April, 15th 2000

It was a beautiful spring day at Malfoy Manor, the flowers were in full bloom, and guest were mingling in the garden. Yes it was a beautiful day for a wedding. Narcissa was running around calling house elves making sure that everything was going perfect for her only sons wedding. She was so happy that he had found someone to spend the rest of his life with. It had not been easy for him these last few years, but now with the war over and his father completely gone from his life he could finally be happy.

And Draco was happy, he found a beautiful fiancee that he loves and could not wait to start their future together. Astoria Greengrass was all he ever wanted in a wife, she was beautiful, came from a good family and background, and she was smart.

Upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms Astoria was getting ready with her bridesmaids.

"I'm so happy you picked this dress, Astoria," said one if the bridesmaids

"You look beautiful." They all agreed, she had found the most beautiful and most expensive dress and it fit her perfectly. It was a strapless floor length ball gown with diamonds running up the bodest and flowing down into the skirt.

"Doesn't she? She looks like a model in witch weekly," said Pansy.

Astoria turned around a big smile on her face. "You guys, I'm getting married. I'm getting married!" They all squealed with excitement along with her.

"Oh no, where is your veil?" asked Pansy, looking around the bedroom, and under any clothes laying around.

"I think i left it in the front hall." Astoria responded. Pansy smiled at her and ran off to go and find her veil. When her foot steps fade away, the bridesmaids turn to Astoria, talking softly.

"She is so annoying."

"And so ugly."

"I know... but what was i suppose to do. She's Draco's best friend." Astoria replied.

"How are you going to deal with that?"

"I'm just going to lay down the law with Draco. We're seeing his annoying friends as little as possible."

"Are you sure he's gonna go along with that?"

"Draco doesn't say no to me, I have him well trained." Astoria smiled at them taking a sip of champagne.

Little did they all know Draco was standing outside the room, and the door was slightly open. He had come by to bring her a last minute present for her to where to day, he had waited until Pansy came rushing out of the room, but had stopped when he heard them talking.

"So.. how did it go with Derek last night?" one asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Astoria.

"Shhhhh!" she lowered her voice more, and Draco leaned closer to the door, "I told him if he wanted to stop the wedding, he had to speak now or forever hold his peace."

"What did he say?"

Astoria turned around looking in the mirror while fixing her hair and makeup, "He said he's never gonna settle down, and I should go ahead and marry Draco."

"Did he give you a 'wedding present'?" One asked thrusting her hips out in front of her, showing her what she meant.

"Uh... I guess you could call it that." Astoria told them with a little laugh, while the bridesmaids all squealed. "Shhh! It's the last time I swear! Draco is so sweet, and considerate. And he's going to be a healer. So i'm marrying him..." she paused "and his families fortune!" They all squealed again, this time Astoria joining in with them.

Back out in the hall Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could he have not of seen it, that she was cheating on him probably the whole time with his friend Theo and he had no idea. He didn't know that Blaise was behind him listening as well.

"Ah mate, i'm so sorry." he told Draco.

Draco looked down the hall towards the gardens, "I ... I can't even go out there."

"Go get drunk mate. I'll tell your mom what's going on." Draco nodded leaving, but before he did he went to his room and removed his robs putting on some muggle clothes he had. He figured it would be better to go to the muggle world and get drunk, everyone in the wizarding world knew he was getting married and there would be too many questions asked.

That was me, 15 years ago. Pathetic huh?

Draco walked into the bar, ordered a beer and sat down at the counter. All he wanted to do is drink until he couldn't remember. He took out his wedding ring flipping it around and putting in on and pulling it off of his finger thinking.

I was halfway done my first beer when something interesting happened...

An incredible hot lady walked in making her way to the bar, as she walks by men they hit on her trying to her to pick her up. "Pardon me miss, I seem to have lost my phone i borrow yours?", "Baby, I'm no Fred Flintstone, but i can make your Bedrock!".

She takes a seat next to Draco, putting her purse up on the counter, but it falls with out her noticing. "Miss you..."

"Can i just sit here for two seconds without being hit on?" she yelled at him.

Draco bends down and picks up her purse placing it back on the counter. She sees his wedding ring on his finger and become so embarrassed. "Sorry I'm so jumpy, it's just... I bet you didn't meet the lady who gave you that ring in a meat market like this" she tells him.

Draco took a sip of his beer thinking for a second, he could tell her that he wasn't really married, but he doesn't, instead he tells her, "School cafeteria. I took her pudding, she took my heart."

"Aww that so sweet! How long have you been married?"

I was going to her, I really was. But she was so pretty, and i didn't want her to know what a loser I was. So, I stretched the truth a little...

"I've been married for six years. College sweethearts. Married right after college. We did it on the beach in Hawaii. By a waterfall. Under a rainbow. Wrote our own vows, mine took 5 minutes. I just had so much to say. So much love to describe. She's just... she;s my world."

The women looked at him a little teary eyed. "Wow. Why can't i have that? Sometimes, even in a place like this, I feel so alone..." she reaches over and puts her hand on his "Tell me, why are all the good ones married?" Draco took a nervous drink of his beer not knowing what to say.

Okay, so this was going in a weird direction. But once you start a lie, it's hard to stop...

"So where is your wife tonight?"

"Oh, she's out..."

"With who?"

"That's a good question. I stopped asking it years ago. It's better that way."

"That's terrible."

"No, it's my fault. My wife thinks i spend too much time at work. Too much time providing for her... and her shopping addiction."

"Why don't you just leave her?" she questioned, giving him a sympathetic look.

"The kids. We put on a good face for them. But I can't say I'm not lonely."

"You poor guy..." they look at each other, and he could see a spark in her eyes. "You want to get out of here?"

"Yes." Draco finishes his beer, and she pulls him out of his seat and toward the door.

And so i discovered the power of the wedding ring. The symbol of my humiliation had become the tool to get back on the horse - and get back on the horse i did... Every single guys got an angle, and this has become mine. It involves a little deception, but what pick-up line doesn't? I used the ring successfully during my remaining years of healer training... after i decided to forget mainstream healing, i went and applied to a muggle school for plastic surgery and have become successful and have opened an office serving both muggle and magical patients. After the war I learned many things, and didn't hate muggles anymore, but rather decided to learn from them. But back to the ring, the younger girls love it the most. I guess it's cause guys their own age are afraid to commit, and a wedding ring is the ultimate symbol of commitment. Why would women want to date a married man? I have some theories: People want what they can't have... There don;t have to be any strings attached... and nobody gets hurt. Sometimes i think about throwing it into the ocean. I know how wrong it is. But i can't, and besides - being fake-married is a perfect way to make sure no one gets their heart broken.