I'm not going to drag this out, but I would like to apologize for the month long break! I was finishing up my senior year, and am exempt from all of my exams! Super exciting. Something that is also super exciting is that this chapter is...obviously...done, and the next one is already half way there along with the one after that. I plan on those two unfinished chapters being it for this story, so if you have questions you want answered, ASK! :)
Harry couldn't believe it. He had just watched the woman he loved die. It filled him with rage, it was rage he had never felt before, not even when he had been under the influence of the locket. This was righteous fury like he had never felt before. This rage allowed him to access a sort of blind focus. All he saw was defeating Voldemort, getting revenge for the love of his life that had just died.
"You will rot in hell for that!" Harry yelled, following the Dark Lord away from Miranda.
"You can't possibly defeat me now. Her magic is mine! Her death has made me stronger than you could possibly imagine." Voldemort sneered gleefully, ignoring the boy in his head that was crying out in hopeless grief at the loss of his female twin.
This time, when his wand reacted with Voldemort's, he was stronger. He destroyed the Dark Lord in a flash of bright white light. The light faded, but the body of Voldemort remained, or so Harry thought. But moments later, the wind started blowing the body away in pieces that looked like sheets of snakeskin. Harry expected for the wind to blow him away into nothingness, but it became apparent that that was not going to be the case. Voldemort did indeed float away, but the emaciated body of Tom Riddle remained.
Harry fell by his side, emotionally and physically exhausted. "Harry!" He heard Hermione yell in relief, but the only voice he wanted to hear was Miranda's. He stumbled away from Hermione, walking blindly back to where he last remembered seeing his wife. He leaned against a tree when he found the clearing, confused that she wasn't there. Uncertain that he was in the right place, he walked to the center, stopping only when what felt like a branch crunched under the weight of his foot. It was her wand, laying in three pieces among the leaves and grass.
Bending down, he picked up the splinters, holding them to his chest. He felt hollow, wandering, looking for her. A sharp, snide familiar voice interrupted his mourning, "Potter, she's not dead."
Harry's empty green eyes found Malfoy standing in front of him. "Yes she is. We all saw her die."
Draco shrugged, "That's what I though too, but she was alive when I went back to get her. She's unconscious in the Infirmary."
"Are you lying to me?" Harry asked skeptically.
"No, Potter. I may not personally like you, but I wouldn't lie about something like this." Draco said, motioning towards the castle. "We should go. Madame Pomfrey says she could wake up at any time. I know Miranda'd like us to be there."
Harry looked into the swirling depths of Draco's gray eyes and heaved a sigh of relief at the sincerity he found there. "Show me where she is."
Draco chortled, "Voldemort's not dead an hour, and you're already more bossy." But the Malfoy heir walked him into the castle anyway.
Miranda was tucked in a corner, hidden by a scintillating white curtain, "Madame had to put it up to keep everyone from congregating around her." Draco said by way of explanation, pulling the curtain to the side in order to admit Harry.
Someone had changed Miranda's clothes. She now wore a white spotted nightgown that was about two sizes too big. Seeing her look so fragile even in such relaxed clothing scared Harry. In all the time he had known her, Miranda had never looked weak. Even in her blindness, there was a strength to her demeanor, but it was gone.
"Is she alright?" He asked Draco, taking hold of one of Miranda's hands.
Draco shrugged, "Madame Pomfery isn't sure what happened. She said that there's no reason why Miranda hasn't woken up, but doesn't feel she'll be unconscious for much longer. She says Miranda's body is trying to recover from the trauma. The ribs where he stabbed her are broken, but the actual wound was healed."
"Harry, we need to talk." It was Ginny, poking her head through the curtain.
Her cheeks were tinged pink. "Gin, are you alright?"
She laughed nervously, "I'm fine."
One of the twins heads appeared above Ginny's, "What my sister here is trying to tell you is that we have a Tom Riddle out here that is asking to see you. He asks for you in between the pick up lines he throws at Ginny. He won't talk to the Aurors."
"Fred!" Ginny must have elbowed him because he grunted, bending over, holding his stomach.
"Where is he?" Harry asked.
Ginny, face still rivaling her hair, grimaced, "Right out here, the Aurors keep trying to interrogate him." Harry followed her out of the curtains, kissing Miranda's forehead before he left. "Here he is." Ginny said, motioning to a ring of men he recognized as Aurors.
"Mr. Potter, let me be the first to congratulate you on your success. We all owe you a great deal." Kingsley shook Harry's hand, "The ingrate wants to speak with you, and he won't talk until he does."
The Aurors moved aside, revealing a very familiar face. Tom Riddle hadn't aged a day since the memories Harry had viewed from the diary in his second year. He did, however, look just as skinny as his twin sister, and if possible, paler. His skin held a sickly green color and he was sweating slightly.
"Hello, Tom." Harry found himself saying.
Tom looked up at him with the same hazel eyes that Miranda had when she was blind. "Harry." He breathed, as if in disbelief, trying to stand, only to be stopped by a magical cord tied to his wrist. He smiled, and once again Harry was struck by how similar Tom and Miranda were in appearance. Tom looked over Harry's shoulder to where Ginny was still standing. "Make sure my sister's comfortable, won't you, Love?" Ginny squeaked, and Harry felt the air stir as she ran away. "That Ginny, she's a little wildfire, isn't she?"
"She said you wanted to talk to me." Harry said coldly, wanting to get back to Miranda.
Tom sighed, "I want to tell you everything. I don't want to just tell them. I want you to know what I did and why."
"Why would you care?" Harry asked.
"I've been told that you eloped with my sister. You deserve to hear what I have to tell you." Tom said steadily.
Harry's patience was waning. "What do you want?"
"No wonder my sister is attracted to you. She spent our entire childhood keeping me from being irrational and impulsive. I want two things from you. First of all, I will only tell these Aurors what they want to know if you are present because you need to know all of it. Secondly, take bloody good care of my sister. Don't forget that my first kill was my own, and I did it for my sister." He smiled, and Harry was a little afraid of him, even though he was apparently wandless and tied down.
"Got it." Harry said.
Tom smiled, sitting back, "Awesome, why don't we wait until tomorrow to talk again. I think we'll both be in a better mood." He looked to Kingsley, "Could you please ask Ginny back? I want her to tell me more stories of the Burrow. It sounds simply fascinating." Kingsley and Harry shared a look, and then Harry began to walk away, only to be stalled by Tom's voice calling after him. "Harry, thank you for freeing me. I'm forever in your debt."
Miranda woke with a start, feeling just like she had when she had woken up in the room in Grimmauld Place after Ron had hexed her, all those many months ago. But this time, her whole body ached. She was stiff, but there was a warm hand on hers. Draco was sitting next to her.
He smiled weakly, "Good morning, sleeping beauty."
She cursed brightly, pulling at her hair. "Damnit, you died anyway? I was so sure you were safe! Is Harry dead too?".
Draco grabbed her flailing hands, pulling them back down to rest on her thighs, "Calm down. I'm not dead. Sadly, Potter's not either. And neither are you."
"I'm alive? How?" She said, stunned.
"We don't know, we just found you unconscious where Voldemort dropped you. And apparently, you can see." Draco hugged her, like a little boy would hug his mother, "You've been asleep for a whole day. We were getting worried. Are you feeling alright?"
"I can see." She said, finally processing that the usually constant weight of the silver snake her father had gifted to her was gone. She wrapped her arms around Draco, reveling in the fact that she was alive and so were her boys. She could have lived without her sight, but she would definitely take that as an extra bonus. "I'm wonderful." She breathed out.
He laughed, "I'm glad. I guess what ever or whoever brought you back fixed your eyes." Miranda didn't miss him brushing his eyes with the backs of his hands as he pulled away from her.
"Draco, where is Harry?" She half dreaded the answer, but she had to know.
Her friend looked around the room anxiously for a moment, "He's here, just went outside to deal with a little issue, but don't worry, he's alright. But..."
"But what?" She urged.
"He's mad, Miranda. He doesn't understand why you did what you did." Draco admitted.
"Ugh! Why would anyone bring me back, Draco? I practically killed myself!" She asked, feeling a bit angry, but relieved that the anger was all her own for a change.
He grinned his trademark grin at her, "You're a good person, Miranda. Harry knows it too. Frankly I think he's pissed you didn't tell him what you were going to do." They sat in silence before Draco spoke again, "Speaking of not telling things, I was right all along. You're pregnant. I tried to tell you, but you punched me in the bloody mouth instead."
"Are you sure?" She asked softly, horrified about the possibility that she had committed suicide while pregnant.
Draco nodded, "Madame Pomfrey confirmed while you were unconscious. According to her, there's nothing wrong with it except for having Potter as a father. That's bound to cause problems eventually." She glared at him, "What? I'm just stating facts here."
Miranda shook her head, putting a hand on her stomach, "I'm pregnant." Some part of her was stunned, but deep down, she had known all along. Since when did she adore Pumpkin juice? "Where is Harry? I need to tell him." She said suddenly.
"What do you need to tell me, love?" Miranda's now hazel eyes darted to the doorway.
"Uh..." She said dully, overwhelmed just by seeing him again. He looked different. It might have had something to do with the cut above his eye or the dirt covering every inch of his exposed skin, but he looked decidedly grown. The Boy Who Lived had become the Man Who Conquered.
He sighed, "I want to be angry at you for being so reckless, but I'm just so bloody glad you're alive." Harry crossed the distance from the door to her bed, and buried his hand in her hair before kissing her soundly. He smiled, his lip just above hers. "We did it!"
Miranda grinned, "No, we didn't do it, Harry. You did." She could see Draco glaring at her over Harry's shoulder. "But, we did do something."
Harry's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What?"
Draco's eyes burning into her, Miranda took a deep breath, looking straight at Harry. "Well...I'm pregnant."
"What? Can you say that again?" He stammered.
"Harry, I swear I didn't think I could get pregnant. If I'd thought I seriously could have been, I never would have done what I did. I'm so sorry for everything." Her words came out at once as she fought back tears, but the look on Harry's face was priceless.
He grabbed her on the shoulders and slammed her to his chest. "It's alright."
"Really?" She asked, confused, crushed against him. Draco left, a pleased smile on his face.
"I couldn't be any happier. You have nothing to apologize for. We will get through this together." Harry said confidently. "We can handle anything."
Miranda gave a nervous laugh. "I hope so."
He looped his arms around her waist and put his head on her stomach, "Hello, little one." He squeezed slightly, unknowingly causing Miranda's ribs to ache sharply. She gasped, all the air leaving her lungs.
"Mr. Potter, let the poor girl breath!" Screeched Madame Pomfrey. "I need to talk with her now that she's awake."
"I feel fine." Miranda lied, feeling the tightness in her ribs.
"You might feel fine, which I highly doubt, but your body isn't yours anymore." She held out a potion, "Drink this, you're painfully underweight. This potion will help your baby." Miranda took it from her numbly, the thought that she might have hurt her baby making her nauseated. The matron watched as she drank it. "I'll have the elves bring something for you to eat in a few minutes."
"Is the baby really okay?" Miranda asked, grabbing Harry's hand.
Madame Pomfrey cracked a small smile, "The little dear is fine considering everything that you've both been through. Very underweight for the age I'm estimating, but once we get your weight where it needs to be, your little one will be completely healthy."
"Thank you." Miranda said, sagging against Harry in relief.
"I've done nothing yet. You're baby is strong." There was another hint of a smile, "You two have done a very good job." Her eyes lingered on Harry, "You should get some sleep, Mr. Potter. I'll leave you two alone, and you're free to get out of bed as long as you take it easy, Mrs. Potter."
"Alright." Miranda looked up at Harry, "Is everyone else okay?"
Harry grimaced, the joy fading from his face, "I know you never met her, but, Fenrir killed Tonks."
Miranda's hand flew to her mouth, "Oh no, where is Remus?" She hoped he was still around, because she was sure that losing the only parental figure he had left would kill Harry.
"He's locked himself in one of the classrooms." Was a curt reply from Draco, who had returned, putting a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed. "These are from Ginny." He said, giving her a soft smile before turning to smirk at Harry. "Potter, are you going to be hiding her away, or are you going to tell her about her surprise?"
"What is he talking about?" Miranda asked in confusion when Harry didn't say anything.
He glared at Draco. "I was going to let her rest more."
"She'll only be angry if you don't tell her." Draco said mockingly as he walked back out the curtain.
Harry looked pissed, and to Miranda, his face was adorable. "You and Draco still aren't getting on, are you?" She chortled, getting gingerly out from under her blankets and pulling on the pair of stretchy pants included in the stack from Ginny.
"He's annoying. Like a bloody Blast-Ended Skrewt." Harry moaned, rubbing his face. Miranda looked at him earnestly, waiting on an answer. "That's what I was dealing with outside when you woke up. Tensions have been running pretty high inside the castle because..." He trailed off.
"What, Harry?" Miranda asked, exchanging the starched Hogwarts issued nightgown for a Hollyhead Harpies t-shirt.
He waited until she was done changing shirts. "When I killed Voldemort, something happened. He sort of dissolved into snake skin, and then there was a person left behind."
"He used a body to bind himself to that form?" Miranda asked, running her hands through her hair.
Harry grabbed her hands, making her look at him, "Randa, it was Tom. He's alive. He's right outside."
Sorry for the little cliffie! Ready for a reunion ~55 years in the making? How about a little Potter? Well, we'll wait on that one for a little while. Due to the start of my summer vacation coming up in a week, and the progress already on the next chapter, it should be up soon.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Memorial Day! May God bless our troops!
-Jenn