Bliss
A soft wind blew the small white petals and weak leaves into disarray. Two figures lounged contently on the colorful pasture of wildflowers, under the cool shade of a large willow tree. The usually harsh late spring sun had just risen and the sound of a small creek made up for the lack of birds and animals. The drooping willow branches seemed to let the perfect amount of mild sunlight hit them. It was as if heaven itself had decreed that today would be beautiful.
Astoria rested contently against the thick barks of the oak tree, its drooping leaves providing a natural kind of privacy, while her boyfriend lounged peacefully with his head on her lap.
It has been a while before any of them had free time in their lives. It wasn't that they weren't serious- they were undoubtedly head over heels for each other. But life after the war was quite busy, especially with the increased surveillance of the daily prophet paparazzi after their last ‘secret’ escapade made an entire page in the gossip section.
They had already been dating for around 4 months. The date depended on who you’d ask. Astoria only counted after he had officially asked her out, while Draco counted it from their first date.
Astoria had been ecstatic when she realized that Draco had planned a surprise picnic near his rather discreet summer home. It was a beautiful bug-free pasture near a quiet muggle town, somewhere absolutely no daily prophet reporters would expect to find them.
Originally the plan had been to watch the sunrise and have breakfast before either of their families woke up and realized that they were gone. But they had arrived a bit too late to watch the sunrise. It was mostly her fault.
Despite being a late riser, the excitement from hearing Draco knocking on her window had erased her grogginess immediately. Her boyfriend, the scary Draco Malfoy, could get past the complex magical boundaries on her property without alerting anyone but apparently not open a simple, manual lock on her window.
Although he had told her that it would be only them, Astoria insisted on dressing up- complete with perfume, jewelry, heels, and a simple pastel blue dress that came to her knees. To her, every occasion was an excuse to dress up.
By the time they apparated to the picnic spot, the sun had well risen over the horizon already.
That didn't deter them though. For the past few hours, both of them had been entirely content in listening to each other's voices and gobbling up the aesthetically pleasing breakfast that Draco had prepared.
Somehow they had ended up in this position: Astoria leaning comfortably against the tree trunk with Draco’s head on her lap.
As she carded her hand through his hair, she felt the cool breeze that carried the pleasant scent of wildflowers and jam from their surroundings. The cushioning charm against her back and the entire peaceful atmosphere let her imagination run wild instead of lulling her to sleep as it should have.
“Draco, would you still date me if i was a worm?” asked Astoria absentmindedly. It was a question that many of her muggleborn friends seemed to ask their boyfriends.
She knew that Draco was already used to her nonsensical thought process. And to be honest, he actually had a rather whimsical side that would properly indulge her by seriously thinking it through, no matter how ridiculous the question.
When no answer came, she opened her eyes and looked down at him.
Astoria couldn't help but smile. Draco Malfoy was deep in slumber, his lashes fanned out beautifully against his cheekbones.
He must’ve woken up wayy earlier than her to prepare everything, and for that, she was incredibly grateful. Astoria enjoyed seeing this side of him; the soft side of Draco Malfoy that no one else in the universe knew. And she wanted to keep it that way: while everyone saw his cold, taunting demeanor and tainted reputation, she alone would bask in his warmth. While people scorned him for his past choices, she would stand with him.
Astoria gently traced his sleeping face- aristocratic and peaceful in sleep. Draco’s white blonde hair shone in the bits of sunlight that came through the leaves, giving it a fluffy softness. He probably hadn't meant to dose off but Astoria found it cute nonetheless.
She leaned back, relaxed, and felt the cool breeze prickle her skin. It surprised her how relaxed she felt.
After all, she was quite a picky person, but at this moment she was completely blissful.
Before she lay all the objects of her desire: food, flowers, and oh, the love of her life. What more could she possibly want? (A lot of things, of course, but its a figure of speech)
She inwardly giggled at that. When she was younger she loved making lists -she still did for that matter.
She used to have a rare rosegold parchment that she would specifically use to list down things and experiences that she loved. She imagined that her younger self would probably need an entire week of bed rest to overcome the shock if she knew that 10 years later, she would be in love with her sister's loud classmate.
Today might be mundane and simple. But if Astoria made another ‘love’ list now, this picnic date would definitely be somewhere at the top.