She thought it was a dream. All of it.

She remembered waking up that morning to an awful splitting headache, the kind where even the tiniest bit of sunlight was painful. She remembered lurching whatever contents were in her stomach before meeting Harry in the common room that morning. She even remembered yelling irrationally at Ron and Harry before going into the Great Hall for breakfast. But the last thing she remembered was looking into the dark eyes of Severus Snape who was listening to a ranting Minerva McGonagle at the head table. All of a sudden it had brought back memories of the previous evening. And that was perhaps what triggered Hermione Granger to lose consciousness. So even before she had the chance to consume a bit of toast that morning, the overwhelming evening prior, coupled with the un-pleasantries of a first trimester pregnancy landed Hermione in the hospital wing sooner than one could say "Quidditch."

'…Do you think she'll wake up soon?' asked Harry quietly to no one in particular. He had positioned himself on the right side of Hermione, and was currently sitting and holding Hermione's soft warm hand as he looked down at her.

'Don't know mate, she's been out for awhile now…' said Ron grimly, who was indeed positioned on the other side of Hermione. He was standing with his arms crossed, shirt still untucked, and looking down at her pale face.

At the foot of the bed stood Madame Pomfrey, Severus Snape, and Minerva McGonagle. All with worried faces. Well, perhaps not Severus Snape. His look was one of mere annoyance, for the Headmistress kept probing him for information regarding last evening. He was still quite reluctant to tell her that the young couple made him their secret keeper.

All of a sudden, Hermione stirred. She moved her head back and forth slowly on the pillow as she squinted to look at the person who was holding her hand. 'Ha…Harry?' she spoke, her voice raw and groggy.

'Yea, it's me,' said Harry, a smile beginning to grow on his handsome face. 'You gave us quite a scare there,' he said, looking lovingly at her.

'Oh Harry…What…Where am I…Oh…OH! Harry!...Harry is the baby OK?' she asked, voice full of worry, as she strained to look at Harry. Harry kept his smile and nodded. He began to stroke her forehead, trying to sooth her worries.

'Ssh, Everything's fine, Mione. Madame Pomfrey said that you're OK, both of you…right?' and as he asked, he turned his head to the foot of the bed where Madame Pomfrey stood, with the other two Professors.

Hermione, slowly following Harry's gaze, looked at the other two Professors at the foot of her hospital bed. And then Hermione focused on the Headmistress. 'Oh no…'Hermione said quietly, the dread unmistakable in her voice. As if Harry read her mind, he said to her, 'It's OK Mione…we told Professor McGonagle everything…we had to..' said Harry.

'Professor Snape carried you up here, Madame Pomfrey performed a bunch of tests on you …and the baby, and even healed the back of your head -' said Harry, continuing to look at Hermione, who had eased herself up on the pillows propped in back of her.

'Yea, Hermione…' interjected Ron, '…you went down pretty hard. Like a sack of potatoes, I'd say...' feeling a bit proud at his witty comment.

'Thanks, Ron…' said Hermione as she looked at the red-head, the sarcasm unmistakable in her voice.

Someone then spoke from the foot of the bed:

'I hate to leave at such a…touching moment such as this,' Severus said to the Headmistress, '…but I must return to my class.' He turned to leave, and just as he was about to exit the hospital doors, turned to face the three students: 'And just because of Ms. Granger's incident this morning, does not excuse you from missed Potions homework. I eagerly await two feet of parchment from each of you on the properties of wagindoodle and its effects on goblins.' And with a final smirk, exited the hospital wing.

Ron looked at Harry. 'What the hell is a wagindoodle?' he whispered to Harry, to whom Harry replied, looking at the doors of the hospital wing: 'No idea….'

'Well, Miss Granger,' said Professor McGonagle, taking a seat on the bed, next to where Ron was standing. 'I really don't know what to say…I honestly don't. No, no…I'm not asking you to explain yourself…both of you,' she said, looking at Harry as well, '…I will admit that I am a bit shocked, but none-the-less, we need to focus. Focus on what is at stake,' said a defiant Minerva McGonagle.

'And of course…,' she added, '…the Order should more than likely be notified...'

'I know,' said Hermione, finally owning up to the inevitable. 'Harry and I will tell them at the next meeting,' she added quietly, looking at Harry.

'Very well,' said the Headmistress. She reached up to squeeze Hermione's hand, and with warmth in her voice and in her eyes, spoke softly to Hermione. 'Be well, child…' she said to the girl, before getting up and exiting out of the hospital wing.

After waiting until Professor McGonagle left, and after Madame Pomfrey said she would be back with a pepper-up potion for Hermione, Harry spoke to Hermione:

'She took it well, you know…Professor McGonagle…when we told her…actually, she was really worried about you…for you and the baby,' Harry said.

Ron piped up: 'Yea, and you should have seen how Snape scooped you up – Harry would have, you know, but he was all shook up about it, weren't you mate?' Ron said, looking at Harry.

'Yea, I was – seeing you just…lying there…well , it was just awful, Mione…really awful…' Harry said, looking at Hermione, softness in his voice.

'Well, I'm on the mend. At least I hope I am…' said Hermione. And just as she finished her sentence, Madame Pomfrey walked briskly towards Hermione's bed and gave her a bright red potion to drink. 'Bottoms up girly - we'll have you feeling better in no time,' she said cheerfully. Hermione smiled thankfully, and drank the concoction, draining the flask of all of its contents. She handed the empty container back to the Mediwitch.

Madame Pomfrey spoke to Ron and Harry:

'Now, I ought to have you return to your classes now. Ms. Granger is in good hands. She will be resting here until dinner time, so you shall see her then,' she said matter-of-factly.

Ron and Harry understood. They nodded, and turned to say their goodbyes to Hermione. Each gave her a kiss on the forehead and exited the hospital wing.

Classes were uneventful. The sky turned from a sea blue to dull gray, and before the day ended, frozen rain and a bit of snow had begun to fall upon the Castle. Harry's last class of the day, Charms, was cancelled due to Professor Flitwick's sudden appearance of purple spots that screamed as if in pain when they were touched. No doubt an unwelcomed gift bestowed from the Weasley's joke shop. Harry was in fact grateful that his last class was cancelled. For he was exhausted, having gotten roughly three hours of sleep the previous night. He told Ron that he was going to take a nap before dinner, and Ron used this time to go to the library with Neville and work on his Potions homework.

Harry arrived in his dormitory. It was quiet, for most of the other boys were attending their final class of the day. He was thankful for the peacefulness of it all, and quickly fell into a deep slumber.

…Hermione was in pain, terrible pain. She was being tortured at the hands of Voldemort in a dimly lit room, full of candles. He could see her writhe on the marble floor, terrible screams uttering from her, and he could see her very large, very much protruding abdomen. 'Please…NO!...' she shouted, as he continued to hurt her, his wand spewing forth spell after spell that was slowly killing Hermione. 'You, Mudblood…are MINE!' the Dark Lord shouted at her, '…Potter's child is MINE, you here me! You aren't leaving until I get what I want!' he continued to bellow...

And Harry woke up with a start, an undeniable splitting headache surrounding his scar, sweat drenching his entire body. 'No…,' he thought to himself, '…No…this is wrong…I can't..I won't…' and he continued to lie there breathing deeply, eyes darting back and forth, his mind racing with thoughts, terrible thoughts.

'What does he want with her,' he thought to himself…

….What is he up to now…