Disclaimer: All Recognizable characters and places belong to the talented J.K. Rowlings.

Songs: Realize by Colbie Caillat [Draco] Better in Time by Leona Lewis [Astoria]

Chapter One – Drudging Up The Past

"He still isn't over her. It's been six months and he is still calling out her name when he's sleeping. He won't spend time with me or touch me in an intimate manner." She complained.

"Then I suggest you work harder to erase that mudblood from his mind. You know the agreement will only hold if you are pregnant before the year is up.' Lucius reminded her before sighing.

He truly hoped breaking them up would be enough. It was very easy for Astoria to perform the sleeping spell and fool Hermione into believing something had happened between them at his urging.

It appeared his interference in his son's life wasn't quite over yet. He pulled out the desk drawer and grabbed a book, flipping through it quickly before getting up and walking into the room hidden behind the bookcase.

When he returned, he passed the black vial across the table to Astoria with specific instructions.

Astoria nodded and left, hoping she wouldn't have to use it.

*Draco*

After Hermione moved to America, I went about achieving the plans I made with her. The day she left, I spoke with McGonagall about acquiring a place on the Hogwarts' Board of Governors. With her assistance, and a very flattering letter, I took over my father's old position and helped reshape the board to accompany the new Hogwarts.

While fulfilling my duties for the board, I used my position to find more promising students in their seventh and eighth year to bring into my company. I searched for muggleborns first before considering others and people who exhibited the same qualities as Mina.

And since I agreed to my father's compromise, I received my inheritance six months earlier. My first step was taking it out of my family account and putting it all in a private one.

I spent the summer putting my future in motion. I bought a building in the muggle part of the London business district.

The chairmen and chairwomen for the five departments were the students I hand-picked from Hogwarts. An entire floor was dedicated to the departments, the third floor serving as the R&D lab and the sixth floor for the offices of me and my Vice President, Susan Bones, the second smartest witch of our year.

After a few Think Tank sessions, the R&D team decided the best thing to create first was a more portable version of the muggle laptop computer. I left them to it and went about appointing various tasks for the others.

It took a year and a half before the company was ready to be presented to the public and had been functional for the past 2. Three and a half years later, I finally had something that was all my own. My own and not ours like I had once planned and hoped.

I tried to move on with my life but the memories of her were everywhere. It didn't help that I kept a photo of her on my desk and a special place for her in my heart.

When Astoria finished with Hogwarts, she moved into the Manor on a more permanent basis. She was to stay in the room down the hall from mine until we were married, when she would move into the Malfoy suite. Mother and Father moved out, bequeathing the Manor to us in the hopes I would marry Astoria in the near future.

Three years later and I still had not done so. I couldn't when I knew in my heart I still held out hope Hermione would come back.

After finishing up my work for the day, I drowned my sorrows in several glasses of firewhiskey. Being at the manor these days was a bit stressful. Astoria and Mother spent the day comforting Astoria and making plans for the nursery and hounding me with questions as to when we would marry and try again to produce a Malfoy heir.

When Astoria lost the child, she became a bit depressed and then obessed with finishing the nursery before becoming pregnant again. But I was in no rush to try again. Hearing the news that she lost the child only brought back memories of the child Hermione lost. I still had nightmares about the events that happened in the shack and the resulting aftermath.

The Aurors had yet to find Ronald despite me personally funding the search. He seemed to have disappeared but I was confident he would turn up. If I had to conduct the search myself, I was going to make him pay for what he did.

When I finished the last of my busy work and had a nice buzz going, I apparated home, wishing I was coming home to my Gryffindor Princess.

*Astoria*

The clock in the hall chimed the time. 8 pm. It was 8 in the evening and Draco had yet to return. Since Draco created his company, fondly named The Granger Foundation, his nights were spent at the office, drinking away his sorrows.

I still remember when he announced the company just a few months ago. I stood by his side, secure in my position as his future wife only to be embarrassed when he spoke.

"Thank you all for joining me here today. I'm sure that I am a person that needs no introduction, but I will give one anyway.

"First I'd like to start off by apologizing to every member of the wizarding world whose family suffered because of my actions in previous years. I know that I cannot do anything to bring them back but I stand here today, hoping to ease some of the pain.

"This past year I returned to Hogwarts to a less than warm welcome. But there was one person who saw some redeeming quality within me and gave me a most invaluable gift, her forgiveness.

"No I won't bore you with the journey I tool to gain it but I will say, she made me the man that I am today. And it's in her honor that I am pleased to announce Hogwarts newest benefactor, The Granger Foundation, named for Hermione Jean Granger, a true friend to all."

I stood there with a fake smile plaster on my face as he unveiled the photo of her that would hang in the lobby, explain about the scholarship in her name and the various plans he had for his company, all things he had discussed and created when he was with her.

When it was all over, he was welcomed back into the public eye as a man worthy of redemption, worthy of her.

As he apparated into the parlor, I instantly knew tonight wouldn't be any different. He landed a bit unsteady but didn't topple over. I sighed and plastered the fake smile that became a permanent fixture on my face lately and welcomed my fiancée home.

"Darling, how was your day?"

Draco whirled around and pulled me into him, laying sloppy kisses on my lips. "Oh Mina, I have missed you."

"Right on schedule," I thought to myself. I was getting tired of pretending I didn't hear him when he moaned her name, acting oblivious to the photos he kept of her around his room, and resisting the urge to slash the portrait of her in the lobby.

I did everything that I could to make him forget his first love but nothing worked. I succeed once. Draco went out with Blaise for an after-work cocktail.

When he returned, he was drunker than a house elf after three butterbeers. He could barely stand but was adamant in his desire to make love to me. We made it as far as the guest bedroom at the top of the stairs. Draco tore at my clothes with ferocity I had never since from him before. As he was drunk, he didn't perform a conception spell and I chose not to remind him.

The sex lasted for an hour before expelling his seed within me. That night he stayed with me but when morning came, he was gone from the bed and the manor with no note or goodbyes.

When he did return home, I asked him about the events of the night before but he had no recollection of them.

"I remember coming home and passing out, dreaming of Mina and I during our Hogwarts days. When I awoke this morning in your bed, I left you to get your rest and went to work. Did something happen last night?"

"You made love to me. You were passionate and loving. I was hoping that you would spend the night with me again tonight."

"Astoria, I know that we're engaged but I crossed a line last night. I feel we should be married before sharing a bedroom." He stated, avoiding my eyes.

I chocked back my tears as I remembered the child we lost and slipped out of his embrace to prepare his bath like I always did. It was one of the few things that sobered him up.

Every time he came home like this, I wondered just how long this would go on. I was to be his wife and he couldn't or wouldn't let go of someone who willing chose to no longer be a part of his life. I was the type of woman he was supposed to be with but he couldn't get over the muggle born that only gave him a chance because his father told him to pursue her.

I waved my wand at his drunken form and levitated him up the stairs into the bathroom. Undressing him was a bit of a feat but I got it done and eased him into the water. The temperature of the water sobered him up quickly.

I turned to leave, swiping away the tears that threaten to fall.

"Astoria, wait. I called out for her again didn't I?" He asked, sitting up in the bath.

"I'm not her Draco. I'm not Granger."

"You think I don't know that," Draco yelled, sitting up in the tub. I shrank back, allowing a few tears to fall. Draco was known for his temper and while I had yet to see him express it, I knew it was there just under the surface.

He let out a long sigh and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I know you're not her Astoria. And I know you will never be her. Just let me deal with this in my own way and give me my space to get over her." he asked, the pain lacing his voice.

I choked down my anger and nodded, leaving him. "I'll prepare your dinner for you. Enjoy your bath."

The door closed silently behind me and I walked solemnly to my room, locking the door behind me. My face was a mask of eerie calm.

I opened the copy of Book of Potions I hollowed out and grabbed the pink and black vials from the compartment. I put the book back on my shelf and changed into a dark green negligee and matching robe before heading back downstairs.

"Reheat Master Malfoy's dinner, Dara, and bring it to me." I barked at his personal house elf.

There were several in his employ but he only trusted Dara as she took care of him when he was young. It was clear that Dara didn't like me or approve of my presence in Draco's life manor but spoke nothing out of fear of being presented with clothes.

Her nimble fingers slid the plate onto the counter and she, along with the other elves made themselves scarce. I carried his plate out to the dining room, adding the amber powder to his chicken and swallowing the contents of the other bottle.

When I asked his father for the second vial, I knew I would have to be at the end of my rope to use it. I hadn't wanted to use the first one but here it was, a year and a half later and things between us still hadn't changed. He was still pining away for her as if it was the day after their breakup all over again.

The time for wishful thinking was over. It was now time for action. And action took drastic measures. I stashed the bottles just as Draco padded softly into the dining room.

AN: Just for the sake of the story line, Draco's business is created and running in a year and a half.

Any guesses as to what was in each of the vials?