The regular Disclaimer stays. For the sake of my story, I have made Astoria Greengrass the eldest of the Greengrass siblings.(drb)
Chapter 16
Seamus had once again led Draco through another deserted corridor and had stopped in front of a similar worn-out door. So, they too were kept inside an interrogation room.
Staring along sideways, Seamus had signaled his companion to wait and had walked up to the adjacent door. Swinging it open, he had simply barked, "Alright fellows, the show's over, you are wanted in the courtroom, the detainees will need to speak to their lawyers, now, move it, out. The other way, Jones, Yeh, you got it, mate, stop muttering, 'm not the one giving orders, grumbling, are we Spencer, take it up with Minister Kingsley and Head Auror Jordan."
Draco could hear several male voices coming out from the room, but he was slightly curious to find no one had come out into the corridor, he was standing in right now. When the Gryffindor had come back, he had simply chuckled at the expanse of the uncomfortable Slytherin, "Folks are not allowed in this part of the building, they are now loitering on the other side of the room, those can be accessed, the auror's department is just beyond this row of rooms. Come on, let's get on with this, And Malfoy, please don't cringe, I cannot really tackle Daphne…I mean, you will know what I mean, just don't make a face, or laugh, as Dean said, I too can swing several nasty punches."
Seamus had opened the door and had stepped aside, forcing Draco to enter ahead of him. In simple clothes, two young women were sitting on a bench pushed back against a wall. This room too had a table and two chairs. He could guess someone had taken pity and had transformed the other two chairs into that long bench on which Astoria and Daphne sat hurdled together. Or rather it was Daphne clinging on to her elder sister, while the other was just patted her back and was humming a tune. She had her head resting against the wall, her eyes were closed.
Malfoy had felt pity, misery, and hopelessness all in one breath. These were people he had grown up with, people he had played with back in the Manor during the long summer breaks, he had enjoyed partying, dancing and sharing his Hogwarts life with. How did it feel to learn that your parents were dead and that you can not even see them off? He could surmise from what Dean had said. Greyback had mauled the parents so horribly, it was better for the girls not to see them like that torn apart. They were better off remembering them as a graceful couple just like they truly were.
Daphne was the first to react. She has got up and had run past Draco to hug Seamus. The Irish man had gone red in the face but nevertheless had held on to the weeping girl. He had grimaced, and Draco could see how his own presence was making it no better for Finnigan. "A'right Lil one, see, I kept my promise, nope no one got me, I am fine, enough of that crying, pretty one, why don't we just settle here and lets..hey look up! Who is here now..."?
He had signaled Draco to speak. Uneasy at having to coax someone so familiar acting in such a bizarre manner, Draco had tried his best, "Hey Daph…it me. Drak…" The terrified girl had just burrowed her face further into Finnigan, who was a head taller than her.
"Draco…" Astoria Greengrass had joined her friend in the middle of the room. Turning to the eldest sister, Draco had brought his hand up and the other had held it within her soft palms. "Thank you for coming here."
"I…I am sorry for your loss."
"We knew… The aurors had all got us together and had put us in house arrest. We had heard of the Parkinsons. I wonder how Pansy is. Blaise had mentioned she might get a trial. We knew we were the next targets; I had seen Greyback. The way he would throw lewd remarks, the way he would look if Finnigan and Blaise had not come through the tunnels under the mansion he surely would have got us. Blaise, Blaise was fantastic, can you believe it, he fought head-on, had sent some nasty spells at the werewolf…"
"Merlin! I am glad, Blaise remembered those trapdoors, glad we played down there, glad really glad to see both of you."
"Drak why don't we sit back at the bench, don't worry Finnigan is good at taking care of Daph, I have come to trust him. He does make funny faces, but he is a caring man. Daph is till to say a word. They had arranged for mediwitch to check whether she was suffering from some nonverbal spell. She is not. They think she is in shock."
Sitting down on the narrow bench, Draco had watched how Finnigan had by now managed to settle Daph in one of the chairs. The Gryffindor had pushed his chair side by side, in order to allow the girl to lean into his embrace. They make such a cozy picture. If this was sometime back in his school years he would have gagged. But now those house rivalries no longer mattered.
"Strange isn't it, never thought Seamus would be a this soft, I mean back then we had hardly considered him…" Astoria's soft voice had flown in from his side.
"No..we had barely taken him into account."
"These days all hauled up behind some door or the other, Daph wrapped around me, I had a lot of time to think. I realized this way it is better. Just see how everyone is reaching out to ensure the safety of the others. No one is a half-blood, pureblood or a muggleborn. You know Seamus is a good man, he had literally barged into Greyback, the moment the werewolf had got a grip on Daph's cloak. She was lucky, he had only got through the fur. Then Blaise had tackled him with a jinx and Seamus had picked her up and had run the whole way just like that. Never or once did he complain. Would we have done the same Draco? If the tables were turned? I don't think so…how narrow-minded were we, how disillusioned were our parents…not only our families are dead or killed or waiting for trial, but our beliefs are also challenged by someone like Greyback."
"Stori…I have gone through' the process'."
"I could guess, or else they won't have allowed you in here. Who is your match?"
Blushing for the first time that day, he had mumbled, "Ginny Weasley."
"Oh thank Merlin! Someone is finally living his daydreams!"
"What? Draco had spattered so badly, that even Seamus had looked up and had stared at him curiously.
"Nothing, Finnigan." Turning to her friend, Astoria had chuckled, "Oh, please I knew you fancied her, your own Weaslette, just like Blaise had his eyes glued to Lavender Brown…"
"What! You knew! About Blaise as well!"
"Just because I don't gossip like Pansy, doesn't mean I shut my eyes off as well…so tell me, did you show her the ring, that little red snake of yours?"
"You know about that ring too?"
'Duffer! Dunderhead! I have seen you holding it up to your eyes, watching at it intently, when you would stay back in the common room, after the boys had retired, just to ensure each one of the girls had come back and were unharmed."
"How could you guess I…"
"You always fancied our trinkets, I have seen you drawing designs in your notes, wasn't tough to sum it all up."
"Stori, Kingsley will allow me to establish my own business, he would naturally be supervising things, but it gives me some…"
"Freedom, you don't have to do what your bastard of a father would have wanted you to…. what are you calling it…?"
"Red."
Smirking at him, Astoria had winked, "How predictable!" pausing a bit she had pried on, "You know who we are matched with don't you?"
"Yes."
"Who is going to be my match?"
"George Weasley"
Malfoy didn't have the courage to look at her, so he had kept his eyes lowered, staring intently at his boots.
"The surviving twin…is he here as well?"
Finally gathering up his dwindling courage Malfoy had shifted himself so that he could face his friend. Taking her hand in between his palms, he had given it a reassuring squeeze, "Yes, Stori, you got to listen to me carefully. George is a good man deep down. I know coming from me, this sounds absolutely trash, me praising a Weasley, I get it, but, as you said a while ago, we are no longer in school, this is the real world, where a hideous beast in luring around to kill us and ruin everything we hold dear to ourselves. George is still grieving at the loss of his family, more so at the loss of his twin and now his sister, who will no longer be staying with him. "
"Stori, we would need him back in action, he has got a brilliant mind…"
"You might have fooled a lot of those Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuff, but Draco, you were never such a smooth talker to fool me, I can understand what you are asking from me. Nurse the Weasley's heart back in one piece, be a faithful wife, do your duty, bear his children and help your man in his endeavors. I remember my mother's words. We are trained just like that from Childhood. If they want you to have my answer, though I am not sure how that is important. As far as this new law goes, we cannot resist it, reject it or defy it. I don't expect anything from George Weasley. I truly don't. Draco, I do want to know, what will have to Daphne, I am the only one she has…"
"She was matched with Seamus Finnigan."
"You got to be joking! How? I am… is that why…is it true then magical affinity matters…"
"I really don't know much, but don't you think it is a relief, looking at the way Finnigan has managed to actually be a nanny to Daph…I dare say those are perfect for each other."
"Draco, I just wanted to say, I never really considered you as a suitor, even if our parents were pushing both of us together. I am sorry."
"Stori, I am glad you think in the same way."
Shaking himself oof the morbid feelings, he had said a little louder, "Guess it is time for Dean to come and collect us, he might ask you to talk to George alone, I don't really know, but don't let the redhead muck this up."
"I won't, Draco, make sure to treat Ginerva well, open up to her, you carry a lot in your mind. Share it out. I know you; I mean it is easy to guess the house might be on fire a million times, but when Weaslette realizes true affection, I have seen her fight for it tooth and nail."
"Strange phrase' tooth and nail', where did you pick that up from?"
Seamus had chuckled from the other side of the room, "Blame me, Malfoy seems like I still have more ways to influence people."
Before either of the Slytherins could reply, the door had swung open, and Dean had walked in, with George Weasley in tow.
