Thanks to those who have kept up with the story and are still reviewing. Enjoy Chapter 21.

ONE YEAR LATER

"Mama!" Draco Weasley screamed while clapping his hands. He stood in front of Hermione who sat on the couch.

"What baby?"

"Wring!" He slapped her left hand playfully.

Hermione giggled. "Yes that's right. This is Mummy's engagement ring." Suddenly she heard crying from upstairs so she picked up her son and headed that way. "Come on. Sounds like Cousin James is up from his nap."

She made her way up the stairs of Grimmauld Place. Ginny was at Quidditch practice and Harry was on an Auror mission so she had offered to watch their son. When she reached the nursery, she saw James was awake and could smell that he needed a diaper change. Just as she was about to set Draco in the playpen someone came and took him out of her arms and kissed her temple.

"How's little Draco?"

Hermione smiled. "Talking more each day. Today he pointed out my ring."

Draco bounced the small child on his hip. "Do you like Mummy's ring? It's pretty isn't it?"

Hermione beamed recalling the moment he proposed.

"What on earth are we doing here Draco? It's past midnight. We shouldn't be here."

He had led her all the way to Hogwarts and was pulling her towards the court yard.

"You never change. You are still so uptight." He laughed.

She gasped slightly at his comment. "Excuse me? I-"

But before she could finish he stopped and kissed her. "Do you remember where you are?"

"Wha? Well yes we're in the court yard of Hogwarts. What is going on?"

"No do you remember specifically?"

She scrunched up her brows wondering what he was going on about. She tried to think hard. She looked around and suddenly it all hit her. She had an instant flashback of the final battle.

"This is where we shared our first kiss."

He smiled widely. "Yes."

He laughed lightly, reminiscing. She let go of his hands and turned her back on him to walk to a specific spot. "It was here where you stopped. Voldemort was standing inches from you. I'll never forget the moment you turned around." As she said that last sentence she turned around mimicking his actions of the past. But she was not prepared for what she saw.

Draco was on one knee and he was holding a small black box. "It was here you asked me to come with you. It was here we shared our first kiss. It was here that I knew I loved you. It was here that my life changed forever. And it is here that I am asking you to be my wife." He opened the small box and there sat a large, shiny diamond ring.

She was astounded not only at the fact that he was asking her for her hand in marriage but also at the ring. It was beautiful and vaguely familiar all at the same time. It took her awhile to form words, which worried him, but she did finally speak. "I never wanted this, but now? I couldn't imagine anything else. Of course I'll marry you." She smiled, glowing.

He stood smiling widely as well and placed the ring on her left ring finger. "I promise to love you forever."

She kissed him. "I know." She looked down at her ring. "Draco, it's, it's beautiful."

"It's your grandmother's." He said as he caressed the ring.

She looked up, amazed. "What? My grandmother's? But how?"

He coughed. "Well when I went to ask your father for your hand," he noticed her approving smile and continued, "your mother insisted that I give you this. She said it's been in your family for over a hundred years. I couldn't say no. Plus it's huge."

"I can't believe it. I never even knew about it. I can't believe you asked my father for permission." She slapped his arm playfully.

"I knew you'd appreciate it."

She gazed at him adoringly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She was brought back to reality by James' wails. She picked him up in his fresh diaper and started rocking him. "I'm going to Diagon Alley whenever Ginny or Harry gets back. Do you want to come?"

He shook his head. "I have to get back to the office. It will probably be late before I'm home."

"Ah yes. Big game tomorrow."

"Indeed."

She smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Give me a kiss and get back to work."

He laughed at her demanding tone. "Yes mam." He kissed her and Draco and apparated back to his office.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you want us to come with you?" Ginny piped while making dinner.

"No I'm okay. I just have to finalize some wedding things. I won't be gone long." Hermione sighed.

"Dinner will be waiting for you." Harry smiled. "As will Junior."

Hermione apparated away and straight into Diagon Alley. She arrived at the shop and walked in to be greeted by a petite woman in a pink dress.

"Hermione, darling. How are you?"

"Lovely Wanda."

"Are you ready to make the final decisions?"

Hermione threw her head back. "You have no idea." The two women laughed.

A half an hour later, everything was finished and Hermione walked out of the shop feeling overwhelmed but relieved at the same time. It was dark outside as her stomach growled. She started walking to where she would be at a point of apparition but a strong hand came over her mouth and dragged her into a dark alley. She tried to scream but it was muffled by the hand.

"You shouldn't go anywhere alone." A deep male voice whispered.

Hermione immediately recognized where the man had drug her. She was in Knockturn Alley, except it was deserted and you could barely hear the noise from Diagon Alley.

"You don't deserve to be with him. Draco is much too good for you. He's a pureblood and you're nothing but a foul, filthy Mudblood. How dare you think you could marry my son?"

Hermione closed her eyes tightly, mouth still covered. She knew who was holding her and she knew nothing good could come of it. She tried to wiggle away but nothing worked. She tried to reach for her wand but it was impossible. Lucius Malfoy had her bound and could do anything he wanted to her which she feared was inevitable.

"Muffliato." He whispered. Everything got quiet and she knew that even if he let his hand off her mouth and she screamed, no one would hear.

He let his hand down just like she had predicted. "Why are you doing this?" A tear escaping as she stood still facing away from him.

"Because there is no way I'm letting my son marry a mudblood. Crucio." He said it as though he said it a million times.

Hermione fell to the ground, writhing with pain; pain she had felt before; pain that was unbearable; pain that made her want to die. After what seemed like hours of pure pain, it stopped and she could feel a presence beside her.

He whispered, "I'll let the others finish you off. He'll go crawling back to Astoria once you're gone. He'll come crawling back to me, where he belongs; with purebloods. You should have been dead a long time ago and now that time has finally come. I'm just disappointed you didn't bring along you filthy half-blood son. Could have gotten rid of that thing as well." He snatched her left hand and tore off her ring. "You won't be needing this anymore. I think I'll keep it." Before he walked away he kicked her hard in the stomach but she couldn't move; she couldn't react.

She watched him walk away but soon many others filled his position. She knew they were going to kill her or perhaps worse. She had to get out of there. She had to get back to her son, to Draco. She wasn't going to die this way. She wasn't going to miss out on her son's life so she closed her eyes, mustered up something inside herself though she wasn't sure what, and within a moment she was gone, leaving the people around her gasping in shock.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Ginny and Harry were sitting at the table with James and Draco Jr. eating their dinner when they heard something.

"Hermione is that you? Draco?" Ginny yelled but received no response; instead she could faintly hear soft, very soft whimpers. "Do you hear that?"

Harry stopped eating. "No. Someone has to be there though." He raised his voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!" But again there was no response. He stood from the table and walked into the hallway out of Ginny's sight. "Ginny! Come! Now!"

Ginny frantically raced from the kitchen towards her husband's voice. She almost fainted at the sight she saw. Hermione was lying lifeless on the floor. "What happened to her?"

Harry was kneeling down beside his best friend lightly tapping her face. "Cruciatus curse. Multiple times. Probably more." He picked her up trying not to move her and placed her on the couch. "Go get Fleur and your mum, quickly."

Without saying a word Ginny was gone.

Harry pushed the hair out of Hermione's face. "Hermione? Hermione please please open your eyes." As if on cue, she turned her head towards him. "Hermione, who did this to you?"

He could tell she was trying to gather enough energy to speak, "Mmalfoy." She whispered, barely audible.

Harry creased his brow. "Lucius." It was more of a statement than a question but her head fell down and he knew she was agreeing.

"What happened?" Fleur, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny appeared in the living room.

"Cruciatus." Harry mumbled.

Fleur started taking vial after vial out of her bag.

Mrs. Weasley started undressing Hermione, checking for other wounds but was still able to speak, "Ginny go tend to the children. Harry go retrieve Draco." Ginny immediately obeyed her mother's orders but Harry was reluctant for he saw something that made him want to vomit. "Oh dear." They all gasped. On Hermione's stomach was a large bruise that covered her whole torso. Her skinny frame hid nothing. They all knew her ribs were completely broken. Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath and pointed her wand at the girl's stomach. "Episkey." Hermione let out a loud scream of pain that lasted a few seconds. She whimpered but with a charm placed on her by Fleur she was asleep within seconds. "Harry, get Draco. Now."

Harry slowly stood, backed away, and was off.

So I have a habit of skipping time. Apologies if you don't like it but if I didn't do it then this would be a long story and I'm trying to keep it around 25 chapters. Thanks for reading.