Time to Go Home

by purastella

It was obvious to Hermione that some outside force was at work here; Henry's strange appearance with a magical storybook in tow provided enough evidence that something bigger was going on, though what it had to do with her sister she was unsure. Hermione just hoped that he was wrong and that it had nothing to do with fairytales- she'd had enough of those to last her a lifetime.

12. Chapter 12

(A/N): Hello all! Welcome to 2022! That last year was... was a wild ride. Yeah, let's go with that.

I didn't expect such a long absence. I really didn't. And honestly, I was shocked to see how long it had been since I posted the last chapter. I don't know what happened to 2021 but it went by real quick.

Shoutouts to Lucyole, alexaguamenti, Abbey Carolyn, tmtcfs, 1991, pastfoxes, SlytherinQueen86, ThatLady234, ShezzaBoo0233, shesunn, everthing-is-black-and-white, vamp1987, Lady Avotil, Westcoast222, bookworm2750, MamaHooterz, zombiekins5948, Morzan's Elvish Daughter, Lionhearted21, Lil'Sparrow7, Wonders and Madness, Lonelywicked, PrettyRecklessLaura, ndavis77, NicoleR85, nagi92, Freyja-Njorda, fringeperson, xwolvie, sailorxbloom, and Guests for reviewing! I'm so humbled by all of your enthusiasm for this story. Some of your reviews are so long and so detailed and I'm incredibly thrilled by how much thought and love you're giving to this world I'm creating. I hope I continue to delight and amazing you in this and all future chapters. I also hope I continue to make you think about the complexities between good and evil, right and wrong, and light and dark because both Once Upon a Time and the Harry Potter series set them up to be separate things and created a very divisive world and I hate that so much.

I am currently making steady progress on the next few chapters but it's been a bit rough because I've been having to rewatch the first season of Once Upon a Time and I forgot how awful it kind of is. They were just real chill with ignoring and brushing aside the terrible things characters did, weren't they? But also... someone tell my writing gremlins that I don't need to start writing a story about Hermione, August, and Lily teaming up and coming to Storybrooke during S1 and messing things up. I've tried to tell my gremlins that it's not necessary but they've stopped listening to me. Help...

This chapter is dedicated to fringeperson just because!

Song lyrics for this chapter come from "Antidote" by Faith Marie.

Happy Holiday's guys! Enjoy!

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Finding refuge in my own mind

How are you? I'm doing just fine

Small talk is a great disguise

Just let me be

Just let me be

"Aunt Hermione!" Henry shouted.

Hermione's head shot up, thrilled to see her nephew racing towards her. "Henry!" she cried, running over and scooping him into a tight hug.

"I missed you," he told her, burying his face in her neck and clinging to her.

"I missed you too," she murmured, feeling relaxed for the first time in days.

Several long moments later, she pulled back a bit and smiled down at Henry. "Do you have someplace to be or can we spend some time together?"

Beaming, Henry said, "Nope, I was just going to go to Granny's for a bit before I have to meet with the Evil Queen. Where have you been?! Emma just said that you were out of town."

Grimacing, Hermione wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulder and began to walk with him to the Castle. "Actually, I haven't been well the past few days and Emma just didn't want to worry you," she lied. "It was a… magic-related illness so I couldn't use the mirror to contact you since it's enchanted."

"That sucks. I'm glad you're better now though!"

She hated lying to Henry. It wasn't even a believable lie. But he believed it because he trusted her, and she was garbage. "Me too." Desperately wanting a change in subject, she quickly asked, "So, what have you been up to recently? Anything exciting happen in my absence?"

Shrugging, Henry said, "Mom took a few days off after her accident at the mines- she seemed really freaked out by it. Emma and Graham are officially dating now, which is awesome, but Mom got really angry and tried to have Graham replaced as sheriff. Don't worry though, Rumpelstiltskin helped stop her because the Evil Queen can't choose the sheriff so even if she tried to fire Graham all that would happen is there would be an election. Mr. Gold said that Graham could still run for sheriff even if he'd been fired because there was a loophole, and everyone would vote Graham back into office anyway because he's the best. And I've been helping out in the pawnshop when I have free time and I've found a ton of things from my book in there. Oh! Did you hear about Emma's latest case?"

Hermione shook her head, head spinning a bit from the amount of information Henry had just given her. Emma may have tried to speak with her about it, but Hermione wasn't really in a mood to listen to anything her sister had to say.

"Okay, so, Hansel and Gretel tried to steal some stuff from the store and got caught so Emma got called and she found out that they were living in an abandoned house because their mom was dead and they didn't know who their dad was. So now Emma's trying to find their dad before the Evil Queen forces her to take them to orphanages in Boston." Henry frowned then. "I don't know why she's trying that though because it's not like they can actually leave town."

Tilting her head slightly in thought, Hermione offered, "Maybe that's why she's doing it. If Emma doesn't take them to Boston, doesn't do her job, then Regina can give a reasonable cause to have her fired."

Arriving at Henry's castle, the two climbed up and situated themselves on the edge of the playground. "That's gotta be it!" Henry declared. "Emma has to find their dad then. We can't let the Evil Queen win!"

Smiling at him, Hermione asked, "Henry, since Emma and I arrived in town, has the Evil Queen ever actually succeeded in one of her plans?" When Henry shook his head, she nudged his shoulder and continued, "Then why would you think we're going to let her win now?"

Henry beamed at her. "We really are changing things, aren't we?"

"We're trying," Hermione sighed. "How are you, Henry? How are things with Regina?"

Turning to look back at the ocean, Henry's expression turned pensive. "I don't know… After the accident at the mines, she seemed kind of scared. I wasn't allowed to go to school, and she refused to leave the house. It felt like I was trapped. But then she suddenly seemed fine again and said we had to get things back to normal. Except…"

Hermione shifted closer to him so that their arms were touching but didn't try to hug him, unsure if he would be comfortable with any affection right then. "Except what?"

His gaze dropped down to his lap. "She got really mad at Graham," Henry admitted softly. "I heard her talking to Sydney Glass and she was saying that Graham betrayed her and was calling Emma bad names and she said that she wasn't going to just let Emma steal Graham from her. And then she tried to get him replaced as sheriff and I saw how worried Graham and Emma were even though they said that everything was fine."

Mulling over his words, Hermione tried to understand what Henry was truly worrying about. "You're wondering if we made a mistake," she realized. "If it would have been better if Graham hadn't remembered."

Henry's lips pressed tightly together, a look of worry far too adult on his still-round face. "Maybe nobody should have remembered until we broke the curse. Bad things happen to people who the Evil Queen thinks have betrayed her."

"Henry," Hermione whispered. "She had his heart." His head snapped up and he stared at her with wide eyes. "We found her vault," she continued. "We found his heart, Henry. Not helping Graham remember would have meant letting him continue on in an empty haze. A person without their heart isn't just in danger of being controlled or killed- they can't feel anything. And I know when you're feeling sad and angry or lost, it can seem appealing to not feel anything because feeling nothing certainly sounds nice when all you're feeling is pain. But it also means that you can't feel happiness or joy. Life is made of moments that make you feel both good and bad and if you can't feel either of those, then you're not living."

Even though he nodded as though he understood what she was telling him, Hermione hoped that Henry wasn't fully able to comprehend her words. Only someone who had known true pain and despair would be able to understand why feeling nothing might be appealing.

"It didn't seem real," Henry admitted, voice breaking. "I read in the book about how the Evil Queen stole people's hearts and kept them in her vault, but I guess I thought… I didn't think she literally kept them. But if you found it, that means…"

It was clear that Henry was finally starting to understand just how evil Regina truly was. "Henry?" When her nephew turned to look at her, Hermione asked, "What do you think will happen once the curse is broken?"

Tilting his head slightly, Henry slowly answered, "Everyone will get their memories back and the Evil Queen will finally be defeated."

"Yes, but then what? What do you think will happen to Regina?" It was the topic that all of them had been avoiding discussing with Henry, but one that he needed to be prepared for.

"I…" Henry was lost for words and Hermione sighed. He was far too young for this conversation and she was far too tired for it, but it was necessary. Things would be far worse if they waited until after the curse was broken to prepare Henry for what came afterwards. He may be in a town full of fairytale characters, but it wasn't full of fairytale endings.

Hermione was well-aware of the truth: everyone's life was full of stories, and very few ended Happily Ever After.

When it became clear that Henry wasn't going to respond, Hermione leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Just think about it, alright?"

"Okay," Henry softly agreed, and Hermione knew that he would think about it, that her question would haunt him as he slowly came to a conclusion that he wouldn't like- came to the truth. She hated herself for asking. But she hated Regina more for causing her to have to ask in the first place.

Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind

Am I living to survive?

Shake it off but I've lost the drive

Just let me be

Let me be okay

"Have you called the therapist that Thomas recommended yet?" Emma asked before Hermione could escape from the kitchen.

Hermione sighed. "No, I have not and, more importantly, I have no intention of doing so."

Emma frowned. "Is this just because you don't want to go, or because you have something against the mental health profession in general? Because it's really not a big deal."

"Is that so?" Hermione asked, staring flatly at her sister. "Have you ever been?"

Leaning back against the counter, her sister said, "No, I haven't. It doesn't mean I'm against the practice though- I just couldn't afford to do it and I didn't want to ask our parents for any more help than they'd already given me."

"Well, if you had gone, then you'd know that you can't force someone into going. It's only effective if they actually want to go and, surprisingly enough, I don't want to." Hermione turned to leave then, wanting to end this conversation sooner rather than later.

"Graham is going," Emma offered, feeling a little desperate. "He's been seeing Archie and he says it's really helping." He had told her that it was fine to tell Hermione- otherwise, Emma wouldn't have said anything at all.

"Really?" the brunette scoffed. "Well, good for Graham. I, however, am not Graham so-"

"You're never going to get better if you don't try."

Hermione froze in the doorway, her hand coming up to clutch at the frame. "You keep speaking as though I'm broken- that I'm something that needs to be fixed- but I'm not. I'm not broken, Emma. You can't fix me."

"You tried to murder Regina!"

Whirling back around, Hermione spat, "My making a decision that you don't like does not equate to there being something wrong with me! You cannot expect me to live the rest of my life only doing things that I know you approve of! That's not how this works, Emma- you're my sister, not my master."

Emma flinched, stumbling back a step as if struck. "Is that how you see it? Is that how you see me?"

Sighing, Hermione told her, "It's how I feel. You and I have lived different lives and we have different views on right and wrong. But just because my views don't match yours doesn't mean they're wrong. I think Regina deserves to die for what she's done, and I think you agree with me. You say that I don't have the right to make that call but you know what? I actually do. MACUSA has entrusted me with investigating this town and making sure the people here aren't a threat. When I tell them about Regina, do you really think they're going to insist that she be kept alive? Or do you think they'll instruct me to take care of the threat as I see fit?"

"Maybe she deserves to die but you shouldn't have to be the one to kill her," Emma countered. "You're still a kid, Hermione. This isn't your fight."

"I'm not a child and I haven't been for a while. Just because the war is over doesn't mean I magically got back everything that I lost."

"Maybe not," her sister whispered, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "But it doesn't mean you need to go looking for another war to fight in. It's over, Hermione- the war is over. You're home now. You can rest."

"Home," Hermione repeated softly, eyes distant. "What does that even mean?"

No one knows what goes on

Up inside my head

There's a new kind of poison

And it's starting to spread

"So," Hermione started, taking a seat on the bench beside Graham. "I heard from Emma that you started to see Archie. You do know that he's not really a psychiatrist, right? He used to be Jiminy Cricket back in your world."

Graham didn't seem angered by her knowledge, just rolled his eyes as he turned to face her and gave a small smile. "Yeah, well, I figured he was better than nothing."

"Really?" she asked dryly. "Because I personally feel that nothing would be better than him."

Shrugging, Graham admitted, "It's been a little difficult since I can't really tell him exactly what happened. But we're making it work and it's actually helpful. I started seeing him after what happened at the station- I know you were there and saw everything." Hermione flinched in surprise. "I realized that the way I lashed out at Regina wasn't right," Graham said slowly, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I was so angry with her that I could have killed her right then and there without a single regret. And that realization was… unacceptable. Killing her isn't the answer."

Hermione stared at him. "I cannot even begin to understand how you could say that. Are you really going to stand there and tell me that you think she deserves to live after everything she's done? After everything she did to you?"

"Killing her isn't the answer for me," Graham clarified. "Killing her wouldn't change what she did to me. It wouldn't erase what happened. Don't you see, Hermione? I hate her for what she did to me and what she made me do. She made me into someone I never wanted to be. But, if I killed her, I would be staying on the path she put me on- one of senseless violence and pain. Killing Regina would be proof that she still had a hold on me and I can't let that continue. I want to be with Emma, and that means being totally free of Regina."

"But you're not free of her! As long as she's alive and able to live her life as she pleases, you'll never be free! Because as long as she's still breathing, you're not safe. If she manages to get her magic back, Regina will come after you. She's out for your blood after you managed to free yourself from her control."

Graham just studied Hermione for a moment, taking in the shadows in her eyes. "Maybe you're right, maybe I'm not safe. But, right now, I need to do what's best for me. I need to make sure that I'm alright before I worry about Regina. I need to be a little bit selfish. I need to focus on myself and making sure that I'm able to be the man I want to be. For so long, it was all about what Regina wanted. Now, I can think about what I want and what I want is to find my way back to who I actually am. And afterwards- if I can say with absolute surety that it's actually me who wants Regina dead and not the killer she turned me into- I can do what needs to be done about Regina."

I need to be a little selfish. "But what if something happens?" she asked, voice cracking. "What if Regina hurts someone else because you didn't stop her?"

"What Regina does or does not do is not on us," Graham vehemently told her. "We have no control over her actions. If she hurts someone else, then that's on her. The only thing you and I have control over is what we do. You can't live your life trying to save everyone else, Hermione. Sometimes, you need to worry about saving yourself."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that. Saving herself had never been the priority. It had always been about protecting others- first Harry and Ron and now Emma and Henry. "What if I can't?" Hermione whispered. "What if I can't save myself?"

Slowly, cautiously, Graham wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "You don't have to jump right in," he reassured her. "It's a lot, isn't it? Imagining going from saving everyone to saving yourself? So maybe what you need to do is make it a little less big. Just… focus on helping one person. Just one. Not one of us though. I know you're worried about Henry and Emma right now, but you know that Emma can look after herself and that she and I would never let anything happen to Henry. So, someone else. Anyone else. Focus on helping just one person instead of trying to help everyone, and then maybe it won't be so scary to think about focusing on yourself."

Shaking her head, Hermione pulled away from Graham and asked, "Speaking of my sister, are you ever going to tell her what happened with Regina?"

Graham was quiet for a moment before finally deciding to let her change the subject and telling her, "I'm not sure. She knows that I have some issues I'm dealing with when it comes to Regina and she said that it's alright if I don't tell her but... it feels too close to a secret. I swore to Emma that I would never keep secrets from her."

The obvious struggle playing across his face made Hermione feel a bit guilty for bringing it up. "It's alright to not be ready to tell her about what happened; it doesn't mean that you don't trust her. It just means that you need more time."

"I know that," he nodded in agreement. "All the same though, knowing what little I do about Emma's past, I'd rather not leave her worrying about this- though I suspect the truth will actually be worse for her than whatever her imagination's conjuring."

She shrugged. "I'm not so sure of that. Emma knows your relationship with Regina was unhealthy. She knows that the Regina had all the power. I think that whatever worst-case scenarios Emma is imaging right now will be close to the truth." Except for the part where Regina was raping you for thirty years. Even in the darkest places in Emma's mind, that level of abuse wouldn't even cross her thoughts.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Graham sighed. "Bad enough you want Regina dead- I don't know how I'm going to be able to hold the two of you back."

"Oh, Emma won't try to kill Regina," Hermione stated. When Graham turned to look at her, she finished, "She'll think that death is a mercy Regina doesn't deserve."

No one knows what goes on up inside my head

I'm scaring myself

I just want to be okay

"Do you think it's alright to be selfish?" Hermione asked Jefferson as she watched him carefully dice up a red bell pepper from where she was perched on the counter next to him.

"I don't think I'm the right person to be asking that," he answered dryly. "Why? Also, are you planning on staying here tonight?"

She was quiet for a moment before admitting, "I was talking to Graham- the Huntsman- earlier. He told me that it was okay to be selfish- to worry about saving myself instead of saving everyone else. And I'm not sure yet."

Setting the knife down, Jefferson turned to face her. Leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "He's not wrong. You can't help anyone if you're bleeding out because you didn't take care of your own wounds."

Hermione's brow furrowed at the imagery but decided not to ask about it. "It feels hypocritical. Letting Regina go. I've been so angry with Snow White and Charming for not dealing with her. They let her go knowing that she wasn't going to change and, because of that, everything that she went on to do is also their fault. They could have stopped her, but they didn't. If I don't stop her, wouldn't that make me just as bad?"

The thing she liked most about Jefferson was that he actually considered what she said instead of automatically responding with useless reassurances. "I don't think that this is the same," he told her slowly. "You're right that the Prince and Princess should have stopped Her Majesty, but this is a different situation. They were leaders; they were in charge of protecting everyone and they failed to do so because they cared more about themselves than the lives of their people. And, while the Queen does still have some power here, it's not the same as it was back in the Enchanted Forest. She's not running around ripping out hearts and slaughtering innocents by the dozen. You the one who has magic here- you can stop her permanently anytime you want. But that doesn't mean you have to stop her right now."

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Hermione carefully maneuvered herself so that the oversized jumper she had taken from Jefferson was stretched over her curled legs. "Killing Regina won't break the curse, will it?"

"No."

She knew that- Hermione knew that. But she had hoped she was wrong. Because that meant that, even if she killed Regina, there would still be a town full of cursed people. The barrier around the town might fall but nothing else. Emma would still have to be involved if they wanted to fully break this curse and that was the last thing Hermione wanted. Hermione couldn't help remembering her meeting with the Apprentice and just what she'd learned about the book and that amount of power held by the Apprentice's master. The more she learned, the more terrified she became.

"All magic comes with a price, right? The cost of casting this curse was the life of the one person Regina loved most. What's the cost of using magic to break it going to be?"

Jefferson came to stand in front of her. "What are you really afraid of?" he murmured.

Hermione's jaw clenched. "I can't lose my sister."

"You won't," he tried to reassure her. "Emma is strong enough to defeat Regina."

"Yes, she'll be the hero," Hermione spat, lip curling at the title. "But in my experience, it never ends well for the hero. Even after they've defeated the monster, they're still expected to clean up the mess. They have to become the bread and circuses handed off to the masses in order to provoke them into having faith in a government that's already failed." She stared into Jefferson's too-blue eyes, her anger fading quickly into a now familiar feeling of hopelessness. "Emma's my hero. Why does she have to be yours too?"

He seemed unsettled. "Just because Emma has to break the curse doesn't mean it has to lead to all that. You won't let that happen and, from what I've seen, neither will she."

"Even after everything, you still believe in Happy Ever After," she sighed.

"No, I don't. I know better than to have faith in that. But everyone has to believe in something."

Flinching away from him, Hermione stated, "If the next words out of your mouth are something about how you believe in me, I'll have to rethink my belief in your sanity."

Jefferson just smiled. "I've believed in worse things."

Yes, Hermione thought. And look how well that ended for you.

All the voices in my head are coming to life

They're getting louder and I'm

I'm terrified

How do you run from your own mind?

"Hey," Henry greeted, dropping down on the bench next to Hermione.

"Hello. How was school?" She was tired. Exhausted really, but she didn't want Henry to worry so Hermione was doing her best to pretend that she was fine.

"It was okay," he shrugged. "Emma and Graham found Hansel and Gretel's dad, but I guess he couldn't take them so Mom's making Emma take them to Boston tonight."

Hermione sighed. "Well, we both know that they won't make it. If we go by what happened to Cinderella though, at least it's likely that no one will be hurt when the car crashes."

Leaning into her side, Henry asked, "Can't you do something? You know, with your magic?"

Tilting her head to rest on top of his, Hermione answered, "Do what, Henry?"

"I don't know. Make my mom forget about Hansel and Gretel? Or fix it so that their dad can take them?"

She couldn't stop herself from flinching. "No. Using magic to make someone forget should only be used in the direst of circumstances, and I can't force their father to take them in. Some people aren't ready to be parents, Henry, and if their father isn't prepared and willing to take care of them then he shouldn't."

"But he's their dad!" Henry protested.

"Having a child doesn't make you qualified to be a parent," she told him, wondering if she shouldn't be trying to lead the conversation in a different direction. Henry was probably far too young for this discussion.

"Emma told me about my dad," he told her abruptly and Hermione started, her exhaustion leaving her in an instant.

"She did?"

Henry shifted away from her and stared down at his hands. "Yeah."

Hermione bit her lip, thoughts racing as she tried to figure out what to say. "Henry," she started, tone gentle, as she shifted to fully face him. "I know that what she told you was probably not what you wanted to hear."

Henry just shrugged, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I also know that you're probably feeling a little bit sad right now and a bit angry too, because you were hoping for something that you now realize you can't have. But, Henry," Hermione reached out and slowly took his hand, "I want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever want to talk about it. And I also want you to remember that blood doesn't make a family. You and I aren't related by blood but we're still family, right? Because family is about the people who you love and who love you too. And just because you're related to someone like that man doesn't mean you're going to end up anything like him. You're a good person, Henry- you would never do anything like he did."

He turned to look at her then, brows furrowed in confusion. "Emma said he was a firefighter who died saving a family from a burning building."

She froze. "Oh…" Emma told him… "Oh no."

"What?" he prodded.

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing. I just…" She used to better at this- at coming up with believable lies at the drop of a hat to throw at the professors questioning why she wasn't where she was supposed to be. But Henry wasn't a professor, he was family, and Hermione had always been better at just saying nothing at all when it came to them than she was at telling flat out lies.

Henry stared at her for a long moment and Hermione could see when he realized the truth in his eyes. "Emma lied."

"It's complicated, Henry," Hermione finally told him.

"No, it's not. She lied to me!" He sounded so hurt and Hermione knew that she had to fix this. "Why would she lie to me?"

"Because she's scared." That stopped Henry, freezing him to the bench right when he was about to get up. "She's scared that if you know the truth, you'll be as disappointed in her as she is in herself."

He shook his head. "I don't understand."

Taking a moment to organize her thoughts, Hermione started to explain, "You think Emma's a good person, right? You think she's a hero?"

"She is a hero," Henry automatically replied. "She's going to break the curse."

"Yes, she is a hero," Hermione agreed. "But even heroes can trust the wrong people. You and I, we understand that, and we wouldn't judge Emma for making a mistake. But Emma judges herself for her past and she thinks you will too. She thinks that if you know what really happened with your dad, you'll stop thinking she's a hero. And all Emma wants right now is to be your hero."

Henry's hands tightened into fists in his lap and then his fingers slowly relaxed. "Tell me the truth," he pleaded, turning to look Hermione in the eyes. "Tell me about my father."

Gods, this wasn't fair. Hermione was not his parent- she should not be the one having this discussion with him. This was Emma's job. But, since she apparently wasn't up to the challenge, it seemed that the responsibility fell to Hermione. "Emma was 16 when she met your birth father. We were on vacation in America and they apparently met one day while we were in Oregan. Emma started sneaking off to see him- though we all knew what she was doing because she wasn't that subtle. She's never told me all the details but, from what I've been able to piece together, he'd stolen some watches from his previous place of employment that were worth a significant amount of money and convinced Emma to help him retrieve and sell them so that they could use the money to run away together. Instead, he left her with one of the stolen watches and then ran off with the others and called the police so that Emma would be arrested for stealing the watches."

"But Emma wasn't the one who stole them, he did!" Henry argued, voice full of outrage and Hermione felt a jolt of surprise. He sounded just like she used to.

"Yes, but Emma was found with one of the watches. I'll be honest with you, Henry, I'm not quite sure what all happened on the legal side of things and why Emma ended up going to jail. Our parents did hire a lawyer for her, but I was only six and they tried to shield me from everything going on. In the end though, Emma ended up going to jail for eleven months because of what that man did."

"And then she had me," he whispered, head falling forward.

"Henry." Hermione reached out and gently nudged his head upwards. "Look at me." Once he made eye-contact again, she continued, "You are the best thing to ever happen to either myself or my sister. No," she stopped him when it looked like he was going to argue. "I mean it. You are the best thing to ever happen to us. Regardless of the circumstances, we are both so thankful to have you in our lives."

"But he hurt Emma. He sent her to jail." Henry hesitated before asking, "Is that why she didn't tell me the truth? Is that why she didn't want me? Because he's a bad man and since I'm related to him-"

"No! Henry, listen to me: you are nothing like that man. Blood does not make you a family. You and I aren't related by blood, but that doesn't change the fact that you are my nephew and I love you more than anything in the world. That man is not your father and you have nothing in common with him. You are the kindest, most genuinely good person I have ever met. You took it upon yourself to find us and help us stop the Evil Queen simply because it was the right thing to do. You saw that these people were in trouble even though they themselves didn't know it and you never gave up despite how difficult it's been. Those are all actions that that man would never have done. You are nothing like him, and you never will be. He may be related to you by blood, but he is not your father."

Henry was quiet, staring intently at Hermione as he thought. Finally, he told her, "Do you really mean that? Do you really think I'm nothing like him?"

"I really do," Hermione vowed. "And I promise that Emma never meant to hurt you. The only reason she lied to you is because she's scared. She still thinks that she should have been smart enough to realize that he wasn't a good person and she's worried that if you knew the truth, you wouldn't think she's a hero anymore and that you wouldn't want to see her. And I think she was worried that if you knew that he was alive, you might want to find him."

"That's stupid," Henry told her. "Of course I would want to see her, even if she wasn't a hero. She's… she's my mom."

Hermione could stop the way she lit up at hearing Henry calling Emma that. Even though she was still furious with her sister, Hermione couldn't help feeling happy at how close Emma and Henry were growing. "I'm so happy to hear that. But, just between us, it's okay for you to be upset with her for lying to you. That wasn't nice of her."

"It wasn't," he agreed. "But I guess I can understand her being scared. I promise that I won't go looking for him. I don't need a dad."

"Of course you don't." Leaning in closer to him, Hermione whispered, "But, just so you know, I think there's someone here who wouldn't mind being your dad if you change your mind."

Tilting his head to the side, Henry started to ask, "What do you-"

"Henry!" They turned to see Graham hurrying towards them.

"Hey Graham," he greeted as Hermione smiled up at the Sheriff. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I know Regina has a weekly meeting tonight, so I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner together." Graham seemed to be growing more nervous as he spoke. "We haven't been able to spend any time together in the last few weeks and I've missed hanging out with you."

Henry's eyes lit up. "Okay!" He turned to look at Hermione and she knew that he understood what she had been trying to say. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, you will." She pulled him into a hug. "Love you," she whispered into his ear.

His arms tightened around her neck. "Love you too."

Is this what I've become?

Take it back

What have I done?

"What are you still doing here?" Emma spat, coming to a stop beside Draco's table in the diner.

He glanced up at her and frowned. "Well, Emma, I live here now, don't I? I'm trapped in this inconsequential prison until you finally do your job and break the curse."

Emma looked like she was only seconds away from pulling out her gun. "How do you know about the curse?"

"The tiny child told me all about it."

"You've been talking to Henry?" Emma growled, sliding into the seat across from Draco.

"No, he's been talking to me," Draco corrected. "Make him stop."

Ignoring his request, though Emma made a mental note to have a talk with Henry after this, she told him, "There's no reason for you to be here- we can handle the situation. Hermione doesn't need your help."

Draco sighed, as though highly put-upon by her presence. "As I have already told you, I can't leave. I'm stuck here for as long as Granger is. Once she's done here, then so am I."

Leaning forward, Emma demanded, "What's the real reason you came here? I know how both the American and British wizarding governments work and there's no way you would have been allowed to come here without a damn good reason. So, what is it? What makes you special enough to be sent here?"

His expression immediately became impassive, his eyes cold, and Emma wondered if he was using occlumency. If Hermione were here, she would know. "Just because you're Granger's sister and know people in MACUSA doesn't make you one of us. My reason for being here is none of your business and I suggest you remember that moving forward."

"Oh yeah? Or what?"

The corner of his lip twitched upward. "I'm not the villain here, Swan. But sooner or later, you're going to run into someone who isn't as nice as me and I guarantee that it won't end well for you if you keep going the way you are."

"Do you mean another wizard, or another Death Eater?" Emma sneered.

"I mean anyone. Anyone could be stronger, more powerful than you are, and you wouldn't notice until it's too late because you charge headfirst into a situation without bothering to pause and take stock of what's actually going on. It seems that recklessness just runs in your family."

"And arrogance runs in yours." Sitting back in her chair, Emma continued, "You're supposed to be atoning for what you did during the war, right? What, have you come to be the hero for once?"

Draco actually laughed. "Let me put this in terms you'll understand. I am not what any would categorize as a hero- I haven't been in the past and I certainly never will be in the future. I am a side character. Specifically, the kind of side character who is very useless for most of the story, causing everyone to question why they're even there and what the point of even having them included is. That clear enough for you?"

"Well, if all you are is a side character then you must be feeling pretty bored," Emma mocked. "After all, this town is supposedly full of them."

"Actually, I've been keeping busy." Draco's expression turned dark. "Granger's little side-project is taking up quite a bit of time."

"Side-project?" Emma echoed. "What side-project?"

"Taking inventory of what's in Regina's vault," he told her, as though she should have already known. "That woman brought quite the collection to this world but, while they may have been treasures to her, I've found myself having to dig through a lot of rubbish."

"Regina's vault… at her house?" she guessed, brows furrowed in confusion.

"No," Draco drawled, also seeming slightly baffled. "Underneath the mausoleum in the cemetery."

Emma flinched back.

It's my heart, Emma. I need to find it.

"Show me," she ordered.

Draco opened his mouth, ready to give her a sarcastic reply about how he didn't take orders from her but stopped at the look in the blonde's eyes. It was the same look he'd seen in Granger's many a time before. She may not have magic, but Draco couldn't leave town and if he didn't do what Emma wanted, she'd spend every moment she could making his life as miserable as possible.

He just hoped that whatever reason Hermione had for keeping her sister in the dark wasn't too important. "Come along then."

No one knows what goes on up inside my head

There's a new kind of poison

And it's starting to spread

But I didn't think the antidote was in my hands

I can change my plans

I can change my plans

Hermione marched into Gold's shop carrying a stack of books.

"What do we have here?" Gold questioned, setting aside his pen.

Coming to a stop in front of the counter he was standing behind, Hermione dropped the books down onto it with a thud. "I have come here to help you," she announced, voice shaking slightly.

Gold glanced between Hermione and the books. "Help me with what?"

"Graham… I was talking with Graham earlier and he said something that sounded reasonable and that it couldn't hurt to try. So, here I am. Trying."

Gold sighed. "What exactly did Graham say to you? And what does it have to do with me?"

Staring down at her feet, Hermione whispered, "He said that it's okay to be selfish and that I don't have to help everyone. But, if it's too scary to consider only helping myself, then I should focus on helping someone else. Just one other person. But he said that I could pick Emma, Henry, or him, and I'm not sure where to even begin with Jefferson."

A strange tightness appeared in Gold's chest. "So, you chose me." Hermione nodded, not looking up. "Then, again, I ask: help me with what?"

"I…" Hermione hesitated, looking young and unsure. "I thought I could try and help heal your leg." When Gold remained quiet, stunned into silence, she rambled on. "I assume that you healed yourself using magic back in the Enchanted Forest, but that obviously didn't carry over here. And I thought that, if you're alright with it, then I could try to mend the injury. If I can figure out how to reset the bone so that it can heal correctly without injuring you further and then help fix and strengthen the injured and atrophied muscles, then you should never have to be reliant on your magic to fix your leg again. If that's something you're comfortable with. It's alright if you're not though because I am asking for quite a bit of trust from you."

For the first time in years, Gold was at a loss for words. Of all the things Hermione could have said- of all the things she could have focused on assisting with- she'd thought of him. She wanted to help with the leg he'd damaged centuries ago in order to escape leaving his boy fatherless. Part of him instantly shied away at the idea of letting her even try to heal him simply because the pain in his leg was penance for failing his son. But, if this project could help Hermione find some semblance of peace and pull her away from her obsessive need to end Regina right then and there, then wasn't it better to allow her to do as she pleased?

By the time Gold finally came to decision, Hermione had already begun to backtrack, taking her books back and pressing them tightly to her chest. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"If you're sure this is what you want to do, then I'm happy to accept any help you have to offer," Gold interrupted, freezing Hermione in her tracks. "My injury is centuries old though, so don't be discouraged if you can't fix it."

Finally meeting his gaze, Hermione studied him closely, looking for any signs of hesitance. Finding none, she smiled. It wasn't as large or as bright as it used to be, but it was genuine. "Sounds like a task just challenging enough to tempt me."

I tried to find my reflection on the glass

But all I ever saw were the things I lacked

All the smudges on the mirror

Made me go insane

All I ever thought I was

Was a mistake

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