Disclaimer: Still not mine, I'm just borrowing them :)
Chapter Six - Astoria Greengrass
As the weeks progressed so did the friendship between Draco and Hermione. Ron was still angry but Hermione expected that. The first Weasley dinner had been uncomfortable and Hermione had to assure all of them that Draco had changed. It helped that Kingsley Shacklebolt was also in attendance and backed Hermione that people should not judge Draco or Narcissa on their perceptions of them.
Hermione also had fun telling Draco just how many Weasley's had threatened to hurt him if he did anything to her.
"God help anyone who wants to date you then" he laughed.
Narcissa Malfoy had also taken the news of her son's friendship with a muggleborn well. He knew that she didn't share his father or her family's views on blood status, but he was still amazed how well she took it. She even understood when he said he didn't want to invite her to dinner at the Manor due to what she had experienced last time. Narcissa had then surprised them after training, and the three had gone for coffee in muggle London, at Narcissa's request.
"We won't be bothered there" she had explained.
The three had chatted easily and had caught up several times, but never at the Manor.
Draco was actually starting to enjoy his life for the first time. He was doing exactly what he wanted to do and had a supportive parent. He should have realised that due to the fact his life never went the way he wanted that it wouldn't last, and true enough fireworks were just around the corner.
Narcissa sat down at the dinner table and Draco could see that she was not quite herself.
"Mother, is something wrong?" he asked.
"Oh Draco" she said with a sigh "I have something that I need to tell you and I know you won't want to hear it".
Draco looked at her, unsure what she could possibly be talking about. Taking a deep breath, Narcissa continued
"As you are aware pure blood families have a tradition of arranged marriages, like your father and myself".
Draco nodded, with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, having a feeling that he knew where this was headed.
"Well it appears your father had arranged a marriage for you" she said quietly, looking up at her son waiting for his reaction.
"Who?" he asked.
"Astoria Greengrass" Narcissa replied, "I had lunch with her mother, Camile, today and she brought it up. I came straight home and checked with Mr Smart, your father's lawyer, and the contract is in place. You and Astoria were to be married before you are 18 but due to the war the Greengrass's have agreed to change that clause to before you are 19".
Draco was stunned. He always expected that his father would arrange a marriage for him, and a big part of him was relived that it was not to Pansy Parkinson, but he was not sure exactly what to feel. He knew Astoria vaguely as Daphne's little sister, and now he was to marry her.
Narcissa looked at her son and could see that he was trying to process everything she had just told him. She wasn't sure how he was going to react. His upbringing had dictated that certain things were expected of him, and neither her nor his father had hidden the fact that they had an arranged marriage and that it was a big part of the old wizarding culture favoured by the pure blood families. Yet their lives had changed so much during the war and since it ended, she knew this would be like a bolt from his past, and most importantly the father he was still trying to escape.
Dinner ended in silence and Draco returned to his room still processing everything. He had always known that his marriage would be arranged by his father so he wasn't sure why it was such a shock to find out that he was to marry Astoria. He put the shock down to the fact that both him and his mother were learning to live without the influence of Lucius and here he was interfering again, controlling them again.
Draco then thought about his mother, and everything that she had been though. She came from one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain and forced to marry into one of the oldest in Europe. She had done everything asked of her and had been forced to face some horrific things and live with a man obsessed by power and dark magic. Her standing in society had been effected by everything that had happened.
Those families who had supported Voldemort had turned their back on her once it was announced that she had been found in the dungeon rather than fighting. Most of them knew what had occurred through the family members that were Death Eaters. She was seen as a traitor and shunned accordingly.
The families that had managed to stay out of the war, like the Greengrass's, had been somewhat supportive, but there were still many who saw her as a Death Eaters wife and did not like what her family had stood for during the war. Society as a whole was recovering and Narcissa was still trying to find her place in it.
Draco knew if he went ahead with the marriage it would show that they both still believed in and followed the old wizarding traditions. They were still prepared to be everything a pure blood family should be, but he also knew those on the outside would use it as an opportunity to see that his blood prejudices were still there. He was truly conflicted.
Narcissa was sitting at the table eating breakfast waiting for her son to arrive, wondering if he had slept more than she had. Draco entered the dinning room and sat down next to his mother. He looked at her and could see she was as tired as he was.
"Mother, I think you should invite the Greengrass's round for dinner, after all if Astoria and I are to be married, we should start planning".
Narcissa looked at her son, she could see that he was still conflicted in his eyes, but she also had a sneaking suspicion that he was doing this for her. He had the opportunity to do the job he'd always wanted and she knew this was his way of giving back to her.
"I'll arrange it" she said.
Hermione had noticed that Draco had been quiet for a few days and she could tell something was on his mind. She decided that she'd take him for coffee after class to find out what was wrong.
"So are you going to make me ask?" Hermione said as they sat down in her living room with their drinks.
"Lets just say Lucius reared his head again earlier this week". Hermione looked confused, so Draco continued, "it appears he had arranged my marriage for me. I'm to marry Astoria Greengrass with a year".
Hermione was stunned, no wonder he had been quiet. Thanks to her reading she knew about the old wizarding customs, so was not surprised by an arranged marriage, but more shocked at how Lucius was still effecting Draco's life even though he was dead.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Well I always expected it would happen, I guess I'm just shocked that he'd actually done it, especially with everything else that was going on at the time".
The pair fell into silence, Hermione feeling that Draco had more to say but didn't want to push him. They had continued to tell each other things that they told no one else. so she just sat and waited for him to talk.
"It was also a bit of a shock that he can still influence and control my life even though he's dead. I was actually starting to believe that I would be able to live my own life, be my own person, but he's still managing to interfere".
"I'm guessing saying no is not an option" Hermione asked quietly.
"Not really, plus I think it will help Mother and let people see that there are still respectful of being one of the oldest wizarding families. Its been hard for her".
Hermione knew this was the real reason Draco had agreed to the marriage as he'd confided in her just what his mother had done for him and how he owed her his life. He was now looking after her and she had looked after him. He was doing what was right for her. Hermione wondered if she realised how much her son loved her, and if the rest of the wizarding world would ever get to see the real Draco Malfoy.
AN: Sorry about the delay but I got a new kitten and he is just sooooo cute, plus I had a little bit of writers block. I hope to update a bit quicker next time.
