What Next?

Astoria was at home all the following day, and Draco knew she sent an owl back to Blaise letting him know she wouldn't be going to meet him the following day. As if it mattered, anyway, he'd be long gone.

Everything was now packed with the help of magic, so Draco grabbed his last suitcase and shoved it roughly into the magically improved car in front of the house. Everything was inside it, including a chaise sofa that was put in there the night before so no Muggles would see. He slid into the driver's seat without saying anything to Astoria who was still inside the mansion and he sped away.

Neither of them got the place since it was purchased by Draco's parents, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, who were not at all pleased about their son and daughter-in-law's divorce. When he turned the corner at the end of the street he could have sworn he saw Astoria standing at the front door.

He was driving for ten minutes when something tickled his face. Touching a finger to it revealed a tear.

"What is this?" Draco scoffed with a tiny sniffle. "I'm crying? Ugh. Absolutely revolting. I forgot I knew how to cry, it's been so long. When was the last time I cried?" He paused to think. "Must have been, sixth year at Hogwarts? Damn. I didn't even cry at my wedding."

30 minutes passed, and he found himself sitting in the parking lot of a small park.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," he mumbled, "but I just can't go there, yet."

Up ahead in front of his parking spot was a little path that led to a green bench, and that was where he went. After kicking a pebble as far as possible to let off some steam, something he forgot about in the midst of everything came to mind.

"What am I supposed to do at work tomorrow? I'll probably see Zabini! This whole time I didn't suspect a thing, and now I'll have to see him at work."

Blaise Zabini worked on the floor below him, and, naturally, they talked fairly often.

"I'll just have to ignore him, that's all there is to it! Astoria told him I found out about their affair, so it shouldn't exactly be a surprise when I no longer talk to him." Draco played with his fingers, anxiety filling him. "Yes, that's how it'll have to be."

Being entirely alone in the park, he took out his wand. Immediately, blue translucent figures flew out and grew ever bigger as they were directed to the concrete ground.

"3:17 P.M.," he read aloud. Flicking the wand, the numbers vanished into thin air and back into his jacket pocket, the wand went.

"Time to go. I can do this," he mumbled.