"You really want to go some place hot? Wouldn't a private chateau in the Swiss Alps be more fun? We could ski all day and warm each other up by the fire at night," Draco said with a bit of pleading in his voice as he expertly tied his tie in front of the mirror in the bedroom. They were both dressing for work.

"I really want to go somewhere warm with a white sandy beach and pristine water. I want privacy, peace and quiet, a personal cabana, and drinks with little umbrellas in them," Hermione countered as she put on her watch and earrings at the other dresser, completely ignoring his near whine.

"You're killing me, witch," Draco said, teasing, as he turned around and took the diamond rose necklace she was holding out, the diamond rose pendant he had given her when it became odd for her to wear a snowflake into spring. He deftly put it around her neck and fixed the clasp. When he was done he dropped his hands to her shoulders and planted a teasing little kiss on the back of her neck, happy when it made her shiver in a good way.

He tucked his chin on her shoulders and met her eyes in the mirror. He stared for a moment, still reveling in the fact that she was here, in his home, his bedroom, his bed, every night now and had been for a blissful three weeks while Potter and the Aurors were still trying to shut down the new Purist movement.

His arms slipped around her from behind and he pulled her close. "I quite like having you here in my home. I may never want you to leave."

Hermione placed her hands on his arms and gave a squeeze. "If I stay here much longer I may never want to."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked.

"No, it wouldn't. But that's a conversation we haven't had yet nor do we have time for it this morning. We both have important meetings we can't miss," she replied.

Draco released her reluctantly, hating that she was right about their respective meetings. "I know. As much as neither of us is good about talking about our future I really think we need to make time to have the conversation."

Hermione turned around and kissed him softly on the lips. "I agree completely. Not tonight, I have that boring Historians dinner thing, but tomorrow night?"

He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "It's a date."

Due to circumstances no one could have foreseen, it would be a date they wouldn't keep.


Hermione had barely closed the door on her office, practically pushing her latest appointment out the door for fear she was about to vomit all over him, before she dashed to her private loo and without so much as a by your leave, had her stomach empty itself most urgently.

When the wave of nausea had finally passed she sat wearily on the closed lid of the toilet. She looked down at her stomach and said aloud to it irritably, "What is wrong with you the last few days? It's almost like morning…."

Even as she didn't finish the words a flicker of hope ignited in her heart. With a shaking hand she picked her wand up from the edge of the sink and cast a charm over her stomach. The ten or fifteen seconds it took for the charm to work seemed like an eternity to her.

When the little pink spark finally popped up from her body it surprised her so much that all she could do was stare in disbelief. A little, "oh," escaped her lips.

When the first little spark faded, she cast the charm again with the same result, and yet again for good measure.

She was pregnant.


The boring dinner Hermione was attending as Minister of Magic was the annual meeting of the Esteemed Society of Magical Historians. It was typically a truly dull, dry evening with stodgy academics who previously hadn't had a new idea since Professor Binns was still among the living.

There was much debate within this Society this year however as the preparations were starting to give out grants for those scholars interested in working on the Society's new compendium, The Fall of the Death Eater Cause. The Society wished to have it ready for the twenty-five year anniversary of the final Battle at Hogwarts that was fast approaching, at least in scholarly terms, in the coming years.

The evening was a virtual who's who of magical history, everyone wanting their opinions on the subject heard. And of course, everyone wanted just five minutes of her time, though not necessarily because she was the Minister of Magic, but rather because she was Hermione Granger, member of the Golden Trio who had swaths of first hand knowledge of the war.

The press of bodies in the Society's large meeting hall was oppressive and Hermione desperately wished for a few minutes alone to both cool off and collect her thoughts before giving her speech.

She turned on the charm to the long standing chairman of the Society who had not left her side. "Mister Sherwood, is there anywhere private I could have a few moments to review my remarks a final time?"

The ancient looking wizard patted her hand affectionately. "Of course, Minister, you may use my office. This way."

He led Hermione from the hall, the two Aurors Harry had assigned to her following closely behind.

The din of the gathering soon disappeared after they made their way through twisting corridors to reach Sherwood's far away office. After the Aurors made a quick sweep of the room, Hermione finally found herself alone.


The office was certainly far cooler than the hall had been and Hermione welcomed it with a sigh of relief.

She walked to the window and looked out at the night sky. She didn't really need to go over her speech, having all but committed it to memory. Instead her thoughts went to the wondrous revelation that she was pregnant. If she hadn't performed the pregnancy charm herself three times she wouldn't have believed it.

She and Ron had tried for so very long to have a third child. Nothing they did, not potions, not charms, not even Muggle medicine, had had any effect. She had believed herself to be truly barren and had forced herself to accept it and to be most grateful for the two healthy, beautiful children she had been able to have.

A baby was the one thing money could not buy that she desperately wanted to be able to give Draco and as her love for him grew it had silently broken her heart that she couldn't. So when her stomach had revolted for the third morning in a row and she realized her monthly courses were late she had performed the pregnancy charm out of a sense of hope and longing. She almost hadn't believed her eyes when she saw the little pink spark rise from her stomach as the charm worked its magic. It took her casting it three times in total for it to sink in that she was honestly pregnant.

A daughter. She was carrying the daughter that Draco had whispered in her ear one night that he always wanted as he had laid a gentle hand over her womb. He had held her through her tears that night as she told him in halting words that she would never be able to bear him a child. She had been so afraid that it would be a wedge between them, that it would be something he just couldn't live with, that it would be the impetus to him leaving her. But he surprised her yet again, in the best sort of ways, and had simply accepted it as being part and parcel of loving her.

He had to know about the baby, she needed to tell him. She wanted to tell him. She couldn't wait to see the joy she knew it would bring to his eyes. She hadn't bothered him during he day as he had been out on the hospital construction site all day. If he were awake when she finally made it home from this event she would tell him. She decided to ensure that he was.

She pulled her want and conjured her patronus.


Draco was at his desk in his study finishing up paperwork when the happy little otter that was Hermione's patronus swam through the window.

He put down his quill and gave it his full attention, always a little in awe of a true corporeal patronus. It was truly a beautiful piece of magic.

Hermione's voice came out of it. "Can you wait up for me? There's something I need to talk to you about. I love you."

He raised a curious eyebrow at her words even as the patronus dissipated away. He wondered what she wanted to talk about, had she perhaps caved in to his Alps holiday wishes? He looked at the untouched tumbler of firewhisky next to his paperwork that was his nightly way to unwind and frowned. He called for Timly and asked for tea instead.


A short while later he was sipping the tea a cheerful Timly had made and reaching for one of her wonderful shortbread biscuits when another patronus made its appearance in his study. This one a regal stag. A stag that spoke in Harry Potter's harried voice. "Malfoy, you need to get to the Historical Society, there's been an explosion."

His heart stopped and he didn't draw a breath until he had grabbed his wand and apparated to the Historical Society. Or at least what was left of the Historical Society. The large building was a now a smoldering heap.

He spied Harry and ran towards him. "Potter. What happened? Where's Hermione?"

If Harry had noticed either that Draco called her Hermione or the frantic worry on Draco's face he didn't acknowledge it. "To answer both questions- I don't know. What I do know is that I need people with strong magic I can trust here right now and like it or not you're on that list at the moment given the circumstances. Can you help search for Hermione and other survivors? I've never been here and don't know the layout of the building."

"She was going to give a speech tonight, so she's most likely in the main meeting hall. That's actually below ground in the Society basement towards the rear of the building, the archives themselves take up the top floors," Draco said, his face ashen.

"Okay. Do what you can. Here, put this on, so people know you're with me," Harry said as he handed Draco a red enameled Auror department badge that signified he was an authorized emergency worker.

Draco quickly pinned it to his shirt and made his way into the rubble trying to visualize where things were supposed to be and where Hermione was most likely to be. As he stood there trying to figure out where to begin he felt completely hopeless until his statue-still body registered a gentle vibration against his leg.

He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the red crystal heart Hermione had given him. It was beating strongly in his hand. He let out a sigh of relief, she was alive. Now he just had to find her in the ruins of the building.


For nearly thirty-six straight hours, fueled by wakefulness potions and strong tea being made by the gallon by some volunteers, Draco and others worked tirelessly to find survivors.

Levitated stone by levitated stone they carefully removed debris to get to the meeting hall where they knew the bulk of the dinner's guests would be.

Draco often stuck his hand in his pocket to feel the crystal heart beat to reassure himself that she was still alive. He did this particularly when they would come across a body in the rubble.

He was working in a far back corner of where the meeting hall would normally be when he noticed that the crystal's beat was a bit softer against his leg than it had been when he was working in the other corner nearer the front of the building. The heartbeat itself was still steady and strong, but it was as if the volume had been turned down. Curious, he quickly made his way back to the street-side corner and checked the crystal. It was beating twice as strongly in his palm, as strong as it was when Hermione had been sitting beside him and first placed it in his hand.

It didn't make sense. Hermione hadn't mentioned anything about the little charm that would explain it.

What also didn't make any sense was the location. Hermione was supposed to be in the meeting hall, there was nothing in this part of the rubble but some administrative offices.

Not willing to chance it, he began carefully moving rubble, hoping he was right and not following the whim of a defective gag gift.


Draco almost hit his knees in relief when he moved a particularly large stone slab covering a large open pocket in the rubble to see a familiar head full of brown curls.

His exhausted voice screamed out her name and he began to frantically move the rest of the small debris covering her as others scrambled to help him. The stone and glass cut his hands to ribbons but he didn't care, didn't feel it. All he cared about was getting her out of there.

She wasn't moving and was covered in dried blood with some of her wounds still oozing heavily. Her face was battered and bloody and the skin he could see was altogether devoid of any color. But she was alive, barely, but still alive.

He gently lifted her from the rubble. To the other rescuers he said hoarsely, "Tell Potter she's alive and I'm taking her directly to St. Mungo's."

Without giving anyone a chance to either reply or stop him he apparated them both to the emergency department of the hospital and screamed for a healer.

The healers and nurses flocked to him and quickly began working to save Hermione's life.


Draco got pushed back out of the circle of healers surrounding the gurney they had placed Hermione on. He heard shouts for this potion and that potion and for bandages and dittany.

He felt numb and almost outside of himself as he watched. He was exhausted both physically and mentally.

He almost didn't hear her when a young intern healer not allowed near Hermione's bed asked him, "May I heal your hands, sir?"

Draco turned to face the young, earnest healer and dropped his eyes down to his hands which were dripping fat drops of blood onto the floor. He had practically shredded his palms and the pads of his fingers when he was clawing at the debris around Hermione. He hadn't even noticed. Blankly he nodded and the young healer gently wrapped a clean white towel around each of his hands.

She led him over to another bed in the room and made him sit. Quickly and efficiently she cleaned his wounds and healed them. She had just finished when Harry burst into the room.

Draco stood and went over to Harry. "She's alive, Potter. I got her here as soon as we cleared the debris off of her. They're doing all they can."

Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving the bed where the healers were still clustered around Hermione.

A healer from the group approached them. "We've stabilized her for now but she will need extensive healing. Do either of you have the legal authority to authorize us to proceed?"

Draco looked to Harry, figuring that if anyone had Hermione's medical power of attorney after her divorce it would be him. He was surprised when Harry shook his head. "No. But my wife does and she's on her way."

The healer nodded and replied, "We'll prepare the forms for her to sign."

The healer went back to Hermione's bedside and conferred with the rest, meanwhile Draco said to Harry, "You're not her power of attorney?"

Harry shook his head. "No. She said Ginny keeps her head better in circumstances like this. Plus there's always the possibility that if Hermione was injured that I might be as well."

Draco looked back to Hermione's bed. "I should have gone with her tonight. I'd been invited as well."

Harry sighed. "Then you'd either be dead or in a bed of your own, Malfoy. And believe it or not, I, for one, am glad you aren't. You found her and got her here alive."

"Is anyone claiming responsibility?" Draco asked softly, his voice rough.

"Yes. The Purist group that's been behind all the other incidents. They sent a missive to the Ministry and the Prophet taking credit for it."

"We have to stop these bastards, Potter, before they completely destroy our world."

Before Harry could respond there was a flash of flaming red hair in the door to the room. Ginny had arrived. She stepped over to the two men and Harry quickly filled her in on what they knew of Hermione's condition.

"They need you to sign off on authorizing more extensive healing, Gin," Harry finished with.

She nodded. "Okay, let me talk to them."

She had only taken a step when Draco spoke, his voice a ragged mess. "Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny turned back towards them and met Draco's eyes waiting for whatever it was he had to say.

"Whatever she needs, cost is no object."

Ginny nodded once and walked over to the healers. With confident strokes of a quill she signed all the forms they had for her and the buzz of activity around Hermione increased ten-fold.

An Auror stuck his head in the doorway and addressed Harry. "Sir?"

Harry stepped over and conferred with the man quietly for a minute before returning to Ginny and Draco. "I've got to go. We've got a lead on suspects. I'm leaving two Aurors in the hall but can you both keep your wands handy just in case?"

Ginny replied first, "Of course, Harry. Be careful, will you?"

"I'll do my best," he said to her before turning to look at Draco.

Neither man said anything for a long moment before Harry turned and walked out.


Ginny turned and got a good look at Draco. He was absolutely filthy, his clothes caked with sweat, dust and dirt from the debris, as well as wide streaks of blood, Hermione's blood from where he had held her so gently to get her here, as well as his own from his shredded hands.

The normally confident and put together man looked broken and exhausted.

She reached over and gave his sleeve a little tug. "C'mon. Let's sit," she said as she ticked her head towards the bed he had been sitting on before Harry had arrived.

Draco let her lead him there where they then sat and watched the healers work.


A while later Draco's attention had tunnel-visioned to the activity around Hermione. He watched every step of her healing.

He felt something being pressed into his hands and he looked to see Ginny pushing a cup of hot tea at him. He hadn't even realized she had left to go get tea.

In that universal mother tone of voice she said, "I put some honey in it for your throat. Now drink."

"Thanks," he said softly with genuine gratitude.

A healer with a clipboard approached them. "Mrs. Potter, may I have a word?"

Ginny nodded but made to motion to move to give them privacy and the healer added, "In private?"

Ginny's eyebrow shot up and she said calmly, "You may speak freely in front of Mr. Malfoy."

The squirrelly healer looked between them both for a moment, knowing full well who they were as well as Hermione. He hesitated but finally spoke. "She responded well to our healing efforts. There was no damage to her internal organs and no internal bleeding. She had five broken ribs, a broken wrist, a broken collar bone, and a fractured skull. All of which have been healed without complication. All of the lacerations on her body have been healed and she was successfully given blood replenishing potions. Her brain is bit swollen from the impact but there is no bleeding on the brain that we can detect. We can't give her pain medication or use bruise compounds until she wakes up."

"Have you tried to wake her?" Ginny asked when he was finished.

"No. With a head injury of this type the normal waking spells we would use can be detrimental. It is best to allow her to awaken naturally on her own. We'll be moving her to a private room in our intensive care unit shortly."

Both Draco and Ginny let out heavy sighs of relief. Ginny reached over and gave Draco's forearm a squeeze. Softly she said, "I'm going to let the Aurors know so they can tell Harry at their next check in."

Draco looked down at the hand she had on his arm, it was an action normally only a friend would do. Was that what he had with Ginny? Were they building a friendship? His tired brain stored it away to think on later and he looked up to meet her eyes. "Okay. Thank you, by the way… for not excluding me."

Ginny squeezed his arm a bit more and said with a sad smile, "I'm just glad I know about you two and I'm able to do it. For her," she said ticking her head towards Hermione, "and for you."

There was a lump in his throat and he had no idea how to respond to that so he simply nodded.

Ginny gave his harm a final squeeze and stood to go speak with the Aurors. "Drink your tea," she ordered in a bossy motherly way that he couldn't be irritated with.

He nodded as he lifted his cup and dragged his attention back to Hermione's bed.


tbc...