Hidden Riddle

Chapter 96: The talk

They arrived back home around five o'clock in the evening, meaning it was now around nine o'clock. Astrid felt her heart speed up as she read. She flipped back to the last section of the book and scanned the pages for Draco's name. She had just spotted it when her wrist went warm and she looked down to see a message from you. 

-I see that your light is still on, trying to pull an all night study session over summer break?-

-this book isn't going to read its self-

-any chance for a break? I made tea-

Astrid chewed her lip. She wanted to keep reading but she also really wanted to spend some time with Delphini. They hadn't talked much during the day because Astrid was focused on Scorpius and Teddy. She closed the book and headed downstairs.

-be right down-

When Astrid walked into the kitchen she found Delphini standing by the granite counter pouring tea from a kettle. She was in pyjama bottoms and a long sleeved shirt made from thin material.

"Hello," she said softly. Delphini smiled when she looked up at her, and she found herself smiling back. She motioned toward a chair and she sat down at the kitchen table, it was small but the wood was solid the outer edge had Nordic runes carved into it. She ran her fingers along them, tracing the patterns. "How are you adjusting to the Wizarding world, Astrid?" Delphini asked, setting the tea mugs on the table and sitting in the chair across from her.

"I love it so far," she replied, frowning down at her tea. Affronted, she looked at Delphini and asked, "Is this Chamomile?"

"It is," Delphini replied easily. "There's no caffeine in Chamomile tea." She chuckled, "You didn't really think I would give you caffeine this late. You have to be up at a reasonable hour tomorrow." She eyed Delphini for a moment and decided to pick her battles. "Where's Draco?"

"He's in bed," Delphini answered, then her mouth tilted into a lopsided smile. "He's not exactly speaking to me at the moment. We had a bit of a disagreement." Astrid looked down at the table, "Oh," she said. "It's nothing to worry about. We have them all the time. Part of loving a Malfoy, I think." Delphini said half smiling. "I want to make sure your feeling welcome" She said taking a sip from her tea. "We can talk girl to girl. If you need help with anything, you can always ask me" Astrid smiled.

"Was it-" she closed her mouth, unsure if she should broach the subject. Looking up to meet his eye and letting her curiosity get the better of her -again- she asked, "was it about the war?" Delphini tilted his head, holding her gaze , "No," she said cautiously. "Draco and I haven't argued about the war in a very long time. Why did you ask about that?" Delphini replied curiously.

"Oh," she said, "I was just reading Hogwarts's a History and stumbled across a picture of that tattoo on his arm. He was- did he fight against you?" Delphini hummed in response and took another sip of her tea. After a few minutes she said, "Honestly Astrid it's a long story, one I'm not a fan of reliving. I will tell you a couple of things about it though, ok?" She nodded.

"We fought on different sides, yes, and it was terrible. The war was terrible and people very close to me died. But we were dating and many people judged us for that, even his parents especially his dad." Then, after a moment, she added, "Even during the war he saved my life, though don't tell him I said that. He won't back me up, he'll just claim selfish motives."

"He used to live in this ridiculous mansion called Malfoy Manor. Very posh, marble everything," Delphini waved a hand dismissively, "you get the idea. Anyway, during the war a lot of awful shit happened there. The Christmas after the war Draco and his Father got into a major row about Draco wanting to marry a half-blood, me..., producing an heir, working in politics, and rebuilding the family name. You see his family were Pure-bloods and I'm a Half-blood. Draco-"

"Wait," Astrid interrupted, "Pure-blood and Half-bloods?"

"Yes, my mum was a pure-blood and my father was a half-blood" "Also known as the Dark Lord and my mum was a Death Eater, like Draco's father and him.." Astrid looked shocked. "I shouldn't of said that!" Delphini replied. "Don't talk to Draco about that."

"Yeah it's this ridiculous idea that," Delphini thought for a moment seeming to choose her words, "It's like being really racist against everyone who's not the same as you. Which Draco isn't- he doesn't believe that anymore- but he was raised that way. He saw a lot of terrible things during the war, and it changed him."

"OK, go on," Astrid said eagerly. "Draco wanted to take a few years off," Harry said, "figure himself out, travel the world, and then get married and then settle down." Delphini said happily then she suddenly went quiet.

"But something happened..?" Astrid started.

"Lucius, his Father, wouldn't listen. He insisted Draco rebuild the family name, by marrying a Pure-blood, someone that's not like me,.. so he forced Draco to marry a girl in our years younger sister. She was everything he would've wanted, pretty, a Slytherin and a Pure-blood."

"But Draco didn't love her" Astrid said holding your arm. "No he loved me." Delphini said.

Astrid felt angry on Delphini's behalf, she didn't believe anyone should be forced into a marriage. She hated the way marriage was touted as some cure all. Her parents had married too young, and spent years working hard to build a good relationship.

"I waited for years, waiting for him to come back home to England, I shut down any notice from any other guy. Because I love him, and I knew I wanted to be with him. But I was loosing hope, you see.. I didn't think he was going to ever come back."

"I felt so lonely" She said. "I was watching all my friends grow up and move on with their lives and start to get married, I had to make sure Teddy grew up to be a person that his parents would've hoped... but things weren't the same when he came back, he had become a different person. He wasn't the Draco that I knew. It took a long time for our relationship to become normal again."

"But hey we're good now, I've got a wonderful son and daughter and a great new friend" Delphini said smiling at Astrid.