A/N: Ok, guys, it's finally over. I really hope this story was all you hoped it would be. There's really no excuse for how long it took me to complete it. Thanks to everyone for waiting and sticking through to the end! I don't think an epilogue will be necessary, so I hope this chapter is satisfying enough. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Mentis Iungo

Draco looked down at the phial in his hand that would restore all of his memory. It had been three agonizing weeks since Hermione had fallen into the coma.

As he looked in the mirror, he could see that the stress had taken its toll on his body. He had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, and he could see bags under his tired eyes. Even his parents looked less healthy in the last few weeks.

"Thank you, Alden," he said with true warmth. Finally getting the potion would let him know how to fix Hermione's comatose state. Thisbe was already working on possible solutions, which would help with any ideas or solutions he would most likely have once all of his memories were returned.

"It's no problem at all, Draco," Alden responded. "It'll take a full week for you to get all your memories back. I think you should try to get a lot of sleep so you can be clear-headed when you work on Ms. Granger's condition."

Draco nodded his agreement and understanding. He would definitely need the sleep in order to think clearly. Healer Alden obviously would have liked to tell him to get some sleep, not just for Hermione's sake, but for Draco's own health. He appreciated the delivery of his recommendation.

Without further delay, Draco put the phial to his lips and drank the concoction in one gulp.

Draco approached the bed where Hermione had been in a coma for the past month. She looked as lovely as ever, but he missed seeing her brown eyes open and focused on him.

He turned to the room of people. His parents, both Healers, and Ron and Harry stood around the room, waiting for the spell to be cast on Draco that would connect his mind with Hermione's.

Once Draco had gotten all of his memories back, the obscure spell he had found during his research years ago was the first one that offered itself as the solution to the problem at hand.

Not only that, he knew exactly how to safely deliver their children when the time came. He gave silent thanks to the powers that be for such a favorable outcome. But now he had to focus on getting the love of his life to wake up so they could be together at last and await their twin's arrival.

Draco would have Healer Thisbe, the eldest and most experienced healer, cast the spell on him that would connect his mind with Hermione's. The spell would join his consciousness with hers and allow him to talk with her. The interaction may help her gain consciousness if he could get her to understand that she was in a coma.

The spell hadn't been done for many decades, and the information gathered was not extensive. No one had ever used the spell to wake a comatose person before. Draco had no better solutions at the moment, and was willing to take a chance. If the spell didn't work, it was just one possible solution down and he would think of another. A month had passed, though, and the longer Hermione stayed in a coma the more at risk she and their babies became.

"Lie down on the bed next to Hermione, Draco," Thisbe said, drawing her wand out and closing her eyes to clear her mind.

Draco clasped Hermione's limp hand in his own once he was on the bed. He touched his forehead to hers for the spell to take place.

Thisbe raised her wand and went to work. She chanted under her breath and weaved silver wispy lines between Draco's forehead and Hermione's. If Draco weren't so focused on what he had to do, he would have admired the shining brilliance of the multiple lines that hovered between him and Hermione.

"…mentis iungo," Thisbe ended the spell.

Draco felt his eyes become heavy and nodded off into darkness.

Opening his eyes, Draco could not see a thing in the darkness that enveloped him. He wished for light, and just as quick several candles alighted that led a way down a long corridor.

Draco cautiously made his way down the hall, the lights going out behind him as the ones before lit themselves at his progress. Draco knew he had to tread carefully. The mind was a tricky place, and was not to be trifled with.

He walked for what seemed like forever before finally deciding that the straight forward approach was probably best in locating Hermione.

He cleared his throat before calling out.

"Hermione!" he waited a few seconds before trying again. "Hermione, love, it's Draco. Where are you?"

All the candles went out, leaving Draco in darkness again.

He turned quickly all around, trying to find some source of light.

"Come in," Hermione called lightly.

Draco wondered where he would enter before a door a few feet ahead came into view. It was heavy wood, like the doors at Hogwarts; the handle bulky and made of brass as well.

Draco turned the handle and walked into a nursery. Golden sunshine filtered brilliantly into the room. It was colored a soft blue and had yellow borders on the wall. Many chests and toys littered the floor. There was a crib by the back wall, and a soft cooing came from a corner.

Hermione was sitting in a rocking chair, a baby on each arm sleeping soundly. She looked down at them with so much love and affection that Draco could only stare at the beauty of the scene.

"You're late," Hermione whispered so as not to wake the twins. Her eyes showed her displeasure at him, but her mouth couldn't get rid of a small smile.

"Sorry," Draco said, not really getting his bearings yet.

This was what his family looked like. His wonderful wife, well, fiancé, and their two gorgeous babies.

It took a moment for Draco to remember that he was in Hermione's mind and that she was still pregnant with their babies. As much as he wanted to stay in the perfect sphere Hermione had made for them, he knew he had to wake her up. It had been a month, and she couldn't stay asleep very much longer without endangering herself and their unborn children.

"Hermione, love," Draco said, walking over to her and the babies, "I need to speak with you about something very important."

Hermione looked up at him from the rocking chair. "What is it? Is this about the goblin case again? I knew there was something missing in that contract."

Draco found himself smiling. "No, your contract is still perfect. It's about your pregnancy."

Hermione made a face. "What about it?"

Draco really did have to be careful with his wording. Hermione was asleep, and dreams very often did not make sense. Hermione had the babies there in her arms, but subconsciously, she knew that she had not given birth yet.

"Our babies will be perfectly fine. I know how to solve the problem that Muggle hospitals couldn't," Draco said, thinking fast.

"Well, that's a relief," Hermione said, smiling down at the twins. "I knew you could do it."

"Why don't you put the twins down to sleep and walk with me in the garden?" Draco asked. Perhaps having the babies out of sight would help her realize she was in a coma.

"Oh, but you just have to look at them!" she said, getting up carefully and putting one of the twins carefully in his arms.

Draco's breath hitched as he peered down at the tiny face in the bundle of cloth. The little girl was absolutely beautiful. She looked exactly like her mother. He didn't think she could be any more perfect until she opened her eyes. She had his eyes! Blue and the shape of them were exactly like his own.

"What have we named her?" he asked, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Aster," Hermione said, giving a small laugh at the look on his face. "Say hello to your son as well."

She brought over the other baby for Draco to look at. He looked like he did as a baby, and he had Hermione's eyes. Draco was overwhelmed for a moment.

How perfect they both were. He didn't want to wake up from the amazing dream Hermione was having.

"What's his name?" Draco asked, softly touching his son's cheek with his fingers. The baby smiled, which only made Draco love him more.

"I thought you would like to name him," Hermione said, giving the baby a light kiss on the forehead.

Draco thought for a while, but he already knew what name he would give his son should he have one. "Scorpius," he said.

"Precious Scorpius," Hermione said, finally laying the baby down in the crib. Draco gently placed Aster beside her brother.

"They're perfect," Draco said, peering down one last time before taking Hermione's hand and leading her outside.

The day was still bright, and the spacious yard has several trees. They walked down a grassy path, holding hands and silently thinking about their children.

"Hermione," Draco said at last, hating that he would have to end the wonderful illusion, but knowing it had to be done. "Do you remember the day the twins were born?"

Hermione laughed. "Of course I do."

"Tell me about it," Draco said, preparing himself. This could either go smoothly, or very bad indeed.

"Well," Hermione began, but stopped. She made a face of concentration, trying to remember. "Well, I went into labor," she faltered again. "You were there," she added, but stopped when she turned to him.

The day turned from sunshine to gray faster than Draco thought possible. The wind picked up, and the tree branches swayed.

"I have the solution to the problem of your pregnancy," Draco said, repeating what he had told her earlier. Maybe she would pick up what he implied. That she was still pregnant even though they had just been holding their children not three minutes ago.

Hermione turned back to look at the house in the distance. The place where the twins were sleeping. "My pregnancy," she repeated.

Draco felt a few sprinkles fall on his face before a downfall was released from the heavens and lightning strikes started to appear in the distance. Draco tried not to panic.

"Our babies will be fine," Draco said, trying his best to make it appear that the sudden downpour was the most natural thing in the world even though there hadn't been a cloud in the sky not ten seconds before.

"But, they're.." Hermione trailed off again, looking back towards the house. She placed a hand on her stomach, which was extended. She was pregnant once more.

Hermione tried to head for the house, but Draco grabbed her hand. She couldn't see the twins and be pregnant with them at the same time. It wouldn't make sense, and she needed to see that she was in a coma.

"Hermione, love," Draco said, grabbing her other hand and holding on tight. The wind and rain doubled in ferocity, and the lightning was getting closer. "I need you to listen carefully."

Hermione looked all around, confusion clear on her face.

"You're the smartest witch I know," Draco said, releasing her hands and holding her face in both of his palms, making her meet his eyes. "I fell in love with you before I even knew I did."

Hermione looked at him, and he could tell that she was truly seeing him since he had entered the nursery. A flick of consciousness in a dream.

"Draco," she said, putting her hands over his, "what's going on?"

Draco took a deep breath, ready to break the news. She was the smartest witch he knew, and he hoped with all his might that she would see that she was in a dream world.

"You're in a coma," Draco finally announced.

Hermione broke away and looked around. The storm had made the sky dark with huge black clouds overhead, and they were both soaked with water. Hermione turned once more towards the house.

Before either of them could move, the house collapsed in on itself, making Hermione cry out in a way Draco had never heard before. Not even when she was being tortured by his aunt did she sound so much in pain.

"My babies!" Hermione screamed, making a mad dash.

She started running towards the house before Draco could stop her.

Draco caught her before she could take more than five running steps, not sure how he had managed to get a hold of her with how fast she had moved.

Hermione struggled against him viciously, crying through the loud noise coming from all around them. Draco looked up to find the source and saw three tornadoes absurdly close to where they were. He felt adrenaline course through his body even though he knew they were not real.

"Hermione!" he yelled to be heard. "The babies are fine, Hermione!"

He took both her hands in his, which was an effort with how much she flailed, and carefully placed them over her stomach.

"Our babies are just fine! Aster and Scorpius are safe!"

It took countless seconds for Hermione to be still as her hands roamed furiously over her very round stomach.

"They have you, the most brilliant witch in all of Britain, as their mother," Draco said, holding her close against him as the wind died down and the storm let up. "There's no way they wouldn't be safe."

"They're safe," Hermione said aloud, and she repeated it again and again until her breathing calmed down. It took a while longer for the last of the storm to vanish completely.

"I'm in a coma?" she asked after could only be hours later. She turned to look Draco in the eyes.

"Yes," Draco said. "For the past month now."

"What about the babies?" she asked desperately, holding her stomach protectively.

"Our babies are just fine," Draco said. He would say it over and over again no matter how many times she needed to hear.

"You just have to wake up," Draco took both of her hands again and gave them light kisses. "We can get married as soon as you want once you wake up and we'll have a huge or small wedding; whatever you want."

Hermione looked around her once again. Draco could tell that she was realizing the earlier storm made no sense.

"I have to wake up," she repeated, trying to get a sense of reality.

Draco was about to respond before she gasped out. Though they were holding hands, hers were fading, and they couldn't feel anything afterwards.

"Draco!" she called out in a panic, reaching for him, but unable to touch him.

"It's okay, love," he said calmly. "You're about to wake up. We'll both be in bed, and this will just be a dream."

"You're sure you'll be there and I won't just fall back into a coma?" she asked, trying not to be scared.

"I'm sure," Draco said with all the confidence he could muster. "Just open your eyes, and I'll be right beside you."

Hermione nodded furiously, trying to get her breathing under control.

Draco watched as she faded, his own hands nowhere to be found. Before long, the edges of the garden were nothing but black patches, and he felt himself become drowsy. He didn't know when he hit the soft grass to go to sleep.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. It was awfully bright in the room.

She squinted and saw the fabric of the canopy that hung over the huge bed she lay on. She turned her head to the right and saw Draco's sleeping face. She smiled before reaching out a hand to touch his cheek.

Draco's eyes fluttered at the touch, and his blue eyes met hers.

"Hey there," he said, smiling in both relief and true happiness.

"Hey," she said quietly, her voice creaky from not using it for a whole month.

"HERMIONE!" came the unison shout of two people she would know anywhere. Looking around, she saw Ron and Harry, worried looking and relieved. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had much the same look as well as the two healers.

Hermione felt her eyes well up in tears at the sight. All of the people in the room looked worse for wear. They had lost weight and more than a few had bags under their eyes. Poor Draco looked the worst of the lot. Hermione leaned over to give him a heartfelt kiss. Their little personal bubble, however, didn't last long.

Within seconds everyone converged on the couple, asking questions, taking diagnostics, and just filling the previously silent space with sounds of joy.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Draco squeezed her hand from the time they had both woken up, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be letting go anytime soon.