Disclaimer: I only eish that I had the talent, and also the incredible amounts of money, possessed by Ms. Rowling. Unfortunately for me, I didn't write Harry Potter and certainly didn't profit from it. I also don't own Doctor Who.

It was pointed out to me that I'd left a cliff-hanger with the last chapter. I honestly wasn't aware that I'd done this, but I set about writing this chapter as quickly as possible so you wouldn't die from lack of knowledge. Thanks so much for all those who have taken the time to review!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 4

A matching grin spread across Hermione's face. "The best place you've ever been. Somewhere strange and exotic and beautiful. Somewhere bursting with the new and the exciting and unexpected. And somewhere ancient and full of knowledge and tremendously impressive. And simple too. Just, take us somewhere, anywhere, that will blow our minds! Doctor, you know all of time and space. It it's only one trip, then make it the best one."

"You got it." The Doctor then began to zoom around the control panel, pressing buttons and flipping switches, seemingly at random. Rose giggled and he held onto her tight so she didn't fall when he moved and as he skidded to a halt and flipped one last, large switch, the entire room seemed to echo with a beautiful whirring noise and something inside the cylinder extending upward from the panel began to move up and down in time to the noise. And then it stopped and the Doctor rushed to the doors. "Ready?"

"Yes."

The Doctor, still clutching a grinning baby with his left arm, reached out for the door with his right hand and grasped the handle. "Alright; Allons-y!" He pulled the handle, but Hermione quickly stopped him, pressing against the door. He looked at her quizzically.

"Actually, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I didn't get any sleep last night. I really don't want an experience like this to be ruined by sleep deprivation."

The Doctor sighed as he released his grip on the door handle. "You're right, of course. How 'bout just a sneak preview?"

Taking Hermione's slightly cocked head as a yes, he handed her her child and ran back to the panels. Once again, he ran around the circle, eagerly pressing buttons, pulling switches, and occasionally kicking a lever. The whirring started again and Hermione held her excited daughter close to her chest. Once more, the Doctor rushed to the doors and this time, he swung them both wide.

Hermione stepped cautiously towards the open doors and as soon as she could see out, she took an involuntary step backward with a gasp. As she took a step forward again, she was trembling with excitement. As she reached the doors, she leaned out. "How are we breathing?" she said in almost a whisper.

"The TARDIS has extended her shields." He looked at her as she gazed out into space and said, "It's perfectly safe. You can even step outside." She nodded vaguely and, as though suddenly realizing he had said something, looked back at him. The Doctor bowed deeply, waving his hands about. Hermione smiled and took a deep breath. Then she took the hand he offered and took a step. Rose began giggling uncontrollably and Hermione let out a little squeak of delight.

She was completely weightless, anchored only by the hand she held. "It's so beautiful!" Hermione sighed and took a step back, but remained at the edge looking out for several minutes. She then sat down on the edge and let her feet dangle. The Doctor sat down next to her and smiled at the joy in her face before he joined her in staring out into space. From their position, they could see quite a few stars and planets and even distant galaxies, but right in front of them, slightly to the right, was a star, just beginning to form. It was like nothing Hermione had seen before and after several more minutes, she absently leaned into the Doctor and sighed. "It's so beautiful," she repeated in a whisper.

"Yes, it is," he answered just as softly. Hermione gradually faded off to sleep, as did her daughter, the child's strawberry-blonde curls catching and reflecting the gentle light created by the stars. Tears fell silently from the Doctor's face as he looked at them. It was difficult enough that the girl's name was Rose, but she was also almost identical to his first daughter. As he looked Rose's sleeping form, he couldn't stop the tears. He'd lost so much. He tried not to think about it, but Rose… The tears continued as he stroked her head and made sure her mother didn't fall or drop her.

At least two hours past and only Rose beginning to stir brought him out of it. He stood up carefully and gently took the girl from Hermione's arms. Shushing the child, he set her down on one of the battered old chairs and went back for Hermione. He scooped her up and took her down a short hallway, up some stairs, and into a room. 'This was Susan's room,' he thought sadly as he laid Hermione on the bed. 'And after that, it was Sarah Jane's. And then Romana's. Not many picked this room, but those who did… Rose did. Rose slept here.' One more tear slid down his cheek and splashed to the floor. He wiped away the trail and walked out of the room. He strode purposefully down a second hallway and barely glanced at the door to his own bedroom before opening the door across from it and stepping into an enormous storage area. He tapped a screen and used it to locate the object he was attempting to locate. He almost ran down the aisle, nearly tripping over the objects that had been thrown from their shelves in the crash, and hurriedly picked up a wooden cradle with a mobile hanging over it and carvings on the sides. He did break into a run as he brought it back to the control room and set it beside the battered seats where he had left baby Rose. He picked up the squirming and whimpering child (it looked like she was having a nightmare) and cradled her in his arms until she quieted down and then he nestled her into the blankets he had tucked into the small wooden bed and sat down on the floor beside her.

The Doctor picked up a book from where he had left it and absently read a bit of it as he watched Rose sleep.

They spent the next seven and a bit hours that way; Hermione sleeping in a room down the hall, baby Rose sleeping in a cradle in the control room, and the Doctor absently flipping through books and tinkering with the control panel while he sat beside her—all while orbiting a new-born star. Hermione woke slowly, smiling slightly as she debated whether or not to get off of the warm and comfortable bed she was laying on and tried to remember what she'd been dreaming about. It had been a pleasant dream and she thought that it featured a strange man in an odd blue box who had taken her to see the stars. When she finally opened her eyes, she let out a yell. She wasn't in her room, or at her parent's house. 'Was she in a stranger's home? Had she been kidnapped, or gotten drunk and been taken in by a bar owner or a kind someone?' Thoughts like these raced through her head until she finally remembered. 'It hadn't been a dream. There really was a strange man in an odd blue box, and he really did take me to the stars. Unless I actually did get drunk-really, really drunk.' It was then that she yelled out again, this time for her daughter. "Rose!? Rose, where are you!?" She swung her legs over the side of the strange bed and sat up, trying not to move too suddenly, but also trying to get up quickly. It wasn't easy. As soon as she stood up, Hermione had to sit down again and wait for the dizziness to stop. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait very long for her fears to be abated.

Hermione was just about to give standing another try when a tall man in a brown pinstriped suit knocked and then slowly pushed open the door of the room she was in. He was looking at her concernedly and was holding her baby. When she caught sight of her daughter, she relaxed, and the Doctor must have noticed, because he stepped into the room and handed over the child. "She slept almost a full seven hours," he said. "I tried to entertain her, but she's been crying for you for the last two hours. You needed to get some sleep though, so I found a bottle in your bag, which was mysteriously warm, and gave her some of the milk. I was going to change her, but she didn't seem to need it." He scratched his head at this, really quite confused, and also rather concerned.

Hermione laughed. "Magic," she said. "All of her things are self-cleaning and the bottles are charmed to stay at the correct temperature." He looked quite relieved at this. It was now Hermione's turn to feel awkward. "Err… Is there a…bathroom?"

The Doctor bit his lip as though trying not to laugh and just pointed. She smiled gratefully, and stood up. As she was walking towards the second door, the Doctor spoke up, "There's a small closet in there. Feel free to take what you want." He almost looked pained at that, which wasn't surprising if you knew who the room and the accompanying clothes had previously belonged to and what had happened to them, but continued. "If you don't find what you need in there, we can look in the other rooms. I'm sure we can find something for Rose, too."

Hermione nodded and continued toward the bathroom, wishing she'd brought her things with her. 'Still,' she thought, 'it's only one trip. I'll be home soon enough.' It wasn't exactly a pleasant thought, but there was nothing she could do about it. After all, she couldn't force herself on the Doctor if she wasn't wanted. She relieved herself, washed her face, and fed Rose before she looked at the closet. When she opened the door, all she could think was, 'This is no closet.' It was at least the size of the bathroom itself. Hermione found a nice t-shirt to put on which had a union jack pattern on the front, but didn't bother to change her jeans. She then undid her braid, shook out her long, frizzy hair, and re-braided it to one side. She found some make-up in the drawers and touched hers up, but didn't overdue it—she didn't want to upset the Doctor and wasn't sure how he'd react to using the make-up that had belonged to whoever had lived in this room. She ran her tongue across her teeth, wishing she had a toothbrush and then hurried back out into the bedroom. The Doctor was still there, looking at some of the things scattered across the many surfaces. "You said you had baby clothes?" she questioned. That seemed to draw the Doctor out of his thoughts and he looked away from the object he'd been staring at.

"Yeah," he answered. "Come on." He then walked out of the room and turned left, obviously expecting Hermione to follow. She did so. They walked down the corridor then climbed some more stairs, taking several turns. Twice, the Doctor stopped at a screen, probably looking for directions, though he didn't say so and Hermione didn't ask. Eventually, they stepped through an arched door into a room unlike anything Hermione had ever seen.

The room was basically a large dome, but seemed like some kind of dream. Flowering vines climbed some of the walls and hung from the ceiling. The center of the room had hard-wood floors, but lush green carpet extended at least fifteen feet from all of the room's edges. There were murals of odd wildlife and there were curved shelves containing toys and books. There was a full children's play-set in on spot, with swings hanging from ceiling and slides and monkey-bars around them. There were many tables, desks, and chairs, and in the center of the room was a raised, circular platform held up by intricately carved columns, a spiral staircase leading up right through the center of it. There were at least ten exits, some of them had doors painted in bright, cheerful colors, and some were simply arches, left open or covered by curtains. The Doctor walked into the room and turned left, opening one of the doors and indicating that Hermione should go through it.

She was greeted by a small, cozy little room that had the feel of a nursery. There was a beautiful crib and two rocking chairs. The rug filling most of the room was made of pastel rainbow colors and there was a shelf filled with children's books and what looked like baby-toys. The room was well-lit, but was rather dusty. It appeared as if no one had entered the room in many years. The Doctor didn't linger, though, but opened another door and walked through. A dazed Hermione followed. It was a walk-in closet filled with baby and toddler clothes. Some of them were a bit strange, but considering the Doctor traveled the stars, anything he owned was bound to be a little odd. Why he would ever possess so much clothing and so many toys, though, was beyond her. Hermione was too shocked to say anything, but when she was handed an outfit that looked as if it would fit Rose perfectly, she took it and accepted the Doctor's help in changing her little girl's clothes.

They were back in the control room before Hermione could say much of anything. "Did you have children?" she finally asked. She used a quiet voice, as though
afraid of how he might respond. The Doctor just looked sad, answering with a reluctant yes, but refusing to elaborate. Hermione didn't push.

"You hungry?" the Doctor asked. When Hermione nodded, he grinned. Alright then, Hermione Granger, let me show you to the kitchens." After a quick breakfast consisting mostly of unidentifiable fruits, Hermione was definitely excited.

"Hermione," the Doctor started, "I have an idea of what you'd like the most, but I'd like to be sure. Would you mind if I looked into your mind? I wouldn't access your memories," he added quickly, "Only a general picture of your likes and dislikes."

Hermione was understandably cautious. This sounded a lot like legilimency and she'd never practice occlumency, its counter. She decided that he'd proven himself as trustworthy though, and nodded. The Doctor smiled slightly, and placed his hands on either side of her head. He then closed his eyes and advised her to do the same. "If you want me to stop," he said, "just visualize a door, then close it." Hermione nodded again, then felt his mind enter hers. He never accesses any of her memories, just like he'd promised, and withdrew quickly, grinning. "I was right!" he exclaimed.

The Doctor ran towards the control panels and performed the ritual of running around it. The familiar whirring noise filled their ears, and still grinning, the Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the doors. "Hermione Granger," he said.

"Doctor."

"Welcome," he opened the doors to reveal a scene unlike anything Hermione had imagined or hoped for, "to the Library!"

Well, what do you think? Let me know in a review! Also, constructive criticism is appreciated. If I've made a grammar mistake, or misspelled something, or if there's a giant hole in my plot, let me know, because I really hate to proofread, and a lot of times, those kinds of things just slip through. I'll try to update soon!

-MP