DISCLAIMER: (I'm only doing this once, so read up): I DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER AND HIS UNIVERSE. I am not making any money from this either, but had I been, I would have spent it all on Harry Potter memorabilia with it, because heaven knows I'm broke because of my Harry Potter shrine.

A/N: I know. I should finish up Only thru a mother's love. But this plot decided to pop up in my head. I tried 2 c if I could incorporate it into my other story, but realized that the beginning would have to be different and the relationships would be totally different. No, this is not a time travel story. Well, happy reading! Oh, i've been very . . . traitorous. It seems this story is a ship for HG/RW. I just love Hermione, and who she ends up with (besides Harry) doesn't matter to me. I will probably write a HG/DM story later when I come up with a plot for that one.

Nowhere To Turn But Home

Summary: After Hermione's father dies, her mother reveals her shady past. Hermione's mother isn't a muggle like she thought she was, and apparently Helen didn't know that either. Something is going on during Hermione's last year at Hogwarts, especially with two deadly assassins who have escaped from Azkaban. She will never look at Sirius, Snape, or McGonagall the same again. And while the secrets of her mother's generation is being uncovered, love blooms in the most unsuspecting places and time.

Chapter 1: Hermione learns

Clunk. The weathered couple looked at each other across two sets of bars and nodded. The middle-age man (for a wizard) looked at his wife and waited. It was almost time. He suddenly felt cold. The first dementor was shuffling by. He waited for the second. He was not disappointed when the second trudged past 15 minutes later. The dementors were anxious since the fall of Voldemort, and they have been careless recently to other prisoners as they guarded the captured Death-Eaters like a hawk.

He waited another 30 seconds. Time was precious and cannot be wasted. Every second counted and if they failed, well, he didn't want to dwell on that.

He signaled his wife to start. He stared at her with love even after 45 years of marriage and hardship, but now was not the time to get nostalgic.

Revenge will be sweet and served cold, colder than the feel of a dementor near him. He had secretly hoped that the bastard had been caught with the Death-Eater, but he was too cunning.

Being reminded of that monster, he waited patiently for his wife to complete her transformation. It was after all, very hard to accomplish as not only the wards of Azkabans denied it, but also the thing his wife would be turning into would also be very hard since it has been 18 years they have been in here. For a crime they didn't commit.

Two minutes passed but it was worth it as he saw his wife emerged from her cell and went into his. She pecked his cheek adoringly, but now was not the time for a physical reunion although it had been too long since he was able to touch her.

It was his turn to transform. He did it easily. His body became hairy and grew six extra legs. With his wife beside him, he climbed the cell, towards the ceiling. They made it out without any trouble, since who would look up for escaping prisoners.

It was then her turn to help him. She clutched him in her claws, and they flew away. Away from the torment.

Ten years of planning paid off as the prison isle became but a dot on the horizon. He was heading home. But a detour was necessary. They were one step closer to achieving their goal. The first stop was to find his daughter and tell her he was sorry.

(a quick A/N: more about this will be explained if you guys like this story and I decide to continue it)

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"Hermione! Dinner, dear!" broke her out of her revere. She glanced down at the book she had been staring at for the past hour, and the words squirm like snakes. With a heavy sigh, she closed the book with a thud and pushed out her chair to stand up.

She had been daydreaming again. About a certain red haired boy . A quick glance at the muggle clock showed it was indeed 8 o'clock (A/N: They eat late in England don't they?) She instinctively massaged her temples as she went into the bathroom adjacent to her room. Being an only child did have its quirks. But then again, it was lonely a lot of the time.

The cold water she splashed onto her face washed away the wearily look but did nothing to clean away the feelings she had been suffering from.

She should be elated. Ecstatic. She had become an animagus only 2 weeks ago, but the excitement had finally ceased, and the powerful yearning in her heart remained.

She had transformed into a mere hummingbird. Granted that it was the only bird to be able to fly in all direction, but what could a hummingbird do? Be Pretty? That wouldn't help the wizard world.

Hermione made her way down the stairs and dumped herself into her usual seat. The house was silent, in mourning. She tried to put on a happy front, but her mother picked up her mood and questioned her on it.

"I just miss Hogwarts, that's all mum," Hermione said, giving a faint smile to indicate that she did not wish to continue.

Her mother softened and looked at her daughter sadly. "I miss him too honey."

Hermione started. Her mother read her like a book. Tears started streaming down her face, and she frantically wiped them away. Her mother just went around and hugged Hermione until she finished crying.

"Thanks mum, I needed that," Hermione said muffly into her mother's shoulder. "I always thought that Dad would be here forever you know? And now, he's gone."

"Look at me, baby. Your father will always be with you. Just look deep inside yourself and you can hear him. Alright?" Helen said, searching Hermione's face. After Hermione nodded, they finished up dinner and together, washed the dishes.

That night, Hermione tossed and turn in bed. Tangled in the blanket, she conceded that she needed to talk with her mother again. Hermione got out of bed and tiptoed to the master bedroom. She opened the door a crack and peeked in.

Helen was silently crying as she was going through pictures and letters. She looked up when she felt someone looking at her. Helen gave a half-smile and beckoned Hermione in. For the rest of the early morning, they laughed and cried together as they sorted through the items.

It was after reading a letter that Helen broke down at 2:23 am. Hermione comforted her mother as best as she could and the letter fluttered down where Hermione could make out some of the words.

Dove,

. . . I was lonely, but you rescu . . . I don't care that Hermione isn't mine . . .

. . . I guess what I am trying to say, is that I lov . . . Will you mar . . .

Forever Yours,

Matthew Granger

Hermione froze. She reached down and reread the letter, reading everything, but she concentrated on those words that she never envisioned before. I don't care that Hermione isn't mine.

"Mum? What does he mean?"  Hermione prodded her mother and pointed out to the line.

Her mother unclenched her hands around the handkerchief and wiped away her tears. After she stopped hiccuping, she grabbed her daughter's hands and made small circles in it. She was trying to find the words to explain her secret.

"I was 5 months pregnant with you when I woke up in a hospital with no clue as to how I got there, or more importantly, who I was. The doctors said I had amnesia and that my memory would return to me, but since then, it hasn't. I spent the last term of pregnancy in a shelter and finally, when you were a few months old, I was brave enough to venture out.

Since I have been around doctors for that previous year, I decided to work for doctors. I was pointed out to your dad, Matthew Granger, who was a prominent dentists and was willing to offer a job to a girl. Don't think it was easy, because those first couple of years was pure torture. We got married because it would have looked bad for Matt if I was living with him and we weren't married. I just didn't realize that he truly loved me later.

I thought that this letter was just to show the public that our relationship was genuine. I could never say that I loved him like the way he loved me. I don't know why, well, I guess I might have an inkling. Anyways, I was amazed that he didn't divorce me right away. He just said that his love was enough for both of us. Don't get me wrong, I love your dad, but I love your dad more as a father rather than a husband. Besides, he was almost 30 years my senior.

The only thing I regret is being unable to give him a child despite his protestation that you were enough. We never . . . we never made love because I just couldn't. So we would just sleep and rest together, him hugging me each night was enough for him.

I had to relearn a lot of things to get my GED, and with help from Matthew, I was able to go to college and dentistry school. it was hard, but it was worth it." Helen spoke softly.

"I'm sorry that I hadn't told you this before, but Matt said that he didn't want you to try to look for my past, because believe me we tried. But it was useless. And he didn't want you burdened with something like that. I guess he was afraid that you might have let it slipped when you were mad at him or me."

Hermione took in everything and finally said, "It's okay mum. I understand."

Her mother looked grateful and a silent teardrop ran down her face. Helen looked pensively at Hermione then got up. She went to a corner in the room, pushed the chair out and crawled under. A minute later, she emerged with a shoebox.

Hermione waited patiently. Helen delicately opened the box, rather hesitantly, and pulled out the top item. It was a robe of dark blue that had a few stains and tears on it.

"This was what I was wearing when someone rescued me. Looks a bit like those robes the wizards and witches wear doesn't?" Helen said, then put it aside.

Next, she pulled out a feather. It was white. "This is a dove's feather. They found a few of it on the robe, but this was the only one that was fully a feather. That's why your father called me dove."

Lastly, she pulled out a diamond ring. It had a D and a P with an intricate design on it around the silver ring and the diamond was cleverly cut with two layers, the first was designed to be a dove, the outer layer designed to be a big dog. The two complimented each other very nicely. It sparkled in the light.

"This was probably why your father and I didn't consummate our marriage." Helen said sadly. Hermione felt bad. For her mother to have found true love but lost it. She, herself, was probably the outcome of their love. Hermione went to comfort her mother again, and they stayed that way until both fell asleep.

When Hermione woke up, she had returned to her bed somehow. Her mother was a very slight and tiny woman, and Hermione was surprised that she was able to assist her to her room. She stretched and yawned, rubbing her eyes.

Hermione was feeling a lot better now, despite finding out that she was not her father's biological daughter. She guess that it had to be true, since she didn't really look like her father. But then again, she didn't really look like her mother that much. The only thing she could have inherited from her mother would be her eyebrows and fingers and feet. Oh, and her brains. But that was it. Hermione's hair was brown as compared to Helen's silky black hair that shined softly around her pale skin. Hermione was envious of her mother's hair and use to be resentful of her own set of bushy brown, ordinary hair. But now, thanks to potions, Hermione's hair was also silky and curly rather than frizzy. Hermione's coloring was less Greek and more Briton. Hermione's eyes were a vague hazel color as if it couldn't decide what color it wanted to be. Helen's eyes were dark brown that appeared black most of the time.

Next, Hermione blushed as she thought about it. Hermione was a little more endowed in the chest area than her mother, but then again, it was probably due to her height. Her mother's lips was a little less full than Hermione's, but it was hard to tell since Helen was always smiling. Hermione acquiesced that she probably got her left cheek dimple from her mother while the right cheek dimple was probably from her real father.

Then again, when you go looking for it, you'll probably find something. If she had to relate herself to her now deceased father, she would probably say she was a lost cause for well, lost cause. Like the house-elves and Crookshank just like her father had taken in her mother 18 years ago.

Hermione thought about the robes again and a thought struck her. Could Helen be a witch that was perhaps kidnapped then oblivated or something to that effect? Since her mother was 35, she was probably in her last year of school or just graduated when she lost her memory. That meant that a few years before would have at least shown a younger version of her mother.Hermione resolved to at least look through the annuals 20 years prior to see if she could find her mother. It was very slim, but at least it was a better lead than nothing.

Maybe, just maybe, she could find out who her father was also a tiny voice in her head said.

It was a beautiful sunny day outside, and since Hermione's spirit was lifting, she decided to transform and enjoy the outdoors.

She went to open her window and wrote a note to her mother in case she would be wondering about her. 5 minutes later, Hermione was flying around. The quick beating balanced the increased body heat with the wind. Hermione flew a few miles away, and noticed that the sun was starting to set and decided to return. Besides, even in her bird form she was hungry.

It was nightfall when she returned home, and as she was flying past the vanity, she noticed a glow. Hermione returned to the mirror and gasped.

End Chapter 1: Hermione learns

A/N: yeah, the first chapters done. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW so that I can become even more inspired to write. This is just a pilot, and if you guess like it, I'll be updating in the near future. I will wait for a certain number of reviews, doesn't matter if it's a nice or bad comment, and then start post the next chapter. If this interest anyone to become a beta, I'll be very appreciative.

Love

~Cera~