Astoria Greengrass was slumped over the bar at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Another firewhiskey." She slurred.
"I think you've had enough." A masculine voice said in her ear.
Astoria groaned. He might have been her fiancé, but he was the last person she wanted to see. She had come here to get away from him, from their engagement, and come to terms that she would never be with the person she truly loved.
"Not you, why do you have to spoil everything?"
He chuckled, "As far as I am aware the only thing I have spoiled is your drinking session."
Astoria shook her head. "You spoilt everything I had with her. If you
had never gone to my father then I would have been free to be with her."
"What do you mean?" he asked even though he was pretty certain that he already knew what she had meant.
"I love her. I've always loved her. I am only engaged to you out of duty to my family." She confessed.
Draco Malfoy did not quite know what to do with this information. He had asked for Astoria's hand because he loved her, and thought that she loved him. It turned out that he was a fool. She had been in love with someone else; a woman no less!
"Who? He asked quietly.
"It doesn't matter." She replied trying to brush it off.
"Who. is. it?" Draco asked through gritted teeth. He was getting angry over the whole business and just wanted to know who the woman was so he could hex her three ways Sunday.
"Hermione." She said sighing softly.
Hermione? The only Hermione he knew was Hermione Granger. His fiancée was in love with one of the Golden Trio, and the one currently dating the Weasel. Who would think that the prissy Hermione Granger would turn out to like girls?
Draco frowned. He wondered what Granger was doing with the Weasel if she loved Astoria? Unless Weasel was her second choice, much like he was Astoria's. Either way his fiancée was in love with another woman and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to marry her; the betrothal agreements had been signed.
"How...how long have you loved her?"
"I don't know. I never realised until I couldn't be with her," turning to face him Astoria said, "I'm sorry Draco."
Looking at her face he saw that tears were flowing down her cheeks. He didn't know if she was crying because of her lost love, or whether it was because she was sorry, but he couldn't stand to see her that way.
He pulled her into his embrace and let her cry. Once the tears had stopped she pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"I am so sorry Draco. You were never supposed to know. I didn't want to hurt you, but now I have and I cannot take it back. I will never ask you to forgive me, I don't deserve it."
"That's rubbish Astoria. I am a little angry I admit, but because of my own foolishness not yours. I should have seen that your affections lay somewhere else and not with me," he sighed. "I asked for your hand because I love you, and I thought that you may love me."
Astoria hung her head feeling guilty.
"There's no point in talking about this anymore tonight. You are still drunk, and I think it's best if we have this conversation tomorrow when you're sober."
Astoria nodded.
Draco helped her get off the stool she had been sat on and took her through the floo to her parent's home. He returned to the Manor feeling a weight on his shoulders and drank himself into oblivion thinking of nothing but his fiancée and the woman she loved.