She jerked her legs, almost kicking him as his long limbs crawled like a panther to sit beside her. Narcissa grabbed at her arms to calm her, to hold her still.

"What does this spell entail?" she repeated, her voice cracking in her dry throat.

Lucius's calm features sharpened into a smirk. "Now, now. Don't fret, Miss Granger. Just lie back and think of England."

"Lucius," Narcissa warned.

Hermione felt her heartbeat strain beneath Narcissa's fingers, pounding to get out of her. And before she could ask another question, Lucius was pulling a knife from his robes, his impassive mask on once more. She gaped at the glint of the blade as he pressed one long hand firmly against her collarbone. The knife drew a quick, shallow slice against her heart, too quick for her to wince. She watched with wide eyes as Lucius's lips formed a silent prayer, wisps of German brushing across her forehead.

She looked at Draco, bathed in moonlight near the windows, watching with his hand clapped over his mouth. Their eyes met.

And the candles went out.

She felt the darkness like a cold plunge into water. If she didn't have the pressure of Narcissa's fingers on her wrists, she'd have shrieked.

Lucius's cool tones dripped ancient words across her face. She felt him shift back, hovering over her stomach and chanting.

Her limited German caught words like "devil" and "protection."

She jerked her head over to where Draco stood in the corner, and her dizzy mind imagined she could see the whites of his eyes reflecting the darkness back at her.

A sharp pull from her belly, like the worst kind of menstrual cramps. She gasped, jerking. Narcissa held her down, and Lucius raised his voice as he continued chanting.

It felt like her intestines were fighting to twist in opposing directions. She squirmed, trying to stretch her body into positions that would alleviate the cramping, but it was like a wrenching low in her stomach.

She groaned, and she heard the floor creak near the windows.

A tight pop, as if something inside of her dislocated. She scrunched her eyes shut in pain, blocking out the darkness.

And a wash of peace. Like a Calming Draught. Like sunlight. Her stomach relaxed.

She opened her eyes, praying that it worked, and found Lucius Malfoy's face boring over her in the candlelight.

No. Not candlelight. A ball the size of her fist hovered over her stomach. Just like the spell the Mediwitches cast months ago, burning so white it looked blue.

It cast shadows across the pitch-black room, sparking warmth in Lucius's grey eyes.

Narcissa's fingers threaded through her hair gently as every pair of eyes stared at the ball of energy, symbolizing what hadn't yet been taken from her. She watched the light fluctuate like fairy wings held it afloat.

A glass jar pushed into view, scooping under slowly, capturing the orb, and closing a lid over top. She looked up to see Draco screwing the lid on, watching the light breathe. His eyes danced with its glow, and she watched his lips part in wonder.