A/N: This is for round 3 of the ultimate OTP comp.

Forty eight hours.

Forty eight until she was supposed to die.

Hermione wasn't sure how to tell her husband about what had occurred, but she knew that once she had told Rabastan that he would know exactly what Hermione was talking about.

The slow death curse was developed by Antonin Dolohov during the Second War. It was specifically designed to make the victims organs fail so slowly that their bodies wouldn't notice until it reached all of them. After that, their body would start to shut down and they would die and they would have less than twelve hours to live.

There was no known cure to the curse and Dolohov was not about to give one up as he had been the one to cast the curse in the first place.

Hermione stepped out of the floo into the Lestrange drawing room.

Both her husband and her brother-in-law raised their heads to see who had arrived. Their expressions turned from curious to concern very quickly.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Rabastan asked rushing to her side.

"He cast the slow death curse," she replied.

Rabastan's face flickered with recognition.

"Who was the target, and who cast it?" Rodolphus asked as he walked over to where they were.

"Dolohov cast the curse and I was hit," she answered as she looked into Rabastan's eyes.

"Y-you were hit?" he asked stuttering slightly.

"Yes, that's why they sent me home; so I could spend whatever time I have left with you."

"How did Dolohov get to curse you anyway? I thought they were supposed to search people before they were interviewed." Rodolphus asked.

"I'm not sure. I know that he was searched before so it must have not been as thoroughly as they should have done," Hermione replied.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. Dolohov kept his counter curses to himself, but you know that if we thought that anyone could help you we would make sure that they would," Rodolphus said sympathetically.

"I know you would," Hermione said as she turned and gave a small smile to him.

"What do you want to do now?" Rabastan asked as he tried to control the emotion in his voice.

Hermione turned back to her husband and said, "I want you to make love to me,"

Rabastan Apparated them to their bedroom fully intending to take as much time to show his wife exactly how much he loved her.