Just going to apologize now for the length of this chapter. But it's the one you've all been waiting for! I really hope you like this. If it gets too confusing or too exaggerated at some points, feel free to tell me. But I really wanted to make this one something great. Please enjoy and thank you for your unending support!

Draco wandered into the dining room for breakfast a few days later, seating himself beside his father wordlessly. Usually Narcissa was around to be sure no fighting commenced, but she was unexpectedly absent from the meal for the first time in a very long while. Lucius was reading his newspaper as usual. Draco took a bit of tea offered to him by a house-elf, being mindful of the lack of noise in the spaciously hollow room. Occasionally, a leaf of The Daily Prophet would crinkle in turning, but other than that it was relatively silent. Draco knew that reaching for a delicious-looking piece of toast to satisfy his barren stomach would only cause more unnecessary reverberations that would strike as awkward and sudden. He decided to just skip the food and instead just sip his tea.

The silence was broken, however, when Narcissa hurried into the room, bustling and breathless. She tried to compose herself (as she had always been required to in front of her husband) out of habit, simply asking, "Draco, have you seen Astoria yet this morning?" He shook his head in response, afraid to open his mouth in case his voice was too loud. She gave a small nod, then continued on her way. Silence struck again. After only a few seconds (which felt like hours), Lucius put his newspaper down on the table. "I hear from one of the house rats that you're sleeping with her now…?" He raised his voice at the end like it was a question. Draco frowned, staring into his teacup to avoid the intense gaze of his obviously miffed father. "That isn't true, Father. They're house-elves, not house-rats." he calmly replied. Lucius slammed his hand down onto the stone table. "Do not get smart with me, young man. You know I don't personally like that girl, and that I'm only tolerating this situation because I know it makes you happy. You blatantly push me to my limits by doing things as…as risqué as this—inviting the little snake into your bed for the night!"

"Father, it's not like we…I mean we literally only sleep together sometimes. Not all the time. And there's nothing physical going on between us while we do."

"So you're trying to tell me that this sort of arrangement is completely innocent and all just fluff?"

"Actually, that's exactly what it is. We just enjoy each other's company. That's about it."

"…You should've stayed with that Parkinson girl."

"Oh, you want to talk about faking innocence, let me tell you just how 'sweet' she was!"

"Don't start with me, Draco—"

"She never just let me be. It was always, 'do more with me' and 'put your hands here' and 'you are easily replaceable' or sometimes even 'I can always just go to Blaise Zabini—he would be more than happy to have me in his bed for a change'. There was no love there, Father. Only demands."

"Like this girl is any different."

"But you can't say that Parkinson was better!"

"ENOUGH! Whatever you're doing with that…that thing upstairs at night, I don't want to hear about it!"

Draco stood up from the kitchen table, putting his cup back onto its saucer. He glared at his father for a long time. "Comforting her," he snarled angrily. "She's lonely. That's all I'm doing and you know it. Because you also know that's what Mother has wanted you to do for her for years to cure her own loneliness." Draco swept out of the room, leaving Lucius to ponder his words. He immediately headed for the bathroom upstairs to wash his face—he knew that he was going to slam the door shut and just cry about the coldness and lack of empathy his father possessed. Draco threw the double doors open, ready to break down. But he was greeted by a loud gasp and a woman's voice yelling, "Draco! Please cover your eyes and leave!" But Draco's initial instinct was to find the source of the voice immediately. His eyes flicked upwards and saw Narcissa steadying Astoria as her torso was fully wrapped in a towel. He reddened almost as quick as his blinking. "Oh…er….I'm so sorry…I…oh…" he backed out of the room quickly, shielding his eyes with his hands. Once the door shut again, he heard the two women giggling slightly inside. "…will place a strong sealing charm on the door…." he heard Narcissa laugh. "At least you…fully concealed…towel…." The murmuring was difficult to hear through the heavy doors, but Draco could understand that based on Narcissa's assuring words, Astoria must've turned about as red as he did.

After a few minutes, the doors opened. Astoria was dressed in a soft blue nightgown, her hair untidy and dripping. Narcissa gently led her to the bedroom again. Ever since that first little excursion down the hall one midnight to be comforted by Draco, Astoria had been putting more and more effort into walking places rather than lying in bed all day. He blushed like mad when they made eye contact. Narcissa beckoned her son to follow them into the room. She sat Astoria down on the bed, also seating herself on the mattress directly behind her. "Let's detangle these locks…." Narcissa murmured gently, summoning a hairbrush with her wand. She moved carefully, dragging the hairbrush down Astoria's long brown strands slowly so no tangles would pull and cause her pain. Draco smiled as he watched this moment. He knew that sometimes his mother contemplated life if she'd birthed him a sister—but he also remembered times that Narcissa would dress him up and make him look just as perfect as she probably would've if she'd had a girl.

The process took quite a long time. Narcissa was a little more than half done when suddenly a house-elf Apparated and informed her that a guest had arrived to speak with her. The blonde woman stood up hastily, pushing the brush into Draco's hands as she bustled out the door. "Redeem yourself," she whispered with a wink. Draco looked nervously between the brush and the girl sitting on the bed with one side of her hair flat and shiny and the other a tangled mess. Astoria smiled. "Aren't I beautiful?" she teased. He grinned, taking a seat slightly behind her on the bed. "Always," he breathed close to her ear. "In every way, shape, and form." Astoria's cheeks flushed again. He gently ran the brush through her hair, going slow just as he watched his mother do. "Tell me if I hurt you," he reminded. "I don't think you ever could." she replied. He was careful with her—afraid that if he so much as moved wrong her whole body could shatter.

He ran the hairbrush through her now smooth locks once more, pulling the wet strands back from her face. When he could see the skin on her neck, he bent down and pressed his lips gently against that tender area. She shivered. He wrapped his arms around her torso, pulling her even closer against him. "Don't ever let me go," she whispered. Draco shook his head. "Never," he whispered. Astoria began shaking due to the air that was colder than her bathwater had been. He placed her gently against the pillows, tucking the blankets securely around her and imparting a heating charm upon them. She sighed happily.

Wordlessly, the two just stared at each other lovingly for a while. They didn't need to speak to express the undoubtable curtain of love that fell over them within the past several months—how it had happened, Draco honestly had no idea. At first he was so nervous to even look at her, afraid that one wrong move could kill her like his whole rfecent past had been. But she was reassuring—no, she was trusting. No one had ever been that trusting of him. Not his parents, who doubted that he would be able to fulfill his 'mission' to the Dark Lord; not his aunt Bellatrix, who'd suspected he'd be too weak to ever be a great man; not his peers, who constantly regarded him as a traitor and a coward; and most certainly not his teachers, who were always wary of him because of his surname. But this stranger who'd only known him for long enough to bed for someone to help her in the streets had put more faith in him than any of them ever had. It must be true love. Draco's reverie was broken when footsteps sounded down the hall and the bedroom door clicked open.

Astoria gasped.

Narcissa and Lucius stood there, holding the door, as a man, a woman, and two of their children all tried to get a better view into the room. Draco gaped too, not sure of how to react. Was this Astoria's family? Narcissa went into the room first, holding herself up tall. She took Astoria's fragile hand, speaking softly to her. "Darling, your family has arrived." Astoria stared at her fingers blankly, unsure what to say. The family walked in hesitantly. "Sweetest daughter," Mrs. Greengrass cooed, eyes welling with tears. "We've returned for you…." She burst into sobs, hiding her face in her husband's chest. "Astoria," he went on. "You must understand our reasons for having to leave you behind—"

"Please," Astoria gasped, her weak voice sounding even more pitiful than ever. "I don't…want to discuss the past. I hope you understand what I mean by that." Her mother looked baffled, but Draco caught Mr. Greengrass stealing a glance over at him. "Very well, daughter." he agreed slowly. "We'll talk about…other things, then. How do you feel?"

"Much better than I did when I arrived. Mistress Narcissa and Master Lucius have taken extraordinary care of me."

Draco's blood boiled. His father had done nothing but insult her behind her back. How could she say such a pleasant thing like that? But suddenly he felt a warm bony hand wrap around his. "But Master Draco has been exceedingly helpful in my recovery." she concluded. He heard her brother, the oldest child, draw in a deep breath like a gasp. The sickly girl smiled at her lover. "Draco," she murmured, completely in a conversation with just him and him alone. "I'd like you to meet my family. This is my mother, Idylla Greengrass, my father, Stephanos, and you remember my sister Daphne, of course…and this is my brother—the heir. His name is Bazel. I'm most grateful to you and your family for allowing them to stay here with me." Draco nodded to each of the family members. He shook hands with Mr. Greengrass and Bazel. To impress his own parents, he kissed the hands of both of the female Greengrasses. The moment he sat back down on the bed, Astoria took his hand again. She needed him. He realized it. The family huddled around Astoria, occasionally whispering kind things to her, sometimes bringing up a question. It was a rather touching experience—Narcissa had a hand over her heart the whole time at the expression of such familial love. The good feeling didn't last too long. Bazel stealthily brushed Draco's hand away from his sister's, replacing it with his own. "Astoria, I need to speak with you." he said in a rather stern voice for the occasion. "Alone." His eyes swept over to Draco briefly. The Greengrass family rose at his command, filing out of the room without another word. Narcissa and Lucius followed. This young man clearly had a lot of power over others, whether that be circumstantial or inherent. As Draco stepped out of the room, he and Astoria met eyes one more time. One last time.

The door shut.

Narcissa sensed the tension in the air. "Come downstairs to the sitting room," she encouraged warmly. "We'll all have some tea." The families followed her, each taking a seat separate from one another so that a sort of circle was formed. It was rather quiet. The Greengrasses were clearly a bit uncomfortable to be in the presence of Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa attempted to strike up a few conversations with small talk, but they usually died into silence again within just a few mere minutes.

At one point, Narcissa sighed and tried to smile. "I wonder what's taking Bazel so long to join us?" she wondered aloud. Daphne looked up from her teacup. "He's talking to Astoria about Draco." she blurted as if unable to stop it. Everyone stared at her. "He…he told me on the way here that he was going to be watchful of you, Draco, and that if it appeared that you and my sister were close, then he'd 'put an end to it' before it hurt her."

"But…Draco never did anything wrong…" Narcissa murmured.

"Of course not. But Bazel is extremely protective. It's just his way of doing things. He doesn't want to see Astoria get used."

Draco felt himself getting angrier by the moment. He would never use anyone! Not even Pansy Parkinson! He didn't have time to voice this thought though, because Lucius had smirked and began speaking. "And what say you about this, Mr. Greengrass? This topic of…inter-House relations?" Draco felt himself starting to shake out of terror. If her parents agreed that a Slytherin (a Malfoy, for that matter) was not suitable for their Hufflepuff, then there would be absolutely no chance with her ever again between her influential parents and his overpowering father. Tears burned. He didn't understand why. But he knew that if the negative was replied, he was going to have to burst into a sobbing fit right then and there. She just made him so incredibly happy for the first time in years….

But Mr. Greengrass merely gave a sad smile. "Sir, my heir is a Ravenclaw. My eldest daughter is a Slytherin. My baby girl is a Hufflepuff. I myself, was a Ravenclaw, and my wife was a Gryffindor. That's one person in every House just within the five of us. Honestly, the only thing that ever divides us House against House is when we're watching Quidditch games." Narcissa attempted to hide her beaming smile behind her teacup, but clearly couldn't. Lucius's lips were pursed. "Perhaps you don't understand, Mr. Greengrass, that every generation in my family has married within the same House—Slytherin. For centuries. If something between these two—"

"Bazel is only speaking with Astoria now because of your last name, Mr. Malfoy. Not anything that has to do with the differences in Hogwarts Houses."

"What does my last name have to do with my son's love life?"

"You were a faithful Death Eater. Bazel lost his fiancé in the war at the hands of one of them. He's having a hard time knowing that he may have to release his baby sister into a family of them."

"…We no longer hold that title, sir."

"I understand. But perhaps you should look into the feelings of others, instead of just the facts."

Draco saw his mother look at Lucius from the corner of her eye, without moving her head an inch. Lucius remained silent. She drew a deep breath. "No one is talking marriage yet, sir." she said. Mrs. Greengrass nodded this time. "Of course not, good woman. But it's hard to doubt that Draco and Astoria have quite a spark between them. One that doesn't happen all too commonly." Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Draco. His anxiety was now reduced to an occasional shudder, but it was still causing his heart to palpitate much quicker. Footsteps came into earshot slowly. Everyone looked up from their rather awkward teatime. Bazel was walking towards them, supporting Astoria as she clung to his arm. She was obviously making quite an effort to walk such a far distance—this must have been a very pivotal talk that she had to be present in order to share the outcome. Bazel had her pause in the large doorway of the room. He looked at everyone, his parents' eyes full of nervousness but trust in his judgment. His eyes fell upon the youngest Malfoy. "Draco," he commanded, beckoning him to step forward. Astoria looked up at him with emotional eyes that he could not quite read for the first time since he'd met her.

Bazel stared hard at him, as if sensing his internal characteristics. It was like the Sorting Hat all over again, he thought to himself. "She needs someone that will put her first, above all things. Like I would, as she is my sister." Bazel said firmly. Draco's heart sank. This was the denial. Next he was going to say that Astoria could not be with someone who wasn't entirely redeemed in the eyes of the world, that she only deserved to be with someone as perfect as she was—

"And that's why I'm allowing her to choose you."

Draco raised his eyes in shock. This was not what he was expecting to hear. Astoria's knees collapsed from being under so much pressure. Immediately, Draco reached out and caught her in his arms before she could even sink a meter. Bazel let a smile show for a fleeting second. "You know her. You read her well. I don't know if you two are thinking about marriage yet, considering you are both still quite young, but I would like you to know that your relationship has my blessing for however long it may last." Now Draco's knees felt like collapsing. He hugged Astoria closer to him, murmuring gratitude towards the taller boy. When Astoria could no longer even stand and began shivering, he announced that he would take her to her bed for a rest. Bazel sat down with the rest of the families as Draco escorted Astoria back up the stairs.

Once tucked safely under the covers, Astoria sighed. "That was awful…." she muttered softly. Draco smiled slightly. "Why, dear? What was awful?"

"Talking to Bazel. He's always been too protective of me, and I knew the moment he saw you he was going to have a fit. He didn't want me to be with you because of the…past. But I convinced him that things were different now. Surprisingly, he listened. Usually he doesn't back down or give up his stance."

"What did you say that convinced him?"

"…I told him that I love you."

Draco's heart froze for a second. She loved him. She actually loved him. All those times he'd kiss her or cuddle her or tuck her in he hoped he was proving himself worthy to be loved by her—and now he was. He just was. A bubbling sensation rose up inside of him. He was sure that if she was bedridden, he would've picked her up and twirled her in the air with him out of pure joy. Instead, he took her hand and placed a kiss on her wrist. "Oh God, do I love you, Astoria." he whispered against her soft skin. He laid down beside her, pressing his forehead against hers, intertwining their fingers. "Remember when I asked you to never let me go?" she asked quietly. Draco nodded as he recalled their previous conversation. "I…I meant that I didn't want you to let me go even if Bazel and my family disagreed with our love. I didn't want you to give in.…to give up on me."

Draco suddenly felt a shudder wrack his body at the depth of those little words he'd taken so lightly. She really wanted this to last as much as he did. It wasn't just in his head. Maybe he had redeemed himself over all this time. With her help. He kissed her deeply. After pulling apart, he whispered, "Do you remember what my answer was? 'Never'. I would never even think of abandoning you for any reason at all."