She laid her head against his chest and curled her frozen toes up beneath the covers. His hand rested on the small of her back, rubbing small rhythmic circles across her spine. “Can you believe this Harry?” she whispered, looking into his reflective emerald eyes.
He shrugged and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead tenderly. “Believe what? That I was lucky enough to marry the greatest woman in the world? That she gave me the greatest gift I’ve ever received by bringing my daughter into this world? That I still haven’t woken up from what I thought was only the sweetest of dreams?” He pulled her closer to him, if that was at all possible. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you said “I do”. I can’t believe you stuck with me all this time. I can’t believe we have Lily. It’s amazing.” He rocked her in his arms, lulling her to sleep.
"You know 'Mione," he said stroking her hair, "I still have nightmares." Hermione turned too look at him with sad, worried eyes, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Harry laid a single finger on her lips and continued, "but when I wake up in the middle of the night, it all goes away because you're sleeping beside me. And sometimes I just wake up and stare at you, because when you're there, I feel like nothing could get to me. You are so much to me, and I just think I need to tell you that more."
Hermione looked at her husband with watery eyes and then simply embraced him.
“I love you Harry,” she said into his shoulder.
“I love you Hermione,” he said, before drifting off into slumber.
He was awoken hours later by a shrill scream and a cold shock sent down his spine. He bolted upright, awaking his wife in the process. An ear splitting crash was heard as the windows were broken in, death eaters swarming their bedroom. Harry reached for his wand and his glasses, angrily fighting to protect his family.
His family. Hermione. Hermione was gone. Lily! She went to get Lily. Harry, stunning the third Death Eater, left his bedroom and made his way down the hall to find his wife and daughter to be surrounded by the other three. They muttered a spell causing Hermione to drop to her knees by the baby’s cradle. Enraged, Harry stunned them all, and then physically harmed them as muggles do. With his hands and feet. Bloody and battered, the Death Eater fled. Harry lay over his wife, who remained unconscious.
“Hermione.” He whispered. “It’s ok. It’s ok; you’re going to be fine.” He created a patronus and sent it directly to the ministry. Another blood curling cry came from behind him, and Harry looked over his shoulder, then to Hermione, and back again a few times. He walked over to the cradle and pulled the child out. Gently, he held little one month old Lily in his arms, as he waited for the Auror’s to show up. It was all too much like his mother’s fate.
`Tears flowing freely down his face, he knelt next to Hermione, who was now breathing at least. He rocked his daughter back and forth. “It’ll be alright.” He whispered.
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