Competition/Challenge Block:
Written for/Stacked with: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 12); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 3)
House: Ravenclaw

Term (Assignment): Term 13 - Assignment 4
Subject (Task): Survival Skills Task 2 (Write about someone making a change in their life.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: IPC: 939. [Make or Break]; 365 [101. Faint]; Auction 20-3 [Astoria Greengrass]; Pick a Wick [21. Oak Moss: [Emotion] Calm]; Build A Breakfast [33. Walnuts: [Word] Conclusion]; Writing Month

Word Count: 1,637

Summary: Astoria hated secrets, and she especially hated that she kept one of her family's biggest secrets from someone she really cares for. It was time to change that.

Rated: K

Genre: General

Warning Tag: References Chronic/Terminal Illness

Make or Break

Astoria wasn't sure when her heart decided it had fallen for Draco, but she fell quite hard anyway. Even among the wreckage the war left behind for the survivors to pick up after. The Greengrasses were one of the few who dived head first into the relief efforts and rebuilding programs in order to help restore the magical world to its better, brighter future.

Helen Greengrass was an excellent healer. She took her practice and her oath very seriously and made sure the same core values were taught to her daughters. Morpheus Greengrass possessed similar traits, being an Unspeakable had him more reserved and stealthy in his ways, but his methods were effective, precise, and to the point.

It molded Daphne and Astoria into who they were. They didn't care about pointless things like their bloodline holding superiority to their magical abilities. Being able to see through the political hogwash a lot of their peers parroted from their parents made it easy for them to choose their friends. Though the Greengrasses were well respected by those around them on the surface, it didn't come with a layer of disdain and jealousy.

Astoria knew loving someone like Draco wasn't going to be easy, and her family had cautioned her in her decision to pursue him, but supported her choice anyway. When a Greengrass set their sights on something, they never give up until all respectable options are exhausted, after all. And that is what she did.

Of course, she knew her family was far from transparent as they appeared to be on the surface, they had their own secrets to harbor, much to Astoria's dislike. It was treated as an embarrassment, a black on an otherwise spotless heritage. A bloodborne curse that had been dormant for almost four generations now was no longer going to be a tool for entrapment, a weapon for guilt and pity, a shameful secret.

Doing a twirl in front of the floor length mirror a fina time, she took in her mint green dress. It was her eighteenth birthday today, and Draco had kindly asked her parents if he could take her for the afternoon before the pre-planned evening party. She suspected he had something special planned, but she was going to beat him to it. He had a right to know what he was getting himself into, and being rejected would be understandable if it came from him after.

She wiped invisible tears from her eyes, taking a collective breath to calm herself. A velvet pouch sat on the top of the vanity in front of her, concealing a jade infused ring that was once her mother's grandfather's. Astoria planned to present it to Draco, and was prepared to accept whatever his answer would be.

"I am ready."

Dizzy appeared then, bowing low. "Master Malfoy is in the foyer, Young Miss."

Astoria gave herself a nervous smile, grabbed the velvet pouch and her handbag where she placed it, and turned to regard Dizzy.

"Thank you, Dizzy. Would you take me to him, please?"

She took the marble-colored hand of her house elf and felt the pull of magic sweep them downstairs.

She met the steel-grey eyes with a confident smile. Thanking Dizzy, she offered her hand out to Draco, who accepted it and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

"Beautiful as always, 'Stori," he said.

Astoria admired him for a moment as well, noticing that he was wearing the silver tie she gifted him on his own eighteenth birthday. It reminded her of the stuffy coming-of-age parties she had attended, his included, but his was thankfully more special than the others since it was when she officially became acquainted with Draco during it.

"You are quite dashing yourself," Astoria replied, noticing the sparkle of his eyes. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

Draco side-along apparated to the apparition point in Diagon Alley where they quietly slipped out into muggle London from the Leaky Cauldron. It was a special thing they did to get away from their world from time to time. The pub they favourited appeared before they knew it, and they were soon settled in at the booth near the back that overlooked the for in the road. The park where Astoria had first cracked Draco's facade, revealing how broken and hurt he really was in a post-war world. His reality was much different than hers before. Now that the dust has settled and family debts were being paid, their lives have crossed and blended together so much there wasn't a memory without him in it anymore.

"I remember when I first brought you here," Astoria said, lightly gripping his hand that rested on the table. "Everything was so different then."

He gave a curt nod in reply, shifting his gaze to meet hers.

"So much has changed since then, and so have you."

"And yet you've never swayed yourself, and a solid constant I didn't know I needed," Draco stated, a secretive, genuine smile ghosting his lips. "I'd need an eternity in order to give back to you."

Astoria bit her lip, averting her eyes to watch the motorcars drive by. This was happening quicker than she anticipated, and she wasn' sure if she should ease into it or just dive in feet first.

"Some things are deceiving, but you can't blame a siren for their nature, right?"

Draco chuckled, it sounded like music.

"Are you saying you're a siren?"

"Would it change whatever we are calling us?" she asked, ,testing the waters.

He gave a shrug. "Should it?"

"Mm."

"Astoria?"

She turned her attention away from the window and back to Draco, feeling the nerve bubble. "Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes. I mean, it will be, I hope," she stammered.

She saw the worry etch on his face. It was an unusual thing for Astoria to sound so uncertain about something. It was now or never, it seems.

"Remember me telling you that I wanted to know the real you in time, and you have been so willing to do that even though I told you it was completely in your hands."

"Yes," Draco replied slowly.

Astoria took a deep breath. "Well, it is my turn to be honest and open with you. No more secrets.

"My family, we married into a blood curse. It's a long, boring story, but it came from my father's side at some point."

She paused a moment to gauge Draco's reaction and allowed him to process what was just said. He was focused completely on her, absorbing everything.

"Anyway, it's a fickle thing, really. Something that has been dormant for at least three generations. Poor magic on their part."

She was rambling, even though it was true, the curse hadn't shown itself in a while, but the symptoms were already surfacing with her. Astoria first started noticing them two years ago, but she won't get an official diagnosis until after her party.

"So you're saying you're sick?" Draco inquired after a long, quiet spell.

Astoria closed her eyes, trying to not coil into herself at the question.

"I'm saying that, no matter what, I hope you understand why I didn't want to share this with you until it was appropriate. My family wants to pretend it doesn't even exist, but I wanted you to know."

She risked a glance his way, seeing the worried build up behind those gorgeous eyes. Her evasiveness was only making things worse.

"I've developed a couple of symptoms, yes," Astoria finally said, "Fainting spells and uncontrollable shakes. Manageable ones, but still enough to cause concern. I'll be getting tested tonight to confirm it, but I really want you to kno w it was important for you to know regardless of the results."

A long breath escaped her, feeling relieved to have her secret be known to someone she deeply cared about. Now that it was out in the open, she was ready for whatever outcome that came.

"I see."

The silence stretched on, but Astoria wanted to give him time to think about what she said. Their lunch was soon picked through, leaving nothing left for them to occupy themselves with. She grew restless now, avoiding any further mention of the subject. She kept trying to quietly signal for him to say something.

Once the quiet became too much, Astoria got to her feet and offered her hand. "Come with me? Please?"

Draco appeared guarded, almost mirroring his behavior from their very first, albeit unofficial, date. It was that calculating look, the one she knew he'd have. To her, it held some promise. He accepted her hand and she couldn't help but smile. Leading him out of the pud and onto the streets of London. Draco fell into step beside her but continued to hold her hand. He opened his mouth to say something, but she pressed her fingers to her lips, asking him to wait.

When they entered the quiet park, she released his hand moved ahead of him.

"I know that all of this is quite a shock, and I know I should have told you it sooner, but it will take a long time for the illness to claim me." Astoria turned to face him, discreetly pulling the velvet bag out of her handbag in the meantime. "But there is one thing I'm absolutely sure about is I want to spend my life with you, if you'll have me."

She presented the jade infused ring, and the startled and shocked look on Draco's face was satisfying. He stared at the ring in her hand for several seconds, taking in the polished wood grain surrounding the jade band. Astoria heard herself squeak suddenly, being pulled into a hug with Draco unexpectedly. She wrapped her arms loosely around him.

"Only if you'll have me," he whispered in her ear.

Originally Written For:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Monthly Challenges for All

Word Count: 1,637

Originally Written: September 2020