Chapter 7
As the week goes by I take Draco's advice and go home for the holidays. My parents acted excited at the news but I know that they are wishing I would stay because the rest of the family is going to be there too. I love my family but when everyone is there constantly ignoring me or questioning my about Pureblood things that I have no care for.
As I walk outside of Kings Cross Station, I see my sister standing on the sidewalk across the road. I quickly make my way to her avoiding traffic of Muggle cars.
"Daph! Oh, I missed you!" I say hugging her.
"Missed you too, sis." She says before grabbing one of my bags from me. "Heard from Draco yet?"
"No and I'm starting to worry." I say remembering I told her everything about him leaving.
"It's alright. I'm sure he will write soon." My sister says as we disaparate home.
"I hope so." I say walking through the foyer while whisking my bags upstairs with a flick of my wand. "Any of the family here yet?"
"Just Grandma and Grandpa, the rest are coming tomorrow." Daphne says groaning quietly to me as we enter the kitchen.
"Oh, Merlin why did I come home?" I say running a hand through my dirty blonde hair.
"To see me, of course." My sister says hugging me. "We will live through this."
"We better or you will have to tell Draco that I murdered my self because my family annoyed me to death." I say laughing while grabbing an apple.
"Oh I'm going to be the one who murders you then you kill me before you die." Daph says with a smirk.
"Well, let's go get my hellos over with." I say taking a bottle of pumpkin juice and following Daphne to the family room.
"Ah, Daphne! Come here, my dear!" My Grandfather exclaims as my sister walks ahead of me. When I walk in all I receive is a hello and one smile from my dad.
"Hello, everyone." I mutter finding my seat on the window seat like always. The ground is covered in a snow blanket with a perfect grayish sky looming overhead.
"Astoria, dear, how was your finals?" Mother asks and I turn to her.
"Fine. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies was intimidating with the Carrow twin breathing down my neck but it was an easy exam." I say before taking a drink from my bottle.
"Oh, Tor." Daphne says coming to sit at my feet at the opposite end of the bench. "Did you ever tell Draco about Alecto Carrow's 'punishment'?"
"No, he would freak and do something crazy." I say remembering the detention I had with Alecto Carrow and she punished me with the Cruciatus Curse.
"Did he not notice that you could barely move the next day?"
"I told him that I was playing Quidditch with Cho Chang and fell." I say.
"And he fell for that?" Daph asks raising an eyebrow.
"Sort of." I mutter.
"Mhmm." She mumbles taking my juice and drinking a bit of it. We sit like this for a while and talk carefully while the family sits occasionally glancing at us.
"Expecto Patronum!" I mutter watching my eagle patronus fly around the room. I loose my concentration as main doors open and my aunt, uncle and three cousins come in.
"Oh, Charlotte, Daryl, you are here early." My mother exclaims hugging her sister and offering drinks, food, etc. Daphne and I look at each other and roll our eyes.
"Always the perfect hostess." Daph says and I laugh.
"Yep." I say taking a swig from my butterbeer and getting up to leave. I make it to the door when I hear my aunt talking to me.
"Astoria, a little birdie told me that you are to be married to Draco Malfoy when the two of you graduate. Is it true?" She asks sitting on the couch beside my grandmother, looking ever so Pureblood proper.
"Yes, it is true." I say walking over to her.
"Have you been dating him?"
"When we found out about our future, we decided to try. It has worked out so far but it gets hard when he leaves for D-"
"Astoria, dear, will you go with Allison to get her a Pumpkin Pastry?" My mother says interrupting me.
"Yes, ma'am." I say taking my cousin Allison's hand.
"I'll go too." Daphne says catching up to us. "What was that about? Mother cut you off before you could say that Draco is a Death Eater."
"I know! It's not like they don't know." I reply while entering the kitchen.
"Well, it was weird." My sister says before she starts talking with Allison.
"Here you go, Alli." I say handing her a plate with a Pumpkin Pastry on it.
"Thank you." The eight year old girl says. I grab a Licorice wand as I walk by the candy jar before walking out to go back to my family.
"Astoria, an owl came for you." My father states as I enter the room. I look to see Storm(Draco's owl.) perched on a chair near the window.
"Thank you." I say as I rush over to the Eagle owl. I take the letter and feed him as piece of my candy.
Astoria,
I'm sorry about having to leave so suddenly the other night. I figured you would go home for the Holidays, thank you for doing so. I feel better that you will be protected by your family when I'm not there. It scares me about leaving you somewhere near Death Eaters, such as the Carrows. They are cruel people; they would torture you with no mercy in them. I beg you to stay away from them.
I know that you are upset with me for leaving but it isn't my choice to leave you. If it was my choice, I wouldn't leave your side. I miss you, Tori. We will be together soon, I promise. When this is all over everything will be better.
Love,
Draco
"Who wrote you, dear?" My mother asks me as I sit down at the window again.
"Draco." I say flicking my wand to see paper and a quill appear.
"Is he alright?" Daphne asks sitting at my feet.
"Yeah, he's fine. Always worried about me, of course." I say before writing him. I sit there writing him back for about an hour before my family acknowledges me.
"Astoria, how are your classes this year?" My grandmother asks as I give the letter to Storm and watch him fly away.
"Good, but it's a lot different this year. The war has really hurt the number of students that are attending this year." I say sitting down.
"Ah, yes, I'm sure it has taken its toll on everyone." Grandmother says.
"Astoria, you never finished telling me about Draco." My Aunt Charlotte says.
"Oh, well what is it you want to know?" I ask watching mother in the corner of my eye.
"Just if you two are happy about the situation."
"Oh, we are now. When we were first told, we were pretty mad. We wanted to make our own decisions but now after agreeing to try to be together we are…happy." I say finally agreeing on a word to describe us.
"That's good, dear."
The next few days went by quickly with majority of my family asking questions, commenting on my Muggle things that they would see me with. We all got along yet got annoyed with each other like all families…
Finally finished this chapter. I haven't had a lot of time with school and everything so be patient. Okay, in this chapter I want to really show you how Astorria differs from her family yet she still acts proper enough. Be ready for some fluffy stuff in the next chapter!
