"This is stupid and I fucking hate your bony arse right now."

"Daphne, please lower your voice," Astoria said calmly. "And don't swear."

Daphne always had this way of making her feel like a parent or at the very least the older sister.

"I have clothes."

"Not suitable for where we are going, and you will be brushing your hair. Just try on the next one, and be quick about it. We aren't leaving until we find you something."

"I hate you."

Astoria rolled her eyes. Such a child at times.

Narcissa had been watching them since they came into the store. She knew exactly who they were. Astoria Dolohov... the one Draco said was a Seer, and she knew that Daphne Greengrass was the one to poison Ginny Weasley. She had previously considered both of them were a threat to her and her family, but after observing the older sister march about like Draco during a tantrum, she doubted her original thought. Were all Slytherin children doomed to be so unreasonable when they didn't get their way?

"Your sister is quite the handful, Mrs. Dolohov. She reminds of Draco when he was a young child," she said with a small smirk as she came up behind the younger sister.

Astoria turned slowly, careful to keep her expression neutral. There was no mistaking that voice. She would never forget it.

"Mrs. Malfoy. What a pleasure to see you again," Astoria replied smoothly.

Daphne stepped out in a yellow dress and raised her brow at Astoria.

Astoria waved her back into the dressing room. "No. Definitely not."

Daphne spared Narcissa Malfoy a look. That was what her mother had wanted her to be. Daphne nodded her head in acknowledgement at the older woman before returning to the dressing room.

Astoria sighed. She mouthed the word sorry at Mrs. Malfoy. Daphne had never been very polite, and she had never been one for the niceties. Astoria hoped Mrs. Malfoy was in a forgiving mood today.

Narcissa crossed her arms, amused. "Is she just in a bad mood or is her disposition always so dark when she is forced to add to her wardrobe?"

Astoria grinned. "Both."

"I can hear you," Daphne snapped.

She slammed out of the dressing room. This time in brown. Astoria made a face. Daphne turned abruptly and re-entered.

"Where's the green one? I am sure that will suit."

"I don't like the green one."

"I should have known you were bound for a Gryff with your love of red. You have three red ones in there. Pick one of those."

Astoria looked at Narcissa apologetically. "How have you been, Mrs. Malfoy? I ran into Draco recently, but we didn't have time to catch up properly. I am hoping those dance lessons we all took will pay off this weekend."

Daphne muttered something that sounded a lot like oh vomit.

When a member of the staff asked if she needed anything, Narcissa waved them away without a second glance. She was much too enthralled by the sisters to be looking at clothes.

"Draco is alive, I hope," she said, her tone a bit dry. "I haven't heard from him in a while. Next time you run into him, tell the boy to owl his mother." And don't you dare entertain the thought about telling him his future. He gets into trouble easily enough.

Narcissa eyed Astoria. "And what is this weekend that requires dancing?"

Daphne stepped out in a blue dress just to be annoying.

"Baby sis there wants my boyfriend and I to come to Avalon, so she can make eyes at the singer. How's Marcus to feel about that?"

Astoria leveled a glare at Daphne and hissed through her teeth. She eyed the dress. "Definitely not. Try again."

Daphne smirked and gave a slight bow before walking back in.

"Draco was indeed alive. We had lunch when I ran into him in Diagon Alley one day. He was looking for a birthday present for his girlfriend."

Narcissa's were turned towards the door that Daphne had just stepped through. "Interesting. You didn't carry on the family tradition and give him a poison to kill her with, did you?" she asked, innocently.

Astoria raised a brow. Daphne had gotten very quiet. She knew her sister had made horrible mistakes, but she would not allow anyone to attack her for it. Not when Daphne was trying so hard to be right these days.

"No, I did try to tell him how many children he was going to have with Weasley, but he wanted none of it."

A strangled choking sound came from the dressing room.

This was not something Narcissa wanted to hear. Slytherins were very possessive, and she was a firm believer than only she was allowed to tease Draco about having children.

"I only ask that you not tell him how he dies, because he's just stupid enough to go out and try to stop it." She finally turned back towards Astoria. "So it's true then? You have diving powers?"

"Astoria..." Daphne said in a warning tone.

Astoria just smiled at Narcissa. She knew it was in her best interest not to tell the woman anything definite.

"Perhaps."

Daphne came out of the dressing room like an angry bull. "You leave my sister alone."

"Daphne, don't be rude," Astoria said smoothly.

"She belongs to Marcus Flint."

"Go change. I don't like the cut of that one on you."

Narcissa's eyebrows shot up. "Marcus Flint? Really? I was unaware he was good for anything more than bloodying men's faces for money."

Daphne had yet to go back into the dressing room, and Narcissa turned to face her. Her eyes were cold and all amusement was gone from her face. "You are not in the place to be giving out threats, Miss Greengrass. I'll leave your family alone when you stop being an ill-placed nuisance to mine."


Astoria gave Daphne a look that conveyed she could handle this and waved her sister back into the dressing room. Daphne slammed the door.

"I am afraid I am not up to explaining what is between Marcus and I to anyone."


Astoria started looking the other woman over for silver jewelry. No one had ever specifically mentioned Narcissa Malfoy at the little Liberi gatherings she had been to, but that didn't mean anything. If she was one of them, she was a higher-up. Astoria knew it would break Draco's heart. Not that she cared so much about his heart.

"I was not aware you considered Ginny Weasley family. How intriguing. Daphne's seeing the second eldest Weasley boy, so hurting Ginny would hurt her family. You needn't worry. If your second son keeps from acting like a barbarian and strangling my sister like he's a Muggle, then we'll have no troubles."

Narcissa couldn't decide what she felt. It was a cross between extreme irritation at the insinuation that Blaise was a barbarian and extreme pleasure knowing he got the upper hand on Greengrass and tried to kill her.

"If you would keep your sister from acting like a dirty criminal, he wouldn't have to put her down."

Daphne slammed out of the dressing room, wand hidden in the folds of the skirt on her dress. Enough was enough. She didn't care about keeping things civil any longer. Daphne was going to hex a bitch.

Astoria got to her feet and stood between them. "No."

Her hands then tightened into fists. She would not lay hands on Narcissa Malfoy. She would not take or show. Astoria tried to call upon the memory of Angelina's voice to calm herself. All she could see or hear, though, was the pain of hurting the other woman. She had no calm right now. This was not a good situation.

She reached out with one hand. Suddenly Daphne grabbed and pulled her back. "Not a good idea, Tori."

Narcissa had a small smirk on her face. "I rest my case, although perhaps I wasn't all completely truthful about which sister led the other about."

Daphne gave Narcissa a dark look and let her sister go. More than that, she shoved her forward into the other woman. Astoria had to grab onto Narcissa she stay upright, and she was not wearing gloves today.

Astoria's mouth opened in a silent scream. She backed away suddenly, slamming the heels of her hands into her temples. She stumbled and took a seat. "Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods."


Narcissa was certainly not ready to have Astoria thrown bodily into her, and she nearly fell with the force the other woman's body flew into her with. Her eyes were wide as she watched Astoria Dolohov have a vision of her future.

"Oh gods," Daphne yanked the dress off of her and hurried back into the dressing room in her knickers and bra. She'd never gotten dressed so quickly in her life. "We're going! Now!"

"The one you just had on. That dress. I liked that one," Astoria said weakly.

Daphne yanked her sister up. She threw the dress in question at the salesclerk who had come to see what all the shouting was about. "We'll take this! Have it sent to Madam Dolohov's address and bill her for it!"

"Yes, miss," the salesgirl said nervously before practically bolting off.

Daphne started hauling her sister out. Astoria made them pause at Narcissa.

"Give my regards to Lucius."

Narcissa quickly turned around and watched them leave, wide-eyed. When numerous employees asked her if she was all right, she could say nothing. If she opened her mouth, she would become a bit hysterical, and it would not do to have hysterics in the middle of a store. Without a word she strode out of the store and grabbed her wand, apparating home.

Daphne apparated them and dragged her sister into her flat. She helped her down on the couch.

"Are you all right? What did you see?"

Astoria started cackling. Daphne made a face, her brows furrowed. She took a step back.

"Did you see the look on her face?"

Daphne gaped. "You faked that?" She picked up a throw pillow and started hitting her sister with it. "You scared me to death! Don't you ever do that again!"

Astoria was laughing still.

"I can't believe you did that to Narcissa bleeding Malfoy!"

"What can I say? I like to live dangerously. All I saw was loads of grandbabies for her. She'll love it."

"You're evil."

Astoria shook a finger at her sister. "No, Daphs, not evil, merely wicked. There's a subtle difference."


{SUMMARY} Narcissa comes across the sisters Greengrass while shopping. It does not end well.