"Lex."

"What?"

"Do you miss your family?"

Alexia considered the question for a moment. "I lost them long before I met you, Jamie. I miss what I always thought we were, but the truth is, it was an illusion."

James grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I hope we can help make up for them. You know I love you, Lex?"

"I love you too, Jamie."

"-Mione?"

Hermione jumped as she woke and looked up to find Godric standing in front of her with a concerned frown. "Oh, Professor, I'm sorry. I must've fallen asleep."

Godric snorted and took a seat by her. "You are an adult, Hermione, you may call us by our names. My friends call me Ric."

"Of course."

"You seemed… disturbed," he told her. "What were you dreaming of?"

Hermione sighed and sat up. "My… brother, I suppose. I really cared for him even back then. And now, I can feel this full, unyielding love. Before him, I never had any siblings. Harry was the closest I had. Jamie… I think we had some sort of bond."

Godric hummed. "I had a brother, too. His name was Godwin. He died of the plague nearly five years ago now."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she breathed. How much did her favorite book either leave out or simply get wrong?

"Thank you," he nodded. "But we were very close. Starting when we were younger, we felt… tied to one another. We learned it was a twin bond. Twin bonds are not for literal twins by birth, but rather twin souls. I can't say what your relationship was like, but if you feel tied to him, I would take a look at your core and see what bonds you have."

"Oh," she blinked. "I don't think I know how to do that."

"It is simple," he assured her. "All you need to do is close your eyes and focus on your magic. Where it is in your body. Follow it to the center and see where it leads out. Try and feel for the relationship you know you have with James." She looked unsure, so he smiled. "If you'd like, I can help."

"Please. I've only ever had my core looked at using spells."

He looked surprised. "Why was that?"

Hermione stopped. "I… don't know."

"Well, I think we should certainly take a look to make sure nothing is wrong with it," he told her. He raised his wand and noted the way she flinched. "You're safe. I just need to connect our cores temporarily. Ready?"

She took a short breath. "Ready."

He cast the spell, and she felt them twisting through her magic quickly, like they were on a rollercoaster. When they got to the center, it could be seen in the air pulsating, and they both stared, though Godric stared in horror. "Something is very wrong with it."

"What?" she asked sharply. "What's wrong with it?"

"I don't-," he shook his head and waved his wand. Suddenly, she could see her core pulsating in the air like a heartbeat, but faster and a bit erratically. "The shape of it, it seems… twisted. May I check your magical signature?"

"Go ahead."

He twisted his wand until there was a line in the air twisting and turning like it was reading the heartbeat. Except, it didn't fit the box it was in, which was shaped a certain way. "That's… impossible."

"Why is it like that?" she wondered.

"How has your magic been acting?" he asked her. She saw him tap his wand against his leg, and the end of it lit up for a brief moment. "Is it stronger, weaker?"

"A bit of both lately," she shrugged. "I'm fairly strong wandless, but I couldn't say if it was different with a wand since I don't have mine."

Godric stared at her. "All the magic you've been doing over the last couple days has been wandless?"

She blinked. "...yeah?"

"Okay," he said slowly. "A little bit of wandless magic takes a lot of energy. Doing it consistently without a wand at all… you aren't tired?"

"It's like I'm used to it," she shrugged. "I don't remember doing much aside from what Sirius taught me before… he died."

"This man was a friend?" he wondered.

Hermione shifted, pushing her hair behind her ears. "It's… confusing. Mostly, I remember him being Harry's godfather and a man that protected me. He meant a lot to me before he died. But… these memories, he's my friend, one of my best friends. We went to school together."

"Hm," Godric nodded. "He sounds like a guide in your life."

She smiled a little. "You know, in my time and in the past, I was in your House. My friends were, too."

He chuckled a little. "I am honored, though I think my friends may be a bit jealous."

"I was nearly put in Ravenclaw when I was eleven, and then when I was in the 70's, the hat tried to put me in Slytherin and I had to threaten it terribly to stay in Gryffindor with my brother," she admitted.

"Mm, sounds truly Slytherin to me," Godric grinned, his eyes sliding up to the left, where she noticed Salazar standing quietly with his hands clasped behind his back. "I think I should go find Helga. I was supposed to meet her in the office ten minutes ago, but I noticed you fell asleep outside. Any reason for that?"

The small smile on her face fell. "The castle… it's easier outside."

He nodded, unwilling to push her for answers, and walked out with a wave. Once he was gone, Salazar moved over and came to sit next to her on the bench. He spoke as she tied her hair up into a bun. "It must be hard being here."

"It is," she admitted. "I may have lived years that I don't remember, but it feels like I was just fighting here to protect my friends and I. Fighting a war isn't something I can make myself forget or get over. I want to be okay, to be able to stand in the place that felt like home for so long and be fine, but when I walk these halls, all I see is crumbled walls, scorch marks, and where I saw my friends killed and where I killed others."

When she finally looked at him after a few moments of silence, she realized he was staring at her thoughtfully. He got to his feet and held out his hand. She just stared at it, so he explained. "If you need to get away from the castle, I will accompany you."

"Where are we going?" she asked, taking his hand as she stood with him. He adjusted them so he took her arm instead and led her out onto the grounds.

"The village down the path," he explained. "There is a bar-,"

"I didn't know it was here yet," she admitted. "I thought Hogwarts came first."

"No," he said, leading her toward the path. When she began to slow, he looked over to find her eyes scanning the grounds. "Hermione?"

"I ran down here," she said softly, almost in a whisper. "I fought Yaxley. I was nearly crushed by a troll. I watched… Lavender, she was my roommate the entire time I was at school, and I watched Greyback bite her, tear her entire fucking throat out and… I only managed to throw him off her when it was too late. It was too late."

Salazar turned to stand in front of her, putting his hands on her arms to grab her attention. She blinked rapidly, as if trying to blink away her memories. "You see it. You see the grounds are fine, but you see the battle behind your eyes, yes?"

"Yes," she breathed. "I close my eyes, it's there. I keep them open, force myself to stay awake, I see my best friend- my brother's dead body being carried into the courtyard."

"Can you feel my hands on your arms?" he asked her. She looked at him, but he could tell she couldn't see him. She took in a deep breath and tried to focus before she nodded. "Good. It is a bit cold today, do you feel the breeze?"

"Yes."

"Let it sweep you up, guide you away," he instructed. "It's midday, the sun is as bright as ever. Feel its warmth on your skin."

Hermione breathed in and out slowly, focusing on anything she could feel. It was quite the opposite to the dark, hot, wet night of the battle. After a few minutes, she was able to look at him gratefully. "Thank you."

He nodded and led her down the path quietly. As they walked, she gathered herself. The last two days had been overwhelming, and while she'd done her best to keep herself occupied, she knew she couldn't run from the war she'd fought through. "You would have done well in my House."

Hermione looked at him, startled as he broke the silence. She nearly asked why he'd brought it up before she remembered her conversation with Godric. "The hat was adamant that I belonged there, but leaving James…"

"Gaining these memories back, I do wonder how it feels," he said. They paused as they entered what looked like it would become the Three Broomsticks. They were seated and, after quickly ordering drinks, he continued. "Do you feel attachment? Or is it a memory alone?"

She considered the question and sighed. "I feel attachment. Something deep in me for people I barely remember. James… I love him so much. I think I would very willingly kill for him, or die for him. I'd do anything to keep him safe."

He looked interested, but he asked another question. "And your name. You introduced yourself as Hermione, but your name was Alexia."

"Which one is me?" she shook her head. "Alexia. When that first memory came, when I heard my name, I felt like an important part of me was revealed. I am Alexia Potter."

"It is a beautiful name, and very fitting," he told her.

She smiled a little, but her mind quickly wandered back to the events on the grounds of the castle. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Mm?"

"How did you know what was happening so well?" Salazar didn't answer her at first. He was quiet, and she could see he wasn't sure if he wanted to answer, so she reached out and touched his hand. "I don't have to know. Everyone deserves their secrets."

He hummed. "What does your book say about how we met?"

She blinked. "Um, it doesn't, really. It says you met when you were young, and that you were inspired to teach."

He rolled his eyes. "I suppose it could've been worse. Perhaps I should write my own book about our lives and how this all began."

Her eyes widened in excitement. "Oh my god, that would be incredible! A first-hand account of the past-,"

Salazar's lips twisted into a slight smile as he laughed a little. "Alexia-,"

"Lexi, please."

"Lexi, you are speaking to a first-hand account of the past," he pointed out. When she froze and blinked, he laughed a little more. "Do we not feel real to you?"

She shook her head. "You feel… impossible. They treat you like gods, you know. It was quite confusing when I came to Hogwarts. You four are the past, the history of all we learned, and all I ever want to do is learn more. Coming here, even on accident, feels like a dream. Seeing you as real people, and not the-the fictitious gods that have been created in your image is… confusing, to say the least."

He chuckled a little and took her hand. "I can promise, I am no god. Neither am I the lies that, apparently, were widely spread about me."

"And it leaves me wondering, who are you?"

"Hm. A fair question, I suppose, as you are allowing me to uncover your life," he said. "Tell me something about yourself and I will tell you something similar about myself."

Alexia tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Okay, I suppose that's fair. Let me think… well, I suppose that means I should tell you something meaningful if I want to know anything meaningful."

"Yes."

"My life hasn't been… easy, or happy. I've spent my school years protecting Harry, or trying to. I didn't get to go to my seventh year because the school was taken over by Death Eaters and Voldemort- oh, Voldemort is the Dark Lord, Death Eaters are his followers."

"And if you had gone to your seventh year, what would your studies have been focused on?" he wondered curiously.

She paused and laughed a little. "Everything. I don't know. I wanted to work on creatures and beings laws in the ministry. Remus- he's a werewolf, he can't even go to a hospital because of these bloody laws."

Salazar stared at her. "Werewolves are only dangerous for twelve hours a month."

"Thank you!" she nodded. A couple of people turned their heads at how loud she was, so she lowered her voice. "Anyways, my point is, I don't have many happy things to tell you, but my life hasn't been boring."

"Neither has mine."

"Okay… well, I suppose- okay, so in my time, we have this bank, right? Everyone keeps their money and valuables there. Everyone. It's goblin-run. It's impossible to break in."

He raised an eyebrow curiously. "Is it?"

Alexia laughed a little. "Well, not impossible to break into. Essentially, we were looking for some items to help end the war. We realized that there was likely one in a vault there, so we had to break in. Luckily we brought a goblin named Griphook with us when we left… so, uh, he helped us break in. The issue was the Theif's Downfall."

Salazar shook his head. "Excuse me?"

"It's this magical waterfall, basically, that strips you of any magic helping you to break in and steal things. If it detects those types of magic, your cart falls out from beneath you and you fall to your death. We would have died, but a quick Arresto Momentum saved us."

"Who on earth was prepared enough to cast?" he questioned, amazed. "I once watched Ric and Helga fall over the railing from the top floor. I had to slow their fall."

Alexia's smile faded, and her eyes drifted as a memory slipped loose. She reached out to grab the table, gasping as she could see herself falling in her mind's eye. When the memory ended, she blinked it away, sucking in a sharp breath. "Shit."

"What was it?" he asked in concern, touching her hand to once more help her stay grounded. Unaware of how much she needed it, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, only startling him a little.

"I- why the hell was I- what?"

"Alexia," he said softly, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "Breathe. What happened?"

"Like you said," she said quietly. "I feel like I have whiplash. It's like you said. I was… on the edge of a staircase, messing with something, and I fell. Someone caught me, but I think I hit the ground too hard because the memory just cuts off suddenly."

Salazar shook his head. "What were you doing?"

"I had… slinkies of all things sitting next to me," she said. When he stared she sighed. "They're a toy in my time. They fall down stairs… okay, that probably explains why they were there."

"Are you okay?" he asked her seriously. "We can go back to the castle-,"

"No," she interrupted sharply. He watched her quietly, and she collected herself. "No, I need a bit more time away. Let me continue."

"Of course."

"Right. So… ah, right. We had to break into a vault to steal a- oh right. Um, it was actually Helga's cup."

Salazar blinked. "What?"

"I'll… explain that issue later. We just- I feel like I just finished dealing with them. Long story short, someone stole and cursed a cup that belonged to her, and we had to steal it back and destroy it to be able to end this war."

"Sounds like an interesting curse."

She laughed shortly. "Soul sucking is more like it. Anyway, we secured the cup with a few difficulties and then, we had to get out of the bank."

"I take it, it was not as easy as getting in," he guessed."

Alexia shook her head. "Not in the least. To make a long story short, we ended up on a dragon, freed it, and used it to get out of the bank."

"A dragon," he laughed, grinning at her.

"Broke straight out of the roof of the bank," she smiled back. "At this point, I'm guessing they've closed my account."

Salazar laughed still, his smile proving to be contagious. "Where did you go with this dragon?"

Alexia shifted in her seat. "Ah. Well, we were flying towards a small island when the dragon sort of… ejected us from our place on his back. Harry nearly drowned because he had a vision."

"A vision," he repeated. "Is he some sort of Seer?"

"No, actually. It sort of has to do with the curse on the cup. It's complicated, and frankly, depressing."

"Well, I suppose it's my turn. How about how Rowena, Helga, and I met Godric?"

Alexia's eyes lit up excitedly. "Please."

He sat back, finally releasing her hand, which neither of them realized he'd still held. "Well, Rowena and I have been friends since we were very young. She befriended Helga when we were young as well. When we turned fifteen, we went traveling. We came across a pub, and we were exhausted and hungry, so we stopped in for some food and rest."

"Fifteen, wow," she breathed. "That's pretty young."

"It's young to be fighting a war, too," he pointed out. She shrugged in response, so he continued. "When we got inside, there was a young man standing in the middle of the room fighting off about six larger men at once. We just stood there, watching, until he won. Since we were the only ones that hadn't started fighting him or left, he bought us a round and Helga asked him what we'd just witnessed."

"I'm assuming this man is Godric," Alexia said, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Yes. As it turned out, he'd watched all six of those men harassing a young girl. He swore he warned them twice before beginning the fight. Having known him for some years now, I know he lied."

Alexia grinned. "Ron, mine and Harry's friend, once punched out Cormac McLaggen for harassing me and his sister Ginny both within a ten minute period."

"Ron is a Gryffindor?"

"More than Harry and I put together, I think."

Both of them looked up as the woman who had brought their drinks walked over. "Sorry, Sal, but we're closing early today. Heard some muggles were a couple towns over."

Salazar frowned and nodded. "Thank you, Maeve."

Alexia got up as he did and followed him out and back toward the path to the castle. "I don't understand."

"It happens monthly," he told her, guiding her quickly up the path. "They search the towns for anything they think is magic. We have had people taken, killed for it."

"Shit," she cursed under her breath as they reached the castle. "There's no… spells you can use to… repel them?"

"Repel muggles," he repeated, glancing at her. "You know a spell."

"I'm also a little tipsy," she defended. "I can't change time."

His eyes sharpened. "And I can't let the people I'm supposed to protect die!"

Alexia winced back. "I don't know when it's invented so I don't know-,"

Salazar stepped closer and stared down at her. "I have watched too many people die for you to do this. What is the spell?"

"Okay!" she stepped back uncomfortably. "Get everyone and a Sober Up and meet me down at the border of Hogsmeade."

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"Okay," Alexia said, looking out at the surprisingly large crowd of people. Someone had spread the news that there was a spell to protect them, and many people from the village had shown up to learn it. "Ah, shit, I need to borrow a wand for this one."

Salazar tossed his over, and she barely caught it. When she glanced over in confusion, he nodded his head gratefully. Pushing that aside, she stood in front of them. "Alright, watch the way I move the wand. A smooth twist from side to side with a flick to the left at the end. Try it out yourselves."

She watched carefully as they all did as she said. She only had to correct a couple of people, and she did so by coming to stand next to them to show them once more and correct them exactly where they got it wrong. Once they had the movement down, she moved back in front of them. "The incantation is Repello Muggletum. Repeat it for me."

"Repello Muggletum," the group said.

"Good. Ideally you would do this one at a time, but we don't have time for that," she frowned. "I want all of you to spread apart and point your wands directly in front of you and try casting it- er, here's your wand, Sal," she said, tossing it back to him. "Go ahead, begin."

It was no wonder to her, she supposed as she watched them cast the spell, that Hogsmeade was so incredibly protected in her time, if its warding had begun with so many people casting. And to her wonder, they all casted it perfectly. It began covering the village, and when she was confident that they had it right, she joined them with both hands, pushing it outward and upward.

The group spent that day walking the perimeter of the village and putting up warding. When they'd finished, they set up a guard around the village to watch and wait for muggles.

It wasn't until it was nearly dark that the muggles came with their torches, all looking angry and certainly like a mob. They waited on baited breath as the muggles got closer until finally, they seemed to get confused and turn around. It happened three times before the muggles gave up and left.

The village decided on a party, and while they enjoyed their night and their magic, Alexia made her way back toward the castle quietly. The sun had set and she could hear the noise of music and talking fading behind her.

"Thank you."

Salazar had to duck to avoid the spell she shot off, and both of them stood in shock at the sight of it. "Was that-,"

"A blood curse? Yes."

Alexia sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't… what sort of life have I lived that blood curses are… so natural to me?"

"One where they were necessary, I would assume," he told her. Taking her elbow gently, he guided her back up the path until they reached a bench in a courtyard. "I wanted to thank you, and apologize. If it were not for the safety of the people I vowed to protect, I would not have spoken to you like that, Lexi."

She sighed and stared up at the bright moon above them. "When I was fourteen, in my third year, I was granted that time turner by my Head of House. I took every single class I could, and it was somewhat detrimental to my health and… general sanity. Regardless, I was told the rules of time travel. You can only go back five hours. Travel to the future is impossible. You must never meet yourself. And never, I mean never change time."

"Even if it is to save lives?"

She smiled slightly, glancing at him. "Sal, you sound like a Gryffindor right now."

Salazar laughed, grinning at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing. Godric is my friend. I admire the way he views life."

"I don't regret helping," she said, shifting the topic back. "But I'm terrified of what I've done."

He considered her words. "Perhaps you were meant to be here, to save those people."

She tilted her head back to search the stars for the one she always looked at on the nights the sky was clear. She spotted Sirius and felt some comfort at the sight. "Of course, that is another theory. One Harry was in favor of. I don't know, Sal. I'm tired. I feel like I'm trying to navigate a world I can't fully understand. I'm more dangerous than I remember being."

He nodded. "You are quite the teacher, you know."

"Mm," she hummed. "I had to teach my friends with Harry in our fifth year."

"Why on earth-,"

"Because our Defense Professor preferred to scar students," she said, giving him her left hand to read the scar. "Than to teach us to defend ourselves."

"'I will not plot against the ministry,'" he whispered. "Alexia-,"

"It was that or straight up, regular old torture," she explained. "Although compared to others, her Crucio is rather weak."

"It is not a joke!"

"I'm not treating it as one!" she snapped back. "God! It's my fucking life, it's my scars! I don't treat any of them as jokes, especially not ones I don't fucking understand, and that's a terrifying amount of them."

Salazar looked slightly disturbed. "When you fell- I hadn't considered that you would not recognize your scars. You pointed out so many of them."

"The worst part," she said quietly. "The worst part is that I feel things in relation to them. I have… my stomach is littered in these long scars that terrify me. My throat- none of you have said it, but I saw Helga looking at it. I have no fucking idea where it came from, but every time I see it, I feel sick."

"Then let's continue," he suggested gently. "We will find out."

Alexia shook her head. "Why would I want to?"

"Is it not worse, not knowing?"

"I don't know. I… I don't know."

"We will move at whatever pace you need," he said. He frowned when he saw her breathing picking up suddenly.

Alexia felt panic fill her chest. Her vision blurred, and it wasn't long before a memory that didn't quite feel right fell into her mind.

"How is she today?"

Alexia snorted as she dropped her outer robes on the couch. "Mad. She spent awhile just calling you a bastard. Lady Marchbanks said these mood swings will last till the end of the pregnancy."

"Ah, well. Hopefully she'll like me again when it's over."

She laughed and came to sit on Lucius's lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "She's never really liked you, my love. She tolerates you because she loves me, and you do the same. I'm no fool."

"I've no clue what you're talking about," Lucius winked.

Before she could reply, there was a loud explosion and she was thrown from his lap. Her head hit the marble and-

"Alexia!"

She shot upward, her eyes wide and wild as she looked around. She was on the ground with a man and a woman on either side of her, both looking concerned. "Where is he? Where's Lucius?"

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