The party was in full swing downstairs, but Astoria was not in the mood to celebrate. She had known that this day would come from the very start. The day where she had to break her heart and give up her only true love.
Many people in the wizarding world thought that her and Draco's marriage was perfect. They were wrong of course; no relationship was perfect. The thing is it never could be. Astoria had been in love with someone else for the whole time they had been married; and always would be.
She knew that she would have to produce the next Malfoy air the moment her parents had helped her arrange her marriage to Draco. Astoria didn't resent being married to him; quite the opposite. The Malfoy's were a very wealthy family and she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.
It's just that she wouldn't be able to spend that life with Hermione.
Hermione. Her wild haired passionate lover who made her go weak at the knees. Hermione was the one person who knew her better than she knew herself; and not just in the physical sense.
They had shared many conversations on books, elf rights, the latest political news, and so much more. It was refreshing to have another female interested in the same things that she was. If she had a conversation with her sister Daphne then it usually consisted of the newest dress fashion, or the latest gossip from Witch Weekly. It wasn't that Daphne was not intelligent; it's just that she didn't think it concerned her very much.
Draco had always told her not to concern herself of those issues if she had ever brought them up when they were alone together, and she couldn't help but think that he may not want to be outsmarted by his wife, nor by someone who was younger than himself.
Astoria thought of the way Hermione had looked tonight. Her dark red Grecian style dress hung perfectly on her body; the ties and straps were silver rather than gold, a small acknowledgement of their relationship. She had also worn a choker of deep red rubies set in silver with matching earrings and bracelet. It wasn't a gaudy set which many witches seemed to wear recently, but it was rather simple and elegant.
Whilst Astoria was busy thinking of Hermione, Hermione was downstairs staring at the clock. Astoria had told her to go up to her childhood room around eleven o' clock. By that time many people had either gone home, or they had had so much to drink they wouldn't notice her walking into the Greengrass's private quarters.
The clock struck eleven and Hermione glanced around to make sure that nobody was looking at her. She walked quickly to a secret set of stairs that only the family knew of and glance around once again.
Everyone was focused on some kind of fight that had started out. She pushed open the door and walked through.
Hermione slipped through the door to her lover's room. It was spacious and filled with luxurious furnishings. Mint green silk drapes hung around the four poster bed, rarely used, but still inviting. The room looked deserted, but the open door to the balcony was the only clue it wasn't.
Walking quietly past the bed, and antique vanity table, Hermione walked out onto the balcony. Her lover stood there staring into the night. She looked as radiant as ever. The soft white material of her dress made her look like an innocent woman, not knowing anything of passion or desire, but Hermione knew differently.
She knew how those hands could touch, how those lips could kiss, and how her tongue could bring her to the brink of ecstasy. To the outside world Astoria Malfoy was a perfect pureblood wife, to Hermione she was her fiery and passionate lover.
Both women knew that what they had could not last long. They both had expectations to live up to. Astoria had to produce the next Malfoy heir, and Hermione had to marry Ron. It was not as if they did not love their other halves, they did, but they loved each other more.
This was their last night together. The last night they would explore each other's bodies, whisper each other's names with pleasure, and tomorrow would be their last kiss goodbye.