For Amanda (DarylDixon'sgirl1985).
Astoria's eyes roved over the Malfoy family tree. Certain names stood out because of the notable contributions they'd made to wizarding society. Some she knew because they had another place on the Greengrass tapestry in her own home. Many others were unknown to her, their stories lost even as their names lived on for their family to see. She found those most fascinating of all.
"Why are you looking at this old thing?" Draco asked.
Astoria turned to find him in the doorway, a cup of tea in either hand. He scowled at the tapestry as he approached and handed her one of the teacups. Taking a sip, she noticed her drink was fixed just the way she liked it: milk but no sugar.
"You don't think it's interesting to see your ancestors laid out before you like this?" she asked, cradling her tea in her hands.
They'd felt cold since she and Draco had arrived at Malfoy Manor, mostly from her nerves. She wanted to make a good impression on Draco's parents, but she knew she was facing an uphill battle from the start. Being in the Malfoy family home left her uneasy. She clutched the tea like a comfort blanket and took a step closer to Draco, trying to forget that his parents had disappeared to another part of the manor half an hour earlier to show her how much they disliked her.
"Not really," Draco said with a shrug. "I'm sure they did important things in their own lifetimes, but what does it matter to me? They're all dead aside from my parents and me. What they got up to doesn't matter anymore."
Astoria chewed on her bottom lip. Draco's views echoed those of her sister, Daphne, when they'd been made to memorize the Greengrass family tree. Astoria understood the logic behind it, but she couldn't escape the way the past kept her in thrall.
She took several steps forward, coming to a stop in front of Draco's name on the tapestry. Though the tapestry had been charmed to prevent damage, Draco's name appeared brighter than the others, as if time hadn't sucked out as much of its colour. Her finger traced the cursive letters as she felt Draco approach from behind and wrap one arm around her waist. Her finger trailed to the right where there was currently empty space.
"One day your wife will go here," she mused, her finger circling the area.
Draco's chest vibrated against her back as he laughed.
"Yes," he said. "I imagine she will, if anyone's willing to marry me."
He reached past her to let his own finger stroke the blank area beneath his name.
"And then children will go here," he added, "because that's the way things go."
Astoria stared at the empty space even after Draco had pulled his hand away. She'd approached the tree for no reason except passing curiosity with the past, but her thoughts had shifted to the more dangerous territory of the future.
She pulled away from Draco just far enough to turn around in his arms.
"Anyway," she said, "what other parts of the manor did you want to show me?"
Draco accepted the change of subject easily, taking her hand and turning his back on the tapestry to head for the library instead.
Astoria blinked several times before her eyes focused on the ceiling above her. Turning her head, she realized that she was lying on the sofa in the Greengrass family sitting room. She went to sit up, causing a wet cloth that had been placed on her forehead to slide down her face. A hand pushed her back down, and as the cloth was removed, Astoria found herself looking up at her mother's face.
"What happened?" she asked, pressing her hand to her forehead.
Even with her head resting against the pillow, she felt dizzy.
"You fainted," her mother replied, voice quivering.
Looking behind her, Astoria saw an equally worried Daphne hovering as if she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
"Fainted," Astoria repeated, trying to recall what had been happening before she lost consciousness.
All she could remember was sitting at the piano. Sure, she got into the music as she played. Sometimes she felt a little tired after practicing, but she never felt exhausted. There had been no signs she had been about to pass out before it had happened.
"It's the curse," Daphne blurted out, her eyes on their mother instead of Astoria. "You know it is. We knew it was going to reappear eventually. Well, here it is."
"Daphne," Mrs Greengrass said through gritted teeth. "We have no proof of that. No one in the family has experienced the curse for generations."
"Which is normal," Daphne interrupted, "but someone else was always going to eventually. You're the one who made us study the stories growing up. I know what the signs are. Randomly fainting is always what happens first."
Astoria stared at the ceiling, feeling numb. She'd studied the past cases of the Greengrass curse with more vigor than her sister, and she knew as well as Daphne did that it was the best explanation for what had happened to her.
"There are a million reasons why one might faint—"
"But the most likely in this case is the curse," Astoria said, turning her head slowly to the side to lock eyes with her mother. "I'm fine. Or, at least, I was before I fainted. There's nothing that should have caused it. Daphne's right. That's the best explanation."
The simple statement of fact should have paralyzed her with fear, but it didn't. Though she believed the curse the cause, the moment didn't feel real as she went back to staring at the ceiling, trying to process the truth of what having the curse meant, not just for her but for everyone around her.
Astoria twisted the ring on her finger as she stood in front of the Malfoy family tree. The silver outlining her silhouette shone a bit brighter than the rest, as did the line connecting her to Draco. It set butterflies aflutter in her stomach to think of what that line meant. Though it had been several weeks since the wedding, it didn't feel real.
Arms wrapped around her from behind, and she sunk into Draco's embrace, resting her head against his chest.
"It's perfect isn't it," he said.
His breath hit her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"It is," she agreed, though she knew her reasons for thinking so were different from his.
She cared far more about the simple line between them than she did how flattering the silhouette woven into the fabric was. That line was the only thing she'd wanted. That and perhaps one more line that travelled vertically.
Reaching out with one finger, she traced the line that connected them before she let her hand travel downward right where another line might go.
"I suppose now is the time to start working on a new line," she mused, grinning at the thought.
As soon as she said the words, Draco stiffened against her, prompting her to turn around in his arms with one eyebrow raised.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her stomach plummeting as her mind ran over the worst possible explanations for his reaction.
Draco's eyes were pained as they shifted from the tapestry to her.
"It's nothing," he said, but the lie was so obvious that he backtracked a second later. "It's just the curse. You're already weak because of it. Pregnancy and labor would only weaken you further."
Astoria sucked in a breath, staring at her new husband as if he had become a different person.
"Don't you want an heir?" she asked slowly.
Draco swallowed, his eyes shifting to a place on her forehead instead of making eye contact.
"It's expected of me," he admitted, "but I don't personally feel the need to have an heir. Aren't we supposed to be moving past our stuck up pureblood ways? If the Malfoy family dies off, few would see it as a tragedy. Even I can't place my family over you. Losing you would be worse than the bloodshed of war, Astoria."
Her heart tightened. Taking a step closer, she cupped his cheek in her hand, running her thumb along his cheekbone.
"Not an heir then," she said, "but a child. I can't possibly know how you feel, but I do want one, Draco. Nothing makes me happier than the thought of a child of our own. I know it may make me weak, but I'll die young no matter what happens. Leaving you behind with a child comforts me. I know how aloof you can be. I don't want you alone once I'm gone."
Draco looked her in the eyes again, holding her gaze with an intensity greater than when they'd married. She looked back with just as much intent.
When Draco finally spoke, it was slow and with a hesitance that showed he wasn't confident of his words.
"If that's really what you want, then we'll have a child. I only want you to be happy."
Astoria smiled, trailing her fingers over his cheek one last time and trying to ignore the fear in his eyes.
Astoria stared into the cauldron, gaping at the potion inside that had just turned from an ugly brown colour to a brilliant silver. Draco stood beside her in silence with his hand against her back.
"I'm pregnant," Astoria breathed, testing the words on her tongue.
It felt even less true when said aloud, but the potion was proof of it. She had never heard of a pregnancy-detecting potion being wrong.
Astoria let out a sob as the emotions washed over her. She threw her arms around Draco, pressing her face into his chest as her cries overtook her. His arms tightened around her. It took a long time for her sobs to quiet and for her to realize that Draco was trembling.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pulling back and running her fingers along his cheek.
She was worried for him, but she couldn't help the small smile on her lips as she relished the idea of having a baby.
"Yes," Draco said, his voice cracking. "I'm a little...shaken. It's a lot to take in. You'll be an amazing mother, Astoria, but I—"
"Will be a great father," she stated firmly, pressing her hand over his heart. "You will be. I'm certain of it. You'll be a great father, and this child will love you dearly."
She pressed her free hand to her stomach for the first time since she'd learned that their future child was inside of her. Half of her expected to feel the baby somehow, but of course, it was too early for that. She felt nothing out of the ordinary. Draco followed her lead, eyes wide as he flattened his palm against her abdomen.
Tears began to streak down his cheeks, and Astoria had to laugh from joy. Pressing herself to her toes, she placed a kiss to his lips, earning herself a smile in return. He was still frightened; she could see it in his eyes. She had complete confidence in him, though, and planned to prove as much over the coming months.
There was much that needed to be done before the child was born, but that could wait. In the moment, Astoria couldn't help but think of the Malfoy family tapestry on the floor beneath them. It wouldn't be long before its next addition.
"We need to think of a name!" she declared, suddenly thinking of the elegant script that appeared beneath each portrait.
Draco laughed, brushing a strand of hair that had come free from her bun from her eyes.
"We have plenty of time for that."
"But it has to be perfect," Astoria said.
Taking Draco's hand, she tugged him all the way to the family tree so she could imagine what it would look like for herself.
"It has to be something celestial, of course," she said as she looked at the newest additions to the tree.
"Does it?" Draco asked, frown creasing his forehead when she glanced at him over her shoulder. "I've never been sure how I feel about that particular Black tradition."
"Of course it has to," Astoria said. "I love the idea of our child being named after a legend that's forever imprinted in the stars, but we have to choose the right one. That's why we need to start now."
Draco sighed, and Astoria couldn't help but giggle. Perhaps he had finally realized what he had gotten into.
Prompts:
Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments
Ongoing Gift Tag: Amanda - Draco/Astoria finding out their expecting
365 Prompts: bloodshed
Insane Prompts: aloof
Scavenger Hunt: Write a fic for a member of Hufflepuff.
The Golden Snitch
Nautical Ships Challenge: Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy - S.S. Stellar Legends
Word count: 2,107