"Draco... what?!"

Now it was my turn to start shaking. I tried desperately to remain calm as I continued to feed Scorpius, but white lights began to dot my vision and I suddenly felt quite unable to breathe properly.

Draco was talking about sacrificing himself.

"I've been having dreams," Draco said hoarsely, as if just saying this was killing him. "Dreams that tell me to kill the snake. Just like on the day of the battle, after... after it all went wrong. The sword was calling to me then... but I couldn't get there in time. And then I- I thought I had lost you... I did lose you," he paused to swallow, his eyes swimming with tears as he looked up at me intently. "And now it's calling to me again."

"Please, Draco," Narcissa spoke fiercely, her voice sounding a lot calmer than I felt. "Think about what you're saying here. They're just dreams, Draco, dreadful nightmares brought on by recent events-"

"No!" Draco snapped, his voice an angry, determined hiss. "Don't you see, Mother? We can't go on like this! It's been almost seven years and we're nowhere near getting closer to ending this reign of terror. It's not like we can just sit around and wait for him to die of old age! He's going to live forever if no-one puts a stop to him and that will mean forever in hiding. I can't have this for my sons. It's no life for them... no future."

I looked at him then, and for the first time I saw in him something I'd only ever seen once before.

Pure and true courage.

Because he was frightened, yes he was; it was shown in his fearful eyes and the light tremor of his lips. It was shown in the fierce way he loved me and the boys and his mother.

And it was that fear which made him braver than most.

"Drac," I breathed, looking up at him imploringly as I cradled his son to me. "Please don't tell me that you're actually going to do this?"

"I'd do it for you," he murmured, his eyes piercing mine intently as he stepped over to cup my face; long cool fingers caressing my warm cheek, "for you and the boys. I'd do anything for you."

"Then let me come with you."

Even as I said it, I knew it was hopeless. I couldn't even do magic - I'd be nothing but a hindrance. But the thought of allowing Draco to go out there alone...

"No- don't be stupid," he said fiercely, his hand that was caressing my face tensing, "I'm not going to let you risk your life, to leave our boys-"

"But you expect me to stand back and let you do exactly that?!" My voice broke on the last word as a flood of utmost fear consumed me; fear of losing him.

Draco immediately reached his other arm out and pulled me towards him, fervidly pressing a kiss to my forehead as Scorpius lay nestled between us.

"I can't do this if I think you and the boys aren't safe," he murmured, his lips moving ardently against my brow. "Please understand that, Blaire. Please."

I could hear the racing of his heart beneath his chest and I knew, with a feeling of dread and horror, that he'd already made his mind up.

"But it's a suicide mission, Drac," I said, pleading with him to see reason, "they'll kill you the moment you step foot out of this treehouse. It'd be crazy to attempt this alone."

"Blaire's right," Narcissa said, staring anxiously at her son, "and even if you manage to get hold of the sword and kill Nagini, then what? Do you think the Dark Lord would make himself so open to attack?"

"I don't know," Draco said in an anguished voice, letting go of me to drive his hands through his hair. "All I know is that I'm supposed to do this. And I can't sit back and pretend I can't feel it anymore. I can't let my family remain living under a threat; this is not freedom."

It hurt my heart just to look at him, so I turned towards the kitchen window, blinking back a fresh wave of tears as I looked out across the grounds where spring had finally began to bloom in the colour.

I longed to be able to take Jack out there and watch as he runs freely amongst the long flowing grass; longing to be able to watch him explore the woods and paddle in the river before he got too 'old' for such childlike play.

That life was just there, through the window and at the end of our fingertips, just beyond our reach.

Freedom.

But not yet, not when outside crept danger. Eyes watching, lurking out of sight, ready to kill.

A sudden prickle of unease forced me to turn away. It was as though I could sense the eyes upon me, although that was impossible; the protection charms Draco had placed around the treehouse ensured our complete anonymity.

"Draco's right," I said, not quite believing the words leaving my own lips, "we've got to do this for our boys. For Rose and Milo, and for any other future Weasleys, Grangers, Crabbe's and Nott's that come along... maybe even Malfoys." I paused, a faint smile flickering at my lips as my eyes met Draco's. "We've got to do this for all the future children."

As I said this, I dipped my head and placed my lips against Scorpius's brow, nuzzling my cheek against his soft white-blond hair. He gurgled and giggled in response, reaching up to grab fistfuls of my own hair.

When I looked up, Draco was watching me intently, tears at the corners of his bloodshot eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the kitchen door flying open.

"Daddy!"

We snapped our heads up as Jack, closely followed by Orion, raced across the kitchen, his little face flushed with excitement as he flung small arms around Draco's neck who had bent down to scoop him up; the Scottie dog jumping eagerly up at his ankles.

"Daddy! I drew Grandad a picture of me and Scorpy blowing bubbles and then I showed him how to play Blackjack but I don't think he was using his listening ears so I sang him the song about little pigs that we do on Scorpy's toes and he BLINKED!"

He stopped to finally gasp for breath, looking around at us eagerly at this new, and unexpected development in his otherwise very unresponsive grandad.

"Jack, you didn't take Grandad's slipper off again did you?" Narcissa asked, suddenly looking fretful. "He really doesn't like people touching his feet."

Oh god, for a little guy who was so afraid of a lot of things, Jack didn't seem in the least bit phased by the mute, long greasy haired Lucius Malfoy. In fact, he seemed to treat his grandad as though he was some kind of great big cuddly teddy bear.

"But- but I wanted to make him laugh," Jack said, his face falling as his bottom lip quivered. "It makes Scorpy giggle a lot, 'specially the bit when I tickle him under his arm."

"I'm sure Grandad loved it," Draco said, his lips twitching up in amusement as he kissed Jack's forehead. "How could he possibly not?"

"Oh dear," Narcissa sighed, anxiously biting her lower lip, "I'd better go and see if he's alright."

She hurried from the kitchen without a backwards glance, leaving Draco and I alone with the boys.

"I tell you what," Draco said shifting Jack onto his hip as he curled an arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. "Why don't we spend the day the four of us playing cards?"

"Five," Jack scowled, motioning down to Orion.

"Okay, five then, little fox," Draco chuckled, rubbing his nose against his son's, "and we can play as many Blackjack games as you like. Maybe I'll even teach you some new ones. What do you say, Mummy?"

He squeezed his arm a fraction tighter around me, his silver eyes twinkling sadly down at me, almost begging me for this.

"That sounds perfect, Drac," I sighed, nuzzling my face in his neck, breathing in his scent as I tried desperately to swallow down the lump that had formed in my throat.

I closed my eyes as I felt warm lips press against my forehead and I could almost hear him saying I'm sorry in his mind. And I wanted to cry and beg him not to be, that it didn't have to be this way and we could carry on living like this in the treehouse forever.

But of course we couldn't.

And I knew this was the beginning of his goodbye.

******

The figure stepped back further into the shadow of the overgrowth; weak heart racing beneath a heaving chest as twigs tangled in long, unkempt hair.

The grounds had vastly overgrown since the place had been 'deserted' just two months previously.

Except, the girl thought with an angry bitterness, it hadn't been deserted at all, not really.

For inside the tired and decrepit old shack that sat in the tree before her, she knew she was there. Hiding.

She, who was laughing and fucking her husband as she fed and changed her baby, whilst being looked upon as a daughter by her mother-in-law.

Blaire Zabini. The Woman Who Stole Her Life.

The woman who had promised her everything and yet had taken it all for herself; not just her husband's heart and the baby she'd broken her body trying to grow - but she'd also taken the child that should have been hers in the first place. The heir.

And Astoria was here to take it back. To take it all back.

******