when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

217

"Mum and dad?" Astrid asked. Malfoy had left, and Pansy and she now stood alone in the Floo room. "Seriously, Parkinson?"

"You can't deny it was funny," the gal grinned and Astrid hated to admit it was contagious.

"I didn't miss you."

"Like hell, you didn't, you daft cow," the other cackled, and now even biting down on her bottom lip didn't keep Astrid from smiling. 

Now that she thought about it, Astrid could not remember the last time she had conversed with somebody in this way. With so little hatred. With so little disgust or harm. Hell, she couldn't help that little smile of hers.

When Astrid didn't answer anything, Pansy spoke up, "Do you want to come in and sit down?"

Then the agonizing spin of confusion hit her head again. Malfoy had gotten a child and, no matter how at ease Pansy made her feel, she still felt stunned.

"Do you live here?" she asked.

"Sometimes," Pansy shrugged. "I mean not really. I mean, I used to. But like Draco wouldn't mind." She paused. "No, actually that's a lie. He definitely would, but I don't really care so that's that."

Pansy started walking out of the spacious room and into a narrower corridor where Astrid followed. It was incredible how huge they even made those rich-people flats nowadays. No matter how many times she had been there Astrid couldn't stop being in awe of the vastness and the designs. Beige, green, silver, grey, brown - everything in the house was perfect and coordinated. She glanced where Malfoy had gone. She could distantly hear their voices and something that sounded much like running. He had a family.

Astrid felt somewhat at ease, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was some catch. Something that would crush her. There was always something.

"Are you..."

Pansy raised her brows, glancing over her shoulder. Astrid raised hers a little too, hoping her expressions would say it all. She didn't want to actually ask it out loud. It felt wrong. Embarrassing.

"Am I what?"

"Did you... Like... Malfoy and you-"

"Oh, heavens, do you mean together? Malfoy and I?" Pansy asked, then laughed. She put her fingers up to her lips, looking rather scandalized. "Merlin, no. Why would you even think that? Besides, he's not even my type anymore and he's totally not over-" she cut herself off suddenly, eyes widening slightly, almost as if she had said too much. Then she shrugged. "Well, he's Draco, you know."

"Ah," Astrid nodded just as they entered the living room. 

It looked exactly like it had when she had first come there. Ceiling-high windows lining two walls forming a corner, a large couch just in front of them, pillows perfectly arranged over it. Nothing in this flat was ever out of place. Ever. The only thing different from last time was the neatly folded blanket on one arm of the couch. That and the Witches Weekly paper that had been dropped indifferently on the glass coffee table. Her and Malfoy's picture stood on top. The 'date' had been proper awful. She swore to herself they'd never go out again.

Astrid sat down on the couch but didn't lean against the backrest. She cast her eyes at the view outside. Sun had just set and the horizon glowed a faint pink, just about to descend into darkness. She looked back at Pansy and racked her brain for what else to say.

"Uhm, what have you been up to all these years?"

"Yes," Pansy snorted. "The weather's nice too. Astrid Ninomae, are you attempting small talk with me?"

The friendliness of the young woman baffled her. Carefully watching her then, Astrid wondered if Malfoy had set her up for something. Pansy had been there when Astrid arrived, though it wasn't as if the latter had informed Malfoy when she would be arriving. Had she interrupted something? Most importantly, was Pansy lying? About what exactly Astrid couldn't figure out, but she knew there must be something. Astrid Ninomae was not somebody people were friendly to, or wanted to indulge in more than small talk with.