A.N.: Hey guys, thank you some much for the love you are giving this story. You have no idea how much this motivates me. This will be the last chapter for a few days, as I need to go back to work on Monday and things will get quite busy next week. But I'll do my best to make another update as soon as possible.

Chapter 10: Unforeseen consequences

12th of September 1999

Hermione couldn't avoid letting her mind wander when she walked down for breakfast the next morning. Living in this new reality was definitely not getting any easier, as the days went by, because more and more things simply didn't match up with the things she knew from before her time travel. Counting her recurring memories on top of that, it was just one thing too much confusing her at the moment. It was like she had to learn everything from scratch. Who were her friends? Who her enemies? Did she even have enemies or had Hermione Granger really mostly disappeared and there were only a few select persons who remembered her existence?

To her surprise, the kitchen was empty when she arrived, but the used mugs in the sink told her that her hosts were already up. Maybe they had to work today and had already left the house already? But wouldn't they have left her a message then? She shrugged and decided to help herself to some tea and toast. She knew the kitchen quite well by now and the twins had assured her, that the house was her home as well. And so she decided to take them at their word and make herself comfortable, which for her meant having tea and toast in the library.

The Prewett twin's library was nothing like the dark and stuffy place she had known from Grimmauld Place. Instead, the room had three big windows on one side, whose window sills were transformed into comfortable cushioned reading areas one could use to lounge and chill. All the other walls were lined with high and well-organized bookshelves that housed a remarkable variety of magical fields as well as some selected muggle fantasy stories. In the middle of the room stood three well-stocked desks waited to be used for studying. Hermione sighed contently, while she moved through the room towards the windows. This room was like one of her dreams come true. It would be the perfect place to prepare herself for her oncoming NEWTs.

"Who's there?" a male voice suddenly asked from one of the window sills and Hermione squinted towards the light with small eyes. "Is that you Fabian?"

Hermione froze. She knew that voice, but she hadn't heard it for months. "Professor Lupin?" she asked uncertainly, while the cup started to clatter in her hand. "It's Hermione Granger, sir."

The person at the window huffed, before climbing down and coming closer. It really was her professor that much was obvious now, even though he looked different - younger. "Hermione Granger? The Hermione Granger?"

She blinked in confusion. "Are there more than one, sir?"

"I suppose not," he said with something like exasperation. And then her former professor studied her with hard eyes. "Did you finally come to apologize then?"

Hermione stared at him in confusion. "Apologize? I'm sorry sir, but I think I don't understand. The…time travel has messed with my memories, I'm afraid."

He made a humourless snort. "Well, that's awfully convenient, isn't it?"

She blinked and for a moment she didn't know what to say to that. Why was he treating her like that? What has she done to him? "Sir? What happened? Why should I apologize to you?" she asked and couldn't help feeling like she had been caught breaking one of the school rules, only that she didn't even know which one.

"To me?" he laughed coldly. "Well, I suppose that also wouldn't go amiss. But that's not what I meant."

At that, her insides turned to ice. "Is it Tonks? Or Teddy? Where are they, I'll go and see them immediately."

But her professor just stared at her confusedly. "Tonks? Teddy? Merlin witch, I swear I don't know who you're talking about." He shook his head, before looking at her in annoyance. "No, I am talking about poor Peter, Peter Pettigrew."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "Pettigrew? He's alive?"

At that, he laughed coldly. "He's alive and well but I can imagine you rather had it otherwise. Don't bother looking for him. I won't let you close to him ever again."

He turned around and left the library without another word. And Hermione stared at his retreating figure with wide eyes and shaking hands. As he banged the door closed behind him, the cup she had been holding for the whole time slipped from her fingers and broke on the floor. But Hermione didn't care. She stumbled to one of the windows and it was just in time, to see her angry-looking Professor step outside and disapparate in front of the house. Hermione stared at the spot where her former friend had disappeared for hours afterwards, while her head kept frantically looking for a clue what had gone wrong in the past.

1st of May 1981

Hermione woke up to the feeling of being warm, very warm, too warm and when she opened her eyes with a frown, she found herself being cuddled by not one but two redheaded boys. One of them was snuggled into her back while having his arm wrapped around her middle. The other one had his head buried into her chest while lying on his back and cradling her arm. And both of them were fast asleep.

"Fred, George! Wake up!" she huffed and tried to wiggle herself away. The two of them moved away from her with a groan.

"Not a Weasley," mumbled the man in front of her, before looking at her with blue twinkling eyes. Hermione closed her eyes in embarrassment.

"Sorry Fabian," she apologized with pink cheeks, before slowly sitting up.

But he just winked at her with a boyish grin. "Is there a reason why you would assume to wake up in bed with our nephews?" he asked and studied her interestedly.

"That's none of your business," she said as sternly as possible in the hope to hide her mortification. And luckily Fabian accepted her answer with a shrug. He winked at her again, before swinging his legs out of bed, where he casually trotted towards the door while only being clad in a pair of pyjama pants. But after a few steps, he stopped and turned back around.

"Any plans for today?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

Hermine looked at him thoughtfully. "There's another person I'd like to meet. But he might be equally difficult to track down as Severus."

"Who is it?" Gideon asked next to her while staring at the enchanted curtains of the bed.

"His name is Remus Lupin. You might know him. I think he's a member of the order," she replied and looked at the man next to her with concerned eyes. "Do you know where I can find him? Or could you maybe ask Frank Longbottom again?"

Gideon looked at her for a long moment, before giving her a nod. "I'll track him down for you," he said and locked his eyes with her. "But you have to promise me, not to let him do Legilimency on you. I'm not standing by while he gives you a stroke or something. Yesterday was enough."

Hermione sighed. "Don't worry, I don't think he can cast the spell anyway. But I hope something like that won't be necessary with him, he is in der Order after all and in the future, we are something like friends."

Gideon looked at her with a relieved smile. "That's good to know. Should be easy then."

With that, he swung himself out of her bed too and followed his brother to the door. Hermione smiled at the two of them gratefully. She really hoped Gideon was right because she still had no idea what to say to her former defence professor. How did one convince a man, that one of his best friends was a traitor?

12th of September 1999

After what felt like hours Hermione finally left her spot in the library and stumbled downstairs towards the kitchen. Her insides were churning and her head was still confused from everything she had learned during her short conversation with Lupin. Why didn't he know about Tonks or Teddy? And what had she done to make the man this angry on her? She didn't know, but she needed answers. And she was determined to get them.

But she had just closed the door to the library behind her when she heard Fabian's voice shouting downstairs: "And you thought inviting Lupin into our house, without even asking me about it, was the best way to do it, did you?"

"I wanted to help her Fab. You know she keeps remembering when she meets somebody from her past," drifted Gideon's angry reply up the stairs and Hermione froze in place.

"Helping her, or helping yourself?" his brother's voice shot back and Hermione's heart started pounding in her chest. What were they talking about? "Merlin Gideon, Hermione is remembering but don't you think she should do it on her own terms?"

For a moment there was silence and without noticing her body had started to move towards the stairs. She knew that Gideon was hiding something from her and maybe it was time to find out, what exactly that was.

"She asked me to help her remembering," Gideon's voice replied more quietly after she had just made it down the stairs and Hermione reckoned that the twins were having their little discussion just behind the door to her left. "She wants to meet people, Fabian wants to get to know the world she's living in," the man finally continued and Hermione remembered telling him exactly that.

But his brother just sighed tiredly. "There was still no need to open exactly that can of worms. Merlin Gideon, I want her to remember as badly as you do, but we need to be patient. The day will come when we can finally tell her brother, but…"

He didn't get any further, because that was the moment when Hermione couldn't take it any longer and opened the door. "Tell me what exactly?" she asked and looked at them with a raised chin. The two of them stiffened.

"Hermione," Fabian said and looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you alright?" But she waved him off and fixed her eyes on his brother. "I knew that you were hiding something Gideon," she said and slowly walked closer. "And I want you to tell me what it is, now."

But the redhead looked at her for a long moment, before squaring his shoulders. "No," he said and his eyes turned sad. "Not like this. I'm sorry Hermione."

She closed her eyes for a long moment and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she turned to Fabian instead. "And you? Will you tell me what this is all about?"

Fabian stared at her with wide eyes, before slowly shaking his head. "I won't," he finally said and looked at her regretfully. "Not until you have all your memories back, I'm sorry."

Hermione studied them for a long moment before her eyes turned hard. "Then I'm sorry, too," she said before she straightened her back and turned around. She was through the door a moment later.

"Hermione wait, where are you going?" she heard Gideon's desperate voice behind her, followed by some quick steps. She kept walking on.

"Out," she replied stiffly before pulling her wand out of her back pocket. "I can't say with you if I can't trust you," she said matter-of-factly before opening the front door and striding out with purpose. But the twins were close behind her.

"Hermione, please! You can trust us, I swear," Fabian said urgently behind her, but she didn't want to hear it. Not after what she had just learned.

"That is not for you to decide," she said quietly. "Trust needs to be earned, you know?" She turned around and looked at them sternly. "Don't try to follow me. I will not appreciate it."

They looked at her with wide eyes, but finally, they nodded. "Alright, as you wish Hermione," Gideon said finally with his eyes full of sadness. "We will not force you to stay with us."

Fabian nodded next to him. "But you are welcome at our home anytime."

She nodded stiffly but could not force herself to say something in return. And so she simply swirled around and disapparated with a determined turn of her body.

12th of September 1999

Hermione landed in a deserted alley in Hampstead and without even thinking about it any further, she stored her wand in her sleeve and began to walk. It had been a while since she had visited her old neighbourhood but after everything that had happened to her, she just had to go and see her parents. No matter if they recognized her or not. Her home looked just as she remembered it. The garden that her mother loved tending to was in pristine condition and Hermione soaked in the calming sight of rose bushes and colourful flower beds. During summer holidays she had enjoyed helping her mum with the flower arrangements and the weeding and even though Hermione was more of an indoor person she had enjoyed the alone time with her mum and the physical exercise the work had provided. It was out of the question that her parents still lived in the cosy brick house, as she could clearly see her mother's touch in the garden and the interior, that she could spot from outside. She sighed in relieve. At least her parents still lived in Britain in this timeline and hadn't moved to Australia during the war. But would they be able to remember her? Or would they have forgotten Hermione like most of the other persons she had known in the past? She had to know. And so she straightened her back and marched to the door.

It had been years since she had to use the doorbell, but the melodic sound of it was still familiar to her and immediately filled her with nostalgic feelings. It didn't take long until the door was opened and her mother looked at her with brown, curious eyes.

"Oh hello my dear, what can I do for you?" she said but even though her voice was friendly, there was no recognition in her eyes. Hermione swallowed heavily.

"I... my name is Hermione Weasley, mam," she quickly improvised while plastering a polite smile on her face. "I'm in my second year of university and I am doing a study on social structure of different parts of London."

Her mother nodded politely. "That sounds like an interesting project, my dear. Go on."

Hermione nodded. "I am doing an inquiry on family structures at the moment and I'd like to ask you some questions if that's alright with you."

"Of course," her mum said in return. "Would you like to come in? I could make us a nice cup of tea while you take your notes."

At that Hermione's heart made a happy jump. "That would be wonderful, mam. I've been walking around the neighbourhood for quite some time now and I really wouldn't mind sitting down for a moment."

Mrs Granger cast her an understanding smile. "University can be like that, my dear. But you'll see, it will pay off in the end."

And with that, she led her inside. Hermione was finally at home, even if it was just for a short visit under deception.

Hermione learned that Jane and Dan Granger never had a daughter or a child for that matter. It was a shock to her, even though she had already suspected it. But the news still left her unsettled and it took every ounce of her will, to still play her role of a university student convincingly. Somehow Hermione managed it. Talking to her mum came easy to her, as they were something like kindred spirits. In her childhood and youth, both of them spend hours discussing literature and science and so it didn't take long until the conversation they were having today had moved on to these topics. And in the end, almost an hour had gone by, before Hermione decided, that it was time to go.

"Thank you for the tea, Mrs Granger. I had a lovely time talking to you," she sent the woman a thankful smile. Her mum smiled back at her kindly.

"The pleasure was all mine. You really are a delightful young woman, Hermione. And I wish you all the best for your thesis. If you ever feel like having tea with me again, I wouldn't mind repeating this." She motioned towards the cosy sofa and the tea table. Hermione looked at her with wide, moist eyes.

"I would love to visit you again. Maybe you could give me your number? Then I'd just give you a call when I have a free period."

And with that, it was set. Hermione left her parents house with a card, she didn't really need, as she knew the contact details of her parents by heart. She almost felt bad for having lied to them about her identity. But there was no way they would believe the truth, right? And so withholding the facts was just for the best, Hermione thought, even though it occurred to her in the same moment that this was exactly what Fabian and Gideon had done to her. And she didn't like this realisation at all.