A Malfoy Marriage

20: Shopping

**Draco**
I woke up to silence and Anastasia still wrapped around me with a grip like a vice which was odd because she was usually up well before me.

Deciding that the night before probably tired her out to this point I roused her awake and told her we have to get ready for work. The only acknowledgement of this statement was my wife's head being dug deeper into the crook of my neck and a mumbled, "Call in sick."

I obliged and sent a patronus seeing as it was a taxing night for Anastasia, and I wanted to be there for her when she ultimately woke up.

I may not have liked him but it's easy to tell that the Williams bloke meant a great deal to Ana, even if he was an arse.

I turned back around and wrapped my other arm around her.

I looked at her face for a few minutes memorizing the structure.

Created a mental map of the barely there dusting of freckles across the tip of her nose and the peaks of her cheeks that she usually charmed away.

I watched how peaceful she looked in her sleep and decided I wanted to hold her in my arms forever or longer.

The way she fit into my arms was just perfect and it made me fall that much harder.

I was lulled to sleep, counting her soft breaths.

****
I awoke the second time that day to Anastasia lightly shaking my arm and saying, "wake up Draco, I really have to use the loo."

I lazily unfurled my arm from around her and watched her rush out of bed and into the en-suite.

A few minutes later she walked out of the bathroom and stood at the foot of the bed.

I looked at her from my position, propped up against the headboard, and asked, "so what do you want to do?"

She instantly perked up at this question and replied, "Let's go shopping, we can get normal clothes and outfits for you mother's ball."

I didn't reveal any feeling I may have had towards the idea, so Anastasia took this as a no and came over closer and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me with her attempt at puppy dog eyes.

Had I not already decided to agree the eyes would've done it, but I wouldn't tell her that.

I pushed her hair back behind he ear and left my hand at the base of her neck and said, "well I suppose we could go shopping, but it has nothing to do pathetic attempt to convince," with a smug look on my face.

She slapped my hand off her as she stood up. "It was not pathetic, you thought it was adorable. Plus, it always worked with my mum and she was no easy woman to convince."

"Clearly your mother just wanted to develop in you the overinflated ego possessed by all society ladies." I said trailing after her as she headed to her closet.

"Just for that comment I'm going to take you shopping in Muggle London, let's see how you like that." She said and promptly slammed her closet door in my face.

****
It was decidedly ok, not good, not bad, but ok.

We weren't able to able to apparate there for a lack of alleyways in the are and so Anastasia took me to get a ride at what she called a "cabbie stand".

The men with cars themselves were fine, but the man sat near the stand smoking cigarettes were markedly crude and lacked the necessary refinement to talk to a married woman.

Needless to say Anastasia discreetly confiscated my wand to prevent any altercations.

The first shop we stopped at was a jewelry shop names Garrard where she picked up a few ruby pieces she had commissioned months prior.

We then went to lunch at a muggle restaurant where the service was appallingly slow.

And finally Anastasia dragged me into a smaller shop where she didn't bother looking around and walked all the way to the back into a small room that had a mannequin, fabric swatches, and multiple sketches hung on the wall.

There was another door on one of the walls, which opened almost as soon as we walked into the room and out walked a stately older women with long brown hair and bangs that fell over her forehead.

The lady and Anastasia quickly embraced and greeted each other.

As if realizing I was there Anastasia suddenly said, "Draco, you might not remember Catherine but she was at our wedding. She was a good friend of my grandmother's."

The lady stuck out her hand and firmly shook mine. "Catherine Walker, pleasure to meet you again."

I nodded along dumbly, confused as to how a muggle could've come to our wedding.

Seeming to catch on to my dilemma Anastasia cut in and said, "Catherine knows all about the wizarding world, her sister is a muggle-born who went to Beaubatons with my grandmother. Catherine's sister introduced them when my grandmother moved back home to England."

A look of understanding crossed my face and I quickly reintroduced myself to Catherine.

She took us into the second room that she had come out of.

She sat Anastasia and I sit down and asked what Anastasia needed.

As soon as Anastasia explained that she needed a dress for Mother's Christmas ball, the older lady left the room and came back five minutes later with a mannequin fitted with a maroon dress made of two materials and an unique silhouette.

Anastasia's face lit up as soon as she saw the dress, and rightfully so. She looked stunning in the dress.

Anastasia immediately said yes to the dress
and had Catherine draw up sketches of men's dress robes that would complement the dress and ended up picking a dark red design with silver accents to match her jewelry.

I hated the fact the I was being forced to wear red, but I couldn't deny her such a simple thing after the rough few months she's had at work.

****