Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It's a shame really, so many good characters would still be alive had I written them…Sirius, Fred, Hedwig…None would have perished.

Playing God

Chapter 15

"Your coat, M'Lady."

"Why thank you, kind sir." Hermione gave Cal a little curtsy before turning her back to him, allowing him to help slide her coat up her arms and over her shoulder. They were just leaving the restaurant that Cal had taken her to and Hermione had enjoyed herself immensely. The night had been filled with fantastic food, intelligent conversation and a lot of laughter from both their parts. Cal was someone who Hermione got on with easily and she was surprised to find that lying to him and telling him her fabricated back story was harder than she'd thought it was going to be.

They left the restaurant with a cheery wave to their waiter as he escorted her with his hand at the small of her back, keeping close to her as the icy wind struck them harshly once they'd stepped outside.

"Do you want to apparate?" He asked, his Irish accent rolling off his tongue and making Hermione's stomach tighten – while he and Seamus Finnigan both shared an Irish Accent, there was something undeniably sexy about Cal's that effected Hermione way more than Seamus' ever did.

"Sure," she shrugged, smiling when Cal's hand wrapped around her own and their fingers laced together as he moved closer, tightening his grip momentarily before she felt the claustrophobic, tight feeling that she always experienced through apparating before being met with the relief of breathing fresh air once they'd reached their address. A quick glance at her watch told her that it was nearing one in the morning and as she saw the full moon hanging in the dark sky littered with dazzling stars, she hoped that Remus was okay right now.

Then she remembered, quite fondly, that he was with his three best friends in the whole world and a tiny voice in Hermione's mind told her that he'd be just fine.

"Well, thankyou for a great night," Hermione said smiling up at Cal whose head was tilted to the side with a questioning glance at her, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Wait, you think this is the end of the date?" Cal asked, chuckling slightly, "no, not at all. Hermione, we have some things that we need to talk about."

"Errm…Okay…" Hermione said hesitantly and went to sit on the edge of the fountain, tucking her purple A-Line skirt underneath her before she sat down, but Cal's hand on her forearm stopped her.

"No, Hermione, not here. Let's go to mine."

Instantly, Hermione was hit with a low buzzing nervousness that was starting to creep up over her skin and make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "No, Cal, I don't think that's a good id-"

"Tell me, Hermione, what are the 90's like?"

The nervousness and suspicion instantly morphed together to create something close to terror, swirling around her stomach and trapping her heart in an iron fist. Her mind was frantic, trying desperately to piece together a response which was both completely realistic and didn't make her look like she was lying. Which of course, she was.

"What are you talking about, Cal? The 90's haven't happened yet."

"Not for me."

Hermione stood up, a frown marring her face as she surveyed him, her brown eyes moving from his hair secured into a ponytail, down his white shirt and black waistcoat and down his jeaned legs, her eyes scanning his form for Dark objects, ones that would be a threat to her. She saw none; she didn't even see his wand.

"Look, I can tell by your squinty eyes that all trust and faith in me has just been lost –"

Hermione couldn't help but snort incredulously, cutting off his words as she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, what do you expect when you just asked me how the 90's were? That I'd fabricate some wonderful fairy-tale story for you?"

"No." He said simply, his hands sliding into the front pockets of his black jeans, his shoulders subtly moving up as his head tilted to the side, "otherwise you wouldn't be here."

Hermione stared at him for all of three seconds as her brain caught up and reminded her of the protective enchantment placed in front of his home and the uneasy feeling that curled low in her stomach, letting her know that there was something strange about Cal, and Caitlyn's echoing words that he had changed.

How did he know her secret?

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Hermione took a step back as she felt fear trail over her skin lightly, causing her to give a full-body shudder.

"You know, Hermione, for someone so smart you sure leave a lot of things unanswered. If I were you, I'd have asked someone one very important question."

Hermione swallowed thickly, fully aware that if he did something to her now then he would get away with it. Slowly, she slid her hand into the opening of her bag, her fingers curling around the smooth wood that gave her a boost of confidence and security. "And what question would that be?"

"Where did they get the mirror from?"

His words sent a jolt of shock through her body as she remembered the mirror, her transportation to get to this time, now, to help Sirius. Severus had given it to her but she was right – she hadn't questioned them on exactly where they had gotten the mirror from and now she was wishing that she had. She knew that she should keep going, trying to convince him that she didn't know what he was talking about, but she knew that she'd been caught out and she only had one question for him.

"How did you know?" Hermione knew that the game was up for her as far as Cal was concerned, and she couldn't help but feel incredibly annoyed at the thought that she'd been here for a few weeks and already somebody knew her secret.

Cal smiled down at her, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, his ring glinting in the moonlight that was reflected beautifully on the unmoving waters of the fountain behind her. "I'm the reason that you're here, Hermione. The mirror is mine."

Hermione stared at him in shock for a good five minutes as his sentence wheeled chaotically around her mind, repeating itself over and over again.

"Yours? What do you mean?"

"It's been in my family for generations. I'm not sure how they got a hold of it and to be honest I don't really care. All that matters is that I have it and, evidently, you get it." He leaned against the wall by her door, his eyebrow nearing his hairline as she stared at him, her brain still trying to catch up with the conversation.

"But…How did you know that I come from the…Well, not from here."

"Your backstory. Me and Albus were discussing that a few weeks before you showed up as we plotted out Plan B. It's a good thing that we did, because we clearly needed it. Listen, I won't bite you, hurt you, kill you so can we please go inside?"

Hermione seemed to come to her senses and she nodded dumbly, grasping her keys with her fingers from her bag and sliding them into the lock, Cal stood right behind her, his body heat reaching out to her and warming her from the inside out. She shoved her door open and stumbled inside, her hand reaching for the light switch and bathing the room in a soothing light.

"Good, now I'm not scared of being overheard. Sit." He commanded and Hermione felt a sense of anger at being commanded in her own house. Still, she perched on the edge of her couch as Cal collapsed down on the other side

"Lots of people are from Beauxbatons – That can't be the only thing." She said confused, her head tilted to the side allowing her crazy curls to fall off of her shoulder.

"It isn't." Cal said pleasantly, "I suspected when you just turned up out of the blue at the time me and Albus had planned to send a future order member back to, and I grew even more sure when you reacted to the tale of the Deathly Hallows – You knew what they were and, if you were a Muggle-born then you wouldn't have heard that story before. Or at least, not when you were a child and you wouldn't have reacted that strongly to an old children's tale – You understand the significance of the story because you know they exist. You see, Hermione, you're a good liar but you're an open book.

"And then there was the attack on the coffee shop. Now, at first I thought that you'd took me there because of the Death Eater attack – I thought that surely, being from the future, you'd know all about it and, for a moment, I was scared that you'd betrayed your mission, but then I saw your face through the window, when you laid eyes on Dan Tussal and I knew that you weren't here to kill off as many people in this time as possible, you just weren't aware that it had happened.

"Still, like you said, there must have been more and you're right. There's one more significant thing that led me to confront you about it tonight, sure that you were the Order Member who would help fix the future by fixing the past. Tonight, before we met up for our dinner date, I had to attend an Order Meeting and one of our members had some Intel on a girl who had appeared on the 1st January as if by magic. No trace, no school records, no past. And that girl was you."

There was a moments silence as Hermione let those words sink in, understanding that the reason that Cal knew about her was because of her file. A file that was accessible in the Ministry and one that somebody with clearance could look for.

Someone like an Auror.

She felt dread wash over her skin like ice – what if Sirius gained access to her file?

"Don't worry about that, Hermione – Now that I've identified you as the hero of this novella, some work can be done for that." He said soothingly, his hand reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she couldn't help but move away from his touch.

So Cal had never really liked her? He'd gone out with her those times just to test her? To see if she was from the 90's? The pivotal part of his plan?

Now she was angry. She was getting really sick and tired of being here, in this time and being hit with obstacles. She felt like she was wondering around in a Labyrinth and whenever she thought someone or something was her saving Grace and would point her in the right direction, she ended up deeper in the maze then when she'd first started and it was really starting to make her blood boil.

"So, what's your mission, soldier?"

"This is ridiculous! It doesn't make sense, Cal, if Albus knew that you were here, which he must do considering that you planned this with him, you'd think that he'd tell me! He should say, 'oh, hey Hermione, by the way, there's a guy called Cal, he's a friend, trust him, 'Opporwit' is the safety word to let him know', but did he say that? No!"

"Hermione, this is Dumbledore. Do you really think he's going to come out and say anything clearly to anyone, ever?"

Hermione sighed in annoyance at both Cal's words and Dumbledore's secrecy before she lounged back in her chair, grasping the bridge of her nose between her fingertips, trying desperately to fight off a migraine threatening to unfold across her temple and behind her eyes. "I guess you're right."

"I know I am, baby." Cal smirked and rolled his shoulders back and Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement, her temper gently simmering for now. "I'll ask you again, 'Mione, what's your mission?"

"No on 'Mione." She said, scrunching up her nose and shaking her head in distaste at the nickname, causing Cal to chuckle, "and a part of me still can't trust you on this, Cal. I'm sorry, I wish I could, but it just seems so…there's too many holes in this story."

Cal nodded once before rising from his seat, his long fingers tapping a complicated beat against his jean clad thighs, "I understand, Hermione. Hold my seat, I'll be back in a minute." He said, walking to the door with a slight swagger to his hips that had Hermione's eyes drawn down his body. She shook her head in annoyance and stood as well, adjusting her skirt as Cal left her flat, humming a song under his breath and letting her front door slam closed behind him.

At first, Hermione just stared at her front door, having no idea what to do with herself right now. Her thoughts were rebounding off of each other, spinning around and around, wondering whether or not she could trust this man, whether or not what he said had been true.

She wished that she could. She wished that she could take what he was saying at face value at believe that he was a good guy, one who would do her right and help her along…But she'd been fighting in this war for too long to trust someone that she'd only just met a few weeks ago and she was in no way prepared for the stab in the back that she feared would ultimately happen.

Then the front door swung open again and Cal sauntered in, his right hand clutched around the handle of a small hand-held mirror with a black cover over the reflective surface, the silver edging shining under her electrical lights. She instinctively reached for it, her fingertips almost grazing the cool surface before Cal moved it away from her, hiding it behind his back.

"Hermione, by using the Mirror of Cupio you have its magic flowing through you. You've read the legend behind these mirrors, right?" He didn't wait for Hermione's acknowledgment before he carried on, moving past her and wondering into the kitchen, placing the mirror face down on her counter and reaching for her kettle, "well, Pipa, the wife of Thomasius, the guy who –"

"originally created the Mirrors. I know who he is." Hermione told him, following after him, wondering how he could possibly make himself so comfortable in someone else's home. He and Natalia were startlingly alike.

"Very good," Cal praised, looking at her briefly over his shoulder at her and winking exaggeratedly, causing Hermione to roll her eyes, although she didn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips, "well, she used the second mirror, the very one that you've used, to declare that only one wish be granted on a mirror."

"I know this, Cal. I just want to check that it's the same one that's all –"

"No, Hermione you're not listening to me. You've made your wish. You can't have another one."

"I don't want another wish." She said, slightly offended that he'd think that's what she wanted the mirror for.

"I know that, and you know that, but the mirror doesn't. It'll know that you've already made a wish on it, had a desire to use it, and it won't like it. At all."

"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Hermione said quietly under her breath, remembering Arthur Weasley's poignant words that still struck a chord with her to this day and she moved her hand away.

Cal turned to look at her properly, coffee cup held in his hand, resting against his chest, his eyebrow raised. "I've had protection spells on my apartment for about a week since I got this." He said, nodding his head at the mirror sitting almost innocently in front of them. "I think Caitlyn is getting incredibly suspicious."

Hermione stifled a laugh as she thought back to Caitlyn earlier that day, who had admitted to her that a one point, she was wholly convinced that she had suspected Cal of being a Death Eater. She was shocked to realise that, with a quick glance at her clock, she was saw that it was nearing two in the morning. "What do we do now?" Hermione asked tiredly.

"We make a plan." Cal said simply, "but I know what you mean about not knowing my true intentions, so tomorrow, me and you are going up to Hogwarts to meet an old friend of ours." He said lightly, leaning his forearms on the counter before them, lifting the crème mug up to his lips and taking a long gulp, relishing in the hot beverage. "I'll come for you at 5, after your work is finished."

Hermione was a little taken aback once again by his commanding nature, but simply nodded her head in acceptance of his words, standing straight just as Cal finished his coffee and dispose of the dirty cup in the sink.

They walked together to the front door and Hermione felt almost claustrophobic beside him, a part of her still weary after his own admission.

"Well, good night Hermione. Tonight was…something else." He said coyly, a small smile on his lips. Before she could return the sentiment, he had bent his head down, moved his hands up to frame her face, and pressed his lips to his forehead.

And then he was gone, slowly sauntering up the stairs to his own apartment, looking at ease with everything that life had thrown at him and, for a moment, Hermione envied him.

00000

"PARTY!" Sirius groaned in annoyance at the loud outburst in front of his office door and, without moving his head from his hands, simply flashed whoever was there a crude sign with his right hand. "Well, that wasn't very nice was it? Come on, Sirius, up, up, up!"

"Caitlyn, what do you want?" He asked, slowly moving his head up, his muscles practically screaming at him in pain, his joints popping in their sockets. Whenever he felt like this on a normal morning, he knew that he'd had a good night. Whenever he felt like this on a full moon night, he knew that he'd had an amazing night.

"To invite you to a party, of course! Here's you're invitation!" She said merrily, sliding a rainbow coloured piece of parchment towards him, cut into the shape of a star.

"Is it your engagement party?" He asked, his eyes not adjusting to the words before him – he found himself too distracted by the swirling patterns appearing randomly before him and the occasional explosion of glitter that spontaneously appeared.

"No, silly, its Hermione's moving in party!"

"She moved in weeks ago, Caitlyn." Sirius informed her, his eyes going to the desk opposite him, sad to see it empty – After last night, James had barely been able to walk having fractured his leg in the Shrieking Shack, and he was at home resting with his loving, pregnant wife by his side to tend to his every need. It would have been sickening if Sirius wasn't envious at that moment.

Oh, he'd kill to have a woman at his beck-and-call today, making him a roast dinner, giving him a massage, taking care of him, rubbing him up in all the right places…

" – So shall I leave it here with you?"

"What was that?" Sirius asked, taken away from images of big brown eyes and silky, creamy skin, to Caitlyn holding up another invitation with raised eyebrows. With a giggle she repeated that she'd leave James and Lily's invitations with Sirius seeing as how James was playing Hooky today.

"Come on then, Sirius! Let's go get some dinner!" Before Sirius could either accept or decline any invitation that he'd been given today, Caitlyn was already out of his office and down the hall in a Nano-second, an old Muggle folk song on the tip of her tongue as she waved as passing Ministry Officials.

How this midget girl has become the deputy head of the misuse of Muggle Artefacts office at twenty-four, he'll never know. Yes, she was hard-working and like-able, but on the flip side she had a skipping mind and could be incredibly annoying.

Still, she seemed to lighten up people's day and with a smile and a shake of his head, he took off after her, proud to have her as one of his friends.

A/N: Finished! And, the stupidly long wait for this is over. I'm never telling you guys when I'll next post because we all know I most likely won't. It's probably my worst trait.

Still, I hope you like this chapter and, as an 'I'm sorry' present, then Chapter 16 is going up with this as well, just so you get a little bit extra.

Thanks for being patient!

Kelly

xxx