As soon as the door slammed behind mother and child, the silencing spell wore off and Leo's wailing rang in Hermione's ears. She wished desperately for light so that she could see him, but none came.

"Shh," she whispered soothingly into his ear as she held him to her chest, bouncing up and down on her heels. He began occasionally hiccuping through his tears.

"Hermione?" she heard Draco's strained voice ask. It came from the direction of where she knew was the bed, instead of on the floor where she had left him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him while still bouncing Leo, trying to calm him down.

"I've been better," was Draco's weak reply. Leo quieted and turned his head toward the direction of Draco's voice.

"Ouch?" Leo asked. Hermione nodded.

"Yes, Daddy's hurt," she told him. It felt natural, the word. As if she had called Draco "Daddy" many times before. It surprised her at how easily it had rolled off her tongue.

"'Elp," Leo said. Hermione looked down at him, confused. "'Elp!" he repeated. He struggled in her arms.

"I think he wants to help me," Draco told her feebly. Leo grinned, revealing many small, white teeth with gaps in between them.

"'Elp!" he said excitedly.

Hermione's eyes had become well-enough adjusted so that she could now make out the bed and the dark figure of Draco lying flat on his back. She walked over to the opposite side from where he was laying and Leo struggled harder.

"Down," he said. Hermione sat him gently down on the bed and he crawled over to Draco.

"Daddy no hurt," he said and then touched Draco's arm. Hermione watched as Draco's eyes fluttered closed and then, instantly, popped back opened.

"Draco?" she questioned, afraid. His eyes remained wide-opened, staring at the ceiling. Hermione cautiously climbed onto the bed, leaning over toward Draco and Leo, who still had his hand on Draco's arm. "Draco?" she asked again. "Can you hear me?"

Draco blinked once, then twice, and then stared at Hermione as if it was his first time seeing her. She felt incredibly self-conscious, and wanted to look away from his gaze, but found that she could not. She remained staring at him until she felt something touch her leg. She looked down and found that Leo had crawled away from Draco and now sat in front of her, his back leaning against her right leg as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Her breaking eye-contact must have broken Draco's trance as well, for he sat up.

"He…" Draco said, looking down at his legs as if he had just discovered they were there. "…Healed me."

"Honestly," Hermione began, "That's not even—" Draco lifted up his shirt and Hermione stared at his abdomen where the gash he had received at Theresa's house should've been. His skin remained perfect and unscathed. "—Possible," Hermione finished breathlessly. She looked down at Leo in awe, and found that he had curled up and fallen asleep against her leg. She supposed he had worn himself out from all the crying.

"No witch or wizard has ever demonstrated power before the age of three—much less power of this proportion," Hermione whispered, afraid of waking Leo. He needed his rest.

Draco put his shirt back down.

"That's because Leo is the first witch or wizard to be born with us as his parents," he responded. Hermione bit her lip. She wasn't convinced.

"But what makes us so special?" she questioned. "How did we give him that much power?"

Draco shrugged and shook his head. He stared up at the ceiling while Hermione watched Leo's chest rise and fall with his breathing.

"This was where my mother grew up," he told her after there had been a few moments of silence. He placed his hands behind his head, resting them on the headboard. Hermione remembered seeing the blonde girl in the paintings in the hall; she knew that the girl had looked familiar.

"Along with your aunts?" Hermione asked, though she already knew the answer. If the blonde girl had been Narcissa, then the other two must've been Bellatrix and Tonk's mother.

Draco nodded and made a murmur of agreement.

"It was supposed to have burned down right after my mother was sent to Hogwarts," he said. "I wasn't aware it still existed."

It exists all right, Hermione thought. And is being used as headquarters for the Death Eaters.

"Your mother saved me," she said quietly. Draco's head instantly turned towards her.

"My mother is here?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"Amycuss was going to use the killing curse on me and she—she disarmed him," she said. She stared down at the bed. "She said the plan had changed." Hermione felt tears form in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of them. "Draco…" she breathed. "I don't think your mother will save me next time."

"Hey," Draco said, sitting completely up and scooting closer to her while trying not to wake Leo. He lifted her chin up with his fingertips. "I won't let them kill you," he told her. "If anyone has to die, it's going to be me."

Hermione stared into his eyes, which appeared darker than their usual color due to the absence of light. She shook her head.

"Leo needs a mother and a father," she said. Draco took his hand away from her face.

"Why does it matter if he has both of his parents if they're not even together?" he asked, rather coldly. He turned away from her. "He needs you more than he needs me."

"That's not true!" Hermione protested. "I can't teach him how to ride a broom, much less catch a snitch or tell him the secrets of Quidditch!" her voice continued rising. "And I certainly can't be there for him when he needs another male to talk to!" As she spoke, sudden images filled her mind; Leo riding a broom for the first time, sending him off to Hogwarts, his first girlfriend, his graduation, his first job…she could imagine the life that he had in front of him. It pained her to think that either one of them wouldn't be there to watch him grow. "He needs his father, and I—" Hermione stopped, cursing the tears that began to fall. "—I need you too."

The realization had occurred to her suddenly, and she had blurted it out without even thinking. In the images that had filled her mind only moments before she hadn't only seen Leo. In every scenario she imagined, Draco was there right beside her. They watched their son grow—together. And she couldn't imagine it any other way. It seemed odd, now, for Draco to be anywhere else but by her side. He just…fit. They just fit.

As she looked down at her son she realized that if she was locked in the dark room for the rest of her life, she would be okay. Together Draco and her would survive, and they would do everything in their power to make sure Leo do the same.

At her words, Draco turned to face her and his eyes locked with hers.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that," he murmured, and then his hand was on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Halfway forgetting that Leo was between him, Hermione let him lead her face to his. He traced circles on the back of her jaw with his thumb and Hermione bit her lip nervously. Never had anyone made her feel the way he did when he touched her. She felt wanted—needed, really—and protected. Staring into his eyes, she felt invincible.

Draco dropped his gaze to her lips and within seconds, pressed his lips to hers. They were rough, but she hardly minded. Her eyelids slowly fluttered closed, and her hand moved to rest on his upper arm. His hand moved to cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss. She felt his frustration and longing, as if he had channeled all of his emotions and pent-up passion into the kiss. He was eager, but not rough, and Hermione felt like she could stay like this forever. She completely forgot where she was, or why she was there, and instead focused completely on the way his lips and hands felt upon her.

Took them long enough, huh?

Again, I just want to say thanks to all my reviewers. You are seriously amazing.

Oh, hey, and no cliffhanger...that should make you happy :)