A little Draco AU.


The crisp fall air is just starting to nip at my face as I cross the tree line. The sun is setting, a large orange orb almost out of view, changing the colors of the clouds, and the leaves float around me. A walk in the woods helps me relieve stress and tension. The fact that I'm dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant. Orange-breasted robins chirp and flutter as I walk by, and the ground around me rustles with little critters fleeing from my presence. It's peaceful and alive, and my back is starting to ache from being bent over.

I think about the meal Astoria is eating without me, and the disappointed look I will get upon my arrival. I told her I would be home late, but I'm still too close to houses, and the sky is getting darker by the minute. She's going to be ready to fight, I'm sure. I don't want a fight. Not today.

My mind turns a full circle until I return to the food. I wonder what she's prepared today. I wonder if Scorpius likes it. I wonder if he is behaving at the table. "If you behave, you get dessert," I remind my two year old in my head.

"'ssert!" he repeats, clapping his hands.

I wonder if Astoria baked anything special, and a pang of guilt goes through my stomach.

"This is your fault, you know," I tell the corpse behind me. "If you hadn't been worth so much money, I would have let someone else take the job."

I roll my eyes - I'm being ridiculous - and wonder what I can buy Astoria this time.

My phone rings into the creeping silence and fading light of the woods, and I get chills down my spine. A contract killer I may be, but being alone always puts me on edge. I drop the edge of the bag, crack my back, and bring my phone up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Is it done?" The voice is low and rasping, and I wrinkle my nose in distaste.

"Disposing of the body right now." I examine my nails boredly and grimace at the dirt staining my cuticles.

"Good," the voice says, sounding anything but pleased.

"Have you transferred the money?"

"Haven't you checked?" the voice sneers.

I clench my jaw. "As I mentioned, I am preoccupied." I lower the phone away from my ear and pull up my bank accounts. The numbers make me smile. "Beautiful," I say into the phone.

The voice snorts. "Call me when it's done."

I press my lips together. "I think I'll text you instead. Something about your voice irks me." There was a beat of silence, and then the click of the call ending.

I lower the phone with a smile and realize how dark it has become. I'm certainly far enough now, I reason, and pull my shovel from the body bag.

As I dig, I picture Astoria, warm and beautiful, reading a night-night story to a squirming Scorpius, kissing his head, and tucking him in. My stomach pangs for home and for my family, but I know the version of home I'll get is a cold glare and cold leftovers.

Instead of tucking in my son, I tuck a body bag into the earth. Instead of curling up by the fire with the warm body of the woman I love, I trudge home in the biting wind, alone.

"It's a Hard Knock Life" pops into my head, and I laugh quietly as I wrap my scarf tighter. "Empty belly life...rotten smelly life…"

Maybe I should buy her a pony.


WC: 607. Written with the prompt "bake" for the Hogwarts Writing Club Competition.

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