A/N: Ok, this is the big one. Here's where we find out all about how Draco and Hermione got together. I borrowed a fair bit of text from the books for several of the memory sequences, so obviously I'm not claiming them as my own. Italicized text shows the actual memory (not the characters' thoughts and reactions to them during the visit), and anything you recognize within those belongs to JKR. And I'm going to apologize in advance for the fact that it'll be at least 2 weeks before I update again (it's a busy week at work, then I'm out of the country for the following week, and then it's concert and catch-up time). There will be another update before April starts, but it's all going to depend on how quickly I get caught up. In the meantime, enjoy the longest chapter of the story. :)

*** 14 – The Pensieve ***

The sun peeked through the heavy curtains of the bedroom, casting a sliver of light onto Liz's face as she woke. She shifted in her bed, not wanting to move from her comfortable spot. She'd been dreaming about all the fun they'd had the night before, and revelling in the warm feelings the night had invoked in her. She'd been so busy with work and school lately back home, that she hadn't really had much of a chance to kick back and blow off some steam. It had felt really good.

Sighing and stretching, she rose from her bed, and went to the adjoining bathroom. Ginny had warned her the night before that this room was connected to another, and Liz was kind of curious to see who she was sharing it with.

She opened the door and found two people at the sink. Draco was holding Isabel up so she could finish brushing her teeth. He was speaking softly to her, so Liz couldn't hear what he was saying, but the image in front of her warmed her heart.

Draco looked up into the mirror, and caught sight of Liz in the reflection. "Good morning," he said quietly.

"Good morning," was her shy reply.

"Hi Liz!" Isabel cried out, after spitting out the excess toothpaste.

"Morning Isabel."

"Did you sleep well?" Draco inquired.

Liz nodded. "Quite well, despite the fact that I've slept more in the past few weeks than I have in the two years."

Both Isabel and Draco laughed at her comment, and then Draco ushered his daughter out of the room so Liz could have some privacy. Fifteen minutes later, she joined them, Harry and Ginny at in the dining room for breakfast, washed, and dressed for the day. The rest of their group soon came down for the wonderful-smelling food, and enjoyed a very pleasant meal together. Everyone was still basking in the glow of the past night, and how much fun it had been.

After everyone had sufficiently filled their bellies, the group started to disperse. Liz walked over to Remus and gave him a well-deserved hug to thank him for the previous night. When she pulled away, she asked what they would be doing today in order to try and get some of her memories back. He gave her a knowing grin, and asked her to meet him in the study. She agreed, and headed that way, chatting with Tonks as she went. Tonks would be there to assist Remus with whatever it was he had planned, but wouldn't give Liz any clues as to what it actually was.

Shortly after the two women arrived in the study, Remus joined them, with Dumbledore at his side. In his hands, he carried a large stone basin that was filled with a silvery substance. Liz looked at it curiously, and voiced her questions to the men in front of her.

"It's a pensieve," Remus replied. "Witches and wizards use them to store memories that they cherish and do not want to lose. It comes in quite handy when you want to take a second look at something that happened."

"What do I do with it?"

"All you have to do is watch," was Remus' answer. When Liz shot him a puzzled look, Dumbledore stepped forward to speak.

"When Hermione went missing all those years ago, we knew exactly why. We wanted to be prepared for when she came back, as we were certain that she would have no memories of her life as a witch."

"So we got everyone together who had known her during that time, and got them to place their memories of her in the pensieve," Tonks finished for him. "We thought it would be the best way to do it. When you put your thoughts into a pensieve, you still have them in your head, but this can offer a different perspective on them when anyone views them."

"So you're going to show me memories?"

"Yes, my dear." Dumbledore gave her a wink. "It won't hurt you at all. It just might be a bit of a shock considering that you have no recollection of any of this."

"Do I get any hints as to what I might see?" she asked.

Dumbledore leaned in close to her. "No sense in spoiling the surprise." She gave him a soft smile as he winked at her. "Remus and Tonks will be in there with you the whole time, so if you want to remove yourself from the memories, simply tell them, and they will ensure you get out quickly."

"So, I guess here goes then." Liz gave them all a weak smile, and let Remus and Tonks move her closer to the silver basin. Taking a deep breath, she allowed them to, literally, lead her into the swirling mists of the pensieve.

*MEMORY*

Liz looked around at her surroundings, and concluded that they must be on a train. In the compartment in front of her there two young boys, one with dark hair, and one with fiery red hair. She recognized them instantly as Harry and Ron, and smiled softly. This was obviously one of their memories. She heard the door slide open behind her, and moved out of the way as someone stepped in. Harry and Ron looked up from Ron's wand to see a boy and girl standing in the door of their compartment. The girl was already wearing her Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said.

Liz gasped in disbelief as she gazed at her younger self. Bushy brown hair, large front teeth, and a know-it-all tone to her voice. She realized right there and then that everyone hadn't been kidding when they told her about her history. She watched as her younger self demanded to see the magic Ron had been about to perform, and then chuckled as both Harry and she looked skeptical as the magic failed.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft and wizardry there is, I've heard – I've learned all our set of books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

Liz laughed out loud at the rapid-fire speech her younger self had just delivered. She saw the incredulity on Harry and Ron's faces as they looked up at her.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in 'Modern Magical History' and 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts' and 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century'."

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

Liz felt a gentle hand on her arm, and turned to see Remus and Tonks smiling at her. "It took a little while, and an incident with a troll, but you three became inseparable," Remus told her. "You all earned yourself the nickname of 'the Golden Trio'."

Smiling wider, Liz took one last look at the eleven-year-old versions of herself and her new friends. She then turned to Remus and Tonks, and asked "What's next?" Tonks took her hand and guided her out of the compartment, as the image dissolved around them and morphed into another one.

*MEMORY*

Liz looked around the new setting, and found herself outside of a beautiful castle. In front of her, she saw herself, Harry and Ron walking alongside a giant of a man. The three of them looked to be maybe a few years older, and all four of them looked solemn. The giant was crying about something, and it appeared that the three of them were trying to comfort him.

A haughty laugh sounded behind her, and Liz spun to see who it came from. Her eyes settled on a boy with a pale, pointed face and slicked-back blond hair. The young Draco was flanked by two burly, yet dim-looking boys, and they all seemed to be gleeful as they watched the others.

"Crabbe and Goyle," Tonks offered from her side. "They were his cronies during school. They followed him everywhere and did anything he wanted."

Liz heard the giant mutter something, and then turn around and head back down the path and away from the castle.

"Look at him blubber! Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Liz gasped in shock at the conceited words that came from Draco's mouth. This was a far cry from the man she had met back at Grimmauld Place, although she did remember Ginny mentioning that they had not gotten along at all until their last year of school. This was obviously before that time.

Harry and Ron both made furious moves towards Malfoy, but Hermione got there first – SMACK!

Liz stared in shock, but beamed with pride at the actions of her younger self.

She had slapped Malfoy around the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil – "

"Hermione!" Ron said weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.

"Get off, Ron!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backwards. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and next moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch Final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin win!"

Liz smiled at her insistence, and made a mental note to ask Draco about the whole situation she had witnessed. As the three hurried inside the castle, she looked to her traveling companions. "Mal – Draco intentionally injured himself during one of Hagrid's classes, and this was the day that the creature that was involved was sentenced to be executed," was Remus' explanation. Liz nodded, still a little disturbed by the young Draco's behaviour, but shook it off as her surroundings dissolved once more.

*MEMORY*

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked, peering at him over the tip of her quill.

Liz looked at her new surroundings – a very comfortable sitting room – and found the Golden Trio sitting near the fire. She saw Ron echo the question, and looked to Harry for an explanation. They started probing him about someone named Cho, and her curious mind drew her closer to them.

"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione briskly. Ron sat up and gloated as Harry replied with a nod.

"Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?"

"Wet." Ron snorted at this.

"Because she was crying," Harry continued.

Liz had to laugh next when Ron asked if Harry was that bad a kisser. She saw them look to her younger self when she started to speak, as it seemed that she had some insight into the whole matter.

"Don't you understand how Cho's feeling at the moment?" she asked.

"No," said Harry and Ron together.

Hermione sighed and laid down her quill.

"Well, obviously, she's feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying. Then I expect she's feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can't work out who she likes best. Then she'll be feeling guilty, thinking it's an insult to Cedric's memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she'll be worrying about what everyone might say about her if she started going out with Harry. And she probably can't work out what her feelings towards Harry are, anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that's all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she's afraid she's going to be thrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she's been flying so badly."

A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode."

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again.

Liz chuckled at this. Back home, she had always been the one that had to explain things to her male friends, and she remembered having a somewhat similar conversation with her best friend Ivan once. And she remembered using that phrase about the emotional teaspoon too.

"Harry had a crush on Cho for a few years before this occurred," Tonks explained. "Things didn't work out, obviously, but this was one of the memories that Harry used once to give him strength once when he was fighting Voldemort."

"Why?" Liz asked. Tonks pointed back to the Trio, and Liz saw that they were all giggling together over the situation, and the words shared. Liz felt a warmth steal across her heart at the sight. She looked back at Tonks with a knowing smile, and allowed her to lead her out the door of the room as it dissolved into blackness.

*MEMORY*

Liz took in her surroundings once more. It appeared that she was in a rather large backyard. There was a tall, thin house in the distance, which she assumed belonged to the owners of this large piece of land. She was standing under a large white marquee, full of round tables that were covered in clean, white tablecloths. She was surrounded by people, seeing Arthur and Molly amongst the crowd, and she also saw a hardwood surface not far from where she stood. "Where are we?" she asked her companions.

"We're in the Weasleys' backyard," Remus answered her. "One of their sons, Bill, just got married."

Sure enough, as Liz let her eyes wander the scene, she saw a young couple enter the crowd to applause. The man was tall and handsome, despite the scars she could see on his face. His fiery red hair was a stark contrast against the woman he was standing with. She was tall and slender with a sparkling tiara in her silvery blond hair. Both were absolutely glowing.

The band had begun to play. Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to great applause; after a while, Mr. Weasley led Madame Delacour on to the floor, followed by Mrs. Weasley and Fleur's father.

Liz glanced past them, and found the Trio sitting at a table with a young blonde girl whom she recognized to be Luna. Luna got up and started dancing with herself, and her spot was taken by a dark-haired young man with a large, curved nose and thick, black eyebrows. "Viktor Krum," Remus informed her before she could ask. "Very famous Quidditch player that you dated briefly during school."

Gasping, Liz watched as Ron muttered something, and then pulled her younger self onto the dance floor. She saw Harry and Krum converse briefly, before Krum stood and walked away. Looking back on the dance floor, she saw Ginny now out there, along with the George and his twin, and another young man.

Ron was dancing with Hermione out in the middle of the floor. Harry leaned up against one of the golden pillars and watched Ginny, who was now dancing with Fred and George's friend Lee Jordan, trying not to feel resentful about the promise he had given Ron.

Liz watched Harry with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. She couldn't hear his thoughts, but she knew in her heart that, at the time, something was keeping Harry and Ginny apart. While it was disheartening, she did feel better knowing that they were together in the future.

"I think this memory was added because it was the last time everyone was all together and happy," Tonks admitted.

"Yes, that was Molly's logic when she put it in the pensieve," Remus confirmed. Taking Liz's arm, he gently steered her from the crowd. "Come, let's move on. I think you'll find the next few memories rather interesting," he said as the world around them spun.

*MEMORY*

The next stop was so abrupt that Liz nearly toppled over, and would have landed quite hard had Remus and Tonks not stopped her fall. Straightening up, she looked around to find herself in a beautiful sitting room that looked a lot like the Gryffindor common room from a few memories ago. This place was different though, as the red and gold decorations were not as prominent. They still adorned the walls, but were comingled with similar decorations in green and silver. A large fireplace sat in front of her, and behind her was a very comfortable looking couch.

"This is the Heads' common room," Remus told her.

"We're back at Hogwarts?" Liz inquired.

"Yes, we're a few months into the school year now." Remus opened his mouth to give her more information, but the sound of shouting nearby stopped him.

"Why are you being like this?" a furious voice screamed from outside the door.

Liz recognized it as her own, and everyone turned as the portrait door opened.

"Just leave it alone!"

"No, I won't leave it alone! You need to talk about this! WE need to talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about!" Draco shouted as he stormed into the room.

"That's a lie, and you know it, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione raced into the room behind him, not wanting him to get away.

"You don't get it!" he yelled, whirling to face her, his black robes billowing behind him. "You couldn't possibly understand what it's like!"

"You're right, I don't understand! But that's no reason to let it consume you the way you are! You're better than that!"

"It's impossible to pretend that the past doesn't exist! It's a part of me, whether you like it or not! And I'm sick of being Draco, the wannabe murderer, or Draco, the chicken!"

"But you're not any of those!" Hermione shrieked, a pleading tone creeping into her voice.

"To them I am, and I always will be." Draco's statement was made at a normal volume, but the sadness and anger in his voice could still be heard. He dropped down onto the couch, and put his head in his hands.

"But you're not," Hermione whispered. "Not to me." Draco's head shot up, and he gazed at her in confusion.

"Why?" he asked softly.

Hermione remained standing, and moved over towards the fire, hiding her face from him so he couldn't see the sadness in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Because I've seen the real you, and in time they will too. I don't pretend to know what it's been like for you, but I still want to help you. I want to be there with you when you face them about all this. I want to be by your side when they finally realize that you're telling the truth about it all. I want to be able to say 'I told you so' to them all, because I believe in you. But I can't do that if you won't let me." She lowered her head, and gazed into the flaming depths in front of her, waiting for his response.

The couple now had Liz's full attention. Her gut was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't hear it. But she was not at all prepared for what happened next.

Draco sat on the couch during her speech, not moving an inch. His eyes followed her as she went to the fire, and his mouth hung open in disbelief at her words. The emotions flickered through his mind and across his face as what she was saying sunk in. He was waging a war within himself, and after a brief moment of the inner battle, he made his decision and stood up from the couch.

Hermione heard the springs of the couch move, and closed her eyes tight so she wouldn't see him striding to his room. She let out a quiet sob and felt a tear slide down her cheek. But then there was a firm hand on her arm. It spun her around quickly, and before she could register what was happening, she felt a pair of warm lips crash into her own. Her eyes flew open in confusion, and she saw Draco's blonde head tilted against hers. Finally realizing what was going on, she closed her eyes again and gave into the urge that she'd been suppressing for nearly a month now.

Draco's lips hungrily caressed hers, and she sighed in contentment as she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. He took her cue, and brought one hand to the small of her back to pull her closer to him. The other hand found its way into her soft curls, and he gently ran his tongue along her lower lip, asking for entry into her warm mouth. She sighed and let him in, tangling her own tongue with his. They both uttered a blissful moan as the kiss went on, with Hermione fisting his hair in her small hands as he gently rubbed his fingers over the exposed skin of her back between her tank top and jeans, keeping her body tight against his.

After a few moments of pure heaven, the two pulled apart slightly to catch their breath. Hermione, breathing heavily, opened her eyes to find Draco's silver ones fixed on her.

"I want you there too."

His simple admission was enough to bring a tear to her eye again. He removed his hand from her hair, and brought it to her cheek to wipe it away, all the while never letting his gaze leave hers. She granted him a soft smile, and then buried her face in the crook of his neck as she hugged him tight. He lowered his head to breathe in the scent of her, and allowed her golden brown curls to brush softly against his cheek.

Liz felt a tear slide down her own cheek at the tenderness he had shown her younger self. Turning to Remus and Tonks, she smiled sadly. "That's what started it all, isn't it?"

Tonks nodded. "Hermione talked about it with Ginny for hours the next day. It was their first kiss."

"It would be a week before Hermione and Draco finally worked up the courage to tell Harry and Ron. While they had been supportive of Draco after he helped save Hermione from the Death Eaters, they couldn't let six years of hatred go so easily. But they came around within a couple weeks of being told," Remus explained.

Liz nodded in understanding. Turning back to the couple, she saw Hermione raise her head from Draco's chest, and gaze at him for a moment before kissing him sweetly on the mouth. She smiled once more, and felt a hand on her arm as the young lovers faded to black.

*MEMORY*

They were now in a fairly small room, with a few windows on the far wall. Liz let her eyes explore the room until they came to rest on a figure staring at their reflection in the full length mirror. Her mouth opened in a gasp as the door to the room opened.

"We're all set out here," Ginny said softly as she closed the door behind her. "I can't get over how nervous all the guys are."

"All of them?"

"Well, Harry and Ron are just freaking out about trying to sit everyone with the right people. They're so scatterbrained right now, they almost sat Professor McGonagall on top of Professor Flitwick."

Chuckling at the image in her head, Hermione continued to gaze into the mirror.

"And Blaise is absolutely petrified about losing the rings."

"If he hasn't lost them by now, I highly doubt he will."

"True, but you know how he is. Draco seems to be the calmest of them all, but even he's worried."

"About what?" Hermione whispered softly.

"The vows."

Smiling, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She was in a beautiful white dress, with a deep v-neck and a cowl-style back that hung almost to her rear, showing off the smooth skin of her back. The dress was fitted until the waist, where it gently flowed to the ground in smooth layers. A short train trailed behind her, and instead of the traditional veil, she had white flowers tucked into her hair. Her curls were loosely, yet elegantly, pinned at the back of her head, with a few tendrils falling near her face and neck. Her makeup was simple and understated, yet absolutely perfect in highlighting her eyes, lips and cheekbones.

"You look amazing, 'Mione," Ginny said, awe creeping into her voice.

"Thanks Gin."

"Are you nervous?"

Hermione turned to look at her best friend, who was radiant in her moss green bridesmaid dress. "Not at all," she replied.

"Then how about we get this show on the road?" Nodding, Hermione took her bouquet from Ginny (lilacs and white roses), and followed her out the door.

Liz was stunned. The dress was exactly the same as she had picked out back in Toronto. Like the typical girl, she'd had ideas about her wedding floating around her head since she was little, and this was like watching her fairytale happen right in front of her eyes. She had to see how it ended, or at least as much of it as she could. She trailed down the hall after the girls, and stopped when they came to the doors leading outside.

Michael Granger beamed proudly as his daughter walked towards him with her best friend. When they reached him, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful, baby."

"Thanks Daddy."

Before they could say anything else, the sound of soft music could be heard from outside. Ginny grinned at them, stating, "That's my cue," before the doors opened and she was swept into the sunlight outdoors.

"You ready?" Michael asked Hermione, placing her hand on his arm.

Fixing him with a brilliant smile, Hermione nodded. "More than ever." The two smiled again, and turned their gazes forward as the doors opened once more for them. They proceeded through them, down the white aisle that adorned the grass of the backyard.

Liz followed, taking in the beauty of the ceremony. She saw familiar faces everywhere, including all of the Weasleys, Harry, Remus and Tonks, and several other Order members that she had met. They all sat in fold-up white chairs which faced a beautiful white gazebo that was adorned with lilacs, roses and silvery-white ribbons.

It was then that she noticed the men standing at the alter. Dumbledore stood proudly in the middle, his hands clasped in front of him, with a sincere smile on his face. She saw Blaise up there as well, looking nervous but happy.

But the one who held her attention was Draco. From the minute she stepped outside, her gaze had been drawn to his face. He stared at his bride as she floated down the aisle, and Liz could see happiness radiating from his being. She had yet to see him that happy in real life.

"Come on Liz," Tonks said from behind her. "Time to go. Only one more stop."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, and breathing deeply to calm her raging emotions, Liz reached out a hand for them to take. The last thing she saw before they vanished, was Draco and Hermione staring lovingly into each other's eyes as Dumbledore began to speak.

*MEMORY*

The sudden starts and stops of their journey were finally starting to wear on Liz's emotions. The memories were tugging at her heart, slowly breaking her down. She wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"There are many more stories we could tell you about Harry and Ginny, but I think they'd like to keep a little dignity today."

Ron's voice brought Liz from her inner struggle, and she looked around to once again find herself under the white marquee in the Weasleys' backyard. She looked to the source of the voice, and saw Ron standing next to herself at the end of a long table. Harry and Ginny were seated in the middle of the table, leaning into each other as they laughed. On either end of the table sat Luna and Draco, chuckling quietly as well.

"But in all seriousness now," Hermione started, "Ron and I just wanted to say how happy we truly are for you both. We started out as the Golden Trio," she said as Harry and Ron nodded. "Then we expanded to a quartet." Her hand found Draco's shoulder, and she smiled serenely at him. "And now we've become a quintet, and wouldn't have it any other way."

"So if everyone will please stand," Ron requested, and everyone quickly obeyed. "A toast to the new Mr. and Mrs. Potter. May your lives be blessed with love, friendship, and lots of magical times." Everyone raised their glasses, and Harry and Ginny shared a kiss.

"Now, if you please, the happy couple will share their first dance as husband and wife," Hermione announced, as Harry and Ginny rose and walked to the dance floor. They swayed together to the music, and shared a blissful smile.

Hermione was standing slightly behind Draco, wiping the tears from her eyes. Not wanting to make a fool of herself, she slipped soundlessly out of the tent for some fresh air.

By now, Liz knew that she had to follow her younger self. Something monumental was about to happen, she just knew it. Liz followed Hermione's path out of the tent, and stepped outside to find her counterpart standing by a small pond at the edge of the Weasley property, her soft blue dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. Liz walked up next to her, and stared deeply at her. Why was her younger self crying?

Without warning, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around Hermione's small frame, pulling her close. "Why'd you leave?" Draco asked quietly.

"Just needed some air," was Hermione's soft reply, wiping her eyes discreetly as she nestled herself into his arms.

"It was a beautiful speech," he told her.

She snickered as her eyes drifted closed. "And I managed to get through it despite having someone's hand rubbing circles on the inside of my thigh under my dress."

"It could have been worse."

"That's true. You could have moved it higher."

"Wouldn't that have made for an interesting distraction," he murmured, nuzzling the soft skin of her neck. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, granting him full access to her exposed throat. In between placing small kisses on her neck, he asked the question that had been on his mind for the whole day. "How are you feeling?"

Her eyes shot open, and she stiffened slightly in his arms. "I'm fine."

"Mi, you've been sick to your stomach every day for the past two weeks," he pushed, pulling his lips from her neck, and moving to face her.

"It's nothing to be worried about," she stated simply. "It's perfectly normal."

"Perfectly normal for what?" he inquired, confusion on his face.

Hermione took a deep breath. This was it. This was the opening she'd been hoping for. "I've got something to tell you," she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

"What is it Mi?"

"It's big."

"How big?"

"Big, big."

"Ok, enough with the understated adjectives, you're starting to scare me."

"It's nothing to be scared about," she started, and then retracted her statement. "Well, it is, but not for the reasons you're thinking."

"What?"

She took a deep breath again. Why was this so hard for her to say? "Draco?"

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

Shock flew across Draco's face at those two simple words, and Liz felt her own mouth drop open in astonishment as the tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"You're what?"

"Pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"I did the spell on myself three days ago, and a Healer at St. Mungo's confirmed it this morning before I came here."

"How far along?"

"About seven weeks now. I didn't want to say anything earlier, because it's Harry and Ginny's day. I figured this could wait."

The initial shock was starting to wear off, and Hermione could see the news actually sinking into her husband's brain. His eyes met hers, and she smiled when she saw the hope in them. "So we're really doing this?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"We're having a baby?"

Her smile widened at the excitement in his voice. She nodded again. "Yes."

He let out a cry of joy, and wrapped her in a deep hug, lifting her off the ground. They both laughed with joy as he gently spun her around, kissing her face the whole time.

Liz was openly crying now. The intense emotions that she had witnessed over the course of the journey had finally broken her. Her knees started to give way, but her fall was stopped by Remus grabbing her arms.

"Oh no, we need to get her out of here now!" he ordered.

"I was afraid this would be too much for her," Tonks admitted. "Hang on," she said as the world disappeared around them one last time.

*END OF MEMORIES*

Liz gasped as she was pulled out of the pensieve. Tears sailed down her cheeks as she stumbled and collapsed in a crying heap on the floor. Sobs racked her small body as she cried for her lost history. She had just witnessed so many beautiful memories that she had been a part of, and she couldn't remember any of it. She'd never really know what any of it felt like.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around her, and she breathed in a familiar scent as she cried into the person's chest. He gently lifted her from the ground, and settled her in his lap as he sat on the couch. Her arms were around his waist tight, and he stroked her hair as she sobbed.

"I know," Draco whispered to her. "I know," was all he said as he gently rocked her back and forth. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and just held her while she cried. He was so focused on her that he didn't see Remus, Tonks and Dumbledore talking quietly in the corner of the room. Even if he had seen them, he wouldn't have cared. All he cared about was the tearful girl in his arms, and trying to calm her shaking form.

After a full half hour of crying, during which everyone in the house had poked their heads into the room to see if everything was ok, Liz had cried every last tear out of her. Her gasps eventually slowed to deep breathing, and Draco knew that the intense emotions of the day had finally lulled her exhausted mind into slumber. And still he sat there, rocking her gently in his arms, wanting to never let go.