A/N: Another chapter as promised, woohoo! If there are any mistakes let me know. But more importantly, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for having such patience with me ^^

Happy Easter everyone!

Hermione had noticed that Mr Weasley was coming home later or would leave earlier. Sometimes when he was off work he would disappear to somewhere for hours.

"Mrs Weasley, is something going on?"

"What do you mean, dear?"

"It's just that Mr Weasley isn't at home much. Did something happen at work?"

"Oh no, dear, everything's fine at the Ministry."

The brunette hesitated for a moment. "Is it the Order?" Mrs Weasley faltered in her movements for just the tiniest of seconds, but that was enough. "What's going on?"

"I can't tell you that, you're not part of the Order. You know about it but you're not an official member." Upon seeing the look on the young witch's face she added, "Don't worry. Dumbledore will figure something out."

The brunette didn't bring the subject back up.

When Percy turned two, the Weasley family invited Lily to come over and celebrate with them. Hermione had told the couple just how much Lily wanted to spend some time with the children.

The redhead absolutely adored kids, couldn't wait until she had a few of her own.

When the little two-year-old had passed out, they started cleaning everything up. Charlie and Bill, however, were far from being tired. Maybe they had a little sugar rush from the cake they had eaten. Or maybe they were excited they got another friend to play with. Whichever it was it took a long time to tire them out and tuck them in.

The girls took a seat at the table, immediately getting a cup of tea from Molly.

"Thanks for putting them to bed. Merlin knows they can be a handful," Molly said smiling.

"They're absolutely amazing, it was no problem at all," Lily rushed to assure her. "I hope my kids will be like that." At this Molly just started to glow.

"They probably will. You're good with them," the older woman informed the redhead. With that she left the girls to their own devices.

"You want kids?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, two. A girl and a boy would be perfect. Though I wouldn't complain if it were two girls or two boys. You? Do you want kids?"

She hummed. "I do. First I wasn't sure but then I met these three little creatures and I was sold."

"You're good with them. And Bill absolutely adores you."

"Well, I do have experience being a mom." Lily raised an eyebrow, confused. "There's the marauders, the gryffindor quidditch team, my friends back home," she listed. "I swear most of them would've died already if I hadn't been there to be honest. Or If you hadn't been there."

Amused chuckles leaving her, Lily said, "True."

When Hermione got her letter from Hogwarts informing her of what books she would need for her seventh year, the Weasleys made sure to accompany her to Diagon Alley. Dumbledore apparently had given the money needed to Mr Weasley during one of the Order's meetings. Hermione was just happy she didn't have to burden the Weasleys with paying for her books, glad that was taken care of.

Things were going smoothly. They went to the shops they needed to be in and got everything swiftly. That didn't mean, however, that the boys wouldn't get distracted. Bill was just curious about everything, looking at everything in awe. He didn't linger though, when she took his hand he would follow without complaint.

Charlie was a bit of a different story. At one point he got really distracted by the animal store, looking at the animals that were standing on display behind the window. He was especially interested in some strange looking owl, hardly even blinking as he kept staring at it. So when calling him didn't work, Hermione went to go pick him up.

And that's the part where it went wrong.

When she reached the boy she asked him to come with her. "We can come back again later," she told him. But he only shook his head, not wanting to leave. "Come on, pumpkin. We really need to go." She went to take his hand but he pulled it away. As a last resort she bent down to pick him up. He saw it coming, however, and started running.

Charlie was an easy child, hardly ever complained or made a fuss. But when he did, it could take a while to get him to calm down. So when he started running Hermione was right behind him. Not that he got very far.

Almost immediately after he took off he ran into somebody, stumbling back. Hermione slowed her step, about to apologize to whoever he had run into, when she froze for a second.

In front of her was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. She may be younger, yes and looking a little less crazy but she could never forget her face. She had followed them to the Ministry of Magic, she had threatened them, fought them. She had killed Sirius.

Not a moment after she stood frozen to her spot, she ran to Charlie, picking him up and shielding him with her body, not trusting the woman in front of her for even a second.

"Keep that creature in line. Didn't you teach him any manners. Something could've happened," the witch snapped at Hermione. The brunette didn't flinch, but inwardly she was panicking. She didn't like the look on the older witch's face as she made the last comment, obviously meaning she would've done something to Charlie if Hermione hadn't been right there.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." She didn't know how she could even apologize to such a person, knowing how many people she had killed – or would kill – knowing she had killed Sirius, her own cousin. But she didn't want to make matters worse than they already were.

"I hope so for you. Next time I might not be so nice." As she said it she reached out for Charlie. Hermione couldn't help it, it was pure instinct. She slapped Bellatrix' hand away.

They looked at each other, both their faces expressing shock for an entire different reason. Bellatrix because she was surprised that someone would dare to touch her. Hermione because she had just slapped the Bellatrix Lestrange.

"How DARE you?!" the raven-haired woman screeched. Charlie cowered in fear, not liking this stranger who was yelling at his friend. "The nerve!"

"The nerve? You're scaring a child yet you are talking about me having the nerve to keep him safe from strangers?" Molly and Arthur had joined them, Charlie immediately reaching out for his mother.

"A stranger? I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, haven't you heard of me?" Of course she had heard of her, everyone had. And she wasn't talking about the future. The newspapers were full of articles about Voldemort and his rise in followers. Bellatrix being suspected to be one of them.

"I know who you are."

"And you still have the nerve to touch me," she was grinning, looking mad, intrigued. "You're either very brave or very stupid. I dare to bet it is the latter but well…" Only then did she turn towards the couple behind the brunette. "If I were you I'd keep better watch of where your offspring is going." With a final muttered 'blood traitors' she walked away, Hermione's shoulders sagging in relief.

"Hermione, dear, are you alright?" Molly asked.

"I'm fine. Are you okay, Charlie?" she asked the little boy. He just nodded his head slowly, almost imperceptibly, clinging to his mother.

Who would've thought that a day which had started so good would end in a meeting with Bellatrix? Would this alter the future? How much different was the future already from what she knew it to be?

It was in that moment that she made a decision. Seeing Bellatrix, being directly confronted by what was going on, knowing what it would lead to… She would be damned if she let that happen again. If she had to stay here, fine. She had had weeks and months now to accept that fact. But she wasn't going to stay and do nothing.

She decided right then and there that she would give Dumbledore information about the future. She would help him, help the Order, fight against Voldemort.