That Looney bint always picked her moments. Draco put his back to Hermione to hide the letter. What was in there was probably about her parents, he couldn't possibly open that in front of her. He folded the envelope in half with difficulty, her report was quite thick, and put it in his pocket. But when he turned back to Hermione she was frowning with worry. She'd seen the stamp. Damn. She didn't ask though and since she certainly would once her curiosity would get the better of her, Draco decided to reluctantly shorten the evening. He didn't sit back down and with his best attempt at a smile, that did nothing to ease her frown, he said awkwardly:

"It's been a long day. I'm going to bed." And he started to the door before she could ask anything.

"Draco?" He stopped in his tracks, so close to the door that he swore under his breath.

"Mm?" He kept his back to her, his hand on the door handle.

"Is everything all right?" She asked carefully.

"Yes, just tired is all." He started again but didn't get time to put his foot down.

"I know I shouldn't pry but … Why is Mungo's writing to you then?" He screwed his face a second, clenching his eyes shut.

"Check up." He lied and she didn't fall for it at all. He didn't dare look at her.

"If it's none of my business it's all right." She said quietly and then her voice became almost a whisper: "It's just …" Sighing defeatedly he turned around. Her eyes were pleated with concern and her mouth shut in a tight line. He couldn't count her freckles. He gave her a questioning frown, trying to reassure her without words.

"I … Are you hurt? I mean, since … Did you hurt yourself when you …" She was wringing her fingers nervously, and spoke a trembling voice. He thought she might cry at the simple idea that he'd hurt himself. His heart started racing as her eyes were pleading, waiting for his answer to a question she couldn't word. He felt like taking her in his arms tightly and stroke her hair to comfort her, to reassure her that he was all right.

"I didn't. It's nothing like that I promise." He said taking a step back in.

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise." She took a deep breath of relief and his heart squeezed up. She opened her mouth again and Draco knew she'd ask so he cut in. "I can't tell you what it is. But I swear it's nothing to do with my health." She swallowed but nodded eventually.

"All right." She conceded. He tried for a smile and got a small one in return. He could count her freckles again as her mouth lifted at the corners, and her cheeks rounded up. Her whiskey eyes were still concerned but her frown had softened. She was not entirely convinced but she wouldn't ask again.

She was worried over him. The very thought made his insides jump. She was being a friend though, only a friend and Draco couldn't afford to feel flattered with her worry. It didn't mean anything and he wouldn't hope.

"I … err … I'll go to bed now." She just nodded with that small smile.

"Good night then." He said awkwardly and stumbled a bit to reach for the door again.

"Sleep tight Draco." He still wasn't used to this. Every time she said his name it made him stop in his tracks.

"You too." His voice sounded weak as he closed the door behind him, not daring to face her. He took the stairs to his bedroom and once locked inside, sat at the little desk. The letter was again heavy, and the scroll he freed from the envelope smelled like smoke.

Draco,

I, again, report to you, seeing that we approach the end of the potion testing. Mr Granger has reacted very positively to the last batch. He states he knows Hermione, even if he still can't place her, or name her.

The progress is slow but only because it takes nearly three days to brew the prototype.
I think I have found the variable that kept it from really working though. I have a full batch ready from which to add various quantities of said ingredient.

As you know, I can only test on the patients twice a day, to avoid any undesirable side effects, so it might take about a week more for it to work.

I am positive the potion will work and I hope you do realise that all of this has only been possible thanks to your donation.

Upon this fact I would like to know if you wish to announce the good news to Hermione yourself, or if I shall send a letter.

Attached you'll find the report of the last testing, as well as the recipes that I will test this coming week.

In the hopes that your goodbyes were only temporary,

regards,

Luna Lovegood,

Mediwitch at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

She was positive it would work. It was Looney though, she was also positive radish earrings were appropriate. And they weren't. But Hermione's father had stated he knew her, which was definitely a sign that things were moving the right way. He'd helped. He'd really helped.

Maybe her life would get right again soon.

He wouldn't tell her though. His gesture was way too much to look innocent, even though it was, and he didn't want her to think he'd done it to get something.

He scribbled a short answer for Lovegood to send a letter, and put it aside to take care of in the morning. Then he started reading through the recipes the brilliant lunatic had sent.

Half-way through he heard footsteps, and chatter coming from the stairs. The weaslette must have arrived. A minute later Blaise was knocking at his door. Draco ignored it, and even locked the door just in case. Blaise gave up after about ten minutes, swearing profusely and banging at the door in anger. Draco smirked and, hearing jerky footsteps somewhere above his head, he thought that Hermione might be smirking too.

Hermione woke up in the middle of the night to a strange hissing sound. She sat right up in bed and her eyes fell on a blurry hooded figure. Her logical brain told her she was just dreaming. But she couldn't help the panic that slowly rose to her chest and froze her limbs.

The air felt icy in her lungs as the figure moved to the door, floating just above the floor. She recovered the use of her arms and legs as it hissed itself outside the room and warily decided to follow it, her logical brain back to sleep. Her heart pounded in her chest, stronger and stronger at each step she took.

The figure was disappearing in the stairs when she finally reached the corridor. Trying to be silent not to wake Harry and Ginny, she tiptoed to the stairs and started downing them slowly. There was light at the guests' floor, but the hooded figure was going downstairs. She heard Draco and Blaise's laughs but felt so attracted to the apparition that she still pushed herself forward to the first floor, albeit reluctantly.

Then, the hissing sound stopped and she froze in horror. Where was it? She didn't even have her wand! She turned around as panic crept up higher in her body, clenching her throat and stealing her air. Where the hell was it?

She glued her back to the wall and started down again, trying to slow her speeding breath and calm her racing heart beat.

Then she heard a feminine voice. An oddly familiar voice, but muffled, as if wrapped in cotton. It sent shivers right through her. She couldn't decipher the words so she warily kept going.

When she reached the hall, she saw light shine under the kitchen door. The voice was still speaking, it seemed angry, lecturing. Then a shout echoed but still she didn't understand what it was saying.

She remembered that the kitchen door was charmed but still tried to glue her ear to it.

The door opened suddenly and she fell forward landing painfully on her face, right on the iced floor. The kitchen was blurry and the floor next to her nose too white. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and tried to lift herself up but a strong force kept her down.

"You stay on the dirt you filthy mudblood!" Marcus Flint's voice felt like a thousand lightning bolts jolting pain through her very core. Bellatrix's laugh resounded in the background, still muffled, and the world started spinning as she was hit with what she knew to be the cruciatus.
She felt her body jerk forward on the ground, uncontrollable, as an unbearable pain seized her every veins. Her entire body was on fire but her throat felt detached when she heard her own screams echo in the gigantic room.

Suddenly it stopped but the world kept spinning around her and everything went black. A flash of green light assaulted her sight and then she couldn't feel any longer.

Draco's eyes snapped open abruptly and he jerked out of bed without thinking, running towards the screams. Her screams. Flashes of that day burned his tired eyes as he reached the third floor. He heard Blaise's hurrying footsteps behind him when he grabbed her door handle. He slammed it open the moment his brain woke up and told him that she was just having a nightmare. She wasn't hurt and he could see her fighting the sheets of her bed. Her hair was all over her face as she kept screaming her lungs out. He stopped thinking and reached for her. Her grabbed her wrists to steady her and as Blaise entered the room panting, he tried to wake her up.

"Hermione ! Hermione wake up! Shit! Hermione, come on it's just a nightmare!" His shaking voice seemed to calm her jerkin movements but her eyes remained tightly shut and her jaw so clenched she'd break her teeth.

"Shit where the fuck is Potter when we need him!" Yelped a panicked Blaise as Draco kept trying to soothe her.

"Hermione?" He released her wrists as she wasn't shoving herself around any more but started trembling. Blaise came to his side just when she opened her eyes. They were bloodshot and red. Draco realised with horror that tears had wet her face and pillow and that they kept rolling down her cheeks as she watched them with fear, her eyes glazed, as if she was seeing something else.

"Granger?" Tried Blaise, his face too pale and his eyes wide open. She blinked a few times and seemed to finally see them, Draco sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands folded close to hers and Blaise standing at his side. Her eyes grew wide as recognition hit them but the tears didn't stop. Weakly pushing herself up in the bed with trembling arms, she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The tears were silently dripping from her eyelashes to her cheeks, never stopping, her breathing too fast.

Draco reacted on instinct, he wrapped his arms around her and the real cries came out. She started weeping loudly in his arms, gripping at his shirt for dear life. Blaise was completely bewildered and it's in a worried voice that he asked:

"D'you want me to call Potter?"

"No ... I'll ... I'll handle it, don't wake him up. He must have silenced his room."

"Shit. Err ... I'll ... I'll be downstairs then."

"Right. Thanks mate." Blaise went out the room but her cries hadn't slowed yet. She kept crying her heart out for a few more minutes, each passing one breaking Draco's heart even further.

She finally started to calm down and the cries became tiny sobs just when Draco concluded his heart had gone. He rested his chin atop her head then, and tightened his hold of her. He never wanted to let go.

Eventually the sobs became sniffs and deep breaths and her hair was soft against his face. She smelled of shampoo and flowers, just like the last time.

They didn't move for a while. She calmed down and her breathing went normal again, but her tiny hands still fisted his t-shirt tightly, she didn't move.

"Hermione?" He murmured softly, not willing to break the moment but needing to make sure she was alright. She sniffed in response and shuffled again his chest as if to show she'd heard.

"Are you all right?" She nosed her negative answer against him and apparently he still had a bit of heart left to break.

"I'll stay then, as long as you need." He promised decidedly in her hair. After maybe a minute though, she let go of his t-shirt and held her hands flat on his chest to gently push herself off of him. He had to let go of her. Her face was red and teary, her eyes swollen from the crying. She rubbed them with a sleeve and sniffed a few times. When she spoke her voice was hoarse and cracked, just above a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

I'll stay then, as long as you need. Harry had said those words once. Years before, when they'd stayed at Bill and Fleur's shell cottage. During a night full of nightmares. She'd sent him off with a few words, but had had to almost scream again to have Ron leave her alone.

She couldn't go back to sleep now. As always, she never slept again for when she tried, the nightmares came back.

Draco's arms were tightly holding her, his hands flat on her back and he was warm. He smelled of faded cologne and the embrace was comforting, she could have just stayed like that. But it was the middle of the night and she'd woken him up. Blaise too! They would probably sleep if they went back to bed, they had to work in the morning. Slowly and she realised reluctantly too, she pushed herself off of his arms and rubbed her face with a sleeve, hoping to at least dry out the remaining tears.

He was looking at her with haunted and pained eyes, the grey barely visible in the dim light from the corridor. His inquisitive stare was scanning her face for something she didn't understand and she decided to let him go back to sleep.

"I'm sorry." Her own voice sounded alien to her ears and she was ready to thank him but her mouth opened and nothing came out. She realised she didn't want him to go.

"It's not your fault." He said. He seemed to want to reach for her again but refrained the movement, and she opened her mouth again but words still failed her. She hesitated for too long and he sighed, lowering his swirling eyes to his hands:

"You should try to go back to sleep." His voice was a murmur, caring and soft, as if still trying to soothe her.

"I can't." Was all she could answer. He finally looked at her again and seemed to think for a moment. Just as she became self conscious, and started to wrap her arms around herself he reached for her hand and firmly took it in his.

"Come with us downstairs, Blaise must be worried." He stood without waiting for an answer and tucked at her hand gently for her to follow. She did and he didn't let go of her hand.

She grabbed her cane with the other and they took the stairs slowly, a step at a time, his eyes adverted to her feet and his moves cautious. When they reached the second floor, Blaise was pacing in the corridor between the guest rooms. He snapped his head up and walked to them instantly. He didn't say anything though and when Draco shook his head towards the first floor, he nodded and followed.

She started to feel more like herself once they finally reached the lounge. Draco hadn't let go of her hand and she was reminded of that night at the manor, when he'd lead her to the guest room. It was comforting in the same strange way it'd been back then, but at the time they were just old enemies sharing their pain. It had been all they could offer the other. Now, it was more than that, for he'd hold her in his arms until she felt better, for they were friends.

Her insides protested but she ignored it, as she sat carefully on the couch, Draco at her right. Blaise let himself slump on the armchair facing them and broke the silence:

"Pretty bad one eh? Are you all right Granger?" She recovered upon seeing his tired and startled face tint with concern.

"Yes, I'm sorry I woke you up … you should go back to bed." At those words she also glanced at Draco and let go of his hand so he understood she was speaking for him too.

"Nah it's too late now." Blaise smiled but it wasn't quite his usual grin yet. Then he stretched his arms above his head, yawning loudly. Draco stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the hand she'd let go of.

"I'm still sorry …" She tried.

"Yeah well, we've also had a couple of nightmares you know. Potter too actually." Oh so they'd heard Harry too. She made a face but she felt like she could tell them.

"Harry never sleeps well … even at Hogwarts he …"

"He's told us Granger. He's been silencing his room since the last time."

"Oh."

"Though I doubt he did because of that tonight …" Here, Blaise's grin was back.

"Err … Right. I'll silent mine from now on then." She saw Draco frown at that, but Blaise stood and he remained silent.

"I'll go fetch breakfast. Starving …"

"Thanks." She nodded and Blaise went to the door with a tired step.

Draco had remained silent the entire time and she didn't dare look at him now that they were alone. She had something to say though, so it was in a small voice and her gaze resolutely still on her cane handle that she said:

"Thank you Draco." There was a moment of pause, where she didn't dare move her eyes and then he broke it, his voice quiet and hesitating:

"You … you can come to me if it happens again. Or … write if you want to." He said, never leaving his knuckles from sight. He was clearly uncomfortable now, and shoving aside her own embarrassment, she'd cried in his arms after all, she answered with the smallest smirk:

"Nah, wouldn't want you to blow up a wall. You'd never do that to me so …" Finally his smile lifted to her and he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't care it's Potter's house. But I'm serious Hermione, I'm here, whenever." And she had no doubt it was sincere, he was so embarrassed that he even started to blush.

"Thank you, I'll remember that." She said with a small smile and he nodded. She knew he was well aware that she had no intention to bother him, but he didn't mention it and turned his gaze to the coffee table.

Blaise came back precariously levitating a platter with bagels and coffee. As he lowered it to the coffee table Hermione noticed his pyjama pants had snitches all over them. While Draco wore a simple grey t-shirt and dark blue pants, Blaise had the buttoned up shirt with broomsticks and the matching Quidditch bottoms. All in silver and green of course. Looking down at herself and deciding it was worth the risk of being mocked in return – as she wore herself quite the ridiculous long grandma night gown – she chuckled.

"Nice pyjamas Zabini." He lowered his eyes to his apparel and Hermione saw Draco pinch his lips from the corner of her eyes.

"Well, I return the compliment book-worm. Nice gown, goes well with the cane." He smirked.

Draco chuckled and Hermione couldn't help but join him. She shook her head and bent over to the coffee table to pour the coffee in the mugs.

"So, am I forgiven then?" Blaise asked, a small smirk on his lips. Shit they'd forgotten! Hermione grimaced and saw Draco pout as if thinking the same thing. Then she saw his mouth lift into a mischievous smirk she found she enjoyed a bit too much.

"If you make a move with Brown you'll be." He said. Hermione couldn't repress her grin.

"I was talking to Granger." Blaise sneered.

"Not until you make a move with Lavender." Hermione repeated, her own smirk rivalling Draco's.

"Err …" Blaise suddenly looked embarrassed, Hermione suspected he was blushing, even if it was hard to tell. He rubbed his face with a hand. "Better get to work then." He mumbled before grabbing his mug and a bagel he stuffed in his mouth. On his way out he pulled a face full of bagel at them, his grimace fitting his attire. Hermione rolled her eyes out of principle but she couldn't deny that she was grateful for his attempts at lifting the mood. Blaise Zabini was definitely a caring person.

Draco suddenly felt out of air as Blaise closed the door behind him, leaving them alone again with a well placed wink as Hermione was rolling her eyes at him. They still had an hour before work, he sure could have stayed for breakfast, and was leaving on purpose - probably to get back at Draco for mentioning Brown. Hermione started sipping at her coffee silently and Draco mimicked her. The silence itself wasn't uncomfortable, and she didn't seem to notice how he felt.

A moment before he'd been taking her in his arms as she clung to him for comfort. He'd held her hand to help her, but she'd let go. Now they were few inches apart on the couch and he had no idea if he wanted more to just touch her or crawl in a hole and hide.

The reality of how things were between them stroke him again, as she was just there but he couldn't hold her. She'd needed a friend earlier and he'd been there as such, as Potter would have been too. And as a friend he had no proper excuse to take her hand in his right now. He was just a friend. It was all. Nothing more. And it wasn't great, it felt awful.

Draco waited another minute, gulping down his coffee, then he grabbed a bagel too and stood.

"I should go too." He said, and she lifted a small approving smile to him. Her eyes were swollen and red, and his worry still very much there, so he asked: "Will you be all right?"

"Of course. It was just a nightmare." He nodded at her reassuring words and started away to the door but she made him stop:

"Will you?" He turned around and she was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "Be all right?" She added. "You seem …"

"I'm fine. Really." He cut. He'd been wrong she'd noticed. She surely had no idea what made him feel uncomfortable whatsoever but she'd seen it. Apparently she knew him that well.

"If you say so … just … You know what you said before? That I could come to you?"

"Yes?"

"Well, you can come to me too … whenever. I mean, you can talk to me. About anything." Oh. A small smile was playing on her lips as she watched him with something in her eyes. Draco couldn't pinpoint exactly what but it made her eyes lighter, and that freckle stand out.

"Oh. Hum, I'll remember that?" The same words she'd said before now sounded like a question out of his mouth.

"You better." She challenged chuckling. Remembering the doubt he'd felt at her own I'll remember that, he returned the challenge.

"Well you better too then." She lowered her smile to her lap a second and then lifted her hand to him. The hand that had let go of his just a moment before.

"Promise?" Shit. He hesitated briefly, for if he promised something to her, he would keep his word but it meant going to her when something was wrong. The doubt didn't last though, because his body moved forward, as if attracted. He walked back to the couch, stopped before her, and took her hand in his.

"Promise." He said, a small smile in response to hers.

"I promise too then." His heart beat fastened at her words, her tiny hand was in his again. He felt an urge to pull at it to make her stand and wrap his arms around her. Instead he nodded softly and reluctantly let go before going away.

Hermione stayed on the couch watching the tapestry blankly until Ginny came down. She had no idea what had just happened but she knew that it wasn't normal to feel like that when you shake someone's hand. She also knew, even if she desperately tried to crush the thought under everything she could find in her mind, that she had felt the urge to let go of his long fingers to rush in his arms again and feel the comfort she'd felt when he'd woken her.

Ginny yawned loudly making her jump and spill coffee on her granny gown.

"Mornin' Ginny." She greeted bitterly before scrougifying the stain.

"Already up? I'm starving. What are these? Err … Come down with me I'd rather have Kreature's pancakes."

Hermione obliged, all thoughts of Draco pushed aside for the time being. Or so she told herself, the tiny voice in a corner of her head was a persistent leech. Ginny lead her gently down the stairs and once they were both settled at the table with a steaming cup of tea and pancakes, Ginny started talking:

"So what do you want to do today?"

"Actually I was planning on staying here, I have researches to do."

"What for?"

"A new job."

"Oh come on! Take a break Mione! You're just out of your hospital bed!" How she managed to sigh and yell at the same time Hermione had no idea, but the resemblance with her mother was uncanny.

"Err … I guess we could go out for lunch … Hogsmeade?"

"Mm, maybe. Oh! We could go to Honeydukes! And Zonko's! Actually I need a new wax for my broom too … "

Hermione realised as she saw Ginny's excitement over a shopping spree, that they had drastically drifted apart. While Ginny had been playing Quidditch internationally, travelling around and living her dream, Hermione had spent the last three years buried in the out-come of a war.

As Ginny's priorities laid in enjoying herself on her season break, Hermione's head was filled with a large amount of horrible things, that still gave her nightmares. At the moment, it was also filled with a profusion of uncertainties and doubts. Her entire life was taking a new turn, in all possible ways, and she had no wish to go on a shopping spree right now. What she wanted was to work her mind out to forget the current inward battle in her head.

"Err … I can't really walk Ginny …"

"Oh right." Hermione saw the disappointment in her friend's eyes, and tried to compromise:

"You know, I don't need anyone to do my researches, maybe you could do your shopping with Hannah since she works at the post-office there, and we could meet up for lunch?"

"Oh you wouldn't mind?"

"No, not at all."

"Settled then!" Ginny stood then, chewing on the last fork of her pancakes, muttered something close to "Get ready" with her mouth full, and jogged out of the kitchen.

Hermione sighed. The night before she'd been excited at the idea of sharing and confiding in Ginny again, as they'd done for so many years. That morning the very idea felt ludicrous, as Ginny felt to be part of a totally different world from hers.

How was she supposed to tell her that she'd bounded with Draco Malfoy, of all people, and that she had no idea what to do with her confused and incomprehensible feelings? The very idea seemed ludicrous.

Maybe she could confide in her friend about everything else? But could she really tell Ginny that there were nights where she couldn't sleep without feeling Bellatrix' hands on her, or hear Macnair's voice? Or that now she even had flashes of Marcus and Clarissa in her nightmares? Ginny had no idea those things had happened, Hermione couldn't talk to her, she wouldn't understand.

With that went the fact that she was so worried over Dean's strange behaviour and Zabini's drinking habits, among other things, that she'd bitten her nails senseless, but again she couldn't tell Ginny for she'd ask too many questions, and she refused to ruin her fragile and renewed happiness.

The only thing that Hermione could have talked about with Ginny was something she forbade herself to even think about, since every time she did, she felt sick to her stomach. It was her parents, and unfortunately, it was the only thing she wasn't able to talk about. To anyone.

Upon these thoughts, Hermione realised that everything in her life was changing, and that she had no idea where she was going. How could she ever tell Ginny, that now that things were better, her life no longer had a purpose?

She needed a friend. She was in desperate need of a friend to help her sort through this gigantic mess that was her life, a friend who would understand. She needed Lavender. She needed her sister.

The thought of Ginny not being that person any more made her heart twist, but it was just how things were. Lavender was the one always noticing when things were wrong, she understood Hermione. The understanding was mutual, Hermione knew all she'd been through over the years. Even if Ginny would always have a special spot in her heart, Lavender had somehow become more important.

"Mornin' Mione." Hermione jumped at Harry's cautious greeting. He was ready to go to work, his auror's robes half-buttoned, and she knew he'd been coming down to grab a coffee on the go.

"Mornin' Harry." She said, and she saw the relief in his eyes.

"Hermione I'm so sorry for …"

"You're forgiven. Wasn't even your idea …" She shrugged. After all, they'd spoken to Blaise just minutes before. Harry smiled but the wariness didn't leave his words:

"I've seen Zabini … are you all right?"

"Could you ask Lavender to come by?" She asked in response. Harry sighed and sat down next to her.

"When did it happen?"

"What?"

"You, not being friends with my wife any more." He looked so terribly defeated that Hermione didn't have the heart to tell him how she felt about it.

"We are friends Harry …"

"Yes, but I mean … you used to talk …" He'd noticed. How, she had no idea, but he knew things had changed. She decided to tell him the truth then.

"You know she wouldn't understand."

"I know. I haven't told her anything. She's happy …"

"And I won't ruin that. But I need a friend Harry …"

"You can talk to me you know? Or Ron …" Oh, she could. But not about everything.

"Can I talk to you about Draco?"

"Err …" Harry took his face in his hands and groaned: "He was right … The fucking troll was right …"

"What about?"

"You like him don't you?" Hermione froze. She'd said too much. Too much of something she hadn't even told herself yet. She remained silent, as voicing it would make it real. She stared at her cup of tea a moment and Harry grabbed her hand on the table.

"It's all right you know …" The small gesture chattered her composure. It was Harry, he was right, she could tell him anything.

"I … It's just … Harry I don't know … I'm lost … I have no idea what to do with my life. Where am I going to live? Or work? Do I like Malfoy? And my parents …"

"Don't cry Mione. Please don't cry." Harry took her in his arms suddenly and she realised she'd been crying. She cried in someone else's arms for the second time that morning. Harry's embrace was familiar, she knew it by heart. But it was different from Draco's in a million ways, and she realised it wasn't comforting enough. It wasn't what she needed. As much as she loved Harry, it wasn't enough. So she withdrew.

"I'm sorry … You have enough on your plate right now …"

"Nonsense. Look, I'm taking Ginny out for dinner, what do you say I ask Lavender to stay over tonight? Actually she's got her Friday off and I think she was planning on coming by tomorrow anyway."

"Would be great."

"Stop crying then, I'll get your pet wolf." She chuckled.

"Thank you." He smiled and stood to peck her on the forehead.

Then he was gone too, and Hermione was left nursing her mug of cold tea, with her doubts and memories for company. Until Ginny came back with the mail.

Dear Hermione,

This letter is carrying important news concerning the memory potion I'm currently testing on your parents.

It has come to a turn where I can finally state that it will work. The last variable of the recipe is being adjusted as you read this letter and this is with great joy that I announce you that we shall come to a final recipe by the end of the coming week.

Upon this fact, you shall be warned that I will require a first appointment with you, as soon as the potion is ready. You will be to meet your parents again then. I shall keep them in observation for a couple of weeks more after that, and then they will be free to go.

In the hopes that it has rendered you your long lost small and shy smile,

Luna Lovegood,

Mediwitch at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.