"Give me a broom and some sky, and I'll light up your life," Fred hummed as he danced around the room alone.

Hermione glanced up from the floor as she dipped her quill. "Don't get too worked up. We have plenty of night left."

"Good boys need naughty girls, Hermione. You should learn a page from my book," Fred snickered as he collapsed in a seated position next to her.

"I don't think so," Hermione retorted with a smirk.

Sirius set down the book in his hands and tilted his head. "He makes a good point."

Fred leaned against Severus's leg and chair with a huff. "Well."

"I find mischief decent in smaller doses. Enough to engage humor and the mind," Remus mused before lifting his notes. "How often did you fall asleep with a quill in hand?"

Hermione twitched her nose as she glanced over at the werewolf. "More often than not. As for the previous topic, you have no ground, Remus. Your best friends were the worse mischief-makers in Hogwarts, and you were the brain behind many of their pranks."

"Bloody wound me more, love," Sirius grunted.

"Intelligence is better spent in studies," Severus grumbled and nudged Fred away from him.

"Hermione has no room to deny mischief. She brewed polyjuice potion in second year to sneak into the Slytherin Common Room," Fred responded.

Snape glanced down at the redhead. "Second year?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Change of subject," Hermione huffed.

"Mhm, it was successful too. Well, aside from her own dose. She turned herself into a cat," Fred snickered with a bright grin.

"Just because I'm older now doesn't mean I won't hex you, Fred," Hermione spat.

"A cat? That doesn't usually happen. How?" Remus asked.

"Oh, and then there was the timeturner in her third year," Fred continued.

"Timeturner?" Remus questioned.

Hermione rocked her head. "I was doubling my class load. Professor Dumbledore allowed it. That's how we saved Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss."

"Curiouser and Curiouser, love," Sirius said with a grin.

Hermione reached for her glass, and Fred scrambled toward her. "And then, of course, there was international Quidditch seeker, Krum. You dated for a bit, yeah?"

"Fred, bloody stop," Hermione spat and shoved him.

"When did you end up getting together with my brother?" Fred asked.

"After the war ended," Hermione sighed. "I thought we were more interested in solving this crisis?"

Fred tossed a hand as he crossed his legs. "I want to know more about your life. It's good to see you after this long. I always told Ronnie to count his blessings that you didn't hex him."

"There's not much to say to that," Hermione paused. "My life was rather uninteresting. We got married. I worked at the ministry and told him I didn't want children yet."

"Hmm," Fred mumbled and reached across her notes. "This, isn't that unusual?"

Remus arched his eyebrow. "What?"

"This," Fred held up a page. "Records of the Veil activity. The Unspeakables recorded a higher intensity of voices the day before."

Hermione snatched the parchment and read with a furrowed brow. "You're right. I didn't think much of it before you all showed up. What if the reason the Unspeakables left is that they encountered a loud disturbance before your arrival?"

"Why an entire year if we're going toward this theory?" Severus asked.

Hermione set down the page and crawled to the stack of books next to Remus's feet. He bent toward her as she was digging through the pile. Hermione's scowl was focused as she mumbled under her breath. She found the book and set it on Remus's lap, surprising him.

"If magic is absorbed for a purpose, it would take the right amount of time for release," Hermione murmured as she was on her knees in front of him, flipping pages.

Remus gazed at her while trying to follow her train of thought. "Such as the right amount of moon phases," He added.

Hermione pressed her finger down on the passage she sought and nodded. "Yes, phasing is imperative for regenerative spells."

"Or transformation," he voiced.

Her eyes met his, and she nodded with darkened cheeks. "Yes, or transformative."

Remus turned the book in his lap and read the page. His eyebrows sunk as he absorbed the words. "Are you suggesting Alchemy, Hermione?"

Severus pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Why? Why couldn't it be something simpler?"

"Yes, Remus, I'm suggesting that a potion with a different intention was used, and the user didn't pay the price."

"That we know of," Fred added.

Hermione sunk on her calves as Remus read the passage. He glanced down at her and scrunched his lips. "You know what I'm going to suggest, Hermione."

Hermione breathed with a nod. "It's late. I'll ask him over tomorrow," she sighed.

Fred clapped his hands together. "My brother?"

"No, Draco Malfoy," Severus huffed.

Sirius folded his arms and scrunched his nose. "Why does he have to come back here?"

"Because," Hermione exhaled. "He's the one that brewed me the potion."

"Oi, bloody hold on," Sirius declared as he stood up. "Are you suggesting that you did this?"

She stood up and inhaled as she glanced at the animagus. "I suppose I need to explain things."

"Yes, that would be appropriate," Snape agreed.

The witch wandered over to the bookshelf and pulled on a worn red volume. The bookcase made a popping sound and slid over the other, revealing a Pensieve. Sirius skipped over and glanced around. "Well, it seems you found one of my father's secret cubbies."

"I did," Hermione sighed. "I was going over events to see what happened and how. This is going to be purely about explaining myself. If I were to attempt it now, you wouldn't understand. I need you to see."

Remus and Severus walked over with a mirrored expression of apprehension. "What are you showing us?" Remus asked.

Fred strolled over and leaned on the bookshelf. "Well, it has to be pretty serious if she's using that."

Hermione touched her wand to her head and dragged out a silvery memory. Dashing it in the basin, the dark water glimmered. The witch glanced back and tilted her head. "Let me show you."


Hermione was nearly sprinting up the elegant pathway to the large manor. Her clothing was untidy, and the sun was setting, but she relented. Knocking on the door, it was soon revealed how close to unhinged she was.

"Come on, come on," she huffed to herself while knocking.

The door swung open, and Draco Malfoy was standing at the entrance with a scowl. "Bloody hell, Granger. What's wrong with you?"

"Malfoy, I need to talk to you. Please," she breathed.

"You didn't answer my question," Draco hissed.

"Please, please, Malfoy. I need help," Hermione voiced as she ran her fingers on her skirt.

Draco's scowl only increased, and the temptation to shut the door on her was evident on his face. "Granger, I think you need to go seek help elsewhere."

She stopped the door from closing as he stepped back. "Wait, please? Draco, I can help you with your paperwork for what you've been looking for."

The pale wizard arched an eyebrow and opened the door. "In return?"

"In return, you let me come in and explain to you what I need," Hermione sighed.

"Always a bloody task with you," Draco groaned. "Fine, come in."

Hermione walked through the threshold and viewed the woman with a child in her arms. Astoria seemed more perplexed than frustrated with the intrusion. "How are you, Hermione? Can I get you some tea?" Astoria asked.

"No, thank you," Hermione murmured.

Draco gestured to the hallway, and the two marched down to a cracked door. Inside was a library with an elaborate sitting area around the fireplace. Hermione moved to in front of the fire and paced as Draco poured himself a drink at the cabinet. The wizard twitched his lips before sitting down in the armchair with his glass.

"Tell me, why are you banging on my door after dinner? Isn't your husband worried when you don't get home on time?"

Hermione twisted her fingers and twitched her nose. "Malfoy, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep lying to him."

"About? Did you sleep with someone else?" Draco inquired with a twitch of his lips.

"No, nothing like that," Hermione sighed. "I wish it were that easy."

"Then, if it's not cheating, its about a deal-breaking aspect. Did you get bitten by a werewolf?"

Hermione tossed her hand as her heels pounded on the carpet. "No, Ron would never leave me if I was bitten. He knows I'd still be me."

"Spit. It. Out," Draco growled.

The witch turned to him with a contorted expression. "I can't have children."

Draco's eyebrows launched to his hairline. "You can't? Why? Don't tell me you buy into the whole Muggleborn business I hassled you about."

"No, it's not that," Hermione sighed and raised her shirt, revealing the lavender scar across her abdomen.

Severus waved his wand, pausing the memory. "That's Dolohov," he murmured.

"I know," Hermione sighed.

Sirius waved them off. "Keep it going. I need to hear how this ends."

Snape flicked his wand, and it unpaused.

"Salazar's beard, Granger. When did that happen?" Draco gasped as he stood up.

"In our fifth year. I didn't know at the time the severity of it. Pomfrey explained that she wasn't positive after I was mended what repercussions the curse would have. I was taking ten bloody potions a day," Hermione grumbled.

"So, you can't have children? Why not adopt? I know my cousin's son is with my aunt," Draco suggested.

"Malfoy, you don't understand. All Ron talked about the first two years we were together was raising his children with Harry's. If I would have seen a doctor, then I could have avoided this and let him find happiness. It's gone on for too long. He'll resent me," Hermione voiced as she dropped her shirt. "I have to fix this. I'd do anything to fix this for him. The disservice of my duty to the world outweighed him, and now I am a liar. I can't give him what he wants."

"I don't know how you want me to help you," Draco huffed as he scrubbed his face. "There's nothing I can do that a healer cannot. You should tell him and let the galleons fall where they do."

"You know Alchemy. You make potions for your wife when she's ill," Hermione grumbled as she dug through her bag. "I did some research on old text and found this." Hermione offered a stack of parchments to Draco.

Draco's eyes narrowed as he thinned his lips. "This is a restorative life potion. How's that going to help you? Besides the fact that it's near impossible to make, it won't save you from being unable to reproduce."

Hermione shook her head as she walked up next to him. "You see, I thought so too. Until this," she murmured, pulling out a sheet.

"You want to combined agents? Do you know what you're asking me? This is dangerous, foolish, and could kill you," Draco hissed.

"I can't keep doing this," Hermione whispered as her eyes dropped to the carpet. "He lost so much, and I did too. I can't lose this too. The ghosts of my past linger, and it will surely kill me if I don't do something. I'll never get the chance to make this right if I don't do this, Draco."

Draco reached out and touched her shoulder. "Hermione, there's no telling what the effects of this potion are going to be. What if instead of undoing the curse, you reawaken the spell? What if your child, if you have one after this, becomes sickly or always in pain? I'm not telling you I can't do this for you, but why are you willing to do this to yourself?"

"When the only thing you have to lose would be gone without this, you know there's no other way. The losses of the war are still a deep wound for all of us. People we miss, loved ones gone from us in a flash of time. I need this. I need to bring new life to my family, Draco." Hermione mumbled before clearing her throat. "This, see," she regained composure and pulled out another page. "This is about restoring what was lost. I've done plenty of research. I even mapped out the correct constellations involved so that when it's brewed, it's done at full potency."

"You're asking me to finish the appropriate measurements for these ingredients to create this potion?" Draco asked as he pointed to the blanks. "But I don't know the full effects. What if it has irreversible consequences? What if you go blind, deaf, or in a permanent sleep?"

"Yes, I need your help. No, I'm not sure what will happen, but that's why I'm asking for assistance." Hermione declared with a nod. "I can have copies of my texts sent over."

Draco breathed and twitched his nose. "Alright, but a promise is a promise. I help you, and you make my life easier to help cure my wife."

Hermione held out her hand with a smile. "Anything."

"Alright, a deal," Draco said and shook her hand.

"If I work on this enough and it's successful for you, maybe it will work for her."

"Maybe," Hermione voiced with a smile. "Let's try to hatch things out before spring. That's when the opportune time to brew the potion would be."

"Very well. I'll keep in touch, Granger."

Hermione paced toward the doorway and turned. "Malfoy, don't tell Astoria. I don't want her to get her hopes up. I also don't want anyone else to know my business."

"Very well, Granger," Draco nodded.

The memory faded. Hermione was standing in the middle of the sitting room with pursed lips. No one knew what to say… well, that's until Sirius snorted.

"Hermione, why doesn't my cousin remember what you both did?"

Hermione shuffled her feet and breathed. "Four months in when Draco told me about the properties of the potion, I knew he wouldn't continue to help me. He warned me about the consequence of reversing such an effect, a loss of something monumental could disrupt my life. It could drive me to madness. I made him forget this memory so that all he would remember was I asked him to brew a potion for research."

Remus arched an eyebrow as he stepped forward. "Are you suggesting that your potion, in theory, could have brought us all back?"

"It was a mixture of three different elements of different potions in Alchemy. When I was told by a healer that I couldn't have children, I grew manic, Remus. That memory was after the long nights of translating Latin and Egyptian potions to have a concept. I didn't see how insane it was."

Severus scowled as he ran a hand over his face. "And you're telling me that you took this potion without being aware of what changes it might place on the environment? Hermione, the reason properties aren't melded together in alchemy is due to unstable effects."

"I think it was a risk, but bloody brave," Fred mused.

Sirius twitched his nose. "Yes, well, that's true. Quite a bit barmy."

"Don't tell me you don't do anything for the people you love, Sirius. You became an animagus for Remus," Hermione snapped.

Remus held up his hand at the aggravated witch. "No one is upset with you. Nor are we judging your reasoning, Hermione."

Hermione let a tear fall from her glassy eyes as she winced. "You don't understand. I fought so long that I couldn't even be what he wanted in the end. If I would have known, I wouldn't have done that too him. I would have left well enough alone and been another piece in the machine. Nothing more."

Remus cautiously approached Hermione and touched her shoulder. "It's alright. I know what it's like to meet disappointments at every turn. We persevere because that's what we have to do to survive. It doesn't mean that your life isn't well-spent."

Hermione launched herself at him and sobbed. "I didn't know. I didn't know, or I would have never promised him the life he wanted."

Severus glanced over at Sirius. For once, they didn't sneer or scoff at each other. Their expression held that of pity and conflict. How far would anyone go for someone they loved? It was a question that hung in the room as the werewolf soothed the witch.

"How about this," Remus started as he stroked her curls. "We get a book not related to this crisis and do some light reading. We can talk to Draco tomorrow and clear some of this up."

Hermione glanced up at him and sighed. "Okay."

Remus touched her cheek and removed the tear trail with his thumb. "Good, now, I'm going to go make some hot chocolate for you. Why don't you go gain some composure, and we'll have this room tidy by the time you're back?" Remus offered as Hermione pulled away.

"I'll come with you and tell you about the time George and I got a gnome stuck in our drawers," Fred snickered as he scooped the witch under his arm."

Hermione smiled at him. "How old were you?" She asked as they paced from the room.

"Seven," Fred laughed as their footsteps were heard on the staircase.

Remus exhaled and turned to the other wizards. "How bad is it, Severus?"

"Potentially catastrophic," Snape grumbled. "I'll have to see her notes and the recipe that Draco used."

"Can we change the side effects of lost magic?" Sirius asked.

Severus twitched his nose as he scratched his chin. "Possibly, but I won't be positive until I've done my own analysis."

Remus scrubbed his face and shook his head. "Poor Hermione. That girl didn't deserve such a lot in life."

"Can't say I don't blame her," Sirius mumbled. "If she truly believed that her life was worth gambling for a bugger who would leave her because of it, then it's his loss."

"Sirius," Remus hissed. "You don't know what their relationship was like."

"I have to agree with Black, Lupin, regrettably. There's more to the story than just her initiative to cure her ailment. It seems that their compatibility wasn't completely even," Snape voiced as he shifted his robes. "She's far too intelligent to have pushed herself to near madness over a wizard."

"Oh, isn't that cute," Sirius snickered while batting his eyes at Severus. "You think she's smart."

"Padfoot," Remus grumbled.

"Yes, I do," Snape said with a shrug. "Hence my agreement with you."

Sirius blinked. "Well, alright."

"What do we do now? It's obvious this was a big secret of hers," Remus breathed. "How do we take care of this witch and figure out how to save the world?"

The animagus grinned and folded his arms. "I have a plan."

"Oh, great," Severus groaned. "What moronic plan do we have to listen to now?"

"Let's bring the family back into it," Sirius mused with a nod. "There has to be a way to prevent her from getting sick while seeing them. We should experiment."

Remus wagged his index finger at Sirius and nodded. "Yes, that's actually a decent plan. I noticed that it wasn't until she stopped sitting with us that she seemed sick at Harry's. What if we can help her or any non-affected person be around them?"

Sirius smirked and stood straighter. "See, you're not the only one with wits."

"Whether you use them is debatable," Severus retorted.

"Alright then, I have an idea. I'm going to go make some hot chocolate and write to someone. We'll get this back on track faster if she has something to work for," Remus declared and left the room.

"He's ignorant," Severus hemmed after the werewolf was out of his keen earshot.

"Yes, he is. That's alright, I kind of like how that evens out the playing field," Sirius voiced with a shrug.

Snape pulled out his wand and flicked it at the books, stacking them back on the table. "Do you believe that it was the lack of children that caused her to have such urgency?"

"Quite the question," Sirius hummed. "No, I don't."

"Then what's your musing, if you have any?" Severus sneered.

"That girl wants to be loved, Snivellus. Kids don't judge you unless it's deserving."

Severus gestured at the pages, and they floated to the desk. "I see. Well, that makes things difficult."

"Love always does, even if you don't have it. Wanting it makes you do ridiculous things. I don't have the heart to tell her that it seems like her ex, and she fell out of it a long time ago."

"True."

Sirius smiled and jutted his chin toward the Potion Master. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"RIdiculous mutt," Severus hissed.

Their conversation was interrupted when Fred reappeared with Hermione. "Where's Remus? I thought he'd be done with the hot chocolate by now?" Hermione questioned with a smile.

"He'll be up in a moment, love. Why don't you delight us with some more of your Hogwarts stories?" Sirius asked as he plopped down on the sofa.

Hermione sat down and leaned against him. "Alright, but only because I think you'd enjoy some of the trouble Harry got into."

Severus snorted as he found a perch in the armchair. "Typical Potter."

"You're in some of these stories too, Severus," Hermione laughed.

Fred lounged on the loveseat and whistled. "Oh, yes. Can't forget Snappy Snape."

"I like that one!" Sirius snickered.

Hermione covered her face and groaned. "Well, let me tell you about the Sorcerer's stone…"