Draco lay in bed, staring at the small patches of light on the ceiling. The sun had been up for hours, but Draco had drawn thick curtains over his windows, blocking all but the small rays that seeped through along the edges of the cloth. He sighed. Closing his eyes, Draco rolled back over onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, but Draco didn't move.

"Draco?" Came a gentle voice as the door cracked open.

Draco didn't answer, and after a moment, he felt the mattress sink in a little beside him as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her hand was warm and comforting as she ran it gently over his bare shoulders.

"Is there nothing I can do?" She spoke in a soft and soothing voice.

Draco rolled over, and looked up at Astoria. The sunlight that drifted in bathed part of her face in the warm afternoon rays. Her eyes looked down on him, a beautiful green, and Draco noticed for the first time that they had little flecks of gold in them. Astoria brushed Draco's hair out of his face, and gave him a look of genuine concern.

"I'm sorry." Draco sighed. He sat up, and leaned back against the headboard. They were sitting in the master bedroom of the beautiful mansion that was now their home. More modest than Draco's childhood home, but much more inviting and just as elegant.

"I'm just worried about you Draco," Astoria said. "You've been in bed for days, you should really stretch your legs." She stood up, and took hold of Draco's hand in both of hers, giving it a gentle tug. "Let's go outside for a bit, get some fresh air. It'll do you some good."

Draco resigned, and stood as well. He knew it wasn't fair to argue with her about it. She was being so patient with him. Astoria pulled a shirt from the closet and handed it to Draco. Together they walked down the halls of their home, and out into the garden. Though the afternoon was coming to a close, the sun was still warm on their skin, as they made their way to a small garden setting, where they sat, looking out over the waters of their small pond. After a moment, Astoria spoke.

"I know that you're still in pain." She said tentatively. "I understand that this is very hard for you. I wish you would let me help you." She glanced over at him. He was looking out over the water, his face expressionless. "I know we don't love each other," She began again. "but we are to spend the rest of our lives together. We should at least be able to be friends."

"We are friends." Draco responded, though he still didn't look at her.

"We need to be open with one another." Astoria pressed, though the tone of her voice was nothing but kind and patient. "Who can you trust better than your wife? Who will care more about your comfort and happiness? We live together. We see each other every day. I would much rather see you happy."

At this Draco turned to look at her. "I'm sorry." He said again. "I know this isn't fair to you, you're right." Draco had no strength in his body to argue. In his heart he knew she was right anyway. She was his companion now. He could either choose to live as strangers with her, or allow her to be his ally, and his friend. More than anything right now, he needed a friend.

They sat until the sun fell behind the edges of the mansion, casting them in the cool shadow of the evening. Neither spoke, though Astoria did take Draco's hand gently in hers, patting it softly with the other. She didn't expect Draco to talk to her just yet. She knew he was lost in thoughts of the love he was forced to give up.

That evening, they sat in the parlor. Astoria had finally gotten Draco to eat something. Possibly the first proper meal he'd had since their wedding feast four nights ago, though thinking back on it, she wasn't sure he really ate much then either. A fire crackled before them, as she passed him a glass of wine. Draco took it, and sipped.

"Will you tell me about her?" Astoria asked, as she took a seat in the armchair next to the couch where Draco sat.

He looked at her, a little startled. "What do you want to know?" He asked.

"I don't know." She responded. "Everything. She must be pretty spectacular to effect the great Draco Malfoy like this." She gave a small laugh, and was pleased to see the corners of Draco's mouth twitch. Almost a smile.

"She's amazing." Draco said. "The best friend I've ever had." A smile spread across his face as he spoke.

"She must be very beautiful." Astoria said.

"She's perfect. I've never seen her equal." Draco paused, glancing at the woman he had just married, but she was smiling, clearly not offended by his words.

"Tell me more." She insisted, re-adjusting herself in her armchair so that she could tuck her feet underneath her. She seemed genuinely interested.

"She's smart. The best in my year at Hogwarts. Far more clever than me, that's for sure."

"So she went to Hogwarts with you." Astoria racked her brain, trying to remember anyone she saw in Draco's company while they were at school. "And you've said before, that you were childhood friends?"

Draco nodded, taking another sip of his wine.

"Won't you tell me who this brilliant woman is, who has you so captivated?" Astoria laughed.

Astoria was two years younger than Draco, and had paid him little attention at school. He was in the same year as her sister, though she was sure Daphne was far from the top of her class, and the only other girl she'd seen him with was a girl by the name of Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was the other match Draco's parents had considered for his marriage, and Astoria was certain that if this was the girl Draco was in love with, surely he would have insisted on wedding her.

Draco gave a small, sad laugh. "I don't think I should." He said. "It would be a terrible rumor to get out."

"Draco," Astoria said, "I'm your wife. Your secrets are mine." She stood from her chair and moved over to sit on the couch with him, taking his hand in hers as she faced him. "I would never tell a soul. I promise."

Draco laughed again, and shook his head. "You won't like it." He said. "You'll think it horribly inappropriate."

"Well then let me have another glass of wine first." She said with a smile as she drained her glass, and grabbed the bottle from the coffee table, refilling both her glass, and topping off Draco's.

Draco laughed. "Alright, her name is Hermione Granger."

"The girl who used to hang around with Harry Potter and that red headed kid?" Astoria questioned. "I didn't know you were friends with her. I don't even think I've ever seen you speak to her, though I know you never thought much of Potter."

"Yeah, Potter was never my favorite person." Draco said with a chuckle. "But Hermione was my best friend since we were 9 years old. Hogwarts was a difficult time for us, and we had to work very hard to hide our friendship."

"If you were so close, why would you hide it?" Astoria's brow furrowed a little and Draco was horribly reminded of the way Hermione used to do that when she was puzzled by something.

"Well, we obviously couldn't be open with our friendship." Draco said. The look on Astoria's face did not change. "Did you not know?" Draco asked. "She's a muggle-born."

"Why should that matter?" Astoria questioned, much to Draco's surprise. "You can't help who you love. And I've always thought that sort of prejudice was well outdated. Families like ours who try to keep to the old ways will be the first to die out. Muggle-born witches and wizards can be some of the finest."

Draco gave her a look of disbelief. "Are you serious?" He gasped. "You really think that?"

"Of course I do! Don't you?" She responded.

Draco thought about it. He had never thought much for his other muggle-born classmates. He had always had a deep-seeded dislike for them. As he grew up, he often heard his father's words in the back of his mind, reminding him that as a pure-blood wizard, he was better than them. And Draco truly believed that. The only muggle-born he had never put in that category was Hermione. Not once in his life did he ever feel he was better than her.

"I never knew you felt that way." Draco said, looking at Astoria.

"Well, you really don't know much about me at all." She laughed.