Hello,
I am sorry about the delay in getting this last chapter out. Life hit hard and I could not keep up with the story. I refuse to keep the story hanging out there in the uncompleted category. I apologize for the lack luster ending, but I didn't want to let the story collect dust when I could no longer write this story. Thank you for hanging in there.
Alex
Hermione walked hand in hand with Minerva into the kitchen and smiled as she watched Severus and Finley talking about Finley's life. Severus, the consummate gentleman once you got past the gruff and snide exterior, listened raptly as Finley talked. Hermione looked down as she felt Minerva squeeze her hand and Hermione's eyes found her once upon a time, and soon to be lover's eyes. Green shined with mirth, but also had questions as Minerva tilted her head toward the pair.
"I am so very glad I saved him," Hermione whispered in her ear, and then pulled back for Minerva to see her eyes. Hermione nodded as Minerva slipped slightly into her mind. Hermione nearly moaned at the sensation. She never let anyone willingly perform legimancy on her. It was to invasive, intimate. Her thoughts were hers and no others and Hermione protected them. When Minerva's mind reached out for hers it was unlike any other psychic interrogation. It was as if Minerva caressed her mind, soothed it as she slipped into her thoughts telling Hermione she would keep them safe, cherish them.
When Minerva pulled back blinking her mouth, that perfect mouth, formed a surprised 'O.' She then turned back to Severus and looked at him, truly looked at him and Hermione held her breath. Minerva sighed deeply then nodded. Minerva looked back to Hermione and lowered her head and captured Hermione's lips gently. Their lips moved over each other's slowly, sensually. When they broke from one another it was to the sound of silence. Hermione and Minerva looked to the other people in the room and found two sets of curious eyes. Hermione cleared her throat and straightened her back, but never let go of Minerva.
"Alright, you two will go upstairs and fix the damage to my room, you have no more than half an hour to do this," Hermione glared at her daughter and Severus.
"She damaged the room too you know," Severus countered with a sneer. Minerva growled but Hermione placed a hand upon her arm.
"Yes, but I would have possibly had a much more pleasant morning if you followed instructions and not come barging into my bedroom Sev," Hermione snapped but the twinkle in her eye took the bite from her words. Severus looked to Minerva and Hermione could practically feel the smirk on her lips.
"How was I supposed to know she was going to be here?" Severus asked drawing himself up to his full height.
"Severus, I have told you a great many things, but I have never told you about who has graced my bed in the past now have I?" Hermione said narrowing her eyes. The air shifted and Hermione closed her eyes as she felt Severus trying to gain access to her mind. Hermione sighed and shook her mind right as Finley reached for Severus's elbow. He was still that old bat in the dungeon from time to time.
"I couldn't just leave you, Hermione. Not after everything," Severus said, head held high as he took Finley's hand from his arm and held it with his own and began to walk past her.
"I would have known where you were," Hermione said opening her eyes looking past his shoulder, and then her brown eyes turned to meet his, "I have always known where you are, and I would have found you. I am sorry I wasn't there," Hermione said softly. Severus nodded and then walked with Finley to fix the room that lay in shambles.
"You do not need to provoke him," Hermione said as she walked to the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. Minerva followed.
"I was not provoking him," Minerva defended but as soon as Hermione's eyes fell on hers Minerva felt contrite and quirked a small apologetic smile, "Well not much," the headmistress added. Hermione nodded as she fixed Minerva's cup of tea. They both settled against counter tops, took their first sip of their brew and sighed simultaneously. It was perfect in a way.
"We have to talk about …" Hermione began but was cut short by the alert to her Floo network being activated. Hermione placed her cup on the counter and reached for her second wand from behind her back that was in a special sleeve in the belt loops of her shorts. Minerva's eyes narrowed and she followed suit drawing her wand.
There was crashing of a lamp and cursing. Hermione took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes as she stalked from her kitchen to her living room.
"I thought no one knew where this was and only a select few have access to your floo," Minerva said then looked to Hermione's face. It was shrouded in darkness. The intensity of her features made Minerva shiver. This was not the low key, bookish woman she thought she knew. This was an Unspeakable, and a very skilled one at that.
Hermione and Minerva slowly crept toward the living room where the floo dumped out into and listened.
"Bloody table. Who puts a bloody table in the middle of a living room in front of a fireplace?" gripped a voice Minerva and Hermione knew all too well. Minerva looked over to Hermione. Hermione's brown eyes turned cold.
"Minerva, he can't know about my guest upstairs," Hermione whispered, and Minerva nodded, shifted to her cat form, and made her way to the stairs. Hermione took a breath and walked into her living room.
"How are you here, Ronald?" Hermione asked as she walked further into the living room watching the intruder. Ron's eyes lifted and then found hers. Hermione listened and heard soft thuds on the floor above her and then the stairs.
"I am here because you never answered my question from the other night Hermione," Ron said and Hermione blinked her eyes and cocked her head.
"I do recall telling you no, and you huffing off like the petulant child that you are, and you didn't answer my question just now. How are you here?" Hermione said in a clipped tone. Hermione saw two cats slink into the living room and a large black spider creep along the wall close to Ron.
"I asked you to go on a date Hermione. Its not the end of the world, and it isn't as if you are seeing anyone," Ron snipped back not answering her question.
"Who I am or am not seeing has nothing to do with you," Hermione gritted. She watched as Minerva slinked closer to him, jump up on a chair, and then sit down. Hermione smiled as she watched Minerva. Ron looked to the cat.
"Blimey, looks just like McGonagall. I know you like her a lot but don't you think this is going too far?" Ron said. The cat lazily looked from Ron to Hermione and then another cat jumped up on the couch drawing Ron's attention.
"Two cats? When did you get those? I didn't know you got two cats," Ron said looking from the two cats to Hermione. In the time it took from Ron to look to Finley and then Minerva and then back to Hermione Severus crawled up the wall and then clung to the ceiling. Hermione knew where everyone was and was grateful.
"Ronald, answer my question, how did you get here? You are not on any of my authorized floo connections," Hermione stated. It was instantaneous. Ron's face quickly turned red with anger, and Hermione took a deep breath ready for his outburst. It was the same one every time they had this conversation.
"Why is that Hermione? I'm your mate, your best friend. Why can Harry have access but not me? We went through so much together, and I know you better than anyone. I love you Hermione. Can't you see that?" Ron said and Hermione sighed already bored.
"We are not best mates, Ronald. I never forgave you for walking out on us…" Hermione growled.
"That was over a decade ago! Let it go Hermione. No one is as perfect as you are," Ron sneered sat Hermione.
"I will not forgive a person who left his supposed best friends to die, Ronald," Hermione paused as she noticed the red head before her shift in his demeanor, "Ron?" Hermione asked as she reached out.
"BLOODY HELL HERMIONE!" he yelled making her pull back and look up and slowly shake her head to the large black spider on the ceiling, "I want you! Can't you see that?" Ron huffed and then seemed to deflate as he fell to the couch and began to pet the nearest cat, which just so happened to me Minerva. Minerva growled and jumped from the couch and onto another seat watching Ron, and all Hermione could do was watch and smile.
"Ron, listen to me, and listen to me for the last time," Hermione said gently, and Ron sighed and looked to Hermione.
"I have been through decades of training…" Ron scoffed, and Hermione shushed him with a raise of her finger and a scolding look, "I have been through decades Ron, literal decades, of time. I have lived so much of my time in the past, I want a future. I want my future…"
"Exactly we can make one together," Ron tried but Hermione shook her head.
"I don't want a future with a man who wants to relive his glory years. I am not the Golden Girl of the Golden Trio anymore. I am Hermione and I fell in love with my past…" Hermione watched Ron's eyes lift hopefully and she shook her head.
"She…" Hermione put emphasis on the pro noun and Ron blinked and pulled back from Hermione, "She is my past, my present and my future. She always has been, Ron," Hermione said firmly and yet still conveyed care and gentleness.
"McGonagall then?" Ron asked looking into the empty fireplace away from Hermione's eyes.
"Yes," Hermione confirmed and looked to Minerva and the cat seemed to purr as she stretched out over the arm of the sofa next to Hermione.
"I didn't want to believe the Prophet this morning. I always hoped… Well you know," Ron sighed then rubbed his hands on his pants, "You are so young though Hermione and she is bloody ancient," Ron groaned trying his last bit of logic. Hermione shook her head and took her wand out. Ron watched enraptured as Hermione waved her wand in an intricate formation over her features. He could not pull his eyes from the woman that sat before him. Hermione at there, gray streaked through her hair, lines and wrinkles marked her face of the years she had lived in her time travel.
"Everything aged except your eyes. Mione… how?" Ron asked with his brow furrowed. Hermione smiled and reached out and patted his hand.
'Time travel Ronald," Hermione smiled gently.
'Time turners? How far? When? Where?" Ron rambled off.
"Yes, Ronald, and it is unfortunate that you know as well as I do that is confidential information and I am tongue tied to the secrets I have," Hermione smiled to her old friend as he nodded as if the world collided and then put its self-back together with new colors and strange facts.
"I swear I will not tell a soul," Ron vowed, and Hermione smiled warmly.
"Thank you, now you understand why this won't work?" Hermione asked as she moved her hand between then indicating the issue at hand.
"Oh yeah, no offence but I don't want an old woman. You look great, but I'm sorry Hermione," Ron said stammering and Hermione smiled as she noticed his ears turning red.
"Now, how did you get here Ronald? It is imperative that you tell me. My location is top secret, and if you know where you are, you will have to memory wiped," Hermione gently threatened.
"I was in Harry's office and saw your letter. I opened it and got the information. Here I am," Ron looked to Hermione and noticed the fury in her posture and face, "I buggered this up, didn't I?" Ron asked and Hermione nodded, "Is there a chance we can still be friends?" Ron asked and Hermione looked to him. She looked into his heart; thought about the man he became from the boy he was. Not much changed. She could not deal with that in her life, and they will not be in the same social circle… ever.
"No, Ronald. I believe we have not been friends for quite some time. Let's just go back to our lives," Hermione suggest still trying to be gentle with her friend.
"Alright Hermione. I wish you well," Ron said as he reached over for a hug. Hermione let the hug happen, but she broke away quickly. He ran his hand through his red hair and shook his head.
"Goodbye, Hermione," Ron said and then he picked up the floo powder and flooed to Harry's house. Hermione guessed he went to confess his whereabouts, and to apologize. She looked around and then sighed then leaned back.
"I have to send out the owls again for new passwords. Damn," Hermione said and then felt the sofa depress next to her and cloths shuffle to her left. She opened her eyes.
"That was eye opening," Severus said.
"Mom…" Finley said asking her silent question.
"Go you two. I will talk to you both in a moment," Hermione said, and Severus and Finley went back to fixing the bedroom.
Hermione looked over to her right. Minerva sat there her left arm braced on the back of the couch, her left foot under her right thigh as she turned and looked at Hermione. Hermione let the woman study her, look over her form, her wrinkles, and see the age chiseled over Hermione's features.
"You are beautiful, Hermione," Minerva whispered as she let her hand slip over the back of the couch and brush the hair at Hermione's temple. Then Hermione shimmered back in to the 30 something year old woman.
"You don't have to be young for me my love," Minerva said as she looked into Hermione's eyes. Hermione smiled.
"This is my original form Minerva," Hermione smiled as Minerva's brow furrowed, and then she chuckled.
"That's one way to get Ronald off your back. Claim you are old, but it makes perfect sense. You should be 77 years old, and the time turner usage should have displayed your age," Minerva stated trying to work through the issue.
"Yes, it should have, but you and I have very similar problems with saving moronic Frenchmen," Hermione said as she moved her shirt up displaying a circular scar to her right ribcage. Minerva leaned closer and ran her fingers over the blemish.
"When?" Minerva whispered.
"It was about 4 years ago; I took a jump to France during the French Revolution. I was caught in a riot in the middle of Paris, and I saw Nick. He was trying to save a woman and her child, and I watched as a thug lifted his gun to shoot the woman, and nick reached for his wand. I was an idiot and leapt in front of the shot. He took me away and… Well let's just say you and I have A LOT more in common that you ever thought," Hermione said watching Minerva.
"He gave you a shard?" Minerva asked lifting her surprised green eyes to look into Hermione's. Hermione nodded.
"Oh, Hermione. This is not a gift; this is a curse. Can you take it out?" Minerva asked worry creasing her brow.
"Yes, but I will become the 77-year-old woman, and I will die sooner than I wish to. I just got you, and I will not let you have another loved one die all too soon. Not again my love," Hermione said.
"But you will see your daughter die, we will see our daughter die," Minerva whispered with wet eyes.
"Yes, but you will not be alone when this happens. Also, I have it on good authority that she lives a gorgeous life full of love and laughter, Children and grandchildren. She will die happily, and with no regrets," Hermione smiled as she stroked her thumb under Minerva's eye.
Minerva leaned over and wrapped her arms around Hermione.
"Our story is finished isn't it? We get a happy ending, don't we?" Miner asked into Hermione neck and Hermione wrapped her hands around Minerva's back.
"Yes, we do," Hermione whisper. They stay like that for long moments.
"Severus is her mate, isn't he?" Minerva asked and Hermione laughed at the petulant tone in her lover's voice.
"Yup," Hermione confirmed popping the 'p.'
"Well, I guess I have to start getting along with him," Minerva said with a groan and Hermione chuckled.
"Take your time. We have all the time in the world," Hermione said.
Minerva pulled back and then claimed Hermione's lips.
"You were a mystery through time. You were my mystery. I love you," Minerva said against Hermione's lips.
Hermione could only nod as life finally ironed itself out. In time, the future will unfold, and conflicts will be solved, and issue resolved. All it would take was time, and with Minerva in Hermione's arms, she knew, deep in her heart, she could face any storm. Finally, a perfect ending with an epilogue too long to tell.