So, a lot of Theo fans at the moment, yeah? The response to the last chapter was great! Addressing the review about Draco being a wife beater and how it would be preferred to not have a happy ending for Drastoria (thank you so much for your review and kind words by the way!): this story isn't really a "happy ending" type of a story no matter which way things go, it's more of a portrayal of all of the darkness within the pure-blood world I've set up and how their characters are affected. None of these characters are flawless. Astoria knows her self worth absolutely, but it's just part of what they all accept, and don't have a lot of room for choices. I understand completely how I'm painting these characters and am taking it seriously. I'm not trying to glamorize these characters or their relationships. I'm sure I get a lot of readers looking for a story about Draco/Astoria from the Cursed Child, and I wish I had more characters in my summary to add that it isn't CC compliant, but I am very, very appreciative of those of you who are still reading that were looking for a more lighthearted, fluffy romance. That means a lot to me! On another note, Draco has been trying to unlock the memories, but I just didn't want it to be super easy for him. I've already made him a rather talented Legilimens, and I don't want him to be too unrealistically magically flawless. Now, as for tidying up my change of scenes, I agree! I will definitely start doing that (and fix the other chapters when I'm not lazy). Yes, I plan to expand on Blaise! As always, thank you so much for the support. It means so much!
I don't own anything from Harry Potter.
Draco examined the large, dark Pensieve that currently stood in the center of his sitting room, uniquely tall as opposed to flat as they usually were. The silvery, liquid-like smoke flowed vertically down the stone, pooling at the bottom and seemingly coming back through the top. He examined the base of the Pensieve, smirking at the intricately curled engraving there that read the name Greengrass in large letters.
"What in the bloody fuck.." Blaise breathed, staring at the Pensieve as he entered the room. "Did you.. nick that from Greengrass?"
Nott grimaced as he came up behind him, eyeing the large magical object. "Are you mental, Malfoy? Do you reckon Aldrich Greengrass fancies being stolen from?"
"I don't like this, Draco," Astoria said quietly, her voice stiff with worry as she stood next to him, twisting her hands together in front of her. "My father would not like this."
"You are in control of what belongs in the home while your parents are off, so as it is this Pensieve is yours, and," Draco stopped to look at her smugly. "What's yours is mine, my wife."
"Perhaps I should have taken my father's advise and stayed away from here," Nott muttered, shaking his head in disapproval as he examined it, looking intrigued despite his statement.
"You're fucking joking, Malfoy," Daphne's loud and accusing voice came from behind them as she seemingly had been in another room waiting for Astoria and Draco while they had gone to retrieve the Pensieve from his wife's property. "You stole my father's Pensieve? Are you completely fucking mad?"
Draco saw Astoria nod slowly at her sister's question and he narrowed his eyes at her in irritation. He wasn't about to fear his wife's father of all people. He wouldn't do anything to harm his daughter's family reputation, and the families were meant to be allies now that they were married, especially his wife's to his.
"No," he replied smoothly. "I had my wife show me to a piece of her property and I decided to bring it home with me."
"You made Astoria betray daddy?" Daphne gasped, looking to Astoria. "Oh look at her, she's absolutely tortured!"
"We can't let her go back without obliviating her," Astoria insisted, looking panicked at her older sister, ignoring her comment.
Draco held back a sigh at Astoria's anxiety. He didn't want to upset her to this extent, and taking the Pensieve wasn't a malicious act towards her. He took her arm gently to press his lips close to her ear as she stood incredibly stiff. "We will return it, and everything will be fine. I am only interested in it, nothing else. I'm only borrowing it, Astoria. Besides, he can't hurt you."
"I'm not going back," Daphne said, her voice turning solemn. "Mother is meeting here with the Puceys to get all of the papers signed, and then I'm going off with him to marry him."
Draco rolled his eyes to the ceiling, irritated at the idea of more company. Why was it the Manor was always a social shelter of sorts?
"Congratulations, Daphne," Blaise offered mockingly, dropping into a chair. "Your mother is coming? Lovely."
Astoria's face lifted slightly, now distracted from her stress by her sister's words. "Really?"
Daphne sneered at her, tossing her hair back as she examined her with disdain. "Yes. You got what you wanted, Tori. Again."
Astoria frowned. "I'm only happy that you'll be around more. I miss you.."
Pucey walked into the room, his eyes lighting up and a slow grin spread across his face as he took in the sight of the Pensieve. "Absolutely fucking brilliant," he hissed excitedly, looking ecstatic.
Daphne looked at Draco then back at the large magical object, shaking her head. "I wonder what else you plan to steal from our family," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You have to hide this before my mother gets here, Malfoy."
Astoria nodded, looking frantic as she went to it to do it herself when Draco didn't move. Nott stood near her to help her cast the Disillusionment Charm as she moved it to the corner of the room with her wand.
"Aw, but we haven't had any fun with it yet," Pucey tsked. "I suppose I'll have to come over more often, Draco."
"Perfect," Draco replied dully, watching Nott help his wife with irritation.
"Where is the collection of bottled, damning memories?"
Daphne scoffed, straightening her dress as she gave Pucey an unamused look. "You can't possible take those silly rumors seriously. Really, how dramatic."
Draco watched them before turning to Astoria. "Yes, love. Where are they?"
"I don't know, Draco," Astoria said quietly, not looking at him.
"Astoria," Daphne said oddly, furrowing her brow. "Don't validate the tale."
Astoria's eyes flickered to her sister, her expression unchanging.
"Where, Astoria?" He asked again, his voice pressing. He fully believed something of the sort must exist now from his new familiarity with Aldrich.
"I don't know, Draco," Astoria repeated, seemingly struggling to keep her voice level.
Draco left it, accepting her words as honesty. He didn't want to push her discomfort, as she had done nothing to deserve the extra stress, and Draco felt guilty for causing it.
Not guilty enough.
"We'll have to find them," Pucey said firmly before he turned to examine Daphne, squinting at her. "You still look terribly thin, I'm afraid. It seems my home will have to be rehabilitation center for you, love."
Daphne glared at him, moving to further the distance between them. "Do try not to talk to me too much. I'm trying not to fully comprehend what is happening."
Daphne's attitude had certainly gotten worse over the years, but he hadn't remembered her being this impolite. She had certainly changed from the third year in Astoria's first Hogwarts memory. She was rather lucky she was to marry Adrian. He was far more patient than most men would be.
"Daphne," Astoria frowned. "He's your fiancé."
"Yeah, Daphne. I'm your fiancé," Pucey said, holding his arms out in an incredulous gesture. "Be nice to me. I mean fuck, at least let me down gently. I might shed a tear."
Daphne stared him down still, looking unimpressed, and Draco heard the house-elf inviting Rhys Pucey in who strolled in the room slowly, glancing around. "I forgot how dreary it is in here, Mr. Malfoy," he commented, squinting at the decor. "Ever feel like lightening the place up a bit?"
"Not particularly," Draco said, his tone bored as he examined Adrian's similarly looking father.
"I believe it's a completely appropriate tone for the mood, father. Seeing as it's my dick's funeral."
Daphne dropped the disdain on her face when Rhys entered, a neutral expression replacing the previous. "Hello, Mr. Pucey. It is nice to see you," she told him politely, nodding.
"You're a fake bitch," Adrian snorted, rolling his eyes. "And horridly boring. This is why we don't mix with the ancients."
"Now now, no need to call your lovely fiancé names, Adrian. Tell me, where is that woman?" Rhys said, looking around for presumably Astoria's mother. "I'm late because I knew she would be, yet apparently I'm not late enough."
"She must sense your lateness and adjusted her arrival time in order to be the last to here," Daphne said, a humor in her tone as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I wouldn't doubt it at all."
"It's so lovely to hear you not be a complete bitch for five seconds, wow. Keep it up and maybe this won't be as tragic as I so thought," Adrian commented, examining Daphne who gave him a cold look. "You're quite attractive when you don't have a hateful expression on your face."
Astoria was beside him, seemingly completely distracted and worried by what was hidden in the corner of the room, and Draco wanted to shake her. Her tenseness made him tense.
There was a sound of Apparition and Joseph Nott stood in the middle of them all, holding a newspaper. His face was unamused, as it usually was, and tired looking. Azkaban hadn't done well on him either, though he certainly handled it better than his own father had. Joseph dropped the paper onto the table in the room, glancing around at them. "There's been another attack."
A collection of curses sounded in the room and Draco picked up the paper, scanning the headline, slightly nervous. Four mudblood families targeted this time. The Larsen family. He barely knew much of them, and that was telling enough to what was going on.
Draco shook his head, tossing the paper aside and Blaise picked it up, scowling at the information there. "Well, the pattern is becoming apparent, isn't it?" Another family that had nothing to do with the first and second wars.
"Joseph," Rhys greeted cheerfully, not seeming interested in the news. "So good to see you, mate."
Joseph nodded to Rhys, a slightly warmer look than usual in his eyes as he greeted his old friend. "Pucey. Odd I don't recall ever seen you at the Malfoys."
"I avoid it. However, my dear son finally gets the privilege to marry, and Freya refused to meet at my own home."
Joseph's eyes flickered at the mention of the woman and he turned his attention to his son, narrowing his eyes at him in communication.
"So lucky I am that people are so fond of using my home as a sort of common grounds," Draco drawled, pulling Astoria down to sit beside him.
Freya Greengrass waltzed into the room, her heels clacking obnoxiously against the floors, papers in her hands. She paused when she spotted Joseph, a wild glint flashing in her eyes before she smiled brilliantly, joining the rest of them.
"My, it's like a reunion isn't it? How are you, darling? So good to see you, it's been ages since I've seen you outside of all the nonsense and without the sloppy drunk attached to your side," she breezed through the words, beaming mockingly at Joseph.
Joseph said nothing in reply, not even looking at her, and turned to Draco, Blaise, and Theodore to speak about the Larsen family, grouping them off.
"Ah, yes I heard about that. Very interesting, obvious they are under the control of something greater as the Larsens are far too insignificant to go out of their way and do something like this," Freya quipped, adding herself to the conversation while handing Rhys the papers. "I won't be going with you when you two are magically bound, Daphne. I hope you aren't too torn up about it."
"Simply heartbroken," Daphne muttered.
"Watch the sarcasm, darling. I'm your mother if you recall correctly. Attitude is horribly unappealing."
"Oh? And what's the excuse for yours, Freya?" Rhys asked, raising a brow at her.
Freya smirked at him, raising an eyebrow back. "It suits me better."
Astoria's eyelids fluttered as she fought to roll her eyes at her mother, looking to Joseph to pay attention to him instead, who Draco was not.
"Astoria, make yourself useful and get us drinks while you're over there being rude."
Astoria complied to her mother's order and Draco assessed the dynamics between the women. It was obvious Astoria held much less regard for her mother than her father, and the girls didn't seem close with the woman as their mother at all.
"I have to say I'm not torn up by the fact your obnoxious wife isn't here, Rhys," Freya sniffed, taking her time on the paperwork.
"Exactly why she stayed home, love," Rhys replied smoothly.
"That's unfortunate. My mother likes you quite a bit, Mrs. Greengrass," Adrian said, grimacing at the papers she handed him.
Freya blinked slowly, her expression not impressed in the slightest. "Is that supposed to mean something to me? I can assure you, the fact does not change my dislike for her in the slightest."
Adrian widened his eyes in aversion, tilting his head considerably as he turned away from the exchange.
"Apparently you haven't met Freya enough, son," Rhys said, looking amused and unbothered by the woman's rudeness, surely very familiar with it.
"Well, he was just complaining about me being fake and now he's taken off by honesty," Daphne scoffed. "Obviously he doesn't know what he wants."
"Daphne fake? Oh, handsome boy. Astoria is much worse in that aspect. Daphne isn't quite as talented," Freya said, taking the drink from Astoria who went to give one to Joseph as well. "Consider yourself lucky. You'd simply go mad with Astoria, she's unbearable."
"You do realize you're giving me a reluctant, anorexic bride, don't you?" Adrian asked dully to Freya, who turned to look him up and down before replying.
"She does look a bit hollow doesn't she?" Freya inquired, looking uninterested in the topic. "Oh well. She fluctuates, no worries."
Daphne scowled, covering herself self-consciously with her arms as all three of them looked at her body at once. "I'm not anorexic," she murmured, looking away from them. "I'm not."
Draco pulled his attentions back to the conversation about the recent attacks while the Pucey men and the Greengrass women sorted through the marriage details, decidedly not having a wedding which was not surprising given the rushed arrangement and the fact of how low the Greengrass family was laying. Draco was grateful he hadn't had to have a wedding either, the thought itself was leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
"Joseph," Freya announced after a while, making her way over to where the group of them sat. "I must say: you look like complete shit. Did Azkaban not treat you well?"
Joseph didn't move his eyes toward Freya, still not responding to her in any way.
"Oh, excuse me, boys. That was quite rude. I'm sure you won't tattle on me, will you?"
"I might have to after your child set the Aurors on us," Rhys snorted, coming to join them as well.
"Yes, so I was told that happened," Freya mused, eyeing her offending daughter with amusement.
Astoria sighed, looking at Rhys apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mr. Pucey. Adrian was telling us that he would be leaving again, and that would ruin the plans for the marriage between him and my sister. Please, I meant no ill will towards your family, I assure you."
"Oh, Mr. Pucey, she's sorry," Freya cooed to Rhys sadly, snorting at the end of it.
His mouth twitched with amusement at Astoria, nodding. "It's alright. You've done a better job of holding my son down than we've been able to."
"Still. Very disloyal of you, Astoria," Freya scolded. "These are to be your in-laws."
Joseph scoffed loudly at that. "I'm sure you give them great lessons on loyalty, Freya." Joseph stilled at his own statement, his eyelids lowering in realization of what he'd done.
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room as Freya dropped her glass, her eyes flashing with triumph as a smug grin covered her face. "What was that, Nott?" She asked him, walking towards him slowly, almost predatory like. "Did you just address me? Wow, it has been a while hasn't it? How many years have passed? Oh, I've missed you, darling!"
Ah, did the woman have a talent for drama.
Joseph stared up at the ceiling looking incredibly irritated as the woman approached him, and Theodore watched the both of them looking both amused and uncomfortable.
"Now, now. You've already spoken to me and ruined your record setting silent treatment. It's too late now, my love. I have to say: it's a wonder. We must catch up. What was that you were saying? Right, loyalty. Ah, yes. You find me disloyal." Freya's words ended in a pout and she looked at him sadly, nodding mockingly. "Poor innocent Joseph. Pitiful what I did to you. Someone ought to slap me with a splintered paddle, no?"
Draco watched them, newly intrigued. Joseph Nott was an incredibly intimidating man, and Draco made an effort to keep civil with him. It was bizarre to see the bold woman taunting him as if he wasn't an incredibly dark wizard who had spent a considerable amount of time in prison.
Joseph finally met her eyes, his expression cold. "Are you finished?" He asked her slowly.
"Far from it!" Freya exclaimed while taking his drink from him and taking a sip herself, and Draco heard Blaise laugh in disbelief. "Come now, it's been so long since I've had a good chat with my best friend."
Rhys watched the two of them, pulling his lips back over his teeth, expressing the awkwardness of the scene and Astoria shifted beside Draco, looking confused and uncomfortable as she watched her mother.
"Not long enough, love," Joseph said softly, growing more visibly angry and tense.
Freya tsked. "You're so mad at me," she expressed, her voice sorrowful. "I feel even the onlookers in this room fear my safety." Freya turned to the boys, her face changing to something sly. "Don't worry, boys. He isn't going to do shit to me, that I can guarantee."
Joseph laughed coldly, shaking his head in aggravation before Freya plucked at his suit, examining it. "Alright, perhaps you don't look that horrible. Forgive me if I hurt your self esteem. Oh, and congratulations. You've really picked yourself and your family name up in recent years, haven't you? Maybe we should have married Daphne to your son," she said thoughtfully before snorting with laughter at the thought. "Ah, I'm still quite hilarious aren't I?"
"Unfortunately, it isn't Daphne who Nott is after as he has made advances toward my wife one time too many," Draco drawled, cutting into the exchange, watching Astoria frown beside him.
Freya paused, her eyes landing on Theodore as she regarded him stiffly, her mocking expression now fallen. She moved her eyes to Joseph, her head tilting at him. "Aiming below the belt are we?" She asked him curiously, an underlying chilled tone in her voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You don't know what I'm talking about," Freya repeated, laughing slightly. "I see. I wasn't aware that our children were fair game to be targeted in the issues we have with each other."
"I would never do that," Joseph told her harshly, his eyes offended.
An unidentifiable emotion crossed her expression and Freya searched his eyes for several moments before smiling without humor. "And when have you told me that before?"
"Mrs. Greengrass. I can assure you there is no negative intention besides an attempt to irritate Malfoy," Theodore said, looking uncomfortable and nervous at his father.
The woman regarded Thedore coolly. "Do you believe me quite stupid?" She asked him, false amusement in her voice before it was icy. "Because I can assure you: I'm not."
She walked away from Joseph, gathering the paperwork and handing it to Daphne before kissing her girls goodbye silently.
"Freya," Joseph growled in protest before she left, the sound of the door slamming loud in the Manor.