Chapter Two

Aster Greengrass slapped her daughter hard across, the face, and Astoria's head snapped sharply to one side, her legs stumbling backwards. " You fool! How could you have acted that way?"

Astoria stared up at her in shocked anger. She had done everything. Everything! How could her mother be acting like she had spat in Draco's face and refused to say her vows?

" If you could have seen yourself, you would have been ashamed. A tiny girl, saying her vows, as if it were a joke! I was younger than you when I became engaged to your father! Do you think that I was mature enough? Definitely, because I knew what my family needed, and they needed my husband's approval and liking, so I did what I could. You! You disgust me! Begging your father, messing up your speech-"

" I didn't mean to!" Astoria cried, half-angry, half-pitiful, as her mother approached her, and suddenly she was once again a small child, screaming for her father to help.

" You insolent thing. Of course you meant it. And if you didn't, then you're just stupid. So, which is it? Stupid or a liar?!" Her mother grabbed her hair, and pulled her up.

" I'm not a child!" Astoria scratched for her wand, but it was on the end table upstairs where she had put it the night before. " Don't you dare abuse me like one!"

" Would you like me to teach you a lesson that the Dark Lord would have been proud of?" Aster Greengrass pulled out her wand, and pointed it at Astoria's face.

" You wouldn't." And Astoria knew that she wouldn't. Her mother was all petty spite and bitter bluster and empty words. She would no more scar or kill her daughters than she would her husband. Not because she loved them. But because, in society's eyes, she needed them. They were a perfect pureblood family, and she wouldn't let her temper ruin that.

" Of course I wouldn't, you little mudblood-lover!" Her mother spat at her as she lay on the ground. " Get out of my sight. And don't think that you're getting out of this Betrothal, no matter what you do, Astoria Greengrass!"

By the time Astoria had dragged herself up the stairs and collapsed on her bed, she had made up her mind. Long-distance apparition might have been illegal, but she didn't need to go far.

Grabbing her wand, and carefully focusing her mind, she disapparated on the spot. The world spinning around her, she collapsed again, this time in an alley in Diagon Alley.

Retching horribly, she just made it to a trash can before she lost whatever last night's dinner was. She had always hated disapparation. Always. She had failed her test three times before she had gotten it right, by pure chance.

Sobbing still, though quieter now, she hastily tried to mask her face. Diagon Alley was quiet this early in the morning, but she really didn't want her face on the cover of Witch Weekly. Remaining Greengrass Heir Shiftily Pokes Around Diagon Alley! Pregnancy? Abusive Boyfriends? Find out the truth in this week's copy!

She struggled to the door of Madam Malkin's dress robes shop. She knocked, knowing who would answer. The bells tinkled as Olivia Bulstrode opened the door, and gaped at her friend.

" Astoria?! I haven't seen you in so long! What are you doin-" Then Astoria dropped her robes completely, and Oliva saw her red, bruising jaw, and tear-filled eyes. " Oh, honey. You need a cuppa. Sit right on down."

Astoria thankfully collapsed onto one of the measuring stools, as Olivia, the apprentice of the newest 'Madam Malkin', hurriedly bustled around in the back.

Always outshadowed by their older sisters, Daphne and Millicent, Oliva and Astoria had begun a life-long friendship back at Hogwarts. Olivia had inherited the same stocky build that Millicent had gotten, but she had her mother's blue eyes, and brown hair, and kind smile. Instead of going into Slytherin, like even Astoria had, she was a very happy, family-disappointing, Hufflepuff.

Their friendship had been an interesting one. They had been shunned by most of the Slytherins, and most of the Hufflepuffs had feared Astoria, but they had stuck to each other like glue.

Olivia hurried back to the table carrying a sloshing, steaming cup of fragrant tea. Astoria's eyes filled with tears again.

" What was it, hon? Your mom, again?"

Tears beginning to streak down her face at the expected, yet welcome kindness, Astoria sobbed out the whole story, barely managing to get legible words out.

Olivia looked rightfully confused. " I'm sorry, hon, you're going to have to start over. Malfoy? Your mother and Malfoy? And . . ." Olivia's eyes caught on the Betrothal ring, and suddenly realization came into her eyes. " Oh, honey. I'm so, so sorry!"

Gathering Astoria's tiny, stick-like frame into her large, warm one, Olivia let Astoria sob it out. " Shh, shh, there now, it's okay. We'll make it okay."

There were many tears. Miserable tears, and angry tears, and self-pity tears, and all of them, fell on Olivia's robes, as she patted her friend's back, and murmured comforting words.

When Astoria's natural pureblood pride began coming out, and she hastily sat back, wiping at her eyes, Olivia handed her some tea. " Plenty of sugar, hon."

Taking large gasps of welcome air, Astoria told the story again, feeling how hot her face was. " And then- and then she told me I was a failure, and there was no way I was getting out of the Betrothal! Oh, Olivia!" And then the tears were back, and Olivie, ever the compassionate, understanding one, was back, with affirmations of Astoria's worthiness, and sympathies, and insults for her mother and Draco, that made Astoria almost smile.

Almost.

" It's okay, Toria, it's okay. My parents had an arranged marriage, and it worked out fine!"

Astoria sighed, sniffling. " Your parents are the exception, Ollie. And besides. Your mum didn't have to marry Death-Eater scum who believe that mudblood is an acceptable word in their vocabulary! Draco- Draco-"

Olivia was ready for more tears, with more tea, but Astoria bit them back. " I know that Draco does. And I don't. And it'll be awful, and I just want to escape it all!"

Olivia sniffed indignantly. " Well, why can't you? It's the 21st century, Toria, or it's about to be! We don't believe in forced marriages!"

" My mother-"

" Since when do you care what your mother thinks of you, Astoria Greengrass?!" Hands on hips, classic Olivia.

" My father-"

" Oh." While Astoria's father wasn't protective, understanding, or even outwardly loving, Astoria loved him. As a child who had craved affection and gotten it nowhere, her father's dropped breadcrumbs were enough to make her adore him, no matter Olivia's advice.

" It would kill him. He needs the money, and-"

" And so he's auctioning off his youngest daughter to the highest bidder! This is all rubbish!" Olivia was again indignant on the part of her friend, and it was enough to bring a tired smile to her friend's face.

" Well, it was mostly my mother. But doesn't that say a lot about my worth? That I'm high enough for a Malfoy?"

Olivia smirked at her friend's joke. " Hon, Draco Malfoy is in the dirt compared to you. He's probably looking up at you in the clouds, and wondering how he ever got so lucky."

Astoria hic-laughed. " Yeah. Cause who wouldn't want all this, right?" She gestured derogatorily at her own body, the robes torn and wet, her stick-thin calves sticking immodestly out.

In true Hufflepuff fashion, Olivia missed the sarcasm. " Exactly! That's the spirit, Toria! Now, you look like you need a nap. There's an empty flat upstairs, what say? Normally I let my boyfriend sleep there, but for you? Free of charge, and no boyfriend."

Astoria laughed. " That sounds great. They woke me up early, so . . ."

"And no breakfast I assume? I'll make some and put it in the oven for when you wake up. Astoria Greengrass, if anybody has had a worse morning than you, I've never seen or met them. You deserve a nine o' clock nap."

And with that Olivia was gone in a whirlwind of promises, consolations, empty teacups, and a warm cloak which she dropped on Astoria's lap.

" Wake me up if my family comes-" Astoria whispered, but Olivia was gone. No matter. Her family wouldn't think to come here. They had never taken the time to get to know Astoria's friends, and now, Astoria was glad for that.

Holding the cloak, and a new cup of tea, apparently Olivia made tea by the gallon, Astoria struggled up the back stairs. Thankfully it was fairly easy to navigate, and to her relief a made bed was near the top of the stairs.

Sagging from exhaustion, maybe that last Apparate had taken more from her than she had previously thought. Setting her teacup on the end table, Astoria fell onto the yellow bed, and curling up, closed her eyes. Fatigue crept through her body, and soon she didn't even have the strength or willpower to take off her shoes.

The blankets were warm, and the lazy sunlight filtering in the dusty window made the room seem quiet and slow. Like it wasn't quite running at the same pace as the fast world around them. Peaceful . . . Astoria thought, watching the dust motes dance in the yellow light.

But even the tranquility of the room couldn't stop her mind from working a million miles an hour. Picking up and discarding ideas and thoughts like dress robes.

It had been a long morning. And the nightmares made sure that it was a long afternoon as well.

The dreams were terrible. The wolves were gone, but now it the Betrothal Ceremony. She was standing apart from Draco, and he was grinning maliciously at her. And it wasn't the Betrothal Wizard reciting the ancient words, it was the Dark Lord himself, scaly, pale white, with red gleaming eyes staring straight into her soul. Astoria tried to scream, but couldn't, and the golden threads were pinning her hands together, tighter and tighter, and then Draco- Draco! He had turned into a mutant, white and elongated with grey eyes. Eyes so cold, so cold, and he was going to eat her, and-

" Merlin, do you always sleep this deeply?"

Astoria's eyes flew open, and she gasped. Grey. Grey eyes, all she could see were grey eyes- But they weren't in her dreams anymore.

" Ah-" She gasped breathlessly, jerking upwards. Rolling out of bed onto her feet, bare now, she realized, Astoria faced Draco Malfoy with nothing but her unarmed hands. " What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded forcefully.

He sat there calmly, on the bed, on her bed, and blinked, somewhat owlishly up at her. As if he didn't quite know what he were doing in her room either.

" Are you okay? You seen distressed," He asked, while Astoria stood there, her hands in a defensive position, and she quickly grabbed her wand from her dress robes, where she had stowed it before she had gone to sleep, and pointed it straight at his heart.

" Who in Merlin's name let you in here?" She gasped out, her heart still pounding, her eyes trying to avoid his, fixing on his chest, her own, heaving.

" Your friend. Olivia right? I called in an old favor, told her I wouldn't bother you-" He shrugged nonchalantly.

" Yeah, well, you bloody well lied, didn't you!" She was gasping for breath, her eyes wide and fearful, her heart beating like mad. Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins from the nightmare, and her fingers were trembling around her own wand.

He looked strangely complacent. " I didn't mean to bother you."

Astoria watched confused as he rolled off the bed, and stood, his movements lithe and graceful and . . . threatening. Like a panther. Like a predator. Like something extremely dangerous to her. Her hand tightened around her wand.

" What are you doing here?"

He yawned, stretching his arms out into the air. He was wearing a cashmere sweater and black trousers, and he looked exactly like the picture of the wealthy brat she was supposed to marry. " After you left your house, your mother sent loads of owls out telling everybody to keep an eye out for you, and to send you straight back home. She pretended like you had merely gone out for a morning walk, and you were late or something, but . . ."

" But what?" Her voice came out sounding a bit more edgy then she would have liked.

" You seemed upset this morning, and I figured if your mother was looking for you you had probably run away. A little detective work, and I was here."

Astoria glared at him. " And are you going to send me back to my mother?" She straightened herself. If he did, so be it, but she would get a few good hexes in beforehand. Give him a taste of what married life with her would be like.

He smirked. " When I have you all alone and too myself? You could wish." He walked towards her, and she stiffened, not appreciating his games.

" What are you doing, Draco?" He paused.

" What do you mean?"

" This. . . Why are you here? Not, how did you get here, but why? Why do you care enough about me this much?"

" Maybe its not about you, princess. Maybe I just want to make sure my Betrothed is safe, so that I can get your dowry."

The words stung, but Astoria hadn't been expecting anything else. She sniffed haughtily. " Fine then. You found me. Now go." She tried to sound as imperious and in-charge as her mother, but the entitled attitude that her mother always wore was too big for her. Draco smirked.

" Why would Olivia let you in here?!"

" I told her that I had some things I needed to explain after this morning."

" Like?" She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot.

" Like the fact that I'm sorry you had to be forced into this. And I wasn't too keen on the idea of getting married this early either, but we both have our reasons to go along with it, I'm sure, so let's just be allies about the whole thing."

She met his eyes for the first time. And yes, they were grey, but they weren't the horrible, cold grey from the monsters in her dreams. Instead they were warm silver that sent a chill down her spine, and warmed her heart. Just a little.

" Allies?" Unexpected.

" Well, yeah, Olivia told me that you didn't want to disappoint your father-" Astoria sniffed again. That girl couldn't keep anything to herself, she thought, mildly resentful. " - And my family needs me to marry, and to be honest . . .?" His ears were turning pink, and he was looking bashful, and she loved it. " I think I could like you, and when they asked me for a name, you were the first one on my tongue. And uh . . . I think you're beautiful."

" I'm flattered." While her voice was trying to be sarcastic, it failed greatly, and it did indeed sound like she was flattered. And after all, she was honestly just a teensy-tiny bit in awe that Draco Malfoy, most popular Slytherin at school, would think of her like that.

" So, if we're condemned to a life together, forever, then we might as well be civil about it. No attempts to murder the other, and lunch tomorrow at one sound good?"

Astoria sat down on her bed and crossed her arms. " Draco Malfoy. If you are so interested in having lunch, and being 'allies', then why were you like ice this morning. You'd think a guy so happy to jump into the holy state of matrimony would be a little bit more . . . jolly."

Draco grimaced. " It wasn't necessarily my idea. I was just saying that I liked you okay, and my family's all over me to get married. I just thought it would make things easier . . ."

Astoria sighed. Of course. Well, he wasn't wrong. It would make things a lot easier if they weren't at each other's throats. " Lunch?"

" One o' clock."

" Where?"

" I'll pick you up."

" Nothing fancy."

" I wasn't planning on it."

" Well," She sighed. " You were such a gentleman about asking me. I suppose I must." He smirked a little, the corner of his mouth going up, and he held out his hand. " You do realize that shaking hands is a muggle thing, right?"

A line etched its way between his nearly invisible eyebrows. " I don't have a problem with muggle things, contrary to popular belief." She snorted. His forehead wrinkled. " Well. I try not to anymore."

He was still holding her hand. " But in actuality I was going to do this."

And then he lifted her limp hand and kissed it again, and Astoria would have been lying if she had said that she didn't enjoy. Just the teensy-tinsiest bit.

Suddenly, Draco's eyes flickered to her jawline, and a weird light filled them. Almost as if he were angry. Or confused. Or. . . . something.

" What's that?" He gently traced the line of the bruise her mother had left. His touch was gentle and cool against her hot, sleepy skin.

" Oh, that's just something my- ah-" Blood was rushing to her cheeks. While it wasn't uncommon in pureblood families for the parents to get a little forceful, it wasn't good to leave marks. Especially noticeable ones. " It's nothing. I'm so careless, when I apparated here, I ran into . . . a doorway. I hate apparating."

He pulled out his wand, and gently touched the tip to her face. She tensed. " Episkey." Suddenly the stiffness of her bruise was gone, and she knew that the coloring would have disappeared as well. But for some reason the blush still stayed in her cheeks. " There. That's better. Try not to run into any more . . . doorways."

And then he turned and gave her that famous Malfoy smirk, and whirled, disapparating with a unnecessarily flashy bang. Astoria smirked.

AN: So, Olivia's totally an OC, though I checked the Bulstrode family tree, and it never said, that Millicent was an only child, so I'm taking a few liberties. Also, I know, I know, Astoria and Draco are moving out of the 'hate' stage way too fast, but I'm really bad at this whole gradual love thing, okay? Please review, and don't be afraid to criticize! I'd really like to improve.