A/N: Wow, 9 reviews. That's the most I've ever gotten for the first chapter of a multi-chaptered fic. Thank you. And you think I'm kidding about Hermione being married do you?
Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR.
"M-married?" I choked out.
This was not how it was supposed to go.
"Yes." Hermione said, not quite meeting my eyes. "His name is Terence Stanton. He's a doctor at the hospital I woke up in." She blushed slightly. "He was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes."
"Really?" I said with a trace of bitterness in my voice. How many times had I sat by her bed when she was in the Hospital Wing? How many times had she woken up to see my face?
Hermione nodded. "He was the one who named me. Haley Grace Rosalyn Williams. He assumed our initials, the ones on the necklace, were my initials. We started dating soon after I was released."
"And how long have you been married?" I said, trying my hardest to smile.
"A year this April." Hermione said, meeting my eyes at last.
"And how is it?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Hermione shrugged. "It is. We have our squabbles but at the end of the day…"
"Right." I said quickly. "You don't need to say any more Hermione…or do you prefer Haley?"
"I don't know." She whispered. "I just wish I could remember something…anything."
"Well we're in the right place." I said as I rose from the table. "Let's find you a Healer."
"Healer?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.
"Yes." I said. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in a hospital. Muggles have doctors. We have Healers."
"Mr. Weasley!"
I looked up to see a slightly older, but still formidable Professor McGonagall striding towards me.
"Professor." I said politely. "What are you doing here?"
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Minerva? Honestly Weasley, you're a man now. You may address me by my first name." McGonagall told me off, her hands on her hips.
"I'll call you Minerva when you begin to call me Ron Professor." I responded cheekily.
McGonagall sniffed as she turned to face Hermione. "And who is th—oh my word." She had to grip the chair to keep her balance. "M-Miss Granger! You're alive! Oh you're alive!" She cried joyfully and pulled Hermione into a tight hug.
"Hello." Hermione mumbled, slightly embarrassed and more than a little taken aback.
I beamed at her. "See? I told you people liked you."
"What are you talking about Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall said in her usual brisk tone. "Of course Miss Granger realized people liked her. Now Hermione where have you been? Why didn't you contact the Order immediately?"
Hermione looked utterly bewildered. "The Order ma'am?"
"The Order of the Phoenix." I said quickly. "It was a secret society formed by Albus Dumbledore, our old Headmaster, to combat Voldemort."
"Voldemort…he's the evil wizard, right?" Hermione said, already picking up on things. I always knew she was the smartest witch alive.
"Yes." I responded. McGonagall looked back and forth between the two of us, slowly piecing together the situation.
"Did we fight him?" Hermione asked in the same tone of voice as one would say "Is the weather alright?" or "Is the coffee ready?"
"You could say that." I said slowly, not wanting to reveal everything to her just yet.
"Do you remember anything Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked, voice quivering.
Hermione shook her head silently.
"It's Mrs. Stanton now Professor." I said spitefully.
"Mrs.?" McGonagall said in disbelief. "But I always thought…" She looked at me. "Of course, a completely different scenario now." She looked sad for a moment but returned to her stoic expression quickly. "Do you suspect a memory charm Weasley?"
"Wha—yeah." I lied, trying to sound like I was thinking along those lines all along, not on the fact the band on Hermione's left hand was not given to her by me.
"Well," McGonagall continued, giving me a piercing glare. "I was here visiting one of my favorite former students Augustus Pye – yes, the one who worked on your father Ron – he was always brilliant in my class. Of course he didn't hold a candle to you Miss, excuse me, Mrs. Stanton. We'll get his opinion on her condition."
Ten minutes later Hermione, McGonagall, Augustus and I were in a hospital room. Augustus was poking Hermione with his wand and muttering charms under his breath. Different colors of light shot from his wand and wrapped themselves around Hermione's trembling frame. I wanted to reach out and hold her, to assure her it would be ok, that this wouldn't hurt her, but I couldn't. Any contact with her would make the spells ineffective. After a fifteen minute examination Augustus had a diagnosis.
"It's a memory charm alright. A quality one too. There's no way to prove it of course, but given the situation and the severity of the charm, I'd bet a thousand Galleons it was cast by a Death Eater." Augustus said as the strands of light disappeared.
"So what can you do?" I asked. "Is there a potion she can take? A spell you can perform?"
"I'm afraid." Augustus said, looking at Hermione. "There is no 'quick fix' for a memory charm like this. To attempt the normal methods would ensure insanity for Mrs. Stanton here."
"So I'll never remember anything?" Hermione said weakly.
"Now that's not true." Augustus said, trying to smile at her. "If you spend time with people you knew before you lost your memory, if you go to the places you used to know, if you immerse yourself in your past life there is a chance, not a large one, but there is a chance, your memory will return."
Hermione looked at me.
"I'll help you." I assured her.
"Very good Mr. Weasley." McGonagall said. "But I must bring to light another concern. It is very strange a Death Eater would put a memory charm on Hermione rather than simply killing her. We need to find out what Mrs. Stanton discovered that the Death Eaters didn't want her to know. We also need to find out why they didn't simply dispose of her."
I nodded and turned to look at Hermione. Her eyes were filled with a storm of emotions. Fear, excitement, disbelief, but most of all a blazing determination. When her gaze met mine I knew it didn't matter what the odds were, Hermione wouldn't be content until she remembered everything.
"So um…" I said, unsure of how to address her.
"Hermione." She supplied for me firmly. "I need to be immersed."
"Right then." I smiled, happy she chose her old name, the name she had with me. "When do you want to start the process?"
"As soon as I call my in-laws and tell them I'll be a little late getting home tonight." Hermione said, suddenly crashing back to reality.
I gave her a blank look.
"That's why I'm in London. My husband and I are staying with his parents this Christmas. I was on a mission to get eggnog when you found me. What do you think I should say? 'Hi Mum, a strange man came up to me in the store saying I was a witch and he was my best friend from a wizard school. No, I don't remember him at all. No, I don't know why I trust him. See you later, bye!'" She chuckled.
"I was sent for eggnog as well." I said, grinning at her as McGonagall and Augustus left the room.
"Was it from your mother-in-law?"
"Nah, I don't have one of those." I said, waving off her question. "It was from Ginny, my sister."
"Harry's wife, right?" Hermione regurgitated.
"Right." I beamed at her. "Anyway, she's pregnant and she was craving eggnog."
"We better hurry and get her some then!" Hermione exclaimed. "How long have you kept her waiting? She's going to murder you!"
"Want to meet her? Well, again that is." I asked her as she pulled me out the door.
"Now?" Hermione gasped.
"Well you did say you wanted to start as soon as you called your mother-in-law. I'm sure we can find a fellytone somewhere and then I can take you to Ginny and Harry's flat. They're going to hit the roof when they see you." I looked at her hopefully.
Hermione wrung her hands nervously.
"Don't worry." I laughed. "They loved you then and they'll love you now."
"But…but…will they be offended that I don't remember them?"
"Trust me, as soon as they nearly suffocate you with hugs they'll be gung ho about your 'immersion' treatment. Knowing you're alive and well will be enough to put them in a state of euphoria. It's done it for me." I grinned at her as we exited the hospital.
She swallowed. "Their names are Harry and Ginny Potter right?"
"Correct as always." I said breezily, leading her down the street.
"And they were Hermione's best friends?"
"Hermione!" I said scandalized. "You got an answer wrong! You see, they are your best friends. Now. To Harry and Ginny's!"
And with that I grabbed her hand and practically skipped down the street.
A/N: Ok, be honest. How many of you thought Hermione would be married to Draco or Viktor or someone like that? I know there had to be some of you. Ok, next chapter Hermione "meets" Harry and Ginny! Thank you for reading!