"Ha...y…. Harry…. Harry!"

Harry gasped awake, jolting in sweat. He looked around the room with a jump in his soul, until he felt himself calm down and look at the person who woke him up. "N-Natsu…" Harry rubbed his eyes of sleep, pushing himself up with his forearms. "Sorry, bad dream."

"Oh really? That sucks… What was the dream about?"

"Ah, it's still a little fuzzy… Something about a snake…?"

Natsu's face widened for a split second, until his face relaxed into curiosity. "Really? Sounds interesting. Anyway, when did you come in?"

"Last night. You?"

"Just then. Hey Ron! Wake up! Your mother made breakfast, and you know how she is when you're late! So don't fall asleep." Ron groaned slightly, rolling around in a moan.

"Ron, you're finally up!" Fred snarked with a wave. "Shut up... " Ron groaned as he sat down, Harry sitting between him and a slightly closed off Ginny. "Mmm, Mrs Weasly, this is great!" Natsu stuffed his face with eggs and bacon as he complimented the hot headed woman. "Thank you dear!" Mrs Weasly slid a fresh egg and bread slice onto Natsu's plate.

"Hermione's running a bit late. Oh I hope she's alright…" Mrs Weasly tsked. Right on cue, Hermione burst through the door in a pant. She closed the door and began to strip of her coat. "So sorry I'm late, I-" Hermione froze in white fear upon realising the tuffs of pink hair.

"Yo Hermione! Glad you made it!" Natsu beamed. Hermione's mind blanked slightly, her head flashing to the truth. Her hands began to shake slightly, and her eyes focused on Natsu, who paid no noticeable attention towards Hermione's staring.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

Hermione snapped out of her trance, feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked back, Mrs Weasly looking at her with concern. "Y-Yes Mrs Weasly, I'm just famished is all." Hermione forced a smile on her face, making her way to the only seat available.

Across from Natsu.

Hermione kept a cold eye on him, Mrs Weasly sliding bacon and eggs on her plate. "So after breakfast, you kids pack up the last of your things, then we'll make our way there."

"Yes mum!"

"Yes Mrs Weasly!"

Natsu just finished stuffing the last bit of egg, finally noticing Hermione was staring at him and had barely touched her food. "You ok Hermione?" Hermione didn't reply, only looking down on her plate, slicing into her runny eggs. "Ok, that was weird…" Natsu shrugged, and went back to eating.

"Right everyone, let's go!"

Everyone hauled their bags over their shoulders, beginning their trek into the nearby woods. Natsu whistled a simple tune as he hung at the back of the group. Everyone was just slightly up a head in their own conversations.

Sniff

Natsu stopped, smelling someone familiar behind him. He turned around, to be greeted with a hand to his mouth and pulled off to the side away from the group. The next thing he knew, his back was against grainy wood and elbow to his throat, but at least his mouth was free.

"Alright, spill!"

"Hermione, what's gotten into you?!"

Hermione pressed harder into Natsu's throat, said man beginning to gag slightly from the pressure. "I know you don't exist in this world. You and Lucy! I went to the Department of Births and Deaths, you don't exist!"

Natsu could feel his soul go cold. Only the tickle of that stupid string dangling in his face again. Natsu regained his composure, and tried to derail the subject. "Y-You broke into the Magic Council?"

Hermione's eyes raised, her steely gaze bore into Natsu. "Magic Council?"

"Crap!"

"Hermione! Natsu! Where are you?!"

Hermione gasped, she didn't realize they were gone that long. Taking advantage of the confusion, Natsu slapped Hermione's grip on him away. Hermione panicked once more, snapping her wand and holding at his throat.

Natsu looked at her wrist, then back at her. In a split decision, he grabbed her wrist and snatched the wand out of her hands and aimed it at her. "W-What are you playing at Dragneel…?"

Natsu said nothing, wand aimed at her face.

Pull…

Pull…

Pull..

"Hermione… Do you believe in Fairy Tales?"

"F-Fairy tales…?"

Natsu put the wand down, handing it back to Hermione. "Natsu, Hermione, there you are! We were worried about you!"

"Sorry guys, I dropped something and asked Hermione to help me search."

"You still should have told us."

"Sorry Fred."

Hermione stood there dazed, Ron and Harry standing with her as the others kept walking. "Hermione, are you ok?" Ron asked, Hermione snapping out of her thinking. "Y-Yeah I-I'm ok. Let's keep going."

Hermione zoomed away from the two boys, and kept on moving. When she was finally out of ear shot, Ron leaned over to Harry and whispered in his ear. "You think Natsu's having an affair with Hermione?" Harry gave his best friend a shocking turn, and rolled his eyes as he began to walk again. "Of course not Ron, don't be ridiculous…"

"Just thinking…"