Disclaimer: JKR owns all recognizable characters.

Dose of Your Own

By: OurLoveIsForever

Chapter Eighteen: Calm

"I think that it is obvious to both of us that you are in way over your head." He said slowly. His feet shifted so that his weight was on his back foot. I wanted to help him, to rush forward and set him down. I also wanted to smack the side of his head for saying that I was in over my head, but I restrained the impulses. "Getting things out in the open has never been my forte. I deal in secret, but apparently that won't work for this." His hand motioned to the space between us.

I shook my head a bit, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm sorry."

I froze. Draco Malfoy had apologized. I didn't know for what exactly, but he had said words that most Purebloods had been raised to not speak. Even I had been hit with a stinging spell when I muttered those words when I was eight. I never repeated it again, yet in front of me stood the the flagman on Pureblood lineage speaking forbidden words.

He growled angrily, rolling his eyes. I half expected him to bring his hand back of his neck as he always did when he was stressed. "I don't know what I'm doing! I don't know how to do any of this!" He brought his hand to this back of his neck and rubbed the muscle underneath. I felt the corners of my mouth quirk up. So predictable. "I feel that letting you leave that house was one of the biggest mistakes of my life." His nose rose a bit, defiance in his eyes. This was killing his pride. I allowed him to continue, pushing aside my shocked reaction. "You understand that it takes a lot for a Malfoy to admit mistakes."

I nodded, ignoring the look he gave me as I began to approach him. He was warning me to stay away with his eyes.

"I will not allow you to do something so reckless again. I—" I could see his pride being beaten within him. The way his back was straightening defiantly, the way his eyes narrowed and chin was held aloft. For the first time, it seemed, Draco Malfoy was speechless and completely unsure of what to say. Not only that, he was trying so hard to hide it.

Seeing him so confused, caught between the affection he felt for me (if that was what one could call it at that point) and his nature as a self-serving, prideful prick, made me want him more than before. To simply know that I was the cause of the almost pained expression on his normally apathetic face made me feel a sense of resolution. My eyes connected with his as I placed one foot in front of the other. As I drew closer, I began to feel air catching in my constricted throat. Everything felt hot. My skin began to prickle like static magic between us.

When I stopped, my chest nearly on his, I could feel his breathing on my face, washing over me and I knew I could stand it no longer. Rushing up to meet his lips, I placed my hands on either side of his face. There was a moment of shock, as if he couldn't believe that I had done the deed, but just the same, his arms wound around my torso, holding me firmly to him. When our lips met, everything else seemed to fade away. We were no longer in Twilfit and Tatting's, nor were we confused about our relationship.

It was very obvious where that subject stood. So much for clearing this up…

We somehow moved backward. Draco slowly, carefully, as though I would break, laid me on the fluffy red couch, his hands roaming from my hip to my chest and back again. I placed my lips to his shoulder before his shirt came off. I wondered just how he was moving so well with being injured. He situated himself comfortably between my legs. His bare chest pressing into my own, the thin fabric of my shirt the only barrier from the heat of him. His hands wound in my hair. I scratched at his bare shoulders, hissing when one of his hands pulled to hard at my locks. His mouth moved down my throat.

It was then that I realized what might happen.

I didn't stop at the time. It was a passing thought. An alarm that was in the back of my mind was sounding, but I ignored it. My whole body was going haywire in the moment.

When his mouth made contact with my suddenly bare collar bone, I moaned and froze.

He froze as well, turning his eyes to my face. The silver was clouded over with a sort of lust, but it slowly faded as he sat back onto his haunches, breathing heavily. I desperately wanted to continue on some level, but I knew—

"Perhaps here is not the proper place."

I nodded, quietly taking in his dark expression.

"I want a bed for this."

My cheeks were hot as fire. I briefly thought of conjuring the item in question. That would certainly fix the problem. "That would be preferable, I assure you."

"You seemed pretty well pleased with a couch." He ground out, his teeth gritting together. I kept my eyes on his face, away from anywhere below.

Trying desperately to push down a lustful beast, I swallowed hard before responding. "Maybe eventually, if you earn it." I said, aiming to get a rise out of him. Well, a verbal rise out of him at least.

He turned to look at me sharply before a sly smirk came to his face. I wanted to smile with him and without thought, the corners of my mouth snuck up as well. We sat like that for nearly five minutes, simply smiling at each other, the silence of the shop was comfortable, relieved in a sense, each of us thinking, but neither able to end that silence. All good things must end. "Nott is safe and Zabini nearly killed old Scarhead." Draco said suddenly, shattering the stillness. "When the ward was breached, all hell broke loose. I went after the Carrow woman when Potter stunned me. Mother nearly had his head. It's too bad he is so quick on his feet. Bloody git." He glared at the floor. "Two of their five little men," I assumed he meant the other Aurors, "went after Amycus Carrow." I jerked my head around. Carrow was supposed to be—"I was told after the fact that the woman was under a glamour and the Imperious. Ing Freyer, or something like that, was her name. Some half-blood from Dublin."

I raised my brows, shocked. "She's been missing."

"So they said." Draco responded. He look a little irritated that I had interrupted him, but I honestly didn't care. "Amycus escaped, but they caught Jamison in the fight. Had to stop Nott from killing him really." I grinned slightly. "An intense duel, that was. Jamison was out for blood. Nott was too. That was the angriest I've ever seen Theo. "

"I wouldn't doubt that for one moment." I said slowly, recieving a side-ways glance. "Everyone is safe though?"

Draco nodded. I leaned forward, placing my hand on his left cheek. He simply watched me do so, not reacting in the least.

"How did this happen?" Motioning to the deep gash, blood was beginning to clot there, but it looked a fright.

He shrugged, but sensed that I wouldn't take a shrug as a viable answer. "Amycus Carrow, who else? He said some things that the Aurors are intent on investigating. Something about Nott... I thought I would kill him before he said too much." I kept my hand on his face, wishing that my wand wasn't dropped to the floor in the heat of our...moment.

I pulled my leg from around him so that I was sitting correctly before I leaned over to gather my wand from the red carpet. "What did he say?"

His eyes flashed when I raised my wand to his cut. "I don't trust just anyone to heal me."

My eyes rolled. "I may be horrid at transfiguration," he looked as if he wanted to say something, but I continued to talk, "but I am fair at simple healing spells. Daphne always used to fall down the stairs at Greengrass Manor whether she was drunk or no." I muttered a quick healing spell and watched as the skin closed leaving behind no scar. I whispered a cleaning spell to clear the blood from his face. "Now, what did he say?"

Draco shook his head, standing. "Leave it alone for now." I felt frustrated with his avoidance of the question. Shaking my head, I watched as he took hold of his white button shirt and laid it over his knee. Slowly, his head turned to me. "You fancy me, don't you?"

I stopped the process of buttoning my shirt together as I had just noticed it was wide open. I had been so enveloped by the conversation that I had completely forgotten that my bra and breasts were plainly obvious. I let my hands slip from the third from the top button. "I thought that was fairly obvious. I don't just go snogging with just anyone."

He gave me a look as if to say 'could have fooled me.' I narrowed my eyes at him before he smirked. "For which of my bad traits did you begin to fancy me?"

I let out a laugh before shaking my head at his nearly immature antics. "You must be kidding." The whole room seemed lighter, strangely airy and carefree. Draco had just come to me after a life-changing battle and yet, we could smile and laugh. It didn't seem right. It didn't seem natural. I wondered if that was the truth of being in love. The whole world seemed a little lighter. "All of your bad traits, I think, because I didn't know that you had any good traits." He scoffed, rolling his eyes, before grinning in my direction. I proceeded to continue to button my blouse. "For which of my good traits did you suffer for me?"

"Suffer, indeed. I don't really want to fancy you."

"Oh pity, that!" I smiled, leaning toward him, trying to push his buttons. "You have to reap what you sow, Mister Malfoy." I placed my lips on the corner of his mouth before jumping up and moving away. "It is somewhat safe now, isn't it? With Jamison and Alecto Carrow out of the way…" Draco's eyebrows shot up as he stood. "Camilla Zabini." He nodded with a slight smirk on his face. "Things should be a bit safer."

"Things are never safe, Astoria." He said with sudden fierceness. I stopped, catching in the doorway to the gallery of the shop. His voice was deeper, strangely vicious. "Don't get me wrong. Happiness exists. We'll find it, too." When he used 'we', my eyes widened. "I'm just saying that there will always be evil."

"I know that as well as the next person." I murmured, crossing my arms over my chest. "I think that is a trait shared by all of us that were on the other end of things. We know there will be more to come. We plan for those times, taking in every possibility." I shook my head. "It's the cunning who survive in the end, after all."

He jerked his head toward me, surprise in his eyes. "What was that?"

"The cunning survive in the end; those that know how to work the system are the ones that truly benefit."

The corners of his lips quirked up slowly before a true and nearly uncontrollable smile broke out on his face. I had never seen him smile so freely before. It was very strange, as if something other than a smug smirk or fox-like grin was out of place. Even for the bizarre appearance, I couldn't help but feel my insides jump a bit. He said nothing as he walked forward, his hand catching mine as he walked past. I was shocked at his actions. It was as if he were completely out of his mind. Without pretense, he pulled me toward the front doors. "Draco?"

He glanced over his shoulder, his smile falling just before we stepped outside. "I've never been one for affection, Astoria, but I can damn well try."

For the first time, Draco Malfoy had complete confused me. I had no idea what was happening when he pulled me close to him, holding me close before I felt the sensation of apparition. Side-Along apparition? Where the hell was he taking me?

"Malfoy!" A voice said to my right as I opened my eyes to see Draco's chest. Jerking away a bit, I looked around to see that I was in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor once more. It looked the same as it had earlier, with not one single vase out of place. Nott was jogging toward us from the back conservatory. I drank him in with a worried gaze. I pulled completely free of Draco's arms, running to where Nott has stopped just inside the door.

Without thought, I wrapped my arms around his chest, holding him close. His lanky arms went around me automatically. I didn't really know what I was doing. What in in the world was wrong with me? "Are you okay?"

I could feel him nodding before a hand came to rest on my shoulder, pulling me back. "He's fine."

Glancing up to Draco's face, I felt a spurt of irritation. "I would like to figure that out for myself, thank you." Turning back to the man in question, I noted his raised eyebrow as he glanced in Draco's direction. I chose to jump that cliff when I came to it and instead tried to distract him. "No cuts? No curses? No scars? What kind of duelist are you?"

He looked to me, to Draco and back again before rolling his eyes. "A damn fine one, but Potter had some healers stop by almost an hour ago now. Speaking of which, was it really that hard to find her, Malfoy? Potter said that she was at Twilfit and Tatting's. If I had known it would be so difficult for you, I would have gone myself."

Draco narrowed his eyes dangerously at Nott before shaking his head. "No, I found her straight away. She simply wanted to make sure I was fine." He heaved a dramatic sigh, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not wholly my fault that she had to take of my clothes to do so."

In a quick fluid, almost practiced, motion, my hand slapped him hard on the shoulder. He jerked away, looking injured, like he couldn't believe that I had laid a hand on him. "Stop being a lecher!"

Nott glanced between us again. "Yes, I guessed as much." He turned his face away before I could say anything to defend myself. "Astoria, Zabini and Davis are in the kitchen with Lady Malfoy. They will want to know that you are safe." I took my cue to leave, stepping past the man and moving toward the back of the house. With as much ease as I could muster, I slid myself into a small servants' hall, close enough that I could hear what they were saying, but far enough away that I could not be caught.

After years of eavesdropping in the Greengrass Manor, I had become skilled in the art of listening in, even when I shouldn't. I suppose that I had questionable morals.

"Draco, I told you to stay away from her." Nott said angrily, just before a loud bang. I assumed that someone had been thrown against a wall.

Draco's furious growl. "And I told you that I can't help it!"

"I don't care if you can't help it, Draco! She's not just some ass you can have your way with. She's not Pansy. She's not Millie! She is most certainly not Daphne!" I jerked back, slamming my head against the wall. I gasped in pain, covering my mouth to stop a shout. Daphne? My Daphne? I felt tears in my eyes from the pain. "You will not hurt her, do you hear me?"

"Why do you care, Theo? You said it yourself 'she's just a little snake.'" I began to move out of the crawl space when I ran into something soft and lumpy. I looked into the eyes of Tracey Davis. She read the expression on my face as I continued to listen. "What do you care if I have my way with her?" A pause of silence. Davis continued to hold me. "You love her?"

Davis began to lead me away, pulling me toward the kitchen. I tried to remain so that I could hear the remainder of the conversation, but I allowed her to steal me away. I felt so weak, so betrayed, so fragile, but I could feel the fight boiling in my veins. I leveled a fierce glare at the empty space in front of me. "The thing you must understand with these Slytherin boys is that they get confused extremely easily." She whispered into my hair. "You must believe me when I say that Draco Malfoy is in love with you." We sank into chairs at the center of the kitchen, her arms wrapping around my neck and hugging me in comfort. "How would I know? Well, I have never seen anyone duel quite so intensely before. I have also never seen Draco Malfoy admit a mistake. While you were gone to Zabini Manor and the Ministry, he nearly banged his head against the wall in frustration. It was quite a sight." She pushed me back as I pulled on a mask of indifference. My face went blank, void of emotion.

"And Daphne?"

"Was nothing but a nightmare my sixth year." Draco's voice said from the doorway. I froze, but didn't bother to turn around. "I'd appreciate it very much if you would not listen to conversations you are not involved in."

I didn't respond as Davis stood and left as if she had never been there in the first place. She was the mistress of low profiles. I knew that Draco was leaning in the frame.

"Are you in love with Nott?" He said without pretense.

I resisted the urge to jump up and declare myself in love with Nott just for the enjoyment of taking the mickey out of Malfoy, but it was not the time for such games. "As long as you swear you didn't screw my sister."

"Answer the ruddy question!"

"Of course not! You're being bloody ridiculous for no reason. There's no need to get territorial when there is no one encroaching on said territory. That's not to say that I am your territory, but for argument's sake." I rolled my eyes, looking over at him. "Jealousy doesn't become you, Malfoy."

He snorted, shaking his head. "Yes, green isn't a good complexion on you either." His lips pulled over his teeth in a sneer. "Would it help if I said that nearly everyone had a go at Daphne?"

Really he should have tried telling me something I didn't know. Daphne didn't get around half as much as Parkinson, but she had made herself fairly infamous among the Slytherin boys. I knew that. In all honestly, I could have cared less about Draco sleeping with others before me, that would have been only natural, but the question of my sister still lingered. I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "Did you sleep with her?"

It seemed as if he was weighing his options before he relinquished. His entire body seemed to give up the fight. I had never seen him have such an expression before. "No, I didn't sleep with Daphne."

I still had my doubts. I'd be a fool not to, but for the moment, I let the argument pass. "Theo is more of a brother figure really. You know that."

"He's a man, Astoria. We think on a completely different level than you do." He responded automatically, sliding out a chair before whipping it around to sit in it backwards with either leg on the sides of the back-rest.

I snorted. "Completely different level, indeed." Seemed to be quite a bit lower than females, honestly.

"I had to—"

"What? Assert your authority? Yes, right fine job you did there."

"You're so bloody—" Before he could finish his insult, as I was sure that was his intention by the gleam in his eyes, Narcissa Malfoy swept in, her features more alive than I had ever seen. She was smiling broadly, lighting up her face. Behind her Zabini moved in, clasping his hand in Davis's. Both of them were smirking like demons. "Mother?"

Lady Malfoy walked in a straight line, her arms wrapping immediately around her son's neck. She whispered something so low that I couldn't hear. His gray eyes widened just a bit, slight enough that no one else would notice. Draco began to smirk before he nodded once. She pulled away, sliding her hand along his shoulders as she glanced my way. At once, I knew: she knew.

"I'm glad to see that you are safe, Astoria." Smirking to herself, she moved past me to lean against the wood counter of the kitchen space. I glanced to where Zabini stood with Davis. They, too, had small smiles on their faces. "Two owls arrived for you just a few minutes ago. It appears your friends were worried."

"My friends?" I wondered aloud. "They knew?"

"I did not read your letters. I merely know that there is a very determined little barn owl sitting in our conservatory." She responded, clasping her hands in front of her hips.

There was a strangely peaceful silence; the calm after the storm, when the clouds were easing into the distance and you can still feel the humidity in the air. I felt renewed. As I looked from face to face, I realized that somehow I had come to trust all of the people within that kitchen. Tracey Davis with her quiet care. Zabini with his exhurberant demeanor. Lady Malfoy with her motherly charm. Eventually, my eyes landed on Draco. His focus was on the table while he drew his fingers along the surface, but it seemed that he felt my gaze upon him. His head came up, our sights only on each other.