Astoria Greengrass had many dreams. When she was young, she had always loved fashion, but never wanted to be a model. To her, clothing and style was what defined individuals, cultures, and time periods. It spoke to her, and she felt she could learn a lot about the word through it. She did not simply want to wear clothes, but she wanted to study them. Despite being sick, she told herself when she finished at Hogwarts, she would go to journalism school and write about people and they clothes they wore.
But now, she could barely lift the magazines she loved so much. All of the applications she had sent in to various journalism programs that had been conditionally accepted contingent on her health getting better had been removed after the Greengrass name had been marked as traitors to Voldemort's Ministry.
She didn't dwell on that though, she still had Draco and Daphne, the two people she would always fight forq. And she had fought hard for them since the beginning. If it wasn't for her, they would all be lost.
When Draco went missing in her world, she begged her father to tell her where he was, but he remained tight lipped. Fear plagued her, as she assumed that he had died in battle. It wasn't until she had overheard a conversation between her father and Bellatrix Lestrange that she discovered he was being held in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. They spoke of him like he was an animal, but all Astoria could focus on was that he was alone and afraid.
That night, she snuck out of the Greengrass estate and made her way to him, finding the crying boy she once knew chained to the stone floor in the basement of his home. It was his home, because it could fall to no one else.
Physically, he was so different, and Astoria gasped, believing she had stumbled upon his ghost. Blood was caked under his fingernails and dried in his white hair. His once bright blue eyes looked so dull in the darkness.
"Tori, stay away from me!" he yelled at her between sobs. "I don't want to hurt you."
The tiny witch, only sixteen at the time, squeezed her way between the bars of his cell and ran to him. She threw her arms around his cold body, and the only fear she felt was that he would freeze to death.
"You're not going to hurt me, Draco," she whispered to him, pulling off her own sweater and wrapping it around his torso.
Astoria stayed with him for weeks, refusing to leave his side. Even when he became hungry, she merely stepped outside the bars and waited until someone came to feed him. She held him as he cried, and she cried alongside him. It took a while until Daphne felt comfortable enough to join them. After that, they convinced Cornelius that he wasn't a danger, and he removed his chains and allowed him to roam the manor freely.
As the war progressed, she noticed that Draco would be gone for long periods, not knowing where he was, but hoping that he was safe. It was only rumors she heard of Draco's rampages in the battlefield, and how ruthless he was. She believed them, but she never faulted Draco. If they had seen him chained to the floor, alone and scared, they wouldn't have either.
Daphne nearly enlisted to fight in the war too, until Draco stopped her. Cornelius had urged her not to, but Daphne would disobey his command. She felt it was her duty as the oldest Greengrass heir that she would climb the ranks and receive the Dark Mark, just like her father.
"To protect Astoria," Daphne told Draco, almost begging.
"I'll protect her, Daph. I will protect the both of you," he said, firmly, rattling both of the Greengrasses at their core.
However, Astoria felt like she didn't need to be protected. Between the three of them, she felt as if she was the most stable. Physically, perhaps not, but mentally, she was the strongest of them. At the end of the day, they needed her much more than she needed them.
Astoria felt as though she could be alone for the rest of her life and be content, as long as she had some magazines and a sewing machine to keep her busy.
But she was there because people needed her in some way. And as tired as she was, she kept going.
Daphne though, needed her less and less. Theodore was occupying more of her time and caring for her in a way that was less demanding on Astoria, which she was grateful for. Daphne also had friends, many Astoria had brought together to keep each other company during the tumultuous wartime. The book club was a great distraction for Daphne, and it took much of the emotional burden off Astoria's shoulders.
On the other hand, it was more difficult for Draco. He had become more withdrawn as the war raged on. Astoria knew it was because of how hard he worked to gain favor with Voldemort and end the war. The friends he had all but disappeared, leaving only Astoria for him to cling to.
That was until Hermione came along.
Hermione, in Astoria's opinion, was the opposite of what Draco had become infatuated with in the past. She even recalled him loathing Hermione Granger when they were in school because of her blood status and friendship with Harry Potter. Astoria had never been fond of any of Draco's previous girlfriends. They were all mean, bratty, and used him for his money. Worst of all, she felt disrespected by them.
All of the girls in the past had been under the assumption that Draco and Astoria were happily married and that they were hidden mistresses, thinking that she was too stupid to know or realize.
Draco had a type too, all of his flings had runway bodies. Tall and thin with sharp features, and of course, pure-blooded.
So when a muggle-born witch who was as sweet as a chocolate frog and as cute as a button came into their home, Astoria became nervous about her longevity. She feared that Draco would become annoyed or disinterested and Hermione would be tossed in some prison or be made a meal of.
To her surprise, Astoria saw him pining for her like he had never done before. She could tell by how he looked at Hermione that he wanted her. When she saw him hold her to his chest, she knew he was in over his head, she just didn't know if he knew it yet.
And even after months, they were still at each other's throats. Astoria assumed it was just underlying sexual tension, but she knew Draco was still doing things to hurt her. Killing her friends, taking her to be tortured, forcing her to be in their home. Astoria felt guilty, because Draco was doing these things that hurt Hermione to protect her.
A knock came at her door, and Astoria sat up in her bed and watched Twinkle slowly walk to open it. Twinkle let the door open enough for Astoria to see Theodore standing in the hall. His curly, soft brown hair was pushed behind his ears, and he wore a grin that made Astoria smile back.
"Brought you some lunch, Tori. Hungry?" he asked, holding up a tray of food.
"Starving," she lied. She wasn't hungry at all, she hadn't felt hungry in a while, but she ate because she needed to.
"Good, its your favorite. Pumpkin soup. Made it myself, with Tappy's help of course."
When Thedore set the tray down for Astoria, Twinkle came and observed it carefully. "Tappy makes the pumpkin soup too strong for Lady Malfoy. Twinkle can already tell it has too much spice by the color," the old house elf scolded.
"It looks perfect," Astoria said, spooning the soup into her mouth. It tasted perfectly to her, because Theodore and Tappy made it, despite it being too salty for her liking. "Tastes amazing, Teddy."
Theodore kissed the top of her head and then sat in the chair next to her. Though his demeanor was joyful, he looked tired. There were burns that crawled up his arms, and he had a fresh scratch across his left cheek.
"What's new in witch fashion?" he asked, picking up the magazine she had sitting next to her.
"Petticoats are coming back, can you believe it? It's like we're reverting back to the dark ages," Astoria sighed dramatically and laughed. "Where's Daph at?"
"She's working on some more applications right now in her study. Do you want me to get her?"
"No, let her work. She should have Hermione look over them though, I think it would really help."
Daphne had a brief stint in law school abroad in Germany, but as Astoria's condition worsened, she quit and came home. That's around the time when she considered enlisting in the war, but ended up being Astoria's primary caretaker. Over the recent years, she had been attempting to attend a law school somewhere within Apparation distance, but also dealt with being labeled a traitor of the Ministry.
"She would rather burn every handwritten cover letter than let Hermione critique her work," Theodore laughed. "She's stubborn, but at least she's stopped referring to her as 'the mudblood.'"
"Have you heard from them yet?" Astoria asked.
"No, but sometimes no news is good news. They're probably too busy snogging, they've only been gone for two days."
"I'm just worried about Hermione. What if something happens to her?"
"I think she'd be able to kill every one of those vampires before they even get their hands on her," Theodore assured. "Plus, she has to come back alive. I like her, and I think Draco would go batshit if she was gone."
Astoria giggled, "That's quite true, isn't it? I think they'll be good together when the war is over."
Theodore opened his mouth to say something, but held back. Astoria knew it would be something practical, saying that in any scenario of the war ending, it would be difficult for Hermione and Draco to have a good outcome. Astoria knew that fact, they've been sworn enemies since childhood, but it didn't hurt to play pretend with a dying witch.
"He cares for her a lot, like how he cares for you and Daph. Hell, she's the best thing that's happened to him in a while, but it seems like the opposite for her."
"I hope things change. I'm just glad he has her, like how Daph has you. I know you'll take good care of her when I'm gone."
"You're not goin' anywhere, Tori. Besides, I need your help with something."
Astoria raised an eyebrow, "What's that, Teddy?"
Theodore set a small box on the tray in front of her and she quickly opened it. A gasp escaped her as she saw a modestly sized ring with a beautiful marquise shaped diamond set in the center of a silver band. Tears began to fill her eyes.
"Theodore Nott, it's beautiful," she whispered. It was nothing in comparison to what the Malfoy's or Greengrasses could afford, but the Nott family wasn't as well off as them, and Teddy worked hard for every penny he had.
"I think we'll need plenty of help with the planning, Daph will need someone to bring her back to earth when she starts racking up the bill. I'm not letting Draco pay a dime. What do you say?" he asked, holding her hand. "Do I have your blessing to ask her to marry me?"
Astoria looked at the handsome wizard who she had known for most of her life. He had helped her when she was at her lowest, and loved her sister unconditionally. Theodore Nott was kind, and had always stayed kind despite the Dark Mark tattooed into his flesh. She had seen him fall head over heels for Daphne, his heart break when she left for Germany, and their rekindled flame when she returned.
"Teddy, of course you have my blessing."
His already big grin grew, "You're the best of us all, Astoria Greengrass."
Though he said that often, she knew that wasn't true. Astoria felt that she could be selfish, vain, and ignorant. She used her illness in her favor to get things that she wanted, and she knew exactly how to pry on other's feelings. Those facts alone made her believe that she wasn't a good person, just getting by like the rest of them.
Theodore told her his plans to propose once Draco and Hermione were back, and Astoria already in her head was planning an extravagant dinner out surrounded by their friends. After hanging out for a good bit of time talking and gossiping, he left her to rest, kissing her cheek before leaving.
The soup had revitalized her, she had only a few bites, but felt a little stronger. When she could move about the castle on her own, she always took the chance to. Plus, it was always nice to visit the portraits in the house and have some alone time with them.
For an hour she sat with her mother and father. She watched as they whispered and laughed together, sharing a dance and kisses occasionally. It brought her joy to see them immortalized at their happiest, as the last moments she saw the both of them were horrific.
The last she saw her mother, she was completely wasted away in bed. Her thin body was colorless, her cheekbones were hollow, and she was unrecognizable. Astoria had nightmares of seeing her mother's corpse standing over her while she laid in bed.
The last she saw her father, Draco was gutting him slowly, pulling out his organs and throwing them onto the ground. Cornelius just whispered to him that it was okay, and to keep going as the Dark Lord commanded, desperate for his three children to remain safe despite his mistakes.
Astoria and Draco were wed in the Ministry with her father's blood still on his hands.
It was her first and only kiss she had ever had. It was short and superficial, a showcase that told everyone that she was under his protection. After her mother died and dealing with that grief, she became more sickly. Due to that, she had never really dated or even left the house. Then, she married Draco.
Draco had always encouraged her to explore her options in the dating scene. He had even tried to set her up on some dates with a few of his friends he had in the past. But they never seemed to interest her.
They never interested her, because they weren't who she wanted.
Astoria had eyes for someone, but she knew they'd never love her back. And after she had discovered their betrayal, she knew for a fact that it could only exist in her dreams.
Astoria was in love with Pansy Parkinson.
Pansy had sat by her bedside, helped her flip pages in her books and magazines, brought her favorite sweets, and listened to her. She was beautiful in every way to Astoria. Her smile never failed to make her blush and the way she held her hand made her heartbeat faster.
And yes, even with the horrific stories she had heard of Pansy on the battlefield, Astoria still made excuses for it. She was just a girl, forced to fight for her life in a war their fathers began. If Astoria hadn't been so sick, she may have ended up in the same path.
But learning that after all this time, Pansy was lusting after Draco, Astoria couldn't help but feel jealousy and anger. How could she not have seen it? Was she really as naïve as everyone painted her out to be?
She was full of anger and sadness, but she never let it show. At the end of the day, it wasn't worth it to her to express these foolish emotions. She was dying, and the fleeting moments she had with the people she cared about were precious.
Even though Pansy would never love her back, she still wanted her around because she made her feel seen. Friendship would have to be enough for Astoria, and so she would hide every ounce of sadness away if that meant she could be with her friend.
After waving goodbye to her parents, she made her way to Draco's wing of the manor into his study. There waiting, above his large oak desk, was Narcissa Malfoy. She smiled warmly at Astoria as she took a seat in Draco's large chair.
The only one who knew Astoria's deepest secrets was the portrait of Narcissa. They were close, even before she had passed on, with Narcissa even being called 'Auntie Cissa' by both Greengrass girls when they were young. Astoria knew that it wasn't really her, but sometimes, it felt real enough.
"Hi Auntie Cissa," Astoria beamed.
"Hello, my sweet girl," the portrait replied.
Astoria smirked, as if she was revealing a big secret to someone who would tell another soul. "Teddy is finally proposing to Daph."
"About time." Narcissa smiled, revealing a silver bottom tooth among her pearly white ones.
"And Draco's off with Hermione again," Astoria said in a sing-songy voice, spinning herself slightly in the chair.
"He talks about her often here. Pretends like he's annoyed, but I think he's putting up a front."
"They both are, it's quite cute but sometimes I think it can get very vicious. She screams that she hates him a lot."
"Does he deserve for that to happen?"
"Most times, I think yes. But I think she mainly says it to convince herself she does."
Narcissa laughed and shook her head. "And how are you feeling, my sweet girl?"
Astoria sighed and slumped onto the desk, using her arms to pillow her head on the hard surface. Trying to formulate words in her head to explain to Narcissa how she was feeling. She had all the time in the world to, it was just the two of them here.
As she leaned on the desk, she felt a slight vibration. Unsure of what it was, she started to curiously open the drawers of Draco's desk until she found the source. She moved papers and trinkets around until she felt the hum behind a small hidden panel.
When she opened it, she was surprised to find a coin. It was warm in her hand and vibrated slightly. It looked as if it was a simple galleon, but she noticed that the numbers on the edge represented today's date.
Being bedridden for most of her life, she had gotten quite good at puzzles. It was all of the brain teasers in the magazines that she had gotten proficient at code breaking and noticing subtleties of hidden messages.
"What's this?" she asked the portrait.
Narcissa turned her head away from her, not answering the question. That was fine to Astoria, she knew that Narcissa didn't reveal things she wasn't allowed to, that's how she had trusted her with so many of her own secrets.
Astoria studied the coin deeply, looking at the numbers and words engraved carefully. It had the date, a time that would be within the next hour, and what she could tell were some set of coordinates. As she looked at the coin, it became warmer and warmer in her hand.
Another one of Draco's little secrets he held away from her, but that didn't mean she couldn't stumble upon it by chance, right?
If she brought Twinkle with her, they could Apparate there, and if it looked sketchy, they could leave immediately. On top of that, when was the last time Astoria afforded herself a little fun outside the manor? A little sister's curiosity was always one of the more dangerous forms of curiosity to have.
Astoria giddily made her way to her room where Twinkle was organizing large stacks of magazines. Twinkle did not seem very keen on Astoria's stealth mission, but couldn't object. Astoria dressed herself in what she knew would be an unassuming outfit. A dark shirt and pants with simple boots.
"I'm ready," she told the house elf with a smile, holding on to her wrinkled hand.
With a snap, Astoria felt the tugging sensation and before she knew it, her feet were planted on the rotting wood floor of a barn. She smelt old hay and the lingering scent of farm animals.
"Who the fuck is this?" She looked up to see a red haired man in a flannel.
Next to him was a man with bright green eyes behind thick glasses, both of their wands were drawn. The iconic scar was a dead giveaway to who he was.
"You're… Harry Potter," Astoria gasped.
The Chosen One looked at her, a concerned expression on his face. "And who are you?"