[Harry Potter] Fic: Differences
Title: Differences
Characters/Pairings: Astoria, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Bellatrix/Astoria, Narcissa/Astoria, Draco/Astoria
Word Count: 2,798
Rating: R, for triggery content
Warning: Dub-con. Partner betrayal. Sex (non-graphic).
Summary: She doesn’t know what she’s missing until she has it.
Disclaimer: Not mine! Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Author Notes: Kind of an AU since Bellatrix survived the Battle of Hogwarts. This is for dexstarr as a congratulations gift for finishing all those wonderful fest fics! I know this isn’t what I originally had planned, but it sets it up for what I did want to write. I’m thinking a sequel is in the works! So remind me to get that done for you in December, bb.
The room was sparsely lit, save for a few candles. Astoria shivered in the half-light, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to provide warmth. It was late at night, the moon new and hidden in shadow, any light from the stars filtered by the green velvet of the Lestrange Manor’s curtains. She had moved out of her family’s home a fortnight ago and Bellatrix had provided her the sanctuary she sought.
Her parents had disapproved of her marriage into the disgraced Malfoy family, but she hadn’t conceded to their whims and sought to forge her own path. It was her life and she would walk on her own from now on. Originally, she had planned to stay at the Leaky Cauldron until she married. That plan had been dismissed as soon as Bellatrix Lestrange had shown up looking for her, calling her names that Astoria would rather forget.
Now, days later, she was safe inside the walls of the manor and enjoying the quiet atmosphere belied by the obnoxious doorbell that rang as infrequently as they had guests. Bellatrix’s husband, Rodolphus, was often away for long periods of time and it left them plenty of time to themselves without the added necessity of formal dinners and small talk that dragged on for hours. She enjoyed the expansive library the most, though, preferring to lose herself in a good book than spend cold hours locked away in an unfamiliar room. Books were solid, steady, reassuring; she could stay forever within the well-furnished confines of the Lestrange library.
The problem with her current lifestyle was the loneliness. Bellatrix always refused her attempts at conversation and Astoria wasn’t allowed off the grounds unless it was to see her soon-to-be husband. As Bellatrix had once informed her without biting back the venom of the words, she was nothing but a possession to look after and care for until they could give her away to the highest bidder. Astoria didn’t see what that had to do with anything, Draco loved her - she was sure of it. It seemed unfair that she had to stay cooped up, alone, while her fiancé was running around with his friends of all persuasions. Her own friends had tried time and time again to contact her, but she had been shut off from the outside world. No owl post, no messages from the portraits that should have known her, nothing but the quiet, oppressive silence she was growing to hate.
The loneliness had bled into restless nights and she found herself unable to sleep when darkness fell, scared of something she couldn’t place. Sighing, she realized standing around in the dark would get her no where and opted for a short walk instead. Maybe that would help ease her mind and calm her fears. She pushed away from the window using her hip and deftly strode to the closet, retrieving her night robe before slipping out of her room.
Torches came to light at a human presence, warm and solid, in the hallway. She was thankful for the light, but cursed her luck a moment later when she rounded a bend, just as a door was thrown open and a furious Bellatrix glowered at her. The older woman’s hair was a mess, though it didn’t seem she had just woke up. On the contrary. Her eyes, the darkest blue Astoria had ever known, were wild and alive with anger.
Astoria’s mouth twisted into something bordering on a smirk. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
Bella grabbed her roughly by a wrist and yanked her inside, slamming the door shut behind them. “I’ve had it with you and your insistent whinging, girl!”
Whinging? Me?! Astoria bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something that would prove Bellatrix Lestrange correct in her assumptions. “I was going for a walk,” she explained, nonchalant. She shook off the hand holding her tight and rubbed the sure-to-be bruised skin, fingers dancing against tendons. The motion seemed to entrance the older woman, as she didn’t look away. “Is there something you wanted?” Astoria asked politely, stilling her hands and clasping them behind her back.
Bellatrix bared her teeth in a snarl. “Your whinging,” Astoria gave her a baleful glare, it was not whinging, “is bloody intolerable. If you’re going to be staying here, you will control yourself!” Then she drew her wand before Astoria could react, casting a spell that the younger woman could not hear.
Flashes of memories appeared in front of her eyes. Her first fight with her sister, Daphne, as the older girl pulled at her hair. The day she was Sorted into the one House her family would accept: Slytherin. Draco kissing her on the temple, then the neck, and further down - down until the memory was gone and Bellatrix was retreating from her mind, spell relinquished.
Astoria didn’t remember falling to her knees, but that was where she was now, on the floor before the half-crazed looking Lestrange that stood above her in a gloating fashion. She lifted her chin to meet the older woman’s gaze and slowly stood, refusing to back down. “What did you just do?” she ground out through the bubbling fury in her chest and throat. Her diaphragm felt constricted, making it hard to speak, but she had forced those words to the surface despite the warning bells going off in her head.
If Bellatrix could see into her mind, what was stopping her for seeing everything, taking everything? The horror would have consumed her if Bellatrix hadn’t snorted, leaning forward with narrowed eyes and capturing Astoria’s attention soundly. “Idiot girl,” Bellatrix reached out a hand, toying with a reddish blond lock of hair framing Astoria’s heart-shaped face. “But you’re quite pretty with your guard down.” There was a lewd curve to the other woman’s smile and she was much too close for comfort. “I could teach you have to take care of your mind. For a price.”
Making a sound deep in her throat of disbelief, Astoria pulled away. “Just what do you take me for?”
Bella considered her for a long moment before pushing her up against the closed door. “Someone who wants to live, and live well.” There were teeth sinking into her neck, scraping and scratching and drawing blood to the surface. Astoria went completely still, stiff and uncertain. It was hard to tell if she was dreaming again or if she was living a waking nightmare. “I can help you there.” Two strong hands latched onto strawberry blond hair, tugging, and Astoria winced at the contact. “Just agree and make our days worth while.”
Since there was little choice, Astoria conceded for the moment. She closed her eyes and let emotions rule her. It had been too long since Draco had touched her, and she couldn’t say she minded the attention.
--
Over the next two weeks, they fell into a routine. During the days, Bella was always distant and a slave driver in her efforts to teach Astoria Occlumency. In her spare time, Astoria studied books on Legilimency and the like and Bella had grudgingly approved of her dedication, though the matter was never addressed. During the nights, they retired to one or the other’s bedrooms where things would progress too fast for Astoria to remember in the morning.
Desperate touches, rough kisses, nails sinking into flesh. She would rather not remember, anyway, despite the way her body arched up into the touches, the way she groaned into the kisses, the way she pleaded for more when the pain grew too unbearable.
The training to control her mind affected her control over her actions and Astoria felt more at peace than she had felt in a long time. Not even Draco had instilled the sort of tranquility she now held within her grasp, a soothing rush of thoughts like waves over a slow, rolling ocean. It was enough for her to be content and she could turn her mind away from the desperate loneliness that had been gnawing at her for too long, a dog without a bone.
She had an objective in sight and she could see the end paved in gold, a reward above all others. If she could master the art of mind magic, anything would be possible. If she could use Legilimency. She licked her lips, thinking of all the way she could entertain Draco with just the whisper of a spell. Mind magic was so much more than regular magic. It took a certain control to wield it and she was determined to learn it.
Pulling herself from her thoughts, she set the brush down in front of the vanity’s mirror and studied her appearance critically. She had a meeting with the Malfoy matriarch today and she wanted to look her best. Her blond hair sat in a delicate bun atop her head, a few long, curly strands framing her face the way Bellatrix liked. A light blush was swept across her cheeks, neither too much nor too little. Her eyes were shadowed with the palest of greens to accent her eyes and underneath she had applied foundation to hide the dark circles from a restless night. Not from nightmares, no. She had a different reason for her troubled sleep now.
She pushed away from the vanity and stood, readjusting her amber dress robes trimmed in gold. It looked good against the fading tan on her skin and she hoped Mrs. Malfoy would be just as speechless as Bellatrix had been the day she had shown off the robes. The sleeves were cut at the elbows and just above the knees, more skin on display than she was used to. Nevertheless, if it left an impression, that would be all she could have asked for.
--
“You look well,” Narcissa said, flippant about the matter. “I trust my sister is treating you well?”
Astoria tightened her grip on her teacup. It wouldn’t do to let on something was wrong, very wrong. She smiled instead, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and appearing completely at peace if not for the tension in her jaw. “Madame Malfoy, you have been more than gracious in allowing me the honour of staying with your sister.”
They stared at each other, Narcissa’s cool gaze calculating and Astoria’s a hazy green that refused to back down. “It is tradition for the fiancé of a Malfoy to stay with close relatives of the groom.” There was a story behind that, Astoria was sure, but she did not press for answers. Narcissa lowered her cup to the patio table and turned her head away, staring off into the brightly lit distance.
It was nice to be in the sunshine, Astoria would admit only to herself. Out here, the darkness seemed none more real than the dreams of night. It was mid-spring, too, so the afternoon was warm. Butterflies were swaying in the light breeze down at the meadow they could see from the patio. The Malfoy Manor had a pleasant location. She knew at once this was where she wanted to live. It was more alive, brighter, than the oppressive silence of the Lestrange household. She would have pressed to have the date of the ceremony moved up if she thought it would do any good. But no, that would only make both of the once Black sisters suspicious.
“Something troubles you,” drawled Narcissa in a voice that said she could care less. Astoria wondered if that was true. “Tell me.”
Astoria could not do that for many reasons. One being Bellatrix would have her head on a platter and she wouldn’t allow that. Not a month before the wedding to her beautiful husband that would take care of her and provide her with the child she had always wanted.
“There is nothing,” she spoke haughtily and placed her cup down as well, eyes hooded as she observed the immaculate posture of the woman across from her. “Just a bad night’s sleep.”
“Mm.” Narcissa dismissed the answer and changed the topic before either of them could overstep a boundary. “I called you here today because we have much to discuss for the wedding. You will be spending a week with me until the preparations are complete.” Astoria felt her breath hitched, disbelief filling the troubled lines on her face. “Do not misunderstand me. It is only because Draco will be out of town for a week that you will be allowed to stay.”
Astoria didn’t hide a grin. It wasn’t she who had misunderstood anything, it was Narcissa. A week away from the Lestranges was exactly what she had wanted, and it was too good to be true.
--
Thankfully the week felt more like a month by the end of it. The flower arrangements, the food management, it had taken more time and effort than Astoria had thought humanly possible. It was finished, though, nothing left to worry about but the dread pooling in her stomach that she would have to return to the Lestranges for another three weeks. It would feel like a year compared to the one week spent in Narcissa’s company.
“You could stay,” Narcissa prompted the evening Astoria was meant to be leaving.
As she was wont to do lately, Astoria stared in disbelief. “I rather thought I had overstayed my welcome.”
Narcissa shook her head, pale blond locks in messy disarray before she reached up to fix them. “You will soon be a part of my family and I must accept that.”
“And that tradition?” hazarded Astoria, shrewd and still uncertain if she were to be honest with herself.
A laugh broke free from the older woman’s mask of perpetual indifference, Narcissa’s eyes bright and alive like the ocean in the midst of a terrible storm. “Draco has sent word he will be gone for yet another week. Will you stay?”
Astoria smiled; her painted lips quirked with unrestrained amusement. “If you are certain.” She paused and then let out a small, genuine laugh as well. “I would like that very much.”
--
Without the stress of the wedding that had loomed over their heads the past week, they were able to better enjoy each other’s company and Astoria found she had much in common with Mrs. Malfoy. It was easy and honest the way they were able to get along, not as stilted and demanding as it had been with Bellatrix. Still, Astoria did not forget what she had been taught and practiced with Occlumency whenever she could. Legilimency was more difficult because she no longer had a willing participant. She felt guilty for it, but she had since decided to use Narcissa as a sounding board for her skills.
It started one evening during dinner. She found Narcissa’s unwavering gaze fastened onto her and had taken complete advantage of that right under Lucius Malfoy’s nose. Her fingers had curled around the wand in her pocket and she had incanted the spell in her mind, eyes never once leaving the chilling blue that Narcissa saw fit to bestow upon her. There were flashes of images, none as clear as they should be. It was as if she had tuned into the wrong radio station, static everywhere, but she did not give up, merely driving more magic into the thin cord of the spell. The images grew sharper, though it still seemed like she was seeing them through a concave mirror, everything distorted.
Then, unexpectedly, she was pushed out of the thoughts that surrounded her and Narcissa’s lips were a thin line on her face, the only sign of her rising fury. Astoria bowed her head meekly, apologizing without words. She glanced up to see Narcissa nod, once, and then a small gesture was made toward the door. Understanding, Astoria finished her meal, thanked them both for their hospitality and left.
An hour later, she was being calmly accused of Legilimency and she did not deny it. Narcissa demanded answers afterward and Astoria provided the ones she could without giving anything away. Then, in an act not unlike her sister, Astoria had been slammed up against a wall. She didn’t mind so much when lips met hers this time. It was different, softer, sweeter. Silly, she was sure, to think those things, but the feeling that pooled in her gut now wasn’t dread. No, it was something she had never felt so strong. Not even for Draco.
--
The game continued on like that until Astoria was forced by tradition to leave upon her fiancé’s return. She went back to the Lestranges’ Manor with a new purpose in mind. She couldn’t have been more pleased to have someone to compete with. Someone who made her happy. She hadn’t even known she was missing that.
Characters/Pairings: Astoria, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Bellatrix/Astoria, Narcissa/Astoria, Draco/Astoria
Word Count: 2,798
Rating: R, for triggery content
Warning: Dub-con. Partner betrayal. Sex (non-graphic).
Summary: She doesn’t know what she’s missing until she has it.
Disclaimer: Not mine! Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Author Notes: Kind of an AU since Bellatrix survived the Battle of Hogwarts. This is for dexstarr as a congratulations gift for finishing all those wonderful fest fics! I know this isn’t what I originally had planned, but it sets it up for what I did want to write. I’m thinking a sequel is in the works! So remind me to get that done for you in December, bb.
The room was sparsely lit, save for a few candles. Astoria shivered in the half-light, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to provide warmth. It was late at night, the moon new and hidden in shadow, any light from the stars filtered by the green velvet of the Lestrange Manor’s curtains. She had moved out of her family’s home a fortnight ago and Bellatrix had provided her the sanctuary she sought.
Her parents had disapproved of her marriage into the disgraced Malfoy family, but she hadn’t conceded to their whims and sought to forge her own path. It was her life and she would walk on her own from now on. Originally, she had planned to stay at the Leaky Cauldron until she married. That plan had been dismissed as soon as Bellatrix Lestrange had shown up looking for her, calling her names that Astoria would rather forget.
Now, days later, she was safe inside the walls of the manor and enjoying the quiet atmosphere belied by the obnoxious doorbell that rang as infrequently as they had guests. Bellatrix’s husband, Rodolphus, was often away for long periods of time and it left them plenty of time to themselves without the added necessity of formal dinners and small talk that dragged on for hours. She enjoyed the expansive library the most, though, preferring to lose herself in a good book than spend cold hours locked away in an unfamiliar room. Books were solid, steady, reassuring; she could stay forever within the well-furnished confines of the Lestrange library.
The problem with her current lifestyle was the loneliness. Bellatrix always refused her attempts at conversation and Astoria wasn’t allowed off the grounds unless it was to see her soon-to-be husband. As Bellatrix had once informed her without biting back the venom of the words, she was nothing but a possession to look after and care for until they could give her away to the highest bidder. Astoria didn’t see what that had to do with anything, Draco loved her - she was sure of it. It seemed unfair that she had to stay cooped up, alone, while her fiancé was running around with his friends of all persuasions. Her own friends had tried time and time again to contact her, but she had been shut off from the outside world. No owl post, no messages from the portraits that should have known her, nothing but the quiet, oppressive silence she was growing to hate.
The loneliness had bled into restless nights and she found herself unable to sleep when darkness fell, scared of something she couldn’t place. Sighing, she realized standing around in the dark would get her no where and opted for a short walk instead. Maybe that would help ease her mind and calm her fears. She pushed away from the window using her hip and deftly strode to the closet, retrieving her night robe before slipping out of her room.
Torches came to light at a human presence, warm and solid, in the hallway. She was thankful for the light, but cursed her luck a moment later when she rounded a bend, just as a door was thrown open and a furious Bellatrix glowered at her. The older woman’s hair was a mess, though it didn’t seem she had just woke up. On the contrary. Her eyes, the darkest blue Astoria had ever known, were wild and alive with anger.
Astoria’s mouth twisted into something bordering on a smirk. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
Bella grabbed her roughly by a wrist and yanked her inside, slamming the door shut behind them. “I’ve had it with you and your insistent whinging, girl!”
Whinging? Me?! Astoria bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something that would prove Bellatrix Lestrange correct in her assumptions. “I was going for a walk,” she explained, nonchalant. She shook off the hand holding her tight and rubbed the sure-to-be bruised skin, fingers dancing against tendons. The motion seemed to entrance the older woman, as she didn’t look away. “Is there something you wanted?” Astoria asked politely, stilling her hands and clasping them behind her back.
Bellatrix bared her teeth in a snarl. “Your whinging,” Astoria gave her a baleful glare, it was not whinging, “is bloody intolerable. If you’re going to be staying here, you will control yourself!” Then she drew her wand before Astoria could react, casting a spell that the younger woman could not hear.
Flashes of memories appeared in front of her eyes. Her first fight with her sister, Daphne, as the older girl pulled at her hair. The day she was Sorted into the one House her family would accept: Slytherin. Draco kissing her on the temple, then the neck, and further down - down until the memory was gone and Bellatrix was retreating from her mind, spell relinquished.
Astoria didn’t remember falling to her knees, but that was where she was now, on the floor before the half-crazed looking Lestrange that stood above her in a gloating fashion. She lifted her chin to meet the older woman’s gaze and slowly stood, refusing to back down. “What did you just do?” she ground out through the bubbling fury in her chest and throat. Her diaphragm felt constricted, making it hard to speak, but she had forced those words to the surface despite the warning bells going off in her head.
If Bellatrix could see into her mind, what was stopping her for seeing everything, taking everything? The horror would have consumed her if Bellatrix hadn’t snorted, leaning forward with narrowed eyes and capturing Astoria’s attention soundly. “Idiot girl,” Bellatrix reached out a hand, toying with a reddish blond lock of hair framing Astoria’s heart-shaped face. “But you’re quite pretty with your guard down.” There was a lewd curve to the other woman’s smile and she was much too close for comfort. “I could teach you have to take care of your mind. For a price.”
Making a sound deep in her throat of disbelief, Astoria pulled away. “Just what do you take me for?”
Bella considered her for a long moment before pushing her up against the closed door. “Someone who wants to live, and live well.” There were teeth sinking into her neck, scraping and scratching and drawing blood to the surface. Astoria went completely still, stiff and uncertain. It was hard to tell if she was dreaming again or if she was living a waking nightmare. “I can help you there.” Two strong hands latched onto strawberry blond hair, tugging, and Astoria winced at the contact. “Just agree and make our days worth while.”
Since there was little choice, Astoria conceded for the moment. She closed her eyes and let emotions rule her. It had been too long since Draco had touched her, and she couldn’t say she minded the attention.
--
Over the next two weeks, they fell into a routine. During the days, Bella was always distant and a slave driver in her efforts to teach Astoria Occlumency. In her spare time, Astoria studied books on Legilimency and the like and Bella had grudgingly approved of her dedication, though the matter was never addressed. During the nights, they retired to one or the other’s bedrooms where things would progress too fast for Astoria to remember in the morning.
Desperate touches, rough kisses, nails sinking into flesh. She would rather not remember, anyway, despite the way her body arched up into the touches, the way she groaned into the kisses, the way she pleaded for more when the pain grew too unbearable.
The training to control her mind affected her control over her actions and Astoria felt more at peace than she had felt in a long time. Not even Draco had instilled the sort of tranquility she now held within her grasp, a soothing rush of thoughts like waves over a slow, rolling ocean. It was enough for her to be content and she could turn her mind away from the desperate loneliness that had been gnawing at her for too long, a dog without a bone.
She had an objective in sight and she could see the end paved in gold, a reward above all others. If she could master the art of mind magic, anything would be possible. If she could use Legilimency. She licked her lips, thinking of all the way she could entertain Draco with just the whisper of a spell. Mind magic was so much more than regular magic. It took a certain control to wield it and she was determined to learn it.
Pulling herself from her thoughts, she set the brush down in front of the vanity’s mirror and studied her appearance critically. She had a meeting with the Malfoy matriarch today and she wanted to look her best. Her blond hair sat in a delicate bun atop her head, a few long, curly strands framing her face the way Bellatrix liked. A light blush was swept across her cheeks, neither too much nor too little. Her eyes were shadowed with the palest of greens to accent her eyes and underneath she had applied foundation to hide the dark circles from a restless night. Not from nightmares, no. She had a different reason for her troubled sleep now.
She pushed away from the vanity and stood, readjusting her amber dress robes trimmed in gold. It looked good against the fading tan on her skin and she hoped Mrs. Malfoy would be just as speechless as Bellatrix had been the day she had shown off the robes. The sleeves were cut at the elbows and just above the knees, more skin on display than she was used to. Nevertheless, if it left an impression, that would be all she could have asked for.
--
“You look well,” Narcissa said, flippant about the matter. “I trust my sister is treating you well?”
Astoria tightened her grip on her teacup. It wouldn’t do to let on something was wrong, very wrong. She smiled instead, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and appearing completely at peace if not for the tension in her jaw. “Madame Malfoy, you have been more than gracious in allowing me the honour of staying with your sister.”
They stared at each other, Narcissa’s cool gaze calculating and Astoria’s a hazy green that refused to back down. “It is tradition for the fiancé of a Malfoy to stay with close relatives of the groom.” There was a story behind that, Astoria was sure, but she did not press for answers. Narcissa lowered her cup to the patio table and turned her head away, staring off into the brightly lit distance.
It was nice to be in the sunshine, Astoria would admit only to herself. Out here, the darkness seemed none more real than the dreams of night. It was mid-spring, too, so the afternoon was warm. Butterflies were swaying in the light breeze down at the meadow they could see from the patio. The Malfoy Manor had a pleasant location. She knew at once this was where she wanted to live. It was more alive, brighter, than the oppressive silence of the Lestrange household. She would have pressed to have the date of the ceremony moved up if she thought it would do any good. But no, that would only make both of the once Black sisters suspicious.
“Something troubles you,” drawled Narcissa in a voice that said she could care less. Astoria wondered if that was true. “Tell me.”
Astoria could not do that for many reasons. One being Bellatrix would have her head on a platter and she wouldn’t allow that. Not a month before the wedding to her beautiful husband that would take care of her and provide her with the child she had always wanted.
“There is nothing,” she spoke haughtily and placed her cup down as well, eyes hooded as she observed the immaculate posture of the woman across from her. “Just a bad night’s sleep.”
“Mm.” Narcissa dismissed the answer and changed the topic before either of them could overstep a boundary. “I called you here today because we have much to discuss for the wedding. You will be spending a week with me until the preparations are complete.” Astoria felt her breath hitched, disbelief filling the troubled lines on her face. “Do not misunderstand me. It is only because Draco will be out of town for a week that you will be allowed to stay.”
Astoria didn’t hide a grin. It wasn’t she who had misunderstood anything, it was Narcissa. A week away from the Lestranges was exactly what she had wanted, and it was too good to be true.
--
Thankfully the week felt more like a month by the end of it. The flower arrangements, the food management, it had taken more time and effort than Astoria had thought humanly possible. It was finished, though, nothing left to worry about but the dread pooling in her stomach that she would have to return to the Lestranges for another three weeks. It would feel like a year compared to the one week spent in Narcissa’s company.
“You could stay,” Narcissa prompted the evening Astoria was meant to be leaving.
As she was wont to do lately, Astoria stared in disbelief. “I rather thought I had overstayed my welcome.”
Narcissa shook her head, pale blond locks in messy disarray before she reached up to fix them. “You will soon be a part of my family and I must accept that.”
“And that tradition?” hazarded Astoria, shrewd and still uncertain if she were to be honest with herself.
A laugh broke free from the older woman’s mask of perpetual indifference, Narcissa’s eyes bright and alive like the ocean in the midst of a terrible storm. “Draco has sent word he will be gone for yet another week. Will you stay?”
Astoria smiled; her painted lips quirked with unrestrained amusement. “If you are certain.” She paused and then let out a small, genuine laugh as well. “I would like that very much.”
--
Without the stress of the wedding that had loomed over their heads the past week, they were able to better enjoy each other’s company and Astoria found she had much in common with Mrs. Malfoy. It was easy and honest the way they were able to get along, not as stilted and demanding as it had been with Bellatrix. Still, Astoria did not forget what she had been taught and practiced with Occlumency whenever she could. Legilimency was more difficult because she no longer had a willing participant. She felt guilty for it, but she had since decided to use Narcissa as a sounding board for her skills.
It started one evening during dinner. She found Narcissa’s unwavering gaze fastened onto her and had taken complete advantage of that right under Lucius Malfoy’s nose. Her fingers had curled around the wand in her pocket and she had incanted the spell in her mind, eyes never once leaving the chilling blue that Narcissa saw fit to bestow upon her. There were flashes of images, none as clear as they should be. It was as if she had tuned into the wrong radio station, static everywhere, but she did not give up, merely driving more magic into the thin cord of the spell. The images grew sharper, though it still seemed like she was seeing them through a concave mirror, everything distorted.
Then, unexpectedly, she was pushed out of the thoughts that surrounded her and Narcissa’s lips were a thin line on her face, the only sign of her rising fury. Astoria bowed her head meekly, apologizing without words. She glanced up to see Narcissa nod, once, and then a small gesture was made toward the door. Understanding, Astoria finished her meal, thanked them both for their hospitality and left.
An hour later, she was being calmly accused of Legilimency and she did not deny it. Narcissa demanded answers afterward and Astoria provided the ones she could without giving anything away. Then, in an act not unlike her sister, Astoria had been slammed up against a wall. She didn’t mind so much when lips met hers this time. It was different, softer, sweeter. Silly, she was sure, to think those things, but the feeling that pooled in her gut now wasn’t dread. No, it was something she had never felt so strong. Not even for Draco.
--
The game continued on like that until Astoria was forced by tradition to leave upon her fiancé’s return. She went back to the Lestranges’ Manor with a new purpose in mind. She couldn’t have been more pleased to have someone to compete with. Someone who made her happy. She hadn’t even known she was missing that.