A wave of contradictory emotions flooded Astoria's mind, and she ping-ponged between relief that Daphne was with a good guy at last and irrational jealousy that it was with her ex. The latter emotion took her by surprise being that she too had moved on, but it felt like betrayal from the two people who knew her intimately. Surely there was some unspoken rule about these things, no? A "sisters don't date exes" rule or an "exes shouldn't date anyone else in the family" rule? What were they thinking? How did this even happen?

Simultaneously, part of her rejoiced that two recently spurned people she cared about found respite in each other. Daphne was so much better than Astoria as a person, and she didn't think so in a self-deprecating way; it was just true. Daphne was the put together one, the mature and intelligent one. She was well-travelled, kind and charitable too. She was all the best parts of their parents, yet she never seemed to get any of the wonderful things she deserved. Life hadn't been fair to Daphne, especially not in love.

Theo Nott was the most generous man Astoria had ever been with--generous in time and effort, in love and tokens of devotion. He was also the second man she'd ever had sex with (and the first one was a one off anyway), which made this even more awkward to cope with, but Astoria held nothing but warm feelings for him, because he was so patient with her, so masculine in his sensitivity, and a true gentleman. He didn't deserve her betrayal, and she would regret inflicting any pain on him for as long as she lived. At least it appeared he'd moved on. But with her sister? It was all so icky.

Astoria didn't know what to make of it, but she chose not to bring it up to Daphne until she was ready. Perhaps her sister would spill the details on Sunday. But if she chose not to, Astoria couldn't fault her. After all, she was still holding Draco hostage in her heart without telling a single soul. And Draco did have her heart. She'd be crazy to tell him so soon, although she suspected he already knew. Her face was an open map of every emotion she came across, and when she was with Draco, that emotion was always, love. She loved him, which was why her plan just had to work. Her mother and his father could not get married.

~*~

"Tell me what you're thinking," Theo prodded softly after dinner. He and Daphne had decided to take a stroll around the park. There was a pond they dawdled in front of, and Daphne was leaning over the ledge which fenced the water in, looking beautiful and pensive.

She smiled weakly. "You don't want to know..." she said, shaking her head.

"I'd say I'd pay endless galleons to know." He tugged lightly at her elbow so that her arm fell by her side and his snaked around her waist. He pulled her closer.

Daphne let out an exhale and met his eyes. "I'm thinking...that this is so strange. You and I. I mean, you've been with my sister. What if we're together, and you realize you still fancy her? And what kind of sister does that make me to date her ex?"

She felt Theo squeeze her tighter as he thoughtfully pieced together his reply. "You're a wonderful sister, Daph. That isn't changing. And as for Astoria, look--she's an endearing girl. But she's also unpredictable...And that's not what I'm looking for longterm. I don't want her anymore."

Daphne made a face, pulling away from his embrace a bit. "I don't want you to hate her."

"I don't," he answered honestly, an awkward admission he'd stumbled upon weeks ago before Daphne had ever even looked his way.

She was silent a moment, and Theo ached to know her every thought. "Unpredictable..." she muttered. "I must seem so dull in comparison." Daphne's insecurity of playing second fiddle to Pansy and now Astoria reared again. Her gaze returned to the moonlit pond.

It was Theo's turn to make a face. He lifted his hand to her cheek, swiping his thumb over her cheekbone before jutting her chin out towards him, so that he had her full attention. "The girl who beat me at chess every summer growing up could never be dull in my opinion."

Daphne's face beamed then, surprised by the memory. "You remember that?" Theo's thumb danced over her lower lip now, and she blinked at him mesmerizingly.

He dropped his hand, pushing it into his pant pocket to avoid touching her more. To avoid touching her how he really wished to touch her. He cleared his throat. "It definitely kept me up most nights. You know my Norwegian grandfather was a wizarding grandmaster of chess, right? He'd be rolling around in his grave if he knew how often I'd lost to you. And I held my own at school too--I was president of the chess club at Hogwarts. Do you remember?"

"I do," she remarked, unable to suppress her grin.

"I don't recall you ever joining. Why was that? Perhaps, we would have known each other sooner, not just as acquaintances who ran in the same social circles. We could've been…friendly." And he could've met her first.

Daphne shrugged. "I suppose I thought that if I could beat 'the President of the Chess Club, Theodore Nott,' every summer since I was ten, I didn't need to join it." She giggled at Theo's face, which scrunched up in a playful pout.

"Okay, alright, you got me." Daphne grinned at him, and it made his heart beat erratically in his chest. She was so breathtaking. Her beauty was classic and elegant. She was one of those timeless bombshells. The awful part of it all was that she had no idea.

"You were always so attached to your queen," she continued, when the look in his eye made her feel self-conscious. "You'd forget you had other pieces on the board."

"You're right. I shouldn't have overlooked them. Or you." He couldn't resist her anymore. He gently pulled her in by her neck and leaned in halfway, allowing her to meet him the other half. She tentatively pressed her lips to his, and it was as if time stood still. Theo melted into her, his hands tangled in her soft, fragrant hair. In the distance, the crickets chirped, and it was the only indication that anything beside them even existed.

Daphne locked her arms around his neck, clinging to him to deepen the kiss. His body flush against hers sent a wave of excitement through her. She could already feel her nipples peaking under her dress, and when his tongue swiped across her bottom lip she practically moaned into his mouth. He had changed a lot. No longer was he the lanky, tall boy she knew at school. He was all hard now, with muscles modestly tucked beneath his work dress shirts. Giving in to her arousal, she gripped his bicep just to feel the hardness of him when he pulled away.

"Do you want to come over?" he asked with a heady look in his eyes. "I live nearby."

"I remember…" The memory of how they got together the first time was still fresh in her mind.

It happened the night she left Astoria's flat, the same night Draco basically revealed they were seeing other. Not that they were very good at hiding it.

She'd found her way to a random bar in Hogsmeade. After her second cocktail, she was about to leave but then Theo sat beside her, nursing his own drink.

"Daphne?"

He bought her a glass. And then another one. He was drinking too. They were singing. They were touching. She could feel his breath on her face.

She wasn't sure when they started kissing, only that the bartender had told them to move away from his counter because they were "causing a scene." They had stumbled outside, and then up his lift and into his flat.

She didn't think what she was doing was wrong at the time, only that Theo was handsome. That he looked at her like she was too. That he felt so good on top of her. And inside of her.

She'd left in the early morning, hungover and confused. Theo would meet her with flowers at her work everyday since, waiting patiently for the day she would acknowledge him again. It took him just 5 days.

And now, they were dating, sort of…

Daphne considered his offer. If she came upstairs with him again, she would want to sleep with him. She simply did not have the resolve to resist him. Not the first time, not now. But she still didn't feel right about seeing him at all. As much as she hated the idea of giving him up, she had to think of her sister. How could this relationship ever be ok?

Theo waited quietly for her response. He could see that her thoughts were tormenting her. He knew what was going on there, he understood her hesitations. He only wished he could turn back time. That he could set his sights on the right Greengrass.

"You could beat me at chess again," he interrupted with a smile. The back of his hand stroked along her jaw.

Daphne laughed, and he loved the sound of it. "You know…" she started, and Theo waited with baited breath. "My father was a kind of unofficial grandmaster himself." She took his hand and began walking in the direction of his flat. A silent admission to his request. She was going to spend the night.

Theo followed along, masking his excitement with a follow up question. "He was very good from what I remember. Why did he never attend tournaments?"

"He attended very few, then ultimately decided it was much too bureaucratic for his tastes. He used to say no one in the leagues truly enjoyed playing anymore. They were playing for others, and not themselves." A hint of a smile played along her lips.

"Your dad was always a bit…eccentric. I'll never forget the time at your Uncle Gareth's, wedding where I'd asked him to help with my bow tie. He purposefully tied it askew. When I asked why it wasn't done properly, he told me, 'You should never be everything everyone asks of you.' His advice was good, but I was a kid, and I didn't understand what he was talking about until much later."

Theo lowered his gaze to his forearm. The dark mark he received as a teen was barely visible now aside from the shadow it left behind. Daphne took his hands in hers, stopping mid-stroll to speak earnestly.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's okay, we couldn't do anything but follow what our parents wanted. You wouldn't have known any better."

Theo scoffed. "I was a hateful git. Most of us were, but your dad always knew right from wrong, didn't he?"

Daphne shook her head. "He wasn't the best at making the right decisions either, Theo. He left us."

Theo opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. When he'd gathered the right words, he turned to face her and said, "I want to be sensitive here, so please don't be upset about what I have to say. Your father was principled, and that was a good thing. Leaving you was not. But I can't imagine it was a very easy decision for him to make."

Daphne nodded, unsure of how to feel. Frankly, she was constantly torn between forgiving her father because he was just and good, and hating him because of how he left. Because of how he'd chosen his principles over his family.

"I know you must miss him," stated Theo. "And the last thing I want to do is mention Astoria, but if she can have a relationship with him again, what's keeping you?"

Here Daphne stopped walking. They were just across Theo's place. She looked in both directions of the empty street before pulling him to the opposite sidewalk. "What are you talking about?"

Theo tapped his wand to the first and second lock of his flat, opening the door and letting them in. "Astoria has been meeting with your father," he continued. "She was planning to set him up with your mother again. I'm sorry, I thought you knew…"

Once inside, he plopped onto his couch, and Daphne joined him. She sat with an incredulous look on her face. Theo felt awkward, so he placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Are you ok?" he ventured to ask.

"I didn't know she met with him," she asked in a small voice he didn't recognize. "She promised me she wouldn't…"

Theo opted for a silent affirmation, nodding and allowing some time and space as she processed this news.

After some long moments, Daphne sighed. "You're right about Astoria, Theo," she said finally. "She is totally unpredictable."

~*

Narcissa Malfoy primped before the parlor mirror as she waited on her ex husband's visit. Lucius had entertained her every other Thursday for the past few months at her family's estate which she had inherited. Draco didn't know that the pair met with fidelity, never scheduling another appointment in its place, however inconvenient until recently. Her son's birthday dinner was an awkward affair for everyone but them. While they weren't accustomed to dining together with other guests, they'd made it work for their son's day.

Some would say it was a peculiar habit to keep in touch with an ex paramour, but for the Malfoys—for Narcissa did remain a Malfoy, keeping her marital surname over her maiden name—it was normal. She dared say she even looked forward to his visits. Today wasn't one of those days. Today, Narcissa would have to reveal that her medical diagnosis had worsened. She would need to discuss adjustments to her will with Lucius just in case anything should happen to her.

"Master Malfoy has arrived, Miss," her house elf drawled, tearing her away from her worried thoughts.

Narcissa provided a single nod in response, busying herself with smoothing out her pencil skirt. Lucius entered the room seconds later. After so many years, Narcissa still found herself breathless over the way he could make an entrance. Sometimes, it seemed as if he floated on air, and his shoulder length platinum hair appeared to catch wind where there was none. He was, frankly speaking, handsome as ever.

"Cissa," he said in greeting, setting aside his decorative cane to take her hand and brush a kiss across her knuckles. She was surprised to find that she didn't tire of the way he said her nickname.

"How have you been, darling?" she inquired as she gestured for them to sit.

"Well, when I can put it all into words, I shall let you know." Strange admission for a man who had never been at a loss for words. Something was troubling him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not sure that anything is…You wished to discuss something urgent, did you not?"

"Yes, but—" Narcissa paused a moment to exhale. "You know, this friendship is a two-way street. If something is bothering you, you can share it with me. Sometimes just letting it out helps." She wrung her fingers on her lap. Lucius wasn't the feelings type. It would be difficult for him to open up, though not impossible.

He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know you're right. But I don't know how to talk about this. It's mildly humiliating."

Now Narcissa was extremely curious. "What is? Just say it, Lucius."

"Jasper's back…somehow," he revealed with a roll of his stormy eyes. "Carina told me she's met with him. She's conflicted, says they're still married. I don't know what to make of it right now. We're engaged, but it's null until she decides if she wants to officially divorce Jasper or not."

"Lucius, I'm so sorry. This must be so difficult for you," Narcissa replied, saying what she thought she ought to say, but the truth was that she blanched the moment he'd uttered her name. They never spoke about her, they never spoke of any of their romantic relationships, not that Narcissa had entertained many since their divorce.

"That's the odd part; I don't feel troubled over the possibility of losing her to him," came Lucius' admission.

At this, Narcissa balked. "What?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, he added, "I don't know that I care for her in that way."

He watched his ex blink at him. "Lucius, what are you saying?"

"I've come to the conclusion that I am lonely and that marriage is a chance at companionship again. My feelings aren't like…they just aren't like before."

Narcissa felt a pang of guilt at that. Lucius was only lonely because of her after all. Because she'd broken up their family. He certainly had his part in their dissolution, but it was her decision forced onto him. Now, not only was she all alone, her ex husband would be too.

"Your news, Cissa. What is it you need?" he inquired, changing the subject so suddenly.

Narcissa exhaled, confidently squaring her shoulders and meeting his gaze. "We'll need to review my will," she said finally. Despite her interest in the former subject, she had more pressing matters to discuss with her ex.

"Review?" he said with a quirked brow that so reminded her of her son and vice versa.

"Revise, actually," she answered in her clipped way as if any retort was unwelcome once her decision was made.

"And why would we need that?" Lucius who'd sat languidly with his leg crossed over the other, uncrossed them and leaned toward the edge of the cushion.

She sighed a weary sigh, standing to pour them both another tea. "I wanted to remove the stipulation for Draco's inheritance. I don't want for him to wait until he's married. I want him have anything of mine he desires now whether he's found love or not. But-"

"Cissa. I can do that, but why the urgency?" He received the cup she poured for him and set it aside.

"Well. It's…um, it's back. Incurable, I'm afraid." She avoided making eye contact with Lucius, because if she caught even an ounce of pity in him, she'd cry, and crying was the last thing anyone would want to do in front of their ex husband. She took the opportunity to sip her tea, but if she were being honest, she'd lost interest in it as soon as she had poured it. With an anxious type of annoyance, she set it aside as well. When the long seconds that passed in silence became unbearable, Narcissa looked up to find Lucius with a horrified expression.

She watched his Adam's apple bob in his elegant neck and throat as he swallowed, as if recuperating to give his reply. "I can't-"

"You must!" she interrupted hastily, emotions rising most uncharacteristically.

"Let me finish." He was calm both in manner and tone. She had no idea what he would say. A part of her almost never wanted to hear it.

"I can't imagine," he began, rising to cross over to her, "a world without you in it." He knelt before her and took her hands. "Cissa, let me be here for you. I'll take care of you like before. It'll get better again."

"Lucius, we can't. You're—"

"Dove, you're the only woman I've ever needed—ever. This is what I want, to be at your side again. Let me have this, Cissa, please."

Stunned, it took Narcissa some seconds to respond to such a confession. She observed the desperate way he held her hands in his, and with a defeated sigh, met his gaze and squeaked, "Okay then."

~*

Once Jasper had cracked that impenetrable facade his wife donned, he knew he couldn't allow her the time or space to rebuild it. Carina was someone who'd always craved stability, even if it meant going along with the status quo. She wasn't impulsive or rash, but she could be fickle if allowed time to ruminate on her decisions—teetering back and forth between the different outcomes of her choices. Jasper knew that if he made himself ever present, he'd consume her thoughts and eventually be celebrating his conquest. His knack for being persistent was his most fruitful Slytherin quality back in school.

However, it was on his eighth visit since their reunion that Jasper realized he'd yet to tackle one last obstacle—his eldest daughter, Daphne. Without Daphne's forgiveness, Carina would run back into the arms of that pretty boy, Lucius Malfoy. Hell, if Daphne never forgave him, he wouldn't be able to move forward happily himself.

He adored his eldest, but she was more like her mother—not so easy to convince. She would take some time. Unfortunately, with Carina and Lucius' pending wedding, time was the one resource Jasper did not have at his disposal. Time was precious, and so his next move would have to be calculated just so. He had planned on ruminating on the task further tonight, when Carina's new house elf announced she'd arrived home.

"Jasper? Did you forget something else? A pen this time perhaps?" She was, of course, referring to the numerous excuses he'd employed throughout the weeks to visit her again. It was his hat at first, then his work journal, his traveling chess set, his pocket watch, his beef stew recipe which she'd kept all this time, his wand—Merlin that was risky—and even his wallet.

Carina was teasing him with that coquettish smirk of hers that still drove him wild. She stood across him in the parlor room, wearing an alluring shade of blue which complimented her eyes very well. Jasper was enthralled. It was easy to see how she had pulled a man like Lucius Malloy. Even at their new age, she was still beautiful to him. Always put together, always elegant.

He stalked over to greet her, slipping his arms easily around her waist in greeting, overwhelming her with his nearness. "Actually, I was hoping you'd help me come up with a proper way to talk with Daphne." He leaned in to nuzzle her neck.

Carina's body stiffened, and she opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by an unexpected guest at the exact moment.

"Talk to me about what, father?"

~*

Days after his mother broke the news to Lucius, Narcissa had broken it to Draco too. He had no idea what to make of it. His feelings were all over the place.

There was, prominently, anger. Why did this illness have to take over his mother? Why her? Why again? Why was his family destined to be broken apart?

There was, too, confusion. What would life look like over the next couple of months? Over the next couple of years? How would he feel once she was…gone? Would it stay this way? This angry, confused, sad way? Would he numb eventually?

There was even regret. Guilt. He'd spent so long resenting his parents for breaking up despite loving each other still. He definitely blamed her for it in the beginning, choosing to live with his father who would never understand Draco. It was torture existing in the same space as Lucius without his mother as a buffer, but that was the thing about Draco: his desire to spite always outweighed his own comfort. He was embarrassed to admit how long that had lasted into his young adulthood.

Lastly, there was depression. He'd made it a priority to visit more since her diagnosis, but he knew he was just buying his time with her. He almost couldn't bring himself to enjoy the time they had together, knowing it would soon come to an end. It didn't help that Lucius was more present than usual, essentially living with his ex wife. He'd stay until late then go to the Manor, only to return before she awoke. It was strange to say the least. He wondered how Carina Greengrass was taking the news, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. Draco visited so often now that Narcissa had his bedroom made up again.

Directly following the news, Draco hadn't seen Astoria again until she'd brought over flowers, a reminder to Draco that all beautiful things die. Astoria had even told Narcissa she'd make herself available to her if she ever needed her. Draco had snapped at his paramour then, the grief and realization of his mother's mortality becoming too much to bear. To which Astoria reminded Narcissa cooly, "And that's why you need a break from these two. We can live out our days in misery or try our best to actually enjoy them with our loved ones."

Narcissa laughed heartily, the first genuine laugh Draco had heard his mother make in years. "Oh, I like her," she'd said. And that's when the mini dates had begun. Astoria would take his mother around town when her condition allowed it. They went to moving films, spas, teahouses, boutiques, and very fancy restaurants. Narcissa spent more time with Astoria than Draco had these days.

He presumed the cat was out of the bag and that it was common knowledge that he and Astoria were involved in some way. It made total sense to his little family that she was so present in their lives now. Nobody questioned it, and while that fact had offered some relief, it also catapulted them further into a limbo state. Was everyone ignoring that fact that they were to be step siblings if this marriage went all the way through? Or did they know something he didn't? Like how his mother's condition had irrevocably changed everything for all of them?

~*

"Come to bed," bade Astoria one night. Narcissa had suggested she sleep over. They'd just come from the opera, and it was very late. She lay in a borrowed satin nightie in Draco's bedroom.

"I'm not tired," he answered sulkily.

"I wasn't suggesting we sleep, love."

She earned a cocked brow at that, and he moved to join her in his bed, pulling his shirt off over his head.

"That's a good boy," she whispered, pulling him beneath the covers. Once in bed, Draco grabbed her face between his two palms and kissed her. "Thank you for taking such good care of my mother," he said, still cradling her head in his hands.

Astoria's cheeks flushed and she nodded silently before reciprocating the kiss.

"Did you two enjoy the opera?" he suddenly inquired with little interest. as he'd begun his nightly assault, kissing down her shoulders and chest.

"We adored it," Astoria answered, aware of her breathing all of a sudden. "Your mother is very silly when she drinks champagne. She sings an aria after each glass."

"How many arias did she sing?" Draco asked between kissing round the corners of her breasts.

"Four," she gasped, running her nails through his hair and lightly grazing his scalp.

Draco shook his head. "You shouldn't encourage her. Her health is already deteriorating," he now murmured into her stomach, where he'd made his way down.

"That's exactly the point, Draco. Have you ever asked her what she wants in her last days?" Draco lifted the nightie up over her thighs until they bunched around her hips. Despite the distraction, she continued, "Have you considered that—"

There was a knock on the door.

"What is it?" Draco called out, perturbed.

There was a beat of silence before the knocker responded, "May I have a word?"

It was his father. What was he still doing here? Astoria and his mother had been out most of the night. Surely, he hadn't waited for them all this time.

Draco rolled off of Astoria and swung his legs over the mattress to open the door and step out into the hallway. Lucius looked him over without a word or judgment.

"Can we talk tomorrow? I'm tired," Draco lied.

Lucius threw a knowing look toward the door where, behind it, Astoria was, undoubtedly, still waiting for Draco. But again, Lucius said nothing, simply nodded and conceded, "Sure, son. Tomorrow morning. Come to the Manor."

"Fine," Draco sighed. "Good night father."

"Sleep well, son." Draco turned to enter his room, Lucius halfway down the hall by now, but he could have sworn he heard him mutter, "I love you."

If he'd heard correctly, it would be the second time in his life that he'd heard such a thing from his father. Lucius wasn't the sentimental type, and the first time he'd ever said it was after Draco had joined the Quidditch team at Hogwarts and won his first game.

It was a shame for this not to be said to his face, though it bothered him little. Rather, it was not having a clue what Lucius may want to discuss in the morning which vexed Draco. Still, he thought it better to leave the anguishing for the morning. At present, there was a beautiful woman he simply worshipped in his bed, and he had every intention of showing her just how much he loved her.

Because he did love her. It was harder to admit these days with all of his energy going into caring for his mother. At one point, he actually worried about not having enough time for Astoria. He briefly thought of breaking it off in his despair. But she surprised him like she always had. Astoria stepping up to assist him with his family life made him love her more. He was smitten with her.

So on accident, when Astoria turned to her side to flutter those long brown lashes at him, he said out loud what his father never could: "I love you by the way."

At first, she blinked at him. Then her lip quivered and her face broke into a smile. "I love you too."

~*