The picture frames and decorations were all in the same spots that I remembered them, down to the crease in the arm of the chair. Everything was the same except for one thing.

There were no colors.

White and silence were abounding. Blinding.

I felt utterly alone.

The first noise I heard other than my own breathing were footsteps on the stairs. I looked up and met eyes with a tall blond haired boy. I knew him somehow, from somewhere. Who was he? He looked up and our eyes met, something was wrong. He should have been older and...his hair was too short. It reached just below his shoulders and stopped.

He raised an eyebrow at me as I stared, "Do I not appeal to you?"

His voice was like silk, it moved like smoke through the clear space between us. His voice, so familiar and, yet not. He was a familiar stranger.

"What do you mean?" His smirk sparked something in the recesses of my mind. I could see the boy that resembled him so. I knew the boy as well.

"Well, I suppose you haven't had the rules explained to you yet, have you?" He moved so he was standing directly in front of me.

"Rules?" I felt like I should be scared by the proximity he now shared with me. I should have felt intimidated, instead I felt only intrigued.

"We are inside the in between, after all, there are rules here. Rules that, by all rights, should have already sent me somewhere else. But you seem to be the reason I remain."

"Explain." He raised his brow once more at my demand.

"Very well, you died, yes?" I nodded slowly, "This is the place that was your crossroad in life. You made many choices here. It is, in a sense, a train station for you. The next choice made here will decide something very important. Something others have only imagined."

He paused and looked at me again, his eyes serious, "You were not meant to die, Hermione Granger, but at the same time, you were. Before I get too far into that, love, I need to tell you what I am to you."

The way he moved was languid, almost like water. I noticed as he walked to the banister that every place his feet touched became full of color once more before it faded back to white. It was slightly maddening.

"There are things such as soulmates, my dear, though they do not work the way you may think. Every soul has a mate, another soul that will remain with them in every lifetime...in one form or another." As the word hung in the air, he turned to face me once more.

"Normally, they are placed together in such a way that they will find each other and gravitate towards a long relationship, not necessarily romantic but most often so. We have been a part of each other's lives for many lifetimes, most of them good, if not happy." He paused.

"Something happened in the this life of ours that changed that. Something wrong." His eyes darkened, "You were born dead."

"Impossible." I must have resembled a fish, "I grew up. I know I did, I couldn't have been born dead."

He sighed, "The first time. You were born dead the first time. We should have known each other from a younger age, I should have been the same age that you were..., "he frowned, "But you died. Something went wrong. A spell that should never have been cast killed you within your mother's womb."

"Your second birth happened when I had a son. I was much too warped by then, I should have been a friend and teacher to you then." He shook his head, "This is not what I should be saying... You will remember this if you choose to return and it would not do to confuse you."

"Your choice will decide the fate of the both of us, but it is yours to make. You may move on and become a Guide, a guardian of the living. You would remain in this dimension until another soul is born that could match yours."

"Another soul?" He nodded.

"I have caused too much damage, if you choose the path of a Guide, my soul will return to the stars to be reborn when They see fit. There is one other option. Redemption." I looked at him, confused.

"Your soul would be cast down into that of your dead infant self. It would bring the body to life, though you would keep your mind." He frowned, "It will be anything but pleasant. An adult in the body of a child? Rather unorthodox, but there you go."

"You would remember the life you had as Hermione Granger, remember this conversation, but you would not meet me until your eleventh year. You would have to first befriend me and then you would have to change my mind about...certain things. I would not be very open to the idea and you may not even want to try once you know my name."

"Why would you resist? Unless... Your name...what is it?" He looked at me carefully.

" As for resisting, it would be the ideas themselves and not you I would resist. I will be...rather begrudgingly fond of you. As for my name...I have had many names in our lifetimes together but you, love, knew me by the name Lucius Malfoy." My blood ran cold.

"But you-"

"I was allowed to relive each of our lives in my mind when I died. I saw all that we had...and should have had. We have been friends and lovers, there were many, but all were happy, maybe there weren't happy endings in them all, but we were happy. All, you see, except the last." Lucius paused, "It is your choice... I do not know what this life will bring, should you choose it, but choose and choose quickly."

He looked at me carefully, "Think about this before you choose. Either way, I would be back...in one form or another."

I didn't have to think long. I would keep my mind, he said. That meant that I could stop Voldemort in his tracks and save thousands of lives. My eyes glanced to this Lucius. I hated what he was with all that was in me. I couldn't stand the thought of him...but if what he was saying was true...But I wanted to be sure...

"Am I allowed to see it?" He glanced at me.

"See what?" I sighed in frustration.

"Our past lives."

He chuckled and the low tone caused me to shiver...though not unpleasantly, "No."

My eyes widened, "But you-."

He cut me off, "Will either be sent up to regenerate or have the memory of them removed before I'm sent back to my infant form. You, my dear, have to choose. If you become a guide, you will of course regain your memories of our pasts, but if you choose to redeem me... You will have to take a 'leap of faith', if you will. I will give you time to decide."

I think he expected me to take a longer time as he began to inspect this monochrome version of my childhood home.

I took a deep breath before speaking, "How do I choose?"

He looked up, shocked I'd chosen so quickly, "The fireplace. You must take my hand and say which path you choose. Guide or Redemption."

I nodded and turned to look at him one last time before grasping his hand. My heart stuttered at the familiar and new feeling. Facing the fireplace I closed my eyes and said one word.

"Redemption."

When my eyes opened once more, I was a newborn baby in my mother's arms.