Marriage of convenience (Draco x Astoria)

12- The first day

Draco opened his eyes, not knowing where he was. He looked around, too confused to be scared, and when he saw Astoria's room, he remembered everything.

He jumped up, looking around for Kali and Slughorn, but neither of them was there. However, someone had left the curtains half open, and the morning sun streamed through them, illuminating the room. Draco turned to Astoria, fearing what he was going to find, but his heart calmed when he saw that the young woman looked completely normal.

She was asleep, finally free of the capsule of blankets that had covered her, and her breathing was soft and rhythmic. The color of her skin, although pale, was no longer sickly, and her lips once again showed signs of life.

Draco laid down next to her, trying to move slowly, and tried to absorb that the miracle had finally occurred. Astoria had survived, she had made it. The relief was such that for a moment he felt dizzy. He watched her sleep, wanting to caress her cheek and hug her, but he stopped himself. She deserved to rest after everything she had been through.

However, it wasn't long until she shuddered and sighed, opening her eyes lazily. At first, she looked at Draco as if she didn't recognize him, but then she seemed to realize what had happened, and then she looked at herself, feeling her chest and neck.

"How are you?" Draco asked her.

"I don't know. I think... I think I'm fine," Astoria turned around and stared at the ceiling, as if she were mentally checking to see if something was wrong. "Although very tired. I feel like I've run a marathon," then she frowned and looked at Draco. "I remember my father making me drink the drug. He filled the glass more than necessary, and then..." she wasn't able to continue. She had no words to describe the anguish she had felt before sinking into the endless darkness of unconsciousness.

"Then we got married," Draco said softly. "Remember?"

"Yes... No... I don't know... I only remember darkness," she answered. "Although I think there was a time when my bed was surrounded by people, but I'm not sure."

"You opened your eyes for a second, but I wasn't sure if you realized what was happening."

"How did I manage to recover?"

"I talked to Slughorn, and I convinced him to help us," Draco confessed. "He prepared the antidote to extract the poison from your body. You were very sick, and for a moment—" Draco bit his tongue. There was no need to worry her more. "But you're okay now, and that's what matters."

"How long have I been like this?"

"Three days and three nights, not counting the night of the wedding day. I asked your father to grant me the right of marriage."

"What?" Astoria opened her eyes wide, and for the first time, her cheeks colored. The contrast with the whiteness of her skin was very striking. "Then my father thinks that...well, you know," her face turned even redder. Draco wanted to tease her, as he was amused by her reaction, but he took pity on her.

"I don't know what he thinks, but those days have helped us save your life."

"I will never be able to thank you."

"You don't have to."

They remained for a few minutes without saying anything. Draco looked at her, very calm, relieved to see her improvement, but she was not so relaxed, and she couldn't focus her eyes anywhere. She played with her wedding ring before noticing it.

"I hope you like it," Draco commented matter-of-factly. "My mother put a lot of effort into adding more carats than I can count."

"It's impressive," she admitted. "Did my father give you the early seal?" Draco looked for the first time at the thick solid gold ring that covered his finger. It had the Greengrass crest embossed on it. "It's a bit ostentatious," Astoria apologized.