Heyyy! Hi! How are you? It's been a while, I know. I'm sorry. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with three different issues all at once (Bipolar two, anxiety disorder, and ADD), then I went out of town for a while, and I've just been in a bit of a jumbled mess which has taken me out of the head space to sit down and write. My down time has basically consisted of me in bed and staring at nothing for hours, lol. Just writing this much was difficult, and obviously I've had a while to do it. This story will never be dead (I've seen stories that go months and months without updating..), and please trust that if I don't update it's for a good reason, but I promise that it will be finished. If you believe that the story is going downhill, don't like the drama, and are only waiting for closure then I would wait until I list the story as finished and then read the last chapter. Writing fanfiction is not my job. I do it for fun and I started it as a distraction, but now I have a lot of things going on. Please understand that, and please be patient with me. Oh! I never said anything more on Babushka! She is great. She's actually been weirdly affectionate lately, and I think she's adjusting to the move better than I am. She is an indoor cat though. Actually, she stays in my bedroom seeing as the other cats in the house would eat her. Regarding some of the last comments: Freya did not "sacrifice" one child for the other, lol. She had no idea that Aldrich would do that, and she does not love any of her children more than another. Just wanted to set that straight. Let's see.. It's almost summer vacation for the kids I nanny, and that means I get to wake up super early (well, early for me) and go watch them/drive them around. What plans do you all have for the summer?
I don't own anything from Harry Potter.
"I thought you said you had this under control," Draco told Granger flatly, noting her disheveled robes.
A mess of a woman.
Granger looked up at him with tired eyes, the Manor now hauntingly lit by the large fireplace that contrasted the darkness of the rest of the living space.
"I understand that, Draco, but-"
"You don't have this under control," he interrupted her impatiently. "This is not an inn."
"And we aren't treating it as an inn! Do you imagine that I want to be here?" Granger demanded, tossing the book down next to her in frustration.
"I don't care what you want. I care that you're here, and that you're unwanted. So leave."
"Brilliant. What a lovely idea, truly. Why didn't I think of that? How do you propose I do that? We've already ruled out the floo, as-"
"Put down the fucking books and act as though you've been actually trained. Apparate to the edge of my property, step off of it, and then you will be able to apparate," he told her, sliding his eyes to the book of his she had so rudely tossed, irked at how disrespectful she was towards his property.
"And you don't think that that's their intention? That they aren't attempting to lure us into a trap like that?"
"I thought you said that you don't believe they are surrounding the property," he remarked, raising a challenging eyebrow at her. "Or perhaps you've been lying in order to keep everyone calm, or more believably that you've been lying in order to seem like you have even an inkling of what you're doing."
"It's still quite dangerous, and who could know how badly we may be outnumbered. I don't believe they are, but-"
"Awfully cowardly of you, Granger. What, are you only brave when you have your boyfriends to watch over you? Or is it that you're attempting to impress them in hopes that you won't live out the rest of your days alone?"
"As if you have any place to call anyone cowardly, Malfoy," Granger hissed, stepping closer to him.
Draco grimaced and took a step back, brushing off the front of his shirt as if the mere closeness of her dirtied him. "Please. Leave me my personal space at the very least. I understand you're sexually frustrated, but-"
"How dare you!" She exclaimed, glaring fiercely at him. "I've been nothing but respectful-"
Draco snorted loudly, turning away from her, uninterested in listening to her ranting. The only people in the room with him and Granger were Blaise and Nott. Draco's wife was with her sister and their mother, and he wasn't sure where the former Greengrass heir and his mess of a wife had gone. Pucey had wandered off as well, as he had begun looking a bit peeky, and Draco assumed it had to do with the affects of withdrawing from his lifestyle. A shame, as it seemed Pucey's lot wasn't as well put as they liked to act.
He had to worry about his mother as she would undoubtedly noticing his absence seeing that he had already skipped a couple visits that she had been due to receive from him before he had gotten stuck in this situation with these unfavorable people. He hoped she wasn't panicking, and he certainly hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid. She could be more than irrational when it came to him.
"Perhaps we would get somewhere if you allowed us to help," Nott pointed out to Granger, looking less than eager to actually help as he was suggesting.
"I will have to decline on helping," Blaise drawled, side-eyeing Granger with disinterest as he adjusted his sleeves.
"I told her what to do. She is choosing not to take my advice," Draco told the men indifferently.
"And would you be willing to lead us to the edge of your property, Draco?" Granger asked in a false sugary tone, mocking him. "If so then I would be much more eager to consider your thoughtful advice."
"Of course," he replied evenly, facing her again to return her confident stare.
Granger faltered as she was caught off guard by his unhesitant response before crossing her arms, considering this before she took a slow breath, tilting her chin up at him. "Well, alright.. Let us just try a few more things first, and then I will talk to the rest of them about it."
Draco lightly motioned with his hand for her to get on with it, watching Granger nod again before disappearing with the books, leaving him with the two of the men in the room.
"Enjoying your stay, Blaise? Have you made friends with the paintings while you've been keeping out of sight?" Draco asked, taking a seat near the fire.
"Mmm. Forgive me for not finding all of this thrilling," Blaise said, his words slow as he stared at the fire. "Been feeling even less of a desire to mingle than usual."
Ah. He had little idea.
"I did hear your child is having a child of her own," his friend continued.
Yes, his child was having a child of her own, their own. Something he had pushed to the back of his thoughts for the day, as the fact made him uneasy. It didn't help that Granger's confidence seemed to be waning.
"Astoria became ill," Nott commented, attempting to sound indifferent though there was a tenseness in his voice, causing a slow smirk to spread over Draco's face at the man's attempt simplify her sickness.
"She's pregnant, Nott. I checked." Draco refrained from singing the words at him as he watched the wizard's face grow cold in his struggle to keep it neutral. "Do you have a problem with me fucking my heir into my wife's belly?"
"I feel sorry for Astoria seeing as she is stuck with a husband that speaks of her with the lack of respect you do," Nott replied stoically.
Draco tsked. "Is that right? Shame you tossed her aside then, I'm certain that you believe that you would have been a much better husband."
"I would have."
"She seems quite alright with me at the moment. Which room are you staying in now? I know you're worried for her well being, so maybe I'll have her scream how she is doing with me tonight, just to ease your mind."
Draco could feel the quiet revulsion at himself for the way he was speaking about his wife in front of others. He knew his words would hurt her, and it was shameful towards a woman to be spoken of as if she were a whore, but still he aimed to hurt Nott while at the same time ignore the fact he was considering Astoria's reaction so carefully.
"Or not. I'm far too close to your room to listen to your toddler's wailing," Blaise snorted, grimacing in disgust at him. "Please make use of silencing charms."
"Bitter you've no one to fill your bed? None of the Auror girls your type? Seems as though Amy would like a go at one of us. Try her. You've no qualms towards her kind, seeing as you've shagged the Weasley girl."
"Let me know when you move on from that," Blaise said dully, not looking at him. "The joke is growing rather tired."
"Just take care of her, Malfoy," Nott murmured, his tone serious. "Please."
"Take care of her? How noble of you," Draco sneered, his eyes flashing in his furiousness at the fact the prat had the nerve to advise him to take care of his own fucking wife. "You just want her happy do you?"
"I do," he snapped back. "As much as I doubt a piece of shit like you could ever make Astoria happy I hope you will somehow manage because she fucking deserves it. Or did you and I see something different from that Pensieve? Or are you unaware that all she aims to do is please? First her father, and now unfortunately you. I gave her up trying to protect her, and now she landed in your incapable hands."
"You gave her up trying to protect her? Mmm," Draco mused. "Curious then about why you had her up against your wall, coercing her to cheat on her husband like a trollop then, isn't it? Are you unaware of what usually happens to cheating wives? And you believe that to be an example of you providing her with your best interests?"
"It was a kiss," Nott said flatly. "Are you that insecure that you can't get over a kiss?"
"It's his wife, Theo," Blaise pointed out fairly. "If my wife pulled that shit she'd be out on the streets the second she tried to step her arse back into my home. I don't care if it was as little as a kiss on the cheek."
"You made sure it was more than a kiss, Nott, and I do not appreciate anyone so much as putting a finger on my property."
"She asked me to," Nott said lightly, his eyes dancing as he stared off, recollecting.
"Which leads me to believe your intentions aren't as pristine as you tell yourself they are. She is mine. I will worry about her."
"She was mine first," he said softly, meeting his gaze daringly.
Draco chuckled darkly, shaking his head slowly. "No. She was always mine. Even as a child she was aiming to be my bride. The only reason you got near her was due to the fact you took advantage of the stress of the war. Your pathetic little relationship was based on her being in the wrong head space."
"She loved me," Nott bit out, his temper visibly flaring. "Loves me. She will never love you, and you can pretend you don't care all you'd like, but I've seen how she affects you. You love her, and you can't make her love you because you're a cunt, Malfoy. Plain and simple."
"She doesn't even think of you," Draco said, his voice dangerously soft as Nott blurred slightly in his vision as his rage threatened to blind him. "She's shoved you into the past."
"It's what she does with everything that breaks her heart," Nott murmured. "It's not that she doesn't think of me, it's that she can't bear to think of me."
"Hold on," Blaise interrupted, his tone sounding as if he had tasted something sour. "I didn't hear you deny loving the brat."
"She can't forgive you for what you did," Draco spat, ignoring Blaise's statement. "You betrayed her."
"Just as she betrayed you. She's passionate," Nott said arrogantly, smirking at him. "More passionate about me than she is about you. Tell me, have you ever provoked such emotion from her?"
"She seemed perfectly passionate climbing on top of me last night," Draco replied more smoothly than he expected given the way his blood boiling. "But no, I can't say she's ever felt strongly enough to suggest my death."
"If she wanted you dead I believe you would be, so there is no question."
"Ah ah. No. Even if she wanted me dead our bonds will soon be too strong for it to be possible. Her magic is already so closely connected to mine. Does it kill you to know how much I own her, Nott? She's even got my name written on her flesh. My child is inside her."
"Not as much as it kills you to know that I still own her heart."
"Fuck both of you," Blaise snapped. "Knock it off. I've had enough of this rubbish. If I have to sit through one more of your jealous squabbles I'm going to lose my head. Let us move on for Merlin's sake. Where's the Pensieve?"
"Freya moved it," Draco said flatly, irritated at the fact. He hadn't been able to protest much in front of the Aurors seeing as it did have the woman's family name on it.
"The only one in that family I can stand," Blaise replied, a note of appreciation in his tone.
"Shocking you find the most obnoxious one the easiest to tolerate," Nott commented dully, seeming to accept the change of conversation. "Do you reckon the Death Eaters actually are waiting for us to step off the property?"
Draco allowed the two of them to go on about the situation once more, attempting not to listen too closely to their concerns in an effort to block out his own. Surely life would take mercy on him after all he had already dealt with concerning the war, surely he would not have to endure anymore violence or the stress that came with the fear of losing members of his family, this time one being unborn.
Before nearly dozing off, movement near the entrance of the room caught his eye and he watched Astoria slip inside to join them, her expression unreadable as she glanced at the other two men before walking over to sit beside him, sitting up formally as she adjusted her dress modestly. Draco rolled his eyes at her unnecessary politeness, wrapping an arm around her slender waist to drag her against his side, resting his hand against her thigh as he kissed the smooth and tender skin of her neck. She didn't attempt to resist, but he could tell she disapproved of his public display of intimacy in front of the two men, as that was not something encouraged in their rules of guest etiquette. However, his best mate and the twat who was in love with his wife were hardly people to concern himself with, and he was more than happy to flaunt her in front of Nott. He met her eyes with an even expression, raising a brow as he dared her to protest his advances in front of other men. Astoria watched him back, considering his expression before she leaned up to reach him, her lips closing around his lower in a slow, open mouthed kiss before pulling back a few inches as her eyes fluttered back open, studying his gaze once more before retracting completely. A flash of heat ran through his body, his breath catching as he refrained from throwing her on the floor in front of the fire and taking her there, supposing it would be less than appropriate given the circumstances.
He moved his lips to her temple to place a satisfied kiss there, communicating to her of how she had made the correct choice in responding to his affections with her own, ignoring the sound of Blaise loudly clearing his throat in aggravation.
"I'm so tired," she said softly, her voice only quiet enough for him to hear as she glanced into his lap, her face falling slightly in a display of her exhaustion, resting a hand on his leg. "Are we able to excuse ourselves to your room soon?"
Draco felt himself physically soften at her gentle, near pleading tone, his sexual desires replaced with care and sympathy. It wasn't very late in the evening, but she was more than likely emotionally drained. "Soon, love," he confirmed, moving her backwards on the couch so she was leaning against it as opposed to sitting on the edge properly.
Astoria nodded and took his hand in hers as the conversation in the room resumed somewhat, though he still was barely paying attention as Astoria's gentle fingers traced along his, following the lines of his hand, lost in thought.
"Pucey," Blaise acknowledged the man stalking into the room, looking much more on edge than usual. "What's up your arse?"
"Why? Would you like to be? Always wondered why I rarely see you with women," Pucey remarked, his voice sounding distracted. "Where's Daphne, Astoria?"
"She is still with my mother," Astoria replied. "Daphne wanted to talk to her alone."
"Why?" Pucey pressed shortly.
"I don't know, and I believe that was the point of wanting to speak to her alone," Astoria answered smoothly, examining him with disapproval.
"Malfoy, tell me you have something of use to me."
"I'm not sure what you mean, Pucey."
"Stimulants. Preferably muggle stimulants, but obviously you're unlikely to have anything actually magical such as muggle drugs."
"The lack of shame you possess is riveting," Nott commented, raising an eyebrow at Pucey.
"The only thing I'm ashamed of is the fact that I came so unprepared, you fucking arsehole. Oi!" Adrian stopped to wave someone in, Edric and his wife entering the room, a confused look on his wife's face. "Ophelia, lovely girl."
"What is it, Adrian?" She asked, eyeing Pucey's face carefully.
"Please tell me you have some muggle medications on you, anything really."
"No, I do not just carry prescriptions around with me," she replied slowly, her eyes narrowing. "And if I did I would not just hand them off to you either."
Pucey shook his head impatiently before turning to Draco again.
"My father drinks, and I certainly don't have anything that comes from muggles," he told him, holding back a grimace at the manic expression on the man's face at his words. "Why not just brew one yourself?"
"If it were that simple then no dealers would make any money," he snapped. "It's not as simple as brewing them. They don't teach you that shit at school, and there is no way you have even half of the ingredients. Besides, they aren't the same as muggle drugs."
"What drugs do you take, Adrian?" Ophelia asked slowly, still watching him with a narrowed expression.
"Whatever anyone has, preferably something exciting, preferably something now."
Draco noticed Daphne come in slowly without her mother, watching her husband with a guarded expression as she approached him, her hands coming together in front of her in a show of nervousness.
"Ah, there's my lovely wife," Pucey said in a false cheerful voice.
Daphne frowned and opened her mouth to reply before Pucey raised his hand to stop her. "No, no. Didn't ask for a snippy comeback. Just acknowledging your arrival. I'll need your assistance."
"I wasn't going to-"
"Aren't you taught to not to talk back to your husband?" He interrupted her. "Work on at least getting one thing right, yeah?"
"Shit, Pucey. Relax," Nott told him, grimacing as he looked him up and down.
Daphne closed her lips, her features falling as she was hurt by his words before she held out her hand, holding her palm out to Pucey as she offered the contents of her hand. Pucey stopped his retort to Nott when he glanced down at his wife's extended hand before snatching the white bits from it, dropping down to the coffee table to crush them into powder.
"Sweet, sweet woman you are being prepared," Pucey praised her, his face pathetically relieved as his mood shifted as he gathered his drugs together in a way Draco had seen others do before, but never had the desire to participate in himself.
"I admire your class, Pucey," Edric said stoically, his eyes trained on the man supplementing his addiction. "Truly inspiring."
"Coming from the man who left his family for the mudblood he impregnated," Daphne snapped defensively of her husband, turning to her brother as she slightly leaned back in her show of judgement. "Do not sit here and make snide remarks about your betters."
Edric's jaw tense and he appeared as though he wanted to retort, but his lips pressed together tightly as he held his tongue.
"Well, perhaps if you had acted as you were raised to act then you might have ended up with a more suitable husband who did not choose to spend his time mingling with those who have been disowned, particularly from the Greengrass family," Astoria told her sister, sitting forward once more as she appeared to become more alert, her temper flaring.
"Yes, please, Astoria tell me again how much better than me you are. I haven't heard it enough as it is," Daphne answered her dryly.
"I know you haven't," Astoria quipped back. "I'm tickled that I am able to continue to remind you."
Draco raised an eyebrow, curious to know what had come over her, or what had occurred when they were speaking privately with their mother, to elicit such an attitude towards her sister.
"Oh, you're tickled? I suppose Theodore is in the room, isn't he? Careful, Draco. Better keep a tight hold on her. She might run off with him again."
Astoria inhaled sharply in offense before she flicked her eyes across the room, directing her attention elsewhere as she pulled her shoulders back and decidedly dropped her concerns from Daphne.
"Did I hit a nerve, cheating whore? Hmm? I wonder what father would think of you blatantly cheating on your prestigious husband? What do you think he would think? Maybe I should tattle on you just as you've always tattled on me."
Astoria didn't answer, still examining the room as if no one was speaking to her. Daphne leaned forward, tilting her head innocently at Astoria as she continued to push her. "Hmm? Any ideas?"
"I can't seem to hear you, Daphne. Pity, as I'm quite sure you're saying something profound as you usually do, always telling me useless information that I already know seeing as you're the forgotten, lackluster child and you do your best to make up for it by attempting to mentor me though we both know we should reverse roles, as I've always been better than you at everything. Just ask father. Wait," Astoria stopped, frowning. "You may have to remind him of your name first."
Daphne laughed loudly without humor, and Draco watched a strip of light flash past his eyes, the couch moving at the jerk of his wife's arm as she blocked the spell. He watched the two sisters cast their spells at each other for a few moments with interest before his wife yelped loudly in pain, a large gash splitting down her arm. Draco sat up sharply, watching the blood spill from her porcelain skin with concern as she cradled it gingerly, a wounded expression on her innocent features. Daphne lowered her wand immediately as she took in the look on Astoria's face, worry splashing across her features before Astoria dropped the emotion and threw a spell back at her, hitting Daphne square in the chest before she was able to block it while she was caught off guard.
"Why are we attacking each other?" Granger cried from the entryway of the room in frustration, bracing her hands on the sides of her head. "For goodness' sake!"
"Yes. Why," Freya said flatly as she joined them, stalking over to stand between her girls.
"She cut me, mother," Astoria nearly pouted, scowling down at the gash in her arm, tilting it back and forth. "Marred me."
Draco held back a snort as he took his wife's arm from her own cradling. She did have the ability to bring out the drama occasionally. He watched as a white magical thread pulled itself through the cut, sewing it up and he looked up to see Freya dully dropping her wand back down to her side.
"That was a rather impressive trick," Granger complimented with interest, stepping forward to look at the healing wound as Draco used his wand to clear the blood from it.
"Yes, I have a few of those," Freya replied with a false kindness. "Now, if you both would grow up and put an end to your childish nonsense I am sure we would all appreciate - Astoria what spell did you use on her."
Daphne was gurgling as she seemed to be struggling to breathe, doubling over with panic in her eyes as she coughed and spluttered.
Astoria hummed and sat back, resuming her show of lack of attention for the alarming scene. Pucey seemed to regain some sort of normalcy as he went to his wife, looking over her with confusion and shock before whirling on Astoria. "What the fuck did you do?" He demanded, his eyes wild with anger and concern.
"I'm not sure," Astoria answered, shrugging as she glanced at her sister vomiting water. "I can't remember."
Draco watched in growing uneasiness as he realized the severity of the Dark Magic Astoria had used against her own sibling as Daphne appeared to be drowning on land there in his living room over a small spat, Astoria doing nothing to counteract it. Draco barely heard Granger's protests towards Astoria when Pucey pointed his wand furiously at her, Draco taking out his own wand and moving slightly to shield his wife, his eyes narrowing warningly as he watched Pucey closely while moving closer to speak to Astoria.
"Astoria," Draco told her firmly, moving his mouth close to her ear. "Stop this."
Astoria turned to look at him, her eyes set in a stubborn expression. "I'm not doing anything."
Draco looked back over to Daphne, watching her cough up water onto his floor, finally succeeding in sucking in breaths. His eyes moved over to find Naylor lowering his wand, shaking his head at the heaving girl as her husband moved to console her worriedly, rubbing her back as she continued to splutter.
"Astoria Conradina," Freya accused her loudly. "What exactly are you playing at? Do you believe this the time or place for your nasty tricks?"
"You almost killed your sister," Granger observed quietly, staring at the state of Daphne with wide eyes.
"I did not almost kill her," Astoria said, having the audacity to actually roll her eyes. "I wouldn't have let her die. She cut me, and reasonably the repercussions had to be more severe than what she did to me."
"Reasonably," Daphne bit out, still coughing as she glared up hatefully at Astoria, her eyes red and watering. "Reasonably you're a horrid little bint who is incapable of fighting fairly."
"Fighting fairly," Astoria scoffed dismissively. "As if fighting fairly has ever gotten anyone anywhere in life."
"Astoria," Freya said, her tone darker than before. "Your age is showing. Best keep your mouth shut while you are unable to control it."
"Mmm. Be silent," Draco agreed, watching Astoria with growing irritation at how unpredictable she was proving to be.
Astoria frowned in response to his tone, resting her hand back on his leg as she looked up at him, her eyes slowly clouding with regret.
"'Daphne, why are you so nasty to your sister? Don't you think you should be nicer to her? She's young, give her a break. She's so shy, give her a chance.'" Daphne said in a mocking tone, shaking her head as she wiped her watering eyes. "None of you should look surprised. This is her, and not surprising at all."
"All of you. Enough," Granger groaned. "Please stop fighting amongst each other. Astoria, throwing around dark magic in front of an Auror is not in your best interests, don't you agree?"
"She's a nice girl, Granger. Don't worry," Naylor chimed in, the same neither here nor there expression on his face.
"Just a bit of unhealthy competition between siblings, Miss Granger. Nothing to be alarmed about. They love each other at the end of the day after all," Freya breathed, waving her hand as if she were tossing the idea aside. "Now, what have you decided about leaving this wretched house? I will gladly help if it means speeding things along. My absence will undoubtedly be noticed."
"Well, yes. We are going to step off of Draco's property to apparate from there, and we will come back with someone who is more knowledgable on the specific magic placed around the property. I don't-"
"No," Freya interrupted. "I will not be waiting for anyone to 'come back'. I will come with you and apparate myself off."
"I don't know if that is such-" Granger broke off with a yelp, stumbling to the side as she put a hand on her chest when she noticed the tall man up and down that had apparated into the room with impressive silence. "When did you get here? Did you only just get here?"
Aldrich Greengrass smiled thoughtfully at her, resting a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "I'm very sorry to frighten you, dear girl," he told her, his light eyes slowly scanning the room, his head not moving. "What all is going on?"