I wrung my hands together as I sat in the hospital room, anxiously waiting the results from the healer. I had missed my period. And I wanted to make sure, just so I don't give us false hope. It had been three months since my first time, and we had done the Ministry requirements.

"Hermione Weasley?"

I looked up, startled by the use of my new name. I wasn't too used to it.

"Hey, Hannah," I greeted the Hufflepuff I went to school with.

She gave me a soft smile, "So I have the results."

"And?" I asked.

She shook her head, "You're not pregnant. Just a little off schedule. It happens sometimes."

"So that's it then?" I asked. "I'm not pregnant?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry."

I nodded, sighing, "Alright, thank you."

"Hermione?"

I thought she had nothing more to say, so I had grabbed my purse and coat. She did, though. She looked at me when I looked up. "What?"

"Your tests show that you can't have children. You're fertile. But ... the sperm isn't sticking to your eggs. We've never seen anything like it."

My heart stopped, "No-"

"We don't know how to fix it, Hermione. I'm sorry."

"So I can never have children?" I asked. "Never?"

"I'm afraid not," she sighed. She gave me a sympathetic smile, "But, we can do some research. Run some tests."

I nodded, swallowing back the tears. I didn't expect to get this emotional over not having children. I had never planned for children in my life when I was younger. I always planned for the war, for school. But now that I can't have kids...I really wanted them.

"What will the Ministry say?"

"They may find your husband another partner, or they'll let you two be and you can adopt," she suggested.

I nodded, swallowing back the tears. "Thank you, Hannah. I-I think I'm going to go now."

"I won't tell the Ministry, Hermione," Hannah said gently. "I'll give you a few weeks, to tell George how you want. And then you come back here and we'll talk about your options."

I nodded, "Thank you, Hannah. Thanks for telling me."

She nodded, and offered her hand, "I'll see you soon?"

I nodded, and turned towards the door, "Hannah? What did you mean, 'options'?"

A grimace crossed her face, "Like I've said, we've never seen anything like it, so we aren't too sure, but it looks like-"

"I'm dying, aren't I?" I guessed.

She frowned, "We're researching it as best we can, but we give you about-"

"I don't want to know," I interrupted quietly. I was dying. I felt the tears build up in my eyes. "But do you know what's happening."

"Whatever's affecting your eggs is affecting your life as well. It's slowly eating away your magic, and no witch or wizard can survive without their magic. No matter where they come from. It's killing you. You'll know when you become weaker and your spells begin to become difficult to perform that time is shortening. I'm sorry, Hermione, I really am. I wish I could help."

Oh god... I shook my head, "Thank you."

I paid for my visit at the front counter before Flooing back to the shop to start dinner.

I don't remember making it back to the apartment, but I do remember staring at the steaks in the pan on the stove for a few minutes while I thought about myself. My magic was killing me.

I remember when I first got my letter. My parents were so proud of me, so glad that I could finally go somewhere where I could fit in, be with people like me.

Then I got to Hogwarts and realized I didn't quite fit in. I was as bookwormy as Ravenclaw, a Mudblood hated by Slytherin's, and best friends with Harry Potter - which made everyone want to be friends with me, just to be close to him.

My parents didn't voice it, but I knew they felt it too. They didn't know who I was anymore, spending so much time away from home. They were scared of me near the end of their lives. Everyone was in my family, except for Lyla. She adored me. Would watch me read, we brew potions, write essays for homework.

But when they died, I realized, I could have done better. Instead of studying all summer for classes, I could have spent every day with them. Went to the park, walked the neighbors dogs, babysat.

I regret not spending time with them like I should have. Like I spend time with the Weasley family. I spent more time with them than my own parents.

"Hermione?"

I looked up to see George looking at me worriedly from the flat's front door. "You okay?"

I nodded, plating the food and making sure the noodles were cooked to perfection before plating them as well. "Yeah, dinner's done."

"Wicked, I'm starved."

He walked towards me and hugged me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"Can you set the table?"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it now," I said quietly. It would ruin dinner.

"Later?"

I nodded, "After dinner."

He kissed my cheek, "Alright. I just don't want to see a frown."

I gave him a fake smile, "Better?"

"If you make it real, yeah."

I rolled my eyes at him and went to the fridge, pulling out a few cans of soda.

Dinner was quiet. I asked him about what he needed to restock and I got a long list in return. I made a list in my head of things I could make tomorrow while he worked. I had the day off.

So when dinner finished, it was all too soon. "So what did you do today?" he asked.

I shrugged, moving a carrot around my plate absently, before picking up his and mine and heading to the kitchen to wash them. "I went to St. Mungo's today."

I heard him follow me, "Are you sick?"

"No, I felt fine."

"Then what happened?"

"I missed my period. I thought, you know, I might be pregnant," I said quietly as I softly scrubbed the plate clean by hand.

"It's okay if you're not. We can always keep trying."

I shook my head.

"You are? That's great!" George cried, pulling me into his arms and spinning me around.

"No," I said forcefully as I pushed myself out of his arms. "I'm not."

"Then why can't we keep trying."

"I can't have ... children, George," I mumbled.

"I couldn't hear you," George said softly from beside me. I turned off the sink and set the wet rag to the side.

"I can't have children," I repeated. My eyes brimmed with tears as I stared at the soapy water. "They don't know why."

"We can adopt. The Ministry never said that you had to have a child. You just had to try. And they never said you couldn't adopt."

"We could adopt, but that would be cruel to you and the child."

"Hermione, you're not telling me something. And it wouldn't be cruel. We'd be-"

I looked up, furious, "It would be. You know why? Because I'm dying! What Dolohov said was right! I'm dying and I can't be fixed! They can't find out what's wrong, George! Dolohov did something to me and I'm dying because of it!"

My breath came out in short breaths as I felt the tears brim my eyes. George stared at me in shock and I was horrified. I wouldn't cry. I kept taking deep breaths to stop the tears from spilling over but it was no use.

"Hermione-"

"I'll leave tomorrow. Hannah said the Ministry would pair you up with someone else after I'm gone. All the Ministry wants is children, George. They don't care who gives them. It's useless. I'm going to die, your going to get remarried and you'll have seventeen babies with her for all I know. But I'm not going to be here to find out."

"You're not leaving," George whispered, his hand touching mine. He pulled me to his chest, a thumb wiping away the tears on my cheek. "I'm not letting you. And to hell with the Ministry. Do you remember what you told me, the first night we were engaged?"

"I hate you?" I tried.

He chuckled, "No. How you going to run away and hide."

I nodded, "I remember."

"If the Ministry tries anything, we'll run away and hide," he whispered. My heart fluttered with the way he was looking at me.

"But they'll send you to Azkaban if they ever catch you-"

"They'll send us. I'm not going to sleep until I find out what's wrong with you and how to fix it. But there's only one place we can go."

"Hogwart's library?"

He chuckled, "Always books. No. I'm thinking somewhere a little darker. A little scarier."

"Azkaban?" I whispered.

He nodded, "Time to ask Dolohov what he meant."

I bit my lip, "Dolohov said a year-"

"Don't think about that," George whispered. "I'll go with you. Tomorrow. I'll call Harry and tell him to expect us. That's alright, right?"

I nodded, "Um, yeah." I swallowed back the tears. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Did Hannah say anything about what was happening?"

"Whatever's happening to my body, making me not have children, is also eating my magic. I'll know my time is ending when I can't use spells anymore."

"We'll go to Azkaban tomorrow," he said firmly. "I'll take off."

"You can't keep taking off time-"

"I own it, they can't do anything about it. I'm my own boss. I'm taking off and that's that."

I nodded, knowing he wouldn't change his mind, "Alright."

"Tomorrow. I'm going to Floo Harry. You stay in the living room, alright?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

But the tears flooded back again as soon as he was gone. I was dying and that was that.

You guys hate me, I know;) But Azkaban is the next chapter! Review, please, and you'll know what happens soon!

-Nastya