Malfoy Mausoleum

“Did your father not tell you this would be the case? That the manor would never recognize you as its mistress? That the elves would never refer to you as such?” Draco looked as pleased as he usually did when he spoke to her, which was to say, not very.

"This is dreadfully embarrassing, Draco! How am I to host dinner parties and charity events at a manor I am not even the mistress of? I can't even apparate into my own home!" Didn't he understand? There were expectations she needed to meet. People were awaiting invitations to visit. She should already be well into planning her first soiree as Lady Malfoy. She was quickly falling behind the schedule her parents had given her.

"What a pity! However will you survive without being able to host the dinner parties of your fucking dreams?"

Astoria reached for him, she needed to get through to him on how important this was. He looked stricken and jumped away from her.

"Do not touch me, Astoria. Ever. I thought I got through to you after that disaster at that farce of a wedding. Do. Not. Touch. Me."

"You think the fact that it hurts your ex-floozy for me to touch you is reason to keep me from contact with my husband?"

"Don't talk about Hermione like that. You don't know her, and yes, that should be a good enough reason. You put her in St.Mungo's with your kissing stunt."

"Well I hope she had a nice visit to the Janice Thickey Ward! Maybe she will get her feelings in order and get out of my marriage!"

Draco reeled back and looked at her like she was crazy.

"Do you think she had to be taken to hospital because her feelings were hurt, Astoria? Do you think she went and spoke to a mind healer and they patted her on the head and gave her a sugar quill and sent her on her way?"

Astoria suddenly felt like she had made an error bringing Hermione up to him. She just didn't understand how in her marriage, her husband's number one priority was Hermione Granger. She had gone too far to turn back now. Maybe if she kept pushing she would get some answers.

"Well what else would they do, Draco? Make her feel better by reading her all the Daily Prophet headlines calling her a hero?" Astoria was certain her huff of indignation was enough to convey she in no way believed Hermione Granger was a war hero.

"Are you fucking serious? Daphne said she thought you might not know, but I was sure you were playing dumb."

He was shaking his head and looked slightly calmer, but only a smidge.

Astoria raised her chin and said confidently, "I don't play dumb, Draco."

"That's really not the comeback you think it is." He pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and told her to sit. "I guess we have some things to discuss."

Astoria sat at the enormous dining table they had been fighting over. Well, it felt more like she had been chasing him around it. It was becoming clear she would never use it for a dinner party, which was sad given its beauty.

"It doesn't hurt Hermione's feelings when you touch me, well I suppose it does that too, but it physically harms her when you touch me. Hermione is my soul mate. Our bond is solidified. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Astoria could feel her heartbeat speeding up. How would this work? He would never meet the conditions of the contract if it hurt Hermione to do so. Why hadn't her parents fixed this? What was she supposed to do?

"I understand what you are saying, but I don't understand what we are supposed to do. We have to meet the terms of the marriage contract. It says we have to consummate the marriage in six months or less. I have to be pregnant within the first two years."

"That simply can't and won't happen Astoria. I am trying to work out a number with your father for breaking this contract. I'll of course sign any documents I need to stating you are still 'pure' for any future betrothals."

"I'm going to die. You're just going to let me die?"

"You think you'll die if you don't get to host a charity event and boss the elves around? Come on, Astoria. Maybe you and your family should have let Hermione and I be, like we asked hundreds of times after our fathers fucked us over."

"My father knew? He knew you would never be able to meet the requirements and he did it anyway?"

"Yes, he has told me in our most recent talks that you were very adamant that this marriage take place and he was trying his best to grant your wish. Look, it doesn't have to be like this, we can be friendly and find a way out of this together. Make no mistake though, I will be finding a way out, no matter what I have to do."

Her composure was slipping. Was it worth it to even tell him? Would he even care? It was her one last chance to make him see how important this was, how high the stakes. "Draco, if we don't meet the requirements of the contract, I will die. My life is tied to the contract."

"Explain."

"I have a blood curse. There is no cure, and my family spent hundreds of thousands of galleons trying to find or create a treatment. When that couldn't be done, it was decided they would find a way to supersede the curse. Your family is old and powerful and therefore, your family's magic is stronger, making you the best option for a marriage contract."

Draco scrubbed his hands down his face and when she could see his eyes again, he seemed to understand. "Which means the obligation to the Malfoy family magic would keep you alive through the contract, but because your life quite literally depends on it, anything in the contract that's not met would cost you your life."

Astoria could only nod her head.

''Astoria…I'm very sorry and I wish that you or your parents had discussed this with someone beforehand. I cannot meet the requirements set forth in the contract. Why did you not approach other old families? Theo's or Flint's may have worked. Maybe even Adrian?"

"You can't even try?"

"Sex outside a soul bond is one of the most egregious things a person can do. There are very few instances of it even happening, and usually happens when the bond is completed between two people and they don't realize it, usually when one is muggle and can't feel the magic, and one sleeps with someone else. In those rare instances, the partner that is cheated on is killed. The intimate contact goes beyond physical pain like Hermione experienced from the wedding. If we don't consummate this marriage you will die. If we do consummate this marriage, Hermione will die. What do you expect me to do?"

She couldn't stay and listen to another word. This was her last chance and he wouldn't even try? He had said soulmates found each other in life after life, why couldn't they give up the rest of this one time? They would get other chances, she wouldn't. She didn't have a soulmate to come back to next round. Trying to remain as poised as possible, she walked to the floo, determined to speak to her father.