Complete. That is how Hermione felt for the first time in a long while. Walking the streets of London with Sirius and Naos in between them, holding their hands felt surreal. Her son looked to his father with adoration and Sirius laughed his great belly laugh. She laughed with him and together they swung their arms back and forth with Naos swinging between them. His adorable laughter tickled her insides. They stopped at the Hyde Park playground and Naos took off to the tube slide. They watched him slide down the giant toy over and over, laughing and playing with the other tykes his age.

Suddenly the sky grew dark and grey clouds threatened a storm. "Naos!" Hermione called. Other families called to their children, and kids scattered throughout the park. It was chaos. "Naos! Time to go home, my darling!" She called but he couldn't be seen. "Sirius?" She turned to where she thought Sirius had been standing but he wasn't there. A tight sensation settled deep in her belly and she wrung her hands together frantically. Looking back to the park she saw it was now empty. The families had gone and all that remained was Sirius and Naos standing hand and hand facing…. the mysterious veil? "This can't be!" she whispered.

Hermione took off running to her little family and just as she reached her hand out to her son, Sirius stepped away towards the veil. "Sirius, no!" But he didn't listen. She gripped Naos hand tightly, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move towards Sirius. He stopped just short of the veil and looked back; a small smile adorning his lips. His ebony hair danced in the eerie wind from the veil and with a small wave he fell backwards into it. "Noooo!"

Harriette once again woke in a cold sweat with tears streaming down her cheeks. How odd to be dreaming of Sirius after all this time. It felt just as real as when he fell into the veil all those years ago. She shifted to lay on her side. The old fashioned mantle clock on her bedside table read almost half past six. She would normally start her day in just a few minutes. For now, she would continue to softly cry in her downy pillow mourning the loss of Sirius Black, again.

What is it with these nightmares? Harriette knows this dream with Sirius can't be real, and hadn't been real. But why did it feel so real? She thought back to the day they lost Sirius to the veil. How Harry screamed "no" just as she did in her dream. She remembered how Remus held Harry back from jumping in after his godfather. The torment and anguish filling the room had been deafening. The memories today hadn't been any less painful following her dream. The clock softly chimed as it struck 6:30. Time to start the day.

A shower and a kettle of tea brewed later, Harriette still didn't feel any better. Her very realistic dream, a trip down memory lane, and the loss of her longtime career was just too much for her to cope with. She managed to cook Naos a couple eggs and a biscuit earlier but her own plate remained untouched.

"Come on mom, you must eat something." Her son urged her. He was such a compassionate little soul. Barely eleven years old and trying to care for her. It touched her but she couldn't bring herself to eat.

"Maybe later." She sat back in the rickety dining chair. Krishna hopped into her lap and she pet her absentmindedly. Naos left the table with a sullen expression on his face. She sipped her lukewarm tea still deep in thought when she heard the window open and the delighted coos from King, her son's owl. Curiosity piqued her interests but she didn't ask where the little black bird was off to.

The ramblings of her thoughts shifted as the minutes ticked by. Where was she and Naos supposed to go? She looked to the tattered calendar on the wall. August 29, 2009. She didn't have a job and pretty soon the new term was going to start and they would be out of a home as well. Things were looking pretty grim for them, but she did it before.

July 1999

Hermione waved her wand and the wooden chair scooted themselves under the wooden tables. A charmed dish rag found itself wiping down those same tables and an enchanted broom swept the floor. She had a tray of tankards in her hand as she made her way to an occupied table in the back of the pub. A stout woman accompanied another elder lady and a few wizards. All wore an intricate broach of a knot on their robes. Being diverse in her studies, Hermione remembered the knot all too well. It was the Gordion knot and the symbol of Ilvermorny. The witches and wizards at the table must have worked there as they were far too old to be students and as such term hadn't even started yet.

She set the drinks down in front of each patron. They thanked her and she left them to their musings. She was just about to put the serving tray away and tend to her duties behind the bar counter when the door busted open and two men carrying a screaming wizard came in.

"Someone please help!" Cried one of the men. She flicked her wand and all of the enchanted times stopped their work and returned to their designated places. She signaled to the men who plopped the injured wizard onto the freshly cleaned table.

"What happened?" She furrowed her brows as she studied the gash in the man's thigh.

"It was a Hidebehind! Came up right behind us, go figure. Got Ainsley good, he did. Lucky we were there to force the beast away." She drowned the man out as she concentrated on the injured wizard. Pulling a small vial and her wand from a pocket in her apron, she silently summoned a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Open wide, sir." She poured some into his open mouth. He choked but swallowed the warm liquid down. She chugged a bit herself before she opened the small jar and squeezed droplets of the liquid onto the wound. The man groaned and flinched but she didn't back away. She continued to administer the droplets and as the wound sizzled and mended before their eyes.

After the ordeal, she looked to the table of elders. They all watched her curiously. Some in shock, others with amusement. She apologized for the display of theatrics and served them a round of butterbeer on the house. The other men left with their injured friend and the rest of the night proved uneventful.

After locking up, she headed to her room above the bar. She was able to stay rent free as long as she kept it tidy, kept the noise down, and agreed to a considerably less paycheck than a normal barkeeper would agree too.

"Aeria, dear. My shift is over." She called out to the teen girl. Aeria was her boss' daughter. She agreed to watch Naos for her while Harriette tended to the bar. The dark beauty emerged from around the corner holding her precious babe.

"He just fell asleep, Miss." The girl was so polite. Hermione smiled at her.

"Please, call me Harriette. Was he good for you?"

"Oh he was just as wonderful as ever. Such a sweet baby." She handed the little boy over to Hermione, careful not to wake him.

"I left you some money on the table." She nodded behind her.

"Oh, you know I'm not doing this for money, Miss- Harriette."

"Nonsense." They grinned at each other. "Run along now. Your pa will wonder where you are and have my head." She winked at the girl. After Aeria left, Hermione cradled and rocked little Naos. She studied his features. He had the same nose as Sirius, but his little lips were more full. He must take after his mum. She kissed his plump cheek and placed him in his bassinet. She was thankful he was a really easy baby.

She sat down at her little table and picked up her copy of the Salem Scry, one of the better known Wizarding newspapers in America. Nothing really noteworthy caught her eyes and she was just about to turn out the lights and head to bed when there was a light tap tap tap on the window. She opened the single-paned casement and a handsome great horned owl hopped onto the sill.

"Hello there." Hermione greeted the bird. His eyes blinked slowly, one at a time and he dropped a thick envelope into her hand before flying off. Puzzled, she studied the golden wax seal on the back of the letter. That same Gordion knot she saw on the robes of the wizards in the bar was pressed into the wax. Flipping the letter over, she read her new name: Harriette J. Dahl, but also her son's name: Naos Osiris Dahl in beautiful calligraphy. Even more curious now, she slipped her finger under the wax, breaking the seal. The letter inside read:

Dear Ms. H. J. Dahl and son,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to attend Ilvermorny as a hired Mediwitch in the Infirmary. Should you accept this position you will also be granted a small home in which you may live on the grounds. Please send your immediate answer as the new term begins soon.

Best regards,

Madame Seraphina Picquery, Deputy Headmistress of Ilvermorny.

It had been 10 years since she was hired to work at Ilvermorny. She did it then with a small child and barely anything to her name. She could do it again. Suddenly there was a quick knock on the door, breaking her reverie but before she could answer, the door swung open and Marta Prewitt walked in. Right away the older lady started shaking her head and muttering under her breath; something about how untidy the house was among other things.

"Marta! What in Merlin's beard are you doing here?"

"Oh don't you worry none. Why haven't you touched your breakfast deary? Here." Marta pointed her wand at Harriette's plate and within seconds it was piping hot again, as well as her tea. "There. Now eat." Harriette looked to her son, suspicious that he was the reason Marta barged in and started caring for her like a host would. He smiled coyly and slinked away. Harriette chuckled to herself. So that is why he sent King out. Oh how she loved that boy.

"Now, I know with the mishap at the school they sacked you. However, Ms. Dahl, this is not the end of the world. You must pick yourself back up and get on with your life. For your sake and your son's."

"Oh, Marta I know. It was just a little overwhelming. Not to mention embarrassing. You should have seen how satisfied that Madame Picquery was to see me fired." She frowned.

"Oooh I'd like to give that vile woman a piece of my mind. But don't you worry about her. What's done is done." Harriette adored Marta's spunk. It was quite endearing. "I have an idea. And you may not want to hear it, but just listen before you insert your 'buts'." She glared at Harriette in warning. "Why don't you go back to London? It's been eleven years." Harriette groaned, placing her head in her palms. "I know you haven't shared much about your past, well you haven't shared really anything except for it was time for you to move on. Well honey, it's time for you to move on from this place. Write to Hogwarts. I'll give you a recommendation. I know Algibert already gave you one as well. It'll be good for you."

"Yeah, mom! Can we please go to Hogwarts? I'll be able to attend this year! I'd love to go to the same school you did." Naos begged her. Could she really go back? It had been eleven years since she left London. Would it really be so bad? Would she return as Harriette, or go back as Hermione? Would she be welcomed back or remain an outcast? And what of her son? Would he be accepted into Hogwarts anyways? She had a lot of thinking to do.