A Malfoy Marriage

21: Astoria Greengrass

** Draco**
It was the evening of Christmas Eve and we were about to leave for the ball soon.

Anastasia told me to get ready about an hour ago and padded into her dressing room. I was done in ten minutes and tried opening the door to her dressing room so I could go bother her, but alas she had used a strong locking charm and so I sat down on one of the couches in the bedroom and waited.

About five minutes after we should've actually left she walked out of the dressing room.

I was awestruck. Her usually straight hair was light curled out of her face and half of it was pinned behind her head.

This left her slender neck bare and made it the perfect place for the ruby necklace settled perfectly atop her décolletage.

The earrings and necklace looked nice enough in the store but they looked like a million galleons on Ana.

The dress had a low neckline but didn't make her look gauche, and in fact made me want to just stay home and fuck her into the mattress rather than go to some stupid ball.

As I stood up she came closer to me and looked up at me with her big blue eyes.

"How do I look?" She asked with a hopeful smile on her face.

I told her exactly what I thought. "Like a million galleons."

"So you think I look good?" She asked with a smug look on her face.

I nuzzled her neck and mumbled, "so good that I want to take this dress off right now and take you to bed instead of going to some stupid party."

She kissed the side of my forehead and gently pushed me out of her neck where I was taking in her faint scent of vanilla and roses. "Mm, if you behave well tonight maybe you'll get lucky when we get back home."

I nodded in manner that I quickly realized was too enthusiastic.

Oh well, too late now

****
**Anastasia**
We apparated into the foyer of Malfoy Manor and Draco led me into the ballroom where Narcissa instantly spotted us and greeted Draco and I with kisses to our cheeks.

After greeting Narcissa in return I finally got a chance to look around the ballroom at the decorations.

Narcissa had gone with a much warmer appearance than I had expected. The pillars were wrapped in pine garland embellished red and gold baubles. There were large wreaths with gold baubles and red bows hung from each section of the terrace. And tall spruce trees placed in-between each of the window arches, these were also decorated in the same pattern and color combination.

There was a charm on the ceiling to mimic snowfall but it would never reach the actual guests. The goblin orchestra was playing a mild tune seeing as if wasn't time to start dancing yet.

Opposite to the orchestra set up,
the windowless wall had one long table with a pristine white table cloth and dark green runner. There were just a few over 100 places settings and claw foot chairs for the guests to dine at.

Just as I finished taking in the decorations for the night my mother and father recognized us and came over to say greet us quickly before spotting Mrs. Zabini and strutting away.

Blaise marched over to me with Pansy's arm threaded through his.

I suppose they decided it was the right time reveal their relationship.

We all stood around talking about the decorations for a few minutes when Narcissa went up onto the stage that was a little taller than the orchestra group and cast a sonorous charm to let everyone know that dinner was going to be served and that it was time for us to take our seats.

Lucius sat at the head of the table with Narcissa to his left and my father to his right.

Then came my mother, Draco and I.

Blaise and Pansy managed to get seats following us so the dinner conversation was very lively.

Across the table sat Theodore Nott and Astoria Greengrass followed by both of their parents.

Theodore took part in our conversation amicably, but Astoria was silent for the most part other than the occasional snide remark.

While Theodore seemed fine, he had an almost defeated and sullen aura to him. I'd definitely have to ask Luna about that, but she was currently at the other end of the table.

I mean it is weird for them to be sitting apart if they're together, maybe they aren't together.

Thinking Draco might know I leaned up into him and asked in barely a whisper, "do you know what happened with Theodore and Luna?"

Draco turned towards me and whispered back, "no but I'll try asking him."

I nodded and turned back to the conversation and my pudding when I felt a hand being placed on my right thigh, Draco's hand, I pushed it off gently, and gritted out, through my smile, "That isn't proper Draco."

His hand made his reappearance but with a firmer grip this time. "I've been wanting to do that all night and then you turned around and reminded me of how good your tits look, which just made the urge worse. I think I deserve the consolation for my patience and restraint. Plus, it's pudding, and trifle only requires the use of one hand to eat."

I dumbly tried pushing it away again but he just gripped my thigh tighter. Deciding it was futile I placed my hand over his covering as much of the top of his as I could. Surprisingly, Draco turned his hand upwards and intertwined both our hands instead of prioritizing his horny groping of my thigh.

But I'd be damned if I didn't admit that the gentle way his thumb was brushing back and forth across the top of my hand didn't give me flutters in my stomach.

****
As soon as the dinner course plates were vanished Draco and I split up. He went over to talk to Theo and I saw Luna slip out of the ballroom, so I went to find her.

Just as I was about to follow Luna into the west wing at the end of the hallway I felt myself being yanked back by the arm.

Before I could draw my wand I was pinned
to the wall, just below the portrait of Armand Malfoy and William the Conqueror arriving in England centuries prior, with a wand dug into the side of my neck.

I looked up in fear at brown eyes that were glaring at me with passion.

It was Astoria.

Before I could say anything she dug her wand a little deeper into my neck. "You may have married Draco, but I hope you realize that he doesn't actually like you. He's just waiting for the right time to escape your clutches so he can come back to me, where he rightfully belongs."

I continued looking at her in fear but now with a hint of shock.

Clearly she was disappointed with the lack of comment on my behalf. "Draco and I are meant to be, have been since I was a little girl, do you understand?"

I nodded, simultaneously wincing at the pain of the wand being jabbed further into my neck because of my nodding.

She released  me as soon as I nodded and I forgot all about finding Luna and briskly walked back to the ballroom in a panic, trying my best to appear calm when my head was practically running laps around the Hogwarts quidditch pitch.

****