"Marry me."
The words were neither planned nor practiced. Out of his mouth before he realized they were there. His tone was casual, suggestive even, as if he were asking her where she would like to go for lunch.
Marry me.
Astoria Greengrass, skimming through a slanderous gossip column from last week's Prophet, made no remark. She sat in a plush lounge chair in the corner of the room, legs cast over the arm. She looked a bit like a painting, Draco thought. Like the artist knew that this girl was meant to be sat in this chair, in this town, reading the paper and sipping tea forever. Each movement she made was full of intention, confident and sure. She knew who she was and where she was going, something that Draco had never felt himself.
When Astoria first proposed that Draco move in with her, he hadn't been thrilled at the prospect of living in her one-bedroom apartment in Toulouse, mingling with the Muggles she was so taken with. Yet, he found that he had become fond of the closeness it allowed them. Draco liked that he could fall asleep with Astoria in his arms and wake up with her head still curled around his shoulder in the morning, dark hair fanned out across her pillow. He liked that he could share breakfast with her and read the paper in comfortable silence. He liked hearing her pace around the room when she was thinking hard about something, often in argument with herself about whatever Ministry business she'd been assigned that week. Draco found himself smiling whenever he stumbled upon a note Astoria had left for herself around the apartment (simple things - reminders to pick up more milk, a list of ideas for Daphne's bridal shower next month, and so on). He adored the sound of her laughter resounding through the room whenever he said something stupid (which seemed to be often). He liked to watch her paint. He liked when she watched him read, thinking he hadn't noticed her, those ocean blue eyes following his hand as he turned the page. There was something profoundly intimate about these simple aspects of cohabitation.
And Draco wanted life to be like this forever.
Astoria flipped to the next page in her paper. "What, tomorrow?" She asked, in that sardonic tone of hers. Draco couldn't tell if she was surprised at the question or not. She kept her expression still as a statue, unreadable. How was it that he had fallen in love with such a stubborn woman?
"I have time this afternoon. We could go down to the courthouse and sign the papers then," Draco offered. He hadn't realized the extent to which he had thought this through. But now that the thought had been planted in his mind, he didn't want to wait. Of course, this would not be the traditional wedding - nor the bride - his parents had envisioned for him, but somehow Astoria made him forget all that. She made him braver.
"Elopement," mused Astoria, with a smirk. "My mother will be thrilled." She turned to the next page, but Draco knew that it was just for show now - her focus had shifted.
"I didn't realize we were so keen on appeasing Persephone."
A frown tugged at the corner of Astoria's mouth. "I'm not."
Draco resisted a smile - he had struck a nerve. Perhaps Astoria would agree to his courthouse wedding just to spite her mother. "I suppose we could throw a proper wedding. For the parents."
"Remind me," Astoria was quick to interject, "When did I agree to any wedding?" There was a beat of silence between them, and, though it was barely noticeable, Draco could have sworn he saw the hint of a smile upon her lips. Like she had won a game he hadn't realized they were playing. Like she knew she had him hooked (and, of course, she did).
"Well, the offer is on the table. Think about it."
"Mhm."
It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either. This had gone better than Draco had expected.
Hello there, it's been a while! I haven't posted to this account in years, but I've had this scene in my mind for far too long and decided to write it out once and for all. Despite the fact that she doesn't have a single line of dialogue, Astoria has always been one of the most intriguing characters in the Harry Potter universe for me, and I imagine her to be quite daring and independent. Plus, I like the idea that there's someone that Draco is absolutely devoted to, someone who helps turn him into the redemptive character he should have been (I have several bones to pick with Joanne about this). Anyway, I hope this was somewhat enjoyable to read. Thanks for stopping by!
- Lux