Daphne Greengrass supported her mother as they left the dining room.
The two house-elves also headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes from the meal.
Only Jon and Astoria remained in the dining room. Soft saxophone music still drifted intermittently from a corner, yet it only made the atmosphere feel faintly awkward.
Astoria stood up and stole a glance at Jon.
"That was a terrible dinner, wasn't it?"
"No… quite the opposite." Jon shook his head. "I thought it was wonderful. I've never experienced such a lavish feast!"
"Emily's cooking really is exceptional." Astoria forced a smile. "Even if her mind isn't quite what it used to be."
They stood there facing each other in awkward silence, unsure what to say next. In truth, it had been months since they last spoke alone… because Astoria had deliberately avoided Jon during that time.
"Do you want to rest for a bit…" Astoria murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "After such a big meal, you must be feeling a little sleepy…"
"I suppose I am," Jon nodded thoughtfully.
"You can go to my room…" Astoria turned away, her cheeks flushing slightly as she spoke in a low voice. "You can rest there for a while…"
"Sure," Jon agreed without hesitation, smiling.
...
Astoria led the way, her steps slow and faintly hesitant.
Jon remained calm as they passed one luxurious marble staircase after another, finally stopping in front of a pink wooden door.
Astoria took out a key and opened it.
"This is my room," she said softly.
Jon looked around. The entire room was indeed filled with a distinctly girlish atmosphere. A pink Simmons bed was covered with blue bedding, and above it hung a pale pink mosquito net tied neatly to the bedposts. On the cabinet beside the bed sat all kinds of small trinkets.
On the desk, the most eye-catching items were several books and a silver mirror. Above it hung two photographs, the people in them waving cheerfully at him—
One appeared to be a recent photo of Astoria with her sister and mother. The other showed Jon himself with Astoria, both of them looking only eleven or twelve years old.
"When were these taken?" Jon asked curiously.
"Near the end of first year. Colin Creevey from Gryffindor took them for me. You forgot?" Astoria reminded him softly.
"Oh, right." Jon nodded, then continued looking around. In another corner of the room, various items were piled rather haphazardly: a half-human-height stuffed bear, a Nimbus 2001 broomstick that looked long unused, and several textbooks.
"It might be a bit messy here…" Astoria explained quietly.
"It's much cleaner than my place," Jon shook his head. "You can find newspapers or books everywhere in my room—it's a complete mess."
...
They sat down on the pink Simmons bed, and the room fell into brief silence once more.
Jon breathed in the faint fragrance lingering in the air and listened to Astoria's slightly hurried breathing.
"I heard from Hod that you talked with my mother for over an hour just now…" Astoria said timidly, not daring to lift her head to meet Jon's eyes. "Did she tell you everything… about me?"
"Yes." Jon nodded solemnly. "She told me everything."
"Then… Jon… are you afraid of me…" Astoria's hand trembled slightly.
Jon reached out and took her hand.
"Afraid? How could I be?"
"But… I am… I'm a monster…" Astoria gathered her courage to speak. The words seemed to have been bottled up inside her for a long time. "Ever since I was little, I knew I was different from my sister. I was never healthy… even though Mother never told me the truth…"
"No, you're not a monster." Jon pulled her into his arms. "How could there possibly be a monster as beautiful and as adorable as you?"
Astoria, however, struggled free of his embrace.
"When I was five…" Her voice trembled, painfully fragile. "I visited Malfoy Manor with my mother and sister. Malfoy Manor has an ancestral mirror. My sister told me it was a 'mirror that reveals demons,' something that could expose all dark magic… Then I climbed up and looked into it myself…"
Her voice trembled with despair and terror.
Jon pulled her into his arms again. This time, she didn't resist.
"Jon… what I saw in the mirror wasn't myself… it was a snake…" She curled up in his embrace, her whole body shaking. "That snake was flicking its tongue at me, as if it were laughing. I dream about that mirror, and what I saw in it… They remind me all the time that I'm a monster. I'm a monster…"
"Listen, Astoria," Jon said gently, smiling. "You're just sick, that's all."
"No, Jon…" Tears streamed down her face. "Even though Mother never told me what happened to me, I know I'm a monster. I'll die suddenly one night, just like Aunt Alice and Great-Aunt Anne. I'm so scared… I'm afraid of death, and even more afraid that I might hurt you…"
"Do you believe me?" Jon held her tightly.
The girl in his arms nodded faintly.
"I've never lied to you, have I? And I won't this time either." Jon spoke earnestly. "I'll save you. I'll make you as healthy as your sister and your mother. Trust me, Astoria."
"But… I'll die… Aunt Alice and Great-Aunt Anne…"
"No, you won't," Jon said calmly. "You'll live to be a hundred, Astoria. There is indeed a small problem with you, but don't worry—I'll cure it. I swear."
Astoria lifted a finger and pressed it gently against Jon's lips.
"Don't swear, Jon… I believe you…" she murmured. "And… never let me hurt you. That would make me feel very, very awful."
...
Hearing her breathing gradually steady in his arms, Jon laid the girl down on the bed and covered her with the quilt.
Then, his expression grave, he stepped out of the young girl's boudoir.