The residents of Grimmauld Place were having a quiet, lazy Sunday, but there was a sense of optimism in the air. Following Blaise and Theo's trip to Hogwarts to help Harry locate what they thought was a Horcrux, everyone hoped that the end of the war was in sight. If the Horcrux was genuine, and Dumbledore destroyed it, that left Nagini as Voldemort's final Horcrux. They all knew once Nagini was the only Horcrux left, a final battle could be initiated and hopefully they could end Voldemort's reign of terror for good this time.
After a lunch whipped up by Sirius and Remus, everyone was relaxing in the front room. Remus and Theo were both reading, while Sirius, Blaise, Fred and George were playing an old board game Sirius had found in one of the bedrooms. As for Hermione, she was napping on the sofa with Lyra snuggled safely in her arms.
Hermione was only sleeping lightly, and she was woken properly by a bit of a commotion. As she opened her eyes she spotted a flash of silver disappearing. She wasn't sure, but she thought the silver was a patronus, and as she sat up she noted the horror etched on everyone's faces.
"What's going on?" she asked, gently settling a still snoozing Lyra on the sofa as she got up. "What have I missed?"
"That was Molly's patronus," Sirius answered. "The Burrow is under attack. Molly, Arthur, Bill and Charlie are all trapped inside the house."
"We need to go," Fred declared.
"Now," George added.
"Not you George," Remus said gently. "I know this is hard, but you need to stay here. You are supposed to be dead."
"Fine, I'll stay, but you lot need to go," George said urgently.
"We'll be back as soon as we can," Sirius said as he, Remus and Fred prepared to head to The Burrow.
"It'll be alright, George," Hermione said, giving George a comforting hug as his twin headed off with Remus and Sirius to try and save the rest of his family.
"Do we just wait?" Theo asked.
"I don't think there's anything else we can do," Hermione said with a regretful sigh. She wished she could do more, but there was no question of her leaving Lyra.
"Should we contact Hogwarts?" Blaise asked. "We need to send as much help to the Weasleys as we can."
"Mum's patronus will likely have gone there as well, but there's no harm in trying to get in touch," George said. "Hermione, do you know if the floo is already connected to Hogwarts?"
Hermione didn't know, but before she got a chance to try it, the fire lit up and Ginny stumbled out of the emerald green flames. She immediately threw herself into George's arms and explained that Harry and Ron had insisted on going to The Burrow when they'd heard the news. Ginny had also wanted to go, but Dumbledore had refused and instead had packed her off to Grimmauld Place to await news of her family.
"Why have they suddenly decided to attack The Burrow?" Ginny asked as she slumped down on the sofa next to George, the two siblings holding each other's hands as they waited for news on their family.
"Why do they do anything? To try and scare us," George replied. "I doubt there's any logic in why they've chosen to attack out home. Let's just pray everyone gets out and the rest of the Order arrive in time to save our family."
With nothing else to say, the group settled down to wait for news from The Burrow. Hermione moved Lyra so she was sitting on her lap, and she kept a close eye on her daughter for any signs that Voldemort was using her to manipulate Draco. However, for the time being Lyra seemed content to sleep and she didn't seem to be in any pain.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality wasn't even half an hour, sounds of apparition floated from the hallway. George and Ginny were the first to their feet and they rushed out into the hallway to see who had returned. When they came back into the front room they were accompanied by Remus, Harry and McGonagall, who were supporting Bill and Charlie between them. Both Bill and Charlie were battered and bruised, but they didn't look to be in serious pain.
"What happened?" George demanded as Bill and Charlie were settled on two of the sofas.
"We were just finishing lunch when the alerts around The Burrow sounded," Bill explained. "We tried to apparate, but we were blocked from leaving. The floo also wasn't working. We were trapped."
"What did you do?" Ginny asked as Hermione passed Lyra over to Blaise and started to help McGonagall check the two eldest Weasleys over for serious injuries.
"We ran," Charlie answered. "We ran up to the attic, but it wasn't until we got there that we realised Mum wasn't with us. By then, it wasn't safe to go and look for her. Dad locked the door and found two old brooms. He then made Bill and I leave on the brooms."
"The brooms were so old they weren't very good, but we got away from the house," Bill continued as Charlie paused to let Hermione remove his shirt. "However, we were spotted and we were brought down by a group of Death Eaters."
"Rescue arrived just in time," Charlie said.
"What about Mum and Dad?" Ginny demanded. "What happened to them?"
"Dad was in the attic with us, but he couldn't leave with us," Bill replied. "As for Mum, we're not sure where she was."
"Don't worry, the others won't leave without them," Remus said reassuringly. "When we left the Death Eaters were starting to run."
"I'm sure Molly and Arthur will both be okay," Harry said as he pulled Ginny into a hug.
Everyone hoped Harry was right, but yet again all they could do was wait. Fortunately they didn't have to wait long before there was another burst of apparition and this time Molly was brought into the room, being supported by Ron and Fred. Sirius was with them, and even though Molly looked to be uninjured she was pale and shaking.
"Mum," Ginny cried, rushing over to Molly and embracing her. "Where's Dad?"
"Let her sit down," Sirius said gently as Fred and Ron eased their mother into a spare seat.
"What's happened?" George asked. "Where's Dad?"
"Dumbledore and Snape are bringing him," Fred answered in a hollow voice.
"Is he okay?" Ginny asked in a shaking voice.
"No," Ron whispered brokenly. "He's dead."
Hermione gasped as the Weasleys came to term with the news that Arthur hadn't made it. Feeling the need to be close to her daughter, Hermione plucked Lyra from Blaise's arms just as she started to wake up. When Lyra whimpered slightly, Molly looked up and smiled sadly at the little girl.
"There's something you need to know Hermione," Molly said. "I'm only here because of Draco. I was stuck in the pantry, and I could hear Death Eaters trying to get in. I was struggling out of the window when Draco found me. He pulled me out and sent me to safety. If it wasn't for Draco, I would be dead."
Hermione wasn't really sure how to respond, and she felt guilty for the overwhelming surge of delight she felt at the news that Draco was seemingly doing okay, when the Weasleys had just lost Arthur. Making her way over to Molly, she leaned down and gave her a hug and told her how sorry she was about Arthur. As they were hugging, she heard sounds in the hallway and everyone tensed as they knew Dumbledore and Snape had arrived with Arthur's body.
Not wanting Lyra to be around a dead body, Hermione offered to go and make some tea and slipped off into the kitchen. Making tea while carrying a baby was no easy matter, but Hermione managed to fill the kettle and find enough cups for everyone. She was then just waiting for the kettle to boil for the first round of teas when she heard someone entering the kitchen. Turning around she found a devastated looking Ron entering the room. Despite the fact that Ron hadn't exactly been supportive of her situation, Hermione's heart went out to her best friend and without thinking she crossed over to him and gave him a hug, albeit an awkward one with a wriggling Lyra in her arms.
"I'm so sorry, Ron," Hermione offered, knowing that nothing she could say would make his pain go away. She was still learning to cope with her parents' deaths, and it was only the concern about Draco and Lyra that was keeping her from dwelling on the fact she no longer had her parents.
"So am I," Ron returned. "I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I've been a terrible friend these last few months. You've been going through hell and I wasn't there to support you. I'm also sorry about everything I said about Malfoy. If it wasn't for him, I would have lost both parents today. I will forever be grateful that he saved my Mum."
"I think we can just forget about the past and start fresh," Hermione offered. Life was too short to hold grudges, and she wanted nothing more than to have Ron back in her life.
"I'd like that," Ron said with a smile as he gave Hermione another hug. "Should I hold Lyra while you finish the tea?"
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure," Ron confirmed, holding his hands out for the young girl. "It's about time I got to know this little lady."
Hermione handed Lyra over to Ron, nervous about how they would both react. Fortunately, Lyra didn't cause a fuss and Ron seemed content to hold her little girl in his arms. With Lyra safely in Ron's arms, Hermione made the tea and headed into the front room to hand it out. When she returned to the kitchen, Ron had settled down with Lyra on his knee and he was making funny faces at her.
"She likes you," Hermione remarked as her daughter giggled happily.
"I just wish I'd given you and her a chance earlier," Ron said sadly. "I've had to lose my Dad to see what a prick I was being. I shouldn't have needed such a drastic wake-up call."
"Let's not dwell on the past," Hermione said as she sat down next to Ron. "You're here for us now, and that's all that matters. And just for the record, we're here for you too. If ever you want to talk about Arthur, I'm here. I know what it's like to lose a father."
"You've lost a lot more than me though," Ron said, putting his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulling her closer to him. "I guess we can get through this together."
"I'd like that," Hermione replied, resting her head on Ron's shoulder as she reached out and stroked Lyra's hair.
Hermione and Ron sat talking for another few minutes before they went back into the front room. While Ron settled down with his family to discuss what would happen next, Hermione decided to settle Lyra upstairs for a while. Blaise and Theo joined her in taking Lyra up to bed, and while the two Slytherins took it in turns to tell Lyra stories about Draco, Hermione made up some spare rooms. The Weasleys couldn't go back to The Burrow, so it only made sense that they would stay at Order headquarters where they were safe.
With the beds made up, Hermione looked in on her daughter, to find Blaise and Theo were just keeping her entertained rather than sending her off to sleep. Hermione tried to scold her two friends, but she couldn't be mad at them as Lyra giggled happily and grinned at the boys as they told her stories of her father. Instead, Hermione chose to settle down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and she listened as Blaise and Theo talked about Draco.
Hermione felt a sense of peace creep over her as she listened to Draco's best friends talking about him, and when she shut her eyes, she could picture him so clearly. But suddenly the peace was shattered when Lyra began to cry. Jumping to her feet, Hermione was over at her daughter's bedside in an instant. Hermione picked Lyra up to sooth her, but no sooner had she gathered her precious daughter in her arms then she stopped crying and froze in her arms.
"Lyra!" Hermione cried, staring down at her daughter in horror. In an instant Lyra had gone from being grizzly to lying as though she was sleeping peacefully. "Lyra!"
Hermione felt her hands began to shake as she checked her daughter's pulse. She found a pulse but there were no other signs of life. Her daughter was lying motionless in her arms, and nothing Hermione could do was waking her up. Slowly tears began to fall from her eyes, while terror filled her heart as she stared down at her daughter.
"Theo call for help," Blaise ordered as he took hold of a shaking Hermione and led her over to the bed.
Theo's loud cries quickly got a response, but Hermione was barely aware of people rushing into the room as she cradled Lyra in her arms. When Dumbledore knelt down in front of her, she clung to her daughter even tighter as he tried to take hold of her. In the end, Blaise had to hold onto a sobbing Hermione as Dumbledore gently lifted Lyra from her mother's arms. The second Lyra was out of her arms, Hermione let out an anguished wail and clung to Blaise. Theo, Ron and Harry all rushed to Hermione's side and along with Blaise, the four wizards gathered around Hermione and tried their best to comfort her as Dumbledore examined Lyra.
"Hermione," Dumbledore said quietly, turning to look at the devastated young witch.
"Is she… is she…?" Hermione faltered, not able to say the words.
"In a magical coma," Dumbledore confirmed gently. "It appears her ribbon has been cut."
"Oh, this is my fault," Molly gasped from the doorway, holding her hand over her mouth. "Someone must have seen Draco save me. I'm sorry Hermione, I never meant for this to happen."
"It's not your fault, Molly," Hermione said through her tears. It would be easy to lash out at Molly and blame her for being saved by Draco, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. All that mattered was Lyra, and lashing out at innocent people wasn't going to help her daughter.
"What happens now?" Blaise asked.
"As far as Voldemort is concerned, Lyra is dead, so I have no idea what the situation is with Draco," Dumbledore said. "Hopefully Severus can help us with some information on that score."
"I'll do my best," Snape vowed with a nod of his head. The entire house was gathered in and around Hermione's room, each of them waiting to see what was going to happen to the lovely little girl they'd all fallen in love with.
"And Lyra?" Harry questioned. "What happens to her?"
"Lyra is in a magical coma and she won't wake until Voldemort is dead," Dumbledore said. "However, it's my magic keeping her alive, and if anything should happen to me, my spells on her will break and Voldemort's original spell will resume."
"Meaning she'll die," Hermione choked out, feeling her heart clench at the thought of losing her daughter for good.
"I won't let that happen, Hermione," Dumbledore promised. "I suggest we give Lyra extra protection. I can bind the magic I used to protect Lyra with several other people, and that means they're all protecting her. For Voldemort's original spell to work, everyone single person protecting Lyra has to die."
"I want to do it," Harry volunteered.
"It won't work," Dumbledore said, stopping Theo, Blaise and Ron as they all opened their mouths to volunteer. "Binding magic is tricky, and it's easier to work with people who have a better control of their magic. I think we can get some adults to help."
"You've got seven of them right here," McGonagall said, indicting herself, Snape, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Remus and Sirius.
"Make that nine," Fred said as he and George waved their hands in the air.
"And I know Poppy will want to help," McGonagall said.
"Minerva, go back to Hogwarts and round up some more staff," Dumbledore ordered. "We'll get going here. And you don't have to worry Hermione, by the time we're finished, Lyra will have all the protection she could ever need."
Hermione nodded blankly as she focused her gaze on her daughter. Dumbledore had settled Lyra back in her crib and as he prepared to bind more people's magic into the spells protecting her, he explained that it would be best for her if they tried to leave here where she was. He recommended using magic to bathe and change her, and he assured her that the spells would take care of her nutritional needs and she wouldn't starve or go thirsty.
For the next hour, Hermione remained motionless on the bed as Dumbledore bound the protection spells with other people's magic. Remus and Sirius were the first to add their protection, followed by the Weasley twins, Bill and Charlie and then Molly and Snape. When McGonagall returned from Hogwarts she had Madam Pomfrey with her, along with Professors Sprout and Flitwick. Even Madam Pince had turned up to offer her help. By the time Dumbledore was finished, Lyra had the protection of fourteen witches and wizards. Now unless all fourteen died before they could defeat Voldemort, Lyra would be safe in her coma and one day they would be able to wake her.
With Lyra as protected as she was ever going to get, everyone slowly left the room. Finally, it was just Hermione, Harry, Ron, Blaise and Theo left alone with Lyra. With the two Slytherins at her right side, and her two best friends on her left, Hermione rose to stand by her daughter's bedside. She knew Lyra was still alive and was safe from harm, but she felt a gaping hole in her heart as she gazed down at her silent daughter. She didn't know when she would next look into Lyra's bright eyes, she didn't know when she would next hear her laugh, and she didn't know when she would next hold her and feel her daughter wriggling happily in her embrace.
"I love you sweetheart," Hermione whispered, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Lyra's forehead.
"We all do," Blaise said, reaching down and gently taking hold of Lyra's little hand. "And when it's safe, we'll wake you."
"And we'll have your Daddy with us," Theo promised.
"What do you think is happening to Draco?" Hermione asked. It was hard to think of anything other than her daughter, but she knew something terrible mist have happened to Draco for Voldemort to have snapped Lyra's ribbon and thrown away his hold over Draco.
"Try not to think about it," Harry said. "Malfoy's strong, he'll survive this."
"We all will," Ron whispered, reaching around Harry to take hold of Hermione's hand. "Together we can survive anything."
Hermione smiled sadly as she looked back down at her daughter. She really did hope Ron was right and they did survive, but she already knew they wouldn't emerge from the war unscathed. Some scars would be with them forever, and Hermione knew watching her daughter lying in a magical coma before she'd even reached her first birthday would be one of those scars. Seeing Lyra so helpless was a sight she would never forget, and a one that would haunt her until her dying day.