There was three weeks till new term began. There was the usual back to Hogwarts excitment in the air. She had just been to get new robes with her sister. Returning home Astoria could sense an oddness in the air. She looked to her sister who seeming to sense the uneasiness in the Greengrass home raised a thin pale eyebrow as well.
THeir mother was racing around fluffing cushions and cursing at the house elf as she went. The girls hurried to their room casting their parcels onto their beds knowing their mother or the house elf would take care of their robes and school things.
"What was that about?" Astoria demanded sitting herself at her dressing table and begining to charm her hair curly for the social event of the season. It was at the Malfoy Manor in their garden. Astoria would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit excited.
"Not sure,mother and father have been rather secrative since mothers luncheon last week." Daphne explained as she braided her hair. Astoria nodded looking down as she charmed her hair curly. Three weeks,three weeks until school began.
"Girls would you hurry up-" Their mother chastised placing her pearl earrings into her ears and leaving muttering to herslef as the girls shared a fast look over the room. "Ok,something is going on." Daphne muttered. Astoria,however had no time to think this thru. Her hair was soon curled.
She was soon after corseted and shoved into her long sleeve,low cut robes and chastised and rushed into the carrige their father had brought. The ride their was comftorable and Astoria and her sister were doted on as usual by their usually absent father who presented them both with crystal necklaces.
Beautiful golden chains with deep green crystals hanging from them that the girls properly gushed over. Soon Astoria forgot about all oddness and made her way into the ball with a slight skip in her step. She moved from group to group,glad to see she knew most of the other people their.
Not willing to admit it to herself Astoria found herself looking for she did not see. Dancing soon tired her and Astoria stole away deeper into the manor to get away from her giggling,dancing peers. Enjoying the click of her shoes and the silky murmur of her gowns Astoria wandered down the long coridoors looking at the beautiful tapistries and paintings.
"Wandering never led to anything good-" Astoria looked up spotting Draco leaning against the wall,dressed in all black his robes rolled up and shirt unbuttoned slightly. He swirled at his drink before looking from her dress to her hair.
"Not looking so plain now Greengrass-" Astoria smiled to herself,she was secretly glad she had run into Draco...even though she had sort of planned it. "Your looking quite dapper yourself,Malfoy." She smiled back wlaking up to him as he looked down the smirk seeming to be a permanent feature on his face.
"-I try." He explained bowing slightly as she nodded before removing the firewhiskey from his hand and taking a sip as she looked down the rest of the hall,deep in thought. "I have corrupted you haven't I?" Draco laughed to himself as he followed behind her before taking the glass back from the fifteen year old.
"Just a bit.." She nodded as she looked at a set of two mahogany doors with Draco's name carved in gold above them, "Your room?" She asked feeling daring as he nodded. Feeling excited and wishing to prove to him that she was not the little girl he had smoked with she opened the doors letting herself in with Draco close behind her.
The room was large and grand with silk drappings across the wall and a large couch dominating a corner of the room that wasn't filled with bookshelves. She looked out across the large windows and out into the garden,watching her breath create little clouds on the glass.
"So,why did you not come down to the party?" Astoria asked tracing the condensation. "-I was...otherwise occupied." He muttered looking out over her shoulder to the festivites going on below. She caught him rubbing at his wrist subconciously as she looked down.
She knew where he had to the dark lord. In conference with him and his closest followers. He took another swig of the drink before lowering himself onto the over cushioned chair besides the window. She turned from the window to look back at the slumping blonde boy.
"Are things alot diffrent now?" Astoria asked leaning against the table near the window. She looked down slightly not liking how young and stupid it made her sound. "Something like that...there aren't many people I socialize with now...after-" She turned catching his eye before both of them turned from one another.
She knew what he meant. After he had been accepted to his Dark Lord's ranks...after all of that.
