Hi guys! I hope you all had a good Monday. I had to go to the eye doctor, so that was meh. I'm also just really sad and stressed because my parents are moving to Oregon and I'm not going with them so I have to figure out a place to live, and I'm extremely dependent and terrified. That's actually kind of why I started this story so I could have something to work on while running from my problems. Anywayyyy onto questions and concerns! LilyBug already messaged personally me about the lack of plot, but I'll still address it here. I started this story with the intention of focusing on the characters and the dynamics or their roles in their society. The title "The Insides of Emptiness" kind of explains what I'm getting at. Explaining characters that otherwise seem very one-dimensional in their luxurious lives. I do have the conflict that helps give reason for these characters to come together, and I do plan on addressing that, but that's not the real focus of the story. I'm sorry if this story does seem to drag, but I don't want to rush through certain aspects of the story because.. Well.. Then it won't have the effect I want. I will admit that when I was planning scenes and characters I underestimated the amount of writing it would take to properly go through all of them, so this story IS getting quite long. Hopefully you all don't mind too much, and if you're anything like me (I'm so horrible at this) you'll skip over characters that don't interest you (though of course I'd like if you read them). Thank you Stroke for understanding what I'm getting at and explaining it well, I really appreciate your input so much, and all of you guys who always take time and effort to leave your thoughts. I love you so much! This chapter is back to the average length because I have to get up early, I'm sorry! I know you guys were getting more used to the longer chapters. Still, I hope you enjoy!

I don't own anything from Harry Potter.

"Edric," little Astoria huffed, moving behind her brother's legs to push the length of her body against them, going limp. "When will it be time to go home? I hate this. Mother won't even let me play with cousin Garren!"

"Because you and Garren get into trouble every time you two are together," Edric told her, allowing her to lean on the back of his legs. "And of course you hate this. You hate any occasion where you are required to behave for five minutes."

"Why can't I play and behave!" Astoria pouted, slumping down to sit in the grass at his feet, plucking at her white dress pitifully.

"Stand up, Tori. Why must you always be so difficult? What if Roderick sees you acting like a brat?" He asked her, a warning tone in his voice as he glanced around at the adults ahead of him, though none of them seemed to be paying any attention to the boy and his sister.

"I hate uncle Roderick. He makes mother act off. I hate being in Germany," she continued to complain, not standing up like her brother had ordered.

"You hate a lot of things," he responded, turning to pluck her up from the ground. Astoria's body sagged as she refused to support herself on her feet. "Astoria Conradina. You are not a toddler. Stand. Up," he growled irritably at her, earning himself a glare from her before his sister stood, yanking herself away from him.

"Why am I not allowed to sit," she demanded. "I've been standing for so long. I'm a child! I get tired easy!"

"And I get tired of your whining. Easy." Edric rolled his eyes and walked over to the pathway that led to the bench near the small pond on the property, Astoria trailing behind him as a triumphant expression spread over her features. "Here, but we can't stay here for very long."

Astoria climbed onto the bench, a smirk on her small face before she pointed to the spot next to her, watching Edric sit beside her exactly where her ordering finger was pointing him to. "Why does mother act so odd around our uncle?"

"Because she's scared of him," Edric told her evenly, looking out at the pond.

"Why? He's her brother."

"He's not a good one."

Astoria smiled up at Edric sweetly and leaned against his arm, pressing her cheek against the arm she was leaning against. "I'm so lucky that I have the best brother."

Edric looked down at her as he smiled back and kissed the top of his sister's head. "Cute, but I imagine you'll be asking me for something after such a compliment."

She scowled up at him, pushing her lips out. "Why can't I just be nice?"

"I don't know. Why can't you?"

"I am!" Astoria exclaimed, poking his side. "Be nice back to me or I won't be anymore."

"Uh oh. I better be nice then," Edric said seriously, widening his eyes.

"Better be," Astoria agreed, nodding in agreement. "What if when I get married my husband will be mean to me like how uncle is mean to his wife?"

"He won't be," Edric murmured, his eyes darkening at her words and he clasped his hands together.

"How do you know?"

"Because I won't let him," he said, moving his arm around her shoulders to lean down and kiss the side of her face. "And because no one would want to hurt you. You have that face as your advantage."

"Do you promise?" Astoria asked, her expression now solemn and sad.

"Yes. I promise. Now cheer up," he told her against the skin of her face, his voice kind. "I love you, and I'll always be around to protect you."

Astoria wrapped her arms around his waist, embracing him tightly. "I love you more," she replied, her voice brighter.

Draco sighed and leaned his head against one hand, rubbing his temple, waiting as the memory switched.

Astoria, still a small child, jumped awake in bed at the sound of the clap of loud thunder. She gathered her blankets around her, looking around the room frowning before crawling out of the bed, wincing at the flash of lightning that showed through the window. She crept down the hall of her home, peeking into the girl's room next to hers to find an empty bed there. She scowled and turned back, quietly moving in the other direction to open the door Edric's bedroom, Daphne already in there with him sleeping soundly.

Astoria climbed onto the large bed between her older brother and sister, wedging herself between them and causing Daphne to readjust herself to curl around her sister's back, nuzzling her face into Astoria's shoulder tiredly. Edric half opened his eyes and shook his head, muttering under his breath about how high maintenance they were before turning on his side to go back to sleep, ending up near the edge of the bed with his sisters more in the center, taking up most of it. Astoria reached behind her to grab Daphne's hand, pulling it around her to hold onto it tiredly, closing her eyes to sleep as well as the room lit up with the storm, the sisters now unbothered.

Draco stood when the memory ended, feeling an amount of understanding for his wife's sadness as well as his own mother's. Being an only child, he never understood the relationships that siblings shared, but some of the memories he had witnessed of his wife and her own he was beginning to feel more empathy for what they had lost. He had certainly never thought of Daphne and Astoria having an affectionate relationship until recently. At Hogwarts, Daphne had only ever complained about her sister, and Astoria had often fought with her when she was younger based on the scenes he had seen previously. Though judging from Daphne's fierce reaction to their separation, and the small moment in the memory, Draco could see they were more than just bickering sisters.

Draco covered the Pensieve, turning to make his way up to his bedroom slowly, thinking of his wife's youth. Well, they were still in their youth, weren't they? But the child version of her, so full of promise and life, promise to be more than what he had originally took her as that was now only ghosted in her eyes. He wasn't sure how that came to be, if it had been the loss of her brother or if her parents had finally told her enough was enough and that it was time to act properly. Perhaps her personality had faded with age. He realized his growing resentment for her brother that no longer was, and it was not for the fact he was a traitor in his community's eyes, but the fact he had abandoned his sisters for a girl that came much after his siblings, for a girl that was not the same little girl Edric had promised to always be around for, and for a girl that was not the same girl who he had promised to protect from her husband. He was a traitor, yes, but even more so to his family that had loved him so dearly. All for a girl at school.

Was Draco what Astoria had pictured as a child when she had feared her future husband mistreating her? Was Draco the man Edric had promised to protect Astoria from?

No, he wasn't horrible to her. From the small glimpses he had seen of her uncle, and from the other men he had witnessed in their circle he was definitely no where near what he could be. She certainly hadn't been the perfect wife so far, and there was no reason why he should be feeling the small sliver of guilt he was experiencing. It was just her, her damn face. The face she was well aware of, he knew that now, and he imagined she still knew how to use it to manipulate people into feeling soft towards her, into making him feel soft towards her and her sweet, innocent face. So eager to please.

It was most certainly working, wasn't it?

Draco opened the door to his room, jumping when he nearly knocked into his wife attempting to exit the room at the same moment. His eyes fluttered closed irritably as he sucked in a breath through his nose, recovering from the start she had given him.

"Where are you going," he said flatly, the edge in his voice unwarranted for something she had done unintentionally.

"Did I frighten you?"

"No."

".. Are you sure?"

Draco opened his eyes to find her looking up at him with bright eyes, amusement playing at her lips. "I'm sure," he said dully, closing the door behind him. "What did you need?"

"I was going to look for you," she said, grasping her hands together.

"Yes. What did you need," he repeated.

"Oh.. I don't know," she said, the corners of her lips pulling down.

"You don't know? How could you not know?"

"I was bored," she said slowly. "And I was feeling a bit nervous."

"Nervous about what?"

"Just.. Are you sure we shouldn't add more wards? I feel almost naked being here," she murmured, looking around the room.

"Why would I allow you to be unprotected?" He asked irritably, moving past her into the room. "The wards are more than adequate."

"I'm not saying you would. I'm just scared. You were a Death Eater.. But I wasn't, and that's who they're targeting," she said quietly, turning to watch him.

"They're targeting whole families. If anything they'll go for your parents. Or your sister and Adrian's family now that she's a Pucey."

She stared at him, her eyes filling with more worry. "That's not comforting at all, Draco."

"It's the truth. You're my responsibility. They're not. I'm doing my job taking care of you, and no one else. What more do you want?"

"I don't want my family hurt," she nearly whispered, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Adrian, as much as an idiot as he may seem, knows how to protect himself. As does his family, and I think we both know your mother and father are capable with their magic. Just relax, Astoria. Worrying does nothing productive."

"Telling me that worrying does nothing productive isn't productive either."

"Don't be difficult."

"I'm not being difficult! I'm scared. Aren't I allowed to be scared? I don't want to be around the Death Eaters. I don't want to be controlled by them."

"And you think I do?"

"No, but you're prepared."

"I'm not prepared," he said coldly, shaking his head bitterly. "I was never prepared. Your boyfriend was prepared. Perhaps you really would be better off with him."

"Draco," she said softly, causing him to nearly shiver at how delicate his name felt settling over his ears.

He said nothing as he began to remove his clothes impatiently. Astoria stood up, walking up to him cautiously before stopping a few feet from him, seeming to wait.

"What is it," he snapped, looking down her small frame which was standing tall and still as it usually did.

Astoria shook her head, saying nothing. She only stood there, watching him as she waited. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply and slowly, feeling the nearness of her presence grating his nerves. She was too close to not be touching him.

"Come here," he ordered, unable to stand her practically hovering nearby.

She complied, walking forward to finish unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders before looking up at him. He grabbed her wrists, tugging her forward to pull her flush against his chest.

"Stop worrying about this. We just have to wait it out."

"Do you regret it?" She asked him, watching his eyes.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed slightly at her question. "Regret what?"

"Not killing Dumbledore."

Draco felt his face falter and he nearly stepped back from her. "Why ask me that?" He asked, his voice lined with a roughness to it.

"I remember getting angry at you when I was watching you. I just wanted you to kill him. I kept thinking: 'How hard is it to kill an old man? Doesn't he know he will be killed if he doesn't?' There were so many times I almost helped you do it.. Just to get it done. But you never ended up killing him at all. I was afraid then. I didn't want you or your family to die."

He said nothing, squeezing hit tongue between his teeth hard as he gathered and sorted his thoughts, unsure of how to react to her words. He wanted to move away from her, push her away, but he didn't. He only stood there, her body against his own. He could feel the evidence of her life moving against his skin beneath the fabric of her clothes.

It was suffocating.

"I don't know," he said finally, his voice nearly nonexistent.

Yes. The answer was yes. Why would he tell her he didn't know? His family had paid dearly for his inability to kill the worthless idiot.

He grit his teeth before speaking again, his voice harder this time, honest. "But if I had a chance to do it again at the age I am now I would, and I could get it done this time around."

Astoria nodded, slipping her hands over his skin lightly to rest them against his chest, his heart beneath her fingertips.

"Draco?"

"What now."

"I'm sorry that I wanted you to live for the wrong reasons."

Daphne jumped awake at the sound of the bedroom door slamming and she turned over tiredly in alarm to squint into the darkness, trying to make out Adrian's form as he went to the dresser to rummage through the top drawer. She sighed, laying her head back down on the pillow to rub her eyes. She had gone through that drawer before, curious of its contents when he had frequented it. In it were a lot of the substances she found in the corners of their parties, and she didn't have a desire to ask much about it.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice thick with sleep. She was sure it was the early hours of the morning. It wouldn't surprise her as he always came home late, though usually he didn't wake her up so rudely.

"Nothing is wrong. Sleep," he snapped, eliciting a wince from her at how out of character he was acting.

He never talked to her like that.

Daphne was still, unsure of what to do and suddenly feeling uncomfortable to move, uncomfortable that she was intruding on his space and his bed. She swallowed, forcing herself to sit up to confront him, oddly nervous. The room felt different, he felt different. Her eyes adjusted properly and he was still messing around in his dresser when they did, his back to her.

"Adrian? What's wrong? She asked again, forcing her voice to be strong when she spoke up to him.

He stopped, standing still and frigid in place, his head coming up to stare forward and she could faintly see his jaw tense in the dark room. Her breath hitched in anxiousness and she twisted her hands slowly in her blankets, completely unprepared to handle him this way.

"What's wrong is that I'm here," he said, his voice low and nearly unrecognizable in its coldness. "I'm here and those fucking soul eating idiots are attempting to get at me, but I'm stuck here because of you and your fucking sister. I should have never come back. Now I'm trapped, and I'm not only trapped to spend the rest of my life with you, but trapped to end up as bait to this group of psychopaths."

"I didn't ask for this either," she ground out quickly, defensive in her pain at what he had said to her. "I didn't want to marry you. I couldn't help it. You mentioned me to my sister! I'm stuck here too!" Daphne wrapped her arms around herself tightly, biting her lip as she was stung by his hurtful words. "Wait.. What do you mean? Did the Death Eaters do something?" She choked out, tears spilling from her eyes from both her wounded feelings and now fear.

He didn't respond for a while, and she couldn't see him through her tears aside from his blurred and moving form. She leaned away impulsively as she saw the shape of him move toward the bed, but she now recognized the shift in the room as the animosity faded.

"Daphne," she heard him sigh and she wiped her eyes roughly, looking away from him in both embarrassment and a new shyness for a man she apparently didn't know well at all.

"Daphne," he said again, his voice back to his more usual tone and she felt the bed dip as he sat next to her. "I'm sorry, love. I'm not angry with you."

"It's fine, Adrian," she managed, a small and wavering amount of edge to her voice as she refused to look at him. "I knew you didn't want to be married to me. It's a business arrangement the same as any other. I'm sorry it worked out so negatively for you."

"It didn't. I'm just stressed, and now I'm scared because I have something to lose," he said quietly and she felt him move closer to her, gently pulling her arm so she'd turn to him. She reluctantly turned her face to his to find that he was studying it regretfully. He brushed her tears away with his fingertips lightly, sighing again.

"What happened?" Her voice was small this time, and she hated herself for feeling so vulnerable in front of him after he had made her feel so horrible.

"There was just evidence of attempts to get through our wards, but it could have been anyone. I shouldn't make assumptions. I'm just paranoid. It will be fine."

Daphne shrunk back from him, terror filling her. "What? What do you mean? Evidence how? Shouldn't we hide?" New tears sprang in her eyes in her fear for her new family along with her guilt after Adrian had blamed her for everything though she knew it was in no way her fault. He just had that way about him.

Adrian shook his head, tucking her hair behind her ear as he pulled some strands from her face that were stuck to the trails her tears left behind. "Really. It's okay," he told her, his tone soothing. "I won't let anyone hurt you. You're my wife, my family."

"But-"

"Just let it be for now. Alright, dove? You should sleep. It's nearly four."

Daphne stared at him, struggling to listen to him. How could she just let this be? Her heart was practically bruising the inside of her chest with how much it was racing. "You woke me up," she bit viciously in her struggles, yanking away from him to gather herself under the blankets and turn away from him.

"That I did," he said, his voice slightly sheepish but still not quite his normal, easygoing tone.

She said nothing to that and listened to him get up from the bed, most likely to take off his clothes, before he got back into it to lay down beside her. Her heart was still racing in fear and she slid closer to the center of the bed, pressing up against the pillow between them. She chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment before turning over to pull it out of the way, grabbing onto his arm to move under it before she practically buried herself into his side. He shifted to accommodate for her, sliding his arm around her to gather her closer to his bare chest.

"Glad to see you've come around," he commented, a smugness in his tone.

Dick. She was scared, what triumph could he possibly claim from that?

"You really can relax. Everything is fine. I promise," he told her when he spoke again, his tone more serious.

She said nothing and instead pressed her nose into his skin, inhaling the intoxicating, sensual scent of him. The smell of his cologne mixed together with his other natural scents that she was growing very familiar with overwhelmed her senses. It was the same scent that had begun to cling to her own clothes and added to her own scent, and she didn't mind at all. Everything about it was alluring and masculine.

"You know, we are really pressing our limits with how long we are waiting to consummate our marriage. The magic used in the ceremony expects-"

"Now is not the time to be joking about sex, Adrian," she hissed against his skin, digging her nails into his stomach where her hand rested.

"Are you sure? I mean, with that foreplay a man gets confused."

"Goodnight, Adrian."