Chapter 23: Hidden secrets
25th of September 1999
Hermione hadn't been to a cinema for ages and it made her enjoy the evening with the twins even more. Going out with them was easy, there was lots of popcorn and laughing involved. It was kind of weird, as the two men were now much older as she was, but it was like nothing had changed between the three of them even though eighteen years had passed. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time and when the three of them headed home together, Hermione wished the evening never had to end.
"Thank you both, I had such a lovely evening," she said as soon as the front door closed behind them. "I haven't had that much fun in a very long time and it wasn't because of the movie." She smiled.
"Glad to hear that," Fabian said with a grin and took her jacket from her. Hermione inclined her head in gratitude. "We didn't have many chances to go out in the last years as we were so engaged in our work. But after today I think, we should definitely do that more often."
Gideon nodded with a happy smile. "What about doing something together once a week, maybe on Fridays? The next day should be a free day for all of us."
Hermione blinked in surprise. "Well, why not? It doesn't always have to be the cinema and as long as no brooms are involved it should be fun."
Fabian grinned. "Not much of a flyer then? That's alright. We weren't that keen on Quidditch either. What about other Muggle sports? There're some really funny ones."
She gaped at them. "Are you serious? That would be brilliant! My parents always took me bowling, but there're so many others I always wanted to try."
"Then we'll do just that, we'll try them all," Gideon said and winked. "But we'll start with this bowling thing. Sounds like fun."
"It is," she said with a wide grin before a yawn erupted from her mouth. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired. I'm not sleeping so well at the moment."
"Nightmares? Memories?" Fabian asked and looked at her with concern but Hermione shook her head. "No, none of those. It's… complicated."
The twins nodded and looked at her expectantly, but when she didn't say anything else they shrugged and Gideon asked: "Do you want us to stay with you?"
Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. Just the thought of having two men twice her age with her in bed was strange, but when she imagined waking up next to them after having an erotic dream about Ron was… unsettling and absolutely embarrassing. She blushed. "No, thank you. I hope I'll be fine. If things get too bad, I'll just get up and make myself some tea. That's what I usually do these days."
They nodded together, even though they didn't look convinced. "Alright. But you can always knock on our rooms when you need us. No matter what time it is," Gideon assured her with concerned eyes.
She sighed. "Alright, thanks. But I'm sure it will be fine. Don't worry."
With that, she waved them goodnight and trotted upstairs. Hopefully, this night would be a more peaceful one. It would still take two more days for Severus to finish her potion. Until then she'd have to endure whatever the other timeline threw at her.
26th of September 1999
The night was a long one for Hermione as her dreams started harassing her almost as soon as she fell asleep. This time she dreamed about finding her parents in Australia. Ron and Kingsley had agreed to help her look for them and they found her parents in a new dental office in the middle of Sydney. But the dream ended as soon as she had caught sight of them so she could not be sure how they would have reacted after having their memories restored. Would they have despised her for what she did to them? Or would they have welcomed her back into the family? Hermione didn't know, but she brooded over the question as soon as she woke up in the middle of the night. Going back to sleep not an option. Not having her family was almost the worst part of being stranded in this new timeline because whatever had happened in the past, Hermione Granger no longer existed here. Therefore there was no hope for family holidays or introducing future grandchildren to her parents and knowing that almost broke her heart. Maybe Severus was right and she could find a new love for herself, but her family would be still lost to her, no matter how much she wanted it to be otherwise.
When morning came Hermione finally dared to leave her bedroom. She hadn't done so before, because she didn't want to wake up the twins and have to explain what kept her up at night. Because that was a discussion she rather wanted to avoid. The kitchen downstairs was still untouched and Hermione concluded that her friends were still asleep. She didn't mind though as she was usually by herself at Spinner's End too and so she decided to make some breakfast. She had just finished grilling the last bit of toast when Fabian stepped into the kitchen with a big yawn.
"You weren't kidding about not being able to sleep, were you?" he said and sat down at the table, where she had already prepared everything for them. "You were always an early riser but frankly spoken, you look like hell."
"Thank you very much," she said dryly and prepared herself some coffee. She really had gotten dependant on that bitter stuff, but with enough of sugar, it was almost tasty. "It's always great to have someone to complement one's looks."
Fabian looked at her with a grin. "Are you fishing for compliments, Hermione? Because in that case, I can surely find something charming to say about the beauty of the bags under your eyes and your tousled hair."
"Stop teasing her," Gideon told his brother as he walked through the kitchen door with his curly hair in a mob that was almost similar to Hermione's. "or she'll hex you again."
"I hexed him?" Hermione asked with wide eyes and looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Oh yeah, on quite a similar occasion. It was incredibly funny…" Gideon said and sat down next to her with a happy grin.
"No it wasn't," Fabian said with a pout, that couldn't hide the grin that was forming on his face. "Well, maybe it was a little bit."
Hermione laughed. "Well. Hopefully, I'll regain that particular memory soon, because I'm kind of looking forward to it."
Fabian snorted. "I'm sure you are."
2nd of June 1981
The flutters in Hermione' stomach didn't go away, not during dinner and not during the next days. It was behind of annoying. It wasn't like she was available for a relationship anyway so why couldn't she simply forget that stupid kiss that had only been a diversion meant to drive Sirius away? Was she really that starved for love and attention? Or was it something else? Chemistry maybe? Or stupid teenage hormones - those were always popping up in the most inconvenient times. Whatever it was, it wasn't going away but it wasn't like Hermine could avoid the twins or Gideon in particular. It wasn't fair to them and she was really too old for such childish behaviour anyway. And so she plastered a smile on her face every time she saw them and acted as though nothing had happened. Because the world around them wasn't standing still and people around them were dying. And that had to stop, soon.
Hermione soldiered on and buried herself in research. But it was quite obvious what they had to do next. They needed a way to destroy the Horcrux and even though Dumbledore had let them down once, she prayed he would be willing to help her this time. Because if not, then they would have to find a way to cast Fiendfyre themselves or take on the basilisk, and the latter wasn't really an option was it?
Hermione decided to apparate to Hogwarts this time. Taking the floo to the Headmaster's office had its merits but she hoped to tic another point of her to-do list at the same time and this meant an undetected trip to the Room of Requirements.
The Headmaster already waited for them in his office as Hermione had sent an owl ahead.
"Ah, Miss Granger and the Messrs Prewett, excellent," he greeted them with a smile but the twinkle from his eyes was noticeably missing. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Hermione straightened herself in front of his desk and looked at the old man with squared shoulders. "We come to ask your help again, Headmaster."
He looked at her with a strikingly neutral expression. "I hope it's not for finding poor Peter. I heard he's gone missing recently," he said and cast them an analysing gaze. But Hermione didn't move a muscle in her face to not betray her feelings on that matter.
"No Headmaster," she said as detached as possible and stared at the Headmaster with a serious gaze. "We are here to ask your help to destroy the Horcruxes. We got hold of the first one, but as none of us is able to cast Fiendfyre and we don't fancy burning our house down…" She didn't finish the sentence but didn't have to, as she was pretty sure Dumbledore had caught the meaning. He sighed.
"I am not sure if I am able to help here, Miss Granger."
She blinked. "Why not? The last time you refused to help this was because Lily and James were not important to you. But surely the Horcruxes and the destruction of the Dark Lord must mean something…" Hermione felt her temper rise but suddenly there was a calming hand on her shoulder that helped her reign her temper in again. The Headmaster must have seen that too as he was studying the three of them with an interested expression on his face.
"I didn't mean that I don't want to help, so please let me rephrase. I can not help you destroy the Horcruxes, yet. And I would recommend you don't do it either until you have all of them together. If what you say is true and Tom has really made five of them, then he might not feel their destruction. But we cannot be sure of that as we don't know how far detached his soul already is."
Hermione nodded in understanding but before she could say a word, Fabian already replied: "I see. So if we had a safe place to store them, we should collect them first. But when we have them all, you'll help us destroy them? Is that right Headmaster?"
The old man sighed again. "There is no valid reason for me to refuse helping you with this, Mr Prewett. So yes, you have my word. If you manage to collect all of them, I am willing to destroy them for you."
Hermione sighed in relief. "Thank you, Professor. That is great news indeed. I have one more question. As far as I know, Tom Riddle is a descendant of the Gaunt family. Do you know by any chance where their old family home is to be found? We intend on visiting this place soon but need a discreet way in locating it first."
Dumbledore studied them with an unreadable expression. "I'll see what I can do for you. Is there anything else?"
Hermione plastered a smile on her face. "No Headmaster. That will be all for today. Thank you for agreeing to help us."
"Thank you," the twins echoed behind her and the man in front of him smiled grandfatherly at them.
"Very well, I wish you a safe trip back home them. These are dangerous times. Should I accompany you out?"
Hermione shook her head with a smile. "I'm sure the three of us will be fine, sir. But thank you for offering anyway. Good night."
She nodded towards him and with a last smile, she turned around and walked out of the office. Once outside Fabian held her back by gently taking her arm. "Why didn't you want him to accompany us? Do you think he would try something?"
"Yeah, something felt odd, didn't it?" Gideon added with a frown. "This went all too smoothly."
Hermione thought about that. "You're probably right, but that's not the reason I didn't want him to come with us. There's another errand I want to run in the castle. Fancy accompanying me to the seventh floor?"
They looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Sure. What exactly are we looking for?"
Hermione smiled mysteriously. "Have you ever heard of the Room of Requirements?"
"Merlin, this place is huge!" Fabian said and looked around the room with wide eyes. "What is all that stuff?"
Hermione smiled, as she could very well remember her amazement when she had seen the Room of Requirements for the first time. "It's the stuff generations of Hogwarts student have hidden away: Books, prank articles, clothing. You can find almost anything here. Even a Horcrux."
They stared at her with a disbelieving look. "No," they said in unison and looked around frantically. "There one here?" Gideon said and stared at her unblinkingly.
She nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. We are looking for the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. Somewhere in here must be a huge cabinet and on top of it there's a bust of an ugly old warlock. I believe that the diadem must be hidden somewhere close to it, as Harry had found it without knowing what it was and placed it on the bust."
Fabian nodded next to her. "Alright, let's take a look around then, shall we?"
"Best if we split up," Hermione proposed but both of the twins shook her head vehemently at that.
"Absolutely not. I've sat next to your sickbed one time to often in the last months. One of us is staying with you," Fabian answered her back immediately and looked at her with an unflinching gaze. "There's no point in discussing this Hermione."
She groaned. "Alright. Come with me then," she said in the hope to avoid being alone with his twin. But Fabian shook his head with a smile.
"No, you two can go together. I'll look at things from up in the air." He stepped aside with a grin and a moment later he transformed into a huge, blue-eyed Barn Owl.
Hermione looked at him with a stunned expression. "You're an Animagus?" she asked in awe and the owl blinked and hooted softly in reply.
Gideon laughed. "You're such a show-off," he said good-naturedly to his brother. Fabian clicked his beak before he spread his wings and took off into the air.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me then," Hermione said and walked in the direction where she hoped to locate the Vanishing Cabinet. But the place was like a maze so that she couldn't really be sure.
"Don't worry Hermione, we'll find this thing in no time," Gideon assured her and took her hand, which encouraged her heart to make a little excited dance in her chest. She groaned inwardly. These teenage hormones were getting really annoying.
"With an owl Animagus on our side I have no doubts about it," she said with a crooked smile into his direction. "The two of you never cease to amaze me. I can't wait what else you have in store for me."
Gideon snorted with an amused grin. "You'll find out in time, I guess."
Thanks to his Animagus form it hadn't taken Fabian long to locate the diadem within the Room of Requirements. Hermione and Gideon had strolled around the room for about ten minutes when the Barn Owl landed on Gideon's outstretched arm and started cleaning his feathers with something like a self-satisfied glow in its eyes.
"You found it, didn't you?" the wizard asked and Fabian chirped excitedly, before leaping back into the air. "Little show-off," Gideon muttered before following his feathered twin with firm steps, while still holding Hermione's hand. They rounded two corners and passed several stacks of hats and old books, as the well-known Vanishing Cabinet suddenly appeared in front of them. And on it sat a smug-looking Barn Owl with a familiar-looking tiara at its feet. Hermione smiled happily. Now it was 2:0 for the Horcrux hunters.
26th of September 1999
Hermione snapped out of her stupor when the memory she had just regained faded into the background of her head again. She blinked confusedly for a moment until her eyes managed to focus on her surroundings again. She was still in the Prewett kitchen, where she must have had a flashback right over breakfast, as her body was sagged against Gideon's, who was sitting next to her.
"You alright again Hermione?" the man next to her asked, while he steadied her with his arms. Hermione groaned and pulled herself upright again before her eyes focussed at Fabian, who was sitting across from her with a concerned expression.
"You're an owl," she said dryly and looked at him with a stern expression. He nodded with a boyish grin. "You don't happen to be the owl, that so kindly delivered my birthday present, are you?" she continued her inquiry and heard the man next to her begin to snicker.
"She got you there, mate," Gideon snorted and pointed his spoon towards his twin. Fabian nodded in defeat.
"It was me, yeah," he admitted and looked at her questionably. "You're not mad, are you?"
Hermione snorted. "No, I just remembered that I fed you owl treats," she said and when she saw his disgusted face she burst into a fit of giggles and Gideon joined in immediately.
"You should have seen his face after he returned home and told me that particular detail," he wheezed in between fits of laughter, which only made Hermione laugh even harder.
"Do you mind donating that particular memory for my first trip into the pensive?" she asked and looked at Gideon with glee.
"In exchange for yours," he said and winked at his twin, who was looking at them with a pout.
"You can be a really evil woman," he said but the grin also started spreading on his face.
Hermione giggled. "You find that evil? Wait until you get your first box of owl treats for Christmas." She winked at him playfully and the expression on his face was just priceless.