Charles was holding Crookshanks in the scruff of the cat's neck. Hermione stumbled to her feet, her legs shaking. She couldn't tell if it was because of what Henry had been about to do, or the fact that Crookshanks was there. She ran to Charles and his horse, completely unladylike, and reached her arms up.

"Give him to me," she said to Charles, who still was holding the cat like it was a rodent. Sure, Crookshanks might not be the prettiest pet, but he was intelligent. Though, at the moment, he wasn't exactly behaving like it, screeching and squirming like Deatheaters were coming. Given the dogs, she couldn't really blame him.

"I yet think a pup would be more suitable, madam Granger," Charles said before he gave Crookshanks to her. "I know of a bitch who is expecting any day now."

"You find me not surprised of such notions," Henry said as he walked up to them.

Henry met his gaze and answered slowly. "Mine apologies, your majesty. I should have known the subject of delicate conditions might put you in a foul mood."

"You push your luck, Brandon."

Hermione ignored their banter – having best friends with nemeses somehow made you immune – and searched Crookshanks' fur. She found sticks, branches, mud, possibly blood, bugs and flees. But the necklace was gone. And with it, the entangled time turner. She made a noise. It could be anywhere. And the further away it was, the more stupid it would be to even try an accio spell – if that'd even work, that was. Powerful objects such as the time turner, there might be some built-in safety-hatch to make it harder to steal.

"Fare you well, Hermione?" Henry asked. She shook her head. No, she wasn't alright. Not by far. She should feel relieved now that Henry believed her about the nunnery and she had Crookshanks by her side again, but she felt worse than ever. Lying Henry straight to the face felt terrible, and what was worse was that she had no way of getting herself home where she was needed.

"On a first-name basis now, are we, your majesty?" Charles noted and raised an eyebrow.

"Mind your own business, my lord," Henry said with a rough voice. He turned to Hermione again. "What happened? Has he lost the object of yours?"

She nodded, afraid to speak. If she said as much as a word she wouldn't be able to keep her tears back.

"Don't worry. We shall find it. We shall search the entire forest, if we must. Is that not so, Lord Brandon?"

"Of course," Charles said and bowed his neck. "May I suggest we do away with the animal as well, for doing the young madam such injustice? Also, it might have caught something in the woods. I swear I felt the bite of a flea the second I touched the stray."

"No!" Hermione called out and pressed Crookshanks closer to her chest. The cat meowed and tried to claw himself free. "No. No one touches him."

"Of course not," Henry said and put a hand on her back – too high to be inappropriate but too low to be entirely friendly. He looked at Charles. "You best be on your way, my lord. Call together the search party and let them know the subject of their search has changed. And let it also be known that there is to be a reward for whomever finds it."

"Know we the nature of this 'lost object'?" Charles said and turned to look at Hermione.

She hesitated. Of course she wanted to find it, but to let Muggles look for it … who knew what could happen? It was completely and utterly forbidden, not to mention stupid. On the other hand, she'd already broken more laws than half the prisoners of Azkaban. Put together.

"An hourglass on a golden chain," she said. "It's really fragile."

"Worry not, Hermione," Charles said. "I'll be gentle. And I shall be the one to bring it back to you, personally." He gazed at Henry, before he rode off.

… ... ...

"An hourglass?" Henry asked the maiden. Was that what she had been crying about? If she'd only asked, he could have given her a dozen.

"It's a special hourglass," Hermione answered, stroking the cat's back. That animal might be the ugliest creature he'd ever seen – he hated to admit it, but Charles had been right about the pup.

"What is so special about it?" he wanted to know. "So special you cannot return to your brothers without it?"

"It's complicated," she said.

"I'm a king," he smiled. "I am used to complicated."

"Not this complicated," she whispered.

"I am the law," he said and took her hand. "Should it be too complicated, I shall simplify it."

She shook her head and pulled her hand away. Whatever moment they had shared just then, it was over. But at least he would get some more time, until they found that hourglass. How ironic, he thought, that a time calculator would measure their time together.

She looked at him with her brown teary eyes. "And if I was breaking the law?"

"Herm, I told you I'm no fool – I can put two and two together. Did you honestly think I did not suspect it when I found you wandering about in the royal garden? You might have been telling the truth about the nunnery, but yet t'was clear that you were untrue about other things. You are clever, but a terrible liar."

Her body tensed at his words, and she looked ready to run.

He smiled. "Worry not, my dear. Do you not think I should have acted already had I any plans to do so? I shall clear you of all charges – what you've done, you've done for family and love," he smiled. "For all offences but one."

"Which is …?" she asked in a low voice.

He stroke her cheek. "Stealing my heart." He expected her to smile or blush, but instead she rolled her eyes. He made a face. "You needn't tell me – you think me a 'cliché' again, isn't it so?"

"We've known each other for four days," she repeated. "Barely even that!"

"For me, those have been four of the best days in a verily long time," he said.

She turned away from him. "This isn't right. This isn't what's supposed to happen."

"Herm," he said. "I wouldn't be the first king to stray from his marital bed, and I shall not be the last. God has sent you to me, I am sure of it. The Lord chose me for England, and he has chosen you for me."

She avoided to look at him. "You don't understand. Where I'm from … your destiny is already in the books."

"Catherine is not my destiny. Had she been, I would have had a son by now." He took her hand. "Listen, Hermione. I cannot know what lies in my future, but I do know I want you in the present. Do you not feel the same?"

"Actually, I don't know what I feel." She took a breath. "Can't we just go back?"

"Of course, Hermione. If you wish it," he said and then made a sign to the servants to pack.

He knew she was confused, having so much going on at once, but he also knew she was lying again – this time about not knowing what she felt. He'd seen it in her eyes, on her cheeks, in her touch, that she felt something for him too. To be sure, she'd only been in his life for four days, but he couldn't bear to go back to the way it had been before that. He'd convince her to stay, somehow. After all, he was king, and he would have it no other way.