*** 26 – Returning to Grimmauld ***

Hermione stirred in her sleep when she felt something slide through her hair. She snuggled up to the warm pillow at her side, effectively burrowing herself a little further under the blanket. She could still feel something brushing against her curls, but was loathe to fully pull herself from sleep. She felt so peaceful in that moment.

When the movement in her hair continued, she let out a soft sigh and slowly opened her eyes. She stilled her body as her eyes focused on her surroundings. Her gaze rested on a familiar fireplace, the mantle of which was covered with framed, moving pictures. She couldn't see their exact detail from where she was, but she knew what they were. There was a picture of a petite redhead in a white dress standing next to a tall man with messy black hair, surrounded by two other smiling couples. There was a picture of an older couple, the woman with light brown curls and the man with hazel eyes and a gentle smile that mirrored her own. A large picture of a brunette bride and her platinum-haired groom beamed out from the centre of the mantle. Three younger teenagers – two boys and a girl – giggled at some inside joke in their picture. A dark-haired man with brilliant blue eyes stood next to a young blonde man in the last picture, both giving the camera a dangerous smirk.

Hermione smiled as she remembered when each of the photographs was taken. She shifted in her spot, and carefully straightened her legs to stretch. As she did, she felt a soft pulse under the smooth surface of her warm pillow, and she remembered where she was. The movement in her hair ceased as she raised her head and found herself staring into a pair of happy silver eyes.

"Morning, beautiful."

She smiled at his statement. "Morning?"

Draco nodded as he kissed her forehead. "We slept through the whole night," he said as he started running his fingers through her hair again.

"No wonder I feel so rested," she murmured, curling up to his chest again. Merlin, how she'd missed feeling like this with him.

"It's the best sleep I've had in five years," he admitted gently.

"Me too," she whispered back, and he tightened his arms back around her. She smiled happily and kissed the smooth skin of his chest. He shivered slightly under her touch, and she welcomed the warmth that spread to her heart as a result of it. "I don't want to move," she told him.

He chuckled. "So don't."

"Ok." They laughed together, and Hermione revelled in how natural this all felt. How had she gone without this – him – for five years? She was about to deepen her thoughts on the subject when she felt him start to move from his spot on the couch. "Hey, I thought we weren't going to move."

"You aren't moving," he countered, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to make breakfast."

She giggled as he got off the couch and reached for his boxers. She felt a heat rise inside of her as she watched his agile body move about the room, and she knew that a flush was rising to her cheeks.

Draco looked over at her, and smirked confidently. "Like what you see?" he asked as he walked back to the side of the couch.

She managed to grasp his wrist and pull his face down to hers. "Always," she whispered, kissing his cheek. He grinned and headed for the kitchen. Hermione laid back on the couch for another minute before she was longing for his touch again. She tied the blanket securely around her body as she rose and followed his path.

Standing in the doorway of their kitchen, Hermione watched her husband as he rooted through the cupboards for something they could eat. In the five years they'd been separated, his appearance hadn't changed a bit. Draco was as handsome as ever, and she marvelled at the thrill she got simply by looking at him. He had his back to her, and she smiled wickedly as she saw the red scratch marks that she'd left on his skin. Nothing had changed in that department either…

Bored of just looking at him, she crept quietly across the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She felt him jump slightly at her touch, and then relax as she pressed soft kisses to his shoulders. "I thought you weren't going to move," he commented huskily.

"I've been away from you for five years. We have a lot of time to make up for, and I don't want to waste a second of it by lounging on the couch when I could be in here with you."

Her familiar, matter-of-fact tone had him grinning as he spun in her grasp to face her. His eyes sparkled before he closed them and took her lips in a kiss. It was short, sweet, and wonderfully familiar, and she loved every second of it. Draco pulled back from the kiss, but swept her into a hug. "I missed you so much, every day that you were gone."

She stiffened in his arms as she thought about his words. The last five years had been torture for him, but she'd been fine. The Ministry had made her forget her wonderful life and amazing husband. They'd made it so that she hadn't missed him at all, and now that she remembered everything, the guilt had started to creep quickly into her heart.

Draco sensed a change in her attitude and looked at her. "Mi, what is it?"

Hermione pulled out of his embrace, and walked over to the table where she slowly sat as she spoke. "I didn't get to miss you."

"What?"

"They made me not miss you. You've spent the last five years searching for me, missing me, and wishing I was here, while I wasn't even aware that you existed."

Draco moved to her side and knelt so that he could see her downcast eyes. "Mi, that wasn't your fault."

"I know, but it still happened. I had a whole other life, other family, other friends, other boy–" She suddenly stopped, realization dawning as she paled rapidly. "Oh, Merlin."

"What?"

"I dated other men. I'm married, and I had another man in my life for over three years," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

Ignoring the jealous pang in his heart, Draco reminded himself of something, and then repeated it to her. "They wanted you to be safe, which is why they erased your memory. They wanted you to have a fresh start. It was bound to happen, that you'd be with other men." There was one question that Draco was absolutely dying to ask since she'd said she'd had a boyfriend as Liz for over three years, but he didn't dare ask it now. This was partly because he was afraid of upsetting her further, but mainly because he was afraid of his own reaction to her answer. Thankfully, he was spared from voicing his query by her next statement.

"Maybe somewhere in my mind though, I did remember you."

"What do you mean?" he asked worriedly.

She gazed at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I never slept with him." Draco let out a whoosh of air. "He wanted to, and after being together for over a year, he started pushing it, but I never had any desire to do it. I didn't know why I wasn't lusting after him, but I never let it get too far. Maybe this is why."

Relief flooded both their faces, and Draco reached out to stroke her cheek. "I don't want you feeling guilty for not missing me the last five years. I don't blame you for it, and I don't feel that you should feel bad about it. I have you back now, and we're going to make a million new memories together to make up for the ones you missed out on."

The tears in her eyes from earlier fell as she leaned forward and kissed her forgiving husband for a lingering moment. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips. She pulled him into a hug. "You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that."

"Mi, when we got married, I promised to love you through the good and the bad. I'm not about to abandon that promise because some outside force kept you from me for five years. All that matters to me is that you're safe and with me again. I don't want to ever let you go."

"I don't want to leave you ever again," she declared passionately, softly pressing her lips to his. "And I don't plan on it."

"Good." They both grinned. "Now how about that breakfast?"

"Do we even have anything edible here after five years?"

"Pancakes? All it takes is the mix and water."

"Sounds perfect."

The two of them enjoyed a nice, normal breakfast together, and exchanged stories of the last five years. Draco learned of his wife's newly-acquired talent for playing the violin, and she shared stories of her dearest friends and her latest schooling. He could completely picture her as a teacher. In turn, he told her of Isabel's first five years of life. They were both upset at her missing them the first time round, but were relieved when Draco realized that he had thousands of wizard pictures of their daughter's antics over the years, so Hermione could at least see them happen again.

As they magically washed the dishes, conversation turned to their friends, and of their lives since Hermione left. It felt good to just have a discussion like a normal couple that didn't have the threat of death hanging over their heads. This reality eventually set in after they had curled back up on the couch together.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked, a worried tone to her voice.

"Well, we can't hide out here forever," Draco replied. "Though I wish we could."

"Me too, but we have to go back. I won't let those people win. They're going down for threatening my family."

"Don't worry. I made it through ok." It was the second time that day that Hermione stiffened in his arms because she knew something he didn't. And for the second time that day, he voiced his concern. "What is it?"

She raised her head to meet his gaze, sadness evident in her gentle eyes. "They know about Isabel, and Moore threatened to bring her to the compound after he killed you." Now it was his turn to go rigid as he fully comprehended her words. He knew that their daughter was safe at Grimmauld with their friends, but after hearing that she'd been threatened he wanted nothing more than to get back to her and hold his whole family in his arms. Hermione knew him well enough to know what he needed right now. "Time to go?" she asked softly, trying to be supportive.

He turned to see her face and melted at the sight of her honest eyes. He was so grateful for her help and her caring nature. He smiled at her. "Not yet," he said. "Harry, Ginny and the others will keep her safe until we get back."

"You sure?"

Draco nodded. "We'll head back soon. I want to have a shower first."

Hermione gave him a wicked grin, and he saw a mischievous glint in her eyes. She stood from her spot on the couch, and gazed at him hungrily. "Then what are you waiting for?"

He looked at her, confused. "Huh?"

Her grin turned into a sexy smirk, and he inwardly cursed himself for teaching her how to do that. It made her even more irresistible. She backed up towards the hallway, and he saw her slender hands go to the tie in the blanket as she turned away from him. When she reached the hallway entrance, the blanket slipped from her body, exposing her to the air and his eyes. Heat rapidly spread throughout his body, and he gulped loudly as he took in the golden skin and delicious curves of her back. She glanced over her shoulder and the smirk widened when she saw his mouth agape. Hermione turned around completely so that he could now view her entire front. "Are you coming for your shower or not?" she asked innocently.

He'd forgotten how much of a vixen his wife could be. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet and at her side, scooping her bare body into his arms. He carried her, bridal style, to the upstairs bathroom, with her giggling and kissing his neck as he walked.

An hour later, they returned downstairs, freshly washed and in clean clothes they'd found in the bedroom dresser. They debated staying at the cottage a little while longer, but as always Hermione had been the voice of reason when she'd mentioned that word of their escape would have probably made its way back to Grimmauld Place thanks to Blaise. Add in the fact that both of them wanted to see Isabel, and it had been a fairly short debate. Hand in hand, they exited the cottage and apparated from their front yard to the front step of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. With a kiss to her forehead and a gentle squeeze of the hand to indicate that he'd help her get through the barrage of questions they knew was coming, Draco opened the door and led the way into the house.

When no one came running to greet the pair, both immediately became suspicious. But all suspicions and worries vanished after Draco called out to see if anyone was home. The sound of footsteps could be heard pounding through the hall, and the kitchen door flew open in front of them.

"You're back!" George shouted, running forward to draw them both into a warm hug. "We've been worried out of our skulls! Blaise came here yesterday afternoon and told us that they were planning on killing you, Draco, but he came back later last night with news that you both were gone. Mum and Ginny have been terrified, and Harry and Ron are going to put a hole in the floor with all the pacing they've been doing…"

"George!" Hermione shouted, finally stopping his rambling. "Calm down! I haven't seen you this worked up since Ludo Bagman cheated you and Fred out of that gold after the Quidditch World Cup."

"Well, if you thought I was upset then, you should have seen me over the last few weeks with you two...locked...up..." As he finished his sentence, his words trailed off as her own statement sunk in. "Wait a minute, you remember that?" She nodded slowly. "But, then that means…" Hermione nodded again, a smile growing on her face. "Mione?" he asked tentatively. "Is that you?"

"Yeah George, it's me." She barely got the words out before she was being smothered in his powerful hug. He held her tightly for a few moments as Draco looked on with a smile on his face. When George pulled back, he had tears in his eyes to match hers. "How?"

"I'll explain it all to everyone at once so I don't have to do it twenty times," she offered, and he nodded acceptingly.

He seemed to shake out of his daze and grabbed both their arms. "Come on, everyone's in the study trying to figure out where you are."

"Where were you when we called out?" Draco asked.

George grinned sheepishly. "In the kitchen getting a snack."

"I thought Ron was the bottomless pit in the family," Hermione commented, laughing lightly. The men joined in as George led them to the hall for a minute. George went back into the room to hear what had been said.

"All we can do right now is wait and see what Blaise can find out, and then we can make a plan to find them," said Harry logically.

"I think this is the best plan so far," Remus agreed.

"Well, I think we should just let them find their own way back," George offered. Everyone turned to face him, shocked.

"Are you mad?" Ron shouted.

"We have no idea where they are or if they're ok!" Molly yelled.

"We can't just leave them out there!" Luna cried.

"They're both really smart. They'll get back ok," George said, walking over to open the door. "And probably a lot sooner than you think," he added just as Draco and Hermione entered the room.

Everyone stared at them, stunned. Ginny recovered first, and threw herself at the pair with a shriek of joy. Everyone else quickly came to their senses and followed suit. The room was filled with laughs, cries of joy and much discussion. The whole group was dying to know how they'd gotten out, but Draco and Hermione were anxious to share the news of her recovery first.

"Guys, we have something to tell you," Hermione started, as Draco squeezed her hand.

"What is it Liz?" Tonks asked.

"Well, that's just it," Hermione said in response. When everyone looked at her confused, save for Draco and George, she continued. "It's not Liz." She paused. "It's Hermione."

Once more, chaos took hold of the room as everyone slowly came to understand what this meant. This time it was Harry and Ron who reacted first, pouncing on their best friend with a tearful hug. Draco had only seen them both cry once before, when Hermione had first vanished. Now, all three of them sobbed as the Golden Trio had their first real hug in over five years.

Everyone quieted as they watched the reunion of friends. They were whispering in each other's ears about how good it felt to really be back. The sadness and loneliness of the last five years vanished in that single hug. Ginny, Molly and Luna all brushed away tears as they gazed on the scene. Tonks leaned on Remus, both grinning madly, Dumbledore's eyes had brightened their usual twinkle, Kingsley, Arthur, Minerva and Poppy all beamed, and Neville and Draco shared a handshake and a hug.

When Harry and Ron finally released her, the three of them sat down on one of the couches. "How?" Ron echoed George's earlier question. Hermione grinned and shot Draco a wink before launching into the tale. She told them of the abuse Draco suffered, Blaise's informative walks, Dr. Moore's attitude and threats, and her own demonstration of loyalty and power. Harry flushed with pride when she told them of her expert Patronus, and they all stared in awe as she recalled the memories that had returned to her.

Everyone was silent when she finished her tale. Their brains were swimming with information. Hermione was back, Moore was out for blood, and Isabel had been threatened. There was much to do. Hermione looked to Dumbledore. "What can we do?"

"Right now, we need to wait for Blaise to return so we can inform him of your ordeal, and see what information he has managed to uncover," he replied, giving her a soft smile. "But before he gets back, I believe that there is someone who has been asking for you both for quite some time."

Dumbledore slipped out the door as Hermione's eyes sought out her husband. She suddenly felt nervous about seeing her daughter now that she had her memories back. Two hands squeezed her own, and she glanced to either side of her to see her best friends smiling at her, encouragingly. She shot them a smile back, but her breath caught in her throat as the door opened again.

"Daddy!" Isabel shrieked happily from her place in Dumbledore's arms. He quickly let her squirming body down, and she jumped on Draco. He swept her into a tight hug, once more breathing in her sweet smell.

"Hey princess," he whispered. "Daddy missed you while he was gone."

"I missed you too," she said. "Why were you gone so long?"

"I had a lot of work to do. It's still not done, but I had to come back and see my little princess again."

Hermione had watched the exchange with tears in her eyes. They had such a close relationship. Would she be fortunate enough to also have that with her little girl?

Everyone had quietly snuck out of the room, wanting to give the family some time alone. But their curiosity got the better of them, and they found themselves standing down the hall from the study, all armed with Extendable Ears.

Draco turned towards the couch, and Hermione rose. "There's someone else who wanted to see you too," he told Isabel.

She glanced at his face before looking at the couch. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Hermione, but Draco held her fast in his arms.

"Isabel, I have something to tell you," he started, and she brought her eyes back to him. "You know how we told you that her name was Liz?" He motioned towards Hermione, and Isabel nodded. "Well, there's something that we found out while we were away. Her name is not Liz."

"What is it?" she asked innocently.

"Her name's Hermione."

"That's Mummie's name."

He chuckled at her intelligent mind. "Yes, it is. And you know what else?" She stared at him expectantly. "She is your Mummie."

Her mind quickly processed the information he'd given her. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "You found her? Just like you said you would?"

"Yes, princess, just like I said I would." He set her down, and she turned immediately to Hermione.

Hermione knelt as Isabel walked towards her. She took a deep breath. "Hi Isabel."

Isabel looked at her intently for a brief moment before grinning brightly. "Hi Mummie!" she shouted as she flung herself at her mother. Hermione latched onto her as the tears started to fall. "I knew you'd come back for me! Daddy promised he'd bring you back!"

"I'm so sorry for not being here with you," Hermione declared. "I'll never leave you like that again, 'Bel." She pulled back and kissed her daughter's cheeks, nose, forehead and lips before holding her close once more.

Draco felt the tears on his own face, but ignored them as he approached the two most important women in his life. Hermione saw him coming and rose from her position, still holding tight to Isabel.

Isabel turned to her father. "Daddy, why are you and mummie crying?"

Her parents let out a soft laugh. "We're just really happy, princess."

"Ok. Me too." The small family held each other close, feeling better than they had in five years. Outside the room, several people hugged and cried with joy at the sound of the reunion. Finally, things were getting back to the way they should have been.