Shame on me, I still haven't finished my diploma thesis and I started writing a Thor fanfiction after watching Infinity War... I am still working on this story, however.

Read, enjoy and review :)

Soon the new semester began. Professor Grubbly-Plank took over the Care of Magical Creatures class because Rita Skeeter had written a devastating article that had revealed the parentage of Hagrid to the whole wizarding world. The article had caused such a commotion, it had managed to overshadowed the articles about the disappearing muggles and muggle borns as well as the tournament.

Draco did not have much time to ponder this. He had a heavy workload and he had to juggle his Occlumency lessons, his work with Snape and Neville, and his social life.

"Hi, Draco," greeted Theodore a few days into the new year.

"Morning Theo," Draco yawned. He slumped down next to Daphne and opposite of Theo at the Slytherin table. "Daphne," he nodded his head in her direction and grabbed a biscuit.

"You going to Hogsmeade today?" asked Theo.

Draco sighed. He had wanted to spend the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year roaming the streets of the village with Astoria. "No. I think I'll keep Astoria company in the Infirmary."

"What a knight in shining armor you are," Theo laughed.

"Oh, don't listen to him," Daphne entered the conversation, smiling at him. "Tory is lucky to have you."

"Quite the contrary, I'm lucky to have her," he smiled back.

"Yuck," Theo made a face, "ever since you two started dating all that comes out of your mouths is so… mushy."

Daphne smirked. "Jealous?"

"As if," he huffed. But then his face grew more serious. "Astoria does get sick quite often, doesn't she? Is everything alright?"

Draco observed Daphne. She looked a little uncomfortable. "Everything's peachy. She's just a bit on the frail side. Weak immune system. I swear she catches every bacterium and virus that's flying around."

That was one way of answering the question, Draco thought. Daphne was not even lying per se, just stretching the truth a bit. But Draco knew that by now her family had figured out what was wrong with their youngest and had dragged her from one healer to the next. "What are your plans for today?" Draco changed the topic, knowing how uncomfortable it must be for Daphne to talk about this.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade with Neville," replied Daphne.

"Guys," groaned Theo, "I'm really happy for you and everything, but would it kill you to spend some time with your friends? Like, I don't know, me, for example?"

Daphne laughed. "Sorry, Theo. Can't you go with someone else?"

"Who?" he asked, his face serious. "My popularity amongst Slytherins is… subpar. I don't want to give Pansy any ideas and… well, I guess Blaise is alright, but he is not the conversational type. And the Gryffindors… Harry's alright, but he's going with Ginny. And Granger and Weasley have been… weird ever since the Yule Ball."

"What about Krum and his friends?" asked Draco.

"I'll probably go with Johanna and Serge, perhaps I'll ask Blaise to join us. Krum is… I think he said something about going swimming. Weird, those Bulgarians."

Draco laughed. "Tell you what, we'll go together the next Hogsmeade weekend, alright? Just like in the good, old days. But perhaps without Pansy…" he shuddered. "Besides, I'm working on a project that I'll need your help with."

"And what project might that be?" asked Daphne, her arms crossed.

"Plausible deniability, Daphne," smirked Draco.

"Gosh, I hate it when you say that," she growled. "Promise me you'll tell me what not to eat when the time comes."

"Promise," laughed Draco.

After breakfast he made his way to the Infirmary.

"Morning, Tory," he said softly. She was laying on one of the beds, her complexion pale and her eyes glassy.

"Draco," she smiled.

"I brought you breakfast," he presented her with some scones, clotted cream and jam. "Couldn't get you any tea, but I got some pepper imps and sugar quills."

"Don't let Madam Pomfrey hear that," she laughed. Then she rummaged through the candy. "I love sugar quills."

Draco knew that, of course. Astoria had a sweet tooth that was rivaled by none, a trait she had passed on to their son. In Astoria he had always found it adorable, with Scorpius it had been a little more difficult, as he tended to get hyperactive with too much sugar in his system. But he loved that side in both of them. Saying so, might be too early, though. He had only been dating Astoria for a couple of weeks. So, instead, he kissed her on her feverish forehead.

"Draco," she giggled, "you're sweet but you really shouldn't do that. I might be contagious."

"What's a little cold if I get to spend my day with you?" Draco thought back to Theo's complaints about how mushy and sappy everything he said had become. Perhaps he was right about that. But dating someone for the first time when you aren't even quite sure how you feel about the other person yet is quite different from dating someone you already know to be the one. And already knowing how it felt to lose that person only amplified the feelings involved.

Astoria blushed. "I'm sorry we couldn't go to Hogsmeade today. You don't have to stay here just because of me."

"Nonsense. I'd rather be here with you than in Hogsmeade without you. And you don't have to apologize for getting sick."

"But I get sick all the time. I don't want to hold you back."

This seemed familiar. "I don't care," Draco said.

"I just don't want to be a burden to you," she said. "I'm already such a disappointment for my family. I get sick all the time and I know they worry, even if they pretend they don't. And then I get sorted into Ravenclaw…"

That was an argument they had had often in the other time line, especially when she was sick. Then she would feel insecure and often talk about her worries.

"Don't say that. I'm sure your parents are proud of you, Ms Best-Potions-Student-of-her-Year. I know your sister is. And a house is just a house. It doesn't have to mean anything."

"I don't think there are many people who think like you do." She smiled at him.

Draco felt like he didn't deserve the compliment. It had taken a war and the love of one great witch to change his views on the whole matter. "To be honest, I wouldn't be like that if not for my friends and you. Honestly, on my own I'm quite the git."

Astoria laughed. "You're not a git, Draco."

Draco looked at her and suddenly he felt a mourning for the older Astoria, the one that had known everything about him and had still loved and accepted him. "Don't say that... you don't know... what I've done..." He felt a sudden, stupid urge to tell her everything, even if it would end up ruining their relationship. He knew Astoria liked him, but she didn't know the real him. How could she love him if she didn't even know him?

"Draco..." Astoria began, sounding quite solemn, "I've always had the feeling that you've done something or seen something... even before we first met... I don't know what... but I assume it must have been bad. Your quite prone to trouble, after all..." she smiled at him. "But, you sometimes have this... I don't know how to say this... dark aura around you. Sometimes, when no one looks, you look so sad and so..." she waved her hands in front of her, trying to put a feeling she had about him into words, "full of remorse. It's like a dark cloud is surrounding you."

"A-"

"Shh," she stopped him from interrupting her, and gently placed a hand on his cheek. "You feel remorse," she repeated, apparently deciding that it was the right word to describe her observations. "I think, no matter what you did, that is the important part. That is what makes you a good person. There is nothing you could have done or will ever do that would make me think any less of you... You don't have to tell me what is bothering you," judging by the conviction with which she said this, she had given this a lot of thought already, "I don't want to push you. I just want you to know that whenever you feel ready to talk about it, I'm here for you."

That, more than anything, calmed his troubled heart. This was his Astoria. Even though she was younger, she had the same heart and believed in the good in people. An older version had uttered words similar to those, although perhaps more eloquently put. Draco knew, when the day came where he would tell her all of his secrets, she would understand. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek.

They spent a few hours together, before Madam Pomfrey decided to throw him out of the Infirmary.

Draco felt wonderful.

A surprising side effect of dating Astoria had been that he could sleep better than he had in years. At night he'd often lain awake for hours, worrying about the decisions he'd made, whether he'd be able to improve things or if he'd made everything worse, and missing his son. But now that they were together again, he knew that everything would be fine and that he would see Scorpius again one day.

He also had fewer nightmares.

Things were definitely looking up.

Or not.

Draco had been on his way towards Snape's office a few days later. He had wanted to discuss his DADA homework. But before he reached the door, he could hear someone yelling, a smash, and then saw Potter running towards him. He strode right past Draco, pale and shaking.

Draco opened the door to his godfather's office carefully, peeking inside. Snape was standing beside his Pensieve, seething, and looked like he was ready to kill someone, so Draco slowly closed the door again and fled the scene.

This was probably none of his business.

Unsurprisingly, the universe decided to make it his business.

TBC

A.N. I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know with a review ;) I felt like Astoria and Draco needed some development before Voldemort returns and Draco's focus shifts to the war. Next chapter will have some interaction between Draco and Harry and after that we'll reach April and the Easter holidays.

Story suggestion: A Conversation with Snape by Snarky64 – Remus tries to convince Snape to continue Occlumency lessons after Harry looked into Snape's Pensieve.