(A/N: Okay, so I know I am writing two other big stories and shouldn't get distracted by a third, but I'm a little worn out on them and need a new story to keep things fresh. I was inspired to write this after watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls and figured this would be a good outlet for my writers block. This Draco/Astoria story is a different universe than my Dirty Little Secret story for those of you who read my other stuff. Most of this story is already written, I'm just posting it in short chapters. Enjoy! )
Almond Joy
"Astoria Greengrass, you drop that this instant!" her mother chided intensely, causing the three year-old to panic as if she were in danger.
"But Momma, I want ice cream!" Astoria whined in protest, possessively clutching the bowl of chocolate and vanilla swirl. "All the other kids at the party get to have some!"
"I don't care about what the other kids eat," Mrs. Greengrass hissed quietly, bending over her daughter to shield her from a public scene. "Let the other parents worry about their children getting fat and having pockmarked skin and rotting teeth! No daughter of mine is going to end up like a slob, now give it here this instant!"
Astoria looked up at her mother, sharp green eyes filling with tears as she looked around at the other kids happily eating their birthday cake and ice cream. Being denied the treat when she hadn't been bad went against every fiber in the universal toddler sense of fairness, and she quietly began to cry as she was unable to further express her sorrow.
"Is that what pretty girls do?" Mrs. Greengrass demanded, finally pulling the dessert away.
"No, Momma," Astoria sniffed, trying to hold back her shameful tears.
"Good, now go play with your friends," her mother demanded, standing up and exposing her daughter's red tear streaked face for all to see.
"Why do you have to be such a baby, Astoria?" Daphne taunted. "Do you have to argue and cry over everything Mother says?"
"That's why you don't get any dessert," Pansy chimed in, taking a big spoonful of her sundae. "Because you're such a brat that your mother hates you!"
Astoria quickly fled from her sister's company and went off towards the party, desperately trying to avoid another plight of tears. She stood by the table filled with presents and wished she had her security blanket. She could throw it over her head and pretend it was an Invisibility Cloak and not have to worry about anyone else talking to her. Not that many people ever did.
She was startled as a blonde boy approached the table, quickly shuffling through his birthday gifts as he looked for a specific item.
"Yuck, Caldron Cakes with almonds!" he sneered, picking up a package that he had missed in his marathon of opening up his pile of gifts earlier. "I hate almonds."
The boy then turned and stared at Astoria as though she were a sudden apparition.
"Here," he said, shoving the slightly mashed cake into her hand. "I don't want this."
The boy ran off before she could say anything, either in protest due to her sweet prohibition or in thanks for someone actually thinking of her for once. She watched him join his friends and smiled, quickly devouring the cake before her mother could take it away from her.