Pawn

Asteria would cry, but not because she was madly in love and couldn't bear to live without him. She would cry because Draco was going to cancel the wedding, three days before it was due to take place.

He stared at the door of his office, replaying the events of a mere half hour before in his mind. Granger's words had cut deep, reminding him of the stereotype she still thought him to be; being his mistress wasn't an option, as she had told him before exiting his office. Had Draco considered it? He had to admit it would have been the easy way out of the mess he had got himself into, but no, she deserved better than that. Hell, he deserved better than living with Asteria by day and cheating on her by night.

He heard his secretary's voice through the door. "The meeting, Mister Malfoy."

"Postpone it," he ordered, walking out of the office.

The lift at the end of the corridor took an incredible amount of time to reach his floor, allowing Draco a minute to sort himself out. When the golden grilles trembled, signalling the arrival of the lift, he tried to relax his shoulders. It was going to take a good deal of resolve to go through with what Granger was asking of him.

The singsong voice of the announcer rang through the empty hall as Draco stepped inside the lift and surveyed the other occupants. The Chinese-looking witch in the back looked faintly familiar, but he kept his mouth shut lest he made a fool of himself by talking to her; unsurprisingly, the Fates had decided otherwise.

"Malfoy, right?" the witch asked. "Su Li."

He gave her what he hoped was a blank look.

She sighed. "I work with Asteria in the Department of International Magical Co-operation."

Of course you do, Draco thought bitterly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking her extended hand.

Li congratulated him on his engagement, then she confirmed that she would be at the ceremony on Sunday and inquired about their honeymoon plans. Draco smiled politely, cooly replying to her questions even if his insides were squirming; he was exceptionally glad when the lift reached the Atrium. Everybody got out, but Li trailed after him as he trekked down the hall towards the fireplaces.

This was exactly why Draco always used his own Floo connection.

"Oh, look who's here!" the Chinese witch exclaimed, pointing ahead of them.

Asteria and Granger were walking towards them, deep in conversation. He blanched. The party of four greeted halfway, next to the Fountain of Magical Brethren, and Draco had to admire his fiancée for putting up the façade that things were just peachy between them. If he didn't know her, he'd have known that her voice was so hoarse because of the vicious yelling.

He pointedly refused to even acknowledge Granger's glare instead.

"Hermione and I met at Fortescue's," Asteria was saying. "Had a little chat over coffee." She looked at the other witch for confirmation. "Girl talk, you see."

Draco nodded. Li cut in to share her useless insights on the newly re-opened parlour. He wished he knew where the switch to turn her off was; she was more annoying than Granger had been in school. Granger... She had bored a hole into his head by now. What did she expect? He couldn't very well say anything there and then in front of half the Ministry.

He got an uncomfortable feeling of foreboding when the bushy-haired witch cleared her throat; it was an impressive imitation of that Umbridge person he had had to endure in his fifth year. His eyes turned to look at her against his better judgement; she wouldn't dare, would she?

Several things happened at once, and Draco had barely the time for a stray consideration; this was one of those cases where a Pensieve would come in handy. Granger grabbed his arm forcefully, pulling him closer; he heard Li gasp and Asteria's quiet laughter cut short by an indescribable noise. Draco felt his ears ring and his pulse quicken as the witch before him pecked his dry, thin lips with her plump, soft ones, letting go of him in less than a heartbeat.

He expected a stunned silence and, possibly, a sound slap, except neither came.

"Draco!"

He spun on his heels to stare at his fiancée's... hair? He blinked. Asteria was standing with her back towards him and Granger, completely and inexplicably drenched. Li, right beside her, wasn't faring any better. Asteria turned with a glum look in her eyes and she stepped forward to hug him tightly; her wet clothes hung on her figure like dirty rags.

"I am so cold!" she cried. "What a stupid joke!"

Draco glanced around. Ministry employees were busying themselves around the Fountain, shouting orders and reproaches at one another; witches and wizards dripping water complained animatedly with those who, like him, had retained their dryness.

He sighed in relief.

However, as Asteria detached herself from him, he caught sight of Granger, and the brief respite was undoubtedly over. The sly demeanour she was broadcasting confirmed his fears. Her public display of affection had been meant to send a clear message: though this was no game to her, she wasn't going to play nice.

*

Prompt: Public Kiss.