Note: Hello everyone!

Just wanted to say that:

- I've had some free time these days and I finally reread all previous chapters (something I hadn't done yet) and I corrected a few things, typos and such, in all of them. There's no major changes to the plot, but a few different things here and there, nothing much, I promise. So, take a look if you want to!

- I really loved writing this chapter, hope you guys like it too.

Room of Requirement, Friday, July 27th

She feels weak. Prophecies, divination, reading your life on the bottom of a tea cup, those are things Hermione wouldn't lose a second thinking about, but now… Yes, she knew about Harry's prophecy, but the experience of having an orb with an unknown voice talking about you, about your daughters, about Harry. The wicked one. She knows she's still holding the object, quiet. Harry is giving her time to process. To understand. She turns the orb in her hand and reads carefully the tag. She gasps.

"Harry, the date-"

"I know." He smiles a little. "The day we met."

She looks at him wide eyed, the day the prophecy was first spoken: September 1st, 1991 right above the Granger-Potter. How can she not believe in destiny? Not believe in this? She's finding it more and more impossible. Then a thought strikes her.

"This prophecy was uttered before Voldemort was even back. You hadn't defeated him, how can it be true? What if you'd died? It couldn't happen. Isn't this a conflict inside the prophecies' world or something?" She is reaching.

Harry shrugs. "I guess you have a point. If one of us had died it wouldn't be possible. But we didn't." He stares at her, she frowns. "Look, I don't know either. Maybe we can ask someone or-"

"LUNA!"

"Luna?"

"Yes, she teaches Divination here now."

Harry agrees. "I think she'll be at the Burrow on Sunday."

Hermione nods, still holding the orb. "I-" the fact that from the very first moment they met they were destined to have children is giving her a headache. They were best friends for years and nothing ever happened between them, Harry had Ginny, she had Ron. What if things had gone that way? It could have, easily. But it didn't. They found one another and it felt so right. So natural. Destiny. She swallows hard and gently puts the orb back on the table.

"You know." Harry says after she doesn't continue. "I thought a lot about this… I know I had a connection with Voldemort because part of him was inside me, but what if not only because of that we had a connection? What if the prophecy had some part in it?"

"You think we have our… our connection because of the prophecy?"

"Yes. It makes some kind of sense. We never really figured it out why our souls and magic seemed to connect after the first time we-"

"We made love." She completes for him.

Harry's blazing eyes burn into hers. The silence feels loud and the light air, heavier. She knows he's thinking about their first time because she is too.

12 Grimmauld Place, January, 1999

"So I guess we can say it's officially a new year." She smiles at him.

They're finally alone after a night of celebration at the Burrow, after a night of pretending to be just friends. They've been together for almost three weeks and so far they've kept it a secret. She feels light, free, loved.

"Yes, it's exactly 4:47am, January 1st." He comes to her and holds her by the waist, his lips meeting hers tenderly. "Have I said how beautiful you look tonight?" He raises his eyebrows playfully and pinches her butt lightly. She laughs.

"You have, but I don't mind hearing it again, you know?" She kisses him, her body pressing against his.

"Beautiful" He says as he spreads kisses all over her neck, "Beautiful" He nibbles her flesh with the right pressure and she exhales heavily. "Beautiful" He kisses her mouth again, his tongue hot against hers, their scents and senses mingling. She runs her hands through his hair, messing it up. He bites her lower lip and she moans, her hands going down and trying to free him from his dress shirt. He squeezes her thighs and travels his lips lower. "Beautiful and all mine." He almost kneels in front of her, his fingers undoing the buttons from her heavy cardigan. She helps him and soon the piece of clothing is on the floor. He kisses her breasts over her blouse.

She pulls him up and kisses him again, finally succeeding in the annoying task of removing his shirt. She runs her hands and fingers over his skin and he shivers lightly, she can feel his chest's hairs standing up from the anticipation. Harry is warm. If there's a thing she loves about him is the way his body temperature is always on the highest. He's her private furnace. Breaking their kiss she tugs her blouse off and Harry's hands are immediately on her belly, squeezing and teasing. Different from him, she's always cold and freezing, so the contrast of his warm hand on her cold belly arouses her in a way she didn't think possible. But it takes only a few seconds for her to feel hot too. Her hands go to his buckle and Harry stops the kiss, holding her hands in place.

"Are you sure?" He asks her, his eyes reflecting a shade of dark green from pure lust. She's so mesmerized that she decides she wants to see them that way for the rest of her life. He's so thoughtful. She smiles a little to herself, how could I not fall in love with him? It won't be her first time and Harry knows, but it will be our first time so it means a lot and she knows he wants it to be perfect. She presses one hand against his heart, bewitched by its erratic beating, her other hand goes to his cheek.

"I am more than sure, Harry." His anxious face breaks into a shattering smile. He grabs both of her hands and guide them back to his buckle giving her an innocent look. She can't help laughing, but that doesn't stop her. She's on a mission.

Fast enough she has her hands pulling his pants down, Harry lifts his feet helping her complete the task. He's only in his boxers and she likes what she sees very much, she trails her hands up his leg, stopping at the hem of his underwear. She raises her eyebrows, asking. He smiles.

"I guess it's a little unfair how almost fully dressed you are." Then his seeker's hands undo her bra in a swift movement. She's impressed. He's taking her in, admiring. Hermione feels warm from love and lust. He pulls her to him and kisses her with urgency. She can't concentrate because just the mere touch of their bare torsos is doing things to her, shutting down her conscious mind. He pulls at her hair a little and she moans turning her head to the side as Harry leaves a trail of hot kisses all over her. She feels connected to everything he's doing, she can say exactly where his mouth is, the way his tongue caresses her nipples, the way his hands tease her, the way he moans against her skin as he worships her.

She never wanted someone so much. She knows she's already ready for him, aching for him. She realizes she's repeating his name wildly in a nonsensical way. His hands work fast again and free her from her skirt and pantyhose. Then he takes a step back and the distance between them seems crazy, absurd, an abomination. Her mind and body scream in protest. She whines a little. Harry is immediately hugging and kissing her again. They are desperate, there's no other way to describe the intensity of their kisses and touches. She might be hurting him with the way her nails dig into his back, but she doesn't care. Not at all. Neither does him.

"Bed." He mumbles.

He lifts her from the floor and she puts her legs around his waist, the position giving her an exact notion of how much he wants her. She closes her eyes. She's burning up. Even with her panties and his boxers on she keeps rubbing herself against his lenght, totally lost to her senses.

"Hermione, Hermione, love." She opens her eyes, her mind going back to its tracks guided by his voice. "If you keep doing this we won't make it to the bedroom." He doesn't stop or wait for an answer, he practically runs up the stairs, still holding her and kissing her neck, her breasts, whichever piece of her his mouth can reach. Hermione is doing the same.

When he falls with her on the bed she's already pushing down his boxers. Needing him. His hands burn her skin as he pulls down her panties. They both breathe heavily, insane, in love. Hermione closes her hand around him and Harry moans, gritting his teeth, his fingers searching for her entrance. She's not sure where she ends and he begins, his fingers inside her making her scream and squirm. She pumps him a few times and Harry grunts, his fingers leaving her and his hands grabbing hers pinning them on the bed on each side of her head.

"No more teasing." His tone is serious and bossy. She shivers.

And the moment he enters hers everything around them cease to exist. Hermione is not even sure if she exists anymore, if anything is real, if Harry is truly thrusting into her, if they are truly finally one. As it always should be. They fit like missing pieces that have been wandering lost, afraid, incomplete. Until now. He's saying her name over and over again, she's sure she's mumbling something, but nothing understandable. She opens her eyes, that keep closing from pure bliss, and searches his. He's already looking at her, his expression of pure love. He thrusts deeper, hitting the right spot and she screams.

"I love you, I love you." His words are music to her. She holds onto him by his neck with one hand, the other dig into his back.

"I love you." She answers and kisses him.

Then she notices things that her mind can't comprehend. Everything around the room is floating. Harry is glowing. She is glowing. A whirlwind of emotions are clouding her mind and body. She feels her pleasure and at the same time Harry's. They are both reaching the point of total rupture. His hand work hard and fast on her, helping both reach some kind of nirvana.

It's blinding when it happens.

And wonderful.

Breathtaking.

Absurd.

Perfect.

They kiss, grounding each other. Harry gently lays on top of her. They're both sweating and smiling like fools. Things seem normal again and she turns her face to him, caressing his hair. He returns the gesture, brushing his thumb against her cheek in a circular motion.

Wow, that was-

"I know. You're perfect."

Her jaw drops and Harry looks at her in total disbelief. "Harry- have you- did I-, what-?" She's very confused and inside her something says that he is too, but it's not like the other times that she knows just by looking at him what he's feeling… she can tell exactly the way he's feeling it and why.

"Stop feeling so-" He says.

"I'm trying, why are you-"

"What is this? What-"

"I don't know."

"Wait, wait." Harry says as he rolls to the side and sits on the bed, she follows his motion. Harry raises his hand.

"Can you hear me?"

His voice echos inside her mind and she tries doing the same by thinking about him, connecting to him. "YES! How?"

Harry shrugs. "This is so cool and so weird at the same time."

She agrees and remembers the way the magic was crazy around them. "Harry, could you feel what I was feeling? Do you still can?"

"Yes, yes." He smiles. "So perfectly us and ours." She takes his hands into hers. "Do you have any idea of what this might be?"

"No. But right now I really don't care."

She straddles him and Harry kisses her, their smiles never leaving their faces.

Room of Requirement, Friday, July 27th

He knows without a doubt that she was thinking about their first time. The way her eyes turned almost black is very telling, but then he felt it through their connection. She's trying to hide her arousal and how much she wants to have sex with him right now. She wants him, wants to be with him in a way they hadn't for so long… but I'm not doing this, I've kissed her every time since we met again and she walked away. If she wants me, she's going to have to initiate it. She clears her throat.

"What about this wicked one? Any ideas?"

"A few, but nothing concrete. I remember you asked me over and over again those last months what was going on… I kept seeing the same dark activity in various places and that night was the first time I went to one of them. I was sure it was Voldemort." He shakes his head, it wasn't. It isn't. "But I know that's not possible and I don't think this wicked one is more than one person, man or woman, I can't be sure. What I do know is what the prophecy tells, someone who wants revenge. That wants to consume our lives, kill us. I can only think about Death Eaters and someone close to them. I did a lot of research these past years and I found nothing. No one that could fit the profile, that was after me or Lily. But-" He walks back and forth.

"But?"

"The prophecy is clear, if we're apart there's no danger for us, the wicked one could never hurt us, however…"

"We're finally together after so many years."

"Yeah, but we're not romantically together or living as a family. We just live at the same city now. Maybe there's a difference." He says.

"Yes, maybe."

She's quiet after that, her expression unreadable. Her emotions to herself. The heavy atmosphere of desire, gone.

He can tell she's worried and… sad.

"Hermione. I'm sorry."

"Harry, this isn't your fault." She sighs. "But you do realize this isn't about you, right? It never was. I'm in this too, there's my name on a tag, 'the brightest witch', our daughters." She sighs. "I don't understand why you hid it from me." Her tone is sharp.

"Please, I know I was wrong, but I don't want to argue over this again. I'm telling you now."

"After we lost ten years of our lives together."

Harry is stunned by her words. Her face is red from crying and she crosses her arms.

"Hermione-"

"No-" She raises her hand. "Look, I'm sorry, it's fine. It won't change the past." She waves her hand dismissing the subject. "We have other things to think about. Can you give me all the research you did? I want to find this wicked one and get rid of him before anything can even happen."

She has a look on her face that Harry knows well, she used to have this look when she was worried about his safety. Worried and ready to solve any possible problem.

"If this wicked one lays a finger on our daughters, I swear-"

"I know. I know."

"Harry." She whines and he hugs her.

They stay that way a long time, both worried and afraid of what might happen, both crying and healing a little after this huge gap is finally closed between them. Harry feels relieved. She finally knows.

Malfoy Mansion, Sunday, July 29th

Ginny admits she's nervous. She can't help fretting around the mansion, wand in hand, cleaning and rearranging furniture. She's trying hard not to think about seeing her family in less than a hour. She's been in London for almost a week, but she convinced everyone and herself that the best thing to do was to meet all of them at once. They think she's just visiting. No one knows she's pregnant.

She feels like a child, a little afraid of what might happen, how her brothers and parents are going to treat Draco. She knows how strong she is and how much she can take after what she had to go through to be with the man she loves. Their love had a price and it saddens her, it shouldn't be that way. The same way she knows Harry and Hermione's relationship suffered in a unforgettable way. Or else she wouldn't be marrying a man that isn't Harry. She desperately wants to help them, wants to do the best for those two beautiful girls she loves so much, but right now her mind is elsewhere.

Now, standing in her bedroom's balcony, she watches their huge yard. Mrs Malfoy. It's unbelievable, really. She smiles and closes her eyes, wishing she won't be forced to chose again between her family and Draco.

"Hey, there." Draco hugs her from behind, his significant larger body sheltering hers, always caring for her.

"Is Dominic ready?"

"Yes. But the real question here is, are you?"

"I'm not sure."

He kisses her neck. "Don't worry. Hey," he turns her in his arms. She harbors herself into his eyes. "Even if things aren't the best, I'll do whatever it takes to make them right, okay?"

"I love you so much."

They kiss gently, it's a reassuring kiss. "Aren't you glad you and Potter never worked out?" He laughs a little. She's not in the mood for jokes, so she answers him seriously.

"I am. Harry and I weren't right for each other. You are it for me, Draco Malfoy." He smirks.

"And you're my goddess, my world, my hot ass-"

"Draco? Ginny?" Harry's voice calls from inside.

Draco rolls his eyes. "Potter is always interrupting something. So inconvenient, I'm sure if you two had kids he would like to name them something ridiculous like Albus Severus or something." Ginny laughs loudly. "No matter. Love you."

Still laughing they enter the mansion, meeting Harry in the main living room. He's with Lily and Laura. Him and Hermione are trying to alternate days with them. Harry seems good, light and even happy, but Ginny can't understand how… Hermione is getting married. Are they really over each other? After their conversation the other night apparently things were better between them, but not ideal. Her last conversation with Hermione still bothers her a little, the way she was so firm and certain that they were over… come on, they are Harry and Hermione, it will never be over.

Lily and Laura hug her and show her the presents they got for everyone in the family.

"Oh! You shouldn't have!" she says.

Ginny is emotional. She thanks Harry's gesture with her eyes and he shrugs. It's obvious to her that him and Hermione are too stubborn to realized they should be together and she knows she said that they shouldn't interfere but… what can I do? They need my help. He tries not to show but Ginny knows that he's nervous about meeting everyone too.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Harry asks.

"YUHU, of course, Potter, let's celebrate your birthday!" Draco pats him on the shoulder and Harry rolls his eyes.

"And Ron?"

"He's meeting us there."

Ginny takes Draco and Dominic's hands. Draco moves her hand to his lips and kisses gently. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and when she opens them, she's at home.

Animus Mansion, Sunday, July 29th

She stares at her reflection in the mirror. Minutes are ticking by but she doesn't move, doesn't talk or averts her eyes and now her image is starting to look strange and unfamiliar even to herself. It's the perfect analogy for the way she's been feeling since reuniting with Harry. The closer she gets to him the foggier her mind gets, the messier her emotions, and the greatest her doubts about what she's doing with her private life.

Everything she always wanted is within her reach and… she's not sure she's brave enough to take it. Harry is back, he finally told her what happened that made him so desperate and apologized. He cared for her and he's ready to protect their daughters with whatever it takes. She feels happier and more complete with him around. Even Jack said she's smiling more and she said it was because of the engagement. You're lying to everyone and to yourself, aren't you? She knows this, however…

She can't bring herself to call off the wedding. To run to Harry's arms. She just can't. And that's because what happened between them still haunts her.

From the very first time they kissed she already knew they were meant to be together and from that moment on she gave her heart, soul, body and mind to him. She couldn't live without him, couldn't imagine having a future that didn't include him, couldn't dream of not telling him everything, not planning their lives. But, Harry… Oh, Harry. She doesn't blame him for not having the same mindset about their relationship, but she also can't deny how much it hurt. When he left he took a piece of her. A piece she suspects is never coming back. She was never the same after watching him disappear into a portkey with one of their daughters.

Grimmauld, May, 2001

They've been arguing for three days straight. She's exhausted. They finally got to an understanding. One that she knows it's absurd and terrible, but she doesn't see another way out. Harry is truly determined, truly blind by his fears and she's afraid he might do something stupid, so she had to agree. She knows it isn't a sane and healthy decision, it's not something he agrees either. He wants her to come with him, but she can't keep doing this for the rest of her life. What if they got to whichever place he chooses next and after a year of hiding their relationship and their daughters he decides they're in serious danger again? She knows there's a fair chance of that happening. Without explanations she can't help him, because no matter how many times she already said to him that she loves him, that she's ready to face anything by his side, he continues to say it's not safe, not enough. It cuts her open the fact that her love is not enough for him. I'm not enough.

She's sure she can't cry more than she already did. She's with the girls in their room and the Weasleys are downstairs talking to Harry, trying to convince him that he's being irrational. She begged Ron and Ginny for help. If she could she would track down the resurrection stone and have his parents tell him how wrong he is about this. The girls are playing on the floor and Hermione can tell they feel the strange atmosphere in the house. Yesterday they cried their lungs out the moment she and Harry started arguing again. Everyone is on the edge.

"ENOUGH!" She hears Harry downstairs. She closes her eyes. Lily is already pouting, ready to cry and Hermione isolate the sound of the room with a spell. Holding Lily she walks back and forth, trying herself to stay calm. Slowly, the reality of everything strikes her. There's no way of changing this situation. It's over. Their relationship, their friendship, their lives together.

And they are both to blame. She kisses Lily's head. Apparently she can cry some more. "Mama." It guts her.

Harry wants to take Lily with him and she's not ready to part ways with her daughter. She holds her tighter "My baby girl."

He finally enters the room, he's angry and the magic around them feels wrong. She's sad by how much things changed in just a few days. Five days ago everything was perfect, they were happy and loving, their daughters never cried. Now, they yell at each other all the time. She can't remember the last time they kissed. The last time he held her and said how happy he was.

"I want to make an unbreakable vow."

She's so surprised she laughs. In a hysterical way. She slowly places Lily on her crib, then she grabs Laura and does the same, with just a look she leaves the room and Harry follows her. When they reach their bedroom she feels insane.

"ARE YOU MAD?" She's seeing red. He extends his right hand to her and she wants to hex him.

"Look, we can't be together, Hermione. If we make a vow it will be easier to be at peace with it."

"NO! OF COURSE NOT! NEVER!" She wants to slap him. "I won't do this, Harry. Don't even mention it again."

"Hermione, try to understand-"

"It's you who don't understand! Do you realize what you're doing? Do you have any notion of what you're asking now? I won't do it. I can't even comprehend why we can't be together anymore, Harry."

The magic around the room is heavy and unstable, Hermione feels out of control, deeply hurt and desperate. She cries more and more. And the way Harry looks at her makes everything worse. It's maddening that he's doing this and suffering also.

"If we're not making a vow, we need to promise. A clean rupture. We won't see each other or talk to each other again."

"Don't do this, Harry." She pleads and she knows it's the last time she's going to beg. "I beg of you. Stay. Let's work this out together."

"Promise me, Hermione."

She sighs, defeated. Her soul and mind completely drained. She wants to hurt him, make him miserable the way she is. "I promise, Harry. And you know what? Don't you ever even come close to me again. I want to have nothing to do with you, nothing. Ever again. If you're going, I want you really gone. Forget I even exist."

He widens his eyes and she's satisfied. I can't take this anymore. "I- I got a portkey, I'm leaving soon."

She wants to hold on to him and never let him go, but she stays put. Her body stiffen, her face a mask of hate, her eyes are the only indication of how much she's suffering, she doesn't seem capable to stop crying. She nods at him and leaves the room heading to her daughters'. She holds Lily and sits down on the big chair in the corner.

"Baby girl, I guess this is goodbye." The girl tries to catch her lips with her tiny hands and Hermione playfully bites her hand and Lily giggles. "I love you with my soul. I'll always be with you, here." She points to Lily's little heart. "And here." Her hand moves to her head. "Don't you ever think I gave up on you. I would never do that. Dada is just a little overprotective right now, but everything will be fine, okay, baby girl?" She kisses and hugs her daughter. "I know we'll see each other again, I'm sure of it."

Not even half a hour later Harry enters the room. Hermione ignores him and just from the corner of her eyes she sees him saying goodbye to Laura. He's crying. She gets up and with a broken heart gives Lily to him.

"Hermione-"

"Goodbye, Lily." She exits the room, ignoring him.

When he touches the portkey and vanishes with their daughter she crumbles to the floor, a heart splintering scream leaving her. Laura cries and she takes her daughter in her arms.

"Laura Granger." The Potter is gone, forever.

Animus Mansion, Sunday, July 29th

"Hermione!" Jack calls from the entrance. "Are you ready to go?"

She takes her wand and with a little charm all her tears are gone. In a second she'll be at the Burrow, celebrating with everyone else Harry and Ginny's return. It feels strange and wonderful at the same time.

"Yes, coming!"

She takes Jack's hand, he smiles at her. "Wow, you look stunning, this is just a lunch, right?"

She smiles and in a blink they apparate to the Burrow.

Note: An update so soon because this chapter is shorter.

Next chapter: Finally the Burrow! Oh my...