The Kings Cross Train Station was packed with muggles, and unbeknownst to them, families of young witches and wizards who slipped past them into a brick wall to get to Platform 9¾. If the busy muggles had stopped to listen to the chatter around them, they might have heard children enthusing to their parents about how excited they were to return for another year at Hogwarts. Or they might have heard the parents gossiping about the return of a former war heroine from abroad. They might have noticed how fingers pointed at one family in particular as they emerged from a hearse of all vehicles.
"Mummy, have you seen my copy of 'Hogwarts: A History'? asked an eleven-year old girl with dark bushy hair and ocean blue eyes, climbing out of the strange transport.
After her came a woman with equally as bushy hair, presumably in her early to mid thirties. A lot had changed for Hermione in the last eleven years, the most obvious change being that she was now the mother to a pair of troublesome twins.
"Yes, Evie, It fell into the back with your grandfather after you tried to throw it at your brother's head," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Seb deserved it for saying I'd be sorted into Hufflepuff!" Evelyn insisted, as if it was an insult of the worst kind. "As if I'd be a badger. Not nearly exciting enough!"
"I was only joking," said the twin brother, Sebastian, climbing out last and handing the book back to her. Unlike his sister, he had more tame brown hair and brown eyes, taking more after his mother in terms of coloring. "You know we'll probably end up in Slytherin like the rest of our family."
Hermione sighed. They were usually good during long car rides, both content to sit and read, but this had been an exception. The two of them had been arguing over which house they would be sorted into the entire trip up to London.
"That's not true. Family has nothing to do with where you're sorted. The sorting hat takes your own desires into consideration. Take me for example. The sorting hat wanted to put me into Gryffindor, but I asked it to put me in Slytherin because all my friends were there."
Both twins stared at their mother with wide eyes. "You were going to be in Gryffindor?"
Hermione nodded her head, kneeling down so that she was level with the twins. "It doesn't matter which house you're sorted into. No matter what anyone might try to tell you, each house has produced fine upstanding witches and wizards, and would be lucky to have you. Can you remember that?"
They nodded their heads.
Once she was sure that they understood, they went to the back of the hearse to unload all the luggage surrounding the sealed coffin in the middle.
"Bye, Grandpa!" The twins called as they started steering their trolleys away. "See you at Christmas!"
"Try not to destroy the school!" came Kieran's muffled reply.
Hermione felt bad about leaving him like that. He had insisted upon coming with to see the kids off, but sadly this was as close as he could get, short of them hauling his coffin into the station and onto the platform. That was likely to draw even more unwanted attention to them. She hoped to work on a potion that might alleviate that problem sometime in the near future.
It was strange for her to think that her kids were going off to Hogwarts when it felt like only yesterday when she stepped through Platform 9¾ herself. It admittedly left her feeling a bit emotional. Unlike so many other magical children, she had made sure that hers knew all about the secret platform and everything they could expect on the Hogwarts Express. However, not enough to ruin the thrill of it for them.
Evelyn was the first to go through the platform, running at it head on. Sebastian on the other hand was a bit more patient, waiting to go through with his mother instead.
The sight that they were met with on the other side took the twins breath away. Hermione smiled at their expressions, remembering her own first time to Hogwarts and the excitement she felt at the prospect of going to a place where other people actually understood her. Of course, she was still treated like something of an outcast, at least until she met Harry and Ron.
Her second time was vastly different. Even though she was pretending to be just as clueless and surprised as any other child at the time, the novelty hadn't worn off completely. In a way, it was nice to experience it all a second time. Not too many people could truthfully make that claim.
Then, there was the fact that she had actually started Hogwarts with a group of friends. That seemed to make a world of a difference. Unlike the first time, she wasn't friendless and alone, spending hours crying in the girl's bathroom. Instead she was having fun, competing with Tom to see who could get the better grades and making sure Abraxas didn't crash his broom too many times because of her.
"Hermione!" a familiar voice called.
Speaking of friends…
Hermione turned just in time to catch sight of Druella running towards her. How that woman could run in 4 inch heels was beyond her, but somehow she managed to do, all the while appearing as graceful as a swan. Regardless, she went to meet her friend half-way, accepting the hug that she was soon engulfed in.
"This is so exciting!" Druella exclaimed. "Our children will be attending Hogwarts together!"
Hermione giggled. Glancing over her friend's shoulder, she saw Cygnus approaching with their three daughters. Cygnus had changed a lot over the years, and his appearance greatly reflected it. His hair, which he had once been careless with, allowing it to grow long and messy, was now shortened and slicked back. In addition, he had started to grow a mustache that made him look oddly like Clark Gable.
Then there were the girls; Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa.
Druella had brought her daughters to visit a few times over the years, and one thing that had become increasingly evident was their incredibly close bond. Where one sister went, the other two followed. They were virtually inseparable. The twins got along with them for the most part, especially with Andromeda and Narcissa, who were closer in age to them.
It reassured her to know that her children would already know a couple people at school. Though, none of the sisters would be in the same year as them. Bellatrix was already in fourth year, and Andromeda was going into second year. Narcissa wouldn't be starting Hogwarts for another year.
"What in Merlin's name are you wearing?" Druella asked, pulling back a step to examine her friend's outfit.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're called jeans, Druella. They may not seem very proper, but they're comfortable and liberating."
Druella just shook her head.
"I'm surprised you decided to return to Britain," Cygnus claimed. "I had assumed that you would have sent the twins to Ilvermorny, seeing as you were already living in America."
After she finished her four-year apprenticeship with Nicholas Flamel, she had decided to return to America, as there was a better market for Alchemy. There she had built up a name for herself as a noted alchemist, discovering interesting concoctions that aided the day to day lives of others. Some of her more well known creations were the Love Potion Antidote, an improved version of the Elixir of Life, as well as the Wolfsbane Potion. In addition, she had created a foundation to help combat the discrimination and abuse that certain magical creatures were forced to endure. She called it the Society for the Protection of Magical Creatures, or S.P.M.C. for short.
It was difficult at times to juggle her career and raising her children, and there were plenty of times she wished she had a time turner to fit everything in, but by some miracle she managed to do so. Initially she had planned to send the twins to Ilvermorny when the time came, but…
"I suppose there's no reason for me to keep it secret, as you're probably going to find out soon enough," Hermione said with a sigh. "Dumbledore offered me a job as the new Potions Mistress. He wouldn't take no for an answer."
"You mean, you'll be replacing old Sluggy?" Bellatrix asked, a grin spreading across her face.
"Yes, that way I'll be able to keep an eye on the lot of you and make sure you don't get into too much trouble."
"Who, us? We're perfect angels. Isn't that right, Andy?"
Andromeda rolled her eyes at her sister. "I might be, but you're more like a devil."
"Why you little!"
A fight broke out between the two sisters shortly after, with Narcissa and the twins left on the sideline to cheer them on. Hermione knew she ought to break it up, but she was too amused by it all. If this was what she could expect once they got to Hogwarts, it was sure to be an eventful year.
Eventually, Cygnus stepped in to separate them.
"Stop that this instant! You're embarrassing the Noble House of Black!" he scolded them.
"Sorry, Papa," they said in unison.
Hermione would have never thought it would happen, but it would seem that Cygnus had been successfully brainwashed by his family's strict beliefs. He didn't sound like the boy who had taken her aside and healed her cheek after his mother slapped it. He sounded like any other member of the Black Family.
Just then, the whistle blew, signaling that they would be departing soon. Parting ways with the Black's, Hermione ushered the twins over to the baggage car to store all their luggage before climbing aboard the train.
"Why don't you two go and find someplace to sit," she suggested. "I have to go and check in with the driver."
"We'll save you a seat, mum," Sebastian promised.
Evelyn nodded her head in agreement.
She smiled down at the two of them. They had come into her life unexpectedly, leaving chaos constantly in their wake, but she loved them more than words could describe. She could no longer imagine her life without them.
"Thank you, my loves. I shouldn't be too long."
Pressing a kiss to each of their heads, she headed off towards the front of the train. This particular task proved more difficult than she had expected, however, as the students were scrambling about, either to find an empty compartment or to say a final goodbye to their families. She had to literally fight her way against the stream. By the time she finally reached her destination, she looked as if she had been wrestling with the two eldest Black Sisters.
The driver chuckled at the sight of her. "You alright there, Professor?"
"If by that you mean I'm miraculously still in one piece, then yes," she answered, taking a moment to straighten her clothing and pull her hair back out of her face. "Has it always been this bad, because I don't remember dealing with such a stampede during my years at Hogwarts."
"From what I recall, you and your friends had their own private compartment that no one else dared enter," said the driver, giving her a knowing look.
That was true. Perhaps she would have to keep that tradition alive and suggest it to the twins. They always jumped at the chance to use magic.
She waited until the train had pulled out of the station and the students had settled down before heading back out, glancing into each and every compartment in search of her kids. After a while she found Evelyn sitting with a group of boys that she would have recognized anywhere.
Seated, or rather lounged, on one side of her daughter was a young Sirius Black, and on the other side was a lanky, messy haired boy that looked remarkably like Harry save for the eyes. This could only be James Potter.
"Oh, there you are, Mummy!" Evie exclaimed. "I was just telling my new friends about how you're going to be teaching us potions."
Her head was spinning. What were the odds that her daughter would meet and befriend the Marauders? More than that, what were the Marauders even doing alive at this time? They weren't supposed to be attending Hogwarts until the 1970s.
Then again, she reminded herself that this was an alternate timeline. Technically speaking, neither she nor the twins would have been alive at that point in her original timeline either. A great many things had changed. There was no Voldemort, no early signs of a war on the horizon. And now she found that the Marauders had been born a dozen years earlier. Was this change really brought on by something she had done or was it just the will of fate?
"Is something wrong, Mum?" Evelyn asked.
Whatever the case was, Hermione supposed there was nothing to be done about it now. It wasn't necessarily a bad change, though it did make her wonder how it would further impact the future as she knew.
"I just got lost in my memories for a moment," she assured her daughter before turning to face her new group of friends. It made her smile to see them all so young and innocent, and most importantly alive. "It's nice to meet you all. I look forward to teaching you for the next seven years."
It was then that she noticed that, while Evelyn was there, Sebastian was nowhere in sight.
"Where's your brother?"
"He left with the other two who were sitting with us before," Evelyn began to explain. "James and the greasy haired boy got into an argument over which house was better; Slytherin or Gryffindor. Seb, of course, sided with him on Slytherin."
"Who would want to be in Slytherin?" James asked. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"My whole family have been in Slytherin," Sirius said, looking rather uncomfortable about the topic.
"So have mine," said Evelyn.
Hermione could have also added the fact that they were currently sitting with one of the last members of Salazar Slytherin's bloodline, but she thought better of it, not wanting to bring blood status into the mix as well.
One thing was for sure though; Fleamont clearly hadn't taught his son any better. She couldn't help but wonder if he even spoke to his brother, Charlus, anymore?
James' eyes widened underneath his glasses as he turned to look over at the other two on the bench with him. "Blimey, and I thought you two seemed all right!"
"Family has nothing to do with what house you're sorted into," Evelyn quoted Hermione's earlier words. "The sorting hat places you where it thinks you will do best, based on your thoughts and desires, not because your family says you have to be in a certain house."
Sirius grinned at her. "In that case, maybe I'll break the tradition."
Evelyn grinned back. "Maybe I will too."
Hermione couldn't help but grin as well as the tension was quickly forgotten about and the group fell into a much more pleasant conversation. Not wanting to disturb them, she slipped away to go and find her son. She had a pretty good idea as to where to find him and who she would find him with.
Hours later, they arrived at Hogwarts. There was something surreal about entering it's gates, for once not as a student, but as a teacher. It was strange to be among the first to arrive at the school, for once not seated along one of the four long tables, but at the table at the very end of the room with the rest of the teachers.
Yet, it was also strange because it was slowly starting to resemble the way it once was in her original time. Dumbledore was seated at the head of the table, now Headmaster of Hogwarts. McGonagall was there, seated at Dumbledore's right as always, once again as the Transfiguration Professor, and much to her surprise, Hagrid was there as well.
"Hagrid! It's so good to see you again," she said as she went up to him. "I didn't know you worked at Hogwarts."
He nodded his head, a big smile on his face. "I was working in Romania with dragons fer a while - beautiful creatures by the way. Was a right shame ter leave em', but I got a bit homesick. Dumbledore offered me a job teachin' Care of Magical Creatures."
It was good to see him so happy, and she was glad that he had gotten some actual training at handling dragons this time around. Maybe he wouldn't try to raise a baby dragon in his house this time… Though, she doubted he had abandoned his ways of smuggling creatures onto the grounds completely.
Soon enough, the older students began to make their way in, heading to their tables, talking amongst themselves as they waited for the first years to arrive. When McGonagall stepped out of the hall, they all knew that it wouldn't be too much longer.
Hermione was pleased to see a rather large group of first years. Evelyn came in with the two boys she had made friends with on the train, and appeared to be laughing at something one of them had said. Sebastian, on the other hand, came in later down the line with Severus Snape and Lily Evans, whom she had the pleasure of getting to know on the ride up. Snape was a bit grumpy at first, as per usual, but he warmed up a bit once he found out she would be teaching potions.
It would be most interesting to teach the boy who would have grown up to become her Potions Master.
Sebastian's face scrunched up in confusion as the hat began to sing, reminding her of yet another boy who had found it weird. He seemed a bit nervous about the ordeal, whereas his sister seemed confident and unbothered. They might be twins, but they couldn't be more different when it came to their personalities.
One after the other, first years were called up for their sorting. The first name of interest to be called was Sirius Black. It was no surprise when he was sorted into Gryffindor, along with the rest of the Marauders. Poor Remus looked like he was ready to make a run for it with everyone staring at him. She couldn't help but wonder if he knew of her Wolfsbane Potion? She made a mental note to approach Dumbledore about that later.
A little while later, Lucius Malfoy came forward, a stupid smug look on his face when he was sorted into Slytherin. There was something about the Malfoy's that always left her with the urge to punch them in the face. Lucius was no exception, even if she was friends with his father. Sadly, she knew that she could only dream about doing so. It wouldn't look good for a teacher to punch a student.
Then, finally came the moment she had been waiting for.
"Renshaw, Evelyn!"
The hat was set down on her daughter's head, and Hermione was on the edge of her seat in anticipation. It was exciting and surprisingly fulfilling to witness one's own children being sorted.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table roared with applause as Evelyn jumped up from the stool, practically skipping over to the table. Sirius and James were clapping and cheering particularly loud as they welcomed her with open arms. Evelyn seemed all too pleased with the sorting hat's choice, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Hermione had already had a suspicion that she would end up in her original house. She was definitely intelligent, and most certainly ambitious, but she was also very bold and craved excitement and adventure.
"Renshaw, Sebastian!"
Sebastian turned out to be a hat stall, taking far longer with his sorting than his sister's had. Hermione wondered what was going on inside his mind at that moment. It was almost as if there was an argument going on in his head. She could see the conflict in his features.
"SLYTHERIN!"
His face fell the moment the sorting hat had spoken those words. He didn't seem to be in any hurry as he rose from the stool and slowly started towards the Slytherin table, who were giving him a decent amount of applause as well. His eyes searched the room until they met his sister's. She gave him an apologetic shrug before turning back to her new group of friends. Looking rather dejected, Sebastian turned away as well.
As much as it made sense for Sebastian to be a Slytherin, being the more calm and calculating one, and for Evelyn to be in Gryffindor, she didn't like the idea that they were in rival houses. They had always been together before then, never separated in such a way, and she feared what this would do to the close sibling bond they had always shared. Would it survive or would it drive a wedge between them?
She supposed that much like everything else, only time would tell. All she could do was try to help them and hope for the best.
Later that night, she was in her newly appointed chambers, once more back in the dungeons, unpacking her stuff and arranging it the way she liked it, when there came a knock at her door. You could only imagine her surprise when she opened it to find Minerva McGonagall standing on the other side.
"McGonagall, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?" Hermione greeted her fellow professor, though it was still weird to think of her as such.
"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to fetch you for the start-of-term staff party. He believes it will be a good opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better, as most of us are new to the staff," McGonagall explained. "In addition, he has invited many influential figures; the entire board of governors as well as some of the former professors."
A start-of-term staff party? She had never heard of such a thing occurring at Hogwarts before. Then again, she had never been a professor before either. Curfew had already passed by this time, meaning that the students, save for the prefects, were all settled into their common rooms for the night.
"Would it make any difference if I said I was busy?"
McGonagall shook her head. "I assure you, if that were the case, I wouldn't be attending either."
Well, it was a relief to know that at least she wasn't the only one being dragged into this. She had intended to spend the rest of the evening looking over her curriculum for the term, but she supposed getting out and socializing wouldn't kill her. Merlin knew her social life had been lacking substantially in the last eleven years.
With a sigh, she grabbed her favorite red wool sweater and pulled it on before following McGonagall out, shutting the door behind her.
They walked in silence for the first while. Hermione wanted to start up a conversation with her, but she didn't know how to do so. They hadn't spoken in years, not since before she left Britain, and even then, they'd never been particularly close.
"I never thanked you properly that day you came to visit me at the ministry," McGonagall surprised her by taking the initiative herself. "I don't know exactly what it was you did, but it worked. He never bothered me again afterwards. In fact, on the rare occasions that our paths crossed, he actually seemed quite pleasant. It was as if he didn't even recognize me."
Hermione shrugged. "I did what I felt was right."
She tried to hide the fact that the mere mention of it still made her heart ache. Time had healed the wound to some extent, but not fully. She still missed him… There wasn't a day in which the selfish part of her didn't regret what she did.
"I know we never got along well, but I want you to know that I understand what exactly it was you gave up," McGonagall added. "I too sacrificed someone I loved because I felt it was right."
It did make her feel a bit better to know that someone actually appreciated and understood her sacrifice. She managed to muster a smile for the Scottish witch.
"You know, my offer of friendship still stands, if you want it."
She considered it for a moment before nodding.
"I would like that very much. I'm sorry it took me so long to accept."
With the past behind them, they entered the Great Hall together, for once on good terms. They found that, much to their surprise, the Great Hall had changed greatly from the way they had left it an hour prior.
The tables had vanished from sight, leaving a big empty space for the various forms of entertainment that had appeared in their place. At one end now stood a bar, tended by an old bearded man with a goat who looked oddly like Dumbledore. Then, in the center of the hall was a dance floor. The platform where the teachers usually sat had been transformed into a stage where famous welsh singer, Celestina Warbeck was giving a live performance.
"How are none of the students hearing this?" Hermione asked.
"I assume a silencing charm was cast over the room," McGonagall replied.
That had to be it, because otherwise she was fairly certain that some students in particular would have snuck out of their dorms to join the party, aided by the use of an invisibility cloak.
Letting out a sigh, Hermione headed for the bar to order herself a drink. She didn't ordinarily drink as a rule, but she had a feeling that she was going to need to make an exception to get through the rest of the evening. It was there that she discovered that the Bartender was actually Dumbledore's older brother, Aberforth, though he didn't seem too thrilled about the fact.
Drink in hand, she made her way around the room, sticking to the sidelines at first as she searched the room for familiar faces. McGonagall had somehow ended up on the dance floor with an older gentleman whom Hermione recognized as her old boss from the Ministry. It registered in her mind at that moment, that this could be the late husband that she had heard about briefly during her original time. She wasn't sure what had happened to him, but for the sake of her new friend, she hoped that it didn't happen this time around. McGonagall looked happy.
Dumbledore was also dancing, sporting all sorts of strange and colorful dance moves along with Madam Vervain. Honestly, she never knew Dumbledore could move like that. Though, at the same time, it didn't really surprise her. Dumbledore had always been known to be spontaneous. You never knew quite what to expect with him.
Then there was Slughorn. He appeared to be deep in conversation with one of the other professors when he caught her gaze, completely disregarding the professor as he turned his full attention to her.
"Merlin's Beard, if it isn't my most brilliant former pupil!" he exclaimed, motioning her over to him. "Just look at you, my dear! Every bit as famous as I imagined you would be."
She didn't know if it was the potency of the drink or the depth of the praise he had just lavished on her, but Hermione couldn't help the tint of pink that spread across her cheeks.
"Oh, I don't know about that, but if I am, it's all thanks to the wonderful man who taught me."
"Nonsense, my dear. I just guided you in the right direction. The rest was all you," Slughorn pretended to wave it off, even though she knew that deep down he was drinking in every word. Flattery was a highly effective tool when it came to him. "Now, tell me more about this Wolfsbane Potion you just discovered. I admit, I am quite fascinated by the idea of it."
Always eager to discuss her work with others, she indulged him his request, going into great detail over the ways that the potion aided werewolves in their monthly transformations. Not only did it allow them to keep their human mindset in wolf form, but she had also found a way to make it dull the pain of the transformation itself
"It sounds wonderful! I'm sure that the werewolves are all fighting to get their hands on it."
Well, not all of the werewolves. There was at least one that she could think of who would probably want nothing to do with it; Fenrir Greyback. In fact, the potion probably wouldn't even work on him. His human mindset was just as bad as his werewolf one.
They talked for a while longer, and Slughorn told her all about the things he planned to do now that he was retired. He admitted that she had inspired him to want to travel the world himself, and she recommended a few places that she thought he'd enjoy, one of them being Hawaii.
"Well now, what a lucky day this is for me!" Slughorn exclaimed, staring off behind her. "To have both of my most brilliant students back in the same room. How has life as the youngest ever Minister of Magic been treating you, Tom?"
A wave of cold washed over her. He was there… Tom Riddle was standing right behind her. She could sense it before he even spoke.
"It has its ups and downs, but I enjoy the challenge," Tom said.
She kept her back to him, as she struggled to get a hold of her conflicting emotions. What was he even doing here? Had Dumbledore invited him? Surely not, after everything that had happened. Besides, Dumbledore had assured her when she agreed to take his offer that her and her children would be perfectly safe. Maybe someone else invited him? Slughorn, perhaps?
"Miss Granger, or rather Professor Granger-Renshaw as she goes by now, was just telling me about her work in America. It's quite remarkable what she's been able to achieve in such a short amount of time. Much like yourself."
"Is that so?" Tom asked. "Well, I'd love to hear all about it. Perhaps over a dance, Professor Granger-Renshaw?"
"I don't know. I'm getting rather tired, and I have lesson plans to look over yet. I think I'd rather head back to my room," she excused, turning to leave.
"Nonsense! There will be more than enough time to worry about lesson plans during the school year," Slughorn insisted, reaching out to stop her from leaving. "Go on and enjoy yourself while you can!"
Hermione silently cursed her jolly former potions master, as he practically pushed her into Tom's arms before going to pursue someone else in conversation. She wasn't even sure whether to feel fortunate for the fact that Tom actually caught her. At least if she had fallen to the floor she wouldn't be tempted by the rush of pleasure that having his hands on her waist brought her.
"Are you alright there?" Tom asked, helping her back to an upright position.
"I'm fine. I just forgot how annoyingly persistent he can be," she said, pulling away from his grasp.
"I want you to know that It was not my intention to bother you, Professor. I completely understand if you'd rather leave."
For the first time since she had been made aware of his presence, Hermione turned to face him. He didn't look all that different from the last time she had seen him. Obviously, he was a bit older, but so was she. She tried not to let her eyes linger on his frame for too long as she noticed the nice black everyday suit he was wearing. He was still as handsome as she remembered, and even more so in a suit. She always did have a thing for him in a suit.
Pulling her eyes away from the suit, she focused more on his face. She could find no reason for alarm. His expression bore no signs of recognition. As far as she could tell, he seemed genuine. Though, she couldn't deny that she had been fooled by that on more than one occasion.
"You didn't bother me… and I suppose that one dance wouldn't hurt," she relented.
With a smile, he extended his arm to her, which she hesitantly took, allowing him to lead her over to the dancefloor. She made sure to catch Dumbledore's eye as they passed, silently asking him if he had known that Tom would be here. The only answer she got was the sight of his eyes twinkling. Somehow, that alone told her all she needed to know. She would be having words with him later.
A new song had just started to play when they found a vacant spot, ushering in a slow dance. Hermione couldn't help but feel like someone was going to great lengths to make her uncomfortable, as she was left with no other choice but to let Tom hold her close, one hand set gently on her back and the other clasped in her own.
Once more she had to force herself to focus elsewhere in an attempt to stop herself from thinking about just how close their bodies were as they swayed to the music and how a part of her longed to move even closer so that they were pressed right against each other. She knew she shouldn't. She should have been able to get over him in the last eleven years, but she hadn't.
They talked a bit about their respective work, though it was a bit difficult to do so over the music. She told him about her efforts to help misunderstood magical creatures, and he spoke about his work in the ministry to help the non magical families of young witches and wizards to better cope with everything. This didn't surprise her. It made sense for him to do so, based on his own family background.
"This is nice," Tom admitted. "It's been a while since we've danced like this. I've missed it."
It took only a few moments for the meaning behind Tom's words to dawn on her. She stiffened when it did. Looking up to meet his gaze, she saw that he was smirking. He remembered…
"How?"
"I always knew that something was missing, but I could never figure out what it was, that is until my grandmother, on her deathbed, handed me a picture of the two of us and said your name," he explained. "All the memories you removed started to return after that."
Hermione didn't know what to think of that, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She was shocked by the revelation that the memory charm had been broken. Then there was the knowledge that Mary was dead. That made her sad. However, above all else, she was frightened. Frightened about what this all meant… Frightened that Tom had approached her, all the while remembering everything that he had done and everything that she had done to stop him.
Suddenly feeling as if the temperature had risen dramatically, she pulled away mid-step and before Tom could grab hold of her to stop her, turned and fled, fighting her way through the crowd of dancers. She vaguely heard Tom call her name over the music, but she ignored him.
No sooner had she made it off the dance floor, then she broke out into a full fledged run out of the Great Hall and down the corridor, running as fast as she could to get away. She didn't really know where she was going, nor did she know what she was going to do once she got to wherever it was she was going, but she didn't particularly care about either of those things at that moment. All that she knew was that she needed to get away.
"Hermione, wait!"
She gritted her teeth. He had come after her. Of course he had. She should have known that he wouldn't let her go that easily. Uttering a quick disillusionment charm in her mind, she ducked into an alcove, raising a hand to her mouth to muffle her rugged breathing.
He reached her alcove a few minutes later, where he stopped to catch his breath and look around. When he glanced her way, she thought for sure that she had been caught, but then he turned away and continued past. She waited a few minutes, listening to the sound of his footsteps growing quieter and quieter before sneaking back out.
She didn't expect Tom to be standing just feet away, waiting for her...
"Revelio!" he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her by the arms.
"Let go of me!"
She fought against him, kicking and jerking and doing everything she could think of as she desperately sought to get free, but no matter what she did, he just wouldn't relent. He didn't even attempt to fight back. He just took every kick and stomp to the foot, all the while maintaining a firm hold on her.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Didn't I promise you that a long time ago?"
"Yes, and you broke that promise when you hurt me by forcing me to take such drastic measures to stop you!"
He winced at that. "I know. That's why I'm standing here letting you take your anger out on me."
She stopped fighting, and almost as soon as she did so, her legs gave out beneath her. Tom caught her in his arms again before she could fall, taking advantage of her legs weakness to hug her close to him. She didn't try to stop him this time, allowing him to hold her in peace for a while as she tried to wrap her head around what he had just said.
Was that his way of apologizing to her? It sounded too crazy to be true, but then again, Tom's behavior didn't always make sense. His way of dealing with jealousy was to turn his rival into a rat, and his way of dealing with anger and frustration was to inflict pain. When she thought of it that way, she supposed that it made sense for his way of dealing with his own wrong doing to be allowing said person to inflict pain on him.
"I'm not good at apologizing. You of all people should know that," he began. "I've never felt regret at my actions… that is, until I realized just how badly I had hurt you. For the first time in my life, I am truly and utterly sorry."
She hadn't realized just how much she had needed to hear those words. And to think, she never thought she would hear them. It was nice to have been proven wrong about him again for once.
Allowing her body to slump against his, she laid her head down against his chest. The sound of his heart beating underneath her ear was surprisingly calming, and she could feel her anger and sorrow melt away, leaving her feeling worn out, but oddly calm.
"I admit, I was not completely myself during our last encounter. My mind was clouded by a lust for power. As angry as I was at the time, I am not angry at you any longer. In fact, I should thank you for what you did. Once again, you straightened me out when I fell out of line.
"I don't expect to have your forgiveness, especially not right away, but I'm hoping that you'd be willing to at least give me another chance."
Hermione didn't reply at first. Truth be told, a part of her had already forgiven him. Was she convinced that he would never fall out of line again? No, absolutely not. She knew that if she let him back into her life, that there would be more incidents, maybe not as bad as the last, but still. Tom was dark by nature. There was no denying that.
Confident that she was able to stand on her own again, she pulled away from him, just enough so that she could see his face. He was crying. There were actual tears in his eyes. She had never seen him cry before. She hadn't even known if he was capable of doing so. To have him cry for her of all people, proved just how sorry he was.
Her mind was made up.
"You know, I still have that white rose you gave me for Valentine's Day. It still sits on my nightstand, blooming just as it was the day it magically appeared in my dorm room," she told him. "I meant what I said to you before I obliviated you. I love you, Tom Riddle. I never stopped, despite everything."
"I love you too, Hermione. I know I never said it in so many words, but I do."
Words could not explain how happy she felt at hearing those four simple words that she had waited so long to hear. Overtaken by the moment, she reached up on her tippy toes and giving in to her desires, kissed him right then and there. He didn't hesitate to lean into it, both of them releasing all of the longing for one another that they had suppressed over the years.
The spark that always seemed to ignite between them when they kissed was still there, just as powerful as ever. Hermione got the feeling that it would always be there, acting as an eternal bond between them. There might be a few cracks in it from their time away, but perhaps with time they would be able to heal those cracks together.
"I have to ask… I admit, I don't quite know how to go about asking this, but…" he asked nervously. "There was an article on your visit to King's Cross in the Daily Prophet. It mentioned children… twins, they said... It made me wonder..."
She had wondered if someone would write an article about that, hoping that they wouldn't be so nosy, not necessarily because she was trying to hide the fact, but more so because it was a violation of their privacy. The last thing she wanted was for her children to be submitted to the same social scrutiny that she had once gone through as the best friend of Harry Potter. She would have to try and strike a deal with a press to see if she could get them to lay off.
"Yes, they're yours. And before you jump to conclusions, I only found out after everything had gone down. I didn't know when I left."
"That was probably for the best. Merlin only knows how I would have reacted back then."
"And now?" she raised a brow, examining his face for any sign on how he might be taking it.
He shrugged. "I don't really know how to react. I've never been particularly good with kids. However, I do know what it's like to grow up without a father for a large part of your life. If you'd allow me to, I would like to try and be a part of their lives. May I at least know their names?"
"Sebastian Thomas and Evelyn Marie."
He pulled a face. "Of course you'd keep that blasted tradition alive."
She couldn't help but laugh at that. It was just too funny not too.
"Just be thankful I didn't give our son that as his first name," she said. "And yes, I will allow you to be a part of all of our lives, but only if you promise to be more open this time. You don't have to hide it from me if you get angry and are tempted to hurt people because of it."
He nodded his head. "I promise to do my best."
She smiled. That was all she could really ask from him, and it was good enough for her.
Of course, she would talk to the twins first and ask them how they felt about the idea, but she didn't think they would be much trouble in that regard. She hadn't held back from telling them about him when they asked. There were things they were obviously too young to know, but they knew the basics of what had happened. They had never shown signs of hating him or anything, just a curiosity to know who he was, especially in Sebastian's case.
"Now, shall we go rejoin the party?" Tom asked. "The night is still fairly young, and don't even bother trying to make excuses. You've stayed up much later than this on a school night to chat with your grandfather."
He did make a valid point, but even if he hadn't, the idea of returning to the party didn't seem so bad to her anymore if it meant she could spend it making up for some of the time she had lost with him.
"Just lead the way."
Then, taking her hand in his, for once without being fought over it, the two of them started back the way they had come with nothing but contentment hanging over them.
~ THE END ~
