the trip back to Hogwarts. In the short time over the summer, she had gotten taller. She had yet to fill out but she had gotten from half the size of everyone other girl in her year to going up to their chins. Draco had to admit he liked how petite she was.

Draco knew she didn't like him after the incident last year when she caught him hexing Hufflepuffs in her year on multiple occasions, and he knew she didn't like him taunting Potter with those badges. Draco pretended that being ignored by Astoria Greengrass didn't bother him but it bloody well did.

He overheard Nott and Zabini talking about a Greengrass and it didn't sound like Daphne. "Everyone likes her, she's a perfect choice. It wouldn't surprise me if she was known as the Slytherin Princess in a few years," Zabini said.

"Why so?" Nott asked. Yes Blaise, Draco thought, do tell us why you seem so interested in my girl?

"Well," Blaise started, "for one, she's a perfect pureblood. She's smart enough to fit in with the Ravenclaws, she beat everyone in her year." That's my girl. "She's not friendly but she treats everyone with cool civility; she isn't a hag to other houses but she hardly speaks to them so she isn't close to being a blood traitor. She has this air that makes her seem like everyone should respect her, though she is quieter about it than Draco is with his." Why the little prick. "She isn't bad on the eyes and in a year or two I suspect she'll be stunning."

Draco was fuming. How dare Zabini try to show an interest in the girl every Slytherin boy knew he claimed? He made it clear in third year, Astoria Greengrass was his and his alone. "There's one problem," Nott said. "Draco fancies her and I would prefer to stay on his good side. If I ask her to the ball, it would only be to please Draco and his family, because he would take Pansy to please his parents and I would take her to please him."

Draco smiled. Nott knew exactly what Draco was hoping. This was why Draco cared for Nott more than anyone else. His attention was turned elsewhere as he heard Charlotte Rosier and Althea Travers walk in with his girl. When did he start referring to her as "his?" Draco smiled as he realized, to him, she had always been his.

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~Beautifully Falling