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ISOBELLE

I'm an absolute ball of nerves. Scorpius is coming over to have dinner tonight, which means tonight will be my very last night married to Simon. I've poisoned the wine and everything, and now I'm feeling as afraid as I feel accomplished. If even the tiniest of things goes wrong, Teddy, Scorpius or I could go to jail for a very long time.

I feel selfish for doing this so shortly before Christmas, but I honestly can't wait much longer. Simon has been entirely too cruel to me. For the past couple weeks we've mainly gone our separate ways, but I still hate how he makes it so clear Delphine and I are not his priorities. That isn't the way things should be, and they won't be as such much longer.

Simon frowns at me. It gives me an unexplainable feeling, knowing that he is going to be dead by tonight. It's the best secret I've ever had to keep. "You've been behaving oddly since you've woken up."

I place my hand over my stomach. Dad still hasn't spoken to me. He even ignored me when Delphine and I came to greet our siblings on their way home. Hopefully, Simon's death will be what it takes for Dad to forgive me. He couldn't be harsh to me during such a hard time, could he?

"Have I?" I ask.

Simon nods. "You have. It's like you're keeping something from me."

I raise my eyebrows and turn to look at Simon. He has no idea. "It's not so good a feeling, is it?"

Rolling his eyes, Simon sits up in bed. "I'm not going to be held accountable for how I've acted in the past."

"It's how you still are."

Simon shakes his head patronizingly. "You've changed, not me."

I sit up as well, taken aback by Simon's words. How have I changed? If anything, I've done better for myself. I've stepped up and become the mother to Delphine I always should have been. I'm trying to be a better person. Simon's gone from being a spoiled child to an abusive asshole.

"How?" I ask. "How have I changed, Simon?"

Simon inhales as if the list could go on and on. "When I met you, you seemed so intriguing and intelligent, and now I know that was only a game to trick me into marrying you."

"I didn't trick you," I say defensively. "I used to have opinions and care about things- I still do, and now you never seem to want to hear it."

Simon has a blank expression on his face as if he's not listening to me. He's too ironic for his own good. "I think the only thing that hasn't changed about you is your beauty. But I'm sure there were many other beautiful women who could have just as easily given me a son."

"Maybe I have changed," I agree. "I used to be happy."

Simon gets out of bed as if we aren't having a conversation. "I'm off to work. Your dramatics aren't going to ruin my day."

"You deserve a break from me," I mutter. "And I you."

Simon rolls his eyes. "Do you know how difficult you make it for me to treat you well?" Simon asks. I'm not certain, but I must make it damn near impossible.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, not in the mood to deal so much with Simon. "Have a nice day at work." After all, it is our last day together.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Uncle Scorpius!" Delphine cries, running toward Scorpius at full tilt. He picks her up and she throws her arms around his neck as if she thought she'd never see him again. "You was gone a really long time!"

"I had to go to school," Scorpius reminds her. "You've behaved, haven't you?"

Delphine nods with a smile. "You always ask that all the time! You wanna play dolls?"

Scorpius looks as if he wants to refuse, but doesn't know how. "I'm sure it's almost dinnertime," he says quickly.

"Not till Daddy's at home," Delphine informs him. "You wanna see the Christmas tree? It's really big like a giant and I got to pick the stuff that went on it and I even helped the elves make it pretty!"

"You did?" Scorpius questions with a small smile. Delphine nods proudly. "That's amazing and I'd love to see it, but I have to greet your mother first."

"Kay."

Scorpius sets Delphine down and he makes his way over to me. I couldn't imagine I'd ever feel so relieved to see him in my life. I wrap my arms around him much like Delphine did earlier. "I'm so glad to see you," I whisper to my younger brother, giving him a kiss on the cheek. It's sometimes difficult to remember I'm much older than Scorpius, considering he's probably the more mature one. He looks older than me as well and he's so much taller than me.

Scorpius looks into my eyes, probably searching for any hint of weakness. "Are you nervous?" he whispers.

I purse my lips and shake my head. I was, but now I'm more ready to get it over with than I am nervous. "No," I assure him. "You know I have to do this. It's notonly for me, it's for my daughters as well."

Scorpius glances casually at Delphine, who's busy trying to talk one of the house-elves into letting her hang yet another candy cane on the Christmas tree.

He glances down at my stomach. It's slight, but visible to anyone who actually knows I'm pregnant. "You're growing," Scorpius comments. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I feel fine." Really I'm more excited than anything to be with Teddy so we can raise our children together. They'll have Simon's last name when they're born of course, but that can be changed.

"You still have a couple minutes to change your mind, if this is all too much for you," Scorpius says calmly, placing a hand on my shoulder. Does he honestly believe there's any way I can stay with Simon? If anything, I'm upset he isn't already dead.

"I'm not going back on this," I say in a firm but low voice. "And you remember what I said. As soon as he begins to choke, you take Delphine upstairs. This isn't something she needs to see."

I'd rather not place Delphine at the table at all, but it would be rather suspicious that she conveniently wasn't at dinner the night Simon died.

"I will," Scorpius promises me. "Nothing is going to go wrong tonight. You understand that, don't you?"

I nod. "I understand."

The tension at the table is horrible. I can barely look at Scorpius and Delphine without feeling guilty. I don't know why, because what I'm about to do is very important, and it's going to be very good for Delphine and I in the long run. Of course, she's oblivious to the whole thing, and that's how I'd like her to stay. She's so happy and innocent, and I wouldn't want to take that from her. I want a better childhood for my daughter than I had.

As usual, Simon is in a sour mood. I try not to let it spoil anything, but it's very hard. His moods always give me a horrible feeling I can't quite pinpoint.

"This fucking snow is ridiculous," Simon mutters, swatting his hand in the air. To get the Christmas aura going, the house-elves have enchanted the dining room with snow and a fresh pine smell. The snow disappears before it comes to the table, but Simon's still found something to complain about.

"Don't use that word around Delphine. Besides, she likes the snow," I say quietly.

Simon throws me a look of disgust. I remember last month, when he fed me the lie that he was going to try and be nicer to me. I knew it was only a matter of time.

"They have the same snow at Hogwarts," Scorpius says, trying to lighten the mood.

Delphine digs her spoon into her bowl of soup. "I want the ice-skating fairies on the table," she requests, looking to Simon for permission.

He shakes his head. "Eat first, and then we'll see." Delphine looks disappointed, but she doesn't say anything more.

Scorpius clears his throat and turns to Simon with a fake look of interest. "How is work going at the Ministry? I'm going to be starting there myself in a few months' time."

"It's definitely difficult, but they pay you well for it if you have good connections, which I'm assuming you do."

"Sort of," Scorpius answers. He's known what he's wanted to do there since he was young. Scorpius wants to work in International Cooperation like Dad, except he doesn't want to be involved in all the travelling and debating and conflict resolution like Dad is. Scorpius is more of the office job type. He's not a team player.

"What do you mean, sort of? From what I've heard, the Ministry used to practically eat out of your grandfather's hand," Simon says.

That was forever ago, and neither Dad nor Scorpius is anything near the person Grandfather is. They don't have their positions because of him.

"That's got nothing to do with me," Scorpius assures Simon. He's offended, but he's trying to make a point to not show it.

"I don't intend to be offensive," Simon says quickly. "It's a benefit actually, being esteemed no matter what you do or don't do." Simon throws an accusing glance in my direction. I avert my eyes.

Scorpius shakes his head. "I don't much like that. I feel my work's going to waste if people aren't actually valuing it," he says in my defense.

Simon raises an eyebrow. "I'm glad you could join us tonight."

"Isobelle invited me, and I haven't seen her since term began, so I thought it would be nice to come."

I nod my head and smile. "It's lovely to have you," I agree.

Simon looks between Scorpius and I. "You were the only one who wanted to come?" He asks, and for a second I fear he begins to suspect something.

Scorpius nods quickly. "Isobelle and I get on the best. My other siblings aren't exactly comfortable around the pureblooded lifestyle. They aren't really familiar with a proper dinner." Scorpius is lying, but as long as he's stroking Simon's ego, it doesn't matter.

"I understand that. I was actually lucky to marry one of the more cultured half-bloods," Simon agrees, looking at me as if he's somehow paying me a compliment. "I'd only heard rumor they existed before I met your sister." I want to roll my eyes.

Delphine looks up and her blonde eyebrows wrinkle. "What's that, Daddy? What's half-bloods?" she asks. I don't think Delphine's heard the word before, and certainly not from me. Blood doesn't matter. Simon and I are her parents no matter what.

Simon looks ready to seize the opportunity to make me look bad. "It's someone with one full wizard parent and one muggle parent. Your mother is a half-blood."

I give Simon an indignant look. "I wasn't aware one of my parents was a muggle," I say bitterly.

Simon scoffs. "I beg to differ."

"Grandma and Grandpa are muggles?" Delphine asks, turning to me.

I shake my head. "Grandmother is muggle-born, but she isn't a muggle. You've seen her do magic," I remind Delphine, giving Simon an annoyed look.

"I don't do magic," Delphine says with shock. "Am I a muggle, Mummy?"

"No, darling. You aren't a muggle."

"You're half-bloods too, Uncle Scorpius?" Delphine questions.

I put my face in my hands, truly annoyed by what Simon has started. "I'm not a half-blood," Scorpius says gently. "Your mother and I have different mothers, you know that."

"Yeah, because you look like Grandpa and Mummy looks like Grandma," Delphine says. I'm not quite sure what this has to do with anything

The look on Scorpius' face says he finally understands why I want Simon dead. "There's nothing wrong with being a muggle," he adds, just to irk Simon. Unlike Dad, Scorpius wasn't raised to think he was better than anyone else because of his blood. He's just naturally arrogant.

Simon leans back in his chair. "I need a drink," he mutters.

"This early into dinner?" I ask, knowing that if I comment on what he does he'll do it just to assert his freedom of choice.

"I can do whatever I please," Simon mutters rudely, gesturing for one of those house-elves to bring him a bottle of wine. I pale when I see it isn't the one I poisoned.

"What about the wine your colleague bought you?" I suggest coolly. "That has less of an age to it, and wouldn't you like to save this wine for that big Christmas dinner we're having?"

Simon thinks for a moment that feels like an eternity. Scorpius and I look at one another the entire time, knowing that if he changes his mind, my life could go completely differently, and not for the better. Scorpius looks away.

Simon turns to one of the house-elves. "Don't serve that. Bring me the other wine," he commands.

When the house-elf brings out the bottle of wine, I feel as if I may vomit. I was very careful to use the sealing and unsealing charm Scorpius taught me, but what if something went wrong, like I didn't use enough poison? What if Simon suspects anything? I can hardly bear to wait.

The house-elf pours Scorpius and Simon some wine. I dearly hope Scorpius doesn't forget it's poisoned. I try not to watch Simon's every move, but it's rather difficult. I suppose I'm only trying to remember what my husband looks like when he's alive. Delphine looks rather confused at the tension at the table. I see she's scooted her chair closer to Scorpius.

"Why the hell are you staring at me?" Simon asks rudely, taking a sip of wine. And then another. And another. He signals the house-elf to pour him another glass. He frowns slightly, but nothing else happens.

"I'm sorry…" I mutter, unable to look anywhere other than my lap. This is going better than expected.

"Mummy," Delphine says with a bit of urgency in her voice. I look up, hoping something isn't happening to Simon that she's been forced to see.

"Yes, Darling?"

"What's for dessert?" Delphine questions.

I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm not quite sure yet."

I look in Simon's direction. He's still drinking, although he looks slightly unwell. His face is turning redder by the moment. Teddy and Scorpius did say this poison would work very quickly.

"It's bloody hot in here," Simon complains, wiping a considerable amount of sweat from his forehead. He gives me a rude glare. "Aren't you warm?"

I shake my head. "Not at all. It's probably just the wine. You've had quite a bit."

"I haven't. You don't know what you're talking about. As usual."

I won't let Simon's words bother me. He's dying now, what can he really do to me anymore?

"You don't have to be so rude to me. After all, this is our last conversation together."

Simon looks beyond confused and outraged. Scorpius raises his eyebrows. "What the hell are you talking about?" Simon demands.

I clear my throat. "The only way you said we'd ever be separated was through death. Only you didn't think you'd be the one to die," I say calmly. I turn to my brother, feeling confident for once. "Scorpius, take Delphine upstairs, please. I'd like to say a few things to my husband in private."

Scorpius doesn't need to be told twice. "I'd quite like to play dolls with you," Scorpius lies, ushering Delphine out of the dining room. Before he's gone, he mutters a silencing charm under his breath.

"You're an insane bitch!" Simon shouts, muddling through a couple coughs.

I shake my head. "I'm not. Why would I want to be with a man who speaks to me the way you do? How could I ever love someone who's hit me, or pulled my hair, or forced me to sleep with them? You did all that to me, and you still didn't get a son out of me. No one knows about your child with Catherine. All you have is Delphine."

Simon looks horribly confused and ill, and after five years of being stuck with him, this is the most pleasing I've seen him look. "You're… carrying… my-"

"Funny thing," I say, cutting him off. "I'm not. I'm carrying Teddy's children. You don't think I could manage to be faithful to you for five years, do you? I began seeing him the day after we were married, just like you did to me. And now that I'm pregnant by him, it seems a good time to cut my losses."

"I'll kill you!" Simon yells, although it doesn't sound convincing when he's near death. He makes to grab a knife, although I'm not quite sure what he thinks he'll be able to do with it. Simon collapses on the floor, coughing violently and gasping for air. For a moment, I almost feel obligated to help him.

I get up and stand over his body. I've practically earned this moment, and I'm going to revel in it. "I think the only good thing about having married you is Delphine, and the fact that I'm going to get all of your money and assets. That should soften the blow of having a dead husband."

Simon grabs futilely for my leg, and I take a step back. "You weren't around for me when I needed you," I remind him.

Simon tries to utter a final insult, but he can't. He's overtaken by a fit of coughing, which appears to be his last. He doesn't move anymore, and his blue eyes stare blankly at the ceiling. I feel breathless for a second. Simon is dead. I killed him. I'm a widow now.

To make certain, I bend down and touch him a bit. I shake him. There's no response. I feel for a heartbeat. There isn't one. A sense of giddiness rises in my chest, and then I remember I'm supposed to feel sad. I can't imagine why.

I hurry out of the dining room and rush to the foot of the stairs. Scorpius and I have to do this quickly, because after all, Simon's death was an accident, and I'm absolutely confused and distraught over his death.

"It's done!" I shout at the top of my lungs. "Come downstairs! Hurry!"

I wait a second, and then I hear Scorpius say something to Delphine before shutting her bedroom door and locking it. He bounds down the stairs.

"He's dead?" Scorpius questions.

I tried to hide my smile. "Very dead." I hug my brother tightly. We've been through so much together, and I suppose this is another thing I can add to the list. "I'll always owe you for this."

"Damn right you will," Scorpius mutters. "I'm going to Floo the Aurors now, so they can perform an investigation. You're to look absolutely devastated, remember?"

I nod. I don't think it'll be hard acting, considering it's the way Simon's made me feel for years.

SCORPIUS

I've never felt so tense and anxious in my life. One incorrect move, one trace we forgot to cover, and that's it. Isobelle and I are in Azkaban until we rot. Things seem to be going well, though. Isobelle plays the part of a distraught widow very well, although I can't be certain whether or not she's faking it anymore. Her tears seem a bit too real. I'm afraid she'll reveal the truth at any moment. With Isobelle, there's no telling how she feels right now. For all I know, she could already regret having Simon dead.

Watching the Aurors do their work feels almost unreal. They're moving about the dining room, searching for anything that could possibly reveal who murdered Simon. So far, they've figured he's been poisoned, all without the slightest idea as to who did it.

One of the Aurors turns to me. He's a burly man, and I'm positive he could snap my neck without barely moving a muscle. "Did you see what happened?" He questions.

I shake my head. "No, sir. Not entirely. Once Isobelle suspected something was wrong, she ordered me to take her daughter upstairs. Isobelle didn't want her to see anything happen to her father."

The Auror nods as if this is a sufficient answer. "You're lucky you didn't have a drink yourself." I catch the accusing tone in his voice.

"I was about to," I assure the Auror. "But once I noticed Simon didn't seem all right, I stopped eating altogether."

"And your sister?"

"She's pregnant, sir."

The Auror casts his eyes in Isobelle's direction. She's still crying horribly, taking guilty glances at the spot where Simon's body lay not ten minutes ago.

"If only I'd been able to do something," she cries. "If I hadn't been so stupid…"

The Auror gives Isobelle a look of sympathy. If I had to guess, I think he's trying to capitalize on the fact that she's now free of a husband. "It isn't your fault, Mam. I understand you were in shock." The Auror turns to me. "Beautiful sister you have."

"Her husband just died, I think that's the task at hand."

"Yes, of course."

Isobelle twists her wedding ring around her finger. "What am I going to do, Uncle Harry?" she asks.

Uncle Harry gives Isobelle a look of sympathy. He seems to really care for her, but it's probably only out of respect for Mum.

"I'm very sorry, Isobelle, but there isn't much you can do. I've already owled your parents and alerted them of what happened."

Isobelle's lower lip quivers like a small child. "Thank you." Isobelle glances at me again. I hope this is what it takes to get Dad out of his hate for her. He ignored Isobelle the entire time we were at the platform, and it bothered her greatly, no matter what lie she's telling herself.

"It was definitely murder," one of the Aurors confirms. "Mrs. Montague… er, Ms. Malfoy, I suppose, now… can you think of anyone who would want to hurt your husband?"

Isobelle shakes her head slowly, twirling her long hair through her fingers, a nervous habit. "No, of course not. One of… one of his colleagues gave him the wine for Christmas, and he wanted it served tonight."

"Can you remember who gave it to him?"

"No," Isobelle shakes her head again. "He never told me." Isobelle begins to cry again, and I don't really know anymore how much of it is fake. "I don't understand who would want to ruin my family… we had a daughter together, she's only four years old…"

Isobelle breaks down into another fit of tears, and she looks as if she's about to collapse. I steady her and she buries her face in my robes, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You need to sit," I say quietly.

Isobelle nods her head and when she looks at me, I can see the slightest hint of guilt in her eyes. If she says anything, Simon may not be the only one who was murdered tonight.

"What if he really loved me?" Isobelle whispers in a small voice. I look up slowly. None of the Aurors are paying us attention anymore, they're too busy searching for evidence they aren't going to find.

"He didn't," I say firmly. "He was horrible to you. And you didn't love him. Don't even think about it."

"You're right," Isobelle whispers. "I love Teddy."

The green flames roar in the fireplace and Mum and Dad step out, already looking horror stricken. "Harry, please say it isn't true," Mum pleads.

Uncle Harry hangs his head. "I'm very sorry, Hermione."

"Where are they?" Dad questions.

Harry steps aside, gesturing to where Isobelle and I are. We're sitting in a darker corner of the room. My arms are around Isobelle and her heads resting on my chest. My robes are damn near soaked.

Mum's footsteps carry across the room, past all the Aurors. They know better than to try and stop her. She bends down beside me. "How long has she been like this?" she asks frantically.

"The entire time," I lie. "Her husband was just murdered."

"I'm terribly sorry, Isobelle," Mum apologizes, stroking her hair. "You know if there's anything you need, your father and I won't hesitate to do it for you."

Isobelle shakes her head. "He… h-he still hates me…"

"No, Isobelle. Your father doesn't hate you," Mum assures her, sitting beside me and stroking her hair like she's a child again. "You know he's never failed to be there when you needed him. This time isn't any different."

"It is…" Isobelle persists. "My stomach… it hurts."

"You need to calm down," Mum says gently. "All this stress isn't good for your child."

Isobelle glares at Mum, her eyes rimmed with tears. "I know that!" she nearly screams. Some of the Aurors turn around to look. "Simon is dead, how can I not be stressed?"

Mum takes a calm breath. "Is Delphine still upstairs?" I nod. "I'm going to go and see her… thank you for taking care of your sister, Scorpius."

Is Mum insane? Why wouldn't I help Isobelle? I'm not as selfish as Hugo or Rose. Although Isobelle is very difficult to like, much more love, I'd never leave her out to dry.

Uncle Harry makes his way over to Isobelle. "Do you mind if I speak to the two of you?" He asks me.

"If you have to."

Mum, on the other hand, doesn't look comfortable with this. "Do you think it's good to do this so soon?" she asks. "Maybe she needs time to process…"

Harry nods. "I know it's harsh, but it's best I question them while everything's fresh in their minds.

Mum sighs. "All right. I'm going to check on Delphine." Mum stands and heads upstairs, not before giving Isobelle a despondent kiss on the forehead.

Uncle Harry kneels down so he's level with Isobelle and I. "I'm not really supposed to be the one to question the two of you, since I know you personally, but I'll make an exception in this case, considering Isobelle's state."

"Thank you."

To make her more comfortable, Harry takes Isobelle's hand consolingly. "You were very smart to tell Scorpius to get Delphine out of the room," he complements her. "Many parents don't think of that."

"Thank you…" Isobelle says absently.

"You're quite welcome. If I can ask, did you and Simon have an argument prior to this? He didn't do anything to make you angry, did he?"

Isobelle shakes her head violently. "I didn't kill him!" she says indignantly.

"I'm not saying you did. It's a question I have to ask, to rule out all the possibilities."

Uncle Harry turns to me. He has an earnest look, like this is more than a case to him. He genuinely feels sorry for Isobelle, and he wants to do whatever he can to help her. "Is there anything you remember from tonight that didn't quite seem right to you? Did you have a bad feeling about anything?"

"No. I had a good feeling actually. Isobelle invited me over a week ago, saying she was so excited to have me over since I've been away at school. She actually invited Rose too, but she didn't want to come. She and Isobelle don't get along." I don't know why I added that in, considering Uncle Harry already knows that.

He hangs his head and puts his hand on his chin for a moment, watching Isobelle cry. "I can't do this," Uncle Harry admits. "It's nothing against the two of you, but I know you too well. I know Hermione too well. I… I'll have someone else form the office interview you in the morning. Isobelle, I truly am sorry for your loss."

Isobelle nods quietly, but she doesn't say anything else to Uncle Harry as she watches him go. She turns to me slowly. "You don't think he…"

"No," I promise her. "He doesn't suspect a thing. No one does, and they never will."

"Good," Isobelle says slowly. Uncle Harry says something to Dad, and then he looks over to where we're sitting. I wave him over. It would break Isobelle if he never said anything to her.

Dad makes his way over to Isobelle and me slowly. If Isobelle notices, she doesn't say anything. "You should be with Delphine," Dad says coldly, as if he blames her for crying.

Isobelle doesn't reply. She sniffles a few times, but that's the only sound she makes. "She just watched her husband die," I remind Dad. "I don't think it's so good for her to be around Delphine for a little while."

Dad frowns. "Did you see it happen?"

"No. But I would have preferred it been me than Isobelle."

"You're holding her like she's a child."

Dad must really be angry with Isobelle. He doesn't even seem to care the worst thing imaginable has just happened to her.

"I'm going to stay with her until she feels better. You always said I should be nicer to her," I remind Dad.

He can't argue there. "Until you decide what you're going to do, you can live at the Manor. And only because I don't trust you by yourself with Delphine." I can tell this isn't the only reason. Dad truly does feel sorry for Isobelle. Maybe he feels a bit guilty too, considering he pushed Isobelle to marry Simon.

For the first time tonight, Isobelle looks up at Dad. "Thank you," she says quietly, and I can tell Dad's gesture means a lot to her. "For me and for Delphine."

"You're my daughter," Dad says stiffly. "I'm going to speak with Uncle Harry and see what sort of arrangements need to be made. You may have gotten lucky after all."

"Okay," Isobelle says meekly as Dad stalks off. He's probably feeling just as numb as Isobelle. He probably think he's going to have to find someone else for Isobelle to marry, or how having Delphine live with him will be like having another child to raise after he's finally sent Nina off to school. I think Isobelle loves Delphine to pieces, but she isn't so good at actually raising Delphine. But Dad doesn't worry about finding Isobelle a new husband. She has that all figured out on her own.

A/N: So it's finally done! Whadya think? Leave a review?