A Potion Master's Apprentice, a Healer Trainee, and a War Heroine Walk into a Bar…
Astoria returned to the manor in tears. She had hoped her father would keep his word and let Ruby come with her, but in her haste to leave, she had not pushed for it. It would probably be a good idea to stop holding on to any aspirations her father would do anything in her best interests. She stumbled into bed, alone, and thought that she'd better get used to it.
When she awoke with a start to Draco calling her name, it was not quite as she had long fantasized. He was banging on her bedroom door, and sounded near the end of his patience, which was maybe just how he sounded all the time, since it was all she ever heard from him. She was shocked to see when she opened the door, that Draco was smiling and told Astoria she had a visitor and to meet him downstairs as soon as she had made herself ready for company. She was so unsettled by his smile being wielded in her direction that she could only nod her head and shut the door in his face. It was a shame, really that she wouldn't really get to be his wife. He was very handsome and Astoria had always liked blonds.
It had been a real waste of time to wash her face and cast new beauty charms, since she burst into fresh tears as soon as she saw Ruby sitting on a chair, two pillows stacked under her, a blanket on her lap, and a small teacup in her hand. She was having tea with Draco. Draco reached out and plucked the teacup from Ruby's grasp just as Astoria made it to her and threw her arms around the elf. They held on and cried to each other for a long moment. Pulling back and grasping Ruby's small shoulders, Astoria said, rather wetly, "Have you come to stay with me? Have they let you go?" And then remembered that since she was not the mistress of the manor, she could not technically bring a new elf into the household. She turned to Draco and continued, "Please can she stay with me? I know I've no right to ask since I'm not the lady of the house, but please, I have no one. I'll need taking care of soon." She buried her face in her hands and could not believe this is where she ended up. Crying and begging on the floor of the home she once thought she'd rule.
"Please sit down, Astoria. Have some tea. Ruby and I have been talking and it seems we have much to discuss after your visit with your parents. As far as Ruby is concerned, it is my understanding that she is now a free elf, so she may stay here if she wishes. With you, in the quarters with the other elves, she may do as she wishes, but she is certainly welcome here." Now that she was closer, Astoria could see it was not a blanket covering Ruby's lower half, it was the sweater her mother had been wearing when she left.
Feeling much better knowing she would at least have Ruby, Astoria filled Draco in on the horrible truth of what her father had done. Ruby interjected as she felt was necessary. Near the end of the tale, explaining to him that her father had intended to end Draco's line, she expected him to explode the way he had in the gardens not long ago. He surprised her by remaining calm and nodding along, seemingly cataloging the details. He was clearly paying attention, but didn't say much, only running his tongue along his teeth inside his mouth, or biting the inside of his cheeks in concentration.
When Ruby and Astoria had said all they needed to, Draco finally spoke. "It seems like your father was trying to find a loophole in inheritance laws. If we are married and both meet an untimely end with no children, your father would be the closest male relative and would stand to inherit the Black and Malfoy fortunes, both of which are considerably larger than any wealth the Greengrass family has ever held. No offense. What doesn't make sense though, is that he admitted my father didn't actually sign the betrothal contract. The magic of such agreements should have been void if it was forged.
"Mister H. Flint signed on behalf of your father." A small voice said when Draco was done.
"You've seen it?" Draco asked, smiling at Ruby.
"Oh yes, as soon as Mr Greengrass said Ruby may leave with Miss Story, Ruby went to pack. Ruby still had rights to Greengrass Manor, and Ruby made a copy from Miss Story's father's desk. There were some other papers near it as well, so Ruby just made copies of everything that looked important."
Draco startled both Ruby and Astoria when he tipped his head back and laughed. "You clever, clever girl."
Ruby blushed intensely and Astoria couldn't blame her. She could not blame her a bit.
The records Ruby had copied proved quite helpful. Astoria's father had gone to the Wizengamot, citing the correspondence between Lucius Malfoy and himself as proof that the deceased wizard had every intention of completing the contract. There were letters from healers and St. Mungo's, stating that this was the best chance the Greengrass family had at keeping their youngest child alive, since there was no cure for her blood curse. In the end, enough of them signed off on the motion to complete the bonding magic of agreements of that sort.
Astoria was still unsure what having these details all meant. Even if Draco could get the marriage annulled, that would still leave Astoria with health that would rapidly decline without his family magic and no other place to go or money to support herself. Would he really be so cold as to just end it and kick her out? After their fights, she may have been inclined to say he would, but now she had seen this man pile pillows under a house elf to have tea with her like an equal, and give her a handkerchief when she cried, albeit very gingerly to ensure he did not touch her. No, she wasn't so sure that man would be so quick to cause her demise. Astoria was still oscillating between the two versions of this man and all the ways this could play out after she asked what they should do now, and his answer had been, "What anyone in need of research help should do, we're calling Hermione Granger."
He hadn't only called Hermione Granger. Theo Nott was apparently coming also. Astoria did feel a small tug in her chest when the patronus to Hermione had been sent off, and Draco had spoken to it with a reverent smile on his face and in a gentle tone she had never heard from him before. His message to Theo had only said, "Oi, meet me at the bar, yeah?"
When she had inquired which bar, Draco had only gestured for her to look around, not unkindly, and she found herself in a cross between a sitting room and a pub. Apparently, not being able to go out without press hounding them pushed Draco to install a bar into one of the rooms, since he was in the midst of redecorating anyway. He had said it with a shrug, like the aftermath of the war had just been any other obstacle in him getting on with his life. Astoria guessed that's probably what he considered her, too. Not sure she wanted to see two people that were so in love, especially since one was technically her husband, she tried to make excuses to go to her room. When Draco asked her to stay until they got at least some semblance of a plan, she found herself unable to tell him no.
The meeting was awkward, but seemingly only for Astoria. Since she had publicly made a fool of herself, she felt Hermione deserved a (somewhat) public apology. She told the witch that her husband was in love with that she was sorry for her kissing stunt at the wedding and that it wouldn't happen again. Hermione had been gracious and kind to her, more than she deserved, and it made Astoria wish she had been terrible so she could hate her. She sat quietly and caught up with Ruby while the others sat with their heads together talking.
When there was seemingly a break in conversation, she found herself crying for the third time that day and asked them if they might give her some time to make some burial arrangements before they had the marriage annulled, they all looked shocked. Hermione had made her a cup of tea, sat with her, and explained the plan so far. A plan that entailed her researching, Theo acting as their on call healer, even though he was not quite finished with school yet, and most shockingly, that Draco would start work on a treatment for Astoria, using his knowledge of potions and access, given that he was in the midst of his Mastery of Potions. She hadn't even known he was interested in potions.
"We will get this figured out, Astoria. This is quite a tangled web, and we don't want to endanger anyone or set off a domino effect, so its probably best we keep all this quiet for now. We could probably go straight to Shacklebolt to get the marriage annulled, but it would put you in danger, so we are going to wait. Please trust me when I say, we don't want you to die and will do whatever we can to make sure that doesn't happen." A soft, kind smile was on Hermione's face as she spoke to the woman that had married her soul mate, and Astoria understood then, why Draco loved this woman so much.