Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! No copyright infringement intended!


A/N:

cyiusblack, thank you for reviewing again!

I hope you like the new one... :)


Living with a Quidditch Star

Chapter Fifty: Two sons

Luca took a drag on his cigar and looked at Draco and me.

Draco's team had won and now there was a victory celebration under way at the Three Broomsticks.

We sat at a table in the corner while the others were cheering, singing and drinking like mad.

We were discussing the upcoming interview at Malfoy Manor.

Even though he had played a brilliant match tonight Draco was rather grumpy now.

„You want Ally to cook something during the shooting? How cheesy! I'm afraid Alessia and I won't be available for such rubbish. I'm not planning on making myself or Alessia look foolish." he said in a cold voice and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

„Pictures like that would even make those awful photos showing me and Sindy on a broom at that lake at sunset look classy and tasteful ..." he continued but stalled abruptly.

There followed a moment of complete and embarrassed silence.

Feeling uncomfortable, I inspected my fingernails for a while.

„Very well then! I'll tell them - no cooking next week." Luca sighed after a while and took another drag on his cigar.

Draco sat next to me, stony-faced, silent, clasping the bottle of Butterbeer in front of him.

It was the first time that he had mentioned her name in days, maybe even weeks.

Our argument about the paternity test at Switzerland came to my mind.

I remembered his frantic efforts to make her agree on it.

And for a split second a thought flashed my mind.

Whether he could have had a motive to kill her.

That is if she was dead indeed.

I cursed myself for even thinking this immediately.

He was innocent.

Of course he was!

He'd never do something like that.

I felt my cheeks redden.

„Ally! Sweetheart? Are you listening to what I'm saying at all?" Draco's voice jerked me out off my shameful thoughts.

Gently he touched my forearm.

„Huh? What is it? I'm sorry, darling." I replied hastily and looked at him.

Draco arched a brow at me and curled his lip for a moment, obviously disgruntled.

„I've been asking you whether you want to tell the journalist about your wedding dress or not, sweetheart."

„I don't know. I think it should be kept a secret until the wedding." I replied and gave the two men a questioning look.

„Very well then, no questions about the wedding dress." Luca said in a monotone and stared down at his glass of Firewhiskey, pressing his lips together, looking totally frustrated now.

He let out a deep-drawn sigh.

„Do we have to talk about this tonight, Luca? I'd like to invite you for dinner at our place tomorrow evening. Let's talk about the interview and all the rest tomorrow. What do you think?" I said calmingly and eyed him.


All of a sudden Draco spotted Blaise Zabini in the crowd.

He froze for a split second.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Draco couldn't read in Blaise's eyes.

Zabini's face looked rather expressionless, too.

Quickly he averted his gaze again and turned around.

'That's him! I've got to talk to him!' Draco thought and jumped up like a scalded cat.

He heard Alessia call his name but he didn't answer.

He hastened towards Blaise who seemed to be about to leave.

Draco jostled several people to reach him.

„Blaise, stop!" he called and tried to reach for his shoulder. „Blaise, wait!"

But Blaise didn't react.

Seemingly he didn't hear Draco due to all the screams and laughter of the other guests.

Or maybe he didn't want to hear Draco.

„Blaise!" Draco called once more.

But Blaise had already reached the exit and left the Three Broomsticks.

„Bollocks!" Draco muttered under his breath and hurried to push the door open to get outside too.


„What's wrong with him lately?" I asked, totally confused now.

Admittedly it was rather a rhetorical question.

Draco had left the table all of a sudden without saying why.

All Luca did was shrugging and taking another drag on his cigar.


Draco was running up and down the streets of Hogsmeade, looking for Blaise.

But he couldn't find him.

Panting, he stopped and looked around.

The streets were deserted.

„Blaise? Blaise!" he called, but no one answered.

„Shit!" Draco spat and turned around to return to the Three Broomsticks.


„Yes, great! And now...turn to him a little. Like that, yes! Exactly! Hold it."

I heard the clicking of the camera and concentrated on my smile – yes, I really had to.

After more than two hours of shooting photos and posing my face - my whole body felt numb.

I was almost unable to smile any longer.

I wondered whether Draco felt the same.

We sat on a white cast-iron bench at the park outside Malfoy Manor.

I had leaned my back against Draco's right shoulder, my legs tugged up a little, while Draco had crossed his arms in front of his chest – a reserved expression on his face.

He was wearing a pinstriped black suit, braces, a black cotton shirt and a black silk tie; his hair was slicked back and shiny.

His shoes were brightly polished as always.

I was wearing a dress, more precisely a topless pure silk evening gown in an olive-green tone iridescent to gold with matching satin high heels and some of the Malfoy jewellery again.

Later we would take some more pictures inside.

Afterwards we'd give the interview.

„Very well then, now, Draco, I want you to get up and take her hand. Then you run over to the pond. Alright?" the photographer said excitedly. „And don't forget to look into the camera! And please..."

I took a deep breath and looked at Draco.

His face was expressionless but I saw a muscle jump in his jaw.

When he noticed that I was looking at him he curled his lip and winked at me.

I gave him a wry smile.

„How about a little break? You look exhausted...at least as far as I can assess this with all the makeup plastering your face." he said and smirked, gently touching my upper arm.

I nudged him in the ribs, letting out an angry snort.

I didn't like the way my makeup was done myself.

Draco winced a little and tried to grab my hand.

I smirked.

„Yes, great. Perfect! Do that again..." I heard the clicking sound of the camera from behind.

Draco let out a deep-drawn sigh and rolled his eyes.

„Colin, how about a short break, huh?" he asked, sounding somewhat unnerved, questioningly furrowing his brow at Colin Creevey, who didn't answer but was taking some more photos.

„Huh?" Draco asked once more.

„Sure, Draco, sure! Just one last picture. The way you're standing there is just..." Colin urged.

„...perfect!" Draco muttered under his breath through gritted teeth.

The smile he gave Colin was rather a snarl.

I burst out in laughter.


Draco had put an Imperturbable Charm on the pavilion we were sitting in now.

A house-elf had served drinks and appetisers.

Due to the charm Colin wasn't able to enter the pavilion.

„Don't you think it's rude?" I asked Draco, who took a bite of his sandwich, side-glancing at Colin, who was pressing his nose against one of the windows of the pavilion.

Rude?" Draco muttered, his mouth full, and let out a derogatory snort.

He swallowed the morsel and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

„I could've put a Furnunculus Curse on him..." he stalled. „...or the Expulso Spell on the door handle. That would've been great fun." he continued cockily, raising his glass to Colin outside, giving him a flawless but totally fake smile, waving at him with the other hand.

I curled my lip.

Draco looked at me, his smile vanished.

„Why do you always have to sympathise with those Mud..." he hissed.

„Draco!" I warned.

„...uhm...Muggle-born?" he finished.

„I think there's no need to answer this ridiculous and at the same time immature question, is there?" I replied matter-of-factly.

„Suit yourself!" he said sulkily, took another sandwich and wolfed it down.


Draco and I sat on a chesterfield nearby the fireplace.

The interviewer sat vis-à-vis and looked at us.

It was a blonde witch, dressed in pale pink robes.

She was holding a pink quill and a notepad.

„I've already seen some of the photos Colin has taken of the two of you. They're gorgeous! So lovely." she piped and gave us a smile.

Draco gave her a patronising smile in return but remained silent.

He took one of the cups, the house-elf had served before, and waved his wand to pour himself some more tea.

Constrained, he took a sip, eyeing the witch the whole time, holding my hand.

„Well then..." the witch said in a sweet tone. „Ready when you are!" she smiled.

„Alright, go ahead!" Draco drawled coolly and made himself more comfortable on the chesterfield, taking a deep breath, squeezing my hand.

„Your wedding will take place next week. Already nervous?" the interviewer asked and eyed us inquisitively.

„Absolutely!", „No, not at all!" we burst out at the same time.

There was a moment of silence, then we laughed.

Draco looked at me, slightly amazed but at the same time amused, and gave me a short kiss.

I smiled, slightly embarrassed now.

„Alessia, why are you nervous?"

„Well, isn't that obvious? Isn't every woman nervous before her wedding day?" I replied shyly.

The witch nodded knowingly.

„Did Draco give you a hard time regarding the wedding dress? I mean, has he tried to see it already?"

„I would consider this rather immature." Draco cut in dryly and took another sip of his tea, looking slightly bored.

„No, he was really as good as gold. But I can assure you – the dress is kept safely at a secret place." I grinned, while Draco side-glanced at me, curiousness flashing his face for a moment.

I knew I had goaded him with this answer and that he would try to find the dress now.

I chuckled at the thought of it.

„And your wedding rings? Tell me about them! What do they look like?"

Slowly I started to warm up, the uneasy feeling I had had in the beginning seemed to vanish and therefore I said,

„Draco chose them. True to tradition."

I side-glanced at him, my hand still in his, and gave him a smile.

„They're a very exquisite and fine work. Goblin made." I continued, noticing a self-pleased expression on Draco's face.

Gently he stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.

„Oh, how nice." the witch replied begrudgingly.

„Yes, isn't it?" Draco replied and gave her a fake smile.

„And my fiancée will of course wear the engagement ring I gave her." he continued coolly, side-glancing at the pink quill of the witch that was racing on the paper with an impatient expression on his face.

„The engagement ring! Of course!" the witch said while she grabbed my hand to take a closer look at the ring.

Obviously she was stunned by the size of the stone.

„Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!" was all she could say.

I saw that one corner of Draco's mouth twitched slightly.

She took her seat again and cleared her throat.

„Well then, what else?" she muttered and looked down at her notes.

Luca and Draco's spokewizard had spent hours and hours negotiating the questions.

Absent-mindedly, Draco twiddled with his signet ring.

I saw him feel the pointed fangs of the two entwined snakes on it with the tip of his index finger.

He seemed nervous and tense.

„What are your plans for after the wedding? Will you go on a honeymoon? Draco?"

I felt him tense up somewhat.

He cleared his throat, not averting his gaze from the witch.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

Only the quill was scratching on the paper, but even it finally stopped.

„I'm afraid we've agreed upon that this won't be subject to this interview." he said venomously.

„Nice try!" he continued snidely.

I gasped.

The witch blushed.

„Next question!" he droned, pursing his mouth priggishly, frowning at the witch.

„Azkaban...uhm...you were at Azkaban."

„Yes." Draco drawled and sat up, his face set in stone now. „And what exactly is your point regarding this?"

„Uh, oh Draco, uh, nothing..." the witch stammered, totally put off her stride now.

„Good girl! And now, next question please." he leaned back, arching a brow at her, taking another sip of his tea.

My heart was racing.

Gently I touched his forearm.

He looked at me and gave me a curt smile.

„Are you planning to have children?" the witch asked hastily, trying to avoid to look at Draco.

He looked at me again and shrugged, obviously he wanted to know whether I wanted to answer this question.

I shook my head and he sighed and said,

„Well, of course we do. It's tradition. We have to make sure that the Pure-bloods survive. Prevail! I'd like to have at least two children. Of course it would be the best to have two sons."

I swallowed dryly when I heard what was at the store for me.

„I see." the witch replied curtly. „At least two sons."

She gave us a fake smile.

„How about a whole Quidditch team?" she asked and started to laugh, obviously regretting what she had said the moment the words had crossed her lips.

Embarrassed, I took my cup and took a sip of tea.

Draco gave her another strained smile.

„How amusing! A real joker you are!" he said curtly and got up.

„I think we're done then. Thank you for the interview. Of course my spokeswizard will receive a copy before you're printing this."

Then he turned around and headed for the door without saying another word.

I looked after him, totally flabbergasted.

The witch had blushed badly.


„I refuse to put up with that, Luca! Send her away! Now!" Draco barked and went upstairs.

Luca stood in the great entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, looking after Draco as he stormed off.

„What is it this time?" he muttered under his breath and hurried towards the parlour, shaking his head in disbelief.

When he had reached it, he knocked on the door and entered.


„May I ask you to leave now, please?" Luca said to the witch who was already stowing away her quill and notepad.

She nodded silently.

Then she held out her hand to me and said,

„Thank you, Alessia. And good luck for your wedding...and your marriage! Goodbye."

„Thank you, too. Goodbye!" I replied curtly, still flabbergasted.

Then the witch left.


There was this nightmare again, it was very lucid.

He had had it a few times now.

He was noticing several persons again.

They were closing in on him.

He was unable to move, his face all sweaty, his hands stained with blood.

Every time he looked down on his hands he was starting to scream anew.

The figures around him were dressed in black.

They wore something like cloaks, they were hooded and their faces were invisible under the hoods.

He wasn't able to make out where he was.

The surrounding was gloomy, it smelt mouldy.

And there were these ear-piercing screams.

It seemed to him it were screams of agony.

He didn't know where they came from so far.

He had always woken before he could make out the person the screams were coming from.

But it seemed to him it was a woman's voice.

The figures were closing in on him again.

He saw the blood and started screaming.

They were drawing nearer and nearer, muttering incantations.

That was at least what he thought.

He couldn't understand what they were saying.

But they were repeating their lines as if they were in a state of trance.

He looked down on his hands again.

The blood was dark-red, almost black and it was already coagulated.

Both his hands were covered with it.

He averted his eyes.

The sight of it made him feel sick.

The figures were still murmuring in their mesmeric way.

He felt as if his head was spinning.

Then the figures were raising their wands.

He gasped, unable to move.

They were very close now, he could hear their rattling breaths.

His eyes were widening with horror.

He heard a hoarse voice, a voice he knew he had heard somewhere before,

„Give it to us! We know you have it. Give it to us! Redeem her."

He didn't know what they wanted from him. What did they mean by redeeming her?

He heard the screams again and looked up.

He craned his neck to look through their close circle around him.

His view was obstructed a little by them ...


Then he saw her.

Her cloak was soaked in blood, her face bruised, her hair dishevelled.

She was screaming while two hooded figures were pointing wands at her.

„No! Please! Help! HELP!"

One of them was laughing evilly.

His insides clenched.

„No. NO! Not her! Take me! You can have me if you let her go!" he screamed frantically, his voice was cracking with fear.

The figure with the hoarse voice laughed maliciously.

„Why should we settle for taking you if we can have both of you?"

His heart sank.

Then he heard her scream again.

It was tearing him apart.

He felt fear rise on the inside.

„NO! NO! Let her go! I'll give you whatever you want." he screamed again.

The figures were roaring with laughter, their wands still pointed at him.

„Give it to us and we'll let you go. Both of you!" the figure said hoarsely again. „If you hurry up she'll even be in one part!"

They were roaring with laughter again.

„Where is it? TELL US!"

„I don't know what you're talking about!" he answered, wide-eyed, looking bewildered.

He had no idea what they wanted from him.

„You're lying!" the figure hissed. „Crucio!"

He felt a white-hot pain racing through his body, his insides felt like exploding every moment.

He squirmed with pain.

„NO! NOOOO!" he heard himself screaming.

He felt as if he had left his body and was watching the whole scene from an aerial view.

He saw his body, oddly jerking.

„NO! NO!" he screamed again, shaking his head furiously. The pain wouldn't stop.

„Draco! DRACO!" he heard a voice from afar.

Then he felt someone touching him.

„No! Let go of me! NO!" he screamed weakly, his body shaking badly, slashing around himself.

„Draco! Wake up! Draco! It's me!" he heard the voice again.

He opened his eyes and stared at the scene around him.

He was in his bedroom.

He saw Alessia seizing his arms, staring at him in horror.


„What's happened?" he asked, looking bewildered himself, seemingly not knowing what had just happened.

„That's what I wanted to ask you, darling. Are you alright? You were screaming like hell!" I said, worried sick for him.

He was panting, his hair wet from sweat, his body shaking.

„Must have dreamed something." he muttered, trying to sound casually.

Something? Merlin's beard! You've scared me to death!" I said, still staring at him, alarmed.

„I'm sorry, but I don't know what it was. Let's try and get some more sleep." he said weakly, pecking me on the cheek.

I nodded, not very convinced at all, but lay down again, staring at him through the dark.

I could see his outline in the moonlight, I saw that his eyes were open just like mine, he was blinking from time to time.

„Are you sure everything is alright?" I whispered soothingly into the dark.

I felt him touching my hand under the blanket and squeezing it.

Then he took a deep breath and turned on his back.

After a while I fell asleep.


'I know this voice. I've heard it before. Where did I hear it? Think! Think hard.' he thought, his heart still racing, but he couldn't find the answer to his question.

He sighed and soon after fell asleep, too.