Disclaimer: I own nothing… blah blah blah… J.K. Rowling does… blah blah blah…

A/N: Oh, well I don't know why I keep on writing 'author's notes', it seems like nobody reads them. But I enjoy writing something about the chapter, so I'm sorry but you'll have to put up with them! I wanted to tell you that since this moment I've raised my rating, now it is T (you know teen-pregnancy and stuff like that…). Anyway I hope that you'll all like this chapter, is not one of my favourite, but it's of necessary, anyway I like the cliffy end…

To flyingthoroughbred: Thank you so much for beta-reading my chapter, I don't know what I would have done without you!

London Hospital

'Pop'.

Mrs. Granger brought her hand to her heart, let go the plate that she was drying, and it crashed against the floor. "Oh my God, Ron dear, you should tell me when you are going to – what was that word – Appartate?"

"Apparate."

"Exactly, thank you. You should tell me that you are going to do that thing in front of me in my kitchen," she said, picking up the pieces of the plate.

"I'm really sorry Mrs. Granger. But it's an emergency."

"What? Has something happened to Hermione?" asked Mrs. Granger, alarmed.

"Even if it was, I couldn't know it," he said bitterly.

Mrs. Granger sighed. "You are right, darling. But then, what is the emergency that you are talking about?"

Ron unexpectedly smiled. "We have found a cure for Hermione, Mrs. Granger."

Mrs. Granger looked at him, her face pale. "You are lying; aren't you?" she asked softly.

Ron shook his head. "We have found a book – well Malfoy found it – where there are the-"

"Malfoy? I'm sure I've heard that name before," she said absently minded.

"I bet you have. He was one of the – hem – best students in Hogwarts. Hermione must have told you that. And now he is very crucial in the war against You-Know-Who. Anyway, these things are not important," Ron wasn't really comfortable saying nice things about Malfoy, "He knew about a book that can cure all kind of disease, Muggle diseases too. She will be fine, Mrs. Granger; aren't you happy?"

While Ron was talking, Mrs. Granger went towards the table in the kitchen and sat down. Ron followed her.

"Oh course I'm happy, but Ron, dear, we both know that she won't let you do that." A silent tear dropped down her cheek.

"That's why I came here," he said seriously.

Mrs. Granger looked at him. "What? Why? I don't understand-"

Ron put a hand on her shoulder. "I need my daughter."

Mrs. Granger wiped away her tears and nodded. "She is in her bedroom."

Ron nodded back and went towards the stairs.

Lilian's bedroom was the last one on the right. Ron remembered that it was the bedroom where the Grangers put him when he came to visit Hermione in their 6th year.

Knock. Knock.

"Go away," said a voice behind the door.

Knock. Knock.

"I said go away. I don't wanna eat or anything else."

Knock. "Lilian?"

There was a long silence. Lilian knew that that voice was neither her grandmother nor her grandfather.

"Lilian, will you let me in?"

Lilian got up from the bed she was laying on and went towards the door.

"What do you want?" she asked, without opening the door.

"If you let me in, I'm gonna tell you why I'm here," said Ron softly.

Ron heard the release of the lock and the door opened.

When he entered, he saw that the windows were all obscured and that the room was a kind of mess. Lilian went sitting on her bed and put her arms around her knees.

"Can I sit down?" asked Ron, moving some clothes out of the way.

Lilian nodded. He sat down next to her.

"I need your help," he stated, looking her in her eyes.

"Why?" she asked, taken aback.

"Because you want the same thing that I want."

"And what would that be?"

"Your mum."

Lilian's eyes filled with tears. "She doesn't want to see me anymore; I think that she hates me."

Ron panicked; thirteen nephews and he still didn't know how to behave in these cases.

But then he heard a voice that sounded exactly like Hermione's. It was saying that he had to hug her.

Without thinking twice he moved towards her and he hugged her tight. Lilian started to cry and hugged her father back. Ron put a hand on her head and caressed her hair. In that very moment, he felt a wonderful sensation: he had his daughter in his arms and was going to save the girl that he had loved for so many years.

Slowly Lilian's cry faded away, but Ron didn't let her go. He would have stayed there forever. But after a while Lilian pushed him gently and wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Ron.

Lilian nodded, "What were you talking about? What do you need me for?"

Ron became serious again, "We have found the way to cure your mum."

Lilian looked at him; she smiled but then she said bitterly, "She won't let you cure her."

"That's why I need your help. We are going to the hospital, and we are going to collect her, right now."

"Didn't you forget something, Dad?" (Ron's heart jumped when she called him 'dad') "We cannot go into the hospital room; mum doesn't want to see anybody except Grandma and Grandpa."

"And didn't you forget something, Darling? I am a wizard."

Lilian smiled. Yes she had forgotten it. What was wrong with her? She had passed a year doing magic, and now she didn't even remember that her dad was a very important wizard.

She jumped down from her bed and went towards a cupboard; she opened it, and took out her wand. She cleaned it on a sweater and came back to the bed smiling.

"What do you think you are going to do with that?" asked Ron, smiling.

"I'm preparing myself," she said seriously.

"Well, you won't need it." He nodded towards the wand.

"Why? You said that we were going to use magic, and-"

"No, I said that I am a wizard and so I am going to use magic," he said, stressing the 'I', " You are an underage witch; you cannot use magic outside Hogwarts. Your mum will kill me if she finds out that I let you use magic outside of school."

Lilian snorted, but put her wand away.

"Then what do you need me for?" she asked, sitting again on her bed next to her father.

"We are going to convince Hermione to let us cure her. You just have to go there and do what you do everyday."

"Cry for her?" she asked bitterly.

Ron nodded. "She has to see how important she is to us. She thinks that after what she did, I mean the fact that she went away from me and left a father without his daughter and a daughter without her father, well, she thought she acted for the best, but now she is not thinking about it anymore."

Lilian nodded. "I'm not angry with her for what she did," she said.

"I'm not angry either. But she just feels that it's all her fault. We have to go there and let her know how important she is for us, and that we aren't angry with her."

"I'll do all I can, but then she will be fine?"

"She will. We have found a potion that will cure her completely."

"But-"

"Yes, I know what you are going to say, but Dumbledore agrees with us."

"Us?"

"Professor Potter, I and – hem – Draco Malfoy."

"Malfoy? I've read that name somewhere – yes! It was on a target. He attended Hogwarts, loads of years ago."

"Well, he attended Hogwarts, and he was a Slytherin, but not so many years ago: he was in my and your mum's year."

"Slytherins…..were you friends?"

"Hmm, well – I – not really, but – well – we are not enemies – now."

"It's not very reassuring, is it?"

"No I don't think so, but it's the last chance that we have."

Lilian nodded.

"So, do you think that we can go now?"

"Yes, I'm ready. Will we Apparate there, or will we use Floo Powder?"

"I think that we can walk there," said Ron, getting up from the bed.

Lilian looked a little bit deluded. "Why? It would be easier and faster."

"Lilian, your mother won't like it if we Apparate into her bedroom."

Lilian nodded again and snorted. Then looked at her father. "Dad, can you go out, please?"

"Why?" asked Ron absent-mindedly.

"I have to change my clothes," she said blushing.

"Oh, yes, of course," he answered, blushing too, "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

He went out of her room and reached Mrs. Granger in the kitchen.

"We are leaving, Mrs. Granger."

She looked at him and nodded. "Oh, Ron, darling, tell me that she will be fine."

"She will."

"Swear it to me."

"I swear. Listen, I'll take her to a – hem – friend's house for the cure. I don't know how long it will take us to do it, but I'll never let her die."

At that very moment Lilian came down the stairs. Now that Ron looked at her in the light, he saw that she was very thin, too thin; she looked like she was ill herself.

"I don't really know what to say, except good luck, to you both."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Granger. I'll owl you whatever happens."

"Thank you," she said, hugging her granddaughter, and then she hugged Ron.

"Goodbye, Grandma."

"Goodbye, Lilian. Listen to your father and be a good girl, and-"

"Ok, Grandma, don't worry," she said, kissing her on the cheek.

Then she ran towards the door where Ron was waiting for her, and, before he closed it behind them, he looked at Mrs. Granger and smiled.

Ten seconds after, the door burst open and Lilian asked out of breath, "Grandma, in which room is mom?"

When they reached The London Hospital, Ron felt something like excitement growing inside him.

He was holding Lilian's hand and when he stopped they looked at each other.

"Ready?" asked Ron.

"Ready!" she answered compressing his hand.

"Excuse me Miss, where is room 510?" Ron asked politely to the first nurse that he met, the only problem was that she was running with a little bag of blood in her hands, so that she just screamed him back something very unkind.

"Dad, it's better if you let me talk next time," she said, guiding him to the receptionist.

"Excuse me?" she said to a young woman with long blond hair.

"Yes, darling? Do you need something?" She had a silly voice.

"Yes, can you tell me were 510 is?"

"Room 510?" she repeated checking a schedule, "Oh, I'm sorry darling but there is a note that says that the girl in the room 510 wants to see only her parents, and you don't seem so old," she said smiling.

"Oh, please, she is my mom," She said with puppy eyes.

"Oh, well, I don't think that I can let you in, darling, I will-"

"Petrificus Totalus."

The nurse stayed there motionless. Lilian looked at her father, who was putting away his wand.

"Dad, you can't do that. If somebody's coming, what will they think-"

Ron smiled, "Oh yes, you are your mother's daughter, indeed. Don't worry about her and search for Hermione's room on the schedule; when we know where we have to go, I'll break the spell."

Lilian looked at the schedule and read out loud, "Room 510, 3rd floor, 2nd building."

Ron took out his wand again and broke the spell.

"Thank you very much!" said Lilian going towards the door with Ron.

"Sure, darling, sure," she answered like she just woke up from a dream.

Ron and Lilian followed the signs for the 2nd building and then they took a lift to the 3rd floor.

On a big sign in front of them it was written: 'Bedrooms 501-530 (and an arrow indicated that they were at their left), Bedrooms 531-560 (and they were at their right).'

They turned left and started to count the bedrooms.

501.

502.

503.

Everywhere there were people without hair.

504.

505.

There were also many children.

506.

507.

508.

A doctor was talking to some people that were crying.

509.

510. Ron and Lilian stopped in front of white door. It was like all the other doors they have just passed by, but there was something different. Maybe it was just the name written in a small piece of paper outside the door.

It said 'Hermione Granger'.

"Do you think we should knock on the door?" asked Lilian.

"I don't know, what if we make her a surprise?" answered Ron, looking around. 'Doctors don't knock, I hope. I don't want her to suspect that it is not a doctor and start to scream,' he thought.

Lilian put her hand on the door handle and pushed it towards the floor. The door opened slowly.

There was just one bed in the room; it was on the left. On the wall in front of the door there was a big window; between the bed and the window there was a bedside table. Opposite of the bed there was a small wardrobe; next to it there was a chair. It was all white.

Hermione was lying on the bed, wearing white pajamas. She was awake, her head turned towards the window. When she heard the door opening, she checked the small clock on the bedside table.

"It's a little bit early for the daily visit, Doctor Bolton, isn't it?" she said feebly, without turning the head.

"Yes, I think it is," said Ron when the door closed behind them.

Hermione jerked her head towards the door and tried to sit up in the bed.

Ron and Lilian looked at her pale and haggard face. She must have lost weight, lots of weight. She searched with her skinned hands for the button for calling the nurse.

"No," screamed Ron running towards her and throwing the button away from her.

"I'll scream," she said shaking.

"No, wait," Ron put a hand gently on her mouth, "You have to listen to us, then if you want, you can scream, but before you do, you have to listen, ok?"

Hermione moved her eyes from Ron to Lilian. Lilian's eyes filled with tears. Hermione nodded.

Ron smiled and took away his hand.

"How did you find me? How did you enter here?" she asked quickly.

"I told you that you have to listen," said Ron smiling, "Anyway, your parents told us the number of the room and we arrived here with a little magic," he winked at Lilian.

"You haven't used magic outside Hogwarts, have you, Lilian?" asked Hermione seriously.

"Oh, stop caring about that, Mom," she said snorting, "What do you care if I use magic if you don't even want to see me?"

Hermione flushed: a thing that wasn't so bad because now she looked like she was a little bit more alive.

"I don't want you here because I think that you can do without seeing me in this state."

She showed them her arm covered with pricks and bruises.

"No," said Lilian raising her voice. Both Ron and Hermione looked at her.

"No," she repeated, "You just don't want to face the sadness that you think you will see in our eyes, but you don't think that you will feel the same sadness at the bottom of your heart if you stay here alone."

Lilian wasn't crying; she wasn't even screaming. She just stayed there watching her mother. Then after a while she shook her head and sat down on a white chair near the door.

Hermione was holding tight to the sheet in her hand. Ron, who had been next to the bed for all that time, sat down next to her and took her right hand in his.

"Hermione, we know how to cure you," he said softly.

"What are you talking about? I told you that-" but her sentence was interrupted by a cough.

"Hermione," he said when the cough faded away, "Listen. There is a book, it is about diseases and treatments. There are also Muggle diseases like cancer and – Hermione I think that you will be fine if you let us do what is needed."

"What kind of treatment is it?" she asked slowly.

Ron looked at her hopefully, but suddenly realized that he had to explain that her life was in Malfoy's hands.

"Well, a friend of ours," he said sweating, "Knew that there was a very interesting book in the Library of Hogwarts; there are all the treatments for all kind of mortal, Muggle diseases."

"What is it called?" she asked, trying to remember if she had read something like that when she was at Hogwarts.

"Something about 'How to Cure Wizards, Witches, etc.'," he said, avoiding her gaze, "'From all kinds of Mortal, Muggle Diseases.'"

Hermione closed her eyes mentally recalling all the books that she had read so far. "I've never heard about it. You said that it was in the Hogwarts Library, right?" she asked suspiciously, looking at Ron.

Ron nodded, suddenly very interesting in his and Hermione's hands, "Yes, but it is a new purchase. It arrived something like a couple of years ago."

Hermione nodded and moved away her hands from Ron's. Ron instinctively looked at her.

"What are you hiding from me, Ron?" she asked, looking in his eyes.

"N-nothing," he stammered.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What is the name of the 'friend of ours'?"

"I don't think that it is very important-"

"Ron," she said, putting her hand on his again and looking at him sweetly.

"Malfoy," he muttered.

"What?" asked Hermione, coming nearer to Ron.

"Malfoy," he muttered, raising his voice a little bit.

"Ron, I can't understand," she said, trying to pull him towards her.

"He said Malfoy, Mom," interrupted Lilian, annoyed.

Ron jerked his head towards his daughter and moved his lips to create the word 'No'.

But then he turned towards Hermione when he heard her laughter.

"Lilian, honey, you must have not understood it very well, it is quite impossible that Malfoy is – well – a friend of your father and of Harry," she laughed, "Right, Ron?"

Ron didn't look at her. "Well, really, s-she is not w-wrong," he stammered.

Hermione's laughs faded away and her mouth opened wide. "Are you joking?"

Ron shook his head and then smiled. "But guess what? He is working for Dumbledore. He is not a Death Eater like everybody thought. Isn't that good?"

Hermione was speechless. All she could breathe was 'Malfoy'.

"Yes, Malfoy, darling, isn't that funny? Your worst enemy when you were at school is going to save your life," he said hoping that Hermione would find it funny.

Hermione closed her mouth, "Are you telling me that you want me to go out of a hospital and put my life in Malfoy's hands?"

"Yes, Hermione, what do you think?" he said, smiling.

"I think that you are crazy," she said seriously.

"No, darling, look Harry has already stole- I mean, he has already borrowed the book from the Library. This morning when I got up, I saw the book on the table. It doesn't look like Dark stuff or anything," he lied, "It is simply a book and you know how much you love books, right?"

Hermione glared at him, "Do you think that I'm stupid, Ron?"

"Of course I don't, Hermione," he said quickly.

"Then why should I trust Malfoy?" she asked sharply.

"Because he has a debt with Harry and I and this was his way for thanking us. And Dumbledore agrees with us."

"He agrees about what?"

"About using that book for helping you. All we need is for you to say yes."

Hermione bit her lips. "He agrees?" she murmured.

Ron nodded.

"Come on, Mom," Lilian said, standing up from the chair and running towards the bed hugging both Hermione and Ron and putting her head in Hermione's lap.

Hermione and Ron caressed her hair and their hands met on Lilian's head. They looked into each other's eyes; a tear slipped down Hermione's cheek.

"Ok," she said, crying.

"What?" asked Ron while Lilian lifted her head.

"Ok, I'll do it," she repeated.

Lilian threw her arms around Hermione's neck and Ron did the same thing embracing both his daughter and his love.

They all could have stayed there for all their lives; they had what they had been waiting for all their lives. A family. A real family.

After several minutes they were snapped away from their thought when they heard a door opening near them and a male voice that was talking happily to somebody, "Nice day, Mrs. Tempton, isn't it?"

"It's Doctor Bolton," said Hermione alarmed, "You have to hide yourself under the bed, if he finds you here he will-"

But before she could finish the sentence, Ron had again embraced both Hermione and Lilian, and they all Disapparated.

With a loud 'pop' they all Apparated in Ron's old room at the Burrow.

Ron was holding Hermione in his right arm and Lilian in his left one.

"Wow," said Lilian, letting go of her father's arm, "Wow, that thing rocks."

Hermione moaned and brought a hand to her head.

Ron quickly leaned her on the bed that was his.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, worrying about her.

"I have felt better," she said, smiling weakly.

Ron smiled and turned his head towards Lilian. "Lilian, go down the stairs and look for your grandmother, ok?"

"Ok, Dad, but what does she look like?"

Ron sighed. "Stay here with your mum. I'll be right back."

Lilian nodded, and Hermione moaned again.

Ron Disapparated and Apparated in the kitchen.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley ran towards him, "Ron, Harry has just gone away. He left something for you and he was muttering something about Hermione. He looked really strange and-"

"Mum, Hermione is upstairs," he said interrupting her, "What did Harry leave for me?"

"What? Hermione's upstairs? How-"

"I have no time mum; she isn't feeling well. Where is the thing that Harry left me?"

Mrs. Weasley gave him a piece of parchment. Ron mentally read 'Piccadilly Circus 1052, London.' He turned it, Harry had written also a note on the back: 'Come as soon as possible.'

"Can I come upstairs and see her?" asked Mrs. Weasley, looking at Ron.

Ron looked back at her. "I need something from you, Mum."

Mrs. Weasley nodded in an I-will-do-anything way.

"I need you to look after Lilian for all the time that I and Hermione will be away," he told her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek of happiness and hugged Ron.

"Where is she?" she asked, wanting nothing more than to know her granddaughter.

"They are in my bedroom, let's go," he said and they both Disapparated.

When Mrs. Weasley Apparated in Ron's bedroom, she looked at the young little girl with red bushy hair and chocolaty eyes and couldn't help bringing her hands to her mouth. Then she spotted the bed where Hermione was laying and her eyes filled with tears.

"Mum it's not time to cry, now," said Ron sweetly, "Look," he nodded towards Lilian, "She is your granddaughter, Lilian; Lilian this is your grandmother, Molly."

"Very pleased to meet you, Grandmother," she said shyly, stretching out her hand.

Mrs. Weasley took her hand and pulled her granddaughter towards her and hugged her tight.

When she let Lilian go, she moved slowly towards Hermione and sat down on the bed, taking her hand.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, smiling feebly.

"Good morning, Hermione," she said sweetly, "Is there something in particular that you want to eat, when you get back?"

Hermione smiled. "I would like to eat your famous soup."

"You'll find a cauldron full of it," she smiled back at her.

Hermione coughed and moaned again.

"Hermione, you have to get up and come downstairs. Do you think that you can do that?" asked Ron, coming near to her.

"I don't know. Apparating made my feel worse," she said, trying to get up from the bed.

Ron helped her, putting his hand on her back. "We are going to use the stairs now."

When she put her feet on the floor she almost fell back, Ron made her sit down on the bed and passed an arm under her legs and another under her back, and he lifted her up. She was almost weightless.

Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione made their way down the stairs, and Lilian followed.

When they reached the living room, Ron laid Hermione down on the sofa.

"Mum, I need some Floo Powder," he said quickly.

"But, Ron, how she is supposed to use Floo Powder by herself? She is too weak," said Mrs. Weasley nervously while she was taking a little jar off the chimney.

"She is not going alone, Mum, we are going together," said Ron resolutely.

"Oh, Ron, but it is too dangerous."

"You said it, mum, she is too weak," he said, taking a big handful of Floo Powder.

"Take some more," said Mrs. Weasley scared.

Ron took so much powder that a lot of it fell on the carpet.

Then he and his mother helped Hermione stand up. He put his hand around her waist and held her tight. They slowly entered the chimney.

"Hermione," he called to her.

She looked at him.

"Hermione you have to say 'Piccadilly Circus 1052, London'. Ok?"

Hermione nodded. "Malfoy lives in Piccadilly Circus?" she asked feebly.

"I don't know, but that was the address that Harry left me," he said.

"I want to come with you," said Lilian from the living room.

"No, darling you can't," said Mrs. Weasley sweetly, " But I have to send lots of owls, and we can make a cake. What kind of cake do you like?"

Lilian didn't move her eyes from her parents.

"Go with Grandma Molly, darling. I assure you that she bakes wonderful cakes," said Hermione weakly.

"Yes, we'll be back very soon, Lilian," said Ron.

Lilian hugged them both and followed her grandmother into the kitchen without taking her eyes away from the chimney.

"Ready?" asked Ron.

"Ready," breathed Hermione.

"Piccadilly Circus 1052, London," they both said as clearly as they could with the Floo Powder that penetrated in theirs noses and mouths.

Green flames surrounded them and in a second they were going.