Story 1

"DID YOU KNOW DRACO MALFOY IS ENGAGED?" Ron yelled.

"Yes, of course, and there's no need to yell, Ronald." His wife, Hermione answered.

"Yeah, but who would want to marry, Malfoy?" He sneered. Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly you need to put the past behind you. He's just a person like you and I." She explained exasperated. "Wait 'till I tell, Harry..." Mumbled Ron. He didn't need to wait though, because at that moment...

"DID YOU READ THE PAPER THIS MORNING?" Harry barged into their house with an annoyed Ginny trailing behind him. "I KNOW RIGHT?" Ron bellowed matching Harry's rage. "MALFOY IS ENGAGED!" This started another round of yelling from the boys.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD STOP YELLING!" Ginny commanded. They stopped and stared at the angry red head. "Now let's talk about this calmly. Why is this such a big deal? Malfoy has moved on just like us. You really can't judge a girl you don't even know based on who her spouse is. Now do you even know her name?"

{LATER}

'Astoria Greengrass Marries Malfoy' The Daily Prophet said.

"Who the bloody hell is, Astoria Greengrass?"

"Found her!" Harry announced. The four of them crowded around, Harry.

'Astoria Greengrass, survivor of the 2nd Wizarding war.'

'Astoria Greengrass, Ministry Sweetheart.'

'Astoria Greengrass, inspirational speaker.'

'Astoria Greengrass, Queen of Ravenclaw.'

In every picture it showed the same brown haired girl with blue eyes laughing. She looked very beautiful the guys had to admit. From the articles her beauty matched the kindness of her heart. "Ok, so I admit I was wrong about her being a heartless wrench, BUT that still doesn't answer my question of 'HOW THE BLOODY HELL IS MALFOY ENGAGED?'" The two women rolled their eyes. "Maybe Malfoy has changed. I mean no one who went through the war came out unscathed by what they experienced." Hermione suggested remembering her own journey through the war.

They sat in silence for the longest time. "Ron, we have to get ready for the ball tonight. You know the one for the heroes of the war?"

"Oh yeah! Harry, we need to get ready as well and feed, Teddy. He's getting very fussy because of his lack of food." The two couples bid goodbye until later that night.

At the ball

Astoria's POV

I was so excited to finally be out there again! After my engagement to, Draco the ministry thought it would be best to send me away until the time was right. I mean after all the 'Ministry Sweetheart' marrying a Malfoy? It would stir riots. Regardless my few months with, Draco have been wonderful. No hating eyes of the public and no disapproving family members. Draco's mum, Cissy has been an absolute blessing these four months. Filling me in on the news and keeping me updated. We're attending a ball in the heroes of the war's honor. I feel bad for, Draco because he's going to get bad publicity going because of his past.

Once we got there I reached for his hand and smiled. "It's going to be fine." I reassured him. He gave me a look saying 'oh, you're cute' and continued to stare out the window. I sighed, 'at least I tried' I thought. Draco being the gentlemen he is escorted me in. The ministry was glowing and it was a wondrous sight to behold. Without a word, Draco shrunk into the shadows. I tried to smile truly I did, but it hurts when the man you love -a changed man- leaves to grant you your wish of being accepted by the masses and making friends. Trying not to cry I push on knowing he has my back.

I was getting punch when I ran into her. I look up to see the face of Hermione Weasley. Speechless I stammered, "I-I-I'm sorry, Hermione." She smiled and said, "No problem at all." Soon her husband, Ron joined us. Ron was soon followed by his sister, Ginny and the man of the night himself, Harry Potter. We all got to talking and were laughing. "Well hello little guy!" I cooed tickling the toddler in Ginny's arms. "Must be fortunate to have a child this early."

"Well technically the baby isn't ours," Ginny started, "it's our godson, Teddy Lupin." Oh! I thought I knew that! Remus and Nymphadora were killed in the war. So naturally the baby would go to the child's appointed guardian. "You know I'm related to Nymphadora on my mum's side."

"Really?"

"Yep." I nodded. "I even inherited the gift." The gift I was referring to was the gift of shape-shifting. Well I can't full out shape-shift, but I can change my hair color. Ginny set Teddy on the floor as I bent down to be level with him. "Hey little guy. Guess what you and I are like cousins on my mum's side. I even have the gift like you." It only took a second for my hair to turn bright pink. Teddy began to cry. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do anything." Ginny picked him back up and began to soothe him. "No worries, it's just that's the hair color his mum had. We're still trying to figure out what triggers him too. The color pink and the smell of chocolate always seem to do it."

I was about to leave when Teddy squealed, "MATCH!" As he pointed to my wrist as well as Hermione's. "I'm so sorry." Ginny apologized as she hushed him. "It's ok really," I assured her, "he's not the only one to notice. So seems like we're in a club." I showed off my wrist to the group. It was faded, but you could clearly read the word 'blood traitor' had been carved into my skin. She smiled and replied, "so we are." She showed off her 'branding' as well. The horrid word 'Mudblood' dug into her flesh. I winced ever so slightly.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you get yours?" Hermione gestured to my wrist. "It's ok. It starts off bad, but eventually I meet my husband who is my happiness. So I guess you can say I'm one of the lucky ones." As I tell them I'm quickly consumed with the memories that just won't go away no matter how hard I try to forget.

'I was stuck at Hogwarts powerless. I've already helped Neville with Dumbledore's army, but I felt like I wasn't reaching my full potential. Death Eaters swarmed the castle and no one felt safe anymore. Now not even the ministry could deny the fact that He was back. Beside me was my best friend, Justin. He of all people knew how I felt and he knew how to calm me. It was his last year here and I was just now on my fifth. I didn't want to think about what would happen without him here with me. One day things got bad. Really bad. So Justin and I started to secretly evacuate students. We started with the first years, who were scared and hopeless. The second years and so on and so forth. Then we were caught. Spells, screaming, in the fray I lost, Justin. A second year was laying in a corner bleeding. I tried to call for help, but it was too late. I was taken to some kind of house and placed in a basement. For days I heard people's terrified screams and evil cackles. I dreaded my turn and hoped some one, ANYONE would help me. Finally a tall boy in a black suite and slicked back hair came to see me. I stood up thinking if I really was going to die I'd better do it with dignity. The boy surveyed me and unlocked my cell. Carefully he leaned close and whispered, "run." I didn't know what happened next, but somehow I landed in the middle of the forbidden forest. I stayed there looking for wounded first years who had gotten lost and Justin, who I missed more than ever. Soon I had learned we had won and was taken to a nearby hospital. The minister himself came to visit one day along with, Rita Skeeter. He asked me my story while Rita jotted down what she considered interesting. That was how I earned the title ministry sweetheart. I was doing a therapy session with some survivors who suffered memory lose when he walked in. The tall, handsome boy who saved my life. Soon we got to talking and I learned about his side of the story and how his beautiful grey eyes with always have that haunted look no matter what. Talking leads to dating and dating leads to marriage. I married him a few days before I had to take a 'break'. We want everyone one friends, family, ect. to be at our public wedding. Then we ended up being invited here.'

When I finished Ron looked at Harry who looked at Ginny who looked at Hermione. "So if you're the ministry sweetheart aren't you-" Ron started.

"Astoria Greengrass? The one and only."

"Which means you're married to-"

At that moment Draco walked up to us, "I've been looking for you they're about to start." He looked at the two couples. "Potter."

"Malfoy." Harry retorted.

"Hey! Ron's here too ya' know!" Hermione quickly shushed her husband.

After a few moments of awkward silence I interrupted , "So good meeting you, but we must go. Hope to see you soon." As I walked away with my wonderful husband.