As always, this is not mine, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Twitter queen and all-around amazing woman. Thank you JK for your wonderful world, it is a great delight to play in it's shadow. To my readers, only the epilogue is left. Please let me know what you think about the story as I'm now finishing up. Much love, and thanks for reading. x

The Greengrass country home was more modest than Malfoy Manner, but Draco felt nervous walking up to the front door. Astoria's father had sent a rather chilly agreement to meet with him, in reference to his daughter and Draco hoped that he wasn't making a fool of himself, but then he went back to what Daphne had told him and it strengthened his resolve. Perhaps she would not accept his offer, but perhaps she would. In the interim, he could use her family's stronger standing in the Wizarding world to begin to move his family back towards a more influential position while forging a friendship that might one day be something more. He was greeted by a house elf, who trembled as it looked at him, but ushered him the study.

As he entered the room, he unconsciously shifted into the same persona that he had seen his father use during during meetings and social events. The haughty, slightly aloof posture, offset by a vaguely beneficent gaze would have caused many less idealistic pure-blood wizards to draw away from him. But, despite his lack of compliance with Voldemort, Nathaniel Greengrass had a strong affinity with pureblood ideals and still maintained a generous amount of respect for the Malfoy family name. Reminding the man of his father, however involuntary that action was, turned out to be the best strategy that Draco could have used, in his effort to sway the man to his side.

"Mr. Malfoy, I received your letter, and to be honest it was quite surprising to me that one as young as yourself would be pursuing this sort of contract on his own behalf." The man gave him a shrewd look over his glasses and Draco replied with a smirking smile that seemed to intrigue the older gentleman.

"Well, you see Mr. Greengrass," Draco said, with a calculated amount of deference and hauteur, "I have begun my responsibilities as the Malfoy family head rather earlier than my father originally intended. My father's health has been poor since the war ended, and my parents felt it best to retire to the family estate in the South of France, leaving me in charge of our affairs in England. As the new head of the family, it is my duty to ensure the family line continues. Astoria caught my attention the day that I found her in Slytherin following the final battle. She is very poised and gracious, even in distressing circumstances, and, I have been told, highly skilled academically and socially. Her professors tell me that she is very intelligent and holds a high rank in her class. I have spent much of my time at Hogwarts since the war ended, and I have it on good authority that she promises to finish among the top ten in her class."

"But surely, you will want her to leave her studies, now that you are making an offer for her hand?" The older man said leveling him with a calculating gaze, and Draco had to push down a rising fury that the man would be willing to sacrifice his daughter's education in order to procure a perceived "good match" for her.

"Sir," he said coolly, when he had gained control over his temper, "The Malfoy men have never been prone to seek decorative ornaments to grace our arms, we want women who can take up the duties of a pureblood family with confidence and competence. Surely you did not think that my mother was merely decorative?" He said the words mildly but there was enough offense in his voice to show his displeasure.

The other man narrowed his eyes slightly before releasing a forced laugh, "No, no, of course not. Narcissa is definitely a paragon among women, a force truly to be respected and admired." Nathaniel Greengrass thought quickly, he had heard that the younger Malfoy was little more than a spoiled child, haughty and entitled, and so had assumed that Astoria's attraction to the him lay in her physical qualities or her family name and ranking. To think that his interest lay in deeper and more meaningful things was quite fascinating, and would serve his own purposes much better. To be tied to such a prestigious family, despite their current disgrace, would put the Greengrass family in a very high rank among the pureblood elite, and he had no doubt that one day he would be able to capitalize on that alliance. The loss of the connections on the Continent was little in comparison to the Malfoy family, who had connections and business concerns all over the world.

"And, should I agree to this match, what would your terms be?" He looked at the young man shrewdly. He was not blind to the hints of war that lingered around Draco, despite Draco's best efforts to conceal them. The haunted look in the young man's eyes, the set of his jaw, the pinched look around his mouth. Mr. Greengrass was very aware of the rumors that surrounded the Malfoys at the moment, that they had fallen from grace even before Voldemort's defeat, that Narcissa had been instrumental in bringing down Voldemort, that Draco may or may not have changed sides at the end of the war. He also knew that a mysterious benefactor had risen up to provide an impressive financial backing to the efforts to recover from the war, while somehow mysteriously, the entire Lestrange fortune had vanished along with their family name. He was also aware that several muggle investments belonging to the Malfoys had suddenly been sold off, and he was certain that these had been used to pay the fines that had been inflicted on the family as a result of their trials. All this meant that the family had retained the vast majority of their wealth, which was very desireable.

"I want three years to court Astoria as I work on moving my family's business interests forward. I have a great deal of work to do to recover my family's social assets from the defeat of Voldemort. I understand that Astoria has two more years left of school, and I wish for her to complete her Hogwarts education. When she is finished I am willing to renegotiate, should she desire to achieve any further qualifications or certificates. If she does not, then, should she agree, we will spend the next two years, following her graduation, preparing for our wedding."

Mr. Greengrass pretended to think hard about this. The marriage contract that he had been negotiating with a much older dignitary overseas had not set well with him. The man had been demanding, did not wish for Astoria to finish her education, and Astoria herself had protested the match with uncharacteristic insistence. It was only the man's connections and family name that had tempted Mr. Greengrass to even consider the match. But, this situation with the young Malfoy was much better.

"So you wish Astoria to finish her education, and perhaps to even extend her education beyond Hogwarts?" The man asked slyly, in a tone that left Draco fighting down a seething rage once more.

Once more in control of himself he leaned back casually in his chair and sneered, giving the answer that he was sure would get the best immediate response from the man in front of him, "Malfoys have no use for wives who wish to be merely to be decorative. I would not court your daughter if I did not want a wife who was intelligent and able to contribute to my family's future." He paused and leaned forward once more, placing a vaguely threatening hand on the desk, "I am not looking for someone who will only fulfill her duties and provide me with an heir. I am looking for a partner. I believe that your daughter may be capable of just that, once she has completed her education." The words left a bad taste in his mouth, speaking of a woman in such a way went directly against his personal inclinations, but he was not a Slytherin for nothing.

Mr. Greengrass shuffled some papers on his desk, to distract from his careful study of the young man in front of him. The war had hardened the Draco, as it had all the young people who had taken part. There was a firmness to him that had not been there before and a determination to succeed that had not been visible in the spoiled man-child of the previous years. It was the underlying sense of a much deeper change that gave Greengrass a momentary pause, before saying, "Very well. Astoria is waiting for you on the terrace. You may go and discuss the terms with her yourself, if you wish. Please have your lawyer draw up the correct paperwork and send it to me at your earliest convenience."

Draco nodded and stood, shaking the older man's hand, "Thank you sir, it has been a most...enlightening conversation." And with that Draco left the study and headed towards the Morning Room, which lead to the back gardens. The Morning Room was occupied by Daphne and Blaise, and he paused as he entered but was immediately bombarded with questions by Daphne who rushed across the room to grab his arm.

"What did daddy say Draco? Did he agree? What are your terms?" Draco shook her off gently, and leaned against the piano.

"Your father agreed to allow me to court your sister. I think he was rather pleased with my terms, as I demanded that Astoria graduate from Hogwarts before we get married and that she should complete any other formal education certificates or training that she desires before we get married." He gave her a kind, reassuring look and his voice changed to a gentler tone, "I will give her time to decide if I am really who she wants to be with, and I will make sure to leave loopholes in the contract in case either of us should decide to back out for any reason."

Daphne positively beamed at him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Oh, good, well that's a relief then. Mummy was quite distraught that Astoria's other suiter seemed so indifferent to her education but daddy's such an old prig he can't see the nose in front of his face sometimes."

Draco's face darkened, "I have no doubt that whoever he is, he is a most despicable human being. My mother has always said that a man who desires an uneducated wife is an ignorant, tyrant and a fool. I am under no delusions now, that she is anything but correct."

Blaise leveled a calculating gaze at Draco but said nothing, it was unsettling to see the spoiled, selfish, hard-hearted boy that he had grown up with transforming into someone who was not only considerate, but compassionate as well. Disconcerting but also satisfying.

Draco looked at the couple, feeling the increasingly familiar sensation of being off-balance and uncomfortable, but desperately attempting to hide it behind a smooth facade. Daphne said a few more words about Astoria's mysterious other suitor, but Blaise finally cut her off, nodding towards the outer door, and saying, "Astoria's on the small terrace, Draco. I'm sure you'd like to see her before you leave." Draco nodded to him in gratitude, and left through the french doors at the opposite end of the room.

He found Astoria standing in the sunlight, leaning against a stone railing and was momentarily stunned by the sight of her. The last time he had seen her she had been shivering, frightened, and looking much worse for wear after spending several days hiding in the Slytherin dorms. Now she was well-dressed, clean, and looking far more rested. As she turned towards him, he noted that there was still a haunted look in her eyes, but she held herself with poise and dignity. He bowed formally to her, and held out his hand, "Would you care to show me the gardens, Astoria." He asked, and his voice sounded much less warm and inviting than he had intended it to.

She smiled nervously up at him, and nodded, putting her hand in his. He tucked her smaller hand into the crook of his elbow, as he had watched his father do for his mother many times in his younger years, and they walked slowly towards the gardens. This was much more comfortable for him, looking at her made him feel uncomfortable, as he suddenly realized how very young she really was. Despite being only two years younger than him the gap between them seemed to widen as they walked and he felt immediately uncomfortable.

"I spoke with your father." He said gently, and this time the tone was much more reflective of his feelings. "If you are agreeable, I would like to court you for the remainder of your time at Hogwarts, and see if this is a match that would be beneficial to both of us." She remained silent for an uncomfortable amount of time before replying.

When she finally spoke, Draco let out a long breath, "What if we decide it won't be beneficial to us to continue courting?" He smiled, a wide genuine smile for the first time in over a year.

"Should either of us make that decision, I will provide a clause in the contract that will allow us to back out graciously." He said. "I do not wish to tie you to a marriage that you do not want. No person deserves that."

She turned and stared at him in open amazement, "You have changed quite a lot, haven't you Draco? I remember you in my first year. Arrogant, selfish, proud, you were the pureblood elite and we were terrified of you, it seemed like you would let nothing stand in the way of what you wanted..." but her voice softened, "What have you been been through to change so very much?"

"Do not ask me that now." He pleaded, with more pain in his voice than he had intended, "Someday, I'm sure, I will tell you everything, but for now I take it that you approve of the change?"

She looked at him shrewdly, "Perhaps. But I have changed as well, so you might as well know. I refuse to follow pureblood ideals any more, and if I ever have children I won't raise them to that either. My father is rather furious with me, as I told him so to his face almost the moment I came home from Hogwarts. Not very Slytherin, I'm afraid but it was momentarily satisfying. I think, perhaps, that he would not have considered the...the...other offer if I had not said those things."

Draco looked at her and smiled to cover over the inexplicable rage that once again rose up inside him, "Yes, I am of the same mind, I don't want my children raised as I was. Incapable of seeing the rest of humanity as valuable, taught to believe myself far more valuable than I really am. Merlin, let's just throw everything in the fire and infuriate our families as thoroughly as we can and raise them all to marry muggleborns." Astoria giggled and suddenly the somber, grown-up, aspect in her young face disappeared for a moment, and she looked almost childlike.

Two hours passed as they sat on the terrace and talked and walked through the gardens together. As he said goodbye he took her hand gently and said to her, "You are very intelligent and very strong, but, please don't be offended by this, you are still quite young. Please, promise me, that you will let me know immediately if you feel that I am not the proper person for you to marry." She looked at him shrewdly for a minute before nodding.

"Goodbye for now, Draco. Do come again soon." And she turned and walked away towards the greenhouses near the Summer room.

Draco entered the house and said a formal goodbye to Astoria's family and Blaise, and left through the front gate. He stopped in surprise when he found Neville leaning against a tree outside the gate, staring at a flowered cutting in his right hand and comparing it to another that looked nearly identical in his left hand. He watched the other for a few minutes, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Neville, what exactly are you doing?" He finally asked.

Neville looked up at him in astonishment for a moment, and then smiled, and held up one flower, "This," he said, "is a common variety cherry blossom," He held up the other flower, "But this, is a magical plant from the same family." Neville said, continuing his scrutiny of the unusual looking plant. "And I'm just..."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yes, but Neville, what are you doing HERE?" Draco asked, in slight exasperation.

Neville looked at him and laughed, tucking the two sets of flowers away in some mysterious pocket in his robes, "Oh, yes, that. Well, Gran and Dennis and I were wondering if you'd like to come and stay at the Grange for a bit, before you head home. You can come for a few nights, get some fresh air. I knew you were planning on coming here today."

An old, dying, part of Draco wanted to sneer at the thought of spending the night anywhere so common as a farm estate, but the better part of him, the part that yearned for friendship, recognized the value of Neville's offer, overrode his baser tendencies. He smiled slightly. "You know, I think I'd rather like that, only for a day or two, mind. I've got quite a lot of work to do."

"All right then," Neville brushed his hands off on his earthy robes and stood up, "I'll apparate us to the boundary and we can go from there. I'll warn you though, we will have to walk a fair distance. When I went back to Hogwarts last year I put up apparition wards over the entire property."

Draco put his hand on his friend's shoulder and, as he felt the pull and squeezing of disapparition, he wondered exactly how much the whole of Hogwarts had underestimated Neville Longbottom. There was something very noble about the quiet young man who was so incredibly brave, and he wondered if any of them ever would have known how truly remarkable Neville was if it had not been for war. Would the other young man have just lived out a quiet existence? He may have become known for a few remarkable discoveries in herbology, but those probably would not have made much of an impact on the average witch or wizard. It made him long for whatever was in Neville had that allowed him to be so humble and kind. He also felt an astonishment that he never demanded the attention that Draco had been constantly encouraged to pursue his entire childhood.

With the loud crack of apparition, Draco found himself standing on a rugged path staring at a dry stone wall. It looked unremarkable, like many similar walls found throughout the Yorkshire Dales. Only this one had a path leading up. A path that was flanked on both sides by a strange arrangement of gorse bushes weaving through a row of juniper and hawthorn. Farther to the right and left, inside the wall, stood and oak and an elm tree whose branches swayed in the wind.

"Come on, that section of the wall is just an illusion, there's actually a gate there when you get off the path." Said Neville, striding forward, his hands in the pockets of his robes.

Draco started after him, and then stopped for a moment in stunned silence, the bushes weren't in a random pattern as he had thought at first, they were carefully cultivated into the shape of runes of protection. He stared for a moment, and then hurried after his friend, until they reached the wall, and found himself staring, not at a tall dry stone wall, but at a large circular opening in a wall, constructed of dry stone. Neville gave a friendly nod towards the opening and then ducked through, and after short pause Draco followed. He found himself stepping out onto the side of a hill, above the most wild and pristine stretch of moor that he had ever laid eyes on.

"Come on then." Neville said, "The Grange is just a few miles this way."

"A few miles?" Draco said, with half-hearted indignation, "We have to walk the whole way?"

Neville was grinning as he spoke, "Oh yes, just a bit of a stretch and we'll be there. It's a good thing it's still so early in the day. The pixies get a bit agitated when strangers arrive at dusk and can be a bit of a bother. As long as we keep up a good pace, we should get there just as Gran is putting the tea on."

"Pixies? In Yorkshire? You have got to be joking." Draco said incredulously.

"Well, they aren't common. Gran thinks that ours might be the last colony left. They're brown, rather than blue like Cornish Pixies, and much more vicious. They tend to be rather more meddlesome than Cornish Pixies but thankfully they hibernate in the winter, so you don't have to worry about them when the weather is really bad."

"Hibernate? What, like bees?"

"That's right!" Said Neville, "I think it is quite a similar activity, although they don't live in hives, they only make you break out in them if they decide they like you. Their magic is a bit...different."

"Oh. How charming." Draco looked at his classmate suspiciously, "You aren't having me on are you?" He was not particularly comforted when Neville walked on ahead chuckling. The walk proved both tiring and strangely refreshing.

Draco had intended to stay for one or two nights, but he ended up staying for two weeks, at the insistence of Neville and his Gran, apart from a few quick trips to Diagon Alley to meet with his lawyer. Even Dennis warmed up to him a few days after he arrived, following one of the most painful and embarrassing conversations that Draco had ever had. It did clear the air between them, however, and gave Draco a little ray of hope. He was beginning to value Neville's friendship immensely, but he knew that if he and Dennis could not get on then Neville would always keep their friendship somewhat distant. In those two weeks he did the first real manual labor of his life, and found it rather exhilarating though he complained about it excessively to a good-natured and entirely unsympathetic Neville.

Over the three years that followed, Draco was more busy than he had ever been in his life, and instead of grudgingly engaging in work, he found himself enjoying much of it. The disheartening moments, of having to appeal to those who treated him with suspicion or hatred, were lightened by his growing friendship with Neville, and the love that was blossoming in his heart towards Astoria. He maintained a cordially distant relationship with Harry, Ron and Hermione. He held no illusions that he would ever be close with them after everything that had happened at the Manor during the war, and he did not begrudge them the distance, though at times it made him sad.

Astoria accepted his proposal when she finished at Hogwarts, but only on the condition that Draco take his NEWTs and they both complete at least one professional certification. Draco surprised himself, by achieving good marks in 7 NEWTs, he went on to receive a certificate and, in later years, a mastery in Arithmancy. Astoria received a Mastery in Astronomy. In 2004 Draco and Astoria had a very well-attended wedding that thoroughly shocked the whole of pureblood society. The event turned out to be highly satisfying and amusing for the both the bride and groom. It was attended by a mixture of pureblood social elite, half-bloods and muggleborns, many of whom had no known connections of quality.

It was an interesting affair that found significant mention in A Modern History of Wizarding Britain, by Percy Weasley in 2055 and again in Advancements in Wizarding Society Following the Second Wizarding War of the 20th Century by cousins Rose Weasley and Albus Potter in 2075. Not to mention Minister of Magic Hermione Granger's Autobiography, The Transformation of a Muggleborn from Hogwarts Student to Minister of Magic, to name only a few. It was at this social event that several remarkable individuals had their previously unremarkable careers transformed rather spectacularly. Hermione Granger, who had been fighting a losing battle for equal rights for several magical beings, found her way cleared to enact key legislation to improve conditions for house elves and ensure positive education in regards to magical beings at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter, who had been trying to push better equipment and uniforms for Aurors, found his way to these improvements paved rather spectacularly when he ended up seated at the same table as a high-ranking pureblood from Magical Law Enforcement. Luna Lovegood, most surprisingly, came away from the wedding with an invitation for an interview, and was soon after written up in a prominent academic magazine as an aspiring young Zoologist who would "do great things for wizarding society." The interview led to an introduction to visit Newt Scamander's home, where she met his grandson Rolf Scamander. Neville Longbottom was offered a paid apprenticeship with one of the leading Herbology Masters in Europe, which eventually led his own Mastery and opened the way for many years as a member of Hogwarts staff, where he eventually took over the position of Headmaster.

The significance of the wedding was not realized for another 20 years, 5 years after Astoria's death, when several prominent biographers began tracking the rising trajectory of key political, social, and academic figures from the Battle of Hogwarts. The wedding proved to be so significant, that the courtship and marriage of Draco and Astoria Malfoy became the subject of one of the most important works of creative nonfiction in the wizarding world. It eventually formed the basis for the first magical film for wizarding cinema, and was released under the titled "A Tragic Story of a True Love in a Time of War" and implied that Draco and Astoria fell in love her first year at Hogwarts, much to Draco's chagrin. He would never have allowed it to be made, but the galleons he was paid were able to be put to significant use supporting several charitable causes close to Astoria's heart, so he capitulated with rather poor grace in public and angry amusement in private. His son Scorpius found the whole thing in equal measures embarrassing and entertaining, and his grandchildren were awe-inspired and turned a cheerful deaf ear to their grandfather's angry rants.