Hello! Your very friendly author here to tell you a few things you might not want to not know. Does that make sense? Anyways, if you never read another one of my authors notes again, at least read this one please.

A few interesting facts of this plot: It's AU, for starters. Well, I mean, obviously with the main couple who are involved, but that comes later. Also, Sirius Black never fell through the veil, the trio are supposed to be going into their sixth year, and the twins never left school. Also, Snape never did the unmentionable thing that everyone who read HPB knows about. In fact, HPB has nothing at all to do with this fic! (you may now all cheer and boo respectively depending on your opinion of the book and my story)...(okay, opinion time over until you review). Now, there is also the issue of reviewing (since I just mentioned it). Please be kind enough to do so, but even if you don't, I won't be too terribly angry. Although I really do appreciate them (it's what motivates me). Also, the dreaded 'disclaimer':

I didn't write the original, I didn't steal a copy of the original, I didn't get to be born as an incredibly amazing British writer, and I didn't steal this fic. I own none of the stuff you recognize (including but not limited to several quotes I tend to use but do not know the origin of and harry potter), and I am not making any money off this fic. So please don't sue me, because I don't have any money. I don't even have my drivers license yet, for crying out loud! (not that I'm not old enough to have one...I just suffer from a terrible disease called procrastination...). I don't have my own computer, either, or internet...or anything. I'm using my families. So please, be nice and don't try to eat me, okay? okay.

Now then, on with the story!

P.S. This story was originally about OC and Remus Lupin, but now it's no longer OC/RL. It's someone else. Guess who. I know, I know, like you smart people didn't already figure it out. oh, and not that you really need to know this, but: I laugh now every time I hear about Dumbledore twinkling ever since I read a fic where an author said that they wouldn't make Dumbledore twinkle because, and I quote "I've never had anyone twinkle at me, and think it would be most disturbing. My first reaction would be to run in the opposite direction." or something like that. I think, however, that I can safely say that some people just seem to 'twinkle' or are sort of , lit up from the inside by their vibrant personality. Kind of like how some people have shiny eyes, some have dull, and some have 'sparkly' or 'twinkly'. Not that I don't like that authors' idea or opinion, however, because I do. Still gives me a good chuckle, though...he he...rambling...sorry...right then...on to the story...

Cursed without you Prolog Oh dear...my mother's nuts!

Hermione Granger was normally a very calm girl. Normally she was a very calm girl who woke up early on summer mornings and did a little research on the wizarding world before taking make-up classes for college over the internet for an hour or two a day.

Being one who liked to pace herself, Hermione only took the classes for that amount a day. Being the excellent and intelligent young lady that she was, Hermione wanted to keep all her options open. She wanted, almost more than anything, to be able to stay in either of her worlds whenever she chose. She had to admit that secretly she wanted to live in one or the other every-other month.

Snorting, Hermione thought on the predictions everyone had made for her. Ron was convinced that she would wait around for him and then after seventh year they would marry right out of school. Hermione would go on to be his quaint little house-wife and loving mother of their only heir.

That's right! Ronald Weasely wanted only one child! Gasp, the horror! Then, of course, Harry, Hermione and he would go on to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort, after which Hermione would go back to being his cherished little wife, and life would continue on to be boring. He'd even gone so far as to find two houses side-by-side so that Harry and Ginny could live next to them when his best friend and little sister married.

"Even if I wanted to be his wife, which I don't, he would've had a problem with his plan. Ginny and Harry will never get together, and no-one else seems to see it! I think it's bloody hilarious...but then again everyone always did say I have no sense of humor..." Hermione mused aloud to the posters lining her wall. Currently she was sitting atop the lovely couch in her room.

Now, I don't know whether you have a couch or not, but in Hermione's neighborhood the only place for a couch was the living room and possibly the family room or 'front room' for visitors. With Hermione and her room, however, this was not the case. It was one of her most carefully guarded secrets. Truthfully Hermione had very few secrets, although the few she did have she kept from everyone. Most of her secrets, however, were far more serious than the fact that she had not slept in a bed since she was three years old and her parents had refused to get her a 'big-girl-bed'.

Looking around her room, Hermione mused that almost nothing about it would be what any of her friends would expect. Besides having a couch for a bed (her parents had finally caved and bought her a couch of her own when a relative of theirs had stayed the night and accidentally sat on her in the morning), she had no books in her room. Not one. Not only that, but she also had a pink room. Well, pink with black paneling and trim. Not just any pink, however, but hot-pink.

Hermione, actually, had not lent a hand or opinion in the decorating. The room had originally belonged to her older sister...but Hermione didn't like to think about that. Actually, Hermione didn't like to think about her older sister at all. It brought up bad memories, and questions about her family that were best left unanswered. Questions like where, exactly, her sister had disappeared to.

She giggled slightly, once again reflecting on how most people in the wizarding world saw her. Not one of them would have guessed that Hermione Jane 'know-it-all-or-question-you-about-it-to-death' Granger would avoid a question like it was the devil-incarnate. Actually, on second thought...she probably would prefer the devil. Not one of them knew that she was adopted, or that her parentage wasn't quite what it seemed. Being ever silently quirky, however, Hermione planned on keeping it that way. She would prove to her family that she could make it without them, just as they had made it without her ever since she was born.

"Still..." She thought "It would be nice to know they care. I mean, I know they pay for Mum and Da to raise me and all...but I suppose a child's natural longing for their family never quite abates. At least, mine hasn't..." After thinking this Hermione returned to the topic of people's expectations for her.

'Become the next Minerva McGonagall' was among the least ridiculous, although Hermione tried to avoid thinking about that one as it sometimes frightened and sickened her. So she treated all her professors with respect and had a certain fondness for her head of house who was like her second mother. SO WHAT! That did not mean that she wished to be the next 'straight-as-a-ruler-and-twice-as- unforgiving-about-deviation' lady.

For one thing she couldn't stand buns! For another she wanted nothing to do with the subject of transfiguration! I mean, yes, turning a dog into a camel is all very well...but what application had it to their lives? It had no direct application on the fight looming ever-closer to them. It wouldn't save them in the upcoming battle at all! Unless, of course, your opponent happened to go slower than a camel...then it might. Brooms, however, made this slightly unlikely. As did the 'Cheed' spell, as it was so nicknamed. The spell, of course, giving one the speed and timing of a cheetah.

Then there was the horrible theory that she intended to go straight to some sort of 'wizarding-college' or apprentice-ship. Hermione had abso-bloody-lutely no intention of doing anything so remotely...boring. Unlike Percy Weasely, Hermione Granger got excellent grades at schooling because she wanted to be able to leave schooling and duties behind for awhile before picking them back up again after getting the 'wander-lust' out of her system.

That's right, Hermione Granger the 'responsible one' wanted to go back-packing around Europe and any other place she could think of at the expense of her biological parents' credit-card. Why not? After all they were quite rich, and they had promised their darling daughter that if she studied hard in school and would be able to lead a responsible lifestyle once she was learnéd (her limit was three years), then she could as long as they got regular letters and mail. Of course Hermione, being highly intelligent, knew they just wanted to make sure she stayed safe whilst roving like the nature-struck teen she was.

Grinning, Hermione tried to imagine the looks on her friends' faces when they found out she was not going to be doing any of the "wonderful" things they had imagined for her. That grin got even wider and threatened to turn into a smirk at the idea of what their faces would look like once they found out that, not only was she not doing what they had envisioned, but she did not have some grand master plan that would blow them all away with her genius about what she would do.

Like somehow managing to single-handedly graduate from Hogwarts with the world's top N.E.W.T.'s and going on to become Mistress of Magic within only seconds. Hermione snorted. It was something Ron would think. And worse than that, it was something that everyone else could quite easily believe, even though it was quite impossible.

"Everyone seems to think that I'm this genius brain-child who can do whatever she pleases, and that what pleases me is to be a genius brain-child!" Fumed Hermione aloud. She continued ranting to no-one in particular until her mother poked her head through the door.

"Hermione, love, there's a letter for you downstairs. I'd take it...but you know how I feel about those...owls." Her mother laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, mum! You only got bit once! And it's only because you tried to take the owl's toast away..." Hermione laughed right along with her mother. Her mother, being the 'oh-so-mature' lady that Hermione got her level-handedness from, rolled her eyes right back.

"I still don't know what a supposedly respectable school was doing sending out such a feral and violent creature to deliver mail. Honestly! I hear tales about that place and I have to wonder...is it a girls institution? Because other than 'The boy-who-lived-to-make-me-do-his-homework' and the 'make-Hermione-wait-around-for-me-and-just-generally-tick-both-our-mothers-off-boy', you really haven't talked of any boys! Isn't there anyone cute there? No one can catch your eye? I mean, I did always tell you to shoot for the best, but...really! I mean...there must be at least one boy who's good with his..." Hermione's mum began.

"MUM! That's so wrong! Oh Merlin! WHY ME!? I don't even want to think about what you were going to say, let alone hear it!" Hermione cried.

"I was going to say his studies, Hermione." Her mother replied innocently.

"Sure mum, and I'm Severus Snape." Hermione growled playfully.

"Wow. He must make one beautiful looking lady, then." Her mother shot back.

"Ewww. Although, he does do a mean impression of Nevil's Grandmother..."Hermione mused, before shrieking with laughter as her mother jumped in for the kill with a tickle-attack. Soon they were both lying on the ground, laughing helplessly and unable to move other than shaking with silent laughter. Tears rolled down their cheeks as mother and daughter did a silent impression of each other.

"Um...am I disrupting something? Should I leave you and the carpet alone for a moment?" Hermione's dad asked, peeking cheerfully in through the doorway.

"DAD!" Hermione shrieked, quickly removing herself from the offending carpet she'd been imbeded to in silent hysteria only a moment before.

"I'll take that as a no then. Oh, and did you know there's an owl waiting for you downstairs? I'd bring you the letter, but your mother has forbidden me to touch owls or their letters, and you have our only comfy couch in your room. So I'd rather not sleep on the uncomfortable couch rather than my nice soft bed." He chortled, before retrieving his head from the doorway and heading upstairs to their enormous library. Hermione shook her head. She definately got her love of reading from her father. Although...her mother was a writer...so maybe it came from both sides.

Standing and silently helping her mother up, they made a mutual silent decision to go downstairs together. Once they reached the dinning room, Hermione took the letter attached to the owl's leg. Opening it up, she curiously scanned it's contents. Suddenly, a whoop filled the air as Hermione Granger did an odd sort of primal war-dance in celebration.

"Uh...Hermione...I thought I was suppose to be the insane one in the family..." Her mother teased gently.

"Mum, insanity is a perfectly rational reaction to an insane world." Hermione replied with a straight and momentarily solemn face. Then she broke out into smiles again and started to dance around the room once more. "It's coming! IT'S COMING!" She shrieked happily. Her father, having been disturbed from his reading all the way up on the third floor of their house by her cries, had come down to investigate.

"Sorry, I missed it. What's come?" He asked. Her mother shrugged.

"Apparently the urge to do a native-dance of celebration around our dinning room." Her mum replied.

"Whatever for?" His father responded skeptically. He knew, far to well, his wife's talent for mis-direction.

"Dunno. Maybe she's been reading about medicine-men and their rain-dances again. Or maybe those Gregory and Francis what-iz-bucket have sent her a magical prank in a letter again." She replied absently.

"Fred and George, mum. And I've just received a letter from Dumbledore, the Headmaster at my school. I mean, I'm suppose to be in fifth year now...so it must mean I've made Prefect! He's coming over for dinner tonight, with your permission, to talk! So he must want to tell me in person! Probably because I'm Harry's friend and all." Hermione informed them, before going up to her room to get ready for dinner. After informing her parents that she was going to 'make herself look like a prefect for when Dumbledore comes', of course.

"She does realize we haven't actually said he could come over for dinner, right?" Her father, Granger, asked curiously. Her mum shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, as long as she's safe and happy, what more really matters? Let's have him over for dinner . Oh please? oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please!" Hermione's mum begged, using her special, patented, pout. Hermione's father laughed.

"Well, when you put it that way..."He laughed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So it came to be that three Grangers and one Dumbledore were seated around the Granger dinner-table enjoying a rather solemn meal. Once the meal was finished, Hermione's mum offered tea in the living room, which Dumbledore excepted graciously. It was already two hours since he'd gotten there, and Hermione was beginning to get impatient.

Carefully she placed her tea on the coffee table and sat on her hands to make it less obvious she was experiencing symptoms of her ADD (a/n for those of you who don't know, it stands for Attention Deficit Disorder). Finally, everyone else seemed ready to talk because after several things were mentioned and discussed (ranging from weather to the rather difficult problem of getting the desired pair of wool socks for Christmas), the adults seemed to finally be ready to stop dancing around the subject.

"So, Mr. Dumbledore. Would you care to tell us why you wished to join us for a lovely Tuesday evening?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Oh yes. I definately got my subtlety from her." Hermione thought sarcastically to herself.

"I wished to discuss your daughter. You see, I'm not sure whether she has told you or not, but we are facing a rather difficult situation in our world." Dumbledore began. Hermione felt herself go cold, and removed her hands from underneath her bottom to wrap her arms around herself. This was definately not going in the direction she'd thought it would.

"She has mentioned it a bit, yes." Mr. Granger answered stiffly. Dumbledore sighed.

"How much, exactly, has she told you?" He questioned.

"Why is this so important, Professor?" Hermione cut in, for once not caring about why she was being rude. "Isn't this something you should be discussing with Harry?" Hermione added.

"Miss Granger, what I am about to tell you must never leave this house, let alone get to the ears of one Harry Potter. Your life is in terrible danger because of some of the unusual abilities you showed last school year. Rumers of them have somehow reached the ears of Voldemort. I believe one of these was how you managed to throw one of the Slytherins across the entire length of the Quidditch field when he angered you greatly by suggesting something unpleasant about your ...erm...heritage. Needless to say, Voldemort has come to see you as a threat and wishes to see you dead." Dumbledore lectured Hermione gravely.

"Hermione!" Her mother snapped. "What did I tell you about losing your temper and throwing people around. And in the wizarding world, too! What will Cassandrine and Kennry think when they find out?!" Her mother groaned.

"Who?" Dumbledore asked, startled at the sudden change in topic.

"Uh...mum? Da? I think it's time that we tell Dumbledore about...you know." Hermione began. Seeing their incredulous looks, Hermione rushed to defend herself. "It's not like I want to talk about it! But it might be kind of important what we do with me! You know they will pitch a royal FIT if I suddenly disappear...and when they throw a fit..." Hermione trailed off somewhat awkwardly.

"Right...okay then. Should we get the photo album out? I don't really know how to go about this...we've never had to ...explain before...everyone who was supposed to know just...did..."Hermione's father rambled, and her mother rolled her eyes. Gesturing to Hermione, her mother silently commanded Hermione to finish what she'd started.

"Okay, well...it goes like this, Professor, Sir. I'm not ...technically...muggleborn."Hermione started. Dumbledore looked stunned as his twinkle disappeared momentarily.

"But...I have never heard of the Grangers before...I'm almost dead certain." The confused elderly man stated.

"Well that's because, you see sir...I'm not really a Granger. I mean, I took the name to honor the people who raised me, the ones I proudly call Mum and Da. But...my true parents are the Silva's. Not that you would have heard of them either...oh dear...um...you might have heard of their race, though! We're Fae. Or 'the fair ones', or whatever you prefer to call us nowadays. Of course, we're quite a bit different than we were back then, and we're not actually immortal like many people seem to think. In fact we really only have extended lives that are longer than most muggles or humans..."Hermione rambled on.

"Why do you not live with your true parents, then, miss Granger?" The headmaster enquired calmly.

"Because they wanted an Heir hidden away, in case anyone should take the bright idea into their head to kill off the other three." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I see...since they do not live in the wizarding world, however, and our world is not aware of them...perhaps you might be able to persuade them to let you live at...err...home?" He suggested politely.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not to keen on the idea, actually. I mean, I used to go there every summer after school let out. When I still attended muggle schooling, that is. I mean, we're kinda close...I guess. But I don't like to really have to rely on them..." Hermione trailed off.

"Why don't you go with a cause? Maybe to have the Fae join the fight against Voldemort? After all, surely you don't want to quit fighting simply because some insane megalomaniac is after you." Her mother suggested, seemingly excited.

"Uh...mum? You're the one who's supposed to be overly-protective and suggesting that maybe if it's so dangerous I shouldn't have been there in the first place, remember?" Hermione hinted, slightly embarrassed.

"See, this is why we never had kids of our own. Of course, she's just like our own anyways..."Hermione's mum responded plaintively.

"Regardless...I think this is an excellent plan. However, for it to completely to work...everyone must think you are dead. Yes, Ms. Granger, that does include Harry and Ron. I'm afraid that they are a little to...honest...for them to be able to keep your secret. However, you still need a secret-keeper to ensure that the spell we'll use to make people think you're dead works." Dumbledore concluded.

"Wha...what?!" Hermione demanded in horror.

"Is there anyone you would particularly like, besides Harry or Ron? They must be trustworthy and quiet. We don't want them letting out the fact that you're still alive in the middle of a fight. This person must also be able to keep your confidences on other matters and receive letters from you once a week." Dumbledore added, continuing on as though she hadn't spoken.

"Well...I think Ginny Weasely would be the best choice. I mean...she's really the only one who knows about my true heritage anyways. Plus she'd suspect something was up when I suddenly died, or got killed, or whatever." Hermione hesitantly suggested. "Plus she's really good at keeping secrets! Her brothers never find out what she doesn't want them too!" She added urgently.

"Very well. Then, if she agrees, Miss Weasely will be your secret keeper and you will go to live with your true relatives. The only issue left, Miss Granger, is whether or not you wish to take your N.E.W.T.'s and O.W.L's. In secret, of course, under the name you shall be taking. Once the war is over and it is once more safe, we shall simply explain it to the ministry and have them change the results." Dumbledore instructed, talking as though they would win the war. After all, to win a war one must think it possible.

And so it began, Hermione returning to her 'home' to live for a time until Dumbledore needed her once more and Ginny acting as her secret keeper through the Sytania spell to hide her from exsistence and make everyone think she was dead.

This is where our tale truly begins...for it turns out that once more Hermione is needed, and yet to the world she is supposed to be dead...