Hi! So, I slapped a cover photo on this story because I noticed that my story used my profile picture as the cover.. Horrifying. Anyway, I only just noticed because I'm mostly on the mobile app for this website. I'm so unfamiliar with this site and how it works actually. So hopefully that is fixed! I know a lot of you don't have actual accounts, but if you do please feel free to message me! I love talking to people. (: Lol, I took forever to get started on this chapter and I went to get my hair trimmed after over two years of not getting a haircut and I was freaking out because hairstylists always cut off more than I want and I'm obsessed with length so I was nervous, but it turned out fine! Also, I am finding it hard to find other Draco/Astoria fanfictions that don't follow the Cursed Child (ugh. The existence of that creation might just kill me) which is a tad frustrating, but not too sad since I've always read Dramione when I do read, but I figured since I'm writing a Drastoria I should try to read a couple. Anyway, this chapter is a bit shorter and I hope you will forgive me. It's harder for me to write on the weekends. I hope you all have good weekends yourselves! Happy reading!

I don't own anything from Harry Potter.

Astoria sat across from Draco quietly as they ate their dinner. They had not spoken a word to each other for at least half an hour. She was fine with that, she was not bothered by their quiet moments as long as there was something to listen to between them. The light tapping of their silverware was enough for her to focus on for her to not grow uncomfortable. It was such a confusing relationship they had, such a confusing way he acted towards her, as he seemed to have an indifference to her. When he looked at her only a while before he had seemed so attracted to her, hungry for her. He had made her feel desirable, beautiful.

She had always believed herself to be a beautiful girl, but she had to be. She was beautiful just as most of the other girls in her circle were. It was never something she was incredibly confident about or something she felt it necessary to flaunt. She just was attractive, attractive enough to pass as a suitable looking pure-blood daughter. She certainly never felt herself beautiful in a sense to be desired sexually.

But Draco had made her feel different, he had made her feel it. He had made her feel like she wasn't simply up to par, but that she was more than that. That she had made him lustful with her beauty, and she had felt no insecurities just in those moments. Now, sitting across from him, she felt like she was nothing special again. Replaceable.

Perhaps he was just a convincing lover.

He was a remarkable lover. She had no clue her body could feel the way he had made it feel, no clue she could forget herself and her shame completely as she had watched herself move with him in pure ecstasy in that mirror. She hadn't had any experience in sex before now, but she knew the experiences based on what girls around her had spoken about, and she had never expected to actually enjoy doing that with her husband based on what they had said. Well, of course Draco and a few other of his similars had their reputations as being adequate lovers, but she still had never thought much of the task. She had always seen it as a duty, a chore almost. She had definitely never expected him to be considerate and focus on her pleasures, though she supposed he got a power trip over forcing her to watch herself become a mess of lust in her reflection as he had his way with her from behind. He surely did not mind proving his dominance, during the first time they had sex as well, but even during the first time he had been gentle and considerate with her.

No, it was certainly not a chore, she decided. She shifted and realized she probably should have cleaned herself up properly after their relations. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks and she ducked her head slightly to not be noticed.

"Why are your cheeks colored? Is it the fact that you just watched yourself get fucked by me by behind or the fact that you wish me to fuck you again?" Draco asked her, his voice level and casual.

Astoria choked on her food and covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Must he be so vulgar? "We are at the table for goodness' sake," she coughed out, grabbing her glass of water.

"Mmm. Correct observation. So you want me to push you over the table and get it done that way then?"

She stared down at her food, biting into her cheek as she shifted in her chair, mortified at his comments. "Are you planning on answering me when I speak to you? Is that not a proper expectation from a husband to his wife? For her to answer him when he speaks to her?" He asked, cocking an arrogant brow at her.

"I was quite sure you weren't honestly expecting an answer to that," she muttered, scowling.

"Oh, but I am, love."

"I hate to interrupt the lovely family dinner," Blaise said as his voice came into earshot as he walked into the dining room, his face looking unamused. "But there is news."

Blaise dropped the newspaper on the table in front of her husband and she watched Draco pick it up slowly, reading it carefully before shaking his head. "Perfect. We aren't allowed five minutes of peace are we?"

"It seems a bit out of no where for them, no?"

"Mmm," Draco said, confirming whatever Blaise was referring to.

"It says they've cleared out completely and seemingly it was them who killed all of them, but when have they ever showed interest in that? I can barely picture them in my head let alone remember them in the Death Eater lineup."

Theodore came in shortly after Blaise and Astoria squirmed, wanting desperately to know what they were on about. Of course the woman need not know about big boy matters. "Ten," Theodore said flatly. "Perfect. The Aurors won't be leaving our doorsteps any time soon, and this fan club doesn't look like it's going anywhere." Theodore's irritated eyes fell on her for a moment before they dropped to her neck which was covered in evidence of what Draco had done to it in their time of intimacy. He looked away quickly, bitterness covering his features as Draco and Blaise spoke. He seemed genuinely jealous now, which was odd to her. She had thought his small advancements towards her were only to bother Draco, but if that were the case he wouldn't look the way he did now. Genuine. She frowned and she thought back to the memories involving them. When she had encountered Theodore in the gardens she hadn't remembered the slight friendship they had as children, or how he had helped her that night in her fourth year.

What else had she forgotten?

She never could keep her thoughts and memories in line. When she tried to sort out her memories she always ended up overwhelmed and with a headache. As a result of this her head was usually in the now, but what if Draco had been right? What if she had forgotten Theodore over focusing on him? Had she forgotten or simply overlooked as it meant nothing to her during her ambitions of achieving her name? Theodore could have actually wanted her.

Why?

Astoria focused her attentions back on what was being said now, trying to make out exactly what they were on about. She her got up from her seat at the table impatiently, excusing herself quietly and leaving the room. Her exit was hardly noticed by Draco as he was fully focused on the conversation he was having with his friends, completely forgetting her as men did when they had serious matters to discuss that never involved little girls like her. She went to Draco's study to find the pile of mail left on his desk by his owl, untouched by him and looked for the newspaper for today. "Ten muggleborn families slaughtered by quiet pureblood family suspected as part of Death Eater rebirth," she murmured to herself, scowling. "Ableworths?"

Doubtful.

Astoria felt fear now. No, she didn't believe they had gotten up and joined the Death Eaters on their own. She thought them forced, and if they were forced that definitely meant her family members, old and new, were in danger.

Why?

She couldn't understand the idea of these Death Eaters. They couldn't surely believe they'd ever become successful. They had become too outnumbered, they were simply costing pure-blood lives and reputations at this point. Why would they risk themselves when they could simply live quietly in peace?

Astoria left Draco's study slowly, reading the statements from the Aurors as she returned to the dining room. "Astoria. Go to my bedroom. We are leaving-"

Astoria blinked at him and held her finger up to him in a "one moment" motion as he spoke before apparating from the Manor in front of the group of men.

Draco stared at the place his wife was previously standing, shocked. Had she truly just done that? Right in front of them? Rage fell over him.

The audacity of her.

Blaise choked out with laughter. "What an obedient wife you have, truly, Draco," he scoffed, his amused chuckles turning to snickers when he saw the shock and anger on Draco's face. "Pretty sure my mother listens to her husbands better than that, and she's a horrid wife."

"You ought to keep her closer than that, Malfoy. She will get herself caught," Nott said, a look of disapproval on his face.

"You ought to keep your envious nose out of my business and your hands away from my property, Nott," he snarled, growing more furious as he remembered Nott's multiple encounters with his wife as well as the look on his face when Blaise had mentioned her bruises. He could tell now that his attractions went further than a purpose of just to annoy him. He cared for Astoria, cared for what was rightfully his. Disobedient little bitch or not, she belonged to him.

He certainly wasn't one to share.

"She is none of your concern and she never will be. She is mine. Do you plan on getting that in your delusional little mind or do I have to force it there?"

Nott's eyes flashed with resentment but a slow smirk spread across his face and he tilted his head to the side slightly. "Is that a threat, Malfoy? Do you believe yourself intimidating to me? Given your reputation, I can't honestly say I'm too worried to be quite honest with you."

Draco chuckled darkly, ignoring his desire to reach for his wand. "Better you be surprised then. There certainly is power in being underestimated."

"I cannot for the life of me understand why you two are arguing over the twelve year old," Blaise drawled, rolling his eyes as he sat in a chair, seeming bored with the conversation taking place.

"Mmm. Because yet again Nott finds himself second to me, and it kills him. Even when it comes to a girl he fancied as a child, still second. Too bad that girl wanted the best and unfortunately, the best is not him. I didn't even look at her, didn't even notice her existence, and she still chose me over him and he just can't stomach it," Draco purred, staring Nott down as he mocked him.

"Are you two honestly arguing over Astoria?" Daphne Greengrass asked from the doorway, eyeing them oddly. "How bizarre."

"Greengrass. So glad to see you join the party. I was getting so bored with this nonsense," Blaise told as he looked her up and down, smirking. The girl squinted at him in response and looked at Draco, tilting her chin in the air as she smiled.

"Draco, how thoughtful of you to add me to your wards. Truly, I'm touched. You do care," she said sweetly, sarcastically.

"Mmm. Your sister isn't here," Draco replied coolly. Alarm replaced the smile on the blonde's features and she stepped towards him.

"What do you mean she's not here?"

"I was under the impression that we both spoke English, Greengrass."

"And I was under the impression that my little sister ought not to be out alone when people of our circle are going missing, Malfoy," she said harshly, shaking her head and looking to Nott.

"Mmm. I can assure you, I was under the same," Draco told her flatly and understanding filled her eyes.

"Hmm. Well. If she's disobeying you of all people then you could bet she's out doing something father would want her to do, as that's all she knows how to do ultimately. How interesting that it turns out she's not the perfect wife after all, funnily enough."

Aha. Her father and what he wanted of her? That would not do. She belonged to him now. Her loyalty and obedience were his. Had he not made that perfectly clear to her already? He was quite sure they had gone over that bit perhaps even more than once. "Where would she have gone," he asked coldly, wondering what he should to do Astoria in result of her behavior. He had believed they had an understanding, and to think he was beginning to a grow a fondness for her.

He did have a fondness for her and that was why she needed to listen to him and not put herself into danger.

"You're asking me where my sister goes? Oh, Malfoy," Daphne snorted. "Sometimes I wonder if even she knows the answer to that question."

Draco shook his head impatiently, going to pour himself a drink. "I truly mean that as well. I really wonder.. My father is quite into dark magic," Daphne continued, her voice quieter now.

Yes, it would seem as if Astoria's father used her for his own gain quite a bit. He was obviously not above using experimental magic on something as fragile as her mind.

"Oh please, Greengrass. Just accept you're not daddy's favorite and move on with it," Blaise scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Daphne sneered at him and went to sit down. "I don't believe you're meant to leave your parents," Draco said stiffly, watching as she made herself at home. "Especially now."

"Yes, well. What do I have to lose?" She asked, her voice bitter.

"Quite true. Your life won't be going up now that you have to try and live with fucking other men."

"Always so humble," Daphne said through her teeth, her face flushing angrily at his mention of that night.

"Alright, in-laws. Play nicely," Blaise said.

Astoria appeared back into the room with a small pop, noticing her sister with surprise. "Daphne," she said frowning. "Why are you here? It isn't safe."

Draco watched her through darkened eyes as she reentered so casually, not even bothering to look at him. Safe? She wanted to talk about safety now?

Daphne snorted. "You're lecturing me about safety, little sister while your husband here was just oh so worried sick about you," she said, cooing the word "sick" and looking at Draco in mock pity. "Truly you should have seen him. I believe he had tears at one point. Nott as well."

"You're always so impulsive," Astoria shook her head, ignoring her other comments as she usually did, looking frustrating.

"Impulsive? Me? What about going out alone in the night right after multiple people were murdered by the new Death Eaters? What would you call that, Tori?"

"That was not impulsive at all. Quite calculated actually," Astoria quipped, crossing her arms.

"Oh, was it now?" Draco asked softly, a cold rage filling him at his wife's words. "I am ever so pleased to hear that your insolence was calculated."

Daphne whistled. "You're in trouble," she said to her sister in a singsong voice, looking almost gleeful.

Astoria frowned, noticing him finally and she took a step back, fear crossing her features. "Draco I-"

"Will be silent," he finished for her, watching her coldly.

Ah, so she was afraid of him now. He thought her decision was calculated, according to her own words?

"Malfoy, as much as I enjoy seeing Astoria mess up for once I would truly like to speak with my sister before you murder her, which believe me, I understand the desire. Though I must say I feel truly uncomfortable seeing such atrocities on her neck and part of me wants to leave immediately because I am getting the most horrendous visuals as my imagination is left to wander at the sight," Daphne told him, wrinkling her nose as she examined the marks on her sister's neck at the fault of his mouth from earlier.

"Unfortunate," he replied flatly. "Astoria was just heading to bed."

Astoria looked at Daphne regrettably before going to kiss her cheek before she left slowly to go upstairs.

"Malfoy," Daphne said frustrated. "It's not fair for me to be punished. It's not easy for me to sneak away!"

He examined the protesting girl for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Unfortunate," he repeated, slower this time as he pronounced every letter of the word.

Yes, it was truly unfortunate.