Astoria lay in the hospital bed, pale and motionless, not waking up. Her parents and sister kept her company, still dressed in formal clothes, but their serious faces showed their concern. Draco was there too, a little further away, sitting in a chair with his face buried in his hands. He didn't know what was happening, and he was afraid it was his fault. He was going over the last few hours he had spent with Astoria. What had happened? At what point had she started to feel sick? Had he made her get worse?
He heard footsteps stop in front of him, and looking up he recognized Harry, dressed in his Auror robes.
"Can you come with me?" strangely enough, his voice sounded different, almost kind, and Draco thought he saw a hint of pity in his eyes. At another time, Draco would have responded in a haughty and disdainful manner, but now he was so lost that he simply nodded.
They travelled by Floo powder to the Ministry, and Harry led him through the corridors to a room. This was not an interrogation room, but an office. Adorning the walls were newspaper clippings of solved cases, and flags of the Holyhead Harpies.
"Wait here for a moment," Harry pointed to a chair in front of the desk, and Draco sat down without saying anything. He looked around the rest of the office, finally noticing a photograph resting on the table. It seemed that Potter had finally decided to take the step and marry the youngest of the Weasleys. Even in his desperate state, Draco wondered when that had happened. Apparently, he had missed out on a lot of new things in the wizarding world.
Harry returned with a tray and two cups of tea. Draco didn't even wonder if there was Veritaserum in the drink; it hardly mattered at this point.
"Congratulations," he murmured, nodding at the photograph.
"Thank you," Harry replied curtly, folding his hands on the table. "What happened?" he asked softly.
Draco shook his head.
"I don't know, I didn't see it. I was with the others, and when I came back... Astoria was on the floor. Daphne says she just fainted."
"We've already talked to Daphne," Harry confirmed, still speaking softly. "Did you notice anything strange earlier?"
"No, Astoria was fine. A little nervous, but that's normal, with an event like that. She hadn't slept well."
"Do you know if she took any kind of sleeping potion? Anything that made her sick?"
"No, she just took a hot shower."
"Did she use the usual soaps?"
"I think so. They all look the same to me," Draco shook his head. "What if it was me? What if it was my fault?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Something always happens to her when she's with me. It's no coincidence."
"No, it isn't, but that doesn't mean it's your fault."
A knock on the door caught their attention, and two people entered the office. Draco recognized them despite his mental state. The wizard with the scars on his face was one of the Weasley brothers, and the woman accompanying him was the former champion of Beauxbattons School for the Triwizard tournament.
"Bill and Fleur Weasley have been called in to help out on this case. They both work at Gringotts, breaking curses."
"Curses?" Draco repeated, not understanding. Bill stepped forward, clearing his throat.
"The healers called us because after exploring Greengrass they realized that she had been attacked by a curse. It is not a very common spell, but we have seen similar curses protecting the oldest chambers of Gringotts."
"The cugse affects the bloodand is very powegful and dangegous," added Fleur. "It can be mogtal if it is not tgeated on time."
"How is that possible? How did Astoria come into contact with something like this?"
"She must have touched a cursed object," Bill explained.
"Think, Malfoy, do you remember any fishy object Greengrass may have touched?"
"It could be anything," Draco frowned, thinking, and suddenly remembered. "The blueprints book!" he exclaimed. "There's a book that belonged to Astoria's grandparents; it was lost during the European War and was in Gellet Grindelwald 's possession," he explained, looking at the other three in fear. "I found it and had it restored to give it back to her."
"How long has she had it?" Harry wrote hastily on a piece of parchment.
"Since her birthday."
"Just when all the events began," Harry murmured. "How often has she been in contact with the book?"
"Lately, every day. She's using it as a reference to design the hotel rooms."
Bill exchanged a glance with Fleur.
"There have been many curses detected coming from objects related to Grindelwald," he confirmed, before turning to Draco. "Do you find her behavior to be obsessive when she's with the book?"
"I couldn't say, she always seemed normal to me. She usually throws herself into her work."
"We must study it. We may be in time to ungavel the cugse."
ooo
The long wooden table glowed under the dim candlelight. Even the fireplace didn't seem enough to chase away the darkness and relieve the cold, despite its blazing fire.
Draco shrank in his seat, caught in the mocking and disappointed glances of the Death Eaters hiding behind their white masks. At the head of the table, Lord Voldemort expressed his displeasure.
"You failed again, Draco. Are you proud to follow in your father's footsteps?"
"No, my lord, I just-"
"Your mission was simple: kill Albus Dumbledore. And yet, it had to be others who finished your task."
Beside the pale, ghostly figure, Snape sat in the place of honor, but his features were shrouded in shadow.
"Please, I-"
"You've been distracted, Draco. I get the impression your attention has been in the wrong place," Lord Voldemort waved his wand, causing a bundle to float silently towards the table. "Perhaps it's time to put a remedy to that."
Draco's eyes were drawn to the figure hovering above him. It was Astoria.
"My lord, please," Draco felt terror grip his body. She looked at him helplessly, panic in her eyes.
"You've had your chance. Now, you must be punished for your failure."
"My lord-"
"Crucio!"
The red lightning bolt struck Astoria, and Draco could do nothing to stop it. She gasped, letting out a silent scream. Her eyes widened, expressing the pain that gripped her. Draco couldn't move, he couldn't do anything. Even if he wanted to take out his wand and defend her, his hands refused to act. He could only watch as Astoria was tortured, under the amused gaze and cruel laughter of the others.
And then it happened, what he had witnessed so many times before. The thing Draco feared most was about to come true.
"Nagini, dinner..."
"NO!"
ooo
Draco sat up suddenly, screaming, his eyes bulging and his breathing ragged. He looked around like a sleepwalker, recognizing his bedroom at Malfoy Manor. He hadn't been able to sleep in Astoria's apartment without her.
Shaking like a leaf, he crawled into the bathroom and turned on the cold water. He washed his face, but when he closed his eyes he saw the images of his nightmare again. Astoria being tortured in front of his eyes for something he had done.
His body shook violently, and a visceral sob escaped from between his lips. Draco clung to the edge of the sink, crying uncontrollably. He knew it wasn't true; it had just been a nightmare. But it wasn't so different from what had happened in real life.
Astoria had been cursed because of him.
He didn't know how long he stood there, crying. Guilt gnawed at him inside. Why did Astoria have to pay for his mistakes? When he managed to calm down, he washed his face again, but he couldn't hide the redness of his cheeks and eyes or the trembling of his hands. He knew he couldn't leave his room in this state, but on the other hand he was terrified of being alone.
Taking a deep breath and telling himself he could do it, he headed to the dining room, hoping the familiarity of breakfast and his parents' presence would help calm the frantic pace of his heart.
But this morning was far from normal. Lucius and Narcissa were glancing at him, as if they knew what was wrong, but they didn't dare to say anything about it. Narcissa tried to read the morning news aloud, to distract him, but Draco couldn't hear her voice. His mind kept returning to the memory of Astoria's face twisted in pain. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists tightly and closed his eyes, feeling the panic rise in his throat like a tongue of fire.
It's not true. It's not true. It's not true. It's not true...
"Draco," Lucius had put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his spiral of agony. "Come with me."
Draco obeyed like an automaton, following his father outside. The sunlight and fresh air briefly eased his distress, but did not make him forget. Lucius limped slowly beside him, looking at him with concern.
"Draco, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you shouldn't punish yourself for what happened. It wasn't your fault."
Those words felt like a slap in the face. Draco stopped in his tracks and stared at his father in disbelief.
"What do you mean it wasn't my fault? I gave her that book!" he exclaimed, saying out loud what had been gnawing at his conscience ever since he'd left the Ministry. "A book that had been stolen from her family and had been in Grindelwald's possession. How could I have thought it was harmless? Why didn't I check to see if it was curse-free? After what Astoria had told me about her grandmother! How could I have been so stupid?" the words caught in his throat, and Draco bit his lip, struggling not to break down. He didn't want to burst into tears in front of his father.
"Everything will be okay," Lucius's voice sounded soft and gentle, though. "She'll be fine."
"How do you know?"
"Because it is not the first time something like this happened. Death Eaters used those kinds of curses too, but the Aurors always managed to undo them. There may be some after-effects, but it's nothing she can't overcome with time," he consoled him. "And if, as you say, they've called the wizards from Gringotts, the recovery will be quicker than you expect."
Draco shook his head, not quite believing him. He didn't dare to hope.
"You must have faith, son."
"And then what?" he asked before realizing it. "What will happen when she wakes up? What if she never forgives me? What if she doesn't want to have anything to do with me?"
"I thought that myself, once," Lucius played with the head of his cane. "When I was first sent to Azkaban, I thought your mother would never forgive me. In fact, I instructed Primus to facilitate our divorce if she wished. But that was not the case."
"Of course not, mother was always by your side."
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Draco. Sometimes, the people we love surprise us when we least expect it... or deserve it," Lucius placed a hand on his arm. "Maybe your Astoria won't give up so easily either."
"But we... it's not the same," Draco didn't see how his parents' situation could compare to his own. After all, Narcissa and Lucius had been married for years, sharing a life together and a child when danger had come knocking on their door. But Draco and Astoria had only just met, and they had already been attacked four times.
She had every right in the world to refuse to see him again. And Draco didn't blame her. However, the thought of losing her forever made an invisible claw crush his chest, preventing him from breathing. His eyes suddenly stung again, and although he turned away to hide it, he couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes again.
He tried to hide it, but that day it was impossible to camouflage his emotions. And there he was, in the middle of the gardens, crying again, unable to compose himself.
And to his surprise, his father hugged him, without saying anything, and Draco leaned on him, giving free rein to his pain and fear, feeling that this time he was not alone.
ooo
The days passed without further incidents, but Astoria still hadn't woken up. Her health was slowly deteriorating, and the healers weren't optimistic. Draco had gone to visit her every day, despite the angry looks of the Greengrass. Draco didn't blame them; he understood their reservations perfectly, but he tried to ignore them as best he could. He had to be there for Astoria. The only one who seemed to tolerate him was Daphne, though she didn't talk to him much either. Obviously, all her attention was on her sister, but Daphne was the only one who allowed him to come near the bed, and she looked away when Draco took Astoria's cold hand in his.
Pansy also visited the hospital often, genuinely worried. It hurt her that something like this had happened on her wedding day, hurting her best friend. She was the only one sitting next to Draco, talking to him to try and distract him, and this time he didn't move away. For the first time, he allowed himself to be vulnerable and have the support of a loved one.
Just when it seemed like things could not get worse, Draco was called back into Harry's office. Stunned, he noticed that the blueprints book was lying on the table, and that Bill and Fleur didn't look very happy.
"The book isn't the cause of the curse. It's old and has several hidden spells, but we haven't found any curses or traces of them. It must be something else," Bill explained.
"But there's nothing else. Astoria doesn't have anything suspicious," Draco insisted, but Bill shook his head.
"It can be the most insignificant object, even something you've never suspected, but it has to be something that comes into contact with her skin on a regular basis."
"Could it be her clothes? The jewelry?" and then Draco saw it very clearly. "The pendant! The aquamarine pendant. Blaise gave it to her for her birthday. She wears it almost all the time."
"Describe that pendant," Bill asked, interested, while Harry wrote hastily.
"It has a round stone that was part of a ring her grandmother owned, and the chain is made of silver... or a silver-plated metal."
"Silver or silver-plated metal? The difference is important," Bill insisted.
"I don't know, I've never noticed," Draco frowned, puzzled. For some reason, his mind refused to remember the pendant in detail.
"Your girlfriend wears that around her neck all the time and you haven't noticed?" Harry mocked, but Fleur waved him off.
"Haven't you noticed? Or haven't you been able to notice?" she asked. "Do you feel like youg eyes gefuse to look at it?"
"I don't know, I've never been aware... I always notice the stone, but not the chain."
"That must be it. The curse protects itself," Bill muttered. "I bet Greengrass is still wearing the pendant, that's why she can't recover."
Harry frowned.
"Shouldn't the healers have removed it at the hospital?"
"As I said, the curse protects itself. We must go and check if the pendant is still attached to its victim," and without wasting any time, Bill and Fleur hurried out of the office.
"Come with us, Malfoy," Harry told him, covering himself with his cloak. "I think it's important that you're there."
Draco was relieved to be able to accompany them, but his mind kept thinking about the night of Astoria's birthday, and Blaise putting the pendant on her for the first time.
"What a bastard. It's been Blaise this whole time," Draco cursed, following Harry to the fireplace.
"Calm down Malfoy, we still have to investigate the case."
"What is there to investigate? He gave her the pendant! And she wore it every time-"
"Lower your voice," Harry's voice left no room for protest," We will wait for Bill and Fleur to verify your theory and then continue with the investigation. This matter is more complex than it seems."
"I don't understand. Why don't you arrest him?"
"Because we need proof."
"You didn't need proof when you came to arrest me."
"It's not the same, you have a criminal record. You were a Death Eater. You've been in Azkaban. Blaise Zabini has a spotless record; I can't just show up at his house and arrest him without evidence," Harry raised his voice angrily before grabbing a handful of Floo powder. "So just calm down and wait."
Draco crossed his arms, growling, but obeyed. He tried not to look at Harry, lest his anger make him say something out of place, but he followed him back to the hospital without complaint.
ooo
Bill and Fleur worked tirelessly to break Astoria's curse, under the watchful eyes of her family and the healers. Fleur used her Veela magic to break the cloaking spell hiding the chain and proceeded to carefully navigate the fine line between destroying the pendant and saving Astoria. With one hand on the chain and the other on the girl, she closed her eyes and muttered something unintelligible, her hair fluttering as if blown by the wind. After several hours, she managed to slightly damage the links, enough for the curse to weaken.
Astoria shuddered, and Draco thought he saw slight signs of improvement, like the color returning to her cheeks or the steadying of her breathing. Then the chain flashed and opened, separating from its victim, and Astoria inhaled a deep breath, waking up.
Draco felt Daphne's hand tighten around his arm.
"So, it was true... It was Blaise's fault," she muttered, shaking with rage and disbelief. "Damn bastard."
Draco didn't dare to answer. His eyes were fixed on Astoria, studying every detail of her face.
"Daphne Greengrass? Can we talk for a moment?" Harry had approached them, flanked by his usual companions, Patel and Langarm. For a moment, Draco was glad that he wasn't the one being questioned. He could hear the murmur of their conversation and guessed that Daphne was explaining what had happened during the party, but Draco's attention was fixed on Astoria. She seemed to have woken from a deep sleep, and blinked in confusion, barely able to move. Her parents surrounded her, showing signs of joy, but Draco did not dare to approach them, for fear of being thrown out of the room. He had not yet regained the trust of Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass.
Minutes later, Harry called the Greengrass in for questioning, and for the first time, Draco and Astoria were left alone.
She seemed to recognize him, despite her drowsy state, and in silence she weakly reached out a hand towards him. Draco didn't hesitate to walk the few meters that separated him from the bed and take Astoria's hand. It was then that relief flooded through him, and his eyes became moist again, unable to help it. He brought Astoria's hand to his lips, kissing it repeatedly, but was unable to speak. She seemed to understand, for she looked at him affectionately, her cheeks wet with tears.
And for the first time in days, Draco allowed himself to feel hope again.
ooo
For reasons unknown to Draco, Harry allowed him to stay in the hospital longer than he had expected before taking him back to the Ministry.
Harry, Draco, Bill and Fleur sat back down at the desk in the office, more cheerful than that morning, but aware that they still had a lot to find out. Harry unfolded a piece of parchment, skimmed the notes from the last few interrogations, and dipped the tip of his quill in ink.
"Tell me about that pendant, Malfoy. Did Greengrass always carry it with her?"
"Not always, sometimes she took it off."
"Did you ever open it yourself?"
"Why would I? It's not mine," Draco saw Fleur smile out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you think Greengrass was obsessed with wearing it?"
"I wouldn't say it was an obsession," Draco ran a hand through his hair. "She had inherited the stone from her grandparents, and she liked to carry it around because it reminded her of them, but I don't think she was obsessed with wearing it."
Harry adjusted his glasses, reading the parchment.
"Let's go over the whole story again. Blaise Zabini gave this jewel to Greengrass for her birthday. That same night she was drugged, and you rescued her, but someone accused you of wanting to assault her. Is that true?"
"Yes."
"But no one saw you disappear from the yacht with her."
"No, we were alone until we got to the hotel."
"We've always wondered how they were spying on you. It occurs to me that the pendant could act as a communicator. Could its maker know what's going on around Greengrass?" this time Harry looked at his friends, seeking to confirm his theory.
"We still have to investigate it, but in the wogst case scenagio, we can assume that it is possible to see and heag what she does."
Harry nodded and continued reading.
"At the hotel in Austria, you were reported in the morning, when you were with Greengrass. Do you remember if she was wearing the pendant when that happened?"
"I thought the whistleblower was Williamson," Draco protested, confused.
"He and Zabini may have worked together. Do you remember whether Greengrass was wearing the pendant or not?"
Draco looked down, trying hard to remember. That night, at dinner... Astoria was wearing a black dress, tied around her neck. Was she wearing the pendant under her clothes?
He remembered kissing and caressing her, but he didn't remember touching the jewel beneath her clothes. And Astoria certainly hadn't worn it to bed; he knew that very well because he remembered her naked breasts under his hands so clearly...
"Astoria didn't wear the pendant at night, but she put it on in the morning, before the meeting with the manager. She said it was her lucky charm," he recalled, with a pang of sadness and anger.
"That's why the complaint took so long to arrive, Zabini didn't know you were together."
"You seem to assume Zabini was responsible after all," Bill said with a smile.
"I agree that he is the most suspicious, but I would like to know his motives," Harry looked at Draco. "Why would Zabini be so interested in spying on Astoria Greengrass?"
"They were dating years ago. Astoria mentioned that she felt watched all the time when she was with him."
"A jealous ex-boyfriend might find the perfect excuse to spy on his girl again and get rid of his new rival," Harry muttered, leaning back in his chair. "You've said it before, Malfoy, something always happens when you and Greengrass are alone."
"I've seen cugses like that. They age vegy fgequent in heagtbgoken lovegs," Fleur nodded.
"Should I be worried?" Bill joked, but Harry cleared his throat, indicating that this was no time for jokes.
"When the bomb exploded at the hotel, you were alone in her apartment. Had you both met privately before that day?"
"No, ever since the complaint we always met in front of witnesses. Our families insisted. Astoria brought her uncle, and I brought my lawyer. That night was the first that-" Draco noticed that he was turning red and cleared his throat. "There was no one with us."
"But you spent several days together in the secret house, I'm surprised nothing happened there," Harry frowned, again turning to Bill and Fleur. "Can the Fidelius Charm cut off communication between the pendant and its maker?"
"Astoria wasn't wearing the pendant when we were in hiding," Draco remembered. "She took it off and forgot it in her room when we were evacuated," he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "But we practically started living together after that, and I remember her wearing it almost every day. Why did Blaise wait until Pansy's wedding to act?"
"That's a very good question," Harry crossed his arms, thinking. "We arrested Williamson for causing the explosion; maybe Zabini thought it would be better to keep a low profile for a while so as not to draw attention to himself and catch you off guard."
"He also changed his modus operandi; this time he attacked Greengrass directly," Bill pointed out.
"What happened duging the wedding?" Fleur asked, tossing her hair. "What made Zabini jealous?"
Draco knew very well what had happened. He clearly remembered the dance and the minutes of passion in the bathroom. But he also remembered that during the days before the event, he and Astoria had made love frequently in all the rooms of the apartment and she had not suffered the consequences.
"We talked about getting married," he suddenly remembered, his heart in his throat. "She said yes."
Draco ignored their pitying glances, trying to remain impassive.
"It makes sense," Fleur nodded. "He wanted to destgoy heg befoge letting heg being with anotheg."
"Astoria is not an object to be possessed," Draco replied, more forcefully than he intended.
"But he doesn't see it that way," Fleur shrugged. "If Zabini considegs heg his, thenhe will do evegything in his poweg to keep heg by his side."
"Which brings us back to the curse," Harry said. "Have you managed to break it completely?"
"The curse is embedded in the chain, which is made of goblin metal," Bill replied. "Fleur has weakened it enough to keep it away from Greengrass, but there is still some residue left. We thought it would be useful as evidence against Zabini."
"We must bgeak the chain so that the cugse is completely lifted," Fleur added.
"Would it be possible-" Harry paused, glanced at Draco and cleared his throat. "I wonder if it would be possible to maintain the communication open between the pendant and Zabini, at least for the moment."
"Why would you want to do something like that?" Draco looked at him appalled.
"Because we still have no evidence against him."
"What more proof do you want? He gave her the pendant!"
Harry rolled his eyes and deepened his voice, imitating Blaise's.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea the pendant was cursed. Those goblins are the culprits,"he intoned. "Zabini may have an alibi ready to defend himself. No, we must prove his guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt. And for that we need the communication to remain intact."
Bill nodded, understanding.
"We will do everything in our power."
ooo
The next few days passed in tense uncertainty. Draco was still waiting for news from the Ministry, and in the meantime, he barely moved from the hospital.
Astoria was recovering slowly but satisfactorily, and now that Draco's name had been cleared once again, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass allowed him to be alone with her. On the other hand, Daphne was furious, and only a direct order from Harry kept her from taking up her wand and going to find Blaise herself to avenge her sister. For the moment, they could only wait.
Draco tried to keep Astoria distracted. He talked to her non-stop about news from the wizarding world, the hotel, and the renovations. He began to take charge of communication with Manawa himself, and even smuggled in painting supplies so Astoria could continue working on her designs. It was true that he was neglecting his own clients and wasn't putting as much effort into finding art objects, but Draco didn't care. He just wanted Astoria to recover as quickly as possible.
Astoria thanked him for his company, and if Draco had ever questioned her love for him, he no longer had any doubts. Astoria wanted him to be there. She kept holding his hand, staring at him, as if she was afraid he would disappear, and kept repeating how much she wanted to be able to go home with him.
Slowly, she began to walk and regain her strength, and the healers expressed their optimism, revealing that she would soon be able to leave the hospital.
And one day, Harry returned, with the pendant wrapped in a handkerchief.
"I need you to keep it and put it somewhere safe," he told Astoria, though she recoiled in disgust upon recognizing the jewel. "It will be useful to us very soon in putting Zabini behind bars."
"Is it still dangerous?" Draco stepped between them, worried.
"Fleur has done an excellent job of weakening the curse, and it can no longer do any harm. However, she has left communication with Zabini intact."
"I still don't understand why you want him to keep spying on Astoria."
"Trust me, Malfoy. We are on the trail of Zabini, but we want to be sure we have him surrounded before we act," he explained to them. "We will contact you again when we are ready. For now, continue with your normal routine. You will be watched at all times for your protection."
"I hope you are not wrong, Potter."
"Don't worry Malfoy, the next time we see each other, it will be to catch Zabini."
A new enemy threatens our couple. Will they be able to catch him in time?
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