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He woke up to find thick mountains of white snow blocking the entrance of the cave they had used for shelter.“We are stuck here.” He was visibly alarmed, one could say even, he was suffering a panic attack. “We need to move, Granger.”Hermione bit her tongue. What good will it make if I remind him he is just stating the obvious? Instead, she rose from her nest of furs, muscles still sore from all the hiking they had done the day before, and slowly moved next to the entrance:“ I believe I am too weak to cast a simple incendio …”Draco nodded: “ I am afraid it is the same for me. I am basically a squib now.” Magic was at its lowest; even powerful wizards like Harry Potter were finding it hard to cast even a simple Lumos. “ Do you have any ideas? ““We will make use of our hands, of course.” Hermione had to remind herself whom she was speaking to:
Draco Malfoy , a wizard used to take Magic for granted, now forced to live almost completely without.Not to mention that Draco only experience with the real word had been in attending the notoriously outdated Muggle Studies course.
He is a lost puppy...not even capable of understanding how the camping stove works.
As Hermione had expected, a pair of confused grey eyes looked back at her
demanding clarification for her comment: “ I packed us two small shovels so we could dig the snow…”It was tedious work, but it helped Hermione that her companion did not try and engage her in futile small talk. Not that we have much to talk about .
Nowadays, she preferred silence to loudness, a great departure from the young girl who had always something to say, who would rather die than to lose an argument.Draco, it seems, also preferred this way, his body and mind completely taken by the task at hand. A good thing . They have never been friends- more like bitter enemies, Hermione corrects herself- and even in the last years, with their children attending Hogwarts together…Hermione stopped digging for a moment.
No...I will not cry. Not here, not now.
Pretending to be thirsty, she sat on her sleeping bag and retrieved the hot water bottle
- greatest invention of mankind - from her backpack. Eagerly drinking the still warm tea, Hermione worked hard in
controlling the pace of her breathing, but images of her previous, happy life would not leave her alone no matter how hard she tried.
Rose and her sweet smile…
Hugo waving to his mother from the window of Hogwarts Express…
It had been a year.A year without children.Where Hogwarts once stood, a huge crater suddenly appeared. Nobody could explain what really had happened, but the children, the staff, the house elves of the Wizardry School had vanished.They barely had time to act, to search for answers. When the cold winds came, bringing with them a harsh, unforgiving winter, in a matter of a couple of times, over ¾ of Magical Britain population had been frozen.The Ice Age of Magic had begun.Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were now buried in snow. Not even the undergrounds were left intact. A Minister without a Ministry, Hermione did what she could: she released the surviving employees to be with their families, supposedly working from home, as the offices at Whitehall were beyond repair, and she herself returned to the muggle world, where she attended a series of meetings with Prime Minister Theresa May, seeking help from the Crown .First, they needed to know more. The tragedy of winter remained unexplained. A multidisciplinary team , from wizard scholars
to muggle scientists, spent the next weeks investigating the phenomenon. Some answers were indeed found and, surprisingly enough, mugle investigation methods and techniques mostly responsible for their partial success. Nonetheless, a magical occurrence of this nature
required a magical solution, one that was not to be found in non-magical Britain.And the tragedy was
indeed, a localized event: the geiger counters showed high levels of ionizing radiation in all magical dwellings in Britain- and in Magical Britain alone. Europe, both magical and mundane, was not affected. In fear, they closed their borders, isolating the island even further.The level of radiation would have completely wiped out the local population, Magic, as weak as it was, still acted to protect the survivors. Instead of being killed, they had been frozen; instead of losing their lives, they lost most of their magicHermione did what she always did : she turned to her books. When a solution was not found in her private library, Harry offered her the keys to Grimmauld Place. Somehow, places under Fidelius were the least affected by the never ending winter. When their search yielded few results, Luna suggested they turn to an unlikely ally:“The Malfoys always know more than they admit. Draco lost his son- he would surely want Scorpius back. Perhaps, he is even trying to find a way as we speak.”“Lucius and Narcissa kept many secrets.” The whole fiasco called Delphin immediately came to Harry´s mind, as he had been the one to deal with that whole mess a couple of months before. “The idea does have merit. Thank you for everything, Luna. Thank you, really, but I believe we can continue from here. You have a life, a family waiting for you...”Luna had relocated to the U.S.A just last year. Rolf still had family there and they had plans in travelling the americas in their spare time. Xenophilius too, was seldom in Britain, and had stayed behind to help care for his grandsons as Luna insisted she needed to check on her friends.Luna really did not need to be there, but there she was: “ They are fine, Harry...I will go back as soon as I know there is hope.”Hermione, grateful as she was for her friend´s assistance, could not help but to think on whom should have been there, but was not.
Ron and Ginny are not here, but at the Burrow...catering to their mother...saving their home...licking their wounds.
The last thing Hermione needed now was to be sorry for herself. Ron and Ginny were adults.People grieve differently. Perhaps, they needed time. Deep down, Hermione knew Ron had never really learned to deal with his emotions, and this shock...losing their children. It broke him . Ron got better with age, yes, and for years they had made it work, but in the end, Hermione was afraid, Ron was only one thing and he could only be one thing: a Weasley.The greatest crisis in their personal lives, and Ron ran to the only place he would ever call home.There were no tears in their parting, just Ron closing the door behind him, leaving Hermione behind.
“You´ve already read this book twice; it will not bring them back, Hermione.”She knew there had to be a way. Once upon a time, she had no knowledge of magic. Magic; everything is possible.Hermione refused to give up.She ignored her husband´s words.She was getting rather good at, lately.“The muggles also did not help. “Not true . Hermione had already explained their problem was magical in nature and, therefore, the solution must be magical. Ron never really understood the mundane world, he never cared to know
what people like Hermione's parents were capable of accomplishing.Ron never really tried . “The Prime Minister has offered us shelter and even opened a temporary reserve to receive unicorns and centaurs.” The survivors with muggle heritage migrated
en masse to mundane England when it became clear nothing was working, and the magical creatures, historically resentful of wizards, had no qualms accepting the help of non-magical humans.Hermione would not lose her sleep if most of the purebloods seemed unwilling to take this route. If they prefered to lock themselves and their families in their old houses and trust their family erected wards, she would not stop them.As she did not stop her own husband.“I am going to the Burrow; they need all of us there to keep the wards up and avoid being frozen.”Harry was also staying behind. “ To fight” he said. Neither Ron nor Ginny understood there were more ways to fight than engaging in an open pitched battle.But, it was not only that. Their actions made Hermione believe that both Ron and Ginny believed that, in the absence of their children, their first loyalty was to their parents, not to their life partners.Why was Hermione even surprised ?She could not blame Ron.But she could not follow him either.
***Although Harry had become quite friendly with Draco Malfoy in the last months, he insisted Hermione to be the one paying Malfoy Manor a visit.The reasons were sound: “ The three of us can get the floo at the Ministry activated for only one of us. You are the highest figure of authority we have, Hermione. This is to be an official visit, not a friendly reunion.”Hermione agreed.Draco was not her friend.Arriving at the Ministry with some difficulty- their warming charms would soon become ineffective - the three friends had to pass through the Entrance Hall, where many known faces still remained, immovable, irresponsive, expressions of surprise and fear marrying their features.“St Mungos must be at highest capacity, for them to leave our people here, like this .” Thankfully, the Hospital for Magical Maladies was still operational, enough ambient magic and strong wards to keep their installations from freezing, but indeed, they had no more beds to offer to the population- many would have to wait until Spring came again.The Ministry, on the other hand, was among the most affected places. The truth was that nobody knew how the underground building had not collapsed yet. Hoping to prevent another tragedy, Hermione had the place locked and sent the surviving workers home.With Harry and Luna´s help, the floo was soon operational.
***“What do you want, Minister ? Can´t you see we are grieving here?”Ignoring the hurt in his voice, Hermione had to remind Draco he was not the only one :“We are all grieving, Malfoy…” This statement was enough to make the only living male Malfoy stop on his tracks and listen.Hermione saw the opening and went straight to the point: “I am here to discuss how we get our children back, Malfoy. ““I hope you have some good news ,Madam Weasley-Granger...it is cruel to give a father false hope.”Before Hermione could respond, Draco
already called for a house elf.The creature appeared almost immediately with a soft, almost inaudible pop. “Bring us tea,Twinky:
We will be at the Library for some time, I assume.”As they walked the halls of the Manor, the memory of Bellatrix Lestrange, her insanity and uncontrolled anger, faded in the background of Hermione's mind. The pain of having her flesh carved by a cursed dagger could not begin to
compare to the absolute agony of not knowing what have happened to her children.Hermione did not fear the memories of what had transpired at Malfoy Manor anymore; what she feared was to live without Rose and Hugo.
We need to work together...not dwell in the past. We need to work together if we are to get our children back.
“You are thinking about the war, aren't you?” Hermione could say that no,
she was just admiring the magical paintings on the walls, that she was simply awestruck by their elegant corridors, all decorated with expensive furniture and priceless pieces of art.But no. Draco was right: Hermione´s
silence had nothing to do with a newfound appreciation for the interior design of Malfoy Manor.To Hermione, that house was a symbol of all that had been wrong with their society.
“For what is worth, I am very sorry.”What could Hermione say to that ?That all was forgiven?That they had more important things to discuss now than petty grievances from their childhoods?Yes, she had long came to the conclusion they should not waste time regretting their past, so, naturelly, she would rather avoid any attempt at speaking about those days. They had already teamed up before, Hermione reminded herself. It had worked- or so she wanted to believe.The Draco she was now visiting was not the Draco from her childhood; and she too, had changed.And yet... Draco Malfoy apologising to her, and to her alone? It meant something to Hermione, she was forced to admit.“We were just children...foolish children fighting a war the adults in our lives should have never started in the first place. “ She could go on and list all the mistakes made and the bitter consequences they were still dealing with, but she was sure, sooner or later, it would not even matter.Walking two steps behind Draco, Hermione finally took notice that most of Manor appeared to be closed, the doors in the long corridor blocked with … carpets ?
They are probably trying to retain as much heat as possible, using whatever they have .A huge wooden door, the Malfoy Coat of Arms proudly carved in, signaled to Hermione they had reached their destination. After her brief tour, Hermione now compared Malfoy Manor to a bunker- a very beautiful, well decorated bunker, but a bunker nevertheless.An exception was the Library. Lively and welcoming - the temperature was still cold, but not the freezing-
their Library was as large as Hogwarts, if memory served her correct.Draco, the consummate host, politely gestured for Hermione to take a seat while Twinky served the tea.“No sugar, please. “Draco found the request amusing- in his experience, women tended to have sweet tooth: “Considerate of you; soon, we shall run out of sugar and other.. .necessities . ““There are muggle borns offering a delivery service to stranded wizards. “ I suppose this is how the Weasleys are getting by. “ I doubt Her Majesty will allow any of her subjects to starve in such circumstances.” Well, maybe their house elves can transfigure themselves...and go to a nearby supermarket?
“It is of no consequence, Madam; we will survive, I assure you. “ Oh, there it is: pride . Hermione had almost forgotten it was the most definitive trait of Draco´s personality.He was so far treating her with the utmost courtesy, Hermione had to admit. Would that be a nod to the Malfoys well recorded love for
power, perhaps? She was, after all, the Minister.“Regardless, I thank you for the information, Madam... now, you said something about saving our children...”
“Luna´s idea: she thought that you, being a Malfoy, was already searching a way to rescue our children.” Hermione's eyes landed on a bunch of parchments, a couple of opened books and obviously ancient tomes laying messily at a nearby desk. Luna was right.
Pointing at her discovery, Hermione concluded: “ It seems you are spending your time catching up with your reading...”
“If you are thinking about time turners, you are wasting your time: the prototypes are gone and Nott is in no position to build us anymore, as you well know. “
Hermione would not take the bait.
“Despite what was accomplished last time we used a time turner- going back, rescuing Albus and Scorpius,
returning not only alive, but not dying of sudden old age- I assure you that neither Harry, Luna or I considered taking this route.”
I have no wish of forcing Harry to watch his parents dying a second time around...especially because the future we so careful in not disturbing
is not worth the effort.
While Draco arched an eyebrow, silently, but clearly, doubting Hermione´s words, she said the true.
They could not afford another time turner experiment. Not only they lacked the resources, but they were unsure
hot to go about: to which point in time they would need to return to in order to avoid the tragedy and what needed to be changed for them to achieve the best possible result?.
She shuddered in thinking about the possibility of returning in time to kill Tom Riddle right after he was born…
No, turning into a hag has never been a dream of mine.
“Either you are truly lost, desperate enough to think I know something you don´t, or you already have a theory you need my help proving it. Which one is that? ”
“The latter.” Hermione sipped her tea. The warm infusion was a welcomed respite But she could not take her sweet time there, savouring the good Darjeeling. She would have to convince Malfoy fast, lest she would be unable to leave the Mansion.
“Magic is energy. There are many uses of energy that affect our living spaces in ways we can not fully understand, both in the magical and the mundane worlds. Do you know anything about the Second World War, how it ended for the Japanese?”
“Ah, you mean the... bombs ?”
“Yes, the atomic bomb.” Maybe Draco learned something attending Muggle studies. ” It is not only the immediate destruction they bring, but also the aftereffects. We were able to reach some conclusions with help from muggle scientists. They tested the air in our lands: we survived ten times the devastation of Hiroshima, for you to have an idea.”
Draco stood up and took four steps towards the desk he obviously had been using to conduct his private research. Instead of picking up one of the parchments he had been working to show it to her, as Hermione assumed, Draco reached to the cart that was stationed nearby, and collected a half empty bottle of firewhisky.
He drowned his own tea with some of the brown liquid, not bothering to offer his visitor some:
“ Malfoys, being Dark Wizards, are more than aware of the effects constant exposure to Dark Arts cause. There are rituals of cleansing one should take. I
doubt this step was a concern of Voldemort. Can you imagine how the ambient Magic at Hogwarts reacted to his constant violations? A horcrux created there, another kept where any child could reach... “
And the diary your vile father was sure to give to Ginny…
No, she would not remind Draco of tha t.
During the brief period she dated Viktor Krum, Hermione learned a bit about Durmstrang educational practices. When it came to the Dark Arts, they had long decided that, simply ignoring their existence was detrimental to their pupils.
Just now, Hermione could see the wisdom in their choice: “ Consider this: Durmstrang knew the tell tale signs and expelled Grindelwald; Hogwarts could not smell the dead rat, and made Tom Riddle Head Boy. Not only that, but we fought a war in those Halls. And if every time we destroyed a horcrux, the energy generated was as pervasive as we assume...”
“...the amount of residual Dark Magic Hogwarts saw would be enough to disrupt the nature of Magic, which is neither Dark or Light…”
Draco fell in silence, considering the gravity of the conclusion they reached.
Suddenly, Hermione felt the cold: “Are you not going to offer me some ?”
Draco poured some of the firewhisky in Hermione´s cup.
The taste was vile.
“How did you manage to come here through the floo?”
“Harry and Luna fixed it...temporarily, I assume..”
Draco returned to his seat, firewhisky still in hand: “ Are your better halves in agreement with my... err ...assistance ?I know we have been in better terms lately, but still...”
“Both Ginny and Ron are staying with the Weasleys; their wards are not as sophisticated as the Malfoy´s, so they need to be there.”
Hermione expected some jab or witty comment. One could clearly read between the lines- her marriage was over. She was, however, thoroughly surprised when neither came, and Draco continued to silently drink his tea .
Steering the conversation away from such topic seemed like a good idea- they were still to come to an agreement :“Where is Narcissa by the way?”
“At St Mungo's.” Draco replied in a low voice. “ She has not been... herself .”
“I am sorry to hear.”
Now, it was Draco's turn to change the subject: “ Tell me more about your theories.”
For the next quarter of hour, Hermione shared the results of months of research with Draco. Without realizing, the sad lines around her mouth disappeared, and her eyes, two brown orbits lacking any sparkle, were now lit by her obvious love of knowledge.
What Hermione also failed to notice was that the brilliance of her explanation briefly made the corners of Draco's mouth turn upwards, a faint smile, but a smile nevertheless.
When she finally stopped speaking, Draco offered her his insights: “I agree Hogwarts is the epicentre of the tragedy. But, if I understood correctly, you think we should go there and exorcise the place?
I believe there is a book here that could help us but...do you realize that, even in theory, this would only bring us Spring again...not our children?”
After a year surviving this magical winter, many would be more than happy to see the snows melt and the flowers in bloom again.
But yes, Hermione knew Draco was right:,even if they were successful, exorcising the evil at Hogwarts would not bring their children back.
She knew what had to be done and yet...perhaps, there was another way? “It is our hope to find...a ritual…”
Draco had gathered as much. The question was, what exactly led Hermione to this conclusion: “Have you, perchance, found anything that could be of use to us at the Black Library? “
Just some hints here and there, nothing concrete . It had been not exactly a shock when Hermione and Harry realized that Sirius family had been far more interested in unleashing the seven plagues of Egypt in the world than in actually compiling any knowledge on how to save mankind.
Bastards.
Although the research done at Grimmauld Place had not yielded the fruits Hermione expected, they still
had a trump in their hands:
“If we cannot find a ritual...Harry knows of a way.”
At this, Draco gently placed his cup of spiked tea at the side table. His interest picked, he silently urged Hermione to continue her explanation.
“If we manage to stop the cold, to revive Hogwarts... Harry will do the rest.”
Draco had learned not to underestimate Harry Potter. The boy who lived had survived the killing curse, not only once, but twice, and defeated the Dark Lord in the end.
However, what they were speaking ...bringing people back from the dead, not as monsters, but as people?
It was impossible.
***
Then, Draco remembered.
Dumbledore's wand.
“The Hallows?” he asked.
“Yes, the Hallows.”
***
“Are you ready?”
Hermione looked up. Droplets of sweat on his forehead, Draco Malfoy offered her his hand. Without muttering a word, Hermione took it.
It felt good, his hand on hers. Comforting even.
He is warm.
“Yes, we are all set to go.”Visibility outside the cave was good. Hermione calculated they would have four hours to make some headway before they were to set camp again. It was unlikely they would find another cave to spend the night; she hoped the magical tent Malfoy had been so intent in bringing would keep the cold at bay, otherwise they could freeze to death.Hermione did not stop to adjust her head gear, moving the black thermo beanie around until it felt comfortable enough not to bother her any longer. Why did I have to keep my hair so long ? Even now, her wild curls refused to be contained. Should have packed me some Sleaky Easy instead of all those dry instant soups; I must be looking like a lion underneath the hat. They walked for another hour in complete silence, silence only broken by the occasional wind.“This sound ” Draco said as he tried to catch his breath, more tired than he would dare admit. “it is like the wind is laughing at us.”Hermione was not faring much better, heart pounding beneath all those layers of clothing.
I thought the same myself; the wind is laughing at us
They were both losing their heads, more likely: “We should keep going... ten more minutes, than we make camp.”Draco nodded and they continued to walk.
***Hermione lived to regret her
decision to
continue walking exactly five minutes later.“What...the fuck is that thing?”White on white, Hermione struggled to see the figure Draco had been pointing, but soon, as it came closer, the white of its fur contrasted with the white of the snow and Hermione saw.
Two brown orbits; a black nose.Huge size.“ That is a fucking polar bear!” How had they managed to cross paths with a polar bear?” We should run, Draco...” their magic as weak as it was, they had no chance in surviving an encounter with what looked like a powerful, mean spirited, ravenous polar bear.
Fuck, the beast saw us!
“Too late, Granger... nowhere to hide.” Draco instictivenly went for his wand. I am fucking useless…what will a stick do against a polar bear? Should have brought a sword instead. It was of no use. When they were preparing for this mission, the possibility of
giant bear ending their lives had not been entertained.Although he was now no stronger than a squib, Draco supposed he would need some sort of moral support, thus he brought his old wand.
How fucking moronic of me!
But Granger- Hermione - had not been raised as a spoiled, good for nothing, pure blood princess.She must have brought something practical along.“...how can we kill a bear? Muggles are good at killing things...”The situation was dire; the bear was definitely going for them.“My grandfather's gun…” Colt Official Police, produced in USA. By the Second World War it had
become a substitute side arm for the British Armed Forces. Hermione´s grandfather told her this revolver could easily penetrate an automobile, so it stood to reason that could also kill a bear.“ Here...take it…” The safety already discharged, Hermione nervously handed the revolver to Draco. “ Just aim at the head and ... pull the trigger .”Draco hit the bull's eye.The polar bear howled in agony.But continued to move towards them.“What the...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa rgh!”The beast, dying as it was, still saw Draco as his next- last? - meal. Its long paws grabbed the wizard by his ankle, pushing Draco closer.“Do somethin nnnnnnnn”The bear's mouth, opened in all its glory, was a frightful sight, the yellowish fangs ready to claim Draco´s left leg as prize. Hermione could not take any longer- nobody deserved to die this way!- so she did what she had to do.Two shots later, the beast closed its menacing eyes forever.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Do you
really think it will work, Draco? I am so scared...what if...”Hermione voice was but a whisper. Draco turned his torso to face her and was shocked at what he saw. Was that a tear? Was Hermione crying? The last thing he expected now was to be confronted with a
woman and her feelings. Hermione had saved his life out there, killing the giant, hungry bear with two perfect gunshots. He had assumed the event would just add to her unwavering belief in the success of their mission. They had faced great peril and lived to tell the tale and this would surely build her confidence.But instead, Hermione showed him a vulnerability Draco had assumed it had never existedHow could he have been so blind ? Hermione had shown great strength of character by mastering her emotions under such extreme pressure, and for so long.Of course this amazing feat would come at a high cost.
Draco could not say the same for himself. While he spent his days in alcoholic stupor, Hermione Granger had been hard at work, looking for a way to bring their children back. Yes, although he had also attempted to do the same -
taking upon himself to go through all the knowledge stored at the Malfoy Library- he only managed to get through the end of his days by drinking copious amounts of whisky. Whisky , as in the muggle beverage.In an effort to keep their Master´s pride intact, the house elves took to pour the filthy liquid inside old bottles of Ogden's finest, like it would have made any difference…And the future of the wizarding world laid in their shoulders.Draco, surviving without his chosen coping mechanism, hoped they would make it.He had to do something to give her hope...he could not allow Hermione to doubt herself, not when they were so close.
It is amazing that it took her this long to break down.
How could he, weak as he was, offer such woman comfort?The truth, then. He would have to offer her the truth.
Empty words will not do...Hermione is smart enough to see through the pretense.
“ We must be a couple of days from Hogwarts; the muggles got us as near as possible and I believe, after all the trouble we had, luck is on our side.”Draco
would not repeat the experience. He had to hide his discomfort at flying on a helicopter for what, he hoped, would be the last time in his life. He almost begged off, but the other option- trekking through cold weather, ice, winds and snow, all the way from Wiltshire to the Highlands- would have killed them.“The ritual should work...the runes, the shants...we will completely rid Hogwarts from all Dark Magic residue.” Or we will die trying “ And if we are unable to complete our mission, Potter will do it.”Without realizing, Draco had opened his sleeping bag and enveloped Hermione in his arms.She buried her face deep in his neck and continued to cry. Draco shared her despair, her sadness, her helplessness. He understood what she was feeling. And while he too wanted to cry, this was her time to do so.No more words needed, Draco held Hermione close, until her tears dried and her sobbs, stopped.She fell asleep in his arms.Maybe the proximity of our bodies offered her the comfort she craved,
Draco mused.He too found her presence soothing.Draco thought back at the women in his life : when emotional, his mother always wanted to be held, first by his father and then, after her husband died, by her son.
And with Astoria was the same.
Draco felt
immediately uncomfortable. He disentagled his body from Hermione´s and tried to disperse the thoughts he just had, as they made no sense. He could not compare Astoria, his beloved wife, to Granger of all people…And he was sure she would feel the same.
Hermione Granger does not see me that way.
No, she also did not purposely seek his embrace for emotional support…The thing just...happened.It was just the cold...the cold playing tricks on him, making him see things that were not really there.
Yes, it is the cold.
***
Although the house elves had done an incredibly good job at repairing the small tent ( it had to be the smallest tent he could find at the Manor, otherwise it would require too much ambient magic to hold the warming charms in place) the nights were so cold they took to sleep very close to each other for warmth.“We need to exchange body heat.” Hermione dejectedly said and Draco offered no real resistance. The witch had not only saved his life, but had also managed to drag him to a more secluded place, where she set the tent all by herself and, once there, applied essence of dittany in Draco´s wounds and repaired his clothes with needle and thread.Draco was not about to deny Hermione anything under those circumstances.The awkwardness - Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Princess,
spooning him, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire- was soon forgotten when they both naturally fell asleep, warm and comfortably so.The next morning, Hermione handed Draco another one of those surprisingly tasty protein bars for breakfast
and neither mentioned they had basically shared a bed the night before.Well rested and fed, they covered a good distance and made great progress.Feeling completely recovered from his encounter with the polar bear,
when it was time to set camp, Draco insisted Hermione to rest while he worked on erecting their shelter and prepared their dinner.She promptly accepted the offer.“I think I learned how to operate the stove. “ The snow Draco collected outside was now boiling water. Draco had observed Hermione cooking their food before and decided to mimic her steps instead of bothering her with ignorant questions. He filled two mugs with the dry soup, then covered it with the hot water and stirred until the powder dissolved completely.He had noticed
that Hermione prefered mushroom cream to the split pea soup, so he handed her the mug with the white cream inside.“Thank you, Draco.” Mug in hand, the wizard sat on his sleeping bag facing his travel companion, who had already started eating her dinner.Halfway through the meal, Hermione broke the silence : ”I assume this to be the first time you cooked the muggle way?”“Actually, this was the first time ever .” Draco smugly replied. In his estimation, he had done an excellent job: his soup, creamy and filling, was probably the best food he had had in a very long time.“I always thought muggles had a hard way living without magic...but just mixing hot water and
powder? Not that difficult!”Hermione finished her meal while she listened Draco raving about the virtues of muggle cooking. It was hilarious and yet, she could not really laugh at him, could she?Draco had absolutely no idea what cooking really entailed. That he had convinced himself he was some sort of Master Chef after his first attempt just went to show Hermione that his ego knew no bounds.Hermione went to sleep that night with a slight smile on her face, courtesy from Draco Malfoy.
***They had expected a house in ruins and wards so old they would spent some time trying to find a way in.Instead, Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were welcomed with open arms by a couple of house elves at the entrance of a well kept Manor near Wales.The youngest, a female elf named Pippy, was the first to address the visitors:
“We is expecting your visit, great Harry Potter! We is happy to be of service! My name is being Pipy and he is being Tony.”The blond haired witch thanked for their warm welcome and introduced herself: “Well met, Pipy and Tony! I am Luna Lovegood, a friend of the great Harry Potter. Would you be so kind as to offer us your hospitality?”Until then, Harry had never bothered with a possible Peverell inheritance as, between the Potter vaults and what Sirius had left him, he was a very wealthy wizard. The situation, however, had changed: if Harry wanted to claim Mastership over Death, he needed to do it in Peverell´s lands.Over six hundred years of age and having spent
a decade alone at Grimmauld Place with only a painting for company, Kreacher ´s appearance had been appaling to say the least. Harry had not expected to find house elves dwelling at the unused Peverell property, let alone a couple of elves looking so youthful and healthy as Pipy and Tony did..In their own words, they were the descendants of the last Peverell´s house elves. They worked primarily at Hogwarts for over three centuries, but since they belonged to the Peverell Clan, they would return to their Ancestral Home from time to time to keep the wards up and the place tidy, as they also took their Magic from the bond they once had with the House.“Thank you for the lovely dinner, Pipy, Tony.” They had been expecting Harry for a couple of days, they said. How they knew Harry would appear, they could not tell.
***“ Draco ... I am cold. ”Acting on instinct, he held her again, not unlike he had done the night before, but this time, she was not crying.He could hear her heart beating. Was his own heart beating at the same rate? He could not tell.It was so cold, so cold.But she...she was warm.He kissed her neck, taking in her scent, nibbling her earlobe…She moaned.When he went for her mouth and she eagerly parted her lips, welcoming his tongue, taking his breath away with her passion, he said her name for the first time. “ Hermione .”
***Draco prepared the ground, drawing the runes with salt.Hermione had a beautiful singing voice; she would do the chanting once Draco had finished with the set up.There was no time to speak about their night together.“ I think we are ready.”And she started singing.And the wind sang with her.
***Luna was the first to wake up: “ Harry…”“The cold... the cold is gone.”The house elves had showed Harry and Luna the Peverell ritual grounds. The nascent of a river- their element being water- surrounded by rocks and enough bushes “ for the fairies to hide” Luna said.“Luna...when I was young, I did not understand you. You listened to me...you comforted me...you made me laugh and yet, I did not understand you. But I love you. You know that, right?”“I knew then and I know now, Harry.”He kissed her.And she kissed him back.
***“Pipy and Tony...I trust you to bring those papers to Gringott´s and the Ministry once both places are reopen.” Harry Potter had many affairs to be settled now that he would embark in the next big adventure.“We is being good elveses, Great Harry Potter! We is doing as Harry Potter says!”Harry had asked Luna to stay behind at the Manor and not follow him.“Take good care of Luna, will you? She has a family...make sure they are cared for.”“You can trust Pipy and Tony for that!”Harry had briefly ventured outside to see the place he was to face Death one last time...and found, in the snow, a single yellow Daffodil.His last order was to give the flower to Luna once she woke up.
***Magic was a strange thing.Draco and Hermione did not know they had been sleeping when they woke up. The last thing they remembered was that , when Hermione started chanting, so did the wind.After that, there was nothing.
***Harry was not welcomed by Dumbledore when he crossed.His mother was not there to tell him how proud she was.Sirius too, was absent.The place was not the familiar Platform 9 3/4 , but an endless room with no doors, windows, nor furniture.“Immortality is not a gift, but a curse.”Harry turned to see the face many feared. “You know why I came here.”“Yes...you finally took my bait. You finally made the right choice.”
***The cold was gone.Behind the mists, Hogwarts reappeared.Draco and Hermione crossed the gates and as they approached the Castle, they heard their voices.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next time they saw each other, a full month had passed.Diagon Alley became an open air hospital, not even the best charm would extend St Mungos to fit all the people in need of medical assistance. Master Potioners from all over Europe brewed the Life Kiss Elixir around the clock, and all those who had been frozen had been brought back.The children came back with no memories of what had happened.The staff too had no answers, just questions like everybody else.When the dust finally settled and life seemingly returned to normal, Draco finally made his move.Ron and Hermione had
announced their divorce as soon as their children returned for Christmas Holidays , the only surprise being that nobody seemed surprised . Many marriages had ended during the tragedy- or rather, the tragedy had made it hard to ignore obvious signs of unhappiness in many unions- so no waves were made when the announcement appeared on the Daily Prophet.“Besides, nobody likes to be around a bickering couple.” Ron wisely concluded. “Even Harry was avoiding speding time with us together , remember? I mean, it was fun once , but we...we are not children anymore.”Harry...Harry Potter´s final sacrifice
not only
saved their
children but also
made it possible for the wizarding world
to finally start healing.After two terrible wars and an Ice Age
that threatened their mere existence, it
was about time.
Despite her happiness over having James, Albus and Lily returned to her, Ginny did not embrace this whole new world with completely open arms. Although she would be the first to admit they were having marital problems- and that she was still disappointed in how Harry had caused Albus to run away from home- Ginny had hoped they could make things work again. Distraugh and miserable, Ginny openly
blamed Hermione and Luna for Harry´s sacrifice ( "You should have found another way") and her friendship with both witches suffered as a direct result.When Luna gave birth to a girl she named Daffodil - green eyes, messy hair- and established herself with her father and sons at the Peverell property Harry had left her - Rolf stopping by between his many expeditions, but never staying longer than a month- Ginny stopped speaking to her old childhood friend altogether. She resumed working as Flying instructor at Hogwarts and dating her old flame, Michael Corner.Hermione and Draco announced their engagement in the last day of January. They got married a month after and by December, they welcomed their only daughter, Hedwig.Hermione's parents approved of her second marriage. They had liked Ron, but had nothing in common with him. Draco made an effort to be attentive to Jean Granger and he, despite knowing next to nothing about football, would watch the Premier League with Hermione´s father, Herbert.Hermioned wondered if perhaps Draco was trying to compensate. She knew that, had he been alive, Lucius would never have accepted her fully. Narcissa, meek as she was in premature old age, only barely tolerated the relationship.But Hermione did not mind. They would take whatever happiness they could.