December 17, 1999

"Mmm!" Hermione's moans reverberated in the large room.

Draco's weight over her and his languid thrusts made her go crazy with need.

"Please! Harder, a-almost there!"

A few of Draco Malfoy's specially angled thrusts brought both of them to completion, making them scream with pleasure. Hermione's body, drenched in sweat, shivered in the cold morning air.

"Hmm, 'Mione. I love you," Draco mumbled softly into her hair, his face nestled in the crook of her neck, pressing soft kisses on her skin.

"Mione!"

...emotional range of a teaspoon... Leviosaa! You are a girl! Yule Ball...What? I am hungry! Fellytone...

Ron!

The sudden flashes made Hermione stiffen. Her eyes watered. She forgot that she was clinging on to Draco's shoulders like her life depended on it.

Feeling the sudden drop in her mood, Draco raised his face to look down at her, their noses touching.

"Hey, Hermione. What's wrong? Did I hurt you, baby?" Draco asked softly.

His voice brought Hermione back. "Huh? N-no, Draco, no...I-I just got overwhelmed I guess. It was intense." Hermione's cheeks turned pink.

Draco's laughter filled up the room. "Overwhelmed?! Hmm…Maybe I can bring out that delectable pink on your face again." With that, he thrust his hips in to her again.

"As much as I want you to continue your 'activities', our son will be up soon and he will be screaming for food!" Hermione stretched her arms above the head as Draco plopped on to the bed beside her. Giving out a huge yawn, he picked up his silk robe and walked to the bathroom. The water running in the other room gave Hermione some time to think.

Ron. Who was Ron now? Were Harry and Ron the same person? Mione? Did he call her Mione? Why di-

"Do you have any plans for today?" Draco's voice from the bathroom interrupted Hermione's thoughts.

"I don't th-No wait, Narcissa and I are going to Diagon Alley today to buy some presents. She was talking about buying some new clothes."

Draco's loud snort stopped her. Tying her robe around her, she leaned on the bathroom door and scowled at her husband, who was now shaving at the sink.

"What Draco? Is there something you want to tell me? Go on, say it!"

Draco's smile widened and soon he was snickering loudly. "Hermione, we all know about your love for shopping right? How you apparently love buying clothes and..."

"Oh, shut it! I can love shopping sometimes. I can shop for Scorp, ok?!"

Looking at her reflection on the mirror, Draco showed his perfect set of teeth and chirped, "Sure Mrs. Malfoy. Whatever you say." He finished his routine and turned to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Draco gave her a soft kiss.

"Be careful alright? There might be a huge crowd today. Stay with Mum and don't go off tinkering around in unknown shops. Off I go now, love. Have a nice day!" With a light smack on her bum, Draco left the bathroom and moved to the closet, leaving Hermione to shake her head and think. She would be careful alright.

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The Diagon Alley was unusually crowded today. Draco had been right.

With Diagon Alley being near to deserted almost all the time of the year under the new political regime, today the area was contrastingly vibrant and noisy with the folks delighting in the hustle and bustle of shopping for the nearing big day.

'Blimey! It's like I can't even hear myself think!' Hermione said to herself, a ghost of a smile lingering at the corner of her lips. She walked down the lane, a few steps behind Narcissa, who insisted that she walk in front and Hermione follow her obediently. Hermione didn't really mind.

She was mentally making notes on what to buy on Christmas for her family. Obviously, the new clothes were a monopoly for Narcissa; she would buy them according to her own liking. Hermione's suggestions were so not welcome and she had learnt that the hard way. Being shouted at, in a public store, was not something she looked forward to. She eventually gave up; tired of all the adding and crossing things off her mental checklist. She might as well focus on the things to buy for her son Scorpius.

As much as Narcissa and Lucius hated it, baby Scorpius loved the toys from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She bade Narcissa a quiet goodbye and hurried towards the joke shop. She would quickly buy some toys and get back to her baby who was currently under his 'Gampa's' watch and that worried Hermione immensely. At a year and 10 months old, Scorpius tried to put everything in his mouth, anything that appeared chewable to him. A loud yelp from Curly had attested to this fact; Scorp had once bitten the hand of the poor elf! The thing that actually worried Hermione was the fact that Lucius will happily and readily allow that to happen again.

As these thoughts flittered through her minds, Hermione quickly made her way to the flamboyant twins' shop. As usual, the place was full of hustle and bustle; young kids running around, parents buying presents. The counter had a long line, the shopkeepers working furiously to keep up with the demands of the holiday season.

'Just browse some toys, pay, and then get out.' She repeated the words in her head multiple times before finally entering the shop. The twins always gave Hermione weird looks whenever she visited; as if they knew something about her which she didn't, and with the revelations and startling flashes she had recently, she wasn't taking anything lightly. She quietly browsed through the many Weasley products, not willing to draw too much attention on herself. She was the wife of a renowned business man after all!

Browsing through the toys, she debated with herself over buying an Aviatomobile versus a Pygmy puff for Scorpius. She finally decided to buy both and turned around to make her way to the counter, only to find a red-haired pudgy elderly woman approaching her. Her face was pale and she looked quite shaken up; and Hermione instantly felt sorry for her. But before she could even open her mouth to say something, the woman spoke.

"Oh Hermione! It's you! Do you not recognise me? It's me dear! Molly, Ronald's Mom! Ron? Do you not remember Ron?!" She looked crestfallen as Hermione gaped at the woman wide-eyed. The young witch was pretty sure she was meeting this woman for the first time in her life!

Ron? Ronald? Ronald Weasley. Ronald.

"Oh what have they done to you? Oh my poor child!"

"I-I...I am sorry, bu-" Hermione began, but the woman continued her agonized wailing before one of the twins was soon by that strange woman's side. "Come on Mom. Let's go. Dad is waiting for you. Don't you have to prepare the special dinner tonight?"

The woman looked up to her son's eyes; bewilderment and anxiety clearly visible in her hazel orbs. She mumbled something incoherently in agreement and made her way to the exit, without paying a second glance towards Hermione. The red haired freckled man quickly turned around to mutter a quick apology, "Please forgive my mother Hermi-, I mean Mrs. Malfoy. George will see to your purchases." With that, he quickly followed his mom to escort her out safely.

Hermione's mind was swirling from all the things that happened in just a matter of few moments. The other twin, George was slowly making his way to her.

She didn't want to stay a second longer. Mumbling something about coming back later, she dashed out of the shop and apparated back to the Manor, not giving a second thought about leaving behind all the toys she had thought of buying for Scorpius.

She headed straight towards the master bedroom and shut the door behind her.

A sob escaped her. Then another.

Soon Hermione was crying with her hand over her chest; the weird happenings in her life, finally, taking a toll on her.

She slid down on the floor; thinking back to the events of the day. That woman, the strange looks, her mysteriously shrouded flashbacks only added to the constant nagging and probing of her inquisitive mind. Everything she did, everything she stood for, felt so wrong now.

These were not mere hallucinations after all, were they? These people had to be a part of her life; her past life as it seems...

Why didn't she remember them then? Why did she not remember anything?

Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Hermione stood up and glanced around her room. Their room. Draco and Hermione Malfoy's room.

Scorpius, their miracle, had been conceived in this room.

Was their marriage a lie? Was everything a lie?

The walls were adorned by their wedding pictures.

Oh, how happy she had been that day! Everything was so perfect. Her dress, the venue, the food, the music...and most importantly her heart felt right. Or maybe it had been too perfect?

And- and she saw the love in Draco's eyes. That was true love, wasn't it?

But then, what were all these thoughts screaming at her since she stumbled upon that box? She could not just ignore them. Especially after what happened today.

She had to find out the truth. And she knew just whom to approach.

The Weasleys.