A SEA BETWEEN

Chapter 7: The Banquet

A/N:

To my stupidity I realised that I had NOT include a rings exchange scene in the chapter where Draco and Mara got married so I came up with an excuse he he in this one. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for shitty grammar. Comments make me genuinely happy, not that I am fishing for them, no. **wink**

This was a long chapter btw... Holy crap took ages to write. I am kicking my own ass for ever deciding that a Y/N form could work because now; even many months later I am still finding 'she' where 'her' should be and 'she' where 'you' should be.

PS 1... After seeing Promos for "Enola Holmes" on Netflix I have now decided that DANTE MALFOY looks like Sam Claflin... lol. If I EVER rework the story, I shall make Dante THE OLDER BROTHER and not have him and Draco be twins.

PS2: The saying mentioned in this chapter is Turkish.

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A few days after her first face-off with Draco the butler Mr. Gleeson had informed Mara that her wedding band had finally arrived upon which she looked at him with confusion then remembered that the ceremony they hadn't exchanged rings. How strange she didn't think of this before?

He explained that the rings in Astella were usually custom made abroad and took weeks to make so because her wedding was a spontaneous event, the rings did not arrive due on time. She stared at the ring on her hand; and even though Mara had worn it for the last couple of weeks; it still felt strange to wear it. This wasn't a real wedding ring; this was a fake one and wearing it seemed to only rub in that notion even more. Still, she wore it; out of sense of duty, the same couldn't have been said about Draco for he never wore his.

Before Mara knew it, four months had passed since the nuptials in May. Four rather identical months; she already had a "fixed routine". The routine consisted of having breakfast, then taking a walk or exploring the castle, then retreating to the library or the garden with a good book until lunch; then taking a second walk on the beach (to she pleasures Ashwood castle had a private beach) until dinner and then.... she went to the library for the second time.

Mara didn't know of the abandoned cottage near the beach until she had found it during one of her walks, the butler later told her, that it had been the residence of the steward appointed to the castle's affairs in the earlier days. The cottage was fully equipped; it had a kitchen and a bathroom, a small but inviting living room and a nicely decorated bedroom. Finally, the cottage was at the perfect distance from both the castle and the beach. If it were up to her, she would move there tomorrow; but it probably wouldn't be proper decorum and it would probably raise some concerns. Maybe Mara could move in later, she doubted that Draco would care anyway.

Speaking of her husband, Mara still didn't see him much; caught glimpses of him here and there. When she did, he made sure he made sure to be seen with Katherine or Pansy. The mentioned ladies in question did show a bit of reverence towards Mara but that was just about it; she could still hear them mock her afterwards and Draco usually laughed along.

And that hurt, seeing him laugh at her, even if she, by now should have known that he disliked her. And he did, didn't he? Dislike her. There were times she would fault herself; because she hadn't acted entirely nice to him last time either but at other times, Mara really didn't know WHY he behaved like this.

This was an unfortunate situation, but it wasn't a permanent one. Why couldn't they just act civil towards each other? Was it too much to ask, she was willing to try at least and then after two years he could marry whomever he.?

Thinking about him getting married to someone else shouldn't have brought about a twinge of pain in the chest but it did.

A particular Sunday she went to the dining hall; fully expecting to have breakfast alone again but this time around was not. Sitting at the end of the table, joined by Draco and Theodore at either side of him.