May 17th: Facing the Family

[mayorhaggar]

Title: May 17th: Facing the Family
Characters or Pairing: Astoria/Daphne/Harry, but there's no sex or romance
Word Count: 1750
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: None
Author's Notes: Not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter, but here it is anyway.


"So, Astoria, has anything exciting happened since we last talked? Any interesting stories from events you've photographed?"

"Not really," Astoria said to her mother, ignoring Daphne's unladylike snort. Doubtless her sister was thinking about their escapades at the Firebolt event, but that wasn't a story she planned on sharing with their parents.

It was polite of her mother to try and get Astoria involved in the conversation, because the entire night up to that point had been about Daphne. Her sister told their parents about her pregnancy the morning after she'd found out, but this was the first time since then that the family had all been together. The baby naturally dominated the conversation, and Astoria had no problem with that. That's where the focus should have been, and it also meant that there had been no opportunity for her to get into another argument with her father. That was all going to change before the night was through though, because she, Daphne and Harry had agreed that it was time to tell their parents about the true nature of their relationship.

"Tori does have some news to share, though," Daphne interrupted. "She's going to be getting rid of her flat and moving in with us."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" their mother said. "You're going to move into the guest bedroom and help Daphne prepare for the baby? What a helpful little sister! Isn't she, Cyrus?"

'Well that was subtle', Astoria thought to herself. Her father said nothing and continued to drink his brandy as if his wife hadn't just spoken to him directly.

"That's not exactly right," Harry said. "Well, I mean she will help out with the baby a little...or at least I think she will. We haven't actually discussed that bit yet."

"Of course I will," she said, chuckling slightly. "That goes without saying."

"I don't understand." Their mother frowned and looked back and forth between her two daughters. "If the baby wasn't the reason behind it, why are you moving into your sister's guest room? Are things not going well at the Daily Prophet? Because I could get you an interview over at St. Mungo's, you know. Or I'm sure Daphne could put in a word for you at the Ministry, if you'd rather..."

"Work is fine, mum," she said, cutting her mother off. "I could afford to keep my flat if I wanted to."

"Then why..." her mother began. The confusion was really starting to set in now.

"And she isn't going to be moving into a guest room," Daphne added. "She'll be moving into our room."

"What are you trying to say?" her mother asked.

'Have you really not figured it out? Or are you just in denial?'

"I'm in love with Daphne. And Harry. And they love me," Astoria said softly.

The silence that followed that announcement was deafening. Her mother sat there in stunned, open-mouthed silence. Astoria was sure this was a major shock to her system and something that would take a while for her to adjust to, but she was optimistic that her mother would eventually come around. Evelyn Greengrass had always supported her children and Astoria and Daphne both believed that she would do the same here, even if it took some time. The alternative was unthinkable.

Astoria was more closely watching her father. She'd been expecting a huge blow-up, a tirade about how they were disgracing the Greengrass name, but that did not happen. He didn't look angry, disgusted, disappointed or any of the other reactions she'd expected from him. Instead he continued to sip his brandy with his right hand while his left hand rubbed his chin, an obvious sign he was deep in thought.

"How long has this been going on?" her father eventually asked, breaking the silence.

"Let's see...about seven months now," Daphne said. Cyrus nodded, the expression on his face unreadable. Astoria kept waiting for the explosion, but it still didn't come.

"I assume it's serious if you've invited her to live with you," he commented. "Especially with a child on the way."

"It is," Harry said, meeting his father-in-law's eyes so he could see his sincerity. "Daphne might be my wife, but I love Astoria just as much. And Daphne feels the same way about her. We want her in our lives forever."

Astoria braced herself, waiting for the furious objection she was sure was coming, but her father just nodded again and set his empty glass of brandy down on the table.

"And are you willing to announce that commitment to the world?" he asked calmly. "Are you willing to claim Astoria as your lover publicly?"

"Yes!" Daphne answered in a near-shout.

"What about children?" he asked, and that stopped all three of them short. "If Astoria wants children in the future, will Harry father them?"

Astoria stared down at the half-eaten baked potato on her plate, her mind reeling. That was a question she honestly hadn't even considered, and judging by the silence from her two lovers, it seemed this was the first time they'd thought about it too.

"Of course," Daphne declared. Astoria looked up from her plate and saw her sister looking straight at her. "Having kids isn't something Astoria has ever talked about much, but if she decides she wants them one day then of course Harry would be the father."

Astoria heard no doubt in Daphne's voice and saw no uncertainty on her face. She glanced over at Harry, who still looked a bit overwhelmed; obviously this turn in the conversation had caught him off-guard. But finally he nodded, and when he looked over at her she saw a look of determination on his face that had become very familiar to her.

"I'd be happy to," he said, giving her a nod. "I've always wanted a big family anyway."

"Not that there's any pressure, Tori," Daphne was quick to add. "If you don't ever want to have kids yourself, that's just fine. I'm sure you'll get plenty of the mother experience anyway by living with us."

"But what about your reputations?" their mother asked, a panicked tremor in her voice. "The Daily Prophet will be all over you if this becomes public." Astoria shot a wounded look at her mother, and it didn't go unnoticed. "I'll support you in whatever you decide," she insisted. "I just don't want to see my girls publicly humiliated and treated like...like..."

"Public opinion is inconsequential, Evelyn," their father said, cutting his wife off before she could come up with the word she was looking for. "Perhaps they would be treated harshly for a time, but the public is fickle and their memories are very short. I'm sure Harry can tell us all about that from personal experience."

"That's true," Harry agreed. "One day I'd be a hero, then a liar, then Salazar Slytherin reborn."

Her father raised a fair point, but it still puzzled Astoria. Their mother was reacting about how they'd expected. She was shocked and a little afraid, but ultimately they were going to have her support. But her father's reaction was baffling.

"I'm surprised you're taking this so well, father," she said. He turned his head to look at her, and he didn't look angry. In fact, he didn't even have the usual look of annoyance and frustration she'd gotten used to since she dumped Draco. "I figured I was going to be in for a long lecture about disgracing the family and ignoring my duty, but you don't seem upset at all."

"And why should I be upset?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "I feared you were never going to have children. Now it is at least a possibility again."

"But you're all about 'joining family lines' and forming alliances and all that," she objected. "Politically this doesn't help us at all. Harry's married to Daphne, so we don't get any new allies or power out of it."

"That's true. But we can potentially gain something far more important."

"And what's that?" Daphne asked. Astoria watched her father closely, very interested to hear what he had to say.

"If Astoria and Harry have a son, he could succeed me as Lord Greengrass."

"How?" Astoria asked, furrowing her brows. "If we aren't married the child would be illegitimate. I don't know or care about 'the old ways' like you do, but even I know those old purebloods would never accept an illegitimate son as an heir."

"True," he said. "But if Astoria publicly claims Harry as her Consort, then their children would be recognized as proper Greengrasses."

"Consort?" she asked, blinking. "That's a thing? I've heard of Lords taking on Mistresses so they could have more children, but..."

"This is the same basic principle, yes, only in reverse. It's almost unheard of, even in the old days when Mistresses were far more common than they are now. Pureblood families are concerned with continuing their own line above all else, so giving up any male offspring to another family is out of the question. But I don't believe Harry will object, will he?"

"No, of course not," Harry answered automatically.

"But he's already married," their mother pointed out. "I know a married woman can't be a Mistress."

"Yes, because in those days before our testing became more refined, there was always a high chance of her husband and her paramour warring over who the child belonged to," Cyrus said, sounding like he was reciting lines from a textbook. "That wouldn't be an issue here. Harry's children with his wife Daphne would be Potters, and his children with Astoria would be Greengrasses."

Astoria wasn't sure how to feel or what to think. She'd been expecting an argument of epic proportions with her father. Not only had she avoided that, but he was actually happy. But it was only because of the potential benefits their unique situation could offer to his precious family line, never mind about what it meant to the daughters who actually made up that line. Should she be relieved he was okay with their relationship, or angry he was still more concerned about the Greengrass 'legacy' than he was about her?

She was still trying to decide how she felt when the dinner plates were cleared away and her mother's famous chocolate cake was placed in the center of the table. Instantly she felt her mood start to improve. Her relationship with her father had always been complicated, but chocolate had never once let her down.