This is the alt ending that I almost didn't post, but I received such strong reviews regarding one of the other characters that I decided to post it anyway. I hope you'll let me know which ending you preferred!

TW: Non-Con & R*pe implied. Forced Orgasm implied.

THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL TAG I WILL BE PLACING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAPTER AS IT CONTAINS A SPOILER.


SUNDAY

"Are these Raspberries?"

"Yes ma'am." Richard put the entirety of his findings into her hands, which ended up being a total of fourteen berries in two groups of seven. How odd. "Eat up, I'm going to see if I can find some eggs in that tree - I like a light breakfast. HA!" His laughter was a short-lived barking one. "I can usually rotate between four different spots for food. I stay away from the swamp though, there's some quick sand that way." When he disappeared behind the foliage again, Hermione took a closer look at the branches he got the berries from to see that they were already growing back. He doesn't even need to rotate between the four different locations. Hermione ate the berries off of the severed branches and closed her eyes. They were perfectly ripe and a sharp contrast to the unseasoned bits of fish they shared last night. If only for a few minutes, she wanted to pretend that she was on holiday instead of trying to stay alive with two armed men hunting her down.

When Richard came back, they sat at the edge of the lake. Hermione gave him one gallon for him to drink out of. He eyed it, but tried to restrain himself from accepting it. Hermione shook the unopened jug at him and practically shoved it in his chest. "It's the least I can do after you shared your supply with me last night and I don't have much else to offer. It's the cleanest water you'll have had in months." He took the water and cradled it like a babe for a second.

"Thank you. Sometimes the water isn't any good, even with the leaves filtering it all." He took a small sip to savor the clean flavor. "Plus the container will be beneficial in the long run."

Hermione nodded, already aware of this. Even after following Richard to his cave, she had not fully trusted him last night and she was hesitant to open up her bag in the event she needed to make a quick escape.

When he had come back from his tree climb, he had ended up finding a bird's nest that had three eggs for them to share. Hermione said she would stick to the berries and Richard practically beamed that he wouldn't have to share his findings again. When he cracked one side with his bare knuckle before splitting the egg open over his mouth, she took a drink from her own jug of water so she wouldn't start to think about the texture of the raw egg sliding down his throat.

She drank the water greedily. It was simultaneously the sweetest yet most refreshing thing she had tasted in her entire life. Only when she felt her stomach start to fill with the water did she stop, and when she did, she caught the scents of new parchment, freshly mown grass, spearmint toothpaste and something she thought was distinct similar to Ron after he came home from Quidditch training.

She didn't have time to ponder why water held so many strong scents before the Amortenia hit her and Draco's face popped into her head.

"The younger bloke. He's a cute one, isn't he?"

"Sorry?" She cleared her throat, a slight blush creeping on to her face as she was starting to imagine a daydream that involved a certain blonde Malfoy.

Richard took a sip from his jug and she noticed that he had already been drinking from it himself. "The one with the slight build? I think his name is Draco." Richard looked over the lake dreamily as he repeatedly cooed the name over and over. "Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco."

Hermione giggled as she rocked to the side. Oh how funny! We're thinking of the same person. "He's always been rather fit." Hermione bit her lip as she thought of him. He tried to feed me when he saw me at dinner and I refused! She gripped the back of her head as her head fell between her knees. I hurt him! He was only wanting to do what was best for me in the dungeon and instead I went after his wand. Why didn't I just go with him? Have Lucius bind us in the morning -

"You think if I go back he'll have me?"

What? Hermione felt white hot rage burn inside of her. Her nostrils flared and her hands balled into fists. Draco is mine. Biting her cheek to stop herself from saying what she wanted to, she tried a different route. "Richard, they tried to kill you. What are you on about?"

He looked at her with an incredulous look. "What? No, Draco doesn't like the game, it's the older bloke who makes him play. But Draco? He's lovely. He would never, no." Richard shook his head with a confidence that made her want to scream. "I think I love him. I should tell him."

No. "Richard, stop drinking the water." She reached for it, but he batted her hand away with force. The clap that was made from skin colliding on skin made her start to see red.

"No. Draco gave this to you, and you gave this to me. I'll cherish it." Hermione reached for it again but this time he also grabbed her bag as he stood up and started to rummage through it with his free hand. "What else did he give you? Why you and not me?"

"Richard - No!" Hermione lunged for the bag once she was on her feet, but the thin man was quicker than he led her to believe. She could feel herself grow more and more frustrated with him. What if he tries to come between Draco and I? She tried to reason with herself. Draco wanted her. He practically admitted it! He told me he wanted to marry me so I could have his kids. Hermione placed a hand over her mouth and a hand over her stomach. Her eyes teared up as she thought about her future as Hermione Malfoy. He'll let me keep my baby! Not like Ron-

Hermione, completely lost in her thoughts, was brought back to the present when Richard shoved her. She tried to regain her footing so she wouldn't fall, but slipped on a slab of mud, and she landed on her side near the lake's edge. He held her ten and three-quarter inch vine wood wand a look of anger on his face. "You lied to me! You lied to me because you're going to steal him from me, weren't you?"

Hermione huffed. Draco is mine, you stupid coot! Hermione knew what she had to do then to defend her happy ending and she wouldn't hesitate to do it.

When Richard started toward her a second time, she used her hands to pull herself away, causing him to walk along the water's edge. Once he was completely parallel to the water'd edge, she pulled her legs back and with a quickness that only came with the years of wandless training Shacklebolt made all Aurors go through, Hermione hooked one foot behind his ankle while she slammed the sole of her other foot onto the front of his knee. "Aaahh!" His knee didn't break like she had intended, but he still fell to the ground, dropping her wand. Hermione scrambled to climb on top of him before he could roll over. Once she secured the upper hand, she planted both feet on to the mud covered ground as best as she could and lifted him by his shirt, before throwing the upper half of his body into the lake.

Before he could right himself up again, Hermione jumped onto his chest. She leaned forward, her hand on his throat to keep him submerged as she used one shin to lock his right arm down and her foot to pin the other arm to the mossy floor of the water. He's mine. He's going to be mine.

Richard tried to thrash and kick her off, but the most he ended up doing was cause them to sink further into the water. By the time he stopped moving, the crest of the waves they had started when they ended up in the water would run over her shoulders and brush her chin. To be sure he was dead, Hermione pushed the rest of his body under the water and when she didn't see his body rise, indicating that his lungs were no longer full of air, but water, she allowed herself to smile.

I'm coming home, Draco.


Draco watched the land before him from his bedroom window at the island manor, guilt riddling him. How could I have forgotten to tell her about the creatures? Tiger Lilies, Bowtruckles and bloody Demiguises are in there and I didn't even say anything. If she's ripped to shreds, I'll never forgive myself. Draco ran a hand through his hair. Just two more hours until the sun is down -

Creeeeeeeak. Draco almost didn't turn around when he heard the door to his room open, expecting it to be his father. When he didn't hear his father speak or the door close immediately after, he turned around and saw Hermione trying to silently close the door behind her by keeping the handle turned until the door was settled into it's frame.

Draco felt his breath leave him seeing her wet tresses fall down her pale, - and surprisingly - bare back. "You're here." It was a whisper that escaped his lips, but she heard it. Hermione jumped at being caught and she hesitated before turning around. She kept her hands in front of her vagina, as she was completely naked before him and embarrassed of the hair she had let grow there over the last few months. "You drank the water." He stood up, not bothering to reach for his wand that was on the bedside table.

"I did." Her answer was coupled with a sigh of relief as she threw herself into his arms. "I got mud all over my clothes and I didn't want to track mud into our home." He would have smiled at seeing her present herself to him in such a manner, but now that she was pressed against him, he noticed she was shivering. "Draco, I'm so sorry for what I said -"

"Shhhh, it's okay." Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione's small frame and kissed her forehead. "We're going to be okay now." He allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her arms around him, even though he knew it was from the Amortentia. This was what he wanted from her, and now he finally had it. Maybe I can just microdose her with it until she actually falls in love with me. He didn't plan to keep her on the potion after he had won the bet, but the rejection he felt in the dungeon still stung and he rather not repeat it again. But... He looked into her large brown eyes, the pupils completely blown as she looked up at him, refusing to take her eyes off of his face. This isn't completely her. I want her in her entirety. No more polyjuiced whores and no more Amortentia.

"Draco?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you think I can have something to wear?"

When Draco pulled back at to look down at her, Hermione batted her lashes at him. Gods, that pout... "Yes, of course." He picked up the blue comforter he had on his bed and wrapped her in it. There will be other times to explore her body.

Hermione smiled at that. She pulled away from him, just a little bit more, and placed one hand on his cheek. "I love you."

He couldn't help himself, he kissed her. It was feverish at first, but after a moment, he allowed her to slow it down. He was out of breath when he pulled away. "I love you, too."


ONE YEAR LATER

Draco snapped the clasps on his suitcase closed and walked to the front door of his office at the Ministry. He looked over the blue and gray walls he never bothered changing, almost as if to say good bye. He wouldn't miss it, not at all, he only got hired here for Hermione after all. He grinned at the thought of his wife as he looked over his now empty desk. A desk that nearly got him in trouble to work on the Monday after he was bound to Hermione as Potter had found several pictures of her on his desk. He was interrogated and sent on holiday for a week, but having several seemingly candid photos of her were not enough for the Ministry to pin the charge of kidnapping on. Potter had even gone to the extent of attempting to have the prostitute pick him out in a line up, but she didn't remember him, thankfully.

Not that it would have mattered anyway, not after the Ministry found the dead body.

The real Hermione Granger was still alive, but once Draco's mother was out of Azkaban and learned the story of how she now had a step-daughter named Hermione Jaqueline Malfoy, she made quick work of finding a muggle who they could plant as a faux Hermione. Draco had paid Hermione's parents a visit after the body had been found, leaving them flowers on their door step to show his parents-in-law respect. It was the first and last time he saw them.

Draco went into a coughing fit and finally closed the door to his office one last time. He walked to the Ministry's lift and pressed it after putting away the handkerchief he had just coughed into. He watched the dial above the lift doors slowly move and he bounced on his heels, eager to get home to his wife. Hermione will be waiting for me. She always does. When the lift finally arrived, he stepped on to it alone, leaning against the back wall, his tired head thrown back on one of the metal bars.

"Hold it!"

Draco's head snapped up and he stopped the door just before it slammed shut. Once the doors had fully reopened, he was face to face with Harry Potter. Draco blinked before greeting him with a swift nod. "Potter."

Harry made a sound in the back of his throat that was somewhere between a scoff and a huff. "Malfoy."

"Heading out?"

"I am." He smiled at the thought of having Hermione in his arms again.

They let the doors close without another word.

Draco never felt guilty when he saw Lead Auror Harry Potter nor did he feel any guilt when he saw another Headline regarding Ronald Weasley's fall from grace. The former Quidditch Star seemed to be the Daily Prophet's favorite go-to story when they were having a hard time coming up with anything gripping for the masses. After Hermione's 'death,' Ron had several public break downs, often with a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand.

Draco looked over at Harry who seemed to be boring holes in to Draco. He knew if Potter ever found the opportunity to pin something on him, Draco would be dead before he could reach Azkaban. "Heard it's your last day Malfoy."

Draco looked up at the dial inside of their lift. They were almost to the ground floor. "Yes. An early retirement has always been in my plans." I'll get to spend the rest of my days with the love of my life in peace. No longer having to interact with the likes of you, Potter. A grin spread on his face knowing that he now possessed the most sacred part of the Golden Trio, leaving the other two pieces unsatisfied with their meager existence.

"Don't think I will ever give up on her, Malfoy. I don't know how, but I know it was you who did it. When I get all the eviden -"

"You speak as if you have any evidence to start with." Draco's face fell once he turned to look at Potter, appalled that the green eyed male kept insisting he would ever hurt his wife. "I fail to see why I have to remind you of this every time you decide to open your bloody mouth: If you think I would have ever laid a hand on the Ministry's golden girl, you're sorely mistaken. Contrary to your idiotic beliefs, I don't have a death wi- wish." Draco coughed into the crook of his arm as he finished what he had to say to Potter. The lift dinged before the doors pushed open. Draco didn't look back as he headed to the apparation points, even when Potter called out to him.

"YOU'RE A SICK BASTARD, MALFOY!"

Not reacting was easy, something Draco was used to. When he was put in a position where other wizards were taunting him, he just thought about Hermione. She was his happy place and one of the reasons why he was eager to finally give up his job at the Ministry. He only stayed for another year so it would not look suspicious when he finally decided to play husband full time.


Once Draco arrived at the manor on their island, he searched for her, as he always did. Draco found her in the nursery, standing in the middle of the room looking over the blue and green decorations he picked out for their son that was due to be born in two months. He planned on quietly approaching her so he could hug her from behind, but another small coughing fit gave him away.

Hermione jumped and turned to face him, hand to her chest. His eyes softened as he looked at her. Ever since he had gotten sick several weeks ago, her eyes had always looked over him when he walked into a room, as if she were trying to assess his health with her keen gaze alone. He loved Hermione for being attentive when he needed it. "You're home." It warmed his heart to know she was looking forward to him arriving everyday.

"I am." He held a hand out to her, a silent request for her to join him.

She took it, but kept her eyes on his face as if she were searching for something. He gave her a quick kiss on her lips, and although her lips remained unmoving against his, he adored their soft feel. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine, Love." Draco started to pepper kisses along her jawline and down her neck. She let him, as she often did, but resisted his hands trying to pull her towards him.

"You're lying." She put a hand on either side of his head so she could look at him before pulling out her wand so she could check hit vitals and his levels.

He grabbed her hand and he felt the unnatural shuddering of her vine wood wand vibrate through it. "I just need to relax. Perhaps a quick kip and I'll be back to normal." He had let her keep the modified artifact after she started to come around several months after their binding. Their relationship was difficult once the Amortentia had worn off the night following their wedding. She had cried, kicked, and screamed as she begged to be released, but he would never allow it. Lucius was good on his word to let Draco keep Hermione on the island, but was of no help otherwise. Hermione didn't stop until he had snapped one night, brought her into their bedroom so he could remind her that he could have been a very loving husband.

The entire night he had made love to her, he promised her the world as his kisses left a trail of goose flesh on her skin. He noticed that after he had to tie her down, she stopped squirming and closed her eyes as she looked away. Draco imagined she was enjoying his hands all over her body, but was embarrassed about it - especially after he got her to orgasm. It seemed that his love had gotten through to her that night, as she had ended up crying with him from the beauty of the love he showered her in. The fight Hermione had felt seemed to die after that, even though she constantly tried to resist him. When she found out that she was with child, she became as complaisant as he imagined she would once she had let herself fall in love with him.

"Draco," His name on her slightly cracked lips always sounded like heaven to him. She is my sun and our child will be my moon. For the briefest moment, he wondered if his heir would be more Gryffindor, Slytherin or even Ravenclaw now that his parents would be around to home school him. Tragic that he'll never go to Hogwarts, but it is a small price to pay for the perfect family life. "Tell me, what symptoms are you experiencing? You look so pale - you're starting to sweat, too."

He looked down on her heart shaped face as she pressed the back of her hand to his head. Her eyes were alert and there was the barest hint of a smile. He wanted to burst with the joy he felt from the love and care she finally provided him. As much as he did not want to worry her, he could never resist her when she asked so nicely. She acted as if she was hanging on to his every word. "Just a cough, mostly. I may have vomited at the smell of lunch, though."

"Does anything come up when you cough? Li- Like phlegm?"

Draco felt a little panicked at that. There had been blood, but even though he had let her attempt to nurse him back to health, he didn't feel comfortable divulging that information to her. Not when her stress levels were a danger to the baby. "No." Hermione's shoulders slumped as she sighed. It was amazing how a year ago he would have suspected her to be disappointed at the news, but now he knew that she was simply relieved. She is happy here, I gave her a good life and she appreciates me. She loves me.

She's mine and mine alone.

"Go to your study. I will bring you tea with honey and we can finally let you take a load off."

Draco put a hand over the one she had kept on his face and pulled it down so he could kiss her palm. "The best of wives and best of women."

Hermione only smiled as she slipped past him to tend to his needs.

When Hermione had stepped into his study, he was in his worst coughing fit of the day. He raised a hand to say he was okay, but violently continued to cough as his lungs contracted. She set his tea and scones down on his desk as she threw the blanket she had retrieved from their bedroom over his shoulders.

Draco couldn't hide the blood splatters on the handkerchief as he pulled it away from his face. He glanced up at Hermione, but it seemed as if she was too preoccupied with making sure the blanket was properly covering his shoulders to notice. "Our anniversary was last week."

She paused for a moment, one hand on his left shoulder where she stood, and the other on his back. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry I can't make it up to you this weekend. I know you really wanted to -" He coughed again and he banged a fist on to the desk in frustration. "I know you wanted to get out of the manor and go on a stroll around the island."

Her voice was at a slightly higher pitch when she spoke and he assumed it was because she was disheartened that he may not be able to treat her this weekend either. "I said I wanted to go to get off the island and take a stroll."

"And then I said we would settle for a walk around the island. It's not safe for you to leave – especially when you're still growing little Scorpius." Draco looked up at her. She doesn't still want to leave still, does she?

Hermione reassured him by pushing the baby hairs that stuck to his forehead with sweat off of his face. "You're so protective." She means that as a compliment, I know she does. "Is Lucius still coming with Narcissa tomorrow to check on his growth?" Hermione placed both hands on her stomach, one rubbing it in clockwise circles.

"Yes." Draco finally reached for his tea and drank from it. It was heavy with honey as Hermione always insisted that it helped her as a child when she was sick, but there wasn't the usual bitter taste this time. He never complained with the small acts of love she provided him, so he did not mention that he liked this cup better than most to avoid her thinking that he was ungrateful.

"Good. It's been much too long since I had seen Lucius." Hermione picked up the book she had brought in with the tea and blanket for her to read as she sat across from him at his desk. She settled into the seat, and he wished he had invested in a camera so he would have been able to capture the perfect moment.

She's mine, not Weasley's. All mine and she's happy that way.


Thud.

"Draco?" Hermione leaned forward in her seat, setting down her copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi that she was reading. The sound of Draco's head slamming into the desk between them disrupted the concentration she had on her book -

No. It was his copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. She refused to think anything in this glorified prison belonged to her, despite the marriage she consented to under the influence of a terribly strong love potion. "Draco, what's wrong?"

It was a struggle to keep the excitement out of her voice as she watched his shoulders heave with difficulty of trying to breathe, but she had to be careful – While Draco was delusional, he was still sane enough to tell when she was outright disgusted by him. It took months to have him trust her enough to get her modified wand back and she wasn't going to mess it up by being too eager before she had the chance to complete the final step of tonight's plan.

"Herm- Herm-"

"Shhhh." Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop her face from splitting open with a grin. She got up and hurried to his side and looked into his tea cup. Not a single drop was left. Good. The Belladonna was taking too bloody long to poison him. Her eyes ell on to Draco's face and she took in the delirious look in his eyes. His lips were drained of all color and he was staring to make the parchment he had his head on look sun kissed compared to his complexion. "Let's get you to bed." Draco was scared, she knew this and she thought he deserved every bit of horror he felt in his last moments as the arsenic spread throughout his body.

Once she had one arm around her shoulders, he vomited up blood and the contents of his stomach. She could still make out chewed chunks of the dessert she had brought him. She eyed his wand that was on the desk, but forced him to stand before he could reach for it. Her heart raced as they took their first few steps towards the door together. When she felt a pain in her side from her small, pregnant frame, she immediately let go of him, allowing him to fall to the floor. "Mmmph." Draco's glazed eyes looked over to her and she could see he was lucid enough to be confused that she seemed completely emotionless as she started down at him. Hermione had hoped to get him further away from the desk before she went back for his wand, but it was clear as day Draco did not even have the strength to crawl. He managed to roll on to his side to openly wheeze as Hermione turned around to grab his wand from his desk.

She rotated the quasi-sentient wood in her hands. It hummed , not recognizing her as its master yet, but it was still a breath of fresh air compared to her damaged wand.

"Herm-" Another coughing fit that resulted in a lot more blood flying through the air shook him and Draco tried to reach towards her, a smile on his face thinking she had been kind enough to hand him his wand. He couldn't lift it up completely as the arsenic was already shutting down his organs. "Clever little wife." A painful groan later and Hermione could smell the distinct smell of feces in the air.

Hermione couldn't help the manic laughter that tore through her throat, seeing him on the ground. "Mad 'till the very end, aren't you?" Hermione hit Draco with a stinging hex, simply because she could. He visibly flinched, but there was not much more he could do.

"I- I- I-" He turned his head to the side to get all of the blood pooling in his mouth out. He was confused on why she was laughing, but he thought that perhaps she didn't know how to help him – Or she knew it was too late for him and was wanting him to pass with a smile on his face, too. He couldn't muster it, everything hurt too much, but he would use his last breath to comfort her in the best way he knew how. "I love you."

Rage filled Hermione then and if she didn't think that he was on Death's doorstep, she would have crucio'd him. "If you do, then die already, you bastard! And don't come back!"

Hermione gripped her swollen belly protectively, wondering if she should cast the Killing Curse just to have him die already. She decided not to as she watched the last bit of light leaving Draco's eyes, his body twitching as it finally shut down. It was better he dies this way, she reminded herself, It would be better to disguise him as sleeping to distract Lucius and Narcissa tomorrow when they came to check on them both. While she felt like she had a foot to stand on now that she was properly armed with a wand, Hermione knew she could not celebrate yet.

As she rubbed her stomach protectively, humming a nursery rhyme about the Itsy Bitsy Spider, she started cleaning up the the study and the body in front of her. Nothing can be out of place tomorrow. Not a thing. She gave a sigh that was almost happy, but mostly hopeful. Baby Hugo's life depends on his grandparent's death. A grin appeared on her face knowing she was going to be free of her captor's clutches. Yes, I'll no longer have to pretend that Scorpius be your name little one and you'll be surrounded by love instead of fear.


TW: Major Character Death