14. Astoria

Hermione,

All is forgiven.

Your Friend,

Ron

---

Hermione was baffled. "What on earth do you think that means, Luna?"

"I think it means you are forgiven for your transgressions," she replied with a slight shrug.

She sighed. "I suppose… but he's a Weasley. They are all hot heads. The whole lot of them!"

"Treacle Tart?" Luna asked, shoving a plate of pastries her way.

"Erm… no." Hermione held out her hands in refusal. "But thanks for asking."

Luna set down the plate and stared pointedly at Hermione. "He's moved on."

Her gaze snapped to meet Luna's eyes. "Excuse me?"

"We write each other occasionally… and he told me that he is seeing someone. Some Auror."

"Oh," Hermione breathed. "That's… well, that's…" She didn't know why, but she felt like she'd been punched in the gut. "That's good for him."

"It's why he's forgiven you," she stated.

Hermione gulped. "Yea, I sort of pieced that one together… I need to go."

"Come back soon? It gets lonely up here."

Hermione nodded with a small smile and picked up a Treacle Tart for the road. "I will. Thanks."

"Anytime."

---

"Astoria."

"Oh, Draco… you are way too pathetic. She's a Mudblood for Merlin's sake…"

"Stop that," Draco snapped, even though he had just been calling her a while ago… before they professed their love… "What are you doing here?"

Astoria handed him a piece of parchment. "Ministry Order…"

Draco scanned the letter and his heart dropped.

---

Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,

It has come to our knowledge that you both wish to separate and end your marriage due to Mrs. Malfoy's infidelity, this being a level one in your file for partition from marriage. However, when there are children involved, this issue becomes a level two and the welfare of the child has to be taken into account. Since your child is so young, the Ministry has taken it upon themselves to make a forced suggestion. You two are both to spend the month together and see if you can't make things work. We will send in a marriage counselor two times a week and she will assess your standing at the end of the month. Since Mr. Malfoy is a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he cannot take a month off so graciously, Mrs. Malfoy is summoned to spend her time, January 13th to February 13th, there at the school. Sorry for any inconvenience or strain that has put on either of you, but this is our final decision.

Margaree Baxter

Head of Human Relations

---

"But… this isn't fair… they can't force me to be with you! They can't force me to do anything with you!"

Astoria laughed and it chilled Draco to the bone. "See, you have no choice, Draco… You are mine for a month and I am yours."

"But I don't want you! I want…"

"…you want Granger? No, I will not have it. I will not lose my husband to a Mudblood."

"Are you daft? You lost me when you decided to jump in bed with that Jean guy during our three year old's birthday party!"

"That's neither here nor there… no matter what you do, you are stuck with me for a month… and I am determined to make this work…"

"He dumped you," Malfoy scoffed, crossing his arms in amusement.

"What?"

"Jean dumped you, didn't he?"

"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about."

"He dumped your ass so fast and then you realized how big of a bint you and when that happened you thought you could just come back to me… the one guy that has ever treated you decently?"

Astoria looked as if she were amused. "You know me so well." There was a twinkle in her eye. "You loved me once… who's to say you won't love me again?"

"I'm to say."

"Okay, Draco… Don't you have class?"

"Shit!" He took off.

"This isn't over!" Astoria called, delighted at the response she got from him. She looked down at the letter she had handed to him. "I'm daft? Please… he's the one who actually fell for this."

---

"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione asked at dinner. He was being moody and evasive.

"Nothing," he grunted and shoved another bite of chicken in his mouth.

She touched his arm slightly and he tensed up. "Oh… that's what wrong…"

He looked at her. "What?"

"You don't really want to be with me."

"Again… what?"

"You didn't even say hi to me in the hall… you just looked away like I was disgusting. You regret saying that to me, don't you?"

He took her hand and gave her a half smile. "You think too much."

She blushed. "I'm sorry…" She shot him a coy look. "So are we still on for tonight?"

"I can't." He stood up abruptly, shoving his plate away from the edge of the table. "I'm really busy and tired as hell."

Hermione was a little startled but nodded in mock understanding. She opened her mouth to speak, but he had already slid away from the table and was heading out of the Great Hall. She frowned slightly and sighed.

---

"What took you so long, Darling?" Astoria drawled and slung her arms around him when he entered into his dormitory.

He shrugged her off and just kept walking to his bedroom. He came back out moments later holing a quilt and a pillow. He threw them on the couch, gave her a quick glare and slammed his bedroom door shut. Astoria blinked several times at the wad of linens on the couch. She scoffed and made a pass for his bedroom door, pounding very loudly.

"Draco! You are not going to make me sleep on that couch!"

No answer.

"Draco!"

Still no answer,

"Fine… I'm sure Granger would love to have me… and we could stay up all night talking about girl things… You know, make some drinks… you know how loose my lips get when I drink… who knows what I may tell her about our current arrangement."

The door immediately swung open.

"You fucking bitch."

"There's the old Draco I came to love."

"Fine, take my bed. I'll take the couch…"

Astoria flashed a grin in his direction and shoved past him, plopping down on the bed. "Won't you come join me?"

Malfoy glowered at her. "Good night, Astoria." He shut the door and made his way to the couch, completely pissed off.

Astoria, however, was utterly delighted. She pulled out a piece of parchment from her belongings and grabbed one of Draco's quills that were sitting on his desk. She scribbled something down and called for an owl, strapping the strip to its leg and sending it off.

---

An elderly woman heard a tapping on her windowpane. She smirked and opened the latch, allowing the window to swing open and for an ordinary barn owl to hop in, lifting up its left leg. She took the parchment and unrolled it.

I'm in.

Astoria

The woman smirked once more. Everything was going as planned. So far…