Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling.
Draco stood at the podium, setting his tie for probably the fifth time as he looked ahead towards the crowd. He tried to breathe steadily even as he struggled to calm his jittering nerves. Never before had he been this nervous, save probably the time he stood with his wand drawn in front of Dumbledore. He wouldn't let it show though, especially not here in front of his parents who occupied two seats in the first row, their backs straight as they whispered among each other. Next to them sat Mr and Mrs Greengrass, their faces just as inscrutable as his parents'. His parents told him that he was lucky the Greengrasses had consented to wed their younger daughter to him, even after all that had happened. The war has severely undermined their status among the purebloods, and it had taken quite some time and efforts to regain their glory back and there was no way they were going to lose it again. Draco never cared about any of this, he'd stopped caring after the war. He lost all his friends, and nobody wanted to be friends with a Death Eater. So he was beyond glad when he finally got one.
His first meeting with Astoria Greengrass was not exactly how he'd expected to meet his best friend, given that their parents had arranged it. He sat sulking in Three Broomsticks, not expecting anything more than an uninteresting small talk with a pretty little girl. However it turned out much more interesting. She was a witty, albeit a quiet girl who was as uninterested in marriage as he was. In fact, she didn't even want to marry, and said that she had much more interesting plans for herself than just tending to a husband. He went back home, humming to himself, having had a pleasantly good day with her, though he rejected her when his parents asked him about her (like they had mutually agreed) saying she was too quiet.
They met again however, and many more times after that, hanging out and slowly developing a kind of friendship which was immensely comforting, so much so that they started delving their deepest thoughts to each other. They talked about the war, how it affected them, how it changed them. Their parents had done horrible things in the war, so had they, but they couldn't bring themselves to hate them. They were family, and they loved them in spite of their faults. Draco often would think about her when she wasn't around and about how nice it was to know someone who could empathize with him and not judge him like everybody else did.
It was during one such meetings that Narcissa happened to spot them in one tiny unassuming pub, giggling over their drinks. This scene pleased her immensely, and she resumed her efforts to get Draco married to her. After a lot of persuasion, Draco agreed, although he was terribly afraid that this would upset Astoria and she would end their friendship. So he went to Greengrass Estates with his parents, his hands trembling and his head buzzing so much that he thought he might pass out any moment. However, to his utmost surprise, Astoria agreed, and Draco released a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. Later that day, when the parents were busy planning the wedding locations and arrangements, Astoria muttered nonchalantly to Draco who sat across her study table, 'Marrying you might not be such a terrible idea after all', her smirk barely hidden behind the book she was reading. Draco noticed, and grunted an agreement even as he sipped his tea in an attempt to hide his own smirk.
It was only after he went back home and his adrenaline from the day subsided that he realized what this meant for them. They were getting married. They would be getting physically intimate too. In all those months of their friendship he had never crossed the line, out of respect for her and their friendship. He never felt a tingling in his arm as she held him by the arm and dragging him across the alley to her favourite bookstore, or did he? No, that look in her eyes when he made a small discreet remark on her beauty after having roasted her all day long did not mean anything, it could not have. Nor did the way he looked back into her deep green eyes a moment longer than he should have.
He tried to dismiss those feelings, but ever since that moment, whenever he met her, he couldn't help but feel that strange flutter in his chest, found it almost impossible to speak in an even tone and fumbled so miserably it surprised even Astoria. He was, however unable to decipher what Astoria thought about all this, whether he meant something to her or she was doing this just to fulfill her parents' wishes. He wished he could read her mind but she seemed just as good an Occlumens as Draco.
His train of thoughts was suddenly broken as the was a hustle amidst the crowd. A few moments later, she entered, accompanied by her elder sister Daphne, her perfectly fitting white strapless mermaid gown making her look almost heavenly. If his heart had been beating erratically till then, it had altogether stopped now. His eyes seemed glued to her face as she looked up at him, her thin rosy lips curving into a small smile. She slowly walked down the aisle, the white fabric billowing behind her. Soon she joined Draco by his side and he felt she glanced up at him nervously, pushing back a strand of her loose brown hair behind her ear.
The Priest began with the ceremony, explaining to them the virtues of marriage and Draco listened to him carefully, trying to imbibe everything he said, because he wanted to do this right. For Astoria. He covertly looked in her direction and saw her furrow her brows, almost imperceptibly, probably hoping to make sense of whatever he said. Astoria was never a very religious person, believing more in her own capabilities than God. Though he never told her, that was one of the many things that he admired about her. He smiled and turned back to listen to the Priest.
Soon, the Priest finished with his speech and Draco and Astoria exchanged vows. They then turned to each other and Astoria stood on her tiptoes as they kissed. It was only a small peck, but the feel of her soft lips on his caused a strange warm feeling in his belly which was strangely pleasing. She drew back slowly, looking up into his grey eyes and beaming from ear to ear. Draco grinned back as he held her hand, unable to take his eyes off hers, even as the crowd cheered. Was she happy with this marriage? He really hoped that she was.
Everyone then proceeded to the ballroom, where the couple danced and mingled with the guests, Astoria's arm curled around Draco's. The elders blessed them and praised them about how they upheld the Pureblood standards unlike many other blood traitors. Draco could feel Astoria's grip tighten sightly at this, though she plastered a smile on her face in front of them. He wanted to talk to her about something that had been nagging him for quite some time. However did not get time to do so as their parents kept whisking them off to meet the guests, many of whose names he couldn't even remember. Soon, it was time for dinner and Draco could see the lines of exhaustion on her face, though nobody else seemed to have noticed that, everybody being too busy relishing the taste of the bacon and Butterbeer. She was never the kind to socialize, and the day had definitely taken a toll on her.
He leaned to her side and whispered, "Finish your dinner soon, we'll leave."
"Thank God for that!" she muttered back, showing a newfound interest in the food placed in front of her.
They devoured their food with as much dignity as possible, and then excused themselves, dodging other guests and sneaking their way upstairs into Draco's room.
*
Astoria shut the door and leaned back, closing her eyes and heaving a sigh of relief. She was finally away from all the hustle and bustle of that supremacist Pureblood crowd. She had never thought a wedding would be so draining. A few moments later, she opened them and took in the surroundings. It was a large room, the walls painted in shades of purple and silver. A majestic bed stood in the middle of the room around which tiny specks of light floated in the air, like a thousand fireflies. At one end of the room was the dressing area, decorated in a similar fashion. At the other end near the door stood a relatively humble table and chair, probably his study.
Draco stood next to her, a look of mild concern creasing his features, "You all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, just recharging myself," she replied, still leaning on the door and steadying her breath. "You have a beautiful room, Draco!" she added, smiling at him.
"Thank you," he blushed, scratching the back of his head, "well it's your room too from now on."
"Yeah." She looked around once again, realising this is the place she'd call her home now. Suddenly, she became aware of the discomfort on her head from all those charms holding her hair in some complex hairdo. Her feet were aching from wearing heels all day long. She slipped out of her them and walked towards the dressing area, the soft carpet beneath her feet immensely relaxing. As soon as she sat in front of the mirror, all the specks of light suddenly came to life, twinkling around her and illuminating her features.
"Did you do this yourself?"she asked, looking around her, pleasantly amused.
"Well-" Draco stuttered,"uh, yeah, I did it. I thought you might like it." He had moved to the edge of the bed, and even in the dim light she could see him getting visibly flustered.
"It's lovely!" Astoria laughed, "Thank you!"
Gosh, he is so cute, she smiled, as she proceeded to reverse the charms which held her hair in place letting her waves of brown hair loose. She now finally had some time to think. About their relationship. About what all this meant. She initially was skeptical about marrying at all, let alone a Death Eater when her parents chose him, but after they met she was immensely relieved that he wasn't interested either. However in their subsequent encounters (which she had never expected would happen), she realized the was much more to him than just a snobbish Death Eater. He was still an obnoxious brat, but she had grown fond of that brat, who somehow managed to both annoy her and make her laugh with his cocky remarks. So when he suddenly showed up with his parents asking her hand for marriage, she agreed and later panicked. But she convinced herself that since they were good friends, they could probably make this marriage work too. And when she felt his lips, those tender lips on hers at the wedding, she hoped with all her heart that it would. However the thought of losing her virginity both aroused and terrified her. She had never even kissed another guy, let alone sleep with one. It was partly because her parents wouldn't want her to lose her purity before marriage (not that she cared much about losing her virginity, but she loved her parents and couldn't bear to betray them) and partly because she never found anyone interesting enough before.
In the reflection of the mirror she saw Draco stare at her, the look in his eyes indiscernible. When he realized that he was being noticed, he averted his eyes, and suddenly he seemed to find something very interesting in the sheets. Soon she finished untying her hair and got up to sit next to him at the edge of the bed, her heart pounding, unsure about what to do next. She looked around at the twinkling lights around them, as if hoping to find some instructions in them. Draco seemed equally hesitant, as if fighting some internal battle. He unconsciously began loosening his tie, his collarbone flashing, and Astoria found herself biting her lip. She sheepishly turned away-
"I need to talk to you."
Astoria looked up at him, her lips parted, slightly confused. His face was serious, painful even, as he looked down at his lap.
"What is it Draco? It's everything alright?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concern, and placing a hand on his shoulder. She thought she felt him shiver at her touch, and after a moment's hesitation, words tumbled out of his mouth, like a dam had just broken.
"Hey, I... I should've asked you before our marriage, but I don't know..." he struggled to find the words to express himself. Astoria was grave now, her heart almost dropping to her stomach as she looked at him with searching eyes. Did he not want to marry? Did he not like her? Or worse, did he like someone-
"Are you happy?" he asked suddenly, catching her off guard.
"What do you mean?" she asked, still not sure where this conversation was going.
"Are you happy with this marriage?" he inquired again, "I mean, I just stormed into your house the other day with my parents and you said yes... We hadn't even discussed it before. I don't know if you did this just because you wanted to keep your parents happy or if this really means something to you." Astoria listened to him intently. So this is what had been bothering him. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had never told Draco why she had said yes. Looking at him as he struggled to decide his place in her life caused a pang of guilt course through her.
He continued, turning to her, his eyes smoldering "I... You really mean a lot to me and... And I don't want to lose you. You are the only friend I've ever had and honestly at the moment I cannot imagine my life without you. I don't want to spoil things between us because of this marriage and-"
Astoria cut him off by planting her lips on his, her hand flying up to his cheek. He was initially too dazed to realize what had just happened, but slowly he gave in, his arms still by his sides, relishing in the bliss. A few moments later, she pulled back, her eyes still half closed as she looked up into those deep grey eyes, and said softly, "I love you. I really do. I don't know since when, but I know in my heart that I want to be with you, to spend the rest of my life with you." She realized that she had never confessed these feelings to anyone before, not even to herself. But now, as she looked into his eyes, everything seemed crystal clear. They had always been meant for each other. And she was glad that she had married him, the love of her life.
"I love you too."breathed Draco as they kissed again, their kiss growing deeper and desperate with each passing moment. Draco's arms wrapped around her slim waist pulling her closer while her fingers weaved through his hair, melting under his touch. Her other hand slid beneath the lapel of his coat and without any delay he shrugged it off. His fingers wandered around her back to the laces which held her dress together and undid them, letting it fall loose to her waist. She blushed as his gaze, filled with desire, drifted down her body. They crawled up the bed, her dress slipping down her body further even as she undid the buttons of his shirt and trousers, breathing heavily between their kisses. Soon they were completely rid of their clothes, exploring each other's bodies, worshipping them, and making love, each thrust pushing them further and further towards pure ecstasy. They whispered sweet endearments in each other's ear, gasping even as the wave of euphoria washed over them, consummating their blissful coupling.
*
Astoria snuggled closer to Draco, her bare body pressed up against him under the sheets. He instinctively put an arm around her, relishing in the warmth of her body against his, drifting off to sleep. Astoria looked up at his beautiful face, trying to memorize every detail about him, and smirking as she reminisced how they had touched her, the way they had made her feel. So she was startled when he mumbled-
"You know, I can feel your eye on me."
"Uh well-"she bit her lip sheepishly, "I was going to sleep."
"What were you thinking?" he quizzed, playfully wiggling an eyebrow.
"Do I really need to tell you?" she groaned, rolling her eyes. Of course he knew what she was thinking about. He himself couldn't stop thinking about it. They both laughed as Draco pulled her on top of him for another sloppy kiss.
After what seemed like forever, she pulled back, and said, "Marrying you wasn't such a terrible idea, after all."
A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fanfic ever, so forgive me if there are any errors/mistakes. I need some time to get used to fanfictioning lol
Please do drop in your reviews and let me know how you like it! Constructive criticism is appreciated (in a nice way tho)!