"family for a reason"
"Daphne!" She cried out once she saw the silhouette of her sister in the distance.
At once, her father turned around,his arm wrapped tightly around Daphne's, "how kind of you to join us. I was believing that I would only have one of my faughers, but it appears the whole family is reuinted again."
"What did you do to Theo?" She questioned him, her wand posied.
He scoffed, "that boy got in the way, he was just like his father in that way. It is his fault."
"Is Theo okay?" Daphne said hurriedly, she hadn't had a chance to check on him before her father had grabbed her, all she had heard were his cries of pain. Even as she was moving down the tracks, she could still hear it, part of her even thought she could hear it even now.
Astoria let herself nod, she wasn't entirely sure if he was, but he would be okay, he had to be.
"Your care for others is such a disappointment Daphne, just like your mother." He rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on her arm, "Astoria," he turned to face his youngest, "why even hold a wand when you won't use it?" He grinned, knowing that he was safe, despite the weapon in her hand.
"I will!" She protested, "hurt Daphne and I hurt you."
"You would never, now, please join us. We have much to attend to..."
Astoria questioned him, shivering as the harsh winds flew by her, "such as?"
"Well Astoria, we have many more plans. Once the Lethifolds have been released and purged Hogwarts-"
"Purged?" She cut him off, "like-like the Basilisk?" Her mind went back to the haunted memory of her first year, when she had witness the petrified students, their bodies frozen in time.
"Exactly," he smiled at her, "glad you are finally catching on. Once Hogwarts has been purged, we shall renew it, in the Dark Lords image. All students shall be sorted into Slytherin, as we once were," he nodded at his children. "All as the Dark Lord intended. Those students shall become our army, taught the darkest magic as we rise through the ranks."
"I can see the inspiration from the Durmstrang Institute," Daphne said, wriggling in his grasp. "Pity really..."
Astoria had only heard ill of Durmstrang. Before she had even attended Hogwarts, she knew of it's legacy, a legacy for breeding the darkest of Wizards, those like Gellert Grindlewald. She had heard of the military fashion, the way the students were no more than subjects, barely even human beings under the rule of the Headmaster.
"Hogwarts will never do that, not under McGonagall!" She protested to him, McGonagall would never allow his plan to continue, she would never allow the removal of the House system - neither would the Ministry.
"Ah," he scratched his chin with the tip of his wand, "well isn't it handy that your Headmistress would be otherwise occupied."
"What have you done?" She clutched her wand harder.
"Nothing, as of yet. But your Headmistress will be no challenge to me, not with our army of Lethifolds, and our army of loyal followers waiting in Azkaban. Soon," he sighed, "soon we will free those who were imprisoned by the Ministry, those who share our ideals."
Astoria scoffed at her father, "Death Eaters? You plan on freeing them?"
It seemed impossible. Once, Azkaban had been one of the safest places in the world. It was thought impenetrable, guarded by the most frightening of creatures. However, since the introduction of Kingsley Shacklebolt after the Second Wizarding War, Azkaban was now guarded by Aurors. Clearly, there had been some flaw in this plan.
"I have intended to ever since I escaped," he began, "the Auror security is weak, easy to manipulate, nothing like the Dementor security from the past. Kingsley Shacklebolt created a mess of the system."
"A mess? He stopped the mass breakouts!" She had remembered learning all about it only a few months ago, Shacklebolt was one of the most respected Aurors, already his acheivments had been spoken about by hundreds. "He revolutionised the wizarding prison system!"
Adrian scowled at her, "he got in the way. He placed a target on his back, a target I plan to aim towards. Now, enough of this, come with me, now."
She shook her head, she would not come easily, she wouldn't be defeated by him, "Expelliarmus." Astoria watched as his wand was snatched from his grasp.
"Foolish girl," he smiled. "You believe I need a wand to perform magic?"
She took a step back, his wand now in her hands. "Stupe-"
He cut her off, "Flipendo!"
Astoria fell to the ground, her hands barely able to catch her on the gravel ground. "Shit!" She exclaimed, wiping the gravel off of her hands and rising to a stand.
"Come with me Astoria, we need not fight."
"Let go of Daphne! Then we can talk!" She raised her wands again, pointing both of them directly at him, "I'm not afraid to stop you."
"Oh," he sneered, "I believe you are afraid. I believe you are very afraid Astoria. You know you will die soon, why not die with me? Living a life of luxury, doing what must be done."
Astoria rolled her eyes, "I would rather die!"
Her father tightened his grip on Daphne, causing her to cry out in pain. "Really? The same death as your mother? Let me show you what awaits Astoria, what can be avoided if you join my cause. We can find a cure, a delay, a way to ensure your survival, as long as you agree to join me."
Astoria could feel her defence melting away, her wands lowering. "There is no cure..."
"Not yet, but with time, dark magic can be repelled, it can be siphoned, your life could be prolonged. Let me show you," he took a step forwrds, dropping Daphne to the ground, "Petrificus Totalus."
Daphne fell, paralysed by his side.
"Give me your hand," he instructed her, taking another step closer.
Astoria dropped her wands to her side, "show me how she lived."
"You will see how she died," he took her hand, transporting her into a memory.
Astoria watched on from the edge of the room, her mother laying, frail in the bed. Her eyes were sunk deep within her face, reddened.
"Adrian, please," her voice waivered, so weak it could barely be heard. "Let me see Astoria, let me see Daphne."
"You are too weak, they are too young, their energy could harm you." He placed a hand on her arm, weary of the blackened bruises that ran up it.
"Please," a tear formed in her eye, barely strong enough to fall, "just one alst time." She knew it was her end, she knew her journey ended here. She just craved her children, their sweet smell, one last time.
Reluctantly, Adrian nodded at his wife, motioning to their house-elf, "Dippy, please bring the children."
With a snap, Dippy left the room, returning shortly after with the youthful Greengrass sisters. Astoria smiled at her younger self, she couldn't have been any older than five, so sweet, so blissfully unaware.
"Mummy!" She called out, her younger self clambering up the bed and into her mothers arms.
Daphne snapped at her, "gentle Astoria! Mummy's ill!"
Her mother shook her head, "not for long baby," she stroked their faces with her hands, tracing their soft skin. "Mommy's going to go away soon," the tear in her eye began to fall, Daphne wiping it away.
"Where are you going?" She questioned her.
"I'll be with grandma and grandad, somewhere safe." She tried to smile, but her body couldn't, she simply didn't have the energy.
"Can we come?" Grinned Astoria, taking Daphne's hand in her own, "we haven't seen them in a long time."
Her mother shook he head again, "no baby. It's a special place, for us old people."
"Mummy's silly!" Daphne looked over at her father, who seemed to be sobbing, "she's not old."
"She is," her father cut her off, wiping away his tears, "she's fragile." He looked over at his wife, now locked in a body she didn't belong in. Her collar bones where her wedding dress had once sat, now potruded from her skin, dotted with blues and browns.
"No, mummy can still play with us!" Astoria pressed onto her mothers chest, sitting on her stomach, "let's go and play! Let's go to the beach again mummy!" She inhaled the sweet smell of roses from her mothers chest, "come on mummy." Astoria pulled at her arm.
"Stop!" Her fathers voice was harsh, cutting through the air. "She can't come out and play! She can't!"
Astoria gulped, removing her hands from her mothers chest, revealing new pinkish bruises in the shape of her hands. "Mummy! I hurt you!" She began to sob, her father quickly pushing her away and sweeping her off of the bed.
"Astoria, what have you done?" He screamed at the child, scolding her.
Daphne took her sisters hand, "she didn't mean to mummy."
"No no," her mother protested, "it's okay Astoria, give mummy a kiss you two." She beckoned them over with just her fingers, using all the strength she could muster.
Her father cut her off, stopping her in motion. "No!" With each of his arms, he grabbed a child, pulling them forcefully away from their weak mother. "Don't touch her again!"
Astoria began to sob, tears forming in Daphne's eyes. "Please," they pleaded, longing for one last moment with their mother.
"Dippy," her father roared, "take them away. Take them away!"
The world around her faded away as Astoria was brought back to the train tracks, her lips parted in shock.
"You saw how ill she was, she could barely speak, and you two killed her." Her father spat at her, "you two are the reason she is dead, having children killed her."
"So why do you even want us?" Astoria cried out in response, her eyes filled to the brim with tears.
"She can't have died for nothing!" He retorted with haste, anger dripping from his lips, "she can't have died for nothing." He repeated to himself quietly.
"You denied her of her wishes, she wanted to touch us, to kiss us both one last time..." Astoria held her wand tightly in her hand, it might have still been lowered, but she had to be ready to strike.
Her father took a few steps away from her, closer to where Daphne lay, her body frozen. "Come with me Astoria."
She shook her head, "no." She couldn't. If death were coming, she would welcome it with open arms, whether that be in months or years, Astoria would let it come.
"You leave me no choice then," he lifted his arm, revealing his own wand back in his possession. He stepped backwards, aiming his wand at Astoria "Cruci-"
Astoria gulped, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the pain, but it never came. When she opened her eyes again, her father lay on the ground, stunned with two familar blonde figures behind him: Lucius and Draco Malfoy.