Author's Notes: New chappie, finally. My life's been very very shi... not tender lately, so I couldn't write. Somebody even stole my bloody cell phone yesterday... I'm such a jinx. Well, you know what would make me extremely happy? Yes? Then do it. Read and write reviews, please. Thanks.

Thanks so much to you people who read and reviewed the last bit -- Misao, Demon Master, Black-rose23, HP-Scriptor, longingtotouch, crazzymonkey and Jessica-McConacil. I LOVE YOU.

HP-Scriptor – I took your advice. I've re-written the first three bits to past tense and the one I'm posting now is in past tense as well. Thanks for the tip! I like it better this way too. ;) I only need to repost the first bits... it'll take a while to change, though.

Andddd, anyways... the story continues – now.

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Chapter Four: The Noble Family

Ollie Wood… Ollie Wood… Oliver Wood!

That's it! No wonder the voice seemed so familiar to Hermione! He used to go with her to Hogwarts… He was the Quidditch Captain of the Gryffindor Team!

"Good that you've got home for lunch." said Mrs. Granger and brought back Hermione from her thoughts.

Her mother led her into the wooden house. "Still, you could've told us you'd be out this morning. You know I don't like you jaunting around noon… You never know what can happen…"

Hermione frowned as she realized that the Mad Red Twins (so-called) terror was a well known fact.

"No need for worries. I'm a big girl." responded Hermione seriously, not being able to imagine neither Fred nor George hurting her on purpose.

"Then why don't you get married already, Jane? I could use your room, you know. Sleeping in the same bedroom as Liz is not a very happy thought at all." added somebody else and Hermione realized there were four more people sitting around the big dinning table.

Her eyes wandered from one person to another, noticing great similarity between the faces.

There were two boys – one younger than Hermione and the other one that seemed to be about her age. There was also a much younger girl and a very old lady, possibly their grandmother.

"That's not funny at all, Jared!" huffed the girl, who had the same brown eyes and thin lips as Hermione.

"Who says it is?" the boy replied. "I think it's sad, actually."

"Mom! Tell him to stop!"

"Calm down, children." said Mrs. Granger evenly as she went to the kitchen to bring the meals. "As long as you two aren't old enough, you'll be sharing a room and that's final. We've talked about it a million times by now."

"Not fair." muttered Jared in his chin. "I'm a whole year and a half older than she is, I should get my own room…" Even though he grumbled, the discussion ended there.

"Jane," Liz said, her eyes suddenly shining with curiosity. "who was that?"

"Hmmm?" mumbled Hermione, still very perplexed to see that she had so close relatives. She had been an only child since forever, so it was no wonder this was quite new and a shocking thing.

"It's 'excuse me', Jane, not 'hmmm'." said the old lady rigidly. "I think you hang out with cowboys too much… You're a lady and you should act like one. You aren't a cowgirl, God forbid."

The two kids giggled at this. Hermione didn't know what to say. Protest? Obey? Simply shut up? She, not too willingly, decided to stick to the last option. For now, at least.

"Your prince on the horse." little Granger girl didn't give up, as she was practically swallowing Hermione with eagerness.

"Oh, that." nodded Hermione, smiling. "Met him today. His name's Oliver Wood, if I'm not mistaken… And he's not my price on…"

"Ollie Wood." interrupted the older Granger brother.

"Right…" said Hermione, remembering things weren't the same in this realm.

"I know him." he said, looking straight at Hermione's eyes. There was something deep and very clever in them and Hermione, quite unexplainably, felt proud to have him as brother.

"Bobby!" squealed Liz excitedly. "You do? Oh, tell us something about him! Please! Please!"

"Girls…" muttered Jared knowingly, staring at his plate.

"Well, I know of him, at least." replied Bobby. "He's quite… well… nervous."

"What do you mean?" Hermione and Liz asked at the same time, and Hermione could feel that even her mother, grandmother and Jared were listening very carefully now.

"It had something to do with his family, I think. Something bad's happened, I don't know what, really. But people say he wasn't the same after that. He started… well… tramping around."

Liz raised an eyebrow. "Mum, what's tramping?"

"Going without knowing where to go." responded her mother.

"You want to say he's homeless?" asked Hermione silently. Bobby nodded.

"Jane, dear," her mother turned to Hermione, speaking anxiously. "are you completely sure you should be seeing this guy? You've heard what your brother's said… He doesn't seem to have a nice past, right?"

Hermione stared mutely.

"I agree." Grandmother added. "Cowboys are trouble even when they've got normal lives."

Hermione felt anger going through her veins. That old… old… bat… really went on her nerves!

"You really think I was going to marry him?" she raised her voice, feeling extremely annoyed. "Is this how it goes here? You meet a guy, exchange two sentences and next thing you know you have stomach big as Mississippi and nine months later you're a big happy family? And what's all thing about being a lady who mustn't associate with cowboys? What are we, some kind of noble family? Ha!"

"Jane! How dare you speak like that!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed outrageously.

"This is all wrong. All wrong. I have to go home. I need to…" she muttered ramblingly and stood from the table.

"But… but… you are home!" Liz said, her eyes begging, as tears started to weld in her eyes. "What are you… what is she… talking about.. Mom?

"Jane." the oldest Granger said calmly with a lethal tone of graveness. "Get back to the table and stop talking nonsense. Immediately."

"No… no… I need to sleep… yes, maybe that's how I'll go back..." she mumbled in her chin. "Yeah… I am tired. I have to sleep."

"Jane. Finish lunch."

But Hermione didn't listen. She stood up and eyeing the small hallway to her right, quickly went to it. She could still hear her Grandmother's voice, but she couldn't care less. All she wanted to do was to go to bed as soon as possible and make herself sleep, because that might be the only way for her to get back to the present life.

She saw a wooden door with a small tag 'J.G.' on it. Hermione pushed the door open and found herself in a small, cozy, girl room with one bed and a night table, a writing desk, a toilet table and a large closet.

There were a few paintings on the walls, but one caught her eyes first. It was a big, beautifully and very realistically painted portrait of a man whose smile she could never fail to recognize. Thick eyebrows and grizzle hair enchased a friendly face she loved the most. It was the portrait of her father, Harold Granger.

"Hi, dad." she said quietly to the painting, suddenly noticing that something had been written in one corner of it. Hermione moved closer and read out loud:

"1810 - 1863."

A silent tear strolled down her face, closely followed by another. Tears quickly exhausted her and she fell asleep not long after reaching the bed.

Hours later, Hermione woke up with a start. She was quite sure she had heard a noise somewhere and that it wasn't her figment. Even though a huge wave of disappointment that she was still caught in this life came over her, Hermione needed to know what or who had made the noise… Especially because it came from somewhere below the floor...

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Author's Notes: Liked it? Have any suggestions? What do you think? Tell me everything in your review, yes. One love.