Draco tapped his fingers on the dining table of his family home. It was an ornate table of dark glossy wood with patterns painted onto it. As a child he use to trace over the lines and loops with his fingers when he was bored. Today though he was nervous. His foot shook and he felt uncomfortably hot.
In his pocket was a box with a ring in it. He had saved up for it over the last several months, he could have used his family money but felt the need to work for the ring that by doing so it spared the ring and likewise Astoria from the shame of how the Malfoy's had obtained their money over the decades. She had already taken a risk by dating him to marry him would mark her forever the least he could do was try to protect her from some of his family's past.
He heard the footsteps and turned to see his mother at the entrance way. He had asked her and his father to join him for tea, he wanted to inform him of his intentions as well as ask for their permission for the family house in Ireland where he had chosen to ask Astoria.
Over the last several years his parents had become reclused his father more so, only recently had he started leaving his study to eat with the family. His mother would go maybe once ever couple months but never without him and rarely too busy areas. Draco took on all the errands and taking care of the house. For a long time, it's all he did. Go into town and work in the back area of a shop then pick up items for the house or groceries then pick a room and clean it. But then he met Astoria and soon he was spending more time at Diagon alley, making special trips to visit her, staying the night at St. Mungo's during her bad spells.
His father entered the dinning room taking a seat at the head of the table between him and his mother who handed over a cup of tea then a second one to him. It was silent for the first minute neither of them having anything to discuss. Setting the tea down he felt for the ring.
"How has work been?" His mother asked. He stood up straighter the question catching him off guard.
"Good Mr. Kebber keeps my busy, he went to a flee market last weekend and I'm still appraising some of the items he bought." His mother gave a polite smile, while his father continued to sip the tea. It was never stated but Draco felt his father was disappointed in the career choice he made. Though it wasn't like he had many options, Mr. Kebber hiring him was a blessing.
"Good, good and Astoria how has she been?" Draco felt a lump in his throat this was why he has asked them to take tea together. However, he was worried that they would disapprove, him and Astoria had only been seeing each other for a year now and it wasn't like there relationship had been perfect. They broke up once early on and both had a streak of stubbornness, but he knew from the moment he woke up to the moment he closed his eyes and even following him to his dreams that he loved her. It wasn't that he couldn't live without her, he could had been doing so for years but living with her was better for him and for her. And they both knew that there was a time limit.
He pulled out the box and set in on the table in front of his parents. His mother's reaction was much more immediate she looked down at the ring then back to him eyes wide with shock then to her husband who was a little slow to the draw.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me. I know it seems rather quick but with her illness and her parents cutting her off completely things are getting tight for her and she won't accept my help. I know that's not a good reason to marry someone, but I do know this was where we were heading, I am willing to have a longer engagement if that'll make you two more comfortable."
"You want to marry the Greengrass girl?" His father asked his face emoting more feeling than Draco had seen in the last four years.
"Yes."
"This is ridiculous Draco." Said his father, "You can't truly think I would allow such a thing. Its laughable."
Draco sat back in his chair his mouth ajar, he expected a reaction like this from him mother, not to be thrilled about the whole thing but for his father. How dare he think he could have any say in the matter after completely ignoring his family the last few years. "I wasn't asking for permission father."
His father sent a both familiar and unfamiliar glare. It was the same one he had seen as a child, often with the meaning I'm am far above you and your words and thoughts are meaningless. But now with his unkept appearance, sunken face and ill air it didn't hold the sting. Also, Draco wasn't a child anymore.
"Draco, I think your father means is it's too soon. I can understand the impulse; you believe your doing the right thing but your just barley 21 and she 19." His mother tried to intervene.
"It wouldn't mater what your ages are, Astoria Greengrass isn't right for the future of the Malfoy family."
"What do you mean by that! You didn't seem to have a problem with me dating her."
His father sat down his cup and pulled his shoulders back. "Mrs. Greengrass was a great way for us to save face, particularly among pureblood families of other countries. Its why I've put up with her and your courting, but her stances do not a line with our beliefs. And her blood curse, those parents of hers should be ashamed for keeping such a secret from the other families. Could you imagine the fall out if it hadn't been brought to light, if they waited until after her or her sister's marriage. Tainting a blood line with a blood curse."
"It's an illness she has no control over," Draco grabbed for the ring box shoving it into his pocket. "And the fact that your using her after everything she gone through for simply being spotted with me in public."
"It was an ill-advised gamble on her part, I've taught you Draco that one need to be ready to take the opportunities laid before him. I can understand the guilt you may feel because of the predicament she has found herself in, but this is your future and the future of the Malfoys you must take into consideration."
Draco was boiling. his jaw gritted so tight it hurt the way his father was talking down to him like he was still a wide eye boy impressed easily, expected to follow. His mother while not speaking nodded silently, even she considered Astoria as a steppingstone to rebuilding the Malfoy name.
Gritting his teeth, he stood up. "You've taught me a lot of things, that I'm better than others because of who I was born to, that I was owed everything I got, that those who did not share my option was beneath me and those who were different didn't deserve the same treatment as me. These were the thing that you beat into me every day for years, until I believed them all to be true. And look where that got us.
"The wrong side of a war that nearly resulted in all of our deaths. Isolation form the world we believed to be the superius of, the rightful scorn of hundreds, majority of our money seized and for myself the constant guilt of knowing what part I played in the death of my fellow students.
"I thought that maybe the both of you had come a long way in seeing that, recognizing where you were wrong but no instead you were simply planning to use a women I care about and expect me to follow suit again like I had done before.
"I won't, Astoria is to important to me. She needs me and I won't abandon her, I'm going to ask her to marry me." He was breathing heavily by the end.
"Draco, please let us just have tea and discuss this later." His mother attempted to take his hand, but he pulled away.
His father stood up the two met eye to eye. "You think you have the world figured out, that you know it all. The truth is you know nothing, we had lost a war once before, in a few years' time things will sway back in favor of the purebloods. The old families will always have a place in the wizarding world even if they fall out of favor every few decades. I'm trying to make sure you don't ruin you chances to be there during the up swing by making your bed with a blood traitor who will taint the Malfoy lineage."
"Your delusional! You need to accept the truth that you are wrong." Draco said.
"NO! Your wrong Draco, I won't let you be swayed by this girl. I was hoping to have her around a little longer but its too much you must end it."
"I'm leaving." He went to the hall his father following.
"Draco you can't ruin this! I've got plans for you for your future. Draco listen to me. If you leave you can not come back! Draco!" He gave his father one last look seeing his mother for a split second at the door her expression as lost as it had been the day the fighting stopped. Then with a CRACK he was gone.
The ally behind Astoria's apartment was the best place to apparate without getting caught. When his feet touched down and the sickness passed, he followed the same path up the stairs to her door.
She has been living away from her family as long as he's know her and working as an antique restorationist, she specialized in both magical and non-magical items. Both were unusual for a witch of her status, to live alone and have a job. But Astoria did as she pleased, when you have a time limit wasting any for people's opinions was pointless.
Knocking on the door pausing, then the sound of feet. She gave a surprised smile. "Didn't I give you a key?" She leaned on the door frame her short height making it easy for him to look past her into the kitchen, she seemed to be in the process of cleaning out all the drawers.
"Yea, it felt wrong to just barrage in without informing you I was coming."
"Informing you," she mimicked letting him pass. "So, business like. Can I ask why you're here? Don't get me wrong always glad to see you." She moved to shut the door behind them wrapped her arms around him her chin on his chest and looking up at him.
The intimacy of touch had been a long road for him. Having her lean on him or hug him even holding hands was uncomfortable. He felt ashamed and tried to explain it to her, that he liked her but felt underserving of such softness. She had reeled it in for him maybe a brushing of hands during dinner or their knees meeting when they were sitting on the couch.
Over the year they had been dating he had gotten use to her, touch was how she expressed love and slowly she had made him see that he did deserve to have happiness, love and her. He could never atone but he could continue moving forward and taking action into preventing the spread of pureblood beliefs.
"I had to get away from my father." She pulled back looking at him sucking in on her lips. Her face was still sunken, but her color had come back, she had been in the hospital just a week a half ago.
"Was he having one of his episodes?"
"I don't know." He headed out of the entrance way through the small galley kitchen into her living area. She followed behind him taking a seat on the couch patting the area for him to sit with her. "At first I thought he was just being an entitled ass but as the fight continued, I realized he wasn't all there."
"I'm sorry, do you want to talk about it?" He looked at her feeling the ring in his pocket, he didn't want to ruin the surprise.
"No, it was just an argument with a madman, no need to sour your evening."
"You couldn't." She relaxed back into the couch taking a blanket that hung over the arm and pulling it over her shoulders. She was always cold more and likely a side effect of her illness.
Also relaxing a bit, he opened up his arm allowing her to rest into him, she took the offer her head resting between his shoulder and his chest. "How has your day been?"
"Uneventful, I took a walk around the neighborhood to get some air and went to a coffee shop and did some cleaning around here. I'd sent an owl to work asking if I could return early but they said not till my healers give the approval. This boredom is driving me insane." Draco licked his lips, Astoria was always wanting to do something, most days she would be tinkering with some project in the corner or helping him with the manor not being allowed to bothered her. But he could also see she was worried by the dip in her forehead.
Her parents had cut her off, because of him. She said it wasn't the case that they were upset that she had not taking up an easy marriage proposal from a new pureblood family from Russia. But Draco knew it was him, none of them approved of her friendship she had started and when it changed to a romantic relationship a howler had come to him and his mother.
Astoria's family not accepting of their relationship had put a lot of pressure on them and was usually the cause of all their arguments and the on and off again thing they head in the beginning. Its partially why the argument he had with his father came as such a surprise. His parents had Astoria over for dinner or tea, she often spoke with his mother and although she wasn't comfortable around his father he seemed happy to have her in his home and the both of them were aware of the troubles her family caused them so to act so entitled and speak of her so cruelty, was this how she felt after every argument she had with her family.
"If you need some help around here my offer still stands."
"I'm fine Draco I've been living on my own for awhile now, I've got a good saving too. Besides it's a muggle apartment your wizard money will not do me any good."
"My family has dabbled in muggle banking."
"Oh, I don't know if you should share such a dark family secret." She said with a smile.
He returned it his fingers playing the thin material of her top. "Have you already eaten?"
"I was just going to make a sandwich for dinner." He eyed her. "What? I had a big lunch something small will be fine."
Wrinkling his nose, he commented, "As long as your making it to the calorie count your healers suggested."
"Don't worry Draco the consequences of me not following my healers advise is your nagging." She got up, "Come on since you're here you can help me clean out my kitchen cabinets."
He grumbled getting off the couch as she locked there fingers together. While her kitchen was small Astoria had a bit of a hoarder bug in her. Mostly a result of her work, extra tools and polishes, she also liked keeping smaller less important items that she had come across.
Cleaning through the cabinets resulted in making the living room a mess with several piles of things to throw away, donate (Separated in two individual sections of magical and non-magical) as well as what to keep. He teased her for having so much junk and wondering how she's able to keep track of anything important.
They moved to her bedroom which was much worst then her kitchen and the piles grew. By the time he was carrying all the trash out to the shared dumpster a thin layer of sweat sat on his face and he felt rather grimy. Surprisingly this feeling wasn't new to spending a day with Astoria.
She often helped him with the upkeep of the manor as well as they both had a fascination with old, dirty, small antique shops. The two would spend hours looking through the items, he able to estimate its worth and Astoria able to make it new again. They also got into the habit of going to muggle shops looking for magical items that could be dangerous.
Heading back inside she was moving things back into there right places her wands giving slight movements. "I'm going to jump in the shower."
"Okay, I'll take one after."
He brushed her neck moving behind her. "Could always join me."
She retreated away from the tickle, "We tried that once, it did not end well."
"Can't blame me for trying."
He made his shower quick, having stayed at her place many times he had night pants that were already hanging in there, taking the ring from his trousers he moved them to the pajama bottoms, he didn't want Astoria stumbling upon it while in the shower. When Astoria was done with hers the two ate and piled into her bed. They talked for a while. About her going back to work and what they were going to do in the coming weeks, their trip to Ireland.
He wondered what she would say. She was aware of their age and their struggles. He believed she made her decision when she walked away from her family, but that decision wasn't solely for him. They had talked about marriage, so he wasn't jumping in blind, but it was still a distance away.
Marriage was always something he saw in the distance of his life. As a child his parents and their friends would make teasing remarks as a teenager, he knew the importance of finding a good match, someone from a good family with strong ties to his and of course of pureblood with the intentions of continuing the pureblood beliefs.
Then as a young adult after the war he wrote off the whole idea. He would live the rest of his pathetic life with his parents until their death and then he would be alone, to him that was his punishment. To never have anyone and to suffer alone. Then she came along and ruined it all. It was probably why he disliked her so much in the beginning.
At some point he fell asleep with her coiled next to him. He dreamed as he always did. He was looking for Astoria, but she was gone, not just gone but she no longer existed, no one remembered her, nothing of hers could be traced. Her home wasn't hers; her family didn't know her.
When he woke, he felt her weight still at his side and her breath on his neck. He had had the dream before, that he had had made her up and nothing they shared was real, just his own mind playing a cruel joke.
Looking down at her she was still sound asleep. Her left hand laid across his chest and he could still feel the box of the ring in his pocket. Pulling it out he took the simple gold band with a row of inset diamonds and one ruby in the center. He compared the ring to her finger.
It should fit he had taken one of her rings from her jewelry box when he went to buy the ring. Very carefully he slipped it on her finger making sure she didn't wake. It fit perfectly and looked beautiful on her slim finger. He felt his heart pounding as the idea of asking her came to mind.
He could do it now. His parents wouldn't give him permission to use the family home so what was stopping him.
A knock drummed through the apartment. Astoria jolted awake and Draco froze. "Is someone at the door?"
His face remained calm looking at her face and trying his best to bring no attention to her finger where the ring still sat. "Ah…"
There was a knock again. She moved to get up. "What time is it?" She read the clock, just barley seven. "Who is here so early." He gave a shrug; she hadn't noticed the ring.
The knock came again. "I'm coming!" Astoria shouted.
"I'll go with you." The two of them headed to the front door, Draco more concerned on how to get the ring back with out her noticing. Maybe he could cast a notice me not spell over it.
Astoria unlocked the door then with her wand undid the spell she used to keep magical intruders out. On the other side of the door stood his mother and father.
"What are you two doing here?" He asked. His father hadn't left the safety of the manor since his trial. The both of them looked uncomfortable and every few seconds one of them would look around. Maybe because they were worried of being seen by an angry wizard or being caught at a muggle apartment complex.
"We came to collect you. You didn't come home last night, and we got worried." Draco raised an eyebrow; his parents had never been concerned with him staying out before.
"I'm sorry you both came all the way but I'm going to stay. I'll come home later." Draco said. Astoria moved out of the way her face holding the embracement he felt.
"No Draco you will come with us now! It's obvious that I make a mistake in humoring this relationship, its time it ends before it's too late." Draco's face went hot, how dare he say this in front of Astoria.
"Lucius." His mother said taking his arm, point to Astoria's finger. Everyone's eyes went to the ring. Astoria was dumbfounded, he had not prepared her for this in the least bit and to wake up with an engagement ring on her finger and his parents yelling was not how he had wanted her to find out.
"Draco. I won't let you. If you continue to see this girl and marry her you will not be welcomed in my home." He looked at his father, he seemed more put together, wearing proper robes clean and stain free a brush ran through his hair and clean shaven, the first time in months. It seemed his father had found his way back to himself before the war, this didn't comfort Draco in the way he hoped.
Astoria looked back at him her hand twisting the ring. He couldn't tell what she was thing, angry he was sure and probably embarrassed. He didn't get to properly ask her; he wasn't sure how her response to a proposal would be. She was nineteen, they had only been dating for about a year, they've only known each other for sixteen months. While his family did not have the wealth they use to, he had never had to worry about money, his job was simply to give himself some regularity and time away from the manor. If he stayed with Astoria he would be in the same situation as she was in.
But with out Astoria what was the point anything he did. He couldn't go back to that loneliness, the bleakness of his days and the quite of a vast home with empty people inside.
"This is goodbye than father." He said it softly, but it hit like a stinging spell. His mother's faces scrunched up any second, she would start to cry. His father steeped back; he had not expected his threat to backfire. Lucius had made his way back to the old him, the one that commanded respect and attention, who bullied and belittled, his son however wasn't the same person and as long as Draco breathed, he would never let that person come back.
"Lucius please, it's not that important, the Greengrass family is still pureblood, we can…"
"We are leaving Narcissa." He took his wife's arm and pulled her away. Draco stood there for a few minutes till the CRACK sound at their departure. He closed the door. He rested his head feeling the heat role through him, his body shook, and his jaw hurt it was so tight.
"Draco?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to be how you found out." He turned to her his back against the door. Her eyes were wide, she reminded him of a cat focused keenly on him. "I was going to ask you next month but my parents…well they didn't approve and I, ah put the ring on your finger to see if it fit then you woke up. I'm sorry, about them and everything."
She took the ring off and handed it to him. "I see, Draco what just happened…are you really going to… to walk away from them?"
"Yes. I don't need them, they know that, they just think they still have control over me for some reason."
"But to turn your backs on them for me are you sure."
"You did the same for me." He said.
Her face became hard. "I had other reason to walk away from my family. It wasn't simply because I was dating you, you where just the nail in the coffin and I don't want you to do this if its simply because you feel obligated to."
He got up moving to stand right in front of her, looking down at her in a bit of an intimidating way. "Trust me Astoria there are many other reasons why I'm walking away from my parents and none of them is because I feel obligated to. But the main one is because I love you." She shied away and he smirked.
"I want to be with you from now to the end of time. Doing mundane things like cleaning out the kitchen cabinets or going on adventures, leaning more about pieces we find and discovering each other. Having ups and down and challenges but facing them together. I want to be with you as long as I possibly can until you're tired of me."
She was biting her lip like him she was shaking. "Draco…I can't give you till the end of time. I have maybe twenty years left if we take what the healers say. Is so little time worth it to give up your home and family."
"I'm not giving up a home and family, I found a new one. And if I only have twenty years then I want to start now." She was crying, she had only done so once in front of him. He held her as she tried composing herself, her body shacking as she pressed into his chest.
"Alright," She sniffled out. "Alright. Will you ask me properly then?" He took the ring still in his hand and went to his knee.
Silent tears still fell down her face but a half-bitten smile on her lips. "Astoria, I know we are young, and our time will be short but any time with you is worth it so let's start now. Will you marry me?"
"Yes, yes I will." She fell down unto him wrapping her arms around his neck, he picked her up easily his had pressing into the small of her back as she turned so, he could put the ring back on her finger before kissing her.
***This is a small part of a much larger story I want to write for these two, please let me know what you think***