Draco had been afraid very few times in his life. He had never really had a reason to be afraid. His home was already incredibly safe, especially after the Dark Lord perished. His parents took great care to make sure that he was well-equipped to face any dangers in life. And though Potter was a pest in school, he left him alone. In fact, everyone knew not to touch Draco Malfoy. He was far too skilled and far too connected to the board at Hogwarts for anyone to even want to try to mess with him. No, Draco could only name a handful of times he was frightened at all and even those were weak memories.

But when he watched Astoria fall to the ground, hundreds of meters in the sky, he was terrified. His heart stopped beating immediately and his blood ran cold. All he could hear was her screams, all he could see was her black hair whipping around her while she got closer and closer to the ground.

But mostly, all he could think was: I love her. I love her and I've killed her. She is going to die because of me, because I thought more about the feeling of her cheek in my hand than her safety. She is going to die and I've never told her that I love her.

And then a voice that firmly replied, No, she is not. Fly Draco.

So he did. Draco took off like a rocket toward the ground, mist stinging his eyes as he flew faster and faster. No one, not even Viktor Krum, had ever flown as quickly as Draco did in that moment. He clenched his jaw as he watched her eyes scatter around in fear, not registering the grey-eyed boy swiftly coming to save her. As she fell, her hands moved desperately trying to find her wand.

Astoria was moving fast toward the ground, too fast. Tears flew rapidly down her cheeks, ones that Draco was beginning to mirror. He prayed to whatever god might be listening. Save her. Save her, please. I will do anything. I will love her until I die as long as you keep her here with me. He reached out desperately, trying to grasp her but she was too far. The green of the ground was approaching rapidly and he felt helpless to stop it.

As Draco got closer, he noticed the way her glossy lips trembled. "Please!" She cried out. "Draco!"

Suddenly, Draco felt a second wind. His name on her lips was all he needed to get the final jolt of energy. Astoria trusted him to save her. She trusted him to protect her. And he knew in that moment that he always would.

Draco dove under her, just barely above the ground. His arms reached out and grabbed Astoria out of the air. He didn't care that she sent the broom tumbling toward the ground, the grass staining his bright blonde hair as he shielded her in any way that he could. He didn't care that he was panting, breathing heavily from the fastest flight any wizard had ever taken. He didn't care that he rolled around on the ground in an effort to curb their momentum, eventually landing on top of her when they came to a stop. He didn't care about any of those things. All he cared about was the fact that she was there. In his arms. Safe. Alive.

Her green eyes were wide and glistening with tears that freely flowed down her face. "D-draco," she stuttered through a sob, her voice breathless and tight. "Draco, I was so scared. I-I thought—"

"Shh," he cooed, brushing her hair away from her face so he could look into her eyes. He loved the way it felt against his fingers, like silk. "I caught you. And I will again and again. I will always catch you, my love. Always."

She looked up at him with those big grassy eyes, her strawberry-colored lips trembling like a beacon against the fog. He stared back at her, admiring how soft and warm she felt underneath him.

And he didn't know who moved first. He didn't know whether he moved his head down to meet hers in some primal instinct that came out around Astoria, his own pathetic attempt to prove to himself that she was safe. Or perhaps she brought him to her with the hand that she strung through his hair. He didn't know which it was. All he knew was that their lips met there on the grass of the Quidditch pitch and his life was changed forever.

Astoria tasted like strawberries and warmth but also of danger and passion. He pushed himself deeper into her body, wanting desperately to touch every inch of her. One of his hands thrust themselves into her hair, feeling how wonderful it felt now that he was deeply embroiled in her kiss. The other moved to her waist and brought her body close to his, loving the way her tiny waist fit in his palm.

Draco groaned when Astoria opened her mouth to him. He wasted no time pushing his tongue inside, exploring every inch that she offered to him. She made these little pants that drove him wild. He already knew he would be fantasizing about hearing them more often as soon as she left. Though, there was a part of him debating never letting her go, of swinging her on his shoulder and carrying her to Malfoy Manor...

The kiss was one of those life-changing moments. He would always remember his life as "Before kissing Astoria Greengrass" and "After kissing Astoria Greengrass". Every fiber of his being sought to remember how it felt to be caught in a moment like this one, in the heated passion after compelling danger as her body moved underneath his, their mouths joined as one. Yes, he had kissed her as a child but it didn't feel as good as this. Bloody hell, nothing in his life had ever felt as good as this. She was soft and warm and she felt just right and she was fucking perfect.

"Oh, Astoria..." he moaned against her lips. "Astoria, Astoria, Astoria."

She sighed. "Draco," she whispered. He couldn't tell whether it was a moan like his or whether she was trying to tell him something. Either way, he kept kissing her. He would continue kissing her for as long as she let him. Soon, he started to taste the saltiness of her tears against the sweetness of her lips. A part of him worried but he just pulled her closer to reassure both of them that she was still here. "Draco, I thought I was going to die," she said, finally pulling back and placing her forehead against his.

He shook his head. "You can't get rid of me that easily." She giggled. It was amazing how one little sound could make him feel on top of the world.

"I-I'm not ready to leave you. But I have to." Her eyes looked downcast, her voice sounding unsure. Though he knew that Astoria had her insecurities, he wasn't used to her not having an air of confidence. But he liked it, in a way. It meant that she was trusting him, that she was allowing him to fully take care of her.

"You're not leaving me, darling, not as long as I can help it."

She frowned. "You have a Quidditch game soon. And besides... there's D—"

He silenced her with another long, deep kiss. When he finally pulled away, they were both panting. "Don't say her name. I don't want to hear anyone's name on your lips but mine. This moment is about us. No one else."

"But she—"

And so he kissed her again. "My love," he whispered. "We will figure it out. But I cannot let you go when I have only just gotten you back. It's selfish, keeping you to myself, I know but I cannot help myself. Feeling you in my arms and against my lips is the best thing I've felt in my entire life. So please don't ask me to give it up. Not yet." He meant every word.

She frowned. "Okay..." She trailed off and began to think, probably having some inner argument with herself. Astoria was a very morally just person, a good and kind person at her core. Going behind her sister, doing something that society deemed inappropriate... it would take time. He knew that. And he would ask her to give up everything for him—he would be a dick for expecting her to throw away her values for him—but he also knew how wonderful it felt to be with her again and if she wanted him, he knew he wouldn't be able to say no to her. To hell with morals.

"Well," she finally said. "What about your Quidditch game?" He could feel his heart soar. She wasn't saying no. She wasn't turning him away. She was still here, with him. Where it felt right.

He grinned. "Well... my favorite girl will be in the stands wearing my jersey and, hopefully, my ring if you haven't lost it. And then you and I will celebrate the win at a huge party afterward where I will whisk you away to several broom closets to kiss you again and again. How does that sound?"

She blushed but then frowned. "A broom closet? Sounds dusty."

Draco laughed. Of course his little lady cared about getting dirty. She wouldn't be Astoria if she didn't. "Then some other area of the castle. I don't care where it is as long as I end the night with my lips on yours."

She nodded. "Alright. But I'm going with Aria to the afterparty."

He felt the corners of his lips turn up. "And does Aria know that she's being dragged to this party?"

Astoria scowled. "No. But she will. She'll go because Th—someone will be there."

He raised his eyebrows. "Does someone have a little crush on Notty?" Astoria quickly said no but her pink cheeks gave it away. Interesting. I'll remember to keep an eye on that situation. "Alright. But you better warn Aria that I will be stealing you away tonight. A lot."

She blushed and moved to sit up. He let her but still kept his arms around her. His eyes suddenly dropped to her chest, though not for the reason one may think. "Is your heart alright?" he muttered, suddenly filled with worry that the fall may have been too much for her. Draco started to run his hands over her as if he still needed to reassure himself that she was okay. You're an idiot. A bloody git. She has a condition and you've barely even made sure that she's okay. Her condition. Astoria had a condition, one that she needed to see muggle doctors about. He wasn't bothered, not at all, but he did have something new to worry about. Draco made a mental note to find out everything he could about arrhythmia. He had connections who could get him information. Astoria was his and he protected what belonged to him.

"Surprisingly, yes... I'm not really able to predict when it will happen."

"And what is it like when it does happen?"

She pursed her lips and he had the desire to kiss them again, though he forced himself to give her room to speak. You can kiss her later. For now, worry about finding out what you can on her condition. "Sometimes I get dizzy and faint. Other times, I feel very hot. Occasionally, I'll completely forget where I am and what I'm doing and have to sit down to ground myself. It feels as if my body separates from my mind during those times and I'm stuck on the ground with a heart rate that's going far too fast."

He rubbed her cheek before kissing it lightly. "I'll do what I can to help you. I promise, my love."

She smiled and rubbed her cheek on his. He liked the feeling. It was intimate and warm, like something lovers might do. Lovers. That is what we are. Lovers. "Thank you."

Draco, noting how much the sun had risen since they first came down there, brought his lips to hers one last time, whispering against them, "Until tonight, Astoria."

She frowned. "Wait... what about your jersey? I don't have it."

He chuckled deeply. "Already on your bed, my love. I made a special delivery while you were at breakfast. Can't have my cheerleader waiting on her uniform, now can I?" She smiled. "Now, go rest until the game. Because once I get you to myself tonight, you aren't going to get much sleep."

Hope this chapter was worth the cliffhanger! Also, I hope you guys love them as much as I do. Draco and Astoria and Tom and Evelyn are by far my favorite couples in my little universe (don't worry, T&E are up on my profile AND in the Christmas Alone chapter in Smoke & Stars!).