Thanks to one of the guest reviewers who gave me the new summary for the story. Thanks for all of the reviews and ideas. Sorry that so much time is taken between each chapter - for some reason my school thinks it is acceptable to give us exams every two weeks.

The new T rating is for this chapter - nothing too bad happens, it's just for safety.

I don't own Harry Potter - but if I said I did, what would you do about it?

It was the last Tuesday before the Christmas holidays: Harry and Hermione were sat in the Library going over the plans for those holidays.

"So he just gave you the Invisibility cloak?" Hermione asked, surprised at Dumbledore's sudden change of heart.

"Yeah, I guess this means that we can move forward going to the Mirror to during the holidays," Harry paused, "Hermione I want you to go home for Christmas."

"What? I thought I was here to help you!" Hermione near shouted, shocked at Harry for trying to send her home.

"You are Hermione, and you have helped me - a lot. But you haven't seen your parents since you obliviated them and sent them to Australia. That was like 20 years ago. I don't have anyone to go back to, but you do, and I'm sure they've missed you for the past 3 months. You'll come back and we can destroy the stone here together."

"Oh, I guess I forgot." Hermione replied meekly, "Are you sure you'll be fine here, alone with the Weasley's?"

"I'll manage, its only two weeks."

"And you're sure you know where the mirror is."

"Hermione, it may sound kind of ridiculous but I visited that room, even after the mirror was removed. It was the first place I saw my parents. I even went there before my last fight with Voldemort.."

"Harry that's not ridiculous at all," Hermione affirmed.

WEDNESDAY

Ronald Weasley slowly trudged his way up the stone steps to Dumbledore's office. At least while he was home for Christmas he wouldn't have to deal with all these stairs just to meet with some old man. After what felt like a lifetime he finally arrived at the door to the Headmaster's office. He swung open the door without knocking and barged in almost missing his mother. His mother? He looked up again at Dumbledore's desk and saw her stood next to him. Completely thrown off by her appearance in his office, he missed how close the two of them were positioned, or that his mother's top button was open on her dress, or the fact that both of them were blushing, with what he thought was anger, but Ron being the idiot that he was completely missed what the true meaning was.

***FLASHBACK***

A young Molly Prewett, at the age of 16 was headed to her favourite class, Transfiguration. Sure she would be failing if not for her teacher - Professor Dumbledore, or as she got to call him alone, Albus - allowing her grades to rise with some 'Extra Credit'. He was very nice to her, but she knew she could never tell about the treats he gave her, some of which she returned. She had heard rumours of a 7th Year who supposedly fancied her, maybe for public image, he would have to do.

"Ronald!" Molly exclaimed.

"What?" he replied gruffly.

"We've called you here Mr Weasley, to discuss your arrangements for the upcoming holiday," Dumbledore began.

"Why? I'm going home. Me,Percy, George, Fred. We're all going home... ain't we?" Ron gaped at each of them, if he had to stay here, where would he get his mum's mince pies or to spend time with his favourite sibling?

"Ron, would you say Harry Potter is your friend?" Molly asked.

"Well I dunno do I? He's always around that stinky mudblood so I never get the chance to hang around him."

"Well," Mrs Weasley started, "She will be heading home for Christmas. So, if your here with Harry while he's all alone, I'm sure you'll get closer, and even convince him to get rid of that buck-toothed bi-"

"Finally," Ron jumped in, "But if I'm staying so are Percy, George and Fred."

"Fine," Molly said, "As long as it keeps you here."

Friday had finally arrived and Harry and Hermione were once again sat in the Room of Requirement; the train didn't leave for another few hours and they had nothing better to do than sit and talk.

"Hermione?" Harry began.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Before all of..." Harry gestured around the room, "this, this time-travel, restarting, before all of it, I had plenty of time to think over my decision to leave. I had noone left. My children believed me dead and I had no way of getting to them, I had no friends they were either dead, missing, traitors or under the effects of a potion. McGonagall had been dead for a few months as well. I had nothing to lose. I planned on coming back here, on my own making sure that noone else ever got hurt, ever again. When you showed up, you had only just come out of the effects of that potion, you still had a life, Hermione, children who loved you and maybe even the ability to keep going, are you sure it was the right decision to come with me?"

"Do you not want me to be here, with you, Harry?"

"That's not what I mean, Hermione. It's just that you had the potential to continue your life, you still left things behind, why?"

"Because you were also my only living friend. The few moments I thought you were dead were a living hell, Harry. I don't want to live without you by my side because you are my best and closest friend. This will probably sound horribly cruel, but I can't feel any pity for the children I left behind. This way they were never born, this way they were never abused and this way they were never neglected. I can barely even say that I loved them and they were my own kids but I never got to know them, never asked them how school was going, how there day was going, what they wanted to do during the holidays. They spent the holidays they could at Hogwarts and that was so much better for them than coming home. Now, by the end of the day, I'll get to see my parents again for the first time in over 2 decades. Yes, I made a very rash decision, I just decided to come with you on the spot, as though we were moving to Spain not through time, but I have no regrets, I feel happier now, now that there aren't the same burdens I had before weighing me down. So Harry, all I can really say to you is thank you, thank you for bringing me along and practically saving me from a life of torture." She smiled. The biggest and brightest smile she'd smiled in years, and Harry smiled too, happy he had such a wonderful friend as Hermione.

A few hours later and Harry was waving Hermione off as she got on the carriage that would take her to the train returning to her parents. As the carriage drew further away Harry felt pangs of sadness in his chest at watching her go, but he swallowed them down and walked back to the palace, ready to bear the Weasels and take on the next day, the day where he would finally retrieve the Philosopher's stone.

Chapter updated and better than before! Thanks for reading, please review.