Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Supernatural.

May 2009.

When Hermione got a call from Ellen and Jo asking for her help in a possible case they found, she agreed without thinking much about it.

She wanted to ease back in, after all, and who better to do that with than with Ellen and Jo?

"Are you sure you're ready to go back hunting?" Bobby asked as she packed herself a small bag.

"No," Hermione replied honestly. "But that's why I'm teaming up with Ellen and not Dean."

Bobby nodded and gave her a tight hug.

"Keep safe," he told her.

"You, too," she said. "And keep me posted on the whole 'stopping the Apocalypse' thing, all right?"

"I will."

With that, Hermione Apparated away to where she set up to meet Ellen and Jo.

Their first case was an easy one, and she didn't pay much attention to her phone as they moved to a second and a third.

The fourth one was in River Pass, Colorado. Less than five minutes after the three of them walked into town, all Hell broke loose and she lost her phone trying not to get herself killed by a Demon.

The next few days were a constant fight to survive against what seemed like a whole town getting possessed.

It was a full-out bloodbath – and Hermione saw enough to tell, and it didn't get any better when the two of them got separated from Jo.

Currently, Ellen was on yet another quest through the city to find her daughter, as Hermione sat in the basement they made for the few survivors, making new rock salt bullets.

They couldn't actually kill any Demons, she knew that, and she was breaking about a dozen different law by using magic in front of all of these people, but none of it mattered.

When a knock was heard on the door, she jumped, only to calm down when she heard Ellen's voice through it. Austin, one of the men they found, opened the door and Hermione looked up, only to freeze at the two figures that followed Ellen in.

"This is Sam and Dean," Ellen said. "They're hunters. Here to help."

"You guys hip to this whole demon thing?" Austin asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied, letting his eyes scan the room, resting on Hermione just a bit longer than on the others. "Are you?"

"My wife's eyes turned black," another man, Roger, said. "She came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal."

Hermione wasn't aware she even stood up – or moved at all – until she was in front of Dean. He swallowed hard, reaching into his pocket and handing her the item he pulled out. Looking it through, Hermione realized it was her phone. A little beaten up, a bit broken, but still functioning.

Not that it helped much, considering there was no cell reception.

"I understand Lilith broke the last Seal?" she asked.

Sam and Dean exchanged a worried look.

"Lucifer's out," was all Dean said. "Lilith's dead."

Hermione nodded, putting her phone in the pocket of her coat.

"All right," Dean said, "catch us up."

"I doubt we know much more than you," Ellen said. "Rufus called. Said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Me and Jo were nearby –"

"You're hunting with Jo?" Dean cut her off.

"Yeah, for a while now," Ellen said, looking surprised that he didn't know. She looked at Hermione, who shook her head. "Anyway, we called Mya, offered her to join us as backup. We got here, and the place… well, the place was like you see it. Couldn't find Rufus, then us and Jo got separated. I was out looking when I found you."

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Dean promised.

Hermione didn't bother telling him he couldn't promise that.

"Either way, these people cannot just sit here," Sam added. "We got to get them out now."

"No, it's not that easy," Ellen replied. "I've been trying. We already made a run for it once."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"There used to be twenty of us," Hermione replied, her voice cracking.

There were too many Demons, too many dead, and Lucifer was out and the End of Times was truly here.

The four of them spent a little longer talking and coming up with a semblance of a plan. Sam and Dean would go out, bring back salt, food, water and guns, and look for Jo and Rufus while they're at it. Ellen and Hermione were to stay where they were.

It truly was an indication to how bad things have become that Hermione didn't once protest.

In the end, things turned out to be even worse than any of them could even imagine.

There were no Demons in the town at all. Only scared humans and one Horseman of the Apocalypse – War, to be exact. He hid between them, making them see foes instead of friends, enemies instead of family.

It took Hermione a long time to stop having nightmares of Hell, but now they would only be replaced by this.

Not that the rest of the town was much better, or Ellen, Jo and Rufus, for that matter. They killed each other – killed innocent people – because of what War made them see.

They all were going to need therapy for life.

Dean said he'd get her home, to Bobby's. Neither he nor Sam explained why the younger Winchester wasn't going to join them, but it didn't matter to her.

Right now, she just wanted her dad.

She slept most of the drive to Sioux Falls, huddled in the back seat of the Impala. When she was awake, Dean explained what happened after he disappeared.

How the Angels turned out to be in favor of the Apocalypse, and not against it as they were led to believe. How Castiel rebelled to help him and Sam, died and was brought back, and how it turned out that Dean was destined to be Michael's sword – his vessel for the final battle.

He also explained shortly about the events that led to Lucifer breaking out. Ruby being a traitor – no surprises here – and finding out that Lilith didn't break the last Seal, she was the last Seal, and her death unleashed Lucifer.

"Sam's… better now," he said. "He doesn't want Demon blood anymore – not the way he used to want it, anyway. But he still can't be trusted around it."

"Is that why he left?" Hermione asked.

Dean didn't reply.

When they neared Sioux Falls, Dean mentioned the anti-Angels engravings Cas placed on them, offering that he'd do the same to Hermione.

"I already have it," she said. "Had it since I was pulled out of Hell."

"Your Angel buddy did it?"

"He's not my buddy," Hermione said. "But yes, he did."

"You used to call him for help all the time," Dean said. "What changed?"

"Why did Sam leave?" was all the answer Hermione gave.

Dean didn't say anything else until they parked.

"We're here," he said.

"We are?" Hermione asked, looking out the window and frowning. "Dean, this is a hospital." The confused, light tone she said that in was gone in a second. "Dean… why are we in a hospital?"

"There was something I didn't tell you," Dean said. "After Lucifer broke out and Demons were set loose… your Dad got possessed. The Demon inside of him tried to kill me. Without me, there would be no vessel for Lucifer. Bobby fought him, but… he stabbed himself with the Demon knife."

Hermione could feel her heart beating a thousand beats per minutes, and when she spoke she didn't even care about her voice cracking.

"Is he…?"

"He's alive," Dean replied. "But he… you should go up there. See for yourself."

Hermione nodded, moving to come out of the car before stopping.

"Come with me," she asked. "Please?"

Dean nodded.

They made their way through the hospital. Hermione always hated them, the smell of disinfectant and anesthetic. Her father's room was on the end of the hallway.

As soon as she reached it, she froze. The man inside the room, sitting on a wheelchair, froze as well. They stared at each other silently for a few long moments until Bobby spoke.

"Leave."

"No."

The word left Hermione's mouth before she even knew she was saying it – before she even comprehended what her father said, but as soon as she realized, she was glad it did.

"Leave," Bobby repeated, forcefully this time.

"No," Hermione repeated as well, just as stubborn.

"Leave!"

"No!"

She took three quick steps forwards and found herself crouching besides him. She reached for his hand, only for him to roll the chair backwards.

"Go away," he said, his voice shaking.

"I won't," Hermione replied. "You know I won't."

"I don't…" Bobby closed his eyes in pain. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"I don't care," Hermione said. "And, for the record, neither do Dean and Sam. We don't care."

"I do."

There was a part of Hermione that wanted to walk away. To walk out the door and not come back until he was better. She never saw her Dad like this, so… vulnerable. To her, he was the man who could do anything, fight every monster – both the physical and metaphorical one.

He was the one who was always there for her, no matter what. Never judging. Never asking more than she felt comfortable asking. Never trying to force anything on her and yet always calling out her bluff when she was being illogical.

But there was no getting better than this. Even the magical medical field couldn't fix something like this, not so long after it happened. If he arrived within twelve hours of the injury, maybe, but days had passed.

Hermione glanced at the door, only to see Dean was no longer there. Maybe that was for the better. The less people that were with Bobby right now were better.

"Come to England with me," she said. "I still have my flat in London. Stay with me for a while."

"I don't need a nurse," Bobby said, spitting out the word as though he was talking about the worst monster mankind ever encountered.

"I never offered to be one," Hermione replied. "I just… just until you figure out how to work around… around this," she said, marking at his wheelchair. "You could come with me to see Jessica-Rose, and the Weasleys. They won't judge, you know that."

"Yes, they will," Bobby replied. "It's been less than a week and I can already feel this. Everyone's looking at me differently. Even you."

"No, I don't," Hermione said, doing her hardest to believe the words she was saying. "And they won't, either."

It was true, in part. If she said there was no judgement in her now, she'd be lying, but it wasn't at him being in a wheelchair. It was at how defeated he acted.

"Come to England with me," she repeated. "Please?"

Bobby didn't reply, only turning away to look out the window of his hospital room, but he didn't need to.

Hermione knew he agreed.