Draco had first laid eyes on Astoria Greengrass when he was in his second year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had watched her being sorted into Slytherin, vaguely remembering that Daphne Greengrass was her sister and in his year. The first time he really noticed her though, was when he had accidently bumped into her in the hallway. He'd been walking with Pansy Parkinson and had been paying poor attention to his surroundings. He had clipped his shoulder with hers and she'd dropped all her books on the floor. He'd muttered an apology; those who knew him would have found that alone odd, normally he would have added insult to the injury somehow.
"You should be," she said, sounding somewhat annoyed as she picked up her books. Draco had been taken aback, nobody talked to him that way, especially not a third year Slytherin. She had even done it without flinching, as if he were no one special. When he'd asked Pansy who she was, Pansy had looked confused, as if she couldn't understand why in the world he would care.
"Daphne Greengrass's little sister, Astoria. She's only in third year though," she said almost accusingly. Draco nodded oblivious, still intrigued by the only girl who had truly seemed to have the backbone to stand up to him at all.
Astoria POVWhen Astoria first saw Draco Malfoy she was extremely intrigued by his appearance. She'd never seen anyone who looked so different look so confident with himself. He may have looked a little smug but she also saw a good confidence in him too. When she'd asked her sister about him Daphne had rolled her eyes and said that she shouldn't even bother trying to talk to him. Three years at Hogwart's had passed and Astoria had all but forgotten about Draco. She'd been walking down the hall, keeping to herself, when somebody ran into the side of her causing all of her books to fall on the ground. She looked up as she bent down to pick up her books and saw that it was Draco Malfoy; he muttered a simple apology but kept walking.
"You should be," Astoria called after him, annoyed. As she gathered her books and walked on to class she smiled to herself, he hadn't looked so smug then.
That year was the Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball. Astoria hadn't been all that disappointed when she wasn't able to go to the Yule Ball, dancing was never her favourite thing to do; so the night of the ball she sat in the Common Room and read a book. Although she hadn't planned for it to happen, Draco entered the Room at the exact moment Astoria looked up from her book. She was shocked to find him looking handsome despite the garish dress robe. They locked eyes for less than a second but Astoria blushed all the same. After he had left, she felt stupid for thinking such things about Draco Malfoy, but at that moment something altogether strange and wonderful had begun in the dungeons of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Draco POVFor the Yule Ball, Draco's father had sent him the best dress robes money could buy. He had also gotten himself a worthy date, Pansy Parkinson. Yet although he had all this, he looked in the mirror and didn't feel good enough. He always felt that way as if no one would ever be pleased with him. Draco had learned from an early age to always seem proud and confident no matter how you were truly feeling. He used this trick as he entered the Common Room. He met Pansy there, though he barely acknowledged her. He noticed a girl looking at him and they met eyes, and though she looked away almost instantly he knew it was Astoria. He had expected disgust but all he'd seen in her eyes was curiosity.
From that day forward Draco kept his eye out for Astoria. She was different than any other girl he'd met in Slytherin; she didn't approve of the Dark Arts and didn't talk to people who were well known to be involved in them. Despite this Draco was still interested in her, although he never spoke to her directly and never talked to anyone else about her. Even when his life became consumed by the Dark Arts, Astoria was always in the back of his mind; he would wonder if she was all right.
During the Battle of Hogwart's he took it upon himself to make sure she wasn't in danger at all. He found her duelling Fenrir Greyback. The werewolf was almost upon her when Draco arrived.
"Stupefy." He said quietly as to not draw attention to himself. Greyback flew backwards into the wall and Draco dragged Astoria out of the castle. She looked him right in the eyes and he looked back at her and told her to go to the Hog's Head. It pained him to do so but he left her there and ran back into the castle. After the Battle of Hogwart's never saw Astoria again until one fateful day.
Astoria POVAfter the Yule Ball, Astoria never really saw Draco anymore. She had realised that he was interested in the Dark Arts; she also found that being in Slytherin had its benefits, as she could find out almost anything she wanted about the Dark Arts, and more specifically Draco, without question. She was worried about him as he went into a downward spiral towards the Dark Arts, although she told herself she had no business worrying over him. Things changed in her sixth year though, when Draco didn't come to school. She worried herself ragged over him; it was the worst time of her life as she became depressed the world around her was falling apart along with her insides. Things reached a breaking point when days before the Battle of Hogwart's Astoria received an owl informing her that the only friend she had ever made at Hogwart's, who was a Muggle-born, had been killed by Fenrir Greyback. When the Battle of Hogwart's came Astoria stayed to try to avenge her friend. She realized how stupid she had been when the werewolf cornered her. She was sure she would die when Draco Malfoy appeared. He stupefied Greyback and grabbed Astoria, dragging her outside of the castle. As he let go of her wrist, Astoria sought out his eyes. As she met his gaze, he looked distraught and torn. She wanted to touch his face, let him know she was alright, but she didn't get the chance.
"Go to the Hog's Head, you can go home that way." Draco said to her earnestly, and ran back inside the castle. Astoria thought about running after him but thought better of it. She went to the Hog's Head, took one last look at Hogwart's, thought of Draco Malfoy and went home. She wouldn't see him again for a long time.
After the Battle of Hogwart's, Astoria went back to Hogwart's and tried to forget about Draco Malfoy. She had been top honours in her year for N.E.W.T.s and met many important people during her last year there. One of which was Mr. Ollivander. The history of wandmaking interested her and she longed to see a wand made. It was merely coincidence that she ran into Mr. Ollivander that day. She discussed her interest in wands with him and he offered to have her come in and help him in his store. The next year she was employed in his store, learning the trade of wandmaking from Mr. Ollivander. Her first day of manning the store all by herself came several weeks after the new school year had started. She had just started to wonder if anyone was going to come at all, when Draco Malfoy walked into the store. Her jaw dropped for a fraction of a second when she caught herself.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked avoiding his gaze, knowing if he saw her eyes it would give her away.
"I was looking to get a new wand," he said distractedly pulling at a thread in his robe. She looked at him. He looked healthy but like he wasn't getting enough sleep. He looked back up before she could look away. Draco's expression changed to astonished and even a little excited.
"Astoria?" he said. She blushed and pushed her hair away from her face looking at her feet.
"Uh, yah, I'll go grab some wands for you to try out." She said trying to get out of there.
Draco POVDraco watched Astoria walk into the back of the store. He hadn't seen her for two years, and he had thought he would never see her again. She looked good, he thought to himself. Better than he did, but that was probably because she could get to sleep at night. In fact during his sleepless nights he often found that his mind would wander to thoughts of her. He saw her walk to a shelf closer to him. He studied the side of her face. She'd cut her hair very short, up to her ears, which was most likely why he hadn't recognized her at first. Her hair was light brown and when the light hit it right you could see blonde highlights in it. He smiled as she looked at him and blushed.
Astoria POVAstoria felt her cheeks burn red when she could Draco looking at her. She nearly ran into the back of the store, it took all her will power not to run out into the alley through the back door. Her eyes looked up at a random wand: Oak, dragon heartstring, 10 inches. She thought about it for a moment and grabbed it. She had five wands in her arms; she couldn't stall any longer. Astoria closed her eyes for a moment and walked steadily back towards the front of the store, her eyes on her feet. She handed him one of the wands. He tried it out but nothing happened.
"Nope," Astoria said snatching it out of Draco's hand. Draco smirked as she struggled to put it away in its box. She handed him another one. It was the one she had thought would suit him the best: Ebony, unicorn hair, 13 inches. He waved it around and a vase exploded. Astoria laughed in spite of herself; wands sure do choose their own owner. She pulled out her own wand: Cherry, phoenix feather, 9 inches.
"Repairo," she said as the shards of glass came together to become the vase again. She put the reject wand away and decided to give Draco the wand she had randomly selected. She handed it to Draco; he looked at her slightly bemused because it obviously wasn't what he was expecting. He tried out a spell and it worked perfectly. Astoria smiled to herself, she loved when she got it right just from a random pick.
"That's oak, with a dragon heartstring core and its 10 inches." Astoria told him while packing up the other wands.
"Are you so sure this is the one?" Draco asked playfully.
"Positive," she answered back. She smiled at him and he smiled back. He bought the wand and walked out of the store. Astoria sighed to herself and began to put away the wands when the door opened again. It was Draco and Astoria felt herself smile.
"When do you get off work?" Draco asked with a timid grin. Astoria looked at her watch.
"Actually, in about ten minutes, but I don't think I'll be getting anyone else in here." She said.
"Well how about I buy you dinner at the Leaky Cauldron?" Draco asked her hopefully.
"Alright, just let me close up first alright?" Astoria said a little shaky. She grabbed the wands and literally ran to the back to put them away. She was pretty sure she had put one away wrong but she didn't care at that point. She ran in the back grabbed her coat and keys. She locked the back door and turned off the lights in the back room. She ran slightly slower towards the front. She smiled at Draco and opened the door for him to leave. She turned the lights off and locked the door behind her, her pulse racing.