Hermione felt the mattress dip gently beneath his weight and smiled shyly as she held open her arms in welcome. The room was dark but she felt the warmth of his skin flush against hers and the gooseflesh that his roaming hands left in their wake.

"Merlin, your skin…" Draco shifted to place a kiss at her collarbone and felt the soft shudder of her breath being released all at once. He smiled against her flesh and moved his mouth lower, content to stay this way for the foreseeable future.

Hermione's fingernails lightly bit into his shoulders as her body hummed with the pleasurable assault on her senses.

"You're killing me."

"We can't have that, can we?"

Hermione lifted Draco's head and crushed her lips against his in a dizzying kiss that might as well have stopped time.

"Always teasing me," She murmured, resting her forehead against his. It was a tender gesture that threw them both off and made his heart do a slow turn in his chest.

Draco grinned and nipped at her lower lip playfully. "Old habits die hard, I suppose…"

"She looks much better today, Ginny. Her cheeks are a lively sort of red."

"That's true enough. I know she'll wake up when she's good and ready but it would be a relief if it was sooner rather than later."

"I'm sure she will. There's already an enormous thought cloud growing over her head. It's a good sign."

"Right. Luna, keep an eye on the soup. I'll hand out the pain potions upstairs."

Hermione struggled to hang onto consciousness. She faintly heard the soft melody that Luna Lovegood was humming and she could smell the homey scent of soup, but it was a battle to hang on to reality when it would be so much easier to slip back into the comfort of old memories.

"L-luna?"

Hermione heard the soft patter of feet and blinked as Luna's beaming face swam into focus.

"Hullo, Hermione. Would you like a drink of water?"

"Please," Hermione whispered.

Luna quickly returned with a glass and helped Hermione sit up so she could take several cautious sips.

"Don't drink too fast. Slow sips-"

"Blast! Luna, the soup!" Ginny Weasley ran into the kitchen in a whirl of red hair and hurried over to the stove to remove a large stockpot that was boiling rapidly.

"Ginny-"

"You're just lucky it wasn't burned. I don't have the energy to put anything else together and-"

"It's good to see you haven't changed," Hermione mentioned quietly.

Ginny stilled for only a moment before whirling around and grinning at the sight of Hermione sitting up with a stack of pillows behind her back to support her.

"It took you long enough to wake up, you know." Ginny teased even as her eyes filled with tears.

"How long have I been out of it?"

"One week and three days." Luna supplied breezily. She patted Hermione's hand and went to the stove where twelve bowls were filled with soup at the flick of her wand. "I'll start them on dinner. I know the pair of you have all sorts of catching up to do."

"Thank you, Luna. I'll feed Hermione and take care of the cleanup." Ginny said as she dabbed her watery eyes on the apron she wore over her summer frock.

Luna wandered out of the kitchen with an army of soup bowls levitating behind her, both Hermione and Ginny watching with matching smiles.

As soon as they were alone, Ginny took Luna's place on the cot next to Hermione so she could give her friend a cautious examination.

"Do you feel lightheaded at all?"

"No. I'm a bit sore, my legs mostly, but other than that I'm just hungry and still a bit weak."

"Good. Everything has healed quite nicely. I'll get you a spot of soup and put on the kettle-"

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"All of that sounds lovely, but I could do with a hug from my closest mate."

Blinking away the remnants of her tears, Ginny gingerly leaned in and enclosed Hermione in a solid but gentle hug.

"I was so worried, Hermione."

"I'm sorry."

"I haven't heard from anyone else in months, either. When I found you, I…"

"It must have been awful. I'm sorry, Gin."

Ginny sniffed and pulled away to wipe her eyes. "I'm so relieved. Let's get some soup in you and have you feeling top notch again."

While Hermione ate, she listened as Ginny filled her in on the safe house where they currently resided. It was known as Ingraham Cottage, named after Cornelius and Annabelle Ingraham, who donated the property for the Order to use it as they wished.

"I've been here for eight months now. We have twenty beds upstairs for patients who can manage the stairs and eight more on the first floor."

"Has it just been you and Luna?"

"For the most part."

Hermione's hand began trembling as she took meager bites of the heaven sent soup. She took several bites, frustrated that her body wasn't cooperating before Ginny fluidly took over the spoon and the bowl and began feeding her friend, without pause. "The Ingraham's son, Andrew, stops by when he can. I've seen Tonks and Bill and Fleur a handful of times. Other than that, it's just us."

"I'm glad you haven't been completely alone."

"I'm grateful for that much." Ginny brought the cup of water to Hermione's lips for her to sip from and looked away as she spoke, "I…I saw Harry once. Three months ago."

Relieved, Hermione lightly gripped the other woman's wrist, desperate for her to continue. "How was he?"

"He was so tired. Worried sick about everyone, of course. He told me that he lost track of you and Ron during an attack…" The redhead trailed off, seeming lost in thought.

"Ginny?" Cautiously, Hermione continued, "I know it's hard for you, with him out there, but he'll come back to you."

"It's not that. I mean, it is hard but…Hermione," Ginny inhaled sharply and stared down at her hands before she could continue, "I'm pregnant."

Hermione felt as if she had been punched in the gut. She fell back against her pillows, battling an onslaught of emotion that had nothing to do with Ginny's pregnancy and everything to do with her own demons. She swallowed her gut reaction and smiled through the tears that were collecting in her eyes.

"Ginny, that's wonderful."

"Are you mad! There's a war on!"

"I'm still allowed to be happy for you. It's beautiful that something so good can come out of such an awful war. You have to know that."

Both women were consumed by watery smiles and leaking eyes as they leaned in for another hug.

"Leave it to you to get me all teary eyed again."

"I'm allowed to be happy about this one." Hermione held Ginny at arm's length, amazed that the slender Ginny Weasley who had grown from a scrappy girl to feisty young woman, was carrying Harry's child.

"I'm trying to be happy when I'm not worrying," Ginny admitted, "You're the only one I've told. Harry…he hasn't been back and I haven't been able to tell him."

"You'll get to tell him eventually. He'll be back."

Ginny jutted her chin and gathered the empty soup bowl, the picture of determination, as she set her mind on doing the dishes. "Too right he will."

Hermione curled into the fetal position on the concrete floor of her makeshift cell. She had trouble lying still when her body was spasming so violently with the aftershocks from the intensity of the Cruciatus Curse.

Her teeth chattered and it felt like her insides were coursing with electricity. Her fingers twitched as she folded her hands over her abdomen and squeezed her eyes shut, whispering, "I'm so sorry. None of this was meant to happen."

Hermione was jolted from her restless sleep that evening by a mournful wail coming from somewhere in the cottage. She was still located in the kitchen, her cot tucked in the corner near the fireplace so she could stay cozy and Ginny and Luna were nearby.

Her heart was still leaping in her chest when she carefully swung her legs over the side of the cot and stood for the first time since Ginny had brought her inside a week earlier. Her legs were unsteady and weak but she managed to take halting steps through the kitchen, following the eerie crying sound.

"Gin? Luna?"

Hermione took to the stairs, hobbling up one step at a time as the noise grew louder and sent chills racing up her spine.

"John, please. Back into bed-"

Hermione stepped into the first room at the top of the stairs, pressing herself against the wall as a man in his nightclothes stormed past her into the hall. He was remarkably tall and moving quickly toward another room at the back of the house.

"John," Hermione wasn't sure what she was doing, exactly. The man turned, facing her with a look of anguish despite appearing half-asleep. Hermione reached her hand out, moving slowly forward until she could gently touch his arm. "You should get back into bed now. You've worried Ginny and Luna."

The man, John, glanced down at her hand with the same lost, tormented look that was slowly starting to tear at her heart. She was relieved when he nodded and turned back to shuffle into his bedroom, allowing Luna and Ginny to guide him to his bed.

A/N: Just to keep things clear: The golden trio are meant to be around 21 years of age at this point. Also, Harry is still looking for Horcruxes, like it was mentioned earlier- everyone was split up during a battle. More details will be forthcoming; I just don't want anyone too confused as it unfolds.

Thanks to everyone who favorited/added this story to their alerts, and for the feedback. How do you suppose things will progress from here? Interested to see more? Let me know what you think, dears!