Hello! Just as a bit of a warning: for the next three weeks I'm going to be busy with moving and all of that nonsense, so I may or may not post on schedule. I'm sorry about that! Of course I'll try my best, but please be patient. Thank you so much for your continued support even though I haven't been giving you the most exciting chapters in the world. I really appreciate you guys still being so awesome. I hope you're having an amazing week. Easter is coming up, which means candy will be discounted after it ends!

I don't own anything from Harry Potter.

Aldrich Greengrass allowed Evelyn Bissette's voice to fade into a murmur as he closed off the sounds of the Great Hall. She was merely giving him useless gossip at this point, as she usually did. However, she was productive in the sense that at times she had useful things to tell him, as women were far too trusting with their fellow females. He was hardly interested in the chatterings of how everyone spent their summer vacations, where they traveled to, how drunk they had gotten. It was all nonsense. It was his very last year to deal with it, and for that he was grateful. So many messy and idiotic students made him tense, and he couldn't stand not having his own space, couldn't stand not being in complete control of his surroundings.

He would have to take on a wife, which was more of a chore to him than anything. He would be able to control any woman more than easily, that wasn't the issue, but too many women irritated him with how mundane they tended to be, especially those from their community. He needed a sense of triumph and pride in the woman he called his wife, and most of the pure-blood girls that were up for his hand were far too simple and pliant. Scholarly intelligence is not the same as a woman with raw wit and a passionate soul. She needed to come near rivaling him in terms of the mind. Not that he would tolerate a disobedient wife, but he would like a woman who had to disobey her own true desires and instincts to sit by his side, he wanted her to be tortured to live as a simple house-wife just as he was tortured in dealing with such people every day, listening to their idiocy, navigating through their foolish choices.

But for power it was worth it.

According to his parents at least. Yes, he enjoyed power but he wasn't completely sure if the efforts were worth it, but surely once he was finished being surrounded by loud school children life would be much more bearable. His eyes skipped over the groups of girls down the Slytherin table, almost all of them in full depth conversations about their summers, fashion, boys. Quite typical young female conversations for them to be having, nothing entirely shameful or to be looked down upon.

Ah, but not his witch. She was not participating in the usual female gushing. She barely tolerated one woman, and Narcissa was not too obnoxious herself, though she was still simple and dull. His witch had a head on her; true sense. She was a challenge in that she didn't want to be controlled and was fearful of a man taking over her mind and changing her. He didn't want to change her, only leash her. It wasn't difficult to piece together her home life. He had seen how her father treated her when he thought no one was looking, seen how her brother treated her in the halls. Her brother respected Aldrich, but he did not return that respect. The way he spoke about his sister was inexcusable, to speak of one's own family in a way that brings shame on one's name was disgraceful. Her mother's death had been suspicious, and he was almost completely sure, as were his parents, that the woman had been murdered. Not a terribly rare occurrence in their world, but still unsettling enough to people to cause a stir in conversation. So, a girl who grew up abused by the men in her family with a dead mother. Not an original backstory, but the darkness the girl held in her was terribly intriguing, and it was her character that was original. She took strength from her horrors, and only some were intelligent to do as much. She had a strong distaste for Aldrich, that much was clear. Not that he needed her to like him, on the contrary.

Where was the game in that?

She had been wary of him even before he had forcibly shut her mouth when she was sat next to him in class, before she had much of any encounters with him at all. It was all too amusing to see such a woman always so confident, unless placed before her brother, squirm in discomfort at the sight of him. It wouldn't and didn't make sense to anyone else, no one was fearful of him the way she was. They underestimated him, she didn't. She didn't because she had some sense, and she knew a man able to rival her when she saw one. He doubted she was wary of him in fear he might be violent towards her as she had been raised in violence. It was hardly anything new. No, he wouldn't be violent towards her, but he did want to possess her in the truest way he could imagine and she could sense it. Her mind and will, her sureness of herself in this world was all she had left, yet he wanted to invade that as well, and everything inside of her screamed that truth at her just by barely knowing him.

Clever girl.

She was not sitting with her normal set of idiots, and even Narcissa was not across from her. She was alone, her body and face appearing slightly fuller than it had the previous year; healthier. He had noticed the subtle changes in the events he had caught glimpses of her at over the vacation. Health suited her much better than starvation. There was more color in her face as well, and her skin which wasn't as pale. He didn't assume her family the type to go on tropical vacations. Her face and body appeared healthy, but her expression seemed off. Worried and unsure. Out of character for her. He noticed the light, almost unnoticeable pink flush to her cheeks and felt his own expression falter into something smug. Did his witch have a summer romance? How adorable. He doubted it had anything to do with Nott, as the idiot hardly kept a hold on the girl, and he had only distanced himself more and more from her leaving her to go off and make her own foolish decisions. Which, based on her glowing appearance but fretful expression, he assumed she had made quite the foolish when not under her assumed betrothed's care. Now Aldrich was really curious.

"She hates you, you know," Evelyn mused, pulling him from his own head.

"Hate is a strong word," he replied, separating the foods on his plate with his fork mindlessly. "But indeed, Evelyn. She does."

"Out of all the prim and proper women pining after you, of course you want Freya Krat who can't stand you."

"But of course. Have you come to expect anything less from me over the years?"

"No, but you might be out of luck for once, Aldrich. Not to insult your own family name, but she's practically already Freya Nott at this point. You should have taken an interest in her earlier."

Yes, that was a problem, wasn't it? His parents were convincing, and they agreed with him that she would be a good choice, but he wasn't deluded enough to believe his family would win over her father on their charm alone. The Notts were the family to beat, and as long as that were true they had the ultimate pick over the brides.

Well, perhaps they would have another pick if Aldrich were to make Freya undesirable to them, though he was also aware of the fondness the Nott family had for the girl, as well as Joseph himself who was not completely stupid. The efforts he would have to go to remove her from their first choice may not be worth it, and especially not worth it should he dedicate himself to having her only to fail. No, he did not fancy facing failure just for a girl he had an interest in.

"I suppose we will see," he told Evelyn thoughtfully, closing her voice off again to his ears.

Nearly a week later he was making his way to his next class, passing by many of those in his own year and house to catch Lucius Malfoy leering something unintelligible to his witch, causing her to step back in offense, her eyes narrowing as her temper flared. Usually, she kept her appearances up towards the more respectable wizards, but apparently she had little control of herself in that moment because she drew her wand at him, causing him and the others of his group to turn on her with highly amused and mocking expressions.

"Control your female, Nott. I won't be kind to her should she choose to use her magic on me," Malfoy said, arching a brow at Freya.

"Freya. Relax," Nott sighed, shaking his head at her. "Don't be foolish in front of the wrong people."

Freya snorted loudly at him in disgust. "You relax, Nott. This is between your boyfriend and I. Go play with the rest of your half-blood worshipping idiots."

"Freya-" Narcissa was cut off when Lucius sent a curse towards Freya who swiftly blocked it and sent one back, aiming at the man's knees to knock him down on them.

Aldrich tilted his head slightly, watching the scene unfold with interest. Daring girl she was. Picking a fight with a Malfoy, with any man of respect, in front of his peers was not a very wise decision, even if there were only few relevant men of status witnessing it.

"Honestly, Malfoy?" Nott snapped. "You allow a little girl to get the better of you?"

He nearly chuckled when he watched Freya freeze, staring at Nott in disbelief before her expression dropped into a look of cold humor, raising her wand to him now.

Raising her wand to her future husband? Aha. A bold woman indeed.

Nott lasted longer than Malfoy had, but he too ended up dropping to his knees at the witch's hand, onlookers who knew of the extremity of her actions went silent in disbelief.

"Honestly, Nott? You allow a little girl to get the better of you?" Freya sneered.

Aldrich walked up to his classmates curiously, eyeing both Malfoy and Nott. Malfoy was nearly shaking with anger as he gathered his wits about him, and Nott was only staring at Freya as he slowly lifted himself up back up from the ground.

Perhaps he wouldn't have to do much to get his witch out of the Nott family's good graces, it seemed she might manage that on her own.

"So this is whose hands the future of our world is in? Wizards who aren't even capable of properly dueling this woman? She's to be your wife, no? Now, if you can't control your wife how do you expect to conquer the wizarding world exactly?" He asked indifferently, meeting Freya's green eyes, watching as they faltered for a moment under his gaze before hardening again.

He blocked the first of her curses calmly, impressed at the power behind them. He didn't have the desire to duel her, if he was being honest with himself he was sure she could get the better of him as well. He grazed her senses, touching onto her mind and halting the flick of her wand as she froze, bending her to his will. He ignored the burning of his head as he pushed his limits grabbing onto her mind this way, though the fact that a part of her seemed almost eager to comply, eager to relieve herself of her magic and fight made it possible to get the results he wanted. He held out his hand patiently, watching her as she struggled with herself, her eyes moving frantically as she lowered her wand to her opposite hand, rotating it so she could hand him the proper end. He took her wand, nodding to her once as he dropped his hold on her mind, watching her stumble back a few steps in horror, her eyes wild as she stared at him in her dismay. Everyone surrounding them had fell into silence now, watching the exchange between the two of them in shock, and he could feel Nott's alarm and desire to defend the girl even in his own anger towards her.

Ah, but she was his witch. Nott didn't know what to do with her.

"Thank you, love," he told her clearly, offering her a polite smile before he stepped away and towards the Slytherins he preferred, the pounding in his head worth it, taking her wand with him as she began to stalk away from the scene in a shaken state with Narcissa following her.

"Freya, you have to get your wand."

From the edge of his vision he watched Freya whirl around to look at Narcissa, her eyes blazing with contempt.

"I don't want it," she hissed, glancing at Nott and then at Aldrich. "I don't want any of it."

Edric's mind was racing to the point of pain and he felt as though it may cease to work all together. Between his sister and his mother, seeing sides of them he had never seen or wanted to see and revealing pasts he was heartbroken to witness, he wasn't sure he was able to bear it.

"I did suggest sessions," Adrian offered and Edric heard his wife hiss at him to let him have a moment, feeling her hand rub up his back as she tried to comfort him without overwhelming him further.

It was hard seeing his little sister perform such a heinous curse so intentionally at such a young age, it was hard to see her broken hearted, hard to see her so emotionally distraught, hard to know she had been cruelly branded in a way that other men were able to see at her pride's expense. It was hard seeing his mother's childhood, alarming to see her act out, shocking to see her murder another, and it killed him to see her reaction towards his father telling her what he had done to Nero Zabini.

Tortured women who he had left and abandoned over his own mistakes and desires. They deserved better than him, his mother a better son and his sisters a better brother. Even his wife deserved a better husband rather than a man who was haunted by his past and forced her into seclusion and a life of wariness. He wished he could make it up to all of them, pay for his mistakes to them, fix it all. There was nothing. Nothing he could do, and all of the women in his life hated him except for his wife, who he wouldn't survive without should she ever grow tired of putting up with him.

"I have more to show you so I don't know how long you want to take a breather for. I could come back if that would help, but I think you definitely want to see the rest."

"Hopefully you'll have something happy to show me, Pucey," Edric ground out, closing his eyes to gather himself.

"Eh.. It's.. I don't know if I'd say happy, but interesting. Actually, yeah kind of happy for you. The exciting part is only I know about it. Draco wasn't in the room," Pucey said smugly and Edric took a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his face.

That's right. There were now so many witnesses to his family's secrets, to their vulnerabilities. It was such an invasion, he even felt as though he was shoving into his sister and mother's privacy watching the memories even as a member of their family. It was difficult to think that others knew, others who had no right to know.

"Just get on with it," he said, waving his hand toward his Pensieve tiredly.

"I think Ophelia should watch too," he suggested, waving her over from where she had allowed them space again.

"Why?" She asked, looking at Edric for confirmation that it was alright. "I don't want to impose."

"It's fine, Ophelia. Come over," he said, impatient to finish the rest of what Pucey had to show him.

She complied and Pucey spilt the silvery memories into the Pensieve, stepping away once he was finished.

Freya Krat, youthful and beautiful in her teen years, was pressing her face into the side of a man's neck to muffle her laughter, her eyes glittering as she pulled away to look up at him.

"C'mon, Abe. You can't spend all your damn time with her. Where've your balls gone? She's got 'em now!" A man, dark skinned like the man kissing Freya's face, crowed to him from a group of men all dressed in an obvious foreign muggle fashion.

"Go be with your friends, Abraham. I'll go back to your room," Freya said, attempting to pull away but the man, Abraham, pulled her back into his thick arms.

"Abraham, am I? Okay then, mama. If I go out with them they'll just want me to drink, and I remember the look on your face the last time I was drunk. Don't want to see that look again," he said gently, watching her eyes honestly.

Freya's face softened and she shook her head. "No, it's alright.. I can deal with it. It's my own silliness, and your friends will begin to truly dislike me if I make you boring."

Abraham took her face into his hands, searching her eyes for a moment. "You're my girl, Freya. I care about what you want first thing, and I don't give a damn if they think I'm boring. If you don't care for me drinkin', then hell I don't need to touch another bottle for the rest of my days. I wouldn't mind you tellin' me about those demons though, you know I'm here for you. I just need to know."

Freya watched him for a long time before leaning up to kiss his mouth before kissing him again on the side of his forehead, ignoring the sweat on his skin. "Don't get drunk, but still go with them. I'll be in your bed waiting for you, and then we can talk."

"Woman, you know damn well no conversation is gonna get finished when you're 'in bed waiting for me'," he growled, his hands drawing around her waist to the small of her back.

"That's on you, not me," she quipped, smirking up at him slightly. "Faith will be back soon. I'll spend time with her."

Abraham shook his head, looking down at her with adoration. "You said you didn't think you were very maternal once, but I've never seen my sister so happy to be 'round someone in my life."

The memory dissolved into the next, the scene replacing itself from the odd, unfamiliar setting with Hogwarts.

Freya walked swiftly through the halls, her stance tall as she made her way through the students, skipping back a few steps when books were strewn in her path by a few fourth year Slytherins taunting a tearful, redheaded first year Gryffindor. Another first year stood near her, recognizable as Severus Snape as well as what the other Slytherins addressing him as, who seemed to appear to be laughing along with the taunting fourth years until they cleared. Freya closed her eyes in irritation as the girl began to shakily gather her things before Freya raised her wand to gather them together herself, shoving the pile into the young girl's hands.

"Stop crying. You look pathetic," she hissed. "And don't expect your little friend to ever come to your defenses, so start learning to defend yourself." She directed her attention on the boy as she straightened, regarding him coldly as he sheepishly looked at the girl with apologetic eyes. "If you care about your friend you'll stop pretending to be as much. These little things don't have happy endings, especially when you seem to be attempting to run with those who actually matter in this house, you miserable little half-blood."

Freya left the two first years promptly after her advice, her steps faltering when she saw Rhys Pucey watching her with raised eyebrows.

"Well.. What the fuck was that?" He asked, falling in pace with her as he walked beside her and she lifted her chin as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Rhys."

"You know, that little mudblood you came to the rescue for could be one of your fiancé's future victims"

Freya's face flickered with a look of disturbance and she glanced at him, appearing slightly upset at his words before she gathered her face together again.

"Ah.. Calm down. Didn't know you cared, Freya. Beginning to realize that you're going to be married to a man who slaughters women and children?"

Freya turned into a less populated corridor, her eyes shining with what seemed to be gathering tears as she ignored him, her jaw clenching and unclenching in her stressed expression.

"Are you crying?!" Rhys demanded, bewildered.

The next brief memory was of Edric who was standing with tears falling from his eyes as his mother walked away from him, her cold expression fading once she was no longer facing him into a small smile that only last for a few moments before her face crumbled into bittersweet sadness, tears streaming from her own face as she began to mourn the son she was leaving behind.

Edric stepped back from the Pensieve, a new form of shock flowing wildly through him as he looked at Pucey in confusion. "What..? What was that?" He asked breathlessly. "Who was that?"

Yes, sessions would have been the preferred idea, Pucey had been correct in that.

"Not a fucking wizard I'll tell you that much."

"Joseph! We were just talking about you!" Freya said enthusiastically when Joseph Nott strode in, his eyelids drooping irritably at the sight of the Aurors who looked up at him warily, the two beside Granger looking confused as Granger's eyes filled with suspicion. "How convenient that you've decided to join us."

"You've only had positive things to say, I'm sure," he drawled, glancing at Freya.

"Is there anything but positive things to say about you, Joseph?" Freya asked innocently.

"Ask that question about yourself and you'll have your answer, Freya."

Freya tsked loudly. "Surely you must think more highly of yourself than that."

"I wonder why you all seem to meet, Malfoy," Granger said accusingly, eyeing Nott. "He's much too old to be considered your friend."

Now he was allowed to have others enter Malfoy Manor without the bitch accusing him, when would his freedom be returned to him? He was beginning to believe he'd forever be haunted by Potter and his sidekicks.

"I practically lived here, little girl. I'm only fetching something. Ignore me, as I don't need an extra fill of interrogations," he replied to her irritably, attempting to leave the room.

"Amy can follow you while you're fetching whatever it is," Granger said firmly, nudging the small Auror beside her.

Nott paused for a few moments before turning around to sit himself in an armchair, crossing one of his legs over his knee as he stared at the Aurors coldly. Nott had placed a few select items in Draco's home in with the rest of the Malfoy's large collection of dark magical objects as the Nott home was still being searched for illegal items, where Malfoy Manor had already gone through that multiple times, and the Aurors had not been able to find the hidden items in the Manor.

"No need," he said coolly, glancing at Freya before raising an eyebrow. "If you wanted to interrogate Freya I could have simply answered any questions you have about her and you would have avoided her unpleasant attitude."

"Well.." The smaller Auror began, biting her lip as she thought of a question to humor him. "If that's true then.. What's her favorite dessert?"

Draco snorted at her, grabbing Astoria's hand, flipping it so her palm was facing up as he traced the lines of it, enjoying the softness of her skin under his touch as he allowed the Aurors to be distracted by someone other than himself. Astoria was quiet as she usually was unless she was being spoken to or if she felt the need to interject and add a comment to reassure the Aurors that they didn't hate them even though they did.

"Not that you'll ever catch her eating dessert, but Eton mess," Joseph said indifferently, raising an eyebrow at the Auror.

"Wow," Freya cooed. "It's so sweet how you know me so well. When does my fan club get together? I know your wife is most likely in charge of the meetings."

"Oh, are you friends with his wife, Mrs. Greengrass? We are a bit worried about her, as Novalie says that she is a heavy alcoholic and seems to have severe depression. She could probably use a friend right about now," Granger said, eyeing Nott accusingly.

"Oh, yes. The best of, actually. It's very concerning, her condition. I'm sure she's quite lonely as well, especially when you consider her husband's infidelity issue.."

"Ah, and I suppose I'm to blame for Sylvia's problems, am I? Hmm? Perhaps you should look at the woman who relentlessly tormented her throughout her youth," Nott snorted.

"And who was the one who aided her torment, Josie? What does that make you?"

"Getting to that, love," Nott replied, smiling without humor at Freya. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Yes, that makes me an accomplice, and of course it's interesting how such an unlikely bride would end up being married to me, the man who 'aided' her tormenter, isn't it? I wonder who made sure things would end up that way?"

"I just love receiving credit for my work," Freya expressed smugly, a wide smirk spreading across her features.

"You bullied Mrs. Nott at Hogwarts?" Granger asked, frowning in her disappointment.

Would Granger ever learn? His wife's mother had practically outright admitted to being an evil cunt, yet here Granger was acting surprised she had been unkind to other girls at school. Draco turned Astoria's hand over as he continued to only pay half of his attention to the exchange, bringing her hand up to his mouth to kiss the back of it, surprising himself in his action. Astoria took this as an opportunity to move close enough to him so that the side of her body was firmly pressed into his side. He draped his arm around the back of the couch, his arm lightly touching her shoulders in a small display of acceptance for her desire to be so close to him.

"No. She started something with me and was incapable of finishing it," Freya said simply. "It is not my problem that she was an idiot in thinking that she ever could."

"Well.. Mr. Nott I still think you could help your wife through her troubles. She is your wife after all."

"So grateful for your thoughts that I do not recall asking for, I'll keep them in mind, but for the record it's not my job to fix women's problems," Joseph said flatly. "Even when Freya was starving herself I was expected to do something about it."

"Miss Granger, I actually do have something I'd like to bring up, seeing as you can't do much with my information on Joseph's past as a Death Eater. I will say it's rather peculiar that my family's property was destroyed just around the time I was marrying another man.."

Joseph narrowed his eyes into slits at the witch who was leaning towards Granger with intent as she told her her suspicions. "Are you fucking kidding me, Freya," he snarled.

Draco had to keep from snickering at the woman, knowing full well who was behind the destruction just as Nott did. He snorted slightly as he had to hold in his laughter after seeing Astoria's expression at her mother's words.

"Mr. Nott. Please control your temper," Granger said firmly, sitting up straight as she poised herself to draw her wand at his tone.

"No worries. Joseph acts like he could hurt me but he would never. He's rather two-faced in that way."

Joseph began to splutter with laughter, his eyes meeting Draco's as he shook his head in disbelief. "You're calling me two-faced? Look in a bloody mirror, Freya. No woman from our circle is in any position to be calling anyone two-faced."

"Hermione, I apologize if you're feeling threatened in our home, but this is not unusual behavior," Astoria broke in assuringly as Granger still watched him with her body tense. "Everything is alright."

Joseph motioned towards Astoria in an exaggerated movement. "Thank you for proving my point, Astoria. I appreciate your assistance."

Draco chuckled in response, rolling his eyes at his wife's scowl in response to Nott implying she was two-faced, though she was the definition of the term.

"Going further than that, my old friend," Joseph sneered through his amusement. "Here you sit, in that uptight outfit, wearing pearls of all jewelry when we both know you detest pearls, pretending to drink when we both know you can't fucking stand alcohol, putting on that pleasant voice that doesn't fit the highly inappropriate things you say, all while acting like you actually have a fondness for your husband that you really despise. So, while you're reconsidering calling someone other than yourself two-faced also consider whether or not your adorable little revenge on me was worth it, sweetheart."

"It wasn't," Freya replied with a smile, seeming unfazed by the rest of his comments.

Joseph's reply was cut off as he realized her words, staring at her with a hard expression for a few moments. "I don't even know how to take that seeing as you could just be saying that because you know it's the worst and most cruel thing you could admit to either of us and you always have to get the last dig, don't you?"

"Naturally."

Once all of them had gone, leaving Astoria and Draco to themselves, both of them were sat at the dining room table for dinner, his wife ranting about the events of the meeting.

"I preferred when they didn't talk," Astoria commented, frowning. "They went years and years without talking, so why start now? Actually, it's rare that I ever seen my mother interacting with others when my father isn't around. She isn't the best at it."

"I found it rather amusing, actually."

Astoria sighed, though it sounded as if she was holding back a huff, taking a drink of her water. "I'm not sure whether to be offended or not that she practically admitted to not wanting to be married to my father, also meaning Daphne and I wouldn't exist. That's not very motherly of her, and also I cannot believe she would admit something so disrespectful out loud. That's beyond shameful to our name, and whether or not the Aurors are anyone important, it's still unacceptable for her to say such things. Imagine if I said that about our marriage!"

"You did say that when you went and rubbed yourself against another man. Besides, she hardly admitted to not wanting to be married to your father. You're being a bit dramatic as well as hypocritical," he muttered, though he knew full well that's exactly what she had done.

And had it been Astoria, he would have been blinded with fury, he knew that as well.

"Well. Let's hope father doesn't decide to go through all of the details of what she did when he was away, otherwise I fear for her fate," Astoria mumbled, cutting her food as she scowled at it.

"I'd be more concerned with the fact that Nott was nearly your brother."

He caught her withering expression before she covered it, focusing her attention on her food to hide the bit of displayed attitude. "I believe I preferred when you were absent from the Auror meetings. I can't handle your fake nonsense with them," he went on. "It drives me mad."

"I thought you'd like it better, seeing as you don't have to talk as much," she replied. "It is my role as the wife to appear polite and hospitable, not that I can do that properly when you refuse to allow me to offer them something as simple as tea."

"You are to appear polite and hospitable to our people, not them. You'd never catch my mother extending her pleasantries to their kind," Draco replied, wrinkling his nose slightly as he imagined his own mother's facial expression towards such people.

"Well, I'm not your mother, and my family is a bit different than yours. I would take into consideration how the Aurors spoke of my father as opposed to how they spoke of yours. Obviously, we have an idea of what we're.." She trailed off when she noticed his face, pressing her lips together as she quieted herself.

"Mhm. That's what I thought, love. I don't need idiots going around fawning over me to lead a decent life either, Though believe me plenty of women still do, and I don't even have to pretend to be nice. Imagine that."

"Yes, that was rather irritating," she said, wrinkling her nose herself. "I prefer not to think of young women fantasizing about my father."

"You're a young woman," he said pointedly.

"What?"

"I'm sure you fantasize about him, given the way you practically worship him."

He heard Astoria's silverware clatter and he looked up to find her beside herself in her disgust at his comment, much to his extreme amusement. "That is the nastiest, most vulgar thing you could possibly say to me, Draco," she breathed, fuming slightly with a bit of a disgusted whine in her tone in her repulsion. "Don't ever suggest anything like that again!"

"So many possibilities of incest surrounding you," he mused, rather fond of her when she was a bit riled up.

"I believe that's your family's area of expertise," she growled in return, narrowing her eyes at him slightly.

"Welcome to the family," he replied, unfazed by her attempt to get the better of him as he smirked at her. "You obviously fit in quite nicely."