Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the Harry Potter characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

WARNING: Rating M (for readers aged 16 years+). No extreme or sexually explicit language in this chapter, purely story content.

[Thanks again for your reviews! I understand the hatred for Draco but I feel there is some light in him, he'd just forgotten about that side to him, until now…I felt like creating a plot twist, so here it is, hope you enjoy it…]

Chapter seven – Hopelessness

Voldemort and Snape apparated to Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts. The once beautifully ancient room was now in ruins. After Dumbledore's death in the Astronomy Tower all those years ago, Bellatrix and other malicious Death Eaters went on a rampage, ruining his office and each meaningful room in Hogwarts. It was left in tatters and scorched. All that remained was the penesive and vials of memories. Snape scoured the shelves of small intricately detailed vials. He read each handwritten name and date until he found what he was looking for…Dumbledore's own memory of one particularly important conversation with the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw in 1897.

"What do you mean?" young Albus Dumbledore enquired. He was just sixteen years old, dressed in Hogwarts robes and Gryffindor colours. He stared between the cold stone columns at the beautiful youthful figure of the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw.

"She is the one who beholds the true prophecy. She will be the true saviour" Helena ghostly soft voice tingled as her body floated across the space.

"How will I know who she is?" he asked nervously whilst folding his hands and looking down at the floor.

"In 100 years, she will be the brightest witch of her age and also the bravest, just as my mother and her father were" she replied floating to the corner of the space.

"How did you come to learn of her?" Dumbledore asked inquisitively striding over towards her.

"I found a letter in my mother's cabinet" a ghostly tear trickled down her cheek.

"What did it say?" Dumbledore asked in a soft empathetic voice.

"It was a letter from Godrick. He'd said that he was so proud of my mother and so heart warmed to hear of their miracle baby girl" tears streamed down her face.

"Did you confront her?" he replied wondering closer towards her.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" She screamed and floated through the young boy.

"I'm sorry Helena, I didn't mean to upset you" he replied softly.

"I was so furious with my mother that I stole her diadem and left for Albania" she sighed. "She wrote to me and begged me to come home. She said I wouldn't have to have anything to do with the girl. She apologised" she said floating into the corner. "But I wasn't angry with the girl. I was angry with our mother for not telling me of her existence. I never got to meet her" She sighed heavily.

"How will the girl turn up in the future?" Dumbledore stroked his chin with inquisition.

"My mother entrusted her servant with a time turner and provided instructions to leave the baby girl with muggle parents to hide her identity and keep her safe" Helena replied softly.

"What is her name?" he asked.

"Hermione Ravenclaw, as our mother never married Godrick she gave the baby our family name" she replied looking down to the stone floor.

"And she will be the true saviour?" he asked closing his eyes shut and shaking his head slightly as if in disbelief of the information entangled in his mind.

"She will have the power to save the future" she whispered.

As Voldemort removed his face from the swirling liquid, he stared at Severus.

"It is worse than I feared Severus" Voldemort stated coldly.

"What is it my Lord?" Snape bowed his head.

"The girl is the offspring of Rowena Ravenclaw and Godrick Gryffindor, the two founders desperate to denounce my great ancestor's power and glory, Salazar Slytherin" He hissed. "She will be destroyed" he hissed under short hot breath.

"My Lord, may I suggest we keep this information between ourselves. She may hold great gifts that will be of use to you and our cause" Severus replied his head still bowed. "Her offspring will be of the blood of three of the four founders, that is unheard of in Wizarding history and we could use this to our advantage" he said firmly raising his head.

"Yes Severus, you're right. She must be controlled. She must be contained. Her child must not be a bastard. It would be sinful and offensive to our Pureblood households" he hissed.

"I will arrange to see young Malfoy, my Lord" he bowed his head to Lord Voldemort as he paced towards the door.

"Do not disappoint me Severus, we do not want a repeat of your disloyalty" and with that Snape apparated.

Meanwhile, Hermione slept peacefully, with gentle thoughts entering her mind. She was awoken by the crack! of a person apparating beside her.

"Wake up" he commanded. Hermione rubbed her eyes and gathered the sheets up under her chin. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. The father of my child? What a joke.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she answered coldly.

"I hope you like the name" he huffed and sneered.

"What are you going on about?" she shook her head rubbing her temple with her index finger.

"You're to be my wife" he smirked. "Get up and dressed" Draco commanded coldly and stormed out of the door. Hermione's head was spinning, she felt sick. Is it you baby? Making me feel so sick? She laughed to herself. Oh how she no longer felt alone in this cold cruel new world. Her heart already felt deeply connected to the growing baby in her womb. Hermione shook her head with all the negative thoughts entering her mind she felt like poison ivy surrounding a beautiful sunflower crushing it. She didn't want her poisoned mind to have the same damaging impact on her baby.

Mopsy suddenly entered the room and left a pile of clothes. She did not say a word to Hermione.

"Mopsy?" Hermione asked softly and Mopsy ignored her, slowly walking towards the door. "Mopsy please talk to me" Hermione pleaded slowly standing up from her bed and crouching suddenly, holding her lower stomach tightly as a shooting pain rocketed up her body. "Ahh" she cried in pain and held herself tightly.

"Miss Hermione! Are you okay?" Mopsy asked desperately "I'm sorry Miss Hermione, Master said I was not to talk to you or he would punish Mopsy" she said softly rushing over to Hermione and helping her back into the bed. "Miss Hermione, I must tell Master Malfoy" before Hermione could protest the house elf had disapparated.

As soon as she'd left, Draco slammed open the door "what's wrong?!" he asked firmly. Hermione continued to hold her stomach and cry with yelps of agony. "MOPSY GET THE HEALER!" Draco bellowed and crouched next to Hermione's side trying to touch her body, "I'm getting help, just hang on" he said with a small crackle in his wavering voice. Hermione had thousands of thoughts cross her mind so many that it felt like the words were screaming at her. She was screaming. Screaming from the shooting bolts of pain surging through her womb.

"STOP!" She screamed "make it stop!" she begged, her body writhing in pain. Her hands were flailing all over the bed. Draco tried to hold his hand under her head to stop her from bumping it. His other hand began to instinctively travel to her lower stomach. "Draco" she whispered with tears falling down her cheeks. His fingers fluttered over her stomach and the moment his palm touched her lower stomach, her body relaxed. She stopped writhing. It was as if all the pain surging through Hermione's body was instantly drained by Draco's touch. Hermione let out a quiet sigh of relief, as did Draco.

Crack! A small old odd-looking woman entered the room "well done Master Malfoy" she expressed. A familiar voice. "The little one was craving his father and mother's connection" she said softly.

Draco's eyes stared longingly at Hermione. It felt like it was the first time he was truly seeing her for her. Her beautiful soft skin. Her gorgeous soft curls. Her freckles. Her soft hands. Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open and her gaze caught on Draco's beautiful grey eyes. She felt as if she was staring into his soul. She felt a pull in her heart, like this moment mattered and it would shape her future.

"Hermione, I've been told we are to be married today" Draco expressed softly whilst staring deeply into her hazelnut eyes.

"Yes" the word left her mouth before Hermione felt in control of it. It was as if she was under the imperius curse but it felt much stronger. A power she had never experienced before. "I think our son wants us to be married" she said softly as if the words seemed normal within this situation.

"Healer, is it possible that our son has just connected us?" Draco's eyes fluttered closed as if he was in deep thought.

"Yes, he is a child of great power" she replied.

"A true Slytherin, already manipulating his parents" Draco chuckled. It felt good to laugh. He'd forgotten how good it felt.

"Clever, brave and manipulative, he's going to be a ruler" Hermione said staring at Draco. She took in each part of him. She assessed his beautiful lean body and serious features. I wonder if you'll look like your father? Hermione smiled to herself.

I think he will be as brilliant as his mother. Draco smiled looking at Hermione and she cradled her lower stomach. Hermione's mind felt cloudy like she'd taken a very strong love potion. She felt something towards Draco. She could not hate or despise him. The hopelessness and dread that she had felt every moment of every day since the end of the War had vanished. She felt light like a feather. She felt powerful. She felt unstoppable.