Light in the Darkness

Chapter Five

Less than a week later, she found herself primping her hair and slipping on a dress again. Usually, all the girls transfigured their outfits from party to party, switching a few bits and bobs to look unique each time. Astoria didn't bother. Nor did she bother to ask Daphne to do her hair or makeup. So what if her bun was askew and her face not perfection -- no one would be looking at her.

    She walked down stairs, her family standing impatiently at the front door. "What took you so long? You obviously didn't --" her mother stopped herself, clamped her eyes shut, and opened the door.

    She said nothing as she walked out.

    Back to the Malfoy Manor they went, for the New Year's party. The same coldness, the same polite chatter, the same odious people.

    She settled herself again by the dessert table, feeling deja vu from the Christmas party -- watching her family titter and flit about their hosts.

"I don't believe I've had the proper chance to introduce myself." She turned toward the voice behind her.

There, stood a boy only a bit taller than she, with dark, gelled curls, bright eyes, and a handsome face. She stared at him, completely disinterested.

"Avery. Lawrence, Avery." He was all suave and charm, and it made Astoria want to walk in the opposite direction.

"Astoria," she said, nodding her head faintly.

"What a lovely name," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. She had to stop herself from jerking backwards.

She made a faint, "Hm," sound.

"How is it that we've never met?"

She angled herself more toward the table now, picking up a Pepper Imp, and said, "Um, I dunno."

"What a shame it is." His perfect face and perfect hair and perfect name was making the Pepper Imp taste sour.

"I'm engaged," she blurted out, holding her left hand up to his face (a new ring placed there by her mother earlier). Huh, perhaps the ring did have its uses.

Pushing her hand down lightly, he said, "Oh, I'm not worried about that."

Her lips parted, eyes narrowed, and she pushed the Pepper Imp into his hand. She said, her tone distant and disbelieving, "I'd better go."

She walked away from him without giving a second glance back. Two minutes in and she was already throwing in the towel.

She scanned the room and her eyes fell upon Draco, who was standing with Pansy, talking to an older couple seated at the far left of the room.

She hated her brain for having the thought.

Waiting, waiting for him to walk away, or for some sort of diversion, or --

Uh-oh, Lawrence was making his way back over to her. Now or never.

She made her way across the vast ballroom, as Pansy and Draco parted politely from the older couple.

She watched intently as she got closer. The two whispering, him holding his hand out, and -- yes! No way it could be this easy, she thought, as he walked briskly away from Pansy, who looked most agitated about his departure.

Draco slipped into another doorway, into the long hallway that wrapped around the exterior ballroom.

Astoria slipped through it, too, at a brisk clip behind him.

She turned the corner, and muttered, "Draco," as she approached him.

He turned back, confusion and panic and stress written all across his face.