Note: So, yeah, I guess I didn't finish it before Christmas. lol. But I'm back!

And I'm pretty sure this fic will end around chapter 35, maybe more, maybe less, I'm still pondering.

Anyways, on with the chapter!

Azkaban

She feels cold, but not from the freezing rain or from the ocean's howling wind. It's from fear. A fear she tries hiding as they walk past a few corridors. The Front Auror - the one who guards the principal door - guides them inside. He gave them dirty looks and he's doing his obligation clearly dragging his feet, wanting them to know how little he cares about the Minister and Auror Potter. Hermione is sure the man wanted to give Harry a piece of his mind.

They stop at the open square, a few prisoners walking around. Hermione glances at Harry, his expression unreadable and his posture stiff. The Auror says he needs to go back to his position, that if they need any help, they can call any other Auror. They stay put near the entrance and a little far from the prisoners. Hermione watches them closely, noticing how they all seem miserable, crazy, lost. They don't walk, they wander, they don't talk, they mumble. She feels her chest heaving, her thoughts inevitably going to what Harry went through inside this madhouse. Her first instinct is to take his hand to reassure him, but she doesn't move.

"Where are the Dementors?" She asks him.

"I'm not sure… we should have seen them by now." She can tell he's uncomfortable, his eyes scanning the place. "It's strange to be here not as a prisoner."

She crosses her arms, one hand pressing at her wand inside her cloak. The place reeks of imminent danger. It's like she knows a threat is coming, but she's not sure from where. Then her eyes land on a woman, a woman she would recognize anywhere. Umbridge. And she's walking in their direction. Hermione tightens the grip on her wand.

"Look who's here. My two favorite students," She giggles, "How you've been, mudblood?"

Before Hermione can react, Harry is already strangling Umbridge. His eyes wild, his face furious. "You talk to her that way again and I'm gutting you." Hermione is sure she never saw him talking like this, so dangerously, and to her surprise she's not sure if she likes it or not. Hermione shakes her head dismissing the thought. He releases Umbridge and the woman gasps for air, a smile playing on her face.

"Oh? I'm sorry, Potter, I imagined you felt the same as me now, I mean, you've been hanging out with some old friends of mine. We often get a copy of The Prophet from the Aurors," She giggles again, "How's Ava, by the way?"

Hermione holds her breath, but Harry doesn't react. His eyes cold, his expression showing a minor annoyance. "Where's your little Dementor?" It's all he says.

Umbridge acts appalled, her hand against her mouth in fake outrage. "Dementor? What do you mean, Potter? There are no Dementors in Azkaban anymore. Isn't that the law, Minister?" She sneers at Hermione and for the first time since she arrived she feels just plain angry.

"Auror!" Hermione calls and a woman appears by her side, "Take this prisoner to her cell," The Auror nods and grabs Umbridge by the arm, steering her away, "And make sure she doesn't leave for a whole month." She can't deny it, the power gives her some satisfaction, but the order leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

Umbridge stops walking and turns to her, "It feels good, doesn't it? To have the power. To be able to dictate people's lives, but you fool yourself, mudblood. You have no power at all, your days are numbered, you just wait for it," She giggles again. "And this time you can't even count with your precious Potter!"

Hermione barely reacts at her words, however, the certainty that Harry knows what Marga wants to do and is actually helping her is too much for her to handle. She feels dizzy and she must waver in place because his hands try supporting her, but she takes a step away from him, not even looking in his direction. "I'm fine." She says sharply.

"We should go. You shouldn't stress yourself-"

She dismisses his words waving her hand and he stays silent by her side. The fact that he didn't try to convince her that Umbridge is mental and her words are of a lunatic is very telling, especially after everything Hermione discussed with the others about Marga's plans. She starts walking around the place and he walks behind her in silence. Hermione keeps looking for the Dementors, but she sees none, an odd sensation taking over her. Did Harry lie to me? It couldn't be, she felt his despair when he showed Azkaban to her, he showed what happened to him, or at least what he thinks happened to him…

"Hello, Minister, can I help you with something?" An Auror stops her, one she knows is the chief inside the prison. He gives her chilly goosebumps, his dark eyes watching her. "I heard you saying something about Dementors." He glances at Harry. "There are no Dementors here, you surely know that, don't you?" His tone is sarcastic and Hermione wished she could wipe off his smug grin, but she has nothing on her side, she can't see a single Dementor and things seem to be going smoothly inside the place regardless its creepy atmosphere. "Ah, 1425, you scrubbed well." He's talking to Harry now, a true smile on his face showing his crooked teeth. Harry doesn't answer and Hermione suspects what the number means. "You gave us some hell, didn't you?" He turns to Hermione again, "Maybe he filled your mind with lies, Minister, 1425 spent most of his time being delirious."

"You're hiding things from us, you son of a bitch!" Harry says through gritted teeth and the man smiles further, his eyebrows raising.

"Auror Potter, enough."

"Minister, follow me, I can show you the records from the place, it's all in my office."

"Don't go." Harry warns her and she hesitates a little. Should she trust Harry? The Auror is waiting.

Even after everything, Hermione still trusts him, but she has no reason to doubt the other Auror, no reason to show him any sign of hesitance. "Lead the way." She says, feeling Harry's irritation, but there's nothing stopping her from going to the man's office and checking the prison's records.

They walk through cold and dark halls, a modest light illuminating their way. Harry is quiet, but she feels his magic pushing against hers, trying to take over, trying to control hers. Hermione pushes back, not understanding his action. But Harry doesn't insist, in a moment he's there and then there's nothing. She blinks confused just as they arrive at the office. Hermione stops at the 'door', Harry is two steps behind her, the Auror already inside.

"Please, come in." He gestures. "I know it's not as good as the Ministry's offices, but well, it's what you get in Azkaban." He looks directly into her eyes, something in his voice warning her. She wants to turn around and leave the place as soon as possible, but she can't show discomfort, she can't show how afraid she is. She's the one who came to this place, who wanted to see with her own eyes what's happening. She wanted to confirm Harry's words. She takes a little step inside the office - it smells terribly and everything seems to be rotting like the prisoners of the place - still unsure, but I can apparate if things get… weird.

The next step she takes inside dooms her. The wall behind her comes down, shutting her inside the place with the Auror, Harry is still outside and she can hear him banging on the wall and yelling. She feels him trying a spell, unsuccessfully. "Stop, Harry, it won't work." She figures she won't be able to apparate either.

"Shit! I knew this wasn't a good idea."

"Try finding a way to get me out of here."

"Hermione-"

"Go, Harry."

She gulps, still trying to show some power, trying to leave the Auror uncomfortable. "So," She says, taking more steps inside, obviously throwing him off, "show me the documents."

She hopes it might work, and for a minute the man is very unsure of his own actions, his mouth opening and his gaze falling, his hands gesticulating in front of him, but then he stops and laughs. "Good one, mudblood." He points his finger at her and yells, "She's here!"

A wooden door behind him opens and Umbridge enters the place with three Aurors. Hermione purses her lips, totally at their mercy.

Umbridge giggles, "See? No power at all." She gestures, opening her hands to the office and showing Hermione how insignificant she is.

"What do you want?" Hermione asks.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to kill you, but first I want you to suffer, dear."

Hermione stays put, waiting for a Crucio or something of the sort to hit her, but Umbridge tilts her head to the Aurors and they start walking toward her, it's just then she realizes they can't perform magic either. The first Auror - the woman who took Umbridge - tries punching Hermione, but she dodges, what she got from Harry's experience in combat through their connection still there, helping her. The woman keeps trying to land a punch, but Hermione is moving way faster than expected, her heart beating wildly and her body extremely aware of her surroundings. The Auror tries kicking her and Hermione actually punches her jaw, making her stumble backward, her face surprised and her eyes a little lost. Hermione tries not looking too surprised herself, her hand hurting but her satisfaction bigger than anything.

"What's this? Come on, get it over with!" Umbridge is angry and the two other Aurors circle her. At the back of her mind she registers their positions and how she should position herself to block their blows.

She's ready to fight.

And for a time that's exactly what she does. She's not the strongest, but she is the fastest and the one with the perfect technique. Her mind is totally focused on what she's doing, she has no luck in actually hurting them, but as long as they don't catch or hurt her, things should be fine.

"Where are you, Harry?" She hopes he went for help because she can't stall them any longer, she's getting tired quicker than she imagined.

"Well," Umbridge says as the Aurors wait to strike again, Hermione is only partially hearing her, "I guess Potter didn't imagine you could do that when he brought you here." What? And that's enough for her focus to fly away. The bigger Auror lands a blow to her face, and she wavers, the pain unbearable, she sees stars and before she can fully comprehend the pain, another punch lands on her stomach and she loses her air, crumbling to the floor. The last thing she feels is a kick on her back and then she's out.

Their voices are faint and she's lying on the floor, anger filling her, taking over everything. But it's not her anger… it's Harry's. She can feel him through their connection, mixed feelings invading her. Hermione purses her lips. There's nothing binding her and she opens her eyes just a little to take a peek at where she is and who's there with her. She's still inside the office and Umbridge is talking to her minions.

"Yes, we just need to wait for her to arrive." She giggles, "Potter is probably arranging things."

Hermione closes her eyes. I can't believe you did this, Harry. She needs to get out of there, because if she's not mistaken, the 'her' Umbridge is talking about is certainly Marga. She keeps breathing evenly, pretending she's still knocked out. Her body hurts all over and she worries about the baby, a huge despair taking over her. I need to stay calm. The baby is fine. We're fine. She convinces herself.

"I'm here. Things are going to be fine." His voice fills her head and a lonely tear runs down her face. She can't tell if he knows how much these few words mean to her, but it's a lot. It's everything. But it's also confusing. If he plotted behind her back to get her there, is he actually going to help her escape? She can't really tell.

They're still talking, ignoring her presence. She can tell her wand is still at the holster on her left side and it gives her immense relief. However, she doesn't move, no one was able to perform magic earlier and she's almost sure the scenario hasn't changed. She opens her eyes a little again and sees their legs and feet, they stand in a circle on the other side of the office, and she can tell she's closer to the wall she went through when coming into the place, she's exactly where she first fell.

Hermione closes her eyes again and tries feeling Harry's magic battling with hers. She can't tell where he is exactly, but the moment she nudges at his magic, he opens up completely and immediately. The sensation is thrilling. His magic, dark and pulsing, invades her. And it's like she's finally complete, whole… extremely powerful. Hermione tries not gasping at this new development, she doesn't want them to know that she's awake. Biting the inside of her cheeks, she opens herself as much as she can to Harry, their magic coming together, her body buzzing with the electricity of it.

"Hermione." The way he says it is almost obscene.

"Just like it was at the cellar." She can't help saying.

"Yes." He agrees.

She takes a deep breath, wondering if she'll be able to handle all this power and this inconvenient arousal. She wants him. She knows he wants her too.

Putting that aside, now she feels capable of escaping, she's ready to take them down, ready to overcome whichever it is that's prohibiting them from performing any kind of spells. She focus, Harry's presence stronger than ever, it's like he's by her side, holding her hand, helping her. So, with a new found boldness, she slowly stands up, their conversation stopping as they watch her. Umbridge has her eyes wide, not believing what she's seeing. Hermione glances at herself. She's actually glowing.

Like electric waves running through her body, Harry's magic works in unison with hers, opposite energies in need of each other to make sense. She takes out her wand and what she does next isn't rational, it's pure instinct, it's Harry. Even if not physically, he's there, his hand above hers on the wand. She stupefies all of them in one swift motion. Umbridge's shocked expression the last thing she sees before turning around and flicking her wand at the wall.

It slides open and she barely takes a step before his arms are around her waist, bringing her to his chest, pressing her against him, his lips on her neck. Their magic vibrates inside her, between them, everywhere. Hermione holds tight onto him, crying, her body hurting from the punches, her mind worrying about the baby.

"The baby." She says.

He holds her tighter. "He's fine. Everything is fine. I- we can feel him through our connection."

She breathes him in and steers her mind and feelings to their bond. Harry's right. She can feel their son, she can tell he's well. Crying a little harder, she leans back to look at him. "It's our son, Harry."

She's ready to convince him, to do whatever it takes for him to realize how stupid he's-

"I know." Her breathe hitches. "We have to go. Now."

She wants to stay and talk about this, but now is not the time, she has no idea if others will come for them and everything starts to hurt, her muscles, her bones, her head. Harry is pulling her by the hand, walking fast and she's trying to follow, but she can feel the magic draining her completely.

They finally reach the open square and Harry stops, bringing her to him again, protecting her. "There's someone here." He says, but she can't tell, she can barely think.

"Harry. It's too much. Our magic."

"Just a little longer." She understands he wants her to hold on until they're out of there. "We'll be able to apparate once we're out of here."

It's still raining. She grits her teeth, the effort absurd, even if it feels right, Harry is too powerful, to hold his magic and hers this way is overbearing, she can feel the magic dominating her, swallowing her whole. It's like she's losing herself. She tries resisting it and her nose starts bleeding. Hermione grunts, the heavy rain pouring down on them aggressively.

She sees him raising… her wand. A chill runs down her spine and an Auror comes out from behind a pillar. Hermione has no idea who he is, but she feels Harry tensing, his posture stiff. She tries standing taller, but she almost doesn't manage it, his arm still supporting her.

"Get out of the way." Harry says through gritted teeth.

"What are you doing, Potter? That wasn't the plan at all!" He tightens his grip around her.

"I don't want to hurt you." Harry's angry.

"You're confused. That's all." Hermione sees the man taking a step forward. "I'll take her back to the office-"

A strong wave of magic courses through her and she hears Harry muttering something, she gasps as their magic works together and a blinding spell hits the man.

Then, there's nothing.

St. Mungo's

There's a warm hand over hers. She opens her eyes. The ceiling is unmistakable. She sighs and turns her head to look at Killian, he has a smile on his face. He looks perfect, just like someone with Veela blood would. "Hey." He says. "You gave me some work, Minister." He mocks her a little, his thumb caressing her hand gently. "How you feeling?"

"How's the baby?"

"He's fine."

She sighs relieved. Her eyes never leaving his. "It hurts all over." She says, because it's true. If she couldn't remember what happened she would guess a Knight Bus ran over her. Killian nods.

"I know. But it will get better, there's a potion for you to drink every eight hours and in two days you should feel as good as new."

She rearranges herself on the bed, forcing her body to stay in a sitting position. Killian comes closer and unexpectedly hugs her. Surprised, Hermione returns the gesture and they stay that way for a while.

"Thank you for taking care of me." She knows he did it.

"I'm glad you're fine, Hermione." He kisses her cheek and takes a step back and when they see it, there's a bunch of people inside the room goggling at them. Killian clears his throat, a little embarrassed, and Hermione feels her cheeks burning. They weren't doing anything but Ron, Ginny, Draco, Luna and… Harry are there.

"Minister Granger is well." Killian says, turning into Healer Lovegood, "I was able to stop her bleeding and help her regain her consciousness. Her physical injuries were minor, but she might feel some discomfort for the next couple of days." Ginny opens her mouth and Killian raises his hand to her. "The baby is fine." They all look relieved. It doesn't go unnoticed to her how Harry exhales heavily. He knows it's his son. They need to talk about this but Killian keeps explaining how she reached exhaustion from using too much magic. Hermione is barely listening.

"Who was that Auror? What plan was he talking about?"

He actually raises one eyebrow, but doesn't answer. Their connection is back to its new normal: their magics battling silently, but she can barely feel hers, it's like she's drained.

"So, I think she should stay here for the night and-"

"No." She says, "Please, Killian, I can't stand this place anymore."

"Killian?" His voice cuts through her.

She purses her lips and Killian frowns at her, saying, "I'm sorry, Her- Minister, it's procedure, you need to stay. If you weren't pregnant I would let you leave, but you can't push yourself more than you already did. You can't perform any magic for at least 24 hours. You understand, don't you?" He's trying to be gentle, but she hates the situation.

"I do." She says through gritted teeth.

"I'll be here all night. Call me if you need anything, okay?" She nods, smiling a little and he winks. Harry scoffs and they all look at him. "Excuse me." Killian says after a beat and heads out. Luna thanks her cousin and Ginny's head turns to follow him as he leaves the room.

Ron is the first to move towards her bed. "What the hell happened?" he asks taking her hand.

"Harry told us you were ambushed." Draco states and partially asks at the same time as he comes closer. She can see he suspects something. Harry stays in place, not moving an inch.

They wait for her explanation and she sees herself in one of those moments where she must decide something important. She could tell them everything she heard Umbridge saying, how Harry was involved, how he lied about the Dementors just to get her there, how he clearly knew the Auror that tried to stop their escaping…

"I- I passed out. How did I get here?"

"Well," Draco begins, "Harry was able to bring you here, he then sent for me. I gathered a group and went to Azkaban. I have no idea how you did it, but Umbridge and her followers were still on the floor, totally stupefied. We're keeping them locked up for interrogation at the Ministry, but from what I gathered, the Aurors were dissatisfied with their positions at the prison. They don't like being there and they think the Minister is wrong in keeping the Dementors away. Umbridge probably convinced them they should rebel against you, against the system… you know, take what they want with their own hands and such."

"But for them to do that… they knew I was coming." She states, her chest hurting from the implications of her own words. Harry warned them.

Draco sighs and agrees, but he doesn't seem too concerned about it "And…" He trails off, seeming unsure.

"What else?" She urges him.

"You're obviously off the hook, but…" He runs his hands through his hair and Hermione feels herself becoming cold, afraid of what he's about to say, "An Auror died."

She opens her mouth, baffled. "What? How? I don't- I mean-"

"It wasn't you." Harry says from the back, his voice in that monotonous tone she hates so much, like he's doing a favor being in their presence. "I did it." She closes her eyes. "To protect you, of course."

"Harry told us you were trapped inside the office and an Auror held him in another office." Draco retells what supposedly happened. "You got out after a while and Harry helped you reach the front door." Draco squints. "Auror Potter says the man was going to kill you, so, he just reacted and stopped him with a spell no one knows what it was… but it eventually killed the Auror."

"It was an accident." Harry says, his tone still disinterested.

Hermione's mind is racing. Harry didn't exactly lie, but he let out a lot, especially his part in all of it. She knows that at this moment Draco is asking as Head Auror, as the man who could sent Harry to Azkaban again because of what he plotted behind her back. But she can't. She can't do that to him or the girls, or to our son. She bites her lower lip. Harry is watching her, tense, clearly waiting to see what she's about to say. Regardless his motivations to get her to Azkaban, while they were there something changed. He saved her. She inhales deeply, the memory of the way his magic coursed through her giving her chills.

Harry is plotting against her, against muggle borns. He is a threat. But at the same time… he's Harry. She remembers his eyes while they were trapped inside the wine cellar, she recalls how he felt, how they felt. She can't do this to him.

"Yes, I remember it. Harry saved me." She says, "It was an extreme situation and we were caught off guard." Harry narrows his eyes at her.

Draco watches her and then Harry. "What about the Dementors?" He asks, obviously not believing her.

"They weren't there. I guess they hid them the moment they saw us arriving," Hermione shrugs, "there's no other explanation, is there, Auror Potter?"

He clears his throat. "No. Apparently they were prepared and expecting us."

There's a silence after that. Everyone seems to be holding their breathes, unsure. But Draco says, "Well, if there's nothing else, I guess you're dismissed Auror Potter."

"Don't go. We need to talk. Please." She's yet again begging.

But Harry nods curtly at Draco and without glancing at them again he exits the room. Ron shakes his head, and yells, "Harry, wait!" He gestures to Luna and they go after him. Probably to give Harry the wedding invitation.

Hermione settles on the bed, dizzy. Now Ginny is by her side and Draco is watching her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you telling us what really happened?"

"Yes. Later, please."

Ginny yawns and Hermione does the same, suddenly feeling completely exhausted.

"We should let you rest." Draco says, "But oh, before I forget," He reaches inside his uniform, "Your wand."

Hermione closes her fingers around the wand and exhales. It's the Elder Wand. She was afraid Harry might have taken it, switched it or whatever.

Ron and Luna come back. "He accepted the invitation, at least." Luna says.

"And he actually looked surprised we invited him." Ron completes.

Hermione purses her lips, not knowing how she feels about the subject. After a while they leave and they promise to meet in a few days at Ron's shop. They need to discuss what happened in Azkaban.

And then she's alone. The silence bothering her. "How you feeling?" Harry interrupts her moment. She frowns. She's tired of whatever he's playing.

"You lied."

"I had to."

She snorts, "Why, Harry? What's going on? Why you left? We need to talk about us, about our son." Her heart is racing, she doesn't know what to think anymore. Harry doesn't answer her question and she feels him apparating. She closes her eyes, numb, flashes of what happened crossing her mind. The way I felt-

"It felt good, didn't it?" She freezes, she wasn't talking to him, was she? "To use my magic that way, to mix it with yours, to be that powerful. You can't deny it. I felt it too."

She doesn't say a thing. He's right. It felt good. It was amazing to feel her magic with his, working together even if they're not so kindred anymore, even if his darkness took over her for a moment. Even if it drained her.

There's silence then, but she still feels him.

"Who's Ava?" She tries as she gets up from the bed heading to the bathroom.

"No one."

After that he's silent and when she lies down again it doesn't take long for her dreams to claim her.

She's drowning in darkness, it's hard to breathe and she has no idea if she should go up, down or to the sides. She's lost. But even with this knowledge, she's not desperate… she knows someone is coming, she knows she's getting out of there when-

A light appears on the horizon. It's faint but it's there and she instinctively starts walking. There's nothing else except the light and her certainty that she needs to reach it. Faster than she imagined she's in front of it and she recognizes this… energy. It's magic. Her magic. Harry's magic.

Without hesitation she touches the light and in a blink she's standing inside a foyer. She looks around, but she doesn't recognize the house. Hermione doesn't move, something tells her she should wait there. And mere seconds later a hand is taking hers. Warm. So warm.

"Harry." She says his name without thinking while she turns to face him. His eyes are worried and his hand goes to her face.

"I was so scared today." She sees him swallowing hard. "I thought I would lose you." He touches her forehead with his and she cries. Even if the dream feels real, she knows it isn't. This is the Harry she loves, the Harry she fears only lives inside her memories now. But she leans to him, her lips catching his, the sensation so strong she doubts her sanity.

Is this happening or not?

He holds her so tight she can barely think, the way he kisses her is maddening. Her hands are already on his hair and they can't stop. They're both desperate, both trying to feel good somehow. The dream becomes more and more solid as each moment goes by. At the back of her mind she notices the magic feels bright and right, his is not fighting hers like they're now so used to.

"I miss you." He says between kisses and she closes her eyes, his lips on her neck.

"I miss you too." When she says the words she realizes how painfully true they are and she takes a step back, her hands on his face, her eyes going through his features. "I miss looking at you. I miss talking to you. I miss feeling you in our connection. I miss the way you would just hold me." She brushes a few tears. "I miss seeing you with the girls." She tilts her head, shaking it and not believing how their relationship is now. "I keep asking myself if I should fight harder for you, Harry." He gives her a gentle kiss. "I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do."

She's being irrational since this is happening inside her head, but maybe her unconscious mind can be of some help. This is a place free of judgments and rationality, a place where she can completely open up even to herself. She sees him opening his mouth, ready to answer, but before he does, the floor beneath their feet starts to shake so violently she digs her nails into his arms, holding on. Harry sighs. He looks annoyed. "You have to be strong." It's what he says before giving her another kiss and… disappearing.

Hermione feels lost. The darkness is coming back and now she's truly scared-

"Hermione. Wake up."

Someone is shaking her. She opens her eyes at once, the whiteness of the ceiling blinding her. She sighs. Killian watches her, worried.

"I think you were having a nightmare." He says and she closes her eyes. Far from that. If she can kiss and talk to Harry like that only in her dreams, maybe real life is the nightmare. "It's time for your potion." He sits on her bed and she lifts her body to take the potion from his hand. His eyes never leave her while she drinks it. It tastes awful. "How you feeling?"

She shrugs. "I don't know." He raises an eyebrow at her answer. "Well, to be honest, I feel like shit." She laughs humorlessly. "It's like everything is crumbling down and I have no idea what to think or who to trust-" She stops, eying him. Can I trust him? She knows she can't. Not yet at least. "I'm sorry, I don't want to bother you with my problems-"

"No. It's fine, really." He smiles. "I have nothing else to do. I mean, I'm here if you want to talk."

Hermione watches him. His blond hair, his blue eyes. The total opposite of Harry. "I lost the most important person in my life." Her voice is low and now she has no idea why she's saying this to him. Killian sighs.

"Potter, right?" In this exact moment she feels Harry apparating through their entangled magic. She nods shyly, confirming his words. "Are you sure you lost him?"

"That's actually what's on my mind. It's odd…"

"How come?"

"There are times I think he's never going to be the Harry I once knew… but there are others-" She shakes her head. "This might not make sense to you."

"Well, I never knew him, but we all know what happened. The way he changed after Azkaban is a hot topic here at the Hospital. I mean, people gossip a lot." Hermione has nothing to say to that and after a while he continues. "As the guy who wants to try something with you," Hermione opens her mouth, surprised by his words, "I shouldn't be saying this, but… the way he arrived here with you in his arms, well, I just think it's something you can't fake."

Hermione purses her lips. "Yeah?" She desperately wants to know.

Killian raises an eyebrow, "He was desperate, Hermione. Screaming and crying, your blood all over him." He crosses his arms. "Being a healer I get to see a lot of tragic scenes and heartbreaking moments. Just by looking at him I knew he would die if something happened to you." There's a heavy silence before he continues. "Personally I don't think someone can fake that kind of emotion."

She looks down, there's nothing she wants more than to believe what he's telling her. "Thank you, Killian. For saying this." He takes her hand and she lets him.

"You need to rest." He sighs, getting up. "Hermione, if I could give you one advice… what we feel is more important than what we say or show the others. Let your emotions guide you."

She nods at him, totally speechless after their conversation. Killian gives her a gentle kiss on the cheek before exiting the room. She dims the lights, lying back on the bed, her mind working so fast she feels suffocated.

Stop thinking.

Feel. Just feel.

She does. She feels Harry. She feels their connection. She feels his lips, his body, his warmth. She feels his protection, his magic, his heart. She keeps following the thread that connects them, she keeps going, feeling, wanting to find… him.

Suddenly she knows he's there. Hermione can't explain how, but it's like she's seeing what he's seeing, feeling what he's feeling. They're practically one. It's confusing and amazing, and-

"Hermione?" He murmurs.

She opens her eyes, breathing hard. I was there. With him. "No. It felt like I was him." She says out loud trying to grasp the concept, but she can't, there's no way of rationalizing this. What she felt was just too strong.

And what exactly did I feel?

She presses her hand against her chest. It-

She feels it before she sees him. He's there in front of her. "I- what- are you okay?" He gulps, taking a few steps to her bed and she sits again.

"Tell me what's going on, Harry." Her voice is firm. She wonders if he's going to lie to her again.

He sighs. Hermione notices he looks exhausted. "What are you talking about?"

"Our connection. I was there, I saw through your eyes, I felt your heartbeat, I was breathing as you. I felt what you were feeling." He looks down, pursing his lips. "Tell me."

"I can't." His voice is cold, but his eyes are pleading, they're telling her something. Hermione gets up from the bed. She feels weak, but she goes to him, stopping the closest she can without touching him. Harry doesn't move, but his eyes watch her.

"You're suffering." She states. "Because of us. I thought you didn't-" She chokes a little, shaking her head, not sure of what she wants to say, still confused by what she felt from him.

Harry just moves his hand discreetly, his fingers brushing her palm. He shakes his head. She knows he wants to tell her, but something stops him. What he says is, "Don't do that ever again." And then he's gone.

Hermione grunts. Frustrated. The emotion surprises her. She's not sad or heartbroken. She's determined. She looks at the ceiling. She feels feral. She feels crazy. She can't understand what the fuck is going on. She's suffering and until now she thought she was doing it alone, but no. Harry is also suffering, maybe even more than her. "Why, Harry? What can't you tell me?"

She goes to bed certain that tomorrow she'll try to see and feel things differently. Certain that she's finally on the right path.

The next day - Tuesday

Ministry of Magic

Hermione's office

She's smiling without reason. It's like she found new purpose in life. Yes, it annoyed her that she still can't perform magic and had to get to the Ministry the muggle way, but that's nothing compared to her new resolution. She realized she's been approaching this situation the wrong way. Hermione sits on her couch, her eyes gazing at the picture of the Forest of Dean. She shakes her head, her chest heavy. How could I've been so stupid?

Harry's been showing her ambiguous signals since he broke out of Azkaban… she purses her lips. I've been paying attention only to the bad part of it. She's not sure why it happened this way. Hermione tries not being too harsh on herself, she had just woken up from a coma and not seeing him there was a blow followed by all the news of him being in Azkaban and then the hate she felt from him…

Closing her eyes she remembers every time they encountered each other.

What happened inside the Department of Mysteries was a shock to her. Hermione wasn't expecting to see him there, however, she can remember how gently he pressed his lips against her cheek, how his hands caught hers in a reassuring way. He said awful things. She sighs, he broke all the prophecies. She tilts her head, biting on her thumb's nail. He also said he watched me all day under the cloak. It's clear that if he wanted to hurt her he could have, Hermione was so lost in her own world she didn't notice his presence, she was completely vulnerable. He said the bottom half of the prophecy was there, but… there's no way to be sure of that, no way to be certain that he pulverized the last chance they had on destroying Marga. He didn't hurt Draco. One thing is him not hurting her, the mother of their children, another one entirely different is not taking the chance to harm the Head Auror. She shakes her head, the way he yelled at her when she talked about Marga still bothers her, Hermione's not sure why. Something in the way he acted, or how fast he reacted seems… off.

Taking a deep breath she thinks about their meeting at Dumbledore's tomb. She recalls how angry she was, angry after what he did to her, after that binding spell that made her watch all those orbs dissolving into nothing… and she can't deny how that affected the way she acted when she saw him there. Now, she tries remembering what happened without her anger clouding her mind. He got there the exact moment she was fetching the wand. Hermione keeps biting her nail, wondering if his timing was planned or if it was just a coincidence… if she thinks about it now, Marga probably wanted the wand since forever, but Harry only went after it the same night Hermione decided to. And he was already plotting with Marga for days. It would be logical for him to go after the wand first, right? Why risk everything going to the Ministry to fetch his cloak while the wand was there, unguarded? It doesn't make sense. And he was there, but he had no intention in hurting her… at all. Hermione was the first one to push into their connection and Harry just reacted. The more she remembers, more nervous she gets. He looked extremely confused when he kissed me. And that's something she's been ignoring too. He kissed her. Harry initiated it even after everything. She leans forward on the couch, her mind running wild. I should have stayed there, kissing him. But she was sure he only wanted the wand, sure he would trick her. She snorts. You're an idiot, Hermione. If he wanted to take the wand he would have, no matter what, the kick she gave him wouldn't be enough to stop him, he would have followed her. He never tried to take the wand from me after that day. Not even once.

Later, when he went to her house, he said he was anxious to hurt her… he lied. His words were saying this, but not his actions. She remembers the things she said to him, how she hurt him, how he looked devastated because she'd prohibited Minerva from letting him see the girls. Merlin. She realizes she's the one who started it all, she treated him poorly, hurt him intentionally… because I thought he hated me. At least that was what she could feel in their connection. But if she had payed more attention, she would have noticed that was not entirely true. Hermione presses a few fingers against her temple. What have I done? She woke up from her coma certain that it wasn't real, there was no way of him hating her that way, but maybe she didn't question it further because of what happened at the Department of Mysteries.

I accepted his hate too easily.

Hermione tried to never think about what he said to her that day in her kitchen, maybe that's why she never replayed in her head how he completely changed from cold and detached to warm and caring the moment he thought her son was his. Then he changed back to this hateful Harry and said those things.

She gets up from the couch.

Thinking about it now she can see how incredibly strange he acted. He was so happy. The way he touched her belly and smiled at her… it felt like the moment he realized it was our son he wanted to reject the idea as fiercely as possible. She can't be sure of what he wanted that day, but he pushed her away for good. She felt wrecked after that. And now he said he knows the baby is his. She sighs, confused.

Hermione goes to her chair, sitting, her eyes lost watching a few wizards at the Atrium. Her mind recalling the next time she saw him… at Ginny and Draco's, with Cho. It hurts even now to remember. When the party finally arrived I was so hurt I didn't even think about how taking a gift from Jack would be awful and unnecessary. She bites her lower lip, trying hard to remember exactly what he said inside the study. He said he felt bad about the way he treated me. She shakes her head. Hermione totally ignored this because of the things he said after, because of the way he accused her of being with Jack, but she can't be blind to this, he cares… she remembers how worried he sounded earlier on the same day after she binded Jack, she also remembers how she spat at him. "Merlin." She whispers to herself. "Is this all my fault?" It hurts to consider this.

She supports her elbows on the table, lost while everything they shared inside the cellar comes back to her. It's like his last words before leaving her alone in there are the only thing she can think of, but no… He held her tenderly, he kissed her with passion, he worried like he would have normally, he opened himself to her, shared something unique with her. And asked some really strange questions. He completely changed when the door opened and the spell around them was over. She bites on her nail, a few words Jack said to her returning with full force: 'I think her control over him was weaker when you were hidden under the cellar's spell.'

Hermione stops breathing, her eyes widening. It's then someone knocks on her door. She raises her eyes, almost expecting to see Harry in front of her, as if called to her office by the force of her thoughts, but no, it's Edgar.

"You told me to come to you when I had the papers from the…" He stops. "Minister, are you okay?" She blinks, coming out of her stupor and clears her throat.

"Edgar, please, send a memo to the Auror Department, I need to speak with Auror Potter."

He blinks, unsure, something strange going through his expression. But he nods, leaving the papers on her table and heading out.

Hermione stays put, her eyes glancing at the watch on the wall, observing the seconds ticking by. Her heart starts beating faster and she can feel butterflies in her stomach. It's like reuniting with him all over again. She can't be sure of her thoughts, but she's definitely going to test something.

His knock is discreet and her voice barely comes out when she allows him in. Another tick of the clock and Harry is there, his eyes curious, his expression tense. He watches her as she gets up from the chair and comes to stand very close to him. She sees him gulping, his jaw tensing.

"Is…" He seems unsure, "…there something I can do for you, Minister?"

She opens a smile, slowly. He frowns. "In fact, there is." He raises his eyebrows.

Hermione raises her hand, cupping his cheek, her attention on his reactions. His eyes are cold and he seems totally surprised, but he doesn't take a step backward, he barely moves. With her other hand she takes his and presses it against her belly, holding his hand there, smiling. Harry looks totally lost.

"Do you remember how you used to put your hand against my belly and talk to the girls?" Her voice is low, she's a little afraid. She's taking a big leap here, there's no way of knowing his reaction, no way of knowing if she's right about this approach. Just when she sees his eyes softening and the corner of his mouth moving a bit, she lets herself relax. He looks down and his hand moves on its own, protective over her belly, his face leaning into her hand. She wandlessly casts a spell around the office, one that can shield them from the outside world. And she doesn't think twice. She moves to him, her lips finding his.

Harry kisses her tenderly. Both sighing against each other's mouths, both marveling at their chemistry. She opens up on their connection, pouring out her feelings to him, trying again to show him how much she loves him, how much she needs him. He doesn't open up to her, but he deepens the kiss, his arms bringing her closer.

It feels surreal.

Hermione notices the moment he slows down the kiss, the moment he's about to take a step back from her and leave the office. But this time she's prepared, this time she's almost sure she comprehends. She opens her eyes slowly when he puts some space between them, hands inside his pockets, shaking his head. And she knows what's coming next: he's going to push her away somehow.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but I won't fall for your manipulations anymore." He raises his eyes to her, probably expecting a sneer or some frustration.

But she still has a smile on her face. And now he looks extremely confused. Pressing two fingers against her lips she says, "I love your kisses." He opens his mouth. Hermione almost laughs at his consternation. "And I love you." His eyes widen in shock. "I've loved you all my life, Harry. I've loved you as my friend and then as my partner. As the father of my children. As my lover." He blinks, not understanding her words, his eyes softening. "I'm sorry about the way I treated you recently. I know I'm not… easy." She gestures with her hands. "I have no idea what's happening with you and I already said this at the cellar-"

"I don't know why you're repeating this, then." Now he looks angry. "You already know your words mean nothing to me."

"Yes, you told me." She moves closer to him again. "But it's funny, you know?" She leans into him, her high heels leaving them almost at the same height. Their faces just a few inches apart.

"What's funny?" He asks through gritted teeth.

"Your words also mean nothing to me." Harry purses his lips and her smile gets wider.

"I don't have to stay here listening to this."

"No, you don't. But yet you are." She kisses him again, briefly. "The way you hold me, the way you worry about me and especially the way you kiss me, Harry. Those mean something." Her arms circle his neck. Harry is stiff now, but he lets her kiss his cheek, his neck. Her lips travel his skin tenderly and he finally moves, his arms bringing her close again, their bodies touching. He kisses her cheek, squeezing her tightly before releasing her and turning around, leaving the office without another word.

She's not even mad.

Hermione gets through the rest of her day with a smile on her face, sure that now she knows what to do. At the end of the day, when an invitation to one of his parties comes to her office, her smiles gets so wide her cheeks hurt.

The party is in three days. And she'll be ready.

They will, after all, they have a cloak to steal.