This is a sequel to Forbidden, so please read that story before you take this one on!

September 8th

Lucius Malfoy was never grumpy. He might, however, admit to being (on very rare occasions) slightly irritable. Like now. When Lucius looked around him, he couldn't help the long-suffering sigh that escaped his lips. This was hardly where he had imagined they were going when Hermione had woken him up in the morning.

Not only had he allowed her to force this so-called birthday present upon him. He had also, against all better knowledge, allowed her to travel by portkey. In her condition! It didn't matter that all three healers they had consulted on the matter had declared it safe at least up until the third trimester. It was a matter of principle! It might be dangerous, and therefore ought to be avoided. But through a combination of childish excitement, immovable tenacity and so-called third-party expert opinions, she had forced him to break that principle.

And for what? Lucius asked himself.

They were surrounded by muggles. The worst kind of muggles, even: children high on sugar and sunshine. Lucius wouldn't say he disliked children. Not at all. What he disliked was undisciplined human beings with the potential to ruin his clothes and his mental equanimity. And this place was full of them.

To say the place was crowded was an understatement, and Lucius watched with distaste as the little hooligans were running around wildly, sticky with ice cream, wielding balloon swords and showing very little care for anyone who got in the way. Nor did they seem to have any regard for the stressed parents chasing after them with apologetic smiles plastered to their faces. Wasn't there some sort of muggle disease going on, which was supposed to keep people at home?

To top it off, he had received an actual stamp on his hand when Hermione had paid the required entrance fee. She had wisely chosen not to laugh at his disgusted scowl, but instead reached up to kiss it away - or at least soften it. Then, she had taken him by the hand and began to pull him along through the crowds of excited muggles.

Lucius drew his gaze away from the laughing school kids and bored park guards with their infernal chewing gums. Instead, he focused on the warm hand that grasped his as if she was afraid he would flee the place entirely if she let him go. As if I would leave her alone in a place like this.

"Will you please remind me how this experience is supposed to make this day any happier than it was when we were at home?" Lucius muttered when Hermione paused to look at a sign for directions. He was close enough to catch a hint of the sweet fragrance was a combination of her shampoo and the natural scent of her skin. He'd much rather put his nose into her hair and let his fingers run along her spine.

"Patience", Hermione said sternly before taking a left turn and tugging him further into the park. It was, apparently, a zoo.

Lucius was, of course, fully able to keep up with her, but found himself dragging his feet just a little. If only to see the becoming rosy tint on her cheeks that came with the effort of pulling him along. It was a welcome change from the worryingly pale skin colour the last weeks of near constant nausea had brought. He felt his annoyance abate just a little at the thought of her beginning to return to her normal self. It had been a trial for him to stand by, wanting to feed her, rest her, entertain her and spoil her in every way possible and yet knowing it was only the course of the pregnancy itself that could finally restore her to the famous glow she'd always had.

Suddenly, Hermione stopped and turned toward him. He had apparently underestimated the force of her pull, because he was very close to stumbling into her when it seized. Regaining his balance, he was about to reprimand her for nearly getting hurt, when he noticed the expectant expression in her eyes. He was apparently supposed to react to something.

Lucius raised his eyes to take a look around him. They had stopped before a large enclosure with lush greenery, impressive cliffs and a cascading waterfall within. Thick glass walls surrounded the enclosure and protected the park visitors from the creatures within. Then Lucius's gaze fell on the particular animal what resided there, and he was dumbstruck.

No more than a few metres away from him, lowering its front paws into the water, was the most beautiful and majestic beast Lucius had ever seen. A white tiger.

Vaguely, he noticed Hermione stand beside him and begin a long monologue about white tigers not being a separate species and the negative results from muggle attempts to breed them. Lucius, however, found his attention completely engrossed by the graceful movements of the great feline now stalking the length of the enclosure. Reverently he followed the animal with his gaze, marveling at its elegance, its power, the intelligent look in its eyes.

After what might have been several minutes, Lucius became aware that Hermione was no longer talking. He glanced down at her, finding that she was nervously curling a strand of her hair around her finger, searching his face. Her cheeks were still red, but it could no longer have to do with their brisk walk through the park.

"So… what do you think?" she asked.

"About inbreeding?" he asked, pretending he had actually listened.

"About your present", Hermione clarified anxiously.

Lucius felt the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I may never forgive you the stamp upon my hand", he said before he once again glanced at the magnificent beast, "but this is marvelous." He reached out to caress her cheek, hungrily taking in the light in her eyes at his praise. "Thank you."

In truth, Lucius was awed as much by the thoughtfulness of her gift as by the tigers themselves. Taking him here, to stand face to face with the animal that his patronus took the form of - it was a reminder. It was a message, telling him that he was now free from his past as a Death Eater. She was reminding him that while he may never think of himself as a good man, she thought him good enough to improve himself. By placing him eye to eye with the tiger, Hermione was reminding him of who he was and who he might still become.

"I'm surprised my magic takes this form", he mused as his gaze once again turned to the movements of the tiger as it stalked back and forth.

"Are you?" Hermione followed his gaze over her shoulder for a moment. The tiger growled now and then at the eager muggles pressing their faces against the glass walls. She turned back to Lucius, facing him properly. "To me, it is entirely fitting. The white tiger it's - it's just you."

Lucius was about to ask her what she meant when his attention was caught by a slight movement in the high grass in the enclosure behind her. There was second tiger, he realized, and it was on the hunt. For the shortest moment, Lucius was mesmerized by the determined look in its blue eyes and the predatory grace as it slowly made its way toward its selected prey. Lucius's skin crawled with anticipation as the attack drew near. It had never been more apparent to him that even non-magical predators were lethal.

Then, just as the tiger made its leap, he realized who the selected prey was.

No! At that moment, Lucius had no thought of the protective glass, and if he had, he would not have boasted much confidence that such a simple muggle invention would be able to hold against the full weight of the charging tiger. Instinctively, Lucius grabbed Hermione by the arms and forcefully pulled her out of the way, simultaneously turning so that he stood between her and the predator.

A deafening bang was heard, followed by a cacophony of human voices. Screaming shrilly, laughing, chattering.

Lucius couldn't breathe. He pressed Hermione to his chest, feeling his heart pound violently, painfully. His eyes flickered around them, scanning the place for further threats. He saw looks of sympathy and understanding, as well as of mockery and disdain among the bystanders. He didn't bother to acknowledge either. They could never understand. They couldn't possibly have any idea of the terror rushing through him, and the struggle he endured to refrain from using magic in plain sight. Whether he wanted most to flee or fight, he knew not.

It took Lucius several minutes to calm down enough to become aware that Hermione was speaking to him. She was gently attempting to free herself from his restraining and probably painful grasp. Lucius chest tightened at how breakable she was. How fragile a human being was. Not only would she have perished in mere seconds if nothing had stood between her and the tiger. But if she couldn't even break free from him, what chance did she stand against the other dangers lurking out there?

Lucius shifted his hold, scolding himself for hurting her, but still he could not make himself let her go. As he slowly came to his senses, he found that one of his hands had found its way to the back of her neck, while the other was protectively cast around her back. He could feel her struggling a little more, and then resign and relax into his arms, putting her arms around him as if to soothe him further.

Perhaps she was still speaking to him, but her words wouldn't register. Instead, he heard himself himself mumbling: "I cannot lose you, Hermione. I can suffer almost anything but that. I will not lose you."

He would never allow anything to happen to Hermione. Never. Whatever it took, he would keep her safe.

No matter the consequences.

Dear Reader,

I was quite certain I wasn't going to write a sequel, because let's face it: sequels are never quite as good as the original story. But then I had an idea, and that idea turned into a story that insisted on being written. So: this is the humble beginning.

Just like last time, I'll probably be restrictive on Author's Notes in the chapters - I prefer to let the story speak for itself (but I LOVE to get in touch with you - so rest assured, I'll be sure to respond to all reviews through PM:s!)

You might want to know that the story line here assumes that the events of the Harry Potter trilogy took place about twenty years later than they did in canon. This story is therefore set in 2020.

Also, I'll probably not post as frequently as I did last time. Chapter 1 will be posted around September 21st and from the on, I think I may promise you weekly updates.

Love,

Ida

PS. This story will get quite dark along the way, and if that's not the kind of story you want to read at the moment, it is, of course up to you. The point of this story is to see how they handle severe challenges to their relationship, and you may want to leave ODC where we left them in Forbidden, instead of complicating things. Whether you continue to read or not, however, I like to think that the words of Julian of Norwich applies: "It will be all right in the end. And if it's not all right, it is not the end."