Astoria
Chapter 3: Parties (Christmas 1995)

Christmastime was Astoria's favorite time of year. She and Daphne would design their house with festive decorations every year. They loved when they saw their creations come to life with the help of their House Elf, Cleo. Every year they designed it differently, and every year, guests at their annual Christmas gathering were impressed by the Greengrass sisters' creativity.

Everyone who was anyone was there, mostly those who graced the Sacred Twenty-Eight list and a few special guests. The Minister of Magic came by twice when Astoria was very young, and last year, Celestina Warbeck came and performed a few of her greatest hits.

This year, however, the guest list was scarce; some people felt a tension between some families and what the Daily Prophet has been saying. Harry Potter's name was whispered a few times here and there, as well as what recently happened to Arthur Weasley in the Department of Mysteries, but Astoria tried not to pay attention. Because she absolutely loved being part of a socialite family, she learned how to read people fairly well. She thought it was her most prized skill. So, she knew which Anti-Potter radicals to avoid. One family being the Malfoys.

It was like clockwork with the Malfoys. The family of three would arrive not on time, but not too late. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy would never leave each other's side, talking to a single person or group of people together. Mrs. Malfoy would make Draco socialize with everyone else a few minutes after their initial arrival, to which Draco would begrudgingly do. Not long after, Draco would find his friends from school and they'd sit and watch the whole ordeal from a distance. They were never disruptive, but they did like to snicker at passersby. After dinner and a rendezvous in the parlor, the Malfoys would bid their goodbyes. They've always been so pleasant at her parties, albeit a bit outwardly prejudice, so she didn't understand why Draco acted so differently…

Just as Astoria was observing Draco from afar, her mother scooted on the bench next to her.

"You've outdone yourselves, truly," her mother whispered, smiling. "I just knew you had a knack for this."

Astoria smiled too, smoothing out her dress. "Thanks, Mum."

"I couldn't help noticing…" She didn't finish her sentence; rather, she pointed at the blonde boy with his cronies on the other side of the garden.

Astoria shook her head. "Oh, no!" she said, laughing. "Don't think anything of it. I'm just-"

"People watching again?" Daphne came over to contribute to the conversation. She placed a hand on Astoria's shoulder. "She does that a lot at school, Mum. That's why she only has one friend."

"I only need one friend," she countered back, knowing that the bite was all in good fun. "Then again, you can't remember half your friends' names."

Daphne mocked offense, but the pair broke and laughed.

Their mother looked at her daughters bantering with each other with pride. "How did I get so lucky having the perfect girls?"

Their mother left to talk to the Magical Ambassador of Portugal and his wife. Daphne held Astoria's hand.

"So why are you really watching Draco?" Daphne whispered, smirking.

Astoria continued her gaze on the blond talking to Blaise Zabini, who was sneaking a flask from the inside of his robes.

"I have a theory."

"Care to elaborate?"

Astoria shrugged. "I think there is more to Draco Malfoy than what Pansy says about him."

As if on cue, the black-haired girl waltzed over to the boys. Astoria was half expecting Daphne to run up to her friend, but from the raunchy way Pansy and Draco greeted each other and left hand in hand, there was no time to say hello. Daphne sighed in disgust.

"I think your theory has flaws," she said, looking quite upset. "Draco Malfoy turned Pansy into an obsessed girlfriend who disregards her true friends." With that, Daphne got up and stormed away in the opposite direction of where Draco and Pansy vacated.

Astoria tilted her head slightly, thinking. She didn't think it was Draco's fault that Pansy was showing her true colors, but she would never tell Daphne that. He acted differently with everyone he encountered; with his parents, with his friends, with his girlfriend. It was all different. It was almost as if he became what they wanted him to be, or what he thought they perceived him to be.

So, the original question was still relevant: Who is Draco Malfoy?