This is a much over due update on this fic.
Between this account and my General Danvers account i am going to try and update some of these incomplete fics soon though it may take some time to do that.
Feel free to point out errors, there will be some as i have no really edited this chapter, i was mostly just trying to get it posted before i forgot about it.
This is the second last chapter, i will post the final part in the next day or two.
It had been longer than Bellatrix might have liked, she didn't know what Hermione was doing but every morning the young woman had a new excuse not to go and see Minerva and then would disappear for the day. She couldn't figure it out in the slightest and it was frustrating to see such a dear friend suffering so much. Of course it didn't help that the rumour mill was running on over time. Apparently Hermione was either sleeping with the enemy or had been put under some spell to do the Black/Malfoy bidding. The more often Hermione was seen interacting with any of them out of the cottage the more absurd the rumours became.
Then there was the Minerva issue, the Headmistress was becoming less and less secretive with her rendezvous and Hermione was becoming much much more upset with each knew man in the Scottish woman's life. It was beyond ridiculous and had Bella not had as much respect for Hermione as she did she'd have given the young woman a dressing down and even told Minerva to pull her head out of her ass. Alas it was a big secret and not hers to tell so she was simply a by stander waiting for the end results.
HGMMHGMMHGMM
Hermione has been cleaning up after breakfast, today was the day she was planning to go and see Minerva and tell her about the baby, she was both giddy and sick to her stomach at the idea but at this point there was nothing Minerva could do to hurt her worse. Short of maybe demanding a termination but Hermione wouldn't do that, not even consider it.
On top of deciding today would be the day Hermione spent the last few weeks gathering as much proof and evidence as she could find to present to Minerva so the witch wouldn't just think she was trying to con her. That meant ultrasounds which also meant developed sonograms to show Minerva, the baby was still small but Hermione has started to feel her in the last week and she was surprised at how drastically it effected her. It wasn't just an unwanted pregnancy, a magical mishap, it was very real and that was very much her baby.
As well as organising to see Minerva and tell her the truth Hermione had been organising selling her parents old house that the Wilkins would not be returning too as they didn't even know it existed. With that money she had deposited it in Gringotts despite the goblins sincere dislike of the young woman after the dragon issue. Hermione hadn't been thrilled about it either but it's what happened, she hadn't much of a choice. With everything sorted out she had nothing to do but face Minerva and tell her the truth.
Of course she anticipated a volatile meeting at first so she was a little concerned but she was convinced that maybe this would work out just fine. Maybe. She had hope anyways, if this really was something that Minerva wanted then she'd accept it and maybe move forward with Hermione. Heaving a sigh she stared at the calming cup of camomile tea in front of her.
"You're not ready yet?" Bellatrix asked looking at the spaced out brunette with a frown.
"Not yet." Hermione confirms loosely gesturing a second cup of tea that she had made for Bellatrix.
"I thought you'd be waiting at the gate for the woman and you know… Ginny wanted to see you." The woman pointed out sipping the tea.
"I have time, they don't come down until 9." Hermione points out with a raised eyebrow.
"I suppose. How are you going to do it?" Hermione smiles slightly at the question and takes her wand from her pyjama sleeve and silently accios the pictures of her ultrasound to her hand and passes them over. She'd only gotten them yesterday and not shown anyone.
"This is how. I'm just going to hand them to her and let her connect the dots." Hermione explains and Bellatrix looks over the images, it was small but it was definitely a baby.
"Oh wow, my god baby." Bellatrix grinned cheekily at Hermione who just smiled.
"You're supposed to let me ask first." The smaller witch chimed.
"What? You can't be serious. I'm an awful role model." Bellatrix looked startled and Hermione smiles brighter.
"I've really come to enjoy you Bella, from the past and from now." Hermione smiles softer again.
"Well I'll admit you were my best friend, Durant. But I kind of tortured you. Wouldn't you be better off picking Ginny?" Bellatrix asked seriously and Hermione shook her head giving the witch a look.
"You tortured me but you didn't want to. That's the difference. So no, you're who I'm making as god mother to my child." Hermione says seriously.
"What if Minerva doesn't like it?" Bellatrix pointed out but Hermione shook her head sadly.
"It doesn't matter, if she decides to be in my life and the life of my child then she will accept that I've made this decision." Hermione says seriously.
"You're an incredible person, if she turns her back again she's not worthy at all." Bellatrix says seriously and Hermione stretches out with a smile and stands.
"You might be right but I still hope she's at least accepting of the idea of the baby, she's coming regardless and if nothing else I'd like Min to be in her child's life." Hermione sighs softly.
"Surely she will want at least that." Bellatrix tries to be encouraging but by the half smile Hermione offers she knows it hasn't really helped that much.
HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM
Minerva has been less than thrilled to learn that Hermione Granger had been her lover, Yseult Durant, from some thirty years ago. In fact Minerva had felt downright betrayed by the idea of it let alone the implications that Hermione interferes with future events. Of course she'd heard a little of what it was like and had to agree that it definitely shouldn't have been the way it was but why did she go so far back? How did you get back there? And why did Hermione ever agree to sleep with the younger version of Minerva knowing full well who she was in the future?
It pissed her off, and what pissed her off even more was the fact that she'd never had the chance to tell Yseult, or Hermione she supposed, that she had gradually been falling in love with her. Of course the woman had very much enjoyed the way the relationship, or more to the point the lack of relationship, had been going. They had fun, and a lot of it and Minerva learned quickly she rather enjoyed loving a woman, enjoyed how adventurous Hermione was in particular. It had been amazing in the beginning. Then Minerva started to developer real feelings for Hermione, for Yseult, but she knew the witch wouldn't be staying so she kept it to herself.
For years Yseult was on Minerva's mind, always wondering what she had been doing and where she had gone, wondering if she would ever come back. But Yseult never did come back and when her beloved Dougal died Minerva found herself needing that human companionship. It was most unfortunate that Elphinstone passed away a mere four years after she'd finally agreed to marry the man. At that point she was so old she couldn't bring herself to want to suffer heartache again, unsure she would survive it despite her coming out of the wars she'd been involved in. Now Hermione had come back and told her it was she, in the past, that Minerva had been sleeping with. It was unacceptable.
It had, as she was unsure how else to cope, driven Minerva to bad any old fool willing to go there with her. Despite her age, Minerva was still in pretty good shape, she took care of her body and though she had some of it to thank for being an Animagi, but even still she did look after herself and she had needs. Needs that she had ignored for years now until she was reminded of Yseult and the fun they had had. It was not easy for her not to reminisce in those quiet hours and she simply was not satisfied to take care of it herself… it was too hard then to separate Yseult, the woman she'd had so much fun with in the past, from Hermione Granger, most astute and knowledgeable student she'd seen in a generation.
She was still pondering this as she lead the horde of finally excited students down to the village. She didn't even notice that someone was standing at the Gates looking more than a little anxious. She certainly didn't anticipate Hermione Granger, after weeks, falling into step beside her. The woman took a long moment before she realised what was going on before she looked at Hermione with nothing short of a glare on her face.
"May I help you Miss Granger?" Minerva asked with a scowl. She ignored the flash of hurt on soft features. Yet she was startled when instead of speaking Hermione simply handed Minerva four small black and white still photos.
It took a moment to realise what she was looking at. Date, name, estimated age. The photos were sonograms, pictures of a small developing fetus in utero. A baby. It was pictures of a baby. Hermione's baby to be exact. Minerva was no fool, she understood exactly what this meant, it was why Hermione had asked about the risks of pregnancy when they'd met up weeks ago. This was Minerva's child, something she didn't think she would be able to have, ever.
"It's yours." Hermione mumbles.
"Why are you telling me this now? I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see you." Minerva didn't know how to react and when she didn't know how to handle a situation she tended to get defensive and nasty.
"I thought you'd like to know is all. I'm sorry you think I betrayed you but it was never my intention." Hermione mumbles, crestfallen.
"Then what was your intention, Granger? Sleep with me in the past so you can lord it over me in the present?" Minerva all but shoved the images back into Hermione's hand.
"No! I care you a great deal, I would never do such a thing! I'd come from losing a war I was lonely and you're very beautiful and you… you were so much different back then. Kinder, playful. It was meant to be fun but before I left I… I felt more than that. I didn't come back here with any intention but to get to know this version of you." Hermione admits seriously.
"Why? I'm old now? Less kind and wouldn't know what playful was if it bit me. You can and should do better. I have no desire to be your plaything until you realise I'm too old and too set in my ways to give you any kind of the affection you might want from me." Minerva spike coldly, firmly.
"And the child? You want nothing to do with it either?" Hermione was a little broken hearing Minerva speaking this way.
"I wouldn't even know where to start, Miss Granger. Unfortunately for you I watched you grow from a child into the woman you are now but you're still that child to me. I cannot change that." Minerva tilted her chin up stubbornly and Hermione scowled.
"Can't? Or won't? You refuse to acknowledge that Yseult and I are one and the same person! The things we did together and I don't just mean the amazing sex Minerva the conversations and arguments too. I just can't figure out why you won't give me a chance!" Hermione fires back finally the anger getting the best of her.
"I won't! Do you know what people would say now? If they knew I had any kind of relationship with you, one of my students!" Minerva scowled.
"Yeah they'd probably say the same damn things they've been saying about me lately for being friends with Bella and the Malfoys. Crazy, cursed, whore, power hungry. The only difference, Minerva… is that I'm the only here Gryffindor enough not to give a shit about what people who don't even know me have to say." Hermione all but shouted at the older woman.
"Yeah? Is that what you think? You're a Gryffindor. You're a snake if I've ever seen one. Why else wouldn't you tell people you went back in time to change the future. You could have saved people that matter not just Black." Minerva scowled deeply and Hermione drew back. It was then that the younger woman realised that they actually had a crowd, the secret was out anyways.
"Is it true? You changed the past so we would win the war? You could have saved Fred." Ginny spoke up from the group, she was there with Luna.
"And my brother." Denis Creevey frowned.
"And Lavender." Hannah Abbott frowned deeply.
"No… I really couldn't. I couldn't control who was saved unless the Opal allowed me too and the only people I was directly set to save was Bellatrix which subsequently saved her niece Tonks. And Neville Longbottom. I didn't change time I just corrected it." Hermione attempted to explain.
"Corrected it! This isn't correct! People we love died! Why couldn't you have just gone back and destroyed the horcrux' so Voldemort could never come back!" Ginny shouted suddenly, the immense guilt Hermione felt over not being able to save Fred came rushing back.
"I couldn't! The Opal doesn't work like that! I couldn't control where I went or why." Hermione attempts again looking at past peers surrounding her.
"You should have tried harder!" Ginny growls out only for many of the others to nod as well.
"You all feel the same?" Hermione asked and everyone nodded the bravado high with pack mentality.
"You could have saved everyone." Hannah says frowning and Hermione nodded.
"I'm sorry." Hermione spoke slowly taking a step back only to bump into Minerva. The woman had a softer expression now, almost sympathetic. Hermione didn't realise she'd dropped one of the ultrasound photos as she turned and walked away.
HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM
Bellatrix was having tea with her sisters when Hermione burst into the cottage, having enough time to slam the door before she fell to her knees breathing hard and fast as her head spun, Bellatrix was at her side in a heartbeat trying to get her to calm down. Hermione could hear them, the three sisters, trying to find out what happened but everything was spinning and sounded tinny, she couldn't breath and it was starting to get dark. It was probably a good thing she passed out.
"What the hell happened to her?" Narcissa asked worried and Andy frowned.
"She went to speak to Minerva this morning… I guess it didn't go well." Bellatrix levitated the young witch and put her on the sofa.
"Why would a conversation with Minerva go this badly?" Andy frowned still as she covered Hermione with a blanket.
"I…. because Hermione was going to tell Minerva that she's having her baby." Bellatrix sighed, she'd have to tell her sisters the full story.
"She what?" Both younger sisters asked frowning deeply.
"It's… complicated. Hermione went back in time after the light failed to win the war and Voldemort's infection began to spread world wide. Hermione does to Australia, found some natives that knew the old blood Magic's. She was able to learn to create the Opal of Time and go back in time to change some things. It's why she saved me. She went back a long way and became my friend, she left me the story and when Gideon was killed I knew it was real, I went to Albus. But she also apparently got really close with Minerva and they ended up conceiving. Now Hermione's back and Minerva is being… extremely harsh about Yseult/Hermione." Bellatrix explains lightly.
"That's why she's always been so down trodden looking since we started coming around? Because Minerva rejected her?" Narcissa asked frowning. Bellatrix nodded.
"If she went back in time why didn't she save more people?" Andy, unlike the others, had sounded entirely curious and not at all accusing.
"To my understanding she didn't have much choice in who was saved. She can travel in time but only to where the Opal thinks she is needed. I guess she came back to save me, effectively saving Tonks and then she came forward again to early in the battle to save Neville Longbottom. Then she came back to what should have been the defining moment the first time." Bellatrix smiled gently.
"That would make sense. I'd read about time travel. The time turners at least. A wizard who's name I forget was studying time centuries ago, he theorised that the timeline is set but there and different threads of it, all going in the same direction but in slightly didn't ways. Like the muggles have mapped the globe out to longitude and latitude and different degrees of." Narcissa explains to the listening sisters.
"So what? Our thread had frayed and we'd ended up on the wrong degree of time in the first timeline?" Andy asked and Narcissa nodded.
"It would make the most sense. So if Hermione went back to just as it was beginning to fray, say back to save Bellatrix and then forward again to bring the fray back to the main thread, like saving Neville. So everything that happened on the fray is technically still there as an alternate history but it has been corrected how it was supposed to be now. Everything that was meant to happen the first time has happened and now it's how it's supposed to be." Narcissa frowned a little.
"Then you're effectively saying that Hermione was supposed to fall pregnant to Minerva 3 decade ago." Andromeda's eyes widened slightly.
"It would seem so. The issue is not knowing how Hermione's pregnancy is going to play out, how her future is going to play out." Narcissa frowned.
"It worries me." Bellatrix mumbles softly. Andy was chewing on her lip.
HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM
The next few days were the calm before the storm, Hermione was convinced the other shoe was not long from dropping. She'd not left the cottage at all, she'd not taken any mail either having learned from the first time. Instead she'd busied herself at the cottage cleaning everything and then cleaning it all again. It was driving Bellatrix mad and not even Tonks had been able to get Hermione out of the house.
Hermione was doing the dishes when the front door opened and Bellatrix and Minerva McGonagall of all people walked into the house. Hermione looked a little wide eyed at the woman with her friend and Minerva looked around for a moment before her gaze settled on Hermione. The tension in the cottage went up tenfold at that point.
"Hello?" Minerva kind of hated that Hermione sounded so uncertain.
"Miss Granger. I'm afraid it's not a friendly visit… it would seem that my… inappropriate handling of our conversation the other day may have sparked a bit of a witch hunt." Minerva explained looking at the small witch, she ignored the snort from Bellatrix.
"I expected as much after the other day." Hermione turned back to the sink. Manually doing house work was her thing these days.
"I fear that now people are aware you have a way to travel in time that they may approach you and demand you bring loved ones back." Minerva says seriously only for Hermione to nod, the only indication she was listening.
"No doubt when you refuse to do so they will likely become hostile, you could be hurt." Minerva says seriously.
"I'll be fine." Hermione brushes it off, she could handle it.
"You're a hermit, kid. You're too young for this life." Bellatrix points out with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm too young for a lot of the things I've already been through Bella." Hermione points out seriously and Bellatrix had no argument.
"What about the baby?" Minerva asked seriously.
"You think I'd let anyone harm my child? You might not want it Minerva but I do." Hermione says scowling angrily at the older woman now.
"You can't control what others might do." Minerva says scowling right back.
"No I can't but no one can hurt me worse than you have already Minerva and I sure as hell won't be letting anybody harm my child. You included." Hermione scowled deeply and Minerva stepped back like it had been a slap to the face.
"Hermione…" Bella's tone was gentle yet warning, not wanting the younger woman to make a mistake.
"No, I mean it. You think I'm ok? I'm not. My best friends have barely spoken to me, my old enemies are now some of the best people I've ever met. I saw everyone I loved die or be be used for breeding stock and damn it if I didn't persist and keep on. I found a way to correct the timeline. To save people who died in the fray. And I found love affection like I'd never known. And I'm sorry Minerva. At first it was just meant to be fun, a way to relax but I should have known better. I should have known given the school girl crush I had that I wouldn't be able to not feel things for you that our agreement shouldn't have allowed. Even still I might have kept it to myself and let you get on with your life I found out I was pregnant, to you. You cast me aside, you cast my child aside. I am nothing and you need to leave." Hermione spoke cold and firm with only a slight quaver in her voice towards the end.
Minerva stares for a long moment and shook her head with a sigh.
"You're little more than a child yourself. I'm old enough to be your mother and I don't have a lot of life left to live. You're better off moving on. Raise the child with someone who has the time and energy to be a parent." The older woman spoke firmly before walking out of the cottage, the prideful chin tilted up.
Hermione broke as the door closed. Crumbling to the ground and sobbing as she did so often these days. Heart broken and ashamed of her actions in the past and the way they reverberated here in the future. Soul crushingly alone if not for the Black sisters, Draco and Tonks who seemed ever on her side of things. Bellatrix was devout in her loyalty as she pulled Hermione up and held her, letting her sob.
HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM
Minerva was decidedly more and more frustrated with everything going on. It had been a few weeks now and things were getting more and more serious with regards to Hermione's time travel ability. Thanks to their foolish public argument a month before they greater European magical community was aware of Hermione's meddling. They were not aware of what the past had been like on the alternate timeline or the Fray as Bellatrix called it.
Of course Hermione had also been doing a great job of staying out of the public eye going so far as to aparate off the top step of the cottage she did all her shopping in muggle London ordered any supplies she needed to be sent via owl to the cottage and kept to herself unless close friends were visiting but only at the cottage. It was driving Bellatrix mad who had been visiting the Headmistress more often these days though they both refused to really talk about Hermione other than the preliminary 'has anyone attacked her yet' kind of query.
It was difficult for Minerva to separate Yseult from Hermione. Back then she was considerably younger. Barely 10 years older than Hermione at that point but here in the present where they were meant to be she was near 30 years older. It was not easy for Minerva to think of Hermione in a romantic fashion, not the same as it had been with Yseult that is for certain. It was harder still to imagine a child, one that at one point she would have loved to have and cherish yet now she was old and crotchety and didn't have the same energy she had years before. After being magically sterilised during the first war Minerva had come to terms with never having a child. It's how she preferred it.
It how she had preferred it anyways. Now she was so very confused. This was her child, she was being given a chance she didn't think she'd ever get. Because a child… no a young woman had found a way to move through time. She had wanted blame Hermione, for being so sly. She had blamed Hermione, but she couldn't actually excuse her own actions. She remembered it like it was yesterday instead of years ago. Hermione had propositioned her but it was Minerva's suggestion that they incorporate transfiguration.
Had Minerva kept things strictly female Hermione would never have found herself pregnant. Like the young woman had said she was going to let Minerva be until she'd found out about the baby. Now though everything was effectively out in the open. Hermione was exposed as a time traveller, Minerva had hurt the witch. Not just letting the cat out of the bag but by being so blunt and cruel. Turning Hermione away before she could ask her of anything. It wasn't fair to the woman, Minerva definitely deserved to have been kicked out by the witch.
Not knowing what else to do she went to her oldest living friend. Poppy was in the hospital wing, things were back on track and she was usually healing at least one student a day. It kept her mind of recent past events.
"Minerva." Poppy greeted with a small smile.
Minerva has neglected her friends in lieu of shagging any bloke willing to buy her a drink. All in order to attempt to forget the memories Hermione had dredged up. It didn't seem to work but she tried anyways. Until she found out about the baby that was. That changed things whether she liked it or not.
"I got Hermione Granger pregnant." Minerva blurted instead of offering a greeting. Poppy raised an eyebrow.
"I beg your pardon." Poppy inquired after a moment.
"It's common knowledge she went back to the past. She was there when I was just starting out as professor, she went by Yseult Durant. She explained to me she wouldn't be staying, that she was there for a secret mission that she was 19 and not actually a student. We slept together. Often. I got her pregnant. I got Yseult pregnant and now Hermione is carrying my child and I'm finding it hard to separate the two." Minerva's eyes filled with tears and Poppy had barely a moment to wrap her arms around the woman before she crumbled into a sobbing mess.
"That makes so much sense." Poppy mumbles and it honestly had. She'd heard about this Yseult a few times early in her and Minerva's friendship.
Minerva just continued to sob for a few more minutes before seeming to calm, they were both knelt on the floor in the middle of the hospital at that point but thankfully there were no students in need. Of course that didn't exactly mean Minerva was happy with the situation. She generally preferred to wallow in the privacy of her own quarters let alone breaking down entirely.
"I've hurt her so much." Minerva sniffles pulling a handkerchief from her robes and dabbing at her eyes.
"What about what she's done to you? You're never this emotional." Poppy points out but Minerva shakes her head.
"You don't understand. I've broken her. She was going to leave it be but she found out she's pregnant with my child. My much younger selfs child. She wasn't going to tell me but out of respect she did and I just …. I panicked and I didn't know how to take it back and then I got so upset because she, she slept with me knowing who I was. I loved her. I still do but… she's my student." Minerva explains to the best of her current ability.
"Minerva I'm not sure that one has ever really been a student. She practically memorised the syllabus before she ever got here. She was young, she still is. But we cannot call her a child any longer. She hasn't been for a long time." Poppy points out gently.
"I know! But I didn't realise! I didn't know it was her until…" Minerva shakes her head because honestly she'd always had a sneaking suspicion but it just never made sense until now. Of course now it all makes complete sense.
"She's having your baby Min… you can't just throw that away, I know how much it hurt you when …." Poppy trailed off not speaking it out loud.
"I know. I've ruined her life." Minerva sighs.
"Minerva. Back up, you have not ruined anything. This war has ruined things but it's giving you an opportunity for something you didn't think you'd ever have." Poppy reasons seriously.
"But she's not even 20. I'm … several decades older than she is. I can't offer her any kind of relationship." Minerva reasons seriously.
"Does she have an issue with your age? Has she said that she expects more?" Poppy asked seriously.
"I didn't exactly give her the chance." Minerva looked a little sheepish.
"So you don't actually know what she wants? She might have just been telling you out of considerations." Poppy points out and Minerva suddenly feels worse.
"Why do you have to make me realise I'm an old fool." It was entirely rhetorical.
"Well you're really bad at figuring things like this out." Poppy explains with a little grin.
"Then what do you suppose I do?" Minerva huffs annoyed.
"Talk to her! Tell her I want to do a check up myself. No doubt she's been to those muggles instead or everyone would know about the baby by now." Poppy grumbles just thinking about this slight.
"I… will work on that." Minerva sighs lightly, she had some serious apologising to do. The headmistress was kicking herself for not having come and seen Poppy before now.
HGHGHGHGHG
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bellatrix asked seriously as the pair walked through Diagon casually.
"They have beef with me, Bella. What is new? The goblins don't like me, the pure bloods don't like me. Basically everyone else whose just found out about the time travel doesn't like me." Hermione reasons slowly.
"That doesn't mean you should be flaunting yourself in front of everyone." Bellatrix huffs.
"I refuse to hide anymore Belle, it gets me no where and lets them think they have already won. I haven't done anything wrong." Hermione heaves a frustrated sigh. She felt like she had done plenty wrong and it all stated with sleeping with a young Minerva.
"Haven't done anything wrong? What have you done right? You sacrificed the light side of the war to save this… thing instead. I'll admit Granger, you shacking up with a death eater is the last thing I imagined." Came from just behind the pair, Hermione turned to see one Cormac McLaggen.
"Again, I haven't done anything wrong, I would save Bella again too by the way, she's the only one who has stuck by me with this from the very beginning and I hate to say it Cormac but the beginning started decades ago. Move along, I no longer wish to pretend to explain myself to you." Hermione's tone was both calm and cutting at the same time, Bella was impressed.
"No worries Granger its coming back to get you anyways. They are only a matter of days away from putting you on trial." Cormac smirks at the young woman.
"On what charges?" Bellatrix scowls at the idea.
"Treason for starters and then there's Time Manipulation. They want to know how you went so far back, where you went and why and how come." Cormac shrugs looking between the women with a smirk still in place.
"Fantastic. Now if you don't mind I want to go and get a hot meal I don't have to make and maybe a stiff drink." Hermione takes Bella's wrist in hand and drags her off towards the Three Broomsticks. Cormac just chuckled and wandered off.
Hermione managed to diligently ignore the looks and the whispering as the pair made their way along to the tavern in question. It was more of a task for Bella who didn't actually like being stared at even before then. Still the older woman moved along with her young friend before pushing the door open for them to both step in. Right into dead silence in fact.
"Well someone has some serious gall." Came from the counter along the front right wall there. Looking over, Hermione stared at Rosmerta for a moment before the woman spoke again.
"What can I get you ladies?" She asked and Hermione offered a small relieved smile.
"You're really going to serve her? She's a traitor!" Came from the back of the store.
"A traitor? She's a bloody war hero you git, nose back in your fire whiskey." Pansy Parkinson of all people was sitting there with… Luna Lovegood.
"Trust you to speak up for your fellow traitor." Another voice chimed in.
"I don't understand. They're upset because they think Hermione chose to save only Bellatrix and no one else?" Luna looked to Pansy for answers.
"Basically." Pansy agrees.
"Well that makes sense." Luna nodded after a moment. Pansy's eyebrows rose and somehow Luna had everyone's attention.
"Well its just that its very easy to sit back and watch what someone else has done and criticise them even when we don't understand the circumstances in the slightest. I'd love to go back and stop my mother from mixing that potion… but even if I had the ability to go that far back I don't think time would let me change something like that." Luna shrugs and sips her drink.
"Time would let you? Daft child she obviously controls time." A man who Hermione was sure she knew but didn't really recognise spoke to the blonde and Pansy scowled.
"I beg your pardon! Daft? Luna's brilliant I'll have you know." Pansy grit out only to be calmed by a gentle hand on her wrist.
"It's ok Pan, ignorance really is bliss you know. Would you both like to sit with us?" Luna looked from Pansy to Hermione and Bella and missed the embarrassed and angry flushing of the guys cheeks.
"I think we will." Bellatrix speaks up dragging Hermione now. Ros just shook her head and fixed a fire whiskey and a butter beer and took over to the new comers as everyone else seemed to settle back into their own business.
Hermione sat down across from Luna with Bella beside her and across from Pansy. The pair before them was a curious one, they were sitting close together, sharing space practically. It seemed they'd also been sharing a plate of food. One of Ros' large meals that was pretty darn good but way too much for one person.
"So… finally work up the balls to ask this one out did you?" Bellatrix asked looking at Pansy who blushed.
"Dating?" Hermione asked a little wide eyed, she'd had so many issues with Pansy in the past but she'd never pegged the Slytherin for anything but straight.
"Problem with that?" Pansy bristled but Hermione shook her head with a laugh.
"Not even close. Just unexpected. I thought you were into Draco… Strictly." Hermione smiles softly.
"Blondes…. generally." Pansy offered the correction after a moment and smiled.
"How did you end up with Lovey anyways?" Bellatrix remembered Luna being one of their prisoners at Malfoy Manor but there had never been a reason to do more than deny a meal here or their as part of that ruse which had relieved Bellatrix, she had known Pandora and quite liked the woman.
"Oh… she saved from a few hexes and told off some guys in the process. Super hot." Pansy smiled and Luna chuckled.
"Ronald attempted to use the torture curse on you while you were attempting to apologise to Harry, that hardly counts as a few hexes." Luna points out seriously.
It was possibly the most serious Hermione had ever heard of Luna and she stared for a moment only to be pulled out of it when Ros bought over her and Bella's drinks. Most of the patrons at this point had returned to their own tables and conversations or meals though a few still side eyed them.
"She cast a disillusionment charm on Ron's wand and made him think it was a spider, I've never seen someone so masculine squeal so much. I was smitten." Pansy offered completely shamelessly and Luna chuckled at the memory.
"Ron's a prat but I never imagined he'd actually use the cruciatus on someone. Not even you." Hermione frowned deeply beginning to wonder if she even knew Ron at all anymore.
"We've all changed I think. Look at you. Teen pregnancy." Pansy pointed out with a half shrug.
"I'm 20 very soon." Hermione reasoned and Pansy grinned.
"Too much time travelling you're aging prematurely." The old foe teased and Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"How are you though? Things seem not to be going very well for you." Pansy points out after a moment.
"I'm… I'll be fine." Hermione smiled softly only for the door of the Inn to bang open that moment and an older man walked in flanked by Harry and Ron.
The three new comers looked around slowly only for their gaze to settle on the four witches. Bellatrix shifted in her seat as did Pansy and Hermione sighed softly. She knew what this likely was about and though it made her stomach sink unpleasantly she wouldn't fight it.
"Hermione Granger. You're to come with us please." The man spoke with no introductions. Bellatrix opened her mouth to speak only to be silenced by Hermiones hand on her wrist.
"It's ok. We knew it was coming." The bright little witch smiled softly and slid out of her seat. Ron gripped her arm almost painfully.
"Mione…" Bellatrix was panicking internally, not sure what to do.
"It's alright. I'll see you later." Hermione just smiled before being pulled out of the inn despite her willingness.
"What do we do?" Pansy asked worriedly and Bellatrix shook her head.
"I don't know what we can do." The woman spoke softly.
"Perhaps we should talk to The Headmistress." Luna spoke up.