Title: Never Let Me Go
Couple: Hermione/Sirius
Rating: M, for later chapters.
Disclaimer: Really, I wish I did, but I don't own anything related to Harry Potter. The wonderful and amazing JK Rowling owns it all.

Chapter One

"Hermione!"

Her head jerked at the sound of her name and she looked over to see Harry running toward her. Screams and battle cries filled the air, sounds that should have never been heard at the school, and yet they were. At the beginning of the battle you could tell the difference between the Light and Dark merely by the spells that were cast. But as the war raged on and stunners no longer had the desired result, the Killing Curse was being thrown precariously on both sides.

Hermione was Gryffindor enough to admit she'd had her fair share of using it, even though it sickened her to know she'd killed someone, whether they were good or bad. She had taken the lives of many Death Eaters, but for every Death Eater she killed it seemed two more would take it's place. She had properly lost count of the bodies as she fought tooth and nail for her life and the lives of her friends.

It had only been seconds, but it was a couple seconds too late with her attention caught and her guard down. The last thing Hermione saw was Harry's horrified expression and a white flash so bright she had to close her eyes.

She expected pain. Horrible, unbridled pain that far surpassed that of the Cruciatus. Either that, or death. However, her breathing was just as ragged as before and while she wasn't in the throws of extreme pain, her muscles ached. She didn't know how long she'd just stood there, but slowly she started to register something she least expected...

Total silence.

Not one scream, cry, or moan. Not the swish of a wand or the sound of running foot steps. Hell, Hermione couldn't even feel the wind on her face for that matter, and the smell of death no longer permitted the air.

With caution, Hermione opened one eye. What she saw surprised her enough to open the other immediately and she turned around, wand raised. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest and her hands shook. Where the bloody hell am I?

It looked familiar. Like a train station. King's Cross, maybe? Only it was white. Stark white. Everything, from the floors to the ceilings. Not to mention, it was empty. Not another soul in sight.

"I'm dead," it was a whisper, but that didn't stop it from echoing and making Hermione cringe.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Miss Granger."

Hermione shrieked, spinning around on the spot and pointing her wand at the overly familiar voice of... of... Albus Dumbledore?

"Hello again, Miss Granger," he smiled at her, and she didn't miss the twinkle in his eye.

She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. Oh, surely, she was dead. There was no other explanation. "Professor Dumbledore?" she asked, noticing the slight tremble of her bottom lip as she said his name.

"Yes," he smiled and then looked at the tip of her wand pointed at him. Hermione quickly lowered it. "I assure you, you are not dead."

"Then how-"

"How am I here? How are you here?"

Hermione nodded. "Is this all happening in my mind?"

"Not at all," Dumbledore shook his head and he didn't disguise the sadness that suddenly came to his eyes. To Hermione, it was as clear as day. "You see, Miss Granger, you wouldn't be here now if the war ended in our favor."

Talk about having the wind knocked out of her? Hermione felt like someone had just doused her with ice water. "Then... Harry? Ron?" The sudden hysteria started in her chest and nearly spread like fiendfyre if it weren't for the man before her shaking his head.

"Currently, don't exit here," Dumbledore assured and Hermione felt herself become confused. Where is here, exactly? She so desperately wanted to ask, but he continued to talk before she could get a single word out. "Miss Granger, I'm afraid I must ask a favor of you. A very dangerous favor," he admitted and Hermione was only a little worried about what this favor could possibly be.

There were so many question whirling around her mind, but she could only think of one to ask, as Dumbledore looked down the long stretch of white before them, "What is it, Professor?"

Hermione couldn't calculate how long they stood there, but she never took her eyes off the former Headmaster of Hogwarts and one of the greatest wizards the world had ever known. The haunted look in his eyes told Hermione he knew far too much about things no one should know of. And for a moment she wondered...

It startled her when he suddenly turned and his hands gripped her shoulders, not painfully, but nevertheless firm. "You must change it. All of it," he said, his eyes looking so intensely into hers, showing so much emotion, that Hermione could only nod. "Do you understand what I am saying, Miss Granger?" he asked, but didn't giver her room to answer. "You must stop Tom before he ever makes it into the house."

His stare was piercing, but Hermione could only look at him incredulously, as just what he was suggesting took root. "Professor..." she shook her head, nearly at a loss for words, but she managed to spit them out anyway. "Bad things happen to those who meddle with time."

"Bad things will happen if you don't, Hermione," he informed her, suddenly looking twice his age.

She turned away from him, looking at all the white surrounding her, she had all the right in the world to think she was dead. And it was still a possibility. She was in a modeled King's Cross Station with Albus Dumbledore, for god sake! This couldn't be real...

Hermione snorted. But, of course, it was. Witches and Wizards, vampires and werewolves, goblins and elves... All real. She still pinched herself, just to make sure, and the sharp pain made her accept things a little easier.

With a sigh, she turned back to face the deceased wizard. "Are you saying that if I don't go back... He will win? That Harry, Ron- everyone will die?"

His silence was answer enough.

Gathering all the Gryffindor courage she had within herself, she squared her shoulders and looked Albus Dumbledore in the eye, putting on a mighty front even as she felt like curling up in a corner and crying. "What am I suppose to do?"

"What you've been doing most of the day, Miss Granger," he said with a sad smile. "Ridding the world of evil."

Then he waved his hand and in a blink, King's Cross was gone. The feeling was so startling as color bled into her vision and a whole new scenery presented itself. She felt like her legs would give way beneath her and she grabbed a hold of the nearest object. Which happened to be the side of a building.

She shut her eyes when things blurred and she counted back from ten, leaning against the wall for support while she adjusted to everything. Hermione knew she should probably get moving, but she felt like the cold night air would no sooner whisk her away if she did. So much had happened in such little time, if time even existed wherever she had been just moments ago.

One thing she was sure of, dead or not, Dumbledore had set her on a mission. Most likely a suicidal one, at that. Because really, Hermione Granger going up against Lord Voldemort alone? It would have been comical if it weren't so real. She didn't have Harry or Ron. While she was the brains of the trio, Hermione knew that on her own she probably couldn't do a damn thing.

But, she would try.

For Harry. For Ron. For everyone. She had to.

With a deep breath, Hermione opened her eyes and was met with a very familiar scene. An empty rural village square with a post office just ahead and a church on the other side. She stared a long while at the graveyard, until the slam of a door just to her right startled her and laughter permitted the air. She'd been leaning against the pub.

Watching a couple of drunks make there way down the street arm-in-arm, singing off key to a song that was so butchered she couldn't recognize it, Hermione opted to head in the other direction.

Taking in the cool night air, her body no longer felt like it would crumble. She held onto her wand (or the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange) for dear life, as she watched everything with a suspicious frown, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She could do this. She had to try, at the very least. No matter how terrified she truly was.

The thought was quickly tossed away. Scared, yes. However, she couldn't mull it over without becoming absolutely mental. And that was all she needed in a time like this. To become emotionally unstable, would send her six feet under before she even got a chance. An early grave if there ever was one.

Hermione came to a stop, knowing her destination by memory, however looking before her, the cottage was nowhere to be seen. Before confusion could settle in, Hermione remembered a key fact. The Potter's had been hiding under the Fidelius charm, putting their lives in the hands of a friend who had turned on them a year before this mess occurred. Today, however, Peter Pettigrew's betrayal was set in stone. And if her attempt did anything, hopefully it would bring that to life instead of sending an innocent man to jail. Or maybe even give Harry the life he never had...

Hermione suddenly wondered if she should hide, but looking around she decided it would probably be better to stay out in the open. Surprise Voldemort, catch him off guard. Because, he definitely wouldn't be expecting some girl hanging out in front of the Potter's home waiting for him.

At that thought, the loud crack of apparition echoed in her ears. She wanted so badly to close her eyes and wish it were all a dream, but looking up- Nope, this was no dream.

The cloaked figure paused for only a second, and Hermione's grip tightened on the wand when she heard the sinister chuckle.

"Well, this is definitely a surprise," his voice was like a hiss, so snake-like that she wondered if his appearance had altered, yet. She couldn't see, of course, with the hood over his head, hiding him like a coward. "And a mere slip of a girl, too. Seems you've had a run in with my death eaters."

"They didn't tell me you liked to talk," the words came out before she could really process them, and disdainfully too. Her mind told her she was crazy, but the sight of Voldemort before her brought on every last feeling she'd had for him over the passed seven or so years. She hated this man. Despised him. Thought him a right hypocrite too. What with all his talk of blood purity, when he was a measly half-blood to begin with. He had ruined so many lives all in the name of power. She wanted nothing more than to see him dead. "Like to hear the sound of your own voice, do you?"

"Why you- Avada Kedavra!"

"Protego!"

And the duel started.

Hermione couldn't tell if it lasted minutes or hours. But, soon enough she was feeling weak deflecting his spells and curses. She ducked behind a gate, eyes wide with her wand shaking in one trembling hand as the other held her side. Sectumsempra. It was the one spell of his that had gotten through, nicking her with a nasty laceration that was bleeding all too fast. She was rather surprised he hadn't killed her yet, but she wasn't taking it as an ego boost. No. Then she was surely dead.

His chuckle made her cringe, as if a million beetles were crawling over her body. "Giving up so soon," his voice was full of amusement and Hermione allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment, resting her forehead against the cold brick of the gate, her breath coming out in small puffs of fog. She hadn't been able to get one spell through his defenses, now she was injured and it was getting worse by the second. "I could do this all night, girl! However, I have other business to attend to. So, let's hurry it up, hm?"

Hermione looked down at her side. Blood soaking through her jumper and spreading onto her jacket and jeans. There was too much blood, she no longer had a fighting chance. And the funny thing was, she couldn't feel any pain.

I'm sorry, she thought looking up at the cloudless night sky.

Her eyes then fell to the ripple in the air where the Potter's cottage should be. Dread. Complete and utter dread filled her at the sight of a man, a man that looked way too much like her Harry. He spared her a fleeting glance of concern, before his gaze caught hold of the megalomaniac who had come there for him and his family.

"No," she wanted to shout, but her feeble attempt at talking was only a whisper that the wind quickly blew away. James had his wand out, ready to protect his family as he faced Voldemort and Hermione shook her head. She tried pulling herself up, trying to stand, but was instantly put down by the pain. Oh, the pain. It made her so dizzy, she fell back against the small gate. Her eyes nearly rolling back into her head.

No! She had to get up! She had to help James Potter! Protect him. Protect his wife and Harry, dammit! But no matter how much her mind screamed, her body didn't move. It was almost as if she were petrified. She knew better, though. The blood loss was too great and she was easily slipping away.

The curse didn't reach her ears, but she saw the flash of green light and the sight of James Potter's body falling to the ground in a lifeless heap. She failed. She failed everyone... Harry and the Potter's. Ron. Sirius. All the Weasley's. Professor Lupin and Tonks. Neville and Luna and Seamus and Dean. Her parents, of god her parents... And Dumbledore. He sent her back to change everything, and she changes absolutely nothing. She was just another person killed by Voldemort. Another victim. Another hero-wannabe...

It seemed Voldemort forgot about her, or maybe he thought she was dead. In fact, Hermione was quite surprised to open her eyes again only to find his back to her as he walked towards the hidden cottage. Her vision was blurry, but that didn't stop her from forcing her hand to move. It was a simple twitch, but the tip of her want was aimed and all that was left was incantation to the curse.

"Avada... Kedavra..."

TBC.

A/N: And so, there's the first chapter. No Sirius. But he should make an appearance in the next installment. I hope you all enjoy this. But, of course I find everything I write crap. However, my readers sure did lift my spirits with their comments to Take My Hand. I thank all of you who read it and reviewed. And hope you don't mind a Hermione/Sirius fic. I know time travel has been done a lot. But, I wanted to put my own spin on things and will confess that a couple other ideas I have will have a Time Turner/Time Travel plot, so be ready in the future. Also... I have resorted to picking ideas out of a hat. Seriously. So, if a odd pairing comes up it's all my hats' fault.