Disclaimer – You know the drill. Stuff that is familiar most likely isn't mine

AN – Ok so it's 11:35pm and I'm so incredibly bored. I was sent to bed at 10:30 (arghhhh) so I'm ready to rise at like 5am or some ungodly hour that is similar. And quite frankly I can't sleep. The phrase "Sleeping all day staying up all night" comes to mind only I don't sleep all day lol. But anyway point being I'm bored so I am writing a chapter for all my adoring fans lol. Enjoy.

AN 2 – Ok so that was a week ago. I did write this before I left but couldn't type it up till I returned from my holidays. So here I am and here it is. You are all very lucky I lived to post this lol I have seriously become super klutz. I mean at first it was just little things like dropping my ice-cream on my shirt and then having my bottle of coke fizz up all over me leaving me in wet jeans from beginning to end of A Cinderella Story. And all my mate could do was laugh. Thanx Lucy. Lol But no during my holiday things got progressively worse I was feeling a little like Neville and have come to respect his clumsy nature. I mean I nearly fell over board while I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean watching sharks!!! And whales and stuff and then I end up falling off a rather high cliff and slamming in to the rocks below narrowly missing my head and instead bruising and scraping all my back and arm. Life is dangerous I tell you. My family are sure I was trying to kill myself so I wouldn't have to return to exam results but I swear I wasn't and even if I was I needn't have bothered due to the fact my results were really good. I got higher than a lot of teacher's thought I was capable of and received an A and a B in English. WEW lol I know I'm blabbering so I'm gonna stop and get on with the story. So this one is for all those who, like me have been worrying for the past however many months in anticipation for these bloody results, suffering more than when we were taking the actual exams. I hope you all got what you deserved and can do what you want to. Everyone deserves to live their dreams.

Hermione felt herself abruptly awoken by a series of loud noises. Explosions were going off everywhere and as she tried to focus her sleepy eyes she found herself surrounded by mist. Green mist. A deadly mist. She felt the back of her throat go dry and she coughed trying to clear it.

Where in Merlin's name was she?

She couldn't tell from her surroundings and she felt that even if she could see where she was she still wouldn't be able to tell. It didn't feel familiar to her and she had a knack for sensing the familiar.

As she thought these things her throat continued to get tighter. She could barely breathe. She coughed again in an attempt to clear it.

"Hermione are you bloody mad get this on"

Hermione turned delighted to come face to face with something familiar.

"Ron" she beamed.

Throwing her arms around his neck she pulled him in to a tight, intimate embrace.

All she could remember was the fact that she and 5 other Gryffindor's had defeated the darkest wizard in the world. They had caused his death and downfall and Ron had played a major part. Even though she'd tried to stop him. She also remembered she had confessed her true feelings for him and he had been more than pleased. She was proud of him and her friends for what they had achieved and proud of herself for her admittance to Ron.

He however didn't seem to bothered by it all. He shrugged Hermione off quite roughly and thrust a box in to her hands.

"Get it on" he mumbled and turned away

Hermione felt her eyes sting from his coldness. His eyes had been shrouded in darkness and his touch ice cold. What was wrong with him he should be happy.

Hermione noticed he hadn't even turned that adorable shade of red when she'd reached for him. Usually his ears would tinge a beautiful shade of scarlet whenever he was praised, acknowledged or in Hermiones presence in general. It was only slight but noticeable. Where was it?

It was such an attractive color that Pavarti Patil a fellow Gryffindor sixth year had magically copied it and made a nail polish in the same shade. One she frequently wore.

Hermione had seen no trace of it.

She looked at the box in her hand it was small and square but other than that there were no words to describe it. Why had he given her a box? Opening it she found his reasons.

Inside was a mask the kind soldiers used in the war. Hermione had learnt about it when she was in primary school. Soldiers wore them when chemical gasses were being used. They prevented the wearer from inhaling harmful toxins that could kill them. They were later worldly distributed.

And she needed this why?

She looked at Ron this had to be a joke. She searched his face for signs of humor. She found none.

In fact his face looked as if it had been denied any sort of humor in years. His face was marked with cuts and the odd scar. His mouth tight and unsmiling, brow furrowed in a frown that looked at home on his older looking face. His face was lined with tension. But in his eyes Hermione was told the longest story. They were filled with so many emotions yet they were empty and unreadable at the same time, as if they had seen too much in a short space of time.

It made her think of the lines from one of her favorite songs:

But when your eyes say it

That's when I know that it's true

I feel it

I know it

'Cause it's there to see

When your eyes tell me

I know they're not tellin' lies

They tell me

All that you're feeling inside

When your eyes say it

She'd never understood those words before. Seeing unspoken words through someone's eyes was a theory that had perplexed Hermione on a higher level being the practical child that she was. But now when she looked in to Ron's eyes she understood their meaning the eyes after all are a window to our soul and can never be deceiving. They told her so much yet at the same time told her so little.

Just thinking about it made Hermione's head hurt. She couldn't figure it out, him out. And she wasn't used to being confused. She swayed on the spot as she tried to comprehend what was going on.

She felt Ron grab her waist but it wasn't the usual friendly, warm touch she received but the cold painful one of the new Ron. She didn't like it and tried to pull away but he held her tightly, fastening her mask to her face quickly and roughly.

Hermione was more confused than ever and now she had a sore face and waist to go with it. What had happened to him?

She didn't have long to ponder the question as a loud ringing started to buzz in her ears. She looked at Ron and knew he heard it to. Unlike her however he seemed to know what it meant.

She watched as he began to walk away. Her initial thought was to run in the opposite direction and put as much distance between her and the new and certainly not improved Ron. The other more demanding thought that rang in her mind pushing the other to the back told her it was best to follow him. He appeared to know where he was going and what was going on. Which was definitely more than she could say for herself so it had to be a step in the right direction.

She rushed to catch up with him before she lost him altogether. Still undecided on whether that was a good thing or not. She fell instep behind him and was wise enough to stay silent. Ron seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and if his icy behavior was anything to go by pulling him from them probably wasn't the best idea in the world. They didn't call her the smartest witch in her year for nothing.

Ron seemed to preoccupied to acknowledge her which was fine with Hermione it gave her more time to figure out what was going on. Yet he did slow his pace so she could keep in step just the same.

After 10 minutes of silent walking an even more confused Hermione (If that was possible in her current situation) and Mr.-I'm-afraid-to-smile-Frosty-the-snow-Ron arrived at a large stone building surrounded by a large brick wall with no entrance that was impossible to climb.

Wey to go genius any more bright ideas? Hermione silently asked Ron.

She didn't dare say these words aloud for fear of losing her head. He looked the type to bite it off if he felt like it. The new Ron did anyway the old Ron would have blushed and mumbled something resulting in Hermione fixing whatever brilliant mess he or Harry had landed them in. In the rare situation that it was all part of the plan he would smile triumphantly and fix it himself. She missed that Ron.

It was said that you didn't miss the water until it's gone. Hermione now agreed. The old Ron, her Ron had been her water and now the lake was dried up she realized how much she took for granted him being there.

Hermione could feel the magic dripping from the place. It seeped out in floods of threatening, burning waves telling her it was an important building that would take some breaking in to.

This proved to be true if their entrance was anything to go by.

Ron had to take out a card and swipe it down one of those swipey thingys Hermione could never remember the name of. Then a panel opened and he had to place his hand in this goo like gel, with his other gunk free hand he had to submit a series of numbers and codes in to a small keyboard that had also come out of the walls.

No wonder the walls are so thick Hermione thought to herself hiding all that equipment inside them.

He then took out his wand and tapped several different rhythmic patterns in to the brickwork. Once this was done a small square opened up by his feet. Here Ron dropped to his knees and put his gunk free hand inside the square. What he did with it was a mystery to Hermione but she did see him wipe his gunk hand on his Jeans. Lovely!

You can take the man out of the boy but you cant take the boy out of the man The familiar saying came to her ears and at the time she didn't realize how true this was. She hadn't even noticed that Ron was in fact a man but more of that later.

After a few seconds of hidden hand in Small Square at feet a small opening - well opened in the bricks leaving them a space just large enough for them to crawl through.

It wasn't over yet. Once they were through 6 large dogs bombarded them hissing and spitting and above all barking very loudly.

"Woah. Down Kujo" Hermione couldn't help shrieking as one made a move towards her. Ron however remained perfectly calm and cool.

Hermione made a move towards him trying to distance herself from the newly christened Kujo, who seemed to have taken a liking to her, Hermione was unsure whether this was a good or bad thing. She figured the latter considering he lunged at her the moment she moved. She in turn lunged at Ron who tensed under her grip. It wasn't the cute embarrassed yet pleased tense either but the icy get-your-fingers-off-me appalled, disapproving and annoyed tense.

It made Hermione want to cry. Where was Ron? The real Ron? Her Ron?

She watched as Ron spoke softly to each of the dogs and patted their head in turn. She didn't want the head patting but the soft words he'd used on them would have been nice to hear directed at her. He seemed to have lost all softness where Hermione was concerned however. And she couldn't figure out why. The dogs were suddenly still and silent yet they still managed to fix Hermione with a hungry glare. Leaving her more than a little nervous.

They approached the doors, Hermione aware that the dogs' eyes were still burning in to her back. Ron entered a further 9 codes in to the control panel and another 3 wand to brick tricks. Finally they were inside. Hermione had been wondering if they would ever make it past the threshold. She jumped as the doors closed behind her and she listened as all the locks slid back in to place. Talk about high security. Ron didn't remove his mask till a loud pop rung throughout the halls.

Hermione did the same and beamed as she saw Harry coming towards them. He however scowled when he noticed her standing with Ron and brushed straight past her placing himself between her and his friend. It was like he was shielding him from something-particularly nasty.

What was his deal?

"How was it out there?" Harry asked

"Terrible" Ron replied

Hermione noticed that his features had softened and his voice sounded normal. He was like the old Ron. With Harry!

"We seem to be holding out ok but something's gonna give. I know it" he added bitterly

Hermione felt tears come to her eyes. She could tell he was pleased to see Harry. The warmth he sent out could have melted the ice he presented her with. She'd tried to get him to open up to her on the way over but had got nothing. Yet Harry does no more than smile and he changes.

She felt the unshed tears finally trickle down her cheeks. She'd tried to keep them in but she couldn't help it. She felt like a stranger with her best friends. Why did they hate her? They did hate her as well it didn't take a genius to figure that much out. Ron's coldness and Harrys glares and dismissal was enough to confirm her suspicions.

She choked trying to silence her tears. Both boys turned to look at her but neither offered her any comfort or kind words. Not like she'd expected them to.

Harry rolled his eyes. She was outraged she was really upset and he was mocking her for it. Mustering up all the courage she didn't feel she addressed them both.

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded "Why are you 2 being super jerks? Why are you treating me like I don't exist? I'm your best friend or have you forgotten that? And where in Merlin's name are we?" she inhaled sharply out of breath from her sudden outburst.

The reassurance she'd hoped for didn't come. Instead Harry walked off and grabbed Rons arm trying to take him with him. But Ron ice shield back in place growled at her.

"Grow up Hermione. We're not 16 anymore and haven't been best friends since so don't play that card. We're working together because we have to and you know it. If I had a choice there would be miles between us. So why don't you just do your job and leave the past in the past. It's been 8 years Hermione move on. We have." Once his speech was finished he allowed himself to be led away by Harry. Leaving Hermione in stunned silence.

8 years? Past? She was 24? That was impossible just hours ago, literally, she'd been 16 how had she aged so much in so little time?

"This must be what I get for defeating a dark lord" she mumbled

"But you didn't"

Hermione turned to face her guiding light.

"What do you mean 'you didn't'?" she asked

"You didn't defeat him, you didn't even face him. Be careful what you wish for Hermione"

Hermione frowned "I wished for this? I wished to be in an unfamiliar place 8 years older with my 2 best friends who now hate me?"

"Well no" Helena said "But you did wish that Ron wouldn't go. That he'd turn around and come back to the castle. Where it was safe. With you"

Hermiones eyes widened she had indeed wished that but she hadn't said it out loud hadn't dare think it, but she'd felt it, deep in her heart as she'd watched him run away from her.

"So what is this?" she asked not sure she wanted the answer

"Your wish. What could have been. Had Ron stayed behind that day this is how the world would be"

Hermione looked around in all honesty it wasn't that bad, bar the fact that her best friends hated her. She was quite annoyed they'd risked their necks for nothing.

She was about to voice this opinion but Helena appeared to have heard it anyway.

"Nothing?" she questioned. Hermione shrugged.

"Would you like to know why your friends dislike you so much?"

Hermione could do nothing but nod.

"Well when you kept Ron from saving Neville. Neville ended up dead along with Dean, Seamus, Lavender Brown and one Ginny Weasley"

(AN – Would anyone else be unmoved if Ginny did actually die? I mean I'd be upset for the Weasleys' and because she was a Weasley but I don't really like her until the 5th book. Ok so I suppose I would be then. Lol sorry had to ask)

Hermione gasped how could one thing cause so much trouble.

"It doesn't end there Hermione. Voldemorts living has left 8 years of damage and destruction thanks to that one decision. Many have died."

Hermione felt weak. She couldn't believe one decision on her behalf could cause so much heartache no wonder they hated her. She'd known her wish was selfish so she'd followed him and helped him instead of keeping him back. She was suddenly glad, for the first time, that she had helped him.

"I told you to trust me Hermione. You need to trust me"

Hermione nodded "I do trust you I honestly do"

Helena started to disappear.

"Helena come back" she called

Hermione she heard her voice whisper inside of her

"I do trust you." She called she had to make her see she trusted her. She didn't want life to be like this.

Hermione wake up

"YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME WE CANT LIVE LIKE THIS I TRUST YOU"

Hermione

"PLEASE"

Hermione it's time to wake up

"NOT UNTIL YOU BELIEVE ME"

Darkness started to claim her but she had to make her believe that she trusted her.

Hermione wake up

She didn't want to open her eyes fear of what would meet her haunted her.

"Please" she begged

Hermione it's over

Hermione had to see if she believed her.

Hermione opened her eyes.

AN – Yey and another chapter done. I hope it makes sense and fits and everything. I thought Hermiones chapter was gonna be the hardest to write and it was lol but once I got going it flowed so that was ok. I decided to give Hermione a taste of the future to show what could have happened had she made different choices. I also needed Helena to make an appearance before I started to tie it all together so there you go. I hope you liked it please review. Thanks