"LAND HO!" The voice from above bellowed as the sight of land came into the sight.

Everybody ran to the side and looked out towards the horizon. They all cheered when they saw the faint line of land. Everybody cheered and some of the guys brought out the kegs of ale. They all missed the land and wanted to get back home to the ones that they loved, and the ones that they just plain and simply missed. Everybody did, except for the one girl that they had allowed to come on board five years ago.

The captain of the ship walked on to the deck and smiled at sight around him. He to was happy that they would be docking on the London docks by tomorrow. He, like the others, wanted to see his children and mistress. He wanted to great them and give them the stuff that they had "acquired". But his thoughts, like the rest, rested on the girl that had come on to the ship five years ago. He turned and went to thte upper deck. He walked all the way to the stern of the ship. He then stopped and looked at the girl, no the woman. He couldn't help but be proud at her. She had taken the life at sea with everything that she had. Everything that had happened, never seemed to scare her. But he knew that she had heart. She was battered and weak, now she was strong. That made him proud. She was his daughter by heart.

"We'll be in London by tomorrow." He said when he came up beside her.

She turned and looked at the Captain. "I heard."

He shook his head. "Everybody is going to off board. You going to stay on?"

She shook her head. "I think that it is time to face my past. Do you think that I am ready, James."

James let out a groan. "I told you not to call me James above deck."

She smiled. "I know, But it always makes me smile when you get huffy."

"I do not get huffy!"

"Yes you do. It brings me so much enjoyment. " She teased. She then turned and gave him a hug. "But you have been a father to me these past years. And I thank you for that."

James looked around and saw that none of the crew were around, he then hugged her back. He then gruffed and pulled away from her. "Make sure you sleep well, for tomorrow." He then walked away.

"We'll keep in touch, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, just send one of those bloody owls, and I will answer." He then continued on walking.

She smiled and resumed to look at the sea in front of her. She was terrifed. She had no clue what had gone on during the time that she was gone. Was the war still on? Was her best friends still alive? She had no clue what was going on. It was like she was the foreigner and this was her new home land. So she gathreed up the courage that was in her and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, a new beginning and a new adventure.

"Whatca doing up here for?" Alan, one of the younger crew members, asked her.

"Thinking." She smiled as he sat down beside her. "Why do you ask"

"Just asking is all." He took a swig of his beer and offered her some.

"Ya. Sure." She took the mug and took a large swig. "To tell ya the truth Alan, I wish we weren't going home..."

"Is it because of that day long ago?"

"Ya. I'm scared. I have no family. All I have is a bank account that my parents left me, and to add to that, I have no clue where my friends would be." She turned and looked him. "That day was the hardest for me. to say the least I lost everything."

Alan then wrapped a arm around her shoulders, and gave her a squeeze. "Well that may be true. But you also gained something. You gained the heart of all the crew, and even the captain."

She smiled and allowed herself to lean into Alan. "I did. Didn't I?"

"Yuppers. Now old Campbell is saying that he can drink everybody under the table." He paused to take another drink. "Even you."

She looked up and her eyes held a look of amusement. "Nobody can drink me under the table. Even Campbell."

"You gonna take his challenge?"

"Aye." Was all she said when she got up and went to go look for Campbell.

Alan watched as she walked away. He had never told her how he felt about her. They were around the same age and had came onboard around the same time. He knew how she felt about them, He was her brother. He hated the fact that he had came to be her brother. He wondered where he went wrong. Was he to frinedly? Did he do something to lead her to believe that he was just a brother figure? He didn't know where he went wrong.

Alan then got up and tossed the rest of the drink into the water below. He then started back to where she had went. And he would spend the rest of the night wiht her. He would have fun. For she was the one girl that was going to get away. The one girl that was walking out of his life forever.

She woke up the next morning feeling good. She had drunk old Campbell under the table and had gotten pretty drunk herself. But this morning she was feeling good. She got dressed and walked up onto the deck, with her bag of stuff in hand.. Her good mood was then gone when she saw that they were docked onto the harbor. She turned when she heard footsteps behind her.

"When?" Was all she asked.

James gave a sigh. "Eariler this morning. You knew this"

She looked back at the harbor. There was a mist that hovered slightly above the ground. There were people already that already started the work of the morning. Some of the crew were leaving and walking to where they desired.

"I guess that it is time to say good-bye." She looked back at him with tears in her eyes. "I can come back anytime I want, right?"

James smirked and pulled her into a hug, which brought a gasp out of her. She then relaxed and hugged him back. "Anytime you want." He whispered.

She let the tears flow down her cheeks and pulled away from the captain. "I'll see you around sometime"

James watched as she leaving the ship. When she stepped on to the pavement of the land, he realized soemthing. "Little one." He called out to her.

She turned around and looked up at him. "Aye?"

"You never told us your real name. What is it?" He asked curiously.

She laughed. "My real name is Hermione." She then turned and kept on walking.

Hermione didn't turn back. She refused to. For she knew that if she did, she would run back and never leave the ship. It was her home for the last five years. She was leaving her family, and that hurt. She took a turn down a alley and ended up in a old part of London. The bulidings were all shabby and worn down. She kept on walking until she reached a phone booth. The phone booth was out of place. It looked brand new. But she walked into the bootht and closed the door behind her. Once she dialed the right numbers, the booth started to go downwards. "

Welcome to the ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the business that you require"

"Fiona Edwards. Visitor." She automatically said.

"Welcome Fiona, and hope that you enjoy your stay." She said and a badge came out of the coin return as the booth stopped moving.

Hermione pinned it to her clothes and walked out of the booth. She was suddenly basked in light. And memories. She shook her head and walked to the front desk. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She smiled at the women at the counter.

"Hello. How may I help you?" She asked with a smile.

"Could you please tell me what floor this is on?" Hermione asked as she handed the piece of paper to the women. And watched as her eyes widen.

"Is this correct, Ms. Edwards?" She asked with a hint of suspision in her voice.
"Yes. It is very correct."

"Well then you will have to go see the Aurors." She said as she handed the paper back to her. "I assume you know what floor that is on"

Hermione nodded her head and walked to the elevators. She pressed the up button and patiently waited. Hermione took a cleansing breathe. She wondered if they would be there. Did they do what they had hoped to do? if they did, would they recognize her? She hoped that they wouldn't. Even though her appearence had changed, but her eyes still remained the same.

Her hair had lightened a light brown and she had cut her her to chin, but it still came in curls. She was also slightly tanned from being outdoors on the ship, and was slightly thinner from her school years. She had grown into a women, but she didn't have the curves that most women did. She had the willowly figure and the slight flare of hips. She also had the long legs. But that was really it. She didn't care, it made in more convient for her. She was wretched out of thoughts when the door opened and she stepped in. She pressed the button that would lead her to the Aurors.

She turned her head up to look as the numbers flashed by. The door opened once, and a bunch of memos came pouring into the elevator with Hermione. When it came to her floor she stepped off and was hit with so much noise. There were people sitting at desks, writing reports and other were walking around talking to others. It was a disaster. She then looked at another women that sat at the front desk. She was busily working and had a stack of papers beside her.

"Oy, Tonks. This report is ready whenever you get your butt here to get it."

The women yelled back. "You know you can be mean sometimes." Tonks said as she grabbed the report and leaned her hip against the corner.

"Well you would be mean to if you had a bunch of paper work to do, find out the father of your child is a pratt, and on top of that the family is asking for us to come over for dinner." She said with a hint of love in her voice. It was then that Hermione made herself known.

She walked up to the two. She looked at Tonks and wanted to hug her. She then got a closer look at the girl at the desk. The girl had strwberry blonde hair and light blue eyes. She also had freckles all over her face. She looked familiar to her, it wasn't until she looked at the name tag did she realize who it was. Ginny. They both looked at her and gave no signs of recognition.

"May I help you?" Ginny asked her in a polite voice.

"umm, yes. I am looking for the head." She said in a shy voice. "I have no clue where to go."

Tonks smiled and pushed away from the desk. "Well Missy. I can show you where our head is. Talk to later Mrs Potter"

"Ya whenever I get this done." She grumbled and continued on working.

Tonks then started walking to the back of the room. Hermione followed. It wasn't until they were at the door that Tonks talked again.

"You a new one, aren't you?" She asked.

"No. I just have some business with the head. Is that Harry Potter's wife that you were talking to?"

"Oh Ginny? Ya, her and Harry got hitched a year after Gin finished school."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "What about Harry's best friends. What were there names again"

Hermione watched as Tonks eyes briefly went sad. "Ron got married to Luna Lovegood. It's a good match. They have been married for about three years now. And Luna is expecting her first child next month"

"What about the girl?" She asked and the quickly added. "There was a girl too, wasn't there"

"Ya, there was." Tonks voice was sad. "She died"

A/N- A cliffhanger, and the first chapter. I hope that you all like it. It was something that just came into my head. I just couldn't believe that it all came into my head. anyways hope you like it.

A/N- I do not own the harry potter world and it's characters. The only thing that I own is the characters that I have made up.