Disappearance

X. Twin Flames

Harry paced back in forth the length of the bed. Ron sat cross-legged at the bottom of it, tapping his foot against the mattress in a rapid, frantic beat. It seemed that the only sane person within the room was Hendrick as he leaned calm and relaxed against the wall. However, there was no hint of humor or happiness upon Hendrick's face. It was his expression that betrayed his true emotion as he bit the corner of his bottom lip. Hermione eyed the three wizards warily as they continued their anxious nature in the solitude of their own minds.

It was infinitely better to focus on their plights than focus on her own nervous ball of energy bouncing within her body. She had apparently died yesterday. She hadn't told Harry about her strange, strange dream about his parents. What could she truly tell him… that when she died, her mind floated off to have a conversation with Lily and James Potter. It was laughable now, but she tried desperately to remember the words they had spoken to her. Although she had deduced that it had been a dream, she still wanted to remember what they had said. It was alluding her though and it was driving her mad.

The door swung open. Startled, all four head popped up and watched as the same woman from yesterday waltzed in.

Hermione eyed the woman, shuddering as the memories seemed to spark at the presence of the lady. Nervously, she watched as both Harry and Ron jumped to greet the woman. She just gave them a slant of a mysterious smile as she continued to the desk. Hendrick shifted then to the wall. Wide-eyed, they all watched the woman lift up a drab bulky purse the size of a spoiled fat cat and plop it down on the desk. She then opened the purse, reached far inside of it, and pulled a massive antique book and dark wooden chest.

She started mumbling to herself about something and Hermione couldn't help but let a small smile sneak upon her face. Of all times to find something amusing, she was quite certain why at this moment she did. The lady reached back inside. Startled, Hermione watched the lady retrieve a huge clump of black crystal.

"Yes, yes," the woman said, patting the crystal after she placed it down on the desk beside the other objects. "I think that should do it."

Ron was the first to speak. "Should do what?"

It was then that woman looked up, taking inventory of the people in the room. When her eyes settled on Hermione, Hermione felt everything snap within her and seemed to center inside of her. A knowing sparkle shimmered in those shark-like eyes. Hermione couldn't read her and she had a feeling nobody could.

"It's good of you to finally meet you, Hermione Granger," the lady finally said, releasing her from her piercing stare. Once her gaze softened, Hermione found herself relaxing again and second guessing that she was being too harsh. "I find your soul now a much better representation of who you are. This is the soul that everyone raves about in the wizarding world." Those eyes narrowed slightly and Hermione felt like a mouse being examined by a cat. "I can see why, but there's still much more work to be done to make certain your soul stays intact and yourself in control. I still see lingering traces of Bellatrix and dark magic."

"Natasha," Harry called out to her.

Hermione's eyes widened at her name. She didn't even register what Harry was saying nor did she care. Her back straightened and her skin felt almost seemed to itch. All the scars that couldn't be healed by magic seemed to tighten as if her skin was tightening.

"Remember what we're telling you," James begged. "Believe what Natasha tells you. Don't run from this."

Her eyes popped open.

"You're name is Natasha?" she interrupted Harry.

She flushed when everyone's attention drew to her. However, when the lady's attention eerily slid to hers again as her head turned, she wondered if it was a mistake. Those eyes once again settled upon her as if she knew that Hermione knew of her.

"Yes, it is," she said, a bit amused. "I venture to assume you know me… or rather you know of me."

"May-Maybe," Hermione stammered. She glanced over at Harry, who was now looking back and forth between the two.

Brightly, she clapped her hands. "Oh, good. So you do remember some of your encounter with the other side."

"Um, what?" Ron questioned. His eyes widened at that.

"Oh, well, I'm not surprised by it," Natasha told the men, who were all sharing odd looks with each other.

"This bird is barmy," Ron muttered to himself.

Both Hendrick and Harry shared identically amused smiles that they tried to hide out of politeness.

"She was dead, was she not?"

It was Natasha's bold and clear statement that sliced through any amusement. It caused Hermione's breath to catch then glance over at Harry. His eyes had shut and the grimace upon it stayed for a moment before he shuttered off his emotions. Hendrick swallowed thickly and the indignant look upon Ron had paled to a ghostly shade.

"Well, I apologize if that was too fresh and blunt to bring that up, but Hermione was in fact dead yesterday," Natasha huffed. The lady gave them all a sharp looks as if to tell them to wise up. "You may like to forget about that important piece of information, but it is quite needed for Hermione's recovery. So if you don't mind, I'd like to know what you saw over there." Hermione's eyes widened then as she stole a nervous look over at Harry. A slow smirk crossed Natasha's face. "Or perhaps who you may have encountered."

Harry frowned at that, having caught Hermione's eyes upon him. She swallowed as Natasha flopped down upon the chair behind the desk. She wiggled, getting herself comfortably. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Natasha's antics. She frowned, when the woman's eyes narrowed upon her. Then the woman had the audacity to put her feet up upon the desk. There was a neat stack of books piled that the woman had kicked aside deliberately. Hermione growled slightly, eyeing the feet and the toppled books before she blew out a breath of annoyance.

"Well, if you insist," she bit out, glaring at the woman. "But before I say another word, I'd kindly instruct you to take your bloody feet off the desk." She shook her head. "And for Merlin's sake, have more care. Those books are antiques and quite frankly I prefer and value their company to yours at this moment." She sighed then. "Your manners are quite undignified and ill-mannered. I would think a person of your position and stature would know how to behave professionally. You can be the most revered and respected spiritualist for all of the wizarding world, but that doesn't give you the right to come waltzing in here like you own the place." She eyed Harry. "Please, Harry, can you retrieve those books before she ruins them?"

Startled, Natasha opened her mouth to respond. It was clear that she and everyone else in the room wasn't expecting that. Harry stilled for a moment, looking deeply into Hermione's eyes. Instead of retrieving her books, Harry cupped her upturned face and continued to look down into her eyes. She flushed, not quite certain why Harry was just staring down at her.

"Harry?" she questioned.

"It's you, isn't it?"

She frowned at that.

"Harry, please," she begged. "Harry, my books."

She gasped when he leaned down gave her a quick peck on the mouth before he did what she asked. She flushed as she watched Harry and Natasha share a meaningfully pointed look before Harry grabbed her books. She looked around the room, wondering what was so profound that caused that reaction from Harry. Hendrick was over there, trying desperately not to laugh aloud. Ron was once again sitting at the bottom of the bed. She watched as he reached over and patted her leg.

"Welcome back, Hermione," he said softly.

"Ron, don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "It's always…"

She trailed off as cold realization slammed into her. Tears seemed to gather then in her eyes. It had been years since she felt like herself. She put hand over her mouth as the heaviness that had been surrounding her wasn't there. How could she have not noticed this?

She looked over at Natasha.

"How?" she asked. "How did you..?"

For the first time, a tender and sincere smile crossed Natasha's face.

"There's always a light in the darkness, Hermione."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't thank me yet," Natasha told her honestly. Gone was the mysterious nature, Hermione saw the real Natasha. "There's a lot of work to be done." She sighed then. "I'm not even certain you'll like the explanation and the recovery process." Back was the devilish and mysterious nature as Natasha glanced about the room before lifting her hand. The book that she had taken from her purse zoomed into her hand. "Shall we begin?"

Hermione arched her eyebrow as she looked down at the black clump of crystal then back up at Natasha. Natasha had been poking and prodding her with that blasted wand for possibly over a better part of an hour. The witch was now sitting in front of her cross-legged. Those shark-like black eyes narrowed as they continued examining her.

"Bloody hell," Ron finally spoke up in frustration. "You've been at it for an hour and you still have yet to tell us anything."

"Ron," Harry warned.

"I can't help it, Harry. The bloody witch has been just staring at-"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "If you believe you can do a better job doing what I do then please stop wasting my time."

Ron scowled at that. "Wasting time? Me? You bloody-"

"I apologize," Harry cut in, casting Ron a piercing look of his own. "Ron is a bit impatient. We all," he said, gesturing to everyone. "We all are a bit impatient, but Ron is very vocal about his frustrations."

"An hour," Ron muttered darkly.

The witch glanced around the room then she sighed finally. Natasha looked at Hermione and she noticed the uncertainty in them. "I'm not quite certain if you're ready to hear it," Natasha told her, looking directly in her eyes before glancing over at Harry. "Or if you are truly ready. I only told you the tip of the iceberg." Natasha returned her attention to Hermione. "Tell me, who was it that you encountered in the afterlife."

Startled, Hermione's eyes widened at that. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out until she took a deep breath. "It was just a dream though," she gasped, shaking her head. "It can't be possible."

"I wouldn't say it's impossible, Child," Natasha spoke up. "You were very much dead. Your soul had indeed left your body. You had went into 'the light', am I right?" Hermione swallowed. "Who met you in the afterlife?"

There was only silence as Hermione looked into Natasha's eyes. She knew that the bloody witch knew already. The witch had gifts and Hermione wasn't exactly what those gifts entirely were, but she knew Natasha was gifted in a sense that she didn't need spells where most would need to cast spells to obtain certain information. Their gaze and eyes remained locked until Hermione flinched and she knew she had lost whatever battle they had waged silently.

"Harry's parents."

She didn't dare look over at Harry. From the corner of her eye, she saw him tense. She felt the tension and held breath. There was a rustle of clothes as both Hendrick and Ron bristled momentarily. Their intakes of breath could be heard, but Harry's body remained wound tight. She glanced at the clump of black crystal in front of her.

"Do you remember what they said?" Natasha asked.

Hermione looked up then, stealing a glance at Harry before locking unto Natasha's. "Bits and pieces."

"That's expected," Natasha admitted. "But you'll remember soon." She pointed to the crystal. "That, Child, is black tourmaline." Hermione looked down at the crystal. "This is an incredibly powerful protective stone and we are certainly going to need it."

"And why will we need it?"

"Because the battle for your soul isn't quite over yet."

Hermione shuddered at the look in Natasha's eyes. It was almost like she was a predator looking at her prey. She realized the rapid shallow breaths she was hearing were her own as the witch continued to stare at her. What perturbed Hermione about it was the fact Natasha wasn't breathing anymore, but a shimmery cloud seemed to forming around the witch.

"Na-Natasha?"

Natasha smirked. "Do you trust me?"

"No, not really."

"Shame," she said.

Hermione screamed when Natasha launched herself at her. Harry was quickly to drape his body over hers to shield her from Natasha's attack. What she hadn't been expecting was Natasha being blasted backwards straight off the bed. She watched the witch smash into the wall before dropping to the ground in a heap. It was a surprise to see Natasha abruptly leap from the ground to the bed like a cat. Those shark-like eyes continued to stare Hermione down and she watched Natasha once again attempt to jump on them. Wide-eyed, she watched Natasha seemingly hit an invisible wall and the witch sailed backwards. Instead of landing in a mess of limbs, Natasha flipped gracefully in the air and landed on her feet in a crouched position.

Both Ron and Hendrick rushed to subdue her, but Natasha used her energy as a shield. Both of them were flung backwards. The witch put up her hand in a motion to stop everyone as Harry got up off the bed with his wand at the ready.

"Just what I suspected," she said, with a mysterious smile. "Connected."

Hermione frowned, but it was Harry that spoke first.

"Connected?"

"Yes, you're connected," Natasha told him simply. She shrugged. "I needed to make certain. The bond doesn't actively show itself unless you're in danger. I had to put one of you in danger to confirm it."

"And you got your confirmation?" Ron huffed. "By creating chaos."

"Absolutely necessary."

Ron just rolled his eyes, but Harry's eyes narrowed questioningly.

"Necessary to find out what exactly?" Harry asked.

"That you two," Natasha said, giving both Harry and Hermione pointed looks. "You two are twin flames." The witch walked over to Hermione. "Which means, Child, you're in grave danger."