A/N: I hope you like this one. It's dedicated in the memory of me friend naufdude, and every reviewer who ever reviewed me! Enough said, on with the story….

Chapter 12:

She felt so incredibly…safe. Yes, safe. It was the only word that seemed appropriate for the description of the overwhelming, warm feeling that was engulfing her body from the tip of her curly head to her bare toes. She couldn't see any dark shadows, or sharp objects. The world was bright and clear. Her lips were subtly curved at the corners. The muscles in her face ached, as if they weren't used to this sort of action. Was Hermione Granger almost…smiling? Hermione looked at her surroundings. She was in a beautiful garden, breathtaking flowers in full bloom, a faint sound of trickling water and joyous shouts in the distance. She walked down the stone garden path in awe. She had had so many nightmares she forgot what beauty looked like. She had forgotten what it was like to dream.

But this bliss was not meant to last long. A flash of gold caught Hermione's attention. Her curiosity aroused, she walked cautiously towards the source of the flash. Soon she came upon what she was looking for. Her breath became ragged as she observed the scene in front of her…

A dying phoenix lay on the ground, encased in what seemed like lines of dark smoke that crisscrossed and made a net around it. Its once magnificent gold and scarlet plumes were now ashy gray.

"Fawkes?" Hermione whispered. No it wasn't Dumbledore's pet. She took a step back and looked around. The flash of gold couldn't have been from this poor phoenix. Hermione took a deep breathe and stepped closer. She'd never seen a phoenix in rebirth, and she had always wanted to see one. Hermione quickly did some calculations in her head. It should be happening anytime now…

Nothing happened. The phoenix just lay there inside the net. Hermione suddenly noticed something. The grass inside the odd crisscross of smoke was…was dead! While all the grass around was green, the ground beneath the bird was bare and ashen! Hermione's heart beats quickened. What if the phoenix couldn't reborn? What if the net was stopping it somehow? This magnificent bird didn't deserve to die! Hermione's brain started working furiously. She will not leave this bird to die! Never! She hurried to it and tried pulling the net away. The smoke, surprisingly solid, seared her hands as soon as she tried to touch them. Hands burned and time slipping away; she started pacing up and down the lawn. It must be magic then. But how to stop it? The phoenix could die at any moment! But she didn't have her wand with her. She could perform some wandless spells but they were simple and wouldn't be able to do anything to this Dark Magic circle. At least Hermione assumed it was dark magic. What was it that Dumbledore said? Love is the most powerful magic. Unconscious love is the most powerful magic of all, as Harry had discovered in the Final Battle.

But I have no one left to love. I have no one left to be loved. Hermione felt the world darken at her despair.

"That's not true." A little voice spoke at the back of her head. "You still have Ginny. She left her husband and her work just to take care of you."

A line disappeared from the net, unnoticed by Hermione.

"And there's Harry, who's been there for every step of the way. The Weasley twins, Ron, Charlie, Bill and especially Molly Weasley, who, to you, is like a mother."

The odd net was disappearing bit by bit, Hermione still lost in her thoughts.

"Victor obviously cares about you."

It was almost gone.

"And………Draco. He…he loves you. He would risk his life for you…"

No, no he doesn't! Not anymore… Hermione argued. Only one line was left in the net now…a long, dark smoky shadow, the strongest and clearest of the lines.

"Why are you so afraid of accepting his love? Why are you so afraid to live again?" The little voice persisted. Hermione fell to the ground, clutching her stomach.

"Because I'm afraid." She whispered in a hushed voice.

"Afraid of what?" The little voice asked.

"Of waking up and finding it is all a lie." Tears were streaming down her face.

"Roger is over and done with." The little voice was very firm. "Now tell me what is your happiest memory?"

The phoenix let out a long sad wail as it prepared itself to die.

My happiest memory? Hermione looked back to the past year and felt despair eating her from the inside out. But then that warm feeling came back again and she remembered the feeling of strong arms wrapped around her, a voice calming her down…her head against his chest…

My happiest memory is with him…Her eyes widened as the meaning of that hit her. A fire that she had thought dead rekindled in her heart, warming her and cleansing her wounds. She closed her eyes to embrace the feeling...Something went up in flames. Hermione gasped as she opened her eyes to find the phoenix in flames. Soon it was nothing but ashes. She hurried over to the ashes and fell on her knees, hands covering her eyes as she rocked back and forth. I had failed. I had failed. The phoenix is dead. I was too late…too late…she kept on mumbling. Until… a squawk came from somewhere under the ashes. Hermione stopped and held her breath. Could it be possible? A glimmer of hope shined through the darkness and Hermione starting searching through the ashes frantically. Oh please Merlin, just give me this…

Hermione gave a sob as a single tear traced its way down her wet cheeks. But, unlike the others, this one had fell from pure joy…because in front of her, an ugly, bald baby phoenix stared up at her…

Draco felt her twitching in his sleep. He instinctively tightened both arms around her. He opened his eye a crack to see that somehow, Hermione had ended up in Draco's arms, her head pressed against his torso. In A fuzzy state of mind, all precautions dropped, Draco smiled contently and slipped off to sleep again.

Unbeknownst to both of them, an old lady was watching them sleep from a crack in the door. Abigail smiled to herself. Leaving Draco to handle that situation was possibly the smartest thing she had ever done, and she had done pretty smart things. She closed the door softly behind her, and returned to her room, which was adjoined to Hermione's so it would be easier to take care of her patient. She sat in the chintz armchair and inspected the work her two knitting needles were doing. After fixing out a few flaws, she settled back to drink her well earned tea. "Now where was that idiot of a boy? He was sure to pass by out of curiosity…" She muttered. No sooner had the words left her mouth than she heard a soft knock at the door.

"Come in Blaise dearie!" She called out, careful not to make much noise. The door opened and the handsome Italian walked in.

"From the fact that you knew who I was, I can guess that you have knowledge regarding Draco's whereabouts and that he is not here." Blaise drawled.

"Spot on my dear boy! Now come have a seat nest to your old nurse. I'll fill you in since you seem to be dying of curiosity." Abigail patted the ottoman next to her.

Blaise raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Oh don't give me any of that nonsense about you being high and mighty. It doesn't work on me." She scolded. Blaise reluctantly sat stiffly on the ottoman.

"Me, dying of curiosity? I should hope I haven't stooped that low in the world. And you know I hate sitting on these confounded things because they have no back." Blaise sounded mildly annoyed.

"Oh I know you well. Better than you think. Now, shall we play a game of chess while I fill you in? Good." She hadn't even waited for an answer. "Now hurry and get us a chess set."

They spent the next few hours matching wits and analyzing information before they turned in.

The whole household was in deep sleep. A single candle was flickering in Draco's study, illuminating a shadow against the desk. Someone was reading the book Blaise had left lying on the elegant mahogany desk. The intruder chuckled throatily, taking out a wand and setting fire to the book. After watching it burn into nothing but ashes, a gloved hand reached into the folds of a black robe and pulled out what seemed to be an unmarked envelope, but for a small crest that rested at the left hand corner. Laying it in the middle of the ashes, the interloper blew out the light and disappeared in the darkness…

A/N: Sooo how was it this time? Hermione's dream was very metaphorical if anyone cared to notice. Do baby phoenixes squawk? I'm on holiday and left my hp books back home (stupid me) and I forgot that particular detail. If anyone knows, just leave me a hint. Sorry it's a short one. I had much more planned for this chapter, but I decided not to mix things up and to keep it short and simple. So sorry for whats seems like a cliffhanger…I promise I wont be late in posting the next chapie, unless (oh wait I'm getting an evil idea…) unless I get reviews! No reviews no updates! MUWAHAHAHAHA…do I have to tell u?

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Toodles!

Ps. thank you queen steven and Emma-Louise 1993 for recently adding me to their favorites. It means the world…

and everyone who reviewed chapie 11...they're only four so: naufdude, this recurring dream, Losing track, pstibbons, and emma louise 1993. well ok they're five. anyway a BIG THANK U.

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