Forever More, Chapter 7

"You sure you kids are going to be all right?"

"We'll be fine mom, now let us go already." I let them go and look at the 3 of them. It's the end of Christmas holidays and we're back at Platform 9 3/4.

"Promise to write me as soon as you have the time." All three kids roll their eyes.

"We gotta go mom, the train's gonna leave soon and we need to get good seats."

"All right, all right. One more hug each and you can go." After hugging me they all flee to the train, probably glad to get away from me. They don't need me anymore. The thought makes me sad. Draco puts his arm around my shoulders and I smile up at him.

Things have been much better between us since we've talked about everything. I'm still hiding the liquor key from him until I'm sure he's got enough self control. He's had trouble with alcohol abuse since his dad died, so it's very easy for him to relapse and go way overboard. Hopefully soon I can put it back and we won't have any more problems.

"What time are we picking Keera up?"

"She's staying the night, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Wait, does this mean a whole night to ourselves?" I roll my eyes.

"Yes, that's what it means."

"Hmm, that's interesting." I laugh as we make our way through the train station.

"Only you would be thinking about that." Draco grins as he gets in the passenger side of the car. He still doesn't drive very often, preferring to let me do it. I'd rather do it too as his driving frightens me a little.

"Come on Bella. We're hardly ever alone." I roll my eyes again.

"Keera sleeps like the dead. We get plenty of time alone."

"You know what I mean." He does have a point. Being entirely alone and with a child that sleeps 12 hours through is different, but not by much. Keera has always been my best sleeper. She slept straight through the night from 2 months on. I always had to wake her up to feed her. Quite a difference from my twins, who never slept more than two hours and always at different times. Cheyenne was just like the twins, except there was only one of her so when she slept for two hours at a time I also got to sleep along with her. I look down at my knee as Draco puts his hand on it.

"Please?"

"Begging now? Since when have you had to beg?" He chuckles and brings his lips over to my ear. "If you don't stop that you're gonna make me drive off the road. And I don't really feel like making a side trip to the ER today." He laughs again and sits back in his seat, although he keeps his hand on my knee. I have to work quite hard to keep my attention on the road.

**

I smile lazily and turn so I'm facing Draco, and am surprised to see he's not here. I sit up and glance at the clock, seeing that it's only 6 in the morning. I look around the room, not noticing anything out of the ordinary, but I have this peculiar feeling in my chest.

I stand up and slide my feet into my slippers, walking slowly to the door. I pause before opening it, somehow afraid that there's something I don't want to see on the other side. Before I can change my mind, I wrench it open, sighing with relief when I see that the hall is empty, save for a few of Keera's clothes that she needs to pick up. Instead of going back to bed I walk down the stairs and through the main floor of the house. Everything seems to be just as I left it.

As I walk into the kitchen I notice a note left on the counter. I pick it up and almost laugh out loud. Draco's away for the weekend on business, so of course he's not going to be home. I shake my head and ball up the paper, tossing it into the garbage can. I chuckle quietly to myself as I leave the kitchen, but stop when I hear a knock at the door.

My brows knit together as I walk toward the door, dread suddenly filling me up. I almost collapse right there when I open the door to see two police officers standing on the step. "Mrs Malfoy?" I can only nod. "May we come in?" I nod again and open the door to let them in. I shut the door and turn on a light, leading them to the living room.

"Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee?" I don't know why I'm offering them a drink when they're here to tell me something I don't want to hear.

"No, thank you." They glance at eachother before speaking. Suddenly I just can't take it anymore.

"Draco's dead, isn't he?"

"No, Mrs Malfoy, he's fine, so far as we know. No, it's about Phoebe and Gabriel Wyse." I'm caught between relief that Draco's fine and dread about Phoebe and Gabe.

"What about them?"

"Uhm, I'm sorry Mrs Malfoy, but they're dead."