Muggle children ran around for candy, trying to get a good load in before midnight. I knew this was a good neighborhood but why any parent would allow their kids to run around this late is beyond me. A child ran past me and knocked my bag out of my hands, spilling it on the sidewalk. I raised my hand to clean it up but stopped myself when I remembered this was non-magical territory.

"Can I help you?"

I shook my head, looking up. A man with long hair and an eye patch looked down at me, his eyes fixed on me. I pushed my clothes back into my bag hurriedly, trying not to look flustered.

"Ringwald, you're horrible at disguising yourself as a Muggle."

"I don't exactly embrace the lifestyle." The Hit Wizard told me, looking at his parachute pants distastefully. "Why are you leaving Malfoy's this late?"

"Because I have rights as a citizen to go where I want." I stated coldly, wiping my tear stained eyes tiredly. "Let me guess, Potter's patrolling the area?"

"Off the clock. He, Weasley and I agreed to it. The Ministry won't fund it but I believe anything that boy does. Where am I walking you to?" The man asked.

"The apparation point." I told him, annoyed. If the people after me where going on something the Ministry didn't believe, how could Potter? He was the bloody Head of Aurors! "Am I allowed to know why I'm being tracked or is it still 'classified information'?"

"Not really." Ringwald turned the corner with me as a group of Muggles dressed as witches and wizards passed us. "It's scary how accurate the Muggle imagination is getting about our apparel. Except I'll pass on the pointed hats. They're a little Medieval time for me. I hear you and Wathen have been going at each others throats?"

Ringwald may have been a grumpy and antisocial person but he sure kept up with the rumor mill.

"His parent's are coming in soon. He had the nerve to tell me to wear a corset to hide my pregnancy from Mistress Wathen." I spat coldly. Andy had been very cruel on my work tactics and appearance lately. "How's your daughter doing?"

He shrugged. Emily had been arrested and imprisoned in Azkaban during the War.

"She gets out next Halloween and refuses to speak to me. It still kills me to know that I had a Death Eater in my own home and didn't even realize it. By the way, Malfoy's flat's tapped, but you didn't hear it from me"

Bloody hell... "How long has this been?"

"You could have saved us some crab cakes. We were stuck with Weasley's wife's idea of food while you two were levitating"-

"I get it." If a day ever comes when my sex life wasn't a step from being on the front page of Witch Weekly, it would shock me. We stopped outside the store and I looked at him. "Thanks for the escort, though it wasn't needed."

"Just do me a favor and keep the graphics on the low." Ringwald told me. He spoke quickly to avoid the arse ripping I was ready to give him. "Where you going so I can report to Potter?"

"Is my apartment clear?" I asked. When he didn't speak, I sighed. "Probably the Leaky Cauldron then. Longbottom owes me for writing an article that raised her business thirteen percent."

"We're closed." A blonde called as she ate a meal at a table when I entered. The landlady looked up when I didn't reply and choked on her porridge. She took my bag with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Greengrass! How are you doing?"

"Good. I just need a room." I told Longbottom as she walked to her counter. "And possibly some sherbet ice cream if you could?"

"Cravings? Joy of the world, huh?" She laughed as I went to hand her money for my room. "No need, your money's no good here. Follow me and we'll get you situated."

The room was one of the best in the place and I smiled fondly at the large bowl of ice cream waiting for me when I arrived. Longbottom left me, wishing me a happy Halloween and I told her the same. After I downed the entire bowl and then threw it all back up, I laid on my bed and started writing the sloppy copy for that bloody report on Schwinger's Charity Ball. I hadn't agreed to doing it yet but figured it would at least help Draco... like he deserved it.

"Bloody git."

I winced as his words came back at me. I focused on the parchment, deciding that it was the only way to stop the tears from coming back. I wrote a paragraph for the opening about how bad poverty in Britain was and then proceeded to say that people with the ability to should be helping the community. When I went to write that Schwinger was going to follow that view, I crumpled the paper up and threw it, swearing. I rubbed my face, feeling acne coming onto my cheeks.

I rose and walked to the bathroom, looking in the mirror. Red spots were appearing across my pale face and my stomach was defiantly poking. I gripped my knuckles and swore. I didn't want this anymore. I wish it would go away! I couldn't deal with the arguing and the fighting like Travis and I had gone through. Hell, Draco's mouth was ten times worse than my ex-fiancées. If this is how much stress we were dealing with now, what would it be like three months from now? Five? What about when the baby was born? I fell onto my bed, sobbing as I put my face into my pillow. I inhaled the scent of case, finding myself wishing it was the smell of familiar cologne instead of starch. I laid there, sobbing, until I fell asleep.

A week later, I was in a very crabby mood. I hadn't spoken to Draco since Halloween, determined to make him admit he had been unjustified. Sadly, this didn't help my writing any. The Sumner case had been finished and despite the screw-ups Gerald Antony had made, he had been found not guilty of murder. This meant the Bulstrode case was suppose to be my next, major topic. Despite the fact I had received press access to the trial, I didn't go in fear my presence would be the end to my sanity. So I put a rookie writer with good potential on it and hoped they wouldn't kill it too badly.

When I walked in to get a new assignment that morning, Andy was out in the field. That gave me a day to release let my guard down for that morning at least. Gerard handed me a request from Potter to update on the arrest of a wizard attacking tourists in Bath. I sighed at the simplicity of the assignment.

"Greengrass, can I talk to you for a second?" The older, African told me. After everyone left he closed the door to our staff room and pulled a magazine from his robe pocket. "This was in the news this morning."

A picture of Draco and I walking out of the Ministry was on the page of an article titled 'Bringing the Mistress out of the Bedroom'. I stared at the page in disbelief when a photo of Andy and I from last years Halloween Party. I had dressed up as a French Maid and he an aristocrat, holding his cane across my stomach and pulling me to him. Another photo of Travis and I hugging each other on the day we graduated from Hogwarts was also pasted in the article. I skimmed through it and stopped when I began to read a comment from the new Mistress McLaggen, claiming she'd suspected Draco and I were sleeping together in school.'The loyalties of each couple switched with the discovery of infidelity and eventually the chess board of love traded queen's to accommodate for it.'

"For Morgana's humanity, this article makes it sound like I've played every man I've ever had a relationship with! Who published this bloody thing?"

"Courtney Skeeter, Witch Weekly." He informed me.

I stared at him, my cheeks reddening. "I'll kill her!"

"Too late. That's where Andy is this morning." Gerard told me, sitting down. I watched his normal casual expression go stern with professionalism. I didn't like it. "Greengrass, I'm assistant editor for this newspaper. When my boss can't handle the job properly, it's my responsibility to take charge. After you finish your report with Potter today, you need to turn in your press badge."

The air in my lungs disappeared."You're firing me? On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that your newspaper editor isn't following his ethics because he's in love with you. Andy's done everything in his power to defend your reputation since you started this thing with Malfoy, thus sacrificing his own and the papers."

I stared at him in disbelief and anger. "Like hell, Gerard! you know nothing about my relationship with Andy!"

"Why do you think Andy's always fighting with you? He's trying to force himself to hate you so it doesn't hurt so much! For Merlin's sake, he went to Schwinger and pissed Malfoy off on Halloween! Ten Galleons says he'll come in here with a different tune towards you since he succeeded."

I stared at him, stunned. That was why Draco had been so upset with me. I stared at Gerard and understood what this was coming down to. The father of my child or my career? I've spent most of my adult life giving up everything for my career! A wealthy lifestyle, a relationship with my parent's...

"That's why you need to quite." He told me matter-of-factly, sensing my thoughts. "I don't want to see you in this position, especially when we know you're going to pick what's best for that baby. Turn in your resignation with your report."

The door suddenly opened and Andy walked in with wet hair and a large scrap on his face. The editor walked over to the beverage counter to get a cup of coffee swearing. "It's a bloody flood in the making out there. Tori, Skeeter's pulling the article about you in Weekly and putting an disclaimer of controversial evidence on my orders. Your sister's almost on the verge of kicking Parkinson out of the wedding party after she read that thing. By the way, I stopped at Schwinger's"-

My chest went to knots as Gerard gave me a knowing look. I rose and stormed out of the room before the tears broke through. I walked to the lift and headed for Potter's office, deciding if I stayed busy I would forget the entire conversation that my assistant editor and I just had. I entered the rising floor to meet Alicea Forester and empty walls. She smirked at me as I stepped on next to her, hoping the trip would be over soon.

"I just finished reading Witch Weekly. Must be nice to have such control over the Britain's Most Acknowledgeable. Next week, Potter's going to be your office gigolo."

"Just like Travis was yours?" I shot. She rolled her dark orbs, making me shake my head. "You realize that there's a possibility that he's a half-blood. Nobody has yet to figure out who his mother's biological parents were. It must be shameful that you shagged a possible half-blood. Must be even worse for Parkinson since she married him."

"Shut up you filthy blood-traitor." The woman hissed, her eyes going red. I stared at her in disbelief as I was pushed by an invisible force to the lift wall, my oxygen supply lowering. Why the hell nobody in this entire building wanted to use this lift, at this moment, was beyond me. "You're the one that lived with a man that was sleeping around on you without even realizing it."

I tried to fight the spell off but it didn't work."Let me go, Forester, or I'll report this and you'll lose your interning spot at the Board of Directors office."

She smirked and began walking over to me, her charm intensifying with each of her steps until she was in my face. The jaundice looking woman looked at me, her eyes neon red by now. I dropped my jaw hearing her next words, realizing they were in Romanian.

"Don't think that having a Pure-blood lover will save you this time, Gondolier."

Ironically, the lift opened at that second and Forester was thrown to the other side wall of the flat. She attempted to move but a spell was called by the attacker and she was knocked unconscious. I looked up as the flat closed again and saw a white haired, albino walk in and closed the lift doors. He pointed his wand at me and released Foresters charm, causing me to slid down the wall. The boy pointed his wand at me and seconds later spoke evenly

"The baby's fine. Bulstrodes sentencing will be over in five minutes. Find Malfoy and tell him you're sorry about Halloween and get out of town for a couple of weeks as you two planned. When you come back, Forester won't be in jail. She's under the Imperious Curse. Don't mention this to anyone if you want to stay alive. Use my invisibility cloak to get out of here undetected."

We arrived back at the main floor as he threw me the cloak. I put it on as the boy picked Forester up and ran out of the flat, yelling for a healer. I followed them out and headed directly from the doors to the basement floor where the trial was taking place. I stood behind a statue and took the cloak off as people began leaving the courtroom. I slipped through the crowd and into the room, spotting Draco at the table as he cleaned up files.

"Draco," I spoke hollowly.

He looked up, stunned at my appearance. "Astoria... what are you doing here?"

Before I could answer, Hathaway, the rookie writer for the politics section walked up happily.

"That was a wonderful trail, Malfoy! I can't believe the Aurors forgot to Miranda Rights! Oh, hey Greengrass, I assume you two are going out to celebrate?"

"Draco, I need to talk to you in private." I stated as the thick, twenty year old boy frowned.

"I was going to ask for an interview!"

"Hallway, go away before I ripe your bloody throat out!" The boy jumped at my bellow, falling on the floor. He stared at my eyes and rose, running from the courtroom. I turned to Draco, my tears streaming down quickly. "Are you still taking me to Mexico City?"

"I already bought the tickets. I didn't think you would want to go after our fight." He told me, looking worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Andy and I... I need to get out of here." I half-lied. "Short story, I'm resigning Monday."

!HarryPotter*HarryPotter*HarryPotter!

"Gracias, Señor."

The man took Draco's tip and closed the door to the presidential suit. I walked over to the balcony doors and opened them, too stressed to care about the room. I inhaled the hot air, pulling my hair out of it's ponytail holder and letting it fly in the wind coming off the ocean. I felt Draco's arms come up behind me and pull me to the owners chest as he put his face in the crook of my neck. We stood there for a few seconds, enjoying the silence. He was the first to break it.

"Tori?"

"Hmm?" I asked, loving how my nickname sounded on his lips.

"I'm sorry for what I said Halloween night."

"So am I." I told him. "I heard that Andy visited you early that day?"

Draco sighed, putting his left hand on the iron railing in front of us. He put his right one on his sleeve and pushed it up, showing me the mark. "I regret allowing myself to fall for this. I talked the talk when I couldn't walk the walk and I wish neither had been easy for me to access. I hate the fact that this follows me everyday and I wish it didn't have to be your burden, nor our child's. If you wanted to walk away from this, I wouldn't blame you Astoria. I didn't blame Pansy for it when she did, though she didn't have to be shagging your fiancée in the process."

"How dare you compare me to bloody Parkinson." I turned to him and took his face in mine, putting my forehead on mine. His breath hitched when I kissed him, pulling my body to his. Warm tears spilled down my face as image's of what Forester had tried to do to me at the Ministry filled my head. I pushed my hands into his hair and pulled my mouth away to stare into his face. It was the only saving grace I had right now. "Make me forget today ever happened."

"Whatever you want, Love."