This chapter is in Astoria's POV.

I own nothing Harry Potter!

"So you're really going to go through with it?" a voice catches Astoria off guard as she moves about her room gathering up her things. She'd decided to give in and give Draco what he wanted, a divorce. Deep down it's what she'd been wanting for years too.

Whipping around, Astoria comes face to face with Narcissa Malfoy, her mother-in-law who had recently made it clear she had no use for Astoria. Suppressing a groan, Astoria makes herself remain civil, being a bitch is the last thing she needs to do right now. She wants to hold her head high and walk out of Draco's life without her tail between her legs and her pride still intact.

"I am," Astoria nods, brushing her hair back from her neck. Over the last few days Astoria had spent a lot of time reflecting on what had become of her life and she didn't like what she saw. Somewhere along the way she had turned into a cold hearted bitch, a person she didn't recognize in the mirror.

In the beginning, Astoria had been in love with Draco, but after years of tension something had changed. She knew Draco had married her to save his estate, but there had been affection between them. It hadn't lasted. When Astoria had gotten pregnant with Liam things had started to change for her, she realized she was stuck in a loop that she couldn't get out of and now she had a child to take care of, something she had no clue how to do. The thought scared the shit out of her and when she'd seen what a natural father Draco was, she started pulling away, distancing herself from everything. It hadn't been a conscious choice but it had happened and now here she was, the cold hearted bitch who her husband didn't want to touch and her son was afraid of. She needed to change that before she was stuck that way forever.

"What finally brought you to your senses?" Narcissa asks, piercing eyes searching Astoria's face.

"I don't want to live this way any longer," Astoria answers with a shrug. If Astoria was honest with herself she hadn't been in love with Draco for a long time and she knew he wasn't happy in their marriage. Over the last few years, even knowing he wanted out, she didn't everything she could to hold him closer because she was afraid of what she couldn't control. When Draco had finally grew a pair and realized he needed to stand up to Astoria, she lost every ounce of control. The thought scared her, but it also excited her. If she went along with what Draco wanted, maybe Astoria would be able to find herself again. She'd started searching for what used to be and she was finding success in realizing what she really wanted.

Astoria wanted to live a life where she didn't feel trapped and in Malfoy Manor she felt trapped. She'd always felt trapped but she was finally just realizing it now that Draco had brought a separation up. As much as Astoria had been fighting the outcome, she now realized it was what both she and Draco needed.

"And you're going to walk away from my son without causing a scene?" Narcissa poses a very good question. That exact question is part of the reason Astoria is giving Draco what he wants. She doesn't want to be the one keeping him from happiness. She doesn't want to be the constant source of drama. Her life wasn't a bloody soap opera and she needed to stop trying to live it that way. All Astoria wanted was to be happy and she hadn't been happy in a long, long time.

"I am," Astoria nods, understanding Narcissa's skepticism. "I just want to be happy and I want Draco and Liam to be happy. I don't make them happy," she shakes her head sadly. "I fucked up and I need to make it right," she finds herself admitting.

Nacrissa's eyes study Astoria for a second before a small smile breaks on her lips. "There's the girl I used to know," she muses as she crosses the room to rest a hand on Astoria's shoulder. "Why have you been hiding?"

Astoria can't help but smile. Narcissa's words struck a chord. Astoria had been hiding the real her for years now behind a shell of a cold hearted bitch. "I don't know, but I'm not going back," Astoria shakes her head, unwilling to go back to the way things had been before. She was done with that life, done with the likes of Seth McCoy, done with trying to ruin Draco's life, done with hurting her son. You could say she'd had a change of heart or an epiphany and she had Draco to thank for that.

If Draco hadn't given her an ultimatum she would have continued on down the trail of darkness that she wouldn't be able to dig herself out of. Now here she was standing with Narcissa and knowing who she really was, who she wanted to be. Astoria was ready to pick up her life and continue on like she should have after the war was over. She shouldn't have married Draco to save his estate and she shouldn't have forced him to stay in this loveless marriage because it had been hurting her as much as it had been hurting him. She should never have gotten tangled up with Seth McCoy because it had almost landed her beside him in custody of the Ministry. There was still a chance that that could happen, but Astoria had to have hope Draco would keep what he knew to himself. After all, Draco was a good guy.

"Good because you both deserve happiness and it's clear you're not finding it together," Narcissa smiles, patting her shoulder comfortingly again.

"We do," Astoria nods, looking around the mostly empty room. She really wasn't going to miss living in this dark and dreary house. Something about it had always given her the creeps, but she'd pushed that feeling down years ago. It was back now.

"What are you going to do about Liam?" Narcissa asks, bringing up a thought that had been plaguing Astoria's mind since she'd decided she was going to give Draco what he wanted. She would be the first to admit that she had not been much of a mother to Liam so far, Narcissa had been filling in in that role, but she wanted a chance to get to know her son. Before she could do that though, she needed to figure out who she was and what she wanted now.

"I want to try to be a mother to him, but I'm not sure that will ever happen," she admits, a feeling of sadness washing over her. What if she failed her son more than she already had? Even if she wanted a second chance with Liam, would Draco allow it? She wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She had been a bitch.

"If you want it to, it will," Narcissa reassures. "I know Draco would love for Liam to have a real mother in his life, not the shell you've been."

Astoria just nods, wondering if what she says is true. Somehow she doubted it. How could Draco want her to be a mother to her son when she'd failed him time and time again, pushing him away and scolding him for no reason?

"Why don't we have some tea and talk about what's on your mind?" Narcissa suggests when she sees the war going on inside of Astoria's thoughts.

"Okay," she nods, slowly, wanting someone to talk to about all of this. Narcissa was really the only connection she had anymore. She'd pushed any friends she'd had away and now that she was giving up her bitchiness all of those friends were of no interest to her. Astoria was going to be starting from scratch and she was afraid but excited by the prospect.

I know this may seem like a sudden change, but I feel like it was needed. I don't want Astoria to be purely evil. She wants whats best for her son even if she hasn't seemed like it to this point. If you don't like it, sorry, but I couldn't draw this out any longer. It's almost time for Dramione.

Thanks for reading!