A Different Era

"Oh, how I hate that bloody ferret!" Hermione Granger shouted, kicking the rocks in front of her with each step that she took. Her usually bushy caramel hair was tied back into a French braid, ending at her shoulders; while a sort of glistening flame filled her toffee colored eyes. Clutching her wand in one hand and her school books in the other, her knee length school skirt stayed in place, unlike everyone else's whose were blowing in the wind.

"I'm scared, Harry," Ron gulped through his clenched teeth, not wanting to be heard by the fuming witch. Holding his wand and books in one hand, Ron ran his free hand through his waving fire colored hair. The fear showed in his ocean blue eyes. "She's taking it out on the rocks."

Nodding his head, Harry's own emerald eyes were filled with concern towards one of his best friends. The wind blew through his unruly ebony-raven hair. "I think the last time I saw Hermione this upset was when she punched Malfoy."

The two best friends continued to follow after the third best friend of their little golden trio, listening and nodding their heads as she continued to ramble on and on about whatever it was that was really upsetting her. They don't know what happened. One minute they were eating in the Great Hall, when she looked over at the Slytherin table and now she was storming out towards the Black Lake and cursing under her breath. They've never heard Hermione use such strong words before in all their years of knowing her.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Ron asked.

Stopping in her tracks, Hermione looked up and gasped, "It's a girl."

All exchanging odd glances with each other before Ron, Hermione, and Harry ran towards the crowd that was now gathering around the body that hit the ground. Gasping, they saw the girl. This wasn't a student, but she was dressed in the uniform, wearing Slytherin colors. A wand was clutched tightly in her hand. Hearing the headmaster's voice, they all turned to see Dumbledore pressing his way through the crowd with McGonagall and Snape right behind him.

Groaning, the blackness started to brighten. Why is heaven so bright? Zillah thought, trying to rub her head. And why the hell does it hurt so much? I thought death was supposed to be painless. At least that's what Harry told James. Ugh, James… then again Harry probably lied. It seems to be a damned Potter trait, hearing voices; she started to open her eyes. What? Why are there so many voices? I thought heaven was a peaceful place? These voices are hurting my head.

Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar pair of stormy grey eyes staring back at her. The platinum white locks were falling into his eyes, while he had confusion on his face. "Daddy?" she asked, earning gasps from whoever heard her. Looking around to see where she was, she met the same toffee eyes that spent so many times gazing down on her. "Mum?"

Turning to Hermione's dropped jaw, Ron said, "Oi! Hermione, she just called you Mum."

"I heard her Ronald," Hermione chastised, and then concern filled her eyes, "The poor girl. She must have hit her head really hard."

"I believe so, Minerva," Dumbledore nodded his head at the curious Minerva McGonagall, who just whispered something to him, his blue eyes twinkling with interest. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger," chuckling to himself, when he saw the fear flash in both of their already shocked faces; he told them, "I'd like the two of you to meet me in Madam Pomfrey's office."

Walking over to the girl who was still lying on the ground, Snape and McGonagall both shared concerned glances. "Come now child, let's get you-"

Recognizing the voice at once, Zillah started to cry once more. "Aunt Minerva," she sobbed. She knew what happened. "I-I didn't mean it. I didn't want to actually come back here."

"I know, love," she shushed her, not wanting any of the other students to hear what was happening. Wait – Aunt? Did this girl just call her, Aunt? "C'mon now, we need to get you to Madam Pomfrey. You can explain it to us in there."

Nodding her head, she allowed the two professors to help her up. The second one caught her off guard. "Uncle Severus?"

Also taken aback by the sudden acknowledgement from the grey eyed girl in front of him, Severus Snape shook his head. "I would rather not know."

Standing with the rest of the students who were all open mouthed while watching the scene, Ron and Harry saw that Malfoy and Hermione were already gone from the scene, and following Dumbledore back into the castle. Then something weird happened. The girl's eyes caught Harry's and there was hatred in them. Feeling all her of strength come back to her, Zillah pulled away from the two professors who were trying to help her walk.

Widening his eyes while the girl ran directly at him, Harry took a sudden step back. She looked like a bat out of hell – an almost slutty bat out of hell. "You father of a prick!" she shouted, before he could even piece together what she said, her fist connected to his nose and she was being dragged away by the two professors.

"Blimey, Harry!" Ron said, turning back to his friend whose nose was now bleeding. "What was that all about?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry watched Snape smirk while McGonagall shook her head at the girl; both leading her back up to the castle. "I honestly have no idea."

Draco was sitting calmly in one of the chairs in the school's hospital wing, watching while Hermione paced back and forth. He could see the concern in her eyes while the sweat dripped off her forehead and onto her lips. No, he shook his head; he wasn't looking at her lips. Turning his attention away from the pacing Gryffindor, he watched the door. Who the hell was that girl? And why the hell was she falling from the sky? Why did she have his eyes and why did she call him, Daddy? Why did she call Hermione, Mum?

"I don't care if you hate his entire bloodline, it does not give you the right to break his nose," McGonagall was disciplining the girl while leading her into the office.

Noticing that the girl's hand was covered in blood, Hermione ran over to her. "What happened? Her hand wasn't bleeding earlier."

"It seems our mysterious visitor has a problem with Potter," smirked Snape.

Matching her smirk with the one that just graced Draco's lips, Zillah shook her head and accepted the seat offered to her by Madam Pomfrey. It felt odd to her, being healed by her now, in the past. "I don't hate all Potters. Just one. And he isn't here for me to punch, so I punched Harry instead," then her eyes lit up at an idea. "If I just castrated him, then-"

"No!" came the shouts of Hermione, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and Dumbledore, while Snape and Draco both just snickered at the idea.

"Merlin, child!" Madam Pomfrey gasped, waving her hand over her. "What did you do to yourself? You're bleeding internally."

"I jumped off the Astronomy tower."

"What happened?" asked Hermione; curious as to why anyone would want to do such a thing.

"I don't care about that," Draco scoffed. If this stupid girl wanted to kill herself, then let her do it. "What I want to know about is why on earth you're wearing a Slytherin uniform when it's obvious you aren't one. And why did you think Granger and I were your parents?"

"Because I am in Slytherin," she grinned proudly. "But I don't think I can answer the second part. What do you think, Uncle Albus?"

"Uncle Albus?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled once more at the title. "And yes you may, child. And may I ask. What is your name?"

"Zillah Malfoy," she grinned. Then pointing at Draco and Hermione, she smirked. "And you two are my mum and dad. I'm from the future. I guess when I jumped off the tower; James cursed me back into the past. He probably heard my wish right before he shouted for me to stop."

Realizing that the two sixth years were too stunned to think, Snape asked the obvious question. "And just what did you wish?"

"That I was in a different era," she shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to be anywhere that James wasn't."

"James?" Madam Pomfrey cocked an eyebrow now.

Nodding her head, she scowled at the memory of everything that had just taken place. "James Sirius Potter – Harry's son."

"Well that explains the broken nose," McGonagall sighed.

"Me?" Draco managed to speak up now. "Y-you're… and with Granger?"

"Yep."

"You're m-my…" Hermione looked like a fish out of water right now.

Not understanding where these rush of emotions were coming from right now, Draco realized that this girl who was claiming to be his daughter jumped off a tower and tried to kill herself. "And why the bloody hell did you try killing yourself?"

Feeling the tears swell up once more, she shook her head. "I really need to get back to my own time. Daddy will be freaking out right now," shyly grinning over at Draco, she told him, "I'm spoiled by you. Mum's always with Scorpius, and I'm always with you."

"Scorpius," Hermione questioned, and then smiled, "I've always liked that name."

"I know," Zillah grinned. "He's in Gryffindor. You're proud of him."

"And you're in Slytherin," Draco smirked. "Take after me then, do you?"

Shaking his head, Snape sat down, trying to make sense of everything. Pleased that she managed to heal the girl from the future without even being noticed, Madam Pomfrey searched for Harry before he came to seek her. Dumbledore and McGonagall both just watched the scene in admiration. Draco and Hermione went from flustered to shocked to amazed. Draco and Hermione didn't seem too surprised at the idea of them having a child together, anymore. Maybe there was something more to them than they allowed the eyes to see?

"Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore questioned. When all three heads turned to him, he held back his chuckle. "What year do you come to us from?"

"2018," she nodded her head. "It's March thirteenth."

Nodding his head, Dumbledore started towards the door, "I need to check on something. I'll be back soon to check on you. Minerva? Severus? I believe we should leave these three alone to talk for now."

Left alone in the room, Zillah suddenly felt very awkward. She heard of how her father used to be when he was in school, and she knew how her mother hated him so much. It was weird seeing them now – the same age as her. Why the hell was she here? Why the hell would James send her to them? Thinking of James again, her face started to heat up while the tears burned her eyes. She didn't even notice the tiny and blushing smiles that the younger versions of her parents were sending each other.

"Ugh, bloody James!" she shouted suddenly.

Both jumping at the sudden loud burst, Draco turned to her. "What did he do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But I'm supposed to be your dad right?" he asked her. "I mean I'm supposed to spoil you right? So you can tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head, "You get that stubbornness from me."

"I want to go home," the girl said; suddenly feeling homesick. She wanted to be wrapped up in her sweats with a fuzzy blanket, and crying to her father. Not this version of him, but the real version. She looked up and saw the concern in this Draco's eyes, but she wanted the real Draco right now. This one couldn't hex James for her.

"Usually," ignoring the way Zillah rolled her eyes and got more comfortable as she started to speak, Hermione continued on, "When you get sent into the past, it's for a reason. So there has to be some sort of reason why you're here… in this exact year."

"What exactly happened right before you woke up here?" Draco asked her.

Wiping away her tears, Zillah took in a deep breath. "I was crying, standing there on the ledge of the Astronomy tower. I made a stupid wish about wanting to be in a different era where I wouldn't have to deal with James. Then I jumped. Right before I hit the ground though, I saw James standing where I just jumped from. He was pointing his wand at me and shouted something. I don't know what it was though."

"Why did you jump?" it was Hermione who asked her now.

Shaking her head, she said, "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I figure out why I'm-" then she remembered something. Something her dad told her one night. The same night he tried to get her to leave James. "Are you two shagging already?" when they both started to choke on air, she grinned, "Okay. I know why I'm here then. Mum, Daddy didn't really cheat on you. I'm assuming today's the day you saw him whispering with Aunt Pansy, and she was giggling right?"

"What?" Draco and Hermione were both staring at each other now.

Ignoring their shock, she continued on… "He wasn't flirting with her. Uncle Theo wanted him to tell her something for him. He was relaying the message."

"You thought – you thought I was cheating on you?" Draco asked Hermione who now had tears in her own eyes. "Is that why you stormed out of breakfast?"

Nodding her head, she looked at the girl, "You really are our daughter, aren't you?"

Pouting, she stomped her feet. "I saved the argument. Why the bloody hell am I still here?"

"Language!" Hermione shouted at her, drawing a chuckle from Draco, and a blushing scowl from Zillah. "If you really are my daughter, you will watch your language."

Draco looked from Hermione and back to Zillah. He could see it now: his eyes and his blonde hair, but she definitely had Hermione's curls and her tiny height. The girl could be no taller than five foot four. Looking at the girl once more, he let out a groan. It seems like his daughter just had to go and rebel against them. He didn't appreciate her having so much jewelry in her face or the tattoo; but he had to admit, it was a good one. He wondered if the lion and snake was for him and Hermione. He would also have to work on her uniform. No daughter of his would run around dressed like a cheap whore.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, running into the room, ignoring the glares from both Draco and the girl who wasn't pleased to see his nose was no longer bleeding. "What the hell is going on?"

Moving away from Zillah, Hermione smiled meekly at Ron and Harry; scared of how they would take the news. "Harry, Ron," she sighed. "Meet Zillah Malfoy. My daughter from the future."