Note: Hello everyonee! I want to thank you all for your comments. It's really nice to know that you enjoy this fic (at least most of the time, right? lol).

So... if you've come this far, you know that Harry is not exactly Harry right now...

And here we go!

April 1st

Eleven days till Laura and Lily's birthday

Malfoy Mansion

"How you feeling?" Ron asks her.

"I don't know." Hermione answers. She really doesn't. How is she supposed to feel after all of this?

He raises an eyebrow and she closes her eyes.

She woke up four days ago and she hasn't stopped since then. First, she embraced her daughters, cried with them and enjoyed their moment to the fullest, her heart swelling with love, rejoicing in their connection, feeling it getting stronger and steadier.

Later her parents came in and Draco and Ginny went home, promising to return the next day. Ron and Luna stayed but they were quiet while she cried some more with her mother, whom was a mess of tears and smiles. Hermione smiled at her father's failed attempt to contain his tears, she felt happiness and didn't want to ruin the moment so she just went with it, pushing away her concerns.

She knew at least five Aurors were outside her room, protecting them and waiting to escort Laura and Lily back to Hogwarts with Luna. When the time came for them to say goodbye, Hermione gave them a tight hug and said they would talk the next day, and at the back of her mind she heard them, the connection bright. It only missed one thing. Harry.

Ron went home and her parents said she should rest, leaving her alone. She tried, she tossed and turned with her eyes closed but her mind couldn't rest, her emotions and sensations were suffocating her. She couldn't feel Harry through their connection and the way people reacted when she asked about him was enough to put her on high alert. So, that first night, she focused on him and tried reaching out. It was a mistake.

"I understand." Ron says, bringing her back to the moment. "Nothing yet, huh?"

She shakes her head, denying. Ron's asking about Harry, about their connection. That first night when she reached out, she found something on the other end of their thread that staggered her. Darkness and hate. It wasn't Harry. It couldn't be. However, she didn't have the time to explore it further because he closed it off fast. She cried with both hands protecting her belly, protecting their baby. She cried until sleep took her.

The next day, Draco, Ron and Ginny visited her first thing in the morning and they talked about Harry. Draco explained everything and Hermione couldn't believe it. Harry in Azkaban. It was a living nightmare, especially after she got her erased memory back. She told them everything, no doubt remaining that it was Marga's plan all along. The woman wanted Harry in Azkaban, she wanted to crack him, and she did it perfectly… She was probably the one that seized him in the first place at the Burrow and she patiently waited for Hermione to come to her, to ask for her help to save Harry, she convinced both of them that Harry should stay there and then she sent him on those missions to retrieve prophecies, she made him do suspicious things that later she would use to control the population, use to turn the wizarding world against him. Marga made him believe her training was everything he needed to be as powerful as ever, but she lied, of course she did, if Harry was powerful as she stated, he would've been able to track the threats, he would've been able to trace the ring back to her… the same way he should have been able to beat the wicked one. But in reality, he was no match for Marga.

Not just that, Marga knew this situation would drive a wedge between them, and like she said on the memory… divide and conquer. When Draco said they went to Marga to ask for help to get Harry out of Azkaban Hermione almost shouted in frustration, but she couldn't blame them, no one knew, no one had the faintest idea. Marga had fooled them… all of them.

"You think he's plotting something with Marga?" Ron asks. They both lounge on big chairs at one of the many living areas inside Draco and Ginny's mansion. Hermione is not allowed to go back to her house yet, and now Draco is her personal Auror, keeping tabs on her all day long, driving her crazy.

"I don't know." She presses her hand against her chest, the scar dormant there. "The times he opened himself to me I felt," She swallows dry, "I felt his anger, I felt…" She shakes her head. "He hates me, Ron."

Ron sighs. "I just… that's impossible."

"It isn't." She knows Harry has his reasons and the right nudge could be enough for him to see her differently. She always knew her actions and secrets would have consequences and that they were dubious and suspicious. "But that's not the worst part." She would be fine if he hated her as long as if he was okay… "His magic, Ron." Ron nods. Hermione told them what she felt through the connection and in a way it wasn't that surprising considering Harry's with Marga. "So much darkness. His feelings and emotions," She sighs. "His heart is tainted… I don't think he's the Harry we know right now."

"But if Marga is the Wicked One, Hermione, doesn't she need you and Harry together? I'm a little lost here."

"We're way past that point. She is already destroying us, taking her revenge. And we can only imagine what the lost part of the prophecy says…"

When Draco told her Narcissa said the prophecy had a bottom half, she almost fainted. We're in the dark again.

Draco enters the living room stomping on the floor. Throwing his uniform on the couch he goes directly to his bar to grab something to drink.

"Having a good day?" Hermione asks.

"Walking into the Ministry is like walking into my worst nightmare." He sits with them. "It's madness right now. I don't think your interviews and statements were even close enough."

Hermione grunts. Only later she finally allowed herself to marvel in the fact that she's pregnant. A boy, they'd told her. The healer came by her room and did another few tests with her, confirming that the baby was fine and telling her she should take it easy. But easy was not going to happen. The moment she got home, flashes of memory invaded her. She walked slowly till she reached the living area, her eyes scanning everything: her research was laying on the table, no signs of struggle could be seen, no blood on the floor where Harry had beaten Jack, no scattered furniture, no marks of spells on the walls and floor. It was as if nothing had happened. Her heart racing, she looked over at the place where she stood while gathering her magic and Harry's, the moment she decided she was ready to make that sacrifice for him, to let him live, to let him have happiness with their daughters, to let him try to have a family. Even if it wasn't with me.

And that very moment she felt him on their connection. He was there, inside her mind, her soul, sharing their magic… and then the darkness of it took her breathe away, freezing her in place. She waited for him to say something, to reach out, but he didn't. He opened to her and said nothing, he didn't have to. Hermione could tell what he was thinking, could feel everything he felt and it scared her. He felt angry, betrayed and vicious, and when she realized all those feelings were directed at her, she shut him out, afraid to deal with it.

After that she went to the Ministry and unable to contain herself she marched right into Desmond Darkwater's office. The man didn't budge, he stated his actions were the right ones, proof of it the way Harry fled from Azkaban. Hermione demoted him and Desmond went ballistic saying Harry had uttered the Unforgivable Curse and they couldn't oversee it, they couldn't open a precedent like that. Hermione knew the man was right, but the circumstances were extreme, these were also her exact words towards the press and journals. She made it clear that Harry wasn't the one to strike her, she explained her house was invaded and Jack Winter was the one responsible for her coma. It startled her how people seemed skeptic. It was a little of a blow to her the fact that Jack had a good reputation, a name he made over the years in the Ministry as a good Head Auror, as a man that posed himself as fair and kind. Yes, Harry was the savior… but people tended to forget fast.

She did everything to clear Harry's name, and in a way she succeeded, charges against him were dropped, but he was still under investigation and his escape from Azkaban weighted in favor of those who wanted to condemn him. Hermione is sure Marga's plan from the very beginning was to get him out of the prison, but she took advantaged from the fact that Draco went to her… now, Draco owned her, bound by magic. Shit.

"How bad?" Ron asks Draco.

"They're practically harassing me." He sighs. "The Aurors are impatient, they want Harry in custody, but there's been no trace of him since he escaped."

A few Aurors that were posted at Azkaban that night told Draco that Cho Chang helped Harry. Hermione's blood boiled just to imagine him there feeling abandoned and having Cho, of all people, rescuing him. And it made sense, Cho was at Jack's side from the beginning and Jack's side is Marga's side.

"Hasn't he contacted you?" Draco asks her.

"No."

However, just the day before she felt him again and it gave her chills. The sensation so different from the warmth she always associated with him, because now it felt cold. Cold and menacing.

"Well, that sucks." He says, drinking his vodka. "Silence is always dangerous. I mean, if he showed up and yelled at you or something, at least we would know how things are, but this… they're plotting."

"But plotting what?" Hermione asks. She doesn't want to think about it and Draco and Ron's silence tell her what she needs to know. "Do you really think he's coming for me?"

"No, of course not-" Ron says.

"Well, maybe-" Draco says.

"I hate this so much. The last memory I have of him before my coma is of love, of belonging… to wake up to a situation like this, it's just… I mean," She gets up, "Harry wants to kill me?" She lets out a hysterical laugh. "Is this even real? Am I still in a coma?" She might be going crazy.

"Hermione, calm down. I don't think he wants to kill you, but we don't know who he is now, what Azkaban did to him," Draco shakes his head, "He wasn't himself, and now Marga is probably convincing him of who knows what."

"But," Ron starts, "What should we do if he comes? What if he apparates here, right now? He can, can't he? Would we hug him? Or run from him?"

Hermione walks back and forth. Ron has a point. "We need to talk about it, we need to understand where we stand with him." She didn't want to do that, but they must.

"It's just so strange to consider him as a threat." Draco says.

"But we must." Her tone is harsh. "We need to revoke his permission to apparate inside our houses." She purses her lips, not wanting to go there, "We need to warn Minerva."

Ron widens his eyes. "You think he would harm the girls?"

Hermione shakes her head. "No, I don't. But I'm sure he wants to see them, be with them… however,"

"However you want him to go to you first." Draco completes and she nods.

"He needs to. I need him to. We have to talk."

"It could be dangerous, Hermione."

"I don't care. If-" She gulps, "If Harry wants to be my enemy, I want him to say it to my face."

They don't say another word for a while, but Draco lifts his wand and revokes Harry's entrance inside the mansion.

April 5th

Seven days till Laura and Lily's birthday

Ministry of Magic - Hermione's office

She should be reading the file in her hands, but her eyes are glued on the image of the Forest of Dean. Sometimes she can't tell if she's thinking too much or nothing at all. Right now she must be in some kind of trance, her mind analyzing the forest and her heart aching. It's impossible not to associate the forest with Harry, with their moments there, with how they stayed together even when things looked terrible, how she couldn't stand the sadness in his eyes, how she wished she could do more for him, for them. She presses a finger on the lonely tear that runs down her face. There's been no sign of Harry, no contact, and she ponders if she should try it, if she should speak to him. Draco already led a raid at Marga's island, but of course there was not even a trace of her, of them.

She sighs, deciding she's done for the day, she can't read another petition because she finds herself not caring at all.

A knock on the door and Draco, her annoying bodyguard, enters the office.

"Ready to go? Everyone is done for the day, I think we're the only souls remaining in this forsaken place."

"Yeah… I-" She stops. The thought coming slowly.

"What is it?"

"How many prophecies do you estimate the Department of Mysteries holds?"

Draco frowns. "Like a million?"

Tossing the file, she gets up from the couch and picks up her wand and cloak. "Let's go." She exits the office with Draco by her side, he's already turning right to the elevators that lead to the atrium, but Hermione stops him. "We're not going there."

"What? Where are we- Hermione!"

Not waiting for him she enters one elevator from the left and indicates where she wants to go. Draco huffs by her side. "Seriously?" He says as the elevator announces 'Department of Mysteries'.

"If there's a bottom half to the prophecy," She says as they exit the elevator and walk fast in the dark hall, "Don't you think there's a good chance it's here? That it's been here all this time?" She keeps going, "Harry wouldn't look for it because he didn't know. Marga has no access…"

She's about to open the door that leads to all the orbs, but Draco steps in front of her.

"What about Jack? Cho? They were here, Hermione, they must have looked for it."

She shakes her head. "I have to try, Draco. I need to."

He lowers his head. "Well, shit. Fine."

They enter the room together. Last time Hermione set foot on that place she was looking for clues from the invaders that took five prophecies from the Department. Hermione flicks her wand and the place comes to life on its own. Shelves and shelves of endless orbs appear in front of them.

"Okay, now what?" Draco asks.

She knows it won't work but she tries it nonetheless. "Accio!" They wait for a few seconds and Hermione sighs. "I'm not sure if they're organized in some specific way."

"You want us to search them all?"

"Let's just have a look."

Draco nods and they split, going in opposite directions. Hermione walks by the first shelf, her eyes scanning the tags, searching. She can't help thinking about all these people, about all these destinies prophesied who knows how long ago. Hundreds, thousands of prophecies. It's crazy to think that most of these are unknown to those they talk about. Maybe it's for the best. Not knowing.

She walks further and further into the shelves, they're infinite. Her own breathing and the slight click of her heels on the floor are the only sound inside the place since she can't hear Draco anymore. She stops in front of a few orbs, her mind registering the date, they're all close to 1991, around the 90's, so she gives the shelf more attention. Her eyes travel the orbs with interest and she can't tell how long she stays there reading each and every tag.

She clears her throat, suddenly a little uncomfortable and her hand goes to her chest, just above her heart, massaging the scar. An uneasiness takes over her and she looks around the place, raising her wand. A chills runs down her spine and the hairs in her arms raise at once. She purses her lips, she can tell someone is watching her, she's not alone.

"Draco?" She calls and her voice travels the place, echoing through the shelves.

Then it hits her. Harry. He opens up to her on his end of the connection and she feels her scar burning. Her hand presses against it, trying to send the pain away.

"Hi, Hermione."

She can tell he's close, but she has no idea how he got inside or even what he's doing there. She holds herself not to cry just by hearing his voice, she does her best not to react.

"What are you up to?"

His words are inside her mind but she can hear the disdain in them. She feels weak on her knees, one hand holding the wand and the other using the shelf as support. His presence on their connection is overwhelming and hurtful. Her scar is burning.

She takes a deep breath and starts walking back from where she came, slowly. She won't open herself to their connection, but she can tell that he's keeping his magic and emotions at bay, not revealing everything he thinks, but it's unmistakable how much he wants her to know how he sees her now. Like a manipulative liar, like a traitor, like a farce. Like the most despicable person in the world.

"Where are you going? Back to Malfoy?" She hears him laughing and she stops.

He's watching her from somewhere. She raises her wand and tries to, as fast as she can, perform a Revelio, but he's faster. Hermione feels his hand taking hers, lowering her wand. She feels his breathe on her face, his presence in front of her. Then he practically purrs into her ear.

"Na, na. Don't be naughty."

She purses her lips and closes her eyes, her heart is pounding against her chest and her scar is probably bleeding from how much it's hurting, but his voice gives her an electric jolt of pleasure, I must be crazy. She can't see him, only feel, and right now she's at his mercy, so she waits for his next move, her mind racing and her magic frantic.

His hand forces her to give him her wand. It's electric the way his fingers go through hers.

"What do you want, Harry?"

She wanted to talk to him, she wanted him to come to her, but not like this. She feels exposed, weak, unprepared. He doesn't answer but she knows he's still there, right in front of her. Then, both his hands are holding hers, and a light pressure against her ear makes her set her jaw. He's nibling on her lobe, his tongue helping him as he kisses behind her ear, her neck. She bites her lower lip. And then his lips gently press against her cheek and she anticipates the moment he's going to kiss her, but there's nothing, just a sudden coldness from his absence. Her wand hits the floor in front of her and she hears him laughing.

"Not you, for sure." He says and she jolts into reality, grabbing her wand and calling to Draco.

"Draco, Harry's here! He's under the cloak!"

She runs as fast as she can in her heels, her skin still burning up from their encounter, her magic all over the place because of the way his magic is behaving inside their connection. Far from her, she hears shelves crumbling down, the shattering of the orbs echoing inside the room.

"Hermione!" Draco is near. She takes a turn and they meet, holding onto each other. "Come on!" They try searching the way out, but Hermione stops him.

"He's destroying all prophecies. We need to stop him!"

Draco raises his wand and both try to understand exactly where Harry is, but shelves keep crashing down.

"Harry! Stop this!"

Draco steers her to the central entrance of the room where's there's a little oval space before the shelves. Giving her back to Draco, she watches as more orbs dissolve into nothing, she watches as Harry destroys what's probably their only chance. She needs to do something. "Harry, maybe the bottom half is here! It's our only chance!"

But there's no answer from him. Hermione closes her eyes and concentrates, she's not sure she can perform any spell right now, Harry's tainted magic is throwing her off. "Draco, try an Arresto Momentum." But just as she says it, Draco falls on the floor, a spell hitting him hard. She turns around and stops breathing.

Harry's there, sneering at her. And he looks different. So different. His hair is the shortest she's ever seen, military, totally exposing his scar that's bleeding a little. And the beard is gone. But these physical changes are nothing compared to the way his eyes are cold and mean. He raises his chin. "He'll wake in a few hours."

On the background orbs keep shattering. "What are you doing, Harry?"

"What I should have done a long time ago." He walks a little closer to her, Draco lying on the floor separating them. "You know… I've been watching you all day." He shakes his head, "And you didn't even notice…" He squints at her. "I came here to fetch my cloak and thought I should stay a little, you know? Get the feel of things. So, when you asked Malfoy about the prophecies, I already knew what you were going to do."

She closes her eyes briefly. "It's really here, isn't it?"

"Yes. But don't worry, you don't need it, Hermione. There's no danger for us. I don't love you anymore." His tone is monotonous, his eyes never leaving hers. And his words sound truthful, cutting her deep.

"Do you know what it says?" She asks.

"I don't. And I have no interest in knowing."

She crosses her arms in front of her, not believing what's happening. "Marga is lying to you-"

"Don't you dare!" He raises his voice, pointing a finger at her. "She's the only one that still gives a fuck about me!"

"SHE'S USING YOU!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO USED ME!"

His anger explodes on the connection and Hermione feels weak, drained. Then, a spell hits her and she finds herself unable to move, recognizing the same incantation Harry used on Athena once. He's shaking his head, pressing his hands against his temple.

He finally closes off on their connection, fetching his cloak from the floor and turning to face her one last time. She doesn't recognize him. At all. "You'll be able to move as soon as all orbs are destroyed."

And he disappears.

It takes hours. Draco at her feet, the orbs dissolving in front of her. For hours. Unable to move, unable to even close her eyes, she watches as tragedy unfolds. She watches as her chance to overcome this prophecy disappears, as the bottom half which could give them a way to destroy Marga is gone. She watches as the Harry she knew turns into dust with those orbs, she cries without realizing it as she sees their future gone, as she sees his love for her buried with the man he was.

It takes her those long hours to come to terms with the reality she's facing. Her Harry would never do something like this, would never treat her the way he did, would never strike down his best friend. Her mind and heart fight a slow battle as each orb crashes down. Her heart just can't accept he's changed, but her mind tells her the sooner she understands the situation, the better she can deal with it. Her heart remembers each kiss, each touch, each loving word and each time he looked at her with love and admiration. Her mind keeps showing her their connection and his hatred, keeps showing her his dead cold eyes. The total absence of love.

The bleeding scar above her heart represents exactly how she feels: raw inside, like a fresh wound which he poked and hurt, which bled and will keep bleeding as long as he's gone. Because he is. Gone. But not lost. She knows he's still there somewhere, the caring and warm Harry, the protector, the man that risked everything to keep her safe, the man that would do anything to be with her, to be with their family. She knows he's there. He has to. She once had to watch as a Hocrux messed with his mind, she was there when Voldemort tried to corrupt him, she knows Harry, all of him, and she never gave up on him. The same way I won't now. I will bring him back to me.

But she needs to be smart. She's been fooled for too long. Marga played with her, manipulated her, tricked her. She did all of this with patience and planning… she fulfilled the prophecy. Marga consumed their lives and tore them apart. Hermione now is sure there's no such thing as Agents and Believers, they're both things Marga created, entities to confuse them, to take their minds off the real threat. Her. Now that Hermione knows the truth it's easy to see how Marga managed things.

And now she has Harry on her side. Harry, who destroyed the only thing that could tell them how to end Marga. Harry, who came to the Ministry to fetch his cloak - which was under their custody after he was taken to Azkaban - and now is probably the Master of Death again. Hermione saw him with the stone, he already possessed the cloak, what about the Elder Wand? It's frightening to imagine him with all the Hallows in the state of mind he is. It's alarming to imagine him believing in every word Marga says, obeying her and doing as she wishes.

Yes… he trusts her now, only her. Hermione feels her thoughts crashing onto each other, a million things going through her mind. Their encounter repeating itself before her eyes. Why he teased me like that? She can't help concluding he still feels something for her… yes, he hates me now. But she can't ignore how gently he touched her, how his fingers took her wand, how his lips softly pressed against her cheek. How his own breathing was uneven. He said he watched her all day… what he wanted doing that? And he didn't hurt her… well, not physically at least. He didn't hurt Draco either. He seemed in control of his actions, totally comfortable with the situation, not worrying about her hurting him. She wouldn't do it anyway, but his magic interfered with hers. Did he know that? Did he open his end of their connection on purpose? To throw her off? Maybe. She ponders on that. Could my magic mess with his? She didn't want to open up to him because there were things she didn't want him to know… He can't know I'm pregnant. Not now. She doesn't know what an information like that would do to him, would he even believe her?

The only moment he lost it was when she mentioned Marga. Hermione wonders why Marga fled, why she left the island. She doesn't know I got my memory back. And that's an advantage she wants to keep. So, I can't tell Harry she's the Wicked One, he won't believe me and he'll probably tell her. Hermione needs to play dumb, it's her turn to really manipulate things a little. Maybe I need to be the person Harry believes I am.

She's sure he'll come to her again. He'll want to see Lily and Laura and there's no way of him doing that without going through her. And not just that, even if the charges against him were dropped, many Aurors and a large chunk of the wizarding population still want his head, and Hermione as Minister holds a lot of power on this, on his future in the community and as Auror. He expects me to cry… he expects me to be miserable, that's what he wants.

As she watches the last orb crash in front of her, she realizes she lost a little of herself with all those prophecies and futures never imagined, she realizes she's not the same anymore, she realizes she needs to be stronger than ever if she wants to get through this, she understands she needs to be a whole different person if she wants Harry back. She blinks and exhales deeply, her eyes wet from all her tears. She moves her arms and legs and squats a little to check on Draco. I'm done with the crying, I'm done being a pawn on this, I want to be the Queen.

She touches his arm and shoves him a little, Draco mumbles something, opening his eyes. His Auror reflexes kick him to his feet and Hermione watches as he understands. There's only them, tipped shelves and dust inside the room. It's bigger than anyone could've imagined. Draco shakes his head, terror in his eyes but Hermione just purses her lips and turns to leave.

She can't stay another minute inside.

Malfoy Mansion

"Bloody hell." Ron whispers.

Ginny comes to Hermione's side, embracing her, trying to show some kind of support. They just told them what happened and aside from Ron's comment there's total silence between them. Hermione has no strength or will to discuss things right now, so, she gets up from the couch, her mind set.

"I need to go home."

"It's dangerous." Draco says sharply.

"I don't care." Her voice is monotonous. "I can't live with you forever."

"Hermione," Ginny says, "what if Harry-"

"He won't hurt me." She murmurs. "If I'm not mistaken, he won't hurt any of us."

"How can you be so sure?" Ron asks.

"I had a lot of time to think… Harry doesn't want to be a fugitive, or some dark lord. He's driven by personal affairs and he hates me now." She scoffs. "He loves the girls, of that I'm more than sure, and if he behaves outside the law he won't be able to be near them…" Shaking her head she goes on, "I don't think he's a threat, at least for now," She takes her cloak. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going home. Alone."

No one tries to stop her and she's thankful for that, she's had enough of the annoying babysitting. She turns at them one last time.

"I want to talk to you tomorrow, we need to discuss Marga and the Hallows. I don't know why they're important, but we can't let them have all three. I'm not sure if Harry has the Elder Wand yet and if he doesn't, he's going after it."

They nod and she bids them goodbye.

Animus Mansion

She steps inside and goes directly to her room, wanting to lie down, to rest. Her body is drained. She was held in the same position for at least one hour and a half. She doesn't think about Harry, she doesn't think about all the problems she has in front of her. Her only concern is how many hours she's getting of sleep. She doesn't eat, she doesn't change clothes. She falls on the bed and sleeps.

It's peaceful and comforting to be in his arms. There's no place she'd rather be and she smiles to herself as she watches the Great Lake, the sun is shining bright above, giving the chilly day a little warmth. They're back at Hogwarts and on the horizon she can see Dumbledore's White Tomb. He has his back against their favorite tree, her back to his chest, his legs spread open to accommodate her. He gently kisses her cheek.

"I miss you, Harry." She says.

"But I'm here, love." He kisses her again.

"No, you're not." She feels sad.

He embraces her tighter. Both their hands resting against her belly. She turns her head to look at him and is met by cold eyes. The air changes around them and the sun is gone, the lake is frozen. She gets away from him. "No, not you."

"What's the matter, Hermione? It's me, Harry."

"NO! NO!"

"NO!" She jolts awake, sweating, her heart racing. She looks at the clock, she probably slept only three hours, so she tries drifting back to sleep, but Harry's cold eyes keep haunting her.

If she can't sleep, there's only one thing she thinks about doing. Transforming into Athena she takes flight, her destiny the place of rest of an old Headmaster.