Can I Have It All?

Author: Midnight Little One
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: M
Summary: Being in the middle is no walk in the park, Hermione knows this. It seemed like so long ago when she was asked that fateful question. What would you do to have it all?

AN: Thanks to EpicLoVeFan for being my first reviewer! You're awesome. ) Glad you liked it. But yes, here it is. The second chapter of Can I Have It All?

Chapter 1 – Getting A New Perspective

There was something so refreshing about coming back from Hogwarts. Hermione never tired of the openness that always greeted her once she stepped off the train. Smiling happily and eager to see her parents, she raced off the Hogwarts Express and onto the platform, searching diligently for the familiar faces. Not seeing them anywhere she frowned, where on earth could they be?

"'Mione? Hey 'Mione! Where are you?"

Turning she looked over to see Harry and Ron had followed her. "Just looking for my parents." She turned back towards the crowds that were spreading due to adults finding their children and getting their trunks. Surely her mom and dad would have found her by now, just where were they?

"Hermione?"

She turned again to see that the others had joined Ron and Harry. Harry was staying at the Burrow for the whole summer so there was no need for him to go to the Dursleys', for that she was grateful. She would be joining them for the last month of summer, after spending the first two with her mom and dad. Her excitement mounted when she thought of the promise her mother had made before she left. For sure this summer they would take time off from their extremely busy dental practice and actually spend time with her. It would be the first time since she was young. She frowned slightly at the group, "What?"

Tonks stepped forward. She and Moody had come, along with Molly and Arthur, to escort the others home. "Hermione, you should come with us."

Her frown deepened, "Why?"

"I umm…" she tugged a bit of hair before she let out a deep sigh, "I don't think here is the place to have that discussion."

"What discussion? Tonks, what's going on?" She watched as Tonks' face took on a sorrowful look. "Tonks?"

Harry stepped up and took a hold of her hand, "Come on 'Mione. Just come with us."

Hermione pulled her hand away from Harry. "No! Tonks tell me what's going on. Where are my parents? Where are my mom and dad?"

By now people were slowing down and watching, wondering what was going on. Tonks noticed this and flinched slightly as she muttered, "I'm so sorry Hermione…we didn't get there in time..."

The noises stopped as Hermione froze. A buzzing sound could be heard in her ears before everything was quiet and darkness prevailed over all other sites.

"She should stay here at the burrow! We can protect her!"

"Harry, she's still only 15 and she has just lost her parents. She needs to be with family right now."

"We are her family! How can we protect her if she's all the way in the States?"

"Harry, she's just going for the summer. She'll be back a week before you all return to Hogwarts."

"She would still be better off here. We can help her get over this."

'Get over it? My parents are dead. How can I possible get over that? They were tortured…' Hermione quietly spoke up in defense, "Harry…I want to go…"

"What?!"

"I…I want to go…"

"Hermione you're in mourning right now, you're not thinking straight! You need to stay here so we can protect you!"

Her eyes flashed with anger, "Are you implying that I cannot take care of myself Harry James Potter?"

"Hermione, I'm just saying that it's for your own good that you stay here. What if the Death Eaters get to you too??"

"I can take care of myself! I have since I was small!"

"Well what about the troll in first year?! Or getting petrified in second?? What about you almost dying at the Ministry in fifth?!"

With each one you could see her give a small flinch, but with each flinch came an even more determined fire in her eyes. "Harry James Potter." Not even her words wavered as she turned away from him and looked straight at Tonks, who was silent now, waiting for her to speak. "Tell Ronald and Ginerva that I'll be sending you all owls as soon as I get settled."

"I'm afraid that would be impossible Hermione. Your destination will have to remain secret and the journey is much too far for any owl to travel."

Her resolve wavered a bit at that fact before she steeled herself once more. "Very well then. I'll see you all at the end of summer." She walked stiffly to her room, checking off a list in her mind automatically of everything she would be taking with her.

Harry shook his head sadly before he turned a steel glare towards Tonks. "If this doesn't help her I'm holding you all personally responsible for any and every change." With that he turned and stomped away to tell Ron and Ginny the news.

Tonks sighed. Man, this was going to be a very loooong summer.

"Mom? Dad? Where are you?" Hermione walked down the now freezing hallways of her home. It was always the same. She would end up in front of her house and wander the premises, searching for the two people who would never be there again. When would this stop? She was never going to find them. It was impossible.

"Shame Mudblood Giving up so soon?"

She jumped, the voice was so familiar. Turning she came face to face with none other than LuciusMalfoy. "Malfoy…what the hell are you doing here?" This was new, always before the dream had just been her, no one else. Why was this different?

Lucius pulled out his wand, pointing it straight at her heart. "Don't assume that you can speak to me unless I specifically tell you that you can. Understand that you disgusting filth."

Narrowing her eyes she pulled out her own wand. "Tell me Malfoy." She aimed it at him and shouted, "EXPELLIARMUS!!"

Malfoy neatly sidestepped the disarming spell, sneering at her in the process. "You think you can disarm me so easily? I'll show you what happens when mudbloods don't respect their place at the bottom of the chain. CRUCIO!"

Hermione braced herself, a bit of relief at knowing this was only a dream. The spell hit before she could think anything else, the only registered thought before she got lost in pain was the shock that she felt this even in a dream…

"Mia! Mia wake up!! MIA!"

The intensity of the curse finally let up enough for the screams to stop, her whole body ached as tears began to fall. Opening her eyes slowly she stared up at her cousin with fear, "L-Lena…"

Lena sat on the bed, carefully brushing Mia's soaked bangs away from her face. "It's ok dear, it's over now. It's going to be okay." She recognized the signs of the Cruciatus curse. How had she been hit with that? "Mia, dear, what happened?"

Hermione shut her eyes as she replayed the vivid dream in her head. "It was the same…the same dream…as always. But…But Lu-Lucius Malfoy was there. I was so frightened Lena. I tried…I tried to be brave…to be a Gryiffindor, h-he hit me with the…the…that curse. Oh Lena, it was so dreadful, like…thousands of knives…" She shivered as more tears streaked down her face. "I-I don't understand though….it…it was just a dream…"

"Shh…it's ok now Mia, it's over now. We can analyze it later, after you get some rest. I have just the thing to help you." Standing she walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion. "Here, take a bit of this and you'll be able to get some well deserved rest.

Hermione nodded and drank the required dosage. She was so tired; a flash of gratefulness went through her when she thought of how much her "cousin" had helped her this summer. There wasn't a lot she could do but she did help with all the paperwork for funerals, situating the will and holding the trust fund that would be Hermione's when she came of age. She wouldn't be obscenely wealthy but it was enough to get her started after Hogwarts and whatever training she decided to go through with after graduation.

Her thoughts finally ceased as darkness overcame her once more, allowing her some much needed rest.

A flash of silver.

"Perfection…perfection…perfection…"

A drop of red.

Mia, formerly known as Hermione, straightened the blouse she was wearing. No use for wrinkles, that's for sure. Today she was going to return to England; today she would be seeing Harry, Ronald, and Ginerva for the first time since she had left; for some odd reason that fact did not make her as happy as it should have. Yeah, she had missed them, but she had come to love living in the States. Here she did not have to be kept a secret as she had during the summers with her parents after learning she was a witch and starting Hogwarts.

She picked up the letter she had received a few days ago. Her beloved school letter:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Dear Miss Granger,

We are pleased to welcome you back for your seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

We are also inviting you to take up the prestigious role as Head Girl. Included with this letter is a list of responsibilities that are typical to the position, but let it be known that these can be taken or added to as the Headmaster or the Deputy Headmistress so please. Please regard the list carefully.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31. Good day.

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

She of course, had already replied to the letter; stating that she was returning and that she would be honored to accept the position of Head Girl. There had been no need to even glance over the list of responsibilities. Becoming Head Girl had been a goal she was determined to reach; now that she had she knew she had expected nothing less.

"Perfection."

A flash of sunlight.

"Perfection…perfection…perfection…"

A point with muggle relief.

"Hermione! Time to go!"

Mia frowned, she knew being called Hermione again would take some getting used to. She had been called Mia all summer by everyone she already knew, and those she had just recently met. Maybe she should tell others to start calling her Mia. Maybe.

" I'm coming." She stepped into the living room where Dumbledore stood with her "cousin" Lena. She hugged Lena tight, "I'm going to miss you."

Lena hugged her back, "I'll miss you too Mia." She slipped in the nickname for the last time before she released Hermione and watched as she disappeared into the fire that was going to take her to the nearest Apparition dock. She looked at Dumbledore once more, "You'll make sure she's safe?"

Dumbledore nodded. "She will be."

Lena gave a soft sigh in relief. "You will tell her right? Tell her the truth. I hate that I'm adding to her grief, especially after finally meeting her. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Do not fret Lena. Spend these last days in peace knowing that she will be taken care of."

"Thank you Albus. I greatly appreciate your help."

"It is my pleasure to do all in my power to help my friends Lena, you have been a very close friend of mine for quite awhile. I am honored that you call me friend."

Lena nodded as a small tear fell from her eye, "And I am honored to have had you as my friend as well. Goodbye Dumbledore. I shall send the package as the appropriate time."

Dumbledore wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. She reciprocated the embrace. "Let me know when it is time." The twinkle that was always in his eyes dimmed a bit when he turned and followed Hermione to escort her back to England.

Lena stood there for quite some time, silently letting the tears fall down her cheeks to the floor. "My precious Mia, so many challenges are in store for you. Please be strong and know that not all your family dies." She turned and headed upstairs for a much needed bath, followed by an equally needed nap.

AN: Whoever can guess what the second bad habit was will get the next chapter dedicated to them ) But anyways, you guys know the drill:
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