If you recognize it, it's not mine.

Oliver and Hermione stumbled out of the floo at one of the wood vacation homes in Morocco; well Hermione stumbled and Oliver was dragged along. He chuckled lightly and righted her.

"Here we are Wood summer home. We shall be dining on a blanket outdoors madam; after all only the finest will do for you." He told her while leading her towards a patio door. She laughed at him while admiring the homes intricate design. It truly was beautiful. "Do you want to eat by the lake or in the rose gardens?"

"Rose gardens." She answered immediately. When he looked at her she explained. "I love roses. Not for the romantic properties but because they are so complex but beautiful all the same. I guess if flowers represented people the rose would represent me. Purple and black roses are my favorites." They had arrived by the end of her explanation. She gasped softly at the sight before her. It truly was beautiful, bushes upon bushes of all colors of roses. Oliver set up a picnic in the center of it all and motioned for her to sit before taking a seat himself.

"You know, the flower gardens are probably one of my favorite places at each of the Wood properties. They're always so calm and they're charmed to grow year round." Hermione smiled at him. They ate their dinner in the peace that the garden brought them. After they were done Hermione was trying to broach the subject of her torture. She finally came up with a way and prayed he would agree.

"You know I don't really know much about you or you me. Why don't we play the game 10 questions?" she suggested.

"Sure, how do you play?" he asked

"Well we take turns asking five questions each. You can ask anything you want but the trick is you also have to answer every question you ask along with the other player. So it will be a quick way to get into each other's heads."

"Okay who goes first?"

"You."

"Fine, favorite color? Mines Blue."

"Purple or green I can't pick just one." She smiled. "My turn, favorite food? Mines chocolate covered strawberries."

"Hmm that's a tough one, but I'm going to say blueberries. Best friend? Mine is my teammate Stephen Jones."

"I would have to say anyone that I live with. Harry and I aren't that close anymore and I can't be left alone with Ronald without having a panic attack. I would say I'm closest to Siri and Sev though, mostly because they're the closest thing I have to family. Favorite season? Spring for me, when it's always raining and you can go for rain walks, I love it."

"Probably Autumn for me; it's when quidditch starts and I don't do anything in the off season so it's pretty boring, plus all the different colors are beautiful. This may be a sensitive question so I'm going to let you answer first and if you don't want to I will change it but, who are all the members of your family blood or otherwise?"

"All my blood relatives are dead, my parents were the last of the line aside from me and they passed in my sixth year in an accident. My new family is Sirius, Sev, Remus, Charlie, Fred, George, Bill, Percy, and Harry. I might not be as close to the last three but they still treat me like a little sister. Though I have been looking into getting some female friends, I just can't stand most of them; all they talk about is make-up and crap like that. By the way I don't know if you're the type, but you don't need to be jealous of any of them; I don't like any of them like that."

"I understand your dynamic and I wouldn't change it for anything, so don't worry. My blood family is my parents: Jeff and Carrie Wood. But my other family is my team and that includes the coach. They're always there to have my back, I guess they've just grown on me over the years."

"Biggest fear. Mine is probably heights or Bellatrix but she's dead so I guess heights."

"Heights, interesting. Mine has to be losing everyone I love or care about. Biggest pet peeve, people acting like they know everything when they don't; if they do then by all means but if not then it's like shut up." Hermione laughed at his description.

"Well mine has to be people thinking their better than others. Favorite flower? You already know mine."

"Mine is also roses, for much the same reasons, the complexity is beautiful. Where is your favorite place? Mine is the Wood Cottage's gardens; I wouldn't mind living there if you agree after you've seen it, but I haven't been to all the properties yet so that may change."

"That sounds lovely, my favorite place is not a library like everyone seems to think, but my favorite place is a clearing in the forbidden forest. It has purple roses everywhere and a lake. It's beautiful in every season." she paused this was the last question and it was a whopper. "I actually asked to play this game because of my answer to this question. It's what Siri was talking to me about. You're going to answer first then I will but please promise not to freak out or run off."

"Of course I won't Hermione, you know you need a nickname. How about Mia?"

"Okay, I'm calling you Ollie though weather you like it or not." He chuckled and nodded. "What's your worst memory from the war?" he froze but recovered quickly.

"My worst memory from the war is the final battle. I watched so many people die on both sides. I was forced to kill and these were people I knew dying all around me; plus I had no clue where my family was. So yeah that's mine."

"My turn... it all starts after we were on the run for a little while. Ron was wearing one of Voldemort's horcruxes and he and Harry had a row. He left us in the middle of the forest then came back a month later and Harry just forgave him. The next day he got Harry all wound up and made him say his name. Snatchers caught us and brought us to Malfoy Manor." Hermione was unconsciously rubbing her left forearm, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Oliver. "Harry and Ron were taken to the dungeons but they kept me in the drawing room. Bellatrix had seen the sword of Gryffindor and thought we took it from her vault. She tried to get me to tell her how we got it but I wouldn't.

"She used the cruciatus curse on me for almost 40 minutes I think. She set Greyback and a few other men on me, but Lucius told them they were needed elsewhere so they handed me back to Bella. She ended up using a knife when the curse didn't get me to scream. I still have the nightmares three or four times a week and can't wake on my own. That's why they wanted me to tell you, for when we live together. But in my nightmares Ron is standing watching and laughing, Ginny recently joined him. Sometimes I also have to watch everyone I love or care for die. It's terrible." She wouldn't look him in the face, she was staring at the roses closest to her. He took her hand and decided to get her to look at him before asking a question.

"Hermione, this doesn't change anything about you. Do me a favor and lift your left sleeve please." She did and he saw her MUDBLOOD scar. She was crying so he lifted her arm kissed the scar and pulled her to his chest. She melted into his embrace and continued to cry but he felt her confusion. "It's just a word, it means nothing to me." he told her, she visibly relaxed and he just held her for a while.

Eventually her breathing evened out, so he carefully lifted her and flicked his wand, the picnic was put away, and he carried her to the floo. Seconds later he stepped into Grimmauld and saw Severus waiting. He stood when they entered.

"She told you?" he asked, Oliver nodded and Severus took her limp form. "The others went to sleep already and I'm stuck with her for the night because they all have ring shopping tomorrow. A piece of advice, don't show her pity, all you will get is her temper. Though that may help get her mind off things sometimes and remove any pent up emotions so it could work."

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind. Also thank you and Sirius for getting her to tell me. I have a feeling you might've been involved and I'm glad I didn't have to wait until we got married to find out. Though now I want to kill Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, but that's natural I think." Severus chuckled and nodded.

"I assume she didn't get a chance to tell you, but all of our spouses will be meeting here on Sunday to go over wedding plans; dates and such; as well as possibilities of where we will all live. It has the added bonus of getting out of Weasley Sunday dinner; you are of course invited to attend unless you want to leave it all to her which I don't suggest she will make it terrible on purpose, but if you can just be here around noon, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be here I only train Monday to Saturday. Sundays I have off. See you then professor, I need to get going, early morning have to pick her ring up from the jewelers, good thing she loves roses." He said cryptically.

"I'm not your professor anymore Severus is fine, have a goodnight Mr. Wood."

"It's Oliver and you too." He smiled, stepped back into the floo, and was gone with a soft whispered address. Severus put Hermione to bed, magically changed her, and washed her face before going to try and sleep before her possible nightmare.