Author's note: I'll definitely be posting again tonight, but here's the next chapter! It's kind of a short one, but I there are some good moments in it. Please read and review!

Severus noted Hermione's change in demeanor when the Wilkins walked in. He thought it was strange, she grew so quiet.

When the couple introduced themselves, she extended a shaky hand, giving a slight smile. Severus tried to catch her eyes, make sure she was ok, but she wouldn't meet his glance.

"Hermione?" Wendell repeated, "How delightful! We almost named our cat Hermione. Then we realized he was a boy, so we ended up naming him Puck."

"A Midsummer Night's Dream?" Severus asked, shaking hands with the two.

"Yes," Wendell smiled then looked over at Hermione. "Were your parents Shakespeare fans as well?"

Hermione nodded, unable to speak. Severus felt the need to say something, so Hermione could compose herself, "So, Monica, Wendell, what do you do here?"

"We're dentists," Monica smiled at him. "We actually practiced in England for a while, then one day we just decided we wanted a change and we came here. We always loved Australia. Obviously, since we haven't looked back in nearly 20 years."

There was something familiar about them and their story, but Severus couldn't place it.

"Your cat," Hermione said suddenly, "What kind it it?" Severus looked at her strangely and she elaborated, "Sorry, I just love cats. I teach at a boarding school and we're not allowed to have pets there, so I rarely get to see animals anymore. I used to have a cat, his name was Crookshanks."

Severus found that odd; surely Hogwarts hadn't changed its policy on pets. He thought back, and remembered the ginger cat that was always lurking around at Grimmauld Place when he had to visit. Crookshanks didn't seem to necessarily hate him, but he seemed a little skittish around anyone who wasn't Hermione.

"Puck's a pretty odd cat. I'm not too sure exactly what he is. He's ginger and has a bit of a squashed face. Goodness knows how old he is now; we've had him since before we moved here." Monica said.

Edith interjected, "Why don't you bring him over? When he's not ruining my garden I actually enjoy his company."

Monica laughed, "Alright, Edith. I'll be right back."

Hermione shot Edith a grateful smile. When she turned back to her father, she noticed he was looking curiously at her.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Sorry," Wendell broke his stare, "It's just… you're the spitting image of my wife when she was younger. You're from the England as well? Perhaps you two are distantly related."

"Perhaps," Hermione echoed. She noted that her father was wearing glasses. He never had before. She couldn't deny they were getting older, but it had been so long since she had last seen them, that it was quite a shock. She wondered if they would be retiring soon. Wondered what they would do with their free time, without their jobs to keep them busy. Without her.

Severus was starting to wonder what happened to Hermione's parents after the war. He vaguely remembered a few Death Eaters raiding her family home and finding it abandoned. The Wilkins couldn't really be the Grangers, could they? They would have recognized Hermione. Unless something happened...

Severus's questions were answered when Monica returned, holding the cat in her arms. As soon as Puck noticed Hermione, however, he jumped out of Monica's arms and leaped at Hermione. That was undoubtedly Crookshanks, and these were undoubtedly the Grangers.

Hermione caught him, burying her face in his fur, hiding her tears. "Crooks," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione, he usually doesn't behave like this around strangers."

Hermione looked up, smiling widely, "It's no worry, cats tend to like me. Perhaps I was one in another life." Hermione looked at Severus for the first time in a while. The two exchanged a knowing look, smiling as they remembered Hermione's experience with polyjuice during her second year.

"Edith didn't mention that you two knew each other…" Monica trailed off.

Edith laughed, "I didn't know."

"Yes," Hermione answered her mother, "Sebastian was a professor of mine back in Scotland. I heard he moved here when he left, but I had no idea he would know Edith."

"What a delightful surprise," Monica smiled at the two. Then, she exchanged a look with Edith.

At that moment, Serena woke up and began crying. Hermione pulled Crookshanks closer to her, in a small hug, then placed him back on the floor, walking over to the strolled. She picked Serena up and sat down on the couch, pulling out a bottle to feed her.

Monica sat down on the couch next to Hermione, admiring the child, "Your daughter is quite breathtaking," she said. "I always wanted children, but unfortunately Wendell and I were never able to have any."

Serena stared curiously at the woman sitting next to her. Hermione looked between them. "Would you like to hold her?"

Monica was surprised, "Oh, well, I- yes, I would love to. Thank you," she stammered out.

Hermione handed Serena to her mother. She wondered how her mother would have felt if she had her memories. Hermione knew her mother wanted grandchildren eventually. She also knew that regardless of how Serena came to be, she would have cherished her. Hermione started to tear up again, thinking of how things might have been.

Edith sat down in her arm chair again, and Wendell moved behind the sofa, placing a loving arm on his wife's shoulder, looking down at her and the child. That left Severus to sit down next to Monica. When Serena noticed him, she made a happy noise and reached for him, dropping her bottle.

Hermione picked it up, apologizing to Monica. When she sat back up, Serena was being placed in Severus's arms.

"She seems to know you, Sebastian," Monica said curiously.

Severus looked to Hermione, unsure how to answer.

A bit of a cliffhanger, I just really wanted to get this chapter up.