When Draco was nine years old, his father informs him that he is in an arranged marriage to the Greengrass family. Draco is excited, he has met up with Daphne a few times at the meetings his father sometimes takes him to. She's nice enough, and he mentions that to his father.
"Sorry Draco, it appears I've explained it wrong. Daphne is already arranged to the Notts. You will be marrying her younger sister, Astoria. She is a lovely girl, and I hope you will get along with her."
Okay, that's fine. Draco isn't sure he wanted to marry Daphne anyway, she's quite annoying sometimes.
They decide to meet at the weekend. Draco's nervous, but his mother says he shouldn't be. He has nothing to be nervous about.
The Greengrass's are coming to the Malfoy manor, and Draco has been made to wear his best clothes, and his hair has been brushed and gelled. There's a noise at the door, and Kreacher opens it, inviting everyone inside. Draco's father and Mr Greengrass shake hands professionally, while Draco's mother and Mrs Greengrass kiss each-others cheeks and complement what they're wearing.
There's a girl standing behind Mr Greengrass. Draco's never seen her before, as she's not the eldest child of the Greengrass's she's never been to the meetings Draco and Daphne had been to. She's wearing a pretty pale green dress, and her hair's in curls, tied up with a bow to match her dress. Draco wanted to make a good first impression, if she was to be his wife like his father says, he need to make sure she likes him.
"Hi, I'm Draco," He says to her, picking up her hand and kissing her knuckles like his mother showed him. The girl giggles and pulls away her hand, her eyes shining like stars.
"I'm Astoria, but you can call me Tori. That's what Daphne does," She says. She holds a bar of chocolate out to him. "Would you like some chocolate?"
Everyone is sitting in the tea room, speaking about other pureblood families that they know, the Parkinson's, the Zabini's, etc. It's Mr Greengrass that mentions the arranged marriage. He say's something about how when the two of them are older, they might fall in love.
Draco's mother laughs. "Draco, darling. I want to talk to you about the arranged marriage. You have to know that if you don't want this, you don't have to marry her. If you fall in love with someone else, you are allowed to marry them. That goes to you as well, Astoria dear. You can get married at any time, so long as you're both of age, we're not pressuring you to marry each other. We want you to be happy," She says.
"Most people in arranged marriages end up falling in love. Whether at the wedding, when they're kids, or even sometimes years after they've been married," Mrs Greengrass says.
Draco knows that his mother and father hadn't been in love when they got married. But more recently, his mother looks at her husband with a soft look in her eyes, and his father looks at his wife and a smile pulls on his lips without him even realising.
Over the next few years, Draco and Astoria got to know each other and they grew to be friends. Since going to Hogwarts, Draco has become friends with the other Slytherins, and now, during the summer holidays, they're all at the Malfoy manor for a sleepover.
There's Pansy, Blaise, Theo, Millicent, and Daphne. When Daphne arrived, she had Astoria with her, saying that her parents insisted that she join them. Draco didn't complain, giving Astoria a hug and pulling the two girls to his bedroom where the others were already waiting.
As most 12/13 year olds, they chose to play 'truth or dare' "It's a muggle game I heard someone mention at Hogwarts last year. It sounds fun," Daphne had said. She explained the rules, and the seven of them played, going round in a circle. When it got to Astoria, she turned to Draco and grinned, stars sparkling in her eyes.
"Draco," she said, "Truth or dare?"
Never one to seem like a coward, he took dare. Astoria looked at him mischievously. She moved closer to him and put her mouth closer to his ear.
"I dare you to kiss me," She whispered.
Draco moved back and looked at her, his eyes wide. The others hadn't heard what she said, but that didn't stop Draco from leaning forward to complete the dare.
Astoria jumped up from where she was sat and ran out the room laughing. Draco chased after her, ignoring his friends.
They ran through Malfoy manor, and whenever Draco thought that he finally caught up to her, Astoria would giggle and turn away.
It's in the library when Draco finally gets her. They're both panting, trying to catch their breath and Draco has Astoria's skinny wrist in his hand.
"Tori why did you run?" he asks. The girl looks away, her cheeks blushing pink.
Draco moved forward and pressed his lips to the blush in a quick kiss. And quick as a flash, he steps away from her and makes his way towards his friends still in his bedroom. When he sits back down with them, he clears his throat and hopes that his face isn't as flushed as it feels.
"Millicent, truth or dare?"
Astoria started Hogwarts and was put in Slytherin, of course, and Draco cheered for her, giving her hand a squeeze when she sits at the table next to him and Daphne.
Over the years they got closer, holding hands in the hallways, kisses on cheeks whenever they said Hello or Good-bye. By the time Tori was sixteen, they were dating. The war had put pressure on them, they were fighting more and more. Their first, and biggest, fight had happened during the war. Astoria didn't like how Draco wasn't looking after himself, didn't like how he had gotten the dark mark, didn't like how he was spending more and more time doing missions for the dark lord. They hardly spend any time together anymore, and Astoria had sent Draco a letter one day, letting him know how unhappy she was, and the pressure of the war was stressing her out, and she was scared.
Draco had immediately apparated to her house, barging past the house elf who opened the door, and going up the stairs and walking towards Astoria's bedroom.
He let himself in and saw Astoria lying on her bed, fully clothed and fast asleep. He walked over and gently sat next to her, running a hand through her soft hair. She slowly woke up, blinking sleepily up at Draco.
"Hi, love," he said quietly, "I got your letter. I'm so sorry for abandoning you and putting other things above you. If I could, I'd spend all my time with you. But I can't. the dark lord needs me to compl-"
"The dark lord needs you?" Astoria interrupts, sitting up suddenly wide awake. "What about me? I need you, too, Dray. Do you have any idea how scary it is, knowing that he is in your home with you? That his followers are in your house, and you're trapped with him. I'm scared to go to your house, Draco. I shouldn't be scared to go to your house to see you," She says.
"We're in a war, Astoria," Draco snaps. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure that my family are safe during this war."
"Anything?" Astoria asks, her eyes have tears of frustration in them. "Did you know that the Greengrass's aren't a part of the dark lords followers. What if he asked someone to kill us. Would you stop him? Would you speak out against your dark lords orders and asked whoever he sent not to do it?"
"Tori that wouldn't happen, your family is pureblood and neutral in the war. He'd got no reason to want you dead."
"Answer the question, Draco," she says, slow and quiet.
"Astoria you know I can't," Draco says, his throat closing up. A tear slips down Astoria's cheek and Draco automatically moves to wipe it away.
"Answer the fucking question," She shouts, smacking his hand away.
Draco flinches back, as if he'd been struck across the face.
"I don't know, Astoria. I don't want anything to happen to you, but if I speak out against his orders he could kill me and my family. I can't do that to them."
"I want you to get out," Astoria says, clearing her throat and wiping away tears from her cheeks, blinking back more before they fall.
"Tori?"
"I want you to get out. My father has cut off the arrangement between Daphne and the Notts, I'm going to ask him to do the same with us."
Draco feels like he's been stabbed in the heart. His breath leaves his lungs, and he opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
"Please just get out," She pleads. Draco can't do anything except stand up and walk out her room. Astoria gets up off her bed and slams the door behind him.
As soon as he walks out the front door, his hands start shaking. His legs give out beneath him, and he collapses on the front stairs of the Greengrass manor. He can't leave her. It's late at night, the stars are out, sparkling and glittering the way that Astoria's eyes do whenever she looks at him.
Draco presses his back against the walls of the manor, and rests his head back, looking up at the stars. He knows if his father saw him now he'd be furious, but Draco doesn't care. He lets a tear slip from his eye, not bothering to brush it away. He knows he's messed up, with Astoria, with the war, with his father. He wants to fix it, he just doesn't know how.
He's only young, he shouldn't be going through a war. No one should. He understands Astoria's stress and worry, but she doesn't understand that you can't just say 'no' to the dark lord. It's suicidal.
Draco stays awake the whole night, sat on the floor outside the Greengrass manor. He should go home, should let his parents know that Astoria has cancelled the arranged marriage. It's just another mess to add to the whole thing.
It's early in the morning, the sun starting to rise in the distance painting the sky a soft pink, when the door opens next to him. Astoria steps out. Her eyes are red, and she looks tired. She jumps when he moves, having not noticed him when she first stepped outside.
"Have you been here all night?" she asks, sitting down next to him. Draco just nods. "I've spoken to father, and he has agreed to cancel the arrangement."
"I'm in love with you," Draco says.
That… wasn't what he planned to say at all. But that doesn't mean it isn't true.
He takes a deep breath. "I am so, completely in love with you. I want to be with you, and I want to get married and have kids. I want it all with you. I know that I hurt you, and I don't blame you for breaking up with me. I will spend the rest of my life regretting what I said last night. I just want to keep you safe, and I would do anything to do so," he says. Astoria is staring in front of them, avoiding looking at him. "I can't refuse the dark lord. I don't like the missions he sends me on, and I don’t like the fact that I'm at war with so many people I went to school with. I don’t like the danger we're constantly in. And I hate this stupid fucking mark that's on my arm. But Potter is the saviour of the wizarding world. He can win the war, and then we won't have anything keeping us apart. We'll see each other every day with nothing stopping us."
He's been thinking of this all night. Everyone knows that Potter's going to win the war, or at least they hope he will.
"I've already called off the marriage though. I love you too, but even if Potter kills you-know-who, you'll be sent to Azkaban. You've got the dark mark, your family are some of the dark lords most loyal followers. You'll be sent away, and then what? I'll be left alone. And that's if neither of us get killed in the war," Astoria says.
"It doesn't matter that you've called off the arranged marriage, we can still marry each other anyway. I know you've not forgiven me, and I know it'll take a long time for you to, I don't expect it to happen overnight. If the war ends and you don't want to ever see me again, I understand."
Astoria finally turns to look at him. She raises a hand and rests it on his cheek.
"I love you, Draco. Whatever happens during this war, I'll be relieved I told you. Go back home. Do the missions your dark lord gives you, and survive. Survive the war, and I'll survive too. If you-know-who wins the war, we'll get married and you can protect me from him that way, and if Potter wins the war, we can get married just for the hell of it," she laughs as she speaks. Her eyes have that sparkle again. Draco turns his face and presses a kiss into the palm of her hand.
"I'm sorry we fought. I love you."
He stands up, stretching his legs and presses a kiss to Astoria's head. She smiles up at him, still sat on the ground, hugging her legs.
The war is brutal. Something no one should ever have to experience. There's the smell of blood in the air, and Draco has seen many bodies of people he recognises, both Deatheaters and members of the Phoenix.
Potter killed Voldemort. Everyone knew he would. But killing him doesn't immediately end the war. There's Deatheaters going about still killing people, aurors arresting some people, killing others. Draco's looking around for his friends. He hasn't seen Goyle since Crabbe died. Pansy has disappeared, Theo has already been taken in by some aurors. Blaise is standing to one side, his eyes unfocused.
"Draco, Darling. Come home. The aurors will come for us there, we should go with them willingly. They've already got your father. Let's get you off the battlefield and cleaned up," His mother says, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Draco turns and hands her wand back to her.
"I want to find Astoria first," He manages to say. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth.
"Her mother has already taken her and Daphne home. We can go there instead if you'd like."
Draco gives a shaky nod of his head, and they disapparate away from Hogwarts, away from the battle and blood and bodies.
As soon as they arrive on the door steps of Greengrass manor, Draco rushes upstairs to Astoria's bedroom, flinging open the door and laughing in relief when he sees her stood in her room, unharmed.
"Draco," she says. She sounds a bit breathless and Draco wonders if she feels the same way he does, if she feels as shaken by the war, as nervous to see him.
She takes a step closer and puts her hands up to his face, not quite touching. His face is covered in muck and cuts and bruises, he knows that, but she looks at him as though he's never been more beautiful. The stars sparkle in her eyes.
"We survived," he mumbles, closing his eyes and stepping closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and dropping his head to her shoulder. "We survived."
They stand there in silence before there's the noise of aurors arriving downstairs. At first they shout spells, but stop when they realise that no one is fighting back. Draco raises his head looks into Astoria's eyes.
"Kiss me before they take me away," he says.
She grabs his face and presses her lips to his. They haven't kissed since their fight, and Draco feels himself melting into her. The kiss starts off strong, both wanting to show the other how much they missed each other and how glad they are that they've survived.
By the time the aurors are at the bedroom door, they kiss is slow and easy. It's filled with love, and when the aurors drag Draco off her, Astoria gasps "I love you" into his mouth. Draco has to turn away to avoid watching the tears fall down her face, knowing he can't do anything to stop them.
Draco was taken to the ministry, and given a trial. Potter speaks up at his trial, saying that Draco saved his life and explained about the time he was caught and taken to Malfoy manor.
Draco is given house arrest. His father is sent to Azkaban. His mother gets house arrest, but moves in to live with her sister Andromeda during the house arrest to try and fix their relationship.
Hogwarts is fixed up within a year, and students go back. Draco and other students his age have been given the chance to re-sit their seventh year. Draco doesn't go. He and Astoria write constantly, and she tells him everything that has been happening at the school.
When Astoria leaves Hogwarts, she moves in with Draco at Malfoy manor. She brightens the place up with only her presence, and Draco is reminded again and again how much he loves her.
After a few years, Draco's house arrest is lifted. He is allowed access to his vaults - which have been removed of any belongings that contained dark magic - and his wand has been replaced.
Draco and Astoria are sitting at a café in Diagon Alley. It's somewhere they found years ago when they first started dating, and it soon became their favourite spot. Astoria is telling Draco something that Daphne said, and her whole face is lit up, her eyes sparkling, her smile wide.
He's got his mother's ring in his pocket. After his father got the dementors kiss a few years ago, she refused to wear it, giving it to Draco.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Astoria asks, and Draco takes a deep breath, slides the ring out his pocket and holds it under the table.
"What would you do if I asked you to marry me?" he asked. Astoria looked confused for a moment.
"Well, I'd say yes, obviously."
"If I got down on one knee right now and said 'Astoria Beatrice Greengrass, will you marry me?' you'd say yes?" he asks. Astoria nodded and Draco stood up and got down on one knee, one hand holding the ring, the other holding Astoria's hand.
"Yes," Astoria gasps out, her eyes filling with tears.
"Love, you have to let me ask the question first," Draco laughs.
"Sorry, sorry. Go on then," she says, using her free hand to wipe away tears that have made their way down her face.
"Astoria Beatrice Greengrass, I have known you since you were seven and I was nine. We were put into an arranged marriage, but I would have fallen for you whether it was arranged or not. We've been through so much together, growing up and going through a war, and through all of it, you still loved me as much as I love you. I knew that I loved you from a young age, and through the years that feeling has only grown. So, my love, will you marry me?"
Draco's voice was quiet, the threat of tears tightening his throat making it difficult for the words to come out. Tears are pouring out of Astoria's eyes, and her hand is gripping into Draco's.
"Yes," She says, nodding her head, "Yes yes yes yes yesyesyesyes," she starts laughing through the tears and Draco stands up, pulling her into a kiss that, in all honesty, probably shouldn't be had in a very public place. He pulls back and slides the ring onto her finger.
They apparate back home, Astoria's arms around Draco's neck. She's got her head thrown back in a laugh, and Draco is pressing kisses against her throat, smiling against the skin.
"We're getting married," She says to the empty room. Draco laughs against her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up, spinning her around. She laughs louder, pulling him into a kiss. "Wait I need to tell my sister, and you should probably tell your mother," She says suddenly, pulling away.
Draco pulls her back, re-attaching his lips to hers. "Tomorrow," he mumbles against her lips. "We'll tell them in the morning."
Their wedding is chaotic, and Draco wouldn't change a thing about it. Astoria looks beautiful in her white dress, and her smile is wide and her eyes sparkling brightly. He doesn't remember much of the actual wedding, he just knows that it happened. There's a lot of reporters, as Malfoy is still a powerful name even after the war. All their friends are there, and he saw his mother and Mrs Greengrass crying throughout the whole ceremony.
Their first dance is done just as the stars start to sparkle in the sky. Draco doesn't look away from his wife even once, and presses kisses into her skin whenever he can. At first, Tori complains that he'll ruin her makeup, but he doesn't listen to her.
Daphne gives a speech, and everyone raises their glasses in a toast.
Later on in the night, after people have started to quieten down and a few people have said their good-bye's and congratulations, Draco pulls Astoria away from Daphne and drags her into a quiet room, locking the door behind them.
Before either of them can say anything, Draco has Astoria pressed against the door, his hands clinging to her hips, his lips attached to hers. Her hands find their way into his hair. They only break apart to catch their breath, and even then Draco is pressing open mouthed kisses along her neck and collar bones.
"Dray, Love, people will come looking for us," Astoria says, her breath shuddering whenever Draco bites gently on her skin.
"It's our wedding day, I think they'll know not to come looking," Draco replies, pulling away enough to look her in her eyes, grinning when he sees her lipstick has smudged, lips shiny with saliva.
"Well now we have to go back, we can't have people thinking we're having sex in here. We should at least wait until we get home."
"It'll be ages before we get home, I'll be too tired to keep my eyes open," Draco complains, laughing as Astoria tugs on his hair.
"We could leave now? Quickly say good-bye to everyone and just leave," She suggests. Draco thinks of how it will look, the two of them walking into the room, Astoria's lipstick smeared across both their faces, Draco's hair a mess, sticking up in all directions, his suit crumpled and the top few buttons open - which he didn't even notice Astoria doing - and his wife's dress is all wrinkled from Draco gripping it.
"Or," He starts slowly, "We could just leave now and leave a message for someone to find if someone does come for us," He suggests. Astoria giggles, crossing her wrists behind his head.
"Yeah, okay," She says. They find a piece of parchment in the room they're in, which looks like an office of some kind, and write a quick note explaining that they're going home and to thank everyone for coming. Astoria uses her wand to send the parchment to Daphne, and they disapparate.
They arrive in their bedroom at Malfoy manor, and Astoria starts unbuttoning Draco's shirt, peeling his jacket of. Draco dips his head, catching her lips in a deep kiss, slowly unzipping her dress, sliding it off her shoulders and watching it pool down at her feet, still wearing the sparkling silver heels.
"I love you," Draco says into her mouth.
"I love you," he whispers as he pushes her onto the bed.
"I love you," he kisses into her hip bone.
"I love you," he groans as he slides into her, her nails digging into his shoulders and scratching down his back.
"I love you," he breathes into her ear, his lips pressed against her temple.
"I love you," He says after, his arm wrapped around her stomach, pulling him closer to him.
"I love you more," is the reply, as he buries his face into her hair, her fingertips drawing patterns along his forearm.
St Mungo's hospital is a very clean place. It doesn't have a scent, which Draco finds unnerving. There's noise, but once you're in a room with the door closed, the sound of the hospital is silenced.
"It appears, Mrs Malfoy, that you've got a blood curse," the healer says gently, "We've done some scans, which have shown that the curse was placed on one of your ancestors many years ago, and the curse has been sitting in your family blood line dormant, until now."
Draco turns to face his wife. Her eyes have glazed over, and her skin is pale.
They decided to get her checked out at St Mungo's when Draco noticed that she had started to lose weight, too much too fast. Her skin was paler than it used to be, and she was shaking almost all the time. Astoria thought Draco was just being paranoid, until it took her almost fifteen minutes to get out of her bed in the morning.
"How… How serious is it?" Draco asks. "Obviously it's serious, she can hardly get out of bed some mornings. But is it fatal?" His voice cracks slightly, and the healer looks at him with sympathetic eyes.
"Unfortunately we've never seen this kind of blood curse before. We don't know how serious it is, or how deadly it may be."
"What about children? Can I have kids?" Astoria asks suddenly. She's looking straight ahead, her nails digging into Draco's hand.
"Having a child could worsen the curse. If you want a child, you would have to have it as soon as possible before the curse gets worse."
Draco leaves the room. He can't look at the doctors sympathetic gaze or Astoria's emotionless stare any longer.
He's wandering down the pristine white hallways in silence. Astoria wants a child, and so does he. They've spoken about it before, both of them deciding on different names. They want at least two kids, that way their child won't be lonely like Draco was. But if the curse is slowly getting worse, like the doctors said, then there's a chance they might not even get one. And it’s a blood curse, so their child could get sick as well.
He's pulled out of his thoughts when he hears laughter down the hallway. He stops in his tracks and spots a couple hugging each other further down the hallway. The bright red hair can only be that of a Weasley, and Potter is hugging her, pressing kisses to her face. When Potter steps away, he can see the slight bump of her belly.
Draco thinks of turning and walking back to Astoria when Potter looks up and spots him. He waves, and Draco waves back. Thinking that it would be rude to walk away now, he makes his way towards them to say hello. He and Potter are definitely more civil since the war has ended.
"Hello Malfoy," Potter says, a hand resting on his wife's hip.
"Hello Potter," He says. "You two sounded happy. Something to celebrate?" he asks, hoping his own distress isn't obvious.
"Well, if it wasn't obvious, I'm pregnant," Ginny says, turning round to show the small baby bump. "And we just found out we're having a boy, which is what we were hoping for," She says, a huge smile on her face. Draco feels part of his heart break.
"Congratulations," He says. "When's he due?"
"Either the end of August, or the beginning of September, they're not one hundred percent sure," Potter says.
"Well congratulations," He says again, "I should get back to Astoria," He says, turning to leave.
"No need, Love. I'm here," his wife says, appearing behind him, the healer not too far behind. Draco smiles softly at her and pulls her to his side. She rests her head on his shoulder and smiles at the couple in front of them. "Oh Hello Harry, Ginny." Draco is impressed at how Astoria can act as if there's nothing wrong. Her face has more colour in than it did this morning, and her voice doesn't shake at all. Draco would think there was nothing wrong if he couldn't feel her resting most of her weight on Draco's side, and the slight shivers that shake her whole body.
"Hello Astoria, we've just found out that we're having a baby boy!" Ginny says again, turning again to show off her pregnant belly.
"Oh," Astoria says. That one single syllable causes her voice to crack, and she quickly clears her throat, smiling at Ginny. "Wow. Congratulations."
Her eyes are glued to Ginny's belly, and Draco wants to leave.
"We should be leaving now," he says, pulling Astoria away down the hallway towards where their healer is waiting to schedule a check-up appointment in a few month.
"She's pregnant," Astoria mutters under her breath, and Draco pulls her closer, pressing a kiss to her hair.
Astoria wants a child, and Draco can't deny his wife anything. They try for a baby, even if they know it will make Astoria's health worse.
A couple months later, she's pregnant. She looks so happy and Draco can't stop smiling. Her skin is glowing, and she's dancing around, hugging a pillow to her chest and laughing. The doctors at St Mungo's had said that due to her illness, she has to be more careful during the pregnancy.
"Dray," She laughs. She stops spinning and grabs onto him, kissing him hard, before pulling back and laughing again.
"I love you so much," Draco says, placing his hands on her hips, looking down at her flat belly. "You're pregnant."
"I'm pregnant! Merlin, I need to tell Daphne. And you need to tell your mother."
Daphne and Narcissa are ecstatic, planning baby clothes to buy, and how to decorate the babies room, and different names to pick from. Narcissa gives Astoria advice from when she was pregnant.
But, of course, they couldn't be happy for long. It was the middle of the night when Draco woke up. Astoria was curled up on herself, clutching her stomach.
"Astoria?" Draco mumbled sleepily, he reached out an arm to wake her up. When a groan comes from her and she curls further into herself, Draco shakes himself awake.
"Astoria," He says louder, grabbing his wand from under his pillow and filling the room with light. As soon as he can see her, Draco pulls the duvet off them and shakes his wife, calling her name over and over. Her face has gone paper white and she's covered in sweat. With nothing covering her, Draco can see the red stain on her night dress. Draco's hands are shaking, and he can feel himself getting dizzier.
"Astoria, Love please wake up. Please open your eyes," He whispers, placing his hands on her face, smoothing back her sweat-drenched hair. Draco slides his arms around Astoria, picking her up bridal style. She buries her face into his chest, and he holds her close to himself, begging her to wake up. He can feel each bone of her spine poking out.
He apparates to St Mungo's, clinging to his wife. There's healers surrounding him, and someone asking questions.
"I just woke up and she was like this, please she's pregnant," Draco says. Someone tries to take her from him, and Draco holds onto her tighter, not letting her go.
"Mr Malfoy, she's just trying to help," another healer says, placing a hand on his shoulder. Draco loosens his hold on Astoria and lets the healers do their job.
It's quiet when they leave, and Draco is left alone with the healer with his hand still on Draco's shoulder, grounding him. Draco looks down and realises that Astoria bled through her night dress and the blood has soaked through his pyjamas. His legs fold under him and he realises that he's crying in the middle of the floor.
"I need to speak to my mother and sister-in-law," He mumbles to himself, pulling himself to his feet. The healer leads him towards the hospital floo's used for contacting family. He calls his mother first, needing her to come as soon as possible. He cries when telling her that Astoria's in the hospital, and Narcissa immediately travels to his house to grab a change of clothes for him while he calls Daphne.
An hour later, the three of them are outside Astoria's room. Draco has gotten changed into the clothes his mother brought, and he's sat on the floor beside the door, head resting against the wall staring at the ceiling. He's reminded of all those years ago sitting outside the Greengrass manor regretting his fight with Astoria.
Daphne is sat on the floor next to him, holding onto his hand. His mother is standing, posture perfect as always. Only someone who knows her would see she is in distress.
A healer comes out of Astoria's room and lets them know that someone can go in, but only one.
Draco stands up and follows the healer back into the room. Astoria's lying on the bed. Her face is still pale, and her cheekbones are sticking out. The healers explain that she had a miscarriage. A mix between the curse and how weak her body is. Draco holds her hand, her wedding ring sparkling in the light. He presses a kiss against her pulse, not taking his eyes off her face.
He suddenly feels like he's going to throw up.
Draco carefully stands up, and slowly walks out the door. His mother and Daphne both speak to him, but he doesn't hear what they say. He makes his way to the toilets, being careful not to bump into anyone.
He locks himself in the cubicle and chokes down sobs. He hasn't got his wand with him, so he can't put up a silencing spell to cry properly. He's in there for almost half an hour before he hears the door open and someone else comes in.
"Mate why are you freaking out so much? You're not the one giving birth," A voice says. Draco recognises it, but can't place it.
"Yeah but it's my child that's being born. And my wife giving birth. This is crazy, I honestly didn't think I'd be alive long enough to do this, Ron," Another voice replies. Draco feels himself shaking. Potter.
Today's the first of September. His son is being born.
"Do you mind leaving me alone for a minute? I think I just need a bit of time to collect myself," he hears Potter continue. Weasley must nod his hear or something, because a moment later the door opens again and there's only Potter left. He's mumbling to himself about something or another.
Draco opens the cubicle door and walks up to the sink where Potter is leaning over it, muttering about something.
"Why are you freaking out?" Draco asks. Potter jumps and sees Draco's reflection behind him.
Which Draco has just noticed himself. He's a mess, eyes red and puffy, skin so pale it's almost grey. His clothes are wrinkled, and his hair is lying limp in his head.
"What?" Potter asks.
"Why are you freaking out?" Draco repeats. He's not friends with Potter, he hardly likes him, but if he's freaking out, Draco might be able to help.
"Um, well, Ginny's through in her room giving birth to my son," Potter says, as if the answer should be obvious.
"Then why aren't you with her? You're allowed to be in the room, you know. Hold your wife's hand," Draco says. Potter runs a hand through his hair making it more of a mess than it usually is.
"I don't have a father. The man who raised me, my uncle, was evil, really. I didn't have a father figure until I was a teenager, and he ended up dying before I got to really know him," Potter says. "I don't know how to be a dad."
"No one knows how to be a dad really. It's a learn as you go kind of thing. Just think of the reasons your uncle was bad at raising you, and do the opposite," Draco says.
"Huh, thanks Malfoy," Potter says, giving him a grin. "Um, sorry if this is a bit forward, but are you alright? You look really… " Potter trails off.
"Let's just say that you're here breaking down because you're about to be a dad, and I'm here breaking down because I'm not," Draco says simply. Potter looks confused, and Draco just sighed. "Just go see your wife, Harry. She'll be wanting you."
They both walk out the toilets at the same time, and Potter turns to Draco and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Draco. And I hope things get better soon," He says, ignoring Weasleys shocked face, and they walk away together.
"Yeah, me too," Draco mutters to himself, before going to find Astoria again.
"No."
"Draco, Please," Astoria says, tears in her eyes as she clings to him.
"No, love. You heard what the healers said. You're likely to have another miscarriage, which will worsen your health. And the worse your health gets, the closer you are to dying, and I can't go through that," Draco said, his hands resting on Astoria's shoulders. He's looking into her eyes and can see the tears pooling in them, and he knows she can see the same in his.
Astoria wants a child, and Draco never was good at saying no to her.
The healers warn them about the affect it could have on her health, but Astoria won't listen. Astoria wants a child. Draco wants a child too, but he wants his wife to raise the child with him. He's too young to be a widow.
Astoria's pregnant again.
Draco knows it's his fault. He can't say no to her, and she looks so happy with the chance to have a child of her own.
The healers give them a look. Draco knows they don’t think Astoria should be getting pregnant. They've said that if she doesn't have a child by next year, she'll have to stop trying or she'll die.
It happens when they're out at their spot. The little café in Diagon Alley. Daphne's with them, and they're all sat at a table, cups of tea in front of them, and little cakes decorated with edible flowers that actually bloom. Astoria rests her head against Draco's shoulder, one hand resting on his thigh, the other on her belly.
She's been pregnant longer this time. They're having a boy.
She's so thin. Her shoulder are poking into his side, but Draco would never tell her to move. The hand on his thigh is drawing little patterns, of stars and hearts, when she suddenly takes it off and presses it with her other hand over her belly.
"You okay, love?" Draco asks, whispering in her ear. Daphne has gone up to order some more tea. Astoria has a grimace on her face, but she nods anyway and turns her face closer.
"'m fine," She mummers in his ear, pressing a small kiss just under his jaw. As soon as she finishes speaking, a shudder runs through her body.
"Tori I think we should go to the healers," Draco suggests, expecting her to fight him on it, but she agrees straight away.
They both stand up, Astoria on shaky legs, clinging to Draco's arm. They manage to leave without drawing attention, stopping at the counter where Daphne is flirting with the man standing behind it. Draco let's her know they're going to check Astoria in at the hospital, and they'll update her as soon as they can.
The hospital is a bit busier today, being the middle of the afternoon. A healer comes up to take Astoria to her room, and she walks away from Draco on shaky legs.
Draco sits on one of the seats in the waiting room and wishing his mother was with him instead of France.
What feels like forever later, a healer comes out and says Astoria is asking for him. He walks into her room and sees her curled up on the bed, blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She looks up when she hears the door open, and she looks exhausted. Her cheeks are sunk in, and there are dark circles around her bloodshot eyes.
"Oh, love," Draco whispers, pulling her into a hug once he reaches the bed. She starts crying into his shirt, clinging to him as tight as she can.
"Another miscarriage, the healers say," Astoria says, hiccupping slightly. Draco presses his lips to her forehead, blinking back tears.
Astoria soon falls asleep, and Draco leaves the room, letting the healers check on what they need to.
He walks through the doors, stopping in an empty hallway. Unable to stop himself, Draco turns and slams his fist into the wall. Again and again. Tears are running down his face, and his hand is stinging but he doesn't stop until he feels someone pull him away from the wall. He turns and buries his face into Daphne's shoulders, clinging to her as he cries. She runs a hand through his hair.
"It's not fair," he croaks out, and Daphne pulls back to look him in the eye.
"I know it's not."
"She's going to want to try again, you know? And I can't say no to her, but I can't go through this again. She's going to kill herself."
"I know," Daphne says, hugging him tighter as if she's trying to hold him together.
It's been a few months since the miscarriage, and Astoria's health has started to improve. She's gained weight, and can go for walks around the manor gardens without needing to cling to Draco. She doesn't need help with anything, and she's stopped shaking as much.
So of course she sees this as an invite to try for another baby.
This time, Draco decides to speak to a healer first. He meets up with Astoria's monthly healer and asks her questions about what he could do to prevent another miscarriage. They decide to have a check-up every week, and make sure that Astoria takes potions that will keep her strength and health up.
Draco's worried. The healers have said that if this child miscarries, Astoria could die. And if it survives, the child birth could kill her.
But Astoria is determined to have a child. She told Draco it's what she's wanted her whole life, and Draco remembers all the times they were younger and she'd mention having kids together.
Astoria's pregnant again. It's been almost two years since their first miscarriage. The weekly appointments at St Mungo's are helping. The baby is growing healthy, and they soon learn that he's a boy. He's due at the beginning of November.
The whole pregnancy, Draco is looking after Astoria. After four months, she's put on bed rest at St Mungo's.
She's sick again. The potions stopped working. She's lost weight, her skin is pale with a yellow tint to it and she hardly has the strength to open her eyes.
The baby is born early. The healers had to do an emergency C-section. He's silent, not making any noise. The healers rushed him out the room, doing tests on him. Astoria is half asleep, her face turned towards her husband.
"Dray where 'r they takin' 'im," She mumbles.
"Don't worry, love. They're just doing tests to make sure he's healthy," Draco says, kissing her brow.
"M'kay," Astoria says, her eyes sliding shut. Draco holds her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.
The room fills with an alarm, and Draco is pulled out by a healer as more crowd round Astoria's bed.
"What's happening?" Draco asks the healer, trying to get back to Tori. More healers rush into the room, and Draco is dragged out by more people.
"Mr Malfoy, the healers are doing everything they can to save your wife. Keep out the way," A healer says, pushing Draco further down the hall. There's a shout from inside the room.
"Her heart's stopped."
When Draco comes back round, he's lying on one of the seats in the waiting area with his head on his mother's lap. She's running her fingers through his hair.
"Astoria's fine," She says as soon as she realises he's awake. "The birth took a lot out of her, but the healers managed to bring her back. Her heart only stopped for a moment. Your son is fine as well, the healers have put him in Astoria's room. You won't be able to touch him though."
"I want to see them," Draco says.
His mother takes him to the room. Draco feels slightly wobbly so he's leaning into his mother, holding onto her hand like he's a little kid again.
Astoria is still asleep. Her bones are poking out sharply, and her hair is all matted. Shudders run through her, even while she's asleep. Next to her bed, there's a cot, surrounded in glass. There are tubes coming out of it. Draco walks in and looks through the glass.
His son is fast asleep. His body too small, and bright pink. The tubes are leading to his face, helping him breathe. Draco loves him. He feels a small smile pulling on his lips, and he places a hand on the glass, as if that would be the same as holding him.
It takes almost a month for Scorpius - their son - to be healthy enough to come out the incubator. Astoria's health hasn't improved at all. She can't get out of bed, and Draco has to help bathe her, help her get changed, help her with everything. Scorpius is a few months old now and he is perfectly healthy. Astoria begged Draco to get a healer check to make sure he's not got the blood curse, but the healers said that he's still too young for them to give a certain answer.
The three of them have hidden themselves away from the world. The plan was to be away just for a few months until Astoria got better, but it seems to be taking longer than they thought it would.
Scorpius is almost five years old by the time they come out of hiding. He has only ever met his mother when she's in her bed. Astoria's health has slowly been getting better over the years. When they move back into Malfoy manor, she can walk around the whole house without help. Draco bought her a cane for her birthday, which she uses whenever she feels too tired, the cane has been charmed to change to match whatever she's wearing. She uses it almost all the time, especially on days they go to Diagon Alley.
Their little café is still there. The owner gave them a huge smile when they came in, saying that he was worried when they disappeared for a few years. Their friends love Scorpius. Pansy buying hundreds of cute outfits that have been charmed to grow with him for a few years, and Blaise and Theo gave a joint present of a tiny broom, which Scorpius loves.
By the time Scorpius is eleven, Astoria's health has started to go down again. Draco has noticed that she places charms on herself whenever she's about to go out. She wears her makeup for longer, putting it on thicker. No one else notices, but when Astoria takes the charms off at night, she seems to fold into herself. Her cheeks hollow out, her hair falls limp, her bones stick out. She falls into bed, her frail hands reaching for Draco, who is always half a step behind her.
The day that Scorpius leave for Hogwarts, Astoria's skin is glowing. Draco can't tell if it's from a charm or if she's actually feeling better, and he curses himself for being unable to tell the difference. Scorpius is bouncing around, his face in a permanent grin.
As he grew older, Scorpius started to look exactly like Draco. The same pointed chin, same silver-white hair. Same steel grey eyes. But his personality is exactly like his mothers. He is the kindest soul ever to walk the earth, and he smiles at everyone. He always thanks the house elves, and offers Astoria help on days where she's feeling weaker than usual.
The three of them are standing on platform nine and three quarters, Astoria is hugging Scorpius, handing him some chocolate.
"Chocolate. The best way to make friends," She says, pressing a kiss into his hair. Draco steps forward and pulls him into a quick hug.
"Have fun, and don't worry too much about what house you're in. Whichever you'll be sorted into will make us proud," Draco says into his ear.
"Thanks dad. Look after mum for me," Scorpius whispers back.
They stand watching Scorpius climb into the Hogwarts express, Astoria standing in front of Draco leaning back into him, Draco's arms are wrapped around her waist.
"Good luck," Astoria says. It sounds like she wanted to shout it to their son, but her voice comes out more of a whisper.
The train shoots quickly, and Astoria turns around to face Draco. She looks exhausted, and Draco realises how much of an act she puts on around Scorpius to stop him from worrying. She has tears in her eyes.
"I hope he's going to be okay," She says. Draco presses a quick kiss to her nose, causing her to smile.
"He'll be alright, love. It's Hogwarts. He'll never want to come home for the holidays."
The use the floo to travel back home, and Astoria climbs into bed. Draco sits down next to her, a hand placed on her cheek, thumb brushing her papery skin.
"Feeling okay?"
"I'm fine, Dray."
Scorpius is sorted into Slytherin. Draco would never admit it out loud, but he's relieved. It's all over the news that Albus Potter, Harry's second son, has also been sorted into Slytherin. Which shocked Draco into laughter.
When Scorpius comes home for the holidays, he mentions how Albus is his best friend. In fact, Albus is all Scor talks about. When Scorpius has gone to bed, Astoria turns to Draco, giggling.
"Don't," he warns.
"It's his first crush," Astoria says, ignoring his warning.
"It's a Potter. He could have a crush on anyone, but he had to choose a Potter."
"Isn't it funny though, you and Harry hated each other, and now your son are best friends. Maybe even more."
Astoria giggles about it through the whole holidays. It's been so long since Draco last heard her laugh like that, he's not even annoyed.
During the last week of the holidays, the three of them are in Diagon Alley, sitting in their little café. Scorpius suddenly lights up and leaps from his seat, rushing across the café to hug a boy. A boy with messy black hair and green eyes.
Astoria starts giggling again.
Harry and Ginny are standing behind the boy. Ginny has the same grin and look in her eyes as Astoria. There's two other children standing with them a girl that looks exactly like Ginny with freckles and flaming red hair, and a taller boy with dark auburn hair. They all walk to where Astoria and Draco are sat.
"They're so cute," Astoria says, still giggling, looking over to where Scorpius and Albus are stood talking to each other with huge smiles on their faces, seemingly forgetting that anyone else exists.
"They're definitely going to get married," Ginny agrees. Draco and Harry catch look at each other and roll their eyes, smiling.
Scorpius goes back to Hogwarts for his second year, and Astoria starts spending more time at St Mungo's than at home. She collapsed the day after Scorpius left and hit her head. Draco was in another room when their house elf came and told him that something was wrong.
Her health went downhill so fast, Draco couldn’t keep up. Astoria spent all her time in bed, barely able to eat anything. She lost so much weight, and her hair started to thin. Her wedding ring slipped off her fingers one day, and she didn't even notice. Her eyes lost their sparkle. Her healer has started to come to the manor instead of them going to the hospital.
One day, the healer pulls Draco to the side and says that she doesn't have much time left. Says to make sure that her will is up to date. Scorpius sends letters and he always sounds so happy, Draco doesn't know how to tell him.
It's during the summer holidays between Scorpius' second and third year that she dies.
Her breath had been rattling in her chest, she hardly had the strength to open her eyes some days. One day she begged Draco to dance with her like they used to.
"I want to dance, Draco." She had said, and Draco had gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her out the bed. She placed her feet on top of Draco's, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Draco held her close to him and swayed on the spot. For a moment, he could pretend everything was okay. That they were two people in love dancing around their bedroom for the sake of it.
Holding her that close, he could feel every bone in her body. She was lighter than she should have been. Draco buried his face into her shoulder, feeling tears drop onto her skin.
"You're upset," Astoria pointed out. She pulled away from him, looking in his eyes. Her eyes had the stars in them.
"I can't live without you," Draco says, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Yes you can."
"I don't want to, though," is Draco's response. "I love you too much."
That was the last thing he said to her. She had collapsed as they were dancing, her eyes rolling back into her head. Draco carefully lowered her to the ground, still with his arms wrapped around her. He called for Scorpius, who had come running into the room, tears falling down his face. Astoria's body shuddered, her breathing laboured and her throat clicked when she swallowed.
Scorpius shouted their house elf, who got the healer. When the healer had arrived, Draco was holding Astoria's face in his hands, whispering to her that he loved her, even if she couldn't hear him. Scorpius was holding her hand, crying into Draco's shoulder.
The healer had said there was nothing they could do.
Draco pressed a kiss into her cheek, right on the spot he kissed her for the first time all those years ago.
"I love you, Astoria. Always have, always will," he whispered into her skin.
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you.