As soon as Hermione had left the room Minerva sank onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands.

"Minerva?"

"I'm alright," she choked out, "I'm fine."

"No you're not and you have every right not to be." He moved beside her placing an arm around her shoulders.

"A waitress Edward! That lass, the brightest young witch I have ever encountered, top of every subject we teach, a bloody war hero, should not be a waitress in a muggle restaurant! Oh gods, she asked what a muggle was. She doesn't know, she doesn't know what she is! How on earth, what do we tell her?!"

"Minerva, calm down, you panicking is not going to help her." At that moment the bathroom door clicked and they could hear soft footsteps heading back up the hall. The door creaked open slightly and the woman in question sidled back in, she crossed to the armchair and perched on the edge.

"I'm sorry I've forgotten your name, I know you said it downstairs but I don't remember," Hermione apologised.

"It's Minerva dear, and this is Edward." Hermione nodded.

"And my name, what's my last name?" Minerva's heart broke a little more, unable to conceive how lost she must have felt. Must still be feeling now.

"Granger, Hermione Jean Granger." She could see her whispering the words to herself, as if willing herself to remember. At that moment the front door clicked and Paula walked into the living room seconds later.

"Don't mind me, I'm just bringing up the promised food, I'll pop it in the oven to keep warm for whenever you're ready. Take as long as you need, I'm staying with Ray tonight anyway. Just pop the keys through the postbox when you're done, I have a spare set, or feel free to stay the night if you want? Anna?" Hermione glanced back up to her boss.

"It's Hermione apparently." The whispered words barely audible. Paula knelt in front of her grasping her hands.

"Do you want me to stay with you honey?"

"No, no I'll be OK. You need to run the restaurant.. oh you're short staffed now, I'll come back down, I'll…"

"No, you stay here, I've called Emily, she'll be there in 5. Don't worry. Sort out what you need to."

"Thank you." Paula got up and turned to go.

"I'm right downstairs if you need me OK?" She received a nod in answer and with that turned and left after receiving a reassuring smile and nod from the older man which she took to mean he would take care of both Anna and the older woman next to him who seemed to be in a similar state of emotional upheaval.

Hermione looked up at the woman across from her once again, studying her face, searching for recognition.

"How do I know you?"

"I was your Professor."

"Professor as in teacher?"

"Er yes."

"You too?" She directed towards Edward.

"No, actually this is the first time we have met in person, but I know of you and who you are."

"So you don't work at the school?"

"No."

"Hermione," Minerva drew her attention, cutting in, "perhaps this would be easier if you told us what you know, what happened, how you got here?"

"There really isn't much to tell you, just over 9 months ago I woke up in hospital, I didn't know who I was, or what happened, or anyone around me. I couldn't answer any questions the doctors or the police asked me. It was about 3 months before I was well enough to leave the hospital, one of the nurses, Abbey, took pity on me and let me stay with her rather than the halfway house the social worker was offering. I'm actually still staying with her, she is friends with Paula who offered me work in the restaurant, they've both been wonderful, absolute angels, I will never be able to repay them. I also work part time in a library, I'm trying to save a little each month to do a book restoration course next year while I work."

Minerva smiled. "You always did love books. You somehow managed to persuade the school librarian to let you take out more books than students are normally allowed out on loan. How you managed it I will never know, she is rather strict and protective over her volumes."

"Did I? Well I suppose that hasn't changed. I've read everything Abbey owns. And that's about it really. That's all I know. I've been going to by Anna Smith, not a very creative surname I know but well, they needed something for their records."

"I'm so sorry Hermione. I'm so sorry I couldn't find you." Minerva had tears shining in her eyes again, one of them spilling out over her cheek.

"What did happen to me?"

"I don't know. You vanished. Disappeared into thin air and I couldn't find you. I tried, I've been searching for over a year now."

"What about my… do I have any family?"

Minerva faultered, she knew this question was going to come up and didn't know any way to soften the answer.

"I met your parents once, when you were eleven, before you came to school. I went the house after you disappeared but they're not there anymore, there's a young couple with toddler twin boys living there now. I'm sorry, it's not what you want to hear but I don't know where they are. They never told us of a change of address or where they were going. I tried to trace a contact back through the sale, spoke to the solicitors who sold the house but the paperwork has all gone, no record of your parents ever owning the house or you being there. I thought I could trace them to find you but I can't find anything to do with Rupert or Jean Granger anywhere, no birth certificates or marriage certificates. I couldn't even find your birth certificate. They were your only family listed in your school records, you don't have any siblings I am aware of."

Hermione felt like her heart was being ripped into two. the past 9 months of hope had been based on the fact that when she remembered who she was or was found, she would find her family and have a home. But she didn't have that, no parents to claim her, no brothers or sisters to comfort her. She was still alone. The familiar tendrils of panic began to creep into her system, the stress finally overcoming her control. This hadn't happened in months but there it was, the fire beginning to burn in her fingertips, in her toes, spreading along her limbs. Her teeth clamped together with the agony of it. She could no longer hold herself upright but slumped back into the armchair, completely tensed up.

"Hermione!"

She was aware of Minerva's concerned cry, somewhat muffled by the blood pounding in her ears. Her back arched from the chair, her muscles contracting of their own accord, each and every one burning excruciatingly.

"Hermione! What's wrong?! Speak to me please!"

She could barely hear the woman, she forced her jaws to unclench, a whimper escaping.

"It's fine." She ground out. "It happens." She became aware of a hand on her own. She focused on the comfort, the warmth. That hand and arm stopped burning quite so much as the rest. "It'll be over in a minute." She breathed. The hand never left her own, the muscles from that arm relaxing, spreading, providing relief slowly through her body until she was left panting, eyes closed as she recovered her breath, a heavy mass unable to sit up straight until she fully recovered.

After a few deep breaths she peeled her eyes open. Minerva was kneeling right in front of her looking rather pale herself, eyes endless pools of worry. Edward standing behind her looking equally concerned.

"I'm OK." She rasped. "Thank you."

"What happened?"

"When I'm stressed I have these attacks, my muscles tense and burn. It hasn't happened in months, I thought they'd gone away."

"You need to see a hea…. a doctor."

"I have, they started when I was in hospital, maybe before I don't remember. The doctors don't know what it is or how to stop it. Their best guess is it's a manifestation of dealing with whatever put me in hospital in the first place."

"What can I do?"

"Nothing, I just, I get really tired after." Her eyes were already drooping.

"Do you want me to take you home, are you sure we shouldn't go to a hospital?"

"No, I don't need a hospital, I'll just rest my eyes a bit here, just, don't go without leaving me a number to contact you on. I need…"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here, just sleep." Hermione's eyes fully shut, her breath evening out. Edward moved to her side sliding a hand beneath her back and under her knees lifting her gently from where she had slumped in the armchair and laying her on the couch, conjuring a blanket from thin air and draping it over her. She never even stirred.


A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for this. I recently moved and am trying to get my house livable. Thanks for the overwhelming support I have received for this so far. I love every review, follow or favourite, you are all amazing.