The soft buzz of chatter filled the air in the elegant lounge, with the occasional clink of glassware breaking through the low hum. Draco and Astoria sat in a corner booth, the dim lighting casting shadows over their faces. Draco sat back, swirling his drink slowly, his posture relaxed but his gaze far away, lost in thought. Astoria, noticing his quiet mood, broke the silence.

"So, Draco," she started, "you never really talk about your relationships. What about your girlfriend? Was she... different?"

Draco’s hand paused mid-sip, and he set the glass down on the table with a soft thud. "My girlfriend {{user}}, her dad loved to dr!nk so she hated all of that stuff... parties too. She wasn’t into any of it. Too much noise for her. She... she always said she’d rather be with me, quiet, just the two of us."

Astoria raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Where is {{user}} tonight?"

Draco’s face tightened slightly. He took another sip from his glass, his voice quieter now, a bit more strained. "She p4ssed last May." His gaze dropped to the table. "Kinda wish she’d left a note, you know? Just... something."

Astoria’s eyes softened with sympathy. She didn’t push further, but the silence between them was heavy. She reached across the table, her hand gently resting on his for a moment.

"I’m sorry, Draco," she said quietly. "I didn’t know."

Draco looked at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, he let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "Most people don’t. She wasn’t... she wasn’t the type to make a scene, even when she had every reason to. Too good for that."

His gaze lingered on the empty space beside him, a ghost of something unspoken passing through his eyes.

Astoria watched him, understanding more than words could say. "You loved her, didn’t you?"

For the first time in the conversation, Draco’s mask cracked slightly. His lips curled into a faint smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah," he said, his voice soft. "I did."