Title: Family first, Boys later

Characters: Astoria Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass, Mr. and Mrs Greengrass. Mention of Draco Malfoy.

Prompts: (object) fiddle, (quote) The world tolerates conceit from those who are successful, but not from anybody else. – John Blake and (scenario) a character wins a large sum of money. Between 900 – 3 000 words. The Greengrasses.

AN: This story is written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition (Team: Kenmare Kestrels. Position: Chaser One).

Word Count: 1, 002

In all societies, there are hidden rules and though no one says them out loud it is more than important that those rules be followed. In all societies, there are people who are deemed as lesser than others and though the pureblood community in many ways stuck together the richer families frowned upon those who didn't have the same wealth. Or, Merlin forbid, were newly rich.

Astoria and Daphne Greengrass followed their parents into someone's house. Alas, they couldn't be bothered with who it actually was and the only reason that their parents knew was because they had complained all the way there that the family was newly rich. They said the word with scrunched up faces and violently as if they didn't want to words in their mouth for too long.

Astoria glanced at her older sister. Daphne's fair blonde hair was pushed back in a complicated braid that her mother had definitely not done. That was the one thing she had bought for herself for the large sum of money that she had won. When she found oud that she won the competition – the so called friendly such – her first instinct was to buy Astoria a fiddle; which she carried around at all times. Her second instinct was to buy her parents something and thirdly herself.

The fiddle was argued over many times. Astoria's parents saw no point in it until they realised that she was a talented musician and then forced her to bring it to every pureblood party. There was nothing her parents enjoyed more than gloating, nay showing how proud they were of their children.

"Do you see Draco anywhere?" Astoria asked once their parents had reminded them not to do anything stupid.

This was always followed by a laugh as their father told them that of course that wouldn't affect the family name. Then they joined the so called good pureblood families to hear the most recent gossip.

Daphne shrugged as she looked at her light blue dress for dust or any dirt. Both were of course non-existent and the dress was perfect. "He's probably here somewhere. Why do you ask? Are you getting tired of my company already?"

"No," Astoria rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering. He's been having some trouble in school and I think that his parents are quite…"

"Furious?" Daphne offered and was given a glare. "Don't shoot the much richer messenger my darling sister. I was merely pointing out what you were probably thinking."

Astoria nodded but didn't want to say out loud that's exactly what she had been thinking. She absentmindedly fidgeted with her hair as she looked across the room. A flash of almost very blond hair caught her attention and her smile grew. It vanished just as quickly as she saw a redheaded girl standing next to him with her hand running up and down his sleeve.

"You look angry," Daphne looked away from her dress and when her eyes roamed the dance floor she reminded Astoria of a predator searching for her victim. Suddenly, her eyes appeared to have found what she was looking for and she let out an oh. "Well, she looks nice."

"She looks conceited." Astoria shot back and Daphne's laugh immediately had her cheeks turning violently red.

"The world tolerates conceit from those who are successful, but not from anybody else," she replied with a knowing voice before putting an arm around Astoria's shoulder. "Come on now, don't be like that. You know he only has eyes for you. You two lovebirds have been dancing around each other since you became old enough to be danced around."

Astoria laughed. "I was the one who initiated everything. If it wasn't for me, we would still be bantering like we did when I was younger. I'm still amazed that he actually likes me. It's not like I'm… well, you."

Astoria looked at her sister. Both were beautiful, they had been told many times, but there was something about Daphne that Astoria knew they didn't share. There was a certain way in which she held herself even when she knew that no one was watching. She looked graceful doing even the simplest task and it appeared to Astoria as if confidence poured of her sister as if she had too much to begin with. The light blue dress hugged every curve on her body and hung loosely around her shoulders. Yet another reminder of the money she had won for having the best grades among the pureblood girls. Why the purebloods kept betting who was going to do best that school year, Astoria didn't know and didn't understand either.

"No, you're not like me and thank Merlin for that," Daphne commented with a smile. "I don't think I would get along so well with myself. Also, you are amazing and you should never doubt that. You also should never let anyone else tell you otherwise because you have a lot of people around you who will give that person their piece of mind."

"People have been talking about me," Astoria admitted as she locked eyes with Draco on the other end of the room. He gave her a smile, that type of smile that she normally only saw when they were alone and a part of her was happy when that smile vanished as soon as he looked back at the redheaded girl.

"People talk all the time. It's inevitable," Daphne shrugged. "All you have to do is not believe them and know that you have me, our parents and you have Draco who will defend you anytime and anyplace if you would ever need us, okay?"

Astoria nodded and Daphne winked.

"Good, now let's go save our parents," Astoria looked over Daphne's shoulder and saw her father gesturing for them to come over. "It looks like he needs your talent. You can go talk to Draco later."

Astoria held the fiddle closer to her and gave Daphne a final smile. "Family first, boys later."

The end