6 Weeks Later

Draco winced softly as he came to his feet. The brace on his leg creaked as he shifted his weight. It had truly been an amazing stroke of luck that the curse had only caught him below the knee. It would heal in time, though he was warned of the limp that would develop should he not take the time to heal properly.

"Looks like you finally have a purpose for your father's cane." A light-hearted voice filled with mischief turned the blond's head to the bed beside him.

"Very funny, Weasley." Draco threw the twin a dirty look but it truly held no heat, "Already deciding which parlor trick yours is gonna have?"

Fred grinned back, so long now they'd shared bed space in the mass ward to care for the war victims he'd almost considered them cordial, "Yeah, spent the whole night designing little attachments, you know back scratcher, nose picker. Can't have too many nose pickers."

Draco made a face of disgust when the redhead pretended to stick his prosthetic hand up the side of his nose. He'd only lost part of his hand but the brace locked into his forearm for support. He didn't have to wear it, at least not if he didn't care to only use three fingers. Draco, however, had lost the use of his entire foot to the curse before the healers had been able to neutralize it. It was a good thing his aunt was dead or he'd probably go to Azkaban to kill her himself.

Luna lowered her book just in time to see Draco playfully smack at Fred's arm with his hospital issued cane. A small chuckle bubbled up the back of her throat at the scene, happy to see the new alliance. She had been worried at first but as time passed her heart relaxed.

"How are they today?" Neville took the chair beside her bed. While he'd been discharged nearly a week after, he'd stuck around to help the healers in any way he'd been able. It'd also allowed him to stay close to Luna which very much brought him joy.

"The same." Luna handed off her book before coughing softly into her hand. She'd fallen victim to Dolohov's fire curse during the first wave and was scheduled for observation for the rest of the week with strict orders to rest.

"Better than fighting, I guess." Neville chuckled softly before taking her hand into his, bringing the back to his lips earning him another beautiful smile.

"How's Harry and Ron?" Luna knew that they had been working at the castle to try and pass the time.

"They just want information..." Neville absently ran his thumb over the back of her hand, " We all thought she was dead, then... there she was. Like an Angel."

Luna caught his eye with a wistful smile. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "Let's go for a walk..."

"When do you think they'll get married?"

Draco turned his head towards the couple before shaking his head, "Aren't they already?"

Fred chuckled as the blond rocked back onto his bed, "Didn't wear you out already did I?"

"No..." Draco winced as he pulled his leg over his lap to adjust the fit around his ankle, "When is your doppelganger bringing more chocolate?"

"Today, you actually going to ask for one this time?" Fred was sure as the day was long that the blond had stolen the last one he had when he'd taken a nap but he didn't have any proof.

"Already told you, wasn't me." Draco looked pointedly over the redhead towards the bed on the other side that held Tonks. Her curtain was presently drawn but he was sure she was listening. She had been put under watch for a concussion and vertigo; the source of which they hadn't yet been able to identify.

"Never mess with a woman and her chocolate." a Remus appeared seemingly out of nowhere, smiling at two of them as he passed; a bag of chocolates in his hand. He gave them a wink before disappearing behind the curtain.

"Have heard anything more about your parents?" Fred lowered his playful tone to show respect to his present ally.

"Mum's in intensive care and Dad's dead." All the previous humor had left his face, "They said they'd let me see her when her condition stabilizes."

"That's good." Fred gave him a kind grin.

"Yeah, though I doubt she'll be happy to see me." Draco honestly wasn't sure what his mother would think about his treason. He'd tried not to think about it at all. Still, she was all the family he had left. Bad or no, his heart wouldn't settle without her judgement.

"You did what was right, there is no fault in that."

"Yeah, if only the world worked that way."

oOo

McGonagall walked the quiet hall of the long-term recovery ward of St. Mungo's. She was sure the heels of her boots had worn down the stones with how often she had walked that very path. However, this time was more than just a cordial visit. No, today had a specific purpose.

Her lips pursed as the memory of the lost cycled through her inner eye. Their faces and names never to be forgotten. Of those who had survived and rose slowly from the ashes into the light of a new day. It was a bittersweet memory. One whose consequences had yet to be fully realized.

The paper in her hand crinkled loudly in the otherwise deserted hall. Reminding her clearly of her purpose there that day. The miracle that had made it possible at all and the strength of one who had ensured its happening. The time in which a long felt enemy put aside their grievances to seek a greater good. She idly wondered if there was even remotely anything left for one to possibly give, and found herself at the door to which would provide her the answer to a question she never imagined she'd ask.

The door to the dimly lit room opened with nary a creek but still, her presence was immediately noticed by the man therein. Minerva took a small moment to collect her thoughts and her nerves. It had only been a day since the healers had removed the sleeping potions from his system but already he had removed himself from the bed to sit in the visitor's chair by the window. The curtains were tightly drawn even still, his head remained turned towards the light that tried to come through.

"Severus." Her voice felt dreadfully loud, even over the grating sound of his slow measured breaths. The speech she had prepared having seemly fled by his mere presence.

Severus gave the intruder a glance through the corner of his eyes but didn't feel the desire to address her properly. His body still felt millions of miles away from where he sat and his throat was much to tight to bring any words to his tongue. Not that he could, the healers had informed him that they had had to remove his voice box to ensure that all of the poison was flushed from his system. While they did plan on restoring his voice, he presently didn't have the strength to undergo the procedure without unbearable pain.

"Do you wish to see her?" Minerva kept her tone careful, moderate and without judgment. She knew he'd not been awake for very long but she needed him to know that he had done something worth honoring in his life, even though he would never believe the same.

Severus' head turned towards her, his eyes narrowing. It had been his first thought when coming round. His last memory floating in the forefront of his mind, taunting him—teasing him with the pain brought upon survival. No one had come to see him, to ask him nor tell him. It wasn't as though he'd truly expected anyone to, though he had hoped... in the briefest of moments... that she would have asked for him had she been able but he knew reality was never so kind. Did he truly have a right to make such a selfish request?

"Can you stand?" Minerva could see his mind turning, though his face remained emotionless to the untrained eye, she had seen through enough masks to see the surface of his doubts.

Severus turned his head down to his lap. He was wearing the standard issue hospital gown. A powder blue pajamas set with a deep blue housecoat. While it wasn't what he had preferred to be seen in, it did allow for his movement. The slippers he'd be provided did make his normally sharp and crisp stride impossible but it wasn't something he was currently capable of anyway.

"She is just across the hall." Minerva would have offered her arm for support but she knew not to kick a man when he was down. Even as injured as he was, he was still a snake with a venomous bite.

A slow rumbling breath left his nose before he pushed himself against the arms of the chair. It hadn't been an easy task getting to where he was but the agony of ignorance pushed aside his discomfort.

Minerva gave him a wide birth but kept her wand at the ready should she need to break his fall. His ego could mend, his body had been through enough. When he came to his full height she could see the pain ticking away at his temple, though she decided against calling him out on it. The man was the pure definition of stubborn and she'd long learned to get her flies with honey.

Severus winced to the brightness to the hall, his entire body pulsing with the beat of his heart. He'd never been prone to migraines but he could recognize one. Most of his injuries centered around his neck and shoulders, making his walk stiff, his normal fluid shadow like grace lost to the small ticks of pain his body jolted with from each step. He'd never remembered his head feeling so heavy.

Minerva kept her peace as she opened the door. Keeping to the side to let him pass through first. She'd been with them both in the beginning. Consulting with the healers, ensuring that they received the best of care.

"Did she come in with you?" Draco's voice was rushed, filled with panic and adrenaline.

Minerva had only a moment to try and understand him. The noise of the crowd crying with their victory nearly drowning out his words. A moment of confusion due to the chaos around her caused her to pause and it was in that moment that he pushed away from her back towards the doors. A few seconds passed before she understood his question and it sent her heart into her throat.

She hadn't even thought about why the doors had opened only that what she needed to do if they had. Harry had been the first through but it hadn't been long before Voldemort and his meager force had followed. While their trap had been sprung, she'd hardly had had time to consider why it had been needed.

Poppy!"

Minerva paused only long enough to catch the elders eye before running towards the doors, wand out—just in case.

Severus' eyes immediately lowered to the still form in the center of the blindingly white sterile room. Having recognized the decontamination charms when he passed the doorway, he knew that the lack of smell meant the space was under strict control. As he came to stand beside the bed his own eyes glazed with the last memory he held of her.

"Please..." His rasped prayer pressed into her ash covered hair, scratching his throat as he tried to remember her scent, "Please don't leave me... you don't deserve this... please..."

A new voice entered his small world then but his heart was beating too slowly to comprehend what as being said. All he knew at the time was that his world had grown dark and hands had come to take her away from him.

Minerva watched with vigilant silence. She had never before seen a man still standing look so defeated. Her eyes turned from him to the young woman laid out on the bed. The room was unnaturally cold and inwardly she wondered if the lack of blanket would impact her recovery and made a note to ask the healers when she saw them next.

Severus likewise had noticed the significant temperature change though his attention had been solely on the woman therein. His throat felt thick when he swallowed though it was hardly anything new, he could barely breathe let alone eat or drink. His fingers ghosted hesitantly over the crisp white sheet, his eyes tracing their path to her arm. The pad of his first finger lightly traced the vein on the back of her hand in the small space left between the wrappings. Burnt. That's why everything was so sterile, she was burnt.

His eyes turned towards her chest, the wires coming from beneath the collar of her gown told him that the machines on the other side of the bed were monitoring her heart, easing the tightness around his own. She was alive. His eyes turned towards her face next, having deliberately looked away as long as he could. He hadn't wanted to imprint her lifeless form onto his memory.

Her lips and chin were a healthy looking pink, not the ashen pale his inner eye remembered. Her eyes though, could not be seen. A wide band of gauze rested over top, covering nearly halfway down the bridge of her nose and over her ears. Her hair was short, just barely brushing the tops of her shoulders, the ends looked cleanly cut but he could see just the faintest bit of burnt hair at the tips.

His hand rose to lightly trace the bone of her jaw, following it down to the small pulse on her thin neck when a movement in the corner of his eye stilled his hand from inspecting the wrap just under the neck of her hospital gown. His head turned with a face begging the woman to act foolishly, to give him an excuse to release his anger, his hopelessness.

"Please sit Severus, no one will disturb you." Minerva moved one of the small chairs that had been pressed against the far wall. A personal request for the man who had saved so many lives. All other visitors had been limited on their time. Harry, Ron, all those who had come to pay their respects. A purse of her lips met his forced glare before finally, he relented.

Severus took a few slow breaths after taking the chair. His hand returning to her hand, not holding it just feeling her meager warmth against the backs of his fingers. She had survived but to what end? Could she walk? Could she hear? See? Would she be able to feel his hand in hers? Medical magic was truly a miracle but had he already asked for too much?

"I thought you'd want to know..." Minerva took another step closer, her eyes tracking his as she came to stand beside him, "There... has been an... unforeseen complication... The potions aren't working as they should...," She paused to gauge his reaction and prepare herself," The healers need to know if..." Minerva looked down at the paper in her hand, taking a slow breath to gather her Gryffindor heart, " There is a possibility that... Miss Granger could be... with child?"

Severus' head and scowling brow rose to the hidden accusation in her tone. Not really condemnation but certainly judgment. Had he had the ability to speak his tongue certainly would have lashed out in mockery over her nervous tone. Surely, he would have accosted her about her lack of house pride. As it was, he merely turned his eyes away with pursed lips, his focus turning towards her stomach. Her very lightly rounded stomach.

His mouth opened and closed with a heavy huff through his nose. What a stupid question, why ask him? Surely they could simply test her blood. It was hardly an invasive test. His brow ticked before his head nodded ever so slightly.

"Did you already know?" Minerva did her best to keep her tone even.

Severus closed his eyes, partly from the migraine, mostly from the anger. Did she truly believe he would have let the Hermione onto the field of battle had he known? He would have certainly tied her to the bed or locked her into the trunk. Was this where her kindness came from? One last attempt to besmirch everything he had tried to do in the name of rightfulness?

"I'm sorry, I just... had to know." Minerva moved to the other side of the bed to better see him, "Was she...?" She had so little knowledge of what has happened to Hermione, even with the time she had spent helping her recover. After she had been removed from her watch, Severus had told her nothing more.

His face twisted as though he'd tasted something bitter, repeatedly, came to his mind but without his voice, he could say nothing. She didn't need to know, it wasn't her business.

Minerva pressed her lips tighter, why was she asking a mute man? It was pointless and not why she had come. A slow breath left her nose and she pulled the sealed envelope from her cloak.

"Permission to run tests... she had no next of kin and... though I've been put in charge of her care...I didn't want to make this decision alone. She hardly has enough blood left to remain alive... they've been trying to wait until the blood replenishing potions took full effect but... Here we are..."

Severus took the paper and quill with reverence. A flick of his thumb released the seal and his eyes immediately skimmed through the legalese. At first, it appeared like a simple waver to the risks of drawing blood on a burn patient. Though as he read further he realized it was so much more. They wanted permission to perform an abortion if the test was positive. Claiming that it was the only course to surely save her life. As well as permission to test for paternity after the fact to inform the potential father of her condition. There was no way he was going to sign it and he highly doubted Minerva would go against his decision. It wasn't their choice to make.

Minerva accepted the returned document, she could see the decision in his eyes. No words were needed. A quick read for herself made her heart ache. A woman's body was truly a miracle but even so, what they wanted to do was simply unreasonable. There had to be another way.

"I shall speak with them." Minerva folded the paper back into her cloak giving him a purpose-filled nod, "Please make sure you rest."

Severus didn't watch her leave. Instead, he gently wrapped his fingers over Hermione's arm and pressed the crown of his head against her elbow. Could she feel him? Did she know he was there?

"Don't take her... Don't take her!" His voice cracked as he struggled blindly. His words were nothing but cracked pleas filled with emotion. His vision nothing but a dark tunnel filled with arms and hands that were not his own. His mind split between two different times.

He could feel his body being laid flat, more voices, more sounds. He was moving but his hands were empty. Cold and numb, he willed his body to move but the command simply wouldn't register. A fire burned his throat and with every beat of his heart, it spread further down his frame rendering him completely immobile. His head turned, rolled to the side as dawn turned to stone.

Light exploded around him when his body came to a stop. Voices, so many voices. His eyes rolled searching for solace. Until they were finally met by sparkling sea green. His lips moved but his voice was nothing but air, Lily had come for him.