Hey guys!
I know I have quite a few unfinished stories on here, but I've had this one typed up in my microsoft word for a few months now, just working on it whenever I can, so i decided id post it and just see the kind of responses I got for it. This is the first time in a longggg time I've posted/updated a story, so hopefully some of my faithful readers are still out there, and hopefully I get some new ones.

Also, I'm planning on making this into a full series of stories, this being the first one, if i get enough positive feedback.

Do enjoy :]

ONE

TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 9TH
10:37 PM

"John? Sweetheart? Would you mind going downstairs and getting me a glass of water?" Emily Gant asked quietly as she shook her husband awake. He sighed, rolling over and looking into his wife's pleading eyes, but smiling despite his annoyance. She was six month pregnant, and although she normally wasn't the needy type who would wake him up in the middle of the night, her pregnancy had changed that within the fourth month.

"Of course I can." He blinked to focus in on the dark and then threw his feet off the side of the bed and stood up, wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Oh, and with a lemon too, please." She smiled at him, giving him an apologetic look. She knew how much he hated doing these things for her, but he did them anyway, showing her how much he really, truly cared about her. He grunted to show her that he had heard her request, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the lips before heading down the stairs and into the kitchen.

They had been married for about a year and a half now, buying the house they were currently residing in a year ago. It wasn't as big and fancy as all the other pureblood families had, but they weren't as wealthy or well known as all the others either. For if they had been, John Gant surely would have purchased a house elf by now to be retrieving his wife water with lemon rather than freezing his bare feet on the woodened floor in their kitchen. His rubbed his one eye with his free hand as he squeezed a lemon into the ice water, then placing the remainder of the lemon into the glass, letting it settle on top of the ice cubes.

He was just reaching the stairs when he heard it, a loud piercing scream coming from his and Emily's room. Horror struck him as she screamed again, this time, calling his name followed by a cry for help. He quickly sprinted up the stairs, ignoring the fact that he had just dropped the glass of water, shattering it all over the stairs. As his foot touched the last step, a horrifying flash of green came from under the doorway of their room. "Emily!" He yelled, his heart racing. He threw open the door so quickly and with such force that he punctured a hole in the wall, glancing around just as a loud POP echoed throughout the room. His eyes immediately traveled over to his bed. His wife lay there motionless, a look of pure horror on her face. "Emily?" He walked over to her quickly, grabbing her hand in his. It was ice cold. "EMILY!" He lost it then. Tears ran down the side of his face as he grabbed his wife's motionless body and pressed her up against his chest. He cried loudly, begging her to come back, telling her he loved her.

His heart raced against his chest as sadness, anger, and pain built up within him. He was shaking and his tears were now uncontrollable as he rocked his now dead wife back and forth. He would never get to see her smile again, hear her laughter, listen to her heart beat against the side of his face, or even hear her cry or yell at him for something stupid he had done. He immediately regretted sighing or showing any sign of annoyance when she asked for a glass of water. He would get her a glass of water every night for the rest of their lives as long as she was still there when he got back. He should have had his wand on him to curse the bastard who had just destroyed his family before he apparated away. And his poor unborn child. It would never get to grow up like it should have before it was robbed of any happy life.

Because his family, his unborn child and darling wife, had just been murdered. They were gone. Killed by a stranger he was never able to get a glance of.

WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 10TH
8:23 AM

"Malfoy, this is becoming ridiculous. You've been on this case for a month. There have been two murders since you took on this case, not counting the first one that occurred, the one that made you want to take on this case to begin with."

"Yes, sir, I'm aware that-."

"Would you mind telling me why you wanted this case to begin with?" Gawain Robards, head of the Auror Department, sat behind his desk as he glanced up at Draco Malfoy, eyebrows raised, waiting for a response. Draco, on the other hand, stood with his hands behind his back, mouth open slightly as he stared at his boss. His reasons for taking on this case were pretty obvious to him, and he figured they would be to everybody else, but he wasn't so sure if it would be safe to admit it.

"Sir, I-."

"You know Malfoy, I'm really starting to get sick of you." Robards sighed, sitting forward in his chair and crossing his arms over his desk. "You think that you can just come right off of Voldemorts side, jump into the Auror Department, and suddenly you're a good guy who wants to stop a murderer from killing some pregnant purebloods. But you're horrible at this job. I might as well take my ditsy secretary and give her your job and put you in her place, because even she could do a better job then you could." Draco's fist clenched behind his back as he tried to hide all his anger from his boss's insults. "I'm sending you to the offices from now on. You can help the real Aurors sort all their paperwork. Maybe you can learn something from reading all their case work. You're off this one, Malfoy."

"Sir, that is a mistake!" Draco said with his teeth clenched, unfolding his hands and taking a couple steps closer to his boss's desk. "I can solve this one, I know I can!"

Robards chuckled. "Why so much confidence, Malfoy?"

"This man… woman, whoever it may be, is out there killing the wives, and in the long run, the children of my friends. Not to mention innocent people who are just trying to live their lives in peace now that the war is over. You sit there and tell me that I'm only in this department because I want to look like a good guy to the eyes of the public. I won't deny that that's true, but it's not like I go back home to my wife and we start mourning for the loss of Voldemort!"Draco paused, calming himself down as he realized how loud he had just become. "Whether you can see it or not, I'm not a bad person. And I want to see the murderer of pregnant purebloods… innocent people, locked behind the bars of Azkaban for the rest of their life as much as you do, Sir."

The both of them were silent for a few seconds as Robards studied Draco carefully. "The problem here, Malfoy, is that I've given you a month to come up with some hard evidence against this killer, and you've only been able to tell me…-" He paused, waiting for Draco to answer.

Draco sighed. "That it's someone out to destroy any of the pureblood family names connected to Voldemort."

Robards nodded, a smug look on his face. "Exactly." He sighed. "Once again, my secretary could have told me that. You can't even tell me if it's a man or a woman, can you?"

"Sir, please. I want this case. I can solve it. I just need more time." Draco found himself starting to plead. He needed this case. It wasn't only that it had become personal, because it had, but it was more along the lines that he felt like he had something to prove. And not only to his boss, but to everyone who couldn't see the good in him.

"There was another murder last night, Malfoy." Robards cleared his throat, looking away from Draco, who was staring at his boss in shock, for the first time and glancing down at a piece of paper sitting in the center of his desk. "John and Emily Gant. They were getting ready to go to sleep for the night when Mrs. Gant, who was six months pregnant, asked her husband to get her a glass of water. As he was heading back up the stairs to the bedroom him and his wife shared, he heard her scream for help. He rushed up the stairs, watching the outline of the bedroom door glow green just as he reached the top step. When he flung open the door, the murderer quickly apparated away before Mr. Gaant could get a good look at him. His wife was already lying dead on the bed." Draco licked his lips, Robards looking back up at him.

"Sir-."

"Do you still want this case, Malfoy?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Then here's the deal. You have one week to bring me some hard evidence that leads up to locating whoever is killing all these women, or else I'm firing you. If, within that week, this murderer strikes again, killing another pregnant pureblood, and you haven't yet to still give me evidence, I'll still fire you."Draco opened his mouth to argue, but Robards talked right over him. "And I don't care if it happens tomorrow. If there's a murder… you're gone. No excuses. Are we clear, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco nodded. "Good. Get the hell out of my office."

Draco turned his back on his boss, walking right out of the room and slamming the door behind him. He made his way towards his office, ignoring all the looks he was getting from people he passed. He could only imagine the look of sheer anger on his face. He swung his office door open when he reached it, slamming it shut even harder than he had closed Robards', and immediately taking his anger out on his desk. He flung books to the floor, grabbed his chair and flipping it into the air, watching as it landed on the floor sideways. And as he went to wipe the rest of the stuff from his desk, he accidently knocked over a bottle of ink, spilling it all over his desk and the bottom of his white, button down shirt.

"Shit!" He cursed aloud, quickly trying to wipe what he could off, but being unsuccessful. "You have got to be kidding me." He sighed, looking up when he heard the door open. Sticking her head inside the door a quarter of the way was one of the new Auror interns. Draco didn't even know her name, but she looked concerned and confused at the whole situation she had seemed to get herself into.

"Umm… are you okay, Mr. Malfoy?" Her voice was quiet and her eyes were studying the mess on the ground.

"Yes, I'm fine." Draco said with a hint of annoyance. "Just please leave me alone." The girl nodded, closing the door behind her. Draco finally took a look at the mess he had just made, leaning down and picking up his desk chair and putting it back right side up on the floor. He plopped down into it, putting his head in his hands. "I'm screwed."

.::.

WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 10TH
8:52 AM

"Hermione! Are you ready? If we're late Robards is gonna have my ass."

Hermione Weasley came pacing around the corner from the hallway upstairs as her husband, Ron Weasley, yelled at her from the last step. She tucked her shirt into her skirt as she walked down the stairs towards Ron. "We're not gonna be late Ron." Hermione said when she reached her husband, giving him a kind smile. "And even if we were, I'll just take the blame."

Ron chuckled. "Yeah, because he favors you."

Hermione rolled her eyes, patting down the wrinkles left in her shirt. "He does not favor me, Ronald." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver necklace Ron had given her on her last birthday. "Help me put this on?" She handed the necklace over to Ron, turning her back to him and lifting her hair away from the back of her neck as Ron wrapped it around her neck and clipped it in the back. "Robards just simply… understand the way I do things."

This made Ron chuckle even more. "I'll never understand why you think he's such a good person." He kissed her on the neck, right below her ear lobe as he dropped the chain around her neck. Hermione turned around to face Ron, dropping her hair so it fell down her back and on her shoulders.

"I guess I just see the good in people." She said with a smile, leaning in and giving Ron a chaste kiss on the lips.

Ron smiled at her, pushing a strand of her curly hair behind her ear. "We should do a romantic dinner at home this Friday."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Romantic dinner?"

"Yeah. I'll cook your favorite meal, get some wine, we'll dim the lights, light some candles, and have a nice romantic meal. When was the last time we did something like that?" Ron said as he still played with Hermione's hair. "I'll even buy you some flowers."

Hermione laughed again, straightening Ron's tie and giving him one more kiss. "How about we talk more about this tonight? We need to go before we're late." Hermione turned away from Ron, grabbing her purse off the stairs and throwing it over her shoulder before heading into the living room to take the Floo Network to The Ministry.

Ron followed right behind her. "I thought we didn't have to worry about being late?" Ron teased. "Since Robards 'understands the way you do things'. I must have heard you wrong."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron. "And I thought that when you were considering buying your wife flowers, you weren't supposed to tell her about it. I must have heard you wrong." She reached above the fireplace and grabbed the container full of Floo Powder, holding it out for Ron to take some, not able to hide her smile at the frustrated look on his face.

"Fine." Ron said, taking a handful of Floo Powder. "I won't get you flowers then. I'll just have to get you something better."

"Better?" Hermione questioned as Ron stepped into the fireplace. "Like what?"

He smirked at her. "I guess you'll just have to wait till Friday" He tossed the powder into the fireplace. "The Ministry of Magic!" He yelled, disappearing from the fireplace. Hermione smiled at the spot he had just stood in before stepping into it herself. She shook her head and chuckled before throwing the powder into the fireplace.

.::.

WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 10TH
6:15 PM

Draco apparated home, landing in his front yard, after another unsuccessful day of work. His earlier fight with his boss had caused him to become completely lost and unfocused in anything for the day, and if another pregnant pureblood were to be murdered that night, he would surely lose his job. There was no doubt in his mind. What he really needed was to go home, have the dinner his house elf cooked for him and Astoria every night, take a seat in his favorite chair, and get the bottle of fire whiskey from the liquor cabinet and drink until he was able to pass out in bed and forget that today even happened. He only wished it wasn't a Wednesday.

He pushed open his front door as a different, yet good smell hit his nostrils. Whatever the house elves were cooking, it wasn't something they normally cooked. And strangely enough, it didn't even smell like their cooking. Some of the house elves he had taken to his home had belonged to his family over at Malfoy Manor. They knew the way he liked his dinner made and had even taught the new house elves, some brought over from Astoria's old home, the ropes behind everything. And naturally, Astoria's elves had returned the favor themselves. But he had been married to Astoria for nearly 2 years now, and had grown accustomed to the way his food had changed. Hell, he even liked it. But this smell, it was somehow different.

Curiously, he placed his bag down on the floor by his office as he walked passed it, and made his way in towards the kitchen to find out what exactly was going on. He pushed open the swinging doors, and to his shock and admittedly so, his amusement, he found his wife taking over their kitchen and cooking. He smiled at her, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the one counter. She had her back turned to him and hadn't yet noticed he had entered the room. He studied her carefully. Her dark brown, almost black, hair ran down her back in waves, ending just below her shoulder blades. She was wearing a red dress Draco had bought her not to long ago as a surprise, which was covered by a white apron he had never seen before. This was something new to him and as he took it all in, he couldn't help but admire his wife even more. If she was really cooking dinner, it was something completely daring and unheard of in the pureblood community.

This was a house elves job.

"Darling?" He called out to her with a small chuckle. "Are you cooking?"

Astoria turned around at the sound of Draco's voice, a surprised look on her face, yet greeting her husband with a smile regardless. "Oh, Draco!" She cried, laughing despite herself. "You're home early."

"Actually I'm home late." He corrected, approaching her and giving her a kiss. "I guess you're just so busy cooking dinner you didn't realize the time."

Astoria laughed. "I guess it's something like that." She turned back to the stove, mixing what looked like spaghetti sauce before turning the dial down to its lowest setting and wiping her hands on her apron. "I gave the house elves the night off." She said, walking over towards the liquor cabinet and pulling out Draco's fire whiskey. She grabbed an empty cup that had been placed to the side and poured it halfway with the liquor, and then walked over to Draco, handing it to him. "You look like you could use this."

He chuckled, taking the glass from her. It was amazing really how well she had grown used to him and all his weird habits and moods. She could read him like a book, and had even written her own book on how to solve all of Draco's little problems. Figuratively speaking, of course. "So I come home to find my wife cooking dinner in the kitchen, followed by her pouring me a glass of my favorite drink."

"I just figured I'd try something new for once." She explained, now back at the stove, her back to Draco again. "And I wanted to cook my lovely husband a romantic dinner and show him how much I appreciate everything he does for me."

Draco chuckled again. "What's next?"

She turned to face him, giving him a mischievous look. "Why don't you take your drink and have a seat in the dining room and maybe you'll find out." Draco raised an eyebrow at her, but not before turning his back on Astoria and heading out of the kitchen and into the dining room. The lights had been dimmed down, tall candle sticks standing up on the table, lighting it perfectly. The table had been set for a queen, and Draco took his normal seat, still in shock as he looked around the room. Plates full of different breads and bowls filled to the top with a bunch of different cheeses lined the spaces in between where the couple would soon be sitting. And a giant plate with spaghetti noodles still steaming sat directly in the center.

Astoria entered through the same door Draco had just come through, the pot of spaghetti sauce in her hands, and Draco smiled at her in amazement. "You really did all this?" She smiled at him, nodding her head, her cheeks turning slightly red at the shocked look on Draco's face. "Sweetheart, this is amazing. You really didn't have to do all this."

"Well I wanted to." Astoria said, dumping the spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles before retreating back into the kitchen. She came back a couple seconds later, hands empty and an apron no longer around her waist. She took a seat across from Draco and urged him to take the first bit of spaghetti. "I know it's no extravagant feast or anything, but I figured I'd just start small and work my way up as I got better." She accepted the spoon after Draco had taken his serving and gave herself her own helping. Draco daringly brought the first bite to his mouth and was shockingly surprised. It wasn't like the house elves would have made it, but it was still pretty damn close. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing, Astoria. Honestly." She blushed this time, taking a bite herself. They talked and ate throughout the whole meal, and when they finished, Astoria jumped up, telling Draco she had cooked him desert as well. He stayed in his seat and watched as Astoria came back into the room with a fresh backed apple pie.

"It's my mother's recipe. I owled her this morning and asked her for it." She said, cutting Draco a piece and placing it on a plate for him. Draco took another daring bite of his wife's new found hobby, and was again happily surprised. Although she had never done it before, she truly was an amazing cook. They had both finished their pieces of pie within a few minutes, and Astoria was already up and had started to clean up their meal. Draco stood up and helped her, carrying in the plate of leftover spaghetti. When he reached the kitchen, he placed the plate on the counter and reached up into the cabinet, pulling out a glass for Astoria and filling it with fire whiskey, doing the same to his own. When she entered the room, he gently took what was in her hand and handed her the whiskey.

"What do you say we get a couple of the house elves to come finish up this clean up job, and me and you go sit by the fire and have a nice drink after that amazing meal."

Astoria suddenly looked taken back, lowering her head and biting her lower lip nervously. "Draco, that sounds amazing… but… I don't think fire whiskey would be a great thing for me at the current time." She looked up into her husband's gray, confused eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, this meal wasn't just my way of showing you how much I cared about you. That was part of it, of course, but… I have some other news too." A smile suddenly grew on her face. "Draco… I went to St. Mungos today after you left for work to see a Healer."

"Why? Are you okay?" Draco was becoming nervous. He wished she would just spit it out.

"Well…I'm pregnant."