Note: Hello people! I'm not even sure if I still have readers left, lol, but here I am!

I know this is an important chapter and I hope you like it, we're getting closer and closer to the end.

(on another note, I know some of you read my other story - The Perfect Life - too, and I want to say that I loved all your reviews. Thank you so much!)

Inside the dream

Harry walks around the place. He couldn't think of a better setting to have this conversation with Hermione. He knows how much the Forest means to them, it was here where they actually understood the enormity of their relationship, of their friendship and partnership. Observing it now Harry's sure what they went through by themselves on the hunt was the start of something new for them. It took a while after to really see it, but the feeling was already there. He can't say the Forest brings only good memories, but definitely strong ones, meaningful and important.

Since it's their dream, Harry decides it would be warm and welcoming, so, only in a t-shirt and shorts he squeezes his eyes at the blinding sun. Many birds are flying around, chirping and chasing each other. He feels his mouth pulling into a smile. He can almost say he's at peace, however, the butterflies in his stomach remind him the difficult conversation that lies ahead.

At the back of his mind he feels her, Hermione may not know how this works, but she's smart enough to seek him through their connection, and he can tell she's doing exactly that right now. She's getting closer and in a blink she appears in front of him.

"Harry."

They hug, both exhaling heavily and holding onto the other as tightly as they can. Hermione cups his face, her eyes searching his, tears running down her cheeks, but she's smiling widely. "My Harry." She says before kissing him.

He brings her closer as their kiss deepens, he missed her so much. "I love you so much, Hermione." He says the moment their lips part and she laughs out of pure joy, touching her forehead to his.

"We need to stop acting like idiots." Hermione says.

"No more secrets. No more distrust. If we want to take Marga down, we have to do it together, love." She widens her eyes at his words.

"You know she's the Wicked One?"

"I do." He takes a step back from her and takes her hand, walking to the sofa he just imagined out of thin air. "How do you know?" They sit together, embracing each other and relaxing. Hermione finally looks around.

"The Forest of Dean." She states in a daze while his hand goes up and down her arm, she's wearing a baggy t-shirt - probably the one she's sleeping in - but it changes to a nice summer dress and Harry smiles. She's understanding how the dream works. "When I was in my coma," She starts, "I recovered my wiped memory, the one we thought Jack had erased? It wasn't him, it was Marga. Months ago I found out she was the Wicked One, but she made me forget." She sighs. "I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me and would tell her everything."

"I'm glad you didn't tell me. She has no idea you know. We can use that against her."

"When did you find out? That she was the Wicked One?" She looks down after her question and he's sure she won't like his answer.

"The first moment I was out of Azkaban and saw her… it was like things clicked inside me, but I only realized a few days later."

Pursing her lips, Hermione moves on the sofa and turns her head to look at him. "Explain to me, Harry. What happened?" He looks down, ashamed of the things he said and did and she lifts his chin with her hand, showing him he has no reason to be feeling this way. He takes her hand and kisses her palm gently. "Do we have enough time here?" She motions to the place. "This dream. How-"

"It's part of our connection, Hermione. I've done awful things for Marga, but I've discovered a lot about our connection, about what we share. We almost function as one, love, if we wish to stay here, we will."

"Okay," She nods, "I want to hear everything. From the start."

He can't help smiling at her bossy tone. Harry kisses her again. "Fine." He inhales and exhales heavily, he's even shaking a little, glad he's about to share everything with her. He opens his mouth, but she interrupts him.

"Why haven't you told me sooner? I mean, I-" She looks down. "I suffered immensely and you were just pretending all this time."

"I knew I had to convince Marga I hated you, Hermione. If I said anything, if I gave you hope I was still your Harry she would have known." He shakes his head. "Maybe it wasn't the best decision to really push you away, but now I can't do it anymore, I can't keep pretending that I hate you, not for you, no. It's killing me, killing you." He looks down. "I tried saying things to you through our dreams, I was hoping you would notice they were real, but it was a long shot, I know." And then Killian appeared. He closes his mouth tightly. Harry doesn't feel he has the right to be jealous, but the moment he realized the man was getting closer to Hermione a despair so unavoidable invaded him… "I'm glad you noticed what was happening by yourself."

Hermione curses under her breathe.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see it before. Merlin." He knows she's thinking about their encounters over the past month.

"Don't blame yourself, I had to be convincing… she's watching me closely, Hermione. But now I'm finally ready to talk, and she can't reach us here."

"But I should have felt it, Harry, I should have known." She's pursing her lips, annoyed at herself for not noticing it before.

"It's okay, love." He holds her hand, intertwining their fingers, ready to start. She nods and he starts talking.

After the escape from Azkaban

The moment he got inside the boat everything turned into a blank. He can't remember how he got there or even what happened. Harry blinks, he's inside a room and as his senses come back to him he recognizes the unmistakable sound of the sea. Marga. He starts walking inside the house, it isn't hers, but it almost looks exactly the same.

He's so confused.

He remembers Azkaban and how awful things were. He remembers the voice inside his head and the hate he felt towards Hermione and everyone else, but… he frowns. It doesn't make any sense. As he exits the house, he shuts his eyes, stunned at the brightness. There's no beach where he is, no ocean, nothing. It's just a house in the middle of nowhere. A chill runs down his spine. He doesn't know why, but something tells him he'd been there before, he knows this place. There's no one there other than him and he takes a few more steps, unsure. He remembers Cho rescuing him and-

Where's Hermione? He presses a hand against his temple and hisses. A searing pain going through his head, dark emotions taking over him and an anxiousness filling his stomach. 'Hermione is a liar, Harry. A liar. She doesn't love you.' He closes his eyes and breathes heavily, he wants to refuse the words, but he doesn't seem capable of it, they speak inside of him, echoing the undeniable truth. A new hate for Hermione takes over him and he grits his teeth, all his conclusions from Azkaban coming back at once.

That's exactly the moment he feels her in their connection, she's calling to him, opening up and wondering… he opens up a little to her, not entirely sure of what he's doing or feeling, but-

It's fast, and in a blink he closes it off, pulling back as if what he showed her was too much. She was suffering. His head hurts. Harry sits down on the floor not thinking about where he is or how exactly he got there. It's easier to breathe and think now that he's out of Azkaban, but it's like his mind is being the subject of some sick tug of war. At one side everything he always felt and believed and at the other a powerful voice telling him his life has been a lie all along. He presses a hand against his temple and without him noticing, someone is standing right in front of him.

Harry glances up, it's Marga. A sense of relief invades him, her presence calming his thoughts, but at the same time making him sick. "Marga." His voice is strange, hoarse, broken. "Where's Hermione?" His head hurts.

"Forget about her, Harry. Hermione isn't the person you thought she were. She's a liar." Marga leans over, lowering herself to meet his eyes. "She wanted you to rot in Azkaban. You know that, don't you?" Harry frowns, her words not making sense. Hermione loves him. Doesn't she? Marga waits for an answer, patiently watching him and smiling. Harry gulps. His mind is compromised, he's sure of it, but he's a trained Auror, he's been tortured before, he's been kidnapped, - and kept in a house that looks very much like this one - and the way Marga is sneering… There's something very wrong here. He wants to be with Hermione, he wants to see his daughters, his friends- again that same searing pain cuts through him and Marga scoffs. "Stop trying to convince yourself, I'll help you see Hermione and your friends for what they really are." He grunts in response and without warning she's pressing a finger against his scar.

He thought he wouldn't feel this kind of pain ever again. Harry screams while images of Hermione, Ron, Draco, Ginny and Luna are being distorted inside his head. When she finally removes her finger, he's more than sure that he hates each and every one of them.

Inside the dream

"At first she would do this frequently." He says to Hermione. "It's like she could sense my doubts, she could tell I didn't believe her anymore, she knew I was remembering how things really are. After this first time I tried hiding my feelings and thoughts from her, but she's very powerful, whenever she got the chance she would come to me, her finger burning into my scar, my mind changing, everything a mess inside of me." Hermione is crying, her arms holding him tightly.

"I'm going to kill her."

Harry widens his eyes at the certainty he hears from her. He keeps talking: "The second time I opened up to you after you've woken up I wanted you to believe in my hate and at the time I was actually feeling it, believing her lies." It's difficult to talk about this, hard to imagine how hurt Hermione must have felt since she had no idea of what was happening. "However, as the days went by I was getting stronger and better from the time I'd spent in Azkaban, it was easier for me to hide my feelings from her, to say what she wanted to hear and to think the way she desired me to." His hand goes down Hermione's arm, her skin always so smooth, so welcoming. "I guess I convinced her. She stopped burning me with her finger and I would thank her for her teachings, for her wisdom." He gulps. "It was awful." He sets his jaw to stop his tears, but Hermione cups his face.

"You don't need to hide your feelings from me, love." She touches his forehead with hers and he finally lets it all out.

Harry cries for a long time, sobbing in her arms and holding onto her like life itself. "I'm here. It's fine." She's crying with him and the moment couldn't be more cathartic. Hermione brushes his tears away, smiling and kissing him gently.

"I love you." He says to her and she says it back to him. Taking a deep breath he continues. "By the time I went to you I was already certain of how I would deal with this. You have no idea how evil and ruthless Marga is, we can't underestimate her. Never. In my mind, lying to you would be the easiest way out. I had to keep you away from her, the same way I had to keep her away from the girls. Gaining her trust was the easiest way." She nods, a little sad.

"What about what happened at the Department of Mysteries? Was it necessary, Harry?"

April 5th

Seven days till Laura and Lily's birthday

Ministry of Magic - Hermione's office

He's been watching her for hours. And he doesn't think he can get enough. It amazes him how she can concentrate in a task and pour herself entirely in what she's doing. He loves the way her brows knit together while she bites on her nails when trying to find answers for impossible questions. However, when she stops and gazes at the Forest of Dean for a long time he knows she's thinking about him. About the time they spent there and everything they've gone through since then.

He crosses his arms under the cloak looking down to his feet. It's strange to be there, with her, but not really with her. The last time he saw Hermione she was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. More often than he would have liked, when he closes his eyes, he can still remember how terrifying it was to have her lifeless body in his arms. In Azkaban his only wish has to hold her once again. And now, that he's finally here, he's hiding under the cloak like a coward. He'd decided he wouldn't tell her the truth, decided it would be safer for her and the girls, maybe easier for everyone until he finds a way to defeat Marga. He decided he would do whatever it took to convince Marga of his loyalty and finally be able to discover some weakness she might have. He fooled himself at the time not thinking how difficult it would be to see Hermione again, to have to interact with her and convince her he doesn't love her anymore.

He gulps, raising his head the moment Draco enters the office. He knows they'll be heading out soon, and he probably should go, but… the moment Hermione asks how many prophecies Draco estimates the Department holds, he knows she's going there, he knows she'll look for the bottom half. He stays put when they leave the office, considering his options. He knows Hermione won't find the prophecy there - Marga said to him it is hidden safely. He walks around, pondering. I should go back, I already got the cloak. Even if that was his only purpose coming here today, he can't deny the chance he has… maybe it's time to really convince Hermione that he's not the Harry she once knew, maybe it's the perfect opportunity to show Marga he won't hold back, show her he hates all of them, especially Hermione. I need to be convincing.

Closing his eyes and probably regretting his decision, he apparates. He's right in the middle of the room, all the prophecies around him. He turns his head to the door, Draco and Hermione are stepping inside, unsure. Harry watches as they go in separate directions and he instinctively follows her. He just stands there while she peeks through the orbs, biting on her lower lip and paying attention to the tags, can I really pull this off? He's not so sure.

Hermione must feel his presence somehow, because she lifts her eyes and looks directly at him, a hand above her chest, above the scar she hid from me. He purses his lips when she calls to Draco. He hasn't done anything yet and she seems afraid. This won't be easy. Gathering his courage he brings to the surface all the hate Marga filled him with, all the lies and how he's supposed to feel towards her. He opens the connection and sees the moment she feels him. The incredulity in her expression shaking him to the bone.

"Hi, Hermione." He can tell she's trying not to cry, her chin shivering, her jaw set. "What are you up to?" He walks in her direction, slowly, still thinking about what he's going to do. It has to be something big, something that will shock her, make her believe. She starts walking and he follows, in a few strides he's already very close to her. "Where are you going? Back to Malfoy?" He laughs inside her head, knowing it will disturb her.

He acts as fast as a cat the moment she raises her wand. But he was not prepared to feel her skin under his touch. Warm and alive. He wasn't prepared for how much he missed her, how much he wished things could go differently. He leans to her, not even noticing how his body responds by just being this close. Harry closes his eyes, suffering a great deal when he says into her ear, "Na, na. Don't be naughty." He has to restrain himself when she reacts so openly to him, he can tell she's shaken, tell she's trying to resist whatever she's feeling. Biting his lower lip he threads his fingers through hers, fetching her wand.

"What do you want, Harry?"

You, Hermione. Just you. He can't resist her, and against his plans he holds both her hands, leaning even closer and kissing her ear, nibbing lightly on her earlobe. He kisses her neck, already drunk in her scent, lost. Inevitably his lips move to her cheek. He desperately wants to kiss her lips. But he stops. No. I need to do this. We need to end Marga. He takes a step back.

"Not you, for sure." It hurts to say the words and even more to imagine that she's probably going to believe him.

As she calls to Draco and distances herself, he stays there, his eyes on the floor, his chest hurting. He opens a little more at their connection, aware that his magic is going to throw hers off, they're… unbalanced now. He raises his hand and grabs the support of the shelf closest to him. I'm sorry, love. With all his strength he brings it down in one motion, the orbs crashing to the floor. Then he raises both hands and just with a flick of his wrists he wills the other shelves to crumble down.

It's chaos.

He walks through the place, undisturbed. Hermione is talking to him, pleading for him to stop, but he keeps going, he keeps doing exactly the opposite of what she expects of him. He stops to watch them standing back to back at the oval space. Putting Draco to sleep is the least of his problems.

Verbalizing to her, while looking directly into her eyes, that he doesn't love her anymore, that he indeed destroyed the prophecy, it's… terrible. But he does it anyway, he moves automatically trying to push away all his emotions, trying to pretend this isn't happening with them. Maybe that's the only way he can get through all of this. When she talks about Marga he reacts instinctively. Marga needs to believe he's on her side, she needs to trust him. And he can't be sure when she's watching or not.

However, nothing prepared him for the look Hermione gives him the moment he freezes her in place. He knows there's no going back from this. She'll hate me.

It hurts all over. His head, his heart, his very soul. Closing off on their connection as fast as possible, he vanishes.

Inside the dream

"I'm sorry. It wasn't totally necessary and I feel for all those lost prophecies, but I had to do something, Hermione, I had to convince you somehow."

She puts some distance between them and his chest hurts. She's already pulling away from me. How can I tell her everything?

"But the bottom half wasn't there." She whispers, more to herself than to him.

"No. Marga has it." She turns her head to him, her eyes asking the obvious question. "I haven't found it yet. I'm trying to. I swear."

"Do you know her plans, Harry? What's her endgame? Who is she?"

He takes a deep breath. "She wants the Hallows. She wants to annihilate all muggle borns. At once." He waits for her utter surprise, but it doesn't come. "You… you already knew?" Hermione nods, looking down. "How?" He's very curious.

"Well… it seemed obvious you were after the Hallows." She shrugs. "We've talked about it and it wasn't that hard to put things together, I mean, the parties at your house," She turns to him, "Narcissa recognized Ava." Hermione sighs, averting her eyes from him. "Jack has been giving me information also."

Harry freezes. He can't put into words how much he hates Jack. It hurts him physically to imagine Hermione trusting more in that monster than in him. He gets up from the couch, disturbed. What's his plan? "Do you trust him?" He asks, his voice strained.

Hermione crosses one leg over the other. "No. But I needed him." Her voice hangs in the air, the fact that she couldn't trust Harry and had to turn to Jack, again, for some support is maddening. "Tell me more about her plans, Harry. What's her motivation? Is she ending what Voldemort started?" She's serious, her expression angry.

"I'm not sure." He exhales heavily. "I don't know for sure who she is, but she has some kind of connection with Voldemort, she must have. The way she touched my scar and how it made me feel… only Voldemort could do that." He shivers, the memory of it still fresh in his mind. "I'm stalling her the best I can, I said the wand wasn't with Dumbledore and made her believe you have no idea where it is. But she's pressuring me."

He watches her. Hermione is gazing into nothing, her mind working. Harry wished he could read her every thought, see things through her eyes. Maybe discover how she's seeing him now. She said she loves me, but he can't help doubting it. They've been to hell and back in a matter of months. He knows she suffered a lot, he did too. They still are.

"What are you thinking?" He asks shyly. She blinks, her eyes back to him.

"These dreams." She gestures and looks around. "They're real." She states. "That first dream… when we were at Hogwarts, gazing at Dumbledore's-"

"It was real. I- I wanted to warn you. I wanted you to have the wand." She snorts, shaking her head. "At the time I wasn't sure it would work, but I tried it anyway, I imagined the place and called to you through our connection." He stops talking, there's not much he can explain. And he's… nervous. Hermione is hearing him with an open mind, but he can't help fretting. Once again he decided on leaving her out, just like he did when he took Lily and traveled to another continent.

"What about our magic? What about the way I feel your magic now? It's so different, Harry." She whispers the last words.

He lowers his head. He's ashamed of talking about it. But he won't hide things from her. Not anymore. "When Cho came to rescue me in Azkaban," Hermione grumbles, annoyed, "I was a mess, Hermione. A voice kept talking inside my head, whispering things and making me doubt everything I once knew. I felt broken and…" He trails, gulping. She waits patiently for him to continue. "I was weak. I gave in to my darkest desires. I- I wanted that Auror to die." He chokes. "I wanted them to pay for what they were doing to me, for how they were treating me. I wanted everyone to feel the same pain I was feeling." He purses his lips. "It felt good." He can't even look at her and Hermione comes to stand in front of him.

"Look at me." He shakes his head, pursing his lips together, avoiding the tears and the shame. "Harry. Harry. Hey, hey." She cups his face and he finally looks at her. There's no disgust in her eyes, no hate or repulse. "It's okay-"

"No, it's not." He keeps shaking his head, trying to pull away from her, but she doesn't let him.

"It is. Stop." Her voice is firm, bossy. "Listen to me. You have to stop trying to be this perfect man. You have to stop trying being a flawless hero. That's not how it works, Harry. We're humans. We have feelings, emotions, desires, impulses. And there are times we can't control them. You've done nothing unforgivable. Do you hear me?" He's silently crying.

"How can I-" He chokes again. His biggest fear bubbling to the surface. "How can I be a good father after this?"

Hermione's expression changes completely and she sets her jaw. "You're an amazing father. The best. And I hate Marga for making you question this, I hate everything she's done to you. How she broke you and made you so miserable you're doubting yourself instead of wanting her head on a stick!" She's angry now. "Please, believe me, you're everything to our daughters. They could never hate you, Harry. Don't let this one moment define who you are."

He accepts her words, his heart hurting a little less, but still…

Hermione takes his hand and guides him back to the couch. He runs his hand through his short hair as if trying to find the words. "After that my magic changed and every time Marga burned me it got darker and darker." He shakes his head. "It's harder to control it, but in a way it makes me stronger. I can protect myself easier and cast spells with barely a thought." He glances at her. "I wanted you to be able to do that too." She cocks her head in question. "I knew you were at Dumbledore's tomb and I waited for you to retrieve the wand. When I got there I knew I had to find a way to bound our magic. It was a bold move and I didn't know if it would work, but I'm glad it did. It allowed you to be stronger and it kept our connection open in a way." He bites his lower lip. "I'm sorry. I did it and you had no idea. I know it mustn't have been easy dealing with it."

"Well, I can't say I was thrilled when it happened, but I got used to it." She shrugs. "It… feels good." He's surprised. He never imagined she liked it. "Is your magic going to be like this forever?"

"I don't know. In a way I stimulate this darker side of it because I know Marga can tell. But she has no idea we locked our magics together." He takes her hand. "It can be even better." He says unsure. "I mean, we're blocking each other at the moment, but if we embrace it, open up to it, I think it will give us more power, it might be the key to defeat Marga." She nods. "We can't do it right now because we're focused on keeping this dream alive. Maybe when we wake up?" He asks in a low voice, afraid she might reject him.

"Of course." She opens a little smile. "You kissed me that day. At Dumbledore's tomb." He chuckles. "You think it's funny? I was so confused, Harry."

"I couldn't resist." He kisses her briefly. "You were wiggling in my arms and such." She chuckles now. "I knew I had to be convincing but I missed you so much." Her eyes soften and she leans to him, her lips finding his.

"I'm sorry about kicking you in the nuts." She laughs openly and his heart swells with love.

"I guess I deserved it." He lowers his eyes, their laughter dying. "I can't say how sorry I am about what I said to you at the kitchen. I didn't mean-"

"Then, why? Why you said those things?" She looks really sad now.

He sighs. "It wasn't my intention. I was there because I had to come back to society, I was tired of hiding and before you say anything, if I didn't plead for Cho too they would know. I had to play the part, I had to be convincing… but I admit I may have crossed a line."

She snorts. "You think?" She asks ironically.

"Hermione. I only realized you were pregnant in that moment! The way you were behaving…" He shakes his head. "I had no idea, but when I prodded into our connection I felt the baby and-" She gets up fast, crossing her arms and huffing.

"Merlin, Harry. You knew right from that moment and you accused me of carrying Jack's son! You said you should have-"

"I know what I said!" He gets up too, desperate. "It wasn't my best moment, Hermione, but when I felt our baby I knew I had to push you away even more! I couldn't put you and our baby in danger! Do you imagine what Marga would do if she-" He shakes his head. "I had to do that because it would be easier to keep you at arm's length, it would be easier to fool Marga. I had to believe my own lie! And it wrecked me! I had to pretend I truly thought you were carrying his child while I knew the truth, while I had said those things to you." He lowers his voice. "I hate myself for it, and I knew you would hate me too, but if pushing you away that way meant keeping you safe, I would do it again."

Hermione grunts, frustrated. "You're just impossible, Harry! I've been listening to you and I get your side, believe me, I do. But it's just ludicrous you haven't considered telling me everything! You let me believe you hated me with all your heart! Can you imagine it? Can you-"

"I don't have to imagine it!" His voice is louder now. "I saw how you loathed me when we met at Draco and Ginny's a few days later! And there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to change things! I had to watch you slip further away from me-"

"BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO! You chose to, Harry!"

"This is not a matter of choosing or wanting, Hermione." He says through gritted teeth, but he's not surprised, he knew this conversation wouldn't be easy.

She takes a deep breath. "I-" She pinches the bridge of her nose, something she rarely does. "It's just difficult to deal with this. I keep blaming myself for doubting you even for a second."

"Don't. Please. I was awful to you. I mean… the wine cellar-" He stops.

They share an intense moment, their eyes locked. Maybe this is the touchiest subject they'll have to face. He remembers how beautiful she was and how he had to fake annoyance when their friends said they had trapped them inside the cellar… in reality he was exultant. It was everything he wanted. But he didn't dare taking the first step, he watched her sleep while he drank bottles of wine, he observed her eyelids move while she slept, he chuckled when she snorted a little, but the sight of her shaking from the cold broke his heart. He couldn't take anymore. And he let himself be taken by the moment. They were under a powerful spell casted by four relatively powerful wizards, there was no way Marga would know what was happening inside the cellar…

"You asked me some very strange questions that day, Harry." She states waiting for him to elaborate.

"The voice." He sighs. "The voice in my head gave me doubts…" He's not sure how to say this to her. "I fight it every day, Hermione, every hour. I know who I am, I know who you are and everyone else, but it isn't fun to have this voice whispering nasty things all the time."

"What kind of things?"

He clicks his tongue. He hoped she wouldn't ask that. There's no way of sugar coating this. "That you are a liar, that you used me all our lives, that your true love was Ron, not me. That you wanted me to rot in Azkaban so you could have the girls all to yourself. Things of the sort." He shrugs.

She stays frozen in place, a small wrinkle between her brows the only indication of a reaction. "So, were those questions at the cellar a way of you to clear your doubts?"

"Hermione." He says, frustrated. "I never really listened to this voice. Okay, fine, in Azkaban it was able to manipulate me, but once I was out of there I knew the truth. Always." He emphasizes the word. "I made those questions inside the cellar to try to stop it for a while, to give myself some peace-"

"Because you do know why I saved you that day, don't you?" She cuts him, her voice wavering a little. He doesn't answer, his lips pressed together. "Because I would gladly give my life for yours, Harry." She has unshed tears in her eyes. "Because I love you with everything I am. I don't know how to be without you. And that's what scares me the most. I always felt that if I gave myself entirely I would eventually lose myself in you."

He's not proud to admit that he doesn't know how to react to her words. Hermione always said how much she loved him and how much he meant to her, but she never openly told him how this frightened her. After a moment of silence she chuckles humorlessly, wiping away a few tears.

"Doesn't matter." She whispers.

"It does. Of course it does." His voice is low, but he's not sure of what to say. "I- what we shared inside the cellar…"

"It was amazing."

He dares opening a little smile. It really was. He never felt so whole his entire life, he never felt so good and loved, so totally connected to another human being. He has no doubt Hermione is his better half, no doubt she's all he wants. But right now he's just not sure how they can overcome all this mess. "I'm sure we deepened our connection that day."

"How come?" She tilts her head.

"I just know. I can feel it, can't you?"

She looks down. "I guess I… I haven't payed much attention, I mean, the way we parted was-" She stops and he goes to her.

Harry holds her arms, his hands shaking a little. "I'm so sorry, love." His voice cracks. "You can't imagine how hard it was to push you away after what we shared, after you said you loved me. After you told me to fight for us." There are tears running down both their faces. "But the door had opened and the spell was over. It had been four hours since Marga had a hold on me, a hold on where I was or what I was doing… please, understand. She was watching us closely." She takes a step back from him.

"I understand. It's just…" She moves her hands. "I don't even know how to say it. Shit." She cries a little more.

Harry feels terrible. "She was watching us then, but now… she isn't." He states, his eyes on hers. "And I can finally give you the answer I wanted to." He sees as she holds her breath. "I love you. There's no way of going back to you because I never left. Never. I told you this in a dream. You're always with me, Hermione. Even 11 years ago when I changed our lives forever by taking one of our daughters with me across the ocean, I- there wasn't a day I wouldn't think of you, there wasn't a moment I wouldn't imagine how much better it would have been if you were there with us." He takes a step to her and she doesn't move, letting him stay as close as possible. "Your love and affection mean the world to me and I'm sorry if I've made such a mess that you might think I would reject you. But I'm doing this for us, for our family, for our daughters and for this little baby." Harry sets his jaw. "Please, I know I can't demand anything from you, but all I ask is that you understand why I did it."

For a long time Hermione's sniffs are the only thing filling the silence between them. Harry's not sure what kind of reaction he's expecting from her, but when she nods curtly and takes a step back again, his heart sinks.

"If" She clears her throat, "not telling me was the safer thing to do, why are you telling me now? What changed?"

She doubts me. "Because things are spinning out of my control." Harry sighs. "Until recently Marga was just having fun with what she calls a game of power. Laughing at your despair, keeping me under her thumb, insisting on these parties, making me stay with Cho. All of it was and still is some kind of entertainment to her… and as long as things stayed like this I was comfortable in my position. But after the cellar she got restless. She's sure I'm on her side, but she can't really tell because there's no way of her interfering in our connection, there's no way of her ending this bond we have and that angers her. She's the Wicked One and she needs us to be apart, however, suddenly, keeping my distance from you is not enough for her anymore." He inhales deeply, Hermione is paying attention to his words, her arms crossed in front of her. "She wants you dead. As fast as possible." Hermione snorts. "But she wants to keep her hands clean, my name and Cho's also. So, she saw Azkaban as a chance to do it."

Hermione shakes her head. "What happened there, Harry? Because she almost succeeded." Her eyes are sharp now, memories of what she went through inside the place probably coming back to her. "What was your part in all of it?" He closes his eyes. "Did you lie to me about the Dementors? How did Marga know I was going there?"

"No!" He exclaims, a little angry. "I showed you everything, Hermione. I didn't lie, but…" How am I going to explain this? "Before I explain I have to tell you what happened after the cellar."

Potter Manor

After the wine cellar

He stops by the closed door as he feels Hermione apparating away. Cho is coming from the living area and the last thing he wants is to talk or even look at her. His chest is heavy and he feels like suffocating. What have I just done? She still loves me. He wasn't expecting Hermione to say those things, it caught him by surprise how she opened up and practically begged for him to go back to her. He sets his jaw, anger bubbling inside his chest.

"Harry!" Cho calls, getting closer. "You can't leave me like that-"

"I don't fucking care!" He spats at her, breathing heavily.

She sneers. "Oh, you do. Believe me." She grabs his arm, her nails digging into his skin. "Marga will be furious and I won't accept this kind of thing! They hexed me, Harry! Do you think that's okay? Do you think I'm ignoring that something obviously happened between you and Granger?" She clicks her tongue. "I'm way smarter than this and you should know that by now."

"Get your hand off me." He's aware of how much threat his voice carries, but he can't find inside himself enough energy to care. Cho releases him and they stay put, measuring each other. "You won't tell Marga a thing."

"I already did."

He purses his lips and as if sensing his words Marga is there in a blink.

"Harry. We need to talk."

Harry tries calming his heart and shutting down his thoughts as he follows the old lady to his study. He wasn't expecting to see Marga so soon after what he shared with Hermione inside the cellar, but he needs to keep his emotions checked, or else… if she burns his scar now, he knows she won't go easy on him and he has no idea of what the consequences might be. And he isn't wrong, the moment he steps inside she's coming to him, her hand raised and before he can even register it, she's indeed burning his scar. Closing his eyes he grits his teeth, taking it as bravely as possible.

As dark thoughts and lies fill his head, he tries thinking about Hermione. About what they shared inside the cellar, about the way she told him she loved him. He grunts, it hurts like hell. But he keeps fighting Marga's influence, he keeps the darkness she's filling him with at bay. Then she finally steps back and he opens his eyes. He's aware of what she wants to see and he gives it to her.

"Thank you for showing me the truth." He says as automatically as possible. "She tried to trick me with her words and lies, but with your guidance I will never fall for that again." He bows his head a little and Marga opens a nasty smile. Good. As long as she buys his act, things should be fine.

"Tell me about what you talked." It's not a request, it's an order. One he can't disobey.

"She slept for most of the time. As we know she's carrying Jack's child and she gets tired-"

"Whatever." Marga waves her hand. "Go on."

Harry doesn't react, but his blood is boiling, he can't shake a terrible feeling about this. "She talked about her coma. Tried to convince me she would have done anything to save me from Azkaban." Marga snorts.

"And you believed her?"

"Of course not. I can see right through her lies. She wanted me to rot inside that place…"

"Exactly, it was the only way she could be with Lily and Laura all to herself. You haven't forgot how she prohibited you from seeing your own daughters, have you?" He shakes his head in answer. "Good. Don't forget, Harry. She's smart and she'll try to manipulate you again." She tilts her head, her sharp eyes on him. "What else?"

"I talked about Azkaban. About the Dementors. I know I shouldn't have-"

"No," Marga raises a hand, one eyebrow going up. "It's actually perfect."

Then she opens the one smile Harry fears the most. She looks satisfied and he can't help a shiver down his spine.

"She'll probably want to check Azkaban herself. And you'll be with her."

"As you wish. May I ask why?"

"I'll need you there to oversee things." Marga walks around, the smile still playing on her lips. "Hermione has become a terrible inconvenience. She's Minister and she's far too bright for my liking. I don't see why we shouldn't terminate her."

He discreetly gulps. Fuck. "You're right. It's past the time we get rid of her."

Marga narrows her eyes at him. Did I accept it too easily? "Look, Harry, I know something physical might have happened between you two inside that cellar, but I really don't care. You're both attractive adults. But I'm glad whatever she did to seduce you wasn't enough to erase everything I taught you." Sure. "I'll let you know of the plan in a few days."

Inside the dream

"I was supposed to help them." He says through gritted teeth.

Hermione exhales heavily. "What were the consequences for saving me?" He raises his eyes to her. She's looking deadly serious. He opens his mouth but the words don't come out. Marga burned him again and- "Because I swear. She's paying for everything she did to you. To us." She comes closer now, her hands on his neck and they gaze into each other's eyes. "You saved me at the party too, didn't you?" He nods. Marga wanted him to corner Hermione in a room at the end of the party, someone was supposed to kidnap her. And then finish her. But it wasn't something so certain as the Azkaban thing, that's why Marga hadn't lashed out on him. Yet, at least. Hermione sighs. "We'll find a way out of this. We will." She kisses him gently and then brings his head down, her lips finding his scar, kissing it with tenderness. "She'll regret the day she decided to mess with our family."

He hugs her, his fingers digging into her flesh, his face buried in her neck. Hermione tries reassuring him with a caress on his short hair, their hearts beating as one. Her arms are like a balm to him, he feels safer, stronger and ready to face anything. Refreshed. He leans back and his hand steer her face to his, their lips coming together gently. Their brief kisses a way of showing how much they love each other. "What do we do now, Harry?"

He sighs and still holding her closely, he says, "You have the Elder Wand and the Cloak. Keep them safe. I'll keep doing what she asks of me and I'll warn you if things get too dangerous. We need to find the bottom half."

She nods and moves away from him. He knows he shouldn't see too much into it, but every time she puts some distance between them he wants to bring her back to his arms. Knowing Hermione he knows it will take some time until she can be totally at peace with what he's done. Again. He doesn't want to consider it, but she told him, in what seems a million years ago, that she didn't think she would be able to forgive him for taking Lily and breaking their family all those years ago. He doesn't know if that changed, but he's sure that right now she hadn't forgiven him yet for not coming clean with this whole charade. Regardless his motives.

"I want to know who she is. What are her motivations." She's looking down, thinking. "And we need to keep exploring our connection. It's stronger than ever and we shouldn't waste this opportunity." He agrees and waits for her to continue, he can see her hesitation and when she talks he understands why. "I think there's a way to discover more about it… do you remember those parchments Luna gave me? Written in that insufferable runic? Well… Killian is an expert, I think he might be able to translate it." Harry grits his teeth, but opens a forced smile.

"It would be great. We need all the help we can get." Do you like him? He refrains himself from asking, but the doubt burns at the back of his head. And deep down he knows the answer. It's one he doesn't particularly like. "But… can you trust him?"

She raises her eyebrows. "I think a simple translation isn't that compromising."

"Well, I'm just saying because he was at the party. He helped you steal the cloak." He didn't intent his voice to be this harsh. She purses her lips.

"I did what I had to."

"Yeah, I'm sure hugging him in the hospital was a necessity too." He bites his tongue, trying to stop.

"Oh, no, you don't have the right! Not now that you're practically married to Cho Chang!" She spats. "I had to watch you with her everywhere and-" She takes a deep breath. "Look, I don't want to fight over this, Killian is a good guy and he's willing to help-"

"I'm sure he is." He raises his hands. "Fine! Sorry. It's just maddening to think that he's with you while I can't."

She snorts. "How do you think I feel? It's the same with Chang and you." Please don't ask- "Are you two… I mean… do you behave like an actual couple even when no one is watching?" He can see the effort she makes just to ask the question. He sighs. He won't lie to her.

"I have to." He purses his lips when she turns around, her arms crossed. "Hermione-"

"No. It's okay." Her tone indicates it's clearly not. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." A silence stretches while he watches her walking around, her head down and her lips pressed together. Then she steers their conversation back to their connection.

"I'm feeling more powerful. It's a little crazy how much." She says to him. "I was thinking… If I was able to borrow your combat abilities, what else can we take from the other? I mean, have you tried to take my animagus skills?"

"We can take anything from the other. And no, I haven't tried because I wanted to have your permission first." She almost opens a little smile. Almost. She's angry because of Cho.

"You have it." He nods. "Harry, how do you know so much about our connection?"

He stiffens. He was prepared to talk about their encounters and Cho Chang, but not so much about what Marga does to him and how it affects him. In reality he's afraid of what it might mean. He can lie to her, give a generic answer… no. Harry lowers his head. "Whenever Marga burns my scar she gives me some of herself."

Hermione opens her mouth, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think she knows she's doing it, but somehow I sucked information out of her… She's the one who knows a lot about this connection, not necessarily ours, but she studied it all her life. The idea to bound our magics I got from her, the same as the dreams and how to deepen it."

"Don't you think she might be tricking you?"

"No. Like I said, I don't think she realizes she's giving me knowledge…" He shrugs.

"What is it you're not telling me?"

He widens his eyes and then he chuckles humorlessly. "It's just an irrational fear."

"Tell me." She says softly, but still keeping her distance from him.

"I fear she might- what if when she does this she's putting a piece of herself inside me? And the knowledge is just a side effect she isn't aware of?" It's strange to say it aloud, something so personal that has been hammering inside his head for a long time now. "I mean, Voldemort did it."

Hermione shakes her head. "Voldemort created an accidental horcrux, Harry. I don't think this has anything to do with it." He's not so sure and she senses his doubt. Hermione finally approaches him again, her eyes soft, and her hands caressing his arms, her fingers intertwining with his. She opens a shy smile. "Sit with me." She pulls him to the couch and settles herself on his lap, her eyes memorizing his face. She gently kisses his scar again and then his temple, her arms around his neck.

Harry feels lighter. Better. Sighing, he puts one hand above her belly and smiles. Just by looking at her you can't tell she's pregnant, but he can feel it with his hand, the little bump. He kisses her collar bone gently. They stay there, cuddling in a way, marveling at the mundane aspect of holding the person you love in your arms. "I'm excited we're having a boy." He says.

"Huuum," She mumbles against his neck. "Me too. It will be new territory for us." She kisses his cheek. "We'll find a way to overcome this, Harry. I know we'll." He wants to believe her, desperately. "I feel like I'm waking up…" She looks at him and indeed, she's fading away. Hermione hugs him tightly, kissing him one last time. "I love you." She says before vanishing.

Harry stays there. Alone. The Forest of Dean comforting around him. There's so much they hadn't talked about yet… Marga's impatience and the way she said they don't have time, the same as the part Jack is playing in all of this. Hermione said he was helping her, but Harry doesn't buy it, there's something more there. Not to mention Killian. He grunts. He can't tell if he's just jealous of the man, but the timing of his arrival is suspicious. How they met anyway? That's something he needs to ask Hermione.

But for now he's glad they were able to do this. To share everything.

We'll find a way, love. I know we'll.