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in
we3sisters
Series of ficlets: Invisible By Day, (3/?), Draco/Astoria
Title: Invisible By Day (3/?)
Pairings: Draco/Astoria, Lucius/Narcissa, assorted Greengrasses
Rating: PG13
Summary: Through hardship to the stars. The months and years post-Aftermath.
Summer 2000
“What is this?” Draco had read the contract through twice, but it still didn’t make any sense to him. “I’m not going to have Astoria pay me rent!”
“Yes, you are. I won’t have my daughter dependent on you, living at your house without a right to the bed she sleeps in.” Eustace Greengrass’s thin moustache curled downwards at the corners as he glared at Draco, wearing an expression of stern disapproval. “If it was up to me, Astoria would have her own place and you would have very limited visitation. I’ve told her as much, but she insists she wants to give it a go.”
“It’s only smart,” Draco shrugged. “I have the house, why would you want her to live in some damp basement in London on a trainee’s salary?”
“So she could learn to stand on her own feet.” Mr Greengrass cast a furtive look over his shoulder, but his wife and daughters were still chattering in the adjoining sitting room. He had shown Draco to the library under the pretext of sharing an interesting book on levitation charms, but now he waved his wand and an inkpot and quill came sailing through the air and landed on a sideboard next to Draco. “But no matter; I’m willing to indulge her if you sign this. Let us be done with it.”
Mr Greengrass couldn’t actually stop Astoria doing anything she wanted, but here was a fight Draco didn’t particularly want to enter into. He actually hid his hands behind his back, feeling like a little boy. “I want to talk to her about it first.”
“Fine, do. You will find that she is very eager to contribute to your shared household.” Greengrass glanced at a photograph which sat on the sideboard in a silver frame among many other family pictures. It was a portrait of a smiling little girl whose unmistakable dimples gave away her identity. The man’s expression softened. “You wouldn’t rob her of the satisfaction, would you.”
Grumbling, Draco took the quill and signed his name underneath the contract which made Astoria his tenant. He felt silly doing it, but Mr Greengrass was probably right; Astoria always wanted to do her part, carry her share of any burden. It was a source of some frustration to Draco when he was willing and able to fulfil every one of her heart’s desires. Here he was, trying to be nice for the first time in his life, and people wouldn’t let him. “This is stupid,” he groused, throwing the quill down.
“I don’t care what you think. I only care about my daughter’s best interests.” Greengrass set a stack of gold coins next to the contract, then a smaller stack of silver. “I’ve made some inquiries as to the average rent in that part of Diagon Alley. I will fund Astoria’s first month of expenses until she gets her paycheck.”
Draco swept the coins into his pocket. He didn’t think he’d ever felt so insulted, and that was saying something, considering he held grudges for all of eternity. “Is that all?” he asked, his cheeks burning like he’d been slapped.
“Not quite, but it was all I could reasonably put into writing,” Greengrass said, sort of clapping Draco’s back, in that he didn’t clap at all but caught him around the back of the neck and held on. “I’ve told you before to tread carefully so you won’t break what’s in front of you. But after the recent addition to the family that we’ve had through Daphne, I feel like I need to be clearer. I don’t want to see another daughter becoming a teenage mother. Astoria has a bright future ahead of her, and you will not spoil it. She’s wanted to become a healer since--”
“Since one of your Granians threw her and she had to go to St Mungo’s to get her arm fixed. On her sixth birthday. I know. Just why you’d put a girl who gets motion sick on a winged horse is a mystery to me, though.” Draco quite enjoyed rubbing it in. “I’m not going to get in her way. I don’t think anyone could get in her way when she wants something.” He glanced at the picture of the little girl and had to smile. “I don’t want her to be anyone but who she is. That’s the whole point.”
Greengrass narrowed his eyes as if he suspected artifice, but it was nothing but the truth. It was a strong weapon, better than any lie Draco could have spun, with no crack to be found in its polished, shiny surface that hung before the other man like a mirror. Greengrass frowned slightly, but then he nodded. “See, there we have some common ground.”
Draco exhaled, feeling like he’d just run the distance from London to Dorset only to be tripped up on the finishing line. “Can we rejoin the ladies?”
Greengrass nodded, but didn’t move. “You’re offended. That’s interesting. I would’ve thought a Malfoy would be able to separate business from personal matters.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint, Sir,” Draco sneered, which inexplicably made Mr Greengrass’s moustache twitch upwards.
Chuckling, he rolled up the contract and nudged Draco towards the door with it. “Please. Call me Eustace.”
Pairings: Draco/Astoria, Lucius/Narcissa, assorted Greengrasses
Rating: PG13
Summary: Through hardship to the stars. The months and years post-Aftermath.
Summer 2000
“What is this?” Draco had read the contract through twice, but it still didn’t make any sense to him. “I’m not going to have Astoria pay me rent!”
“Yes, you are. I won’t have my daughter dependent on you, living at your house without a right to the bed she sleeps in.” Eustace Greengrass’s thin moustache curled downwards at the corners as he glared at Draco, wearing an expression of stern disapproval. “If it was up to me, Astoria would have her own place and you would have very limited visitation. I’ve told her as much, but she insists she wants to give it a go.”
“It’s only smart,” Draco shrugged. “I have the house, why would you want her to live in some damp basement in London on a trainee’s salary?”
“So she could learn to stand on her own feet.” Mr Greengrass cast a furtive look over his shoulder, but his wife and daughters were still chattering in the adjoining sitting room. He had shown Draco to the library under the pretext of sharing an interesting book on levitation charms, but now he waved his wand and an inkpot and quill came sailing through the air and landed on a sideboard next to Draco. “But no matter; I’m willing to indulge her if you sign this. Let us be done with it.”
Mr Greengrass couldn’t actually stop Astoria doing anything she wanted, but here was a fight Draco didn’t particularly want to enter into. He actually hid his hands behind his back, feeling like a little boy. “I want to talk to her about it first.”
“Fine, do. You will find that she is very eager to contribute to your shared household.” Greengrass glanced at a photograph which sat on the sideboard in a silver frame among many other family pictures. It was a portrait of a smiling little girl whose unmistakable dimples gave away her identity. The man’s expression softened. “You wouldn’t rob her of the satisfaction, would you.”
Grumbling, Draco took the quill and signed his name underneath the contract which made Astoria his tenant. He felt silly doing it, but Mr Greengrass was probably right; Astoria always wanted to do her part, carry her share of any burden. It was a source of some frustration to Draco when he was willing and able to fulfil every one of her heart’s desires. Here he was, trying to be nice for the first time in his life, and people wouldn’t let him. “This is stupid,” he groused, throwing the quill down.
“I don’t care what you think. I only care about my daughter’s best interests.” Greengrass set a stack of gold coins next to the contract, then a smaller stack of silver. “I’ve made some inquiries as to the average rent in that part of Diagon Alley. I will fund Astoria’s first month of expenses until she gets her paycheck.”
Draco swept the coins into his pocket. He didn’t think he’d ever felt so insulted, and that was saying something, considering he held grudges for all of eternity. “Is that all?” he asked, his cheeks burning like he’d been slapped.
“Not quite, but it was all I could reasonably put into writing,” Greengrass said, sort of clapping Draco’s back, in that he didn’t clap at all but caught him around the back of the neck and held on. “I’ve told you before to tread carefully so you won’t break what’s in front of you. But after the recent addition to the family that we’ve had through Daphne, I feel like I need to be clearer. I don’t want to see another daughter becoming a teenage mother. Astoria has a bright future ahead of her, and you will not spoil it. She’s wanted to become a healer since--”
“Since one of your Granians threw her and she had to go to St Mungo’s to get her arm fixed. On her sixth birthday. I know. Just why you’d put a girl who gets motion sick on a winged horse is a mystery to me, though.” Draco quite enjoyed rubbing it in. “I’m not going to get in her way. I don’t think anyone could get in her way when she wants something.” He glanced at the picture of the little girl and had to smile. “I don’t want her to be anyone but who she is. That’s the whole point.”
Greengrass narrowed his eyes as if he suspected artifice, but it was nothing but the truth. It was a strong weapon, better than any lie Draco could have spun, with no crack to be found in its polished, shiny surface that hung before the other man like a mirror. Greengrass frowned slightly, but then he nodded. “See, there we have some common ground.”
Draco exhaled, feeling like he’d just run the distance from London to Dorset only to be tripped up on the finishing line. “Can we rejoin the ladies?”
Greengrass nodded, but didn’t move. “You’re offended. That’s interesting. I would’ve thought a Malfoy would be able to separate business from personal matters.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint, Sir,” Draco sneered, which inexplicably made Mr Greengrass’s moustache twitch upwards.
Chuckling, he rolled up the contract and nudged Draco towards the door with it. “Please. Call me Eustace.”