Chapter 1
Draco Malfoy was pacing the corridors of Malfoy Manor; they grey-eyed portraits followed his progress and muttered to one another for they knew the reason for his unrest. The time had come for the Malfoy heir to marry. His parents had been hinting at the idea of marriage for some time now, suggesting that if he was going to marry someone of his own choosing then he had better hurry up and choose her. Draco had tried to find a wife, he really had, but he just hadn't found anyone he liked. The day after his nineteenth birthday Lucius and Narcissa had intervened, he was to have an arranged marriage.
Daphne Greengrass was the intended bride, a girl from in Draco's year at Hogwarts, he remembered little about her even though she had been a Slytherin as well, and all he remembered was sitting with her on the train in his third year when her little sister Astoria ran in crying when the dementors boarded the train.
"Draco, the time has come," Narcissa Malfoy said curtly as she walked out the drawing room, fastening her long black cloak around her neck "and for heavens sake change your expression; you look like you've been given the dementors kiss."
Lucius Malfoy exited the drawing room after his wife and offered her his arm.
"We are running late," he said in his cold drawling voice "The Greengrasses are expecting us in five minutes, we shall have to apparate."
"Father I…" Draco began but Lucius cut him off.
"The union of the Malfoys and the Greengrasses is important to keep our pure-blood family strong Draco, I expect you to make a good first impression on your future in-laws." Draco sighed and turned on the spot, disapparating with a loud crack. He reappeared with a pop in front of Greengrass Manor, there was a girl waiting at the gates, she had long black hair that flowed in waves down her back, she studied him, her emerald eyes looking him up and down.
"Daphne?" he asked.
"No, I'm Astoria, my family are waiting inside, and you are very nearly late." There was a pop behind Draco and his parents appeared.
"We apologise for our tardiness," Lucius drawled
"No need to apologise Mr Malfoy, I'm sure there was a very good reason, now if you'd like to follow me." Astoria waved her wand and the wrought iron gates creaked open, Draco, Narcissa and Lucius followed her up the long drive.
"I'm assuming you are Astoria," Narcissa said "you look so like your aunt Europa."
"You assume correctly Mrs Malfoy," Astoria replied, waving her wand so that the gates closed behind them "although I haven't seen Aunt Europa for quite some time."
"Oh, call me Narcissa please; we have no need for such formality," Narcissa said as Astoria opened the heavy wooden door.
"Welcome to Greengrass Manor, the rest of my family are waiting just through that door. May I take you cloak?"
Lucius and Narcissa handed Astoria their heavy travelling cloaks and entered through the door she had indicated, Draco watched her struggle with the sudden weight of the cloaks and quickly levitated them to take the weight off her, she turned and saw what he was doing, Draco thought he saw a hint of a smile but when he looked closer her porcelain face was impassive.
"Thank you," Astoria said "But I'll take it from here,"
"Let me help you," Draco replied as Astoria pulled out her wand.
"Don't be ridiculous, you have to go in there and meet your future wife and I have to take these to the cloakroom," she said a little sarcastically, Draco watched her walk away, with something that felt like disappointment in the pit of his stomach.
