Sweets: The Tale of Astoria Greengrass

The Circle Dance

That evening, Astoria was forcibly Apparated from the Parkinson Palace to the Greengrass Manor. Queenie waited on the front porch for them, when they appeared right within the large gates that towered over the Greengrass estate.

"There you are!" Queenie embraced Astoria, and paid no mind to Daphne, who moved all the luggage away. "Rhys made a good bit of food for us all!"

Astoria smiled, happy to see her mother the way she used to be. She clung to this version of Queenie Selwyn, who was bubbly and maternal, and not nearly as vain and depressed as she had been only half a year before.

"Thanks, Mum," Astoria said. "How have you been getting along?"

"Alright," Queenie said. "Your father, after all this time, finally decided to write me."

"Really?" Astoria blinked. "How. . . Nice."

"Waldorf wrote one for you and one for Daphne, as well," Queenie said. "Didn't Daffy tell you?"

Astoria shook her head.

"Well, she must've been saving it as a surprise," Queenie said. "You'll have to tell me all about the wedding! Every last detail! It really is too bad you went ill with your malediction again!"

"Right," Astoria said, her heart sinking. Daphne hadn't told her. She turned to the azalea bushes and vomited in them. Queenie pulled out her wand and Vanished them.

"Are you alright?" Queenie asked.

"I'm fine, I always get nauseous," Astoria assured her. It wasn't Apparition that had turned her stomach. Heart pounding, she played with her hands, and glanced down at them as she followed her mother inside.

The familiarity of Greengrass Manor allowed for relief to wash over her. A smile melted onto her face at the sight of the halls she'd grown up in.

She sat down in the sitting room, and waited. As she did so, Queenie sat down beside her, and leaned in conspiratorially.

"It sounded like there was a bit of a scandal at the wedding," Queenie said, a bubbly smile on her face. "Care to tell me about it?"

Astoria gulped, as the reality of it all set in. She looked down to her hands and said nothing for a moment. Then. . .

"Draco Malfoy told everyone, that he thought I loved him," Astoria said. "And the thing is, he was right. And he and Pansy broke off the marriage because of me."

"But does he love you?" Queenie asked, her features surprisingly soft and supportive. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder.

"I don't know yet," Astoria said. "He cares for me. And I don't love him, not exactly, but if he gave me the chance, I would. So I guess I will."

Queenie nodded. "Then that's all that matters."

"Why are you being so nice about this?" Astoria asked. "Why aren't you making a fuss about the Greengrass and Selwyn family names?"

Queenie hesitated a moment before answering. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. About being a mother, a wife, and a witch. I realize now how much time I've wasted being selfish and living through you girls. Never truly being a good mother. I can't change the past, and I know we don't have much time left, before I join your father in Azkaban. But I can try to make things better. And one thing is supporting your choices."

Astoria blinked, taken aback by her mother's surprising selflessness.

"I—I can't believe it," Astoria said, as tears trickled down her cheeks. She embraced her mother. "I know you tried. I know I wasn't easy."

"You were never a problem," Queenie said. "I was just too busy trying to live out my young days I never realized that there was so much more to my life waiting to be lived."

The two witches embraced each other and cried with reconciliation and forgiveness.

"I'll miss you, when you leave," Astoria said.

"I will, too," Queenie said.

"I love you," Astoria said.

"I love you more," Queenie said.

When Astoria returned to Hogwarts, she was immediately greeted by Alice and Luca. Alice embraced her.

"I heard what happened during Easter holiday," Alice said. "Celia-Laura and her gang have all been talking about you in the common room— I'm so sorry, about everything. I never knew about you and Malfoy— I should've been there for you, I should've been your friend."

"I should've understood what a hard time you were having," Astoria said, embracing her back. "I should've helped more."

"To add my two Knuts, we shouldn't have kept third-wheeling you," Luca said awkwardly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I forgive you," Astoria said. "I always have."

"It just sort of happened one day," Alice said as she and Astoria broke away. "I realized how far away we were, and I realized how much was my fault."

"I don't care as long as we're friends now," Astoria said.

Alice nodded, as did Luca.

"We'll be with you every step of the way," Luca promised.

"Best get into the Slytherin common room, face the day, then," Astoria said. Both of her closest friends took her hands, and they entered the Slytherin dungeon together.