AN: Hey guys, I literally could not do any school work until this idea got out of my head. I have a 10-15 page paper on the Queer Community and how it still has phobias and erasure regarding bisexuality and transgender specifically due soon (on top of 2 other research papers), but instead I wrote this 15 page...thing. I honestly have no clue where it's going and I know that I have another story I need to work on (and I will, I swear, once everything calms down), but I hope you enjoy! Word count: 4,388. I obviously own nothing but the plot and the unnamed barely there nurse! :)

Hyacinth woke up with a start. The green flash from a wand was forever ingrained in her mind and freshly brought up due to the nightmare. Trying to slow her racing heart rate she noticed an annoying beeping sound. It was almost like one of those muggle heart monitors. She had only seen one once when Dudley had broken his arm, after punching a whole through the wall of his room during a fit, no one could watch her and the Dursley's refused to leave her in the house alone. She had seen into some rooms where people were hooked up to machines and IVs when they went down a hallway following the pretty nurse in purple scrubs. There hadn't been the chance to ask questions about what was going on, as that was basically the Dursley's number one rule: don't ask questions. Hyacinth had waited until she had been at school and looked up her questions on the internet. That's how most of her curiosities had been answered when she had lived in the muggle world.

Moving her hand to rub away the sleep in her eyes she felt a slight tug at her hand. Curious, Hyacinth looked down and was shocked to find that she could see her hand perfectly fine without need of glasses and that she was in a hospital room. A muggle hospital bed with an IV attached to her, to be specific. Looking around she saw white walls, and flowers around the windowsill and table, there were the uncomfortable sheets, a varsity jacket and a pea coat tossed on some chairs near her bedside, but aside from that it was all very sterile and her wand was nowhere in sight. Her Aunt Petunia was asleep in a chair by her bedside on the opposite side of the other two chairs. She still had a slightly horse-like look, but it was muted. She looked good, healthy really, apart from the rumpled clothes and hair, and the bags under her eyes. It looked like her aunt was actually worried about her. Was she still in a dream?

A nurse walked in followed by Dudley and Vernon, she guessed. They looked like the two only, well healthier, apart from a couple gashes on Dudley's face and his arm in a sling. They brought food and coffee in with them. The Nurse was the first to see her awake as the Dursley men had been quietly talking to each other. When Vernon turned his head to see Petunia he noticed Hyacinth up and took a deep, shuddering breath of relief. Dudley followed his father's gaze and lit up. Hyacinth was so confused. She had to be having a dream within a dream. The Dursley's, apart from maybe Dud in the end, had never been happy to see her.

"Cin!" Dudley cried out, a bit choked up; the volume of his voice woke up his mother.

"Miss Potter, it's good to see you up. Are you in any pain at all?"

Hyacinth thought about it. There was a ringing in her head, now that she thought about it—one that wasn't the persistent beeping from the monitor. The light kind of hurt her eyes too, making her want to close her eyes and rest some more. Her ribs felt broken, too. She was also thirsty and really needed to go to the bathroom.

"Ah, it's nothing really," the nurse gave her a look similar to Madam Pomfrey. "Just a headache and some sensitivity to the light right now. I'd really appreciate it though if I could just have a bit of space to use the loo."

"You have a concussion so be careful; you may feel dizzy when you get up. Please be cautious of those ribs too," Petunia worried her lip as the nurse spoke to Hyacinth.

Hyacinth had to bring the IV in with her, but she did her business quickly, not even risking a glance at the mirror. She saw a flash of ink and didn't have that Gryffindor Courage to look down to see what it was. It was probably nothing. When Hyacinth came out the nurse was explaining something about brain swelling and some side effects. Why the Healers weren't alerted to her being in a muggle hospital was something that she wanted to know. The ministry and the papers hadn't let her out of their grasp since the Battle of Hogwarts. Her going to the park by Grimmauld Place was front page news. This was getting stranger and stranger.

"Our girl will be alright, though, yes?" Vernon asked.

"Well, she just woke up. We need to run another CAT scan. She did have a lot of swelling; there could be some damage that we weren't aware of. There may be things she doesn't remember or things that may be mixed up."

"Amnesia? Like those bloody awful day-dramas mum watches?"

"Dudley!" Petunia shrilled; that hadn't changed much, just that it was her precious Dudder's on the receiving end this time.

"No, it is completely fine. He's right," the nurse smiled sadly at the Dursley's.

Petunia let out a distressed noise and Vernon held her in his arms. The nurse left them to guide Hyacinth back to the bed, she told her to rest, and told the room that they would be back to bring her for a CAT scan soon. Within thirty minutes a group of people came in to wheel Hyacinth's bed out so she could have the test done. In that time the Dursley's asked questions, seemed legitimately worried for her, and she stayed quiet and wary. Perhaps this was some strange curse that happened upon her from some item in number 12? Kreacher was probably at the Burrow getting help for her.

Hyacinth took a nap on the way back from getting the test done, bypassing anymore questions and looks from the Dursley's. She was woken up when the results came back showing that it was alright for her to go, but to wake her up during the night a couple times and to just be cautious and call them if anything else happened.

Dudley pushed the wheelchair they forced her into after they discharged her. Petunia had given Hyacinth a familiar forest green dress and a black cardigan to change in to so she wasn't in a hospital robe anymore. She also wore sunglasses since it was a rare sunny day. These were her clothes, but where the bleeding hell was she?

The car ride was quiet and had little traffic. They brought her back to Number 4 and gently led her inside. She got a good look at the house, and it was…different. There were pictures of her around the house not just them with Dudley. It had a clean, but lived in feel to it as well. It no longer felt like a museum dedicated to Dudley and their "normal" image. It felt like a home. Dudley brought her to the room they had placed her in before First Year and was shocked. It wasn't just Dud's second bedroom with chipped, off-white paint. It didn't have broken toys, computers, and unread books on the light brown shelves and beaten up desk. No. It had light green walls, pictures of her and people she had never met, muggle pictures of her mum and dad, Sirius and Remus looking like she'd never seen them—young and healthy—with her at a museum, and her with the Dursley's on vacations. Her and Dudley smiling at school events—a primary Halloween event where she's dressed as a stereotypical witch and Dudley a ninja, school trips and graduation. Fairy lights danced across the ceiling of her room, and there were books! So many books—none of them fantasy, just textbooks, memoirs, nonfiction, and a few guilty pleasure romance novels, but they all looked well-read and loved. There was not a trace of Hogwarts or magic. No trunk beaten up trunk she had left here after Hermione had given her a new one for her seventeenth birthday. No cage for Hedwig. Still no wand.

"Merlin's balls, where am I?" Hyacinth whispered to herself.

"You're home, Cin," Dudley, who apparently hadn't left her, answered worriedly. "Should I get mum and dad?"

She was should've known he was still there. Where were the instincts she honed during childhood from Hyacinth Hunting? Where was that CONSTANT VIGILANCE fake Moody and the real Moody had installed in her?

"No, no, I'm just…ah, well," she trailed off.

"Do you even remember what happened?" Dud asked with a frown. "The first time you woke up for a moment you did, but then things got dicey."

"What? Dicey how, exactly?" Dudley didn't look like he wanted to answer her question. He wrung his hands. He looked guilty almost.

"You flat-lined for a moment. Barely thirty seconds." He started crying, "I'm so sorry I didn't see that driver coming!"

Petunia and Vernon came up hearing Dudley cry and Vernon led him out of her room. Petunia stayed with her, seeing the anxiety on Hyacinth's face. The two went and sat on the full size bed, and Petunia held one of her hands, while she ran her other fingers through Hyacinth's unruly black hair. Petunia had never done this before, and it was longer than she remembered her hair being…

"Hyacinth, dear, what do you remember? Tell me everything you know."

"I'm Hyacinth Jillian Potter and I'm almost twenty-two. I'm an Auror. I went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when I was eleven, like my parents much to your dismay. Lily and James were murdered on Halloween after being sold out by—" Petunia had been making noises of distress throughout Hyacinth's words. "…What?"

"You're twenty, and parents died in a car crash." Hyacinth rolled her eyes. It hurt.

"That again? We all know the truth." Petunia looked uncomfortable. "Wait… twenty? What is going on here? Morgana, the last time I even heard form you guys it was just after the war. Dud said you listened to the radio during your time in hiding and that he had met a witch during the celebrations!"

"What on earth are you talking about? What war? You and Dudley just came home from University for the winter hols. Before that you came by so we could visit your parents' gravesite on Halloween. Oh, we need to call the doctor…" Petunia got up, eyes watery running to get her husband.

Hyacinth ran a hand over her face and caught sight of that ink she saw before, that she had dismissed in the hospital. It was the mark of the Deathly Hallows. But why? It hadn't shown up before? At least, she'd never seen it before… Hermione could've sworn she had seen it once when they were in a near death experience rounding up escaped Death Eaters, but it hadn't been there when they had checked after the battle. Blast it all! She stuffed her hands in the pockets of the cardigan and wasn't expecting the extendable and weightless charms on it. Her arm plunged down and grabbed something smooth and cool. It felt like the mirrors. Gods she hoped it was.

Pulling it up Hyacinth was correct in her assumption. With a whoop of joy she put it up to her face and said her best friend's name. Nothing happened. She said it again. Still nothing, maybe some haze? Maybe just wishful thinking. Oh, she was in so much trouble.

Reaching into the pocket once more she tried to find her Holly wand. She felt a shrunken trunk, Sirius' shrunken bike, the old purse Hermione used in the war and always made Hyacinth keep on her (the cardigan could only hold a few shrunken items and her wand), and—finally—the feel of wood was in her palm! She lifted it out and her mouth dropped in a silent scream. It wasn't her beloved Holly and Phoenix feather wand. It was the Elder Wand. The wand she had broken and thrown away after fixing her own. Hyacinth threw it away from her in shock and it landed on the floor with a clatter.

Dudley, Petunia and Vernon all rushed into the room to see what the problem was. They saw a knobby wooden stick, a mirror, and a very distressed girl. Vernon moved slowly to her, hoping to calm Hyacinth down. It didn't work. She bolted down to the ground, faster than they thought she should move, and pointed the wand at them. Eyes suddenly narrowed and almost glowing eerily, brows furrowed, and her mouth set in a grim line, it was a look of determination the Dursley's had never seen on her face directed at them.

"Finite Incantatem!" A burst of red shot out and hit the Dursley's as they screamed, but nothing happened. "How…?"

Hyacinth put the wand flat in her palm, "Point Me the Burrow!"

The wand did nothing.

"Point Me Hogwarts!"

It didn't move.

"Point Me Diagon Alley!"

The wand didn't even twitch.

Hyacinth's strength left her and she dropped to the floor with a wail of despair, making her ribs burn in with all the movement. The Dursley's inched towards her, Dudley moved quickly to the floor to hold his distressed younger cousin while she cried. He had always hated it when she cried once he was old enough to realize why exactly she was living with them, and why his mother told him to watch out for her. His parents were more tentative in their actions, understandably so. The girl they had raised seemed to be gone and in her place was someone distressed and apparently armed with some sort of power.

"I'm not going to say that it's alright," Dudley began, "because clearly it isn't. But we are your family and we are here for you." That made her wail harder. Dudley shot his mum a look of alarm and she took over.

"So what were those words you said meant to do?" She questioned.

Hyacinth sniffed, keeping her head down. "It was supposed to undo any spells on you. Oh, Merlin, the last thing I remember is the Avada Kedavra curse coming at me…what if I really did die for real this time?!"

"This time," Vernon inquired, "what do you mean by that?"

"I survived the death curse twice. I had the chance to pass over the second time. I guess third time really is the charm."

"You said something about a war when I was sitting with you, would that be a part of this…incident?"

Hyacinth nodded. She explained her life, how her parents were murdered, how the Dursley's treated her in her life, her friends and their annual adventures, the deaths… It took a long time to get through it, She stopped every now and then to show them a charm and once to heal herself with an Episky. The Dursley's had brought up some take away around noon. Eventually, too exhausted and cried out, she was put to bed. Something her Dursley's had never done for her. She was either in another universe or actually dead.

Dudley stayed in the room, knowing his parents needed to talk amongst themselves and feeling guilt for this other Dudley, not to mention being the driver in their own car accident. He couldn't go until he knew she was asleep, peacefully and deeply entrenched in it. When he was right about to leave he saw a shadow figure by her and a deep chill settled in him. It was still bright out, being only two in the afternoon. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt the need to stay.

Hyacinth groaned and grumbled in her sleep. There seemed to be a soft glow from her right wrist on the tattoo she had. That was new, he would have known about a tattoo. They honestly had plans to get one together without the knowledge of his mum and dad. The dark shadow soon left and she opened her eyes, they were the brightest green he had ever seen them. Hyacinth didn't look happy.

"Death is a dick."

"Sorry?" Dudley was bewildered.

She had told them the story of the Deathly Hallows, how her father's family had descended from one of the brothers, how she accidentally gathered all three hallows before meeting death like an old friend. Everything she had told them had been so fantastical, but somehow he had a feeling like she truly did think that Death was a dick.

"I just had a lovely conversation with them. They're a dick."

"Why?"

"I'm in an alternate universe that has no magic users like me on this Earth. Apparently you have Superheroes though?"

Dudley thought about all the big heroes in America. The Avengers were the first to pop into his mind. Tony Stark had recently talked at their Uni. He had arrived in his Iron Man suit. Dudley nodded that the expectant looking girl in front of him.

"We just met one at Uni, actually. You asked him a good question and he gave you a card after the whole guest speaker event was done. Told you to call if you had any more good questions or wanted a job. Honestly thought it might've been a joke till he handed you the card. It should still be on your desk."

Hyacinth got up and slowly went to the desk. Dudley was indeed telling the truth. A clear card with a white bit and a Stark Industries logo was lying on it. She picked it up and took a deep breath. Should she call? What would she even say?

"Well, I'm tired and I need to take a few painkillers. Let me know how it goes if you're done before I come back up."

"Right, wait, I can heal you if you need!"

Dudley waved her off and Hyacinth nodded to him before grabbing the phone by the desk, quickly punching the number from the card in. It rang twice before she got an answer. There was some sort of rock music on in the background.

"Tony Stark, genius, playboy, philanthropist, superhero talking, how may I save your day?"

"Uh, okay…" Hyacinth had a moment of second thoughts before continuing. Death said she was needed here. "I'm Hyacinth Potter. You gave me your card after you spoke at my university."

"Oh right, the Good Question Brit with the emerald eyes! Any more questions or want to drop out of college for a job here; based off your credits you have enough to graduate already you know?"

"I was unaware, actually. It seems like my counterpart was quite smart. I'm actually calling for both. You see, I'm from an alternate universe and apparently you superheroes are going to need me."

"Well that's new and exciting! It's like Christmas come early, I tell ya. I'll be by to pick you up in the evening. Number 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging, Surrey, correct?" His voice had an odd mix of blasé-sarcasm with and undertone of legitimate excitement.

"Creepy how you knew that, but yes, you are correct."

"Great be ready by, oh, say ten!" And with that Tony Stark hung up as her cousin walked back into her room.

Hyacinth put the phone back on the cradle and sat on her bed. Dudley followed her. They sat in silence for a bit. Dudley unsure of how to really interact with this new version of his cousin, and Hyacinth trying to wrap her head around a new universe, good Dursley's, and getting mixed up with superheroes now. Her life was always interesting. At least this odd disaster didn't happen on Halloween. Something always happened then. Last time it was a prison break and she had to work instead of visit Godric's Hollow with Teddy and Andy.

Oh sweet Morgana's tits. Teddy. She was supposed to babysit in a couple days. What are they going to do? Death wasn't really forthcoming on how she actually left her universe. Did they think she was dead? They had to know she would never abandon them. Were they looking for her?

A tear slipped down her face and she wiped it away quickly. No more tears. She cried enough earlier. She had to make sure she had everything set to go. She took her purse out of her pocket, set the items already in her pocket into her purse, and then used her magic to sort through the clothes in the drawers and closet to see if she wanted to keep anything.

Dudley watched in awe as the clothes floated around the room. Many items going back to where they came, but the few trousers, a couple plain shirts, and her trainers and workout clothes made their way to the purse. Only two dresses went in. Most of what this universe's Hyacinth had was dresses, which appeared to be the opposite of this one's taste. Once she appeared to be set with her Mary Poppins' purse he cleared his throat.

"So, I guess you didn't speak to the machine."

"Nope, I'm leaving tonight." She smiled; it was probably for the best. She wasn't their girl. "I don't really know how to say this to your parents."

"I'll let them know," Dudley swallowed the lump in his throat at the relieved smile it brought to his cousin's face.

"Thanks. I'm gonna try and get a real nap in, so I'll see you later."

Dudley got up and closed the door. He went down the hall and knocked on the door to the right. His father opened the door. His eyes were red and puffy; his mother was the same on the bed. Vernon opened the door wider and they all sat together. They needed the closeness. They had thought that their little flower might not make it, and in a way she didn't. She was gone. This new Hyacinth didn't have the memories that they had full of laughter and the feeling of love, no, not at all. Their counterparts had been the nastiest of sorts. They wanted to make it up to this girl who endured nothing but hardships, but they also needed to grieve.

They were different girls. Their little flower was soft as a petal, but knew when to stick to her roots. They weren't sure about this one. They knew that the bulbs of hyacinth flowers were poisonous; you needed to wear gloves to protect your skin from irritants. She seemed like she needed to be handled with care by most. The few people she spoke fondly about probably saw her bloom.

"Mum, dad," they looked to him warily. "Remember when Cin got that card from Tony Stark?"

"Of course we do!" Petunia gushes, "Oh we were so proud of our darling girl!"

"Well, I don't know how to say this, so, I'm just going to say it. She called today. He picked up the phone and is coming to get her tonight."

Petunia sucked in breath and Vernon's eyes widened.

"Oh," they both spoke at the same time. Dudley nodded and kept quiet. None of them spoke for a couple minutes. Vernon was the first to move. He went to the door and they heard him go down the stairs. They slowly followed after him.

He was in the kitchen, fixing himself a drink. He lifted the alcohol in a sort of universal offering. Petunia accepted and Dudley declined only because it wouldn't mix well with the meds the doctors had him on.

The rest of the time that Hyacinth slept was filled with quiet. Petunia, a couple drinks in, once went to the cupboard under the stairs and opened it before trying to fit comfortably in it. It didn't quite work out for her and Dudley had to get her out before she woke up Hyacinth. When it was almost time for Tony Stark to arrive, they heard movement from upstairs; soft padding down the hall and close of a door followed by the shower turning on. It lasted for maybe ten minutes. Soon enough Hyacinth came downstairs, avoiding the squeaky one like she always did.

"Will you keep in touch with us?" Petunia asked, breaking the silence and shocking Hyacinth.

"If you want I will," she rubbed at her hands. The doorbell rang and they all went to the door. Hyacinth took a breath before she opened it.

"Tony Stark." The man was in a sleek dark suit that somehow managed to look casual. His short hair was lightly gelled, falling just so that it looked natural. She was a little impressed with how well it worked out for him, then again the only other person she knew that had tried that look was Malfoy and he failed miserably.

"Hyacinth Potter."

"Sweet Cin," Tony joked, her eyes narrowed. The last person to call her that was Fred. "Or not... Anyhoo, we gotta get rockin'. I told Banner about you and he is really excited, so am I obviously, I'm here!"

"Right..." She was having double thoughts about this. Merlin, what was Death getting her into. He seemed like he could be Gred and Forge's triplet already. "Well, bye, then."

It was an awkward farewell. They all hugged quickly and Petunia reminded her to keep in touch. They walked out to an expensive and sporty looking car and she had to keep her eye roll in check. The attitude of the Weasley twins but the spending style of a Malfoy if they had ever thought to look into the muggle world.

The nineteen minute trip was way less than that, and then they quickly got onto the Stark private jet. Tony asked a couple questions, if there were superheroes where she was from, did she know of him in the other universe, things like that and she answered them all. Ones that weren't too invasive for her, anyway.

"You'll get along well with Nat and Clint I think," He smiled. "Maybe Cap too, you seem like the righteous type."

"Thanks, I guess?" Hyacinth shrugged and Tony went on to work on his tablet after a short pause. She was grateful for the respite. She quietly read through the files that Stark had given her on who she would be working with for the rest of the flight.

AN: Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think! If there's any spelling/grammar mistakes that you've caught let me know please and I will change it!