It has been disgustingly long since I updated!

Life

Blaise Pascal

Good Merlin I loved my life!

That was the first thought that went through my head, every day when I opened my eyes and saw her face. Even in sleep her lips would be pressed into that pout I loved so much. Occasionally I would attempt to wake her by gently pressing my own lips to hers

Sometimes her eyelids would flutter open sleepily, then close again as she deepened our kiss, and she would whisper "Good morning," into my chin.

More often she would smack my face away and roll over growling "Leave me be. I'm trying to sleep, damn you!"

My loving wife.

Today though, I was treated, to the first option. She stroked my cheek as she leaned back on the head board, and mewled when I moved to get dressed.

"I love you my Blaise, you know that don't you?"

"I do."

"Then prove you love me! Skive work and lets spend the day in bed."

Robes half on, I crawled across the bed and balanced on my arms over her.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure Regina..."

I dipped my head to plant butterfly kisses on her nose. Her cheeks. Her eyelids.

"But we have a baby-" Kiss. "So we couldn't-" Kiss "Stay in bed all day-" Kiss. "Anyway." Kiss. "And besides-" Kiss. "I-" Kiss. "Have-" Kiss. "To-" Kiss. "Go-" Kiss. "To-" Kiss. "Work."

I allowed her to grasp the back of my head and pull my mouth, once again, towards hers. When she finally let me go, I was late.

"This is you fault," I grouched good naturedly, pulling on my socks.

"Well I don't care how late you are for work," she purred lazily. "Just don't be late tonight. I miss you."

I know she always loves me, no matter what mood she's in. But when Carolina is in a lovey-dovey mood, you take all you can get!

I went back for a last kiss.

On the one hand, Mr Robbins would be pissed off. On the other, I'd just received more kisses that morning that he'd had in the last year. I would use that to content myself when he started yelling about tardiness.

Reluctantly breaking off the kiss before it got even more heated, and I did end up spending the day at home, I backed out of my room. I strode briskly down the hall. One last thing to do before I left.

Little Blaise was wide awake and smiled as I came in. I always got a lump in my throat when he did that. I still couldn't believe this perfect little being was part me. How did I ever make something so beautiful?

I picked him up cooing like the doting old woman I was.

"Good morning Bambino. Have you got a smile for your Daddy, before he goes to work?"

Little Blaise obliged.

I pecked him on the forehead.

Carolina's hand on my arm turned me to smile at her.

"Can you believe he's ours?"

"No."

He started to fuss as he moved to her arms. Strange. He was usually such a good baby, in the mornings. The ones he'd managed to sleep through anyhow. And he loved his Mama. He always went without protest to Carolina. Often when someone else was holding him he would clamour to be in her arms again. It wasn't often he did it with me.

But today he did it.

Today he didn't want his Daddy to leave.

Today I looked back, as I walked through the floo, and saw two people, the two people I loved most in this world, who wanted me to stay.

I didn't.

I regretted it as soon as I walked into the office.

"What time do you call this Pascal! Swanning in at what ever time you want! It';s not good enough! Acting as if you owned the place..!"

I toned him out. What a pathetic little man Mr. Robbins was. He knew perfectly well this job was not exactly a necessity for me. I could quit right this very second if I wanted. Hell a few well placed bribes and I could get him fired, if I so chose. But did he realise this? No. He couldn't quite wrap his tiny half blood brain around it. All he knew was his marriage was driving him to distraction and he needed to take it out on someone. Personally I didn't see why we were to blame for his tragic Muggleborn Missus nagging him constantly and denying him his "husbandly rights."

I'd love to see what would happen if I tried to deny Carolina her wifely rights!

I must have smirked because his volume soared. For being twenty minutes late, I was ranted at for half an hour. An excellent start the the day.

If my Father hadn't been so proud of having a son in the Department of International Magical Cooperation I would have quit long ago. But he was proud. So here I was.

I suppose it was good for me. If Carolina and I were left alone together twenty four hours a day... At least one of us would be dead by now. And lets be honest, it wouldn't be Carolina.

I picked up the photo of her I kept on my desk. I changed it constantly, but I always had one. This one had been taken just before she became pregnant. She fluttered her paper eyelashes at me. At the other side of my desk Little Blaise beamed gummily.

Surely it is the right of every man to gaze at pictures of his family, and wish he was with them, instead of translating ridiculous reports that no one will ever read.

Mr Robbins disagreed.

His home life was miserable and therefore no one else was allowed to enjoy theirs.

Someone had to deliver this oh so important report on the thickness of Cauldron bottoms (of all the pointless topics!) and since you're not doing anything Pascal...

And that was how I ended up walking the streets of Muggle London.

I could have apparated, but that would've been far too quick. I took any excuse to keep well away from that irritating little man.

Besides, it was a lovely morning, I thought glumly to myself as I crossed the Atrium, giving Lucius and glum nod. Just the kind of dark, freezing, windy day that makes one want to trudge through a crowd of oddly dressed muggles all staring at your cloak. Thank Merlin it isn't raining!

Outside I turned up my collar against the bitter cold and glared at a Muggle child rude enough to point. Good Lord, did these creatures have no manners!

I was about three streets away from the Ministry when he started following me. I didn't notice of course. I was far too caught up in my own little world, imagining different ways to torture Mr Robbins, to spare any attention to mere Muggle.

Five streets away he began to make sounds of frustration and passers-by gave him odd looks. Again I didn't notice.

Seven streets away he broke into a half trot. I didn't notice.

Ten streets away, he started to sprint towards me. It was a quieter street. No one within a ten foot radius of us and an alley to our left.

This time I noticed. With seconds to spare I heard the pounding footsteps and turned in bored interest.

He punched me in the stomach and I doubled over. My wand fell out of my robes and rolled across the pavement, out of reach. Desperately I thought about what Carolina would say. She'd die before she let a Muggle outsmart her.

His hands fumbled through my cloak, finding my purse and gold watch.

The watch my father gave me.

The watch I would one day give to Blaise.

I grabbed at it.

By some miracle I managed to get a hold on it. At the other end of the watch chain my attacker panicked. He tugged with all his might but he couldn't shake me loose.

I could smell his dingy clothes. I could hear his ragged breathing. I could see a flash of metal. I could feel a fiery-cold pain in my stomach.

A woman was screaming. A crowd was running towards us. With a gasp of fear he let go and took off down the nearby alley with my money.

I didn't notice.

Strawberry jam was seeping out of nowhere. It slowly formed a lopsided circle on the front of my shirt. Where was the jam coming from? How odd, it seemed in this situation.

More jam appeared round the handle sticking out of my chest. The more jam appeared the more pain I felt. Until... suddenly I stopped really feeling it at all. A soothing numbness enveloped me. It felt like I was floating.

Not jam, I realised. Blood. My blood.

Centuries of Pascal purity.

Staining my shirt.

What a waste.

But the watch was still in my hand. The watch would go to Blaise. I had protected it from him. My blood lived on in his. It wasn't wasted.

On a filthy Muggle pavement, in a filthy Muggle street in the middle of filthy Muggle London, I smiled.