Hi! I hope you all had a great Monday. I had to get up early to go to the eye doctor (blegh). I'm one of those people who sleep until like two in the afternoon, lol. This chapter is being written very late (as always). If any of you are curious, the families like the Puceys are slightly inspired by the Great Gatsby. I don't know when Draco and Aldrich will talk (they will eventually), but we will see the parents in memories soon! I will be expanding on their stories, and hopefully you guys are interested in that as I have a lot of ideas for them and would like to go in detail. Tell me what you think in the reviews. I appreciate all of them as well as your suggestions! They truly make my whole day. Happy reading!

I don't own anything from Harry Potter.

The Aurors were still there when Blaise and Theodore arrived, much to Astoria's annoyance. She was not fond of the attentions from them, studying them like they were so bizarre and wrong. They didn't understand that they were the ones destroying the traditions and roots of magic, they refused to accept the fact that they were the true outsiders. Astoria shifted next to Draco who she was quite close to since he had pulled her next to him in response to Potter's innocent assurance about her appearance. She wished it acceptable for her to lay her head down in his lap, or at the very least lean against him. She hadn't slept well the previous night, and the Aurors were exhausting her. She was comfortable with fake smiles and overplayed politeness, but she was not used so many questions and so much focus on her. Odd questions as well, challenging ones to her way of life, their way of life. At least the extra people were giving the Aurors more people award their attentions to, but she almost preferred being spoken to alone. This setup made her feel more like a freak show as they watched them interact with each other as they jotted down their notes, listening to their conversations and observing their behaviors like animals. Draco noticed her movement and moved his arm to rest on the couch behind her, offering her the smallest amount of consolation. She knew he had to be even more aggravated than her. He had personally been humiliated by these specific people multiple times and now he had to allow them into his home to openly allow them to judge him and his life along with the people in it.

Astoria's attention was summoned back to the conversations in the room when she heard Weasley mumbling to Potter about how she seemed too young for Draco. Weasley was probably her least favorite, which was odd seeing how he was the pure-blood of the three. A complete disgrace he was, terribly impolite and clumsy.

"I'm seventeen, Mr. Weasley," she told him before lifting her lips into a half smile, her voice more stiff than she had intended.

"She's thirteen actually," Blaise cut in, nodding. "You should know our people are into child brides, Weasley. I'm a bit unnerved by it as well."

"Oh yes, it was your birthday yesterday," Granger observed, looking at her file, her eyebrows lifting from their scowl of confusion when Astoria stated her age that differed from the last time they had spoken. "Well.. Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Astoria replied and smiled to her, nodding her head once in thanks. Granger was more attractive than she had noticed before, a shame she was stuck with options of men like Weasley, especially since she was quite intelligent.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday," Draco said, studying her carefully.

Astoria shrugged slightly. "You were gone all day." She wasn't upset that Draco hadn't acknowledged her birthday, but she was disappointed that she had to be alone all day. She didn't like being alone any day though, her birthday didn't change that. She wished Draco would allow her to come along when he visited Narcissa, but he didn't seem to ever plan on allowing it from how he acted towards the subject.

"Well that's depressing," Weasley muttered, looking at Potter and shaking his head. "I knew he was a git but bloody hell."

Astoria wanted to recoil in disgust at Weasley's comment of pity and Potter looked like he wanted to make a comment to Draco but he said nothing, focusing on his paperwork. He was seemingly trying to be professional much to her relief. His friend ought to have taken notes. She caught Theodore's eye for a moment, catching the irritable expression before looking to Pucey as he spoke. "Good one, Malfoy. Such a perfect couple, really. One can only dream to have a marriage as fairytale like as yours," Adrian drawled, pushing another biscuit into his mouth.

Ah, Pucey had horrible manners as well. The Puceys were more interested in flashiness than class and poise. The events they threw were much different than the ones the Malfoys or families similar had, as their events were filled with loud, fast music for people to jump and dance to in their intoxicated states while throwing themselves all over each other. Astoria had rarely attended anything at their home, as it wasn't suited for children, but she knew how they were actually found to be fun and were the preferred type of event to most as opposed to the stiff and proper ones she was used to. There were a few pure-blood families close to her own who chose to portray themselves in that manner, but she did enjoy the dancing of those events, though the chaos had always made her uncomfortable.

The pure-bloods were slightly separate in that way, and she knew the Malfoys looked down on such families as they usually had many half-bloods in attendance and little proper etiquette, as well as the fact that their wardrobes and decor wouldn't always seem strictly wizard influenced. Families didn't often switch off with one another, but she knew Theodore's mother had come from a family similar to Adrian's, which is most likely where she had gotten her drinking problem from. Her mother had always spoken ill of the women in those families, stating they didn't know anything of real proper upbringing, and now her sister was going to be married into one.

Astoria could feel Draco's gaze on her as he ignored the comments mocking the quality of his treatment of her but she didn't look look up at him, feeling slightly upset for a reason she couldn't place. She could feel the pity coming from Granger again and it made her furious, as if Astoria would trade her life for Granger's, stuck around someone like Weasley with only a modest amount of money and a man's job. Why on earth should Granger pity her from her place? She wished Draco wouldn't have pointed out that he hadn't realized it had been her birthday, and she was grateful when her angry sister came into the Manor looking furious and drawing the attentions of the people in the room.

"Congratulations, bitch. You've officially ruined my life," she spit out angrily, dropping a letter in Astoria's lap, ignoring the Aurors.

Weasley examined the back of Daphne in appreciation and Astoria grimaced in revulsion before glancing at the letter from the Pucey family which she assumed was a confirmation letter regarding marrying Daphne to Adrian. Daphne was being incredibly dramatic, as she usually was. Astoria had done her a favor by giving the idea to their mother. She looked up at her sister with big eyes and frowned. "Oh, Daphne. Everyone is coming in yelling at me.. It's beginning to hurt my feelings," she told her sister, her voice mournful and her lips almost in a pout.

"Just like you hurt my feelings when you betrayed our friendship," Pucey said, his eyes running down Daphne's figure, assessing her carefully.

"My sister doesn't know how to have friends," Daphne sneered, glaring down at her. "She's never had them."

"That's not true," Astoria sniffed, lifting her head defiantly.

Daphne snorted loudly. "It most certainly is! Name one friend then, and not just someone you sat beside in classes either."

Astoria thought for a moment, almost regretting her objection as she scraped her mind for an answer. "Braden Naylor."

She saw Draco cock and eyebrow from the corner of her eye but she ignored it, watching her sister. "You were not friends with Braden Naylor," she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest while looking down her nose at Astoria.

"I was," Astoria insisted, nodding. "Ask him if you'd like. Send him an owl. You will see."

"He's training in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, actually," Granger said curiously and Blaise scoffed, muttering something under his breath.

Potter was watching Daphne with a slight scowl on his face before leaning towards the fourth Auror, exchanging words that Astoria couldn't make out.

Daphne looked at Granger in disgust when she had chimed in then scanned the rest of the Aurors before turning back to Astoria. "He was Tracy's ex-boyfriend. That would be awfully traitorous of you to sneak around with him."

Astoria wrinkled her nose at that, she couldn't stand Davis. "Tracy Davis was your half-blood friend, as if her love life interests me, and I was not sneaking around with anyone. We were friends."

"I'd hate to argue with you, but I don't know if he was just after friendship," Theodore chuckled, displaying the first emotion other than resentment since he had arrived. Theodore was incredibly cold and stiff around the Aurors, as well as most people outside of their community. It was odd to see his charming act halt under different company.

"Yes, he was. We were friends. He was nice. We went to Hogsmeade once."

Granger was watching Theodore now, looking slightly intrigued. "It's nice to see an expression other than a brooding one, Mr. Nott. You're much more attractive without it," she told him before a slightly uncomfortable expression crossed her features as she seemed to regret her comment.

Theodore's lip curled in disgust and he shifted to adjust his position, scoffing at her. "Please, I do not aim to attract your kind," he spat. "I would rather you keep your ogling to yourself."

"You did not go to Hogsmeade with him! You always went to Hogsmeade with me," Daphne snapped disbelievingly, interrupting the chilled moment between Granger and Theodore. "I would have noticed."

"It's quite irritating when you deny everything I am saying. Why do I bother speaking when all you do is argue? It is true. Fourth year."

"You were a mess fourth year!"

"I was not a mess," Astoria said dismissively, "but maybe that's a reason why you may not have noticed, then." She was telling the truth. Perhaps they hadn't been the best of friends, but they were close enough to being friends for Astoria to make the claim. He had helped her with Potions when she had struggled with it that year. She did not believe he was interested in her in a different way like Theodore was trying to claim either. He was relatively quiet and polite, but still acted closer to a typical man around his group of friends, so that was most likely where Theodore was getting the idea.

Daphne shook her head and turned to sit, exposing the front of herself to Adrian. Adrian began to shake his head at her body. "No. You need to eat. I need more to work with," he commented, eyeing her. "For fuck's sake have you never heard of food?"

Daphne was quite skinny, even skinnier now that she had been away from home with her parents. Her body was still attractive, but it was getting dangerously small.

"Excuse me," Daphne replied flatly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I told you that you were too skinny," Astoria chimed, sipping the tea she had poured for herself. "Men don't like a bunch of bones showing, Daphne. You know this. You should listen to my advice more often."

"It shouldn't be about what men like," Granger interjected, glaring at Adrian. "It should be about yourself and health."

"I think I'll eat less then," Daphne said defiantly, sitting down while staring at Adrian, ignoring Granger completely.

"You know, my father told me that your mother used to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter occasionally to make her thirsty so she would fill up on water so she wouldn't eat, so it's not a wonder you're a skeleton, but I'm going to need you to knock it off, darling." Adrian ignored Granger's glare and combed a hand through his dark hair, still examining Daphne's body shamelessly.

Adrian Pucey was considered one of the most attractive men near their age according to many young women as well as different gossip papers that were related to their community. She also doubted that he was very cruel, though she was sure he had the ability to be if he wanted to, and Astoria doubted that he would treat her sister very terribly. He lacked manners and was a bit of a fool, but it could have been much worse.

"That's horrible," Granger said, her voice sad.

Now she was pitying her mother of all people.

"Truly, it is. Why do women think we want to rut against hard, protruding bones exactly? Who started that delusion? I'd like to have a word with them."

"I can't believe you are mocking something as serious as anorexia in such a way," Granger hissed, the men next to her staying out of the conversation.

She was offended quite easily. Astoria couldn't imagine her trying to attend a pure-blood event or sit in the Slytherin Common Room when a large group of men were present. Her head would probably explode off of her shoulders.

"I'm not mocking it. I'm quite serious. This girl is going to be my wife, which means I'm going to fuck her for the rest of my life. I'd like a bit more meat on her, thanks. I don't want bruises," he answered Granger, smirking at Daphne whose face had reddened. "Your face is good though, love. You've got that going for you, and your tits are fuller than your sister's so that's a bonus."

Daphne stared at Adrian, seemingly taking in everything he was saying. She looked away, blinking quickly, her expression both shocked and disgusted as she grit her teeth in anger.

"How do you just talk about the woman you're meant to marry like that?" Hermione demanded, looking between Adrian and Daphne. "That's going to be your wife who you are publicly disrespecting."

"Thanks, Granger, but I don't need your defenses," Daphne muttered, looking at Granger with unamused eyes.

"I would appreciate it if you would keep your eyes off of my wife's breasts, Pucey," Draco remarked, rolling his eyes when Astoria scowled down at her chest at Adrian's comment.

"Aw, don't worry, love. I always thought Draco might have a thing for boys." Pucey's voice was almost a coo of mocking sympathy.

Both Blaise and Weasley snickered and Draco narrowed his eyes but didn't respond.

"I don't know about that, Pucey. Draco was recently going on about whipping Astoria and how much she enjoyed everything they did together, so I'm assuming he's focused on women at least for the moment." Astoria froze at Daphne's comment, a cold feeling settling in her stomach as fury rose through her. Her breathing became uneven at her anger and she bit down on her tongue, her eyes becoming unfocused.

How dare he.

How dare he shame her in such a way, to speak about her publicly as if she was just a toy, his slut. She was his wife and she deserved to be treated as such, had earned to be treated as such.

Astoria shifted away from Draco slightly, not wanting to be near him, not wanting to be near any of them. Not after he had spoken about her like she was his little whore in front of them. Men did not have the same standards as women when it came to behaving a certain way publicly, but they were still meant to have a certain set of manners. Had he no respect for her at all?

"Temper, temper," Blaise tsked mockingly.

Astoria laughed softly, her blood hot. "Harry," she began, her voice friendly over the shaking anger that threatened the sound of it. "You're with Ginny Weasley, no?"

Potter watched her cautiously, a confused look on his face. "Er.. Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, because I could have sworn Blaise and her were friends. Weren't you Blaise?" She asked, turning to Blaise, reveling in his horrified expression.

"What," Theodore said flatly, staring at Astoria before looking to Blaise.

"Why would I be friends with a filthy blood traitor," Blaise snarled through his teeth, his eyes flashing wildly.

"Well, I don't know, Blaise.. But you were! Yes, I remember. You two would meet in the most curious of places.. Empty classrooms, behind the Quidditch pitch.. Always more secluded areas, I suppose you were private friends."

"What the fuck is she on about, Zabini," Weasley demanded, standing up angrily and Granger grabbed onto his arm.

"Ron, she's angry at him. Of course Ginny wouldn't go near him. You have to calm down. You can't attack them!" Granger hissed, tugging on his arm.

"Hermione," Astoria frowned. "I thought we agreed I wouldn't lie to you."

"Blaise.." Draco trailed off, the grimace so deep on his face that it seemed possible for it to leave a permanent imprint. "What did you do."

"She's fucking lying. Control your bitch, Malfoy, before I do." Blaise drew his wand and Draco narrowed his eyes, his face going cold as he took out his own.

Astoria ignored Blaise, watching Potter innocently. "I understand if you don't believe me. Here," she told him reassuringly, pointing her wand to her head to extract a memory for him before her wand was thrown out of her hand from Blaise's disarming spell.

Astoria smirked. She had gotten what she wanted.

Potter's face had gone pale and he stood stiffly, his mouth tight. "I think that will be all for today," he forced out, not saying anything else as he stalked out of the Manor.

Granger was watching Astoria, seemingly fighting with herself in her head on whether or not she should believe her and Weasley had already followed after Harry.

Pucey began to snicker wildly, bending over in his chair, trying to choke out words mixed with profanities through his laughter directed at both Blaise and Astoria.

Draco was standing now, blocking Astoria from view of Blaise, furious after Blaise had disarmed her.

"Blaise, don't be angry at me," Astoria said, her voice filled with false sadness. "You were upset I had forgotten you, and I did promise I would never forget you again."

"Quiet, Astoria," Draco snapped, his wand pointed at Blaise. "Leave."
Blaise's laugh was chilling as he left the Manor, fury radiating from him and the sounds of shattering echoed through the walls. Pucey was still laughing when Draco turned to look down at her, anger and shock on his face.

"Were you really implying that Blaise and Weasley were shagging, Astoria," Theodore said stiffly, disgust tripping from his words.

Daphne was staring at her excitedly, biting her lip. "You keep everything from me!" She exclaimed, a glee in her voice and she giggled loudly. "Oh, this is brilliant."

"Was I implying that?" Astoria asked coyly, not looking at Draco's eyes.

She was beginning to regret the scene she had made. Upsetting Potter was probably not the best idea, and she was sure Potter would have it out for Blaise now. She was angry with him, yes, but he was Draco's best friend and one of them, and their side was dwindling enough. Hopefully for Blaise the trio wouldn't be too keen on spreading the information that precious Ginny Weasley had been fooling around with Blaise Zabini of all people.

It was more common than the light side liked to believe. Their perfect, golden hearted women would sneak their way into the beds of the dark men that they so scorned. Perhaps it made them feel bad and the rebellious nature of it appealed to them. The Weasley girl was into Quidditch as was Blaise, and it probably thrilled her to slip through the fingers of her brothers watchful eyes and feel up one of the other side, the enemy. These girls found the men she had grown up around exciting, sexy, but they never experienced what it was to truly be involved with one of them, involved with a dark wizard. Sex in a broom closet with one certainly did not count.

Draco caught her arm and dragged her to his study, slamming the door behind him, leaving the rest of them in the sitting room. She assumed the rest of the Aurors had already left behind Potter and Weasley. Theodore had been staring off when Draco had dragged her away, revulsion still covering his face and her sister and Adrian were gossiping about Blaise screwing a blood traitor.

"I don't want you to talk about me like that." She tried to make her voice sound strong as she spoke out before he had a chance to, but it had come out much weaker than she had liked.

Draco stared at her, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm not your whore. I'm your wife. Please do not speak about me in such a humiliating way," she continued, her voice growing thick with emotion. "I have very little pride when it comes to you, but I am not your whore. Do you have any respect for me at all?!"

She turned away from him, turning towards his desk and bracing her hands on the wood. She waited for his anger, knowing full well he wouldn't care about how upset she was over this, especially when she had caused a fight between him and his best friend. She wondered what Blaise would have done to her if Draco hadn't stepped between them. She knew Blaise wouldn't have been above attacking her horribly, but she wasn't sure how far he would go.

"Yes, I do have respect for you," he said calmly, moving towards her and turning her back around, his face now close to hers.

She looked up at him, trying to read his expression. His anger seemed to have faded, but his expression was still hard. "If you must talk with your friends about those things then please.. I-I'd rather you have some toys on the side then subject me to that. I don't deserve that. I'm more than them." That wasn't true. As much as she loathed being humiliated, she knew she would feel worse if she had to share him with other women, women that would come into her house to have sex with her husband. She fully expected him to sleep with others going into the marriage, but now that it hadn't occurred yet she dreaded the possibility more every day he remained faithful.

"I understand."

"You understand..? What does that mean?" She asked him quietly, feeling an odd adrenaline at the fact that she had acted less than appropriate and yet he wasn't completely furious with her.

Had she won?
"I shouldn't have spoken of you that way, you're right. You are more than them." Draco handed her her wand that Blaise had disarmed from her and placed a hand on her face, tilting her chin up as his cool eyes stared intently into hers. "However, don't bait a powerful wizard over a fit of anger."

Astoria's eyes moved down, breaking their eye contact and she nodded, leaning into his hand slightly. "I shouldn't have done that. That was wrong," she sighed.

"Was it true?"

Astoria pressed her lips together, her eyes meeting his again as amusement filled them.

"Disgusting."