Chapter Ten


Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or places mentitioned in this fic. Except Dr Mistletone.

This chapter is dedicated to dulciwik and FantasyFreak101 and everyone else who knew it's from the AMAZING A Very Potter Musical. I love that musical so much!


"I do" Ginny said, tears filling her eyes.

"And do you, Harry James Potter, take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the short wizard said proudly.

"I do" Harry Potter said, smiling at his bride.

"Then I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride" The wizard didn't have to tell them twice. As the newly married couple kissed, their closest friends and family cheered and wolf whistled. Hermione clapped along with everyone else but the scene was hauntingly familiar. In his wedding tux, Harry looked more like James than ever before. And Ginny, in her long white dress and beautiful red hair, reminded Hermione for the first time, of Lily Evans. But James and Lily were gone. It had been several years since she had last seen Harry's parents but only days since she had last visited Sirius.

Azkaban was horrible and every time she visited, Hermione could see the life drifting out of him. But, like when he was little, she told him stories. She told him all about Harry and about him growing up with the muggles. In a few years they would meet in the shrieking shack and Sirius must be prepared. She also filled Sirius in on the details she knew he would need to know. Like where Peter was hiding, that the Weasleys knew nothing about the man Scabbers really was, that Lupin would be teaching that year... stuff like that. But she made Sirius promise he wouldn't try to break out until he found the article about the Weasley's trip to Egypt. She also warned him, he would meet a younger version of herself and he couldn't give anything away to her.

She missed the old Sirius. The carefree prankster. But this new version was so much closer to the one she had written letters to. He seemed older and more vulnerable and... and just... just tired. She knew if he didn't transform into a dog regularly to escape the Dementors icy grip, he would be even worse.

"Hermione?" he had asked on her last visit.

"Yes?" she had replied.

"I want you to find out why you keep coming to the past" he had said solemnly. She hadn't told him at the time but she had been thinking the same thing too. It was time she finally knew what was happening. She had promised the convict, she would and the next day, she went to St Mungos. A hospital that specialises in unusual cases would be the ideal place to start.

She gave in her details and her cause for concern and was passed around several so called specialists. Then finally she ended up in a Dr Rowan Mistletone's office.

Hermione surveyed Dr Mistletone warily from across the doctor's desk. Was she going to get passed onto another associate again?

"I'm sorry no one has been able to help you so far Ms Granger. They should have brought you directly to me" Dr Mistletone said. The doctor was a very, very thin woman. It seemed like every joint could snap. Her hair was in a severely tight bun and there was not a single hair out of place. She had a long nose and had small spectacles perched on the end of it. She looked more like a witch from a fairy tale. But at least she was efficient.

"I suspect you are currently suffering from Cadens per tempus Syndrome. Don't worry it is fairly common among high achieving wizards and witches. Cadens per tempus is Latin, it translates roughly into Falling through time syndrome. Before this entire situation started, have you ever used time travel before?" Dr Mistletone said quickly. Her voice was deep for a woman and very calm.

Hermione was going to say no in reply to the question, but then she remembered. She had nearly forgotten!

"I used Time Travel in my 3rd year at Hogwarts, so I could do extra classes. I used a Time Turner"

"As I suspected. This is why it is common among high achieving wizards and witches. Travelling through time by use of a time turner or by any other means always leaves a mark. Not one you can see of course. Regular use of time travel or effecting events thoroughly makes this mark more prominent. Usually it will remain dormant and will not affect the wizard or witch for the rest of their lives. But it never goes away on its own. If the mark is particularly strong or prominent, if the witch or wizard suffers from conflicting emotions, such as love and hate, hope and despair or victory and regret, at the same time, it has been known to throw the witch or wizard into the past. This first visit triggers the mark and the witch or wizard will visit the past regularly."

It was hard for Hermione to take it all in. So it was a recognised syndrome. Wow. She could see what she meant about conflicting emotions. She had first visited Sirius after Harry had defeated Voldemort on Sirius's death's anniversary. That reminded her. What about Sirius? The doctor hadn't mentioned anything about latching onto another person's timeline.

"But every time I travel to the past it's always in sync with the same person's timeline" Hermione said. Dr Mistletone was quiet and stayed quiet for a moment, frowning slightly.

"That's... odd" the Doctor said simply. She was quiet a moment more. "You said you travelled through time before to do extra classes. Can you remember anything you did, that would affect the others around you at all?" This time Hermione quiet for a moment.

"I saved his soul" she said quietly, remembering. At this the doctor nodded.

"That would be why. You saved his soul, that alone means you have a connection to him for the rest of both your lives. It is similar to the power of love, sacrificing yourself for someone else. That would explain how when you got thrown back in time, that connection kicked in and draw you to him. Plus by carrying out this act, you may have unknowingly made your mark even stronger" The doctor nodded to herself as she spoke and jotted something on the clipboard Hermione hadn't noticed she had been holding.

"But I didn't do it alone. His godson and I saved him. His godson had never travelled in time before then but if this act makes the mark so strong surely he would have this condition as well? Trust me, he's the person who invented conflicting emotions" Hermione protested.

"Ms Granger, you used time travel regularly for a whole school year. Your mark was already strong enough to put you at risk of developing the syndrome later on in life. This other person? He may be at risk but not as much as you were." The doctor explained.

Hermione nodded. It was a lot to take in.

"Treatment is very simple and-"

"T-t-treatment?" Hermione gaped at the doctor.

"Why yes? Isn't that why you came to see me?"

"I just wanted to know what was happening. I didn't even know treatment existed" Hermione said.

"The treatment consists of series of spells. You would keep you here in the hospital overnight to check everything went smoothly and then you would be free to go. The spells deactivates the mark and sends it back into its dormant state. Of course it can be triggered again, but then you may simply have treatment a second time." Dr Mistletone explained.

"And what if I don't want the treatment?" Hermione asked shakily. The doctor stared at her like she was mad.

"Well, I understand you may have gotten used to this state and it may be hard to leave that life behind but I assure you that treatment is the best-"

"I said what if I don't want the treatment?" Hermione interrupted harsher than needed to be.

"What you must understand is that time travel isn't natural. It's not something that should happen. And time usually finds a way of righting anything that is wrong. Sometimes it will change it for good and sometimes, well dreadful things have been known to happen. It's whether you want to live with the risk for the rest of your days." Dr Mistletone said softly. "I recommend the treatment personally.".

Hermione was quiet for a long time.

"Can I think about this?" she said finally. Dr Mistletone smiled and nodded.

"How about we make an appointment with me for next week. That will be long enough to think about it?"

Hermione agreed.

And Hermione had spent the next week tossing and turning, thinking and wondering all day and all night. Could she live with such a risk? Should she give up Sirius?

Harry and Ginny's wedding was the day before her appointment. Hermione had hoped it would be a nice distraction and it was.

She hadn't seen her friends for a while. Work and Sirius had gotten in the way. After the ceremony she congratulated Harry and Ginny and they both pulled her in for a hug.

"We've missed you Mione, you barely come to visit us anymore" Ginny said sadly.

"I know I'm so sorry. Work gets in the way" Hermione tried to laugh it off.

"They work you too hard" Ginny said as Harry raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Hermione.

Ginny had disappeared into the crowd when Harry caught up with Hermione a few minutes later.

"Where have you been Hermione?" Harry said.

"I was just going to the buffet table" Hermione said uncomfortably.

"You know that's not what I mean. You're one of my best friends. I miss you. We used to be so close but now we never see you. You keep cancelling on us. On me" Harry said looking down at her with those green eyes. Lily's eyes.

"I'm sorry"

"Yeah I know"

"I'll try to see you more often" Harry laughed when she said that.

"Do you remember what you said to me on our last day of Hogwarts? You said "Do you reckon we'll always be this close?" And I said "When you've gone through all that we have, I think you're stuck being friends forever". I guess I was wrong" Harry said, hurt in his eyes. Hermione pulled him into a tight hug. Harry hugged her tightly back.

"I promise you Harry James Potter, I will make more of an effort. In fact, I have an appointment tomorrow morning, would you and Ron like to meet me in the Leaky Cauldron afterwards? You know... to catch up. I have missed you too, you know" Hermione looked up at him. Harry nodded gratefully. She hated upsetting Harry. They had been through so much together. She really needed to focus on now and not living in the past. Maybe she should have the treatment. Maybe it was for the best.

Hagrid was stood on his own near the back to the hall; the reception was being held in. He was swaying in time to the music. He wasn't drunk yet. He was all dressed up in his very horrible suit and his hair was all greased up.

"Hey Hagrid" Hermione smiled at him. Hagrid grinned.

"Hey there, 'mione. How ya been?" Hagrid patted her shoulder.

"I've been good thanks" Hermione smiled.

"Listen, ya must be old enough by now. I know ye visited Sirius Black when 'e was at Hogwarts. I remembered ya, see? You were one of the first students to ever be nice ta me" Hagrid grinned. Hermione gaped at him. She remembered briefly bumping into him but she hadn't thought he would remember.

"Hagrid you can't tell anyone I was there!" Hermione squeaked.

"Nah, I won't. I just wanted ta thank you is all. After ya visit, Sirius Black and his friends stopped carrying out their pranks on me. I guessed it must ha been your fault. I wanted to thank ya. Ya meant a lot to him I think." Hagrid beamed and enveloped Hermione in a bone crushing hug. Hermione let herself smile. She sighed. She knew she did mean a lot to Sirius. Could she really leave him?

The next day seemed to come too quickly. But Hermione had made her decision. It had been dreadfully hard to make but it was final. She still wasn't sure but she would have to live with it.

"Well have you made up your mind?" Dr Mistletone said.

"Yes, I have decided to...


Duh duh duh!

I wanted to say thank you so much for the reviews and followings and favourites! You have no idea how much it means! There were so many, I love you guys so much. It took ages to write this chapter, because I wanted to get it right. :) Hope I did ok :) Thanks again!