Hermione opened her eyes. 'What just happened?' she wondered. She was slipping on the ring one minute and spinning through the air the next. She didn't see Remus anywhere; the dance must have already ended. Hermione tried to get up to go to her dorms, but found that she was tucked into the blankets in her bed so tight that she could barely move. Suddenly a flash of red hair at the door caught her eye.

"Harry!" Ron shouted. "Hermione's up!"

"Ron?" Hermione asked. "How did you get here? Wait! Where am I?" She immediately tried to untuck herself from the bed.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted as he ran into the room. "You're back! I can't believe it!" He rushed over to her and gave her a giant bear hug. Ron joined after a moment, and the three of them sat on the bed, Ron and Harry tightly around Hermione, and Hermione fighting both of them.

"Guys! WAIT!" Hermione was nearly hysterical. Where the heck was Remus? Or James? Or Lily? She felt a few tears sliding down her face. She ran to her closet, slammed the door behind her, and crumpled on the floor. She lay there, sobbing, for just a moment before her friends burst in.

"Hermione, what is wrong? Aren't you glad to see us?" Harry's voice broke in. Hermione didn't answer. Silently she hoped she was only dreaming. When she opened her eyes, she would be back in the arms of Remus. The rest of her friends would be close by.

A few minutes passed before Hermione felt herself being lifted off the floor. 'Remus must've found me,' she thought. She burrowed her face in his shoulder. Hermione suddenly found herself back in the bed, but instead of Remus next to her, it was Harry. Ron stood back, almost afraid of her.

"Hermione. Just listen to me, ok?" Harry's voice was soothing. "You were caught in the time-turner mistake a few weeks ago. We've been searching for any possible place you might have been, but we couldn't figure anything out. Dumbledore helped us, too. A couple hours ago, you came out of nowhere and appeared on the porch swing. You were sound asleep, so Ron and I took you up to your bedroom. Both of your parents are at work, but they will be home in an hour or two. I don't know where you went. But you are home now."

Hermione sat there, slowly grasping it all. 'The ring must've been some kind of portkey!' She realized. Hermione rolled over and burrowed in her blankets. She felt Harry and Ron both pat her back before they left.

An hour or so later, Hermione had finally come to reality. She was back in her own time – she had tried forever to make this happen- so she should be happy. She looked down and realized she was still in her clothes from the ball, so she found some jeans and a t- shirt to change into. She slowly walked down the stairs, realizing how unfamiliar her own home had become. Harry and Ron were waiting in the living room for her. Annie was asleep in her playpen on the floor. Her parents were nowhere to be seen. Hermione shyly sat down on the couch next to Harry.

"How are you?" Ron asked.

"I guess I'm ok now," she replied. "Sorry I freaked on you guys."

"No problem!" Harry said. "But if you don't mind us asking – because we really have been dying to know – where were you?"

Hermione paused for a moment, and then began quietly. Her voice seemed distant and she wouldn't look either of them in the eye.

"When the time turner took me away, it spun me to 1975, with the Marauders at Hogwarts. I was found in the dungeons and brought to Dumbledore. He decided to keep me in school with them for the time being, until he could get me home. I was really good friends with Lily. I stayed in the same dorm as Hanna and Mandy. Even Peter was ok! Sirius was the same old joker. He called me 'Mimi' even though I told him not to. James was so sweet to Lily! They were going to be so happy together! And Remus …" Hermione paused, deciding not to mention Remus. "Life there was so great. They had such fun in school, Harry. Your parents, I mean. I see where you get it all. Ron, you would love them all too. We were a big gang of friends. We did everything with each other, and partnered up for the big balls. I really did love it …" she faded off.

Harry and Ron just sat there in silence. Hermione seemed to really miss it! They couldn't help but feel a little sad for her. It wasn't fair that she was ripped from home, and then ripped from the new home she had adjusted to.

"But I guess it is for the best I am back, right?" Hermione said, trying to be cheerful. "Annie is here and you guys are here too. I can't just forget all of you, can I?"

"Hermione, you don't have to be ok with …" Ron was cut off by Hermione's hand.

"I need to be happy, ok? I can't keep remembering the past. It is over. I'm going to go call my parents, ok?" she said as she walked out of the room.

Later, Hermione's parents took them all out for dinner and she told them the entire story, excluding the parts about Remus. He was their teacher now. Nothing could ever be the same. Hermione went up to her room to be alone almost as soon as they reached the house.

'My ring!' she realized. 'I still have it!' She took it off to look at it more closely. A piece of parchment appeared from the band as she took it off. Remus had charmed it to encase the band invisibly after he had shrunken it. Hermione made it the right size, and then went to her window seat to read it.

My dearest Hermione,

I am so sorry that I couldn't tell you about this ring. Professor Dumbledore made me promise to give it in secret, so you would have no chance to protest.

I know you live in the future, but I don't know where I will be then. If our paths do pass, I hope you will be able to remember me as I am now, instead of what you see then. I know that I am much older than you in your time, so I understand that what we had here can never be again.

Our love was real, Hermione. I really do love you and I always will.

Remember me forever. Keep this ring in my memory.

Yours forever,

Remus

Hermione sat by the window for hours, staring out at the stars as she had done with Remus. Finally, she folded up to parchment and enchanted it once more to encase her ring. She slipped the ring over her finger, vowing never to remove it.

Hermione pulled the blankets back in her bed and settled in. For the first time since she had come home, she felt entirely peaceful. She could never go back to the past, but she had a lot to live for in the present. Hermione fluffed her pillows and leaned back, slowly falling into a deep and pleasant sleep.

AN: It is done! I finally finished the story. I am about ready to start my next story, which once again, will probably star Hermione. As soon as I post it, I will send out the title. I hope to see all of you again in that one! Thank you so much for the support I received on this story.

-Meg

PS: Please review!