I close my eyes tightly, hold on & hope that I'm dreaming -- 1999?

I heard a knock at the door and glanced at the clock.  Who would be coming over?  I knew I was not expecting anyone and Pansy was gone for the entire day; it was nowhere near time for me to be expecting her home.  I went to the door and opened it, seeing my Father standing there.  I felt my blood boil instantly when I laid eyes on him.  "To what do I owe the displeasure?" I inquired, trying to be at least a little bit civil to him.

My eyes widened as realized what I had just said, kill me and use everyone else against Draco. "No! Father!" I stood and ran to the base of the stairs, not really wanting to get any closer to Aunt Bellatrix but forcing myself to. "You can't hurt any of them! I'm still the best way to get Draco to do what you want him to!" I yelled. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt but me but my baby had to be safe. I knew it was useless though. The best thing I could do right now was get my baby and I out of here as soon as I could and then make sure Draco was okay.

Aunt Bellatrix was almost at the base of the stairs and I took a few large steps back. "You say that as if there actually a place in this family for me. We both know that's not true, it's never been true." I took a shaky breath. "That's why my babies name will never be Malfoy, nor will mine be anymore soon enough." I informed her. "I'm not going to ask for anything to do with this baby. This baby is of no concern for this family." I took a moment to maintain my composer before I could finish, tears were starting to form. "So please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone what you were going to do, not even Draco." I hated pleading with her and I knew it probably wasn't going to work but I had to try everything I could. I had to get out of here with my baby unharmed.

"Is that any way to speak to your father?" I inquired, walking around him and stepping into what he called a home.  I wished that he would let me help him... he could do far better than this.  Perhaps I could tweak some of his memory into giving me a chance to get back into his life... I smirked at the thought, glad that my back was towards my son at the moment.

"And do you realize, stupid girl, that I'm a Black, not a Malfoy?" I pointed out to her.  She was so daft.  I twirled my wand in my fingers.  "Names aren't the main reason why this is happening, Juniper.  I will make sure that Lucius will not need to worry about you any more..."  A smile played at my lips at the thought.

"You're still a part of this family." I pointed out. "And you seem to care about the Malfoy reputation almost as much as Lucius does, despite being a Black." I wasn't sure how she would react to me calling Father by he actual name but if he wasn't going to treat me like a daughter, then why should I honour him by calling him Father? I took a shaky breath and took a few more steps back, my back was now against the wall.

"If names aren't the main reason then what is? You're going to hurt my baby because of something you have against me. Why don't you just hurt me? You can do whatever you want to me after the baby is born. You can hurt me then." The thing was, hurting my baby would hurt me more then anything else she could do to me. I was pleading again and knew it was useless but I had to try. "And what do you mean he won't have to worry about me anymore? Are you going to kill me like he should've done when I was born?"

I closed the door and watched my father closely.  "You come here uninvited.  How do you expect me to speak to you?" I pointed out.  I moved so I stood between him and my infants' bedrooms.  After Juniper moved out, we split the two of them.  Since one was a girl and one was a boy, they would need their own rooms and space eventually... especially with the way Keegan was developing.  It was best this way.

"With a little bit more tact, Draco," I informed him simply.  "Unwanted guests are still guests nonetheless and must be treated as such.  Did you really learn nothing?" I looked around and thought how horribly messy the place was as well.  Even with two children, we did not have any sort of mess.  "Perhaps a house elf would be beneficial for you, too... the place is atrocious."

I laughed at her.  "There are things far worse than death... I'd rather let you live with that on your shoulders than have you die with swift gratification," I informed her, pointing my wand at her and moving it in a slashing motion.  I wanted to cause her as much pain as possible.

I had taken a few steps away from the wall, debating if I would be able to sprint to the top of the stairs and out the door before Aunt Bellatrix would be able to catch me. I figured even if I could have, they already know I'm pregnant, and they would hunt me down to finish what they had started, hurting everyone in their path. I temporarily thought about taking Lincoln, Draco, Pansy, Ian, Keegan and myself to the Happily Ever After my brother and I had planned so long ago but Draco and Lincoln had great jobs here that supported their family's and I couldn't ask Pansy to relocate the twins. What was I going to do? When Aunt Bellatrix spoke, I got a flash back to when she attacked me in sixth year. She had said almost the same thing. She wanted to make sure I survived so I would be forced to live with whatever she planned to do.

Suddenly, my stomach felt like it was on fire, right over my baby bump. I gasped in shock and pain as I staggered back the few steps I had taken so I was once again against the wall as I placed a hand on my belly. "No." I slid to the floor as I started to feel the sticky liquid seeping though my shirt and Lincoln's hoodie. My baby had been kicking before but stopped right after Aunt Bellatrix hit me with this curse. I closed my eyes and waited a few moments before he or she gave me a lighter kick, as if my little boy or girl was telling me they were okay. I let our a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding as I sighed in relief. The cut hadn't been deep enough to hurt my baby, at least. It much, but it had to have been close. I opened my eyes and looked up at my Aunt as I stood, using the wall for support. "Please, stop." I bagged. "There has to be something I can do." This was the very last thing I wanted to do since I knew whatever she might think of would be worse than Father, but I had to try everything, my baby's life depended on it.

I felt my blood start to boil with his words.  I clenched my jaw and went to the kitchen to put away some of the dishes and whatnot.  "I do not deem it necessary to get a house elf," I informed him curtly.  "I actually plan on raising my children."  I knew that would irritate him to no end, but I was not going to deal with him being disrespectful to me in my own flat.

I got so close to my niece and sneered at her.  "You've already done far too much, itty bitty thing," I spat.  I grabbed a lock of her hair and threw her to the ground.  This was going to be fun.

I moved my walking stick so the silver snake head slammed on the counter next to him, preventing him from walking away from me.  "Do not speak ill to me, Draco," I said icily.  "You know the consequences."

I turned around and looked at him, trying not to get angry enough for my voice to be raised so I would not wake my twins.  "You are not able to threaten me in my own home, Father.  So stop it.  I will not stand for it," I said darkly, matching his tone perfectly.

I cried out in pain before I could stop myself when she grabbed my hair. I was about to try to take her wrists in my hands to get her to let go but she threw me to the ground too quickly. Somehow, I managed to turn myself around so my back took most of the impact, knocking the wind right out of me. I closed my eyes and groaned slightly in pain, taking ragged, staggered breaths to attempt to get some oxygen back into my lungs. Once I was slightly better, I used one of my arms to try to stop the bleeding from my stomach with Lincoln's sweeter sleeve while trying to push myself into a sitting potion with the other. I winced in pain a bit but managed the task. After taking some deep breaths, I slowly scooted backwards so I was leaning against the wall. "I haven't done anything. No ones given me the chance to yet." I was speaking of saving my baby, even if she was not. I took some more shaky breaths before I could continue. "I know why this is happening to me. I'm the disappointment, and the disappointment doesn't deserve happiness. But my baby is not the disappointment. My baby does not deserve this." Apparently, it did not take long to break me down once I was back at the Manor but I hardly cared about that right now. "Let me go. Please." I pleaded weakly.

I could not help but laugh at her.  "Oh, honey, you are far worse than the disappointment.  You're the unwanted... which makes you and your own spawn growing inside of you unwanted," I said to her, feigning the fact that I cared.  I rolled my eyes at her.  Enough of her words in my opinion.  She was starting to drive me insane.  I fiddled with my wand and then decided exactly what I was going to do.  "Crucio," I said harshly, pointing my wand directly at her stomach.