A/N: I can't even begin to express how sorry I am at the delay for this chapter! September was, as predicted, more nuts than usual, but I also had an additional curve ball come at me...literally, I'm afraid. Only a few days into the school year, this pitcher took a ball between the eyes, resulting in a broken nose, cracked sinus, and a lovely indent in my forehead - all of which will eventually require surgery to fix. :( So it really hasn't been the best start to the school year for me, and as a result my writing/editing schedule got thrown completely out of whack, along with my personal exercise regime. Nevertheless, I promised that this would be done by Halloween, and I'm determined to stick to that. Thank you sooooo much to those who have stuck with this story, despite my appalling updating schedule. There's only one chapter and an epilogue to go after this one. :)
*** 29 – Hope ***
One week later, Blaise limped through the front door of Grimmauld Place, supported on either side by Neville and Luna. They brought him inside and helped him settle on the couch in the sitting room. A moment later, Ginny entered from the kitchen with a tray full of steaming mugs.
"I thought we could use this," she said quietly as she passed them out.
"I could personally use a good shot of firewhiskey," Blaise muttered.
"Seconded," said Neville, taking a sip.
"It's seven-thirty in the morning!" Luna exclaimed.
"So?" was Neville's reply.
"How is he?" Blaise asked, changing the subject.
"I'm going up to see him now. None of them are doing very well, under the circumstances," Ginny informed them.
"I don't blame them," Luna said, a melancholy tone to her airy voice.
"And how's she doing?" Neville inquired.
If possible, Ginny's expression became even sadder. "No change."
"Dammit!" Blaise shouted, flinging his full mug at the wall. It shattered on impact, sending the contents flying everywhere. Luna barely missed a beat before twirling her wand, repairing the mug and refilling it.
"Blaise, you need to stay calm. The Healer said that you could do more damage to yourself if you don't."
"Ginny, right now I'm not worried about me. My best friend is going through hell again, and I can't do anything about it."
"None of us can," Neville said, defeated.
"I'm going up there to see them," Ginny stated, heading back to the kitchen.
Luna placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder as she handed him his mug again. "It'll be ok," she said softly. "She'll get through this. We all will."
Ginny had overheard Luna's confident words, and had to fight the tears back. Shaking her head, she grabbed her tray and started upstairs. She passed Remus and Tonks on her way, and shot them a soft smile. Tonks returned it, but Remus looked down as if he'd just lost his best friend. Continuing on her way, Ginny soon passed the study where Dumbledore, McGonagall, Kingsley and her parents were conversing quietly.
Another flight up, and she found herself in front of the door she'd been looking for. Gently pushing it open, she came across a sight that both saddened her and warmed her heart.
Harry lay sprawled on the couch, while Ron laid uncomfortably in the chair next to him. Both were sound asleep, and snoring softly. Sitting on the floor beside them was George, who had a deck of cards in his hand and was leaning over something Ginny couldn't see from her position at the door. Across the room, Poppy bustled around the bed, while Draco sat silently next to it, his eyes only seeing its occupant.
Quietly, Ginny moved around the room, depositing the steaming mugs of tea and hot chocolate on various surfaces. She smiled when she saw what George had been hovering over, and gave her brother's hair a ruffle. Moving over to Draco, she placed his mug on the bedside table and gave his shoulder a soft squeeze.
"Anything?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied sadly. He sighed. "After everything else that's happened, I thought things were supposed to get better, not harder."
"I know. We all did. But we'll get through this."
"I don't know if I can. I'm starting to think that I'm not meant to be happy."
"Don't say that. It will be ok."
"I wish I had your confidence."
"Call it mother's intuition. Lately I seem to have a sixth sense about this kind of thing," she said, rubbing her stomach.
He left out a quiet chuckle, and placed his hand over the one she had laid on his shoulder, squeezing it gratefully. "Thank you," he said.
Smiling, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Call me if you need anything." As she left the room, he turned his gaze back to the still form on the bed and thought about everything that had transpired since the battle.
After Hermione had been shot, he'd returned to Grimmauld Place in a fog. Tonks had gone back to the facility after delivering Blaise to St. Mungo's, and she had not only finished the destruction of Moore's research, but she had overseen the complete obliteration of the entire compound. Remus' spell had ended up killing Moore, so they left him in the facility when they lit it ablaze.
When Remus had disappeared after healing Hermione as best he could, he'd gone back to Grimmauld to retrieve Madam Pomfrey. If Hermione didn't want to go to the healers at St. Mungo's, then he'd bring her the next best thing. Poppy had done everything she could, but Hermione had been in a bad way to begin with.
Isabel had taken the news of her mother very badly. Harry had been the one to tell her in the end, and she'd cried for hours afterward. Nothing could console her, and Ron and Harry had been by her side ever since. She'd worked herself into such a state that Poppy had had to give her a calming draught to get her to sleep.
Now, Poppy was hurrying back and forth around the bed, checking on her patient. Whenever she seemed to be finished, she'd find something else to adjust. Draco reached out and grabbed her loose hand, and squeezed it in thanks for what she was doing. She fixed him with a motherly smile, and continued her work. With a soft smile on his own face, Draco turned back to the bed, and gently stroked the honeyed curls that lay on the pillow.
He'd been sitting by the bedside for a week now, only leaving to shower. Molly had sent each of his meals up to him, and someone was almost always in the room with him. They all seemed to know that he was overly stressed because of last week's events, so they wanted to help him however they could. But until she sat up and smiled at him, nothing in the world could help, despite all their best efforts.
He couldn't help but feel some pleasure at the thought of Moore's mission being snuffed out. No other witch or wizard would ever go through the terrible feeling of losing their magic by force. But despite feeling good about their triumph, he felt incredible sadness. His life had just started to feel complete again. He'd gotten his wife back after five long years of searching, and their daughter had welcomed her easily despite not knowing her. But just when things had started going good, Moore had to interfere. Draco was somewhat thankful that Remus had killed him, for Moore would have begged Draco for death if he'd gotten to him first.
A soft shout from the other side of the room drew his attention. Ron had jolted awake from his chair, and his shout had woken Harry as well. At his cry, both Harry and George had jumped into a ready position with their wands drawn.
"You ok, Ron?" Draco asked, having not moved at all.
Harry and George lowered their wands as Ron nodded. "Nightmare," he replied.
"The spiders again?" George asked, no hint of humour in his voice.
"I wish." When they all stared at him, curious, he went on. "It was the Final Battle."
"That's the third one you've had this week," Harry commented.
"It happens every once in a while," Ron said, trying to shrug it off. "Especially when something bad happens."
All three men gazed sadly at the figure on the bed. George opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped by the appearance of Dumbledore in the doorway.
"How is she?" he inquired, the sparkle in his eyes slightly dimmer than usual.
"Same as yesterday," Harry answered.
Dumbledore nodded. "I see." A pause, and then: "Might I have a word alone with Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco looked up at him as Harry and Ron got up and left. George quickly gathered up everything around him, and carried it all out of the room behind his brothers.
Once the door had closed behind them, Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat next to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, do you remember what I told you about the prophecy regarding your daughter?" When he saw the slight nod from the young man, he continued. "She really is much more powerful than you think. Do you know why?"
"Because it was prophesized that she would be."
"Yes, and no." A blank stare found its way onto Draco's face. "It was foretold that she would be powerful, but it is because of you and your wife that she is so magically strong. Isabel has the blood of the most talented and powerful beings of their age flowing through her. You and Hermione were always on top at Hogwarts, in everything you did, and both of you have always been stronger than anyone else."
Draco nodded, and silently wondered where this was going.
"Isabel can help you."
"How? She can't control her magic yet. We – " Draco stopped at the thought of the plans that he and Hermione had made, and squeezed the hand he held as his gaze drifted back to the bed. "We were going to start teaching her after we got back from the mission," he finished quietly.
"She doesn't need to control it. You will control it for her."
"How?"
"Simply speaking, she can transfer her power to you, and you can use your own skills to control it, much like a filter."
"But what good will it do? Poppy said that nothing else magical could be done."
"Poppy has never before witnessed the magic that your family possesses. She made that statement because of everything she knows and understands."
"Will it work?"
"There is a strong chance it will."
"I don't want to bring Isabel into this unless it's a definite. She lost her mother once, and I don't want her to get her hopes up if it's not a guarantee." Draco gazed at the still face on the bed. "I don't even know if I can handle losing her once more, and Isabel shouldn't have to go through this again."
"She's stronger than you think," Dumbledore said again.
Draco gently stroked Hermione's curls as he focused on the features of her beautiful face. Her dark eyelashes and peach-coloured lips stood out against her pale skin. He desperately wanted to see her cheeks flushed with colour again, and to see her chocolate eyes sparkle with mischief. But he was afraid of getting his own hopes up again. Despite his fear though, if there was the slightest chance that she might wake up…
"What do we need to do?" Draco asked, determination creeping into his voice.
Dumbledore's eyes lightened a bit. He smiled cryptically, and left the room. Draco looked back at his wife, and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you, Mi," he whispered. "Please come back to me."
A minute later, Dumbledore returned with Isabel, but was followed into the room by Harry, Ron and Ginny.
"Are you ready Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked kindly. Draco nodded, and Isabel walked over to him. She crept up into his lap, and reached out to touch her mother's soft cheek.
"Daddy, when is Mummie going to wake up? Grandpa said that I can help, and so can Uncle Harry, Auntie Ginny, and Uncle Ron."
"Hopefully she'll wake up soon, Princess. But how can your Uncles and Auntie Ginny help?" He diverted his last question to Dumbledore, rather than his daughter.
"Isabel will enhance your own strength, Mr. Malfoy, but since you will be focused on channeling your energy, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter can help try and call her back through their connection.
Draco nodded, and everyone shifted into position. Harry, Ginny and Ron arranged themselves on the other side of the bed, and Isabel made herself comfortable in her father's lap.
Dumbledore knelt in front of Isabel and Draco. "Isabel," he whispered, drawing her big brown eyes to his face. "Can you do something for me?" She nodded. "Can you focus all of that good energy inside of you, and pull it into your heart, and think of your mother?" Again she nodded, Hermione's smile present on her face. Satisfied, Dumbledore turned to the elder Malfoy. "You will need to reach out with your mind and find her energy. Once you do, carefully pull her energy into you to merge with your own. Then, you'll have to reach into Hermione and find her own energy. This will be difficult, as her energy has been so greatly depleted. Once you find it, you must be extremely gentle when you feed your energy into her. Too quickly, and it might cause irreparable damage." Draco nodded solemnly.
He turned to the small gathering on the other side of the bed. "You three will need to call out for Mrs. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy most likely will not be able to do so because of the concentration needed to gently filter energy to his wife, so it will be up to you to call for her and bring her back." They all nodded, hope in their eyes. Quickly, the trio moved closer together so they could all be touching, and closed their eyes as they all reached for Hermione's limp right hand. Draco moved a bit closer to the bed and rested his hand on hers, squeezing it softly. His other arm tightened around his daughter, holding her close to his chest.
After receiving a quick nod from Dumbledore, Isabel closed her eyes and began to focus her energy so Draco could tap into it. He pulled it into his own being, and slowly began sending it to his wife.
On the opposite side of the bed, Harry, Ron and Ginny concentrated everything they had on building their connection. Once their minds had joined, they softly began calling for their best friend.
Dumbledore gazed in awe at the sight in front of him. The soft silvery glow that surrounded Isabel had traveled to her father, and melded with his green glow. The three former Gryffindors on the other side of the bed began to emit a pale red hue. The three colours swirled around Hermione's unconscious body, twining together around her still form. Dumbledore could feel the power in the room, and it gave him great hope. A tap on his shoulder caused him to turn and find Remus standing behind him. He had a look of disbelief on his face, and looked at Dumbledore for an explanation, but the elderly wizard stayed silent. Explanations would come later.
Remus' eyes suddenly grew wide, and Dumbledore turned back to the six people near the bed. The red, green and silver glows that had been twirling about over Hermione had pulled out a brilliant golden ribbon from her. The gold latched on to the colourful braid and sparks flew from it all. They rained down on the group, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with delight.
Gradually the light faded, and began to seep back into the original owners. Once the room was back to normal, Harry, Ginny and Ron's eyes all flew open as they staggered back from the bed. The arm that Draco had around Isabel fell limply to his side, and the two of them began to slip off the chair. Remus bolted forward and stopped their fall as Dumbledore gently pulled a sleeping Isabel out of her father's arms.
"Harry, can you enlarge the bed, please?" Still stunned by what had happened, Harry was a bit slow to follow the instruction. But he quickly reclaimed his wandering mind, and turned the double bed into a king. "Please move Mrs. Malfoy over to make room on this side." Ron reached out and carefully pulled his best friend over towards him. Receiving a nod from Dumbledore, Remus lifted Draco onto the bed next to Hermione. Of their own accord, their hands found each other and linked as Dumbledore leaned over to place the youngest Malfoy in between her parents. Both Hermione and Draco shifted their positions to cradle Isabel between their bodies. Everyone stared in awe as the green, silver and gold haze shimmered around them, faintly dotted here and there by hints of blue.
"Albus?" Remus asked.
"The family must heal themselves together. Their energy will re-balance itself amongst them, but it needs time to do so," Dumbledore replied, motioning for them all to leave.
"But a blue glow as well?" Ginny asked quietly as she passed through the door. "Where did that come from?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mysteriously. "A question to which an answer will soon be given, I'm sure, though it is certainly not my place to give it." She nodded slowly, as her mind began to sift through possible explanations. When her brain settled on one, an improbable but still possible, one, her eyes widened and met Dumbledore's, and he winked at her. A small smile crept up on her face as the pair left the room.