Hi guys!

Wow only 24 hours since I posted this story and the response has been overwhelming, I'm so glad you guys like it. A few of you have asked about whether or not I'm sticking to canon…. well yes and no, you'll have to wait and see.

Now some things may seem a little over the top or 'Mary Sue' but I swear I am not making Hermione uber powerful or anything…everything I do happens for a reason. Unfortunately, those reasons won't become apparent until much later!

The last thing. A few of you have mentioned you were surprised by the RobbXHermione pairing since I have indicated JonXHermione…yeah this will end up being a JonXHermione but this is also Game of Thrones where you either live or you die through the many twists and turns.

Anyway, as always, please enjoy!

P.S. I FORGOT TO MENTION! A BIG THANK YOU TO MY BESTIE 'FLISSY' FOR CONTINUING TO INSPIRE ME AND MOTIVATE ME!

Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or Harry Potter

Chapter 5

"My Lord," Hermione greeted as Ned Stark approached her crouching figure in the Godswood.

Today he would ride for King's Landing with his daughters, leaving Winterfell behind. He bowed his head in greeting and stood before her a little unsure.

"I hope you will come to think of Winterfell as your home," he stated. Hermione smiled warmly at him; he was obviously uncomfortable speaking to her.

"I believe I will," she assured him, "I think the north agrees with me."

"I don't doubt that," he chuckled lightly. His eyes shifted slightly, steeling himself for the conversation to come.

"He didn't fall, did he?" he asked quietly. Hermione's eyes lowered to the floor. It had been just over a week since Bran's accident and although he still lived, he was yet to wake.

"I don't believe so my Lord."

"Hm. I didn't think so," he grunted, "Did you see who-"

She shook her head quickly. She hadn't seen anyone at the time and when she had checked the tower the next day for any clues, she had come up with nothing.

"I saw no one," she stated, "I have suspicions, but I cannot be sure."

"I understand," he said softly, "Will you take care of them for me?"

Hermione's eyes widened at the man's request. She raised her eyes to meet his dark grey ones that shone two very different emotions, regret and wariness.

"I will do my very best," she promised him. Lord Stark let out a breath he was holding, his shoulders slumping slightly in relief.

"I doubt Cat will leave Bran's side, Rickon will not know what is going on. Robb will take over as Lord of Winterfell and-"

"Lord Stark," Hermione interrupted, "Please be calm, I will ensure that Rickon and Lady Catelyn are well cared for and rest assured that Robb will not be doing this alone. I know our families have not had a good history, but I intend to change that."

"Thank you."

Hermione gave him a bright smile before it quickly fell away having made a split-second decision.

"I need to tell you a few things my Lord. Before you fully accept me into your family."

Alarm and caution flittered across the older mans face as he starred at the small slip of a girl in front of him. She played with the sleeves of her gown, nervousness radiating off her form. With a deep breath she looked him in the eye and if Ned had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it.

Within seconds Hermione's chocolate brown eyes melted into that of a deep purple, her dark golden curls giving way to a paler hue.

"What the bloody hell?" Ned exclaimed.

"Please don't be alarmed," she begged seeing the trepidation in his eyes, "I am still a Lannister. My father is Tyrion Lannister and my mother was a bastard of House Targaryen, more specifically the bastard daughter of the Mad King. She died giving birth to me."

"That does not explain-"

"I have magic. I was born with it."

"Magic," he repeated with a frown. Magic was known to the people of Westeros, most commonly in the north but never had he seen it practised in front of him. He knew there were Red priests and priestess's that practised dark and twisted magics that usually required a blood sacrifice.

"My Lord I was born with magic running through my veins. The gods chose me to wield this power," she explained. Of course, it wasn't totally the truth because she wasn't about to tell him that she was a witch in a previous life, "I have honed my skills and continue to learn more about it every day. I feel it in your Godswood flowing through the air. I do not use blood in my spells, only the power that nature provides me."

"What do you wish to do with this…magic?" he asked.

"I wish to use it to protect the people I love," she confessed.

"Bran?"

"I panicked," she choked, "It happened too fast, I tried to break his fall with the wind, but I was too late."

"The Maester said it was a miracle he was alive with no broken bones. I believe you saved his life."

A few tears escaped Hermione's eyes at the genuine appreciation and awe that encompassed Ned Stark's words. Just having someone tell her that she didn't fail Bran completely lifted a great weight off her shoulders.

"I understand why you must hide your true self," he continued, "And I appreciate your trust in confiding in me. I have no more doubt that my family will be protected here in Winterfell while I am gone. I'd ask you to hold back in telling Robb and Catelyn about this for a while though, at least until Bran wakes up and things have settled back down."

"Of course, my Lord," she agreed.

"Please, call me Ned. We are to be family soon."

This reminded Hermione of something important that she needed to do before the party left to go south. She quickly spun around to retrieve two small items from a pack she had brought with her.

"Please give these to the girls," she said holding out two small items, a bracelet and wrist cuff, "I made a promise to Robb before our betrothal was announced that I would protect the girls in King's Landing. I can't do that from here. Please have them wear it. Should they ever need me, ever need help all they have to do is say recite House Stark words and I'll be there."

"With your…magic?" he asked curiously. Hermione nodded as her eyes glazed back over to her normal chocolate shade and her curls darkened until they resembled every other Lannister in Winterfell. Ned shook his head; he didn't think he would ever get used to that. He took the items and placed them inside his tunic, he would be sure to give these to his daughters, the woman in front of him was a powerful ally and he knew she would protect his girls.

"I can also enchant something of yours should you ever need me. Or I could link two books together so we can correspond instantaneously," she exclaimed getting excited. Ned's eyes grew wide at her excitement and couldn't help but laugh.

"Maybe just something small in case the girls aren't able to get through to you," he compromised. And so, he left Hermione's chambers minutes later with a black leather wrist cuff with the engraving of a direwolf etched into it.

Hermione sighed as the last of the soldiers left the gates of Winterfell. She had said a quick goodbye to her father knowing she would see him again soon enough when he returned from the Wall. The Stark sisters both gave her warm farewells but were sad when their mother failed to show. Jon had been no where to be seen, the only glimpse she got of him was the tail of a white wolf trotting out of the gates.

She was left alone to wander around Winterfell, Robb having disappeared with Theon and Rickon being taken away by a servant to be fed. Dusk was settling overhead so she decided to just wander the halls and see what else this Winterfell had to offer that she hadn't seen yet.

She moved through the maze of stone corridors for what felt like hours. Sometimes emerging back out into the courtyard and then finding a new door to go in through. She descended a set of stairs, the sounds of the towns people and servants growing softer the further down she went. She opened the door and gazed inside.

Lining the walls on either side were statues of people. It was cold, eerie and she got the feeling that she probably shouldn't be here. She turned to leave but came face to face with the wooden door as it slammed in her face. Her startled shriek bounced off the walls when she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.

There was no one there when she turned around, the grip on her should disappearing almost immediately. The familiar pull of magic tugged at her very core. It was faint, but it was there. Her breathing was shallow as she moved through the crypt following the invisible string that was guiding her.

A torch came to life beside a statue of what would have been a beautiful woman should she have lived.

Lyanna Stark.

Hermione tore her eyes away from the face of the woman before her, her heart thundering in her chest.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she whispered. Whatever magic was doing this was strange even by her standards but as she knew magic worked differently in this land, she didn't question it.

The pull got even stronger, urging her behind the statue. She carefully walked around to stand directly behind the stone woman and in the faint light of the torch she saw a loose stone in the wall. Carefully she removed it and placed it on the ground.

"A chest?" she pondered out loud seeing an old wooden chest hidden inside the stone crevice. She quickly took the chest and replaced the stone back inside the wall. Slowly, she opened the lid of the trunk and gaped at what it housed inside.

"Dragon eggs?" she gasped seeing three very real dragon eggs. One was blood red with what looked like gold dusting the tip of the scales. The second was pure white like snow and the third a deep emerald green with blue fissures running through it. The years had turned them to stone and Hermione knew they would be nothing more than pretty decorations now.

"Pity," she murmured thinking back to the last moments of her previous life, of the dragon who had doused her in its heated embrace as her body grew cold.

The door to the crypts cracked open with a squeak of its hinges. Hermione wasted no time in making her escape, hiding the chest under her cloak as she returned to her chambers where she could hide the relics she had just been given.

"Where's mother," a young voice cried from outside Hermione's room later in the evening.

"With Bran," Robb's voice sounded. Hermione could hear the irritation and strain in his voice even though he was trying to remain calm and gentle with his youngest brother. Rickon was only six and couldn't understand why his mother had suddenly vanished.

"She's always with Bran," Rickon sobbed, "Does she not love me anymore?"

Hermione couldn't take it anymore and opened the door to reveal the two brothers. Rickon was clutching at Robb's trousers, his face red and tear stained. The young woman quickly swept Rickon up into her arms and cuddled him to her chest. His tiny arms immediately latched around her neck as he cried even more.

Rocking him back and forth whispering soothing words in his ear, Hermione saw Robb's shoulders sag in relief. She could also see the anger and frustration shinning through. A few minutes later Rickon was reduced to a quiet sniffling. Hermione drew him back from her enough so that she could look at the young boy's face.

"Your mother loves you very much my little wolf," she whispered soothingly, "She is just worried for Bran right now."

"Because he's still asleep?" the young boy asked.

"That's right. He fell off a tower and got hurt, he needs to sleep to get better," she tried to explain, "And your mother wants to be there when he wakes up, to let him know that he is okay."

"But Bran never falls and I miss her," he hiccupped, still not quite understanding.

"I know you do pup. How about Robb and I talk to her and see if we can get her to tuck you in tonight while we watch over Bran, how does that sound?"

The young boys' eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. Robb beckoned over a passing servant to take Rickon to his room.

"Now you need to let this lovely lady get you ready for bed because I'm sure you want your mother to see how well behaved you have been for her," Hermione grinned, handing him over to the servant.

"Thank you," Robb sighed as Rickon's excited babbling disappeared down the corridor.

"I think we should go and see your mother and make sure she is alright," she sighed. Robb's eyes turned steely again as he nodded. He didn't bother taking Hermione's hand or offering her his arm. She just followed as he strode away towards Bran's room, he was a man on a mission.

'No,' she thought wistfully, 'Not just a man, but a Lord.'