Authors Note: Firstly I would like to apologise for this being so very late. My plan at the moment is to get all of my open stories finished. Secondly this has been typed on my tablet, which adds the weirdest punctuation.

It took Hermione a long time to wake up the next morning, the late night and emotional exhaustion had certainly taken their toll. As she slowly returned to consciousness, she gradually became aware of her surroundings; her best friends talking rather loudly downstairs, the giggles of her daughter, rain dripping on the window pane and the quiet even breathing of her wife next to her in the bed.

As the brunette became more alert, she began to wonder why Minerva was still asleep. Almost without fail the older woman would wake first and it was rare that Hermione just got a chance to watch her sleep. With that in mind she rolled over to face her wife, half expecting to meet that wry emerald gaze with a smile and a greeting on her lips.

The words died unspoken when Hermione spotted the too still form of the woman she loved. Minerva was almost unnaturally pale, eyes moving rapidly beneath closed lids and a frown creasing her brow. The younger witch uttered her wife's name, softly at first but rapidly growing in volumne and tone when she received no response.

That was how Harry found her a few minutes later. Drawn to his best friends room at a run by loud screams, he had wand drawn and was prepared to deal with any threat. Except this threat to Hermione's family was nothing that an auror could deal with. The Boy Who Lived could only stand in the doorway and stare in horror as she tried in vain to wake her wife.

Healers immediately sprung into action the moment that the emergency floor engaged, a floating stretcher was immediately conjured and they moved the unconscious and unresponsive Headmistress into the nearest trauma room. Following along behind were three of the most famous people in the wizarding world, Hermione McGonagall looking rather dishevelled in pyjamas and her very worried best friends in tow.

Trainee Healer Johns quickly walked up to the formidable group, "Please follow me to the relatives room, it's quieter there and the Healers will come and let you know any news." He conjured a very muggle looking clipboard and began to scrawl on it with a quill. "Her date of birth and address I know as I only filled in an admission form for her yesterday. Can you let me know what happened please?"

Hermione began to speak, trying to match his calm measured tones but knowing that she was failing miserably and that her inner hysteria was close to breaking through. She told him about the prior head injury and the one that her wife had received the afternoon before, that Minerva had been fine all of last night. When she began to recount what had happened upon trying to wake her, the Gryffindor began to sob.

Tears of worry and despair filled the room as Hermione gave in to her emotions, no longer having to reign them in for fear that she would worry her daughter. "Mrs McGonagall I know this is hard. Do you know if your wife took any potions after leaving here yesterday? Painkillers, alcohol, anything like that."

"Yes... She took a standard headache potion... Then she did have a glass or two of spirits. I told her to be careful with her head injury... I almost lost her once... I can't go through that again."

Johns looked at her with compassion, " I will go and pass this on, I promise that I will keep you up to date. Try not to worry, I know it's hard. Would you like a calming draught... for the baby?"

So worried was she that the brunette witch had almost forgotten the child that she was carrying. Hermione touched her swollen stomach, worried now more than ever. She nodded before crying harder. Harry wrapped his arms around her and sat them both on the sofa.

Surprisingly it was Ron who spoke first, "She's a fighter Hermione, there's no way in hell that she will leave you guys alone."

"But what if?"

"No Hermione, don't torture yourself." The only response given by the witch was to sink into an offered embrace and to cry harder. This continued until the Healer brought back a Calming Draught with an added ingredient that put the distraught woman to sleep.

Harry stood up, "Stay here mate, I'm going to check on the investigation. I have to make sure that they're going to be safe. There's nothing that I can do here."

"What if she wakes up?"

"You're better at comforting her Ron. You always were." With that Harry strode out of the room.

Department of Magical Law Enforcement - Auror Office

"Progress report."

"Morning Harry." Jenny McRae spoke without looking up immediately, "After Minerva McGonagall interrogated the prisoners yesterday, Brent had a meltdown and in the process named the last few of his accomplices. Looks like he was part of an isolated cell. They either waited for several years after the war on someone's orders or to settle an old grudge."

"Can you be sure that all of them have been apprehended?"

"You know that we can never be sure of anything like that. To the best of my understanding we should be secure from this group but who knows how many sleeper cells could be out there."

"Depressing Jen, really depressing."

"What's up with you?"

"Minerva is back in the hospital, probably a result of yesterdays attack."

"Prognosis?"

Harry ran his hands through his already messy hair before replying with a shrug. He did not have an answer, nor was he willing to tempt fate by guessing. "All I can do is try and catch the bastards who are responsible for it."

"Maybe your face will loosen a few lips. Or at least provoke a reaction."

He followed the woman towards interrogation, "Why, because it's so pretty?". He tried to feign his normal banter but anyone listening could tell that his heart wasn't in it.

"Harry, if anyone can live through this it will be her."

"Last time she forgot the best years of her life. What if she forgets who she is?"

"What if The Founders invented time travel and pop in to ask for some Quidditch results?"

Despite himself he laughed. Maybe, just maybe everything would work out for the best.

A week later

Hermione held tightly onto her wife's hand, fiddling with the wedding band that the older woman wore. Despite the nutrient potions that were being forced down her throat, Minerva had lost weight and the ring was loose. It was like she could see her marriage dissolve right in front of her eyes.

Hope was not gone but in the last week she had gone through all kinds of hell. Any initial optimism was long gone. Cerys was distraught and after a hysterical outburst she was banned from visiting. It seemed like their family, so perfect only a week ago, was in tatters. The baby inside her was oddly still, presumably picking up on her stress. Everything was falling apart, Voldemorts legacy at work more than a decade after his death.

"Do you know Minerva, that I have been a little in love with you ever since we first met? That you made my heart race even before I knew what it meant? I can't imagine my world without you in it. And I don't care that it makes me sound like a stalker or like some kind of desperate looser. You and Cerys mean the world to me, no matter what happens I will carry on, keep her safe but it will never be the same without you. I need you Minerva. Please come back to me."

Hermione's voice broke on every word, speaking almost physically painful after a week of pleading with her comatose wife. Begging and pleading did not help, nor did it help to ask why. Helplessness felt alien to her, she had always been able to resolve issues, there had always been a book with an answer, research was no use in this case. Neither wizarding or muggle science had been able to unlock all of the mysteries of the human brain.

Jeanette walked into the room, familiar by now with the scene in front of her but it still tugged at her heart strings. "You need to go and get some rest."

"I don't want to miss her waking up, I know how unlikely it is after all this time but..." Hermione broke down into tears, uncaring of propriety as she clung to the medmediwitch. Neither of them noticed the woman on the bed flinch at the sound. "That's why I keep talking to her. Even if she can't respond I want her to know that I'm here. That I haven't given up hope. I will always be here."

"...I... heard..."

Two heads snapped around in unison, shock written on their features.

"...Where...a... I?"

"Minerva?". Hermione whispered, not believing for a moment that her ears were telling the truth, that her wife was really awake. She watched entranced as emerald eyes drifted open, focussing on her for a moment before closing again. "Minerva, open your eyes for me please."

"Her...Mione."

"Yes?"

"You talk too much."

The younger witch broke into hysterical giggles, completely emotionally overwhelmed. She wrapped her arms around Minerva and squeezed tightly.

"Why am I here Hermione?"

"You know who I am?"

"Of course I do.". The older witch sounded more awake now and slightly irritated. "It's not likely I would forget you twice."

"What do you remember?"

"Going to sleep with you. I felt like I was stuck in a deep well, unable to see but I could hear people talking. It was indistinct at first but then..." Minerva sat up, slowly and painfully. "I kept hearing your voice. Talking to me. Telling me that you loved me. I heard you crying and I was fighting to get to you but it was like trying to climb through quicksand."

"You remember me?"

Minerva chuckled, trying to make light of her wife's very real fear. " I remember everything."

Hermione sat on the bed and wiped her tears away. "Everything?"

"Mostly, a mite fuzzy here and there."

"So I don't have to remind you who I am?"

"No.". Minerva's voice was soft initially but then became louder, "No... No!"

"No what? You're really confusing me."

Minerva grabbed her wife, holding her tightly, slightly shaking the younger witch. Voice tight with excitement she began to speak, "No you don't have to remind me... Because I remember who you are."

Hermione shook her head, still confused.

"I...Remember Hermione. I remember everything. It's fuzzy until I concentrate but then it becomes clear."

The brunette squealed in an uncharacteristic way before drawing her wife into a passionate kiss. In that moment the baby began to kick so hard that even Minerva felt it. They drew apart, both laughing in joy, feeling complete for the first time in what seemed like forever. "I love you." They breathed the words almost as one, in unison. The sentiment coming from the very depths of their souls. Both knowing that while the future was uncertain, they would face whatever it brought together.

Fin

A.N. Finishing this is an odd feeling, this chapter is the first thing I have written in probably more than two years. My life is completely different than it was when I started this story, I feel like I am a different person and I can only apologise if this chapter is a let down.