{ oneshots }

{ the season of falling hard }

- slightly edited, 871 words. - 

welcome to our oneshots book! this one was inspired by the prompt 'tattoo of a tree where the leaves change depending on the season.' i hope you enjoy! 

teya xx

- fall - 

he rubbed his arm, feeling nervous about this. he had never walked diagon alley feeling more shunned. he had been respected, feared once. now, people glared at him, spitting, "pureblood," like an insult. 

he wandered into shops, feeling tired. madam malkin's came into view, and he stopped abruptly. it reminded him of potter. attention seeking, golden, precious potter. he shook his head. he needed a butterbeer. 

tom wasn't there today, instead replaced by a young woman around his age, with a tattoo of a bright tree, orange and yellow leaves fluttering on her arm. 

she nods, smiling, "what can i get you? butterbeer?" he nods and flips her two sickles. he's still staring at the merry colors on her arm as she goes to get one from the back.

he speaks, a hoarse sound, "where's tom?" she shakes her head, her face lowered, gazing at the floor. 

"gone. just a few days ago. old man," she laughs, short and brittle. "had a good life. i'm here now, anyway." 

he intakes a sharp breath. he knows loss. very well. "were you close?" he ventures, wondering why he's having a conversation with this stranger. 

"yeah," she says, but doesn't elaborate. "now, go drink your butterbeer. it's cold today." and that's the end of that. 

"cheers," he mumbles, and oddly wishes they had talked longer. 

- winter -

the tree on her arm is dead, lifeless, its leaves gone. she feels like that. but she drags herself out of bed, because he loved this shack of a pub. she needs to keep it running. for him. 

she stands up, shivering, and changes out of her pyjamas. she moans, and walks to the bathroom, splashing water on her face. 

she scrubs her mouth with her wooden toothbrush, and then picks up her wand. she heads downstairs, rubbing her eyes. 

the young man from before, she never caught his name, with the blond hair, is back. she finds an ember in her, a flicker of hope that he'll talk to her again. he made her open up, even if just a little bit. she offers a smile. "where have you been? haven't seen you in a while." 

he laughs, but she can clearly see the dark circles around his eyes. "miss me?" 

she can nearly hear her mum's voice in her head, "this young man is good for you, honey." she shrugs, admitting to herself that she did miss him. 

she changes the subject instead. "i never caught your name, sir. i'm astoria." his eyes twinkle. 

"i'm draco. draco malfoy." he stuck his hand out, and she shook it. she hoped he would come here every day after that. and she thought he must've been learned in Legilimency, because he did. 

-spring- 

they talk every day now, laughing and joking, and sometimes draco even helps serve. her tattoo is like a cherry blossom now, blooming with life. 

they learn new things about each other, and astoria tells him about daphne, her sister, and he vaguely remembers her. 

she listens over butterbeer when he breaks down about his family, not as close anymore when he didn't kill dumbledore. 

he returns the favor, listening to how daphne is the favored child, and so tom became her surrogate father. 

they comfort each other through their highs and lows, and astoria even convinces draco to go to weasley's wizards wheezes joke shop. he doesn't make eye contact with george, but astoria smiles demurely at him. 

george scowls. "malfoy." astoria winces, please, no fights, we're all broken here, can't you see? she takes a deep breath. 

draco inclines his head slowly. "weasley." they walk out then, and draco stops her. "thank you." 

"for what?" astoria asks, confused. 

"for- for helping me out there, keeping me calm, and," he stops, unsure of himself. she touches his shoulder, smiling. 

"no need, yeah?" he nods, but she knows he really wanted to say thank you anyway. 

- summer - 

he's never sweated so much. finally, knowing he can't put it off any longer, he walks into the leaky cauldron.  she looks up, relief written all over her face. 

"i almost thought you weren't coming today." 

he rubs the back of his neck. "sorry." he winces. "uh, er, so anyway..." he trails off. 

"somethin' the matter?" her expression changes to worry. 

just get it over with, malfoy. "will... you go out with me sometime?" he's panicking, biting his lip, why is he so nervous? 

then a man with a scraggly beard and missing a tooth stands up. "GOOD FOR YOU, LAD!" he booms. "GET THE LASS, EH?" 

astoria giggles. "yeah, 'course i will! i've been waiting ages, you know, for me to ask that. and my tattoo seems happy too," she grins, showing off the green leaves with pride. 

suddenly, the cauldron seems alive with life, galleons exchanging hands. the same man stands up again. "WE'VE BEEN MAKIN' BETS 'BOUT YOU TWO FOR MONTHS, YEAH?" he grins, and astoria laughs. 

"so, where'd you have in mind?"