Astoria's POV: the day after the Battle of Hogwarts/Malfoys return home
I wake with a groan on my lips as I feel the soreness all over my body and open my eyes shocked to see that I actually did not dream being brought here late last night. I very slowly sit up biting my lip to hold back a cry as my ribs ache at the motion and look around the slightly dark room. I spot my wand on the bedside table nearest to me and reach for it to point it at the fireplace igniting the dying embers glad for the warmth in the cool room. I then point it to the drapes watching them open to let in the light of the grey morning and I squint to see the clock on the mantle that reads that it is just after seven. I quickly do the math in my head to figure out that I have slept for nearly a day and a half but deep down I know that my body needed the rest because of everything I have been through.
"Draco?" I call out my voice hoarse from lack of use and turn my head to the bathroom door that is cracked open assuming he's in there. After a moment without any response, I toss the grey blankets back slowly lowering my feet to cold dark wood floor and stand up to walk around the four poster bed at a snail's pace. I push open the bathroom door to see that it is empty and frown as I turn to leave stopping when I catch my reflection in the mirror. Most of the skin on my face is covered in a greenish yellow of healing bruises and the cut in the corner of my mouth has dried blood on it. I sigh and find a washcloth in the cupboards to run it under the hot water tap holding to my lips as I walk out of the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a piece of parchment under the edge of the silver picture frame that holds a picture of me and recognize Draco's writing on the paper.
We've been summoned to Hogwarts where Potter has been spotted. I fear that this is the end. Stay in the manor, rest, recuperate.
I love you.
Stay safe.
Draco
A cry of despair chokes me and I feel my heart hammering in my chest as I reread his words to me that could be the last I hear from my boyfriend of the last three and a half years. I stumble to catch myself on the post at the end of the bed as my head spins and tears make my vision swim my heart shattering as I think about losing Draco. I feel under the neck of my shirt to clasp the heart pendant with the promise ring in my hand and a sob rips through me sinking to the floor. I curl up against the corner of the bed envisioning the school I think of as my home as a battlefield and shudder at the thought. I bury my face in my hands and ignore the pain throughout my body from all the abuse that I have suffered from by the command of the Dark Lord by the hands his deranged followers, Amycus and Alecto Carrow.
I wipe at my tears with the end of the dark green sleeves that I recognize as Draco's, which makes me sob even more and look down to the black pajama pants I have on with a sigh. I slowly raise my hand to grip the bedpost above my head and use it to get up groaning as my body aches at the movement. I take a deep breath wincing as the muscles in my torso protest and grab my wand to leave the room. I know the longer I stay in this bedroom, where I have so many fond memories with Draco, will be darkened by my worrying thoughts and heartache over my boyfriend possibly not returning to me. I start down the hallway in the direction of the main staircase that will lead downstairs and remember the last time I stayed here during Christmas two years ago.
"You little bitch!" My father hissed at me bending down to slap me again and I could feel the pain just under the cut along my cheekbone.
"Father, stop!" Daphne shouted and quickly moved to kneel behind me helping me back away from our drunken father. "She didn't mean it disrespectful!"
"Oh she did." He snarled and quicker than should be possible grabbed me by the hair dragging me up until I was level with him. "I don't want to hear your mouth again during this holiday."
I whimper as he threw me down to the hard floor of the living room, where moments before I opened my big mouth we were having nice late night tea before bed, and Daphne helped me up. I limp slightly in my heels having landed on my already bruised hip as my sister led me through to the large living room and toward the staircase that leads up to the western side of the estate. I let a sob rip through me and Daphne shushed me as we get to the level where our bedrooms are. The moment we entered my room, Daph let me go and took my by the arms looking me in the eyes.
"You're okay." She said to me just as she does whenever my father decides to get abusive and I nod taking a deep breath.
"I'm going to Draco's…" I said fighting back tears as I rubbed my arms and felt a rip in the lace sleeve of my red dress. "I just need to get out."
"Alright. I doubt he'll come punish you anymore." Daphne said and nodded at me going over to my white brick fireplace getting the Floo powder out of a vase I keep on my mantle. "Go, I'll cover for you."
"Thank you, sister." I said as she threw in the powder and step into the green flames taking a deep breath. "Malfoy Manor!"
My already dizzy head spun even more as I see the multiple other Floo Network fireplaces passed by in a blur and when the Malfoy Manor's drawing room appears, I stumbled out. I looked around the stunningly lit room by fairies floating around with bright lights that was decorated beautifully and I grabbed on to the back of one of the winged back chairs to keep myself upright. I quickly looked up as I heard the pop of Apparation a few feet in front of me and saw one of the Malfoys house elves followed by the sound of someone's shoes. I suddenly realized that this was a very inappropriate idea and tried to turn around fast but because of the klutz I still am today, I tripped on the leg of the chair I gripped onto for support. I landed on the floor with a thud a sob ripping through me and heard footsteps coming toward me.
"Astoria?" I heard Draco ask and curled up wanting to disappear from this moment.
"I-I shouldn't have come here…" I said my voice thick with tears and kept my face down to hide the injuries from my boyfriend scared that he will overreact.
"Astoria, what's happened?" He asked and knelt down in front of me slowly reaching toward me but I pull back. "What is it?"
"I-I should just go." I said and pushed up off the floor keeping my head down as I tried to walk back toward the fireplace. I gasped as I suddenly felt Draco grab my hand and tugged me back toward him using his other hand to lift my chin up. I frowned as I could see the anger in his as he stared at the bruises along my face that I was sure have already appeared and watched the anger fade to worry.
"Who did this to you, Tori?" He asked his voice quiet in the dimly lit living room and brushed my messy bangs off my face looking at me with a very serious expression.
I quickly dropped my gaze to the top two buttons of my boyfriend's white dress shirt that were unbuttoned and I chewed on my lip ashamed that I have not yet told him about my abusive home life. "My father…"
"What?" Draco asked shock coloring his voice and he took my face in his hands. "Does he do this often?"
"More when he's drunk, which is most days." I whispered and my shaky hands found their way around his waist when he suddenly pulled me into a hug.
"I'm so sorry, love." He muttered against my head and pressed a kiss to my scalp pulling back to look me in the eyes. "You are staying with me tonight."
"What? No, this is really inappropriate." I said and bit my lip taking a step back away from him his hand catching mine. "Draco, I think I should just go before I get us both in trouble."
"I don't care about getting in trouble, Astoria." He said stepping close to me and used his free hand to stroke my unbruised cheek. "I care about you getting hurt."
I swallowed thickly shocked by the devotion in his voice and my feet slowly started to follow him through the main floor of the Manor. At the bottom of the staircase, I tugged off my heels that I felt wobbly in and held them in the hand that isn't Draco's warmer one. I bit my lip as we passed by portraits of various members of the Malfoy family, who eye me suspiciously we walked through the halls and Draco stopped in front of door with a silver name plaque on it. I suddenly realized that all the time I spent here at the Manor over the summer holidays; we always spent time in the garden, the family library, in the kitchens or with his parents but never have we been upstairs to his bedroom. I watched as Draco led me inside the Slytherin green, silver and black decorated room and relit the fire in his fireplace with a flick of his wand. I bit my lip and turn to close the door for him taking in the boyish charm around the room.
"Your dress is ripped." Draco said and walked over to a large dresser opening a drawer to pull out a dark green long sleeved shirt. "You can wear this."
"Draco, why are you doing this?" I asked dropping my shoes to the floor feeling self-conscious and I look at him shyly.
"What do you mean, love?" He said as he stepped closer to me placing the cotton shirt in my hands and reached to run his thumb just under the cut on my cheek. "Let me see if I can heal you."
"I mean why are you being so kind? Others either give me looks of pity or act like I deserve this type of treatment." I said as Draco pulled me with him into the ensuite bathroom and I take in my disheveled appearance. "I look horrid."
"You just need rest." My boyfriend said and I tore my gaze away from my beat up face to meet his eyes in the mirror slowly turning to face him.
"You didn't answer my question." I mumbled and winced slightly as he gently wiped the blood off my cheek.
"I don't pity you and I certainly don't think you deserve this type of treatment, Tor. You are my girlfriend and despite what stupid people say, I do have a heart." He said pulling out his wand from his pocket and pointed it at my face. "Episkey!"
I hissed as I felt the skin of my cut grew back together and leaned back on the counter behind me sighing softly. "Ow…"
"I'm sorry, love." He whispered pressing a kiss to my forehead and looked at me.
"It's fine, Draco." I muttered and bit my lip looking down with a sigh.
"Here, I'll let you change." He said and stepped out of the bathroom grabbing a pair of pajama pants from his dresser to toss them to me. "Take your time."
"Thank you." I said suddenly appreciating Draco's kinder side that I have recently come to know over the past eight months of our relationship and now see how easily I could fall in love with him. I sighed and slipped off the new red dress I was sent a few days ago from my cousin on my Mother's side, from a French shop near where she lives. I frowned seeing the rip in the lace-embroidered sleeve and folded up the dress hoping that I can convince Mother to fix it. I bit my lip as I pulled on the shirt Draco gave me and inhaling his scent that I've come to know and wished I was confident enough to go out there without the pants on. I shook my head as I pulled on the dark blue pajama pants and stopped to look at my deeply bruised hip sighing softly. I tugged the elastic rubber band from the end of my braided hair that I took time on and my father destroyed in seconds. I picked out all of the pins I used to hold it together and turned to step out of the bathroom running my fingers through the tangled hair.
"You look better." Draco said startling me from his spot by the window and held his hands up in innocence. "Sorry, love."
"Don't be, I was in my own little world." I said as I tied my hair up in a bun at the nape of my neck noticing that my scalp felt tender and sighed.
"And what were you thinking about?" He asked and sat across his bed sitting up on his elbow to look up at me.
I sighed and sat down in the bottom corner of the bed with my legs tucked under me and my back supported by the post behind me picking at my nails. "That I probably shouldn't have come here…"
"Then why did you?" My boyfriend asked moving closer to me and I noticed that he's changed into his own pajama pants and a shirt as well.
"I was scared and wanted you…" I muttered and a chunk of my deep red nail polish flaked off from my anxious picking but Draco suddenly takes my hands.
"You know I'm always here for you, right?" He said as his thumbs rub over my knuckles and a sob caught in my throat nodding at his words. "Come here, baby."
"Dray…" I whispered as he pulled me into his steady embrace and I buried my face in his neck breaking down.
"Shhh it's okay, Tori." He whispered and kissed my head rubbing his hands along my back in a comforting motion.
"Did you call me baby?" I asked quietly as I slowly pull back to look at him and use the end of my sleeves to wipe away my tears sighing softly. "As cute as it is to hear you say that, I don't think it fits us."
"No?" He said with a smile and stroked my cheek looking at me. "How about I only call you that when you're upset or hurt?"
"I like that." I said with a smile and leaned forward to kiss him softly.
"It's late, love. Let's get some sleep." He said brushing a kiss to my forehead and sits up in the bed.
"We're going to sleep together?" I asked realizing yet again that this is inappropriate and bit my lip as he pulled the covers down off the bed.
"Well, I assumed we would." He said and looked at me as I stood up from the bed biting my lip nervously. "I promise to behave, love."
"I certainly hope you will." I said as we both sat down under the blankets and I turned to face the fireplace feeling my boyfriend's arm come around my waist.
"Goodnight, Astoria." Draco whispered in my ear and I shivered closing my eyes knowing that with him, I would always feel safe.
I shiver at the memory of our first Christmas holidays together and the start of many countless nights of me spending the night with him to stay away from my father. I walk down the last few stairs and enter the drawing room crossing my arms over myself to attempt to protect myself from the darkness that is in here. I cringe quickening my pace to go through to the kitchen and take a deep breath my bruised ribs still aching. I shake my head and use my wand to light up the room memories of late night snacks, tea, and meals with the Malfoy family flooding my mind as I look in the cupboards. I find the kettle to fill it with water and place it on the stove to boil while I look for tea bags finding a mug to use.
I take sips of my tea as I walk through the Manor and can practically feel the horrible things that happened here while Voldemort used this as his headquarters. I shudder seeing the dark stain of blood on one of the Parisian rugs that I know Mrs. Malfoy loved and turn away from the room with a frown. Almost all off the rooms where Draco and I share wonderfully happy memories from four years together, have been tarnished by the darkness that seems to haunt this once beautiful home. The now empty mug of tea suddenly slips from my already shaky grasp as I realize that this needs to be the end of my era here and my heart shatters…
"Astoria!" I hear someone shout echoing through the Manor from the spot I found in the living room and realize that it is Draco's voice. I quickly get up from the chair I pulled over to the windows and grip my wand rushing through the doors that go into the main foyer of the home. My feet stop as my eyes land on three disheveled people I care deeply about standing in their home with relief written all over their features and the youngest of them rushes toward me. I gasp when his arms capture me in a tight hug and a sob catches in my throat as my own arms wrap around his shoulders sighing in relief.
"Draco…" I whisper and slowly lean back to look at him seeing that deep down he is far more shaken up then he will ever admit. "What happened? How bad was it?"
"It's over." He says his voice steadier than I thought it would be and takes my face in his hands leaning his forehead on mine. "The Dark Lord is dead."
"What?" I blurt out unsure that I believe what he just said but the look in his eyes tells me the truth, Voldemort is dead. "Harry Potter defeated him?"
"Yes, we're free." Draco says and kisses my cheek hugging my tightly to him.
I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist breathing him in but frown when he smells like sweat, smoke and the tiny hint of his unique scent I love. "Why do you smell like smoke?"
"Oh umm…" He murmurs and I pull back to look at him noticing the soot on his face that I did not see before.
"Was there a fire?" I ask imagining the school I love burning to the ground and see Draco's expression turns sad. "Love?"
"Crabbe…he used Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement." He says and swallows lifting one of his hands to stroke my cheek. "He didn't make it out."
"Oh love, I'm so sorry…" I say with a frown and stand up on my toes to hug him looking over his shoulder to see his parents clutching hands as if they are afraid to let go of each other. "How many other casualties were there?"
"A lot on the other side…" Mrs. Malfoy says sadly looking around at her home in almost disgust and a tear rolls down her cheek. "Bella is dead."
"Mrs. Malfoy…" I gasp and move from her son to her frowning as I remember Draco once told me that Bellatrix is the only sister that she had in her adult life because the oldest Black sister ran off to marry a Muggleborn and therefore disowned many years ago.
"Don't, Astoria." She says holding a hand up to stop me from trying to comfort the woman who has been more of a mother to me than my own and I step back.
"Come, Narcissa." Mr. Malfoy says and carefully leads her through to the living room looking just as lost as his wife does.
"Is there anything I can do?" I ask turning toward Draco and bite my lip as he shrugs looking at me.
"I doubt it, love." My boyfriend says and sighs looking over to his mother as she stares out the windows that overlook the gardens. "She just needs time."
"Alright then." I say and take deep breath as I steel myself for what I have to do looking up to Draco. "We should talk."
"Can it wait until after I shower?" He asks taking my hand and laces our fingers together while we walk upstairs. "How are feeling? You look better."
"I'm mainly really sore." I answer and follow him to his bedroom sighing as we enter the room where I've found sanctuary in so many times. "I haven't even looked at myself properly yet."
"Do you want me to help?" He says and removes his suit jacket folding it up as he toes off his black dress shoes.
"No, go shower." I say sitting on the end of his bed and bite my lip.
"Are you alright, love?" He asks and stands in front of me unbuttoning the cuffs of his black shirt.
"I'm fine. We just really need to talk about something serious." I say and take his right hand slipping off the Malfoy family ring he wears to lay back playing with silver ring.
"I'll hurry." He says unbuttoning his shirt and leans over my body to kiss my cheek.
I nod watching him grab a pair of boxers from his dresser and go into the bathroom as my fingers fidget with Draco's ring. I hold it up to look at the Salazar Slytherin inspired crest and sigh remembering Draco's pride when his father gave this ring to him during our first Christmas together. I bite my lip sitting up to place his ring on the nightstand and grab one of the blankets from the bed to go setting in the window seat. I twirl the promise ring he gave me last year on my birthday and think of what I need to say to him not wanting to hurt him. I lean my head back on the wall and close my eyes my own heart breaking as I think about what I need to do.
"Stuck in your own world?" Draco suddenly asks making me jump and I turn to look over at him as he pulls on some pajama pants. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
I push a hand through my hair my eyes on the thin lines of scars on his bare chest and move the blanket off my legs turning to face him my toes curling up against the cold hardwood floor. "What happens now that the war is over? You said before that you're free but you are Death Eater…I doubt that anyone is likely to forget that."
"Unfortunately you're right, Tori. I haven't exactly been on the right side of things during all this." He says and rubs the mark on his forearm sighing deeply. "I assume a Ministry official will come for us in the next few weeks."
"Do you think they'll arrest you on the spot?" I ask and rub my arms with a shiver as I think about him being thrown in Azkaban.
"There would have to be a trial and I'm sure the Wizengamot will do everything that they can to convict me." He says and runs his hands through his wet hair groaning as he sits on the end of his bed. "Of course they can't say I'm a murderer…I tortured because I had to but I never killed."
"I know that, I knew from the beginning you were never a murderer." I say with a sigh and get up to move to his side smoothing a hand over his hair.
"Astoria, if they do convict me…" He starts to say his voice thick with emotions I know that he is doing his best to hold back and he raises his eyes to meet mine. "Move on, have the life I'd want you to have."
"And if they don't?" I ask and cross my arms over my chest stepping towards the fire still blazing in the fireplace. "What happens to us then?"
"We move forward from this war." He says and I bite my lip fighting my tears.
"Draco, we have been together for four years. You're my first love, my first real boyfriend, the first person to not only take care of me but to actually spoil me…" I say with a sad smile turning to look up at him when I feel him behind me and shudder. "We both know the next steps that our Pure-blood society will expect from us. A proper yearlong engagement, marriage, and an heir to the family name within our first year…"
"What are you saying, love?" He asks cautiously and takes my face in his hands tilting my head back a bit to look me in the eyes.
"We aren't the same people we were when we started dating." I say closing my eyes so I can't see the hurt in his and feel hot tears run down my cheeks. "We started out young, carefree, happy and I'm not saying that I haven't loved every single minute of our relationship but now it feels like we're trapped."
"I make you feel trapped?" He says and I open my eyes to see him frown deeply.
"That isn't what I meant and you know it." I quickly say placing my hands on his sides to make sure that he focuses on me and doesn't tune me out. "I think that we've clung to each other the past two years out of fear of losing each other to V-Voldemort or other Death Eaters."
"We came close the other day when Theo brought you here!" He exclaims and grips my arms making Amycus Carrow's artwork on the underside of my right arm throb.
"Draco, you're hurting me." I gasp out stepping back when he releases me and I turn toward the fire again.
"I'm sorry, love. I never meant to hurt you." Draco says regretfully and steps around to stand beside me gently reaching to tuck a bit of my hair behind my ear. "Are you ending things?"
I bring my hand up to my mouth to chew on my nail and sniff wiping at me tears that are still falling. "Four years is a long time…I don't even know who I am without you."
"And that's a bad thing?" He asks leaning his weight against his hand on the mantle of the fireplace and I laugh humorlessly.
"We know every little detail about each other." I say and push my hands through my hair turning to face him. "I know you love French pressed coffee; I know that you can't sleep at night if you're at odds with me or your mother; I know you have a scar on your shoulder from that time I threw a picture frame at you after one of our fights…"
"Then you cried because you hurt me." He says with a chuckle and goes over to sit on the end of his bed looking at me. "What is it you're trying to say, Tor?"
"I think that we need time to figure out who we are as individuals again." I say with a sigh and rub my arms stepping toward him. "I'm not saying that we wouldn't work if we stayed together but I just realized this morning that we aren't the same anymore. There's so much that I wanted to do before we got together and now I don't what I could do with my life because I am different person now."
"So, basically you want to break up to experience new things?" He asks looking up at me with a sad expression and holds out his hands to me.
"I guess that is what I'm saying." I say as my hands immediately find his and he pulls me to sit between his legs on his thigh resting one hand on my hip.
"I don't want to lose you, baby." He says and hugs me close to me making me sigh.
"You know I love you, right?" I say slipping my arms around his shoulders and kiss his temple. "Let's make a deal, Dray."
"What kind of deal?" He asks and rubs my side hugging me against his warmth.
"That no matter what in ten years, we meet somewhere and catch up." I say and cup his face in my hands looking him in the eyes. "If we've moved on and gotten married then we'll talk about our kids or something."
"I doubt I move on, Tori." He says letting my waist go to flop back on the bed and stares up at the ceiling. "No one but you would be likely to put up with me because of this mark on my arm."
"And no one but you will look past the carving in my arm or my scars from my father." I say as I lean over his body and look into the blue grey eyes I fell for as a child hating to see the hurt there knowing I'm to blame for it. I sigh letting my face find the crook of his neck just like always and breathe in his scent to commit to my memory for the lonely nights that I'm sure are ahead. I feel his hands rub along my back and his lips against my hair making a sob catch in throat. My hands flatten against his firm chest remembering the nights we spent in my room after his sixth year and I would let my fingers trail along the scars that Potter gave him. I press a kiss to the underside of his jaw and blink my tears back with a shudder biting my lip.
"Why are we doing this then?" He asks quietly and I groan pushing up off his chest.
I stand up to run my fingers through my hair gripping it at the nape of my neck and turn to look at him sitting up. "Because as badly as it is killing me it is what I need, Draco!"
We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity and I watch as he stands coming over to rub my arms then he takes my hands.
"Alright, we'll do it but there's one flaw to your deal." Draco says and looks at me.
"What?" I ask and the knot of pressure from my idea that came to me this morning loosens slightly but my heart still shatters at the thought of leaving him.
"Ten years is too long for me to be apart from you, Astoria." He says and brings one of his warm hands to cup my cheek leaning his forehead on mine.
"Eight years then." I say with a small smile and step more into his embrace biting my lip as I raise my hands up to cup his face.
"Can I write to you?" He asks playing with a strand of my hair and sighs.
"I don't think that's very wise." I say and slide my arms around his neck to run my thumb along the nape of his hair. "Where should we meet?"
"The café in Diagon Alley where we met when were children." He says his own voice thick with tears and strokes my cheek as I remember our mother's introducing us when we just five and six. "We'll have lunch at noon."
"I-I will see you in eight years." I whisper and raise up on my toes to press my lips to his in what I hope isn't our last kiss feeling the explosion of passion I felt when we had our very first kiss after our second date.
"Make it seven." He mutters against my lips and his fingers tangle in my hair drawing me even closer to him.
"Seven." I reply knowing this needs to stop but his lips have always been one of my greatest weaknesses.
"Six?" He asks hopefully and I laugh pulling back to give him a glare.
"Seven years is my final answer." I say cupping his face again and kiss him deeply once more as his arms hug me tightly. "I love you, my dragon."
"I love you too, my darling." He says and presses a kiss to my forehead a tear falling down his cheek.
"Goodbye, Draco." I say as I step back toward the fireplace and grab some Floo powder from the mantle stepping into the emerald flames to go home with a sob.
