Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

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Lily lay dozing in bed alternating from one nightmare to another while she waited for Severus to return.

It wasn't uncommon for Voldemort to send for his most faithful servant at all hours of the night, but that never lessened the very real possibility that Severus may not survive the encounter.

Trapped in the middle of one particularly foul dream, tears ran down Lily's sleeping face as she silently wandered through the hideous scenario of Severus's life ending during his latest meeting with the Dark Lord.

Her hands balled into fists as she clutched the blankets while she grasped her children in the dream as the serpentine villain paced slow circles in front of them all.

As Voldemort sneered and raised his wand, Lily thrust herself forward.

She had lived far longer than her son or daughter, let them have a chance!

Death would only mean her reunion with Severus, she would welcome it gladly!

Her tears flowed as she watched the hateful malice twist Voldemort's mangled features as he swung his wand and shouted the Killing Curse at her.

A burst of green light exploded from his wand's tip.

While she lay in bed, Lily whimpered as she raised a hand to shield her face.

As her soul plummeted through the dredges of despair, one incredible sound rescued her from her dismay as a firm hand shook her shoulder.

"...Lily?"

She would face her demise another night.

The soft gasp that left her throat as she opened her eyes to gaze up into Severus's pale, frowning face took the air from his lungs.

"Oh, Lily,...," He drawled in abject sympathy as his black gaze studied his darling's weeping face before he quickly bent down to scoop her into his arms, "Don't cry, my love, don't cry."

"I dreamed you weren't coming home….." She whimpered as she hung onto his shoulder like a child. Her tears continued to flow as her nails raked the heavy fabric of his thick, dark robes while she sniffed, "...Thought you weren't coming, Sev…….He had……He had taken you and he had me, and Harriet…and Ellery and-"

"-There's no need for that, my love." Severus reassured her in a low, rumbling purr as he moved to capture her lips against his, "...There's no need for that at all."

Lily's fears were completely founded, yet Severus managed to convince her otherwise as he bestowed a sweet, loving kiss upon her while he settled her back against the pillows.

A few minutes later, they slept locked together, with his arms around her waist and hers spread across him, as if she intended to hold him tight from some monster that would surely emerge from the darkness any moment and snatch him away.

Lily's worried frown remained as she sunk herself in deeper slumber, but Severus's face was peaceful and relaxed as he rested.

His beloved flower always had maintained a subtle way of quieting his brooding heart.

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As Harriet spent the morning contemplating her plans to find the next Horcrux, Draco approached Hermione and Ron while Tom lay sleeping.

"What's the matter with you, Malfoy?" Ron frowned as he stared at his scowling enemy in the morning's bright light.

"She won't listen to me." Draco said with solemn resolve, "...But she may listen to you two, I need your help."

"...Are you talking about Harriet?" Hermione scowled.

While Harriet sat in her tent and stared down at the open book in her hands, Hermione's eyes widened and Ron's mouth dropped open in shock as Draco revealed to her best friends the secret she certainly wouldn't want told.

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Half an hour later, Harriet emerged from her tent feeling well and inspired.

Her most recent musing session had given her a fair bit of confidence about where they might continue their search, but as she stepped outside, her enthusiasm quickly vanished as she found herself staring at Ron, Hermione, and Draco's frowning faces.

Harriet blinked for a second before she realized Tom stood facing the campfire, with his back towards her.

"Have I missed something, then?" She asked with a nervous laugh, "You lot look as if you've seen a-"

"-Why didn't you tell me, Harriet Potter?" Tom demanded as he whirled around to face her.

A shadow marred Harriet's fair face as if she had just been called out for some unimaginable guilt she silently bore.

"...,..Why haven't I told you what, Tom?" She laughed.

"We all know, Harriet." Ron said with a sullen spark of disappointment in his voice.

"Don't try to lie to us!" Hermione implored her, "Did you honestly think we wouldn't notice eventually?"

Behind her glasses, Harriet's eyes widened as Tom walked up and boldly pressed a hand against her lower belly, "...I know." He said in his low, smooth voice, "...I know and so does everyone else now. There's no point in denying it……We know that you're…..."

Tom realized from the look on Harriet's face he didn't have to finish his thought.

Her expression of stupefied shock quickly melted into one of seething rage as her green eyes flickered accusingly over to Draco, who flinched under her scathing stare.

"There's……." She stammered as she stared into Tom's dark eyes, "I can…..I can take-"

"-I'm afraid you won't be taking anything and risking your life or my child's." Tom cut in, "We've already discussed it. I'll continue our search with the Weasley boy and the Granger girl."

Harriet gasped in exasperation as her gaze roamed from Tom to her friends.

Her eyes narrowed to slits as she decided that Draco would be a willing, waiting target for her rage and consternation.

"This is all your fault!" She hatefully hissed at him.

"My fault?!" He retorted with a hateful sneer, "I'm not the one who's gotten you up the duff, Snape!" Draco lashed back before his gray stare flickered accusingly to Tom.

Tom threw his rival an arrogant smirk of sublime smugness in return as he reveled in the consequences of his actions.

"...I think that first we should….find out….to be certain." Hermione interjected, ready to dissolve the tension that had tightened in the air to an almost tangible level.

Harriet frowned at her friend as Hermione looked her in the eye and nodded, "Harriet, I know you're upset, we all are! Scared….unsure…..but we need to get you to a healer or a midwife or something,"

"That's what Malfoy said this morning….I've already heard it, Hermione." Harriet snapped.

Tom's smirk widened as he walked behind her and wound a hand around her waist possessively.

"That may have been the smartest thing he's ever said." Hermione shrugged, "We do need to know and-"

"-What about our plan?!" Harriet shouted, "What about Dumbledore's plan?! Or Tom's?!...This wasn't part of it, Hermione!"

"We have to make a new plan now!" Hermione snarled in response.

The boys all looked on as Hermione and Harriet frowned at each other.

"Things change, Harriet." Hermione sighed, "Standing around shouting about it all day isn't doing anything for anyone…..Not for you, or…." Her eyes moved down to her friend's flat belly before she glanced back up at her face and huffed, "...And it certainly won't win any wars, either."

Ron glanced at the ground while Draco swallowed thickly as Harriet passed a hand over her face and sighed, "I don't….I don't even know where to begin."

"Malfoy told us about what happened when you had to go to that…..meeting." Hermione nodded.

Tom's smirk seemed to widen.

"Do you think it may be best to return again? To keep up appearances?" Hermione asked.

"...What?" Harriet asked.

"You need to go back with Draco." Ron nodded.

Harriet blinked in surprise as he spoke before he went on, "Being out here…..doing this…..it's too dangerous for you right now. At least until we know what's going on."

"You're all being ridiculous!" Harriet retorted as she scanned the faces of her four companions, "What am I supposed to do, just give up?"

"No, sweetling." Tom said with a careful smile, "...You're supposed to protect yourself and our child. From what Draco Malfoy has mentioned, my other half practically expects you back soon, knowing what he already knows. What better alibi than to rest right in front of him for a time? Who's to say……you going back….at least temporarily may give us the cover we need to make advancements faster."

"Just the ring and the cup to go." Hermione nodded at Harriet, "We're nearly done, we can manage the last bit and then you can take care of…."

"...Him." Harriet finished.

Hermione nodded again as she fell silent.

"I'm not going anywhere today." Harriet said in a tone of defiant rage as she clenched her jaw, "We have too much work to do, I was nearly finished translating that page about the cup."

"Tomorrow, then, sweetling?" Tom asked.

Harriet looked over at him as he took her hand, raised it to his lips, and gave it a sweet kiss.

"I am so very much looking forward to learning the truth." He said with a handsome, charming smile, "It would make me sublimely happy."

Draco gnashed his teeth as he watched the resolve crumble from Harriet's expression as she stared into Tom's dark eyes.

He felt certain his soul would leave his body if she ever looked at him like that when he spoke.

How could he ever expect to earn such a privilege with Tom Riddle at her side and his baby in her womb?