Chapter 11

"So," Ginny said when Astoria entered her office.

"What?" Astoria asked

"Anything you want to tell me?"

"Umm.." Astoria fidgeted uncomfortably with the hem of her skirt "No, not really. Is there something in particular you want to know?"

"Well there is one thing."

"And that is?" Astoria asked sitting down and turning to face her desk so that her expression wouldn't betray her.

"Why were was Draco Malfoy kissing you in his office?"

"Oh…You saw that."

"Is he messing you about? I'll go in there and cures his miserable-"

"No! no, Ginny it's fine. He loves me. He told me so himself."

"Has he told his parents? Has he told Daphne?"

"Well no, not yet but-"

"He's playing with you Astoria! He's just unsure about an arranged marriage so he's clinging to the nearest girl he can find."

"No! It's not like that! I promise you!"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," Ginny said putting her arm round Astoria.

"I won't," Astoria said fiercely.

"Woah! Was that Astoria Greengrass?" A familiar voice said as Blaise Zabini sauntered into Draco's office.

"So what if it was? We're still friends."

"Don't try and kid me Draco, there's something going on."

"No there isn't," Draco lied.

"Come off it Draco, you haven't looked this happy in months."

"Please leave Blaise, I am very busy."

"Nah, you're not, you're just worried Astoria might come back."

"You can't tell anyone Ginny. Anyone. Not even Luna."

"Why not?"

"Our parents would find out. I'll tell Luna when I'm ready."

"You mean when Draco says you can?" Ginny retorted sarcastically.

"It was my idea to keep it a secret. I can't let Daphne find out."

Ginny sighed "just be careful," She said a s she left the room.

"Come on Draco, just tell me!" Blaise said, beginning to get frustrated.

"What do you want to know?" Draco asked innocently.

"Just admit that there's something going on between you and Astoria!"

At that moment Astoria walked into the office, ignoring Blaise she looked directly at Draco and said calmly,

"Ginny knows, so you might as well tell him," Astoria gestured to Blaise with her thumb.

"How?" Draco asked.

"She saw us in here just now."

"Ha, so there is something going on?"

"Obviously," Astoria replied condescendingly "but if you so much as whisper a word of this to anyone I will hex you into oblivion, understood?"

Blaise backed away, hands held up in a gesture of surrender, looking slightly scared.

"You can trust me," he said quietly.

"Really?" Astoria said as she gestured for him to leave. Blaise backed out the door hands still in the air. Then suddenly Astoria collapsed in a chair and tears began streaming down her face.

"Astoria, What's wrong sweetheart?" Draco asked, running round the desk to wrap his arms round her.

"I ran into a boggart on the way here," She sniffled "And I saw you and Daphne happily married, both of you ignoring me."

"Astoria I…. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to convince you that that will never happen. My parents are still expecting me to propose to Daphne, Mothers throwing a big party for my twentieth, they're expecting me to do it then."

"It was stupid, I know, but now that I've found you that is my single biggest fear."

"Astoria I promise you I will make this work,"

Then suddenly Draco the biggest decision he'd ever made in his life "But," he began slowly "If I can't will you run away with me?"

"What?" Astoria asked, shocked.

"Run away with me," he said "If our parents won't let us be together we'll just run away and do it,"

Astoria took his hand in both of hers and looked into his grey-blue eyes.

"Of course I will."

They kissed, long and loving, sealing their promise.

"I should go," Astoria said, standing up "I have to work."

"We'll meet up tonight?" Draco asked

"Where?"

"Where we apparated to when we went for pizza."

"What time?" she asked when she reached the door.

"Lets make it midnight."

Astoria smiled, the thought of sneaking out the house at midnight made her feel like a young child and it kept her going through the day.

She sat on the stairs of Greengrass manor, thinking about Draco.

"I think there's something you need to tell me Astoria,"

Daphne sat down next to her sister, looking accusingly at her. Astoria suddenly felt like she wanted to be sick.

"What?" she asked.

"You have a boyfriend." Daphne stated.

"No I don't," Astoria lied, in what she hoped was a convincing voice.

"Yes you do. You're very happy all of a sudden, that usually happens when you've got a boyfriend. So who is he?"

"I don't have a boyfriend Daphne."

"I don't believe you," Daphne said simply.

"Fine. Don't believe me. It makes no difference to me," Astoria said angrily standing up.

"What's wrong?" Daphne asked, catching her sister up.

"Just because you think you're happy doesn't mean I am. I'm fed up of all these secrets!"

"Secrets? What secrets?"

"If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets anymore would they?" Astoria said sarcastically.

"But you always tell me your secrets," Daphne said.

"Things change." Astoria walked away leaving Daphne stood there looking part annoyed part sad.

Daphne left Greengrass Manor. She was going to see Draco, Astoria was acting strange and she'd been staying at Draco's house. If anything was going on then Draco would know. She apparated to Malfoy Manor and lifted the heavy silver knocker.

Draco opened the door.

"Daphne," he said in surprise "What can I do for you?"

"It's Astoria," Daphne said.

"What's wrong? Is everything ok? Is she hurt?"

"She's fine. She's just acting really weird."

Draco stepped outside and shut the door.

"Weird in what way?"

"Just.. Different, she says she's fed up of all these secrets, but she won't tell me what they are."

"So she won't tell you her secrets. What's so weird about that?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets so that she wouldn't see them shaking, giving away his nervousness.

"She always tells me if there's something wrong."

"Well things change Daphne."

"Yeah, that's what she said," Daphne said slowly "I just wondered if she told you anything."

"She hasn't said anything to me," Draco said shrugging

"She said, just because I think I'm happy doesn't mean she is. What do yyou think that means?" Daphne asked

"Well-"

"We're happy aren't we? You know Us?"

"Daphne I-"

"I don't suppose it matters much yet anyway. We'll just have to learn to love each other won't we?""You see the thing is-"

"I'll see you later Draco." Daphne walked away and disapparated. She knew Draco had been trying to tell her something but she didn't want to know. She was determined nothing would ruin this marriage. If Draco didn't feel the same way then he would just have to learn too. As for Astoria. She would find out what was going on there sooner or later.