Sweet Revenge

Dear Astoria Greengrass

The following  evening, Harry walked in to a Great Hall covered floor to ceiling in green silk and velvet with silver snakes adorning the banners and the house tables covered in green tablecloths with snakes on the edges. There was a rain of sparkling green confetti that came from the ceiling from which came the obnoxious sound of trumpets blasting a birthday overture. It was so terribly green and silver that Harry thought he might be sick. 

Slytherin was his House, and he certainly did not lack in House pride and all (consequences of living in a Castle filled to the brim with overenthusiastic Slytherins, Tom included), but this...this was a bit too much. 

He looked at Draco. Draco grinned sheepishly. 

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Astoria Greengrass was not having a good day. 

Waking up to the sound of her roommates arguing yet again about something trivial like whose father was making more contributions to the Ministry was a regular occurrence, but not today. Today was her birthday. Plus, she already knew that Draco's father was the one making the most contributions. 

She found that her wardrobe had entirely vanished save for a splendid sage green dress that swept to the floor and back up, on a white tulle backing. Granted, it was a beautiful dress, but she was not particularly inclined to getting disciplined for not following the dress code. She had to borrow one of her roommates' robes. Thalia Shafiq was an extremely tall girl, and her robes were far too long for Astoria, who spent the entire day feeling like an idiot in baggy robes. 

Said baggy robes had made her trip over her own feet several times that day, causing some insignificant little snub-nosed brat to make some exceedingly snide comments about the state of "her" robes in his little annoying nasally voice. 

Draco was also not to be seen that day and Daphne had claimed to not having seen him all day either, even though Astoria's older sister was in Draco's year and dating one of Draco's friend's friend whom said blond-haired boy probably never bothered to learn the name of. 

Of course, this terrible day suddenly became all the less terrible when she walked into the Great Hall that evening. Okay, never mind. It got even worse. 

Astoria had never been one for gigantic snake stuffed toys that sat ceiling-high upon the Slytherin table and looked to be in danger of falling what with all the shaking its excessively long snake-neck-thing was doing. 

She looked around at all the Slytherins making futile attempts at moving or banishing the stuffy. Some were even trying to push the stuffy off in what seemed to a semi-collective effort which was just as effective as the spells which were disappearing six feet before they touched the stuffy. 

She glanced at Daphne, who looked at her with a bewildered look in her eyes. Daphne looked at Harry, who looked back at Daphne who looked back at Astoria and shrugged. 

Obviously, Harry was not expecting this either. 

Astoria watched as Harry cast accusatory eyes upon the door. She watched as Harry stalked toward the door and threw it open as one might a curtain to reveal one very guilt-stricken Draco Malfoy. Draco looked at Harry who looked at Daphne who looked at Astoria and then back to Harry who looked at Draco who blushed. 

Astoria thought this was far too much of a hassle and made to move toward the two of them when Harry shot a curse at the stuffy and watched it float a meter off the table. 

Problem solved. 

Sort of. 

The food was all gone. 

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In retrospect, the day had not gone by too badly. Thalia Shafiq had offered to do Astoria' hair next time an occasion presented itself (and Thalia Shafiq was renowned for her skill with hair), Daphne had gotten her a beautiful golden leaf bracelet, and Harry had gifted her a pair of black lace gloves he said he got at Twilfitt and Tattings but had taken the Borgin and Burke's to get them to be enchanted with doxy repellant spells.