I married Astoria.”

Harry waits for an explanation, but there appears to be none forthcoming. “Who?” he asks at last.

Malfoy smiles a wry smile with absolutely no humour in it. “I know,” he says. “It seems poor form to marry someone like me off to a character who wasn’t even introduced in the central narrative.” At last he looks at Harry, that warm look with kindness in it, for no reason Harry can discern. “She was Daphne Greengrass’s sister, if that’s any consolation.

The Eighth Tale by lettered