Astoria
Chapter 7: Blood Part 2 (1998)

Astoria's illness was still a mystery; she was the first witch to ever have it. What the Healers had deduced was that it was an old forgotten curse placed on the family at some time. The curse could be traced back to the 1400s, but from whom was unknown. This process was taking too long, and Astoria was becoming restless. Her parents made the executive decision to take her back home and receive in-patient care instead.

The entire family read up on different cures and remedies for rare diseases, and eventually created a rather impressive apothecary in their big home. They hired many Potion Masters and professional Herbologists to work on some of the more complicated medicines. Most concoctions worked to an extent; they stunted her symptoms and made her feel better, but it would not last long.

These experimental practices wore Astoria out to the point where she would sometimes refuse treatment. Sometimes, it was a true internal battle. Was the struggle really worth it? She was making her family suffer financially and emotionally while she suffered physically. She kept a brave face in front of her family, but felt a bit melancholy as time went on.

Astoria cried a lot, but only in the privacy of her own room. She forced her parents to keep her away from society, even though she was not contagious. But her wanting isolation had nothing to do with her illness.

It was August. Three months after the Battle of Hogwarts, and she still did not hear from Torrance. This worried her very much. She wrote countless letters and made sure they'd go to wherever Torrance could be, but her owl would always come back looking weathered with the letter still tied to his leg.

Enough was enough. It was time to come clean.

She finally told her told her parents about Torrance's Muggle heritage, and how much she cared about his safety. To her surprise, her parents were very understanding and wanted nothing more than to help find him. Social reform was on its way, so there was no need to care about blood purity anymore. Besides, the Greengrass family was never thought to be so close-minded.

Astoria didn't know where to start, but with the help of money and her name, she was able to track down his journey into hiding and eventual capture. Everything lead to a document from the Ministry of Magic's Muggleborn Registration Commission. He was put on trial for impersonating a wizard and stealing a wizard's wand. She read the rest of the document through her tears. Covering her opened mouth, Astoria read the last few lines:

Guilty on all charges.
Sentenced to Azkaban for 50 years with a 4,000,000 Galleon bail.
As ordered by Senior Undersecretary and Head Inquisitor of the Muggleborn Registration Commission, Delores Jane Umbridge.

Astoria ran down the hall to the apothecary. "Dad! We have to go to Azkaban!"

"Pardon?" Her father said as he stopped chopping a gurdyroot.

"Torrance!" she panted. "They sent him to Azkaban. He could still be there!

Mr. Greengrass scrunched his brow and dusted off his glasses with his handkerchief. "Sweetheart, I don't think it would be very smart for you to go to a Dementor-ridden sanctuary, especially in your condition." Astoria's face faltered, and Mr. Greengrass continued. "And the new Minister of Magic already freed all of the Muggleborns in June. It was all over the newspapers."

Astoria leaned on the wooden table, downtrodden. "It doesn't make any sense," she mumbled. "Wouldn't he have tried to contact me by now?"

It hit her like a bludger to her stomach. But she didn't want it to be true. She held back tears as she croaked, "I have to go to Azkaban, Daddy. I have just have to…

How could he say no to that beautifully sad face? He sighed and reached over to hold her hand. "I'll see what I can do."

For days, her father searched for Torrance with Astoria in mind. For days, Astoria felt better. For days, she was filled with hope.

Astoria busied herself with planning another party because this latest remedy was working and energized her. It was a wonderful feeling. What would make it even better was if Torrance was by her side, decorating and joining in the festivities. She knew he would love the conversations and proper attire.

Perhaps the lack of knowing if Torrance was dead or alive made her happier; she was okay with living her whole life in ignorant bliss or pretending Torrance was just vacationing in some country full of ancient culture.

But she knew that there would be an answer. And there was no way that the answer was a good one.

It was one day before the Greengrass' party when Astoria's father told her. Her mother was also there to comfort her. She was looking out her window, somehow already knowing what had happened.

"…When we found him, he was already gone," he said somberly.

Astoria's breath was shaky as she looked on at the horizon.

"Sweetheart…?" came her mother's voice.

Astoria turned around, not crying, but giving the smallest smile that did not reach her eyes.

"We have a party to prepare for."

"Astoria, you don't have to-" started her father, but she interjected softly.

"I want to."

And that was that. It was almost like a sigh of relief, really. Astoria felt a great weight lift off of her shoulders after her father told her that Torrance had died in Azkaban. But did Torrance really leave her? Every time she thought of him since he left, he must have been there with her. She could feel his presence in some weird way. She could almost hear him scoff at her placing a navy blue centerpiece by the black curtains. She could just picture him throwing all her dresses on the floor with her while she found the perfect one for the night's festivities.

It was the first time in years that she wasn't afraid to talk to guests about Torrance Blood and what an amazing wizard he was.