All characters are property of JK Rowling and I do not make a profit from this story.

Beta: Roman's Sundial

Chapter Forty-Eight: Archie

Draco Malfoy – Present Day

December 6, 2000

Draco apparated outside of Hermione's shared cottage with Ron. He had plans to have dinner with her today, but she wasn't answering his galleon message. Concerned, he apparated to her cottage and was about to knock on the door, when he saw Ron apparate near him, carrying a very bloody Hermione.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled, helping Ron carry her inside the cottage. "What happened?" he asked Ron.

"It was Sectumsempra," replied Ron. "Should I get Madam Pomfrey?"

"No need," said Draco, lying Hermione down, taking his wand out, and getting to work.

"How do you know the counter-curse?" Ron asked him.

"I was attacked by this spell before and Snape used it on me." He hated for the wound to close up, then he lifted Hermione's head. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Fine," she said slowly, sitting up. "Thank goodness you were here!"

"Always," he replied. He noticed the look on Ron's face and had to stifle a laugh; wasn't he over Hermione? There's no way he could be jealous. "What happened?" he asked her.

"We were investigating something and I got attacked."

"Investigating what? Attacked by who?"

"Order stuff," said Ron smugly. "We can't tell you."

"If someone is attacking my fiancée, Weasel, then I don't care about any stupid Order!"

"She isn't your fiancée, Malfoy; not for real!"

"Don't tell me you're jealous, Weasel!"

"Enough!" said Hermione. "It's fine, Draco."

"No, it isn't! Who attacked you?"

"Why should we tell you?" yelled Ron. "So you can go and tell your Death Eater friends?"

"Ronald!" Hermione warned. She then turned to Draco with a soft gaze. "Draco, you know I can't tell you these things…"

"Oh, so I can help with matters when it involves needing inside information, but that's the only time I'm good enough to know things, is it?"

"Insider information?" Hermione frowned.

"You know what I mean, Hermione! What kind of relationship is this? You're going to keep things from me?"

"It's not a real relationship!" snapped Ron.

"Ronald!" Hermione said threatening. "Draco, you know the parameters on the Order; this isn't my decision!"

"Yeah, I get it, Hermione. Whatever; let me know when you need your wounds healed again."

"Draco, wait!" But he didn't; he walked out of the cottage and apparated to Malfoy Manor. He walked into the Manor and slammed the front door shut behind him in anger.

"Draco?" came his mother's voice.

"Sorry," he mumbled, heading up to his room.

"Draco, what's the matter?"

"It's Hermione!" he shouted. He knew better than to discuss his relationship with her in front of his mother, but at this point he was so angry that he just let it out. "I'm good enough when they have questions about Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, I'm good enough to heal wounds from dark magic, and to help them figure out who casted the Dark Mark back at the forest. But when I ask a question, I'm not allowed to know anything! Oh, sorry Draco, but the Order doesn't allow me… Well, screw your bloody Order!"

"Draco, it is time to put an end to this silly charade."

"How? Umbridge is on us for proof still; I can't just break up with someone they think I'm betrothed to."

"When will this be over?"

"I honestly have no idea, but until they drop their guard, I need to stay with her."

Narcissa paced back and forth. "When is this hearing again?"

"The twenty-second; I'm working on getting the Grangers here to testify. If they agree, you need to tell them what to say, mum. I know you don't like any of them, but you must!"

"I know Draco, your safety comes first. Once this hearing is over, however, I am putting an end to all of this."

"How?"

"Don't you worry about that; leave it to me."

Draco nodded. "I'm going up to my room for a bit." He had just walked into his room, however, when he saw a tiny owl fluttering at his window. "Pig," he said annoyed, letting the hyper bird in. He removed the letter with difficulty from Pig's leg as he was flying around excitedly, and sat at his desk and began to read the letter from Hermione:

Draco, I know you're mad and I'm sorry; I'm not intentionally trying to hurt you. You know that there are charms and hexes placed upon the Order that prevents any member from speaking to a non-member. Ron and I were on a mission to investigate someone who has not been on anyone's radar as of yet, and it turns out our suspicions were right since that person (let's call him Bob) attacked me. "Bob" is not a known Death Eater nor an offender of any sort. Since we know that the spell he used was created by Snape, that means he must have known Snape personally; Snape wouldn't have given that spell to just anyone. If he wasn't a Death Eater, then he must have been "good" at some point since we know that Snape was on our side. You knew him well, Draco, I could really use your help.

xx Hermione

Draco frowned at the letter. He knew it really wasn't her fault, but that didn't make him any less angry. Grabbing a fresh piece of parchment from his desk, he replied:

I get it, but considering all the knowledge I do have, you would think that the Order would consider me an asset. I can't tell you much about Snape; there are still curses on the previous Death Eaters as well.

Draco

He attached the letter to Pig and watched him fly off, knowing that what he wrote was a lie but also not caring.

Harry Potter – Present Day

December 16, 2000

Harry walked into the hospital room at St. Mungo's and towards the witch that was laying in the furthest bed.

"Harry!" she said weakly, but happily nonetheless.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said in reply, approaching her and giving her a small hug. "It is so good to see you awake finally; Healer Martus said that you only woke up last night."

"Harry, it's Molly, remember?"

"Right, sorry."

She smiled at him. "I did only wake up last night, but it was long enough ago to have been informed of everything that has happened."

"I'm sorry, Molly," Harry started, but Molly cut him off.

"You did nothing wrong, Dear; I should be the one saying sorry."

"But you didn't do anything, either."

"I treated you badly and all you have done is love my daughter. You have my sincerest apologies."

Harry nodded. "So, how are you holding up?"

Molly shrugged. "Physically I am very weak, but Healer Martus said that now that I am awake I will grow stronger every day."

"That's great!"

"Emotionally, Harry, I imagine I am just like you. We've both had a huge loss." Harry said nothing as he watched Molly fight back her tears. "I understand why I couldn't have attended Arthur's funeral of course, but it still hurts to know that I wasn't… I couldn't…"

Harry handed her a tissue. "It was a beautiful ceremony; he would have liked it."

"I reckon he would have. Andromeda was here when I woke yesterday. I don't know how she does it everyday, Harry, living without her beloved Ted. But I suppose we have to go on, right?"

"She had to be strong for Teddy. And you have to for your kids, Molly, and grandkids."

Molly smiled. "Victoire, and… Do we know what she had?"

"A boy," Harry replied. "Archie Harry Potter."

"Archie," Molly said slowly. "How fitting." Harry said nothing; he really did not know what to say. "Have you seen her yet?"

"No," Harry answered honestly. "It's too hard."

"I know, Dear," Molly said, reaching for his hand. "But she needs you now more than ever."

"Do you think she can hear me?" Harry asked her.

"I didn't; but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try anyway."

"Okay. I'm glad that you're awake, Molly."

"She will wake soon too, Harry; Ginevra is a fighter."

"She definitely is!"

"You know, there has been enough sadness to last us a lifetime. Once everyone is out of this hospital, I think I'll organize you two an engagement party."

"What? Molly I don't think that-"

"Please, Harry? I could really use a distraction."

"Okay." Harry didn't know what else to say to her. "I'm gonna go see her now, then."

"Yes, of course, Dear; please send her my love."

"I will." Taking a deep breath, Harry walked out of Molly's hospital room and headed towards Ginny's for the first time.

Ginny Weasley – Present Day

December 16, 2000

"H-Harry?" Ginny tried to sit up but she had such a pounding headache that she could barely lift her head.

"Ginny! You're awake!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "Let me someone Healer Martus." Ginny watched him use his wand to tap on a red mark on the wall and knew that it would signal for the Healer.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"You – You don't remember?"

Ginny thought for awhile. She remembered a flash and watched her mother fall… "Merlin, Mum!"

"She's alright," Harry said quickly. "She's in another room here at the hospital but she's awake and she's going to be just fine."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Did we lose anyone else? How long have I been asleep? Did you find Dad? Has Grindelwald been caught?"

"Ginny, it's been a few weeks since you've woken and-"

"HARRY!" she yelled, suddenly. She had reached down to rub her stomach as she normally did to feel her baby, when she realized that she was no longer pregnant. "Harry, where's our baby?" she looked around the room for a bassinet of some sort but didn't see one. Panicked, she asked him again. "Where is our baby, Harry?"

"Ginny, the curse you were hit with caused you to go into early labor. The Healers had to deliver the baby while you were unconscious."

Ginny sighed a breath of relief. Clearly, since so much time had probably elapsed, her baby must have already been discharged and is currently at the Burrow with one of her relatives. "I can't wait to see her? Or him? Harry, what did we have?"

"A boy," Harry said quietly.

"Archie!" she squealed.

"Archie," Harry confirmed.

Ginny couldn't help grinning like an idiot. "Dad must be so excited! How is he?" But the look on Ginny's face told her exactly what she feared. "He… He didn't make it, did he?" she whispered.

Harry slowly shook his head no. "He was ambushed. The security meeting that he was supposed to have was a trap. Grindelwald wanted to get to the Burrow and they knew the only way would be to take down the secret-keeper…"

Ginny laid her head back and held her tears. "So, Grindelwald killed Dad." It wasn't a question, and so Harry never said anything. "It's my fault," she said suddenly.

"What? How?" Harry asked confused.

"Gloria," she responded. "Gloria didn't do what Grindelwald wanted and so he attacked my family, just like he said he would. Harry, where is Archie? He needs extra protection! I need to get out of here," she said, trying to stand.

"Ginny, stop!" Harry said, restraining her to the bed. "You just woke up, you can't go anywhere!"

"My son needs me, Harry!"

"No, he doesn't!"

"Yes he does! I know my family is probably with him, but he needs us, Harry, his parents! We need to go protect him… NOW!"

"Ginny…"

At that moment, however, Healer Martus had walked in. "Ms. Granger, sit down! What on earth are you doing?"

"Healer Martus, thank you for your care, really, but I must be going now, my son needs me!"

Ginny saw Healer Martus give Harry a weird look, and she heard Harry whisper to him, "I'll deal with it; can we have a moment?" Healer Martus left the room without a word and Ginny was getting angry.

"What the bloody hell is going on, Harry?" she demanded of him, sheer anger on her face.

"Ginny, if you can just sit down for a moment."

"No, I will not! What is wrong with you? Our son needs us! What is so darn important that you won't let me go to him?"

"Ginny…" But Harry had stopped trying to restrain her. He took a seat next to her bed and put his face in his hands. Ginny was almost certain that Harry was crying.

"Harry," she said, but more softly this time. "What's going on?"

He lifted his face and turned to her, and sure enough, he was crying. "When you got hit, Gin, you took the blast right in the stomach. They delivered Archie but he wasn't ready…"

"No…" she started, sitting back down on the bed slowly. "No, Harry…"

"Archie didn't make it, Ginny," Harry said finally, in nothing more than a whisper. That was all that Ginny could handle. She collapsed back on the bed and allowed the tears to pour out of her eyes, as she placed her hand on her now ghostly baby bump. She and Harry sat side by side in silence, other than the crying, for what felt like hours. Finally, she found the courage to speak again.

"Where is he buried?" she asked him, fighting through her tears. At this point, Harry had stopped crying. He obviously had more time to grieve than her.

"Godric's Hollow; right next to my parents. I thought that they could look after him for us…"

"Was there a ceremony?"

"Only a small one. It was me, Remus, and Ron only. I thought it wrong to have a proper funeral without his mother."

Ginny nodded slowly. "He will get one," said said firmly.

"I agree."

"Did you… Did you…" she took a deep breath and tried again. "Did you get to hold him?"

"Not alive," Harry answered, starting to cry again. "You were taken into an emergency room right away where they delivered him. Healer Martus said that he was only alive for three minutes, but never conscious. He promised me that Archie didn't suffer. Once you were stable and out of there, he placed him in my arms. He was gone, but I still told him how much we loved him Gin, I promise; he knows how much we love him." Harry reached over and hugged her, and the pair cried together for a very long time. Grindelwald had killed her son… Grindelwald had killed her father… Her tears stopped falling as her anger kicked in.

"The Order isn't going to stop him, Harry, we are; and I am going to love being the one to kill him."

Orion Black – The Past

November 3, 1981

It was well into the night when Orion heard the knock at his door. He wasn't concern of course, since his house was well protected and only someone that he had allowed to visit the house in the past, had the ability to come and visit it now. He opened the door and was surprised to find his old friend Roland McNair.

"McNair," he said, opening the door wider. "Do come in."

"Thank you, Black," he replied, stepping inside and removing his cloak.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say pleasure," McNair replied. "Your wife is in bed?"

"Naturally, at this hour."

McNair nodded. "Might I have a drink?"

Orion led McNair to the kitchen and had Kreacher bring them both a cup of firewhiskey. "What is this about?" he finally asked his friend.

"You've heard, of course, of the Dark Lord's fall?" McNair asked him.

"Of course; what a shame."

"And his followers?"

"I would assume that they are still doing as he would have wanted; I know my Regulus is."

McNair wiped a bit of sweat off of his forehead. "You know my boy serves too, don't you?"

"Walden, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A little older than your Regulus, but they run in the same group. He, uh, he heard some stuff."

"About Sirius I presume?" asked Orion, annoyed.

Sirius?" replied McNair. "Isn't he in Azkaban?"

"He is."

"I didn't know he was working for the Dark Lord as well."

"He was not."

"But he led the Potters right to him!"

"Don't be fooled, McNair; my son clearly had another motive. I can assure you that it was not on the Dark Lord's orders, which is why I have asked for him to be killed in Azkaban."

"You'd be without an heir if you did that, Black."

"I have Regulus and I already have a family lined up for him."

"See, that's why I'm here. I told you, Walden has heard things…"

"What things?" Orion asked, intrigued.

McNair sighed. "Orion, the Dark Lord himself ordered Walden to kill Regulus."

Orion froze momentarily. "The Dark Lord is gone now, McNair. Ask your boy to step back; whatever it is that Regulus has done, I shall handle it."

"Orion, the order was set by the Dark Lord months ago…"

"Was it carried out?" asked Orion quietly, staring at his glass.

"Come on, Black, you know they can't say no to the Dark Lord."

"Very well," said Orion, after a brief moment of silence. "If you'll kindly see yourself out, I must go inform my wife."

"Y-You won't hurt my boy, will you?"

Orion studied McNair's face. "I have no reason to, Roland. Thank you for your information. Might you know where I can recover my son's body?"

McNair shook his head no. "Walden was told to destroy it," he responded sadly.

"Thank you for your time, Roland," he said, standing up and indicating that it was time for McNair to leave. The pair walked to the front door in silence and Orion held the door open. Once McNair was over the threshold, Orion called out to him. "McNair," he said, as McNair turned around to face him. "I understand that your son was following orders and so I will let him be, but my last heir is gone and something must be done about that."

"Orion, what do you mean?"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Author's Notes: There you have it, the second death (and the answer as to why Ginny's pregnancy wasn't matching up to Rowling's timeline) As a mom, this was tough to write. My son was conceived through fertility since I cannot get pregnant naturally and children from fertility have a higher chance of being a still born or miscarriage so this was something that could have been a reality for me and even though this story is fiction, it was still tough to write.

We are going to be moving on to some things.. Grindelwald is still going to be in the front of course, but we will see some more Remus/Tonks, we will learn about Jessica and Neville (and Amelia), we are going to find out what's going on with the muggle who was Abracadabra'd.. And we are going to get into some present day Dursley's! Sit tight for the next few chapters!

Keep reviewing; you know I love them!

Thanks as always! xx