Light in the Darkness

Chapter Thirteen

"I always secretly thought Dean Thomas was cute."

"No way!" Astoria giggled.

Her sister nodded, sipping on her hot chocolate. "He was -- and he could draw too, you know. . . ."

Astoria's jaw dropped as her sister giggled at the memory.

"And I liked Blaise, and that kid McLaggen, and Draco --" Daphne paused, unsure if she should've said that, but Astoria made no perceptible flinch or reaction, and so her sister continued on. However, Astoria's insides squirmed at the mention of his name.

"But you can't seriously tell me you never fancied anyone at school."

"No," Astoria said, shaking her head. "Really, I never did." Now it was Daphne who was shaking her head, and Astoria fished around for some unopened sweets.

They were both sprawled out on Daphne's bed, surrounded by empty candy boxes, two hot chocolates in hand.

And though she'd just had a horribly dramatic and worrisome night, and though most of the boys they were reminiscing about were either killed or lost, Astoria felt lighter and happier than she had in weeks. Her Daphne was back. She got her sister back, despite the hiccups and resentments, she'd gotten her back. That fact pulled infinitely more gravity than the stressful getaway they'd made earlier.

Then they heard the door downstairs whip open, smacking the wall from where it must've swung on its hinges.

Daphne perked up, her legs falling from the side of the bed as she called, "Mum?"

Astoria too got up, and they headed cautiously down the stairs.

They both paused for a moment, astounded and bewildered by what they were staring at. Before them, collapsed on the threshold of the door, was their mother, sobbing.

Their father had an arm around her, on the ground too.

"My God -- what happened?" Daphne shouted, bounding down the stairs and to their mother's side.

"They know!" Their mother wailed madly. "They all know!" She was sobbing into her husband's chest, looking utterly unhinged.

Astoria and Daphne passed a cautious look, Astoria slowly creeping down the rest of the steps.

"Mum, they know what?" Daphne asked delicately.

"The curse," their mother breathed. "They know about the curse!" Daphne put a hand to her mouth, gasping. The secret affected her most directly, her future marriage. Astoria's stomach twisted with guilt and betrayal. 

Unwarranted tears welled in Astoria's eyes. He'd told them. He'd told everyone. How could he? "Draco. . . he, he said --" her voice cracked.

Her father shook his head, his eyes dazed. "No, it was that Pansy Parkinson girl. . . ."

"That vile, evil, cruel --" their mother blubbered.

Daphne went very still, which caught Astoria's eye.

Daphne turned to face her sister. "Astoria -- I'm -- I'm so sorry -- this is all my fault --"

"What?" their mother asked, pulled from her delirium by venomous curiosity.

Daphne looked around at her family, the apprehension on her face unfamiliar to Astoria.

Her eyes clamped shut as she breathed, "I told her."

Astoria studied her sister, not sure what to say.

"You what?" their father said sternly.

She looked around again, still just as bewildered, and said, "I'm so sorry -- I was a kid -- I was just upset and. . . I thought she was my friend. . . ."

"When did you. . . ?" Astoria said, her voice calm and questioning.

Daphne shook her head, eyes fixed on her sister and said, "When we were in school -- I was just so scared and overwhelmed this one day because -- well, because you were having a really bad day with it and seeing you like that -- it was just a lot, and --" a tear slipped down her cheek, her lips pursed in attempts to suppress a cry. "Astoria -- I'm so sorry."

Astoria waved her hand at her sister, her nonchalance jarring, juxtaposed to the disintegrating family surrounding her.

For, though worry and fear would encroach around her at any moment once she took in her sister's now questionable future, and her parent's abolished reputation, at that very moment she was filled with lightness. Draco hadn't told anyone. He could have, very easily too, but he didn't.

And, after all, she didn't care about everyone else, all the others who now knew her most closely guarded secret. She cared for four people in this world; three people who already knew this, and one who hadn't betrayed her. That thought alone was enough to completely quell rising panic.

"Daph, don't worry about me -- it's just, well --"

"Now who's going to want to marry me?" she said absently, looking at the ground.

Her father said, "Our entire family name, it's --"

"Ruined," Daphne finished. "And it's my fault."

"No, Daph, it's not. I'm sure this has something to do with --- well, actually what did happen?" Astoria asked, her composure still solitary.

Her mother shook her head, disgusted. "That cretin stormed in, crying, yelling at the Malfoys about the engagement being over" -- Astoria's breath hitched.

She knew how utterly inappropriate the flutterings in her heart were. How wrong the smile that threatened her lips was. The squeal that wished to break from her lungs. How utterly appalling the onset fantasy of the engagement ring on her finger being a real one, the one that Pansy had no use for anymore, was. She knew this all to be true, yet she couldn't help herself. She tried to dim the gleam that must've been setting her eyes aglow. She tried to arrest the blossoming elation. But the thought of Draco not having to marry that pug was making her positively radiant.

Her mother continued, not noticing her daughter's euphoria, "And then she, she stood there and she --" her words erupted into more sobs.

"I'm so sorry mum," Daphne said, crouching down beside her. "I was so stupid -- so, so stupid! I told her that, me, and --"

Astoria was sick of the blame game, the sorrows being passed around, but she wanted to take the guilt. After all, the three of them were devastated enough without blaming themselves for the incident. So, she said, "Daphne, it's not your fault. I'm the reason why she did this -- not you."

Her father looked up at her, still crowding around her mother on the floor and said, "What do you mean?"

Her mother, too, was staring up confusedly at her. She bit her lip, a schoolgirl type of embarrassment flushing her cheeks. "Dracotriedtokissme," she said, exceedingly fast.

Her parents blinked up at her, either deciphering what words she said, or deciphering their meaning, or both. "What?" her mother said.

"Draco. . . Draco Malfoy?" her father asked. She nodded her head, fidgeting with her hands. They looked at each other, confusion reigning over their devastation for a moment.

"He tried to. . . but. . . he tried to kiss you?" her mother stammered. Astoria felt like an insect under a magnifying glass.

She looked away, and said, "Yes. Pansy must've found out or something and that's why -- but, it doesn't really matter how it happened. It just did. . . ."

But her parents were hardly listening anymore, still wrapped up in their own distraught delirium.