Chapter 10
ONE YEAR AGO...
Draco fidgeted restlessly and moved the salad around on his plate with his fork. Astoria placed a hand on his knee, and he stilled as he felt her nails dig into his knee.
"Stop it," she hissed.
"This is boring. I told you I should have just stayed home," he whispered back.
"Well, Oreste told me to bring along my 'delightful fiancé'; how could I say no? Talk to Blaise if you're so bored."
Draco turned to his left. Blaise was staring ahead, a weird expression on his face.
"What's with you?" Draco asked.
"I need to talk to you about something. Can I come over later?" Blaise asked.
Draco frowned. "Yeah, sure."
They returned their attention to Oreste Zabini across the table, who was now lifting his wine glass.
"To the future of our companies," Oreste toasted.
Josephine Lockwood, president of Setterland Financial Holdings, raised her glass as well.
"It's an honour to work with Zabini Industries."
It was well past midnight when the dinner ended. After a peck on her lips, Draco left Astoria to go home alone. He said something about going out to this pub with Blaise. Astoria had pouted and tried to ask Draco to take her home first, but he had already left in a hurry with his best friend.
As the vice president of Setterland Financial, she had to stay back for a few minutes until the bosses had left. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to finish their wine and head home. Astoria grabbed the floo powder and was about to return to her apartment when she saw the large diamond ring on her ring finger. A rare smile graced her lips; it was only a few weeks ago when her arranged engagement to Draco was announced. She decided then to head back to Draco's apartment instead of her own.
Astoria appeared in Draco's fireplace, but as she tried to step out, she found it was blocked. She took out her wand and cast 'alohomora' to find that there were wards preventing her from doing so. She huffed in irritation and was about to apparate out when she heard noises; voices that sounded like Draco and Blaise. Astoria pressed her ear to the fireplace and was about to yell at the two men, but what Blaise said next stopped her dead.
"—fucking sick and tired of him. He needs to die." Blaise's voice was icy cold and emotionless.
Astoria pressed her ear closer, against the wards, to strain to hear Draco's reply.
"—but he's your grandfather...can't just kill him..."
"Not the way he treats me, he's not my grandfather!" Blaise bellowed.
Astoria didn't bother to wait to hear what Draco had to say. She cast a Silencing spell so they wouldn't hear the crack of Apparition, and disappeared.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Draco asked, settling down on his couch next to Blaise.
They had escaped from the business dinner the earliest chance they got, and returned to Blaise's apartment.
Blaise was gazing at the floor. "Don't hate me for what I'm going to say."
Draco sighed. "Blaise, did you take my Armani suit and spill something on it again?"
"No!" Blaise looked up at Draco. "You know the relationship between Oreste and I."
Draco nodded. Oreste didn't approve of Blaise's sexuality, and refused to leave him the family company.
"I want to hire you to kill him," Blaise said.
Draco's eyes widened. "Don't you think that's a little extreme?"
"Listen, Draco, I'm sure you've heard the rumours about him not leaving me Zabini Industries because I'm gay. That company belongs to me. Better safe than sorry to off him before he changes his will. Besides, I work my ass off for that company, and never once has he thanked me. All we do is fight. I'm fucking sick and tired of him. He needs to die."
"But he's your grandfather. I can't just kill him."
"Not the way he treats me, he's not my grandfather!" Blaise exclaimed loudly.
"Okay! Look, if this is what you really want, I'll do it for you."
A few weeks later, Astoria received an owl from Narcissa Malfoy, saying that she had finished the guest list for the wedding and wanted Astoria to review them. Astoria made her way to Malfoy Manor's east wing where Narcissa usually spent her days. Suddenly a house elf appeared before her looking scared.
"Miss Greengrass, what a surprise to see you here," the house elf stuttered.
Astoria just stared in disgust at the little creature. The elf looked around, unsure, before laughing nervously and continued. "Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Greengrass?"
"Yes, move out of my way. I'm here to meet Narcissa in Draco's study."
The house elf's eyes widened. "But, Miss Greengrass, Mrs Malfoy is not in residence."
"That's odd," Astoria said. "Where is she?"
"Mr and Mrs Malfoy went to the States to see a distant relative."
"Well, it doesn't matter, I'll just go and get the list, now move!" Astoria ordered.
"But...but, Miss Greengrass-,"
"Get out of my way, you disgusting creature, or do you want me to tell Mrs Malfoy to give you a piece of clothing?" Astoria threatened.
The elf squeaked in fear before disapparating.
Astoria snorted in irritation and strode down the hallway, her heels clicking on the marble floors. When she reached Draco's study, she paused as she heard low, murmured voices coming from inside. Peeking through the gap in the door that was slightly ajar, what Astoria saw shocked her to the core.
Sitting on a low sofa in front of the fireplace was Draco and a woman Astoria did not recognise. She was beautiful, with long raven hair and a slim, model figure. Draco and the woman were entwined on the sofa, and Astoria watched in horror as she peppered Draco's jaw with light kisses, her dark blue eyes sparkling mischievously. Draco laughed softly, reaching up to place a tender kiss on her lips.
"Mmm, love you, Cali," he murmured.
Astoria froze, her grip tight on her wand. Never once in the ten years she'd known Draco had he said that to her. To hear him say it now to some slut, so genuine and lovingly, made Astoria want to burst in and cast a Crucio on the woman. But something stopped her.
And that something was a little voice in her head that whispered "Revenge."
"Fucking bastard! Asshole! Ungrateful son of a bitch!"
Astoria flung the empty Firewhiskey bottle against the wall, angry tears streaming down her face. She took another bottle of Firewhiskey from a glass cabinet and tried to open it, but found some difficulties in her drunken state.
It wasn't the fact that Draco had taken a lover that pissed her off. It was common, especially in the upper-class pureblood society, for arranged marriages to be open; both husband and wife taking lovers. What made her so angry was the fact that she knew that Draco fucking Malfoy was capable of saying those three words and he said it to some stupid slut instead of her. She was always there for him, ever since they first met. She had the biggest crush on him ever since he was in third year and she was in her first.
Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Astoria was about to tell whoever it was to fuck off when her door opened and none other than Oreste Zabini entered her office.
"Miss Greengrass?" Oreste called out to her large empty office before noticing her on the couch.
Astoria tried to compose herself before replying. "Mr Zabini, can I help you?"
"Are you alright?" Oreste asked, seeing Astoria in her messy state with mascara tracks running down her cheeks.
"I'm fine," Astoria replied, hurriedly wiping her cheeks.
Oreste stepped over the broken shards of the glass bottle on the floor and placed some files on her desk.
"Those are the documents Josephine asked for," he explained.
Astoria nodded. "Thank you," she replied coolly.
Oreste nodded at Astoria and started to walk to the door. Although he couldn't see it, he felt Astoria sag into the sofa. He tried to ignore it and was about to turn the doorknob, but somehow he didn't.
Intstead, he turned around and faced Astoria. Maybe it was because Astoria's parents were his good friends and she was Blaise's classmate.
Oreste walked over to where Astoria sat and poured some firewhiskey into her glass before pouring one for himself.
"I bet 50 galleons it's boy troubles," Oreste tried awkwardly.
Astoria didn't answer; instead she burst into tears and gulped down her drink.
"Is it Draco? You must know, that is just how men are, it is our nature. I suggest you just appreciate what you can get."
Appreciate what I can get?" Astoria screeched. "I am Astoria Greengrass, I don't just take what people give me, I take what I deserve and I deserve Draco's love, not some stupid slut. I deserve more than a diamond ring and the Malfoy title to my name!"
"Ahh. So it is young Mr Malfoy,"Oreste said.
"Mr? The only title he deserves is epic fuckwit," Astoria spat bitterly, downing the remainder of the frewhiskey.
"And there is another woman," Oreste continued, ignoring Astoria's crude language. "You should consider this a lesson learned. Now you know to be more aware, and to fight for him."
"Fight for him? I have fought for him for ten years and look where I am now!" Astoria exclaimed maliciously. "And how dare you lecture me about being aware, when your own grandson is plotting to kill you right under your nose!"
Oreste looked at Astoria sharply. "What are you suggesting, Miss Greengrass?" he asked in a dangerous tone.
"Your precious grandson, your only heir, wants you to die," Astoria said slowly, looking Oreste in the eye with a slight smirk.
"Ironic, isn't it? Always obedient Blaise, working so hard for the company...and yet..." Astoria trailed off with a faraway look in her eyes.
"How dare you insinuate-," Oreste thundered, standing up and glaring down at Astoria.
"Oh, don't believe me?" Astoria asked innocently. "I'm quite surprised actually, it's a clever plan. Of course, I would expect no less from a Slytherin."
"Miss Greengrass, you are obviously under the influence of alcohol. I will not grace your accusations with a response. Goodnight," Oreste said steadily through clenched teeth.
He turned on his heel and exited the office, his black robes billowing around him.
End chp 10.