Major HBP and DH spoilers ahoy, Snarry, Lumione, and limones. ;) Usual Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the goddess divine and owns it all. I just like playing with the Slytherins on the weekends.

"What I want to know," Harry mumbled around a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "is how you got Hermione to agree to sleep with you again."

"Must you regale us with your half-masticated food during your inquiries?" Severus growled. He sipped his tea slowly, ignoring the glare sent his way from Potter.

"Though I agree with Severus about your deplorable table manners, I find I'm rather disinclined to answer your question," Lucius said before savouring his own tea.

The three men were gathered at the informal dining room table, eating breakfast, as had been their usual custom every Wednesday for the past two years. Lucius had silently left the bedroom that morning while Hermione was still deep in slumber. When Severus and Harry had arrived a short time later, he'd greeted them and directed them to sit and begin, giving no thought to how odd it might appear to his wife.

"You didn't use the Imperius Curse on her, did you?"

Lucius gave Harry a pointed look. "I behaved as any normal, civilised Slytherin would."

Harry raised his brows as if waiting for Malfoy to elaborate. Severus snorted. "He either blackmailed her or bartered something of value."

"The latter," Lucius reluctantly admitted. "That is the reason for the Veritaserum."

Severus swallowed the last of his crumpet, wiped his mouth and sat back with a smirk. "I take it your trustworthiness has been called into question? Or is it for the termagant?"

Harry coughed on his orange juice, before quickly pointing out, "You can't give Hermione Veritaserum!"

"Potter, there are only two reasons one should not administer Veritaserum," Snape said, exasperated.

"Yeah, I know," Harry muttered, glancing at the pensive look on Lucius' face. "One of them applies in this situation."

Severus' eyes widened and darted to Lucius. "Granger's pregnant?"

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Poppy confirmed the pregnancy when she examined Hermione. And I do wish you would stop calling her 'Granger'. She hasn't used her maiden surname in some years."

"She will always be 'Granger' to me, Lucius. You know this by now." Snape looked aside at Harry. "You surprise me. Were I still able to do so, I would give you points for correctly identifying possible side-effects of the potion."

"Why, Severus," Harry purred, batting his lashes. "That's practically a declaration of love!"

So intent were the men on their conversation, they did not hear or notice that Hermione had eased her way into the room. They definitely became aware of her presence, however, when she let out a strangled cry.

"Oh goddess!" All three turned to her, but her focus was clearly on Snape. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Severus frowned, while Harry and Lucius rose from their chairs and tried approaching her. Lucius reached her first and grasped her elbow so that she wouldn't falter.

"Hermione, sit down, please." He led her to a seat off to his right... in front of Severus.

"I-I can't stand to..." She gave Lucius a confused look. "Why do you allow him in your house?"

The atmosphere became increasingly tense as the three men debated on what to tell her.

Slowly, so as not to startle her, Severus withdrew the vial of Veritaserum and showed it to her. "I assume you know what this is, Miss Granger?"

Teeth clenched, lips pursed, she nodded.

"Whom do you wish to question first?" he asked.

She darted her gaze between Harry, Snape, and Lucius, who was staring at the dour wizard incredulously. "You," she said, giving Snape a hard glare.

Severus nodded slightly and allowed three drops to settle on his tongue. After several moments, he bade her, "Proceed."

"Did you kill Dumbledore?"

"Hermione!" Harry spluttered.

Snape cut off the rest of Harry's outrage with a wave of his hand. "In short, yes."

Tears welled in her eyes. She looked at Harry. "You knew about this?"

"I watched him do it," her best friend replied so low she barely heard him. He shook his head with a grimace. "Lord, I hated him, Hermione. But that was before I found out certain things."

She returned her attention to Snape. "What things?"

"Hermione, perhaps it would be better if—"

"Be quiet, Lucius," she snarled, never looking at her husband. "Well?" she asked the dour Potions master.

Severus glanced at Harry, who considered something and then nodded. "I was bound by an Unbreakable Vow from Professor Dumbledore himself to end his life, if certain events took place. The Dark Lord had extracted the same Unbreakable Vow from Draco, though he was to kill the Headmaster at any point... at any cost." His black eyes bore into hers. "You see, Professor Dumbledore, in all his wisdom, chose to ignore the basic rule when dealing with Dark Artefacts. He touched a cursed item with his bare hands. It was only my expertise that kept him alive throughout that year, though he suffered greatly. He was in agony, the likes of which I hope you never have to experience, Miss Granger."

"Mrs. Malfoy," Lucius hissed.

Both Hermione and Severus arched their eyebrows, and Lucius was struck with how much those two seemed alike. Yes, there were differences, but at the core his wife and best friend were very similar. It did not sit well with him.

"Continue," Snape said.

Lucius could easily tell Severus was disconcerted by the topic, but to the casual observer, nothing indicated the turmoil roiling beneath the cool façade.

Hermione paused for a moment, then turned to Harry. "I heard you say something about 'love' to Professor Snape." She licked her lips. "A-are you two together?"

"I haven't been your professor for well over—"

"Yes," Harry interrupted, nudging Snape to remain quiet. "It's very complicated."

She crossed her arms. "I thought you liked Ginny."

Harry, clearly uncomfortable, rubbed the back of his neck. "Funny thing, that..." A bright flush started threading its way across his face. "I don't think Ron would've been too keen on the idea of me finding him more attractive than his sister." He closed his eyes. "I was trying to force certain feelings, but in the end my own proclivities won out."

"Ten points to Gryffindor for making use of the dictionary."

"What do you expect?" Harry groused. "I live with you."

Snape smirked. "It's refreshing to know I have some positive influence on you."

Hermione glanced at Lucius. "Are they always like this?"

He thinned his lips. "Unfortunately." After wiping his mouth with a richly woven napkin, Lucius cautioned, "Hermione, I think it wise—"

"Lucius, if you don't stop telling me I need to go lie down or put my feet up, or some other ridiculous notion, I'll personally tie you up and leave you in the dungeons for a week!"

Harry snorted with laughter, while Severus offered to help her bind the now gob-smacked blond.

"Now," she huffed and reached for slice of toast, buttering it. "Tell me everything."

Hermione sat on the edge of the divan, rubbing her temples. "Ignore me the next time I demand that you tell me every little detail," she said with a groan.

They had told her almost everything. About the Horcrux hunt with Ron, Hermione, and Harry, with Snape helping when he could; the Deathly Hollows, and how Harry had unknowingly been in possession of one or all of them at one point or another; the Ministry break in; Snape's time as Headmaster and how fraught it had been with terror, stress, and trying to keep the students alive. They'd described how Lucius had been a virtual prisoner within his own home, Narcissa and Draco watching him deteriorate at an alarming rate, and told her about the blazing Room of Requirement and how Draco had almost perished, as well as of Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, and the Elder Wand. They'd covered the epic final battle that had brought Hogwarts to resemble ancient Greek ruins and Harry had recounted Ron's death, how broken he and the Weasleys had been afterwards. By that point, Hermione had been too tired to join Harry in his misery, and she'd begged for them to stop, if only for the day.

"I tried to warn you," Lucius pointed out, though not unkindly. "Are you in pain?"

Kneading her fingers on the muscles in her neck was not helping. "A little," she murmured.

"Come here."

Hesitantly, she shifted on the divan to sit in between the V of Lucius' legs, her back to his front. Her head was pounding from the assault of all the information the men had flooded her with that morning. There were still some significant pieces missing, such as the 'Marriage Ordinance' Lucius had mentioned the night before, but she was afraid the pain would become unbearable if she asked any more questions. She couldn't help a near-desperate moan of relief the moment Lucius placed his hands on her shoulders and began massaging the taut tendons.

"Merlin, that's wonderful."

His response was to sit up a little more and bring her closer. She could feel his breath on her skin, and it made her shiver in a delicious way. The manner in which he gripped her muscles and commanded them to release their tension was amazing. Very soon, she found herself feeling quite languid, which caused her to relax against him further. It also loosened her tongue.

"Tell me about the Marriage Ordinance," she asked softly.

Lucius paused briefly, but continued with his ministrations. "You know that Kingsley Shacklebolt is the Minister for Magic, correct?" At her slight nod, he went on. "About a year after the Dark Lord's death, there was a steep decline in the wizard population. No one trusted anyone—pure-blood, Muggle-born, half-blood alike. To foster good will and encourage relationships that would produce another generation, Shacklebolt issued the Marriage Ordinance. Those eligible, male or female, would have six months to find a companion of their choosing, though the Ordinance strongly implied that one should choose another not of their own grouping. If those six months had passed and no match had been made, one would be made for you."

"Is this Ordinance still in effect?" she wondered drowsily.

"No, it was abolished a year after its inception, due to overwhelming dislike. But I had no wish to be saddled with a woman of the Ministry's choosing, since I was subject to the policy at the time."

She stiffened. "Then how did you and I..."

He smoothed his hands over her shoulders in a tender caress. "It was Severus' idea, initially." Lucius threaded his fingers through her hair and tugged gently, earning a moan from her. "He suggested that we choose our mates while we still had the capability to do so."

"That still doesn't explain why you chose me. Why didn't Draco offer for me? I mean, we're closer in age than you and I."

His huff of breath ghosted over her nape, causing her to tremble. "What do you remember of your time during the search for the Horcruxes?"

She turned to face Lucius, studying him intently. "Only what Harry and Snape told me." She tried remembering, she really did.

"Let me see if there is something that can trigger your memories," he proposed softly. "Will you trust me this once?"

A wary look entered her eyes. "What do you want to do?"

"Close your eyes."

She wanted to say no. She wanted to get up from the very comfortable seat and leave. After several moments of deliberation, however, she slowly closed her lids and waited. "Now what?"

Lucius' hands tentatively cupped her cheeks, and he ran his thumbs over her fleshy lower lip. "Mister Weasley had left you and Mister Potter stranded near Wales, I believe." He traced her brows, the pads of his fingers flitting over her lashes. "Severus was told of your location and took it upon himself to deliver the Sword of Gryffindor to Mister Potter, albeit secretly." A press of soft lips played about her face. "At the time, the Dark Lord felt I had greatly overstayed my welcome in my own house, and foisted me upon Severus, telling him in effect to rid the world of my presence." Lucius nuzzled the sensitive skin just below her ear. "To save my life, Severus took me with him into the Forest of Dean and quietly insinuated me within your camp, knowing that it was unlikely I would be found, since you and Mister Potter had yet to be discovered after all that time."

Hermione slowly opened her eyes to stare into the sad, grey depths of Lucius'. "You stayed with us?"

He smiled awkwardly. "The alliance was tenuous at best, at least in the beginning." He leaned forward and ghosted his mouth over hers. "We began during that time."

The moment his lips were fully against her own, the memories of that period flooded her mind.

Hermione gasped when she beheld the dreaded Potions master hauling a soaking Harry Potter into the midst of their makeshift camp, followed by none other than a bedraggled Lucius Malfoy. The blond looked nothing like his usual arrogant self. In fact, a decidedly humble, if not downright frightened, air hung about him.

"Do not attempt to cast any foolish hexes my way, Miss Granger," Snape intoned. He let go of Harry, who stumbled away from him, clutching a gleaming sword in his right hand.

"Harry?" she asked, nervously darting her gaze from Snape and Malfoy back to her best friend, trying to decide on the best course of action.

Harry grimaced and nodded. "Do as he says for now. I'll tell you later."

"You'll tell her now," Snape corrected. "My time is limited, and I don't want your feeble descriptions to damage what I have already explained to you. There are pressing matters at hand, and I need reassurances."

Green eyes looked askance, then focused on Hermione. "Snape's been helping all along." Harry pursed his lips, hesitant to say more.

"But what about Dumbledore?"

"A curse, Miss Granger," Severus drawled when Harry refused to say more. "I take it you observed the frailty of the Headmaster last year, yes?" At her nod, he continued. "Were it not for my constantly giving him the strongest potion I could feasibly brew at the time, he would have not lived to see All Hallows Eve."

"Snape killed Dumbledore on the Professor's orders," Harry said, bitterness lacing his tone. "So Draco wouldn't have to mar his precious soul."

"Potter..."

"Don't!" Harry snarled, glaring at Snape. "You may have saved my life numerous times, but you've always been a bastard about it!"

"I, for one, am grateful for your intervention, Severus," Lucius supplied quietly. "My sins should not have been visited upon my son."

"And don't get me started on you, Malfoy!" Harry spat, now starting to pace. "I can't believe I agreed to do this."

Hermione had stayed mostly quiet, but this piqued her interest. "Agreed to do what?"

"The Dark Lord does not comprehend what you and Mister Potter are trying to achieve, other than not being found. He is frantic, and his anger is swifter than usual, causing him to lash out at his Death Eaters. I have been given Lucius to dispose of as I see fit." Snape looked Malfoy up and down. "In the coming months, his information as to how to subvert the Dark Lord will be important. It would be foolish to lose such a valuable asset. I am placing him in your care and protection, until such time as I can make different arrangements."

Hermione turned to Harry and glared. "You're mental, you know that? I can't believe you agreed to do this, either!"

"Shall I remind you of the event in your third year, when I stood between a rabid werewolf and a trio of incompetent, rule-breaking miscreants, preventing said troublemakers from suffering the same curse as the wolf?" Snape snidely told Hermione.

Her jaw dropped a tad. "It's not often I say this, Harry, but you're right; he is a bastard about it." Nostrils flaring, she pointed the only wand in their possession at Malfoy. "If you so much as twitch or look at Harry in the wrong way, I won't hesitate to end you—information be damned."

Both Snape and Malfoy's eyes widened at her threat. Lucius hesitated, and rightly so, but Snape shoved him forward to stand in front of Hermione. She pressed the tip of the wand against his heart and indicated he should move towards the tent.

She left Harry and Snape outside, even though Harry had no weapon. Her friend was far from defenceless, but she had a gut feeling that Snape would not harm him anyway. Pushing aside the canvas flap, she nudged Malfoy inside and directed him to sit on one of the benches. When he had seated himself, she sat opposite, studying him.

"Tell me why you're really here."

Lucius rubbed his red-rimmed eyes, lack of sleep evident in his tired countenance. "I owe Snape a life debt. He saved Draco and my life many times over in the past few years. It would behove me to follow his orders."

"What has happened to you?" She tilted her head to the side, frowning. "You look like you haven't eaten in days, and you're rather pungent."

Her words seemed to have a profound effect on the proud pure-blood, who curled in on himself, head in his hands. "You have the right of it, Miss Granger," he muttered. "Could I trouble you for a slice of bread? Perhaps a glass of water?"

Hermione covered her mouth in shock. The shell of the man she had once feared most next to the Dark Lord, was asking her for sustenance. She didn't know whether to laugh at his misfortune or pity him. In the end, she did neither. If he was to remain with them, he would have to pull his weight.

"I can conjure a glass of water, but as for food, we only have a few berries that I was able to find." She tore off a piece of her cotton jacket, transfigured it into a small tumbler, quickly filled it with a murmured Aguamenti, and handed it to Malfoy.

He grasped the glass with shaking hands and drained the liquid, never pausing to breathe. She could see that he wanted more, but was hesitant to ask for it, probably feeling that he had pushed his luck already. She solved his dilemma by filling it again before he could give voice to the request.

After he gulped down the second glass, she said, "No more, or you'll make yourself sick."

They looked at each other, both startled, her sudden and awkward 'mothering' catching them off guard.

He nodded slowly and handed her the makeshift cup. "Thank you."

Her emotions a jumble from everything that had happened that evening, she didn't acknowledge his gratitude. Instead, she informed him, "You may wash in the morning... in the nearby stream. I can heat the water for you, but that's all we have. If that's not good enough—"

"It is fine, Miss Granger." He scanned the interior of the tent. "Is there a place I may rest?"

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Usually, the boys had slept in the rickety iron bunk, and she on the camp bed on the other side of the tent. After Ron had disappeared, though, she had taken to sleeping above Harry, just to hear the sounds of another human being. With Malfoy living amongst them, however, a watchful eye would have to be kept. "You can bunk with Harry," she said, nodding towards the double bed. "On top."

The makings of a sneer started to curl Lucius' upper lip, but he quickly banished it. "As you wish. May I retire now?"

Hermione frowned. "You're not a prisoner here, Malfoy. Just an unwelcome guest."

His smile was thin and mocking. "I see no difference."

Before she could retort, he rose and stepped away from the table to study the mechanics of hopping to the higher mattress. Several moments passed before he grabbed the end rail with his right hand and hoisted himself upon the mattress with effortless grace. She secretly envied him his agility.

The canvas flap parted, and Harry and Snape appeared once more. "Where's Malfoy?" Harry asked, agitated.

She pointed to the top bunk, where Lucius had already wrapped the meagre blanket around him and buried his aquiline nose into the pillow. When Harry moved to shake Malfoy, Hermione stood and stopped him.

"He's tired, hungry, and disgustingly dirty. If you bait him, you may not like the results."

"Though the world has not ceased to turn at this momentous event, I do believe Miss Granger has the right of it."

"Git," Harry and Hermione grumbled at the same time.

A victorious smirk broke out on Snape's face. "Most definitely." He inclined his head towards Harry. "I take my leave of you." He glanced at Hermione. "Remember, keep him hidden. If the Dark Lord knew he was with you, we would all perish. Slowly." With a flourish of his midnight robes, he vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

The next day, Hermione showed Lucius to a frigid brook, clumps of ice flowing right along with the water. They were still well within the protective wards she had set up, but she was extremely vigilant, nonetheless.

"You have ten minutes."

Lucius frowned. "Why only ten?"

"We move every day," she explained. "Once you're through, we're leaving." She made to walk back to camp, but his voice stopped her.

"You shouldn't trust me out here, alone." He gave her a lazy grin. "I could very easily give away your location."

She gave him a calculating look, a slow knowing smirk appearing on her lips. "Go ahead." She crossed her arms. "But just so you know, Harry and I will be gone in less time than it takes for you to say Mudblood. We'll leave you here to rot. And while they want us in their custody, I think they'd make a nice exception for you, Malfoy." She turned around and headed back to the camp, saying over her shoulder. "You are now a blood traitor, after all."

The following weeks progressed much the same way: get up, forage for anything edible, wash what could be washed, use Cleansing Charms for the body, endless trek across the country-side. Harry, with Snape's help, destroyed the Horcrux locket while Hermione was getting Lucius acquainted with their lifestyle. She was just glad she didn't have to carry the damned thing anymore, and she was certainly happy Malfoy never had to put it on. The visions, hallucinations and ridicule she had suffered while it hung about her neck were horrendous. She could only imagine what Lucius would see or even hear.

One day, Lucius sat next to Harry, who gave him a wary look. "It occurs to me that you and Miss Granger, are merely wandering aimlessly in search of the next Horcrux," the blond said.

Harry glanced at Hermione before replying, "We don't know exactly what the Horcruxes are."

Lucius actually looked flabbergasted. "Surely Dumbledore told you what—"

"Snape killed him before he could tell me all of them."

Hermione could hear irritation lace her friend's answer, so she took it upon herself to ask Lucius for more information. "Do you know what they are?"

With a slight nod, he told them all he knew of Tom Riddle's Horcruxes.

On a particularly chilly night after they had destroyed Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Hermione and Harry had been outside the tent, planning on how to enter Hogwarts to gain access to Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. When she entered the tent, Hermione was quite put out to see Lucius lying prone in her bed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

But there was no answer. Fuming, she marched towards the camp bed and leaned over Lucius, only to draw back. His face was flushed red, his blond strands plastered to his brow in a sickly sweat, his eyes lidded and glassy. His whole frame was shaking.

"Malfoy?" she called quietly, easing onto the side of the bed. No answer. "Lucius?"

He groaned and buried himself further under the covers.

"Harry?" She sent her friend a worried look. "Malfoy's sick."

"What?" Harry stood next to her and looked him over. "Damn." He paced for a moment and then held out his hand. "Give me the wand."

"But—"

"Now, Hermione, we don't have time to waste."

She handed the precious stick to her best friend and bit her lip. "What are you going to—"

"I'll be back soon." He darted a quick glance to Lucius. "Just keep him comfortable until I get back." With that, Harry ducked out of the tent, and she heard the distinct crack of Disapparition.

Granted, she knew why Harry had taken their only wand—if he wanted to be able to find her again, he would need to cast the spell they had developed in order to Apparate to their location—but its lack made her feel defenceless, especially with an ill Malfoy to contend with. Of course, there were a few wandless, wordless spells she had been able to master, but again, they were nothing of great import when it came to fending off anyone looking for them.

Lucius moaned, and this time it sounded like a sob.

"Please, my Lord! Not Draco... not my wife!" More shivering. "Take me instead!"

Hermione watched Lucius' features contort in anguish, and a small shard of compassion pierced the sacred shell around her heart. She had hated this man for a great portion of her adolescent life—had wanted to go on hating him. But his constant presence and altered ideologies brought to light a different man. One that was but a knife's edge away from madness, as his pain was quite evident even through the fevered ramblings.

Unable to bear the heart-wrenching cries now emanating from the wizard, Hermione implemented a remedy that her mother always used when Hermione had been a small child: a soothing touch. Shifting Lucius to the side, she slid under the covers, propped herself up on what pillows there were, and brought Malfoy's head to lie on her chest.

"It's a good thing you're handsome," she muttered under her breath. Had Lucius been awake, she would've never uttered such words. Seeing how he was incapacitated, however, she took the chance to voice her thoughts.

Threading calloused fingers through the silvery-blond locks, Hermione began humming softly, low in her chest, in hopes that the gentle vibrations would induce calm and peace within the tortured wizard. She did this for what seemed like an hour, before he finally settled enough to relax against her.

But that was when her own senses went a little arse over teakettle.

In a bid for comfort, Lucius nuzzled his nose right into the swell of her breast and wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her close. She thanked Merlin multiple times that she wasn't claustrophobic, or she would be in a right panic at that moment. When he hooked his left leg over her hip and began slowly rocking against her, she had to swallow the whimper stuck in her throat.

"Smell like Hermione," he whispered against her skin. "Love the way she smells."

Dear Circe's hot lacy knickers! Never in her wildest dreams, or nightmares, had she imagined that Lucius Malfoy, Death-Eater-extraordinaire, would be trying to bring himself off while thinking of her! So lost was she in trying not to react, she didn't realise that Lucius had tugged on the fabric of her shirt, exposing her left breast to the chilled night air. The press of his lips on her sensitive nipple caused her to gasp and arch up to fill his mouth, wanting more.

Malfoy was sick, he was delusional, he had brain fever... Oh... God! He had curled his tongue around the ruched peak, flicking it back and forth before lightly nipping the bud and suckling. Her fingers were clutching his hair and digging into his back; she loved the attention he lavished upon her. She had never had sex before, but she wasn't ignorant. Ron had been giving her and Harry funny looks just before he left, and she had blindly thought he was seeing her in a different light. She had wanted him desperately last year, but when day after day came and went by without his return, she knew deep down in her fragile heart that he had lost faith... in her, in Harry... in himself.

When Lucius insinuated himself between her legs, her mind went blank, and she forgot all about Ron. Forgot why she shouldn't be doing that, especially with Malfoy. Ceased caring that Harry had left, probably to find Snape and inform him of Lucius' condition.

This last thought caused her to still and become rigid. If he was sick, how could he have the strength to do this? "Lucius," she whispered. "Stop."

"No," he pleaded mournfully. He buried his nose against her pulse and pressed kisses along her neck. "Please... let me feel something."

Her heart clenched. "I'm a Mudblood, remember?" If anything would stop him, it would be that.

"My Hermione," he purred in return. "My saviour." This was followed by an all-consuming kiss, while he circled his hips, nudging his erection into the crux of her thighs.

"Oh, God," she panted when he freed her mouth. She wanted to rant and rave, to rail at the man who dared take liberties on someone he'd always hated. The swivel of his hips, however, the thrust of his hard shaft against her fully clothed, yet wet and throbbing mons, was devastating.

Unbidden, her legs wrapped around his slim waist, allowing for greater friction. He took advantage of that, and his arms made their way under her shoulders, holding her in place for each plunge. It didn't matter that they would both be sore from the chaffing of weathered clothing against their most sensitive flesh; they drove each other on in a frenzied lust, both desperate to feel something, anything, during the despair and isolation in the bleak midwinter.

"Mine," he breathed in her ear just before he drove his hips forward one last time.

She didn't know who screamed first, but the orgasm crested over her, leaving her floating weightless in Lucius' arms.

When she pried her eyes open, she blinked repeatedly. "Lucius?" she said breathlessly.

His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes focused on her intently. "Yes, love?" He fingered a curl that had fallen haphazardly across her brow.

Hermione cupped his strong jaw, her thumbs rubbing at the purple smudges below his eyes, evidence of many a sleepless night. "I remember you."

A light of pure joy entered his gaze and he smiled.