Summary: Not all Slytherins were planning to join forces with the Dark Lord. Daphne Greengrass was one of them, and so she tells her sister.
Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: Substance Abuse
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 1
Completed: Yes
Word count: 2020
Read: 1836
Published: 10/11/09
Updated: 10/20/09
Story Notes:
This is more like a companion one-shot to my chaptered fic A Marriage Made at Hogwarts. I just wanted to provide a glimpse to my version of Daphne and Astoria.
Thanks to Apurva (DracoGurlFurever) for betaing it for me. [hugs]
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT J.K. Rowling.
1. Chapter 1 by hestiajones
Astoria was waiting for Daphne at the girls’ toilet on the second floor.
“Late as usual,” she muttered to herself. Why her sister wanted to talk to her now, and only now, was a wonder to her. It was nearing curfew. Astoria, being a Prefect, could not afford to get caught by anyone. And, of course, the fact that she was a pure-blood would work in her favor; the Carrows weren’t too keen on cursing pure-bloods except some who were resisting their reign.
Then again, Daphne was a seventh year Slytherin. No one would dare harm her.
She heard quick footsteps approaching the bathroom and looked up, hoping to see her sister.
It wasn’t Daphne.
“Orla! What’re you doing out here at this hour?”
It was Orla Quirke, a fourth-year at her house. “Whoa! You surprised me. Also, I could ask you the same question,” she said with a grin.
“Why would anyone come to a bathroom?” asked Astoria in response, in what she hoped was an indifferent voice.
“Same question again.” Orla laughed. She seemed to be enjoying her own wittiness.
“Alright, well…just…try and get into the common room quickly. Curfew starts in forty-five minutes.”
Orla came out of her cubicle a minute later. “What about you? You sound as though you’re planning to stay here for some time…”
“Do I?” she asked calmly, although she was nervous inside. She didn’t want anyone to find out she was talking to her sister in private, away from prying eyes. The other Ravenclaws sympathized with Harry Potter’s resistance. She did, too, but people generally did not believe her because she had a sister in Slytherin - a Slytherin who was in the same year as Draco Malfoy and his cronies “ and as such whatever she did was generally subject to suspicion.
“If you’re meeting some boy in Moaning Myrtle’s toilet, you can just tell me to clear out, you know. There’s no need to act like you aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t be doing.” Orla walked away, chuckling to herself.
Astoria started breathing again. Orla was talkative, but not gossipy. She hoped the other girl wouldn’t mention what the Prefect had been up to.
Two minutes later, Daphne walked in. “Ria!” She pulled her younger sister into a hug. “I’ve missed you.”
Astoria disentangled herself gently. “You didn’t call me out for this, Nee.”
Daphne laughed, choosing to ignore the impatience in her sister’s tone. “’Course I did. We haven’t seen each other for a while, after all.”
Astoria rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Since we’re not studying in the same school.”
“Oh! Stop being so sarcastic, darling. Don’t you ever fancy having a chat with your sister?”
She pointed her wand at a spacious windowsill and muttered “Scourgify!”. Then, she settled herself comfortably.
Astoria raised an eyebrow. “Curfew starts in thirty five minutes, Nee.”
“You’re a Prefect.”
“I’m not going to abuse my power. And, besides, what about you?”
“My dear, no student’s going to hand out detention to a Slytherin these days. You know that.” She took out a cigarette, lit it with her wand, and took a casual drag. A dull, green smoke issued from her lips.
Astoria watched her sister silently, resentment building in her chest. “I can’t believe you’re taking advantage of the students’ fear.”
“Ria,” began Daphne wearily, “I’m doing it because it is useful for many things, such as this meeting of ours. But I never do it to hurt others.”
“But your pals are doing it to torture younger students, aren’t they? Crabbe was caught using the Cruciatus Curse on a Gryffindor first-year because he knew the student wouldn’t dare complain against him.”
“For the last time, Ria, they’re not my pals.” Daphne was getting irritated now. “How many times do I have to tell you that? We may be in the same year, but we are not friends.”
“This from the person who is often seen with Blaise Zabini, of all people-”
“Zabini,” cut in Daphne, “may hang around with them, but he has not joined their league.”
“So you and he are alike, then!” cried Astoria nastily.
“Yes, we are.” It was a statement made without any regret, embarrassment or falsehood. “What? Don’t look at me like that. Blaise and I share common interests, and we’re almost getting to the friends mode.”
“Almost? Almost? You kissed him, didn’t you? Don’t deny it.”
“I didn’t really plan to.” Daphne was still calmly smoking. “He’s awfully attractive.”
“Okay, then. Whose side are you on? You’re not going to go Muggle-hunting, but neither are you going to help those who are fighting You-Know-Who?”
“I am on no one’s side.”
“Then what are you going to do if a battle eventually occurs right here in front of you?”
“Wait and watch,” Daphne replied coolly.
Astoria was close to apoplexy. “What is it you wanted to talk about, anyway?”
“What’s the hurry?”
“I’m a Prefect. I’ve got my responsibilities.”
“Plus, you don’t want to be seen with your Slytherin sister,” added Daphne, with a sly grin.
Astoria blushed. “I- that’s not true.”
Daphne smiled at her. “No good, Ria. You’ve been avoiding me ever since term started. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Astoria shook her head furiously. “It isn’t like that. I- I’ve been busy with Prefect duties, OWLs-”
“Is that why you ran away that day?”
“Which day?” asked Astoria defiantly, although she knew what her sister was talking about immediately.
“You were standing with your Ravenclaw friends. Then, you saw me coming down the corridor, waving to you, and you disappeared so swiftly I could have sworn you Disapparated.”
“I had class.”
Daphne sighed. She took another long drag. “Ria, don’t keep denying it. I’m not angry with you.”
Astoria was about to deny it again, but the second sentence stopped her. They stayed silent for a few seconds.
“Why aren’t you angry with me? I’m your sister. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I’m not angry because you’re doing the right thing.”
Astoria waited for her sister to elaborate.
“Well, I’d gladly let my voice crack trying to convince you that I’m not chums with Draco and his sidekicks, but I am not going to announce that to the whole school. There are two reasons for that. First of all, I’ve no intention of turning them against me. Secondly, I don’t give a damn what the rest of the school thinks of me. They may drown in their speculations, for all I care. As long as I’m not involved with anything those Death-Eater-wannabes do, no one can publicly accuse me of anything. Still, it’s better that you stay away from me. At least the Ravenclaws will spare you all the unwanted attention.”
Astoria didn’t know what to feel - love her sister for being considerate or hate her for being so coldly calculating?
“I can’t believe you are saying this, Nee.”
Daphne was beginning to lose her patience. “What can’t you believe, Ria? I don’t like it myself, okay? I love you. You’re the only person in this damn school that I trust and care about. I’d do anything for your safety, even if it means I’ve to stay away from you.”
Astoria didn’t say anything for a while. Then, she finally spoke. “Is it really necessary?”
“IT IS!” cried Daphne. “And that is what I came to talk to you about. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What?” asked Astoria, taken aback by the abrupt change in topic. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not thinking of joining them, are you?” asked Daphne.
“Who?”
“Corner, Patil, Goldstein, and Boot. The resistance group they’re running with Longbottom, Finnigan, Patil, Brown, MacMillan, Abbott, Bones- you know who I’m talking about!” Daphne’s cigarette was dangling between her fingers. She had forgotten about it.
Astoria thought about denying it, but anger got the better of her. “And what if I am? It is better than sitting and doing nothing, pretending that the world is rosy-”
Daphne was furious. “You do know what happened to the Lovegood girl, don’t you? Do you want the same end? Do you want to break Ma’s heart?”
Astoria was shocked. “You didn’t tell her!”
“I did.” Daphne said, glaring at her sister. “You can expect a letter from her - although, of course, she will be sending it to me. After all, Slytherins’ letters are the only ones that are not being searched by the Carrows.”
Astoria was irate. “I hate you! I hate you, and You-Know-Who, and all your stinking Slytherins!”
“Quiet!” hissed Daphne. Someone was walking down the corridor. She abruptly got up, Vanished her unfinished cigarette, and went to the door of the toilet.
“Draco!”
“Daphne!” replied a drawling voice Astoria instantly hated. The entire school - excluding the Slytherins, the Headmaster and the Carrows - loathed and feared him. He was rumored to have been there in the tower the night Professor Dumbledore had died. All the students were saying that he was a Death Eater.
Daphne held out a hand behind her back, as if warning Astoria not to show her face.
“Prefect duties, eh?”
“No. I just- I just fancied a walk.” His voice sounded distant.
“Oh! This is a girl’s toilet though, so- no trespassing,” joked Daphne.
“Yeah… I’ll just…get going. See you?”
“Yeah.”
The sound of the footsteps died away.
“That was close!” said a relieved Daphne.
“I am not scared of him,” said Astoria angrily. “I’m a Prefect too - one who goes to meetings and performs her patrolling duties, whereas he has never shown his ugly, pale face to a single meeting.”
Daphne raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Such passion! I should have introduced you to him.”
“What do you mean?” asked Astoria, her voice becoming dangerous.
“You clearly have a crush on him.” Daphne started laughing.
“Silencio!” cried Astoria and Daphne’s laughter was gone. However, the next second, Astoria’s wand flew out of her hand. Daphne caught it elegantly.
“Non-verbal spells are dead handy,” informed Daphne. She did not look at all angry. “However, I think I’ll keep your wand safely in my pocket till we are done for the night.”
“What are you two doing here?” asked a long-suffering voice. Both of them turned towards the toilets. A pearly-white ghost was floating in front of them, her eyes narrowed.
“Moaning Myrtle, how are you this evening?” asked Daphne, with mock concern.
“I asked you a question.”
“And you didn’t answer mine,” replied Daphne, taunting the easily-upset ghost.
Astoria intervened. She didn’t need to hear Moaning Myrtle’s moaning tonight. “Myrtle, this is a girls’ toilet. We came to use it.”
Moaning Myrtle turned to her. “Then you can go, now that you are done. I am waiting for someone.”
The two sisters were genuinely surprised. “Who?” they asked, at the same time.
“None of your business,” replied Moaning Myrtle sniffily. “Only, it’s a boy, so you have to leave.” A silvery blush was appearing on her cheek.
“URGH!” said Daphne loudly. “Let’s go, Ria. I don’t want to have nightmares full of ghosts trying to snog and passing through each other’s jaws instead.”
They turned to go.
“It isn’t a ghost,” said Moaning Myrtle. “It’s a boy - a very handsome boy. I’m the only one who understands him, you know.”
Astoria stopped. “Wait! I’ve got to know if someone’s breaking curfew for a date, even if it’s with a ghost.”
Daphne rolled her eyes to the heavens and pulled her away. “No need to get so insecure, Ria. I’m sure she didn’t mean Draco Malfoy.”
End Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.