greengrassgrowths:
Astoria tried to avoid hyperbole when unnecessary, so she could admit to herself that she could indeed think of places she would less rather be than enjoying a private dinner with Blaise Zabini…but it certainly didn’t rank at the top of her list. “Oh go on, you’ll have a grand time and you know it,” Draco had said when she’d tried to convince him that if he couldn’t keep their dinner date, neither of them should. “Besides, it would be just too wretched for Blaise if we both cancelled.” Astoria wasn’t sure that her husband was right about either of those statements…but on the other hand, perhaps it was long past time that she and Blaise learn to get along properly.
Or perhaps it wasn’t. Astoria smiled sweetly and replied, “I would bet on Draco’s parents against any fire that dared show its face in their home uninvited and I fear that the plants I grow are a bit too sturdy to wilt over a single missed watering, but your concerns are deeply appreciated.” She picked up her salad fork. She couldn’t possibly leave now – not because of the salad, but because leaving in the face of Blaise’s jibe would have felt too much like a retreat. Which meant that she would need to make conversation instead… “I’ll be sure to pass them along to Lucius and Narcissa. They’ll be so thrilled to learn that you haven’t stopped speaking to Draco again. They did so pout the last time, you know.”
Oh yes. It wouldn’t be a conversation with Astoria if she didn’t manage to drag in his old dirty laundry with her husband. Everyone else had gotten over the slight blip in their friendship. Draco himself had an unspoken understanding of why Blaise had to do what he had to do. He would’ve done the same if he had been in Blaise’s shoes, as would have any self-respecting Slytherin with any sense of rationality and self-preservation. Astoria was clearly none of these things.
“Yes kindly do pass on my regards to Lucius and Narcissa,” Blaise said easily, his smile growing wider in response to Astoria’s own sickly sweet one. “And I’m glad to hear that you’ll be staying to finish our meal together. The Malfoys must be thrilled to have the manor to themselves for a night. Three can be a crowd I’m sure, and it’s always nice to get some alone time with family.” Even when Draco was present, Blaise had no qualms about making pointed remarks about how he felt about his friend’s marriage. As far as Blaise was concerned, Astoria Greengrass was an absolute nobody before she weaseled herself into the Malfoy manor and she was still undeserving of the name. Sure Blaise had landed himself an unfortunate marriage partner as well back in the day, but his wife hadn’t costed him galleons on buying herself useless trinkets. The most expensive thing she ever cost him was her funeral. If he had known that his friend would go off and marry a Greengrass during his absence, maybe Blaise would have stuck around just to prevent this travesty.













