TWO

Harry Potter checked his watch, a gift from his godfather for having earned good grades that school year. Any pretext was enough for Sirius Black when it came to pampering him.

It was because of his obsession with always wanting to know the time that Sirius chose to give him a watch. Harry didn't explain to him that with every minute that passed the reunion with Hermione got closer. He preferred to remain silent, something that had become customary in him lately. It was difficult to keep a secret of that level, especially when his life seemed to continue to change radically. And even worse if his best friend was so observant.

Since he met Hermione, Hermione became a resounding enigma for Harry. Will his little and irritating friend really become the beautiful and feminine warrior who stole his heart a year ago? In any case, that caused more stress and worry in Harry, because Hermione not only had an amazing abdomen, but many wounds and that strangely empty look. It was up to him that his teenage friend never had to endure wounds as if they were a common part of her life.

Oh, right, also that the magical world didn't go to war. Or something like that, Hermione wasn't clear about it. However, it was logical. After a year of thinking and remembering the conversation he had with her, he felt confident of some deductions about the future.

He looked at his watch again. There were two minutes and sixteen seconds left.

She promised to return that day, at that time, to the Slytherin Chamber. For him a year had passed, for her, just a couple of seconds before adjusting the time and jumping back into the past.

A past that was no longer hers, because the story had definitely changed. But she made sure to have the right spell to always return to Harry's timeline. As confusing as that may be.

He thought it was very logical that Hermione had chosen this way to save the world. What he lived with Hermione and her own Time-Turner that year was proof that his best friend had a broad understanding of the rules for time travel.

He smiled with affection as he remembered the adventure that was to save Sirius and Remus, as well as catch Peter Pettigrew. All thanks to Hermione.

Harry already had enough information to ensure his godfather regained his freedom, among other changes that Hermione determined would be necessary that year. Even so, the real heroine was teenage–Hermione. Without her, changing the future would have been almost impossible.

At that moment, Hermione appeared in the Chamber. She looked exactly the same as a year ago, which was logical in this whole time travel issue. Harry had the urge to hug her. He hated to see her so hurt, even more after all he had lived with Hermione. He felt that the connection between them was deeper, and he did not deny that it was because he had met Hermione. Thanks to that encounter, he began to really see Hermione, to listen to her, to take care of her.

"You're still alive. Good."

"Thank you? You should have more confidence in me, you know?"

Hermione gave him a sad smile.

"I have it. I broke all the universal rules just by talking to you, now. If I didn't trust you, none of this would have happened."

Harry accepted her words. He used his wand to create two seats, so that both were more comfortable in the Chamber. Hermione lit up when she saw the magic display.

"You've been studying!"

"I promised you."

"Oh, Harry. You are...", she hid her face in her hands, shaking, "Thank you."

Suddenly, she looked more in line with her appearance: exhausted, abandoned, sore. In mourning. Harry looked anxiously at the broken woman in front of him.

"You miss me." He concluded.

She nodded, releasing a sob. "Your absence has been... hard."

"Have I been dead for a long time?"

"Enough for everything to fall apart. Anyway, let's not waste time. Tell me what happened this year. The mission must continue."

He helped her sit in one of the chairs. It was nothing fancy or comfortable, just a basic chair without ornaments. It had taken him almost the entire third grade to learn to conjure it, with the help of Hermione and Remus. Seeing Hermione take a seat with relief, he knew it was worth it.

"The changes you asked for, I made them happen," Harry reported, feeling that this was the most important test of his life. "Sirius is free. The secret of Remus, about his lycanthropy, continues; but he didn't want to keep teaching at Hogwarts. He still feels guilty of having forgotten to drink Wolfsbane and put us in danger. Also, Peter Pettigrew received the Kiss, which in turn proved Sirius innocence. Cornelius Fudge didn't let Pettigrew confess that Tom Riddle is still alive; he silenced and sentenced him. Lastly, Dobby is now my house elf."

She seemed to relax a little, "You look better than I remember in third grade. A little taller, maybe? Less skinny?"

Perfect, she described him as 'skinny'. Speaking of blows to self-esteem.

"Sirius is in treatment to recover his weight and health. When we visited a Healer in San Mungo, he saw me and said that I also needed attention. You may not know it, but ... well, my uncles ... my childhood―"

Hermione nodded, letting him know that she was aware of what happened with the Dursleys.

"When did I tell you?" Harry asked.

"When you turned seventeen and accepted that you would definitely not be taller than me."

Information about the future. He tried to hide his emotion by discovering something about the life of this Hermione.

"So at least I reached seventeen."

"You died at nineteen."

It was strange to talk about his death.

"How are you, Hermione? I spent a year remembering your... appearance. I brought you food and some potions that I think will help you."

He showed her the basket that Dobby prepared that morning. There was a sandwich, a butter beer and chocolate frogs. In addition, four potions to recover energy and relieve superficial symptoms.

"Did you think of me?" Her tone was incredulous.

"How could I not? Come on, do you want to eat?"

"I have little time."

"Then accept the basket. You can take it with you."

Hermione received, with trembling hands, the food, "Thank you, Harry. I'll drink the beer."

He watched her carefully as she opened the bottle and drank a little. She seemed about to cry for just doing something so trivial. That worried him again.

"You said you would tell me about the future. I need to know, please."

Hermione thought for a few seconds what to answer.

"After someone very important was killed, Ron, you and I embarked on an endless search for the missing Horcrux. We were alone, without allies, without a really solid magical education. One night, we were captured. Ron and you were locked in a dungeon. I was tortured for hours and... From then on, everything went downhill. The war grew longer and longer. The losses―"

Harry clenched his fists since she said "tortured." How could he allow such a thing in the future? What kind of useless wizard couldn't protect his best friend? He watched her squeeze her right wrist with her hand, where she had the faded rose tattoo. He didn't want to interrupt or break the silence, so he waited until she started talking again.

"I spent months analyzing every little detail that built a horrible chain of consequences until your death. I understood that most of those details happened at Hogwarts. I thought: why did Sirius have to die, why didn't he offer Harry a safe home? I think I became obsessed with that idea. I thought that if you and he had―if you had a better family, everything would have been different."

"Is that why you came back in time? For me to have my own family?"

Hermione shrugged and finished the beer, "I just wanted a justification, you know? About the behavior of both of you. I desperately wanted to believe that you two could have done better, in other circumstances."

"Do you mean Ron and me?"

That surprised him. He didn't know if it was correct to inform her that his friendship with the redhead was in terrible condition. It all started with the Firebolt that Sirius gave him, although at that time they didn't know that. Hermione informed McGonagall about the broom. Ron was furious and insulted her, as he has been doing since they met. But this time Harry supported Hermione. Then Ron pointed out, quite rightly, that that had never happened before. Harry felt ashamed to accept that truth. However, he did not change his decision to side with Hermione.

But a silent doubt got into his head. What if he only supported Hermione because of her resemblance to the twenty-year-old Hermione that appeared in his wet dreams and unexpected memories during the day?

Trying to give her a chance, he asked her not to make decisions about his life without consulting him first. The result was unexpected: she looked him straight in the eye and replied that she would do anything to keep him alive, even if she lost his friendship forever.

That was the proof he needed. There she was: messy hair, longer incisive teeth, round cheeks and Hogwarts huge uniform, years before becoming Hermione, but with the same conviction of doing everything for him.

He did the only thing that seemed right in that situation. He apologized. And maybe he spent the rest of the year being especially nice to her...

Okay, he totally did it.

Anyway, Ron didn't have the same fate. By demanding that he also apologize to Hermione, another discussion began. Months later, they keep fighting every time they bring up the subject. Harry had no idea what will happen to his friendship with the redhead if things continue that way.

Back to the present, Harry saw Hermione tense.

"Not Ron. I didn't mean him."

"Who then?"

"Never mind."

She squeezed her hand over her tattoo again.

"You can trust me." Insist Harry.

"I must tell you everything you need to change this year. We can't waste anymore time. On my next trip, I'll be more clear."

Harry had to accept.

Hermione unconsciously hugged the basket, letting her voice fill the Chamber, plagued with fear, resentment and plans.

"Two other Horcrux are in Grimmauld Place and in the Room of Requirement. But the top priority is Cedric Diggory..."

A/N: Thank you so much for giving such welcome to this fanfic. I'm trying really hard to write properly, but english is not my mother tongue, as many of you already must have notice. I didn't say so before because I wanted to know what you think of this story without any kind of prejudice. I'm also looking for a beta, if anyone is interested. My plan is to practice my english a lot so I can write at the level you all deserve. Thank you, really, for your comments. Every chapter will be longer and mature, as Harry grows with every year. I hope you keep reading till the end. See you soon.