"Malfoy, some bloke's trying to get good with your slag." Fremont commented, sipping his whiskey. The circle of politicians smirked as I looked over, seeing Father speaking to Astoria. She looked up at him, nodding as he spoke and took his hand. The two made their way to the dance floor, making me sigh with relief. "Looks like Lucius is trying to warm up to her, eh? If she wasn't your witch, little Greengrass would be dead after writing that article about Clarence's embezzlement last year. Made the Board look like crooks, she did."

"She tends to do that to a lot of people." I nodded. Astoria laughed at something Father said as he spun her. When he brought her back to him, the brunette told him something that made him smirk with humor. Astoria wasn't stupid, and if for nothing else, I could see my father would admire her for that.

When the song was over, I walked to the witch and nodded to Father.

"Is Mother enjoying herself?"

"Frau Schwinger always throws a decent party." He stated, his eyes burning my skin. I wasn't off his list after I went off on my mother at the manor, but at least he was talking to Astoria. "Will you two be at Crider's party tomorrow night?"

"Probably…" I looked at Astoria who nodded. Apparently Daphne had convinced her. "Yes, we will, Father. May I?"

Father nodded, handing me Astoria's hand. He looked back at her, smirking. "I'll find that book for you. Come by on New Year's for it, Astoria."

"Sure thing, Lucius." Father left us as the witch's eyes went back on me. "Arse kisser much?"

"I suppose." A classy waltz began and I put my free hand on Astoria's waist and began to dance with her. I watched her eyes look as they scanned the room, dancing in the chandelier light. Merlin, she was beautiful. Astoria looked at me, smirking. "What's that for?"

"There are for slag's in Daphne's circle that keep talking about you." I spun her and brought her back, pinning our leading arms behind her back and pulling her to me as we continued to dance. The witch's eyes sparkled as I moved my mouth to her hear.

"I'm exceptionally glad everyone in this room excluding your sister and I are afraid to breath wrong near you in fear they'll have their reputations destroyed. It helps keep old dogs from going after what is mine."

"You were spoiled as a child."

I laughed at her. "A bit hypocritical tonight, aren't we? Same theology would apply if you said you weren't enjoying yourself a bit?"

Astoria snorted, locking eyes with me. "Pushing it?"

"I can make that a literal statement if you wish?" I teased, seeing multiple people staring at us. It should have mattered to me but, strangely enough, it didn't.

"I don't think you have the bullocks to do it in Schwinger's house."

The song ended and I pulled away from her, keeping her hand in mine as we walked off the dance floor. Sebastian saw us and called us over, making Astoria swear under her breath. We walked over to his group, her hand gripping mine.

"Ah, Draco! And Astoria, enjoying yourselves?" Sebastian asked, smiling forcefully.

"You're house elves make wonderful spinach dip." Astoria smiled, looking at the group. Emily Griswold, Arthur Carter and Gregory Waxwing all paled at her presence. "How's G.C.W. doing after the security laps last month?"

"Well. The goblins have assisted us until we can find the main source of the, er, default." Griswold rambled on about the investment department that Gringotts had assigned her on to run. It was the first branch the bloody creatures had ever allowed to be run by humans. "Say, you're glowing Greengrass."

"Thanks. Draco was going to show me your portrait collection, Schwinger. Is this fine by you?"

"Absolutely." He nodded, looking at me with a tensed expression that told me I was to keep her away from his office or quit. "Go on up and take as long as you want."

We wished the group good luck and ascended the main staircase, walking to the main hallway to the portrait room. A good three hundred pictures were spread along a tall, magically charmed room. I closed the door behind Astoria as she marveled at it. "Just like when I was a kid. This place was always so"-

"Hey you two, keep it down!" An old hag stated grumpily. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Oh hush Belinda." A red haired woman titled as Johanna Everbrite smiled at us, her large brown eyes friendly. "How is the Christmas party this year?"

"It was better last year." I told her simply. Astoria nodded in agreement. "They're only serving oeuvres."

"Pity. That scrappy house elf makes such good roasted hen." A black wizard stated. The portraits began talking about past parties at Schwinger Manor as I took Astoria's hand and lead her to the genealogy room for some privacy. I closed the door behind me, sighing when I heard pure silence.

"How the hell he deals with them is beyond me."

She smirked, looking around the file room. "I never knew he had this room."

"Yeah. Sebastian was sick for a month my second year of internship and made me his personal assistant. I know every room in this place." I sighed at the horror of that memory. That was the only time I had considered quitting before sucking it up. The reputation and salary was too good to pass.

I watched as Astoria waltzed over to a drawer labeled "eighteen-fifty to nineteen-thirty." She opened it and skimmed files, her forehead crinkled with concentration. The witch pushed her loose curls behind her ear in attempt to keep them out of her face, letting them fall down her back. I bit my lip when I saw how low the back of her robes were cut. Her dare in the ballroom came to my mind and I felt myself go warm.

"Found it. Herr Jeremy Aldous Schwinger. Born nineteen-twenty… children are listed as Sebastian Schwinger and Crider Greengrass. Grandchildren Daphne Annabelle Greengrass and Astoria Fraulein Greengrass. I'm stunned your boss didn't burn this."

"For pride or prison?" I asked her.

She turned to me once she replaced the file, leaning against a desk. "Point taken. Damn, this under wire is bloody killing me!"

Astoria started readjusting the top of her robes when I decided I wasn't going to be able to wait four more hours for this bloody ball to end. I walked over to her and kissed her, pushing her on the desk. She laughed against my mouth, kissing me back as I shoved her skirt up.

"I'm impressed… you have more bullocks than I thought." Astoria started unbuttoning my shirt, her breath hitching as I slipped her knickers down her legs. "Bloody hell, Malfoy!"

I ran my mouth over her earlobe and made her shudder, pushing my shirt off quickly. Astoria wrapped her legs around me, gripping my hair as I nipped at her ear. Bloody hell, I had to be falling in love with her to-

"Where are your earrings?" I stated, gasping as I started to drown in her scent.

Astoria pulled them out of her pocket, sighing as she rubbed her hips to mine. Morgana help me…

"They were heavy." I nodded, not really caring. Astoria slid the top of her dress down, pulling me closer. The skin on skin contact made the eyes roll in the back of her head. "I guess this is Merry Christmas, huh?"

"I can't wait until bloody New Year's then." My hand grazed her stomach. This was the best Christmas I had had in a long bloody time.

***

"There you two are!" Daphne cornered us outside the Portrait Room, smiling. "I have a surprise?"

"You killed your fiancée?" I guessed. She glared at me, giving me bitch wings. "I take that as a 'no'?"

"He went home to meet his parents, thank you very much Prat." She snapped. "Theo's here."

"Really?" I stated. I hadn't seen Nott for a couple years now. "How's he been?"

"Ask him yourself. He's demanded 'Malfoy and that blimey bitch, Tori' join him at his sister's club with Blaise and I. He wants to see his old gang."

"What about Pansy?" I inquired nervously. Did he ever know about my separation from my ex-fiancée?

"Not if she wants to survive." Astoria snapped, her face glowing with anger. Daphne nodded when I looked at her for conformation.

"Theo said he likes Tori better and would rather see you than her 'slag of an arse'. I'll meet you two at The Basilisk in an hour. Draco, Sebastian is looking for you. You might want to zip up your trousers or it'll give it away just what you two were doing in the Portrait Room."

I went red as the red head winked at me and walked away. I followed the witch's suggestion as Astoria burst out laughing. "Having a refined slut as a sister does keep life interesting. I need to go to the loo. I'll meet you at the staircase in fifteen minutes?"

I nodded, kissing her before she left me. I walked back over to Sebastian, who nodded to his group with a lot of pride.

"This is him. Draco, meet Maxilla Kurland and Genie Galveston. They're directors of a law firm in Mexico City."

"I was recently there around Thanksgiving with my girlfriend. She thought it was a lovely place."

"Good." Genie smiled at me, winking. I smirked at her in response. Apparently I still had it. "Seb here was just telling us you're up for partner?"

I was what? I stared at Sebastian, stunned. He just smiled, nodding. "Ah, yes… I am."

"I guess we'll be seeing more of you then. We're establishing Kurland, Galveston and Schwinger Law in Cancun and Vegas. It'll mainly be divorces, obviously." Genie nodded, her eyes twinkling at me. She was a pretty little thing. Dark skinned and thick, black hair. She reminded me a lot of Blaise's slag. "Care for a drink with us to discuss things?"

"Actually I need to be going. An old friend of mine is in town and I promised to spend tonight with him. I'll be seeing you two around though." I walked to make my good-bye's to my parents when Amethyst stopped me, her eyes steady with her question. "We'll be there tomorrow if I have to drag her by the hair, you have my word."

With a level nod the witch walked away, content. I was going to have to play mediator in this mess if any resolutions were going to come. I found Astoria next to the staircase, wide eyed.

"Ready love?"

"I'm not really feeling well. I'll head back to my flat, Draco." Her sudden change in mood worried me. I looked at her, confused. I saw a vase behind us begin to levitate and spoke cautiously.

"Are you sure?"

"Have fun with Nott." Astoria left before I could ask if she wanted me to go home with her. I sighed when she disappeared, rubbing my face as I heard steps coming down the staircase.

"Evening Malfoy. Having fun?" Potter asked me. I looked up at him, grabbing my wand when the pieces came together. The bastard stilled, watching me levelly.

"You bloody son-of-a-bitch! What did you tell her?" I wanted to kill him there but knee there were to many witnesses. And Astoria... Merlin, Tori...

Potter shook his head, acting as if I was holding a licorice wand. "You seriously think she knew nothing before now? Bloody Merlin, you two lie a lot to each other for how much you shag. I mean, if I lied to Ginny that much-"

"If you go near her again," I threatened before getting cut off. Granger came in with Forester on her wand, the Albino boy trembling. I caught eyes with him and pursed my lips, trying to calculate a way to get out of this with as little damage as possible. "What the hell is this, a bloody round up?"

"Harry, he said Malfoy took the diary."

Potter's eyes fell on me, darkening. "Malfoy, lie to Astoria all you want. But when you purposely leave me arrogant, I consider it obstruction. Hand it over."

"I burned it."

"He's lying." Granger told him, her face sure. Dirty Mudblood. "Malfoy, I don't think you understand the seriousness of this situation."

"I'm not lying, I know what that book does. I refuse to contribute to this nonsense!" I told Potter matter-of-factly. "Without it, no one can really support these fairy tales, can they?"

"Malfoy, you git." Granger released Forester, leaning back from her swollen womb. "The killers know that Astoria's tied to Asteria Gondolier. Whatever you two are keeping from use as Gondolier, the diary and the Fără A umbla... as soon as she gives birth, she's dead."

"No she will not!" I stated, annoyed. I had stashed the book in my robes at Astoria's, wanting to forget about the bloody thing. But they couldn't understand that, could they? "This is all ridiculous-"

"Harry, we need to get back. Ginny's having a hard time distracting Crider." Ganger told her brother-in-law, looking at me. "Malfoy, I advise you figure out where you stand now. You can't choose neutrality this time. Not, if there's any sould in you, when they're after the mother of your child."

The aurors left Forester and I alone. I looked at him, my jaw stiff. The sickly boy shook in fear.

"What does being the secret entitle? Answer me or your career will suffer." Being considered for partner was already having its advantages.

"The secret to all of the Fără A umbla." He muttered, shaking from how intimidating I was to him. "Malfoy, your repeating an event in history that has been reoccurring for thousands of years. The only difference is that the secret is crying a pureblood child, meaning she is exempt with that child in her womb!"

"What event?" I spat at him, annoyed with his snarky arse. And he clamped his lips closed. I rubbed my face, realizing that I would have to go talk to that stupid arse book and Astoria. Oh Merlin, Astoria… How much did she know? Morgana help me.

Forester looked at me, sighing as his frame shivered.

"She's kept stuff from you too. You two need to get on the same page or it'll just mean disaster... and get married." Forester looked at me, his eyes steady on his words. "Not soon, but at least put a ring on her finger. It'll help, trust me... I have to get back. Merry Christmas, Malfoy."

***

"Astoria?" I found her sitting in front of her bed, her hair loose and her eyes tear stained. Her room was a mess and her bed pillows were levitating. I went to her side, looking at her strongly. "Tori, love…"

"Why?" She looked at me, her red eyes hurting me. "Please, just..."

I pulled my shoes and cloak off. I rose and walked over to her wardrobe, pulling my day cloak out. Asteria Gondolier's diary lay in my hands steadily. Astoria looked up at me, confused. I sat down next to her, laying it on the ground. Lucan slithered from a chair behind me, making me jump. He rose and looked at the book, his eyes shining. He moved back to Astoria, circling her arm.

"The day of our first date, I went to Potter's office to discuss the Bulstrode Case…"