Iris didn't emerge from the portal the next day. Nor the next. The portal held firm, however. The Founders were not concerned. Healing was paramount, not just for Iris, but for the others.

The country rallied around once again. They had done this before. This time was unique. There was no dome now. The air was fresh. People's trip to the stars had given them a new perspective on their place in the world. The Founders had visited other shores and passed on their knowledge to all. They had broadcast to all those who remained on Earth. Magical infrastructures had been put in place globally. Water and food sources were the main focus. Governments had reformed with better-suited people for those roles. Countries began to move again. This time at a more glacial pace.

Priorities had changed. The Earth was what mattered. They had lost their home in the first place due to the treatment battered onto it. It was a planet to be nourished and looked after. No one was surprised that the entire elite globally had disappeared. None of them had deserved a place in one of the bubbles. Regulations were put in place globally to keep a leash on the banks. This generation was a different breed. Even the Goblins had seen enough of the reckless ways of so many of the previous Muggle bankers. They put the brakes on themselves.

The Ministry in Britain was up and running. Percy was in his element working alongside his former colleagues. The globe breathed a sigh of relief. Newspapers all around the world were beginning to print again. The Daily Prophet was the first newspaper up and running in Britain. They printed all the news of the day. Their editor, Rita Skeeter, was having a brilliant time with all the stories. Her staff were gallivanting all over the planet. They were reporting advice from the founders, the Ministry and the Monarch alongside all the other world's great and good. The schools had been scheduled to reopen shortly. The Earth's children had grumbled at that. Parents gave a small, wry smile. Things were returning to normal. For good this time.

They all knew more now. They knew of the universe. Of other worlds. Equilibrium. It had settled people's psyche knowing for certain the truth. Knowing that the hostile takeover of their planet was now finally at an end waved in a new era of enlightenment. The truly wicked had been removed. No traces remained of the camps and the sickening regimes that so many had been bullied and hurt by. People were healing. They knew now the ones they had lost were simply over the hill and they would see them again.

The landscapes had changed. The skyscrapers were no more. More sedate properties were spread out around the globe. There was more reliance on magic, less on industrial. Businesses began to open again. Lorry drivers found their magical transporters much easier to manoeuvre. Factories started to create their products for this new world. Inventors were having a field day. Muggles were working with their Magical counterparts and had merged and were having so much fun designing useful things for people instead of killing machines.

The race was on to invent the first magical television. Muggles had been buying the magical radios since the week war which had proved a hugely popular line. People snuggled down under their duvets at night and slept properly for the first time in years. They had lost too many though. The world felt quiet. Emptier. Some had lost entire families. Entire generations had been wiped out in many families.

They awaited with interest the arrivals from their alternate universes. The four Founders had told them people from all around the world would be coming through. Their histories had all been different from their own. Some people would not be recognisable to any of them in this world. They had been fighting the same sort of enemies as they all had though.

It was Day three and Hermione was sat by the portal with a notepad writing her memoirs. She planned to print the truth about the events that she had been a part of for future generations. She had approached the others to get their stories to add to the book. Draco had been very interested and had made sure his revelation was to feature very heavily. He had demanded at least one chapter completely devoted to his brainwave. He wanted his photograph in there too. Hermione had grinned at his arrogance.

Ron had been a bit more humble. He had sat with her in the Great Hall and had talked to her about the book. Like his mother, he was simply grateful beyond words his family were still together. Hermione had been curious about what was happening with Ron and the other Hermione. She had seen them together several times. What piqued her interest was seeing them both walking around the black lake earlier that day. Not seeing any reason not to have this curiosity sated she compiled a series of questions for Ron.

He had seemed to expect the interrogation and had answered her questions with an exasperated half-smile on his face.

'How is she finding it being back at Hogwarts?' Hermione asked first. Pretending to just be idly interested.

Ron had scratched his chin, 'After being in the cosmos and seeing all those bubbles she realised how many others had endured the same and worse that she had done. She's getting better. She thinks being able to walk around Hogwarts is the first step to success. She has seen the bigger picture now and her part in it all.'

'Is she happier here?' Hermione pushed a little more.

Ron looked at her strangely, 'Of course she is. She was in a living Hell in that other place. Anywhere would have been better. She is incredibly happy living with the Grangers. And she really likes My,' Ron smirked.

Hermione pursed her lips, 'She likes My then?'

'Very much,' Ron grinned. 'They are both in a different world. They both lost their own Granger families in their own worlds,' Ron added a bit more cautiously. Hermione bit her lip. She was understanding more about why they would gravitate towards each other.

'She likes you as well,' he added kindly. Hermione took the compliment graciously. 'She understands the distinctions between us and the people she has lost. She told me that being with people that are so much like her own family, and people like Harry and Ginny, well really, all of us, has done more for her well being than anything else could have done.'

Hermione eased more into the conversation, 'How are you two getting along?' she came to the point.

Ron sat back. His blue eyes lit up with something indefinable, 'I always fancied you, you know.'

Hermione blushed.

'Even when we were little I thought you were cute. Even with your buck teeth and when your hair used to go crazy, even with all that product on it. Do you remember?'

Hermione wasn't sure how to respond to that.

'When we got older, yeah. I knew for certain I liked you as more than a friend. Remember Viktor?' Ron smiled, 'I was so jealous of him.'

Hermione gave a rueful grin.

'But we bickered,' Ron said cautiously, 'And we argued too much. And we want such different things from life. I want to build the Burrow back up. I want a family, a home and children soon. This world is different now. The Ministry needs people like you to build this world into something so much better than it was. And that's what you want too. It's always been your passion. You're ambitious. I thought about this a lot when we were together. I don't want to share you with a career and it wouldn't be right to try to change you into someone you're not. You're brilliant, just as you are.'

Hermione spluttered at this honesty, 'What about Hermione?'

Ron tilted his head, 'In time she wants a career. Like you, she wants to make changes for a better world. When she's older she'll be the best wing woman you could ask for. But, not yet. Not for a long time. She wants to make a home here. She needs to rest and make sense of things. She has been through even more than we have. She lost so many people she loved and she fought so hard. She wants children first. A home. A family. She wants to create real foundations in this world. She wants to run the home while I go to work. She said she'll study on the side.'

Hermione's eyes widened, 'You haven't been pressuring her have you?' she asked in a low voice.

Ron shook his head. He was used to Hermione's blunt way of talking, 'She told me that. I didn't say anything. I didn't suggest anything. It's what she wants.'

'I can't believe you two are already talking about things like that,' Hermione said in amazement.

Ron blushed, 'I, yes. What we've gone through has changed us. What I almost lost. I came so close to having everyone I love destroyed. I know now what really matters to me. It's my family. My friends. All the rest is..well. It doesn't really matter as much as I thought it did when I was young. I know who I am now. I know what I actually need in my life to be happy.'

Hermione appraised him.

'She might look like you, but she's not like you inside,' Ron said in a quiet voice. 'In some ways, she is, on the surface. She is so smart. She can run circles around me,' he grinned. 'But, when she's with me, she's completely with me. Not to sound too soppy but, we understand each other. We fit together. We both need each other. She needs me in a way you don't.'

Hermione understood. She remembered her talk with Hermione. This Ron was different from the Ron who had died in her world. Their worlds had shaped them into different people. This Ron in front of her had gone through Hell and had come out the other side. He was more assured. More hopeful. His counterpart had been taken too soon. This Ron was who the other Hermione needed to be by her side.

'Right. Well. It makes sense,' Hermione gazed at one of her oldest friends with affection.

Ron smiled, 'You need Iris, not me.'

Hermione blushed. She wasn't aware Ron knew about Iris.

'You've sat in this hall for three days straight,' Ron said, 'Sirius has at least popped home. You sleep in the corner.'

Hermione looked anywhere but at Ron.

'It's fine. It's actually really good you've found someone that you can feel all this for,' Ron explained. 'We have to be true to ourselves and all that. I've kind of known for a while. I'm glad it's her. Iris thinks the world of you.'

Hermione relaxed and took his hand, 'Our magic merged a long time ago,' she told him.

Ron nodded, 'Hermione and I. The same. I can feel her magic now.'

Hermione grinned, 'It's something else, isn't it? I'll always care about you, Ron. Always. But..,' she trailed off.

Ron squeezed her hand gently, 'I feel the same. I'll always be your friend. Nothing can change that. But it's so different.'

Hermione nodded slowly, 'So different.'

'Well, you could do a lot worse than Iris Black,' Ron said with a smile.

Hermione looked up in mild surprise, 'She said the same thing about you.'

'Did she?' Ron said in surprise.

'Don't be shocked. She actually likes you. She said you're a good man to have around in a crisis and you've always had our backs.'

Ron grinned.

'She didn't realise I had feelings for her,' Hermione admitted.

'How? It was so obvious,' Ron asked.

'She thought I was too good a person to truly want her,' Hermione whispered.

Ron went a little pale, 'I didn't realise she was so insecure. Iris is a good person. Scary. But she always did the worst things for the best reasons.'

'Scary?' Hermione's eyes lit up.

'Well, yeah,' Ron admitted. 'Hey. Don't get me wrong. Iris is lovely to look at when she isn't yelling or hurling people into portals, but yeah. She terrified me for years, alright.'

Ron sat back with his arms crossed looking a little petulant at Hermione's grinning face.

Hermione stifled a giggle, 'Little Iris frightened Won Won?'

'Oh, shut up,' Ron said with a small smile. 'She comes sauntering into the Burrow as if she owns it. All big hair and those icy grey eyes and as for the arrogance of her. I mean. I thought Percy was bad. She was off the scale. Sirius Black in miniature. We had Voldemort's bloody granddaughter sitting in my kitchen. Mum loved her of course. She wouldn't hear a bad word said against her. I was a little kid. I kept one eye on her at all times,' Ron shrugged, 'If I had known then what I know now I wouldn't have,' he said softly.

Hermione patted his hand, 'Lovely to look at?' she enquired.

Ron blushed, 'Well, I'm not blind, Hermione. Nor are a lot of the other guys at Hogwarts. Iris and her no dating Purebloods rule upset a lot of them.'

'Did it?' Hermione was genuinely shocked by this.

Ron nodded, 'Never underestimate the power a woman has over you when she is unobtainable. She is forbidden,' Ron gave her a knowing look.

Hermione considered this.

'Plus, Iris has that whole sexy, dangerous Black thing going on. Men like that just as much as women do,' Ron mused.

Hermione gawped at him.

Ron had a glint in his eye, 'Does she speak parseltongue to you when you, you know?' he grinned wickedly.

'Shut up, Ron!' Hermione said as she blushed bright red.

Ron chortled, 'I knew it. It's one of the many things the guys at Hogwarts like about her too.'

Hermione looked astonished by this, 'There's a list?' she asked incredulously.

Ron put his lips in a firm line and indicated he was zipping it closed.

'How did I not know this?' she said quietly.

'You were always with Draco in the library,' Ron told her, 'For the longest time people thought you two were together. It was quite the scandal. Daphne put them right. Astoria insisted upon it,' Ron added.

Hermione avoided eye contact with Ron. His eyebrows raised, 'Did something happen in those long study sessions between you two?'

'Perhaps,' Hermione said in a vague tone, 'Perhaps I was making sense of some things with Draco. He was more perceptive than I was and helped to point me in the right direction. I may have been gazing a bit too long into his eyes and not much at anything else. I,' Hermione blushed, 'When we used to kiss I kept subconsciously trying to run my fingers through long hair that wasn't there. Suffice to say we are and remain good friends to this day. I did however enjoy the frisson of kissing in the library. It's strictly forbidden,' Hermione gave a slight smirk.

Ron looked intrigued by this, 'Draco Black, eh. At least he was decent about it,' he said quietly, 'Well, objectively, if neither him, Viktor or I worked for you then I think it safe to say you needed to know why that was. Did you do a chart of variables and cross-reference everything?' Ron teased her.

Hermione snorted, 'I may have done. The three of you share major traits with Iris. Viktor had the whole brooding, dark thing going on. You're a good friend. I trust you completely as I do her. Draco resembles her and has that whole refined air about him. It was staring me in the face why it was you three I was drawn to.'

Ron agreed.

'I wonder how many other things went under my radar all these years?' Hermione pondered.

'So much was happening. You and Draco were always about saving the world. Life still went on,' Ron told her with wisdom, 'We're all very glad you two lived in the library all those years. You two did save the world,' he added with a warm smile.

Hermione smiled at him cautiously, 'I consider it very much a team effort,' she told him with a grin.

'What a team we were,' Ron grinned, 'They might have had Nazis, Nuclear, Death Eaters and Time travel on their side, but we had Lucifer and Luna Lovegood as our back up. Brilliant. You couldn't make it up,' he smiled good-naturedly as Hermione couldn't stop a chuckle.

'You know, I think we're all going to be in therapy for years, don't you?' Hermione grinned.

'I think that is a safe bet,' Ron nodded back ruefully with a smile.

Hermione and Ron sighed and looked at the portal in comfortable silence.

'Oh, Daphne said her parents are organising a Christmas Ball for later in the year,' Hermione told him.

Ron's face lit up, 'The Greengrass Balls are legendary. Mum and dad went to one years ago. Before all this blew up. Full-on fancy as you like,' Ron told her, 'That is certainly something to look forward to.'

Hermione nodded, 'Daphne said it's a dress-up big-time event. The Greengrass family want to help get us back to some sense of normality.'

'That will help,' Ron said, 'There has been so much doom and gloom. We need to have some fun.'

They could hear distant sounds coming from the portal as Hermione stood up excitedly. She whipped off a few Patronus messages with her otter to notify the others as they made their way to the front.

Iris was coming home.