The next day

Animus Mansion

To call it a headache is wrong. The pain is just absurd. And I didn't even drink. She drags herself through the empty house, her feet disobeying her commands. She grunts, the day light annoying her. She feels nauseated, her whole body aching… maybe I got a cold after all. She grabs a cup of hot tea and heads to her favorite living area of the house. She ignites the fireplace and sits in front of it, mesmerized by the fire. I should brew a healing potion, or I should go to St. Mungo's. She drinks the tea and it tastes just awful.

Hermione sighs. She has a gut feeling that after yesterday everything will seem awful to her. She tried denying it, she tried convincing herself that she could bring him back, she refused Draco's words when he told her things might be over. Then, after her conversation with Harry at her kitchen she was finally letting it go, she was coming to terms with their end. And then…

…then they were trapped inside that wine cellar and she was stupid enough to believe things could change. Just to have all her hopes squashed down by him with a few words.

It's over. Really over.

Maybe that's why she feels sick.

Her head hurts so much she's not even sure she's capable of apparating to the Hospital. She looks around and things are spinning wildly and an urge to throw up invades her. She closes her eyes, sweating and trembling. If it weren't for her pregnancy she wouldn't bother going to St. Mungo's - she's had enough of that place - but she can't risk getting any worse, so she forces herself up, intending to send an owl to one of her adoring friends that trapped her with Harry yesterday, but as soon as she takes a step she falls down, everything black around her.

St. Mungo's

When she opens her eyes next, the intoxicating blue of his are the first thing she sees. She blinks, afraid she might be dead and looking at an angel. But he's still there, his blond hair like a hallow above his head and his smile as bright as the sun.

"Minister Granger," He says, "Can you hear me? How you feeling?" His voice soothes her. Hermione coughs a little, her throat dry. "Yes, have some water." The man - or angel - extends his hand to her and she takes it, a tingle taking over her as he effortlessly helps her sit, a glass of water on his other hand. She drinks it, unsure. He's by her side, smiling, his arms crossed now. She notices his name on his healer's coat: Healer Lovegood. Hermione widens her eyes and the man actually chuckles. "I'm related to Luna, yes." He says before she even asks.

"I just," She gets her words out, "I didn't know she had any other relatives-"

"We're distant cousins." He shrugs, "I used to live in France. I just got here, a week ago." He says. "I've heard a lot about you."

Hermione raises an eyebrow. "You have?"

"Of course, you're a war hero, Minister of Magic and... Luna talks about you often."

"Good things, I hope." She jokes.

"The best." He's not joking and his eyes are piercing hers. Suddenly she feels a little hot. But before she says anything else, the door opens and Ginny and Draco walk inside.

"Hermione! We're so relieved you're okay!" Ginny says, hugging her. She then turns to Healer Lovegood. "Is the baby okay?"

The man nods, "Minister Granger and her baby are fine. She was just a little dehydrated and tired. But she was lucky you found her so soon, that way she'll be able to recover more quickly." He nods at Hermione, "I have to go, but if you need me," He takes out a little card and gives it to her, "you can reach me easily through an owl or a Patronus." He nods to Ginny and Draco and finally leaves the room. Hermione's eyes follow him even after he goes past the door.

"Hermione?" Draco calls to her, his hands waving in front of her. Ginny is smiling like the cat that ate the canary and Hermione turns her head to him. "Are you done drooling over him? Can we go? Do you feel good enough to apparate back to your house?"

"I wasn't drooling!" She retorts.

Draco rolls his eyes. "You were, Ginny did the same when we first got here."

"Oh, love, don't be jealous." She turns to Hermione, "Luna's hot cousin is a quarter-Veela."

Hermione opens her mouth, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"He told us because he didn't want me to be jealous of Ginny's flirting." Draco says, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry, Draco, I couldn't resist the impulse." Ginny smiles, obviously having fun.

"I didn't know there were living men with Veela blood." Hermione is shocked.

"Well, okay, enough of this, you two. I'm way better looking." Draco says intending to shrug off their fascination, "Let's go. We have a lot to talk about."

Hermione finally comes back to reality. "Indeed we have. I shouldn't even look at you right now."

"We just saved you, Hermione. Spare our lives, please." Ginny says and they can't help laughing a little before apparating away.

Animus Mansion

"So, yes, that's it." She finishes telling Draco, Ginny, Ron and Luna everything that happened yesterday after they trapped them inside the wine cellar. Of course she leaves out some details, but they understand her message loud and clear. It's over. "And I'm still very mad at you for pulling that off."

"It's my fault." Luna says and they start arguing that it isn't and she raises her hand, "No, it is! I'm sorry, Hermione, the girls came to me and asked for my help. I should have said no, but I didn't and-"

"Luna, don't worry, really. Yes, I'm mad, yes, I'm heartbroken, but you know something? At the end of the day I think we needed that… closure. I think we needed those hours without an easy way out. I won't thank you because in my opinion you gave the girls false hopes and you shouldn't have! All of you! You know how things are between us," She shakes her head, "but at least I think they got it out of their system, and please, can we all move on from this? Move on from the 'Harry and Hermione saga'?"

She waits for their answers, they have the decency of looking ashamed, the same way Laura and Lily did. Finally they all apologize and agree to move on. Hermione makes them promise they won't interfere again when it comes to her personal life.

"Okay, now that this is out of the way," She continues, "Jack paid me a visit yesterday."

"What?" Draco exclaims, getting up outraged. "Why isn't he in custody, Hermione?" He's very angry. As he should. She still doubts her decision on letting Jack go so easily, but she says:

"Because I think he might be useful. I think he might be turning against Marga and if he gives me valuable information I'll let him off the hook."

"Ah, come on!" Ginny exclaims, "I can't believe you're falling for that guy's bullshit again! He probably planned this with his dear mother!"

"Maybe, but I'm not giving him anything, he knows this is a one sided thing. The only thing he wants is a clean name and besides, even if he's lying, even if he's working on a plan, we need to be smart, I can't rule him out without being certain. What if he really helps us?"

Ginny rolls her eyes and Ron sighs, saying, "I wouldn't count on that, Hermione, but I guess you have to try everything… just be careful." Hermione nods.

"Hermione, are you sure you don't want a personal Auror?" Draco asks.

"I am. I can take care of myself, I promise." She smiles, "Besides, why would I need a personal Auror if I have all the four of you? I mean, you keep tabs on me constantly and I love you for that." She's feeling emotional, "If it weren't for your constant nagging I think I might be dead by now." They share a laugh and she thinks of Harry, she thinks that he should be there with them.

"Are you saying something to the girls tomorrow?" Ron asks.

"No, I want them to stay away from all of this. Even if they can tell that Harry's not himself I don't want them to worry. They're just kids." She shakes her head. "We know, more than anyone else, how it was to grow up with constant fear and worrying, I want to keep them away from that for as long as I can." Ron agrees with her.

"Well, is there something else we need to talk about?" Draco asks swaying in place, looking restless.

"What's going on?" Hermione asks, looking at him.

"There's a Quidditch game Draco and Ron want to go." Ginny says, "And you know what? You should just go and enjoy yourselves, you deserve it." Draco narrows his eyes at her.

"What are you planning, devilish woman?" He asks in a low voice as she gives him a goodbye kiss.

"Oh, nothing, but I think we, girls, would enjoy some girl talk without you two complaining on our ears, right?"

Hermione and Luna agree. Hermione has an idea of what Ginny wants to talk about and she can't deny she herself is curious about the subject too. So, as soon as Ron and Draco apparate, Ginny turns to Luna and says, "Okay, tell us everything about that cousin of yours."

Luna laughs. "Merlin, what can I say? Well, he went to Durmstrang, and after completing his studies he became a Healer and moved to Paris. He was there until a week ago when St. Mungo's offered him a better position here, so he came, he's actually staying at my old place, I mean, I'm at Hogwarts most of the time and when I'm not there I'm with Ron." She shrugs.

"Is he single? And what's his actual name?" Ginny asks.

"You're married, you know that, right?" Hermione teases her.

"Oh, please. A girl can dream." They laugh out loud.

"His name is Killian and yes, he's single, I think he had like… three serious girlfriends, but none worked out in the end. He told me that he actually just moved here because he had no one holding him back in Paris."

"How old is he?" Hermione asks, not that she's interested, no, it's just that he looked so young and-

"He's 36."

"He said you talked about me."

Luna smiles, "I did. I mean, it wasn't intentional or anything. Killian is an expert in Runes and he was talking about a few texts he was translating and I kinda of mentioned that you loved it too-"

"Wait," Hermione raises a hand. "He's an expert in Runes?"

Luna opens her mouth, suddenly realizing what Hermione is saying. "Of course. Yes! If you asked he would love to help you translate those parchments I gave you!"

Hermione shakes her head. "I don't know…" Does she even want to translate them still? What for?

"Well, I mean, you don't have to, but it's nice to know that he could help you, right?" Ginny tries.

"Yes, I guess."

"He would be more than thrilled," Luna smiles mischievously, "he finds you beautiful."

Against all odds, Hermione actually blushes and Ginny howls. They tease each other and resume their talk about other things. Hermione is thankful they don't ask about Harry. It's the calmest afternoon and night she's spent in a long while.

She knows she's dreaming. Harry is there, looking at her with loving eyes and a smile, his arms open. She doesn't think twice. Hermione runs to him and holds him tight, her arms around his neck. He holds her as tightly as possible too, breathing heavily and kissing her neck, saying words of how much he misses her, uttering words of love and reassuring her that things will be fine.

"I'm sorry about what I said."

It's the last thing he says before the dream turns into dust.

Two weeks later - late April - Saturday

Diagon Alley

She walks as naturally as she manages, her black cloak trying to hide her a little, but she knows people are staring. She's Minister after all. However, she doesn't mind, she's enjoying her walk as she eats a few candies she bought and not just that, this whole week she slept amazingly, so, rested and with a bag of sweets, there's nothing capable of ruining her good mood. She stops in front of Ollivanders, her eyes going through the infinitude of wands waiting for an eleven year old to connect with one of them. Magic is just crazy if you think about it. She thinks about her own wand - the one she got when she was eleven - that is now gathering dust inside her closet. Since she snatched the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's tomb, she hasn't lost track of it even for a second. She can feel the wand heavy on her holster. Powerful.

A man stops by her side, watching the shop too. They don't speak for a while and then he says, "So, tell me, do you think all is fair in love and war?" Hermione snorts.

"It depends." She answers. They don't look at each other, but she knows from the reflection of the window that he's smiling. She doesn't recognize the face he's using, a charm covering his true self. "Do you have anything to tell me?" She lowers her voice.

"Yes," The man opens a copy of the Prophet, and as it's praxis now, there's an article about Harry and Cho and their powerful circle of friends, most of them old traditional families. The man pretends to be searching something, but he says to her, "I expect you to value my information because M almost cut my head off after he told her I met with you. I had to come up with all kinds of elaborated lies."

She crosses her arms, "Okay, go on."

"M did something to him. She was pissed after C told her you were trapped for hours, alone. I think her control over him was weaker when you were hidden under the cellar's spell."

Before he can go on, a couple with two kids stop near them, watching the shop too. Hermione clears her throat and walks away. The man stays put. She enters Flourish and Blotts, lowering her head and, avoiding meeting other people, she goes upstairs. Her hands travel the books on the shelves with satisfaction and she finally picks one up and opens it, reading a little. It talks about the wild life of shore creatures that are able to provide healing properties depending on the season of the year. Interesting.

The man stops near her, his back to her, his eyes and hands on the books. "I don't know exactly what she did, but I think she's controlling him even more now."

"How is that even possible? Isn't he strong enough to resist her?" They talk in hushed tones.

"First of all I don't think he wants to resist. And second, the training she gave him was her way of controlling him. I thought you had figured that out by now." Someone is walking near them and the man stops talking. He waits for the person to go away and continues, "Think about it, she guided his thoughts and abilities for months, telling him what to do and how to do it. She knows his mind from the inside out. He's strong when she wants him to be."

Hermione puts the book back on the shelf, making sense of what he just told her. It doesn't seem like a lie. "Do you know why she wants those three things?"

"No, but I'll keep trying to discover." She's about to go when he says, "Why he thinks I'm the father?"

"You're not." Is the only thing she says before walking away from him and exiting the shop.

It's refreshing to enter the Weasley & Weasley Joke Shop. Everything is bright and cheerful and people are generally laughing inside the place. Ron notices her immediately and waves his hand. She walks to him, a smile on her face as they hug.

"How you've been?" He asks. "You look good!"

It's been only three days since they last saw each other and she was already missing him, the pregnancy leaving her a little - a lot - more emotional. "I'm actually really good." It's true. After what happened at the wine cellar and her sudden fainting on the next day, she realized she needed to take better care of herself. And not thinking of Harry constantly helps her get through her day and responsibilities. She likes to think she found a way to let him go, which at the back of her mind she knows is impossible. But he didn't try to talk to her in two weeks, he didn't open up to her in their connection again, not even for a second. Their magic is there, dormant and together. She keeps feeling his spells, and in a way it brings her comfort, at least she knows he's alive, she knows he's there even if he's so far away from her. And she worries about him, of course she does. But there's only so much she can take.

However, she knows for sure she will worry about what Jack told her, about Marga controlling him. But not now.

"Good. I'm glad, Hermione." He smiles and takes her hand, guiding her to the back, to the storage/office part of the shop. It's quieter and more private. They sit in front of each other at the big reunion table, a lot of projects occupying most of the space, and Ron conjures up cups of tea for them. "How's the pregnancy?"

She rubs her still very discreet belly, "It's fine. You know I don't get sick, I just sleep and eat like there's no tomorrow and no consequences."

Ron laughs, "Yeah, I know! Maybe I'm pregnant too!"

They laugh and talk about trivialities as they wait for Draco, Ginny and Luna. They've been meeting outside their houses more. Draco was afraid someone might be observing them or hearing their conversations, especially at Hermione's. That was another reason why Jack came up with the idea of meeting her out in the open, he said it's less suspicious since people would never imagine she's talking with a criminal in the middle of Diagon Alley… he's right in a way. And she didn't want to take the risk of someone seeing him entering her house.

They decided to meet every week like this, and only at these meetings they talk about Marga, about Harry, Cho and the situation they're in. Otherwise they've been ignoring their existence completely and if Hermione had to guess, she's sure it bothers them. Marga wants to be important, she likes the attention, and Cho finally got what she always wanted, Harry and the Manor, simplifying it: his love and his properties. And I'm sure she wants his name too. But no one is looking at Cho twice, and Hermione would bet this indifference drives her crazy. When it comes to Harry, Hermione has no idea what he's feeling, this is a Harry she doesn't recognize at all.

Draco and Ginny finally arrive, their hands full of bags and a smile plastered on Ginny's face as Draco has a frown on his. "If we keep meeting like this for too long, I'm not sure we'll be able to provide for our children." He says. "Ginevra has no control over herself."

"It was your idea, love." She says, settling down by Hermione's side and giving her a half hug.

Luna arrives a few minutes later, apologizing for her tardiness and Draco takes out his wand, protecting the room.

"So, let's begin," He says, "Thanks to the Prophet's relentless coverage on Harry and Cho's every step, I was able to retrieve a photograph of that old witch who was at Lily and Laura's birthday. I took it to my mother and, after complaining again that she wants to see her grandchildren, she gave me a name." Draco raises the photograph he cut out from the journal. It's one of Harry and Cho posing for the camera inside the Manor, but the old witch is behind them, talking to another very old man. "She's Ava VanTanden. Narcissa kindly confirmed she was indeed a death eater, a snotty pureblood who preferred to participate in the background. She used to donate millions of galleons to the Dark Lord's 'noble' cause. I think that's mostly why no one rattled her out when the war ended, she's obscenely rich and can make your life miserable in a way that going to Azkaban is the least of your problems."

"It's just unbelievable." Ginny mutters.

"I have no idea what kind of connection Harry has with her, but now that we know her name I can dig further."

"Be careful, Draco." Hermione says, her eyes glued on the photograph. "It all comes down to Marga." She whispers. "I just met with Jack, and he said Marga's control over Harry is stronger now. I can't see a connection between him and this Ava, neither between Chang and her… but what about a connection with Marga?" Hermione sighs. "We don't know who Marga really is…"

"We don't. We have no idea." Luna says, her words echoing in the room.

"Well, it's just so bloody frustrating, isn't it?" Ron says. "We know they're up to something, but we have no idea what and we still don't know why Marga wants the Hallows. Or revenge."

"I've been thinking about that," Hermione says, "if you're Master of Death… you can control death, right?"

They shrug, Luna is the only one to answer. "Information on the Hallows are scarce… for so long they were considered a myth and nothing more, but my father always believed in them, so from what I know, from what I've heard my entire life, possessing all three Hallows at the same time gives you the ability to choose who dies and who lives. But I'm not sure about it, I mean, it's just too much power for someone to hold."

"Okay, but if Marga wants to kill people, why doesn't she?"

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Draco asks.

"Why going after the Hallows? It doesn't make any sense. She's powerful enough to kill most wizards and witches who cross her path-"

"But she can't do it simultaneously." Ginny says. "Merlin, she wants to mass murder everyone."

"Not everyone." Hermione says, her eyes falling down.

"Muggle borns." Ron completes for her.

"She wants to finish what Voldemort started." Hermione says.

"Wait, wait," Draco raises his hands, "We don't know that for sure, we can't jump to conclusions like this. We're not even sure if the Hallows can do that."

"Draco," Hermione looks at him, her eyes bright, "why else would Harry throw these parties for traditional blood families at his house? Why else-" She stops talking, choking a little, "I can't, I'm sorry."

"Hermione," Ginny takes her hand, "maybe he doesn't know. Marga must be fooling him again, I'm sure he wouldn't do that to you, do that to all muggle borns-"

"Are you, Ginny? Sure?" She's just so frustrated.

They all fall silent. The implications of their words heaving on them. Hermione feels nauseated. An annoying and selfish thought going through her mind, I wish I'd died that day. She sighs and shakes her head trying to get rid of this ominous feeling. She has no idea of what this new version of Harry is capable of doing, she's not even sure he's controlling his own actions at this point and that frightens her more than anything.

Draco inhales deeply. "We can't give up. We won't." His eyes and voice are firm, it's the Head Auror talking now. "Hermione has the Elder Wand and Harry can't hurt her."

"Yeah, but Marga can, Cho can." Hermione says, rubbing her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. "I'm actually surprised they haven't tried yet."

"What if," Luna begins, "they don't know you have it?"

They all frown, considering. "If," Hermione begins, unsure, "that's the case then Harry hadn't told them." The thought gives her a glimmer of hope.

"It can be," Draco says, "but I don't think we should sit and wait for them to strike."

"What are you suggesting?" Ginny asks.

"Harry has the stone and the cloak." He states, "What if we take one of them?"

"Are you saying we should steal Harry's cloak?" Ron asks, his eyes wide.

"I am. Think about it, they're at an advantage here. They have two Hallows and we have only one. If we get another one maybe we can stall them."

"And how do we do that?" Luna asks.

"We get an invitation to one of his parties." Hermione says. "I think I know exactly where he keeps the cloak and the stone."

"I think I know how we can get an invitation." Luna says, raising an eyebrow and looking at Ron, "well we were going to wait till after this little meeting, but," She reaches for something in her bag, "I just got it from the MagiCalligraphist." She extends an invitation to Hermione and one to Ginny and Draco, "It's our wedding invitation! We finally decided on a date."

Hermione gently runs her finger on the thick paper, the words bold written in blue. A few silver flowers are engraved at the borders, giving it a delicate touch. It's a beautiful invitation, "June, 21st." Hermione says, "It's close." She smiles at them, their faces glowing and their smiles wide. Ron is actually blushing and she feels an immense love towards her best friend. "But where is this place?" She asks, not recognizing the name of the venue they chose.

"Mum is going to freak out…" Ginny whispers. Molly has been harassing them to have the wedding at the Burrow, but Ron was against it.

"You'll love the place, it's a secluded wedding venue for wizards and witches only." Luna says.

"And we thought about gathering everyone at the house there for the whole day before the wedding and after." Ron says.

"Own, I'm so happy for you." Ginny smiles at them.

"Okay, but, how is this going to help us to get an invitation to one of Harry's parties?" Draco steers them back to the subject.

"Oh, right," Luna says, "We're going to invite him and Cho, so, maybe, the gesture could touch his heart a little? I don't know… show him we're open to being friends with him? We don't really know what he's thinking."

Hermione shakes her head a little. "It's a long shot. If it doesn't work I already know what to do, but I think we can discuss it later." She gets up fetching her bag of candies and saying goodbye to them, she wants to go home to lie down and maybe read a little. Luna goes with her, anxious to buy some new books on Divination she heard arrived at Flourish and Blotts.

Hermione walks with Luna, her mind a million miles away from her surroundings. She promised herself she wouldn't think about Harry outside these meetings, but to imagine him conspiring and helping such a plan that would kill her and thousands others is something which hurts deep. But she can't believe it, she won't. He wouldn't do that, right?

It takes her a few steps to realize Luna stopped walking and is talking to… her cousin.

"Oh, Hermione, come here." Luna calls and she goes, already drawn to the gorgeous man, her face hot.

She stops in front of him, Merlin, he's tall. "Healer Lovegood, it's nice to see you again." And then he smiles. It should be a crime to be this good-looking. She tries shaking these thoughts, but not really blaming herself, it's the Veela blood.

"Please, Minister, call me Killian." Hermione stops herself from biting on her lower lip and nods at him.

"Call me Hermione, then."

"Gladly, Hermione."

She actually purses her lips at the way he says her name, an innuendo behind it. She clears her throat, but she doesn't know what to say.

"Can you imagine it's the first time I come here? After almost a month in London!" Only now Hermione realizes Luna vanished. "Walk with me?" He asks and she nods, unable to deny his request. Her worries and wishes to get some sleep already forgotten. "Tell me, what's your favorite place here?"

"Well, Flourish and Blotts and the Weasleys' shop, of course."

"Aaaah, a big reader, I gather." He says gently, "I only read for research, you know? I don't find it a particularly pleasurable experience." He scrunches his nose and she chuckles.

"You should give it a shot… I mean, there are a lot of amazing books out there. Especially muggle ones. Literature is fascinating."

"Yeah? What's your favorite book?"

She thinks a little, "I never find an answer for this question." She says to him, "It seems cruel to choose only one."

He smiles, "Fair enough."

They keep walking in silence, Killian is observing the shops, his eyes scanning everything while every witch on Diagon Alley is observing him instead. "You know, I developed a muggle habit that I enjoy more than anything this place can offer me." He looks at her in a conspiratorial way, "Do you like going to the movies?" He asks and she actually smiles.

"I love it." She says.

"Oh, really, Hermione?" Her legs turn to jelly, "If I invited you to go with me, would you?" Smooth.

She considers his offer, and as she should have guessed, Harry's face comes to her mind. I wonder if he even remembers my existence when he's with Cho. She smiles at Killian. "I would." She says and he cheers playfully, punching the air.

"So, let's go."

"Right- right now?"

"Unless you have other things to do."

Does she? No. "Okay, let's go."

He extends his hand to her, "I don't know a good place here yet, so, take me there." Merlin, does he choose this kind of phrasing on purpose? She takes his hand and marvels at the roughness of it, surprised that they fit nicely together. Without giving much thought she apparates them away to a alley in front of a movie theater she loves. Wandlessly she changes her cloak into a common overcoat.

Killian doesn't let go of her hand and they cross the street calmly. "Are you sharing those candies or are they a craving? Because, hey, I totally understand if you feel protective towards them." She chuckles, her other hand holding her bag.

"I guess I can open an exception for you."

He squeezes her hand a little and she loses her breath, anxious for the moment they'll sit in the dark to watch the movie.

However, he's so respectful she's not sure she's relieved or… angry. She feels conflicted. He's obviously flirting with her, and she's not blind, the man is a Greek God. But he's not being totally honest, right? He should tell her of his Veela blood, because it makes a difference when it comes to attraction, it's something that he shouldn't hide. And… Harry. Every time her eyes met Killian's blue ones she wished they were green and he was someone else, but she tried pushing away these thoughts, she needs to move on. But it's a little hard when she felt Harry apparating incessantly throughout the day, her mind wondering what he must be doing.

When the movie is over, it's already dark and she's indeed tired. "Can I take you home?" He asks. She tilts her head.

"Do you even know where I live?"

He also tilts his head, "Well, can you apparate us to your doorstep so I can say a proper goodbye?"

She narrows her eyes, but takes his hand and in a blink they're standing at her doorstep. "I had a great time." She says, pulling her hand from his, but he stops her. His face inching closer to hers.

"Hermione," She gulps. "I really want to kiss you." His eyes never leaving hers, he inches even closer, a nose separating them, "And because of that I have to be honest with you, I'm a quarter-Veela and-"

In an irresistible impulse she shuts him with her lips. It's a little awkward at first, their mouths strange to each other, but after a few heartbeats they come to an understanding. He embraces her by the waist, pulling her a little closer and she is pressed against him, her arms in front of her chest and between them. She fists his shirt and he intensifies the kiss, his tongue exploring her, thrilling her. One of his hands goes to her cheek, sliding to her hair and she finally changes her position, one of her hands holding onto his neck, the other on his strong back.

She feels… odd. Yes, he's handsome and an excellent kisser, but-

Harry.

She abruptly takes a step back from him. "I-"

"Is something wrong?" He asks, his hands reaching for her and she closes her eyes, "Hey," He hugs her. "It's okay. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry." She says.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He kisses her forehead. "Can I maybe take you out some other time?" He wiggles his eyebrows, trying to make her laugh… and he succeeds.

"Most definitely." She answers and kisses his cheek. "Goodnight, Killian."

They're at his bed, lying down and looking into each other's eyes, a silent conversation happening between them as they rub their feet together. Hermione smiles, it's been a while since she felt so good, complete and just… happy. Harry kisses her, a smile on his face too, both trying to be as close as possible to the other.

"I wish this was real." She says in a low voice, her eyes lost in his.

"It is, love." He says gently.

She shakes her head, she's not sure how she's aware this is a dream because in a way he's right, it feels real. But it can't…

"It isn't." She lowers her eyes, remembering why this is just inside her head. "You don't look at me like that anymore. You don't love me like this anymore. Our connection doesn't feel this good anymore, Harry." She's crying now, sad. "I tried, but I don't know what to do, I don't know how to bring you back to me."

"You don't have to, Hermione. I never left you, I'm with you. Even now. I love you with all my heart. Be strong, love."

She closes her eyes at his words, angry and heartbroken, lost. She knows he's saying these things because this is her dream, but she never wished more than anything to be wrong.

Monday

Ministry of Magic - Hermione's office

"Are you sure?" Draco asks.

"Yes, I've postponed it for far too long."

"You know I won't let you go alone."

She nods at his words, she was expecting them.

"I can't go with you right now, so, just give me a minute to find Auror Bolster." He exits her office and she reads the petition in front of her.

After a while her door swings open and she doesn't look up, she just asks, "Have you found him?" There's no answer and she finally lifts her eyes.

Harry is standing there. His arms crossed in front of him, his eyes cold. It's the first time they're in front of each other after Laura and Lily's birthday. After the cellar. It's unsettling. They don't say a word, a heavy atmosphere between them. Flashes of their hot encounter crossing her mind, stirring her inside. And then the coldness of what happened after, of the way she gave him her heart - again - and he shredded it to pieces.

Finally Draco enters the office, rolling his eyes. "Auror Potter, you're not-"

"I'm going." Harry says through gritted teeth.

Hermione gets up from her chair, a little impatient. "Look," She begins, "I don't care which Auror is coming with me. I need to go." She fetches her cloak and with a flick of her wrists, changes to clothes similar to the Auror's uniform, a lot more appropriate. "Are you coming with me, Auror Potter?"

He nods. His expression deadly serious now.

"Hermione-" Draco begins.

"It's fine, Draco." She says and turns to Harry. "Do you know the apparating point?" He nods again. "Okay, see you there."

Outside Azkaban

It's raining and she casts a drying spell around her. Harry appears by her side. The black block standing tall in front of them. After a few seconds an Auror comes to them.

"Minister Granger!" He's very surprised. Good, exactly what I wanted. "We weren't expecting you…" The man trails off as his eyes fall on Harry. "Wha- What can I do for you?"

"Consider this an inspection." She doesn't explain it further and walks past the man, her steps firm and steady, Harry is silent by her side, but she knows he must be shaken inside. She waves her wand and the front wall - the door, the one Harry blasted away when he escaped - opens. She looks at him and he turns to her.

"Don't leave my side at any circumstance." He says and she nods, both entering the prison together.

Note: I left the note to the end because I can already hear your complaints about Killian from miles away. lol.

I have to say I was dreading this update... but the happy ending is coming and I think sooner than I imagined. Next year I don't think I'll be able to write as much as I want to, so, I plan on finishing this fic and the other one until December 22nd! *sigh* I'll try.

In two chpaters we'll get to see things through Harry's eyes and finally understand A LOT!