Okay! I've recently become infatuated with this Draco/Astoria pairing. I find it delectable and incredibly fun to write about.

Some warnings! This is an "alternate universe" in which the Dark Lord killed Harry Potter. The only pesky detail is that at the very end, Harry isn't quick enough with 'Expelliarmus' to create the Prior Incantem again. Oh, and this is going to have smut peppered in. When I do smut, I do lemony, SMUTTY smuttiness. Mostly it's rated M for language, however.

Just a note.

One more thing; I do not own Harry Potter characters. I do not pretend to be J.K. Rowling. I just do foul, depraved things with her characters. Muahahaha. :P

Astoria Greengrass had been told of her betrothal to Draco Malfoy the day after graduating from Hogwarts. Her mother and father expected her to be happy; Draco was handsome, charming, and, well, a Malfoy. Still, as Astoria recalled memories of him and her elder sister Daphne, along with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and those other two goons she could never remember, he'd never paid much attention to her. Why would he, when Daphne was older, prettier, and more voluptuous? But then, Daphne had gone against their father's order to marry Draco; instead, she fell in love with an international Quidditch player (who left her three months after they eloped). Draco's father had agreed to bind him to Astoria instead.
Now, as Astoria stood in front of her full length mirror, she felt sadness wash over her. In two months, she would no longer be free. She would have to be the perfect wife and hostess. She would be Mrs. Astoria Malfoy. She would have to quietly tolerate his mistresses (yes, even that tart Pansy Parkinson), and pretend not to notice the pretty trinkets he gave them instead of her. Astoria quickly found herself crying. Flora, their house-elf, handed her a box of tissues.
"There there, don't cry Madame Astoria. You'll smear your makeup and ruin your pretty face!" exclaimed the elf. Nodding in agreement, she quickly stopped her tears and fixed the smudged mascara. She would be strong. She had to be.
"Now, please do not forget your table etiquette, and for Merlin's sake do not twirl your hair!" chastised Astoria's mother before they and her father Apparated to the Malfoy Manor.
"Yes, Mother."
"On second thought, let's just put it up." With a flick of her wand, her hair was styled in an elegant chignon.
Once in front of the wrought iron gates, she began to feel cold and anxious.
"Stop that, you look common." whispered her father harshly. She had been keeping a silent beat with her foot. Immediately, Astoria stopped, despite her anxiety. A moment later, Lucius and Narcissa appeared at the gate.
"Good evening, Lucius; Narcissa, looking lovely as always." her father said. They reciprocated the greeting as the gates swung open.
"Draco has so been looking forward to this dinner, Astoria." Narcissa murmured. Her eyes were warm. "You seem like an exceptional woman." Despite her anxiety, this made her radiate with pride.
After formal introductions with the other guests (Bellatrix Lestrange, Wormtail, and a few others that Astoria couldn't remember), everyone sat down for dinner. Lucius sat at the head of the table, and Narcissa sat at the opposite end. Astoria sat on her future mother-in-law's right, and Bellatrix sat on her left. Draco was seated beside Astoria, and then Astoria's parents. The other Death Eaters sat on Bellatrix's side. A light salad was served, and throughout that course, the table was relatively silent. Next came soup, and then a main course of roast chicken. By the main meal, each section of the table had begun talking in low tones to one another.
"You have a lovely home." Astoria whispered to Draco, who shrugged. She got the feeling that he hadn't in fact been looking forward to this dinner. He kept looking at the clock.
"Still with that Pansy, I take it?" she asked, her dark green eyes flashing mischievously.
"That's hardly your business." he replied flatly. The glittering ring that now adorned her left hand suggested otherwise.
By the time dessert had come around, both of her parents had become a smidgen intoxicated.
"Its that damned firewhisky!" Astoria's father had exclaimed. Astoria was humiliated.
"I'm so sorry. They usually aren't like this." Narcissa smiled sympathetically.
"They are behaving like monkeys. Why, if the Dark Lord were to-" Draco's mother cut Bellatrix off.
"Quiet, Bella. The Dark Lord is NOT here, and if he does decide to pop in, I'll have already put them up in the guest room. Everyone else is dismissed!" The Death Eaters Disaparated. This left Bellatrix, the Malfoys, and Astoria and her drunken parents.
Ten minutes later, Narcissa and Astoria had successfully put her parents to bed.
"Merlin, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm so embarrassed for my parents' sake." Astoria whispered as they walked to the lounge. Draco, his father, and his aunt were sitting, waiting for them in silence.
"We can talk about it later. Please, call me Narcissa."
This was it. The point of the whole evening. Her parents were asleep, so the only other guest besides Bellatrix was... The Dark Lord himself. In fact, it was going to be the Dark Lord that conducted the ceremony.
The Unbreakable Vow.
When he arrived, Astoria felt the room drop at least ten degrees, and she had butterflies of anxiety. They all bowed low.
"Good evening. The couple will rise and take the standard position." he hissed. It sent shivers down her back, but Astoria leapt up and held out her arm. Draco did the same. His face was empty, expressionless. It had been nearly impossible to read him at all.
"Very good." murmured the Dark Lord. His voice grew louder as he pointed the Elder Wand at their hands. "Astoria, do you swear to be a faithful mate to Draco, to be a good, obedient wife?"
Astoria gulped, cursing her cotton mouth. "I do." she replied coarsely. A thin flame surrounded their hands.
"And do you swear that you will not perform any acts of adultery against Draco?"
"I do." A second flame.
"Finally, and most important. Do you swear to be loyal to all that Draco is loyal to? More specifically, Astoria, to me?"
"I-I do." A third flame. Damn it! she thought. That waver must have been picked up on by the Dark Lord. The flames became one and burned into their hands, leaving a thin mark on their hands.
"Very good." He turned toward Lucius and Narcissa, who had been watching intently. "The date is set for one month from today, correct?" They nodded. He Disapparated without another word.

Please review? I won't post any more without at least one review for the chapter. It'll be our Unbreakable Vow. You review, and I'll write more chapters. HA!

Random joke of the chapter: Billy was a chemist's son, but now he is no more. What he thought was H2O was H2SO4 (sulfuric acid.)

REVIEW!