Chapter 21 - Let Us Remember Tonight, For Tomorrow We May Die

I'd like to thank once again all of those who have taken the time to read this story and leave a review.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Many thanks to June, my wonderful beta. All of your hard work and wonderful suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Chapter 21 - Let Us Remember Tonight, For Tomorrow We May Die

Emil walked to his master and placed his hand on Lucius' shoulder.

Lucius looked at the house-elf, as his eyes glittered with tears.

"Do not burden your mind with thoughts of doom. You must live, Lucius Malfoy, you must live."

Lucius wiped his tears and nodded. He had cried enough, and now he was done feeling sorry for himself. Emil was right; it would do him no good going into the battle already dead in his own mind. He needed to keep his mind sharp so he could live to come home to Ginny and the new baby.

"You are quite right, my little friend. I can't give up just yet." Lucius stood and began walking towards the staircase. He looked back at the elf. "Thank you."

Emil smiled. "You are most welcome."

The sky had grown darker as the afternoon made its change to evening. Lucius quietly entered the bedroom, careful not to wake Ginny. He undressed himself, and then used his wand to undress Ginny. He pulled a thick blanket up over their bodies and held her tightly.

Ginny stirred slightly as Lucius began to stroke her stomach. She had been in between being completely awake and still asleep. She felt a warm body behind him and smiled.

"Mmm...you're back." Ginny turned her body to face her lover. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked into Lucius' now red-rimmed eyes, and she suddenly became wide awake. "Have you been crying? Did Voldemort do something to you at the meeting?"

"No, I'm just tired. I had very little sleep last night," he lied, not wanting Ginny to worry. Instead he smiled and kissed her. "I have a secret," he said teasingly.

Ginny sat up. "Oh, I love secrets. Tell me what it is."

"Manners, Miss Weasley. I haven't heard 'please' from you yet." Lucius moved back away from her, but Ginny stopped his movements by straddling him.

"Oh, you are such a brat, Lucius Malfoy. Tell me." Ginny took both of Lucius' hands and attempted her best to pin the man to the bed. "I've got you now, so you have no choice. Now, what's the secret?"

Lucius sighed. "First a kiss, and I will tell you."

Ginny leaned down and began nibbling on his lips until he opened his mouth. Taking full advantage, she slipped her tongue into his warm mouth. Now letting go of his hands, she allowed him to roll her over as he deepened their kiss.

Lucius then nipped and licked his way to her neck.

"Did you know that Emil can apparently feel when a woman is pregnant, even before the woman herself knows?" asked Lucius

Ginny furrowed her brow. "No, I didn't know that at all; my family did not have house-elves. Is that the big secret?"

"It's part of it." Lucius' hand traveled down her chest and stopped at her soft belly. His hand began to make circular movements as he kissed her cheek.

Ginny stopped his hand and looked at him.

"Do you mean he's felt...?" Her voice trailed off in wonder and amazement.

"Yes."

They spoke no more; there was no need for words between them at that moment. Ginny had known something had been affecting her health as of late. She'd been very tired and was several days late with her cycle. Knowing stress can sometimes cause these things, she thought nothing more of it. She had been taking a contraceptive potion, but admittedly missed a few days here and there. When she had laid down for her nap earlier, Ginny decided to give herself a pregnancy test when she woke up, but now there was no need.

~*~*~*~

Severus and Hermione made their way back to the school after finishing their walk. Before going back to their rooms, Severus insisted on going to visit Albus and Minerva in the Headmaster's office. Severus recited the password and they both stepped into the staircase.

Their approach was heard, and the older wizard and his Deputy Headmistress were waiting for them at the top and welcomed them into the office.

"I didn't expect to see either of you two today," said Albus as he held Minerva's hand. It was the first time they had done so in the presence of other people.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but Albus, I was hoping you would do something for us."

Albus and Minerva looked at one another.

"Of course, Severus. What is it you wish?"

Severus reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box. He turned to Hermione and opened the lid of the box. Nestled within the velvet was a platinum band with a single olive green diamond, surrounded by smaller pale yellow diamonds.

"I was hoping you would perform a marriage ceremony for Hermione and me."

Hermione was speechless. She couldn't take her eyes off the ring. It was the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen. She took the box in her shaking hands and looked at Severus.

"Severus," she whispered.

"I was going to ask you on Christmas morning," he chuckled, "but that day seems so very far away at this moment." Severus caressed her cheek. If he were to die the following day, at least he wanted her as his wife for the few short hours he had left.

Albus clapped his hand and laughed as Minerva now lunged forward to hug Hermione.

"Congratulations, the both of you," cried Minerva. She moved to Severus and then turned and began swirling her wand. Instantly the room was filled with flowers and sparkling snow falling from the ceiling.

"Shall we, then?" asked Albus as he motioned for Severus and Hermione to hold hands.

Hermione smiled and grabbed hold of Severus proffered forearm.

The ceremony was simple and quick. As Albus and Minerva waved goodbye from the top of the stairs, Hermione wondered briefly if she should write her parents a note, but then decided to wait. She would break the news to her parents in person along with her husband, at least that's what she hoped; she did not allow herself to think that she might be a widow the next day.

In their room, both were quiet. Severus sent a note to the kitchens to send champagne and chocolate truffles for his new bride, who liked both. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching Hermione as she brushed her hair.

When she put her brush down, she reached for her bottle of contraceptive potion. The monthly potions didn't set well with her stomach, so she opted for the nightly doses instead. She held the small bottle in her hand, and then caught sight of Severus over her shoulder in the mirror. She looked at the bottle again, and set it back down as she turned to Severus.

"I've always hoped that if we were ever were to marry, I would conceive our first child on our wedding night," she laughed nervously as he approached her. "I know, it's a silly fantasy, something only a silly little girl would think about."

Severus placed his fingers lightly on her lips and shushed her.

"It's not silly at all, Hermione. I can't think of a better way to start our life together." He held her tightly against him. Gone were his thoughts of dying the following day. No, he'd worked too hard and suffered too long to just give up now. So many years of sacrifice, of hiding his duplicity, and not to mention the beatings he'd withstood so that there could be a better world for all of them. There was no way he wasn't going to be a part of it now.

Their night was spent in the pursuit of showing one another how much they loved each other. The following day would be difficult, and the important thing now was to hold one another for as long as possible.

~*~*~*~

At the Riddle mansion, things were much different. Voldemort had sent Rodolphus home; after his job of warding the estate was finished, there was no need for him to hang about.

However, Rodolphus did not go home. Instead he spent the evening there in the shadows. Thinking that the Dark Lord would venture out once again to the Muggle world, he wanted to try and get into his bedroom to help the two women escape.

But this night Voldemort decided to stay at his home. He'd been angry earlier when Higgenbottom failed to show up. He no longer needed the stamina potion, as he felt strong enough for the next day's fight. What he wanted from the potions maker was a healing potion. If he were to be hit with any debilitating curses, he would need a potion to heal him quickly. For this reason he'd taken Lynnette prisoner. She was a virgin Muggle, and her blood would be most powerful; he'd wanted Higgenbottom to make a healing potion tonight with her blood as the main ingredient. Now, because of old Higgenbottom's absence, Voldemort had to change his plans. Instead of taking the prisoner from St. Mungo's with him in the morning to Hogwarts, he would take the Muggle girl.

Knowing that there was an elaborate and fully stocked potions lab at Hogwarts, it would be easy enough for Voldemort to make the potion himself. The library was stocked with dark arts books in the Restricted Section, this much he knew from his own years as a student. Voldemort was confident that his Death Eaters would breech the castle within minutes of arriving. He laughed as he thought about using the Imperius Curse on the old fool Dumbledore. Perhaps he would force the soon-to-be former Headmaster of Hogwarts into make the healing potion for him, and watch the head of the Order of the Phoenix slit the young girl's throat to bleed her dry.

Voldemort's plans for the St. Mungo's prisoner would now come after the victory. The first night he had the witch in his bedroom, he learned that she was a virgin and a Muggle-born. Her name was Isabella Ortiz. She was from Spain, and had been betrothed to a young man of noble birth before she'd even been born. Through Legilimency he found out that she had been at St. Mungo's on a consultation. Apparently his prize was a highly regarded expert on Muggle diseases. She was also the daughter of a wealthy land owner from just outside of Barcelona. Her father had ties to the Spanish throne as well as many properties in France and Germany.

While he kept her on a leash at all times to keep her from escaping, Voldemort held off from harming her, or doing anything else to her for that matter. After the war was over, he planned on taking her as his wife and impregnating her. He would then use her and her child as leverage for her father's power and wealth. This would be his first step in expanding his influence beyond Britain. Normally he would not soil himself with a Muggle-born, but for power beyond anything he'd ever imagined, he would deal with the Mudblood for a while longer.

Rodolphus knew nothing of these plans. Tonight, he held his position within the shadows quietly, waiting for Wormtail to appear. After nearly twenty minutes the scraggly rodent-like wizard came out of his master's bedroom, holding an empty tray. As Wormtail made his way back towards Nagini's holding cell, Rodolphus jumped at him.

Rodolphus grabbed Wormtail by his coat and shoved him against the wall hard. He held his wand at the wizard's throat now. "If you scream I will kill you with my bare hands, do you understand?" whispered Rodolphus.

"Please, don't hurt me." In the darkness, Wormtail didn't see who held him against the wall at that moment. "I...I'll do anything you ask."

Rodolphus kept his wand at Peter's throat, but now backed away from him slightly.

"Are the women harmed?" he asked.

"Nn...no. The Master has given me strict instructions; they are to be kept comfortable at all times."

Rodolphus found this rather odd. Bella had on many occasions told him how brutish Voldemort could be towards woman. The Dark Lord cared nothing for others' comfort, and certainly not the comfort of prisoners.

"Why? What does he plan for them?"

"I can't say. He's forbidden me to speak of them. He's made me take an oath." Wormtail began to shake. He could now make out the outline of the man holding him at wand-point. He also now recognized the voice as well. Pettigrew had always been afraid of the Lestranges. Rodolphus always seemed to be the more even tempered of the three, but he was also the most ruthless; a truer Slytherin there never was, in Wormtail's mind.

Rodolphus now approached him and held him by the neck. He could see well enough in the dark to look into Wormtail's eyes, and he whispered a spell. It was a well-kept secret on his part that Rodolphus was quite a good Legilimens. If Wormtail would not speak of Voldemort's plans, then Bella's widower would search his mind and see it for himself.

After several minutes he saw all he needed to see. He quickly pushed himself away from Wormtail and pointed his wand towards him one final time that evening.

"Obliviate." With his spell now working its way through Wormtail's memories, Rodolphus quickly made his way out of the Riddle home through the darkened hallway. Once outside he Apparated to his own home.

Rodolphus entered the library of his lonely house. Still, knowing that the two women prisoners would not be harmed that night, he felt relief wash over him.

He quickly wrote a note to Lucius telling him all he'd seen in Wormtail's mind. Rodolphus had already told Lucius that when all of the other Death Eaters Apparated to Hogwarts, he would stay behind. He now instructed Lucius to tell Albus to send his signal fifteen minutes before burning Riddle's house to the ground. In those fifteen minutes, Rodolphus would dispose of Wormtail and make sure Nagini was immobilized. He would then find the prisoner and get her out of the home.

Rodolphus sent his owl to Lucius and then poured himself a drink. He sat alone in his library and stared into the fire. He thought of the young woman, Isabella. How odd that she would have a name so similar to his own wife's. 'No,' he thought, 'not anymore.' He covered his face with his palm and cried. He saw the image of Bella in his mind, her face young and beautiful. How he'd loved her, even though at times he did not show his love, but he loved her nonetheless. He thought of his brother Rabastan, burned alive by Voldemort. Rodolphus felt so alone now. There was no one to hear his cries of despair, no one to give him comfort.

He had made a decision that afternoon while warding the Riddle estate. He took all of his galleons from Gringotts and deposited them into an old family account in France. He was not going to give Voldemort the satisfaction of using his money for any demented purposes, if the Dark Lord should come out of this war victorious.

Rodolphus also held on to the ever so small hope he had of surviving. If he made it past the Aurors, and was able to thwart any attempt by anyone to send him to Azkaban, he would disappear and start over again.

He emptied his brandy and walked to his room, memorizing every wall, every picture, every tapestry. By this time tomorrow, he would be elsewhere, never to see his home again. It was up to the gods now, if they even existed, as to where exactly he wound up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next chapter will involve the final battle.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading.