A/N: Thanks for all those who decided to give this a read. This story is how I imagine Draco and Astoria began their relationship, it also follows on from my stories A Change of Heart and The Malfoy Family, so I may reference back to these stories so I apologise for any confusion so feel free to read/review those first before reading this one.

Please leave a review to let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Everything Harry Potter related belongs to the fabulous J K Rowling, I own nothing nor make any money from writing these fanfictions.

August 2000

Much had changed in the two years since the Dark Lord's final downfall. The wizarding world had been reformed and all those who had been a supported of Voldemort during the second war was now serving a life sentence in Azkaban. Of course, the Malfoys had been spared jail. Due to his mother's lie, Draco Malfoy was a free man; but it came at a price. Their dark artifacts had been taken into possession of the Ministry, they had been fined a heavy amount, kept under house arrest for a year and accompanied in public by two aurors in the same amount of time. The Malfoy name no longer meant much to the wizarding world and his father had found the whole ordeal embarrassing. No longer could they skip the queues in the bank and no longer could they get an automatic table at a restaurant. No longer did Lucius Malfoy have influence at the Ministry.

But his family were still rich and they still had their manor in Wiltshire, not that he spent much time there. His parents were currently staying in Cairo in their suite they had owned before he had been born, he guessed that it was due to the fact that his parents wanted to escape the memories of bloodshed that had occured in their family home.

Draco was twenty years of age now, working in the trade industry for the Ministry. Mostly trading of rare ancient artifacts from China or Egypt found in new tombs and it was his job to collect the artifact and bring it safely back to Britain to give to his boss. He enjoyed his job a great deal, he got to explore new countries and cultures and that had helped to change him since he left Hogwarts, but the one thing he didn't like was having to report to someone. Since Kingsley Shacklebolt had agreed to give him a position, he was kept under close watch.

Today, he was found walking through Saliunca Alley; one of the many shopping and dining districts in the wizarding world. On his return from Shanghai, an old friend had written to him requesting that he meet her for lunch, to which he had agreed. He entered the restaurant and the waiter sat him at the table that had been booked. He ordered a bottle of firewhiskey and drummed his fingers impatiently along the table, if he had learned one thing about the opposite sex, it was that they were always fashioably late.

He stood and smiled thinly when he saw her rushing over to the table. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders and her green eyes lit up as she smiled, he had missed seeing her friendly face. She gently placed her arms around his shoulders as she drew him in for a quick hug before sitting in the sit opposite his.

"Hello Draco." she said.

"Daphne." Draco nodded.

"You've lost weight." Daphne noted.

"It's been a very stressful two years."

Daphne nodded and placed an order for a gillywater before looking at the menu. Draco looked at his before deciding to order the lobster and took another swig of his firewhiskey. He and Daphne had known each other since he had been born, they had been born into the same school year and had been rather close in their younger years. Their mothers, Narcissa and Jemima had been best friends since they were children and Narcissa had been named as Daphne's godmother.

The two ordered their meals and caught up, with Draco telling her about his travels and Daphne filling him in on what she had been upto since graduating. She seemed rather impressed by the tales of his travels and when she brought up the subject of his breakup with Pansy Parkinson, his smile faded.

"She's pretty cut up about it."

"I ended it over a year ago now and she's still going on about it?" Draco sneered.

Daphne sighed heavily before draining the rest of her drink.

"She's in love with you Draco, of course she's still going to be going on about it." Daphne replied.

"She's in love with the person I was. I've changed and it's not fair on either of us for me to pretend I'm still the same person."

"I agree with you, it's not fair to pretend that you're still something that you once were. But she's my best friend and I have to sympathise with her, you understand?"

Draco nodded curtly before ordering another firewhiskey, to which Daphne raised her eyebrows.

"Another one? Don't you have work?"

"This afternoon and besides I happen to like the taste."

"Since when?" Daphne questioned.

"When do you think?" he answered.

Daphne patted his hand in concern, "Draco, have you considered talking to someone about it?"

"I talk to my parents-

"I mean a professional."

Draco shook his head, he didn't want some paid oaf to know about his way of handling what he had been forced to do. He didn't want to talk about his terrifying ordeal as a Death Eater, as a prisoner. It was part of the reason that he had broken up with Pansy, she had always pushed him to open up about it when he wasn't ready to. Instead firewhiskey helped, it had certainly helped his father a lot.

"I'll tell you what, it's my twenty-first next month and my parents are throwing me a party. Why don't you come?" Daphne suggested.

"And face Pansy?"

"I promise she'll be on her best behaviour and besides Tori just graduated, she'd love to see you too." Daphne smiled.

"Tori, wow it's been a long time since I last saw her. How is she?" asked Draco.

"She's great, passed all her NEWTs with flying colours. She's got a part time job Madam Malkin's, starting next week." Daphne replied.

The waiter came back with their bill to which Draco pulled out a bag of gold and placed it on the table before he and Daphne took their exit. As much as his life was flooded with work, he was rather looking forward to Daphne's twenty-first.