A/N Thank you so much for all your lovely responses to the last chapter. Your kind words have been a great comfort especially with all that is going on in the world at the moment.
Here's the next update. I have to warn you about a mild Cursed Child spoiler in here. If you haven't read or seen CC I really don't think it will ruin things for you - I wouldn't have included it if I thought it would.
"Oh, darling, here - take this."
Hermione started as a handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. She raised a hand to her cheeks and realised that she'd been crying. Embarrassed, she took the offered handkerchief and quickly dabbed at her eyes and cheeks, trying to regain her composure.
Hermione sensed the person who'd given her the handkerchief (a woman, by the tone of her voice) take a seat beside her and pat her consolingly on the back. Although she appreciated receiving comfort from this unknown person, her instinct was to push them away. "Thank you," she murmured, eyes downcast, "but I'm fine."
"Darling, you're sitting crying on your own in a Ministry corridor at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday morning," the stranger pointed out - her kind delivery of the words taking the sting out of their bluntness. "That certainly doesn't qualify as 'fine' in my book."
Hermione felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. It was bad enough that she'd unknowingly been crying in public but who knew how many people had seen her until this woman had taken pity on her. It was all Malfoy's fault. She avoided the corridors of the Ministry at all costs, but it had been twelve months since the Avengers had signed her secret-keeping spell and he had called her in to discuss the charm's effectiveness. She'd not been looking forward to this meeting because she just knew that Malfoy was going to be snide and pompous over the downfall of the Avengers. She was also a little on edge, not only because she was still deeply uncomfortable being around her fellow witches and wizards with her wandless abilities, but also because this was the first time she'd ventured into a magical location since signing the Accords and she wasn't sure what her tracking bracelet would make of all the distortion. She'd wanted this meeting to be over as quickly as possible and had arrived at Malfoy's office at the precise time, only to be told that he was held up and wouldn't be able to see her for another thirty minutes.
That was a disaster.
Hermione knew it wasn't healthy but she purposely tried to ensure she always had something to keep her mind occupied. Unfortunately, it wasn't as though she could just pull out some of her Stranger Enterprises or Sorceress work to get on with whilst she was sat outside Draco Malfoy's office, so her mind had wandered to thoughts of people she tried to keep it away from: Tony, Sam, Wanda, Natasha, Steve and Lucy.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" the kind voice offered.
Hermione finally turned to look at the woman. She hadn't really given much thought to the owner of the handkerchief but she'd been expecting someone similar to Molly Weasley. However, her assumption was very wide of the mark. The woman was young, seemingly of a similar age to Hermione. She was very slender and had a poised, delicate face which was enhanced by her deep blue eyes and silky, dark hair. Her whole demeanour was very elegant: from the stylish robes she wore to the perfectly applied make-up and subtle scent of her perfume. Hermione hated to think how she would compare to the stunning woman and her sense of humiliation at being discovered in an emotional state would have increased were it not for the compassion in the stranger's gaze.
"No," Hermione told her with a sigh. "Thank you, but there's nothing you can do."
"Oh, darling, there must be something," the young woman said, her beautiful face becoming vexed.
Hermione shook her head. "There's really not. I'll be fine."
The young woman frowned, a tiny wrinkle creasing her forehead, and then removed her hands from their supportive place on Hermione's arm to reach inside an expensive-looking handbag. "Well, there's no other choice, is there?" A small satin box appeared in her hands and she popped open the lid to reveal a dozen or so chocolate truffles.
Hermione blinked in surprise.
"Take one," the woman urged, holding the chocolates towards her. "I insist."
Hermione didn't feel like she could refuse since the stranger had been so kind to her. "Er, thank you," she murmured. Her fingers hovered over the treats before selecting one and popping it into her mouth. The young woman grinned at her and picked one for herself.
"They're good, right?" she commented.
Hermione nodded, savouring the sweetness and smoothness. "Really good."
"Have another," she offered, "I'll only end up eating them all myself."
"All right, but only one," Hermione said with a small smile.
"I've got a terrible sweet tooth," her new friend said conversationally, also choosing another truffle, "but my husband can take or leave it - I do pity him." Hermione let out a little chuckle and the other woman beamed at her. "See, darling, I knew I could cheer you up! I sometimes think that most of the world's problems could be tackled with a bit of chocolate and a cup of tea. It usually works wonders for me."
While Hermione knew that all wasn't going to be fixed with two delicious truffles, she did feel a little more prepared and motivated to face her meeting with Malfoy. "Thanks," Hermione said warmly. "You've no idea how much I needed this."
"Oh, darling, aren't you sweet," the young woman replied effusively, reaching out to squeeze Hermione's fingers. Hermione quickly guarded her thoughts and feelings and the gesture passed harmlessly. "I know that we're not acquainted but if you need someone to talk to - "
"Right, sorry for the wait, Granger," Draco Malfoy announced as he opened his door. He stopped dead at the sight of the two women sitting next to each other. "Tori?"
"Hello, Draco, darling." The woman who'd been comforting Hermione for the last few minutes got to her feet, walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, throwing glances between the two women as Hermione stood, watching nonplussed.
"I came to see if you wanted to go out for lunch later, of course," the woman, Tori, replied smiling sweetly at him.
"Hmmm," Malfoy sounded unconvinced. "We already agreed this morning that we'd have lunch in the Leaky Cauldron at one o'clock."
"Yes, I know, darling, but your days often become a little erratic, don't they?" Tori replied easily. "So I thought I'd just make sure before I go shopping."
"Hmmm," Malfoy said again and then turned his gaze to Hermione. "I hope my wife hasn't been bothering you, Granger."
Hermione flinched and choked out, "Your wife?" She shouldn't have been so surprised - their body language had clearly shown that they were intimately acquainted and, purely on looks, this woman was exactly the sort of wife she would've imagined Draco Malfoy to have, but her kind-heartedness was certainly not what she would have anticipated.
"We haven't actually been introduced," the newly revealed Mrs Malfoy told him, looking quite pleased with Hermione's reaction, and she nudged him lightly in the ribs.
Draco gave an exasperated sigh. "Gra -" Nudge. "Er, Hermione, may I introduce my wife, formerly known as Astoria Greengrass. Tori, this is Hermione Gra -" Nudge. "Er, Rogers."
"It's such an honour to meet you," Astoria Malfoy declared, eagerly stepping back towards Hermione, with her hand outstretched. "I mean, I saw you at school, of course, and just now I knew who you were straight away but I didn't want to intrude or anything." Hermione stared at their joined hands and recalled how at ease Astoria was with comforting and touching her earlier - this woman clearly didn't hold the same prejudices against muggleborns that her husband had possessed. She glanced over at Draco, expecting to see him attempting to hide disapproval but, if anything, he looked faintly amused.
"Sorry," Hermione said, returning her attention back to Astoria, "I'm just really surprised - I didn't even know that Draco had gotten married. It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Malfoy."
"Oh, darling - call me Tori!" she instructed, smiling brilliantly. "Everyone else does."
Hermione nodded. "Tori. Thank you for cheering me up. I really do appreciate it."
Astoria trembled with pleasure. "Oh, you must come to lunch with us when you and Draco have finished with your meeting."
Hermione balked a little. She was due to spend the next hour or so with Draco Malfoy and she had no desire to extend that time to socialise with him, even if she had found herself liking his wife. "Well, I -"
"I'm not sure - " Draco began.
"How wonderful!" Astoria trilled. "I'll go and request a private room for us at the Leaky Cauldron and I'll see you two at one o'clock." She gave Hermione another dazzling smile, kissed Draco on the cheek and then hurried away before either of them could attempt to scupper her plan.
Hermione shook her head, feeling a little dazed, and then gave Draco a very frank look of disbelief. He was staring down the corridor at Astoria's retreating figure with a look of affectionate exasperation, and Hermione could sense very strongly that he adored his wife. "As you may have noticed, Gra,- Ro-," he shook his head, "Hermione. My wife gets what she wants."
The meeting wasn't nearly as bad as she had feared. Perhaps the unexpected appearance of his wife had tempered his usual antagonistic response to Hermione and her life with the Avengers. He even looked vaguely sympathetic when she tightly admitted to separating herself from Steve and Lucy.
"So, do any of these new associates - the king and Spiderboy - do they require a secret-keeping contract?" Draco asked and Hermione shook her head.
"No, they're familiar with the Sorceress cover story and have no reason to believe there's a wider magical world."
"But you'll keep them under observation?"
"Yes, of course."
They went through the current signatories one by one, her heart aching with each loved one they talked about. Then they finished by going through the version of the Accords that Hermione had signed. Over two months had passed since the terms had come into effect, meaning they were able to evaluate how it was impacting on her use of magic so far, and they also tried to make a prediction over what might happen in the next few months.
"Look, you really don't have to come to lunch. I'll tell Tori that you're too busy," Draco said as their meeting drew to a close.
Hermione frowned. "Look, Draco, I know that we're not friends." He snorted softly at that. "And we probably never will be given our history, but I think I can manage to sit through a meal with you. Your wife really was so kind to me and she did seem pretty insistent. I don't want to upset her."
Draco shrugged. "Alright, but when she tries to make you her best friend don't say I didn't warn you."
Hermione laughed but didn't see that he wasn't joking.
"I remember Daphne Greengrass - she was in our year, wasn't she? Is Astoria her sister?" Hermione asked as they exited the office and began to make their way down to the atrium.
"Yes. Tori is a couple of years younger than us," he answered.
"She seems really sweet," Hermione said honestly.
"You sound surprised," he replied, smirking a little.
"No - " she denied quickly and then shrugged. "Well, yes, I am."
"You didn't think I'd have a pleasant wife?" he questioned.
"Not one that would be pleasant to me, no," she agreed.
He eyed her thoughtfully as they stepped into the lift. "I suppose that's a fair point. And she seems really sweet because, quite frankly, she is. It's not an act - that's just how Tori is."
Hermione pondered this on the ride to the atrium because a small part of her had wondered whether what she'd seen of Astoria Malfoy was genuine. Her manner was so fluffy and sugary with all her darlings and radiant beauty, that an unkind person would think her a little absurd and fatuous. Hermione was not unkind, and therefore had found Astoria to be considerate and charming, if still a little unbelievable.
"I thought you'd marry someone from your own house - like Parkinson," Hermione commented as they crossed the floor towards the rows of fireplaces.
Draco shook his head sombrely. "No. Whenever I see Pansy or one of those other girls, I'm just taken back to those dark, dark days: of who I was and what I did, what we all did..."
Hermione had not expected things to take such a serious turn and nor had she anticipated the self-hatred in his tone. What was more, she never would have predicted her instinct to comfort and reassure him. "You were all just children, Draco."
"As were you," he pointed out agitatedly. "I make no excuses for my actions and nor should you, of all people, try to find any. Hell - I've never even apologised to you, Granger." They both automatically halted, a lot of repressed feelings and memories swirling in the air between them. "I'm sorry," he choked out - two pink spots appearing on his cheeks. "I'm sorry for how I treated you at school. I, I was full of, of hatred and jealousy, and you were everything I'd been taught to hate."
"Taught," she repeated, feeling quite affected by the emotion in his voice. "Didn't you hear yourself? You were conditioned to feel that way. I appreciate your apology about our school days and I accept it if it's genuine, but I've come to terms with what happened and I don't blame you anymore. I can't see how anyone in your position would have turned up at Hogwarts any differently. You weren't exactly alone in your actions and beliefs, were you?"
Draco let out a humourless laugh. "No. But you're wrong - I could have been different. You think Tori was a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, don't you?" Hermione looked back at him, befuddled. "She's a Slytherin. She had the same sort of upbringing as me: she comes from a long line of purebloods and her parents are just as prejudiced about blood as mine, but she just rejected it."
Hermione stared at him in shock and then quickly gathered her thoughts to respond to the anguished man in front of her. "Well, she's an exceptional individual then," she spluttered, "because every other Slytherin was pretty much as horrible as you were. So there's no point comparing yourself to her, Draco, because it's only going to make you miserable."
"I don't compare," he said, shaking his head, "I aspire to be more like her. For years, I struggled to accept what had happened and what I did. I didn't know who I was anymore or where I was going. Then Tori came into my life and she was like a breath of fresh air. She was familiar and yet different. None of the stigmas of the past applied to her and she saw something in me that was worth loving, despite everything that I'd done. She's been helping me to come to terms with the past, encouraging me to grow. It's been a long process and it's still ongoing, but she's the reason that I've been able to say those words to you. I'm sorry, Hermione."
She was flabbergasted. A year ago, this man had been hellbent on sending her to prison and now he was pouring his heart out and seeking her forgiveness. Was this change all brought about by Astoria? It was astonishing. "I forgive you, Draco," she found herself saying and was surprised to find that she meant those words. She did consider herself to be a generally forgiving person, but Draco's treatment of her and others had been so cruel and relentless that she'd never expected them to reach a point of true peace. She knew that she and Draco would probably never see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and would more than likely still argue frequently, but releasing that long-held pain and animosity felt incredibly cleansing. She could see the relief soaking through Draco, too.
"Thank you," he murmured, running a weary hand over his face. "That - that's more than I deserve." With heavy footsteps, he started to walk towards the fireplaces again.
A couple of minutes later, they were greeted by a beaming Astoria as they each stepped out of the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. "Oh, wonderful," she cried, clutching at Hermione's hands. "I'm so glad you could make it, darling. How was your meeting?"
"It was, um, good," Hermione said, a little overwhelmed by Astoria's enthusiastic welcome. She was also unsure how much Tori knew about the reason behind the meeting and was reluctant to reveal anything.
"Oh, excellent!" Astoria's smile widened and then she became more serious. "Draco wasn't horrid to you, was he? I know he's been awfully unkind to you before."
Hermione felt her cheeks redden slightly at the directness of Astoria's comment and she glanced over at Malfoy to see how he was reacting to his wife's words. Instead of looking irritated or ashamed, he was very calm, almost amused. "N-no, he wasn't - he was perfectly civil."
Astoria clasped her hands together in apparent joy and she sent her husband a look of adoration. "Wonderful! Now let's have some lunch," she said eagerly, looping her arm through Draco's and walking the three of them towards the bar. "Tom was just telling me that he recommends the lamb or the salmon today and I've been torn between them for the last ten minutes because they both sound positively delicious!"
Once they'd placed their orders, Astoria ushered them upstairs to their private room where a table was already set for them. "I thought it'd be best to keep out of the public eye in case some gossipy person spotted you two having lunch together and informed the Prophet or Witch Weekly," Astoria explained as she took a seat.
"Thank you," Hermione said. She was always keen to avoid any snooping into her life from the media - magical or muggle. "Privacy is very important to me."
"Oh, yes, darling, I'm quite aware," Astoria told her seriously. "And I'd never do anything to put that in jeopardy."
The solemnity of the promise took Hermione by surprise and Draco scoffed at the look on her face. "Much to my dismay, my wife's quite a fan of yours," he told her before raising his goblet to his lips.
Hermione raised her eyebrows in further disbelief at his comment. "A fan?" she repeated skeptically but when she glanced back at Astoria she saw clear admiration on the beautiful young woman's face.
"Don't sound so shocked, darling," Astoria said with a delighted giggle. "I know everyone else in Slytherin was blinded by house rivalry but that sort of thing never bothered me," she continued, waving a hand dismissively. "So why wouldn't I admire you? You were the cleverest witch in the school, didn't let any blood prejudices stand in your way and you dated that famous quidditch player!" She giggled again but then became more serious, "Then you helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who and saved our entire society! How could I not be a fan? And, of course, this was before your illustrious career as the Sorceress!"
Astoria fairly trembled with excitement as she uttered the name and the goblet of pumpkin juice in Hermione's hands jerked abruptly in response, sloshing some of the liquid onto her hand. She turned an accusatory gaze on Draco, extremely surprised that he would reveal her alter-ego to his wife when he was so concerned about secrecy in the magical world.
He seemed untroubled by her stare. "I didn't tell her," he denied, "Tori already had you sussed."
Hermione's eyes darted back to Astoria. "Well, I wasn't completely sure," Astoria said and then shrugged her dainty shoulders. "I've always been interested in muggles," she admitted, her face taking on an impish grin. "I used to get into such trouble with mother and father when I was little because I was always sneaking out of our house to the local village so I could find out more about them. I wanted to take Muggle Studies at school, you know, but my parents absolutely forbid it. I just borrowed books from the library instead and still snuck out in the holidays whenever I could get away with it. So, when I graduated, I was free to explore my fascination with the muggle world as much as I wanted, and can you guess what the main headlines were all about those first few months?"
"The Avengers?" Hermione said faintly, additionally surprised with every revelation Astoria made.
The brunette nodded, eyes bright. "I was so fascinated by these exceptional muggles and the amazing things they could do - everything I read and saw was just so thrilling! I had never considered that the rumoured Sorceress would be an actual witch until that strange incident in Greenwich a few years ago - and when I saw the news coverage of that and the world got their first glimpse of you, well, I just knew that you were from our world."
As amazing as Astoria's story was, it still didn't explain how she'd figured out Hermione's identity.
"Like I said, darling, I didn't know for certain that it was you but, well, I'd spent enough years admiring you at school that those blurry photographs brought you to mind and, well, I asked one of my friends who worked at the Ministry about you and she found out that you were working abroad for a while, and it just fit." She shrugged her delicate shoulders again. "I never told anyone. I didn't want to get you into trouble or anything, darling, and after all, I wasn't sure that I was right."
"I - I see," Hermione responded, frowning. She recalled her panic about being revealed as the Sorceress after the events at Greenwich. So much had happened since then that she'd assumed she really had gotten away with it. Apparently, that was not the case.
"In truth," Draco said, drawing Hermione's attention back to him, "If I hadn't been in a relationship with Tori, I don't think I would have realised what those glimpses behind your lies would have meant when I bumped into you and Potter in the Ministry last year: Tori had told me all about the Avengers. When I'd done some digging around about you, I went to Tori to ask her what she thought about the possibility of you being the Sorceress." The married couple looked at each other and, for the first time since Hermione had met her, Astoria's demeanour truly became melancholy. But then she gave Draco a small, encouraging smile and nod as she reached her hand across the table to grasp his. "Tori didn't want to admit that it could be you," Draco said, eventually turning his serious gaze back to Hermione. "But I could see the truth in her eyes. She begged me not to do anything, attempted to point out the good that you and your friends were trying to do, but I could only see you breaking the fundamental law of magic and I was determined to see you face the consequences for it."
Hermione shifted uneasily. Draco might have apologised for his time at school but he hadn't shown any remorse for his relentless pursuit of herself and her friends.
"We, um, we actually took a break last year," Astoria said quietly. "I told Draco that he had to leave the pain and resentment of the past behind. Holding on to his jealousy of you and Potter from your school days was clouding his judgement and preventing him from being the good man I knew he could be."
Draco's jaw tensed. "I wasn't ready to see that Tori was right and so hearing those words, losing the woman I loved, well, I only blamed you more, didn't I? If I was suffering then I was going to take you and those you loved down too."
Hermione stared at him. She'd had absolutely no idea that this had been going on with Draco behind the scenes. She'd just assumed his vicious behaviour had been down to him, well, being Draco Malfoy. She realised that she'd grossly underestimated him and the complexities of his emotions. Despite their earlier conversation in the Ministry's Atrium, it was still staggering to hear him talking so openly and vulnerably to her about himself.
Draco cleared his throat. "After the trial, I was, er, I was broken. I'd lost the case, I'd lost Tori - all I had left was hatred and pain." Astoria brought his hand towards her lips and kissed it gently. "And then she came back and built me up again; forced me to see how the past was still infecting my life, and encouraged me to grow into a new man."
Hermione thought back on her time spent in Draco's presence since the outcome of the hearing. In the immediate aftermath, they had worked together quite closely to finalise the secret-keeper document and, from what she could recall, their exchanges had been succinct and business-like. Hermione had always been expecting snide or scathing remarks but now that she thought about it, none had been forthcoming. She realised that she had always come away from their conversations, like their earlier meeting, reflecting that he hadn't been as bad as she thought he was going to be. He was still Draco, still likely to scoff or smirk at something, but his comments had never crossed the line. And now, to see him in the last half an hour - it was a side to him that she'd never imagined he possessed and she was actually touched that he was comfortable enough to let her see it.
"And I'm happier now than I've ever been," he continued, gazing at his wife, and Tori kissed their joined hands again.
"That's really good to hear," Hermione told him. Their eyes connected and there was an unspoken understanding between them that the past - in all its forms - was finally being put to rest. "I'm pleased for you." And she was. She had never wanted to hate him. It was actually reassuring to know that there was happiness out there in the world when everything around her had felt so bleak lately.
There was a knock on the door and their food arrived, effectively marking the end to that part of their conversation. Astoria was her bubbly self once more as she gushed about the food and then told them about her shopping expedition in Diagon Alley. "...and after that I went into Madam Malkin's to pick up the new robes I'd ordered," she said, which was the tenth store she'd visited by Hermione's estimation.
"Tori," Draco said, looking concerned. "Please tell me that was the last shop you visited today."
Hermione smiled, wondering if he was concerned about the number of galleons that had disappeared from his vault that morning.
Astoria cut her lamb with great poise and sent her husband a look of perfect innocence as she popped the bite into her mouth. As she chewed her meat, she silently held up three fingers in answer to his remark.
Draco shook his head. "Is there a shop you didn't enter today?" he sighed. "You're going to wear yourself out - you're supposed to take things easy."
"I know, darling, I'm sorry," Astoria replied. "But I feel really good today."
"It's going to catch up with you later," Draco warned. "Make sure you rest when you get home."
"I will, I promise," she told him sincerely, and then looked at Hermione. "My health's rather delicate," she explained matter-of-factly. "It always has been."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione told her genuinely.
Draco's face was grave as he regarded his wife but Astoria just smiled and shrugged. "Some days are good, some days are bad, but I try not to let it hold me back."
"The healers - can't they help?" Hermione asked.
"They do what they can," Astoria replied bracingly. "But, ah, it's a malignant blood curse, you see, so there's only so much they can do."
Hermione was in the process of slicing a tomato but paused in shock at Astoria's words.
"The curse has been dormant in the family for so many generations," Astoria continued, "it's awfully bad luck for it to resurface in me."
Astoria plowed onwards with her meal but Draco had also stopped eating. The young Mrs Malfoy was making light of her condition but the feeling Hermione was getting from Draco told her that it was much more serious than she was letting on. "Astoria," she began, "I - " She faltered, unsure what to say.
"Darling, it's fine, I've known about the curse for as far back as I can remember and I've long come to terms with it," Astoria said calmly. "It's one of the reasons why I'm the way I am: when my days are numbered, I don't have the time or patience for any hate or bitterness. I intend to fill each day of my life with love."
Hermione couldn't help but feel that Astoria Malfoy was one of the most incredible people she had ever met.
"That's a beautiful way to look at things," Hermione said softly, her heart breaking inside that this sweet, kind woman would eventually succumb to the curse she had been born with. "I only wish that everyone could live that way." She thought back on her last few weeks - on the tears and heartache that she had suffered, and wondered if she could learn from Astoria's example: she was apart from so many of those that she loved, but at least they were safe - she should take heart from that.
Astoria smiled and nodded at Hermione's plate. "Eat up, darling, otherwise your food will get cold."
As they finished their meals, Astoria happily told them about the last few shops she'd visited that morning. Hermione was still reeling from Astoria's revelations and her previously delicious lunch now tasted bland. Glancing over at Draco, she saw that he seemed to have lost his appetite as well and she couldn't blame him. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel in his shoes - to know that the person you loved above all others was dying. Hermione had feared for Steve's life on multiple occasions but she'd never had to live with the certainty that he would leave her at some point in the near future. She shivered involuntarily at the horrendous prospect.
"And finally," Astoria announced, placing her cutlery on her empty plate, "I popped into Gullivan's and got this for you." She reached down into her handbag and placed a familiar satin-lined box on the table, which she pushed towards Hermione. "I've got you your own stash!"
Hermione sighed at the sight of the chocolate box. "Tori, you really shouldn't have."
"But, darling, you really did look so sad and I don't know how else to help," Astoria replied, nudging the beautiful box even closer to her. "And I really do want to help you."
Her eyes hovered around Hermione's face and she wondered how much Astoria knew about her private life. If she was such a big admirer of the Avengers then the fact that her surname was now Rogers might have been enough of a clue that she was married to Captain America even if Draco hadn't told her. The fallout from the Accords had been all over the news, too, so Astoria probably had some idea of part of what was troubling her. As much as she appreciated her kind intentions, Hermione honestly couldn't see how Astoria could help her situation. However, in light of the astonishing openness shown by both of the Malfoys, Hermione let her guard down and decided to let Astoria in - she could obviously keep a secret, after all.
As Hermione explained for the second time that day about Zemo's manipulations and their consequences, Astoria's lovely face grew more troubled.
"But, darling, now that your daughter is well enough, why don't you just bring your family back here?" Astoria asked. "No one will find them if you hide them in the magical world, will they?"
Hermione shook her head. "I've thought about it, believe me, but the current circumstances mean it's too risky."
"But why?" Astoria asked.
"Because my every move is being watched," Hermione told her. "To even step into the magical world today I had to tell the UN that I was going back to my childhood home to research some old family spells to cover any strange fluctuations that might crop up on my tracking bracelet. If I pretended that I was just bringing Lucy to the UK then Secretary Ross would ensure there was security on whatever house I managed to buy twenty-four hours a day in the off-chance that they could catch Captain America coming to see his daughter, whilst in actuality Steve would be forever trapped in that building. They might be far away and difficult to access in Wakanda, but at least they have some freedom to live."
Astoria looked troubled but Draco shook his head. "You surprise me," he said, eyeing her speculatively. "All those other times you've bent magical and muggle law to your will -"
"Draco," Astoria interrupted warningly.
"What?" he shrugged easily. "I'm not being hostile: we all know it's true. As a Slytherin, I can say the cunning and ambition it took to pull off all your manipulations of the law impresses me more than it annoys me now."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Hermione asked wryly.
"If you want," he replied with another indifferent shrug. "Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that I don't see what's stopping you from using your abilities to abuse the systems once more. You used magic to get your husband and child out of that prison, why not do the same to bring them here? Keep the muggles believing your daughter is in Wakanda, set your family up in a remote village, cast some privacy wards and supply them with Polyjuice for whenever they want to go outside."
Hermione stared at him for a few moments and then she shook her head in disbelief. "Of all people, you are really recommending that I do all of that?"
"I'm recommending nothing, let's be very clear on that in case it ever comes up in a court of law," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm merely expressing my surprise that, knowing what lengths you've gone to before, you're not doing those things now."
Hermione took a deep breath. "Because the stakes are even higher if I get caught: Steve would be incarcerated, the muggles wouldn't be able to contain me but the Confederation might choose to have me imprisoned after my close call last time, and my extremely gifted daughter would be taken away from her parents and put in the care of people who see her as a dangerous science experiment."
Draco held her gaze for a moment. "Then don't get caught," he countered simply.
Hermione scoffed. "Thanks for the stellar advice."
Astoria suddenly gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes wide and bright. "I've just had the most brilliant idea," she told them excitedly, motioning with her hands to emphasise her point.
Draco chuckled at his wife's animated demeanour. "Really?"
Astoria nodded eagerly. "Salter House," she supplied, as though that should provide enough of an explanation. To Hermione it meant nothing, but Draco's gentle amusement faded rapidly.
"What about it?" he asked warily, sitting up straighter in his chair.
"Well, darling, no one's using it, are they? And it's in a remote location and well-protected, like you said," Astoria explained feverishly and Hermione thought she was beginning to see what was being suggested.
Draco was now frowning. "Tori, I don't think," he began but she turned to Hermione.
"Salter House was left to me by my late Great-Aunt but I haven't used it since Draco and I got our own place," Astoria told her and her face broke out into that brilliant smile again. "Hermione, darling - your family can live there!"
A/N I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this one. I'm aware that Malfoy has not been popular in this series (and rightly so) but it was interesting to explore the reasons behind his actions during Age of Ultron. I also liked showing a different kind of Slytherin in the form of Astoria Greengrass. I've been on something of a crusade showing an alternative side to Slytherins in some of my fics on my other account (particularly Attitude).
I appreciate that this was a slight divergence to the lead up to Infinity War but I assure that it's all relevant. We'll be getting back to more typical Sorceress business next time.
Anyway, let me know that you're all keeping safe and healthy. It's such a scary world at the moment.
Lots of love,
Lil Drop of Magic