I woke feeling light headed and extremely uneasy. I sat up and looked around. Sat by my side were Lucius, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Oliver.

'Destiny?'

'What happened? Where am I?'

'You passed out by Hagrid's. You hadn't eaten much that day so were low on energy. Your little run for freedom was too much for you.'

'Lucius, I'm sorry, it's just.'

'I know, things have been tough and I am so sorry. I wasn't quite expecting this from Draco. He has exceeded even my expectations.'

'It wasn't Draco or anyone else who got to me, it was her! You're supposed to be my friend Hermione!'

'I know! I'm sorry, I was just shocked. I didn't mean any of it and I know you're going to have a hard time. I really am sorry.'

'Yeah well, it hurt. I never meant for any of this to happen. It just did! Has Beaky returned yet?'

'Yes, she returned this morning. Here.' Harry handed me Sirius' letter but I just put it to one side, wanting to read it in peace. Madam Pomfrey came over and ordered them to leave, saying I needed some rest.

'I wish to stay.'

'Lucius, go, get some rest! You need your rest as much as I do.'

'I'm quite happy to sit here.'

'I know you are and I am really touched but I just need some peace and quiet. Please?'

'Ok. I'll go but I don't want to! Is there anything you need? Anything at all?'

'No, I've got everything I need right here in this room.'

'And that is?'

'My friends and you but now I need to be alone for a while. Let me rest and I will see you tomorrow.'

'Ok. Poppy, if there is anything she needs, let me know.'

'That I will Mr Malfoy now go! All of you.' I said my goodbyes and watched them ushered out the door, Oliver and Lucius were the last out. As I heard their footsteps disappear, I picked up Sirius' letter, worried about the reply, wondering if he, like Hermione was angry. I took a breath and opened it.

My dearest cousin,

I should really start the letter by saying how utterly stupid you are. It has been bad enough that you were with Draco Malfoy but to learn of your affair with his father, I come to wonder if all your senses have completely left you. But, as I am not that sort of person and I, myself am fed up with people telling me what I can and cannot do, telling me that I am foolish if I act in a particular way, you will be pleased to know that I do not think such a thing.

Not that I am happy of course. I have known Lucius Malfoy since my days at Hogwarts and he has always been a nasty piece of work. From ordering and bullying the first years to manipulating the teachers. But you already know of his nature and I wonder what he has done to manage to capture your heart. Maybe he has shown you a side very few of us have seen, and that includes Narcissa Malfoy. Whatever your reasons for loving this man, I will stand by you, support you and if the need arises I shall indeed protect you for you are my closest family and the only one of any of it that I have really liked.

Now I must voice my concern and tell you to exercise the greatest of caution when dealing with Lucius Malfoy. Whilst his intentions may be good, there is still no doubt as to which wizard he shows his allegiance with and I ask you to be careful. If he starts asking any awkward questions about Harry or anything else to do with our efforts to prevent Voldemort's full return, I must ask you to notify me and severe your ties with him for if he is not given the information he needs by your consent, he will force it from you. I understand that you may wish to marry, for the occasion as well as the decency but please think carefully about what you are doing. If it comes to it, you can live here with me, where you are safe from Lucius Malfoy and we can protect you.

Anyway, I have said far too much and if this letter is intercepted, then we shall both be in grave trouble but I had to warn you to be careful and keep safe. We are the last of the Blacks now, and the only decent two to come from this family, so we need to take care of one another.

Congratulations on the pregnancy though, I am sure that if the baby takes after you, he or she will be a beautiful baby. Take heed of what I have said.

All my love

Sirius.

I folded the letter and sighed heavily. For Sirius Black that was both rational and helpful. I was glad that he did not lecture me on my choices or tell me I was stupid and I felt happier at his promised support and protection. As I thought about all Sirius had said, my eyelids became heavy and I soon dropped off to sleep.

Over the next few of weeks, my life got slightly better, if you count the fact that Draco was now completely ignoring me and there was something else to talk about other than my pregnancy and that was the appointment of Professor Umbridge as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor which meant she had the power to sit in on teachers lessons and mark their teaching and she could stop any club or team that she thought was inappropriate and this included her investigating the Gryffindor Quidditch team which resulted in the loss of my captaincy (which I had been looking forward to since my second year) and the loss of my place on the team which greatly annoyed me as well as everyone else on the Gryffindor team. I was beginning to dislike her more than anyone I had ever met before, perhaps save Bellatrix Lestrange, my aunt and the most hideous witch I had ever met. The weekend visits from Lucius stopped me trying to rip her head off. He calmed me down and told me to try and keep out of her way, which would have been easy if she hadn't called the head boy, a Hufflepuff whom I had never asked his name before and myself to her office.

'Now, as Head Boy and Girl, you are here to set an example to the rest of your students.' I ignored the look of complete disgust as she looked at my slowly growing bump and me.

'So, I want you to take a stand and if you hear anybody saying that the Dark Lord has come back, report them to me.' I bit my lip hard to stop myself shouting at her, telling her to open her great, big, toad like eyes and see what was really happening, that he was back, that Cedric was murdered by him and that the ministry was just full of stupid, pompous gits who are too scared to face reality.

'Do you understand?'

'Yes Professor Umbridge.'

'Good, now go to the Quidditch stadium, I am sure you want to watch the match.' She flashed her great, big, ugly smile at me.

'Miss Black, a word in your ear please.'

'Yes Professor?' She waited until the Hufflepuff lad was well out of earshot.

'You may think that now you are engaged to Lucius Malfoy and are bearing his child that I shall be a bit nicer to you. Be under no illusion that I shall treat you the same as any Miss Black. I know you hang around with that stupid, idiotic boy Potter and if I find out you are keeping things about him from me, I shall make you pay.'

'Tell me Professor Umbridge, is Lucius aware that you are threatening his fiancée and mother to his future son or daughter?'

'He shall not find out Miss Black or you shall find yourself expelled and as far away from Auror training as you could possibly get!' I glared at her this time, knowing she had won the battle. Being an Auror was the only thing I wanted to do, even more than play Quidditch professionally. I turned on my heel and headed towards the pitch where Gryffindor were playing Slytherin.

The match was an ugly thing to behold; illegal moves were being used all over the place, though it was by the Slytherins mainly. Oliver was having real difficulty getting the teams to calm down and had to subdue Marcus Flint at one stage with a simple spell before he collided with Katie Bell where he would have knocked her head first into the goal post. As I sat cheering Gryffindor on, Lucius came and sat next to me.

'Well, this is exciting, isn't it?'

'If you like blood, pain, ooh, that's got to hurt!' Fred Weasley had just slammed the bludger into the Slytherin goalkeepers' stomach so Angelina could score. Oliver blew the whistle and called for a Slytherin penalty and I immediately admired his fairness, even though he too wanted Gryffindor to win.

'I hear Delores wanted to see you? I hope she was nice.'

'Yeah, I suppose she was ok.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, of course I am. Have I ever lied to you?'

'Actually no, you haven't.' Suddenly I saw Harry catch the snitch and jumped onto Lucius' lap.

'Sorry!' I said softly as he gave me a look of surprise.

'Don't worry about it dear.'

'Oh no!' I saw Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Harry, Ron, George and Fred approaching one another. I ran down the stands and on to the pitch were I saw Harry, George and Fred beating Draco up, Crabbe and Goyle were out cold.

'Harry! Stop it!' Harry looked up and saw me before stopping Fred and George. I bent down to see if Draco was ok.

'Are you ok Draco?'

'What would you care, get off me!' Draco pushed me backwards and I fell on to the floor with a loud thud.

'Don't push her, she was trying to see if you were ok!'

'Like she cares.'

'Of course I care Draco!' Again I was by his side but this time Draco placed both hands on my stomach before pushing me over with all his might. As I fell on the floor, I clutched my stomach, pain searing through my body and tears rolling down my face.

'How dare you?' I watched Harry square up to Draco again.

'Destiny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I…' Lucius grabbed Draco by the collar of his robes and looked at him with more anger in his eyes than I had ever seen.

'You stay away from her and if you have harmed our child in anyway, I shall make you pay.'

'Father, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…'

'Don't give me your pathetic excuses or apologies. I have no time for you now.' Lucius threw Draco on the ground before lifting me up. He carried me to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey inspected me and told me everything was ok.

'You really should be more careful Miss Black! I know Harry seems to have an influence on his friends but really, you are pregnant.'

'I know and it wasn't Harry's fault! It was Draco's. Mind you, if Harry hadn't started beating him to a pulp…'

'Never mind them, I don't want to see you up here again, unless it is for your monthly check ups. I don't think we've ever had a child born in the school.'

'I'm afraid our baby will be born just after Destiny leaves.'

'Yes but even so, I don't think we've ever even had a staff pregnancy, let alone a student! I hear it happens a lot in the muggle world.'

'It doesn't happen that much but there are plenty of teen mothers and most of the pregnancies result from one night stands. At least mine didn't.'

'Yes, I know. You seem to know a lot about muggles.'

'So would you if you had spent some of your life living amongst them. It was only when…when I started seeing Draco that I could leave it all behind.'

'Surely they aren't that bad.'

'Then you have only met nice muggles, there are plenty of bad ones, just like there are plenty of good and evil witches and wizards.'

'Now that's quite enough talking. You must rest. Mr Malfoy, if you don't mind.'

'Oh yes, very well. I shall see you tomorrow then Destiny. I shall ask Delores if I can take you out of the school grounds tomorrow.'

'Why don't you ask Dumbledore?'

'I know Delores very well.'

'Yeah, but Dumbledore might actually let me out of his sight!'

'What does that mean?'

'Nothing!'

'Has she threatened you?'

'No!'

'Destiny?'

'All right, yes she did! But she said if I told you, then she'd expel me and stop me from getting any further in my career.'

'What did she threaten you about?'

'She knows I hang around with Harry and she said that if she found out that I was keeping any of his lies from her, she would make me pay.'

'Well, I'll deal with Delores! I can talk her around easily enough.'

'Not while I'm friends with Harry.'

'Then don't be friends with him!'

'No! I am not not being Harry's friend just because some toad said that she'll punish me for it!'

'Then don't complain to me about threats!'

'I didn't! She can threaten me as much as she wants but she doesn't scare me! Anyway, I want to get some rest!' Lucius sighed and walked back towards the bed.

'Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you not to be friends with…'

'Yes you did otherwise you wouldn't have said it! I'll see you tomorrow!'

'Fine!' I jumped as Lucius slammed the door behind him and sighed to myself. Another argument with Lucius and again it was just as pathetic. I fluffed up my pillow and rested my head against it and was surprised at how tired I was.