'Are we there yet?'

Draco sighs. 'I thought you were supposed to be somewhat mature?'

'I thought this ride was going to be short.'

Draco rolls his eyes.

'Five more minutes,' I say, turning in my seat to look at Tony, stubborn, arms crossed, in the back seat.

'You said that ten minutes ago.'

'No, I said fifteen minutes ten minutes ago.'

'You did not.'

'Did too.'

'Did not.'

'Did too.'

'Look! A cow!' Draco shouts, causing Tony and I to laugh.

'You're such a loser, dad,' Tony gasps between laughs.

'I try. Really hard. I'm training as we speak,' Draco says, grinning at me.

I grin back.

'Sand!'

'Why are you so excited?' I ask, turning back to look at Tony, who now has his nose pressed against the window of the car.

'I've never been to the beach before,' he whispers, and I notice a dull flush creep around his ears.

'This is going to be funner than I thought,' Draco smiles.

'Funner isn't a word, loser-dad,' Tony says, still staring out the window.

'Why loser-dad?' Draco asks, trying to frown as he looks for a parking space. 'Why not-coolest-dude-in-the-whole-wide-world-dad? Or he's-my trippin'-boo-daddy-o? Or –'

'Shut up, loser-dad,' Tony says, jumping out of the car.

'I agree with him,' I whisper, leaning over to Draco and brushing my lips with his before I get out.

'Sod off,' he whispers tantalizingly in my ear.

'Would you two quit snogging and get out here?' Tony calls, glaring at us through the windshield.

'Parent-hood, my arse.'

'Shut up, Draco.'

'You shut up,' Draco whispers out of the side of his mouth, eyes wide and cold. 'Get on the floor.'

I obey silently, and Draco curses under his breath.

'Are they talking to him?' I ask, unable to see his face.

'Yeah,' he breathes.

'Draco, what a surprise,' an oily voice says, and I can tell he's at the driver's side window. The bastard.

'Why would it be a surprise?' Draco asks loftily, easily hiding his fear and anger.

'Well, shouldn't you be with your dying wife?'

'You mean dead,' Draco says coldly, and it sends shivers down my spine.

'Oh, I don't think you're being completely honest with me, son.'

'Son?' Draco asks the man coldly. 'I'm not your family. You made that quite clear when you packed my bags for me.'

'A rash decision on my part,' the man says, attempting to be apologetic but failing miserably.

'Rash doesn't come close to describing it, Lucius.'

'Tsk, tsk, Draco. You shouldn't be speaking to your father like that.'

'As far as I'm concerned, you were no father to me at all.'

'You break my heart,' the man says, and I have to try to contain a derisive snort. Heart? I didn't know he knew about those.

'My wife is dead. What more do you want from me now?'

'Your wife. I know she's hiding there with you.'

Draco falls silent. Not a good sign. The passenger door opens, but my wand is already clenched in my hand.

'You're not going anywhere, mudblood,' the masked man hisses, and he disarms me in a second. I guess I'm a little rusty.

'You bastard,' I breathe, willing my mind to go blank, but it won't. There's only one thing I can think of now.

'Where is he?'

Got it. He'll never know now.

'Who?' I ask innocently, and behind the mask I see his face fall.

'Never mind. Get out slowly and move to the black Mercedes.'

'Expensive taste.'

'Shut up while you're at it,' he hisses.

I obey. I've been through this before. The magic inflicted on me has alerted the Order. I know how the system works.

And then I see him.

And I lose control.

'Get the boy!' the man yells as Tony and I make eye contact, he already has his wand out, looking fierce.

Two other Death Eaters jump out of the black Mercedes parked twenty feet away.

And then they freeze.

'Okay boys, let them go or get sent to Azkaban in a second. Your choice,' a familiar, friendly, tired voice says from the driver's side of the car.

In an instant, all the Death Eaters disapparate, and the Mercedes lays abandoned.

'Are you okay?' Tonks asks, rushing up to me from where the voice had spoken.

And there's Remus.

'I'm fine,' I reply, giving her a hug. 'How are you doing?'

'Peachy,' she grins from behind tight magenta curls. 'Off to the beach?'

'With the family,' I grin, looking over to where Draco, Tony, and Remus are speaking together.

'I'm so happy for you,' she says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me back to my men.

'So am I,' I say softly, breaking away from her and rushing up to Tony.

'Are you okay, mum?' he asks as I embrace him. And he embraces me.

'I'm fine,' I whisper, pulling back and looking at his face closer. 'You don't look well.'

'That was scary.'

'Hopefully it won't happen again,' Remus says, shooting a pointed look at Draco, who is blushing.

'I should bloody well break it in half,' he whispers, and I wrap an arm around him.

'It's been hard for you,' I say softly, wiping away a tear that has slid down his cheek. 'And it's okay.'

'At least it's not the first time,' Tonks adds.

'That was scary,' Draco says, grinning slightly.

'And incredibly hilarious,' Remus laughs, still sounding incredibly tired. 'They ran like chickens with their heads cut –'

'Are you okay, Rem?' I ask suddenly, look at him seriously.

Tears fill his eyes. Damn.

'You obviously haven't heard,' he says softly, looking at us with sorrowful eyes.

'Heard what?' Draco asks, wrapping his arm around me to keep me standing.

Remus sighs heavily. Now I know it's bad.

'Spit it out,' I whisper.

'Arthur and Molly are dead,' he says softly, tears spilling down his cheeks.