the blood curse: a drastoria fanfiction

confrontation

"a blood malediction was lifelong, debilitating, and sometimes fatal and could be passed on to the descendants of the original victim." 
                                                                                                          - harry potter wiki

Astoria waited until Pansy had left the dining room before talking to Draco again. When the humongous doors had finally swung closed behind the sad girl, Astoria tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"We need to talk."

He looked up from his eggs. "Now?"

Astoria nodded, and he followed her out of the Great Hall.

"What do we need to talk about? Is this about the curse, or -"

"Can you please stop flirting with me?" Astoria blurted out.

Draco's face immediately hardened. "I'm not flirting with you."

"Then why have you been acting so different?" Astoria asked quietly.

"Because I'm concerned about you," he said. Lowering his voice, he added, "you're sick and you refuse to tell anyone."

"Since when do you care? You're Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince! You don't have friends, you have groupies, remember? You hate the world," Astoria continued, "and everyone in it."

"I don't hate you," he said.

"You should. You should hate me because I don't say the word Mublood, hate me because I don't want to be in Slytherin -"

"I don't hate you," he repeated, running a tired hand through his hair. "I keep trying, but I can't."

"Since when did you say things like that?" Astoria shrieked. "Be cold, sarcastic and mean again."

"Why?"

"Because I know what to expect from that Draco. This Draco is a completely different person."

Draco looked hurt. "I don't want to be mean to you," he whispered.

"I - I don't like you," Astoria lied. "Please stop persuing me. Please stop caring about me. It's not how things are supposed to work."

He looked at her for a second and nodded curtly. "Fine."

Clasping his hands behind his back, he reentered the Great Hall. Astoria watched him go, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She'd done the right thing, right?

Then why did it feel so wrong?

•

"He's rebounded already," Pansy whispered scathingly to Astoria the next evening. She'd started talking to Astoria that morning after she realized that there was nothing going on between Draco and her. They were currently sitting in the Great Hall, watching Draco and Millicent at the other end of the Slytherin table.

Astoria almost choked on her roast. "He has?"

Pansy frowned at his back. "Yeah. I'm glad I broke up with him."

Astoria marveled at how confidently her friend told the lie. "I'm glad for you, too," she said lamely and returned to her dinner.