Dear Blaire,

First and foremost, I wish to express just how much I have considered you a daughter of mine. When I thought you had died, a part me had died too. I have loved you with as much force as I have felt for my own son. And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I shall not ask you to make him happy or require that you look after him, because I already know that you will. I leave this world with contentment knowing that he has you, and you have him.

And those beautiful, darling boys.

Show Jack the world, let him experience life that has been so small and sheltered to him up until now. Take him travelling, take him to see the glorious sights and extraordinary beauty that this wonderful world has to offer.

And Scorpius, dear sweet Scorpius - you are the mother he needs, Blaire. I can already see that you understand that being a parent is not about blood, but about simply loving and caring for a being more than yourself.

But as long as I'm around, you will not be able to give them the life that they deserve. I can already see that Draco will put everything on hold for me. I can't have it, Blaire. I can't be the reason that you and the boys are not living your fullest life.

But I cannot lie, my motives aren't all noble.

Lucius was my very reason for waking up in the morning, my very reason for breathing. I cannot live in a world without him. I know he made bad choices in life, but I forgive him for it, I forgive him for everything because I love him without condition.

And in time, I know that Draco will understand why I did what I did.

You are free, and so am I.

I'm sorry, so sorry.

Mother

*****

Six months later

"I think Daddy is going to be sick."

I glanced up to see that Draco's face had indeed gone green.

"Hey," I whispered, cradling my hand over his cold, clammy one. "Chill."

Draco turned to me, his eyes wide with fear. "This just isn't right, Blaire!" He hissed, fear making his voice quiver. "How can this thing fly without magic?!"

I rolled my eyes, my tongue clicking against the roof of my mouth in amusement. "Muggles have been flying in aeroplanes for years. Have a little faith, Drac."

He closed his eyes, pressing his head back against the seat. I glanced down at Jack who had turned back to looking excitedly out of the little window.

"Jak, Jak!" Scorpius gurgled on my lap, reaching out for his big brother. He managed to grab a handful of Jack's thick dark hair and began tugging.

"Ow, Scorpy!" Jack whined, whipping his head round, scowling. "Get your own hair!"

"He has," I smiled, brushing my fingers fondly through Scorpius's wispy white-blond hair. "He has Daddy's hair, and you, Jack, have Mummy's hair."

"Mummy's beautiful hair," Draco said, suddenly coming alive to turn and kiss the top of my head.

"How are you holding up?" I whispered, tilting my face up to look at him. I knew this trip wasn't easy for him, that the idea of leaving the Manor behind made him nervous.

"As long as I'm with you and the boys, I'm good," he murmured softly, lifting a hand to stroke my cheek. "And I'll feel much better when we get to Vegas."

Our eyes met and I felt a pleasant fluttering in my stomach.

"Are you sure this is how you want to do it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's not too late to back out, you know."

"Zabini, what have I said a million times? Now come on," he smirked, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing from it a very old battered pack of cards, "let's get some practice in."

He flipped down the little table at the back of the chair in front of him and began to deal them out.

"SIR!" A furious lady dressed in an awful blue uniform snapped, glowering down at him. "I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT TABLES MUST REMAIN UPRIGHT WHILST THE SEATBELT LIGHT IS ON!"

"I bet you don't get this in first class," Draco grumbled, sinking down moodily in his seat after the air stewardess had moved on. "Merlin, they better have decent food on this thing."

We had to travel economy because we couldn't find an airline that allowed children in first class. This disgruntled Draco to no end, not quite believing he was reduced to travelling like a common Muggle.

"Cheer up," I sympathised, playfully squeezing his cheek which made Scorpius squeal in delight as he tried to copy me, attacking his father's face with a pudgy hand. "At least Jack is getting his dream come true. He's always wanted to fly in an aeroplane."

"I thought his dream was to ride a merry-go-round?" Draco muttered, although his eyes shone softly as they always did when he was talking about his boys. "Yet that sits getting dusty at the bottom of the grounds."

"That's not true, I couldn't get Ron off it this morning. He only grudgingly did when I reminded him we were off for twelve months and it would be nice to say goodbye. I think he's looking forward to being Lord of the Manor."

"Orion better still be in one piece when we return."

"Uncle Ron said Orion's going to video-call us every day, remember?" Jack piped up, turning from the window.

As excited as Jack had been about our upcoming trip, he was distraught to discover that we wouldn't be able to take Orion with us. So he was happy as anything when I told him that Ron, Hermione and Rose would be moving into the Manor to look after him whilst we were away.

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it again when the pilot made an announcement that we were about to approach the runway, his face going very, very green.

"Chill," I whispered in his ear as the aeroplane began to move, the engines noisily firing up around us. "We'll be fine, Drac."

He grabbed my hand, clutching it tightly as he pressed himself back into his seat, closing his eyes once again.

Jack started bouncing up and down in his seat, his face lighting up with excitement. "We're moving Mummy! We're actually moving!"

Scorpius watched his big brother in fascination, furiously sucking his fingers as his eyes bulged wide.

The aeroplane picked up speed, and I could hear Draco's breathing becoming tight and laboured as the entire plane rattled and vibrated noisily along the runway, the sound like thunder in our ears. I kept hold of his hand, sweeping my thumb over his knuckles.

It wasn't until we finally felt the aeroplane lift did he open his eyes again, the smooth change in sensation seeming to startle him.

"We're flying? We're flying without magic?" His eyes widened in wonderment.

"We sure are," I grinned up at him, ignoring the strange glances we were getting from our fellow passengers.

"I love you, Zabini," he murmured hoarsely, his face filling with love as he suddenly dipped his head to kiss me.

It was at that point when Jack threw up.

*****

Ten hours later, we landed on American soil.

"Welcome to Las Vegas, baby!" Crabbe roared as he rushed up to greet us outside the airport, enveloping Draco in an enthusiastic hug. "Pans has a car parked out the front. Fuck, you should see her, pregnancy definitely agrees with her."

"Can you mind your language in front of our boys?" Draco growled, looking thoroughly pissed off at being manhandled once again.

"Don't mind him," I winked at Crabbe as I reached up to kiss his cheek. "He's still traumatised from being frisked at customs."

"It was barbaric!" Draco roared. "He was doing things to me that I wouldn't even let Blaire do!"

"Oh quit being dramatic," I said, rolling my eyes as I jiggled a grizzling Scorpius on my hips. "He was just going his job."

"He didn't need to mock my wand! It may be just a stick to him, but he has no idea of the power it holds! He treated it as though it were just a mouldy old twig!"

"Well it is to him, he's a Muggle," I said dryly. Wand ownership was still a sore point to me.

"Dude, you better liven up," Crabbe grunted, "you wouldn't believe the night I've got planned for us."

"If it involves strip clubs, then you can count me out," Draco hissed through clenched teeth, his eye twitching.

"Are you kidding?" Crabbe spluttered as he leant forward to grab a suitcase. "Pansy'd have my nuts off. Nah - honestly, after that whole Breeding Ground experience, the thought of ogling women like that kind of makes me feel uneasy, you know."

"Don't." Draco replied stiffly, immediately curling an arm around my waist to pull me hastily into his side.

I could hear his heart thudding noisily beneath his chest. I knew he hated the reminder of my very short stint in that place, even if I was saved before I could get raped.

"Look," Crabbe said, his face going slightly pink. "I just want to share a beer with my oldest mate. That's all."

"I don't feel comfortable leaving Blaire and the boys, it's been a long journey and-"

"Drac, don't you dare use us as an excuse to miss out." I scolded him. "I, for one, am looking forward to spending the evening with Pansy."

Wow, never thought I'd ever say those words.

But the truth was, as well as Ron and Hermione, Pansy and Crabbe had been a rock to us in the aftermath of Narcissa's suicide, taking the boys under their wing whilst Draco and I dealt with the grief of losing her.

It had hit Draco hard, of course. The letter, which I'm sure Narcissa felt was the right thing to do, had left him more distraught.

"She didn't love me enough to live for me," he had sobbed, breaking down night after night in my arms.

"It wasn't like that," I had assured him, "she thought she was freeing you."

But he'd never felt less free in the months that followed, trapped in the terrible grief of losing both parents in a single week.

Three months later, when news of my mother's death had reached us (the remains of her body had been found in a New York apartment after she had drank herself to death), he shook himself out of it, declaring life was too short and asked me to marry him.

There was no huge gesture, just a spur on the moment announcement after I declared to Draco that I didn't want the ashes of that woman sent back to me to scatter because as far as I was concerned, she was not my mother. Narcissa was.

"Marry me," he had said. "I don't care how we do it or where, I just want you to be my wife, Blaire Zabini."

Oh boy, I bet he regretted those words.

Because that was how we found ourselves in Las Vegas.

The place where we were about to start the next chapter of our life before jetting out to see the world, just like Narcissa had wanted.

*****