(A/N): Hello guys! How have you all been? Hope things have been well! To my American readers, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you survived Black Friday. But also, I miss being able to have turkey and mashed potatoes since they're not a thing here and I am feeling slightly resentful. To my non-American readers, join me in resentfulness towards those who have just finished celebrating a holiday that is essentially all about food. It's great if you're there, less so if you're not.
I want to give a shout out to curiousluna, , pendora59, Shatteredxo, Haruko Kakikomi, The Dark One Rising, bookfreak25, ReadLikeHermione, KindaTwisted21, Adhara Snow, and Guests for reviewing! You're beautiful and I love you!
Special shout out though to MilandaAnza. She has really helped me delve into some of the more complex character relationships in these worlds, along with working through some plot points in the future and I appreciate her so much! She's amazing!
Sorry if the updates have been a little slow- I'm working on a few other stories, one of which is my Lord of the Rings/Hermione crossover that will hopefully be fit to publish soon and a Hermione/Avengers piece that is still a work in progress. Fun times though!
This chapter is all of episode 3 and I hope you enjoy it! Any familiar dialogue is, of course, not mine and belongs to OUAT creators. The quote you will see referenced is from the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. It's something that's stuck with me since I first heard it and I felt it was appropriate here.
Lyrics is this chapter come from "Enemies" by Shinedown.
Thanks to Hannbells! She didn't beta read this chapter but that's because I didn't ask. My bad. I'm still thankful though, just for her existence.
Enjoy!
Listen up there's not a moment to spare
It's quite a drop from the top
So how you feeling down there?
"Do you think her date is going well?" asked Hermione, staring at Dr. Whale and Mary Margaret.
Emma glanced over at the couple as well. "Yeah, right," she scoffed. "He looks more interested in staring at Ruby's ass and she looks like she wishes the floor would open up and swallow her."
"Wouldn't have thought he'd be her type." Hermione returned to idly staring at her tea.
"I'm guessing he's not." Emma sat back with a shrug. "I've gone out with plenty of guys who weren't my type."
"Yes, but most of those were for jobs."
"I generally got a free meal out of them, so they count." Emma grabbed the most recent printing of The Mirror and flipped to the apartment listings.
"They won't have changed from yesterday," Hermione gently chided her.
She sighed and tossed the paper aside. "Well, they need to. We need to find somewhere other than the inn to stay if we're going to be here any longer."
"The Inn isn't that bad." It was a lie and both girls knew it. While their room was more than comfortable and big enough for the two of them, they were constantly being woken up by Granny and Ruby's shouting at all hours of the night.
"I'm about ready to sleep in the car if that's what it takes to get a full night's rest," Emma grumbled.
"Worst comes to worst, I've still got the tent," Hermione attempted to joke. Emma just frowned at the reminder of where her baby sister had been staying the past year.
"Check, please," they heard Mary Margaret call.
Emma studied the young teacher as she finally left the diner, head down and shoulders slumped. "So, that's my mother," she commented, her tone dry and unbelieving. She turned back to her sister. "What's your take on her?"
Hermione shrugged. "If you're asking for an unbiased opinion, then I can't give you one. If the curse is real, then that's the woman who shoved you in a wardrobe, a newborn left at the mercy of an unfamiliar and unforgiving world. And if the curse isn't real, then I haven't had the chance to properly get to know her enough to be judging her."
"You keep saying if, but I know you think the curse is real." Emma's belief, or lack thereof, was plain to see.
"I don't think the curse is real," Hermione corrected. "I just fear it is."
Emma leaned forward. "You know I won't let anything happen to you," she swore.
Hermione smiled gently. "It's not me I'm scared for. Whatever's going on here is powerful magic and you're the only one not affected by it. I'm worried about something happening to you."
"Well then, it's a good thing you're here then. You've got my back and I've got yours." She smirked at Hermione, who couldn't hold back her responding grin.
"On that note, are you ready to brave another night at the Inn? I believe Ruby has plans of stumbling in at around two in the morning, so it should make for another exciting night."
Emma groaned. "If you really loved me, you'd slip something into both of their drinks so they'd be passed out for the night."
Hermione shrugged. "Unfortunately for you, all your stories about jail have made it into a very unappealing place for me to visit so I'll have to pass on anything illegal."
"How boring of you."
"It's a gift. I would consider placing a silencing charm around the room so we wouldn't have to hear anything though."
Emma choked on her drink. "And you haven't offered to do this earlier why?"
"Because I was unsure if they were the type of inn keepers to check on the guests on a consistent basis," Hermione explained, as if it should be obvious. "They would have become concerned or suspicious if we never heard them when they knocked."
"Well, I think it's safe to assume that they aren't the concerned type so please, for the love of god, put up the damn silencing charm."
"Your wish is my command."
It's a cold, cruel, harsh, reality
Caught, stuck
Here with your enemy
Who do you think you are?
Tearing us all apart
"I found him," Henry crowed when they met him the next afternoon at his castle.
"Found who?" Hermione asked, gently swinging her legs back and forth over the side looking out on the ocean.
"Emma's dad- Prince Charming!"
"Henry..." Emma sighed in exasperation as Hermione did her best to suppress a groan.
"He's in the hospital, in a coma." Henry pulled out his copy of Once Upon a Time that Hermione had given him the night before and quickly flipped through the pages till he found a picture of Prince Charming. "See the scar? He has one, too."
"So?" Emma asked as Hermione studied the portrait. "Lots of people have scars."
"In the same place?" Henry scoffed. "Don't you see what this means? The curse is keeping them apart with the coma. Now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming."
Hermione refrained from telling him that she thought both of them being alone for all time would be exactly what they deserved; that sounded uncomfortably similar to the Evil Queen's thoughts. "That may not be a good idea," she cautioned him. "Wouldn't it just make it harder for Miss Blanchard if she heard that her soulmate is in a coma and is unlikely to wake up?"
"But what if I'm right? We know who they are," Henry insisted. "Now they have to know."
"And how do you intend to make that happen?" Emma asked, resigned.
"By reminding him. We have to get her to read their story to John Doe." Henry clutched his book to his chest. "Then, maybe, he'll remember who he is."
Emma took a deep breath, about to respond before seeming to abruptly change her mind. "Okay."
Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise as Henry echoed, "Okay?"
"Yeah," Emma nodded and gave him a smile that Hermione had seen repeatedly as a child whenever Emma thought she'd found a work around to whatever specific instruction she'd been given. "We'll do it. But we'll do it my way. Let me ask her."
Where do you think you can go?
'Cause everyone already knows
It's 20 to 1
Yeah so you better run
"What are you up to?" asked Hermione as they walked down the street towards where they had been told Mary Margaret's apartment was.
"I know you said there's some sort of curse on this town and I believe you. What I don't believe in is other worlds where characters from children's stories reside," Emma explained. "I just don't want Henry to be disappointed when this doesn't end the way he expects it to."
"You're hoping that when she reads the story to John Doe and nothing happens, Henry will realize that his stories are just stories," Hermione realized. "But, what will you do should something happen with John Doe while Mary Margaret is with him?"
"I doubt that something is going to happen," Emma responded with a dry laugh. "I'm willing to take my chances."
"Famous last words," muttered Hermione.
"Whatever. You coming up with me or not?"
"I'll pass," she told Emma. "I think I'll wander more around the town and try to see if I can sense anything out of the ordinary that could be helpful."
"Have fun." Emma tucked Henry's copy of the storybook safely under her arm and walked into the apartment building.
Hermione turned and studied the street she was on, taking in the different business' and faces lining the picturesque square. While Hermione still wasn't entirely convinced that every single person there had a fairytale counterpart, she did believe that Henry's book was important. It was connected to the magic infusing this town somehow and she suspected that, even if the names were wrong in the book, the stories themselves were true. It was a history book of sorts, just with figures who had the same names as Disney characters. She hoped.
Emma may have forgotten about the boxes of newspapers that Hermione had in their room but she certainly hadn't. Having spent the last night reading through every paper, she was now certain that this town was somehow time-locked. Nothing ever changed in this town- not even ages. Almost every article in the paper was the exact same as the one printed on the same date in every other year. It was just an endless cycle of repeat and Hermione had to wonder how Regina hadn't lost her mind from the monotony of it all.
Henry seemed focused on finding the heroes from his book, Prince Charming and the Huntsman, but Hermione knew that the most valuable ally she could have here would be the supposed Rumpelstiltskin. He was both powerful and knowledgeable- something she would need if it came to an all-out fight with Regina.
What had stood out to her most while reading about the curse was that it had been created by Rumpelstiltskin himself. While it had seemed that everyone else who had known that had brushed it aside, chalking it up to Rumpelstiltskin creating something so terrible just because he could, Hermione knew that there had to be a reason for the curse to have taken everyone to this world in particular. Something about this land was important to the imp and she knew finding out what would be the key to getting him on their side. Their magic might not work here now but if that changed, Hermione knew that she would need someone to help her navigate through that mess.
The only person she had found that could possibly fit was Mr. Gold. She hadn't forgotten Ruby's comment about Mr. Gold owning the town and from what she had seen and heard, he was the only person whose power could rival that of Regina's. If he wasn't Rumpelstiltskin, then she would be back at square one.
You got the world on its knees
You're taking all that you please
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
She started down the street, heading towards the pawn shop near the center of town. From what she had been able to observe, Mr. Gold would be leaving his shop soon and either head home for dinner or go to the diner. Hermione believed that he only went to the diner to eat to remind people of his existence and bask in their fear outside of the time of the month when rent was due. She had just turned onto his street when he came out of his shop, the sign showing that he was closed, and she watched him lock the door behind him. When Mr. Gold spotted her, he gave a small smile and limped over to her. "Still in town I see."
Hermione shrugged. "Yes, well, it seems there is much more to this town than originally meets the eye."
He studied her for a moment. "Indeed. Funny how that often seems to be the case with unimpressive things."
"Unimpressive isn't the word I would have chosen; stagnant would be much more accurate."
Mr. Gold's brows rose and then his grin widened. "Interesting choice. I would very much enjoy hearing more about your thoughts on Storybrooke. Would you care to join me for dinner?"
Hermione knew her gaze reflected his amusement. "Unfortunately, I have other plans for this evening. Could I call on you sometime tomorrow instead?"
"Certainly," he said with a small bow of his head. "Until then."
As Hermione stepped around him and continued down the street, she felt his gaze on her back and had to force herself to keep her pace even. She hadn't sensed any magical wards on the shop, which she had expected since their magic seemingly didn't work here but she felt it would be better safe than sorry.
Sliding in-between two shops, Hermione paused a moment to make sure no one had noticed her before disillusioning herself and apparating back to the pawn shop. She had considered appearing out in front of the shop in case the alarms were motion activated before remembering that everything in town seemed to have been created in the 1980s, well before any such security systems existed. And considering the fact that there were supposed to be no magic-users able to use their powers here, it was unlikely that she would encounter any wards or the like from inside. Unlikely was not the same as impossible though, so she kept her guard up.
Once she appeared on the other side of the locked door, Hermione froze and waited to see if her arrival had set anything off. She heard nothing, but still cast a low-grade detection spell to see if there were any signs of magic. Hermione would have preferred to use something stronger, but she still had trouble keeping her magic from negatively affecting the electronics around her. Her spell turned up nothing though, and she cautiously made her way around the shop.
It was filled to the brim with items, most of which seemed too unusual or too worthless for a pawn shop owner to keep. There were dolls, games, several mugs, tea sets, a dream catcher, and what looked to be a genie's lamp. The thing that stood out most to her though, was a beautiful, glass mobile. She moved closer to it, studying it intently, and her hand seemed to reach out of its own accord in order to stroke one of the tiny unicorns.
She pulled the storybook from her bag, having decided with Emma that it would be best for her to keep the original copy with her at all times, and flipped to a page near the end, comparing a sketch of the mobile in the storybook nursery to the one hanging in the shop. While the drawing wasn't of high-enough quality for her to be able to make a definitive match, Hermione couldn't ignore the similarities.
That mobile wasn't the only thing she had seen that resembled something that was drawn in Henry's book. She took her time searching the shop, keeping a mental list that matched things she had found with whom they had previously belonged to. The spinning wheel sitting in the back room behind the shop caused her to grimace. It wasn't until she started searching the cabinets beneath the cash register that she found what she was truly looking for.
Hermione pulled out a small stack of textbooks, each one dealing in what she assumed to be dark magic. She flipped through one of the books, calmly glancing at spells and potions ranging from giving life to inanimate objects to turning the blood of your enemy into acid. Once, such spells might have horrified her, but she had read about far worse magic while preparing to go on the run with Harry.
She slipped the books into her bag before setting the store to rights, wanting to delay Mr. Gold's knowledge of the thievery for now, though she planned on confronting him as soon as she was able. Regardless of whether or not he was Rumpelstiltskin, he was an unknown magic user and it would be better to deal with him sooner rather later.
You're like the burden we bear
You're all the hate that we share
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
But enemies
"How was your walk about town?" Emma asked when Hermione met her in the diner for dinner.
She shrugged. "It was fine."
Her sister took a sip of her water, studying her intently. "I know you're lying but I also know that
you knew I would be able to tell so I'm not going to push."
Hermione smiled and relaxed into her seat, once again reminded of how lucky she was to have someone like Emma for a sister. "I promise to fill you in once I've figured out things for myself."
"You never did like to share anything until you had all the information for yourself," Emma mused. "I only ever managed to get you to talk me when you were at the point of pulling your hair out in frustration."
"Too much time spent in classes where I was far smarter than anyone else taught me to internalize my thought process," Hermione muttered.
Emma winced. "Yeah, well, kids are assholes. Especially London prep-schoolers."
"Part of the reason I was so happy to be going to Hogwarts was because of how horrible you made secondary school sound," she admitted.
"It was better there than it would have been here in the states since they usually don't graduate until they're 18; I was more than ready to be out of school by the time I was 16."
Hermione bit her lip. She couldn't help wondering if things would have been different if Emma had done her schooling in the United States. They had come to America for a family vacation after Emma had finished secondary school and before she'd begun her studies for her A-levels. Emma had been allowed to choose where they went since she'd done so well on her final exams, and her sister had picked her birth country. Their parents had been very supportive of the idea; Hermione's mother had dual citizenship, after all, which is why they had been able to adopt Emma and it meant that the girls were also dual citizens.
If they had never come here, or even if they had not come here at that particular time, then Emma would never have met Neal. But, if she had never met Neal, then Henry would never have been born and it hurt to imagine a world without her nephew in it.
"Stop thinking," Emma ordered. Hermione jumped in her seat. "You were doing that face."
"You claim that I'm wearing my thinking face but, considering how I'm always thinking about something, it would be reasonable to say that this is how my face usually looks."
"Way to take a long walk for a short drink of water."
"I used just enough words to get my point across."
Ruby came over then and set two plates in front of them. "You know, most people wait until the other person is there to order food," she commented. "It's kind of nice that you just seem to know what the other person will want."
"The perks of being siblings that get along I suppose," Hermione told her, eagerly moving to dig into her food.
Emma waited until Ruby had walked away to begin speaking again. "So, Mary Margaret is going to the hospital tonight and then she'll meet us tomorrow morning to report to Henry that nothing happened."
"You know how I feel about confidence," Hermione murmured.
Her sister rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I remember. 'Confidence is ignorance' and all that crap."
"You forgot the last part of it. 'Confidence is ignorance. If you're feeling cocky, it's because there's something you don't know'."
You started something that
You just couldn't stop
You turned the ones that you love
Into the angriest mob
"Is she here yet?" Henry asked, bounding into the diner the next morning.
Emma and Hermione looked up at him, both feeling much more relaxed after finally being able to get another full night's worth of sleep. "Not yet," Hermione told him, scooting over so he could sit next to her.
"I'm impressed you managed to get away," Emma commented, studying him closely. "Where does your mom think you are?"
"Playing Whac-A-Mole," he told her, proudly, and Hermione stifled a laugh.
"And she bought that?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"Well, Mum bought similar lies when you used to tell them," Hermione said, finally letting out a laugh at Emma's glare.
"She wants to believe it, so she does," Henry told them with a shrug as he reached over to grab food off of Hermione's plate.
"Shocking," Emma told him dryly.
The door open then and Mary Margret walked in and Hermione thought that she seemed to be almost vibrating in excitement. "She's here!" Henry cried, waving her over.
"Hey," Emma interjected. "Don't get your hopes up, kid. We're just getting started, okay?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at her sister's tone. Her desire to not believe Henry was keeping her from seeing the obvious.
"He woke up," Mary Margaret told them, breathless.
"What?" Emma gaped at her.
"I knew it!" Henry crowed, bouncing in his seat.
"I mean," Mary Margaret hastily tried to explain. "He didn't 'wake up' wake up but he grabbed my hand."
Henry turned to beam at Hermione. "He's remembering!"
She forced herself to smile in return, even though she felt her stomach drop at the news. It wasn't conformation per say but still… why the bloody hell did it always end up being about fairy tales?!
He turned back to the other two women. "We have to go back. You have to read to him again." Henry stood up from the booth and grabbed Hermione's arm, dragging her up and out of the diner.
"Let's go!" Mary Margaret agreed, and Hermione turned to see her sister tugging the teacher to a stop.
"The curse is breaking!" Henry told her as soon as they were out of earshot. "I was right!" He looked up at her then and, much like his mother, instantly saw how she was truly feeling. "You're not excited?"
His crushed tone hurt her, and Hermione knelt down so that she was at his level. "I'm not excited," she told him honestly, catching his hands in hers. "But only because I know things will become messy after this and I don't like that."
Henry squeezed her hands. "But we have to stop the Evil Queen," he told her, firmly.
Hermione saw that the other two women had almost reached them. "We'll discuss this later," she hastily told him before straightening up. "You ready?" she asked Emma.
The steely gaze in her sister's eyes told her that Emma was preparing herself for the worst. "Let's do this."
And their one last wish
Is that you pay for it
And there's no way you're
Getting out of this
Hermione leaned against the back wall of the hospital security, observing the chaos happening within.
They'd arrived at John Doe's room to find it full of hospital personal that were being ordered around by Mayor Mills while Graham hovered in the background and no John Doe. Hermione honestly hadn't known whether to laugh or cry. Everyone was arguing over whether the unknown man had been kidnapped or if he had miraculously woken up and then somehow left the hospital without anyone seeing. Laughter had finally escaped her when Graham had commented that there were no signs of a struggle in the room- after all, how would a man still in a coma be able to fight back?
After Regina had dragged Henry away, Emma and Mary Margaret had volunteered their services in helping tracking down the runaway patient. Hermione, however, was only waiting long enough for conformation that the man had woken up and walked off on his own before she made her move.
Once the proper tape had been inserted, the group silently watched as John Doe got out of bed and walked out the side door of the hospital. "Where does this door lead?" Emma asked one of the janitors.
"The woods," he told her.
Emma sighed. "Well then, Sheriff, looks like you get to show off your tracking skills after all."
Graham smiled at her. "So it seems. I assume you'll be wanting to join me?"
"I will too!" Mary Margaret chimed in. "The more people the better, right?"
Hermione heard Emma give another sigh at the other woman's enthusiasm but her attention had been drawn back to the frozen image on the screen. She could barely hear anything over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. It was too much. Fairy tale characters roaming the streets of Maine, her nephew reappearing at the lowest point in both her and her sister's life, and the magic saturating the very air around them was wreaking havoc on her nerves.
Dear god, the magic. It was so oppressive, like it was trying to squeeze the life out of her. The more she tried to suppress her own magic, the more it seemed to tear at her.
"I have an appointment I need to get to," Hermione murmured, turning to look at the group. "Call me if you need me."
She met Emma's gaze calmly, allowing her to see the rage that was slowly sweeping through her. If Regina's magic wanted to push her, then she was more than willing to push back. Hermione had already helped take down a Dark Lord and she had no problem destroying an Evil Queen.
If Regina had anything to do with what happened to Emma as a child then Hermione would show her what true pain felt like and she wouldn't have a shred of guilt doing it.
"Good luck," was all Emma told her.
Who do you think you are?
Tearing us all apart
Where did you think you could go?
'Cause everyone already knows
It's 20 to 1
Yeah, so you better run
Hermione strode down the street and pushed open the door to Mr. Gold's pawn shop. The shop's proprietor was standing at the counter and he greeted her with a smile. "Well, if it isn't Miss Granger."
"Good morning, Mr. Gold," she responded as she stepped towards him. She looked him over critically, studying his carefully put-together look.
"I'm pleased to see that you remembered to stop by, though surprised to once again find you on your own. Where is that charming sister of yours?"
Hermione shrugged. "I would guess that she is still off searching for the supposed John Doe with the Sheriff and Miss Blanchard."
Mr. Gold smirked slightly, seemingly unsurprised with what she'd said. "And you decided not to go with them?"
"Yes, well, saving the day isn't really my job, is it?"
He tilted his head and his lips pulled up into a small smirk. "No, I suppose it isn't."
Hermione and Gold stared at each other for several moments before she sighed and moved to stand right in front of him on the other side of the counter.
"I know you enjoy playing games but I'm not in the mood for a battle of wits at the moment, though I do believe you're one of the only ones here who could possibly prove to be a challenge, so I'll just get on with it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Mr. Gold replied with a pleasant smile. "Care to enlighten me?"
"Well of course you don't know what I'm talking about," Hermione sniffed, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I haven't told you."
"Well then, feel free to get on with it."
"My my, aren't you rather impatient?" she commented with a smirk not unlike his own. "Not too surprising, I guess, given who you are. Having all the power does tend to get results rather quickly, doesn't it?"
"I wouldn't know. After all, I'm just a simple shop keeper."
Hermione laughed. "Oh, I highly doubt that. No, you seem to be a man who dabbles in many things."
"Really? And what kind of things do you think I dabble in?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Baking, needlework, helping those in need, spinning straw into gold, stealing children, all those kinds of fun things."
Mr. Gold smirked. "I see you've been talking to Henry. Quite an imagination that boy has."
"I thought I told you I wasn't in the mood to play games," Hermione said, as her eyes grew cold. With a flick of her wrist, the book in front of Gold slammed shut and slid down to the other side of the counter. Gold's eyes widened and he took a step back, grasping his cane. "Now that I have your attention, mind explaining to me what exactly is going on here, Rumpelstiltskin?"
Gold's hand tightened on his cane. "Well, you are just full of surprises, aren't you, dearie?"
Hermione just stared at him silently, hoping he'd realized that she wasn't messing around.
Finally, he said, "Let's say, for arguments sake, that I am Rumpelstiltskin. Why would you be interested in talking to me?"
She sighed. "Was your former intelligence lost in the move here or have you always been this obtuse? You know why I'm here."
Gold gave her a twisted smile. "I suppose that means that we are done with the pleasantries. To business, then."
He walked around the counter and over to the door, flipping the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed' and then walked over to the curtained covered doorway leading into the back of the shop. He pulled the cloth aside and then glanced back at Hermione. "Coming, dearie?"
You got the world on its knees
You're taking all that you please
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
Gold offered her a seat by the small table he kept in the back of his shop while he perched on the chair beside his spinning wheel. "I must say, I didn't expect to see one such as yourself in this world. How did you manage to keep your powers? Considering that even I never laid eyes on you in the Enchanted Forest, it is quite the feat to have managed to escape the confines of the curse."
Hermione smirked. "It would seem that both you and the Queen were mistaken about the world you were traveling to; calling it a 'World Without Magic' is a bit of a misnomer. Perhaps calling it a 'World Without Common Knowledge of Magic' would be more accurate, though definitely more wordy."
His hands tightened around his cane. "There is magic in this world?"
"Yes, though as I said, that fact is not commonly known. The magic communities in this world prefer to work behind the scenes since our population is rather limited." She studied him. "I think it's safe to say that you came to this world for a reason. Would you care to share what that reason is?"
Gold sat back in his chair. "I would rather not."
Hermione shrugged. "If you're sure. So," her tone lowered, a heavy look shadowing your eyes. "You're really Rumpelstiltskin? And the Mayor is the Evil Queen?" She needed to hear him confirm it before her mind would be able to fully accept it, despite all the evidence she had.
"Yes," he answered, studying her closely.
"And you were all brought here by a curse?"
"Also correct."
Hermione tensed. "My sister is the one who is supposed to break the curse?"
Rumpelstiltskin leaned forward. "Might I suggest that, instead of wasting your time asking questions you already know the answer to, you ask me what it is you really want to know."
She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "What is the cost of Emma breaking this curse?"
"Emma is a product of True Love and the curse was built around her- she was born to break it. And I'm sure you know of how a curse is broken in our world."
"True loves kiss?" Rumpelstiltskin nodded, and Hermione sighed. "Lovely. Does it have to be her that breaks it?"
"Afraid so, dearie." He didn't sound very apologetic about it and Hermione watched him with narrowed eyes. "If you want to know anything more, then I'm afraid it's going to cost you. I am a business man after all."
Hermione scowled at his smirk. "Yes, I am aware of your love of deals. But you should be aware," she flicked her fingers and Gold jerked his hands away from his cane, which had spontaneously become so hot that it burned his fingers, and they watched it clatter to the floor. "That I'm the one with all the power at the moment. If I really wanted to, I could rip your mind to pieces and take all the information I wanted from it, leaving you as little more than a husk. However, I would prefer to have you as an ally."
Instead of looking angry at her intimidation tactics, Rumpelstiltskin seemed almost thrilled with her ruthlessness. "A question for a question," he offered.
She nodded in agreement. "With the understanding that neither of us have to answer something if we don't want to."
He nodded and a half-smile appeared on his face. "Normally I would have you sign a contract but alas, I didn't have the chance to draw one up."
Hermione laughed. "Yes, this will have to remain a verbal contract. It shouldn't be too hard to keep to, since neither of us are promising anything more than knowledge."
"Aren't you worried about my honesty? After all, I am known for making deals that benefit me more than the others in agreement." He was honestly curious about the petite female in front of him. She was obviously very close to her sister, and he had seen how protective Emma was of her. But it was also clear to him that Hermione was a soldier, the look in her eyes mirrored in many of the men he had seen in the Enchanted Forest. Her ruthlessness reminded him of his own, both willing to do whatever it took to protect their family. It was her looks that had first caught his attention though. When they had first met, back in the elder wolf's inn, she had studied him with a steady gaze that reminded him of Belle. It had almost overwhelmed him, the return of all his memories at the sound of Emma's name and then the sight of a girl who looked so much like his Belle, another innocent soul that he had ruined just by being him.
Her personality was more like his own though, and the thought passed through his mind to be quickly locked away that she might have been what a child of his and Belle's would have been like.
"I could ask the same of you," Hermione retorted. "But I think it's safe to say that we both know how to spot a liar. Besides," she gave him a true smile then and he couldn't help but stare. "This wouldn't be fun if there wasn't a little bit of risk."
Rumpelstiltskin chuckled then in genuine amusement, something he hadn't done in years. "Now I see why your sister keeps such a close eye on you."
Her expression darkened for just a second before it was wiped away, replaced by an opaque gaze. "Speaking of Emma, I should probably get going. She's off in the forest searching for Prince Charming and I'd like to be there when the Mayor finds out just how quickly things are starting to unravel for her here."
"While she may not have any magic here, you should still be wary of the Queen," he warned. "Regina isn't the kind of person to just watch as things don't go her way. Make no mistake, she will fight back, and she most certainly won't fight fair."
"And I'll be ready for her," Hermione told him confidently, her eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "I'm no Snow White, refusing to protect my family or innocent people by allowing a murderer to run around because I don't want their death on my hands. If Regina wants a fight then I'll give her one; she will rue the day she even thought of hurting my sister."
"I look forward to seeing how you handle her," he told her, bending over to pick up his cane and standing, escorting her out of the shop. He didn't let his thoughts on her words show, just calmly watched her walk down the street from his shop and turn the corner, heading towards the hospital.
Her hatred from Regina was understandable given what had happened with her sister and the Queen's treatment of Henry. However, her obvious disgust with Snow White was unexpected. Rumpelstiltskin was looking forward to just what Hermione's presence would bring to Storybrooke.
You're like the burden we bear
You're all the hate that we share
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
But enemies
Once Hermione turned the corner and was out of sight of Gold, she slipped into an alleyway and apparated to the edge of town, right near where the sign that she and Emma had crashed into two nights ago had been. She walked right up to the wards, reaching out with her magic to brush against it.
Hermione had always had a fascination with Warding and had spent as much time as she could with the eldest Weasley brother talking about how they worked. Bill had worked for several years as a Curse-Breaker with Gringotts, many of which were spent in Egypt working on dismantling the security placed around the ancient tombs hidden throughout the desert. He had taught her the different ways wards were placed: some were tied to objects, such as the ones guarding Hogwarts and other wizarding dwellings, while others were tied to actual people. Wards guarding places, he had explained, were tied to stones placed around the property so that they wouldn't have to be constantly reapplied whenever someone died. However, the downside to those wards was that a person wasn't as attuned to them as one would be to a ward tied to themselves- if there was an issue, one probably wouldn't realize until it was too late. However, wards tied to people came with significantly more risks. Outside of the fact that, should a person die, the wards would fall, it took much more energy to maintain the wards and the person holding them were tied intimately to them. It gave a person much more control over them, but any attacks against the wards would be felt by those tied to them. 'Only someone who needed absolute control,' he'd told her, 'would tie wards to themselves.'
Someone like Regina.
The smirk that graced Hermione's face was reminiscent of the ones Draco Malfoy wore while strutting the halls of Hogwarts during their younger years. She went about collecting stones on the forest floor, carefully enchanting each of them and spreading them evenly along the edge of the wards. There was no need for Hermione to waste time placing the stones around the entire edge of the wards; it wasn't like Regina would be able to pinpoint exactly where an attack was coming from.
Once she was done, she apparated to the forest on the edge of the hospital, just in time to see John Doe being wheeled into the hospital with Emma, Mary Margaret, Graham, and Henry following close behind. Hermione cut across the grass and called, "I see you found him."
The group whirled around in surprise and Henry's face lit up. "Aunt Hermione!" he raced over to her side. "We found him!" he whispered-shouted. "We found Prince Charming!"
"Of course you did," she told him warmly. "With you being the one searching for him, there was never a doubt he'd be found."
Henry flushed at her compliment before grabbing her hand, dragging her down the hall to where everyone was gathered outside John Doe's hospital room. Emma gave her a look telling her that they'd be discussing where she went later before throwing her arm around her younger sister's shoulders.
They watched the doctor and nurses work in silence for a moment before a blond woman came racing down the hall and burst into the room. "David! David, is that you?!"
Dr. Whale immediately moved to prevent her from coming further into the room. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
"Oh my god," she whispered, staring at the unconscious man, seemingly in shock.
"Ma'am," Dr. Whale began again. "You can't be in here, ma'am. You can wait over here for a second, okay?" He led her over to where the group was standing, hovering around the door.
The woman didn't even seem to notice them, frozen in place where Whale had placed her. "Who is that?" Mary Margaret whispered, staring at the blond woman in confusion.
"His wife," came Regina's voice from behind them.
Where did you think you could go?
'Cause everyone already knows
It's 20 to 1
Yeah, so you better run
"His name is David Nolan," Regina explained. "And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood." She glanced over at where Henry was sitting, slumped into a chair next to Hermione. "We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means?" Henry slowly shook his head and Hermione glared at Regina, angry with her for speaking down to her nephew like that. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently and smiling at him when he glanced at her. "It means you're grounded," Regina told him, glowering at Hermione.
Kathryn stepped up to where Regina and Mary Margaret were standing, Emma having moved to sit in a chair opposite from Henry and Hermione. "Thank you," she told Mary Margaret, her face filled with honest joy. "Thank you for finding my David."
Mary Margaret stared at the woman in confusion and Hermione caught a hint of pain in her eyes. "Um, I- I don't understand. You didn't… you didn't know that he was here in a coma?"
Turning to look back through the glass doors at her husband, Kathryn sighed. "A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault, I know that now." She turned back to young teacher. "I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him if he didn't like things, he could leave. And he did. And I didn't stop him; it was the worst mistake I ever made."
Emma leaned forward, studying the other blond woman. "You didn't go look for him?"
"I assumed he'd left town all this time," Kathryn explained. "And now I know why I never heard from him. Now I get to do what I've wanted to do forever: say I'm sorry. Now, we get a second chance." She beamed at the group, happiness radiating from her.
Hermione wasn't watching Kathryn though, instead taking in Regina's self-satisfied expression. All through Dr. Whales explanation, Regina continued to look more and more smug over the situation, smirking at Mary Margaret's pained expression when she thought no one was looking. Once Kathryn and Dr. Whale had moved back into David's room, she finally turned to leave. "Henry," she summoned. "Let's go."
Henry reluctantly stood up, Hermione rising with him. As he turned to grab his backpack and whisper something to his teacher, Hermione silently activated one of the stones.
Regina stumbled forward, grabbing her chest. "Careful," Hermione commented, stepping in front of her. "Are you alright?" she asked, feigning concern. "You don't look so good."
The Mayor blinked at her in shock, chest heaving as she tried to breathe through the pain. "What the hell was that?" she finally muttered, locking eyes with Hermione.
"I have no idea," Hermione told her, keeping her gaze steady. "Maybe you overexerted yourself. You should work on that." She leaned in closer to Regina, dropping her voice. "After all, it would be truly tragic if something were to happen to you, wouldn't it?"
Hermione couldn't help the spark of satisfaction she felt at the momentary fear in Regina's eyes. That's right, she thought, watching Regina shuffle Henry quickly out of the hospital. You should fear me.
You got the world on its knees
You're taking all that you please
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
After Emma had chased after Regina and spoken with her in low tones, Hermione and Emma watched as the Mayor walked away. "Notice how she said, 'Miss Nolan' instead of Missus," Hermione commented.
Emma turned to look at her. "So?"
"So, for a woman who seems to strive for perfection in every aspect of her life, I'm rather surprised she would make such a mistake."
Cocking her head to the side, Emma considered her point. "You think she's not really John Doe's wife and Regina knows about it?"
"You were the one pointing out the unusualness of this Kathryn's appearance and I agree- it's like she just appeared out of thin air."
"Or at least her memories did," Emma muttered, turning to head back to look at Mary Margaret as she exited the hospital, head down.
"Well," Hermione responded, softly. "You and I both know that not all memories are real- or are your own."
"If you're right, then why bother creating a wife and new life for John Doe? What does she gain from it?" Emma was growing more frustrated at the situation.
"We know something is going on with this town- that's a definite. Maybe his lack of memories makes him an unknown factor, and we both know how much Regina seems to hate those."
Emma nodded slowly. "Giving him a wife and background, even if he doesn't actually remember them himself, is giving him a place."
"Individuals tend to fight less against their oppressor if they feel they have somewhere they belong."
"She's making sure he won't fight back," Emma scowled. "But, why hasn't he, David, have any memories if Regina can manipulate them like that?"
"All of Regina's power is being funneled into holding the curse over this town; she may have found a way to scrounge up enough to manipulate Kathryn's memories but it wouldn't be enough to give David all new ones. I don't think she planned on him waking up so no backstory was made for him, hence the blank slate. Unfortunately for her though, he's not the one she should be concerned about."
Her sister turned to study her. "Does this have anything to do with what you were up to earlier?"
Hermione smiled at her, a smile that Emma recognized as one she herself had whenever she had a target backed into a corner. "Did you see how she grabbed her chest earlier?"
"Yeah," Emma said, slowly. "You didn't attack her with a spell or something, did you?"
"Of course not," Hermione rolled her eyes. "That would have been too obvious."
Emma groaned. "Yeah, that's the real issue there."
"I didn't attack her," Hermione continued, ignoring her sister. "I did, however, send a magical charge through the wards, one that affects the person who cast them."
As she slowly comprehended what Hermione was telling her, Emma's expression hardened. "So, we can for sure say that she's the one trapping everyone here? She set the wards and is messing with everyone's memories."
She nodded. "Yes, she's responsible for what's going on here. Henry was right- she's cursed everyone here."
"What are we going to do?" Emma asked, feeling slightly out of her depth with the magical aspect of this.
Hermione linked arms with her sister, gently towing her towards the car. "Divide and conquer. I'll keep her focused on me while you figure out more about what's happening in town. She'll be so busy trying to keep up with me that she won't see you coming until it's far too late."
"I like it." Emma climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the car while Hermione slid in next to her. "Let's catch ourselves a so-called Evil Queen."
You're like the burden we bear
You're all the hate that we share
You want more
But you'll get nothing from me
But enemies
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