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

I glared at my son.  "I came to see what all you knew, Draco," I said to him simply, getting to the point of hte visit.  I did not want to argue if I could help it.  I wanted to see what he knew, deal with that, and possibly get him to want to give me a chance again... so I could find ways to influence his children, but he need not know the ulterior motive of my acitons.

I raised my eyebrows.  "What on earth are you speaking of, Father?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew exactly what he was talking about.  Juniper and her pregnancy.  Did she really go over to that house?  What had she been thinking?  It was a good thing I had mastered occlumens when I had been in sixth year to protect myself from teh Dark Lord.

I was about to counter her. I did not care what people thought of me or how they treated me but I would not let my son or daughter feel the way I had growing up. I had been unwanted, the disappointment, uncared for, unloved and worthless but I would never let my child feel that way about themselves. I knew Lincoln and I would show our child everyday just how much we cared about him or her and wanted them in our lives, something neither of us really got at home when we were younger. But then, she said the curse. "No!" I all but screamed before it hit me, right where my baby was. I managed to bit my lip to suppress my screams and already had the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. The pain was intense but nothing I wasn't used to under the Cruciatus cure. This was different though. Right where my child was inside of me, the pain was like nothing I had ever felt before, despite having been under this curse multiple times. My little boy or girl was under the effects of the curse as well. I vowed the moment I found out I was pregnant I would never let my child feel the effects of the Unforgivable Curses or any curse from any hand and I had already failed them. What kind of mother lets her child be tortured while they are still inside of her? I could not hold back my screams anymore and they filled the basement. "Please! Stop!" I managed in between screams. I was laying on the ground now, squirming in pain, trying to protect my baby, but it was useless. I wasn't sure if my baby could hear me but if he or she had heard what Aunt Bellatrix said, I had to counter it. "My baby......will always...be wanted." I said between screams.

I lifted the curse and laughed at her.  "It doesn't matter if it's wanted or not," I said darkly.  "It will not survive either way... my child was unwanted and yet he lives.... unfortunately without my training... but yours... yours will feel the pain it deserves before it dies," I added, waving my wand once again.

I smiled darkly at my son.  "Don't play coy with me, Draco," I said, moving a little closer to him, making him back away from me.  That told me all i needed to know.  "You can't protect her... not now."

Fear filled me by his words.  I had to control myself to not let it show.  "I'm not playing coy, Father.  I honestly have no idea what you are speaking of," I said, trying to figure out a way to get him to leave so I could go help my sister.

Relief filled me when she finally lifted the curse. I forced myself to roll over, despite the pain I was in and the fact I could not really control what I was doing. My body was now in between my baby and Aunt Bellatrix. I knew it was not much in the way of protection, but it was better than nothing. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to focus on what she was saying. I couldn't really though, I could only understand that she said my baby was going to die. I opened my eyes and looked down at my baby bump after I felt it move, and placed a hand on it. "Don't worry. Mummy's here. Mummy's always right here." I said to my little boy or girl as my tears began to fall. I wanted to give in like I usually did, but it was not just my life they were hurting when they hurt me this time, they were hurting my baby as well. I looked back at my Aunt. "My baby does not deserve this." I said, making my voice as dark as I could despite the chance that was still present. "My baby does not deserve to be born into this sick and twisted family." This was all my fault. I was happy and this was the universe's way of reminding me that the disappointment did not deserve happiness, and there was a lot of things for me to be happy about lately. Getting out of the Manor, Draco's wedding, my niece and nephew being safe, my engagement and upcoming wedding, and, of course, my pregnancy. Apparently, that was way too much happiness for me and the world was making sure I knew it. My baby didn't deserve this thought, he or she just had the unfortunate luck to have me as a mother. I was about to say this when she waved her wand again and I felt like hands had closed around my neck. My hands flew to my neck as I struggled to get air into my lungs but the invisible hands were making that impossible. I gasped, losing precious air. I was choking. My eyes widened and I tried to speak but no words came out. Spots danced across my vision and I knew if I did not get oxygen in my lungs soon, I was going to pass out.

I waited a few more moments before I lifted my wand again, letting her breathe.  I moved closer to her and bent down, lifting her chin so that she looked at me.  "Your child and you both deserve this," I spat.  "Don't you ever forget that you deserve far worse than what my sister has allowed to happen to you."  I stood back up, waving my wand almost in a lazy way.

I saw the fear flash in his eyes momentarily.  I knew what he was hiding from me.  That girl told her brother about the pregnancy -- most likely in hope that he could protect her.  In an instant, the fear was gone and he was continuing to look at me with the disdain that was starting to infuriate me.  "Enough of this, Draco.  Tell me everything you know and this could be effortless for you," I said to him.

"I know nothing,' I repeated, though I knew that Father knew better.  He did not need to be a practiced Legilimens to be able to read me, despite my efforts to hide my thoughts and being a good occlumens.  I prepared myself for his onslaught.

<< let me know if you want me to change anything like the curse Bella's using >>

My eyes had fluttered closed and I was waiting for the darkness to take me. I didn't even realize that I could breath again until a tiny amount of air got into my lungs. I didn't even have to think about anything, my body took huge gasping, greedy breaths to make up for the lack of oxygen. I felt Aunt Bellatrix take my chin in her hands and heard her say something but I couldn't really focus on what it was. She let go and my face hit the floor once more. "I deserve worse...." I muttered, not really sure where it came from. I felt my baby move again and realized what it was I had just said. I opened my eyes slowly and pushed myself onto my hands and knees, wincing in pain. I looked up at her. "My baby does not deserve any of this. They're innocent. I will protect him or her with everything I have." I saw her move her wand lazily and it felt like a knife was cutting into my back, coping the way her wand was moving. I had no idea what she was carving into my back. I gasped and fell back to the ground on my side, my back toward my Aunt. I looked at my baby bump and put a hand on top of the cut she had made earlier, the bleeding had started to slow down slightly. "I won't let anything happen to you." I said, tears coming back into my eyes. I had to get out of here before something happened to my baby. I had a terrible feeling that she was just making me weak before hurting my child so I wouldn't be able to defend him or her.

One woudl almost think it admirable the way that Juniper was protecting her child... but I called it weakness.  You must always protect yourself more than anything in the world -- which was why the son I bore with the Dark Lord went off.  How could the Dark Lord be who he was and me be his right hand man if we had to care for a child?  And by we, I meant myself because the Dark lord would not even think of anything slowing him down.  I looked at my niece and laughed, shaking my head.  "Oh my dear, you're already failing," I assured her.

<< Nope I love it!  This post isn't as evil as normal... I'm having a hard time tapping into that side today lol >>

I could not help but laugh silkily at the way that Draco's voice waivered.  I moved closer to him and smiled slightly.  "You know much more than you would wish me to believe," I said to him simply.  "So tell me what I want to know.  And this could end easily for you... without struggle."

I took a deep breath, to steady my words.  "Father, I think your intuition is deceiving you," I said to him simply.  "I know nothing of what you are trying to insinuate.  What is going on?"

At that point, I hit my son.  "Do not blatantly lie to me, Draco," I said sharply.  "Next time, it will not be just a slap to your face."  I knew he understood what I meant.  i was not going to take this from him.  "What do you know?"