A/N: Hello! So I tried something a little different in this chapter and I hope you'll be satisfied. It took me a while to get used to writing in that style again. AND SO THE PLOT THICKENS!

Do you guys like the once a week updates? It's actually a lot of effort to do it all in my schedule – so if you actually do like it, say so because otherwise...

Warning: Sexual Content.

Thank you to: Jade2099, pardonnez, NinjaClarinetGirlBianca, weirdgiraffe, semantics, xenaz3, and Alexybath for reviewing

Chapter 34: Laugh While you can Still Breath

6 Months Later:

He stood there in the shadows watching the happy couple mingle with their stolen friends.

They did not deserve happiness!

He slowly felt the rage bubble up inside him at the sight, for he knew in his hearts of hearts that the fiends did not deserve to be in the presence of someone like Harry and Ginny Potter. Especially not anywhere near their offspring!

People like that could pollute innocent minds, after all.

But he knew he could not go out and attack them, not in broad daylight. And certainly not in such a direct manner, either. No, he knew if he did something like that, they would run and hide again. He knew someone as noble as Potter would hide them again, no matter that Potter's own family would be endangered in the process.

But he was not here to hurt Harry or Ginny, or their children either. No. All he wanted was that bitch Hermione and the bastard Malfoy. She had chosen her side when she had married herself off to the fucking Death Eater scum. Hermione Granger had dug her own grave. Now she was just going to have to lie in it.

Yes, he was going to make her lie in it.

He had messed up severely, though. He should not have provoked them so openly, so obviously. He should have taken them out discreetly when he had had the chance, when they weren't aware of the danger they were in. But he had underestimated the lengths they had been willing to go to and instead had taken a part in sweet revenge.

Had it been Hermione's idea to hide like a coward? Or had the son of a bitch ignored his greed for once and let his business go awry for months to hide in Potter's good faith? Didn't Harry know slime like that could never change? Harry Potter was deluded into thinking Malfoy had changed for the better.

People like Malfoy could never change, he knew. Of course not. People like that would only take advantage and stab anyone in the back once they had the chance. Such self important people deserved everything they got. Rather than attempt to change their ways, they ought to be removed from the face of the earth and destroyed completely.

That is why he knew he had to destroy the Malfoy, and with him would end the Malfoy line. No more annoying blond brats. They would not see it coming, of course. He had seen to it that someone had been caught in his place.

The Auror department had been so happy. It had been a victorious day for all, filled with celebration. The Ministry was the hero and their idols were safe. They had expressed their relief to the Prophet, as well.

And now, six months later, they were letting their guard down. He grinned to himself wickedly.

Walking out of the shadows at a brisk pace, he purposefully collided with the man who he so detested. But he would have to wait to kill him, that was for certain. For now, it would have to wait. Otherwise, his whole plan would be in jeopardy. So instead, he picked himself up off the ground and offered the blond a disgusted hand, swearing profusely.

"I'm sorry, how clumsy of me," he finally forced himself to say genially. "Say – you're Draco Malfoy! I've seen you in the papers." He schooled his features to resemble something like excitement instead of disgust.

Malfoy smiled at the reverence he probably assumed was there in the recognition, the disgusting git. "No harm, no foul," was the response. It was all the man could do to walk away instead of scratching the bastard's eyes out. But somehow, he managed to turn around before the evil expression made it onto his face.

If Draco Malfoy had looked back at that moment, he would have noticed something quite strange about the man that had knocked him over in an apparent accident. He would notice the man suddenly grow a few inches in height and his hair transform into the strangest colour, haggard and cut savagely.

He would have seen the clothes on the apparently nice man stretch in length but sag off the man's overly skinny frame. And Draco Malfoy would have been very concerned indeed, for that body could only belong to one person.

But Draco Malfoy did not turn around.

In fact, Draco Malfoy had forgotten all about the man. Instead, his attention was now focused on his wife and child. But had he turned around that moment, he would have had the capacity to change the future.

As it was, the future was set in stone.

/

Much, much later, the man sat in front of a bubbling cauldron. Its murky contents were putrid, if the smell was anything to go by. But it was all for a just cause.

The best cause.

When the man finally left the cauldron to simmer on its own, shutting the lights behind him, all that could be seen from the glowing of the fire under the smelly cauldron was a vial. It was a short, thin glass vial that had been stoppered tightly.

Within it lay three innocent looking white-blond hairs.

Yes, Draco Malfoy really had it coming to him.

Hermione:

Sometimes deception is the best way to approach a situation.

Of course, that was a Slytherin approach and at first it had astounded me that I hadn't thought of it myself. But I wasn't a Slytherin at all, was I? At least, that is what a smug Draco told me when I commended him on his talent.

"Gryffindors are too noble to come in first!"

Naturally, I had smacked him upside the head.

Unfortunately for me, I had married a sneaky genius. Some would say that that was a great thing, and you know - that was exactly what I had been looking for in life and marriage, love and whatever else. But in reality, it wasn't quite a great thing to have if they were bent on constantly outshining you. Well, I'm not sure if he purposely did so, but fuck it! I'm annoyed.

As outrageous as this accusation sounds, I'm rather sure I can explain.

You see, Draco is a very quick thinker. So, when the auror department came across a trace in one of the packages our psychotic stalker had sent us to a man living in a rundown building in the ghettos of London, he had told them to carefully analyze the situation before approaching the press or even indicating that any arrest had been made.

And when it was discovered that the man was under a very strong imperius curse as well as severe memory modifications, Draco had forced the department to let the news out that the stalker had been captured. So now, not only was the auror department able to conduct secret, under the radar searches for our stalker, but the person – whoever it is – would not even be aware of it.

The only downside, of course, was Draco's hidden panic over not being able to keep extreme security. That part I had had to talk him out of. Instead, to compensate, we had to come up with extensive barriers and very experimental magic that had come straight out of the Department of Mysteries. Hopefully, it would be enough to last us.

As a precaution, Scorpius continued to live at Grimmauld place.

It wasn't the most pleasant existence, I'll give you that. I would spend every possible waking moment with Draco and Scorpius, but by the end of the day we would have to put Scorpius to bed in a house that was not ours.

Apparating away each night was heartbreaking but it was absolutely necessary.

I knew I was going to die, I knew it was inevitable. No matter what anyone said, no matter how many protective measures Draco took to prevent it – it was going to happen. I was prepared for it, at least I thought I was. There was nothing anyone could do to stop what fate had in store for me. But what I could do was keep my son out of the mess. He didn't have to die with me, that much I was going to make sure of.

As always, the strong front was put up. My own shields of deceptive emotion were put in place. And for once, maybe I could believe that I was happy. After all, I had everything I had ever wanted from life. So what if I was leaving a few years earlier than I had intended and with a lot much more adventure than I had ever dreamed of?

Fucking drama! Couldn't leave me alone for once, could you?

But it was alright, because in the end I was fulfilled. It was my time to go, and I would go gracefully, no matter how much drama played with me or screwed with my head. And for now, I was just happy to exist. I would live, love, and laugh as much as possible.

I would laugh while I could still breathe.

/

Fortunately for Draco and I, putting up the picture that a psychopath wasn't stalking you required for us to go to work. And thank God for that! We aren't the kind of people who could stay home all day doing nothing. At least I'm not. I think Draco was just tired of living with the Potters and needed something, anything to get his mind off the horror of Harry and Ginny's late night passions.

By passions I mean very loud sex.

At first, Draco would not bear for me to stay home alone, or with Scorpius, during the day. So, I was forced to come to work with him on the days that I didn't want to be at the Potter's house with Scorpius.

It would have been overbearing if I didn't love the office so much. It was a quiet place to work and research and here my papers would never get destroyed. No muddy footprints, no screaming and yelling, no little voices demanding attention and definitely no sticky juice spills. And most of all, I could sometimes catch Draco working in action.

It was one thing to say Draco Malfoy commanded attention and completely another to say that he captivated his audience.

I had been passing by his office floor one day absentmindedly, when I heard his voice drift out from an open conference room door. Curiosity had gotten the best of me, and so naturally I had gone to investigate what the great Malfoy was up to today.

When I reached the door that was fully wide open, the sight was one that for some reason aroused me. I hadn't felt arousal in months. Don't blame me. What, with the whole "you're being stalked, ha ha" business and the stress of the whole situation – there wasn't a lot of time for sexual relations of any kind. Draco had been too worried and scared, and as for myself...well, I'd been preparing myself to die for the greater good.

So don't get in my hair for it! (Yes, I know...Excuses, excuses...)

I stood there and feasted my eyes and the gorgeous view. Draco sat at the head of a very long mahogany wood desk. His posture was relaxed and well placed (as usual) and he was dressed to make a lady's mouth water.

He had worn a muggle suit to work today, you see. But it wasn't just any type of muggle suit. It was a suit that was older in fashion, the kind that was a three piece – a kind muggles generally didn't wear anymore if they weren't from the older generation. But on Draco, it looked fabulous. He sat there, with the coat draped over the back of his seat, lounging with a hand behind his deliciously messy hair.

I'm not sure what it was about him in the suit vest but hell did it get me going.

Perhaps it was the way his muscles bulged in the white shirt? Or the way his broad chest filled it out so perfectly? Perhaps it was his lean torso that was just too perfectly situated in the high winged back leather chair. And I just knew his long legs would be perfectly placed under the table. The man was too good looking for his own safety. No wonder people wanted to jump him in the street.

I wanted to jump him in the street. No, I wanted to jump him right there on the desk. Who cares if there were people around? I'm his wife. I'm allowed to do such crazy things to him, right? RIGHT?

But I didn't dare interrupt the perfection that was before me, because when Draco works he is a sight to behold. He has a way with people, one that had decidedly taken him years to develop. It was nothing like his oily, smarmy charm that he had back in school. It was more like a well refined grace, a presence that you just couldn't ignore... a mind that was too great to not take notice of...

And of course, a body you just wanted to eat. Not in the Hannibal Lecter way either.

He was directing the group over some project or another, I couldn't really pay that much attention to what was happening in my state, but the gentle way he had everyone hanging onto his every word, the method in which he commanded his peers to carry out his every whim... it was just amazing to watch. He had the power, so to speak.

As I stared on, watching him do what he did best, I felt tingles run down my spine. This quality about him, an inherent Malfoy trait it seemed, was one that would always have me attracted to him. I loved a man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it – and Draco Malfoy could make a mountain move out of his path with a few well placed words.

It was all I could do to walk away at that moment, return to my office and pretend to work for three more hours until Draco came and got me.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

But I was consumed with the man. There is a reason I married him, after all. It wasn't out of convenience, not out of love (alright, partly out of love), but it was this. The man could make my world shatter and not even know it. He could make me tremble with a gaze, make me fall apart with a word. He could make me furious in a flash and ecstatically happy a second later.

He could make me feel and I would cling to him for the rest of my short life because of it.

By the time he had finally made it to my door, it was well past ten and Scorpius was bound to be asleep already. It was a pity that this is what it had come to, but tonight, his lateness would be excused. He knocked quietly, tentatively, once or twice as if he knew I was going to be angry.

Well, usually I would have been angry. Poor Scorpius shouldn't have to suffer for his lateness, should he? Though of course, I could always have left and put him to bed myself. Generally, that is what I would have done – but, not tonight. Tonight I was going to be selfish and live my life for me and not for anyone else.

Just one night. Scorpius would understand.

"Come in," I called.

He came in quietly, pulling the door halfway shut behind him. I didn't look directly at him, knowing that if I did, I'd lose it completely here and now. And that just wouldn't do. So instead, I looked at the documents on my desk, pretending to be still working.

"Are you ready to go, sweetheart?" he asked, coming to sit at the edge of my desk. I underlined something, not exactly paying attention to what I was doing, too focused on my erratically beating heart. He was so close.

"Um... Sure. Let's go." I picked up my purse and made my way to the fireplace so we could floo home.

"I'm sorry I'm late, you know," he said to me while I searched for the missing floo powder. Where had it gone? It had been right above the fireplace this morning... "The meeting ran late. I saw you come by, earlier. You could have sat in, you know."

Ah. Had he seen me nearly panting over him too? Or was he under the impression I was mad at him still? Where the hell was that goddamn floo powder? Sighing, I began ruffling in my desk drawer, ignoring Draco for the moment. If we couldn't get home, I couldn't drag him to bed. What a catastrophe.

"Will you look at me when I'm talking to you?" he finally snapped, exasperated.

My head automatically snapped up to find him sitting on my desk with the pouch of floo powder resting in his hands. My mouth dropped open at the sight and the need momentarily abated. "You couldn't have told me you had the floo powder all this time while I was searching for it?" He just shrugged and I had to roll my eyes. "You're wasting my time!"

"Everything's about time with you!" he exclaimed back at me.

Oh no he didn't.

Grabbing his loosened tie, I pulled his head closer to mine. He seemed slightly surprised at my boldness and I narrowed my eyes. "I have been waiting... All. Fucking. Day. For. You!" I enunciated, tugging on his tie with each word for effect. I pushed him further back onto the desk so I could straddle him, and he just allowed me to, mutely. "Do not make me wait any longer."

And then the bastard smirked. "Yes, ma'am!"

Draco Malfoy was a snarky little fucker. What do you do with snarky fuckers? Well. You kiss them, and that's exactly what I did.

It was a wild, passionate kiss. A kind we hadn't been seeing these days. There was no reserve and definitely no gentleness – just raw heat. It was exactly what I needed, exactly what was necessary to sate me. Draco was pressed fully against me, his hands wandering along my sides, my back, and practically anything he could reach.

When he managed to un-tuck my white silk blouse from my skirt and slip his hands under, I stopped him, pulling away. His cheeks were tinged pink, his blond hair ruffled even more so than it had been before my touching and his lips were in a delicious swollen state.

Instead of moaning and jumping him on the desk like my brain and other parts of my anatomy wanted to, I took a pinch of floo powder, threw it in the grate and walked into the flames, smiling over my shoulder.

"Coming?" I asked, with a devious smile.

Without waiting for his response, I said our address and was home in a pinch. Unfortunately for me, you ought never to tease a dragon. He was on me before I had even managed to kick a shoe off. He literally carried me up to bed with one shoe dangling off my foot and a rumpled appearance.

I suppose to him it was all attractive.

Soon, he had managed to lay me in bed and tugged all of our clothes off. He didn't even bother removing the covers but instead just took me on them. When he finally filled me, I almost screamed. I was unaccustomed, almost. He groaned at the tightness.

It was fast. It was loud, sweaty, and hot. He marked me in several places and I'm rather sure the scratches down his back from my overly excited gripping hands would be there in the morning. But I didn't care. I just wanted his already brutish thrusting to thrust harder and for him to move faster.

So, so close.

"Draco, please," I choked out. The sound of my voice made him groan. "Draco," I moaned.

And with that he was undone. The feeling of him pulsing in me, the sweet warmth of his release made me finally lose it too. I almost cried at the feel of it. It was perfection, and this time I really did scream his name. His responding groan made me come all over again.

When I could finally breathe again, I found Draco unwilling to move off my chest. Frankly, I enjoyed him there. I could pretend he was completely mine this way and no one would ever see him the way I do.

He was beautiful, in the half light. Flushed, sweaty and completed. I stroked his hair out of his eyes and he stared up confusedly at me. I smiled, softly. He was mine, but not for long. Because I was leaving, wasn't I? Yes, he was mine for now. So I stared, stroking his hair and every line on his face until I had the image of him imprinted into my mind.

"What are you staring at?" he finally asked.

"Mm...just you, love."

He got up onto his elbows then, kissed me on the cheek and smiled. "Yes, I can see that. But why is the question."

I pushed him over and giggled at his indignation. "Just because you're gorgeous. I mean, who wouldn't want to stare at a Malfoy, right?"

"Damn straight!" he grinned.

Pulling me into his arms, he ran his fingers gently down my side. It was a comforting feeling, one that would always calm me no matter what the situation. I kissed his shoulder, then his neck before continuing to stare at him.

"But seriously," he continued after a long bout of silence. "Why are you staring?"

Damn. Was I honestly that obvious? Well, yes. Everyone told me I was practically an open book most of the time. I wouldn't know discreet if it looked me in the face! Well goddamn it all, I'm not a Slytherin, alright? I don't normally do this kind of stuff. I contemplated telling him the truth. After all, he did deserve to know... I think at some level he already knew what I was about to say. Relationships are built on honesty and trust, right? So I would trust him and be honest with him.

"Well... in case I don't have this opportunity again."

The happy expression on his face was gone in a second.

"What do you mean?" he asked wearily. I could feel the anger bubbling under his skin. His arms tightened around me and suddenly I wished he hadn't stopped stroking me so calmly a moment before.

"I mean... I..."

"Nothing is going to happen to you, I thought we had already gone over this," he nearly spat out. I sighed. Yes, we had gone over it. I had sat there while he had shouted at me about how I wasn't going to die. "Don't roll your eyes at me! What kind of bloody nonsense is this, Hermione? Why are you hell bent on making some crack pot prophecy come true?"

Fuck truth and trust.

"You're right," I said, earnestly. "I'm sorry."

He narrowed his eyes at me but I just turned to grab my wand and flick the lights shut. Draco got out of bed to use the loo and I lay there facing the wall, fuming. Why wouldn't he just come to grips with the fact that I was meant to go now? Was he going to be delusional to the day that I die? It was unrealistic. It was sadistic of him.

I wasn't asking for him to accept it openly, but maybe he could just fucking acknowledge the truth instead of being a hard headed idiot!

When he finally returned, I refused to turn and look at him but I couldn't make myself shake off his arms when he pulled my body to his, getting comfortable and ready to sleep. I had a feeling neither of us would be sleeping in such a tense shape.

But after 30 minutes, with his breath slowly grazing the back of my neck, that perspective began to change. I began to drift off to sleep, when he finally spoke in quiet whisper.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," he said, barely breathing. In my sleepy state, I almost believed him too, he was that confident. But this was one thing confidence just couldn't change. He kissed the back of my neck, gently, and I shivered. "I can't let anything happen to you, Hermione. I'd die. I can't lose you. I need you. So you won't go, alright?"

My heart melted.

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell him everything was going to be alright, but I didn't want to give him any false hopes. I was torn in half.

"I love you," I said. I could feel him nod behind me, and he kissed the back of my neck once more.

And that was that. We had reached a compromise. He knew I would stand by my prophecy and I knew he would do anything to stop what was going to happen. I would allow him to do what he felt was necessary and he was going to make sure I didn't give in too easily.

"I love you, Hermione," he whispered back.

And then, with the resounding silence we both drifted to sleep.

A/N: See you next week!

Unsigned Reviews:

Alexybath: DH2 was pretty good! I agree with you about the 3D, you could barely tell it was there. And I've no idea about the screaming – the trailer was seemingly deceptive. And I suppose they could've hired someone with a more...manly scream, but that's all in the past! Thanks for your review – I'm glad you're enjoying. I hope this chapter was as up to par as the last one.