Hermione swallowed, blinking rapidly. A thick silence fell like snow.

"All Mudbloods are sterilized." A pause. "Why, Malfoy? You want pups?"

"Of course not." Draco's voice was clipped. "I would just like all procedures cleared with me—"

"By order of the Dark Lord, I am sterilizing the Mudblood in your possession, Malfoy."

Hermione could see the faint green light over her hip fading, winking out of existence.

Her limbs were heavy. She felt cold and useless. Pain pricked behind her eyelids.

It would all be over soon.

From the corner of her eye, the Mediwitch lifted her wand, grim resignation in her face as she prepared to cast—

BANG!

Hermione jolted, springing to her side and curling away from the danger. She felt a hand on her waist, and she jerked. Turning to see Draco standing up against the table, neck craned behind him — staring at Narcissa's smoking wand.

With a flourish, the Mediwitches were disarmed, terror in their eyes.

Hermione sat up, looking around Draco's shoulders. Dolohov lay crumpled against the opposite wall, head lolling to the side.

"Draco, dear," Narcissa hummed, voice low and dark. "Collect all three wands." Narcissa's eyes were on fire, magic crackling from her skin.

In a flash, Draco was gone, following the sounds of clattering sticks against stone.

"Hermione, please return to your room," she said with an air of cool authority Hermione had never heard from her. "Your examination has concluded."

Narcissa held her wand on Dolohov's unconscious form, watching for movement. Draco returned to her side, looking pale.

Hermione slid off the table onto shaking legs. "What are you going to do?" she croaked.

"A simple Memory Charm on all three should do the trick," Narcissa said. "Mippy!"

The elf snapped into existence. Hermione jumped at the sound.

"Take Hermione to her room and then return."

And before she could ask another question, the elf took her wrist, and she was in her room. Mippy was gone again before Hermione could form words.

She brought her hands to her stomach, the hospital gown scratchy against her skin.

The terror that had frozen her upon seeing Dolohov's leer and the Mediwitch's wand drained from her veins until a slow dripping serenity surrounded her.

Once more, she'd been saved. Narcissa Malfoy had attacked one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers to protect her from being sterilized.

Hermione braced herself on the back of her armchair.

Mippy popped into her room again with wide eyes, carrying her discarded clothing. "Miss! I needs your gown!"

She stripped, mind too numb to feel shame, and traded the gown for her garments. Mippy disappeared.

She stood alone in her room, breathing in the silence before beginning to dress. As she pulled up her trousers and clasped her bra, her mind started to tumble.

Her door slammed open, and she gripped her jumper to her chest. Draco stepped in, eyes skating quickly across her skin, before turning abruptly to give her privacy. "Are you alright?"

She couldn't think of a suitable answer, so her mind jumped elsewhere. "It will have to be a very strong Memory Charm," she said, voice trembling as she pulled her jumper over her head. "Replacing the memory with something different entirely."