*One year after the Battle of Hogwarts*
"Draco, are you hungry?" Astoria asked him. She noticed he was pushing around the food on his plate. He had just come back from being gone for a few weeks, and Astoria was glad he was safe, but he seemed bothered. She knew he was fighting in the war, but didn't understand why he was away for so long. Her father would come home every night, and yet Draco was the one who was gone for extended periods.
"Nah, Tori. I ate earlier. And you know how much I hate Twinkle's cooking," Draco muttered, downing a glass of wine.
Astoria scrunched her nose at that. Though he had turned 18 the year prior and was legally allowed to drink, she thought he was doing it in excess. And her father didn't even bat an eye. Not even after they'd visit Malfoy manor and find it completely destroyed in a drunken rampage.
"Do you mean you ate as in you drank blood from a person?" she pressed.
"Astoria, mind your manners," her father kindly reminded.
"Course he does," Daphne retorted. "He's a vampire."
Draco rolled his eyes, pouring himself more wine from a carafe. "Thanks for clarifying, Daph."
"What? Were we just supposed to lie to her?" Daphne replied quickly. "She should know what happens. She's old enough now."
Astoria did feel old enough to be a part of the conversation. She was sixteen and about to start her sixth year at Hogwarts. Although she normally loved going to school, things had been different over the past year. Half of the school was converted to act as a stronghold for the war. Dementors littered the grounds, making it feel more like a prison than a place of education and a home away from home.
Her father stood, setting his napkin down next to his plate. "Daphne, a word in the hall?"
It wasn't demanding the way he spoke to his daughters. He was always so gentle with them. When the Greengrass sisters misbehaved, they merely were asked to stop. So when Daphne was told to step into the hallway, she obliged, but huffed on her way out.
"Ooo… Daph's in trouble," Astoria sang as she laughed.
Draco sighed, chugging his wine. "You shouldn't be happy about that, Tori. You need to have her back. This war isn't getting any easier."
"Is that why you're gone for so long?" she asked, using a fork to arrange her peas into a straight line.
"Yes, Tori."
"Are you hurting people, Draco?"
"Yes, Tori," he replied, setting the empty glass down with a clink. "Does that bother you?"
"No, I know you don't want to," she said with certainty.
"How do you know?"
"Because that's not the Draco I know."
Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but they didn't. They stayed put, making his eyes glassy. He was stubborn in that way. "Whoever that was is gone now. I'm a monster, Tori."
"No, you're not. You're Draco Malfoy and you're my best friend."
"Tori…" he began to speak.
"You're my best friend," she interrupted. "I don't care that you are hurting people you are being told to hurt. However, I do care that you're drinking too much."
Draco rolled his eyes at her dramatically. "Sorry, mum. I didn't realize it was such a nuisance for you."
"Don't, Draco," she snapped. "Don't make a joke out of everything. This is serious."
Draco poured a glass of wine and pushed it across the table towards Astoria. She raised an eyebrow at him before lifting it slowly. Brining it to her nose, she smelt the fruity and floral notes, reminding her of candy. Never had she ever drank alcohol before. If anything, she was vehemently opposed to it. She had seen Draco and Daphne drinking in the Slytherin common room a multitude of times, watching as they entered into a drunken stupor.
"Why do you drink?" she asked him, genuinely curious as she sloshed the liquid around, looking closely as it coated the sides of the vessel.
"It makes me feel normal," he mumbled. "Like suddenly, the war isn't happening and I am human for a little bit."
Astoria brought the glass to her lips. Her curiosity getting the best of her, seeing how much Draco had relied on it. The red liquid coated her tongue, and she thought it would taste sweet, but there was a bitterness that lingered in her mouth that made her recoil.
"This is horrid," Astoria muttered as she pushed the glass back. He began to chuckle heartily, something that felt so rare as of late.
"You'll like it one day, trust me," he smiled at her, his fangs poking out from under his pale lips. Anyone else would have felt fear, but never Astoria. She would never fear him.
"And one day, you won't need it," she told him. "The four of us are going to make it out of this war, you and I will be cured of our curses, and we're going to be happy, Draco."
Draco's eyes wandered down to his arm, and Astoria saw his fist clench as the snake on the Dark Mark moved erratically. An immediate indication that he would soon be gone for a while again.
"I'm going to miss you a lot, Draco. Come back soon, okay?" she said as he stood from the table. From what she was told, the pain of the Dark Mark burning was unbearable at times, especially the longer it took for the recipient to respond. But instead of immediately Apparating away, Draco walked over to where she sat, wrapping his cold arms around her. She could sense his hesitation, scared he would squeeze too hard, but she held him back, pulling him as tight as she could. "Things will be different one day."
"I know," he whispered. And in an instant, he was gone.
—
"Read her mind, I don't even have to do that to know she doesn't want this," Astoria heard Hermione yell at them. Just by the direction of her voice, she knew that she was standing in between her wand and Bellatrix. Her wand that was firmly planted in her hand, despite protesting.
She wished that Draco would read her mind, she was much too tired to spit out the words she desperately tried to conjure from her throat. Even though she hated Bellatrix and learned of the horrific things she's done, she didn't want to kill her. She wanted her dead, but she didn't want to be the one to deal the blow.
"Granger, get the fuck out of the way," Draco growled, shaking with rage. Rage, or perhaps it was fear. Fear of what he may do if Hermione didn't obey his command. Draco had always promised Astoria that she would come first no matter what, but that was well before Hermione had become such a strong presence in his life. She didn't want him to have to choose between the two of them, but she would hope he would come to his senses and realize Hermione could give him a future worth living for.
Astoria didn't dare open her eyes, fearful of what may happen if she faced the reality of it. She didn't want to see Hermione and Daphne in distress. She didn't want to see the disappointment in Theodore. She didn't want to see Draco scared.
"Draco…" Astoria murmured, mustering the strength to look at him. But he didn't return the glance, still glaring at The Golden Girl.
"Teddy, get her out of here. Now," Draco barked, still looking Hermione dead in the eyes.
Theodore stepped towards Hermione, but didn't pull her away. "Draco, we need to talk about this," he gently said.
"Have you all lost the fucking plot? You want to damn Astoria to death?" Draco frantically asked the room. A cornered dog, scared, pleading for help. Astoria tilted his chin down towards her so he would finally look at her. There wasn't anger or hate anymore. Pure fear flooded his silver eyes and his heart was beating so fast it nearly felt human.
"Draco, I won't die," she took a sharp breath, her lips so chapped it hurt to speak. "I'll be like you."
He set her hand down carefully in her lap, placing his cold palm against her burning cheek. "You don't want to be like me, Tori."
"I've always wanted to be like you, ever since I was a little girl," Astoria assured him. Draco had always been her hero. He was the boy that stood up for her at the playground. The person who protected her from war. There wasn't a damn person she thought was stronger than him. However, she would be lying if she said she wasn't scared of what may happen to her. She wasn't scared of dying, but she wanted to live. Live. Really truly live. To sit in the sun and read her magazines. To enjoy her favorite foods without feeling nauseous. To sit at a sewing machine and not feel exhausted after only a few minutes.
Draco's cold forehead pressed against hers. "I'm sorry, Tori. You deserve better."
"I just want to rest, Draco," Astoria whispered. And he obliged, laying her back down on the mattress and tucking her in. Before he backed away, she grabbed his hand, forcing him to take pause. The look she gave him was all he needed.
"Tell Hermione you're sorry," Astoria thought as hard as she could so Draco could see exactly what she wanted him to. "She deserves better."
—
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief once Draco set Astoria down. The wand no longer pointed directly at her, the fear dissipating. Hermione didn't know if she had it in herself to talk him down. Since she had been with him, she didn't ever think he would hurt her. Not when his teeth were sunk into her flesh or when his hand was around her throat. But the exception to that was when he had Astoria in his arms. She didn't know what extent he would go to protect his sister. Her hands were shaking, and Theodore wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and trying to calm her.
"I'm fine, Teddy," Hermione mumbled. Theodore nodded, and went to go comfort his wife who sat expressionless on the floor.
Unsheathing her wand, she expected Bellatrix to flinch, but she remained still, looking unamused. After casting a levitation spell, she carefully brought the restrained witch to the cellar, ensuring it was completely locked and there was no means of escape for their prisoner. Numerous spells were cast upon the wooden doors into the basement, and she double and triple checked her work, as she always did.
The cold winter air felt stinging on her skin, only wearing a cardigan to shield herself from the wind. And though she was cold, she didn't want to go back inside, so she sat on the porch. She did love the white farmhouse, it provided a strange sense of comfort. But it was tense in there now, and she didn't want to face it just yet. She didn't want to face the fact that the man she cared so deeply for was threatening her for the sake of his sister's life. How could she blame him? Would she have done the same if it were Ginny and he stood in the way?
Her hands became numb, the temperature dropping quickly in the night. Hermione pulled her cardigan tighter over herself, hoping to buy a few more minutes of quiet. She tried to quiet her mind, attempting to push away the images of Draco's silver eyes piercing into her, reminding her of a time that felt so distant, but in reality, was only months ago. It hadn't even been a year since he had killed Seamus, stealing her away, damning her soul along with his. It was sick to think that she had fallen so hard for him that all of the things he had done just disappeared from the forefront of her mind. That she craved him so deeply despite everything he had put her through. She wanted him now.
The blue door opened, but Hermione didn't turn to acknowledge it just yet, attempting to keep some of her pride intact. But she didn't need to look to know who it was.
"It's cold out here, Granger. Let's go inside and talk, I'll get the fire going," his soothing voice called to her. A personal siren call that nearly made her run to him. But she sat on the bench, looking down, squeezing her own fingers into her arms to stop them from trembling from the cold.
His footsteps came closer until she saw his black boots in front of her. Draco got down on one of his knees, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze.
"Baby, you're freezing. Please come inside," he whispered, pulling off his cloak and wrapping it around her. "I'm so sorry, baby. What I did was inexcusable. I just…" his voice nearly broke. "I just can't lose anymore. And I won't lose you too."
If she didn't understand the pain that he had been through, she would have left. But his devotion to Astoria was a part of why she did care for him so deeply. She was well aware of how much he loved her and what he was willing to sacrifice to save her. So instead of pushing away from him, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. He cradled her as he brought her into the warm house where they sat in the armchair by the fireplace. It came to a roar, warming Hermione as she clutched onto Draco's freezing skin.
"I'm so sorry," he said again and again, holding her close to his chest. Hermione could feel his guilt, he wore it so openly. To stop his muttering, she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply to let him know that it was okay and she wasn't going anywhere. They had time to apologize and be sorry to each other when the war was over.
Hermione spent the next few days either in her workshop or at Astoria's bedside. She had become less responsive otherwise more time had passed. It came to a point where she could barely lift her head on her own. Daphne and Twinkle never let her out of their sight, doing their best to administer each medicine that had stopped working and trying to feed her the foods she enjoyed. But she could barely hold down water, let alone the nutritious meals Twinkle was cooking for her.
Hermione stood in the hallway and watched as Daphne dozed off as she sat by Astoria. Usually, she was so put together, her blonde hair perfectly curled. But she was a mess as of late, and it killed Hermione to see.
"Daphne, take a break. I can watch over her while you shower and get some rest," Hermione said as she entered the room.
"Are Draco and Teddy back yet?" she asked. Hermione shook her head in response. They were with the Order still, making arrangements and ensuring every detail was perfectly planned.
"They should be back tonight. I'll ask Tappy to make a nice meal for us. We can have it up here with Tori," Hermione told her, resting her hand on Daphne's shoulder. Daphne nodded, thanking Hermione before standing up shakily and leaving the room.
Taking the seat where Daphne once sat, Hermione opened a book and began to read quietly. Astoria groaned softly, waking from her rest. Hermione brought a glass of water to her, and gently pressed the back of her hand against her forehead to check her temperature. Her skin was hot, nearly burning at the touch. Twinkle hopped onto the bed next, holding a cold rag to her arm and anxiously checking over the sick witch
"Twinkle, can you give her a fever reducing potion?" Hermione asked the house elf.
"Lady Greengrass gave Lady Malfoy one only minutes before Miss arrived. Twinkle would not advise giving Lady Malfoy another potion for three more hours," Twinkle sadly announced. Astoria's eyes fluttered and eventually focused on Hermione. And despite the sweat that covered her face and the immense pain she was in, Astoria smiled.
"Hi," her voice weakly called.
"Hey," Hermione replied softly. "How are you feeling?"
Astoria snorted, if she was stronger it would have been a laugh. "Bad."
"Rest, pretty girl. You need to conserve your strength."
Astoria reached for Hermione's hand, "I missed you."
"I missed you too. Hang on a little longer. I'm getting so close with the cure," Hermione smiled.
"How close?" Astoria coughed.
"My last tests were working at an 85% success rate."
"You're so smart," Astoria wheezed. "I knew you'd do it."
"Almost, but not quite yet. It'lI be soon though, so just hang with me, okay?"
Astoria didn't reply, looking tired again. She rested back into the nest of pillows. Hermione saw how hollow her cheeks were and how thin her arms had gotten. It was clear that she was struggling just to make it through today.
After a few hours, Daphne returned and Tappy began to set a small table full of food at the foot of Astoria's bed. It wasn't long until Draco and Theodore arrived. Immediately, Draco went to Astoria, giving her a kiss on her head before joining them at the quaint table.
"How was today?" Theodore asked Daphne as he sat down, pouring himself some whiskey.
"Not good. Her fever has been unmanageable today," she replied, doing her best to hold in her emotions. It seemed as if at any moment, she would begin to sob.
Draco's gaze was keenly on Astoria, and he watched her chest rise and fall slowly. "Her heartbeat is weak," he announced.
"Tori?" Theodore called to her.
A light moan came from Astoria, and her eyes opened slowly. When she saw them all sitting around the table, she smiled her bright, signature smile.
"You all… look lovely," she whimpered.
"And you look beautiful too, Tori," Theodore smiled, through tears filling his eyes. "Say, you remember when I got that nasty bruise from that Aethonan? You spent a whole hour trying to cover it up with makeup before the Carrows' Christmas party. Even put lipstick on me. I bet I looked even prettier than you then."
Astoria was grinning, her eyes closed, listening to the laughter of her sister as Theodore told his story. It was peaceful the way she laid there. Hermione thought that even though she looked so ill, she was still so beautiful.
"Oh goodness, that was the year that Millie wore the same dress as me and Tori fashioned me a new one in the guest bathroom. Looked even better than the original," Daphne giggled as tears fell.
Hermione felt her own cheeks become wet. "Astoria's always so good at that. Making us feel nice about ourselves."
"She's the best of us, isn't she?" Theodore said, holding up his glass.
Astoria wheezed slightly and her chapped lips opened once more. "I love you all."
"We love you too, Tori," Daphne replied, getting up to sit next to her little sister.
"I'll see you soon," Astoria mumbled, still somehow with a smile on her face. They all watched as Astoria's chest heaved, holding their own breaths as she took her last.