Astoria Greengrass + Draco Malfoy: The Underrated Potter Romance

In the world of Harry Potter, it’s not just about the physical magic and adventure that captivated its readers. The magic and adventure of romance between the characters stirred the emotions of Potterheads, too. From the first love trope of Harry and Ginny to Ron and Hermione’s slow-burn enemies to friends to lovers story, the canon romances in “Harry Potter” made the books and the films even more magical.

But there’s one love story that exists in the “Harry Potter” universe that most people don’t talk or even know about. That’s the story of Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy.

Her appearance at the end of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” and more revelations about her life in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” revealed that there is a woman named Astoria Malfoy (née Greengrass) who married Draco Malfoy, gave birth to Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy and lived a relatively short life due to a blood curse.

Who is she, though? And what is the significance of her Astoria Greengrass, her romance with Malfoy and her death? How is their love story better than Twilight, too?

The Unknown Potter Character: Who is Astoria Greengrass?

Astoria Greengrass
Image from Harry Potter Wiki Fandom

We all know who Draco Malfoy is; he’s the anti-hero who started out antagonizing Harry and his friends before he suffered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. People liken him to Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” minus the dramatic 180-degree shift.  But not much is known about Astoria. Readers are more familiar with her sister Daphne Greengrass, with the latter not even a prominent minor character in the series.

Astoria Greengrass is the youngest daughter of the Greengrass family, one of the oldest pure-blooded families in Britain. Their family is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, a group of pure-blood families declared to be of “pure origins” in the 1930s.  She and her older sister Daphne were taught and brought up with pure-blood supremacy beliefs and practices.

Despite their great heritage, Astoria’s family was cursed with a blood malediction, a curse that could resurface in a victim’s family tree, affecting their descendants. Astoria became the unfortunate victim of this curse, which resulted in her becoming physically frail.

Her blood curse, however, did not stop Astoria Greengrass from entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry two years after her sister Daphne. There is no written record of her official House, but since her sister is a Slytherin and their family is of pure-blood heritage, it’s safe to assume that Astoria was also sorted in Slytherin.

During the Second Wizarding War, Astoria was evacuated with her peers for being too young to participate in the war. The events of the Battle of Hogwarts, however, greatly impacted her view on life, particularly on her family’s blood purity supremacy.

Her improved tolerance with muggle existence and disdain for traditional pure-blood ideals may have caused a small rift in the family. But it ultimately helped her forge a bond with her future husband-to-be, Draco Malfoy.

Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy: The Love Story No One Expected

Throughout the books and the films, Draco was always dating Pansy Parkinson. Even though he was with Pansy, readers also felt the sexual tension between him and Hermione Granger. But alas, JK Rowling decided to go neither way and had Draco end up with Astoria (sorry Dramione and Draco and Pansy shippers).

Not much is known on how they met and fell in love, but the story of how they came to be (as told in “The Cursed Child” and expanded in the Harry Potter Lexicon) is a good one.

Despite being of pure-blood heritage, Astoria Greengrass was deemed an unsuitable match for Draco by his parents. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy did not approve of Astoria because of her more tolerant view of muggles. You’d think that after everything that happened with Lord Voldemort and the Second Wizarding War, Draco’s parents would at least be more compassionate towards muggles and half-bloods. That wasn’t the case.

Fortunately, Draco’s life experiences changed his mind and beliefs. After years of following his family, he finally stood up to his parents and married her anyway. In a conversation with his friend Albus Potter, Scorpius says that his mother claimed it was one of the bravest things she had ever seen Draco do.

Despite enjoying a happily married life with Draco, Astoria Malfoy knew she would not live to old age due to her family’s blood malediction. To make sure her husband would not be alone when she passes, she insisted to have a child with him. Draco, on the other hand, did not care so much for having kids, insisting that the Malfoy family line could end with him. Plus, he knew the pregnancy would greatly impact her already frail health.

But Astoria got what she wanted and she ended up pregnant with her son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

After the birth of Scorpius, the Malfoy family vanished into seclusion to let Astoria recover from her pregnancy, which greatly weakened her. During this time, rumors swirled regarding Astoria’s pregnancy. People believed that the couple was unable to conceive a child, causing them to use a Time-Turner to go back and time and have Lord Voldemort father Astoria’s child instead. Scorpius carried the stigma of these rumors while growing up.

Unlike their parents’ way of raising children, Draco and Astoria steered their son away from the pure-blooded beliefs of “muggles are scum” and “purebloods are supreme,” which resulted in family gatherings fraught with tension.

The tension may have existed in all aspects of their lives, but Draco and Astoria managed to power through, with their love keeping them alive. But Astoria’s blood curse caught up to her eventually. In 2019, Astoria passed away, leaving behind her son and her beloved husband.

A Potter Love Story Unlike the Others

Draco and Astoria’s love story is often shadowed by the primary love stories in the “Harry Potter” series. But their tale is just as significant as Harry and Ginny’s, Ron and Hermione’s and the other couples in the Potter universe.

For starters, the couple is a product of pure-blood families who sincerely believe in blood purity. Not much is known about Astoria’s beliefs prior to the Second Wizarding War. But the Malfoys influence on a young Draco was very evident in how he treated Hermione, the Weasleys and other people who don’t follow his thinking. His hardships as a ward of Lord Voldemort combined with the misery of the Battle of Hogwarts taught him of the reality of evil in his close circles and how magic is not always might.

Although Astoria may not have experienced Draco’s journey, she developed tolerant beliefs of her own. Their nearly similar roads from pure-blood supremacy to tolerance provided the couple a deep understanding of the two, as well as helped them develop a strong foundation for their marriage.

Ironically, Draco Malfoy’s marriage to Astoria Greengrass cemented his pure-blood status since the Greengrasses are part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Despite this, their association with this pure-blood group meant nothing to the pair since it was a remnant of their bloodied past.

Many readers wonder why Draco didn’t end up with Pansy Parkinson. It’s never explicitly stated, but Draco ended his relationship with his old flame, as many high school couples split up anyway. He went on to marry Astoria, a woman who was open-minded and courageous — a stark contrast to Pansy who spent most of her days bullying her fellow Hogwarts students.

Pansy suited the immature Draco well, but as Draco became more mature and aware of his surroundings, he needed the warmth and kindness Astoria had. The adult Draco Malfoy needed someone who understood the struggle of growing up in a culture of pure-blood supremacy and choosing to be more tolerant and kinder.

Had he chosen to stay with Pansy, his parents might have been more forgiving. But Draco made a rebel move by marrying a woman who didn’t think muggles were scum. For someone who lived most of his life believing in his parents’ ideals, this was indeed an independent and rebellious decision for someone like Draco Malfoy.

Through Thick or Thin

Another remarkable thing to note about Astoria Malfoy’s existence in Draco’s life is how it brought out the selfless side of the former “Harry Potter” anti-hero. In the majority of the books and films, Draco is often selfish and arrogant, thinking about himself first because he deserves everything good in life. Even in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” Draco to spare himself more than his friends just to do the Dark Lord’s bidding.

Him marrying Astoria brought out the selfless side no one got to see or read. For one, Astoria’s blood curse meant that one day, she would be too weak to function. She would need him. And he didn’t mind that. Draco chose to marry her, against all odds.

He shielded his wife from the cruel remarks of people during her pregnancy and after Scorpius was born. He also did his best to take care of Astoria, giving her all the care she needed, especially when she got too sick. Fortunately, she lived long enough to see Scorpius off at Platform 9 ¾ for his first year at Hogwarts.

Astoria is the Light of Draco’s Life

Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy may have lived a short life and not everyone knows about her. But her existence is the reason people are reading a different kind of Draco Malfoy in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”— whether you consider it canon.

Astoria proved to Draco that there is someone like him, eager to shed their evil beginnings for the greater good. She taught him how to care for others first before himself. She gave birth to their son despite her critical health just so Draco wouldn’t be alone in case she passes away.

When she died, Draco was tempted to use his father’s time-turner to see his wife one last time. However, he knew the consequences that he may tamper with the present. Instead of being selfish, he let his wife go and reveled in her memory.

If that’s not a better love story than Twilight or the other couples in the Potter universe, then we don’t know what is.

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