It took a lot of convincing but Astoria agreed to spend the next day with Draco. They were going to celebrate their secret engagement. She owled Daphne and her mother with a brief message and told them not to worry. She would have gone back in person but stayed to soothe Draco's worries. He confessed that he feared if she left she wouldn't come back after she realized what a mistake she had just made. Fortunately, Astoria was always prepared and brought extra set of clothing with her to change into.

After they ate the breakfast his house elf made them, they left the townhouse. Holding hands they walked through Diagon Alley under disguises using Glamour Charms. Shops were minimal as they were receiving poor revenue. Diagon Alley as well as other Wizarding communities had gravely suffered due to the war. Magic repaired the damage but magic couldn't repair the damage in people's hearts. During the war, people were disappearing left and right. Bodies were discovered, sometimes no traces at all. Many families relocated to different countries, fearing they would be next, while the brave remained to defend their home. Once the war had officially ended, few families returned.

"How is it going with that employment position?" Astoria asked Draco.

"Nothing as of yet."

"So, you're not doing anything at this time?"

"I've done my end. All I have now is to wait. It's tiresome."

Draco had studied every book related to the position. It was a small accomplishment. His father said the company had not been opened as of yet. He had to wait to apply for the position. His mother told him that the Greengrasses were neutral and might consider hiring him. Even then, he didn't know if they would offer the position to him or not. There were possibilities that they would turn him away. Neutral or not, they might not want to be associated with the likes of him. If that happened that meant all of the work he did was for nothing.

"Do you think you would have liked working under someone?"

"It would be an adjustment." The thought of working for someone honestly didn't appeal to Draco.

Astoria nodded. His answer told her enough and she decided to share her idea with him. "Why don't you be your own boss?"

"Brilliant idea but I don't know anything about starting a business. Besides, who'd want to do business with me?" Draco said bitterly.

"People will say whatever they want to say. Don't let that bother."

Draco stopped walking and hugged Astoria. "I know you're right. It stopped bothering me ages ago but now that I've got you to consider. There will be harsh gossip about you because of me. My horrid reputation will spread to you."

"I never cared for insults. Chin up, my love. I've got a way that will soften people's hearts to you."

Draco released Astoria and looked at her. "You do?"

"Look around you."

Draco did as she said.

"Remember how lively it used to be?" she asked him.

Draco looked at the few shops that were opened and felt nostalgic as old memories resurfaced. "I used to beg my mother to bring me here all the time when I was little. It was always so crowded, colorful, and lively. Looking at them now is depressing."

"Do you have an independent vault from your parents?"

"I do. It's enough to take care of us for years. You won't have to work anymore."

"Thank you for trying to support me but I chose to work. I want to be independent and I want you to learn to be too." Astoria took Draco's hand and led him to the middle of the street. "You can use your money to purchase a few shops, restore them, and rent them out at a low price."

Draco thought over her suggestion and his own ideas began to form. "I can do it anonymously. Give out generous loans for people to fill their shops with merchandise."

"Let's go home and get started."

Draco didn't miss that she called the townhouse home. He was already imagining them happily married and living there. They Apparated back to their home where Astoria explained more of her ideas to him in details. Sitting in bed she got a quill and parchment to give him a visual understanding of things. The more she spoke the more Draco realized how well thought out it was.

"How did you know all this?" he asked her.

"I thought of doing it myself once but discarded the idea after I made a few calculations. I went another route. I recycled this idea and altered a few things. If we do this right, it would work in your favor and recreate your image. I will tell you now, it will take loads of work and effort. Are you willing to do it?"

"I'm prepared."

Astoria smiled and kissed him.

"Do you know how to do a balance sheet?" she asked him.

"A what?" Draco asked back.

"A balance sheet is a summary of your finances."

"Don't the goblins do that for you?" said Draco, since the goblins where handling his vaults.

"They record and itemize the things in your vault but it is you who has to be responsible for your own galleons and possessions." Astoria conjured more parchments and inkwells. She was going to manually teach him how to do his own accounts. No fiancé of hers was going to be ignorant of his finances. "In order to run a business you've got to know about assets, liabilities..."

As Draco listened to Astoria, he became overwhelmed. It felt like he was in school again but at least he had an incredibly sexy teacher this time and they were sitting on a bed. That made learning fun.

"Do you see?"

Draco snapped out of his musing. "I see." he said. He shifted his seating and moved closer to her, pretending that he was trying to get a better look at what she wrote on the parchment.

Astoria took in his smirk and knew right away they he was laying. She drew an outline of a balance sheet with random numbers on it. She handed him the parchment and her miniature abacus she always kept in her pocket out.

"Balance this." she told him.

Draco looked at the numbers on the balance sheet and his head began to spin. He took the abacus and turned it over in his hand. He knew what it was but didn't have a clue on how to use it.

"Did I go over it too fast that first time?" she teased him.

"Not at all"

He was lying again.

Astoria put the parchment down and explained how to do it step-by-step and also how to use the abacus. She created another balance sheet handed it to him.

"Do this one on your own. For each one you get correct I will remove an item of clothing."

Draco knew that she knew he was not paying attention to her lesson, mostly because he was busy staring at her. She was teasing him, the minx. He looked her over and thought back to this morning when he watched her getting dressed. He mentally counted each item she had put on and compared them to the amount of answers he knew he could get right. He wasn't going to get her down to her knickers unless...

"Do I get to choose which items you'll be removing?"

"No."

"What a shame," he admitted. "I don't think we should do that."

Right when Astoria thought he was a gentleman he went and opened his mouth again.

"I'll do it for kisses."

Astoria agreed because she liked his kisses. Ten minutes later, parchments was scattered around them as they snogged on the bed.


When Draco returned to Malfoy Manor, he informed his father that he was no longer interested in the employment position.

"So what do you plan on doing instead?" asked Lucius.

"I've got something else in mind." Draco said with a grinned. He walked passed his father and went to his bedroom.

He went to his dresser and took out the velvet box. He went to lie on his bed. While playing with the small box in his hand, he marveled at the memory of the two days he spent with Astoria. They were magical. He loved the time they spent together and when they had to part he would miss her terribly. This would be far worse compared to before. Before he was attached to her emotionally, now he was attached to her physically after what they shared. He would be pinning for her until he could see her again. He was going to have to keep himself distracted by following the business plan she created for him and planning the perfect proposal. In addition, he had to start managing his finances as he had promised her.

Draco took a quick nap before taking a shower and getting dressed. He went to Gringotts to see his vaults and get an itemized copy of his records. He took the documents home to study and created the balance sheet like Astoria taught him. He brought out the abacus and began making calculations.

Hours later, when he went downstairs to relax, Blaise was waiting for him.

"What sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into? And why didn't you invite me?" asked Blaise as soon as he saw him.

"What are you babbling about?" Draco asked him in return.

"You tell me." Blaise countered.

Both of them went to another room for privacy.

"Yesterday, your parents invited me over under false pretense. They held me captive and proceeded to interrogate me of your whereabouts and the woman you were seeing. I told them nothing because I know nothing."

"It's none of their business what I do. I am an adult with a personal life of my own." Draco said defensively.

"You are acting suspicious. It's obvious to everyone that you are hiding something." Blaise cocked his head and studied Draco. "It's got something to do with your girlfriend, doesn't it?"

Draco pressed his lips shut but thought things over. They made have their differences but Blaise was a good friend. He could keep secrets and he needed help with his plans. Draco was not going to tell him everything but enough.

"I'm in love."

"I knew it!" Blaise said with amusement. "Who is she? Or…him? No judgments here."

"She is a woman." Draco confirmed. "And I am madly in love with her."

"Well, well…if she's not a man then…" Blaise thought over why Draco would keep his girlfriend a secret and the truth it hit him. "She's a Muggle!"

"She's a Muggle-born." Draco corrected him. He was not planning on telling him that but since Blaise figured it out on his own, what was he supposed to do?

Blaise lost his usual composure as he was a gasping a like fish. "You. A. Muggle-born? What? How?"

Draco had to reinvent the story of how he and Astoria first met. He couldn't say she attempted to murder him because he was annoying her. What would their grandchildren think?

"I met her at St. Mungos. We spoke to each other behind the curtains and fell in love without know who the other was." That was their love story and Draco was sticking to it.

"How romantic." Blaise said, unconvinced. However they met, he didn't care to know but now he knew why Draco suddenly changed. "Let's hope you're not under a love potion."

"I'm not."

Draco never took that into consideration. He knows himself well enough that he was certain he was not bewitched. Since Blaise did not know the truth, he would make assumptions as would everyone else. It didn't matter. He and Astoria shared a bond between them and have secrets only they know.

"What are you planning to do?" asked Blaise.

"Initially, I thought we'd elope and return when she gets pregnant. I tossed the idea after thinking it over. I doubt she'll agree with my plans and there is the risk of her breaking up with me if I went through with it." Draco signed. "She enjoys working."

"Working?"

"As a waitress."

Blaise shook his head at Draco in disapproval. "And you allowed this?"

"It's not like I have a choice. I told her multiple times I'd take care of her but she has remained firm about working to support her family." As Draco said this, he started to become worried about Astoria. She works too hard. It might make her ill.


Astoria and Clara looked over the candidates applying for the various positions for the new hospital. Each person was sitting side-by-side on the rows of chairs. She had greeted them politely and was giving them the speech about what type of employees they were looking for.

"Help me! Help me!" screamed a woman, who burst into the room dragging a man in her arms. The man had two heads, covered in fur, and large tentacles for arms and legs.

Many of the people screamed in fright and ran out of the room, through the threshold and out the door. As over half of the people there were healers they all took out their wands and ran to help the man, whose tentacles were waving violently around the room.

The mysterious man straightened himself, with a wave of his wand he returned to his normal self.

"Hello and congratulations, you're all hired." Sirin said to the people that were still there.

"Lovely to meet everything," said Daphne. She removed the charm concealing her identity and also revealed herself.

The people looked at them in bewilderment. Astoria stepped forward and explained, "The type of people we are hiring must possess the ability to remain calm in hectic situations. One never knows what to expect." After she spoke she collapsed.

Daphne, Clara, and Sirin rushed to Astoria. Those who still had their wands out also went to help.

Twenty minutes later Astoria was laying on one of the hospital beds, her mother, sister, and Sirin looking at her with concern.

"Review from the first patient: comfortable bed." she joked but no one was laughing.

"You said you were going to look for a healer." Daphne reminded her. "Did you?"

"I haven't." said Astoria.

It wasn't that Astoria didn't care for her health. Aside from her hair turning white she had not suffered negative effects from her illness. Her hair was still black, meaning her illness had nothing to do with her collapsing. She was tired from lack of sleep and her body ached in certain areas. She wasn't going to tell them about that. If she did, then she would have to explain what had happened in the last two days. If she confessed that she and Draco had consummated their relationship out of wedlock her old fashion mother would faint. Daphne would congratulate her and sweet-talk her into giving her details. She was weak against Daphne and would tell her. Things might turn out like that time in Muggle school when that boy asked her on a date. She declined his offer. She told Daphne about it during one of their daily discussions. Soon after, Daphne gave her magazines with naked pictures of men in suggestive poses for what she called educational purposes. She would rather not go through a nightmare like that again.

Daphne lost her composure and lashed out at Astoria. "How could you? You know you're ill and you still haven't seen a healer?" she was so angry, her body was trembling. She had to step back for a moment to gather herself.

Astoria felt awful for upsetting Daphne. "I'm sorry, Daphne."

Daphne came back to Astoria to take her hand and accept her apology. Astoria held out her other hand to her mother who took it. "I'm sorry, mum."

"I'm apologize for intruding but may I ask what's wrong, Astoria?" Sirin asked.

"I've got the pure-blood disease."

"Really?"

Clara and Daphne stared at each other as they shared the same thought. Sirin was a pure-blood. He belonged to one of the oldest pure-blood families in the Wizarding World. He should possess knowledge about Astoria's disease. Both women crowded him, bombarding him with questions.

"What do you know about it?"

"Is it fatal?"

"Will she be all right?"

Sirin put his hands up in surrender. "One at a time, please!"

"MUM! DAPHNE!"

At the sound of Astoria's booming voice the women went quiet. Sirin looked from Clara and Daphne to Astoria. For the first time, Sirin realized that Astoria, although the youngest, was the head of the family. Astoria held their attention and it appeared as if they were readily waiting for her commands.

"Do you know anything about my disease?" Astoria asked him.

"Yes, a few of my relatives have it and no it's not fatal." Sirin told them. He went to Astoria and inspected her white hair. "Your body is overwhelmed with magic that it's expelling from your head it appears."

"Magic is expelling form her head? Is that why she's so intelligent?" said Daphne.

"Yes. Due to her excess of magic, her brain is functioning at a level far above average. I know someone with the same condition." said Sirin.

"Can you set up a meeting? I would like to meet and talk." said Astoria. She was looking forward to in meeting someone like her.

"I will as soon as possible."

Clara and Daphne were relieved to know that Astoria was going to be okay.

"By the way, what happened to everyone?" asked Astoria.

"We told them to come back next week for the welcoming ceremony." said Clara.

"We gave them quite the fright with our performance. They thought you were especially convincing." Daphne laughed.

"Good, now they know they've got to be alert at all times."


At the Welcoming ceremony, Astoria was more than happy by how well everything turned out. She had to admit when she first thought about building this hospital over the remains of Greengrass manor she did it out of spite. She had despised the manor as much as she loved it. It was her first home, a place that would eternally be imbedded in her heart, but the manor was a cold and uncaring place within her memories. It was grand as it was beautiful but all that beauty was only superficial. Therefore, she wished to destroy it and create an area of healing. Not just for her but for others.

Astoria watched as Daphne guide groups of people through the hospital and showed off her masterpiece. She looked for her mother and found her chatting with a group, among them was the Malfoys. She walked to her mother and politely introduced herself. Since she and Draco were in a relationship and engaged to be married, she should develop a good standing with his parents.

"Lovely to see you again, Astoria." said Narcissa.

"You've grown into a beautiful woman." said Lucius.

"Thank you." said Astoria. She glanced at her surroundings, wondering where Draco was. She missed him and had hoped he came with his parents.

"You're mother said you're the one who created all this. It's very impressive." Lucius praised her.

"I merely came up with the concept. Daphne is the one who designed everything. She's giving tours." said Astoria.

"Yes, we just came from one. We were telling your mother the décor is tastefully modern. Daphne is talented." said Narcissa.

"Where's Draco?" Astoria asked them in what she thought was a causal tone despite how eager she wanted to see him.

"You missed him. He excused himself right before you came." said Clara.

"You and Draco know each other?" Lucius asked Astoria.

"Yes."

"Interesting, he never mentioned that."

"That's not surprising." said Narcissa, "We attended the same parties when they were young and they were in Hogwarts together."

Astoria remembered the lavish parties her parents used to take her and Daphne to. Her parents and Daphne would immediately separate to join their individual circles. She would find a vacant spot and silently sit there until it was over. No one disturbed her. If was as if they didn't see her.

"Excuse me." said Astoria.

It appeared to her that Draco hadn't told his parents about their relationship. No matter the reason, she felt like she should leave their presences before she made them suspicious. As she walked through the crow, she spotted Honey and went to talk to her.

On the over side of the large crowd, Draco stood next to Blaise lazily surveying their surroundings.

"Hard to believe the Greengrass girls did all this." Blaise remarked to Draco. "It's better than St. Mungos. I'm coming from now on."

"So would I. Where are they, the Greengrasses?" Draco causally asked him. He was embarrassed to admit he had no clue who the hosts were. People couldn't expect him to remember every single person he went to school with.

"Their mother is over there with your parents."

Draco searched for his parents and spotted them talking animatedly with a woman with blonde hair and wearing a dark purple dress. He assumed that was Clara Greengrass, since she was the only one he didn't recognize.

"Daphne is over there."

Draco looked to where Blaise pointed and found a sea of women around his age.

"Which one is she?" he asked.

"The blonde in the pink."

There were three blonde women wearing pink. Draco nodded, acknowledging them.

"As for Astoria..." Blaise paused for a moment. "I don't know her."

"I thought I was the only one." Draco admitted.

Blaise shrugged. "She went to Hogwarts with us but that's all I know."

"You remembered Daphne."

"Daphne's hot. She's even hotter now that I know she has a brain."

Draco chuckled and spotted a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Look, there is Honey." said Draco.

Blaise's expression became tight. Draco understood. Both of them had fancied the witch when they were in Hogwarts. Blaise fell for her harder than Draco but she only saw them as friends. Draco was happy for her but Blaise must be devastated to know that she was getting married soon. Draco didn't want to add insult to injuries and turned his attention elsewhere.

"So...um...which one is Daphne?"