Minerva woke up rested yet deliciously sore. A smile appeared on her face as she thought of why she was so sore. She turned and frowned when she saw Harry's side of the bed was empty and the sheets cold. She scooted out of bed and frowned again when she noticed she was dressed in a relatively modest gown. She didn't remember putting clothes on.

Minerva went to the restroom and freshened up before moving into the living room in search of Harry. A frowned marred her face as she saw Helen sitting on the couch reading a book. "Helen," Minerva said suprised.

"Oh you are finally awake," Helen breathed in relief. "You gave me a fright."

Minerva looked at her longtime friend in puzzlement. "What happened?"

"You have been unconscious for nearly 40 hours," Helen replied. "Harry contacted Poppy and me when he couldn't wake you up for breakfast."

"40 hours," Minerva repeated in suprise.

"Afriad so," Helen said. "Your magic was exhausted to a point we worried about your magical core. Harry told us you apparated in a cloud of flames. Harold has been searching through the tomes in the Unspeakable Department for any mention of it."

"The baby," Minerva asked concerned.

Helen smiled reassuringly at her friend. "Completely fine," Helen said. "Your magic has wrapped a blanket of protection around the baby it seems. That's why your magic was exhausted to the point it was."

"A blanket of protection," inquired Minerva. "I have never heard of such."

"Neither had we," Helen said. "Amethyst went and fetched Fawkes for us. Apparently it is common for Phoenix protectors to protect their offspring; however, not as much as you are currently doing. Fawkes believes it is because you are Hogwarts protector as well."

"Will my magic stay exhausted until I give birth?"

"Poppy is working with the twins on creating a potion regimen for you. We believe it will offset the magic you are expending to protect the baby," Helen reassured. "I need you to keep the magic to a minimum until we build your reserves back up."

Minerva nodded her acceptance. "Harry," she asked.

Helen sighed before saying, "He is blaming himself as usual. Hermione has been distracting him with organizing your correspondence. All important Hogwarts correspondence has been sent to Filius."

Minerva frowned at that. "I need to speak with him," she said.

"After a thorough exam," Helen said and led Minerva back into bedroom.

Minerva was sitting on the couch snacking on fruit when Harry came in their shared quarters. He looked relieved to see her awake and rushed to her. He kissed her cheek. "You're awake," he breathed.

Minerva sat the now empty bowl on the side table and pulled Harry on the couch with her. "Enlarge the couch and lay with me," she said.

Harry did as requested and spooned her from behind. His hand splayed over their growing child. Minerva grasped his hand and moved it to her mating mark. She moved her right hand and grasped his mark. "I want you to watch and feel what I feel," she begged. "Don't remove your hand and don't ask questions until I am done."

"Okay," he agreed uncertainly.

Harry watched as she showed him images of her life. He saw her first love and felt her heartbreak as she chose being a witch over love. She showed him her loneliness and longing for children but her unwillingness to marry while her first love remained alive. He saw her marriage to an older friend. He felt it was more for the man instead of Minerva. He felt her reclaim her freedom and her feelings of shame for being relieved her marriage was over when her husband died. He kissed her neck in support at that.

Minerva showed him her devastation at her bestfriend being murdered. He watched her anger and feelings of betrayal by Snape. She showed him her feelings at being captured and her torture. She showed him her memories of being raped, brutalized by Voldemort, and her wish to have it all end. Her pulled her nearer when he felt her emotions there. Tears slipped down his face at her suffering.

Next she showed him the Weasley twins and how they had given her back hope. She showed him how she was horrified by the Animagus Mating Ritual and how Voldemort forced her to take a fertility potion. She showed him what she felt when he had completed the bond. He started to remove his hand from her mark then. "Please," she begged. "I want to show you everything."

"Okay," he said as he settled his hand back on her mark.

Minerva showed him her conversation with Helen and her shock at her mating mark. Minerva showed him her feelings as they truly made love for the first time. Minerva made sure he felt how sated and complete she felt. She showed him the memory of the morning he made her lose consciousness and her feelings when she woke up to his note.

Memories of finding out she was pregnant and her silently willing it to be Harry's child. She showed him the night her magic was returned and how she felt when he let her know he had developed feelings for her. Memories of Phoenix Nesting and the sheer joy of having Amethyst hatching in her hands. She showed him her overwhelming need and desire to love him at all times. She felt him shudder at that and pull her nearer.

"I have fallen in love with you," Minerva projected to Harry. "In a time in my life when I should have broken, you swept in merely intending to save my life but you did so much more than that. You have managed to overwhelm my very being and inflamed my body in ways I have never known."

"Surely not," Harry thought to her. "I have never touched another witch."

Minerva turned slightly and smiled at him. "It is indeed true. I never responded to my first husband or any other lovers the way I do you. I am sure the ritual adds to it somehow but I need you to know I crave your touch, your love. Do not think for one moment I plan on allowing you to pull away from me after what happened the other night. I can sense you blame yourself but there is no need for it."

"You slipped into a coma because you tried to distract me," Harry retorted frustrated.

"No," Minerva said firmly. "I slipped in a coma because I exhausted my magic protecting our child and using too much magic in general. You were not responsible for it. I need you to stop blaming yourself for everything. We are in the middle of a war and are undesirables 1 and 2 according to the Daily Prophet. We cannot afford to be distracted or divided. If something is wrong, I need you to speak with me sooner rather than later. We will work out any issues as best we can."

"I will try," Harry said. "The owl I was frustrated with was from Gringotts. They require me to come and hear my parents will now I am of age. I don't want to though. I have made peace with Albus and his decisions. I don't know what is in the will but I fear it will unsettle me. I know my parents would have never chose Aunt Petunia as my guardian, Sirius said as much, and I really don't want to be angry at Albus' memory. Especially with a war going on."

Minerva frowned at that. She understood his reluctance to go to Gringotts and to hear his parents' will. He had been forced to endure a hard childhood because of the blood protection his mother's sacrifice offered. He had never known a motherly love until Helen had opened her home and heart to him. Minerva's heart ached for his suffering and the suffering he would still need to bare. She would support him the best she could. "Arrange the meeting for Saturday morning with Gringotts. I will accompany you," Minerva projected. "Ask your financial manager for a portkey directly into the bank. I am sure they will understand your need for one given the current political uproar."

"I will," he thought back and snuggled closer to her. "Thank you for going with me. It means a lot!"