Authors Note and Disclaimer: I own nothing other than this storyline. All intelligence properties belonging to the Harry Potter franchise are owned by J.K. Rowlings. I thank her for creating a world where I can play a bit in the sandbox.
The Verdant, Dover-concurrent
Daphne Greengrass wandered along the corridors of her family's ancestral home. Each step that she took through the old building almost seemed to awaken another lifetime's memories. For twenty generations, the Greengrass family had lived in the home that had given them their name. In some ways, it seemed to Daphne that the house was more important than either herself or her sister Astoria. After all, a child is only a transient mark upon a family while a home with the history of the Verdant carries a great amount of prestige within the pureblooded circles. It was a statement about their society that the home was more respectable than the family that lived within it.
The Greengrass family had taken heavy losses during the War with Grindelwald , or as the Muggles called it World War II. The official position of the Greengrass family was that the War had devastated the traditional Greengrass holdings. Between the Muggle weapons and the attacks from Grindelwald's SS Hit-Wizards, this would be certainly believable. Believable is one thing, the truth is another. It was the truth that turned into a major point of shame for the Greengrass family.
The truth was that Daphne's Great-Grandfather and then head of the family was both a drunkard and a glutton. While the rest of the country was suffering from rationing and shortages of valuable resources, Great-Grandfather was burning through the estate's value to secure the finest of foods and drinks. The family line states that Great-Grandfather was showing defiance to the Germans by regularly throwing parties. Given that Great-Grandfather died choking on a chicken bone and that even now his portrait is rarely sober, Daphne has her doubts about the truth of that statement.
It had taken all of her Grandfather's life and a goodly portion of her Father's life to restore the Greengrass name to even a small measure of the stature it once was. It was from her parents, Lord Ethan Greengrass and Lady Victoria Greengrass that Daphne learned how to play the game of pureblood society. In pureblood society, the strong consume the weak. The simple fact that the Greengrass family still existed was a testament to the skill that the elder Greengrasses had. It was a dance of half suggestions and hinted promises carried on to the tune of veiled threats and hidden meanings.
Still, the Greengrasses were a family considered to be on the decline and therefore at a position of weakness. It had seemed like daily that owls would arrive offering some form of alliance or demanding some concession from her father. After her last month at Hogwarts, Daphne had no illusions as to what those concessions or alliance offers would be. She was well aware of the laws that governed her society and how they could be bent to gain advantage. It was one of the main reasons she developed the Ice Queen persona.
Sadly, the Ice Queen mask was no longer keeping the boys at bay. Slytherin was a dangerous place to be. As a microcosm of pureblood society, you were either strong or a victim in the House of Snakes. For most of her first five years at Hogwarts Daphne was able to be untouchable and unattainable by channeling the Ice Queen. It was by using her quick tongue and quicker wits she was able to secure a position of relative security. Occasionally she would still have to assert herself, but it had been restricted to verbal sparring in the Common Room that always ended with whatever self-important ponce trying to figure out what happened to his masculinity and her able to walk away with a smile on her face. All of that changed though, with a month left in the term. It was then that Draco Malfoy staked his claim to her.
He hadn't been subtle, he never was subtle. He thought he was clever, but that is only because Crabbe and Goyle are only marginally smarter than stones. No, all Malfoy had going for him was money and he was planning on spending a lot of his father's money to ensure that he had the most beautiful bed warmer available…her. It happened at the end of classes on a Thursday when he confronted her on the way to her dorm room.
"Daphne," he said as he leaned against the doorframe to her room. Crabbe and Goyle were nearby. They had to be. Draco never went anywhere without them.
"Malfoy. What do I owe this displeasure to?"
"Now now Daphne. You should be much nicer to your betrothed. My father has offered your family an acceptable bridal price. I assume you will be hearing about it soon. I am looking forward to that," he leers as he leans into her, pinning her to the door.
"Why would that even happen? Did Parkinson finally get tired of you flopping around on top of her? Or did she decide that dear Milly was more of a man than you will ever be?"
"Pansy was nothing more than a warmup. My father has already compensated her family for the loss of value she has sustained. No, the Malfoys always have a beautiful wife. Plus, as soon as I become Lord Malfoy-Black I can afford to restore your family to the glory that they once had. Just think, your family name restored and you get me for a husband! I am sure your father will see the benefits to joining your family to mine. "
"I'd rather die than marry a ferret!"
"Don't be like that Daphne my dear. If you are nice I'll let you be Lady Malfoy. That would leave the Black line to your little sister. I wonder if she will be more willing once you are broken in?"
"Don't you dare lay a hand on Stori!"
"I will do more than that," he leered. "She isn't quite ripe yet, but once she is I will definitely enjoy breaking he… URK!"
Whatever else Malfoy was going to say was cut short by Daphne's knee to his crotch. There was one sure way to break through Daphne's Ice Queen persona, and that was to threaten her little sister.
That was a month ago, and while Malfoy had toned down his aggressiveness, he hadn't toned down the innuendo. If anything, he had become more vulgar. It was a regular bragging about thawing out the Ice Queen. It filled her rage. Thankfully Malfoy had left Stori alone. The final month at Hogwarts was a nightmare that she had just awoken from. At least, she hoped she had. She was sure that Malfoy was following through with his treat as she had seen the Malfoy family owl on a daily basis. She figured it wouldn't be long before her father would be calling her in for a meeting.
No sooner had that thought crossed her mind than Buppi, the Greengrass house elf popped in front of her.
"Mistress Daphne, Master Ethan wants to be seeings you in his office," the little elf announced.
"I shall head there immediately."
As the elf popped away, Daphne steeled herself for news she was dreading. By the time she had made it to her father's office, the Ice Queen mask was fully in place.
The office of Ethan Greengrass was a room that gave a sense of work. For as long as she could remember, this office was where her father had toiled away to try and restore the name and fortunes to the Greengrass family. He was a tall man, thinly muscled and slightly greyed and he looked so very tired as he sat there.
"Sit down Daphne. We need to discuss your future."
"Yes Father."
"You have come to an age where you are considered eligible to be married. I love you my little Laurel tree, and I think you are one of the prettiest girls in the world. Then again, I am your Father and I think a little bias is expected. Still, I have received a large number of offers for your hand. Not a day goes by that I do not receive an owl from Lucius Malfoy with another offer for you. Young Draco is apparently quite taken with my beloved daughter, even though you did strike him."
"I did not strike Malfoy Father."
"Really?"
"I kneed him in the crotch for implying he was going to lay hands on Stori."
"Wonderful! My little snake has fangs!" laughed Lord Greengrass.
"I thought you might like it. You wash after every conversation with the elder Malfoy. I love you Father, but I take it that this meeting isn't about the various abuses we want to pile on the Malfoy line?"
"You are right, of course my little Laurel. I wanted you to marry for love, like your mother and I did. Events, unfortunately, have forced my hand."
"I am betrothed?"
"Yes, and I am sorry about this. It happened at the last Wizengamut meeting."
That was it then. Sold to Malfoy. A single tear cracked through the Ice Queen's Mask. Since Hogwarts began, she had hidden safely behind that façade. Now, it would be no more and she would be reduced to being Malfoy's latest playtoy.
"I see," she said.
"Please, I did what I thought was best for you. I do want to hear your opinion about my future son-in-law."
Daphne took a breath and tried to find a way to paint Draco Malfoy in a less than reprehensible light.
"Could you tell me about Harry Potter?"
And the Girl-Who-Hid simply sat there in shock.