Before anyone knew it two month had passed. Draco and Astoria had become inseparable. He'd work hard to show Astoria how responsible he was. She'd sit on top of her bird cage with her word board to give him advice or feedback. At the end of the day, he'd mount his broomstick and fly with her beside him. When they were back to Malfoy Manor, she'd hold conversation with him and his parents using short sentences and phrases with her word board. Lucius and Narcissa were charmed by her as Draco had predicted.
That morning, Draco took Astoria outside to show her the large birdbath in the garden. He had commissioned her a custom made bird bath stained glass with mosaic designs of vibrantly colored fishes. He thought she would like it better. The birdbath was ten times bigger than her bowl. He placed her on the edge of the birdbath. He picked up a pitcher and poured a generous amount of water inside.
"I got this for you." Draco told her.
Astoria hopped on the edge of the birdbath and tested the water. She went onto the water and let her body float on the surface.
"Do you like it?" he asked her.
"Yes," she answered.
Draco was happy she liked it. He was enjoying watching her until another bird flew by and landed on the edge of Astoria's birdbath. He chased the intruder away with a wave of his hand.
"This isn't for you!" he told it.
After the intruder flew away an albino peacock appeared. Draco was wondering what the big attraction was. He looked at Astoria, who was happily swimming, and back at the peacock.
"Go away, pervert!" he ordered the peacock. He conjured a screen around the birdbath to protect Astoria's privacy.
"Don't be ridiculous, Draco. We are not even the same type of bird– AH!"
Astoria was snatched from the birdbath by a large hawk and was trapped between its talons. She nipped at its feet but her beak was not affecting its thick skin.
"Draco, help!" she cried.
"Hold on, Astoria!" Draco took out his wand and hit the hawk with a stunning hex. The hawk dropped from the sky. Draco caught it before it hit the ground. He flipped the animal upside down and gently removed Astoria from its frozen talons. She chirped and danced happily in his hands.
"You're safe now, Astoria." Draco said, kissing her feathered head.
Draco left the hawk on the ground. It will be released from the hex soon. He carried Astoria back into the manor to dry her off. After she was fully dried, he lay on his bed and placed her on his chest.
"I almost lost you."
"Don't blame yourself. It's my fault for looking tasty."
"I've got to keep you safe."
"I feel safe when I'm with you." As Astoria said this she felt the changes in her body.
Draco felt the increased weight on his chest. Before he knew it he was looking into Astoria's human eyes. He'd planned that when she turned back into a human, he was going to give her a fierce tongue lashing for making him worry.
"Why didn't you tell me you were working-" Having Astoria straddling his waist was making it difficult for him to be angry. His happiness for her return was overtaking his anger. He wrapped his arms around her and felt naked skin. "Where are your clothes?"
"I was in the middle of changing my clothes when I transformed." Astoria cupped his face "You're overdressed." She said and kissed his lips with such longing that he couldn't think straight.
Draco's anger was forgotten. He showed her how much he missed her human body by loving every inch of her. When they fell asleep Draco wrapped his arms around her possessively. He was terrified that if he let her go she would transform back into a bird forever. Oddly enough, he wouldn't mind taking care of her forever if she was. Her presences and her companionship was all he wanted.
After Draco's haze of lust was sated and they wash each other in the bathroom, he was ready to chastise Astoria. Astoria was sitting on his bed, wearing one of his shirts with a tray of food. She was eating while he finished putting on new clothes. Once he was properly dressed, he strategically waited for her to put her spoon in her mouth and chew to start talking. He knew Astoria would never speak with her mouth full and she'd be too busy chewing to argue back with him.
"How could you overwork yourself ill? Do you know how worried I've been?" His face was hot and voice was hard. He was furious at her.
Astoria causally swallowed her food and sipped some of her water as he spoke. She put the cup down and blinked twice. "Did you put something in my food?"
Draco didn't think she would realize it so soon. "Astoria! I would never drug your food!" Which was true. He didn't tamper with her food. To give him an advantage, he slipped a few drops of a potion in her water to relax her.
She picked up the cup. "It's not in the food. It's in the water, isn't it?"
Draco was quick to use a different tactic. He softened his face and voice. He pushed the tray aside and knelt beside the bed. He took her hands into his to show her affection. This was also to prevent her from grabbing objects to throw at him. Experiences with past dates made him always prepared to soothe irritable women and run if he should.
"I care for your health." He couldn't deny drugging her. She would punish him if he was to lie and then she discovered the truth later.
"I suppose we are even." she teased him.
Draco thought back to their time in the hospital and chuckled. "I could have fought you off but I got weak from inhaling the potion on the pillow."
"Is that so? I thought you were weak because all your blood traveled south." Astoria said. She felt his erection against her thigh while she was forcing the pillow over his face.
"You have that effect on me." He moved in for a kiss.
"Thank goodness. I was worried it was the pillow." Her words caused him to halt midway.
He was taken back by her thinking he'd gotten aroused by pillows or getting smothered. "It was you. Always you and nothing else." He had to let her know it. If she thought he got aroused by those things she might try to do them to him again. "Feel free to straddle me whenever you please but no pillows and potions."
Astoria nodded. Her eyelids dropped close. The potion was overtaking her. He helped her rest her head down. "I will sleep for the rest of the day as you wish. I expect you to be next to me once I wake up."
He kissed her nose. "I'll be the first thing you see."
Astoria was fast asleep. Draco had a house elf watch her when he left. His business was doing fine. She wouldn't have to help him with it. He had to visit Daphne to retrieve Astoria's wand and to see if conditions were good. With Astoria back as a human, she would go back to overworking herself. He wouldn't have that.
"Everything is in order." said Daphne, glad to know Astoria was human again.
"And what if she decides to come see for herself?" Draco inquired. Astoria would likely do that. If she saw a hint of disorder, she'll insist on fixing it.
"Astoria knows my strong work ethics but she is stubborn. What we are going to do is bring her here. Let her see how well things are and take her home with you. You've got keep her distracted at least toward the end of our projects. When she does join us, there'll be less for her to do and less stress."
"I can come up with ways to keep her busy." said Draco. "Now that Astoria is human, I think it's the right time to have that dinner with our parents."
"That's good. My mum has been waiting for an invitation for ages. When are we having dinner and where is it going to be?"
"In two weeks. I'll owl you the details later."
"I'll tell mum and Sirin. Mum will be happy. She terribly misses Astoria."
Finished with his visit with Daphne, Draco returned home. He told his parents the good news about Astoria and the dinner party he was planning. Narcissa was excited and making preparations.
"No, mum. I am doing this on my own and we are not having it in the manor. I and Astoria have a townhouse we've been furnishing together. We are going to live there after we get married."
"I can't wait to see it." said Narcissa. She turned to her husband. "Isn't this wonderful?"
"Yes, dear. It is. Draco, you chose a suitable bride." commended Lucius. "Treat her well. She'll need you by her side."
It was a happy occasion but Lucius' cautious word made them felt uneasy.
"I've been given news that her father is back in England."
Draco may not have paid much attention to the Greengrasses before but it was common knowledge that Byron Greengrass abandoned his family during the war. Astoria told Draco everything about herself. He felt like a fool. He should have put two and two together.
"What is he doing here?" asked Draco.
"No doubt he wants to see Daphne and Astoria." Lucius supplied.
Draco felt an instant need to protect Astoria from that horrible man.
"You and Astoria are building a life together. Don't let this trouble you, Draco." said Narcissa.