So, first of all I want to say thank you so, so much for three hundred reviews. I'm so pleased you all seem to still be here even after this story is in a place much different than it started. I find it so interesting to see which characters you all respond to as opposed to not, and which characters you get annoyed at. Most of you seem to side heavily with the pure-bloods, which is complimentary to me because I feel like I've made you understand those characters so well to the point where you sometimes go against what most would see as right. Like expecting Violet, who they call a blood traitor and scorn her family, to have their best interests at heart. ;) Also! I changed the summary of this story just so I can feel like I'm cheating you a little less (well, new readers. I guess some of you might be pretty disappointed in me for making you read so many characters that aren't Draco/Astoria.. I'm sorry!). Of course, Draco/Astoria is still the main couple of this story, but like I said before I underestimated the amount of writing it would take to develop the other characters, and all of their stories are relevant to each other so I don't want to break them up and publish them separately, and I also don't want to sacrifice development. Plus.. I enjoy writing about them, and this is only fanfiction after all. Again, I'm not trying to abandon Drastoria, but I just wanted to fix the summary so it was more appropriate to this story. I would have fixed it sooner, but the character limit that this site for summaries has is absolutely ridiculous, and you know how much I love to talk so it was impossible for me to write a summary I was very happy with with that little of wiggle room. Anyway, try not to kill me. I feel like I update frequently enough to where if you have to skip over some characters out of boredom it won't be too terrible of a wait for the Drastoria bits/character bits you care for.
I don't own anything from Harry Potter.
Draco entered his bedroom to find Astoria still sound asleep, her face appearing as though she didn't have a care in the world as she slept the day away, her lips parted and smushed halfway against her pillow. He gave her sleeping form a dull look before he flicked his wand at the curtains that covered his windows and the doors to his balcony to bring a sudden burst of light into the room. He watched her delicate features scrunch up slightly, but that was the extent of her stirring.
"Should the Death Eaters make it into our home, you surely won't be a difficult catch for them," he told her, not that she was listening to him in her comfortable sleep.
She always required being woken up, and if she wasn't she would sleep well into the afternoon no matter how early she went to bed. Draco went forward to her bedside table to pick up her glass of water that she always kept there, calmly pouring it over her face. Astoria curled in on herself tightly before she gasped and spluttered, rubbing water out of her eyes and sitting up in alarm.
"Good morning," he drawled, eyeing her as she fussed herself awake.
"Why did you do that?" She croaked, looking up at him with both furious and sorrowful eyes. "What a horrible way to wake someone up. You're so terrible!"
"I'm terrible?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "I see. Perhaps I should stop allowing you to sleep until lunchtime and actually expect you to wake up when I do at a reasonable hour. Watch your temper."
Astoria rubbed her eyes again, her limbs moving slowly as they were behind in waking up with the rest of her. She muttered something under her breath before pushing herself out of bed, going to his bathroom to towel herself off.
"What did you say? I couldn't hear you properly."
"You don't wake up at a reasonable hour. You wake up before the sun is out," she told him, looking at him with slightly scowling eyes. "And I'd wake up to eat breakfast with you, but you're usually gone in the mornings."
"So because I'm not here that means you cease to function?" Draco examined the subtle pout to her face, intrigued by her small shows of new personality as their time together progressed.
"Well who am I to wake up for? I like sleeping, but you're right I should wake up earlier. I will ask the house-elf to wake me.. It's not correct for me to sleep in as I am."
Draco rolled his eyes to the ceiling, staring at it for a moment. "I don't require you to get up for no reason, Astoria. Sleep. I don't care. It's not as if you could be doing anything useful, as you're to stay in the Manor for now."
"Then why did you pour water on me?" She nearly demanded, pressing the towel against her hair.
Draco tsked quietly, leaning against the frame of the bathroom door by his shoulder. "How liberal your tone has gotten with me."
"Draco," she sighed. "You just poured water on my face to wake me up. I beg you to be reasonable as I try to regain my senses."
"You beg me? I'd prefer you on your knees for that."
Astoria blinked, pride crossing her expression to harden it ever so slightly at the thought. "I'd rather not."
Hmm. He'd get her on her knees for him in due time, though not necessarily for that reason, and a pretty sight that would be when that time came.
Pride had no place in front of one's husband, she should certainly understand that by now.
"I'm going to tell you something, but I don't want you to lose your mind over it," he told her, watching her eyes levelly.
She frowned, setting the towel aside to cross her arms across her chest, the silk gown she was wearing now clung to her breasts in certain areas where the water had fallen which caused his eyes to flicker downward more than once. "Obviously it's going to be something upsetting then, isn't it? It's not very fair to tell me I can't react strongly if you know it's going to elicit a strong reaction."
"Are you expecting fairness, love? Truly? At this point in your life?"
Astoria appeared to clench her teeth together, her well angled jaw clenching slightly and she took a deep breath in through her nose. "Yes, I know. Life isn't fair. I will do my best not to lose my mind over whatever you tell me," she told him, watching him expectantly.
"Pucey told me his wards were set off."
She stiffened, her face draining of what little color it had and her large eyes searched his wildly, walking forward towards him.
"By who? To what extent? What else did he say? Is my sister alright?"
"They were only set off, Astoria. No one got through, and it wasn't necessarily them. The Pucey family makes enemies as well just as all of our families do, but I figured you would want to know."
Astoria's face crumbled into worry and she put her hand on his chest, staring up at him. "Can't she stay here? I don't want to be separated. I want to be with her. You know it was them.."
"No, she cannot stay here," he snorted. "She has her own husband, and I don't need two wives to look after. You're enough work as it is."
"Work? What have I done to warrant being called 'work'?" She asked, stepping back a step in slight offense.
"What have you done," he repeated, fighting a scoff. "Ah. Speaking of what you have done, your boyfriend will be here in a moment if he is not here already."
"My boyfriend," she said slowly, her eyes falling down, the worry for her sister momentarily forgotten. "You're allowing him back into our home?
Their home, was it?
"You didn't think the world stopped simply because you're an unfaithful wife, did you? The Notts were heavily involved with the Death Eaters, and though it seems they aren't targeting previous followers it is bound to happen eventually. Besides, Blaise wants him here, and he already has it in for you. Let's not keep him too unhappy."
"I'll stay upstairs," she said tightly, looking away from him.
"Oh no. I think it would be best if you joined us downstairs. You end up listening into our conversations either way, don't you?"
Astoria's face fell even more and his eyes flashed coldly at her emotional reaction. "I don't want to see him, Draco," she said quietly, a pleading look on her face.
"Mmm. Unfortunate. You'll have to keep your legs closed at the sight of him, will you be able to manage or shall I have to hold them together?"
Astoria eyes snapped to his, fully offended at his words now. "I never had my legs open for any man but you. Please do not insult me in that way."
"A bold request coming from a woman who requested another man to touch her."
"I said I was sorry," she cried, throwing her hands up slightly. "Many times. I can't take it back. Do you want to find me a time-turner? Get one for me and I'll fix it. Do you think I enjoy feeling like less of a woman because I can't even get my one duty to be a good wife right? That's all I want to do. I just want to be a good wife and live quietly with you. My response to Theodore was fresh schoolgirl emotions. I was vulnerable, and I never liked you at school so of course I wasn't thinking of you with new emotions and unfamiliar memories in my mind from Hogwarts. I just want to move on from it. I don't want to live in the past."
"I don't believe they were only schoolgirl emotions, Astoria," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Based on what I've seen, you were close to Nott most of your childhood. Don't pretend that it was some petty crush and you just couldn't help yourself in the moment."
"I don't think of my childhood," she said harshly. "I don't remember it well."
"You choose not to."
"I don't want to argue about this. Please, Draco," she said miserably. "Don't make me go down with you."
"I will make you. Now enough arguing, and cheer up. I'm sure you miss him terribly," he sneered, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Perhaps a lover's embrace is in order."
Astoria looked away from him, turning to the mirror as she neutralized her expression to fix her hair from the state it had gotten itself into from her sleep. "I won't touch him."
"Oh, please do, love," he urged her mockingly. "What's stopping you now that didn't stop you before?"
She turned back to move around him and he caught her wrist, yanking her back in front of him. "I don't recall excusing you."
He expected her to argue with him or defend herself given how she had been acting lately, but she looked simply looked up at him and nodded, not pulling her wrist from his grasp.
"I'm sorry. I was only trying to get dressed so I could come down with you," she murmured, watching him expectantly.
"Mmm." He slowly raised her hand to his mouth, kissing the palm of it as he stared at her face. "Good girl then. Continue."
She waited for him release her before she began to move away, making herself presentable and he watched her while his mind wandered, thinking to the Puceys again. He was confident in that Adrian's family would have their home well protected, but it was quite unclear what they were up against. He didn't want anything to happen to Daphne. She was nearly the only person in his wife's life, and he didn't want her to lose another sibling. He was curious where the other had went and if her brother had been happy leaving his life, if crushing his sisters was worth it to him. Family was more important than anything in life, and Draco would never understand why someone would sacrifice it, especially a family with strong relationships as the Greengrass children had.
When she was finished, Astoria followed Draco downstairs. He could clearly see her intentionally looking directly ahead of her to avoid getting a proper look at Nott.
"Perfect. You brought the child," Blaise said coolly, though his tone did not hold anger as he had calmed down considerably since the last incident.
"Malfoy. It's been ages. Finally decided I'm the most useful and intelligent of the lot of us?" Nott asked, smirking at him and acting as if he was unfazed by Astoria's presence.
"Glad you don't include me in your little 'lot' or you'd lose your crown, Nott," Pucey chimed as he came in, grimacing when he saw Astoria and Nott before he gave Draco a look. "You've summoned me?"
"Yes. I've summoned you," Draco replied dully, sitting beside his wife while ignoring Nott's comment. "It's best if we all keep close, and now that they've attempted to attack you I'd say you should be here and actually participate rather than fuck around."
"Fuck around? Me? Why, I'm all business, Malfoy. I have no idea what you mean," Adrian responded theatrically, placing an offended hand over his chest.
"Adrian. Why did you leave Daphne alone?" Astoria asked, looking around him worriedly.
"She's not alone. She's with my mother and my grandmother. Don't you worry your little head, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my wife, sister dearest."
"You left her with two women," Astoria responded slowly, accusingly. "One of them being elderly."
"My mother is an amazing witch, Tor, and my grandmother is no one to fuck with. Don't be rude."
Astoria looked up at Draco, exasperation all over her face.
"Don't look at me, Tor. I'm in no place to tell another man how to take care of his wife."
"I'd be sending myself off if I were you, Pucey," Blaise said, raising an eyebrow at him. "The Aurors obviously don't know what they're doing. They're spending their energy focusing on us."
"Well, I can't send myself off, now can I?" Adrian asked, his eyes flashing with something cold.
Astoria shifted next to Draco and he examined her expression that showed of guilt and frustration. She really did have a way of bringing such negative effects to the people around her, whether it be intentional or not.
"They really are only focusing on us," Nott said. "They want to bring in more psychologists, as if the one I'm dealing with now isn't enough, and they're specifically looking for a mudblood."
"Why does it matter? Don't they all ask the same shit?" Adrian grimaced, his eyes back to their normal state.
"Novalie said that they want a second opinion, as she understands us too well. They think she may be too numbed to sense anything."
"Novalie," Blaise mocked. "Maybe they think she's biased because she's on your dick."
"Most women are. Though I can't say I enjoy her much. I don't fancy condescending women."
"Which is why you silence them by putting them to good use," Blaise replied, waving his hand lazily.
"Yeah, you know about silencing outspoken women don't you, Zabini? I mean, I don't remember Weasley too much, but-"
"Why do they think she understands us so well? She's a pure-blood?" Blaise asked Nott, cutting Adrian off.
"Yes. She's from the Eld family."
Blaise showed no recognition to the name, and Draco only faintly recognized it.
"The Eld family. They are Swedish," Astoria said slowly, as if that were meant to tell them anything. "They are quite a known family."
"If she is like us then why is she working against us?" He asked, distaste gathering in his mouth as he remembered the woman. "And why does she.. Have a career? She looked at marrying age."
Astoria sniffed, tilted her chin up slightly in response. "My questions exactly. She threatened me. She threatened the both of us, actually," she said, her tone cool. "Fool. Attempting to start something with me? Please."
"Aha! Got it! Eld, yeah. What's her name? Novalie?" Pucey squinted at Nott. "No, I don't think that was it. But yeah, I know of them," he said knowingly, smirking in appreciation.
"Charming," he heard Astoria mutter under his breath, and he fought a smirk of his own at the jealousy she was having in place of her sister that wasn't there.
"It's brilliant that the Aurors are working so hard, gathering psychologists of different backgrounds to ask us the same, irrelevant questions they've been asking us the whole time over and over again. I feel that we are really making progress," Draco said, shaking his head. It was a wonder how they had managed to win the war.
"It doesn't make sense for them to bring in a mudblood and claim the girl understands us too well. Aren't they meant to understand us? How else will they know regular behavior from threatening?" Blaise asked, shaking his head incredulously.
"That's what they want," Astoria said quietly, her face changing. "They want us to seem threatening to an outsider so they can start plucking us off with reason. They want to start sending us to prison or to a mental hospital at the least."
Draco narrowed his eyes at this realization, grinding his teeth together. "They're getting lazy. They just want to lock us all up in belief it will stop the attacks."
"Pretty sure they want to lock us all up regardless," Adrian commented. "Especially you lot. Don't they know this type of 'us against them' behavior is what's causing uprisings against each other?"
"No. They don't know, Pucey. They don't know anything. They're fucking idiots."
"Well, I'm going to prison," Nott announced. "No mudblood is going to sit there and listen to me talk about how I didn't cry myself to sleep every night after killing their kind."
"Obviously you have to stop telling the truth," Astoria told him, finally looking at him while shaking her head at him as if he were an idiot.
"I've already been telling the truth, darling," he replied, his tone slightly mocking. "Too late to do anything about how they see my character now."
"Enjoy Azkaban then," Astoria quipped, smiling at him tightly. "I'm sure your father will help you prepare yourself."
Ah, the temperamental little wife he had next to him was quite endearing to him at the moment, though he also realized she was being rude out of worry for the idiot.
"Be silent, Astoria. It is not your place to be speaking out in such a way," Draco snapped, feeling oddly as if he was interrupting a couple's quarrel. No, no. He wouldn't have that.
"Yikes," Adrian grunted, sucking in air through his teeth. "Well. You lot are obviously screwed. I'll be fine, as there's absolutely nothing wrong with my family, and my parents aren't murdering Aurors or destroying houses nor has my wife performed a very successful Cruciatus curse.. I think I'm solid."
"Seeing as you're the only one who has had evidence of an attempted attack I'd say you're not solid, Pucey," Draco scoffed.
"Have you checked your own wards, Malfoy? Could've just not alerted you right. I can't imagine there not even being an attempt seeing as your home was Death Eater Headquarters for a while there," Pucey replied.
"Go on and check yourself then, by all means," he told him, standing.
"I think that's a good idea actually. I'd like to have a look as well, and perhaps we can-"
"Last time you attempted to help with the wards no one was able to come to my home properly," he cut her off irritably. Astoria seemed to believe herself more intelligent than him in every aspect, that much was evident.
Astoria watched her husband stand to go to the front of the Manor to show Adrian and Blaise to the gates where the wards began. She glanced at Theodore in slight surprise Draco had left her there without making sure they weren't left alone together, not that she'd ever let anything happen between them again.
Never again.
Astoria stood to follow behind where Draco had gone, wanting to be a part of everything too, and wanting to get away from the man watching her in that moment. She had worked so hard on not thinking about him, on pushing her feelings aside completely in hopes they'd end up buried in her past where they belonged, and both of them were completely ruining that for her now. It's as if they took pleasure in her torture, Theodore especially. At least Draco had an excuse. Theodore had claimed to love her and yet he sat there acting as everything was perfectly fine, arguing with her, looking at her after what he had done to her. As if he had a right to look at her at this point.
"Astoria," he began cautiously, and instantly all the wounds she had left to be forgotten began to throb all over again.
"Don't talk to me, Theodore. It's not appropriate. We are not appropriate," she hissed, walking past where he sat carefully, not wanting to be any closer to him than she had to be.
"It's nothing inappropriate, Astoria. I want to talk to you about what I was told regarding who the Aurors want to bring in," he sighed, standing to follow her before grabbing her wrist to pull her back when she didn't stop to listen to him.
Astoria froze and looked down at his hand, her body and emotions responding approvingly before her senses kicked in and she jerked her arm away, opening her mouth to snap at him before her heart sank as she remembered her husband's tricks. As soon as she recalled what he had done she felt it, as well as felt Theodore's eyes on the parts of her skin that were bare and visible as the words appeared scattered all over her body. She heard herself cry out loudly, tripping back away from him before knocking into the coffee table, jumping away from it as touching anything caused her more pain.
"Astoria," Theodore snarled in alarm and she attempted to look up at him through the dizzying pain of her tortured flesh, his face portraying that he was indeed a ruthless killer in some instances in his lifetime, and quite capable of being one in that moment.
"Please leave," she whimpered loudly, curling in on herself though she wanted desperately to be still as the friction of her clothes against the brandings the fabric covered made it hurt much, much worse. "Please leave before he comes back. I'm begging you. Please do that for me."
She nearly sobbed when his face broke into pain of his own, switching between a tortured expression and a terrifyingly furious one. After hesitating for far too long he left, leaving her there to burn while she waited for Draco to help her, as there was nothing she could do to help herself aside from sitting as still as she possibly could. She panted loudly, not knowing how else to channel her pain as she didn't want to scream or yell.
Her eyes were watering nonstop by the time she heard the voices return as Draco had not attempted to come back to her until he was fully finished with what he had left to do, and he was taking his sweet time in doing it knowing exactly what was happening to her.
"What the fuck, Malfoy," she heard Adrian breathe, only barely registering the blur of his figure in her vision. She did not see Blaise, which she was more than grateful for as he would simply love to see her in pain.
"I believe you should get home to your wife, Adrian," Draco suggested, sounding unbothered. "Surely you're a more proper source of protection than your mother and grandmother, no offense to them."
Her body reacted instantly to the sound of his voice, screaming at her to go to him, rub herself against him and ease her body's pain. She still didn't move, too afraid and too pained to do so.
"Malfoy, was it-"
"Inform me if something happens again," Draco interrupted him, his voice indicating that he was telling Adrian to leave.
Astoria bit her lip painfully hard to hold herself from screaming at Adrian to leave them immediately before she passed out from the merciless pain as the engravings burned and throbbed into her flesh, feeling as though they were all being freshly carved into right then at once.
She faintly heard Adrian leave and she looked up frantically, whimpering loudly when she saw Draco's form move closer.
Please, please.
"Come now, love. You know who you belong to. Why did you need reminding?" His voice was a coo in its mocking, and she cried out again softly, trying to reply coherently.
Astoria moaned loudly in relief when his hands were finally on her skin, pressing against his hands needily as her areas of burning were replaced with soothing pleasure, her skin singing its praises as it was healed and warmed.
"I didn't touch him. I was walking away from him. Please believe me," she rushed out as she pressed her face against his neck as he worked his touch around her body and she moaned again, gently this time as she closed her eyes, both her body and mind humming.
"No worries, love. I believe this worked out perfectly fine," she listened to him purr, his tone dark as he reveled in the way he possessed her.
His, she was his.