While the idea of the baby somehow protecting both of them sounded like a ridiculous and far-reaching theory, Hermione couldn’t help but think back to the very last ritual, Amor in Aeternum. She remembered the stark coldness of the Forbidden Forest in winter, the pine trees glistening with snow as she and Draco stood in the middle of the clearing. She could still see that faint smirk across his lips and the way his eyes flashed with want as they scanned her body, their conversation etched into her mind: