Lunch With Astoria
“And for you Miss Greengrass?”
Astoria places her order and the waiter takes our menus and heads back to the kitchen.
“I wish for once we would get a waiter that just treated us like normal customers,” I say as I watch him walk through the doors to the back.
“But we’re not normal, Daph. Especially you; you and Father own half the company,” Astoria reminds me.
Pansy and I both own ten percent of the company. A gift when we left school, with our fathers’ keeping forty percent for themselves. I often wondered why father did not make the same gift to Astoria, but she seems to have no interest in the company, and father dislikes the interest I show in it.
He changed after mother died. The doctors told her not to have another baby, but she wanted to give father another chance at a heir…and had Astoria instead. Father was always distant after that. Especially with Astoria. I don’t think father ever blamed her for mother’s death, just the fact that she was not a boy.
“You could have a share too, if you asked, Tori,” I tell her taking a sip of champagne.
She doesn’t answer, but smiles as the waiter brings us our food. As he leaves again, Astoria slowly unfolds her napkin and places it in her lap before whispering, “I have no desire to be tied down by such a mundane thing as work. It’s beneath us, Daphne, and I am surprised father let’s you continue at it.”
“Beneath us? Because we’re Pureblood Princesses?” I ask. “Times have changed, Astoria. In case you haven’t noticed the people with that attitude are no longer in power and it’s in our best interest to adapt with the times.”
“You’ve spent too much time in France and that school. Draco -”
“Malfoy?” I ask in surprise. “What does he have to do with anything?” I haven’t seen my old housemate since right after the war and I came home. Before that it had been on the Hogwarts Express at the end of our Fifth year when he was attacked by Potter and his friends.
Father shipped us both off to France and Beauxbatons after that and I finished my education there only coming home during the summer. He seemed to think I was safer there away from my housemates. Astoria and I bonded a lot those two years, but at the same time grew apart. We both changed.
I look back at Astoria to see her flushing, a sure sign she is hiding something, as she says, “Nothing, just you know father wants us to marry well and take care of our husband and family like mother did. Not work in a business. It’s - ”
“Don’t. Don’t say it’s a man’s job. Even the Muggles did away with that type of thinking.”
"Oh yes, let's look to those below us for tips on how to live our lives. Brilliant thinking."
I can’t believe I’m hearing this sort of things from my own sister. How can we be so different? “I don’t want an arranged marriage.”
“Honestly, I’d be happy if father wanted to make a match for me,” she says taking a bite.
“A match? You can’t be serious. Father would never…”
“Wouldn’t he? He’s never liked you playing shop like Parkinson lets Pansy get away with. It’s embarrassing really. And when was the last time you went on a date with anyone, Daph? It’s all business with you. It’s not natural.”
We fall into silence as we continue to eat our lunch. I knew father was never happy to give me a share of the company. That he preferred a son to take over when he was gone. But to give it to someone I’d be forced to marry? I’ve put too much of myself into that company, and have my own ideas.
No one, including father, will take that away.
The waiter comes and offers us dessert and clears the table. But I don’t pay much attention.
Astoria places a few Galleons on the table for a tip and stands up.
“You know, you’re right.” I tell her.
She looks at me questioningly.
“Let’s go shopping and take the rest of the afternoon off.”
Astoria smiles and replies how she’d like that. “It’s been a long time since we just had an afternoon to spend together,” she adds.
I realize that she’s right, and make a promise to myself to make more time for her. After all she is my only sister. Pansy was like one at one time, but…
“So where to first?” Tori asks as we Apparate into Diagon Alley.
We walk along the streets and in and out of shops. Astoria having fun at such a normal afternoon. I use the time to observe; think; plan.
Astoria goes and buys new robes, and I look at how the store is set up and laid out. Suddenly an idea comes to me. How to make P and G even more money than just with a Restaurant and how to keep my father from forcing me into a marriage of his choice.
By the end of the afternoon, the Greengrass sisters have bought out half of Diagon Alley and both pleased with ourselves. Astoria because she thinks she had convinced me to be normal and me because I have a plan.
Overall it’s been a very enlightening afternoon.
Astoria places her order and the waiter takes our menus and heads back to the kitchen.
“I wish for once we would get a waiter that just treated us like normal customers,” I say as I watch him walk through the doors to the back.
“But we’re not normal, Daph. Especially you; you and Father own half the company,” Astoria reminds me.
Pansy and I both own ten percent of the company. A gift when we left school, with our fathers’ keeping forty percent for themselves. I often wondered why father did not make the same gift to Astoria, but she seems to have no interest in the company, and father dislikes the interest I show in it.
He changed after mother died. The doctors told her not to have another baby, but she wanted to give father another chance at a heir…and had Astoria instead. Father was always distant after that. Especially with Astoria. I don’t think father ever blamed her for mother’s death, just the fact that she was not a boy.
“You could have a share too, if you asked, Tori,” I tell her taking a sip of champagne.
She doesn’t answer, but smiles as the waiter brings us our food. As he leaves again, Astoria slowly unfolds her napkin and places it in her lap before whispering, “I have no desire to be tied down by such a mundane thing as work. It’s beneath us, Daphne, and I am surprised father let’s you continue at it.”
“Beneath us? Because we’re Pureblood Princesses?” I ask. “Times have changed, Astoria. In case you haven’t noticed the people with that attitude are no longer in power and it’s in our best interest to adapt with the times.”
“You’ve spent too much time in France and that school. Draco -”
“Malfoy?” I ask in surprise. “What does he have to do with anything?” I haven’t seen my old housemate since right after the war and I came home. Before that it had been on the Hogwarts Express at the end of our Fifth year when he was attacked by Potter and his friends.
Father shipped us both off to France and Beauxbatons after that and I finished my education there only coming home during the summer. He seemed to think I was safer there away from my housemates. Astoria and I bonded a lot those two years, but at the same time grew apart. We both changed.
I look back at Astoria to see her flushing, a sure sign she is hiding something, as she says, “Nothing, just you know father wants us to marry well and take care of our husband and family like mother did. Not work in a business. It’s - ”
“Don’t. Don’t say it’s a man’s job. Even the Muggles did away with that type of thinking.”
"Oh yes, let's look to those below us for tips on how to live our lives. Brilliant thinking."
I can’t believe I’m hearing this sort of things from my own sister. How can we be so different? “I don’t want an arranged marriage.”
“Honestly, I’d be happy if father wanted to make a match for me,” she says taking a bite.
“A match? You can’t be serious. Father would never…”
“Wouldn’t he? He’s never liked you playing shop like Parkinson lets Pansy get away with. It’s embarrassing really. And when was the last time you went on a date with anyone, Daph? It’s all business with you. It’s not natural.”
We fall into silence as we continue to eat our lunch. I knew father was never happy to give me a share of the company. That he preferred a son to take over when he was gone. But to give it to someone I’d be forced to marry? I’ve put too much of myself into that company, and have my own ideas.
No one, including father, will take that away.
The waiter comes and offers us dessert and clears the table. But I don’t pay much attention.
Astoria places a few Galleons on the table for a tip and stands up.
“You know, you’re right.” I tell her.
She looks at me questioningly.
“Let’s go shopping and take the rest of the afternoon off.”
Astoria smiles and replies how she’d like that. “It’s been a long time since we just had an afternoon to spend together,” she adds.
I realize that she’s right, and make a promise to myself to make more time for her. After all she is my only sister. Pansy was like one at one time, but…
“So where to first?” Tori asks as we Apparate into Diagon Alley.
We walk along the streets and in and out of shops. Astoria having fun at such a normal afternoon. I use the time to observe; think; plan.
Astoria goes and buys new robes, and I look at how the store is set up and laid out. Suddenly an idea comes to me. How to make P and G even more money than just with a Restaurant and how to keep my father from forcing me into a marriage of his choice.
By the end of the afternoon, the Greengrass sisters have bought out half of Diagon Alley and both pleased with ourselves. Astoria because she thinks she had convinced me to be normal and me because I have a plan.
Overall it’s been a very enlightening afternoon.