Clara was more than happy that Astoria was pregnant too. They were beginning to spend more time together and bond over the experience. Clara relaxed during this pregnancy and Sirin was attentive. He hovered over Clara but not as much as Draco hovered over Astoria.
During Draco and Astoria's appointment, the healer confirmed that Astoria and the baby were in good health. Astoria smirked. That'll silence the people who kept thinking she was neglecting her health. The smirk on her lips only slightly waned when Draco suddenly kissed her. He credited himself for her health because he was taking care of her so well.
Everyone loved pregnant Astoria. She was in a constant good mood, more talkative and compliant than ever before. Daphne and Draco saw their opportunity and were taking full advantage. Daphne took Astoria out more and caught up with old friends. Draco got Astoria to work fewer hours and spend more time with him.
Things were going well until Astoria mentioned to Daphne that she was meeting Byron soon. The wheels in Daphne's head were turning. If Astoria was so agreeable to them, she might be so to Byron too. She contacted Draco to discuss the matter.
"I know by now you have enough dirt on Byron. I assume it's nothing serious because you wouldn't have allowed him near Astoria otherwise." Daphne knew her assumptions were correct.
Draco was protective of Astoria. If he saw Byron as a threat to Astoria, he would've never allowed Byron to go near her.
"Astoria told me you two are meeting with Byron again. So tell me what that man has been up to all these years."
"After Byron ran off, he moved to South America with his mistress, Pan. They had a son together. His new wife and the boy died recently."
It was terrible but Daphne felt nothing about their deaths. She didn't know Byron's second wife, only hearing the name from her mother while she was being detoxed, or her half-brother. There was no attachment. Thus, there was no mourning on her end.
"What happened to them?"
"As it turned out the boy wasn't Byron's son. Pan was having affairs. The boy's real father was hoping his son would inherit Byron's fortune. He plotted to murder Byron but accidentally killed the boy."
Daphne gasped and urged Draco to continue.
"Even more devastating was that the boy wasn't his son either. He fell into a rage, kidnapped Pan and Byron. He tortured Pan for lying to him. When authorities discovered them, the lover was killed while being detained. Pan is currently living in an institution. She went mad from the torture and her face is permanently disfigured. Byron was physically and emotionally wounded from the ordeal."
It was almost better not knowing what Byron went through. Daphne'd like to say serve Byron right for abandoning them but no one deserved that amount of misfortune and betrayal. The tale was fit for a soap opera or a piece in a fictional domain.
"He's here to make amends." Daphne concluded.
Byron got the son he always wanted but discovered in a brutal manner that the boy wasn't his. He wasn't going to settle down with another woman after what his latest wife did, even if it was to produce a male heir. He gravitated to them because they were his biological daughters.
"I suppose."
"Have you told Astoria about him yet?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"She didn't ask."
"Are you saying that for you to tell Astoria anything she will have to personally ask you?"
Draco knew his well-meaning future sister-in-law was saying these things to bait him into an argument. She was trying to test his temper, to learn the dynamics of his and Astoria's relationship.
"She's the same way." he gave a safe answer.
It was true and Daphne wasn't going to debate over it.
"I'm going to join you two in your next meeting with him."
"I'll tell Astoria."
With Astoria's pregnancy underway she felt more sentimental than ever before. She wanted to mend things between her and Byron, not just use him for information. When she saw him again she gave him her undivided attention.
She had thought of topics to discuss with Byron. She realized her topics were limited due to her lack of knowledge about him. So she went with the things she did know about him.
"Are you still seeing Pan?"
The question made Byron visibly tense. Draco coughed and Daphne sipped her tea longer than necessary. Astoria's eyes roamed to Draco, who was sitting on her right, to Byron, who was sitting across the table from her, and ended on Daphne, who was sitting on her left. Something was amiss.
"How do you know about Pan?" asked Byron.
"I remember you'd bring her to the manor."
Byron tensed some more. "I never brought her near the manor when you were home." He realized too late that he just confessed to sneaking his mistress into their manor when he thought his wife and daughters weren't home.
"Mum and Daphne weren't home but I was."
"You brought another woman into our manor." said Daphne. "Did you hear them shagging, Astoria? Ew!"
"No, I only saw them outside my bedroom window once or twice." said Astoria.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. I and Pan are no longer together."
Astoria thought of something else she knew about him. "You said you run a plantation, didn't you? What do you grow?"
"I grow various plants but mainly coffee."
"I prefer tea." said Daphne.
"I grow those too. I can bring you some."
"Thank you." said Astoria, although Byron's offering was directed at Daphne.
Daphne wouldn't turn down free gifts but she wasn't going to accept them from Byron. Astoria answered for Daphne so that she didn't have to wound her pride. When Astoria receives it she'll share it with Daphne.
"I don't know if you should be drinking tea from overseas, Astoria." said Draco. By overseas he meant Byron.
Daphne shot Draco a look that said don't-you-dare-ruin-my-chances-of-getting-free-stuff.
"My crops are of the highest quality." said Byron.
"They have to be of the highest quality for the plantation to do well." said Astoria.
"Oh, yes, Astoria. Crops require loads of responsibility. One must watch over them as if they are their children." added Draco.
"Excuse us." Astoria stood up and led Daphne into another room to talk.
"Draco gave you an opening to insult Byron and you said nothing."
"It was at the tip of my tongue but I swallowed it back." Daphne told Astoria what Draco told her about Byron.
Astoria was appalled by Pan and felt deeply sorry for Byron.
"He brought it upon himself by taking that woman in. Mum was right about Pan being a slut. I didn't say anything because of the respect for the dead, innocent little boy." said Daphne.
Astoria touched her stomach and thought of her unborn child. Her heart would break if anything happened to him.
"Don't let this stress you, Astoria."
"I'll try." Astoria subconsciously rubbed her stomach, indicating that this news was disturbing her.
"Keep it out of your mind. Think of things something else. Like, what are you up to lately?"
"I've been collecting data on other couples."
"Why are you collecting data on other couples?"
"I'm establishing good relationships with other people and forming friendships with expecting couples. The more friends I have means the more friends my children will have too."
Astoria took out her wand and tapped the wall three times. Drawings of maps with lines and arrows began to appear. Beside the arrows were pictures of couples. The hint of leaves and bricks on the corners of the pictures made it obvious that they were taken from behind a bush, a building or from the top of a tree. Underneath the pictures was information about each individual such as their ages, due dates, and number of children they already have.
Daphne accepted Astoria's approaches to things in life but some people might view this wall as unusual.
"Does Draco know about this?"
"We made it together. It took us an hour to get that one." Astoria pointed at one of the pictures. "They were walking fast."
"You could've gotten it when they were sitting down. That's what I would've done."
"We had to get back here on time to meet you and Byron."
"You just took these this morning?"
"Yes, we did."
"It's good to see that you two are working together…"
"Are you jealous?"
"You know I am, but it's good to see that you and Draco are working together. I know that there are things you partner up with me for and certain things you partner with Draco and this is one of them."
Draco tapped his index finger on the table as he waited for Astoria and Daphne to come back. He hated being left alone with Byron, especially after the discussion he had with Astoria last night in bed.
"I want to give him a chance." stated Astoria.
"Well, I don't want a scoundrel like him near our children." Draco admitted bluntly.
No matter how Byron presented himself or what he said, in the back of Draco's mind, he was still a neglectful father.
Astoria gave him her infamous stare.
Draco had predicted that Astoria would bring Lucius into the conversation. He was going to cover the subject of his father before she could.
"My father has done questionable things because he wants the best for me."
Astoria turned the conversation around with a few choice words.
"I admire Lucius' attentive nature."
Draco's spine went stiff.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said." Astoria kissed Draco and fell asleep, leaving Draco to stew on the matter.
Draco was so disorientated by her statement that he had trouble concentrating on their spy session this morning.
Astoria knew exactly what to say to distract him from thinking about the issues with Byron.