Hey guys!

First of all... happy April! Spring is here and I have a new laptop. Second of all I can only apologise for my unscheduled lack of midmonth updates. Unfortunately my Grandad passed away suddenly passed away and, as you can imagine, I was rather a mess for a while and the last thing on my mind was updating and writing but I'm back now and here's some updates at long last.

Lots of love,

LSH xx

Love Strikes Twice- Part 8:

Astoria froze as she heard the voice say her name and she didn't want to believe it at all and looked around the room before her eyes fell on Draco. She silently cursed herself for forgetting the sedative but then she looked into his grey eyes and melted.

"Dray…" she whispered as she looked into those eyes that she'd drawn over and over again, never able to come close to what she'd seem in his eyes, "well I never thought I'd see you again," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed and gave him a few sips of water from her bottle, "yes it's your Ria and I must say that you have given me the surprise of my life but it's a very pleasant one," she smiled as she stroked his hair back before wondering what to say next.

"Ria…" Draco said. It appeared to be the only thing he could say and Astoria had to blink back tears as she heard him say her name again, the only way that he could… the way that sent shivers down her spine.

She spoke to him and then his eyes darkened and she instantly knew what it was and she hurried to get a syringe from the cupboard with the medication required for Draco and she looked at him, tears already falling.

"I'll be here when you next wake up," she said, "I can't bare you in pain," she cried as she pushed the sedative through the IV as Draco's vitals began to spike. She watched as he fell asleep again and his vitals began to settle down once more.

She collapsed into the chair and let the syringe fall to the floor before completely breaking down in the chair. She couldn't stop the tears falling as she battled to try and control her breathing. She was still in love with Draco; that moment was the moment where she had confirmed what she already knew. Her heart belonged to Draco.

She was literally rocking backwards and forwards in the chair when Matt came rushing in and looked at her before rushing over, stopping as he saw the syringe on the floor.

"He woke up…?" he asked as he picked up the syringe and disposed of it properly before crouching down beside her, "did he say anything?"

"We forgot the sedative and he woke up whilst I was talking to him and all he could say was my name. I gave him a few sips of water and then his eyes darkened and I had to sedate him again," she sobbed and Matt instantly wrapped his arms around her as Conrad arrived.

"Is everything OK here?" he asked.

"Yes it is. Astoria just had a bad memory hit her but Draco has just had his sedation renewed. You can take Draco now and we'll be along shortly," Matt said as he helped Astoria up and moved her to the sofa in the corner of Draco's room and they watched as Draco was prepped and taken away for his surgery.

"He still has my heart Matt… that moment our eyes connected was all the confirmation I needed. I looked in them and it was like we were back at Hogwarts in a quiet corner getting way to close to having sex and it's so frustrating," Astoria said, "then I spoke to him and watched him, giving him the water and then the pain hit. I'm guessing your phone went crazy."

"Yes," Matt nodded, "but I knew that you must have been with him but I made my way as quickly as I could and then it all calmed down…"

"I couldn't bare to see him in pain… just like before and I knew that I had to stop it. It was just like before," Astoria said as she wiped her eyes, "it's been 10 years… 10 years! Yet Draco Malfoy still has my heart! It was meant to be yours… you were my husband, not him!" she said before beginning to get frustrated with herself and then the tears fell again and Matt pulled her close and held her tight.

"Tori… it's OK. You never get over your first love and Draco was just that but there was… is something more between you both," he said softly, "you just admitted that you both would have had sex in school… before you should have been. There is something between you both and that's ok."

"How is it ok Matt? How is it ok?! We were married! We even have a daughter and you're telling me that it's OK that my heart belongs to another man?!" Astoria said standing up, almost hissing with venom as she looked at him.

Matt wasn't afraid of Astoria in this mode and he grabbed her arms, pinning them to her side before he looked into her eyes.

"Because I already knew I never had your heart Astoria. I knew it belonged to someone else but it was either we married as both sets of your grandparents wished or your father put you in a marriage with one of his abusive friends and I was not going to let that happen. I wasn't going to let you lose your chance of reuniting with the man who has your heart. Did I know it was Draco? No but I know that your sister and you were at school with him and that is why I was trying to call you," Matt said, "because he was a school friend."

"You…you married me to save me…?" Astoria said after a few moments of silence and she had to blink as she looked at him, "why would you do that?"

"Because it was the only way Tori. You never would have seen Draco again… or had a life," Matt said, "I cared enough about you. I even loved you at one point but as a friend. We both admitted that we never wanted children but we got drunk and the result was Seraphina and I wouldn't change that for anything but you have a chance with Draco now… if you want but you will always have me."

"I cannot believe you did that for me and now you're… you're willing me to go to Draco…?"

"Draco is the one you are meant to be with Astoria and that is the bottom line in all this. Did it pain me that I never had your heart? No… it was better than you ending up with the Death Eaters and the guilt that I could have prevented that from happening. Now nothing can happen whilst he is a patient but afterwards or even if we move him to home care then I will support the both of you no matter what you choose. But, for now, let's calm down and go and see how's doing in theatre," Matt said and Astoria nodded, grateful to have someone as supportive and understanding as Matt was.