Author's Note: I have not spelled Asteria's name wrong. While it was spelled "Astoria" in Time Magazine, JKR spelled it "Asteria" on the Weasley Family Tree. Since I think it's more likely she'd be named after a Greek goddess than a Muggle hotel, I go with the "Asteria" spelling.


The last time she had seen Malfoy was over two years before at a Slytherin-Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Like the last four matches he had attended, Malfoy had been off his head on Merlin-knows-what and more obnoxious than she remembered. And just like the last four matches he had attended, Malfoy had heckled both teams with his more snide comments directed towards the new Seeker for Slytherin.

"Ace pair of tits, Greengrass. Really." At her affronted look, he had only smirked before his gaze dropped once again towards her chest. "If the previous games are any indication, you won't even notice the Snitch till Cauldwell there has caught it so I've decided to focus on your better assets."

Once Asteria had overcome her shock, she had responded with a Stinging Hex that earned her a foul and a week of detention. It had been worth every blister she got from digging up and moving the Flutterby Bushes for Sprout. Her only disappointment had been when Malfoy failed to show up for future matches; she had wanted him to be there when she caught the Snitch so she could shove it in his pointy little face. She found herself surprised that she was tempted to go over to his corner table now and do just that, albeit sans Snitch.

"So, er, what's the story with Malfoy?" Ernie Macmillian asked, gesturing towards where the wizard sat perched near the wireless radio, his back to them. "I thought your parents and the Malfoys didn't get along?"

"They don't," Daphne told her fiancé, a golden blonde curl falling loose from her elaborate up-do as she leaned against his shoulder. "It's complicated."

"Not that complicated," Asteria muttered into her wine. As long as she could remember, her parents had both despised the Malfoys and envied their stature in wizarding society. Hélène Greengrass would bitterly complain that her family was just as old and pure as the Blacks (and certainly more so than the "questionable" Malfoys) while anxiously awaiting an invitation to Narcissa Malfoy's next social event. When Lucius Malfoy had been arrested, Linus Greengrass had hurried home and gleefully told his wife the news. They had lived in a world ruled by the Malfoys and hated every minute of it.

Along with her sisters, Asteria had been invited to a few of those events – mostly lavish birthday parties thrown for Draco when he was younger. It had been over a decade since the last one, but she remembered it clearly for how the men had left to have far more interesting conversations about Quidditch and politics while the women were left to one-up each other by talking about their husbands and children. Moments like that were what made her realize the last thing she wanted to do was be an idle pureblood wife with nothing to do but polish her jewelry and plan parties, cloistered far away from the world. She wanted to be the one out there making money, making a name for herself; not relying on her husband to do so for both of them.

Not that she would marry. Asteria was beginning to doubt that she was suited for it the way Kallisto and Daphne were. Thanks to her busy N.E.W.T.s year followed by a hectic start as a Trainee Healer at St. Mungo's, she hadn't had a boyfriend in three years. More telling, she hadn't noticed till her mum had helpfully mentioned it earlier. Plucking the cocktail stick from her empty glass, she sucked on the gin-soaked olive while watching the couples waltz around the ballroom. Nearby Daphne and Ernie kissed and cooed at each other, and Asteria realized that there was only one thing she felt bereft of and it wasn't companionship or long moonlit walks.

"Well, they must be friends if your mum invited them to the wedding," Ernie said once he and Daphne had come up for air. Asteria snorted at this. Ernie seemed disinclined to think poorly of Mrs. Greengrass, and why should he? To him, she was a gracious, charming woman who adored Ernie so much that if Daphne weren't marrying him, Hélène might have adopted him.

"She invited Narcissa Malfoy and a guest to show-off," Daphne stated, stressing those three words because everyone knew Lucius Malfoy would not be attending. The elder Malfoy would be under house arrest for the next several years and was persona non grata besides.

Setting her glass down, Asteria turned to the couple. "I doubt our mum expected any of them to show."

Or that Draco Malfoy would arrive alone to the reception, sit quietly in one of the far corner tables he'd been shown to, then park himself at the bar after dinner for the remainder of the evening.

"There's Kalli!" Daphne gasped, rising from her chair as their sister and new brother-in-law entered the ballroom. The Greengrasses had spared no expense for the wedding for their eldest daughter; whether it was decorating the ballroom of Green Park with hundreds of flowers all in blue, pale silvery purple and white, the gilded carriage flown by two Abraxans awaiting the couple outside or the snow white silk gown Kallisto wore now. Asteria knew it was the finest wedding she would ever see, at least until Daphne's the following year.

Still atop the spiral staircase that led down to the ballroom, Kallisto and Roger Davies smiled down at their guests. While her sister had always been graceful and blessed with warm good looks like Daphne and their mother, Asteria never remembered her being quite as stunning as she was now. From the Davies' heirloom white-and-blue sapphire tiara perched in her blonde hair to the dainty white satin shoes she wore, she seemed to radiate happiness.

Pointing her wand to her throat to amplify her words to the crowd, Kallisto announced, "It's time for the bouquet toss!"

Cheers and giggles floated up from the room, in turn Asteria sighed and slumped down in her seat. She had no hope of going unnoticed, not with Daphne nearby. Clamping down on her wrist, she tugged her younger sister along. "Oh, come along Azzy! You can't sit this out!"

Trudging along behind her, Daphne pulled them to the front of the crowd, much to Asteria's dismay. Spotting her sisters, Kallisto pointed her bouquet at Asteria and winked. That and Daphne's laugh made her wonder if they had planned this beforehand. As Kallisto turned her back, readying herself for the throw, Asteria had the odd sensation of being watched. It took a few moments, with all the female guests crowding around her to vie for the bouquet but she soon found the source. Having finally pulled his attention away from the radio and his drink, Malfoy was watching the proceedings with an inscrutable expression.

Raising an eyebrow, she coolly stared back and fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest. It became more of a struggle when Malfoy let his gaze wander slowly down her figure then back up again before meeting her eyes and allowing a lazy smile to spread across his face. Rolling her eyes, Asteria was ready to fix him with her most withering gaze.

Unfortunately, Kallisto's bouquet hitting her right in the temple prevented Asteria from doing that. Blinking in surprise and stepping back to avoid the melee as guests scrabbled for the bouquet on the ground, she walked away. She'd had her fill of this wedding and needed a drink.

"I'm fine, Daphne," Asteria muttered, her sister calling after her. It was true: the only thing she'd hurt was her pride. Fishing stray flowers and petals out of her hair, she stopped at the bar, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't seen that. "Whisky, neat."

"Congratulations, Greengrass. Your reflexes are as sharp as ever."

Bristling, she told Malfoy to "sod off" before taking a drink from her glass.

"That's no way to speak to a guest," he chided in a sing-song tone.

Mimicking that tone, Asteria retorted, "I didn't invite you!"

"Immaterial. I am--"

Whatever he had intended to say next was cut off by the radio next to him. "Puffling catches the Snitch and the Australian National Team beats Peru, four hundred ninety to three hundred forty!"

Judging from the scowl that had settled onto Malfoy's face he'd been rooting for the favored winners, the Peruvian National Team. Suddenly she felt much better about the evening. "You know with Puffling as Seeker and the strong defense Taylor has built, I think the Australians will do quite well. Maybe even go all the way to the World Cup." Asteria raised her glass in mock-cheers and lied, "Hope you didn't have any money on the game."

"You surprise me, Greengrass. Having seen you play, I wouldn't have guessed you knew a thing about Quidditch."

His barbs couldn't dampen her alcohol-fueled feelings of good will. "Remembering your illustrious streak while Seeker, I could return the sentiment."

From the way Malfoy's face twisted into something ugly, Asteria knew she'd hit her mark. Malfoy recovered, schooling his features into a look of studied boredom. "Perhaps, but I did catch the Snitch on occasion – a feat I don't recall you accomplishing."

"I did." She hated herself for the defensiveness she heard in her voice. "You just weren't there to see it."

"Of course you did," Malfoy answered, his tone suggesting he was talking to a small child about their invisible friend. "Must have been at some other game where you didn't hex any spectators."

Instinctively and before she could stop herself, Asteria crossed her arms over her chest. She regretted it as soon as she saw the amused half-grin that played on his lips. Rather than move for fear she'd look like she was fidgeting under his gaze, Asteria tried to go on the offensive. "You deserved it for being such an absolute pig."

Malfoy made a lazy "mmm" sound in response, as if weighing the merits of her argument. Looking her over, his eyes settled on her chest in a very obvious way. "On that note, nice dress."

Like Daphne, Asteria disliked the dress her sister had chosen. It was very nice as far as bridesmaid dresses went: pale silver-colored silk with an empire waist, capped sleeves, and a scooped neck. Daphne hated it because it made her look washed out. Pale and black-haired, Asteria didn't have the same problems. No, she hated it for the very reason Malfoy had mentioned: on someone like her, it showed off an almost obscene amount. When she had voiced her objections, Kallisto had laughed her off and made some airy remark about "flaunting it."

But she was determined not to let him rattle her any more than he had.

"You seem quite obsessed with breasts. Unresolved Mummy issues we need to discuss?" His eyes met hers, his upper lip curling with disgust. Asteria barreled on before he could dish out any cutting remarks. "Or maybe you've just never seen any up close before – is that it?"

Malfoy laughed softly and Asteria blamed it on her drink that she found the sound not entirely unpleasant. "I assure you that's not the case." Asteria knew he was speaking the truth. She remembered her mum mentioning some of Malfoy's exploits while on his grand tour. "Boozing and whoring his way through the continent, Narcissa must be proud."

"Yours are passable."

"Passable?" It was her turn to laugh. She straightened up and motioned to the bartender to refill her glass, a sort of reckless energy flowing through her. "You wound me! Just two years ago you were yelling in front of a stadium of people about my 'ace pair of tits' and now they're downgraded to passable?"

A look of surprise flitted across his face and Asteria hid her smile by taking a sip of her whisky. "Have you been hanging on that comment all this time? Tsk."

"Oh, you've got me! It lingered on my mind and I went to bed every night thinking of all the obscene things you'd do to me if only we were to meet again." Deciding to turn the tables on him, Asteria let her gaze rake down his body as she drawled, "All those lonely nights I've spent just wishing for an immature, scrawny, clearly-overcompensating-for-something prat to come along and ravish me."

Maddeningly enough, Malfoy smirked at this and abruptly stood. Surprised, it took all her self-control not to back away or react as he moved towards her. Asteria could smell the brandy as his breath came hot against her cheek, Malfoy close enough that his body was almost pressed against hers, his mouth just brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Oh, Greengrass, you wouldn't joke if you knew what you were missing."

Later she'd blame it on the whisky, not wanting to admit how the words moved through her like no alcohol could. It had to be the liquor, she would reason, that made her tilt her head, look him right in the eyes and reply, "Prove it."

Whatever he had expected her to say, that hadn't been it. A look of naked surprise came over him and though Asteria was ready for him to humiliate her and hate him in return, she couldn't help noticing he was much easier on the eyes when he wasn't sneering or trying his best to seem bored. He smirked and she braced herself for what was coming next, hoping she could up with the perfect scathing response to whatever he dished.

"You're on."

Turning, he dropped a few Sickles on the bar, and with trembling hands, Asteria did the same. She couldn't believe this was happening and it was difficult not to feel nervous. At twenty-years old, the farthest she had ever gone with anyone were a few clumsy snogs back in Hogwarts. Then, she'd been too scared to go any farther. Now, the fear was (mostly) gone but she was a Trainee Healer, working twelve-hour days and had no time for a social life. The only men who paid her bit of attention were a couple of the older, very married Healers she worked alongside.

"So," Malfoy said, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking very boyish for it, "the cloakroom or one of the supply closets?"

Asteria imagined the expression on her face must have been quite something because Malfoy immediately backpedaled. "It's just a laugh, Greengrass."

"Right." She noticed Daphne watching them from her table, her brow furrowed in confusion. Any more dawdling and her sister would come over to investigate. "My place. There's an Apparition Point out in the garden we can use."

Eager to be far from any curious relatives, she started towards the back garden, expecting Malfoy to follow. He did but as soon as they'd stepped outside, he grabbed her arm. "I can't Apparate."

"You can't..." she sputtered. "Well, we can do Side-Along."

"I know how," Malfoy sneered, looking at the fountain instead of her. "The Ministry doesn't let me. It's part of my probation. I can only travel by Floo or broom." Before Asteria could ask, he added, "My broom is in the cloakroom. I don't think they'd appreciate a Summoning Charm so I'll be right back."

Alone now in the cool summer night, the utter absurdity of what she was going to do hit her. Not only was Malfoy one of the biggest wankers to ever walk the earth, but they hadn't even kissed and she was going to shag him? She must be mad.

"I have no idea how you're going to fly in that, Greengrass," he said, pointing the Nimbus at the skirt of her dress as he walked towards her. "Sidebroom, I guess?"

"I er... I guess."

Malfoy stopped, the confusion written on his face giving away to understanding. "Sobered up, have we?" he asked softly. "Rethinking things?"

"We haven't even kissed!" And she was starting to think that sleeping with someone she was sorely tempted to hex was not the brightest plan she'd ever had.

"I didn't think this was about romance. If you're looking for something long-term then--"

"I don't want to date you," she snapped and was surprised that he looked offended. "But we don't know if there's any... compatibility between us and I don't want to waste an entire night that could have been spent sleeping."

"An entire night," he drawled in mock-surprise. "My, aren't we ambitious?"

Throwing up her hands, she was ready to walk away when his hand on her shoulder stilled her.

"You're right." Malfoy slid an arm around her waist and her hands instinctively came to rest on his chest. "Let's see if it's worth it?"

He leaned in, lips almost on hers when he paused, tilting his head. Though she followed in response, Malfoy refused to close the gap, watching amusedly as she moved closer in anticipation. Impatient with the game and annoyed by his smug attitude, Asteria tugged at his cravat, enjoying the surprised look on his face before their lips met. At first the kiss was more force than finesse; then his tongue slid into her mouth, his other hand cupping her neck, and Asteria couldn't help but let out a small moan.

Breaking off the kiss, he asked, "Good enough?"

Recovering enough to feign indifference - or as much as her flushed cheeks would allow – she gave a wry half-grin. "Passable."

Malfoy chuckled, taking her hand. "We should hurry before Queenie comes looking for us."

Holding her skirt so she could walk, Asteria followed him down the steps, the pair stopping near the fountain that was the centerpiece of the garden. Whether it was from the chill in the air or her own nerves, goose-bumps had risen on the little bit of her arms not covered by her opera gloves.

"Here," Malfoy stripped off his own navy blue satin jacket and held it out for her. When she didn't move, he gave it a little shake. "Well, come on, it's a long flight from Ikley Moor and this won't be much fun if you're frozen solid."

She slid into the jacket, Malfoy guiding it over her shoulders, his knuckles very deliberately brushing against the sides of her breasts before he dropped his hands. Wanting him to repeat that action but not willing to admit, Asteria gave a shaky laugh before looking over her shoulder. "Trying to cop a feel, Malfoy?"

He shrugged, eyes flickering down to her lips."Why not?"

Just as their kiss deepened and she began wonder if it wouldn't have been wiser to run off to the cloakroom, a distant voice called, "Azzy?"

"Oh, Merlin," she muttered, pushing a confused Malfoy away. "It's my mum. We need to get out of here."

"Asteria?" She was coming closer.

"Let's go," Asteria said, hitting his shoulder. The last thing she wanted was her mum finding her sneaking off with Draco Malfoy of all people. Malfoy mounted his Nimbus and Asteria sat aside, arms around his waist as she did. She had never tried riding sidebroom before and hated the feeling of flying when not in control of the broom.

Malfoy kicked off and Asteria instinctively pressed closer as they gained speed. Mouth almost against his ear, she whispered, "My flat's at the corner of Knockturn and Diagon Alleys."

Not the greatest spot but the rent was cheap.

"Right, yeah," he replied in a strained voice.

She rested her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes in the hopes it would make the flight go by quicker. The feel of him breathing and the warmth of his body were enough to distract her from the swooping sensation in her stomach.

Her eyes flew open as they dropped in altitude. She could see her block of flats right next to the Obscurus Books publishing shop.

"Which one is it?"

"Right there," she said, pointing towards her balcony. "Third one down, with the lit lantern and the potted plants."

The pair landed on the balcony. Asteria drew her wand from her purse enchanted with an Undetectable Extension charm and undid the locking charms on the French doors. Once inside, she lit the dozen or so Kwiklite Candles cast about her sitting room with an easy flick. The flat itself wasn't very large and most of her furniture was second-hand, giving her sitting room a worn if comfortable look.

"It's er... nice," Malfoy said, eyes locked on her while she let her hair down from ornate style she'd worn for the wedding. Clearing his throat, he broke eye contact, shifting on his feet."The flat, I mean."

"Thanks." His jacket now lying on the back of a sofa, Asteria walked towards him, pulling off her white gloves as she moved.

"If you're staying," she said quietly, her bare fingers idly tracing the top button of his waistcoat, "close the door."

He did.