Secrets of the Sixpack

Saga of the Sixpack

Humming happily, Harry began to pack for Christmas at the Burrow, where Ron and Hermione would be waiting. "Well, Hedwig, Merry Christmas to me!"

Aunt Petunia knocked. "Harry, we're leaving. Listen up; I shall not repeat this..." In a hushed voice, she said, "Vernon will be home soon, so if you're ready, I suggest we leave quickly."

"Is he still upset with you? I never wanted to cause you any trouble, honestly..."

"Don't. Please," she said. "Just get in the car." She drove to the train station like a fiend. She rumpled his hair, and sighed, "Don't open this until you get on the train." She handed Harry a small, wrapped shoebox, and added crisply, "Merry Christmas. Don't look at me like that! I can't abide mushy goodbyes. I'll be glad to be rid of you. Just...be careful, Harry..."

Stunned, Harry looked at Hedwig. The snowy owl hooted softly. "Now, what was that all about?" In all the years he'd lived with the Dursleys, not once had anyone shown him the slightest bit of affection. When he arrived at Privet Drive this winter, his aunt had been acting strangely. She had greeted Harry and Blaise with a civil tone, as if they were neighbors dropping by to borrow sugar. While far from warm and loving, her behavior was a big improvement from pretending that he didn't exist. The most surprising thing about their visit was that she had tried to salvage what remained of their relationship. Dumbledore had no doubt explained to her how much stronger the protection would be if she were a bit nicer to Harry. The sad part was that there was no emotional connection to her nephews. The weekend was full of tension and passed quickly.

Just when it looked as if she were about to tell them something important, she had stiffened. It surely was no coincidence that this coincided with the time that his uncle would be coming back from his business trip. If Harry didn't know better, he'd say that she wanted to protect him from Vernon. There was no real threat there, though. No worries, he chuckled inwardly, it's not like I have some evil Dark wizard trying to kill me or anything like that...

Professor Snape had come for the boys before long. It was odd to see the most feared faculty member dressed in Muggle clothes, ushering them onto the Knight Bus. He accompanied Harry as far as the Burrow, before taking Blaise home to Spinners' End. As he watched them go, Harry almost wished that his dad could be the one taking him home for the holidays, but he refused to dwell on sadness. He was back where he belonged. He was finally home at the Burrow. He would see Blaise again soon enough.

Lugging his belongings, Harry bellowed, "Hey, Ron! Wait 'til you get a load of this one..." No one appeared to be home, which was rather odd. While he waited on the front stoop, he eyed the box carefully.

"What do you reckon, Hedwig, my girl?" She hooted softly. "Me, too." He tore into the gift, to find an odd assortment of mementos, pictures, and the like inside. A men's pocket watch inscribed "To James, with love, Lily" and a small locket with his baby picture lay inside, along with some wedding and birth announcements... His eyes lit upon a picture of Lily and Petunia, standing next to each other with huge grins on their faces. On the back, she had written, "Harry, I know you're looking at this as I drive away. Oh, well. As I have no use for these, I'd appreciate you taking them off my hands. Your mother would have wanted you to have them... Aunt Petunia."

Harry mused, "Long as I live, I'll never understand that woman." His happiness was short-lived, however, for his scar began to slowly burn. He knew his happiness angered Voldemort, so he took some pleasure in this. Looking up, he saw Mrs. Weasley approach. Giving Harry a warm hug, she ushered him inside, where all the members of the Order of The Phoenix were gathered, along with his friends. He smiled and accepted warm hugs, and was thoroughly starting to enjoy himself, when he noticed that Ron and Hermione were missing from the festivities. Harry could hear Fred and George upstairs, but not Ron. Harry swore that the funny feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach had nothing to do with the enormous slice of cake he'd cut for himself.

After calling the Longbottoms, Harry's stomach began to twist up in knots. The Order had not heard from them since breakfast. Even mellow Mr. Weasley was starting to get anxious, since Ginny was also very late. Giving it one last try, he dialed Hermione's number again. There still was no answer. He just so happened to be checking the time, and noticed the two hands with the names "Ron" and "Ginny" were moving. Ron's stopped to rest on "hospital", and then Harry's worst fears were confirmed. Ginny's came to stop on "Mortal Peril".

Mrs. Weasley began to cry, but her husband took the situation in hand. He asked the guests to return home, and said that he'd inform them of their condition shortly. When they arrived at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies, they were met by Neville and Ron. Glancing at Neville, Ron exhaled deeply. Harry could tell that whatever the news was, it was terrible. But even he could not imagine what lay beyond the doors to the Janus Thickey Ward.

"Ginny was found by Neville on his way to our house. He brought her here as soon as possible, Mum, but she's in a bad way..." Ron began.

Mrs. Weasley pushed her way through the double doors, to find her only daughter, her youngest child, staring into space with a look of abject horror on her face. At first she thought Ginny was petrified, but she blinked slowly. "What's wrong with her, Neville?"

He shifted nervously, but spoke clearly, "From the looks of it, someone had used the Cruciatus curse on her. I have been trying to reach her, but she doesn't seem to recognize me. That's when I called Ron."

Harry's misgivings intensified. He asked, "Ron... where is Hermione?"

Ron shook his head. "I thought she was with Ginny, Harry," he froze. "We were supposed to meet at Quality Quidditch Supplies to pick up your present. That was four hours ago..."

Harry's heart began to beat frantically. Could the Death Eaters be involved? No; this couldn't be happening already... there had to be an explanation. Maybe she stopped off at the Library, or Diagon Alley. She had to be okay, just had to be. But, as Harry tried to convince himself that there must be some mistake, he felt certain that she was alone, hurt, and frightened. He grabbed the nearest pay phone, and dialed the number for the nearest Muggle hospital.

"Hello; I'm looking for a teenage girl, wavy long brownish hair... no this is not a prank, sir! My friend is missing and I think she may be hurt. Has anyone seen a young girl brought in within the last four hours?" He waited a bit... "Yes! That might be her... Hermione Granger... Oh, thank God! Yes, I'll be there in a few minutes!"

"Mrs. Weasley, I hope you understand... Ron, can you come with me? We'll call you when we get there," he added, running out the door.

When they arrived, a stern looking security guard was standing outside her room. They asked why, and he pointed to a doctor nearby. Thanking him, they asked the doctor about her injuries. After explaining that they were looking for a friend that had been brought here, they waited for the doctor to answer. "Which one of you is her boyfriend?" asked the doctor, looking at Harry intently.

Ron blushed, a deep scarlet, but spoke up. "That would be me, doc."

Harry added, "I'm her best friend. What can you tell us about her condition?"

The doctor relaxed. "What I am about to say is going to be tough to hear, but we can't reach her parents, and she really needs someone to talk to right now. She's been asking for you. She has been attacked by someone, but she won't say what happened." At Ron's horrified expression, she added, "Maybe seeing you will convince her to press charges against her assailant. You can go on in, but please, try not to upset her."

What awaited the boys was worse than they could have ever dreamed. She was so still, so pale and fragile, and yet almost ethereal. She looked so small laying there in the hospital bed with her hair a halo spread across the pillow. There were mostly bruises and scrapes all over her skin, but they knew somehow that the damage was much, much deeper...

Ron approached cautiously, afraid to touch her, but Harry grabbed her hand. "Harry, is anyone watching?" He withdrew his wand and cast a quick spell to revive her. "Enervate!"

When she moved her head ever so slowly to look at Ron, he began to cry. "Oh, Hermione..." She beckoned him closer. He put his arms around her, careful not to hurt her. "Please, tell us what happened to you and Ginny..."

Harry's hands were clenched tightly as she recounted her story. While they were looking in the shop, the girls were harassed by the Slytherins. They decided to ignore the boys, and continued on their way to meet Ron. Crabbe and Goyle knocked into them, and took Ginny's present for Harry. She ran after them, leaving her friend behind. Hermione had tried to catch up with Ginny, when she noticed that someone was following her. She turned down an alley to avoid him. Too late, she had realized her mistake. It was a dead end...

"He laughed... Oh, god, he laughed, and I knew it was him before he turned around. He tried to kiss me, and I spat in his face. Then he used the Cruciatus on me." Hermione's voice began to shake, but she had to say it. Harry knew how much it cost her to say it, but she had always been the brave one.

The two boys held her as she began to shake violently. When the tremors subsided, Harry said softly, "What did he do to you?" He felt like he was going to throw up, this couldn't be happening... but if she could say it, he could hear it. "We're both here for you... It's okay to cry..."

"Who did this to you?" Ron growled, feeling certain he knew who it had been. "There will be hell to pay for this..."

Hermione said, in a voice devoid of all warmth, "Draco."

Just then the doctor came in to check her vital signs.

Hermione motioned to her, saying, "I want to leave with them, now! We have to find my friend. She might be hurt."

Ron spoke up, "Ginny's at St. Mungo's, with Mum and Dad. Do you want me to call them to come and get you?" She whimpered and nodded. He added, to the doctor, "Hermione's staying with my family for the holidays."

The doctor replied, "Well, they can sign her release papers. Before you go, Miss Granger, I need to speak to you alone." She eyed Harry and Ron carefully.

Hermione shook her head. "Anything you can say to me, you can say to them."

She exhaled slowly. "Did you know that you were pregnant?" Seeing the shocked reaction from the boys, she added, "The injuries you sustained to your abdomen almost caused you to miscarry. We were able to stop the bleeding. You suffered quite a bit of blood loss, though."

Hermione leaned against Ron's chest, willing herself to remain calm. There seemed to be more that the doctor was keeping from her. She asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

The doctor sighed, "There has been extensive damage to your internal organs, which may affect you ability to conceive in the future. Now, I usually council young women that they can choose to terminate a pregnancy, with permission from their parents. The world is sometimes cruel to unwed mothers. They are young enough to be able to have another child someday. But, in your case, this may be your only chance to have children. I think you and your boyfriend need to discuss your options." She motioned to Harry that they should leave Ron to comfort Hermione, saying, "There is a phone you can use at the nurse's station."

Harry left the room to call the Weasleys, and as he closed the door behind him and the doctor, he heard her sobbing. "What am I going to do, Ron?"

Ron smoothed her hair away from her face. He held her close, and murmured, "You're going to listen to me... I have loved you for a long time. And I will never leave you, so I guess you're stuck with me, hmm?" Harry was struck by how strong and sure of himself Ron seemed. All the awkwardness vanished when Hermione needed him...

"How can I argue with that?"

The Weasleys arrived before Ron and Hermione finished their talk. Harry sank into Molly's embrace, and let her fuss over him. "You know; you and Hermione are as much our children as Fred and George are. So, don't go thinking you can fool me, Harry. There is something going on, and you will tell me... just how bad is it?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably, and started to tell her when, suddenly, a beaming Ron came driving Hermione out in a wheelchair. "Don't worry about that, Mum; they make all patients use them...Pity they can't just say Mobilicorpus and be done with it." He hugged her shoulders, and Hermione tried her best to paste a smile on. "Now, Hermione needs her rest, so I'll not have you peppering her with questions all the way home, understood? Good."

When they arrived at the Burrow, Hermione whispered to Harry, "God knows I love her, but I'm thankful that Ron can handle her. Harry, I need to ask you something." She pulled him aside, so as to avoid drawing attention to their conversation. "If you had a choice between doing what you felt was right and what was convenient, what would you do?" She fidgeted, and he could tell that she was mulling over something very important.

"Are you talking about abortion?" he whispered the last word. She flinched, but then indicated that he continue. "How I feel about it is irrelevant, but I believe that each person has to make the choice that is best for them. Does that help any?"

"Some. I had always thought that I would wait until marriage. One night Ron and I were having an argument. He... Ron caught me drinking. Don't look at me like that! We began kissing, and somehow it just didn't seem wrong to take comfort in his arms, you know? I don't want to trap Ron into marriage, Harry. I don't know if I'm ready." She sighed, and Harry knew her mind had been made up, "So, what would be the easy thing to do? Get rid of it and pretend it never happened? I'm getting awfully good at pretending, Harry..." She looked almost frantic about the last part, as if that scared her.

Harry had a few questions to ask about what else she had pretended never happened, and why she would have been drinking in the first place. Instead, he replied, "Since when have you ever taken the easy path, Mione? At the risk of sounding like Dumbledore, the right path is never the easy one. At least you won't be alone..."

Hermione hugged him tightly, and he felt a surge of protectiveness run through his body. He admitted to himself that he loved her, that he would do anything to keep her safe. He had never felt anything like this before. He shook himself, as she thanked him for helping her think this decision through. Shyly, she tried to kiss him on the cheek, but he had turned slightly and their lips connected briefly. They blushed, and made their way to the dinner table sheepishly.

At the table, the mood was a bit tense, until Neville called with good news. He had never left Ginny's side all day, and had brought his plant by to cheer her up. It began to croon to Ginny, and she seemed to relax. Then, as he was getting up to stretch his legs, he heard it... a soft sigh from Ginny. Calling his superior over, he noticed her coming around. She wouldn't talk, but smiled at Neville weakly.

"And, Mum, they think she's going to beat this! Neville said he's going to figure out just what the plant's capable of," Ron exclaimed. He started thinking about the day's events, and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing...

Looking at Hermione, he cleared his throat. "I have an announcement to make. I was going to tell you at the party, but..."

His mother sighed, "Ron, dear, whatever it is, I'm a strong woman. Better get it out before the butterbeer wears off..." She smiled, but strongly suspected this was not going to be about his O.W.L.s. Arthur looked at them curiously.

Ron continued, "I'm going to marry Hermione." Harry felt his heart sink into his boots. It had taken six years to discover these feelings that he had for her, and now she would be marrying his best friend. His parents looked like they'd taken a stunner or two. Fred looked at George as if it was a good joke, but one look at Hermione, and they knew Ron was serious.

When she'd recovered a bit, Molly responded, "After graduation, right? Well, that's a bit of a surprise... I'm happy for both of you; really I am, but..."

"No, Mum; I mean now."

Molly stood there with her mouth wide open. It took her a minute to regain her composure. She plunged right into the heart of the matter. "Well, don't you think you're too young to be thinking about marriage right now?"

Arthur tried to calm her down, for he knew once she got her teeth stuck into something, she wouldn't let it go. "I'm sure they know what they're doing, Molly. They remind me of a certain young couple I know..." He smiled pointedly.

She seemed to consider this for a moment. She relaxed slightly. "My father certainly gave you a hard time about it as I remember. I had to tell him that Bill was born prematurely. This is..." she paused, "wonderful news!" she exclaimed, beaming at Hermione.

Ron let out the breath he'd been unaware that he'd been holding. It looked like things were under control. After that, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate quickly. Ginny was going to recover. Ron was going to marry the girl of his dreams and become a father. Me, a dad? He was overcome with love for her, and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

Hermione went to bed early, and the Weasleys chalked it up to the stressful day they'd all had. Ron took his parents aside. They would want some answers. He told Harry to meet him in Ginny's room. Fred and George announced that they were going to visit Ginny for awhile, for which Ron was grateful. Before he could begin, his father patted the chair. Ron sat, waiting for the questions to begin.

Arthur Weasley studied his youngest son carefully. "Now, I know you want to help Hermione, so I'm asking for her sake and Ginny's, what really happened today?"

His mom chimed in, "The girl doesn't look well, dear. She barely touched her food, and for someone who's engaged, you'd think she would be chattering away like normal." She patted his arm gently. "I've had seven children; I know when someone's pregnant, son."

Ron sighed, "Hermione's due in the summer. We have decided to keep the baby. This may be our only chance to be parents, so I really need your support on this." Suddenly, he looked panicked. "Mum, Dad; I almost lost her!" And the baby, he added silently. "And she wouldn't have known how much I love her..."

His dad responded, "And that's why you popped the question, eh? That's okay. We thought you two were getting serious this summer, but I guess we didn't realize just how serious." He gave Ron a sympathetic look. Then his face hardened. "Now, as far as the attacker, we need to know who did this. We need to report this, son."

Trying to control the rage building up inside him, Ron answered, "Draco. Sending him to Azkaban is not enough. Dad, he's always been nasty to Hermione, but now he's gone too far. I could kill him with my bare hands for this..."

Molly rose from her chair, and enveloped him in a hug. "We can understand that, son. Justice will be served. With Lucius in prison and Fudge's death, I doubt that Malfoy can buy his way out of this one. Besides, Madame Bones is quite the force to be reckoned with. She seems to have a built-in dung detector where the Malfoys are concerned. Dumbledore will come by in the morning to discuss a few things. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

Upstairs, Harry and Hermione were having a similar discussion. Harry tried to convince her to tell the authorities, but he wasn't sure if he was getting through to her.

Finally she said, "I just want this nightmare to end. Even if I go to the authorities, he'd just walk away, scot-free, like he always does."

Harry took her hand. "Ron won't let him. He'd see him dead first. And that is why you have to tell the truth. Speaking of the truth, when were you going to tell me that the two of you were officially dating again?"

"Well, Harry, you have to admit that you were pretty scarce for awhile. When Sirius died, you distanced yourself from us, and began spending more time with Luna. We figured you needed time, and you would talk about it when you were ready. We began spending more time together, and we kissed quite a bit, actually. But, Ron handled it in his usual manner, and more often than not, we'd end up fighting. Near the end of September, things were going too fast for me, and I told him I wasn't ready to sleep with him. He accused me of not loving him enough. After that row, I broke up with him." Hermione paused as Ron entered the room.

"Well, obviously you two made up," Harry tried to sound cheerful. He couldn't believe he had never noticed the romance resume under his nose. Then again, he had been spending more and more time with Luna, talking about Sirius, his parents, and her mom. He had been withdrawn during the fall, but Luna had gradually coaxed him out of his depression. The rest of the year he had mainly been trying to cope with his knowledge of the prophecy and his role in the defeat of Voldemort. He had pushed his best friends away, believing them to be safer that way. Luna had pointed out to Harry that Hermione would have automatically been a target for being a Muggleborn witch, and Ron's whole family would have been fighting on the frontlines anyway, even if they had never met him. She had added that now the Death Eaters knew who had been at the Ministry the night that Sirius died. Harry would not be protecting them by shutting them out of his life. Listening to Luna put things into perspective for him. If they hadn't banded together at the end of fifth year, Harry was positive that most of them would not have survived.

Harry tried to focus on the present. Now his best friends were in love, and expecting a baby. If someone had told him that last year, he would have thought them insane. Harry was amazed that the Ron's parents were taking things so well.

Kissing her on the forehead, Ron said, "It's going to be okay. They love you like a daughter, you know. You are already part of the family as far as everyone's concerned." Harry addressed Ron, "Are you really going to get married, mate? I mean, it's just that this whole situation is a bit hard to digest, you know?"

"Harry, I love her, and I can't let her go through this alone. Actually, I'm really starting to look forward to being a dad." He climbed onto the bed, and invited her to rest in his arms. She leaned back and closed her eyes. With Harry and Ron's support, she began to feel more confident about the pregnancy.

Watching them, Harry began to feel envious of their happiness. So much pain and suffering, and yet there was so much hope there... Harry found himself thinking that his parents and Sirius would have wanted him to have a chance at a normal life. Maybe it was about time that he started thinking about his future, and whom he would want to share it with.

The topic shifted from the impending wedding to school, and he was pleased that Hermione intended to complete her education. Hermione assumed that studying would keep her mind occupied while her pregnancy progressed. As usual, she had earned the most OWLS in their class. Harry was quite sure that she would pass her NEWTS with Outstanding marks with Molly watching the baby. He wasn't quite so sure about his own grades, but he felt encouraged by his steady progress during sixth year. The biggest surprise for Harry had been that he'd received an Outstanding in Potions. Just the thought of the solemn Potions Master having to swallow his pride and admit him into his class had been almost funny enough to make him forget how tough the class could be. It was challenging, but Harry had taken great pride in proving Snape wrong about him. Spurred on by Professor McGonagall's vow to make sure he became an Auror, Harry tried to be a model student in the class, even ignoring Malfoy as much as possible. It had been a tough year, but somehow Harry had managed to look beyond his loathing of Snape. "You'd be proud of me; I've finished my Potions essay already, Mione."

Hermione frowned slightly, "I don't know if I can stomach Potions this year." The boys seemed to find this funny. "Well, really; it'll be all Snape's fault if I throw up on him. He'll probably take a hundred points of Gryffindor because of it, too." They laughed together, and it felt like everything was normal between them again.

Harry was walking on the beach near the lake, hand in hand with a long-haired girl. She knelt on the sand, pulling him down to her. With a giggle that sounded very familiar, she told him to lie on his back and look up at the night sky. Pointing out the brightest object in the sky, Luna said, "You're confusing Venus with Mars. That's perfectly understandable; even Hermione has made that mistake. Note how Mars has twin moons, Phobos and Deimos, Fear and Panic. Don't worry, though; everything will be okay. Now, over there is Sirius... the star next to my mother. She always said that if I needed her, there she would be. The ones we miss will never be forgotten."

Harry looked at her for a long moment. "Luna, you are something else entirely..." He rolled onto his side so that he could look into those silver eyes again. Hypnotic, almost pulsing with light, they drew him in. That she could see the world as she did...He marveled again at how truly unique Luna was.

She found him staring thus, and inquired whether she had something on her nose again. He smiled, and kissed the tip of her nose. "Just this..."

Her nose crinkled up with delight. "You're silly."

He became aware of so many little things, like the fall of her chest as she breathed, the way her wand was always tucked behind her ear, the softness of her lips. He thought to himself, "I must be silly" as he leaned in to kiss her...and then her face changed into Hermione's.

He awoke to find himself lying on the bed with Hermione's leg draped across his, and her head resting on his chest. His heart began to beat faster when he realized how close he had been to kissing her. That's strange... I don't remember falling asleep in here. Good thing I almost kissed Hermione and not Ron, he thought, blushing, although that might be just as bad. He looked over and saw Ron snuggled up with her on the other side. He heard an amused chuckle from the doorway, and groaned.

"Morning, Harry." Dumbledore smiled. "Care to join me for some tea?" Harry extricated himself from the tangle of body parts, and stretched. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mirth, but he refrained from comment until they were downstairs. "Sleep well, did you? Don't worry; I've seen how much you both care for her. She's lucky to be loved so much."

Quickly, Harry responded, "I don't love her like that. She's my best friend, practically a sister to me..." He tried to switch to a less embarrassing topic. "Do you know about what happened?"

Methinks the lad doth protest too much...Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid so. We have much to discuss, Harry. She will need both of you now, more than ever. I need you to be there for her, Harry. You must protect her from Voldemort." In a soft voice, he said, "We'll continue this later. We're about to have company..."

Ron and Hermione came down to breakfast hand in hand. They blushed when they saw that Dumbledore was already there. He continued, "Well, Miss Granger; it would seem that congratulations are in order. A Weasley wedding! Come, let's see the blushing bride!"

Looking her over, Dumbledore smiled. His eyes held that familiar gleam, which Harry understood to be a sign of impending mischief. "Have you thought of names yet?"

"Names?" Ron gulped. "For what?" He glanced nervously at Harry.

Dumbledore replied, "Well, if you're going to be a father I would think you'd have thought of names, Ron. A new generation of Weasleys! Just think about it!"

Ron looked at Harry. "Trust me, I am. How do you know about it?"

He smiled. "Professor Trelawney had a premonition. So, among other things, I came here this morning to see for myself." Harry wondered whether she had spoken in that harsh voice that he had heard. Before she could say anything, he pointed his wand at Hermione's belly. A puff of purple smoke came out of the end, splitting in two. He began to chuckle.

Hermione bellowed, "Well, I'm glad you think this is funny! Sorry if I don't laugh with you! Just because she had one true premonition, you seem to think she's on a roll..." She glanced at Harry, as if asking for help.

Harry replied, "Well, two, actually..." At her astonished expression, he said, "The prophecy about me, remember?" He looked amused, as well. Something had just occurred to him.

"Well, what's so funny?" she demanded.

Harry replied, "Well, leave it to Ron to give you twins!"

Over breakfast, Hermione asked the question that had been preying on her mind ever since she found out that she was pregnant. "Am I going to be expelled?"

Dumbledore smiled. It was typical of Miss Granger that she would rather face death than expulsion any day. Gently, he teased, "Do you honestly believe for one moment that I would expel a student for being pregnant, especially one of the most talented witches of this or any century? I thought you were a genius, Hermione."

She was confused. "Then, how am I going to finish school and raise twins?"

"What about the twins, dear?" Ron's father responded from the doorway. Hermione groaned inwardly to find that both of Ron's parents had entered the room. As she was about to speak, Dumbledore rose from the table to greet them.

"Good morning, Arthur; as always Molly it's a pleasure to see you again." They shook hands with the Headmaster and then sat down.

"Are Fred and George okay?" Molly Weasley responded in a worried voice. Albus answered jovially, "Of course. I was just wishing Miss Granger a Merry Christmas, and inquiring as to her health. It seems that she has a present for you both." Hermione faced his parents. Ron squeezed her hand, and she began to tell them about the pregnancy. When she had finished, they gathered her into a big hug. Molly tried to get her to eat something, but she refused, suddenly looking green. She swiftly ran to the bathroom. Hermione shouted a few choice words that Harry had not been sure existed in her vocabulary. Hermione's response raised a few eyebrows. Ron whispered to Harry in awe, "Blimey! Hermione's been hanging around the Quidditch pitch too long!"

Hermione wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She wandered out of the bathroom, deciding to check in on Ginny. As she climbed the stairs, she heard the sound of a door creaking. She crept forward, wishing she had her wand handy. "That's silly. The Burrow is absolutely safe. It's just my overactive imagination."

"Harry, be a dear, and go check on Hermione," Molly insisted. "She's been in the bathroom for quite some time." Harry nodded, and walked swiftly down the hall. He grimaced as he considered the thought that she may still be vomiting. He could hear her voice echoing from upstairs. Taking the steps two at a time, he soon reached the top.

He gasped. There before him stood the Grangers and Hermione, apparently involved in an argument of some sort.

Hermione repeated adamantly, "I'm keeping the babies. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind."

Her mother's jaw dropped. "Sweetness, we've got your best interests at heart. You're only seventeen. How can you even consider keeping the pregnancy?"

Hermione refused to back down. "I'm legally an adult in the wizarding world. This is my choice, not yours! I will not have an abortion. You have to trust my judgment on this."

"Trust your judgment? When you refused to tell us the truth about what you and your friends have been doing at that school? When you came home scarred at the beginning of summer? When you let yourself get knocked up at seventeen?" her mother screamed.

"It's not her fault, Beth." Her father tried to be sympathetic "Someone took advantage of her, obviously, and he's too much of a coward to do right by her. Tell me, sweetness, where is the father?"

Harry barely noticed that Ron had appeared right behind him. Ron's fists were balled up, always a bad sign. Between clenched teeth, he muttered loudly, "Standing in front of you, sir! I am no coward! I'm in love with your daughter. I have every intention of marrying her, and raising the twins with her. All I ask is for your daughter's hand in marriage."

He ignored Ron, focusing on his daughter. "That will never happen! I forbid you to have any contact with him ever again, Hermione! You're going to the keep the appointment, and that's the end of it!" he spoke, in a voice that brooked no argument. He added, "Do you want to end up like his mother? No career, living in poverty, and with several mouths to feed? We expected better from you!"

At that, the Weasleys joined the fray. "Are you saying what I think you are? That our son is not good enough for you?" asked Molly, stunned. She had thought they were her friends.

"Maybe I should put it in words that you can understand then..." Hermone's mother said in a nasty tone of voice. Harry had heard his aunt and uncle use that tone, but it was very odd to hear that from Mrs. Granger.

Arthur roared, "Don't you dare speak to my wife that way!" He jumped to his feet.

"Will you please sit down and be quiet!" Dumbledore ordered. He whispered to Harry, "Those are not her parents. The Grangers are at St. Mungo's. I know this because I visited them myself this morning." The room grew silent. Harry couldn't believe that her parents could be so thick that they couldn't see they were about to lose their only child.

After a moment, Mrs. Granger found her voice. "We will not sit down and shut up; we're leaving! Hermione, collect your things." She turned to leave. "How could you be so irresponsible? We allowed you to attend a school far from our supervision because we trusted you. We didn't worry about you with boys, because we knew how focused you were on your studies. Apparently we should have worried. Well," she concluded, "there's only one thing to be done about this. We're taking you home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. My place is here, with my fiancé. I'm finishing Hogwarts, and then we will raise the twins together." Hermione glared back at her parents with a look the boys were all too familiar with, having been on its receiving end numerous times in the past.

Her father spoke. "If you don't come with us now, then you are on your own!" She shook her head sadly. As much as it hurt her, Hermione stayed rooted to the spot. This was the most difficult decision she would ever make, but she knew that if she backed down now, she would never see Ron again.

"So be it." She watched sadly as her parents walked out the door, refusing to let them see her cry. Ron and Harry reached for her, and she allowed them to pull her into a hug before the tears finally came.

While Bill checked the wards around the Burrow, Molly handed Hermione another tissue. "They'll come around, you'll see. It was quite a shock to see them, I know. Given some time, your parents will recover. In the meantime, you know that Arthur and I will be here for you, right?" She gave her a quick hug before excusing herself from the table.

Harry and Ron had never seen her look so dejected. Her real parents had been very supportive and encouraging. Even though she knew these Grangers were imposters, she felt that they had abandoned her when she needed their love the most. Harry noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were whispering excitedly in the kitchen. He put his hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I'll always be here for you, too. Who helped me catch up on homework when Umbridge was keeping me in detention? Who helped me study for six years worth of exams? And, who was there for me after Sirius died?"

"And," he continued, "Who refused to let me wallow in self-pity and guilt? Whenever I needed someone to put me back on track, you've straightened me out. I need to say this to you. I love you, Hermione." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I have been so afraid to tell everyone how much I care about them, because everyone I love dies. I'm sorry that this had to happen to you for me to admit it. I just couldn't handle losing you. I could have stopped him..."

Hermione grabbed his hand. "It is not your fault Harry. It is not your job to protect me, although I appreciate the gesture." Their eyes met. Harry realized that maybe she had overheard Dumbledore, after all. She whispered, "And the sentiment." Then she continued in a more normal voice, "I can take care of myself. I just wish that my parents could have been there for me."

Mr. Weasley spoke. "Hermione, you will stay with us for the summer as planned, after leaving Hogwarts. We have talked it over, and decided that we will help you and Ron raise your children. Fred and George have their own flat, so it would only be Ron and Ginny at home otherwise. We have more than enough room, so don't think for a minute that you are intruding."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. It means a lot to me. I don't want to be an inconvenience."

"Oh, rubbish!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "These are our grandchildren we are talking about! I really missed having babies around. Although, I thought it would be Bill getting married first, with the way he and that Fleur carry on..."

Kissing her cheek, Ron helped her to her feet. They excused themselves so that they could get dressed. Harry ran upstairs, intending to owl Blaise with the news. He smiled. "I have a brother!" It still felt good to think about it.

After the door closed, the Headmaster leaned forward. "Now that Miss Granger has gone, it is time to discuss her future. While her immediate needs will be met, we still need to be concerned. Her life may be in danger as the pregnancy progresses. Voldemort no longer has need for secrecy. He will attack, and when it happens, it will be swift and brutal. He will target the ones that Harry loves, and that includes you. Do not doubt for a second that the attacks on the girls were a warning. Young Malfoy did the dirty work, but he is far too intelligent to have acted without a direct order. Since Lucius is in Azkaban, who do you think Draco would take his orders from, hmm?"

The Weasleys looked at each other in fear. "It would seem young Malfoy has replaced his father in Voldemort's favor."

As they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, Hermione took Harry aside. "I received an owl from Professor McGonagall. She has asked me to help her teach Transfiguration after graduation."

"That's brilliant!" Harry grabbed her in a quick, friendly hug. "Everything will work out, you'll see. You'll always have family at Hogwarts, something it has taken me a long time to figure out."

Hermione hugged him back fiercely. "I don't know if it's the hormones talking, but I really love you right now." Her eyes misted over, and she kept her face pressed to his chest. It was if time stood still. The words 'I really love you' seemed to echo in his mind. Harry tried to ignore the painful thudding in his chest, and tried to joke his way out of the situation.

"Don't let Ron hear that, 'mione," he added with a wink. "You know he's the jealous type!" He hoisted he trunks into the compartment, ignoring her protests that she was pregnant, not invalid. He excused himself and went to sit with Luna and Neville again. It would be strange riding without Ginny, though, since she wasn't allowed to return to school yet.

"Over here, Harry!" yelled Neville. He was carrying an unusual plant that Harry recognized. Harry walked over, thankful for the distraction. "Grab a seat; I'll be back after I talk to Ron."

Luna was sitting in the compartment reading the Quibbler upside-down as usual. She patted the seat next to her, indicating Harry to sit with her. His heart skipped a beat; he had really missed Luna. Harry couldn't help blushing when he remembered the dreams he had been having about kissing her during the break. Harry was brought back to earth abruptly when Draco bumped past him, muttering obscenities under his breath. Apparently he hadn't noticed it was Harry, for he kept going down the corridor. Harry was tempted to follow him, but he realized that it wouldn't be good to start the school year off with a fight. He would have a day of reckoning, make no mistake about that. Instead, Harry took a deep breath and entered Luna's compartment.

Wanting so much to kiss her, he thought he'd burst. Her eyes lost that dreamy look that she usually wore. With wisps of hair falling out of her bun, and her cat's eye reading glasses, she looked so beautiful. He remembered how she had initially refused to wear them when she first got them, and how he had to convince her that they really were becoming. The top few buttons on her shirt had come undone, leaving bare her creamy neck. Sitting there, reading the Quibbler, she hugged her knees to her chest, which showed off her slender legs to advantage. Harry longed to gather her in his arms. She may seem serene and a bit aloof normally, but he was beginning to see a new side to Luna Lovegood.

Or maybe it was the hormones talking; yeah, must be good old-fashioned teenage lust. Being a teenage male, and a virgin to boot, must be the culprit... Was this normal, wanting her so much it hurt? She sighed, and his breath caught in his throat. Who did he think he was kidding? He had it bad for her. He couldn't lie to himself much longer. These feelings were stronger than simple desire. He was so confused.

When she had told him about the Ravenclaws hiding her belongings, he had felt pity for her, 'Loony' Lovegood. She had seemed less far-away than usual, and he had begun to realize that, much like the mask he wore around his friends after Sirius' death, Luna also wore a mask. That way no one knew how lonely she was or how much the teasing and pranks really affected her. Harry could relate; he could be surrounded by his friends and teammates, and still be plagued by this aching sadness. He had carried much more upon his thin shoulders than anyone else, and that was before the knowledge that when the final battle occurred, he would have to kill Voldemort or be killed. No, more accurately, he had to kill the Dark Lord or the wizarding world he had grown to love would disappear.

Luna was the only one who understood the terrible burden Harry had undertaken. Her mother had died, and from what he understood, her father, although he provided for her physical needs, had been too grief-stricken afterwards to be emotionally available. He couldn't love her without remembering her mother, and so she had learned to hide behind her mask. Then, her father and his pregnant girlfriend were killed. Over the past few months, he had seen a vulnerable side of Luna that she hid from the world. "That way, they don't know that they've gotten to me."

Harry had vowed that this year, he wouldn't hide any longer. She had pointed out to him that pushing love away would not protect his loved ones. Love was not his weakness; it was his strength. His mother's love had protected him. Hermione's love inspired him. Maybe his love for Luna could heal him.

"Luna..."

"Oh, you still there, Harry?" she looked up, with what he swore was a twinkle in her eye. She was teasing him! He never thought to see it. Maybe they both were letting their guard down. Encouraged by this, he took her hand.

"Thank you for being my friend. I don't know how I would have gotten through last year without you. You always listen and never judge me. Since Ron and Hermione's announcement that they are engaged, I haven't been sure of what I feel. I thought maybe I was jealous, that deep down, I had feelings for her. I realized that I envied their happiness; that I wished my life were simple, that I wished I was normal."

"But, you're not normal, Harry. You're no Ravenclaw, but I thought you were smart enough to figure that out," she mused, with an intriguing smile playing upon her lips. She seemed unperturbed that Harry harbored feelings for Hermione.

"Thanks a lot! I know I'm not. Most teens are worried about homework, and finding jobs after graduation, and falling in love... I don't know if I'll even survive graduation! For the first time, I'm thinking of a future beyond Hogwarts. Assuming I survive, since to fail would be unthinkable... I want to marry and have many kids running around, like the Weasleys," Harry continued. "And, I want to teach at Hogwarts. I never dreamed that I could be a good teacher, but I must admit that I enjoyed teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts under Umbridge's nose."

Suddenly serious, Luna turned to him. "I think about our future all the time, Harry. I see its many possibilities unfold before me and it scares me. I've known since that first day on the train..." she suddenly stopped, self-conscious. Her eyes started to glaze over.

Before he lost his nerve, or lost her to her private world again, he leaned forward to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft, and more than he dreamed they would be. He was caught up in the magic of being with Luna. As their lips met, she relaxed into the kiss. It was fairly quick as kisses went but it left a lasting tingle. She sighed dreamily, "You could do that forever, and I wouldn't protest in the least." They held each other for an eternity it seemed, until they heard a cough at the door.

Neville was blushing slightly, but seemed quite pleased by the turn of events. Pretending that nothing had happened, he sat down. "You'll be pleased to hear that Ginny has been improving steadily since your last visit, Harry."

They looked at Neville expectantly, so he continued. "Did you know that when you add elderberries to boiling stinksap that it can be used to treat catatonic patients? The chemical produced stimulates brain functions related to memory and coordination." He began to blush again, but this time Harry knew it was from pride. There were few things that Neville had a talent for, and Herbology was one of them. The other, not surprisingly since he was the son of Aurors, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had been working very hard since meeting Bellatrix Lestrange. When the time came for a showdown, he would be ready.

Neville was bursting with joy. He blurted out, "Ginny's been doing so well with her treatments that the healers have said that I could begin testing the potion on my parents as well!" No wonder he was so excited! His parents had been in St. Mungo's since he was a little boy.

"That's wonderful, Nev. I know I will never get my parents back, but I'm very happy for you that you have the chance to," Harry clapped him on the back, as Luna rose to study him.

"There's something different about you. A green, peaceful aura surrounds you. You have so much more confidence than when you started your journey. May I see your wand, please?" she asked in an awed tone of voice. She turned it over, smelled it, and finally tapped it lightly against the window. The window began to glow faintly. Satisfied, she handed it back to a confused Neville and sat down. Smiling at Neville, "That's no ordinary wand; then again you are no ordinary wizard."

Neville hastily replied, "I'm nobody special. That's my mum's wand. My dad's wand got broken last June, so Gram gave me this one. It really is a beauty, though, isn't it?" he sighed. "Phoenix feather and willow."

Luna stroked the leaf of the plant absentmindedly, then said, "Neville, were you in the room when your parents were cursed?"

"I was in my mum's arms; why do you ask?"

Luna smiled serenely. "That explains it, then. Your clumsiness has disappeared and your memory has improved, and now I know why." At their blank expressions, she continued, "Harry was protected from the Killing Curse by his mother's love, but it left behind a scar. Neville, you were protected from your parent's curse by their love, but you carried your scars on the inside." She pointed to his head.

Harry caught on. "Right; then your contact with the plant's sap has been reversing the effects of the curse. Luna, you're amazing!" he laughed, pulling her into his arms. It felt quite normal to hold her, as if his arms were made especially for that purpose.

They continued to talk about Ginny's progress and Neville's private Potions lessons with Professor Snape until the train reached Hogwarts. Neville mentioned that he had scored well enough on his OWL that any other teacher would have been pleased, but he knew that Snape would never have accepted him in his NEWT level class without an 'Outstanding'. His grandmother, astounded by his work with Ginny, demanded that the Potions master tutor her grandson. She felt that he needed to continue if he intended to become a Healer. Harry was surprised that Snape had agreed, and without resistance.

"You are the one person I can't hide from. My soul is bared before you, my love naked for all to see. You could use me, hurt me, reject me... and I'd still love you. It's a magic that I cannot defend myself against. It's worse than any Unforgivable Curse. I can't fight it, and I don't want to..."

Harry awoke in the Gryffindor common room, reliving the most incredible dream of Luna. He had never seen her so full of passion, unless you count defending her father's newspaper. Her feelings for him could not remain buried, and neither could his for hers. He started to stretch, when he suddenly noticed the pressure on his chest where she had fallen asleep. OH MY GOD! He started to panic. It was real; the whole night with Luna had been real. There was a fire smoldering in the fireplace. His arm lay draped across her back. She snuggled up to him, pulling the blanket closer around them.

Harry looked up into his best friends' eyes. They had missed the feast, and he had not seen either before retiring for the night. They were the only Gryffindors awake this early in the morning. Harry tried to register the look in Hermione's eyes before she ran off. Ron, on the other hand, was grinning like a fool. "Oh, this is rich! Well, tell me all the sordid details..."

Harry tried to get up without disturbing her. He tucked the blanket around her, put another log on the fire, and started to tell him that nothing had happened. "It wasn't like that, honestly. We mostly kissed and held each other... Ron, I don't know what to do!" He explained how she had confessed her love for him, and that he had realized how frighteningly in love with her he was.

Ron asked what was bothering him. It took a little coaxing, but Harry began to open up. "I'm worried about hurting her. With Luna, my head tells me to take things slowly, but..."

"But, what does your heart say, mate?" Ron asked gently.

"That I don't have the luxury of time. My parents had a few short, wonderful years together. I'd rather have tonight in her arms than a lifetime without her. Remember how your mum asked how you knew you were ready to marry Hermione? Well, I feel the same way about dating Luna. Oddly enough, together we make sense."

A yawn escaped Luna's lips, betraying her. "Sorry, couldn't help hearing. Hello, Ronald." She stretched, and then walked over to the table that the boys were sitting at, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck.

Luna smiled dreamily. "He said I was his lovely Luna." She gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek. "Borrow the Invisibility Cloak, love? Filch is lurking outside the portrait, and the last time he caught me he wanted to handcuff me. I said that sounded kinky but he wasn't my type."

Harry and Ron started to snicker. Luna added, "I'd rather not deal with him right now, or I might lose my appetite." Suddenly her eyes glazed over. Staring at Ron, she said in an airy voice, "You should find Hermione before she does something quite Unforgivable." That stopped them cold.

Harry and Ron raced outside. They began their search in the library, but something was nagging at the back of Harry's mind. Something about the conversation he had with Hermione. What was it he'd said? Ron wouldn't let Draco get away with hurting her. He'd kill him first. Inwardly, Harry groaned. He'd been so worried about Ron exacting his revenge on Draco that he hadn't thought of level-headed Hermione doing the deed herself.

Hermione ran from the room. Panting and nauseous, she struggled outside for some fresh air. No. It doesn't matter. I'm marrying Ron. She kept focusing on that one happy thought. Hermione had everything she wanted. She knew she should be happy, but something deep inside felt broken. The secret that she tried to hide from her friends was steadily eating away at her. Everyday it had become more difficult to pretend that everything was fine. She pushed past the other students, not stopping for breakfast; she would just throw it up, anyway. She went to the one place that she knew they could be alone.

Draco followed her down to the water's edge, hoping that she would hear him out.

He couldn't think of what to say. The note had said that she had to talk to him. How could she trust him to be with her alone after what he did? "Hermione..."

"Don't call me that! You haven't earned the right!" She turned with her wand ready, expecting him. Do it now. Kill him. She should hate him. She should want to tear him to pieces. She should want to kill him. She had to do it now, before she lost her nerve. That's it; just two easy words: avada... Still, when she looked into his eyes, she wavered. "Back off, Malfoy! Come any closer and I can't be held accountable for my actions!" she warned him.

Draco stopped in his tracks. "Please, you need to know how sorry I am..."

Hermione cut him off. "Sorry? SORRY???" she laughed; a bitter, choked sound. "You, apologize to me? You ruined my life! You just take what you want, and never think about the pain you inflict. Go back to him; be a good lapdog for your new master. And when he rewards you for your faithfulness by cursing you, remember that you brought this upon yourself."

"No." He kept his distance, and his composure.

"What do you mean 'no'? Leave me alone, or I'll kill you now," she warned, hoping to scare him away. She tried to think rationally. Killing him would not solve the problem; she had been wrong. She tried to ignore the voice inside her head that screamed Revenge! Hermione struggled with herself for control.

"I mean, no: I won't go away and I'm not going back to the Dark Lord." His answer took her by surprise. Draco reached for her hand. She shrank back in horror.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" she screamed in anger. "Never touch me again! How many times do I have to warn you before you get it through your thick skull, you stupid git? I have a wand pointed at your heart." Why did he have to look at her like that? It would be so easy to hurt him if he reverted to his usual, nasty self.

"Now, I'll say this only once, so you'd better listen. I will never, ever forgive you for what you have done to me. If you try to harm me again, I won't hesitate to use force. I asked you here to tell you to leave me and my friends alone, or I will tell Dumbledore that you used two Unforgivable curses on me. The only reason you haven't been expelled is because I haven't pressed charges. I have one chance at happiness and I won't let you ruin it for me..."

Her head began to throb. Hermione began to feel weak. The world seemed to spin before her eyes. She dropped the object that she held behind her back. As she felt the darkness close in on her, the last thing she saw was Draco step forward to catch her as she fell...

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Harry and Ron heard a shout for help. They ran to the lake, to find Hermione unconscious in Draco's arms. "Get your hands off her, Malfoy!" Harry yelled, waving his wand at her assailant.

"I swear I didn't touch her, Potter! I don't know what's wrong with her!" Draco held her limp form close. "We were talking, and she just collapsed!"

Ron joined him, pointing his wand at Draco as well. "You'd better put her down before you lose a popular appendage. Harry, put him in a full-body bind!" he ordered, drawing closer to the pair. His eyes never left Draco as he bent to check the unconscious girl.

"Don't be stupid, Weasley! Get Madame Pomfrey now!" Draco resisted the urge to sneer at them. "You're wasting valuable time! She needs help. Get over yourselves for just one moment, and help me carry her!"

Harry's eyes flashed with anger. He felt his lips curl back into a twisted grin. Go on; do it. Kill him. The voice whispered in his ear. You know you want to. He hurt the one you love. Harry shook himself. NO! Not again. This time Harry refused to let Voldemort influence him. He recalled his Occlumency lessons, and tried to calm down. "Ron, let him up."

"WHAT?" Ron exclaimed, glaring at Draco. "He attacked Hermione!"

"We need to get help for Hermione. We'll let Dumbledore deal with him later," Harry responded. "Something tells me that Malfoy for once is telling the truth." He indicated his scar, and then motioned for them both to carry her.

They made their way up to Madame Pomfrey's office, which drew a crowd of onlookers. Draco, it seemed, was behaving himself for the time being. He only asked to remain nearby in case she awoke, which puzzled them. Since when had he ever shown an ounce of compassion towards her? The others were allowed to visit, but he stayed outside her cubicle. Dumbledore watched this with great interest. When Ron and Harry left for classes, he assured them that he'd have a talk with Draco. He watched as Draco came to her bedside, and held her hand.

"I wish she would wake up. Then I can take her away from here. Oh, my little spitfire had hated me on sight when we first met, but eventually she will grow to love me, for myself. If only my father could see us now, he'd be turning in his grave! Well, it doesn't matter what Father thinks anymore. Voldemort promised me anything I wanted for being faithful and I want Hermione.

The Dark Lord wants me to kill her. What a shame that old Moldy Wart doesn't know I play by my own rules. When Father was sent to prison, I became the man of the house. Mother doesn't care about me; she only wants to distance herself from the scandal as much as possible. I never wanted to kill anyone. I care for her; especially now that she could be carrying my child. How could he order me to kill her?"

Draco thought about the events that led to this moment. During the previous summer, the Dark Lord told him that if he got a mudblood pregnant to dispose of the child. He never thought he would actually have to go through with it. He told himself that he never would have cast the Imperious on her if she hadn't embarrassed him. She had to kiss him in front of the school, didn't she? He had been disgusted, but not for the reasons every thought. He was angry at himself for being tempted by her. He had imagined since then what it might be like to kiss her again. He had to have her! When he kissed her, he found her compelling. Why should Potty and the Weasel get to partake of her riches, and not him? He was a Malfoy after all, why shouldn't he just take what he wanted?

Now she lay there, and his wished that he had never become a Death Eater.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he whispered. "I wish I knew how to help you. No one will tell me what the problem is, but I know it's because of me that you are here. I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me."

Dumbledore startled him. Standing at his side, he asked, "Master Malfoy, we need to discuss a few things. Miss Granger has developed complications during pregnancy."

Draco cleared his throat. He began, "Then, you know what I've done. The Dark Lord has ordered me to kill her, but I won't do it. I want out, Headmaster. I can't run; he'll track me down. I don't know what to do. The only thing I know is that I have to protect her from the Dark Lord."

Dumbledore sighed. "I don't envy you your position. However, I do trust you." He placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Harry and Ron, I fear, never will."

"I know. They have no reason to believe that care about her," he sighed. He changed the subject abruptly. "What about Hermione? Why hasn't she woken up?"

"She has developed high blood pressure during this pregnancy, not uncommon in the Muggle world. She needs to reduce her stress levels or else her blood pressure will sky-rocket again. That's what caused her to lose consciousness. It's hard to say how severe her case is. She may require bed rest near the end of the pregnancy. Can you honestly say that you can provide her the care she needs, especially when you are on the run?" He mused sadly. "No, son; you mean well, but kidnapping her, no matter how noble your reasons, is not the answer. She is safe here."

Draco began to cry silently. He rubbed his sleeve across his face. He replied, "I will take full responsibility for my actions. Please, don't send me to Azkaban. The Death Eaters will kill me."

Dumbledore studied him carefully. "Why? Why do you care so much about a...Mudblood?" he whispered the last word.

Draco was shocked. "Don't call her that!" he protested.

"You call her that."

"Yeah, well, I'm no angel, sir," he began. "I know that was wrong of me to call her that. I thought of her as insignificant, an annoyance, a bug to be squashed, for a long time. I care now and that's what counts, right? She's carrying my child, sir. I can't let her deal with this alone."

Dumbledore surprised him by hugging him. "That took a lot of courage, son. I am not letting you off the hook, understand? You will need to atone for what you've done. But I see no merit in sending a child to the wizard's prison." Dumbledore stared down the bridge of his glasses at him, and continued. "However, you used an Unforgivable curse. That carries a heavy penalty. I'm not sure that you realize the seriousness of your actions."

"I do." Draco looked at her, lying so peacefully on the bed. "I brought this on my own head by getting involved with my dad's mates. I'll do whatever it takes to make amends," he said as Dumbledore left the room.

Madame Pomfey appeared from her office. "Why didn't you tell him the truth, Albus? He's not the father and you know it."

Dumbledore spoke softly, "Would you tell him that his rival is the father, knowing that he won't live long enough to see trial?" He walked away, a tear slipping slowly down his cheek.

Hermione awoke to find Draco sleeping by her side, his head resting on the bed. She drew her hand away from beneath his. Where am I? Oh. Sick ward. That explains the huge headache, then. What is he doing here? She glanced around. There's no one else here, just Madame Pomfrey. Her door was slightly ajar, in case Hermione needed help. How am I going to get out of here? She took a sharp intake of breath when Draco began to stir. When he saw that she was awake, he smiled sleepily.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?" He stretched and yawned.

Suddenly it all came rushing back at her. "You should be dead. I saw you lying there, dead by the hand of your master. He punished you for letting me live. Why would you do that for me?" Her eyes reminded him of that Loony girl.

Draco grew alarmed. What was she talking about? "Hermione, I think I should get Madame Pomfrey. You must have been dreaming. See, I'm here, alive; touch me." He gently took her hand and she began to sob. "I'm sorry..."

Her head seemed to clear a bit. "It's not about that; I'm crying because I thought you had died to save me and the..." She looked up at him suddenly, as comprehension dawned on her face. "OH. Just a dream, forget it."

"Don't tell me to forget it. You were about to say 'baby'. Admit it," he pleaded.

"Not your concern. Now, leave me," she demanded. She tried to rise, but found herself terribly disoriented. "Get out of here, Malfoy," she spat.

Draco sighed. "As you like it. But, before I go," he drawled, fumbling in his pockets, and withdrawing a familiar object, "you forgot this." He placed the item gently on the bed and moved away from her. As he stood in the doorway, he said, "I can't undo the damage I've done, but I will make amends."

After he left, she looked at the time turner and began to cry. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to make it so difficult?

She heard a gentle knock at the door. Luna stood there swaying a bit, uncertain whether she should come in. Hermione motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How sad, sweet Hermione; how terribly sad..." Luna studied her for a moment, and then plunged right into the heart of the matter, as usual. "You're pregnant."

"Yes, I know that, thank you!" Hermione tried to paste a smile on, but found her mouth hurt too much. How could Harry betray me like that? No one was supposed to know.

"Harry didn't tell me."

Hermione looked at her curiously. "Luna," she asked, "can you read minds?"

The girl sat on the bed, staring in that disconcerting way of hers. Her silvery eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Of course not; that would be silly, now wouldn't it?" She wiped half-heartedly at her eyes. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Luna added, "No, the spirits told me. They're worried about you."

Hermione groaned. Great; she really is loony after all. "Why would they concern themselves over me? What do I have to be sad about? I'm going to marry the man I love, and bear his children. What's more, I've been offered a position as a teacher's aide for Transfiguration after graduation. The Weasleys have offered to watch the kids while we finish school. I don't have to give up my dreams, Luna."

Luna interrupted, "But you have to live with a nightmare."

Hermione wanted to scream at her, but Luna would probably just smile and babble on about Humdingers and the like. Calmly, she asked, "Do you have a point?"

"Ron was not your first. You were raped," Luna replied in a soft voice. "The worst part of it is that you cannot tell anyone about it. For all they know, you were in the infirmary because of the scar on your arm. Am I close?" Luna leaned forward, placing a kiss upon Hermione's brow.

Hermione gasped. "How did you find out about that? I never even told Ron about what happened." Hermione couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Oh, Luna; it was terrible! I thought that Ron would despise me if he knew that I'd let that piece of filth touch me. When it happened, I couldn't fight back." Hermione paused, and tried to block out the pain of the memory. "After I was released from the infirmary, I was so happy to see Ron that I confessed my love for him and begged him to make love to me. Now I'm pregnant, but I'm forever haunted by the past," she finished.

"You couldn't forget what happened," Luna agreed, reaching for the other girl's hand, "yet you couldn't tell anyone, either."

"I wanted to tell Harry when it happened, but he had so much to deal with. After Sirius died, no one could reach him except for you. Even Quidditch held no joy for him," she remembered, the beginning of sixth year a half-forgotten dream by now. "I wanted to be there for him, but he wouldn't let anyone comfort him."

Hermione thought about Luna's influence on him. She may not have liked the Ravenclaw initially, but she had proved to be a loyal and compassionate friend, never asking for anything in return. If not for Luna, they might not have survived the night at the Department of Mysteries. She admitted aloud that she had been jealous that Luna could help Harry to talk about losing Sirius when she could not. They had spent more time together, since, Hermione admitted, she had been wrapped up with Ron and prefect duties.

"Would you like to get out of here? I know something that might cheer you up, if you're game." Hermione agreed and grabbed the other girl's hand. Luna and Hermione giggled as they tried to sneak out of the infirmary. Luna wanted to show her something very special down by Hagrid's hut. A baby unicorn had been born a few days before. The foal was silvery in appearance, and she remarked that its coat would become white as it reached adulthood. Hagrid chuckled to see the two girls who were so different from each other bonding like sisters over the birth. He reprimanded them mildly about getting back to bed. With a promise to come back later, they left him to take care of the other creatures in his charge.

Harry, Neville, and Ron were gathered in the Gryffindor common room. While the others were busy talking about Quidditch and classes, Harry was filling Neville in on far more serious matters. "After we left, I swear I saw him enter her room. When I asked Professor Dumbledore about it, he said that Draco would trouble us no longer, but he seemed very sad about it."

Ron elbowed him sharply, and said above his head, "Hey Harry! When's our next practice?" He indicated the other Gryffindors.

"In two weeks. In fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. We have quite a dilemma on our hands. We need to find another Chaser now."

Seamus grunted in displeasure, "But what about Ginny?"

Harry cleared his throat nervously. "You didn't hear, then? She's in hospital."

Ron added, "My sister was attacked. I really can't say when she will be released. Neville, do you want to field this one? I really need to check on Hermione." Ron and Harry let Dr. Neville fill them in on the Ginny situation, although they did feel bad for him. Soon the whole school would be buzzing, but that couldn't be helped.

Hermione had been asking Madame Pomfrey if she could leave when Ron and Harry arrived. She looked a bit better, and they knew that she would be worried about missing her classes. She was told that she could return to the dorm, but not before they promised to make her take it easy. Ron followed her up to the girl's dorm, kissing her at the entrance, amid hoots and giggles from the girls. His little owl Pig came swooping in with a short note from Dumbledore, stating that he had permission to enter the girls dorm to see Hermione, and warning him that there may be nakedness within, so please knock first.

The girls crowded around her, since no one had seen her since the night before. Ron explained that she had been quite ill and needed her rest, and kissed her forehead before leaving. The girls were curious about Ron's exemption, for last year he had come looking for her and the alarm had gone off. Hermione blushed three shades when Parvati and Padma squealed, noticing the ring on her finger. When the commotion was over, she was approached by Lavender. She smiled and punched the future Head Girl lightly on the arm. "Well, that explains a lot!" Softly she whispered, "I gave my girlfriend a promise ring this summer. I'm really happy for you, honey."

Hermione gave her a big hug, and replied, "That's wonderful!"

"Too bad, though; I thought you were with Luna."

She laughed. "Well, she did kiss me once, if that's what you mean. I think she's pretty happy with Harry, though."

"NO WAY!!!"

Between the tryouts for new players and keeping up with homework, the trio had their hands full. Hermione was busy with wedding preparations and planning for their new family. Ron was either practicing at the pitch or helping Neville with Ginny's therapy. After discussing the matter with Professor McGonagall, Harry had been made co-captain with Ron, since both would have other duties. The game was fast approaching, and they still were short a Chaser and a Beater. Jack Sloper, one of the Beaters, had been told to bring up his grades or he would have to quit the team. Just as they despaired of finding replacements in time for their first match, a unique opportunity presented itself.

Harry buried his head in his arms at the lunch table one day after an exhausting morning of Potions, followed by Occlumency. So far, Professor Snape had not spoken to him any more than was absolutely necessary, refraining from his usual cruel criticisms. Harry was used to this silent treatment at the Dursleys. He became determined to show Snape that he deserved to be in NEWT level Potions, and began to work harder than ever. When he finally fell asleep at night, he dreamed of Hermione and Luna. Harry must have dozed for a few minutes, for he slid into the dream easily.

Hermione was being held against her will and her belly was enormous. He could see her struggling with her bonds, and trying to scream out a curse, but her words were frozen mid-sentence as a contraction wracked her body. "The Half-Blood Prince shall not be allowed to take his first breath." A body wearing Hogwarts robes was lying at the feet of Harry's nemesis. "Stupid boy! No one defies Lord Voldemort!" With a shock, Harry realized it was Ron.

Harry's scar began to ache. He understood the connection a bit better now. If danger was imminent, it would hurt a whole lot more, and judging by Hermione's distended belly, the event would take place months from now. He felt rather than saw Luna approach the table, and he sat up straight when he realized that she intended to sit with him. Luna gazed at him lovingly, and toyed with her chocolate pudding. Then she announced, "I heard that you were looking for a Chaser. I have the perfect girl in mind. She's about your height, with long red hair and a smattering of freckles across the nose, and she's standing behind you, giggling."

Harry turned slowly, and shouted, "Ginny!" and the next thing he knew the whole team had been part of a group hug. Luna sat there watching them, eating her pudding. Her eyes twinkled with merriment, pleased that her secret had been well received. Ron, Neville and Hermione approached, deep in discussion. They greeted the Gryffindors, and then turned to Luna.

Hermione spoke first. "Hello, Luna. Is there any more pudding left? I suddenly have a craving for it," she inquired, winking. Luna pushed hers forward, but found Hermione's hand on top of hers. "No, you finish yours. I have so many strong men to wait on me hand and foot, you know. Come with me," she said, pulling her along to celebrate with the team.

Neville was beaming as Ginny grabbed his hand, drawing him into the circle as well. Ginny announced, "This is your lucky day, guys. Not only do you have your Chaser, thanks to Neville, but I may have found you a Beater. What do you say, Neville? Should we show them our stuff?"

Everyone began to chatter at once. Neville had been quite accident-prone, and seemed to have had a fear of flying as well. They couldn't picture him as a Beater. Ginny whistled through her teeth. "Listen up! Neville saved my life and my sanity; I think he deserves a chance to save our sorry arses." She went on to explain that after she was released from the hospital, she tricked him into helping her with her "physical therapy".

Ron added, "She told Neville that she needed someone to practice with her if she wanted to try-out for Chaser. It turns out that he actually had a knack for the job. Neville certainly gave her a run for it." After they ate, everyone headed for the pitch, to see how much they had come along. Ron pointed out, "See, I told you he was good."

And so it became official; the Gryffindor team was still in the running for House Cup after all. At the practices, Luna and Hermione had plenty to talk about. It felt great to cheer on their boyfriends. Hermione could tell even if Harry was oblivious that Luna was far more than a friend to him. At the end of the last practice before the first game, they were sworn to secrecy about their new Beater. Hermione couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when the announcement would be made that one of their new Beaters was Neville Longbottom, once the clumsiest kid in school.

Draco wept in his room all evening. The Dark Lord would not allow the child to live, all because of a stupid Prophecy. The paranoid megalomaniac apparently had heard of a similar prophecy concerning Harry as well, and when Draco heard Bellatrix mention it, he almost felt sorry for Saint Potter. However, hearing that his half-blood child was destined to die caused a change in the boy. When the tears would no longer come he decided to leave. He couldn't very well stay here, not after he had been branded with the Dark Mark. All he knew was that if he went back to the Death Eaters that his master would read the traitorous thoughts in his head, and dispatch him as quickly as possible. He saw only two options before him: run and never look back, or kill as many Death Eaters as he could in a blaze of glory. Either way, it was kill or be killed. Now he knew how Potter felt. The silver-haired boy drew his green cloak around his thin shoulders and whistled for an owl.

His arm began to throb painfully, and he nearly doubled over in agony. His Master was calling his faithful servants to him. Draco shivered in the cold night air as he walked over to the thestral. He spoke softly to the mare, and she listened intently. He asked politely if he could ride, remembering an unfortunate incident with a certain hippogriff. Then, he drew his knife across his wrist, offering her a taste of the blood she craved. He bound his wrist tightly, and mounted the flying horse. She carried him across the lake, past the train station and far away. When he arrived in Diagon Alley, he knocked on the back door entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Slipping a few Galleons into Tom the innkeeper's fist, he rented a room for the night to ponder his next step.

When Hermione awoke the next morning, she was startled to find an owl at her window. She thanked the bird, and ripped into the letter, thinking it was a love note from Ron. What she read there chilled her to the bone:

Hermione,

I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, although I don't deserve it. As you read this, the Muggles will have already found my lifeless body. The Dark Lord has ordered your death at my hands, but I can't kill the mother of my child. You're an intelligent girl; you know what that means... I'll never have the chance to see his face, but I know he'll be one handsome little bloke. He's a lucky kid having you for a mum. I'm just sorry that you'll have the burden of raising him alone.

She wept openly, for she was afraid that this would happen. She ran to Dumbledore's office, and said the password, "Chocolate frogs!"

She flung herself upon his lap, sobbing. The Headmaster stroked her back, whispering, "I know, sweet girl... I know..."

Harry awoke to the sound of flapping wings. He fumbled around for his glasses, and with a big yawn asked, "Hedwig, what is it, girl?" He quickly read the letter, and muttered a few choice words. Then he nudged his best friend awake.

Ron complained, and had the note shoved under his nose. He scanned its contents as well, and commented, "I can't believe he'd do such a thing." They both got dressed quickly, and reported to Dumbledore's office. The first thing they saw was Hermione crying on his shoulder. They each selected a chair, and waited for an explanation.

"There has been a tragedy, as you are well aware of. What was left of Draco's body was found early this morning at King's Cross. He apparently leapt to his death in front of the train. They found his personal effects, and a note." Dumbledore handed the blood-stained note to Harry. He continued, as Harry read along, "The boy left his entire inheritance to Miss Granger, to care for their unborn child."

Ron looked at Hermione, his eyes pleading that this was not true. She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away from her. Harry cleared his throat. Softly he said, "The truth is that he raped you, didn't he? That's why he thought it was his child."

Ron exhaled slowly.

"It's my fault that he's dead. I should have told him that Ron is the father of the twins. I never thought he'd kill himself!" she cried. With a little prompting from the headmaster, she told them everything. When she was done, she turned to Ron. "I'm sorry to keep this from you. When we started dating again, I tried to pretend it never happened. A clean slate, you know? After the incident in the alley, he began sending me notes, apologizing for hurting me. He claimed that Voldemort had placed him under curse, but I didn't believe him. I mean, his father claimed the same thing; why should I believe Draco was any different?"

"When did he find out that you were pregnant?" Harry asked.

"After school started; he tried to talk to me after Potions class, and then I threw up on him. I wasn't kidding about that class!" she replied. "I sent him a note asking him to meet me. That's when he told me he wasn't going back to the Death Eaters. He tried to take my hand, but I freaked out. Turns out he wasn't trying to hurt me; he saw how pale I looked and was concerned. And now he's dead..."

Dumbledore soothed her, "He would have been sent to Azkaban anyway, my dear. Even if he was under curse when he attacked you, he would still have been convicted for using an Unforgivable curse to have sex with you. In the Muggle world, there are similar circumstances, are there not? What he did was like drugging you. You should not blame yourself for this unfortunate event."

Ron exhaled slowly. "I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me the whole truth. You shouldn't have had to suffer alone. Come here," he embraced her. He stroked her hair and whispered, "It's okay, I'll always be here."

"Ron, please take her back to her room. I'll be speaking to Minerva about moving her out of the dorms and into a private room. After all, we must make our new Head Girl comfortable." Dumbledore winked. "She'll be obsessing over her NEWTS in no time at all."

Harry laughed. "That's no surprise! Of course you'll do well, Hermione. Just don't overdue it," he cautioned. "What will we tell the other girls, though?"

Ron mused, "We could say she needs her privacy for health reasons. We don't need to tell them the reasons, though."

Hermione was still a bit shocked. She asked, "What about Ron? I mean, we are engaged. We will be getting married after graduation. They'll know soon enough when I can no longer hide my belly."

Dumbledore explained that until the wedding they would continue to live in the dorms. Then they would move into a private room together. He assured Hermione that this would not be the first pregnancy that they had handled at Hogwarts, although it would be the first time that the Head Girl was the mother. Things could be tricky but manageable. When she began to yawn, he told them that she could take a nap in his quarters. Harry hugged them both, and then turned to Dumbledore after they left.

"Why do I have the feeling that Malfoy's not really dead?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I need not remind you that this goes no further. There has been another prophecy made, concerning a child known as the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, my boy, I have reason to believe that the child is Hermione's. Son of a Muggleborn and a Pureblood, the boy is destined to become even more famous than you, if you can imagine."

Harry tried to stifle a laugh. "Poor kid."

The Headmaster continued soberly. "At first I thought the child to be young Malfoy's, but knowing that she carries twins, it's safe to assume that Ron is their father. As for the boy, Tom sent me an owl saying that he had spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron. He will not cross paths with Hermione. I've sent him on a mission of sorts. You may be very happy to learn that he will be learning tolerance for Muggles firsthand."

"What did you do?" he asked with a smile slowly growing on his lips.

The headmaster looked Harry in the eye. "I've sent him to live with your aunt. Now, Harry," he began when the boy's temper started rising, "There's no need to worry about them; he has handed in his wand, so to speak, of his own volition. He will not harm them."

"Well, I'm not exactly worried about the Dursleys... oddly enough I'm worried about him." Harry groaned.

Thus began the redemption of Draco Malfoy. He had been eager to prove that he had mended his wicked ways, but he never thought to be punished this way. Anything was better than Azkaban. He kept repeating this like a mantra. As Harry had predicted, the Dursleys were livid, but the letter they had received explained that he needed to learn a few lessons. Dumbledore was invested in saving him from becoming a carbon-copy of his father. He hoped that he would recognize the impact that his actions had upon her life. It would be very difficult to criticize Muggles when he was dependent on them.

"Bloody hell," Draco sputtered.

"Language, Draco," replied Petunia. "Dishes don't wash themselves."

"In my house they do..." he replied stubbornly.

"Well, we don't own slaves or use magic to do chores, so you'll just have to get your hands dirty." She looked him squarely in the eye. "And we do not use the 'M' word around Mr. Dursley either. Now, I know who you are and what you are, and it's against my better judgment taking you in. But I believe that your upbringing has everything to do with the situation. You can't just take what you want without repercussion. If you don't follow rules here, I can send you to the see the headmaster and you'll end up in prison like your father."

Draco groaned. He wanted to know how it felt to be Potter. Now he had his answer. What he wouldn't give to have his wand... but he couldn't think that way. Mrs. Dursley had agreed to let him stay with her until things blew over. He would have to do menial labor for the taskmaster, but at least he was alive and free. He gritted his teeth and rolled up his sleeves.

Hermione gazed in the mirror at her growing belly. She talked to the babies every day, but today she just couldn't keep from pondering the wonder of it all. "Mummy needs to find a dress. You two are growing so big that I won't be able to fit into a gown at this rate!" She smiled wistfully. In a week she would be married. Fred and George had printed up the wedding invitations at their joke shop, and were quite pleased that the recipients had no idea whose wedding it truly was. She began to laugh as she read one.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Miss Wouldn't-You-Like-to-Know and Master Mind-Your-Own-Business which is to take place on Valentine's Day in the Grand Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As it is a secret rendezvous we urge you to invite as many onlookers as you can. Bring your own Butter Beer. A smashing good time will be had by all, and all will be smashed by the end of the party... A huge surprise awaits you.

Ginny would be her maid of honor, and of course, Harry would be the best man. Luna and Neville would also be part of the wedding party. Almost everything was ready, aside from her dress. She wished her parents could have come but she tried to be realistic. She sighed. Her mum would have known a seamstress that could help with her current dilemma. Just then, an eagle flew through the open window bearing a bulky package. She hastily unwrapped it to find the softest pale pink shawl, and underneath a sight which made her gasp. The dress was a very simple design, with a split at the top of her belly that revealed a pale pink underskirt, and a scooped neckline. The sleeves flared slightly at the wrists, giving the dress a medieval feel. She searched for the note.

Dearest Hermione,

Every bride needs to feel beautiful on her special day. My mum wore this on her wedding day. Mrs. Weasley has made the adjustments, so I'll take her word for it that it will suit you just fine.

Love always, Harry

She heard sounds coming from the hall. She walked over to the door, and pulled it open very quickly. Her best friend had been leaning against the door, and fell on his bottom. "Harry; it's too wonderful for words!" she exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. She paused for a moment to gaze deeply into his eyes. As if by magic she found herself meeting his lips. The kiss lasted for quite some time. When it ended, she drew back guiltily.

Harry ran his hand through his hair nervously looking at the floor. He mumbled, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist..." He started to back away but she grabbed his arm.

"Harry, it's okay! You just startled me." She studied him carefully, and added, "Really; I'm touched. Flattered, even." He wouldn't meet her eyes, until she forced his chin up. "You are a very special guy, Harry, and any girl in her right mind would be glad to be yours."

"Ron's my best mate, and here I am snogging his wife. I'm a real genius," he groaned.

She leaned in close. "Ron never has to know. This is just between us. Thank you for the dress, by the way." She had been surprised by the kiss, but she knew that it was quite innocent. Like all things with Harry, it was just very intense. Truth be told, she was glad he had kissed her. She used to think that Harry would be the one she would marry, since she and Ron fought almost constantly. She freely admitted to herself that if Ron had not asked her out on a date first, she would have asked Harry out. At least now she knew where she stood. Embarrassed, Harry left shortly after, reminding her that they had so little time left before finishing Hogwarts.

Arthur ran into the Leaky Cauldron for a quick pint, feeling pleased with himself. He couldn't resist picking up a present for his grandchildren, matching robes that said Chudley Cannons on them. He also bought a little orange bow for the girl. He thought aloud, "I could get used to being a grandfather." Then he yelled out to the whole tavern, "Hey, everybody! I'm going to be a grandfather! Drinks are on me!" The whole place cheered. About an hour later, he was nursing his pint when someone approached that he thought he'd never see again.

"Weasley," the blonde sixteen-year-old demanded.

"Malfoy! What rock have you crawled out from under? Wait, I thought you were dead..." Arthur burped. "Oh, excuse me! I must have had too much to drink. You must be a hallucination. Cheers, hallucination!" He raised his glass to Draco.

Draco hissed, "Keep it down, will you? I'm alive, but I won't be for long if you keep this up. I'm here on Order business. Just ask my cousin Nymphie over there. Now, listen... I don't expect you to trust me, but I'm here because I wanted to know how Hermione is."

Although his first instinct was to tell him to sod off, Arthur was a bit inebriated, and so he told Draco angrily that she was getting married on Saturday. He saw Tonks approach the boy, so it seemed that for once he was telling the truth. They left together shortly after, leaving a drunken Weasley boasting to anyone who would listen about his family's good fortune.

Draco had to think fast. He couldn't stop thinking about her marrying Ron. He had to see her one more time before leaving the country. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed important that he go to the wedding. He couldn't very well waltz in there after being declared legally dead, though. He needed to speak to Dumbledore right away. While he was deep in thought, someone pushed past him, and instinctively Draco reached for his wand. His hand grasped nothing, and then he remembered that he was supposed to pass for Muggle. He looked up in horror to see his father walking away, deep in conversation with MacNair.

Harry smiled. Everything was ready for the morning of the wedding. He hurried to the Great Hall. Kneeling to place the last few gifts on the table, he paused. He withdrew a small box out of his robe pocket. Tonight was going to be a special night.

Luna waited patiently outside, talking to the portrait about the trip that she had taken to Sweden. No Crumple-Horned Snorkacks were sighted, but she was not giving up. Someday she would find the elusive creature, and bring back photographic proof of their existence. This would place them on the Animals Living in Vanishing Environments list, or ALIVE for short. She owed it to her father to continue his search for truth. Very pleased with herself for thinking of this, she smiled. Then she frowned. What if they didn't exist? What if they were extinct? Then the wizarding community might never enjoy the creature in its majestic splendor. That thought made her very sad.

Harry found her sitting in the hallway, with her arms hugging her knees to her chest. She looked the part of the tragic heroine, hair disheveled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Luna," he said quietly and gently tilted her chin up to meet his face.

She stared at him for a moment and then relaxed. "Harry. I forgot the password." She added sadly, "And the Crumple- Horned Snorkacks may be extinct."

Harry helped her up, and brushed off her robes. "There now; they could just be hiding. Perhaps they are merely shy around humans." They walked through the portrait to the common room. Harry walked backwards so that he could face her, pulling her along. "Look above you," he whispered.

Luna gasped in pleasure. One hundred hearts that spelled out 'I Love Luna' hung suspended in mid-air, each with a miniature Luna on it. She grinned, saying, "I see that you've been paying attention in Professor Flitwick's class." Try as she might, she couldn't seem to affect the airy quality that her voice usually held. Then, very softly, she said, "You knew that it was me."

Harry shrugged, and then ran a hand through his hair. He replied, "I wasn't really sure until this winter. I had so much on my mind that day. I admit I was a little embarrassed because everyone would be there for the DA meeting. Later, I wondered if Ginny could have done it, but I knew that she was over her crush on me. I realized that you were the first person to arrive."

Luna blushed, something Harry had not been sure she was capable of doing. "Remember when I said that I knew on the train? I knew that we would be together. The women in my family have a sixth sense, as you've probably guessed. Sometimes we can hear spirits, or know something before it happens, especially if it involves our loved ones. My mother's family traces its roots back to the time of the Celts. They believe that each person has an 'Anam Cara', the Gaelic word for soul mate, and that when I met mine, I would know the person right away. The person that I am destined for is you..."

"You are the one person I can't hide from. My soul is bared before you, my love naked for all to see. You could use me, hurt me, reject me... and I'd still love you. It's a magic that I cannot defend myself against. It's worse than any Unforgivable Curse. I can't fight it, and I don't want to..." she trailed off, turning as if to leave.

Harry reached for her, and pulled her in close. He kissed her gently at first. Luna sighed against him as he began to explore her neck with his mouth. She urged his mouth lower, and he paused to look up at her. Harry whispered, "Are you sure?"

She responded by grabbing his hand and placing it boldly on her breast. "I want to feel your kisses all over my body..." she whispered. She leaned into him, and a shudder went through her body. He withdrew briefly, and she thought that maybe she had scared him off, but it was only to clasp the back of her neck to bring her lips closer to his. He claimed her mouth with an urgency that he'd never shown her before.

Harry reached under her shirt to unhook her bra, and found that she wasn't wearing one. A thrill went through him as he imagined what she must look like under her uniform. Luna removed her sweater and began to unbutton Harry's shirt. He fumbled with her buttons because he was nervous, but at last she was revealed to him, and he gazed in wonder. She was beautiful, in a pale, ethereal way. To him, she was the goddess, and he intended to worship her with the tenderness and reverence that she deserved. He carried her over to the sofa, and laid her down gently.

Luna trembled. She wanted to see where the night would take them. Her fingers tightened in his hair and tiny sounds escaped her throat. She started to squirm around a bit, and panted, "Please."

He raised himself up to meet her eyes as she reached for him. He had to admit that this experience was far better than he had imagined so far. He had very little experience with girls, and admitted to himself if it hadn't been for the owls he'd received from Fred and George, he would have no idea what to do. As it was, they were not the most helpful, referring to the art of love in Quidditch terms, but Harry was sure he had the general idea. He felt as if he would soon burst if she continued kissing him like that. Then, all of his hesitation vanished as they gave in to their longing.

As their bodies joined, for the first time in his life, he felt at peace. This was Luna; this was home. Safe in each other's arms, they found their sweet release. Harry was overwhelmed by the swirling emotions he was feeling. It was all too much to handle. He found himself clinging to her long after his energy was spent, his need for physical contact suddenly the most important thing in the world. His shoulders began to shake with the force of the deep sobs that he couldn't control. Somehow she seemed to understand that he had been starved for so long without human affection, and just held him tight, reassuring him with her love. When his spasms ceased, he raised himself up weakly. Harry hastily wiped away his tears, and mumbled his apologies.

Luna assured him, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. This was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me, and I feel blessed to have experienced it with you." Harry relaxed as she pulled him up to meet her eyes. "There will be no misunderstanding between us. We both wanted this."

Harry said, "I don't think I could stand it if I lost you, Lu. I... I love you, Luna."

He kissed her forehead, and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Look up, Harry," she replied. Pointing to the ceiling, she added, "No

nargles this time. Did you know that the custom of kissing under the mistletoe is a watered down version of pagan fertility rites? The Celts and Druids have long used mistletoe to aid lovemaking. When the Christians settled in the British Isles, they converted many pagan customs into Christian ones to help attract followers and ease them into the new religion. That led to many customs losing their significance..."

"Fertility rites, Luna?" Harry started to panic.

Luna teased, "Don't worry, Harry; I'd make an honest man of you! I am in Ravenclaw; do you think I wouldn't know about contraceptive charms?"

Harry smiled lazily. "Don't scare me like that, Luna." I think I rather prefer the old time religion, then; especially when it means celebrating the holidays like this. He kissed her forehead, feeling happier than he had ever felt before. He was quite sure that if a dementor approached, he'd be able to conjure the brightest Patronus ever.

Half an hour before the ceremony, Hermione paced back and forth, obsessing over every detail. Interrupted by a knock at the door, she yelled, "What?"

Ron replied, "Good Evening Mrs. Weasley!"

Hermione groaned, "Oh, god; no! Don't call me that! That will always be your mum's name." She chided him gently, "You know you are not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. Sod off, Ron!"

Ron replied, "Hermione, I love you. I'll see you soon." She listened to the sounds of Harry dragging the lovesick groom down the hall, and sighed.

As she walked into the Great Hall, she was surprised to see how many people had showed up for the wedding. Most of them were not sure if Ron or Harry were the groom, since she spent all of her time with either boy. The only girls that knew were the sixth-year Gryffindors. Hermione took a deep breath as the wedding march played, crossing her fingers behind her back. Her friends were already waiting at the front of the hall. She wished that her father could have been there, but she smiled at Arthur on her arm.

As she began to walk down the aisle, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Neville distracted her by saying, "You look lovely tonight."

Hermione felt a tear slip down her cheek. She surprised him by embracing him fiercely, saying, "Don't make me cry! I spent eons perfecting my makeup this morning!" They joined the rest of the wedding party. He placed her hand in Ron's and found his seat next to Blaise and Draco. Hermione almost tripped. Draco? She mouthed at him. Oh, dear God. What was he doing here? She struggled with herself for a moment, and then regained her composure. Her imagination must have been running away. He was not here, could not be here, except in spirit.

The ceremony, officiated by Professor Dumbledore, proceeded smoothly for the most part. Ron's ears were flaming, but he looked so happy and proud to stand with her. Harry couldn't take his eyes of off Hermione. His heart began pounding madly. Harry felt a mixture of sadness and joy watching his best friends exchange vows. He wanted them both to be happy, but it tore him up inside as well. She would always hold a special place in his heart. He was so taken by the beauty of the ceremony and the bride, that he didn't notice the blond boy sitting in the second row next to his brother.

"Is there anyone who objects to the joining of these lovebirds in marriage?" Dumbledore intoned, looking directly at the second row. Harry happened to glance that way, and was completely unprepared for the sight of Draco jumping to his feet and approaching the couple.

The gathering began whispering loudly to each other as they realized just who had risen. Draco began in a trembling voice, "I have something to say..." Hermione looked as if she was about to faint, and Ron supported her body against his. Draco looked directly at her when he said, "I have wronged you, Hermione, and for that I am heartily sorry. You will hate me more for what I am about to do, but I cannot keep this secret any longer." Turning to face his peers, he admitted, "I used an Unforgivable curse on Hermione and took advantage of her. She is pregnant with my child."

Hermione began to sob. "No, Draco! Please don't do this here, in front of everyone! God, why must you haunt me like this? I finally managed to heal and you have to rip my wounds open for all to see." She couldn't take this any longer. His timing was impeccable. Gently, she tried to convince him that Ron was the twins' father.

"No; it's not true..." He backed away from her, shaking his head. She reached for him as the people watched in shock as the drama unfold before them. "Is it?" His eyes searched her face, and then his heart dropped into his stomach. She really meant it. "I hoped... I mean, I thought I couldn't, well... you know," he faltered.

Looking at the guests, Hermione raised her voice. "Give us a moment, please?" She then took him aside and said, softly, "Draco... when it happened, I thought I could never forgive you. I hated you so much, but then I found out that I was pregnant. I couldn't hate any child regardless of the circumstances of its birth."

He wiped his face. "Our child..." His eyes began to shine with hope.

She shook her head sadly. "Draco, Ron and I were together..." she trailed off, willing him to understand so that she didn't have to say it aloud. When she saw the horror reflected in his eyes, she continued, "It took a long time for me to forgive you, Draco. My friends do not understand how I can be in the same room with you without cursing you into oblivion, but I just can't hurt you like that. I'm not like you..."

He looked away, ashamed. "I'm really sorry that I ruined your wedding, I truly am. I shouldn't have come..." Then he looked at her and said, "The thought that maybe I was a father, that maybe I had one good thing to show for my miserable existence, was the only reason I came." He backed away from her, and after a moment, fled from the room.

Hermione sniffed, "Who would imagine that I'd be crying over him? This is my wedding day," she said, strengthening her resolve. "Forget about him; now it's time for some damage control." She sighed, and then wiped her tears away. She noticed Luna and Ginny nearby, and motioned them to her side. "Please inform the guests that I've gone to freshen up, and that the wedding will continue as planned."

Ginny muttered darkly, "Serves him right if he runs straight into a couple of Aurors. Wait, we know a few Aurors; hmmm..."

Luna, however, spoke quietly, "The boy has more than Aurors to fear right now. Pray that he doesn't run afoul of the Death Eaters." The girl had a point. She swiftly approached Dumbledore to make the announcement. Ginny followed Hermione into the ladies room.

Harry had kept a restraining arm on Ron when Hermione had left the hall. He whispered, "Trust her. She needs to tell him the truth."

Ron spoke in a dangerous tone. "It's not her that I don't trust, mate."

They snapped to attention as Dumbledore approached the podium. "Pardon the young man for the unnecessary drama. You see, although his confession is accurate, he made a quite natural mistake when he saw Miss Granger in her radiant state. Miss Lovegood has informed me that the wedding will continue shortly after the bride has a chance to freshen up. Please, help yourselves to some refreshments in the meantime."

Ron and Harry relaxed. Ron asked the headmaster, "What is to be done with him, then?" All eyes were on Dumbledore.

"That is up to Hermione to decide, Ron. You must understand one thing, though. He did the right thing by her today, although he could have been more discreet. He has left, but I fear for him. He had been doing a bit of undercover work for me, but now that his cover is blown, the Death Eaters will be after him." Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry meaningfully, and then added, "Especially since he had taken his father's place in their inner circle. He's been privy to information that they hold very dear, indeed."

Just then, the bride walked down the aisle again, quickly this time, and grabbed her groom. "Just kiss me and let's get this ceremony over with, okay?" They laughed. Soon the deal was done, and they were pronounced husband and wife. With a wave of the wand, Dumbledore sent sparkles and confetti through the air. The happy couple was soon surrounded by well-wishers and relatives, and Harry soon saw his chance to escape. Ron glanced sympathetically at him before turning to greet Alicia Spinnet. He was a good mate. He understood Harry's need to escape the press, and secretly hoped that Harry would be okay. Ron felt that he spent far too much time alone these days, and hoped that Luna would catch up with him.

Harry stepped into the kitchens to thank Dobby and the elves for their help. He was aware of a muffled sobbing coming from the broom closet, and opened it to find a shivering Draco huddled in the far corner. He looked much like a child who had lost his puppy, as opposed to a Junior Death Eater. The boy glared at him, daring him to insult him. Harry, for once, could not think of one mean thing to say to him, although Draco had certainly earned plenty over the years. Instead, he offered a hand. Draco knocked his hand away. "Go away, Potter!"

Harry kneeled next to him. Tentatively, he ventured, "What's wrong?" He meant only to touch him gently on the arm, but then two things happened simultaneously. Draco grabbed his arm in agony as Harry's scar flared painfully. Harry broke into a cold sweat, and bit his lip against the pain. When the throbbing subsided, he addressed Draco again, "Looks like Voldemort is not pleased with either of us right now."

Draco had been panting. His head hung between his arms until he could breathe properly again. "Don't... ever...touch me." He looked Harry straight in the eye. "The Dark Lord cannot bear to be near you when you are full of such emotion, as I'm sure you are aware of. Kill me, or leave me alone, but don't touch me."

Harry suddenly realized what had really happened. "I touched you because I care about you. My enemy..." He tried to swallow his pride. "Draco, listen. This is strange, but I think I can help you. Show me the Dark Mark."

"Are you daft? You are. You've taken leave of your senses," he yelled. Harry continued to stare at him, until finally he sighed, rolling up his sleeve. "Happy now? There's your proof: I'm evil, like my father!"

Harry held his temper. "No, you're not. You are not evil, Draco. You're just stupid," he groaned. "Insufferable git!" he muttered. "Look, you tried to please your dad; you wanted to be like him. You fell in with his crowd, desperate for him to notice you. You began to spout his ideologies. You treated everyone as beneath you because he treated everyone as beneath him. Your father went to prison, and you thought that you could make him proud by continuing his 'noble' work. But, then you found out that Voldemort was a hypocrite, right? That your master was not the pureblood he claimed to be. If you could question that, then certainly you could question other things. Tell me, what do you see when you look in the mirror these days, Draco? Do you see your own face, or a carbon-copy of your father?"

Draco began to feel the heat rise in his cheeks again. He willed himself to answer, "I see a monster." He pointed to his arm. "See that? That's the mark of a coward. I could have avoided that if I had the bollocks to stand up to my father. Now, everywhere I go, He can summon me, and I must obey, or die. Or, turn myself in for a Kiss. I smell my future and it sure doesn't smell like roses, Harry." He sighed. "Worse, I deserve it. How could I hurt Hermione like that? How do you atone for something like that?"

Harry whistled. "I can't imagine how you can." They sat in silence for a moment. Then, he asked the question that had been bothering him for some time, "Why did you do it? Do you fancy her? Or is it because you thought she was pregnant with your child?"

Draco shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never felt this way before. I know she's your friend, but please hear me out. I mean, no offense, I thought of her as a mudblood. How could a Malfoy love someone like that? But I began to want her. She was all I could think about. Once I kissed her, I wanted more. I was ashamed by what I did, by what I had become. When I realized that she was pregnant I felt happier than I ever had." He took a deep breath and continued, "It's embarrassing; the men in my family have certain... difficulties trying to produce an heir. I'm the last Malfoy, so of course, the entire line hinges on me. Anyway, do you know what my father said when I told him?"

Harry watched him spit out the sentence between clenched teeth. "No half-breed mudblood bastard would ever carry the Malfoy name," he confirmed. Exhaling sharply, he added, "My father thought she was carrying my child, and the Dark Lord wanted me to dispose of her." Draco's eyes had taken on a strange light. "I know about the prophecy. I overheard Father discussing it. He thinks I am incompetent, and too weak to dispose of my "indiscretion" as he calls it."

Harry had a terrible feeling where this was headed.

Draco said, "Didn't you suspect? My father is still alive. I saw him earlier this week. Someone helped him escape from Azkaban." His rage was suddenly replaced with a look of horror.

Harry didn't like that one bit. "Draco," he began carefully, "You don't think..."

Draco shuddered. "I know it. The job is not finished. My father will come after Hermione."

Hermione hummed happily in the shower. Yesterday had been Valentine's Day. She had just spent the night celebrating with her husband, and everything seemed to be wonderful. Nearly three months pregnant, she felt so alive and full of wonder. She ran her hands over her belly, blushing to think that the twins would be born in the summer. She could hear her Ron snoring in the other room. She smiled. Nothing could wake him, she mused. He could sleep through a natural disaster. She was a bit of a morning glory, though. An early riser by nature, she loved to watch the sunrise. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something twinkle in the morning light. She thought about the time turner, and grew curious. I wonder who the babies will look more like. It couldn't hurt to just take a little peek, could it? She slipped the necklace over her head.

Feeling peckish, she wandered down to the kitchens to ask the elves for an early breakfast. Dobby was pleased to assist, claiming that she needed nourishment for the growing babies. After a satisfying breakfast, she thanked Dobby, who was oddly enough the only elf she had noticed that morning. She shrugged, and started to walk away when she heard his muffled voice cry out, "HERMIONE!"

Someone grabbed her from behind, and threw her roughly to the ground. She looked up into the eyes of the man she had thought never to see again.

"Hello, Miss Granger..." purred the evil Lucius. Behind him, Dobby lay motionless on the kitchen floor. "Or is it Weasley now? I need to know, you see, for the obituary..." he trailed off with a look of triumph on his face.

She opened her mouth to scream...

"SILENCIO!" he cried. "Now you know how it feels, mudblood! You will speak only when your superior addresses you. Now, where was I?" Lucius tapped his wand against his head melodramatically. "Oh, yes! I was about to kill you! But where would be the fun in that, hmm?" he began in his cool, vicious voice. "You've caused shame and disgrace to fall on my family name, and turned my own son against me. You ensnared him with your wanton ways and used him to get you with child! Did you think I would let a filthy mudblood besmirch my name? Did you think I would allow your bastard child to live?"

As she rose to defend herself, she realized that she had no wand for protection. He backed her up against the wall, and leaned in to threaten her. "I don't fault my son for failing to dispose of the problem when he had the chance. You can be annoyingly clever, and surprisingly difficult to kill. If I want something done right, I will just have to do it myself." He raised his wand, and Hermione readied herself for him to strike. When the blow did not fall, she opened her eyes warily. In her terror, she had not noticed the Animagus with Malfoy.

Wormtail had stopped Malfoy's arm, saying, "There is another way. We will bring her to the Dark Lord. Potter will no doubt try to rescue her, and we can torture her in front of him before we kill her." The man rubbed his hands together gleefully, and she groaned inwardly. What is it with evil henchmen? How many times have I seen that movie?

Ron stretched, yawning. Something just didn't feel right. He reached his arm out to pull his wife closer, and felt empty space beside him. He called out, "Mione?" She wasn't in the shower. Maybe she was hungry. Come to think of it, he was feeling a bit hungry himself. He looked at the clock, and groaned. It was only eight o'clock, far too early for a Sunday. He stumbled into the kitchens, vaguely aware of how silent the morning was. He almost fell over the small body at his feet, and then gasped.

"Dobby! Ennervate!" he cried.

The elf grumbled slightly, holding his head between his hands. When he looked up at Ron's worried face, he crumbled. "OH! Master Wheezy, sir! Dobby is so sorry!"

Ron smiled slightly, saying, "You don't have to call me that. By the way, have you seen Hermione around? I seem to have misplaced my wife somewhere..."

Dobby broke into fresh tears. "That's just the problem, sir! Master Malfoy's taken her! Dobby tried to stop him, sir, but then he stunned me!" He handed a letter to Ron, and watched as he read its contents. Ron paled as a lock of her hair fell into his hand. Dobby took a deep breath, and then added, "We must find Harry Potter!"

Together they raced upstairs, bursting through the door. "HARRY!" Ron swore loudly to find Draco and Harry passed out on the bed together with a few bottles of firewhiskey by their side. "Bloody hell, man! Get up! Hermione's in danger!"

That seemed to be the magic word, for both Harry and Draco jumped up. Ron wondered why they had been drinking together, but filed the thought away for later. Right now, they had to rescue Hermione. He handed the note to Harry, who looked physically ill. Harry groaned as his scar began to burn. Draco looked at him with sympathy, clutching his arm. He pulled his boots on in haste and nudged Harry. "Do you have a spare wand I can borrow? Mine was broken. If I'm going up against dear old dad than I'd better be prepared!"

Ron took a moment to let this sink in, and then said, briskly, "Right, then. Well, come on then. She needs all the help she can get." He stuck his hand out to Draco, and tensed when the boy hesitated. Then he relaxed as Draco grabbed his hand. He mused that it was quite ironic that the pureblood would attack his father on behalf of a muggle-born. He glanced to the heavens, thinking, Will wonders never cease?

Harry, meanwhile, stood there thinking about the letter. Oh, Hermione!

The mudblood and her bastard will die unless you come to the Forbidden Forest.

Harry asked Draco, "Can you find them?"

"The Dark Mark calls his servants to him. For once this bloody thing on my arm may prove useful!" He closed his eyes, saying, "He is near, in the Forbidden Forest!" Draco opened his eyes wide in shock. "Oh, no; I'm not going in there again!"

Ron grabbed him by the collar. "Like it or not, you are the only one who knows where they are headed. Trust me; it's not my favorite place, either. Spiders, ugh!"

Harry put a hand on Ron's arm. "There are other things to worry about in there, Ron. The centaurs, for one, don't trust us. They are sure to recognize me. And then there's Grawp..." Suddenly Harry smiled.

Draco was perplexed. "Who's Grawp?"

Ron let go of him, and clapped him on the back instead. "Let's just say that Hermione has a really big friend in the forest. Hagrid's brother, to be precise." They used the Invisibility Cloak to sneak outside to Hagrid's hut. They hurried along the path that led into the Forbidden Forest, hoping to avoid its more unpleasant aspects for as long as possible. It did not matter whether it was day or night, for the canopy of trees filtered out much of the sunshine, giving the whole place a gloomy feel. Harry and Ron trudged on, with Draco bringing up the rear in case of attack. After about a half hour, Harry could sense that they were not alone. They were following Malfoy's trail, but he couldn't help wondering what exactly was following them. He stopped under a towering oak tree, and tried to use his newly honed skills of Legilimens to pinpoint Voldemort's whereabouts. An acorn dropped onto Draco's head. "What the blazes..."

Looking up, Draco beheld a wondrous sight. Four shapely legs were swinging in the breeze as if their owners had not a care in the world. The redhead grinned at him, while the blonde stared. "Hey, guys!" Ginny called out. "Need reinforcements? Neville and Blaise went on ahead with Dean, Seamus and the twins. You should've seen Fred and George's faces when Nev told them how to ride the thestrals. Fred said, 'Right; pull my other one!' George kept looking around for them, even though they were invisible..."

Ron interrupted, "They've taken Hermione!"

Ginny continued, "We know! The owls arrived just after you had left, demanding that we exchange Harry for Hermione. So we sent word to the members of the Order, and came looking for you."

Harry's attention was drawn inward, and Draco noticed a fine bead of sweat forming on his brow. "Potter? What are you playing at? Harry?" he queried, concerned. Suddenly, pain shot through his arm again, and he yelped in pain, clutching it to himself. Between gritted teeth, he cried out, "Stop your yammering, and help him! Harry must break the connection to the Dark Lord right now!"

Luna glided down from the tree like a fairy queen, and grabbed hold of Harry, planting a firm kiss upon his lips. "I love you Harry Potter!" A light grew around them, locked in each other's arms, as the kiss deepened. Her love forced Voldemort out of Harry's mind, and soon they sank to their knees in the grass, still holding on to each other. She stroked his hair away from the scar on his forehead, and placed a gentle kiss on it. They had become joined, and she had seen into the monster who had once been a man. She understood him, and his plan, and wept inside for him. Aloud, she mused, "That poor wretched man."

Ginny gave her a quizzical look, to which Luna responded, "Tom Riddle." Ginny paled, remembering her first year at Hogwarts vividly. She begged Luna to go on, but the silver-eyed girl had begun staring over Harry's shoulder. Ginny and Ron followed her gaze, with dread. There, standing behind the tall oak, was a giant. Luna approached Grawp respectfully, and then bowed before him.

Harry shuddered, reaching for her hand, trying to pull her to safety. "Now, c'mon Luna; let the nice giant tend to his own business..." he trailed off as he realized that Grawp was looking intently at Luna and Harry.

Too quickly to avoid, the giant's hand reached for them. Luna grabbed the enormous finger and hugged it. The giant smiled, and said, "LOONY!" Then, he looked at Harry and said sternly, "Bad wizards here! Hermy needs help!"

Harry's chest tightened. He assured Grawp that they were here to help her. "But, Grawp, where is Hermy?" he urged. Hermy's big friend pointed to the caves nearby. He added, "Thanks Grawp!"

Grawp turned his attention to Luna. "My Loony!" he crooned. Harry realized then who had been teaching Grawp all along. He added, "Big snow coming. Horsemen come, too. Harry take care Loony, okay? Help Hermy!" He fingered her hair, and then left abruptly, crashing through the forest. By this point, the others had drawn closer to Harry and Luna. They followed the path to the caves, watching out for the centaurs. The wind began to howl, bringing with it the first snowflakes of the storm to come. Soon, they would face the Death Eaters and rescue Hermione, and Harry hoped that they weren't already too late.

Hermione trudged along the path, stumbling over rocks and tree roots. Her captors took pleasure in watching her make her way over the rough terrain. She gritted her teeth as she felt the first contraction tighten across her belly. Not strong enough yet for her to be concerned, she understood from medical journals that Braxton-Hicks contractions preceded the real thing. Knowing that she was five months shy of her due date, this did not reassure Hermoine at all. What was it that Molly had said? Most twins are born a month early. She heard a bitter laugh from behind as she tripped over a root and fell onto her hands. She knew only too well that her reprieve was temporary at best. Once they had Harry, they would kill her anyway. The only thing stopping them from killing her now was that they needed bait.

Wormtail had sent word to his Lord of their plan. The Dark Lord had been pleased, and told Malfoy they were not to harm her. However, the Dark Lord didn't say that he couldn't have a little fun with her first. Lucius enjoyed whispering in her ear what he would like to do to her, watching the horror and revulsion wash over her face. He almost didn't want to hand over the girl to his master. He, like Bella, enjoyed the use of torture and intimidation, a love that Pettigrew did not share. He noticed that Malfoy would rather have just done the deed now, but he would not defy their Lord. Their master had explained that the mudblood was too important to his plans. Mark my words, the Dark Lord always has a hidden agenda. If he wants the girl alive, we should not question his reasons.

Malfoy began to pace back and forth. The girl had done all that she could to slow their progress. She claimed that she couldn't possibly walk faster. She needed to stop and relieve herself frequently. She complained constantly of hunger and thirst, explaining that if they wanted her to move faster, she would need energy. She had adopted a certain condescending tone of voice with them, as if they were children, or worse, imbeciles. It was infuriating! It reminded him of Narcissa when she was pregnant.

Hermione tried to suppress a smile. Malfoy prided himself on maintaining an icy, proud demeanor, yet she was able to get under his skin. She had plenty of practice bothering Draco; it amused her that she could push his father's buttons just as easily. She would make them regret kidnapping her. Harry and Ron would come. She believed it with all her heart. Until then, she needed to pay close attention to the Death Eaters, and bring the information back to the Order.

The Death Eaters took no notice of her. They were confident that she could not run away. To be certain, Malfoy cast a leg-locking spell. She did not despair, for she knew that help was closer than her captors thought. Absent-mindedly, she played with the charm on her necklace. Necklace! That's it! I can use the time turner to disappear. She thought quickly of where she could go, and a slow grin spread across her features. She gave them a surreptitious glance, and then turned the device.

She was further back along the path, and tensed when she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned to find the one she had been looking for. "Grawp! I need your help!" she called, looking up at the giant.

He broke into a huge grin, and said softly, "My Hermy!"

"Listen; I cannot walk, and I do not have my wand. I need you to take me to the others. Take me to Harry..." she began. She knew that she needed to see Madame Pomfrey soon. The giant scooped her up gently, and she clung to him as he went back to find Harry and Ron. The first time she had seen Grawp, she had been terrified. However, this time she knew that she couldn't walk back to the castle. The contractions were coming closer together now, and she had to admit that she was afraid. She asked Grawp to bring her to Hagrid's cabin. Very soon, she found herself being gently deposited on the ground. This wasn't the hut. She looked up at Grawp in confusion.

Grawp said, "Must find Harry. Stay here. Grawp come back, Hermy." Then he thundered off into the dense forest. Hermione tried to control her breathing and to stay calm. Harry would be safe. Without her, the Death Eaters had no bargaining chip. Grawp would return with help. She kept telling herself it would all work out. She needed to rest. She should just curl up in the shelter of a nearby cave and wait. She yawned. Sleep beckoned her into its embrace. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes open, and soon drifted off.

Harry whispered, "Hermione, wake up." She opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw him. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and said, "You were dreaming. You called out for me."

"I did? Oh, Harry! It was awful!" she cried. "They wanted to use me to lure you into a trap..." she stammered. He cut her off with a finger to her lips.

"Shh! It's all over now. They're never going to hurt you again. I'm here," he consoled her. She relaxed into his embrace, and when his lips found hers she didn't protest. There was a nagging thought in the back of her mind, but she pushed it away. The kiss deepened. At first she enjoyed this, but then she began to feel trapped. He stopped being gentle. He trapped her body against his, and she struggled against him. She looked into red eyes with slits for pupils, and she screamed. Voldemort laughed, and turned into a snake. His body wrapped around hers and began to squeeze the life out of her.

"Ron! Harry!" she screamed.

"He cannot help you now, I'm afraid," he replied as he motioned to Harry's still form lying on the floor next to them. "Stupid boy. No one defies Lord Voldemort."

Hermione awoke to a pain like none she had felt before. At first she wasn't sure if she was still dreaming, for her body still felt like it was being squeezed tightly. Then, her ordeal came rushing back to her as she looked around the forest. Oh, god! I'm having a miscarriage! She began to whimper. As the contraction passed, she began to hear a voice nearby. She tried to crawl over to the entrance of the cave. Peering out, she saw nothing, but felt something brush past her. She turned to find Harry, removing his Invisibility Cloak, standing before her. She hesitated, thinking of her dream, and then winced as another contraction wracked her body.

Harry came to her side instantly, murmuring, "Mione, thank the gods I found you!" He checked her over, and his eyes grew large with worry as he realized what was about to happen. "How long have you been having contractions?" he asked, fear creeping into his voice. Her eyes were filled with tears, and the sight made his heart jump within its cage. She looked so worn and fragile, so vulnerable, and he realized that they might not have enough time before the babies came.

"Since this morning. It hurts, Harry. It hurts so much right now," she cried.

He held her in his arms, and began to stroke her back lightly. Harry tried not to think about what would have happened had Grawp not shown up when he did. He whispered, "I was so afraid that we would never find you. I can't bear to lose you, Mione."

"Get Ron," she gasped.

"I'm already here, my love," Ron spoke from the entrance. A tear betrayed his calm voice. Luna was with him, looking like a lost child. Ron knelt by her, and said, "Harry, Luna; please stay. I'll need your help." He took control of the situation, ignoring the worried voice in his head that told him it was useless. They needed to get her back to Hogwarts soon. "Mobilicorpus," he said in a strong voice.

The procession of the students back to the castle was a somber, silent one. Everyone understood the severity of the situation, and were aware of the fact that the woods could be crawling with Death Eaters. Hermione grew weak with pain and they began to fear for her life. It seemed to take hours to reach Hagrid's hut, but eventually they arrived. Madame Pomfrey came down to check on her condition. After a while, she addressed the boys. "Hermione is in stable condition now. I was able to make her more comfortable and monitor her blood pressure. She has asked to speak with the three of you together."

Hermione looked at them, and cleared her throat. "Madame Pomfrey has stopped the progression of labor, but in order for the twins to survive I need to start taking it easy. I'm going to need your help. I'm going to have these babies soon. There has been way too much for my brain to process this year, and I need to focus on the kids and passing my classes." She wanted to say more, but found herself drifting off to sleep.

When she awoke, she was in the infirmary. An exhausted Hermione lay back while Draco approached the bed. She clutched weakly at his arm, and said, "I forgive you, Draco. Although that could just be the pain medication talking..." she smiled weakly. "Go now, before they come for you."

"For what it's worth, you'll make an excellent mum," he said with a small smile, patting her hand. As he walked away, Harry clapped him on the back.

"You're okay, Draco."

"You're not such a gobshite, either, Potter. Now, I must make a hasty departure. Try not to drop the brats, Weasley." And that was the last they saw of Draco Malfoy.

The next few months went by in a blur. The halls were full of grieving students as each new victim's name was announced. Some did not return from the Easter holidays. Others lost family. For the newlyweds, things were rather dull, aside from the impending arrival of the twins. This was due in fact to Hermione's increasing need for bed rest. As May dragged on, she found herself sequestered in her rooms for lessons. She seemed able to keep up with the normal amount of workload now that she had dropped Potions. This had been a major blow to her pride, since once her pregnancy had been announced to the staff, Professor Snape refused to teach her. Harry agreed with him that the volatile nature of the ingredients they worked with were not safe for an expectant mother. Hermione could opt out of NEWT level Potions altogether, or choose to make up her missed classes during the summer.

The Death Eaters were at war with the wizarding community, but for the most part, the students were insulated from the outside world. Once it had been discovered that Wormtail had used the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack, Lupin was forced to collapse the passage and use Snape's dungeon for transformations. Harry knew something big was about to happen, and anticipated a final showdown between him and Lord Voldemort near his birthday. He had been plagued by visions of Luna being held captive in the Department of Mysteries, with a wand pointed at her heart. Voldemort whispered, "When you turn seventeen, your mother's protection ends. You can't hide from me forever."

Spring melted into summer, and soon it was almost time to leave Hogwarts. Hermione would be returning to the Burrow in the morning. Harry's thoughts turned to their last trip on the Hogwarts Express. Where he would live once he turned seventeen, he had no idea. He mused, Can't very well return to the Dursleys', now can I? Maybe I could ask Snape if I could live with Blaise.

At the Leaving Feast, Harry watched as his two best friends were rushed out of the Great Hall by McGonagall. He Portkeyed to St. Mungo's after kissing Luna goodbye. As the rest of the students were traveling to King's Cross Station, Hermione was fighting the toughest battle of her life, with Harry and Ron by her side. As she tensed for a big contraction, she gritted her teeth, muttering, "Now, the next generation of Weasleys is about to be born, so stand back!" Ron met Hermione's eyes and knew that this was it. Here comes trouble, he thought, smiling.

As Ron held his newborn daughter in his arms, he was enraptured. He handed the child to Harry as Hermione prepared to give a final push. Her brother was born nearly a minute later. Harry and Ron managed to get Hermione settled in at the Burrow with the senior Weasleys. They named the two babies Bryanna and Aidan. Molly, as predicted, took to them immediately.

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