Chapter One

I roll my sleeves up, wrap my hair up

There's no sign on the road so I never stop

Thank you for looking at this story. I ended up going from plan to finished article in about ten days which is very fast for me but I am very happy with this story. It is based on the principal that one tiny thing can change the rest of your life. The first few chapters will just be one reality then they will spilt. Hope that all makes sense. Please review and as always enjoy

Love C.J.

Hermione looked around her bedroom to whatever was making the infernal racket. She looked to the dresser on the opposite side of the room where she knew her alarm clock was situated. Sure enough it read 7.15 a.m., her usual waking time.

Hermione Granger was a healer at St. Mungo's hospital she had risen quickly through the ranks, a generation of decimated healers combined with a smart brain meant she was the first female head of a St. Mungo's department under thirty since Dilys Derwent herself.

Hermione had for the last few months however been working in the Ministry of Magic compiling a report on new processes in trauma magic. For all its destruction the war with a myriad of complicated injuries both physical and mental had meant a great leap forward it the way that trauma was managed. The report had input from international healing groups so far Hermione had met the Peruvian, American, Serbian, Japanese, New Zealand, Vietnamese, French, Canadian and German delegations. Hermione disliked the ministry. It was different and new and although she was aware she was working with some of the greatest minds in the wizarding world she preferred St. Mungo's. There was something about the rush and buzz of working in such a high pace environment that she thrived on: despite her rational mind she associated the ministry with too many bad memories.

Contemplating her final few days at the ministry Hermione yawned as she climbed out of bed. She looked into her mirror in her large en-suite bathroom and wondered just how her hair managed to make itself into such a mess in one night. She picked her wand up and quickly cast a glamour spell on herself. Hermione hadn't been a big fan of these spells and she justified it her head by knowing she wore a small about of make up and put it on the muggle way. A few years ago Parvati Patil had introduced her to hair spells. Despite Hermione's opinions the spells Parvati had taught her had undeniably good results and Hermione now cast them on herself more often than not. After a few moments in the bathroom Hermione headed back to her large bedroom pulling out a black pair of muggle trousers and a cream blouse, she wiped a little sleep out of her left eye and shook her head as though to make herself a little more awake. Hermione opened the bottom drawer of her large white dresser to reveal a neat line of five pairs of high healed shoes. To most people Hermione seemed one of the least likely to own, let alone love expensive high heeled shoes. It had been a love passed to her from her mother, a woman of only five foot one in height. Hermione tipped her head sideways trying to decide which of the pairs she would wear. Something drew her to the red Jimmy Choos, they were easily her most expensive pair and also her most loved.

Slipping on the shoes Hermione felt six feet tall even though the shoes had only elevated her a few inches. She looked over her shoulder to the large double bed behind her. Hermione's side of the bed was messy and unmade, the other half if anything was even more untidy with Ron still curled in the duvet. Ron Weasley was Hermione's long term boyfriend. Hermione and Ron had been dating since they had left Hogwarts five years ago, many people (including both their parents) had long expected an engagement but unlike many others Hermione and Ron had no real desire to be married. It wasn't like the pair didn't love each other: they did but Hermione had no wish to be someone's wife she was happy in her life as it was. Hermione crept over to Ron's side of the bed and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before disapparating.

Hermione found herself as she did every weekday morning in Victoria train station in London. After the quietness of her flat the sound of one of the capital's busiest train stations in rush hour always hit Hermione. She exited the small corner of the train station she apparated into and as usual no one seemed to notice her. She weaved her way through the crowd to find a small coffee shop near platform 7. The only independent coffee shop left in the train station but Hermione had yet to find a better cup in London. She bought her usual breakfast and coffee from Janie a slim black woman with a Jamaican accent and a permanent smile no matter what the weather or day.

Hermione exited the busy station and with another pop she disappeared from the crowd and no one noticed her go. She reappeared in the atrium of the Ministry of magic, sandwich and coffee still in hand. She had dropped it more than once in tricky reapparations.

"Morning Kara," she smiled as she walked into the office she had been allocated by the ministry for the duration of her study. Kara was the department's secretary, clever but ditzy the girl was cause of more laughter than anyone else in the office which was amazing for a woman who had been made an orphan at 19. Both Kara's parents (muggles) had been killed by the death eaters. The knowledge had come a little too close for Hermione who knew if she had not sent her own parents to Australia she could be sharing Kara's fate.

"Morning Hermione," Kara smiled back. "I have left some notes on your desk."

"Someone's started early," Hermione said.

"Don't," Kara put her hands up "Tyler has been down here twice already wanting your ideas on..." she tapped the side of her head and scrunched up her face trying to remember. "I did leave myself a note," she began to sift through the pages of notes and parchment on her desk.

"Forget it Kara," Hermione said "if it is that important Tyler will be here soon."

"You called," came a voice from the door and Tyler Norton one of the healer's from the USA and if Hermione was honest one of the brightest medical brains she had ever met was stood at the door.

"Come in Tyler did you want to talk over this issues about heart tissue before the meeting at 10?"

"If you've got time Hermione," he said with his Louisiana drawl that made her name last about six syllables.

The rest of Hermione's day flew by consumed by meetings and talks, writing and evidence gathering sessions and before she knew it her watch read 5.30 p.m. Hermione sunk into her office chair her feet ached (she refused to admit it had anything to do with the shoes) and she could feel a migraine coming on.