A/N: Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews! They have meant the absolute world to me. To be honest you guys are the only reason why I spent weeks trashing tens of thousands of words in effort to deliver a decent story. I never experienced writers block to the degree that I did with this story in November and December. Like I said, it was your reviews that spurred me on. Thank you!

So, here it is, the conclusion. I will do an epilogue before starting on the Lost 21.

Chapter Thirteen: Tea Parties and Madness

"I can't!" Sirius screamed as he leaped up manually doing compressions the muggle way. He saw Poppy out of the corner of his eyes reach for him, trying to pull him away from his beloved.

"Sirius," Harry said brokenly.

"No! I'm not ready!" He screamed still administering CPR.

There was a crash and stomping as Draco ran up the stairs and into the room.

"Am I too late? She was poisoned! I have the antidote! Merlin! Please tell me I am not too late."

Poppy bustled into action taking the proffered antidote and with shaking hands fed it into Hermione's mouth. Sirius stopped only long enough for Poppy to dose her, before resuming compressions. It's like he completely went out of his mind, forgetting that he was a wizard and that there were better methods. There was a fire back in his eyes, a come hell or high water look that kept their audience silent and hopeful.

"Enervate." Poppy hit Hermione with a powerful reviver, desperate to do her best to save the young woman she had become so fond of.

It wasn't a big breath nor a rise from the dead reaction they hoped for that indicated that Hermione was back with them. Her weak and erratic pulse coupled with barely discernable breaths were the only indicators that Hermione was once again among the living.

Sirius was shaking, the adrenaline pounding through his veins. He sat on his haunches, chest heaving as the color slowly returned to her face.

"Poison?" He whispered, piercing Draco with a vengeful stare.

"Lisette Lestrange was posing as Healer Taylor. I believe she was taking orders from someone, probably Eglantine. All roads seem to lead back to her." Draco said while clutching his side. His lungs burned with exertion, a stitch in his side forcing him nearly double. "Oh, and before I forget," He muttered, handing Harry the parchment that had been clutched in his hand.

"Are you sure?" Harry gasped. Shock morphing his face as he searched Draco's eyes for any untruth.

"Positive." Draco muttered. As if he would make that claim without knowing for certain.

"I have to go then."

"I thought you would." Draco fished out a small button from a pocket of his inner robes and handed it over. "It will leave the moment you activate it."

"Wow, Malfoy, you really have changed."

"And don't forget it."

Harry clapped Malfoy on the shoulder on his way out of the room. Their audience stared at Draco, intending on forcing him to tell them all what that was about. He held up his hand indicating they should wait. Once he caught his breath, he smirked.

"I found Hermione's parents, alive and well in Australia. The trauma of being attacked a few weeks ago brought back their memories and believing they were being hunted by Death Eaters, hid off the grid in the bush. They were living on a cattle ranch in the Australian outback. I think that the finger in the box was a very good imitation. Someone else probably lost their finger for this scare tactic. Potter has gone to get them. I had that portkey made up this morning before I found the antidote. Today was a productive day."

Sirius laughed. It was hysterical and relieved. He lifted Hermione's hand to tenderly kissed her fingertips.

"If she gets better and she marries me, I want you to be best man at our wedding." Sirius said, staring at Malfoy.

Draco froze an emotionless mask slid over his face. It was obvious to everyone in the room that he didn't know how to react to such a thing. Pansy, knowing Draco much better than anyone else in the room, smacked him on the shoulder.

"You are supposed to say thank you, I would be honored." She harped.

"Thank you, I'm honored." He parroted.

"No, Thank you!" Sirius smirked and nodded his head in a hell yes fashion. He had finally shocked Malfoy into silence. This day was turning out to be great.

Hermione's eyes fluttered. Everyone in the room was focused on Sirius and Malfoy, not even noticing that she was watching them weakly. She smiled. She had heard everything since Harry left the room.

She tried to get their attention. She needed some water but all that came out of her mouth was a croak.

Every head in the room whipped to look at her.

"Water." She tried again but it only came out in a whisper.

"Anything, love." Sirius murmured soothingly as Poppy handed him a glass of cool water.

He supported her head and neck before bringing the cup to her lips. He let only a small trickle of the water to run in between her lips but she choked anyway. Poppy's hands soothed her, as she patted Hermione's shoulder. Sirius set the glass aside and lifted her torso up so that Poppy could adjust her pillows.

"Why does my chest hurt?" Hermione's ragged voice muttered. She grimaced as Poppy waved her wand and helped settle her.

"CPR." Sirius mumbled.

Hermione chuckled painfully before Poppy was over her again, giving her another dose of antidote.

HGHGHG

Draco Malfoy had left Grimmauld Place with a burning determination to finish this once and for all. He was strolling into one of the interrogation rooms at the ministry before they took Lestrange to Azkaban. Brewing and dosing potions with the intent to murder was a crime that could and would land her a cell in Azkaban for the next twenty years. That is why Draco was here. He would offer her ten if she narked.

The room was white over white with one mirrored one way wall. Draco watched as Lestrange sat at the table and stared straight ahead.

Draco had been in that room before, that chair. After the war, he was put on trial for his involvement. He wasn't a very good Voldemort supporter and the Golden Trio knew it. It was their testimony that freed him in the end but he would never forget the interrogation process. To sit in that room and stare at a blank wall for hours either made a person crazy or damned determined. He had broken like a little girl after the fifth hour. This woman though, was eight hours in. It made him uneasy.

With a nod to the Auror at her door, Draco glided into the room, hand in his pocket. The other, clutched a large file. He threw the folder on the table and it landed with a smack. Lestrange flinched at the noise, her eyes still focused on the wall.

"Miss Lestrange, may I call you Lisette?" He waited for her to nod before moving on. "Lisette, you are looking at serving at least twenty years. Maybe more. You tried to kill Hermione Granger of all people. Why?"

She showed no indication of hearing him, instead opting to keep her eyes focused on the wall.

"I can't help you If you don't say anything."

"You aren't here to help me." She spat. "Blood traitor."

Draco's face hardened to stone.

"Fine, Rot in that place. Even though the Dementors are gone doesn't mean that it is any more pleasant of a place. My bet is that because of who you poisoned, you will be there for thirty, forty years. Good luck with that." He growled. As started to get up from his chair, she reached out, clenching his forearm with her surprisingly strong fingers. He gestured to the mirrored wall and only moments later a tiny vial of clear liquid was set on the table. With a raised brow, he waited for her to make the next move. Would she dink the Veritaserum willingly or would he have to force her?

Her hand fell away from his arm and she resumed her deadpan stare at the wall behind his shoulder.

The hard way then. Draco thought as he flicked his wand. Thick metal chains slid over her wrists and ankles, holding her still. He uncorked the vial. He forced her mouth open and froze her, letting three drops of the potion land on her tongue. He unfroze her and waited.

"What is your name?" He asked. She was in a daze, her eyes glazed as she answered tonelessly.

"Lisette Francis Lestrange."

"Why did you try to kill Hermione Granger? Who are you working with?"

"Eglantine has never played by the rules, you know. She didn't have an easy life as Bulstrode's wife, not that any pureblooded wife especially liked their lives. She was constantly berated by her in-laws and looked down on because she never produced a male heir. You know this, being pureblooded yourself but you are not a woman. You couldn't understand the depression that comes from not having sons. Imagine having your family believe that your entire worth rested on your ability of birthing sons. It's a terrible fate. Your mother was lucky. She had you on her first try. It wasn't fair.

When Millicent was born, we were all ecstatic for her. We thought that she wouldn't be able to have children at all. We hoped that her husband would settle down and treat her better after the girl's birth. He did calm down, but not completely. That's when we brought her into Mordrid's circle. It was Narcissa's idea. She cares for people, not that she was ever allowed to show it. Millicent was not the only child that was held in Malfoy Manor. There were,"

"Seventy-two." He said.

"Yes. She was inconsolable. A mother should never have to bury her child."

Draco nodded.

"When the trials started, we attended them hoping to find out what happened to these children. It was the escape of the Golden Trio from Malfoy Manor that triggered The Dark Lord's murderous rage. How could a group of Slytherin's blame Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world? We couldn't. We were all grateful that he killed The Dark Lord. The Weasley boy was purblooded. He would soon do his duty and marry. It's didn't surprise any of us that he passed over that mudblood for someone more worthy. We rejoiced for the Parkinson's. At least one of our families would make it out of this without the hatred."

"What about you? Why did you do it?"

"You know, I was genuine at first. I inherited all of the familial assets after the war. I wanted a rapport in this new regime, one unclouded by the things I had to do for the Dark Lord. I wanted a clean slate. So, I ordered one of their magical maps to be made. I still could barely tolerate having that filth in my house but she was accompanied by the Lord Black. I was civil.

I had been hiding Rabastan in the ruins of the old manor. He brewed Polyjuice for me. I used the extra money to purchase the map. Most of the Lestrange vaults had been cleared out. The ministry took their pound of flesh.

It was their second visit when Rab noticed that they were there. I thought he would yell at me for betraying the family. It wasn't so. He watched her. Every time they came to the manor and walked through it, he would trail behind them. I didn't understand why all of the pureblooded men had gone crazy. What was it about Hermione Granger?

I visited Rab that first week she put him in Azkaban. He still wanted her even after being put under his own wand. To be honest I think he quite liked it. It infuriated me. I came from a good family. I was just as good looking as her. I never married not because I didn't want to; I never married because no one was interested that I was allowed to like. I wasn't allowed to like a halfblood but all of the pureblooded men were allowed to follow her around like stags in heat. It was humiliating.

That is when I met up with Eglantine. She understood my pain. We both had the same problem. Hermione Mudblood Granger was still alive."

"So, you poisoned her?"

"Yes."

"You wanted to kill her?"

"Yes."

"Where is Eglantine hiding?"

"She's not hiding. She lives in Malfoy Manor."

"That is not possible."

"She won't leave that cell that her daughter lived in for months."

"Cerci." He gasped, horrified.

Her head lolled back as he released her chains and left the room. His hands were shaking as he thought about what this would do to his career, his family. Grimly, he assembled a task force. Regardless of how this would make him look, he couldn't allow Eglantine free reign to try and kill Granger again.

HGHGHGHG

Harry stared at the tiny house that nestled against the only mountain run off in the area. For being non-magical, Hermione's parents were incredible at hiding. It had taken him days to find this place.

He walked slowly up to the door and lifted his hand to knock.

"Stop right there." A firm low voice warned.

Harry turned around and froze as he found himself face to face with a .22 semiautomatic hunting rifle.

"Harry Potter?" The man asked confused.

"Yes, Sir. I came to get both you and Mrs. Granger. Hermione is sick and she couldn't come herself. We thought she was going to die. When I left, she was on the mend."

"We won?" Mr. Granger asked in relief.

"We did." Harry smirked.

"Well done! Well done!" He said jubilantly as he lowered the gun and pushed Harry inside. Mrs. Granger was at the stove, curly hair, a bush of frizz around her head.

"I heard once that charcoal was good for digesting. I hope that's true, honey, because that's what I am serving today. It used to be rabbit." She chuckled as she turned, putting the charred remains of rabbit on the table before freezing when she noticed Harry. She stared for only a moment before she flung herself into Harry's arms.

"Hermione?" She breathed.

"She was really sick, its why I am here and not her. I came to get you both."

"Thank God!" She sobbed into his shirt. Harry grinned at Mr. Granger as the man poked the pathetic offering. The resigned look on his face told Harry more than he needed to know. Harry had a feeling that charcoal was always on the menu.

HGHGHGHGH

Draco lowered the wards around Malfoy Manor. Twelve Aurors simultaneously moved to enter his home. In their briefing, Draco showed them the layout of the house. Each Auror would breach the exterior at different points, all of them heading into the dungeons.

They found her exactly where Lisette said she would but they didn't move into the cell immediately. Draco looked in with shocked pity through the small guard's hatch that every door in the dungeons had.

Eglantine had turned the cell into an exquisite and lush bedroom. There was a large bed with a matching wardrobe on the far side, a square table covered in a white lace tablecloth that was set with a silver tea service, and a small divan in front of the fireplace completed the room. The floor was covered in ornamental rugs and the stone walls were covered in a bright salmon silk.

What held their disgusted stares, was the macabre tea party. Eglantine was sipping delicately at her tea, occasionally patting down the hair of the dead body of Millicent Bulstrode. She was badly preserved. Hair was on the floor in chunks with bald spots all over her head. Her skin was bloated and cracked but was beginning to turn to black sludge on her extremities. Her eyes had been replaced with magical prosthetics. It gave her sallow decomposing face the look of constant surprise. Millicent had been cleaned and dressed in beautiful robes. Much richer than anything she wore in life.

"Now Millie, don't be petulant. You will never find a husband with that attitude, Dear. There is only so long that you can give me the silent treatment young lady" Eglantine admonished in a disapproving tone. She began to pet the deceased girls' arm in an effort to lessen the sting of her words.

"Oh my God." One of the Aurors whispered, still behind the cell door.

Draco agreed but motioned for the Aurors to follow him in. They had their orders. Capture alive if possible. Draco looked grimly at the scene in front of him. Millicent deserved a proper burial. He would make sure she got one. His stomach churned as they entered the cell.

Eglantine was startled for only a moment before whipping out her wand. The fight only lasted a minute, the Aurors brought her down easily. Five stunners to the chest made her collapse to the floor in a crumpled heap. Draco walked over to her and ran the diagnostics. There was no point in transferring her to Azkaban, she was dead.

Draco passed a hand over his eyes. He would have nightmares about Eglantine playing house with her dead daughter in his house, two floors down from where he made love to his wife at night. He made a decision then and there, he would take Astoria and they wouldn't step another foot in that cursed place again. He would buy her any house that she wanted, as long as he didn't have to see the Manor again.

HGHGHGHG

"Where did the finger come from then?" Hermione asked Draco who was sitting on the edge of her bed while his wife, Astoria sat on the chair next to him.

"A doppelganger. A very unlucky muggle woman but on the bright side, Eglantine didn't kill her."

The women nodded seriously.

They all looked up at the doorway when they heard shuffling outside. The door flung open, Hermione's mother rushed the room to hug her daughter and her father had Sirius by the front of his shirt pinning him to the wall of the hall.

Draco laughed at the terrified look on Sirius' face before taking pity on the poor guy. Draco rose from his spot on the bed.

"I am Draco Malfoy and this is my wife, Astoria. I was the lead Auror on Hermione's case." Mrs. Granger patted his arm.

"Thank you!" She whispered, tears coursing down her cheek.

Mr. Granger glared as Sirius for a moment more before stepping into the room and offering Draco his hand.

"You treated my daughter poorly in school but I am glad you grew out of that. Thank you for saving our daughter."

"I was glad I was able to." He smiled. Saving Granger had done much for his self-forgiveness. He still had a long way to go, but he finally felt like he could become a good man.

The Malfoy's left the Granger's to get reacquainted with their daughter. A shaken Sirius following them down the stairs.

"What did you say to him?" Draco asked Sirius curiously.

"I told him that I was her fiancée. Apparently, no matter how young I look, he remembers me as being Harry's middle aged Godfather. He even called me a pedophile and a cradle robber. She's twenty-one for Merlin's sake."

Draco just laughed and shook his head. He glanced at Astoria out of the corner of his eye. He remembered receiving similar treatment from his father-in-law who was convinced that Draco was not good enough for his baby girl.

HGHGHGHG

Sirius tiptoed into the room. It was the dead of night and he hadn't seen Hermione in several hours. Her parents were in the room right next door. If Sirius was caught in her room without a chaperone it was his balls on the line.

He winced as the bed springs groaned, smacking himself on the head before drawing out his wand and erecting privacy wards around the room.

"Hey there beautiful." He smiled as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey." She whispered. She struggled to sit up but with Sirius' help it didn't take them long to get her into a sitting position.

"How are you doing, Love?"

"I'm feeling much better."

"Good."

She raised her delicate brow in question before he took her lips with his own. His hands tenderly cradled her face. He was overcome with happiness that she was alive and with him. Hermione raised one of her hands and gently stroked the stubble on his jaw in the exact way that she always did. He was addicted to her touch. Now that he knew what it was like to go without, he was determined never to let her go.

His lips continued to caress hers. He was neither forceful nor did he try to deepen the kiss. There would be plenty of time for that later. His hands moved into her wild hair, glorifying in her scent. His lips stroked hers, worshipped them, as the swirling mass of affection and need solidified in his stomach, his groin reacting to her nearness and responsiveness. She moaned against his lips as he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.

"Thank you." He said.

"For what?"

"Not dying."

She chuckled, a low throaty sound that reverberated through his whole being.

"I'm pretty pleased about that myself."