"Bloody hell!" I pinched Potter as he yelped, examining his thigh in his bedroom. His fiancée was out somewhere tonight, apparently unaware of this injury. The scar was long, and infected. Green pus was oozing from it disgustingly and I couldn't figure out what was the bloody cause. "I'm trying, Greengrass, but this is quite painful!"

"I'll bet labor is worse, now hush." I told him, rising and pulling my hair up in a bun. I squatted back down and examined the leg. "How did you scratch it again?"

"I scraped it on a nail in a warehouse during a Basilisk Egg sting. What the hell is on your neck?" The Auror's face was already red in embarrassment from being in his boxers in front of me, but seemed to get suddenly cocky when he saw the hickeys around my neck. "Bringing your new boyfriend to my wedding?"

"Sod off, Potter." I rolled my eyes playfully as I thought about the injury more. "What is this warehouse used for?"

"A Muggle cleaning supply factory I believe. Ron was running ahead of me and one of the bloody bastards threw something on us, bleach I think."

I rose, walking to my bag and pulling out a small bottle of healing treatment. I grabbed a bandage and wrapped his leg with it after pouring the potion on it.

"It's a third degree chemical burn. It should heel by tomorrow. Most spells and potions for burns don't work on bleach for some reason, so I always keep a bit of this with me. You can put your pants back on now, Potter. Your bachelor party isn't for another two weeks." Potter gave me an inappropriate gesture and rose with his trousers. I had already covered his chest with enough bandages to pass him off as a near mummy, and healed his broken jaw. "You do realize that it'll be awkward for me to do house calls like this after your married?"

"Gin's understanding of the causalities of my job. Can I get you a Butterbeer?" I shrugged and we walked down to his kitchen. The house was a nice, quaint place that seemed empty with just him residing in it. It needed a witch and at least two kids to bring out its homey intended feel. "So who's this bloke you've taken a fancy too?"

"Potter, bugger off. I didn't ask you what Weasley thought about the dimple of your right thigh, and you shouldn't be asking me about my personal life." He laughed, handing me a bottle form his kitchen. We walked to his living room and sat down. I sipped the beverage, watching as he looked at the bandages over his chest. "It's a causality of the job, Potter."

"I guess. Ginny's told me time and time again she knows what she's sighing up for but I don't know if I want to put the burden on her. I survived one of the most power dark wizards of all time and I'm still worried someday that the bad guys will get lucky and I won't come home that night." He looked at me, sighing. "If I remembered my parents I would probably be at the point you are, Greengrass. Hell, sometimes I want to be. But I have to put myself in check. What good am I drunk?"

"I didn't come here for your wisdom, Potter." I told him, tensing. Who the hell did he think he was?

"No, you didn't." Potter nodded, looking over at me. "It's the people I love that keep me going, Greengrass. It's Ron, Hermione, Ginny and her family, my godson… that's the key to getting me up most mornings. Whoever you're with… well, I hope he gives you some reason to continue. Your grandparents obviously failed at that."

The next two weeks continued darkly like most of my days. Work, sleep and alcohol consumed me more than I would have liked, and I figured the amount of time the first two took up where helping me with the latter. If I was working eighteen hour days, and had only a chance of getting six hours of sleep it was hard to drink; especially when most of my sleep took place in the break room at the hospital. But I was soon given a break. The Friday before Potter's wedding, Chang walked into her office as I was finishing a chart for a patient whose daughter turned his arm into an octopus tentacle when my boss looked at me.

"Are you invited to Harry's wedding?"

I nodded as my quill continued to scratch away. "I may skip it though. I need sleep."

"Like hell you are. Attending this event will ensure you a spot as a full-time Healer here after your first year of internship. Henry's brother needs a date and I told him about you. Shawn's a nice bloke; he's the actual wizard in the family. He introduced me to Henry."

So instead of going home to drown my life out in whiskey, I went dress robe shopping. I found crimson robes with a slit mid-thigh, a black ribbon under the bosom and a 'V' neck. I bought black heels with them and a gold handbag, then found a gold locket the Beaumont's had given me for graduation to tie the outfit together. I met Chang, her husband and his brother at the reception the day of the wedding, annoyed at the mandatory attendance to the event. Shawn was Hispanic, burly and almost two heads taller than me. He introduced himself with a soft, dimpled smile.

"You must be Astoria. I'm Shawn, the brother-in-law Cho has stuck you with."

I smiled as my boss glared at him, shaking his hand. "I guess we both can be thankful we have all of our teeth and don't qualify for senior discounts yet?"

Shawn laughed, offering me his arm. We walked into the large outdoor wedding area of Godric's Hallow and Cho kept talking about how beautiful the decorations where, explaining the charms and spells that helped out to her non-magical husband. We found seats on the groom's side, me sitting by the isle.

"So Cho says you're her intern? I'm sorry." Shawn punned, making me smile.

"She's not too bad. You work for the ministry?"

"Yes Maim, public defense. Potter and I work together often. Oh look, her he comes!" I turned as Potter walked to me from where the preacher stood and squatted down, preparing to talk to me. "Hey Potter, nice wedding set-up!"

"Thanks Shane." I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the incorrect name. "Astoria, you know that thing you helped me with a few weeks ago? Can you come help me with it again? It's still acting weird."

Back in Potter's bedroom, he removed his dress robes and started itch his leg fervently. He sat on his bed and I bent down, looking at the scar. "It looks fine to"-

"It's itching like someone put bloody itching powder on it. Unless you want to see me dance like a three year old needing to use the loo as I recite my vows, do something!"

"Alright, alright." I stated as the door to his room opened.

"Hey 'Arry, have you seen- bloody hell mate!" Ronald Weasley swore, his eyes wide. "What in Morgana's knickers is going on here!"

"Oh shove it, Ron. Greengrass is here as a Healer." The wizard closed the door as I performed a few spells on Potter's leg with no reaction. I tried another and he sighed with relief, stopping the itching. "What was it?"

"An allergic reaction to the treatment. Sorry about that Potter." I rose to head out to the door when Weasley stopped me.

"You know, I have this scar on my hip that's acting funny. Care to check it out, Healer?"

"Ron, don't"- "Sure."

Weasley fell on the ground after I kneed him, whimpering. I looked back at Potter who winced, looking at me. "He probably deserved that."

"Yes, he did. My suggestion for treatment is a little ice and an ego adjustment. Congratulations Potter, I hope to enjoy the wedding."

The wedding was beautiful. Weasley had on a gown to die for, Potter looked truthful to every promise in his vows and halfway through it I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Shawn put an arm around me and spoke gently, handing me a handkerchief.

"Weddings seem to be a cause for floods in crowds this large."

I forced a laugh as I took the white cotton and dabbed my eyes. He was oblivious that I was crying over not what life was becoming, but what life should have been. It was petty and horrible, but I hated Ginny Weasley right now. I should have been the girl wearing that dress, walking down the aisle to my true love. The wizard I should have married wouldn't have been Potter with his life-threatening job and insistency to try to help people with their issues. He would have been perfect under my definition to the key. Those were supposed to be my parents up there, giving looks of pure approval instead of the Weasley's blubbering tears. And most importantly, overachieving Hermione Granger wasn't supposed to be the matron of honor smiling at the bride. My sister was supposed to the bridesmaid with her crooked smiled and red hair curled, her blue eyes telling me I had it made. That finally I would be happy after so many years of waiting for ever ever after.

Potter kissed his bride and I came out of my thoughts, clapping my hands with the rest of the crowd. The wedding reception was decorated in gold material and white lilies. Everything looked so delicate, just like the pictures my sister and I used to look at in bridal magazines.

"Greengrass." I looked at Weasly, well now Potter, as she walked over to me. Her hair was in a beautiful twist with peril clips that went well with the beading on her gown. "How was the reception?"

"Beautiful. Congratulations." She smiled, her freckled face bright with joy. Seconds later her father walked over and took her hand for the father-daughter dance. I smiled at the pair, imagining Dad and I in that scenario. He may not have been a very emotional wizard, but he knew his way around the dance floor. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turn to face Shawn, who smiled at me as I spoke. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Somewhat. I keep losing you and I'm afraid some hung-over groomsman is going to steal you from me." He grinned at me, grabbing my hand. I tried to be sincere with my expression, I really did. Shawn was a nice bloke with a job, a good personality and looks. But he was also too politically obligated and pushy for my taste. When a new song started, my date took me out to dance. A thick silenced filled us as Zeena Trevor's mystical rhythm took control of the crowd. I had always dreamed of You Put a Spell On Me being my wedding song, and even if the new Potter couple hadn't taken it for theirs, I still felt uncomfortable to hear it at another wedding.

After the reception, I flooed back home and put my handbag on my counter. I grabbed a bottle of Firewhisky and began sipping it, walking back to my bedroom. I unzipped my dress robes and let them fall on the floor, walking to my bed. I sat down while drinking and winced, spitting whiskey on myself. I looked under my arse and saw pin with the letters RF in plated gold. I recognized the pen as one worn by higher up executives in the company competing with my fathers and leaned backed, playing with the metal. I remember how nice Draco's touch felt on me the afternoon after out drinking spree felt. Comparable to the feeling of Shawn's sweaty hand on my waist, it had been something to miss. I decided to return the pen in person the next day.

During lunch, I went to Rumford's. The location still looked like an old warehouse docked off the Irish Sea on the Isle of Man. I walked past the "Do Not Trespass" sign and knocked on the front door. A little eyehole level with my waist opened and a black man peered out on me.

"What do you want, Lass?"

"I'm here to see Draco Malfoy. I'm a friend of his." The wizard looked unconvinced. That was one thing Dad always was annoyed with Rumford about, his paranoia and how uncomfortable he made his employees. "My name is Astoria Greengrass. He'll know who"-

The opening shut and the door opened to a dwarf like black wizard with a stern face.

"Come on in, Greengrass." Oh wonderful, even after his death the family name was spat upon here. He walked me from the dark opening and we dunked under a tapestry into a building with lots of glass walls. There were at least a hundred levels that were an easy ten miles in length and width on each floor. The small wizard motioned for me to follow him to his left. We walked past a bunch of wizards with clipboards, safety gear and levitating items in all ranges of sizes. He knocked on a door and opened it to a room with ten desks and piles of papers everywhere. "Malfoy, your friend is here."

The blonde wizard looked up from a document he was reading over someone else's shoulder, catching eyes with me. He told the witch he would be back and walked to me with a questioning brow. I opened my mouth to speak when he grabbed my arm and lead me from the room and down the hall. We ended up in a large storage room with office supplies that smelt of peppermint and ink.

"Sorry about that. I just figured we'd be able to talk in here without everyone starting rumors about me fraternizing with the enemy." He turned to me with a humored expression, his eye laden with dark bags of exhaustion. "What do you need, Astoria?"

"I found this in my bed and figured you would want it back." I handed him the pen and laid it in his fingers, smiling back at him nervously. "You look tired."

"I am. I missed two days of work and that room is now in a state of chaos… I normally keep it neater than that." Draco swallowed and looked at me, his eyes twitchy. "I saw you in the newspaper. You were at Potter's wedding with Shawn Malcolm?"

"Yeah… my boss made me go with him. It wasn't a fun experience." I told him without going into detail. His eyes seemed to calm and he nodded understandingly. "His hands sweat a lot when he dances."

"Really now?" I nodded as he chuckled. "Leading somebody means you have to have something more than cocky confidence."

I smirked, laughing. "Somebody's grown up since school."

"Somewhat." Draco chuckled, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. His eyes studied my face again as he spoke. "Theodore Nott is hosting a party at his home in Corsica this upcoming weekend and has requested I bring a date. Care to join me? "

"I'll be on call." I warned him, seeing his expression stay determined. "If she pages me, I have to go at that second and will return when I can."

"It sounds fair to me." I moved to go towards the door when Draco grabbed my arm, pulling me back. He kissed me and ran a hand through my hair, making me shiver as I kissed him back. We snogged for a few minutes before he pulled away, a smirk on his face as he leaned his forehead on mine. "That's addicting."

I went to work after that, in a somewhat chipper mood. Chang kept watching me with a cautious eye until lunch came. I grabbed a sandwich and sat to eat in the café when she waved me over to her table, which was normally filled by St. Mugo's employee elite. Today it was empty.

"Take a seat. Why so happy today?" I shrugged, sitting down. "Oh come on now, Shawn told me you two hit it off rather well. He's planning to invite you to the MLE Ball this Saturday."

"I thought I was on call?" She shrugged, eating her sandwich as I bit my lip. "And I'll be in France during that time."

"Oh… Beaumont's?" I nodded as she sighed, glad for the excuse. I didn't think my boss would approve of the wizard that almost murdered Albus Dumbledore. "That's a bloody bummer. He can't stop talking about you."

For some reason I didn't think she would understand that that was bloody problem.