Monday was not usually his favorite from the sevens, but today it was different for Draco Malfoy. When he woke up that morning, he almost could not believe himself that he could get a nice sleep. Not even woke up in the middle of the night like usual. He shrugged a little bit at his bed then prepared to go to his clinic where he worked.

The clinic was not big but clean and organized well, just suitable for him and his new life. The first time he worked there was 3 years ago and he enjoyed his simple works everyday. All he needed to do was making a potion according to the patient or the doctor recipe and his works done.

Draco walked to his work place on basement, which have some squared open spaces and separated by black curtain. Some of his colleges were already there, waiting for the list to come from the chimney they all have on their own square.

"Good morning, Draco."

"Good morning."

Because of theirs open spaces which rarely was being shut unless for certain dangerous potion, they quite closed to each other. They liked to chat together when they worked, but Draco didn't take part much in the conversation.

However, he did get really close to some of them.

"Draco." Lilac Grey jumped in front of him with a big grin, "You looks happy today."

Draco could never understand how she could be so active and childish although she was one year older than him.

"You looks happy too Lilac." He answered and kept walk to his place.

"Morning, Draco," Now a man named Leroy Smith greeted him with smile.

"Morning."

Lilac and Leroy had been worked with Draco for two years with same duty as him. They both were not graduated from Hogwarts, and that why Draco could really felt ease around them. Actually, The reason why he was working in this clinic is because no one really knew him before. Some story about him was there, but not much and everybody just really ignored him in the way he liked.

Letters by letters attempted him to go from there to a better work place and better hospital, but really, he could more not careless. One interested him though, the letter from the central hospital. Since his last invention, a letter from this best hospital in London had asked him to work there as a chief of potion makers. That will be really interesting, but the problem was Hermionie Granger. He knew she was working there too and he did not think she would be really happy to meet him again after what happened to her parents. Because of her memory charm got too strong, her parent's memories about her had gone for forever. It should not happen if there was no death eater like him existed in the first time, really.

"So what is it?" Lilac asked again, not wanted to end the conversation.

Draco shrugged, "Just having a nice sleep, I guest."

"Sometimes I pity you, Draco."

Draco was almost smiling when he heard the skinny tall woman. He liked it the way she was so truthful and full of ignorance.

That day was just another day at his work place. Each of them made the potions according to what they had been asked by people from upstairs and then sent it via the little chimney. So when the bell rang, everyone knew that it was already noon and also a time for them to have a lunch break.

As usual, Draco was dragged by his two friends to the little café near their clinic. This tradition had been going on from the arrival of Lilac at the office and had never been neglected since then. Draco did not really mind at first, but then he did not know that it would be such a basis daily routine. Actually, he felt pleased at the first time Lilac asked him and whined at him to go with her. It had been a long time since Draco felt so important and wanted for what he truly is, not because of his wealth and name.

He remembered the first time that feeling came to him. He was an eleven years boy who wanted to buy a brand new wand so he could study at the popular wizard school. That moment when suddenly a thin long wand jumped to his hand, he was never been so proud. The wand had picked him because his real personality, his power and his magic. It was really unusual for a wand to be so eager with an 11 years old boy, the shopkeeper had told him. That is why Draco Malfoy loved his wand very much.

It also happened when the shorting hat had chosen the green coloured house for him. But the strongest one stroked him in his sixth years in Hogwarts.

That time was the horrible time for him, the time when everything changed. The dark lord himself ordered him to kill the most powerful wizard in the world, Albus Dumbledor. Having no courage to kill him self, he finally tried to fix the cupboard without no bright result. Draco was locking himself, sitting on the window and looking down at the empty grassy place when suddenly somebody appeared at that place. It was a boy with brown hair; he was trying to climb a tree to pick up the fruits. Draco watched him with boredom. However, he then noticed a dark haired girl, Astoria Greengrass. Her hair was longer since the last time he met her, his thought tell him. Now his grey eyes followed her movement with sudden interest.

She talked to the boy, which Draco could not figure out what, and helped him to pick up the fruits by her magic. The boy seemed really thankful and shared the fruits to Astoria who accepted it gladly. Draco smiled at the scene, but then he froze. A pair of green eyes watched him from bellow. He could not understand how she found him so easily when he was hiding under the shadow in a darkest place of the castle. He was on level 5 for Merlin sake! Astoria then waved her hands and made a silent gesture, telling him that she would come to his place before she was gone from his sight. Draco did not move from his place as he should. He should avoid her and work on the cupboard again, but he simply did not.

"Malfoy." She called suddenly with a calm voice. She was carrying a plum shape fruits on her hands.

"Greengrass."

"How are you?" She asked while sitting on the same window.

Draco cleared his throat, "I have been better."

"I can see that." Her eyes gazed on him, scanning him from top to bottom and it made him shrugged.

"You look fine." He said suddenly.

"Well yes, Malfoy. Of course I'm feeling fine." She smiled, "We just won against ravenclaw today, don't you know?"

She was talking about quidditch, which he did not pay attention anymore. Draco just nodded his head slightly and avoided her eyes.

Astoria just smiled again and gave the pink fruit to him. He was not in the mood of eating really, but it is rude to refuse it and so he took it from her.

"What is it?" He asked her with curiosity, he was never seen the fruit before.

"I have no idea, Malfoy."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No idea." She told him again, "I guess we have to try it."

Not a bad idea, Draco thought. If it poisoned then he might be dead and ended his misery. He looked at her eyes in agreement. They bite it together without releasing their gaze into each other eyes. When the taste of the fruit hit their tongue, they could not help themselves to moan. The feeling is almost indescribable. They can feel magic and heat flew through their bodies entirely at a sudden moment. Their eyes rounded because of the shock and they kept silent for some times to really understood what just happened to them. Their skin flushed red and there was a flowing energy inside their body that just couldn't be stopped.

"Wow." Astoria broke the silent. "You looks so much better now, Malfoy."

Draco could not help his smile and almost laugh, replaced by a chuckle. He realized his body was indeed so much in a better condition, but Astoria was the one who made his day better.

"You too look really beautiful with that flushed cheek of yours." He replied suddenly like he was used to be. That surprised him self. He was almost certain before that he could not be a normal kid again.

Astoria laughed nervously and stroked her hair to tug it behind her ear, which made her even looked more desirable. She bit the fruit again to distract her from him, but it only made Draco's gaze more intense. She could feel it. Draco eyed her with his silver orbs, taking all the moment when the dripping juice from the fruit wet her red lips and when her skin flushed again one more time because of it. He licked his own lips and He did not notice that Astoria was now facing him.

"So, Malfoy." Astoria said suddenly in high tone.

His eyes darted back to hers. "Yes, Greengrass?"

"Would you come to the party tonight?" She asked, "We're going to celebrate our victory and the new captain."

"New captain? How about Blaise?"

"Blaise is good, but we all know Theo is better. Suddenly he asked Blaise today to replace his place and you know how Blaise is. He really did not care and let Theo so easily to lead the team. Then he did really well at the game and tonight Blaise will officially give his title to him. Really weird isn't it?"

"I think that just like so Blaise." Draco rolled his eyes when thinking about his sometimes unpredictable friend.

"You are the best captain though." Astoria suddenly said and smiled.

Draco replied with a pity smile, which Astoria did not like at all. "I was."

"You can be again if you want to come back to the team."

"I can't."

"Is there something bothering you, Malfoy?" She asked and Draco realized her real intension speaking to him.

The temptation was so big. He really wanted to spill out everything, to let her know that he was doomed. That he could not run from his pitiful faith and that he need somebody to help him. That he need her.

'Yes!' "No." He simply said with a cold mask.

"So, since you have nothing to bothered about and I suppose nothing important to do, would you care to join the party tonight as my partner?" She grinned with her still flushed cheek.

"Yes." He said without thinking.

"Are you still alive, Draco?"

Suddenly Draco awoke from his mind and saw a shifted hand in front of his face. It was Lilac's, of course. They were already at the restaurant, ready to order their lunch for that day.

"Yes I am." Draco shrugged and run his eyes to the menu.

"You do look different today." Leroy said while tapping his fore finger on his chin, a sign that he was thinking. "Looking from your weird acts… Can not stop smiling, day dreaming and almost drawling… Definitely a woman!"

Draco coughed.

"So it's true!" Lilac's eyes grew bigger in excitement. "Tell us about her!"

Draco pretended to not hear anything and called a waitress to order. However, the other gang members would not let it slip so easily. They never stopped asking about the woman, Astoria to be precise, all day long.

Unfortunately for Draco Malfoy, what he thought would last for one day, become one week. In every chance they got, Lilac and Leroy always asked him the same question - In every damn conversation and in every damn activity.

"Draco Malfoy, you know you can trust me with everything," Leroy said while continuing his business, "We both are man who share same work place and toilet. Not to mention we already 'look' each other's, so who is the lucky woman?"

"Leroy!" Draco shocked and tried to cover 'his', "Don't you dare say you have already seen mine!"

"Sorry. I just did. Both."


Astoria Greengrass was wearing a sexiest red maroon dress that Draco had ever seen and it made him nervous. The dress was hanging loosely from a ribbon from his neck down to the floor. Nothing covered her shoulder and upper chest in the front. The back of it was almost gone, only gripped her lower back part tightly. Her long black hair was hanging in one shoulder, giving Draco a nice view of her smooth back. She looked so mouthwatering with all curves she was showing with that dress. "I'm the one who is lucky," He whispered to himself with a dry mouth.

Astoria walked to his direction when she had seen him, leaving her chatting companion just now. As she moved closer, Draco prepared himself with whatever that last in him in sanity.

"Good evening, Malfoy." She smiled only to make Draco shivered.

Draco had mentally slapped himself before answered, "Good Evening Ms. Greengrass. You look beautiful."

"Are we going to praise each other every time we meet?" She laughed, "But it is true that you look really nice too."

She then dragged Draco to her table, introducing him to some guesses that already had been there. Not that everybody did not know his name, but they were all fascinated by his appearance that night. He was not usual to be seen these days. Astoria and Draco sat together with the others in one big clothed table, having some polite conversation one to another.

"So what is your next invention, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I haven't really decided yet, but hopefully I will soon get some inspiration."

"Oh Mr. Malfoy, you do know that a graceful woman like miss Greengrass will always give you a lot of inspiration." The man took Astoria's hand and kiss it without released his gaze into hers.

Draco's blood boiled suddenly. To be honest with everyone who probably already knew this public secret anyway, Draco Malfoy could not handle anger well. But for Astoria's sake, he ignored it.

Before he could reply, a person suddenly appeared on the stage with red light and smoke everywhere. The audience gave applause after his appearance and introduction. The event had begun.

It was an auction of some antique and arts objects which money would be donated and transferred to the scientists and inventors around the country.

Many had been sold but Astoria Greengrass had not yet raised her wand to buy one of them, in fact, she seemed not interested. Until the time for dinner before the second auction, Astoria still had not gotten anything. Even Draco already had a necklace for her mother. He thought it was really a good opportunity to give away his father money, for charity and her Mother's happiness at the same time.

"Are you waiting for a certain thing?" Draco asked, noticed that she was looking after something.

"Sometimes it's really surprising how you could understand me so well, Malfoy." Astoria smiled. Draco felt the same thing inside his heart.

"So what is it?" He asked again almost in whisper so no one else on the table could hear their conversation.

"Something that belongs to my family." She whispered back and leant her body to him a little bit. "My great grandmother emerald ring set. It was stolen from our Manor few decades ago, but we tried to keep it in secret and track it by our self."

Draco nodded his head again as he could understand why the family did not want publicity on this matter. It would only make people chase after the precious jewelry. Furthermore, it would give a bad name for Greengrass family for letting someone stealing their possession.

They continued their conversation until a certain man interrupted them. "Is there nothing that interesting enough for Ms. Astoria Greengrass?"

Astoria laughed, but not her usual carefree and lovely laugh, Draco noticed. "I am looking for the best, Mr. Hawk."

"Of course my dear, of course. Always the best for the Greengrass." He said while kissing Astoria's hand. Again. Draco's lips twitched.

Again, Astoria laughed. "You are really lovely, Mr. Hawk."

Draco tried to ignore Astoria's reply to the Man.

"Oh Ms. Greengrass, you are too kind." Mr. Hawk smiled and continued, "I'm thinking about your sister's wedding next week, do you already have a partner for the party?"

"Yes she does, Mr. Hawk," Suddenly Draco interrupted, "We already planned to go together."

Mr. Hawk raised his eyebrows. "Is that so."

"Yes it is. I'm sorry Mr. Hawk." Astoria smiled.

"Oh dear, please don't mind it. Maybe next time then."

In sudden, the bright red light came back again to fill the room and the second auction had begun. Astoria pretended that nothing was happened and so was Draco. He could not believe him self that he had just did that and He just hoped Astoria would not mind.

The auction finished one hour later with a bizarre ending. Astoria just gave the biggest donation that day to take away some old rings. Everybody just thought that nothing was really taking her interest so she had bought the last items with all her budget money for that day. "Just to make sure I got it and nobody in my way, you know." She said when summoned her number.

Before they were leaving the table, Mr. Hawk once again kissed Astoria's hand, at least, almost. Draco took away her hand before the older man had any opportunity, "I'm sorry Mr. Hawk. We are really in hurry."

Astoria just smiled and followed Draco steps with her hand connected with Draco's.

"I don't know you get jealous easily." Astoria laughed. This time, it was her real laugh, which made Draco's stomach feel funny.

"I'm not jealous." He defended himself, "I think he is after you and I don't think he is good enough for you."

Astoria laughed again, "Of course, Draco! You do realize that he is old enough to be my father! He just wants to introduce his son to…"

Draco's step stopped suddenly and made Astoria bumped to him. "What is it?"

Without their knowing, Draco had lead both of them to some part of the building, which was empty and dark. He was walking with no direction just now because of his anger and jealousy. However, that was not the reason why he was so surprised.

"Do that again."

"Do what again, Malfoy?" She raised her eyebrow. Her voice echoed inside the huge empty room.

"No. Not Malfoy." He looked at her eyes desperately, "My first name."

Astoria felt her cheek warm. She realized that she had slipped and called him Draco, but she had never guest his reaction. Astoria tried to clear her throat and repeat his name, but suddenly it became so hard. Draco, stood really close from her, waited and eyed her intensively.

"D- Draco..." She tasted every letter in her mouth. It was not really a new word for her, but the feeling of it was new.

He tilted her chin with his hand and whispered slowly, "Astoria… Do you mind if I call you that?"

Now she understood. His calling of her name was feel so different, it shook her and brought heat to her body. It was really a long waiting to hear that from him.

Astoria nodded her head slowly.

Once again in that moment, Astoria was sure that Draco wanted to kiss her. His fingers stroke her face gently, and his eyes were in the mist of something she could not name. She was breathing harsh while her heart pounded loudly that she hope he could not hear it.

But again, the moment was gone in a slip of consciousness of Draco. He had cleared his throat and dropped his hand before tried to murmur sorry. Before he could say anything, however, Astoria cut him effectively.

"I'm really happy that you can accompany me today, Draco." She said rather coldly. It was a disappointment that made her this way, "I am looking forward for our next meeting in my sister's wedding. Please do wear green coloured clothes so we look matched together."

"Now if you please," Astoria continued without taking a breath, "I need to go back to the manor. Don't bother to escort me, Draco, I have an efficient portkey with me. Good evening and good bye, Draco."

Draco was not able to react as she was already gone from his sight. He was now alone in darkness, thinking what was just happened to her. He had a feeling that he had made a mistake, but could not recall it well. Draco was suspected that she was upset. But why?

In his frustration, he finally decided to go back to his manor.

Draco Malfoy had never had any sleeping trouble besides the one that related with the dark mark problem in his entire life. But now, he was shifting uncomfortably on his bed, thinking not about voldemort, but a beautiful woman instead. Astoria Greengrass was not frightening when she was upset, she was actually rather looking desirable in different possible way. However, Draco did not like it at all when he could not find out the reason of her disappointment.

To be honest, deep inside his head, he knew. But Draco was all but truthful to himself since denial was his companion for this last six year of his pathetic life. Every job offered letters that he turned down, every lifestyle he chose for himself, and every feeling he kicked out from his heart were all evidence about it. Draco Malfoy wanted to change, but in fact he only left his life for another one that not even truly exist.

Indeed, Draco was not realizing his mistaken step just yet. Not tonight when he could imagined Astoria Greengrass' face so near to him and a beautiful sound that slipped from her pouty red lips, "Draco."