*Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends never were, aren't now, and will never be mine.*

The Price to be Paid
Chapter 1: Silent as the Grave

Hermione tried and tried to get the picture out of her head, but nothing she tried worked. Singing a song, just to picture the words, thinking of her parents- of the fondest memories she had with them, picturing her son’s first step; but none of these seemed to work. Hermione fell to her knees and wept. How could this have happened? Why had this happened to her, especially when everything seemed to be going right? Her life was so great at this point, this was the highlight of her life; then what she wished and hoped would never happen, did happen. Her son took only a few steps toward her before he fell and began crying for her. Hermione lifted her head up, her eyes were swollen and red from her constant crying.

She slowly stood and walked to her son whose cheeks glistened with tears. He was just a few months shy of being a year old, but since he was a magical baby, he learned faster than Muggle babies at his age. She gently picked him up and held him close. He quickly stopped his crying and snuggled close to his mother. She rested her head on his and quietly sang to him.

Hermione turned and walked toward the headstone. She read it one more time, even though she had already read it at least a hundred times in just the last couple of hours. Then she noticed something that she hadn’t seen there before. Perhaps it hadn’t even been there before. She bent down to pick it up. Once in her hand, Hermione noticed that this parchment was a special kind of parchment. She had only seen it once or twice before, in her sixth year at Hogwarts; but she couldn’t remember what it was from. Then something caught her eye- the parchment was addressed to her! She quickly turned it over to find the opening and gently opened it. What she read confused her tremendously.

Dear Ms. Granger,

I am distressed to tell you this, Ms. granger, but you’re husband was doing secret work for us. Although he may have declined the position of being a Death Eate when offered to h i m in his sixth year at Hogwarts, he came to us later that year seeking a job that required much less contact with any subject. He decided tHat in order to carry out his one mission, he would have to do something he’d never dreamed of doing- fall in love with a Mudblood like you; or act as if he had fallen in love with you. He would have been able to carry out his mission if he hadn’t been killed in the Final Battle, and even though his part of the mission is ended, ours hasn’t. Be on your guard Ms. Granger, and always keep your son with you.

Sincerely,

Your son’s finest role model

Hermione read it over and over, but couldn’t seem to understand what it was saying. It was written correctly, or so it seemed, but is still didn’t make any sense at all. She wondered if it meant something; but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out what it could mean. Frustrated, she decided that Harry could figure it out. Hermione would go there right now, and straighten this mess out. She lightly kissed her son’s blonde hair, then blew a kiss to her husband.

On her way home, Hermione thought of the times when she had no worries in the world- what did she have to worry about? She had the perfect relationship with a loving husband-to-be and no worries about what lay ahead of them. Both she and Draco had just graduated from Hogwarts and were working at highly respectable jobs at the Ministry of Magic. They had bought a beautiful house far, far away from his parents- they absolutely despised Hermione- but instead, bought one right next to Harry and Ginny’s lovely new home. Ginny had graduated a year early so she and Harry could get married and start a family as soon as school was over. Ron had been a little upset and jealous what with his sister being classy and graduating early, but soon his jealousy turned to admiration. Hermione suspected that his falling in love with Lavender had taken his mind off of it and had something to do with his change of mind, but he never admitted it.

At any rate, she and Draco were set to move in within a couple of weeks but they would live next door with Harry and Ginny until then. Hermione and Draco loved their new home. It was so beautiful, both inside and out. She loved every part of it, but her favorite was the winding spiral staircase that lead from the front room on the main floor to the library on the next floor above it. Their house was rather large, but Hermione figured that she and Draco could manage it- it was so beautiful!

She began to reminisce about hers and Draco’s first few months in their house, but her son’s cries interrupted her. She glanced back to see what was the matter, but soon found out that he had only dropped his bottle. She turned back to the road fearing that if she took her eyes off of it for too long, something terrible would happen. She reached her arm back and felt around for his bottle. Once she had picked it up, and cleaned off the top, she handed it back to him. His crying immediately stopped and was replaced by loud slurping noise. Hermione knew that in a matter of minutes he would be crying again because he dropped his bottle.

Hermione's thoughts drifted back to the letter. Her mind was so occupied by thinking of the parchment she had found at her husband’s grave, that she didn’t notice that her son’s slurping had stopped and that he was silent. He then began coughing and choking which jolted Hermione out of her thoughts. Hermione panicked- she had no idea what to do. She couldn’t pull over; there was another car on her left, and the oncoming cars to her right. She did what she thought best- she flipped her hazard lights on and stopped right then and there. Tires screeched all around her, but she thought of nothing else except for her baby.

She ripped her seatbelt off and dove into the backseat. Just as she looked straight at him, he stopped choking and started giggling. Her panicking turned to anger- what was wrong with him? What was he doing? She sat confused, but not for long; she knew she couldn’t just sit in the road, so she hastily dove back into the driver seat. Hermione jammed the key into the ignition and turned it sharply to start it. After many tries, the car still wouldn’t start. Hermione’s patience was running out. She ripped her wand out of her Muggle coat pocket and blurted out a spell to start the car. Once it started she quickly put it into gear, flipped her hazard lights off, and yanked the car into gear. She pulled out onto the road with out even looking. A mighty jolt sent Hermione into the back of her seat. She immediately lost consciousness; but her son was safely strapped in, receiving no harm whatsoever.

Draco took Hermione’s hand in his. He held it so gently and romantically. Hermione felt so safe in his arms; she never worried about a thing when they were together. The two were celebrating the purchase of their new house by spending an evening at Hogsmeade. They ate a lovely dinner in a small restaurant in Hogsmead, and then talked for nearly three hours before they left. Once they had finished dinner and left the restaurant, they took a long walk around Hogsmeade. It was late April and the ground was damp from the afternoon rain. Hermione loved the smell of rain. She and Draco walked hand-in-hand and talked about how their new house would look once they had it all decorated- and which room would be the baby’s room. They planned on having a baby about a year after they were married.

As they were discussing more of their new home, the clouds opened up and soon, it began to rain. Draco pulled his coat over his head and pulled Hermione close to keep her from getting wet also. She giggled, then took Draco’s coat from over their heads and began to dance in the rain. Draco laughed, then joined her. Soon the two of them were splashing each other with the puddle water and laughing. Once the rain stopped, the two of them talked as they walked back to Hogwarts. Once inside, Draco walked Hermione to her Head Girl dorm. They told each other goodnight, hugged each other, then leaned in for a kiss, but were interrupted by the driver of the Queen’s stagecoach in Hermione’s portrait.

“Ahem. We’ll be havin’ none of that, sir. This fair lady needs to get inside, dried off and into bed before she catches cold. Now go on, shoo!� he scolded and waved his hand to shoo Draco away.

“Oh, alright, but I’ll get to kiss her as much as I want once we’re out of here,� he told the stagecoach driver who sniffed in return. He started to tell Hermione goodnight when she took hold of his coat and pulled him in close for a long goodnight kiss. Draco smirked to the stagecoach driver, then headed off to his Head Boy dorm which was at the other end of the Head’s Hall. He got to his door, and reached for the handle, but everything went blurry…



“Ma’am, ma’am. Umm, Mrs. uh Malfoy? Can you hear me? Ma’am, ma’am?� Hermione felt a gentle shake and tried to open her eyes to see what was going on. A sharp pain shot through her head. She immediately closed her eyes again. She tried to mover her arms and her legs, but neither would move- it felt as if she was being held down by something. Her splitting headache was all she could concentrate on at the moment. She wondered where she was, and why. Hundreds of questions popped into her head at once, then suddenly, as she felt like she would explode, everything vanished- except for the crash- the choking baby, his laughing instead of choking, the car that suddenly wouldn’t start, the painful crash- everything. Her baby! Where was her baby?

She cried out, “Where’s my baby? Is he alright? Nurse, where’s my son? Is he here? Is he ok?� She became frantic. A small, thin woman wearing a white outfit came to her bedside. She stroked Hermione’s hair to calm her.

“The adorable little blonde? Oh, miss he’s fine. Only got a couple of scratches. I believe he’s eating right now. Lucky for him, he was strapped in when we found him- kept him from being thrown out of the car.� She smiled a gentle, calm smile which relieved Hermione.

“May I see him; may I see my son please?�

“Why certainly miss. I’ll have him sent right in.� she smiled again, then left the room. Hermione began trying to move her arms so she could sit up. She tried and tried, but hard as she might, her arms and legs wouldn’t move at all. Frustrated, she called out to the nurse.

“Nurse, nurse. I’m afraid I’m having trouble moving. Nurse?� The nurse quickly answered Hermione’s call.

“What’s the problem miss?� the nurse asked.

“My arms, and legs, I can’t move them,� Hermione told her.

The nurse giggled. “Why sure miss. I can fix that problem.� She began to un-Velcro the straps that held Hermione to her bed. At once, she could move her arms and legs, and she was overjoyed. The nurse explained, “Sorry miss, we had to tie you down a bit. You were moving around a lot and nearly fell off the bed. We didn’t want you having anymore injuries! Are you alright now miss?�

Hermione nodded, then noticed that behind the small nurse, there was another waiting in the doorway with a small little boy. The nurse came closer and handed the baby to Hermione- but she shook her head. Frightened, she told the nurse, “This isn’t my baby; he isn’t my son!�

Chapter 2: Godric’s Hollow

Hermione began to panic – this wasn’t her son. And if this wasn’t her son, where was her son? Her eyes became larger as she asked for her son. “Nurse, this boy isn’t my son. Where is my son?� she asked impatiently.

The small nurse looked to the other nurse who was holding the young blonde boy. “I’m sorry miss; this is the little boy we found in your car this morning. He was buckled into is seat belt rather tightly – and lucky for him too. If this isn’t your son, I’m afraid your son isn’t at this hospital. I’ll check again, but I’m positive this is the one.� The other nurse turned to leave, but remembered something. “Does your son have blonde hair just like this?� she pointed to the little boy in her arms.

Hermione nodded slowly then confirmed, “Yes, exactly like that.� The other nurse nodded then left the room. The small nurse came to Hermione’s bed.

She told her, “Miss, I’m sorry about this whole misunderstanding. We’ll straighten it out.� The small nurse gave her trademark smile, and then left the room. Hermione was now all by herself. How could they do this to me? I’ve just lost my husband, and now I lose my son?� She began to cry, but quickly composed herself. There’s no sense in crying- I have faith in them; they’ll find my son she reassured herself. Just then, the other nurse came in with a small piece of parchment. She handed it to Hermione gingerly.

“Here miss. We found this lying at the other little boy’s bed. It’s got you’re name on it. It looks pretty old though, so be careful.� she too smiled at Hermione, then left her to read the letter. Hermione thought over the words that the nurse just spoke, It looks pretty old though, so be careful. But this parchment isn’t old, it’s rather new looking. Hermione didn’t quite understand what the nurse was talking about. As she looked around the room for an answer, something caught her eye- a piece of Muggle paper. She remembered it from many years ago at her parent’s dentist office. That’s why she thought it looked old- I forget that people who live in Muggle London don’t use parchment. She pushed the thought out of her head and began concentrating on the parchment she had in front of her. She slowly opened it, afraid of what she would find written inside. Hermione soon found out.

Dear Ms. Granger,

Your son is in great care. He is being fed very well and taken care of by the finest house elves. In order to get him back, you must first sacrifice something. To ensure that your sacrifice is genuine, use the Sacrificial Charm in Charms: One for Any Occasion . In order for your sacrifice to be worth anything, you must perform the charm before midnight tomorrow. Remember Ms. Granger, your son’s life is on the line.

Sincerely,

Your son’s finest mentor


Hermione was now very frustrated. Well now at least I now that he’s in the Wizarding world, and not the Muggle world. I really need Harry’s help in this. Just then, the other nurse came back into the room. She had a worried look on her face.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but your son is not in our hospital. We’ve looked everywhere, but he’s just not here. Maybe if you filed a missing person’s report someone will find him. Again miss, I’m sorry.� She patted Hermione’s shoulder. Suddenly, a thought came to Hermione’s head.

“You haven’t read this letter, have you?� she blurted out to the nurse.

“Of course not, miss. We here at Midvale Hospital respect our patients’ privacy,� she reassured Hermione. The young witch nodded in return. Good she thought she has no idea I’m a witch.

“When do you think I can get out of here, nurse?� Hermione questioned.

“Well, since you are already mostly healed, you can leave tonight. I hope you’ve had a wonderful stay at Midvale Hospital. If you have any troubles, just call for me, I’ll be right down the hall.� And with that, she left the room. Hermione was rather proud with herself. At Hogwarts, she had observed Madam Pince a great deal, and had memorized many of her healing charms. She had to admit, she didn’t think they would work this quickly. But, no matter; she was now able to perform the Sacrificial Charm tonight. But now she had to think of what to sacrifice….



“Hermione, this letter has a code in it. Give me a few moments to decipher it,� Harry told her. Hermione had just arrived at Harry’s house. It was late at night, but she wasn’t allowed out of the hospital until after she ate her dinner. Ginny was taking care of hers and Harry’s baby, so she was not in the room at the time. Hermione looked up at Harry.

“A code? What kind of code?� she asked quietly. She crossed over from the mantle where she was standing to the desk at which Harry was sitting. He took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He began to read the letter. Hermione stood at his desk for a few moments, then figuring since she couldn’t help in any way, she would look at the pictures in Harry’s study. Some of them were of he and Ginny, some were of just Harry and his little baby girl, and some were just of Ginny and their daughter. As Hermione was getting to the older pictures, she found some of Harry, Ron and Hermione all together – they were of the three of them when they were still at Hogwarts. On another wall, she found pictures of Harry and Ginny’s wedding, of Ron and Lavender’s wedding – but when she got to the spot of her and Draco’s wedding picture, there was just an empty space; nothing. She turned to Harry, “Harry, what happened to my wedding picture? There’s an empty space here.�

Harry looked up from the letter. “Oh, that. It was the oddest thing; a couple of weeks ago, an owl flew in here and knocked it down. Actually, nearly all of the pictures fell down, but yours and Draco’s was the only one that broke. It was about midnight when it happened, so we didn’t realize it until the next morning. Ginny took it to a picture shop about a week ago.� He turned back to the letter. “Hermione, I think I’ve gotten this figured out. Come over here and I’ll show you.� Hermione hurried over to the desk. She leaned over Harry’s shoulder. He took his quill and wrote out the code so that she could understand it. “Ok, do you notice how there are spelling mistakes? Well look at the letters that are either omitted, written differently, or underlined.� He gave Hermione time to look over the letter and find as many mistakes as she could find. After nearly ten minutes, Harry interrupted, “Here, let me help you. Look here. The “g� in Granger is not capitalized. That’s the first clue.� He took his quill and wrote down a “g�. He turned back to the letter. “Alright, the next letter that is different is the “o� in doing.� Again, took his quill and wrote an “o� next to the “g�. Harry and Hermione looked through the whole letter, finding all of the mistakes. Once they finished, Hermione looked at Harry’s parchment.

“Godric’s Hollow? What about Godric’s Hollow?� she questioned Harry. He shrugged and suggested something was maybe hidden there. “But I wonder what that has to do with me.� Hermione pondered. She looked to Harry for an answer.

“I’ll tell you what. You sleep on it tonight, and if you decide that you need to go there in the morning, I’ll go with you. And we’ll look for Paul too, okay?� Harry stood and took Hermione gently by the shoulders. “What do you say?� Hermione nodded in agreement, then hugged Harry.

“Thanks Harry, you’re the best.� She turned to leave, but remembered something. “Uh, Harry, do you mind if I sleep here tonight? My house is seeming rather large at the moment, and I’d not like to be in it alone.� Harry chuckled then nodded and held out his hand in a friendly way. Hermione took hold of it as Harry led her to the kitchen. There, Ginny had a cup of tea waiting for the both of them; she had one for herself already. Harry told Ginny of Hermione’s plans to stay at their house for the night. Ginny stood up, and hugged Hermione.

“’Moine, you’re always welcome here, right Harry?� she said as she wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist. Harry nodded, and took his steaming cup of tea. Hermione did the same. Once they had finished their tea, they told each other goodnight, then went to bed. Hermione thought she wouldn’t be able to get to sleep, but once her head hit the pillow, she was in a deep sleep.



In the morning, Hermione woke early, her decision made. She, and Harry, would go to Godric’s Hollow and search for whatever was there. She dressed and followed the lovely smell of pancakes and bacon and eggs wafting up from the kitchen. Harry was sitting at the head of the table with his daughter in a high chair eating her breakfast as he fed it to her. Ginny had just finished making some hot tea, and she placed it one the table. Hermione sat down at a chair, and felt something soft rub up against her leg. At first, she was startled, but she realized it was only her own cat, Crookshanks, Jr. “How’d he get in here?� she asked Ginny as she picked up her purring feline.

Ginny giggled, “He wandered in last night; I had to let him in. I figured he’d find his way up to you, but I guess not.� She set a small bowl of milk down on the floor, and Jr. (as Hermione called him) went straight to it. Hermione finished her breakfast, as did Harry; they were off to Godric’s Hollow.

Although the morning was bright and clear, there was a small amount of fog hovering over the ground near Godric’s Hollow. There was something different about it; it was sinister. Hermione looked at Harry, “If you want to leave, we can. I’ll completely understand if you want to go. Don’t hesitate to tell me.�

Harry shook his head, “No matter what happens, I’m here for you. You’ve already done so much for me in my lifetime; I can do just this one thing for you.� He chuckled. Hermione knew he was right, but she still felt as if she was doing something wrong. They walked around for quite sometime, not knowing exactly what they were looking for. They had split up and gone in different directions, but now they had met back up. “We’ve been everywhere, but back there,� he told Hermione as he pointed a spot with the most fog in it. They looked at each other, and decided – with out saying a word- that they would have to look over there. As they got closer, they could both see a tall figure standing in the shadows. For some reason, Hermione felt as if she knew this person, but they were not close enough to see what he looked like. They stopped as the figure came closer- his features were becoming more distinct. He was nearly a yard away when Hermione saw exactly who he was-

Draco Malfoy.


a/n: mwahahaha! A cliffie! So, what do you think? Is it really Draco, or is it someone else – let me know! And keep reading to find out…..

Chapter 3: Sacrifices

Hermione’s heart seemed to stop. There he was, Draco Malfoy, her late husband standing there in front of her. She reached out to him, but he put his hand up to stop her. He let out a cold laugh – Hermione knew this wasn’t her husband; her heart sank low. She became angry, “Who are you and what are you doing here?� Harry clasped his wand tightly, but kept it hidden.

The person standing in front of them let out another chilling laugh, then spoke, “I am the Mr. Lucius Malfoy. I have come to warn you of your time lapse, Ms. Granger. You have only four hours to complete the deal, or you will never see your son again.� And with that, he apparated; leaving Harry and Hermione by themselves. Hermione tried to keep her tears in, but there were just too many. They burst from her swollen eyes. Harry quickly put his arms around her- being the best friend that he is- and began consoling her. Once she had calmed down a bit, she began telling Harry about her son’s predicament, and that she had by midnight tonight to figure something out for a sacrifice.

Boldly, Harry offered many things to her, but she declined saying, “No, Harry, they have to be my possessions. But I have to think of something quickly. Please help, Harry.�

Harry told her, “Hermione, you’re one of my best friends, of course I’d help you out.� He gave her a weak smile, and she hugged him tightly. He really was her best friend- as was Ron, of course. Harry suggested, “Hermione, why don’t we get out of here, and figure something out to get your son back.� Hermione agreed and the two were on their way. Once they got back to Harry and Ginny’s house, they went straight to their small library. There, they searched for the book, Charms: One for Every Occasion. They found it almost instantly, and Hermione poured over it in attempt to find something before they wasted too much time.

Hermione found what she was looking for, and read it aloud to Harry. “It says, ‘In the case of sacrifice to release a hostage or victim, the sacrifice must be living and must be of great value to the witch/wizard sacrificing the item. In order to perform the sacrificial charm, one must place the sacrifice under an immobile charm, then repeat the following incantation: Animus, animus, capio is ea id piaculum ego defero libinter three times successfully, with no interruptions. Once completed, the sacrifice will die within a matter of seconds; thus, the sacrifice complete’ �. Hermione looked to Harry for an answer, but his green eyes held nothing in them; he was as confused as she was- they had no idea what to sacrifice.

“Well, lets think of something- nothing’s more important than my son.� She told Harry. He nodded. Jr. wandered into the library, his bell jingling. Hermione picked him up and caressed his soft fir. With a painful look in her eye, she caught Harry’s eye. He knew what she was thinking, and nodded in agreement. Hermione took her cat, and put it on one of the chairs in the library and put an immobile charm on it. Then she quickly repeated the incantation the correct amount of times, and watched the small orange cat fall limp.

Hermione fell to her knees and began to cry, but Ginny shouted to them, “Hermione, someone’s at the door, and they asked for you. Hurry!� she sounded excited. Hermione jumped up and ran to the door; she knew what was awaiting her. She was right. Once she had opened the door, she saw her son. He looked as if he had been taken very good care of, but was overjoyed to see his mother. He ran straight to her, and she snatched him up, vowing to herself that she would never let him out of her sight again. That night, Hermione had one of the strangest dreams…

Draco and Hermione walked together to their Double Potions class. Although they had been going to school with each other for six years now, they had just started getting those feelings for each other. Draco’s feelings had been rather sudden, but no matter to Hermione, she’d liked Draco ever since the end of their sixth year, but was always afraid to tell anyone- even her diary. She and Draco talked as they strolled down the hallway. They were the school’s newest couple (not that anyone kept track…). Harry and Ron, who were quite angry with Hermione for her treachery, walked a few feet behind the novel couple. As the two reached the classroom, they had to break off into their houses, and Hermione went to Harry and Ron. Draco, as expected, went straight for Crabbe and Goyle. He leaned in close and whispered, “Well, boys, she’s falling for it; the plan is working!�

“She’s falling for it?� Crabbe asked stupidly.

“Yep, she’s falling and hard too. Just a little bit more information on her, and father will be pleased. I can’t believe it’s this easy!� Draco sneered.

“How’d you get the goods so fast?� Goyle asked dumbfounded.

Draco chuckled “It’s rather easy – that girl talks forever, even if you ask her just one question, she talks for ages.� Little did Draco realize that he would later come to love that about Hermione. “She’s falling for me, and all I have to do is ask her questions.� The three boys let out a loud laugh, which caught Professor Snape’s attention.

“Could you gentlemen please keep it down, I’m trying to teach a class.� Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle nodded, but knew that Snape wouldn’t do anything to them – they were his favorite students. Professor Snape taught the class which was, as usual, very boring. Once the class finished, Hermione found Draco and the two walked to the Great Hall together for lunch. Although they couldn’t sit at the same table as each other, they definitely made up for it in the amount of times they glanced at each other. Ron asked Hermione a question about hers and Draco’s new relationship. Hermione began to answer his question, but was interrupted by Draco's haunting laugh, which sounded terribly familiar…

Hermione woke with a start; cold sweat beaded on her forehead. What a nightmare she thought. Draco’s chilling laugh was still ringing in Hermione’s ear. That laugh sounds so familiar, but why? She kept thinking about it until it suddenly came to her Lucius. This morning – his laugh was the exact same. Hermione quickly pushed the thought out of her mind and crossed over to her baby’s crib. Whew. He’s still here. She felt his forehead to see if it really was her son. Once she confirmed his being in his crib, Hermione climbed back into bed and surprisingly fell asleep almost instantly – the nightmare out of her mind.

The next morning, Hermione awoke, and, taking her son with her, followed her nose once again; this time to the lovely smell of homemade waffles, fresh fruit and coffee. After the wonderful breakfast, Hermione dressed and did the same for her son. Harry and Ginny were taking them on a Muggle-London sight-seeing trip. They all piled into Harry’s station wagon and headed on their way.

Muggle London is beautiful, thought Hermione. She was familiar with only a small section of it. Their first stop was the Wishing Fountain. It was a beautiful fountain of stone; the carvings in the stone made it look as if it was from ancient Greece. The Fountain’s water flowed so freely and gracefully. Hermione took a small coin, made a wish, and tossed it into the Wishing Fountain. When she opened her eyes to see where it would go, someone standing across the Fountain caught her attention. She blinked to see more clearly, but when she opened her eyes, the figure was gone. His features were very blurry in her head, but she remembered gray eyes. Hermione kept picturing what she remembered of the figure to try to identify him, but she just didn’t see any distinguishing features that could help her. Her son’s laughter interrupted Hermione from her thoughts. He was laughing at the faces Harry was making at him. Hermione giggled - Those are the same faces he used to make at me she thought.

Harry looked up, “What?� he asked innocently,

Hermione smiled then said, “You used to make those faces at me, and now, your making them at my son.� She smiled as Harry chuckled.

“I guess I did use to make those faces.� He stood and put his arm around his wife. “I used to make them at her too.� Ginny playfully pinched his stomach in agreement. “Well, since we’ve all made our wishes, I guess it’s on to the next place. Which is…?� he looked to Ginny for the answer.

“It looks like it’s Maria’s Crossing. It should only take a few minutes to get there by the el-train. Everyone ready? Let’s go!� Ginny finished Harry’s sentence. “Oh, and I hear that a lovely pottery store is there. It’s called the Pottery Shack.� The tourists quickly boarded the el-train and were on their way to Maria’s Crossing.

Maria’s Crossing truly was a wonderful place. Quilting posts, clothing booths and small grocery carts lined the streets of the small town. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione did a bit of looking around before they went to the famous potter store. By far, the largest store there, the Pottery Shack was huge. As the young witch stepped in, a strong smell hit Hermione's nose; it was a sweet smell. Hermione quickly ignored it as she examined the store. Shelves upon shelves of pottery lined the walls and aisles of the large store. In one corner, there was a section in which tourists and visitors could make and paint their own pottery. Hermione, Ginny and the two toddlers in strollers were taken by a tour guide to the “Wall of Fame�. On this wall, there were dozens of pieces of pottery made by the most famous pottery makers of the century. Behind them were life-sized models of the real pieces made by tourists and visitors – some of them actually looked a lot like the real thing. Hermione and Ginny were admiring a very detailed piece when someone bumped into Hermione, knocking her to the ground. She looked up to see who the careless person was, and her heart raced. It was the same person she had seen at the Wishing Fountain, on the el-train and now he was here. He had looked so familiar to Hermione, and now she knew why. He was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

“Watch it, mudblood,� he mumbled as he stalked off.

Ginny, who had missed most of the incident, helped Hermione to her feet. “What a prat. He didn’t even apologize, or say excuse me.� She brushed Hermione’s coat off. “I’ll bet Harry can find him did you get a good look at him?�

“No, uh, no. I didn’t get a good look, I just glanced at him. It’s no big deal,� she lied. Hermione didn’t want Harry getting involved with anymore of her affairs if he didn’t have to. “Thanks anyway,� Hermione told Ginny as she gave her a hug.

“Gin, come over here and look at this one,� Harry beckoned his wife. She told Hermione that she had better go look now before Harry got anxious. Hermione giggled and let go of Ginny. Once she had left, Hermione turned to look at the pottery on the wall. Suddenly, she felt something hard make contact with her head. The force was so strong, it blurred her eyesight. She managed to call out Harry’s name before she fell unconscious to the ground.

Chapter 4: The Tunnel

Hermione walked among the headstones in the cemetery. It was late at night, and the only sound was the chirping of the crickets. The breeze was quite chilly, making Hermione pull her coat close to her body to keep her warm. Her husband’s gravestone was a beautiful white marble standing four feet tall. Hermione ran her hand across the smooth top of the stone. “If only he were still here,� Hermione said aloud. She knelt beside the stone and placed a small bouquet of flowers whose faded lavender gave a sweet smell to the three white roses in the middle, next to the cold stone. She remembered the time that Draco had forgotten to pick up some robes from the Magical Man’s Dry Cleaning Services. He came home much later than expected with the robes as well as a gorgeous bouquet, almost identical to this one…

As soon as the petals touched the ground, the earth beneath the headstone began shaking. Hermione scrambled out of the way to the next grave. The ground split apart, omitting a bright light. The earth suddenly stopped shaking, and the light faded rapidly. Hermione curiously peeked into the large hole created by the small earthquake. A tunnel? Hermione thought to herself. Indeed, there in front of her was a narrow tunnel where the coffin should have been. Suddenly, memories of Draco flashed in front of her eyes. Losing her balance, Hermione tumbled through the mouth of the tunnel. Her head spun as she picked herself off of the hard ground. Rocks and dirt crashed in, closing the opening of the tunnel. Hermione was trapped! Knowing full well that she would never be able to move all of the dirt and rocks now blocking her exit, she turned to the tunnel. Taking her wand from her coat, Hermione whispered “Lumos� as she started down the cold, black alley. A small squeak caught Hermione’s attention. Before she could shield herself, bats flew out of no where, screeching at her. Once they had passed and Hermione’s heartbeat became normal, she continued walking down the narrow passageway; rocks scattered everywhere. With her wand guiding her path, she ventured down the winding tunnel in search for an exit. After what Hermione guessed to be an hour of searching the channel, she began questioning the validity of her chosen road. Maybe it doesn’t lead anywhere. What if I’m trapped in here, with no food or water and only dirt and my wand to keep me company she shuddered at the thought. Ahead, she noticed a sharp corner. But what made her pace quicken was the dull light she could see creeping around it. She ignored the thought of being trapped, but her concentration was interrupted by a sudden pain that shot through her head. Her vision blurred, as she reached the door. Although pain wrenched at her body, Hermione flung the door open…

A strong aroma flooded into Hermione’s nose. She felt something cold cover her forehead. She sat up, and opened her eyes. She saw familiar faces crowded around her as a wave of pain suddenly weakened Hermione. Hermione felt strong arms keep her from hitting the hard floor beneath her. Someone placed a cold glass of water in Hermione’s shaky hand. She lifted it to her lips and took a refreshing drink of the crisp, cold water. Hermione asked groggily, “What happened?�

She heard Ron’s calm voice. “Well, what we figure is that a large piece of pottery fell from that high shelf right there� he told her as he pointed to the shelf directly above Hermione’s head.

Harry spoke up, “You’ve got a pretty nasty bump on your head, but you should be fine with a bit of TLC.� He winked at Hermione. Ron took hold of one side of Hermione while Harry took the other. They gently lifted her and carried her to Ron and Lavender’s vehicle. In the vehicle, Hermione spoke to Harry and Ron.

“Harry, Ron, I don’t think that piece of potter fell on my head.� They looked at her questioningly.

“What do you mean?� Ron asked.

“I mean, before Ginny left to look at that piece you called her over for, someone bumped into me, hard. She asked me if I saw who it was, but I told her I didn’t. Lucius had knocked me over, but I didn’t want either you or Ginny getting involved, so I lied. I have a feeling that Lucius had something to do with this bump on my head,� she explained as she rubbed the spot on the back of her head to ease the pain. “Before I woke, I had a strange dream,� she continued, not allowing the two a word in edgewise. She relayed her dream in complete detail, not leaving out one single part. Ron and Harry looked at her in disbelief.

“What do you think it means?� Harry wondered. Hermione shook her head.

“I don’t know, but I’d like you two to come with me in the morning to Draco’s grave,� she proposed. Hermione wanted to find out if her dream would come true – if she really could get into that tunnel. Slowly, Harry and Ron nodded their heads in agreement. Hermione stepped out of the vehicle and on to the driveway of Harry’s home. She wrapped her arms around her best friends and hugged them tightly. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.� They kissed her on opposite cheeks.

As Ron turned the corner, Hermione noticed that the trees in the park were a lovely shade of red. It was close to the fall, and Hermione knew that the green of plants and trees would be changing into the beautiful colors of autumn. She turned to Harry, “Don’t you just love the colors of fall? I think they’re much more appealing than the every-day-mundane-green that we see during the summer.� Harry smiled and nodded in agreement. He was glad to see she was back to normal.


Then next morning, Hermione, Harry and Ron stood at Draco's headstone. Knowing what was supposed to happen, Harry and Ron moved away to give Hermione room and privacy. The sky was cloudy, blocking out the sunlight. The breeze was quite chilly and reminded Hermione of her dream. She ran her hand along the smooth stone. She knelt beside the stone and placed a small bouquet of flowers next to it. As soon as the petals touched the ground, the earth beneath the headstone began shaking. Hermione scrambled out of the way to the next grave. The ground split apart, omitting a bright light. The earth suddenly stopped shaking, and the light faded rapidly. Hermione curiously peeked into the large hole created by the small earthquake. Her heart beat quickened; her dream was coming true; unfolding right before her eyes. Hesitantly, she stepped into the mouth of the tunnel. Suddenly rocks and dirt crashed in, closing the opening of the tunnel. She had warned Harry and Ron of this so they would not try to remove the blockage. Taking her wand from her coat, Hermione whispered “Lumos� as she started down the cold, dark tunnel. With a light to guide her, she ventured down the winding tunnel in search for an exit. After what seemed like an hour, Hermione came to the sharp corner she had remembered in her dream. Her pace quickened. She turned the corner and came face to face with a large stone door. Excited, yet scared, she touched the handle. Hermione’s fingers wrapped around the cold metal handle and pulled. What she saw made her weak and lightheaded.

Draco Malfoy stood two feet from his lovely wife. Hermione stood frozen, not believing her eyes. He then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Feeling his heart beating next to hers, she also wrapped her arms around his warm body. Their embrace led to a long, passionate kiss. Oh, how they were thrilled to see one another. Footsteps echoed from the opposite side of the dungeon. With a distressed look on his face, Draco whispered into Hermione’s ear, “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.� With that, he wrapped thick ropes around her thin body. He tied them tightly, so as she could not escape. Draco led her to the nearest dungeon cell and pushed her into it. As she fell to the ground, Lucius Malfoy stepped trough a brass door. With a malicious look in his eyes, he sauntered over to Hermione.

He put his face close to the iron bars that separated them and spat in her cell. Throwing two chicken bones at her, he mocked, “Your dinner is served, Madame Mudblood.� His cold laughter echoed from the stone walls. Hermione stole a glance at her husband. Draco’s face was contorted into pain – she guessed that his father was holding him to something.

“What do you want from me Lucius?� she pressed. Lucius turned his head casually, then spun around.

“What do I want from you? I want you to suffer the same way I did when I found that you and my son were in love!� Draco stood.

“Don’t do this, father. You know that it would hurt me more than anything if you did something to Hermione. You’re such a hypocrite! You can’t hide mum’s secret forever. She’s Half-Blooded, and you still love her.� He bellowed at Lucius in anger. Lucius’ face boiled with anger and shame.

“Don’t ever say that again. Your mother’s secret was to be kept, and now, you have betrayed her. How dare you?� he pointed his wand directly at Draco's face. Hermione frantically searched her robes for her wand. Since Draco had loosened the ropes with a simple incantation, Hermione was able to throw them off.

She felt the soft wood of her wand and yanked it from her pocket. She rose to her feet, aimed her wand for Lucius’ and yelled loud and clear, “Expelliarmus!� Immediately, his wand flew from his hand and landed near Draco’s feet. The young wizard picked his father’s wand up and pocketed it. With the both of them against him, Lucius held his hands up in surrender. Hermione freed herself from behind the iron bars which imprisoned her. With the thick ropes in her hand, Hermione tied Lucius tightly. Draco whispered something into her ear. Quickly, Hermione immobilized Lucius, assuring him one thing, "We'll be back for you later." Draco grabbed her hand and led her to the door that Lucius had entered from. He pushed the door open and entered another tunnel; this one shorter and very well lit. Soon they came to narrow wooden door. Draco stepped through it, and Hermione followed close behind. As the cold air hit her face, Hermione knew exactly where she was. She looked ahead to find Harry and Ron; also tied in tight ropes. She ran to them and released them. They both hugged her tightly once their breath was regained. Looking up, they noticed Draco standing not too far away. Realising that they were hugging his wife, Harry and Ron moved away from Hermione so as to not upset him. Draco smiled and joined the trio. He took Hermione’s hand and walked with her to the Potter’s car. Noticing that they were now standing alone, Harry and Ron quickly followed Hermione and Draco.

Chapter 5: Explanations

On the long drive home, Draco and Hermione talked of his disappearance, death and now, his reappearance. Draco was not happy with the whole ordeal; Hermione could tell. He told of every detail as if it were yesterday. "My father thought that since I married you, Hermione, that I had been disloyal to the family. He told me that I needed to fix it, or it would be the last thing I did. So, firstly in fear of letting my father and the family down, and secondly in fear of my own life, I followed his instructions. He directed me to the disappearance. He set it all up so that all I would have to do is let myself be kidnapped. After nearly a week I was allowed to see you only once, and that was to tell you that I was called to fight in the Final Battle as one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. As a Death Eater, I was to protect Voldemort personally. My father's plan was to put Peter Pettigrew under the Imperius Curse, then my father forced him to drink the Polyjuice potion to portray me. Once the Final Battle was at hand, my father ordered Pettigrew to protect Voldemort personally.

"But wouldn't he have objected? He is quite a coward," Hermione pointed out. "Unless of course, he was still under the power of the Imperius Curse." She looked at Draco to continue.

"Well, yes, that is what I brought up, that Pettigrew would object. And no, he was not under the curse. But my father told him that if he did this deed, Voldemort would bow to him; the Dark Lord would be his servant. At first, I thought it would never work, but Pettigrew, being the rash person that he is, instantly agreed," Draco continued.

"But why would your father want to off Pettigrew? He was the one that sold the Potter's secret, doesn't that count for something as a Death Eater?" Hermione interrupted.

The blonde nodded, "It did. But he had used up his glory by being an insufficient Death Eater. He had failed too many assignments and was virtually useless to anyone. So, with the plan underway, Pettigrew was killed, as me, and thus, my existence to the outside world had diminished.� Hermione locked arms with her husband. He continued, “Although I noticed that this plan was becoming worse and worse for you, I went ahead with it, just to fool my father. Once he told me that he had found a potion in which he can enter your dreams, I began to panic; I knew that whatever he was doing wasn’t going to be good.�

Harry butted in, “How did he manage to get into Hermione’s dream? Isn’t that impossible?� Draco nodded.

“It was, until one of my father’s close friends, an apothecary, made an amazing discovery. You see, my father had paid him a hefty amount of money to create a potion that would enable him to do something previously impossible. It took him nearly three years, my father made his offer only a month after our wedding.� Hermione squeezed his arm.

“He’s been after us for that long?� she questioned, wide eyed.

With a long sigh, Draco replied, “Well, not exactly. You see, in our sixth year, I took up a Death Eater project – and since the war with the Dark Lord was already underway, we had to do some eliminating ourselves. Anyone that posed a threat in any way to the Dark Lord and his followers were to be killed.� Hermione shuddered.

“Is that why you offed our Headmaster? Because he posed a threat to Voldemort?� she immediately sat up straight, pulling her arm from Draco’s. He quickly responded.

“Well, yes, that is why Snape murdered Professor Dumbledore. And that is what I was sent to do. I was to fall in love-“ he was quickly interrupted by his wife.

“With me and thus be able to kill not only me, but my best friends also. I thought that was a nightmare, but it seems to have been the truth.� She folded her arms and turned away from Draco. Ron spoke up.

“Hermione, I think Draco has more to tell you. Personally, I’d like to hear more too.� Ron said through clenched teeth.

Hermione slowly turned to face her husband. He spoke quietly, “At first, I thought that this project would be easy – after all, you were a Muggle-born and I was a Pureblood. It would be easy for me to make fun of you and embarrass you; I had already done it for five years. But after spending nearly eight months with you, I started getting attached to you. There were so many things that I had quickly grown to love. My father sensed my unusual behaviour very quickly. It was near our graduation that he really started to try to do something about it though. The reason it took him so long to find us is because of a complicated charm I put on us, it made us virtually untrackable. And since my father didn’t know where we had moved to, he had really no good place to start to look for us.� Hermione hugged her husband tightly. She pulled away.

“So how did he find us?� she asked quietly.

“I don’t know the exact answer for that, but I have a hunch it was mostly my fault. I have kept in touch with, uh, a family friend. I sent them letters often and they would write back. I assume that they must have tracked the owl, therefore finding our home. They must have then tipped off my father, thus allowing him to spy on us. I regret every letter that I sent with that owl. The rest, I’m sure you can all guess.� He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and fore finger, and then moved to massaging his temples. Hermione placed her hand affectionately on his back. She knew this had to be hard for him, after all, he had been through a lot in the past few months. Harry sensed Draco’s tiredness and suggested that he and Ginny let him rest. Ron and Lavender followed suit. Draco stood and kissed Hermione on the forehead before he trudged up the staircase. Hermione put their son to bed and soon joined her husband in their cosy room. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek; he had already fallen asleep. She lay down, and quietly listened to Draco’s steady breathing. Her stomach flipped. She smiled as she thought to herself, I never did forget that feeling.

***

Months passed by and Draco and Hermione became closer than they ever were, for life was unpredictable, and you never knew what to expect. Ginny phoned over to the Malfoy Mansion, and Hermione picked up the receiver.

“Hello?� she asked.

“’Moine! This is Gin, how are you? I haven’t talked to you for ages!� she cried excitedly over the phone.

Hermione giggled, “I’m doing great, Ginny, how about you? Oh, how was your trip to Egypt?�

“Wonderful. Harry and I had such a great time! But I missed you so much. And I have something for you, directly from Egypt!� she was absolutely bursting with joy.

“Oh, Gin, you didn’t have to do that. Thank you. And I’m so glad you had fun. You don’t know how lonely it was here though. I mean Draco and I spent so much time together, but I missed talking to you every day.� Ginny giggled.

“Well, let’s catch up tomorrow. You and Draco are invited to our house for Christmas dinner! And if you could, please bring a casserole. Hope you can come!�

“Of course, we’d love to come. Oh, I almost forgot, Ginny, I have some great news!� she couldn’t wait to tell Ginny.

There was a long pause. After a moment of silence, Ginny spoke, “Sorry about that Hermione, Harry was talking to me. I hope you can come, but I’ve got to go, mum and dad just got here. See you tomorrow!� and with that, she hung up the receiver.

Oh well Hermione told herself. Tomorrow will be better anyway. She hung up the phone and went to Draco’s study to tell him of tomorrow’s dinner.

***

Everything smelled so wonderful. Hermione, Lavender, and Ginny placed the last of the food on the table and sat next to their husband’s. Molly and Arthur were both chatting loudly to Harry and Ron. Ginny interrupted them. “Mum, dad, dinner’s ready. It’s wonderful, so let’s eat before it gets cold!� And with that, plates were filled to the edges with delicious turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, cooked carrots, beets, corn, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and soft, flaky rolls. Talking immediately ceased, due to the talker’s mouths being full of scrumptious, steaming food.

Hermione served everyone a generous piece of cherry pie and filled everyone’s glass with cold milk. She sat down and tapped her fork to her glass, quieting everyone down. She grabbed her husband’s hand and announced, “Draco and I have some wonderful news for all of you. We’re expecting another baby!� A wave of “congratulations� covered Hermione and Draco. Tears dribbled down her cheeks as everyone’s happy smiles looked back at her. Ginny stood.

“Congratulations to you two!� She grabbed Harry’s hand. “This is so neat. Hermione, I wanted to tell you this yesterday, but mum and dad arrived, so I had to leave. Harry and I are expecting another baby too!� And again, the wave of “congratulations� swept across the room and covered Harry and Ginny. Hermione glanced at Lavender. Her face was flushed. Hermione asked what was wrong and Lavender quietly revealed to Hermione that she wanted to have children, but Ron wasn’t really ready. Hermione patted her arm.

“Don’t worry, Lavender. You can come over anytime you want and baby-sit our little ones.� Lavender giggled and hugged Hermione.

“Thanks� she whispered.

And so, in the months following, Hermione and Ginny bought baby things together, and had a wonderful time spending their days with each other. And, as Hermione had said, Lavender came over nearly every day to baby-sit the little ones. With each passing day, the six friends became closer and closer, loving each other as if they were all family.

Nearly two months after Christmas dinner Draco and Hermione received a letter. It was a beautiful brown owl, and Hermione knew right away that it was a Ministry owl. She detached the letter from the bird’s foot, fed it some treats and let it fly off again. Only after she had closed the window back up did she read who the letter was addressed to. Mr. Draco Malfoy was written in elegant lettering on the front. She gently picked it up and headed toward Draco’s study. Hermione knocked twice on the soft wood. She turned the lovely handle and entered her husband’s study. His chair was facing the opposite direction, but Hermione could not see the platinum blonde hair sticking up from the top of it. She moved in closer to turn the chair around. Just then, the door opened behind her. She whipped around to find her husband with a plate in his hand. On the plate was a sandwich that Hermione doubted he could fit into his mouth; it was much too large. Hermione snorted as her husband shut the door.

“Sorry love, I didn’t mean to startle you. Did you need something?� he asked, setting his plate on the desk and looking over Hermione’s shoulder at the letter. She handed it to him.

“It came just a minute ago. It’s from the Ministry,� she told him, and sat on the edge of the desk. He opened the letter as he walked towards his chair. He sat in his large leather desk chair and pulled out the letter. As he read it, his expressionless face turned to a surprised look. Draco handed his wife the letter and she read it quickly.

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

Your father was taken to Azkaban five months ago on account of kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder, as well as being an active Death Eater. We found him tied tightly in ropes near Godric’s Hollow and immediately transported him to Azkaban. We had been searching for him for quite some time. Although he seemed to have nothing wrong with his health, we found him dead this morning in his cell. As of now, our Aurors can not find the cause of death, but we will keep you posted on our findings. We are very sorry of your loss. Please write back if you have any news or information. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Royce
Head of Ministry Records

Draco only stared at Hermione. She could tell he wasn’t sure what to think – whether he was relieved to have him gone, or if he was sad at the loss of a family member. She stood and handed him the letter. Draco hugged his wife tightly as she sat on his knee. Hermione took his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. After a moment of silence, she kissed him on the forehead and whispered, “I’ll be in the kitchen fixing supper. Please, love, if you need to talk, come right away.� She smiled and her eyes twinkled. He kissed her gingerly on the lips before she left him alone in his office. He re-read the letter hundreds of times, just trying to generate a definite feeling about it. He felt sad because it was his father, but he was also rather relieved that now neither he nor Hermione would have to worry about him following them or trying to separate them. Draco opened one of his desk drawers and took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote quickly so as to not allow himself time to change his mind.

Mum,

I just received a letter from the Ministry saying that dad is dead. Do you know anyone who would want to murder him? Please write back soon.

Draco

Draco rolled the letter up, placed it on his mail owl’s leg and sent it off. He then picked up his large sandwich and took it to the kitchen where Hermione had a Muggle radio on and was singing as she boiled the water for pasta. He set the plate on the table quietly and walked up behind the young witch. He placed his hands on her hips and began dancing with her, resting his head on her shoulder. She laughed, then turned around and kissed Draco. He hugged her as tightly as he could, but her large stomach prevented him from getting very close. Hermione put her hands on her belly and looked up at her husband. Hermione smiled broadly, “I can’t wait to have this baby; I feel so big.� She turned to the stove and put the pasta into the bubbling water. Draco sat at the large oak table and told Hermione of his letter to his mum. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his arm.

“Good idea, maybe she knows who killed your father.� Draco’s eyes looked unyielding. “What’s wrong love?�

He faked a smile. “Oh, um, nothing. It’s just, well…never mind,� he stammered. Hermione leaned in closer.

“Doesn’t sound like it. Draco, you can tell me anything. I want to help you through this.� She looked at Draco sympathetically. He saw the sincerity in her hazel eyes. The blonde sat back in his seat. “Well, I know who may have killed my father.�

Chapter 6: The Unexpected Guest

Hermione stared at Draco waiting for a response. He took a deep breath and explained his hunch. “Once we graduated from Hogwarts, I was promised to be married to Pansy Parkinson. That deal was made at the beginning of our sixth year. To complicate matters, my father suspected something was going on between you and me. He gave the family ring to Pansy, binding her to me magically. The only way this bind could be broken was if I were to find someone I truly loved, and they had the same love for me. When something like that happens, the ring melts and can not be fixed, no matter what magic is used. Well, when Pansy’s ring melted, she had absolutely no idea why. She went straight to my father and he told her why her ring was destroyed. Pansy was incensed. She followed my father for weeks hoping to find you or me. When she didn’t, I think she might have killed him in frustration and rage.�

Hermione looked at him sympathetically. She knew this had to be very hard for him. She patted his shoulder then sat on his knee. Her soft fingers ran through his blonde hair. Draco kissed her lightly on the lips. Suddenly, there was a loud tap on the window causing Hermione to jump. It was a beautiful sand brown owl with dark spots on his head and lively yellow eyes. She giggled as she let the bird in. It flew to Draco, landing on the kitchen table. The owl dropped the letter, and Draco caught it before it hit the table. Hermione gave it some treats before it flew away.

Draco opened the letter and read it quickly. He tossed it on the table in front of him and rubbed his eyes and temples. “What is it, Draco?� Hermione asked quietly. He motioned for her to read it. It was a rather short letter with a familiar scrawl covering it.

Draco,

Your guess is as good as mine, in fact they are very similar. But right now, that is all we have. I’ll send a letter to Severus to see if he knows any more information than we do. Please do not share this with that Granger girl; I feel she isn’t trustworthy with any of this information. I will write back to you as soon as I have any news, and I hope you will do the same.

Mum

Hermione huffed, “Don’t trust that Granger girl? Why doesn’t she trust me? And can’t she call me your wife?� Hermione slammed the letter down on the table harder than she intended to. The vase of flowers that Draco had given her for her birthday toppled over, spilling water over the letter and table. At first, she didn’t even notice she had nearly soaked her husband. Draco, however, took the incident in stride. With a simple wave of his wand, the water was gone. Noticing this bit of magic, Hermione smirked apologetically and sank into the seat next to her husband.

The oven timer beeped loudly, making Hermione jump to her feet. “Merlin, the toast is going to burn!�

She flung open the oven door open and reached in to grab the cookie sheet of garlic toast. She stopped inches away from touching the hot pan. Hermione quickly grabbed the pot holders and took the bread out of the oven. She tossed it onto the stove. Suddenly, the water from the pot of pasta boiled over. Hermione grasped the handles of the pot and moved it to the sink. She leaned her back against the counter and ran the back of her hand over her forehead. The stove burner began sizzling from the spilled water. Hermione wearily reached over and turned the burner off. Draco sauntered over to her, his trademark smirk playing across his face.

He rested his hands on the counter behind Hermione. He leaned in, putting his body very close to hers. Still, her large belly was blocking him from getting very much closer. She gripped his shirt and pulled him in close. As their lips met, a spark bounced off their lips. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. “Ouch!� she muffled. Draco laughed at her. Hermione frowned and punched his arm playfully. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and was about to ruffle her hair when the doorbell rang.

Hermione freed herself and Draco followed her to the door. As she got closer, she saw who it was. Immediately, she turned around and started up the winding staircase.

Draco gently grabbed her arm, “Stay here� he whispered. Hermione kept hold of her husband’s arm as he opened the door. Narcissa Malfoy stood boldly in the doorway.

Hermione quietly hid behind Draco’s broad shoulders. Narcissa casually walked in, but she held herself high and confident (and rather arrogantly Hermione had thought). Draco silently watched as his mother crossed the threshold and sit her dainty body on one of the expensive couches in their furnished living room. He slowly closed the door, still hiding his wife as best as he could. He stood stiff, not wanting to make a wrong move in front of his mother.

Narcissa looked disheveled, but had tried to hide it. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck with wisps of hair decorating her neck and shoulders. She sat with her legs crossed at the ankles, both feet snug in small flats. Her black dress and overcoat added a hint of mystery to Narcissa; a trait displayed often. Her skin seemed even more pallid than usual. Her hands shook slightly, but she paid no attention to them.

At last, Draco spoke. “What are you doing here?� he asked.

Hermione slowly showed herself, but stayed close to her husband. Narcissa looked at her son. Her eyes looked sunken and sad. Hermione felt sorry for her rather than resentful. Narcissa spoke so quietly, Draco had to step closer to hear.

“I’ve come to tell you in person what I’ve learned,� she whispered, shooting Hermione a hateful look. Draco caught this and immediately defended his wife.

“Mum, she already knows about everything. She’s not leaving.� His voice was firm and unwavering. Narcissa stood.

“She is a Mudblood and she can’t be trusted!� Narcissa whispered harshly into her son’s ear. This made his blood boil. In his anger, he called his mother by her first name – something he was taught was severely disrespectful and strictly punishable.

“Narcissa; Hermione is my wife and the mother of your grandchildren. I love her and have accepted her as a witch, no matter what her blood is. Do not criticize the ones whose blood isn’t pure; you of all people especially.� His voice became louder with anger. Hermione touched his arm to calm him. He turned back to his mother. “The purpose of your visit was not to demean Hermione. Say what you’ve come to say then leave.�

Hermione was now standing beside her husband, in plain sight. She wasn’t afraid of Narcissa anymore. Narcissa reluctantly backed away, not wanting to accept her failure. She sat back on the couch. This time, however, she wasn’t so queen-like.

“Severus had some highly valuable information on the death of your father. It took me some time to get to him, and there were guards standing over us the entire time, but I got what I needed. Your father was killed by Pansy Parkinson. She confessed to the murder merely hours after she committed it. Severus knew this only because of his Legilimency. First, he requested a visit to Azkaban to see a family friend. Once he was there, he sought out Pansy. He quickly asked her a few questions. He only needed to ask a few. With this information, he immediately came to me. And now, I am here,� she said, resting against the soft back of the sofa. She sat rather uneasily, and Hermione sensed her discomfort. She stepped forward.

“Well, thank you very much Narcissa. If you don’t mind, Draco and I were just getting ready to have a wonderful meal of spaghetti and garlic toast. We’d like to eat while it was still hot.� Hermione stated in a polite tone that could not have been nastier. She opened the front door and gestured for Narcissa to leave.

“I thought I smelled something burning,� Narcissa said quietly as she stepped out the door. Frustrated, Hermione locked the door and grabbed her husband’s arm. She led him to the loveseat where she told him what she was thinking. “Draco, just because Snape is a Legilimen, doesn’t mean he can tell what someone did or didn’t do just by asking them a few questions. Harry told me that even the most experienced Legilimens can’t 'see' some things. I think your mum is either adding a bit to the story, or just plain lying.�

“And, you aren’t allowed visits in Azkaban, unless you’re someone in an extremely high position. Snape is definitely not in a high enough position to visit even a family friend in Azkaban,� Draco added.

Hermione nodded her head and leaned up against a pillow. She ran her fingers through her stubborn frizzy hair. Draco leaned over and tucked some hair behind Hermione’s ear. She smiled, and then laughed. Laughter being contagious, Draco joined in. He leaned in even closer, leaving only centimeters to separate them from each other. Hermione wanted so badly to kiss Draco, but she knew that they had to discuss his father’s situation.

“Draco� she interrupted, “we need to figure this out.� He pulled away, looking hurt. She smiled at his pathetic face, “Oh, cheer up love.� Hermione kissed him on the lips. Draco’s instant boyish smile made her laugh. He followed his wife into the kitchen – he also followed his nose accompanied by his stomach. As Hermione sat down, spaghetti steaming on her plate, she broke their silence. “Draco, what if she knows something that we don’t. What if she’s covering up for someone?� Draco looked into Hermione’s bold brown eyes.

“You really think she’s lying to us, don’t you?� he asked rather unbelievingly.

She nodded, “Yes Draco, I really do. And it’s not just that I don’t particularly like your mother, it’s that I know she’s hiding something. You can tell when you watch her eyes – she never made eye contact with either of us, the entire time.� Hermione gave her husband a minute to think over this. A baby’s whimper caught her attention. “Merlin, he's already up from his nap?� she sighed as she slowly made her way up the spiral staircase.

“I’ll get the highchair ready,� he called after her.

“Thanks,� she answered.

Hermione walked quietly down the hall hoping that maybe her son would go back to sleep. As she got closer, she heard the creak of a rocking chair. She stepped even more quietly; she had heard something in the nursery. As she approached the door, she heard whispering; a male voice was whispering. She knew Draco was downstairs, and Harry and Ron were both out for dinner with their wives. So who could it be?

Hermione clasped her wand tightly in her hand. It felt almost unfamiliar to her because she hadn’t used magic in months. Hermione peeked around the corner. She saw the back of a greasy head of hair. Her heart seemed to stop and she lost her breath. With her heart now pounding in her throat, Hermione held her wand at the ready. She turned her whole body around the corner. Her grip on her wand loosened and her knees felt limp. There he sat rocking her baby boy and whispering softly to her. His greasy hair jerked as he snapped his head up to see Hermione walk in.

“What are you doing here, Snape?� she said viciously. His evil laugh sent goose bumps shooting up her arm. Hermione regained her grip on the wand and straightened her knees. “Put my baby down and get out of my house!� Her brows furrowed and her eyes squinted.

Snape stood and laid the baby in his crib. He brought out his wand and teasingly twirled it between his fingers like he was playing some game. “Hermione dear, you already know too much for me to let you go.� Snape said in a mocking voice. “You have brains, girl; and now� he began advancing on her “you shall find out how much that will hurt you.� His wand rose in the air, pointed directly at Hermione.

“Oh Snape, you don’t scare me. You never have, and you never will� she spat back. He laughed again, making her blood chill. “What do you want?� she asked, standing firm as he advanced on her.

“Ah dear little girl, as I have told you, you know too much. We can’t have you going around spreading your rumors about my people and me. If you do, one of the two of us will end up in prison, and it won’t be me. Now, tell me how much you really know.�

He was now only inches from Hermione. She didn’t flinch when his nose twitched. Her feet were firmly planted on the ground and her hand was wrapped around her wand with a death grip.

She looked directly into Snape’s eyes and spoke with a formidable voice, “All I know is that Narcissa is lying. Would you like to tell me the truth, so you can go to jail?�

Snape stepped back and let out a howling laugh. She watched his greasy hair jiggle as his head bounced. She quickly caught him off guard. “Expelliarmus!� she yelled. Snape’s wand flew from his hand and slid across the floor. It hit her foot and stopped short. She picked it up and winked at him. Fear shone in Snape’s eyes as he fell to his knees in surrender. Hermione crept over to him “You aren’t quite as scary with out this are you?� She wiggled his wand in front of his face. But before she knew what was happening, a large puff of smoke filled the room, and Snape was gone.