Hermione stared at the scarred wood of the table. They hadn't been able to use much magic. Repairing the furniture might harm something in their ward structure. She let her finger slide along a groove. At least it was clean. The whole building was spotless now, but that didn't mean a great deal. It was still a shabby place. It had been hard to find a building without electronics worked into every facet of its function. The world was supposedly very peaceful now, but there was always an underbelly to any culture, and this building was in the middle of it. She hated having to live there. The suitcases would only hold them for so long. They needed a place to settle, but the pockets that held their world had collapsed.

"We are human." She looked up at the man across from her. "This was our planet. I've been researching. I think the term sub space pockets might be the best way to describe our world though it isn't exact or truly descriptive. Our world was attached to the muggle one. There were places where they intersected and places where they affected each other."

"What happened to your world?" The Vulcan spoke quietly.

"A muggle scientist began experimenting with certain frequencies for communication through vast stretches of space. It destabilized our world. Parts of it collapsed and killed thousands. Most of Asia was lost in a day. The dragon reserves in Russia and Romania managed to fly out some before the collapse hit there. We were scrambling to deal with the influx of people and creatures. It was chaos."

"I understand." Spock flexed his fingers on the surface of the wood. It was a tiny gesture, but Hermione caught it.

"How familiar are you with the religious texts of this planet?" Hermione tilted her head and pushed back her chair. "Does the story of Noah mean anything to you?"

She gestured for Spock to join her and walked toward the room that was filled with rows of traveling cases. She knew he was walking behind her. There was something similar to magic in his energy. It wasn't the same, but it was welcome. Perhaps his people wouldn't revile hers for their abilities.

"I need to explain some things, but I've always found that seeing is believing." She grinned and opened one of the cases. "The stairs are a bit steep and mind your head. You are very tall."

She stepped into the case and smirked at him before she ducked under the case's edge. Refusing to look back, she relied on her hearing. His steps were light and they didn't falter. She smirked. There was a fair amount of information about Vulcans available. The collective human opinion of these people seemed to be that they were exacting and emotionless. Hermione knew that assessment to be untrue.

Mr. Spock had revealed a great deal of emotion to her. She supposed he practiced something like occlumency for control. When she had been held prisoner, he'd shown an ability to empathize. She'd seen his mild irritation with Luna, not that that was unusual in people exposed to her for the first time. She waited at the bottom of the stairs. He'd followed her without hesitation. It took courage to step into the unknown, and this was far beyond the comforts of his science.

She stepped down onto the floor and waited for him to join her. His presence was oddly soothing despite its otherness. He had something similar to magic in him. It felt familiar a bit like hearing a favorite song covered by a new band. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focused on the illusion of a watering hole on the African plains. The fierce griffins were nesting nearby. She listened to the screeching cries of the animals and watched as one of the males preened his heavily pregnant mate.

"These creatures were thought to be mythological." The Vulcan steppes next to her.

"Griffins were common once, but the non magical population had no defense against them other than extermination." Hermione sighed. "It took a great deal of effort to contain them, to remove them from the mortal world. Our society maintained them as guardians and on preserves that were warded to contain them. There were several accidents. Spells to enhance the natural barriers in the magical world were used. The idea of separation became a lauded one. The Inquisition and witch hunts the world over reinforced the belief. The Statute of Secrecy was written and ratified. The signatories used a griffin quill."

She felt his eyes on her as she talked. He didn't interrupt or scoff. She turned to look at him fully as one of the beasts approached them slowly. He didn't back away. He trusted in her. It was a heady thing to have this logical being put his life in her hands.

"You have multiple species in these containment units." He looked around the space.

"There are several others in this case alone, but the griffins make a good impression." She smirked up at him as the golden furred and feathered beast stopped two feet from them. She held out her hand and the giant eagle headed female closed the space between them. "They're well used to people. Some species aren't."

He nodded his head and watched as she stroked the griffin's head. He seemed to be assessing her. She was studying him, so she supposed it was only fair.

"Would you care to touch her?" Hermione smiled. "Becca here is soon to give birth. She can't get enough affection. Her mate is exhausted from the preening alone."

"How do you maintain these creatures?" He stroked his fingers gently along the beak of the beast.

"We weren't unprepared. We have another case filled with food. It won't last forever, but we can maintain the balance for a bit longer." She touched the back of his hand to guide it back to the softer feathers, but he pulled it away.

"It would be better to be precise in your descriptions. How am I to quantify your needs when they are so presented?" He stepped back.

"We need a home. We need a place in this universe to call ours. The humans here view us as criminals. We need the help of your people." Hermione looked up into his dark eyes and saw him considering her words. "We May not have much to offer in return, but we will."

She watched as he looked back to the griffins. She knew this was a long shot, but she had to try. He took a deep breath and examined her again.

"I will need precise numbers and a better understanding of your needs before I will consider doing anything." He looked around them once more and took a deep breath as one of the griffins took flight. "Fascinating."