Hermione woke several weeks later early. She heard Ron and Lavender snoring loudly in their bedroom. She sighed and made her way upstairs, thinking she'd make breakfast. She yawned loudly, as she waved her wand. Water filled the kettle on the stove and it began to boil. She took three teacups out and set them on the counter. She took eggs from the refrigerator and they cooked themselves in a frying pan after being cracked.

Lavender was coming along in her pregnancy. She was now about four months along. She frequently bossed Ron and Hermione around, saying she was not fit to leave the safety of her bedroom. She was still paranoid about Ron and Hermione, so she'd placed sensors around the house that would detect if Ron and Hermione came within 6 inches of each other. She would wail whenever she and Ron got a chance to talk, which was starting to drive the both of them mad.

Updates of the outside world came every couple of weeks. Sometimes it would mention captures of the people they knew, sometimes of another city or shop that was shut down. Usually there wasn't to much to report, as the ones who were getting all the information were in hiding themselves, and only came out every so often to eavesdrop on death eaters.

Hermione heard a loud crack, which meant mail had come. It flew in through a tiny crack in the wall, and Hermione stepped over to analyze it. She read it through and through. Someone called Shiela Shorber was found and killed instantly. She gasped as she read the next few lines.

Fred and George Weasley were caught. It said,

The Weasley twins were found yesterday at 1300 hours. They were found by death eater Gregory Goyle, in a small cave off Hogsmede. They were found after much accusation that they're indeed hiding near the area. The Weasley brothers had been hiding successfully for years. Apparently they had thought they'd be okay to let down their defenses. They were wrong of course. The twins were carried off to Azkaban earlier this morning. No word yet on what the death eaters wish to do with them. The Weasley's have 2 weeks before they reach a decision. Will they die like so many others? Or simply rot in Azkaban the rest of their lives?

Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth. Fred and George… They had been safe for so long, and then they were caught. It was all her fault. She heard the water boiling behind her, and she carefully poured it into the teacups. She sighed, then cut up the eggs that had finished cooking and put them on a plate. She then sat down and rubbed her eyes in thought.

Ron made an appearance at the top of the stairs. He seemed to notice Hermione looking out of it because he asked, "What's wrong?"

Hermione held up the mail. Ron blinked, "Oh… Who is it this time?" Hermione stood up and handed him the letter, giving him a sympathetic look, "Read it…"

Ron read it over. Hermione watched sadly as Ron's face fell. He looked shaky, and he opened his mouth, as if he was about to speak.

'Ron…" Hermione said and stepped closer to him.

"Fred and George… Bloody hell… I always assumed… but I never really guess they'd…"

Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, and he looked down, "I don't know what to do, Hermione."

"We'll save them, Ron. I don't know how, but we--"

"How can we save them? They've been caught. They're in bloody Azkaban!" Ron shouted.

Hermione frowned, "Ron. Stop yelling, you're just upset…"

Ron glared, "Upset? You don't even know! You were nice and safe for 10 years while the rest of us were scared in hiding! I'm always terrified someone I love is going to end up caught!" He was shaking, and Hermione stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shh… just calm down Ron. We'll get through this… I promise."

She rubbed his back slowly, and she could feel Ron's heartbeat quickening. Hermione pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked up at him. He was looking back down at her, blue eyes glistening. Hermione's heart leapt to her throat. Was he going to kiss her? She tilted her head slightly to the side and stood on tiptoe. Ron's lips moved closer to her own…

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

Hermione jumped at the alarm. Ron looked around in fright as well. Lavender's voice rang out through the house, "Ronald Weasley! Get down here please!" Ron groaned. He gripped both of Hermione's arms, which he had been holding gently moments before.

"Er… I'll be back in a minute."

Hermione tried not to listen to what was going on downstairs, but she couldn't help but overhear. It was rather loud.

"What were you doing?!" Lavender's voice rang out.

"Calm down. This stress can't be good for our baby…"

Lavender laughed, "Our baby---" she stopped herself for a moment, "This has nothing to do with the child! This has to do with you! What were you doing?!"

"I… Reading the mail! My brothers were caught, Lavender!"

"Reading the mail on Granger's lips?"

Ron paused, "I… she was trying to comfort me… I was a wreck."

"So snogging comforts you?"

"We didn't kiss!" Ron shouted.

"Had I not intervened you certainly would have!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?! You're going overboard! I guess it was just the moment…"

Lavender shook her head, "You were about to cheat on me! I'll kill that prat!"

Ron looked up, shocked, "Don't touch her. I wouldn't cheat on you! Haven't I told you that?"

"Do you love her?"

Ron blinked, "What?"

"You heard me. Do. You. Love. Her?"

Ron paused, then answered in a quiet voice, "No."

"Good. I'm your wife, and I don't want to see you running around with her anymore."

"No… I wouldn't." Ron breathed.

"You can go now. I'll be fine." she said cheerily.

Hermione could hear Ron coming back upstairs. She turned back to her tea as he made his appearance.

"She can be a nightmare sometimes… but she's still my wife. And the mother of my child…" he said rather regretfully.

Hermione forced a smile, "It can't be that bad. At least you know she loves you, right?"

Ron shrugged, "I dunno, Hermione… I think she acts on lust to be honest."

"Don't say that Ron. You two are having a baby… You have to love each other."

Ron didn't say another word until Hermione spoke again.

"Ron?"

"Hmm?"

"I- I want to go home."

"What… this is your home, isn't it?"

"I mean… my home. The one I was staying in all those years. Maybe it'll hold answers. It could give me clues as to why I did it, and what my life was like."

Ron didn't answer for a couple of minutes, "Are you sure? I don't know how safe your place is…"

"I'm sure, Ron. I'll be alright. I doubt they'll still be checking my house. I've been hiding here for a couple of months now."

Ron sighed, "Alright. I think even know where it is."

"How?"

"I reckon I've seen it before. Homes of the death eaters were broadcasted in the news a while back."

Hermione smiled, "Well, you can take me there, because I have no idea… but then I want you to leave."

"What? Why?"

"Because… I don't want you getting hurt, Ron. It's my fault you had to go into hiding. I don't want to make things worse, after all, you're going to be a father."

Ron sighed, "But…"

"No buts please. Just do it, okay?" she pleaded.

"…Alright." he sighed, "When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow. That way you can work it out with Lavender."

Ron winced, "Can't we just go now? She'll kill me if she knew."

"If she finds you gone, you'll be in even more trouble, Ronald."

"I guess…"

Ron started speaking to Lavender about it, who seemed to be a little against it.

"How do I know you're not running away somewhere? You say you'll only be gone a few hours, but really?"

"Please Lavender, I'm just dropping her off…"

"Why can't she go herself?"

"Because she doesn't know where she is! I told you --"

"Don't yell at me Ron! I don't want you alone with her!"

Ron sighed, deciding a different approach. "You know, if I do this, you won't have to see her anymore."

"What was that?"

"Yea! She'll be out of our hair! Doesn't that sound good? We'll be alone again…" he said with a grin.

Lavender seemed to think, then she giggled, "Well, I suppose. Come straight home after you dump her off at her home, Won-Won!" she kissed him affectionately.

Ron left the room and went back upstairs where Hermione was. "You want me 'out of your hair'?" she said with a sad look.

Ron looked guilty, "No. I just said what I had to, to get Lavender to agree to it."

Hermione laughed, "I was kidding, Ron." she started laughing, "The look on your face…"

Ron blinked several times, then started to laugh himself, "Good one."

Ron and Hermione rose early the next morning, dressed in warm coats. Ron told Hermione that her house was located on a snowy mountain. They climbed up the stairs and faced blaring sunlight Hermione hadn't seen in ages.

Ron said a few things, but Hermione was busy looking at all the green. Ron offered his to Hermione, who took it, holding his palm tightly.

"Bit different than last time. In'it?" Ron grinned, "Last time we apparated you were holding my arm when I tried to get away." he said and moved his hand, so their fingers were now entwined. Hermione felt her hand warm instantly, and her heart jump. She couldn't help but notice how perfectly they fit.

"Okay, ready?" he asked, and she nodded. Ron waved his wand and the two disappeared, reappearing on top of a snowy mountain. Hermione noticed that Ron held onto her hand longer than necessary…

"Is that it?" she asked. Ron, who seemed to have been awoken, let go of her hand, "What? Oh… It must be. I guess I'll go."

Hermione frowned, "Don't go…" she said softly, "Please…"

Ron looked back at her, "I… I'll take you inside, then I have to go."

The two of them walked through the snow to Hermione's house. She opened the door and the two stepped inside. Ron's nose was red from the cold, and it made Hermione giggle.

"What?"

"You're nose. Are you cold, Ron?"

He grinned, "Little bit."

Hermione shook her head, "How about some hot cocoa?"

"Blimey, that sounds brilliant, actually."

Hermione disappeared to find the kitchen and set to work on conjuring up some milk and chocolate. She lit a fire with her wand, then pointed it at the top of the mug after it was steaming with hot chocolate. She muttered something, and whipped cream shot from her wand into the mug. She happily walked back to Ron and handed it to him. He took a sip and smiled.

"Mmm…. Where's your mug?" he looked her up and down,

"Oh… I don't really want one." she admitted, "I'm a little chilly, but I'll be okay. I'm not the biggest chocolate fan."

Ron looked at her as if she was crazy, then stepped forward and hugged her, pulling her as close as he he could. Hermione was so close to him, she could actually feel his heartbeat against her, make out every freckle with detail…

"What was that for?" she asked.

"I was trying to warm you up. Did it work?"

Hermione giggled, "Yes. Much better. Thanks."

She looked around the house after pulling away, "You can go if you want."

"What? But…"

"You don't want to keep Lavender waiting." she said sadly.

Ron looked down at her, "Hermione are you--"

"What was that?" Hermione said suddenly. She noticed something blue and glowing coming from the other room.

"Dunno." was Ron's response.

Hermione followed the blue light, and opened the door from which it came. There was a small room, empty except for a large pensieve in a crystal bowl sitting in the middle of the room. She gasped. This was what she'd been looking for.

"Ron! This… this could hold memories I need to see what happened!" she said happily. "I'm kind of scared to see it…" Ron came to her side, and to her surprise, gripped her hand tightly.

"I'll be there, by your side. Don't worry."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you… let's go then."

The two of them slipped into the pensieve, landing with a thud in an unfamiliar place. Bellatrix and Lucious Malfoy stood talking before someone who was tied to a chair. Their face was covered.

"Why did you bring one of them here, Lestrange?"

"I found her wandering all alone in Diagon Alley. Christmas season, so I guess she wanted to get shopping done." she laughed evilly.

"So? Why did you bring her here?"

"I thought she would provide valuable information to what Potter's planning."

"The Dark Lord won't be pleased. Bringing a mud blood into his midst to talk."

"He won't have to know! We'll give him the information after killing it!"

"Very well… We'll try it." Lucious agreed.

Bellatrix ripped the cover off of the person's face. It turned out there sat a very frightened looking 16-year old Hermione.

"Ello' Mudblood. We want information, and you're going to give it to us."

"No! You think I'll help you?"

"You will if it means you'll die if you don't."

Hermione growled, "I will never betray my friends!"

Bellatrix grinned, then waved her wand. Ron Weasley's face appeared in it. "Oh, do you recognize him?" she laughed, looking at Hermione's sudden hate and fear.

"My records show that he's… developed a taste for a certain girl. And she's not you. Doesn't that tear you up? Doesn't it make you want to get revenge? Well, you can if you give us information…"

"No! I won't!" Hermione bellowed.

Bellatrix glared, "Fine. Perhaps the torture curse will loosen your tongue."

Hermione bit her lip, "I won't tell you anything…"

"We'll see. CRUCIO!" Bellatrix called. Hermione writhed in pain. Her arms and legs bent the wrong way and she screamed in agony. She was begging Bellatrix to stop, but the evil character only laughed, demanding information.

Ron stood beside present Hermione, looking horrified.

After several minutes, Bellatrix stopped. Hermione cried in pain, trying to hide her face.

"Oh, you're so noble…" Bellatrix teased. She conjured up the smoke form of Ron again.

"You love this one, don't you?" she sneered. Hermione glared at her.

"Answer me!"

Hermione just glared.

"Fine. As he is of no importance, I suppose we could just kill him!"

"NO!"

"Oh… So you do care…"

"Well, if you don't cooperate with us, you'll find out your boyfriend… or you wanna-be boyfriend will be dead within a week." She moved the smoke with her wand to show Ron screaming in pain, then on the ground; dead. "We won't make it pleasant either. The torture curse for 6 hours… Hmm, you thought 10 minutes was bad? Oh no. We'll burn holes in his skin, cut him up, and make you watch it all."

Hermione moaned, defeated, "Please… no… I…I love him…"

Bellatrix grinned, "Now we have a deal."

Hermione looked up. There were tears in her eyes. "What… do you want me to do?"

Hermione looked down at her hands back on the present world. Ron was looking down.

"It wasn't your fault, Hermione."

"Yes it was, Ron…"

"No. You were being noble. You were protecting me. You didn't have to."

Hermione teared up, "I couldn't let you die. Not you… "

Ron looked into her eyes, "You loved me?" he said almost so quietly, it was almost inaudible.

Hermione didn't answer. She just looked down. She couldn't answer that question. She had loved him, but saying it now might jeopardize something. Hermione didn't want to mess up the relationship he had with Lavender.

She left the room, Ron always following after her. The two always remained in silence. Hermione opened a third door and was shocked to find it lined with books. There was only a single bookcase against the back wall, but it was the most she'd seen in forever.

She ran across the room, mouth agape, "Look… look Ron!"

Ron blinked, "The old Hermione's back I see."

Hermione was to busy admiring to books to hear him. She stared at them for what seemed like hours before a flashy title caught her eye. She slowly headed for the book. The binding was crimson with shiny gold letters. Perhaps it was her house colors that drove her to it? She let out a gasp when she read the binding, "Time Travel and its Consequence." Hermione took the old-looking book from the bookcase, and stared at it. This could be the answer.

"Ron… look." she said and showed him the front cover.

Ron grinned, "Great. A book on time travel. To bad you already know how."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "No. This book may have answers to help me. It can tell me what happens when you travel through time. Maybe it can tell me how to reverse it?" she flipped open the first page. "Apparently, it's separated into two parts. Past time travel, and future time travel…"

Ron was not listening. "I hear something, Hermione."

Hermione looked up, "What?"

"We have to get out of here…."

"Okay, we'll just--"

There was a loud crash. Hermione ran from the library and peered downstairs. Death eaters. She gasped. How did they know? Malfoy was there, along with a few others Hermione did not know.

"We know you're here Granger! Get your filthy traitor self down here!"

Hermione gulped, "Ron… let's get out of-- AHH!"

She screamed. A death eater had just appeared in the hall they now stood in. Hermione grabbed a hold of Ron's hand and ran. She ran down the back stairs. Three death eaters waited there. They included Draco, Pansy, and a black haired man. The book slipped from Hermione's hand as stunning spells were sent at her. She looked around for her wand frantically, which lay several feet from her.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Hermione heard Draco's voice, but prayed it had missed it's target.

When she located her wand, she grabbed it quickly and pointed it at the ceiling. After muttering a spell, the ceiling that was above the three death eater crumbled and fell on top of them. Hermione grabbed a hold of Ron, thankful for the distraction and apparated on the spot.

She landed with a loud thud back at he green she knew to be Ron's place.

"That was to close, wasn't it, Ron?"

He didn't answer.

"Ron?" she looked up at him. To her horror, Ron's face had paled. The front of his robes was drenched in blood, and was still bleeding excessively. There was a big cut, as if made by a sword on his chest. She could see that the wound was very deep.

"RON!"

Well, this is the longest chapter yet! Now you know a bit of how and why Hermione turned, but there's still lots to it. :P Hermione finally found a book on time traveling. Will it make a difference? Gasp. Ron was hit by Malfoy's spell after all. Read and Review, please. :D

Wow60: Yes, that thing will be happening very soon, actually.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.