I've always enjoyed reading time-travel fics, so figured I'd attempt my own. I'll keep updating Why Can't It Just Be Easy?, as well. Any ideas as to a title? Reviews are welcome!

Hermione ran, the stitch in her side growing but still not beating out the gaping wound that currently had any attention she could give. She saw flashes of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye, Julia staying just with her. The angry shouts of the Death Eaters not far behind were getting closer, and she knew they weren't going to make it to the safe house. Ignoring the pain from where she was bleeding she suddenly lurched to a stop, grabbed Julia's hand and disapparated.

They landed hard at the gates of Hogwarts, though Hermione thought calling them gates might be a stretch. They twisted of their hinges, only just still attached. Beyond them, Hogwarts was no more. A tower still stood on one side, but other than that, rubble only lie where the once 'impenetrable' fortress had stood. "Quickly, Jules. Follow me." Hermione led Julia as close to the weeping willow as she could. Why the damn tree had to still be there, when nothing else had made it she didn't know. She tried her best not to look at what was left of the school, where so many of her friends and loved ones had died, where Harry had drawn his last breath…she shook her head. She didn't have time to think about that. "Protection spells Julia!" She sharply reminded her friend, before sitting and grabbing out what she had been preparing for the last five years.

She set the amethyst stones around herself and Julie, before lighting four candles at east, west, south and finally north.

"Power of Merlin rise, course unseen across the skies, take me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time." She waved her wand in the pattern she'd found four years prior, when herself, Julia, Sirius, Neville, Harry and Remus had begun the research necessary to travel back in time when it became apparent their side was losing.

Their seventh year of Hogwarts had been shattered at the school's infiltration with Voldemort's forces shortly after returning from winter break. Remus and Sirius had been able to get most of the students out, though Tonks, along with Minerva McGonagall and many others, had given up their lives to ensure the escape. Shortly after, Dumbledore had approached Hermione and introduced her both to Julia, and the idea of traveling back in time. He had originally thought just a year or two, but as time went on, the researchers mutually decided going farther back, maybe even twenty years back, would be necessary. It had been Ron's idea to write letters to their past selves, with information only they would know. That way, when whoever went back, they would be able to warn, and have everyone listen, about what was to come. Hermione choked back a sob as Ron's face swam in her vision. She had tried to maneuver a wall between the oncoming avada kadavra and him during an attack two months ago, but she hadn't had enough strength to pick the wall up, her magic had been too depleted. It had been Julia who'd had the presence of mind to grab her and apparate away before the Death Eaters could turn on either of the women.

All of the potential time travelers had carried copies of all of the letters to their past selves, plus the amethyst and candles necessary for the spell. The candles had been formed with the sand from time turners, which in turn had been stolen three years ago in a magnificent heist by Ginny and Remus. Now though, only Hermione and Julia remained of the original group formed. Just two days prior, with Ginny's death, had the two remaining women decided it was time. It would be better to do the spell with at least two wizards or witches, and while neither were ready to call the war over and lost, it was apparent that there was no return.

Julia came to stand next to Hermione, and added her voice to the continuous chant. "Power of Merlin rise, course unseen across the skies, take me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time." Both wands flew in the complicated pattern that had been practiced over and over again since they had learned it.

All was quiet, even the Weeping Willow had stopped waving it's branches, when, with a bright flash the women were gone.