Hermione couldn't sneeze without the Daily Prophet knowing about it.

So it was no surprise to her when they discovered she was pregnant after the war had finished. How they found out about her secret marriage with the late brother of the Weasley twins she'd never know.

She sighed as she placed the newspaper down by her coffee cup. (Her only coffee cup she was afforded a day.)

Her hand came down and laid on top of her bump, her miracle babies, her pregnancy had been paused when Harry, Ron and her went on their secret mission. She thought she'd lost them after the torture she'd endured but when the pregnancy was unpaused after the war was done and the aftermath cleared the medi-witch found them unharmed.

As she looked around the Parisian street she couldn't help but be glad she was far away from Britain.

A dull ache within her had her eyes filling with tears she wouldn't allow to be shed. She missed Harry. She missed Fred. But they were both gone now.

Ron never forgave her for Fred, even though she couldn't be multiple places at once and Teddy had his parents because she took down Greyback before he could kill them.

And Harry, poor Harry, sacrificed himself for everyone and if life were a fairytale he would have survived but he hadn't.

And so Hermione had taken up his mantel to finish the war once and for all.

Hermione became the Woman Who Conquered.

But to herself she was only the woman who lost.

--

The Garnier Opera House was the crowning jewel of Paris. It glittered in the sun beconing all lovers of the arts within its depths.

Hermione had visited numerous times with her parents but never before had she been able to go to a gala. A themed one at that, one she had a hard time to find a gown that would accommodate her large belly. Thankfully a costume designer she'd come to know through her parents welcomed the challenge and before she knew it she was dressed in full 1880s garb and climbing the staircase on the arm of an old family friend who refused to let her attend on her own.

It didn't take long for her feet to begin to hurt and for her to retire to her box where she could people watch as she rested.

She'd nearly not made it due to some persistent lower back pain but she told herself it was normal when carrying twins. She'd had a check in with her medi-witch just that morning and she told her that she was fine to go as long as she rested when she needed. She'd been lucky not to been out on bedrest like she'd heard other women had when having twins. She was able to stay rather active which was nice.

She was distracted temporarily by the pain when a young girl with blonde curls and a curious smile seemed to float into her box.

"Hello."

Hermione smiled, "Hello."

The girl cocked her head to the side, "Where's your husband?"

Hermione couldn't help her smile drop, "He's no longer with me."

The girl had large expressive eyes that seemed to peer into Hermione's soul, "Oh." She tilted her head to the other side, "Would you like a new one?"

Hermione wished it were that easy. Finding love and keeping it.

The girl stepped closer and sniffed Hermione, "You smell like Death."

A shiver went down Hermione's spine. The comment familiar, ever since the battle ended, magical creatures and beings acted odd in her presence. Her mind drifted to the three items in her beaded bag, three items from a children's tale, she shook her head. She winced as another sharp pain resonated through her lower back.

"I know just the one for you."

That was Hermione's only warning before the girl took her hand and the world swirled around her.