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Chapter 15: Potion, Time and a Mind Battle

It had been a month since Hermione had discovered the small glass rose from Severus, and she finally felt at home in this time. She wasn't bothered anymore by Sirius or James as Remus kept them at bay, much to the boy's displeasure. Lily had also begun to hang out with Hermione more often as she, like Hermione, had missed the girl talks the two used to share before she and Severus had gotten together. Lucius could also, more often then not, be seen in the company of both Hermione and Severus, every now and then throwing out a comment about their relationship, and he was never disappointed with their reactions.

Although they had been together for almost four months, the two of them would still colour slightly if anyone were to talk to them about it. Neither were really embarrassed any more, it was more of them still not being completely used to it, especially Severus. This was not the case, however, when they found themselves alone; Hermione and Severus had grown far more relaxed with the other since the previous year. They normally didn't show too much affection for the other in front of others, but when they did (only holding hands at times or a quick peck on the cheek) it showed how well they got on with the other.

But a piece of information was about to break Hermione's world apart. That information came to her while she was in Transfiguration; they had been practicing the aquainclarbo,a spell which changed water into a tree, when a timid looking third year boy came in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Professor McGonagall, but I have a note here from Professor Dumbledore."

"Well pass it to me then, and I shall see what it's about," McGonagall said, sounding a little annoyed at being interrupted.

She took the scroll from the nervous boy and quickly scanned it, a small sad smile coming onto her face when she was done.

"Miss Storm, the Headmaster requires your presence in his office. You will be there for the rest of this class, so please take your bag with you."

With a confused look on her face, Hermione packed up, shrugging at the questioning glances she received from Lily, Severus and Remus. After she was finished, the young boy asked her to follow him as she did not know the password to get in. All the way up to the office, Hermione was wondering what this meant. The most obvious being that he had found a way to send her back to her own time, or the opposite, that he could not find any way for her to return and she didn't know which one she wanted to be true. She thought that she knew exactly where she belonged but now she wasn't so sure. Hermione knew that her rightful time was 1996 and that it was she belonged, but her idea of belonging had changed; she felt that she belonged with Severus too. Of course, she was only fifthteen and the Severus in her time was twenty years older then she, and she had no idea how he would react if she returned.

Her musing was stopped when she almost bumped into the small boy in front of her. He said the new password ("Bertie Botts Beans") and gestured for her to walk up the spiral stairs. She did so, feeling apprehensive and curious as to what the head master wished to discuss with her, and why class needed to be interrupted for her to do so.

As Hermione opened the door, she somehow lost all sense of being unsure or worried; Dumbledore seemed to have this affect on everyone. She walked over and sat down in front of his desk, waiting for him to start the conversation they were about to have. She didn't have to wait long for him to start.

"Tea Miss Granger?"

"Yes please, sir."

After he had finished filling her cup, Dumbledore peered down his crooked nose at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, I will not delay in telling you why you are here. I have discovered a potion and spell combination that will successfully send you into the future."

Hermione looked down as she heard what he had discovered, unable to keep a smile on her face at his words. She was happy, more then that, she was ecstatic! A way to see Harry, Ron Ginny and everyone again, and a way to get home. But she couldn't push down a sad feeling at what she was leaving behind. Something the head master seemed to notice.

"You do not wish to go home, Miss Granger?" he inquired, seeming to already know the answer.

"Oh, yes sir. I do! I just, well I will just miss everything here," Hermione answered, a sad tone in her voice.

Dumbledore just smiled at the distressed girl in front of him.

"I had an idea that you would not wish to leave immediately. Therefore I shall give you time through the week to prepare yourself to leave. But, if it is agreeable with you, I shall not tell you when you are to leave, as to not make you anxious or upset knowing a set date to leave. Is this ok with you?"

Hermione seemed to like the idea of not knowing when she would leave; it saved her worrying and dreading the day and she could not spend her last days with her friends upset. Therefore, she quickly nodded her agreement, her eyes showing how much that plan meant to her.

"My stuff sir, how will I be able to bring it with me?" asked Hermione, suddenly worried. No matter how good of a plan it was, there was no way she was leaving without the few things she had received from her friends.

'Especially not without Sev's rose,' Hermione thought determinedly.

"No need to worry, my dear. Your effects will be packed immediately as I go to collect you. By the time we arrive here it will have been shrunk and waiting to go," he quelled her worries, the twinkle in his eyes, which had dimmed at her worry, had brightened.

Hermione began to fiddle with the locket that Severus had given her, a habit she had recently developed. She was really going home!

"If that is all you wished to discuss you may return to your class. Though, as they are almost finished, it may just be easier to go straight to dinner."

And after a quick "thank you", Hermione left his office, stopping a few meters away from the gargoyle guarding it. She lent against the wall, the happiness inside her was short lived as she began to wonder what to tell her friends.

She knew that none of them, Lily, Severus and Lucius especially, would take warmly to the idea of her leaving, and they would be even more reluctant if they didn't know where she would go. But Hermione also thought that that at least ought to know that she wouldn't remain at Hogwarts for long, though then they may be sad around her. Hermione didn't think that she would be able to bare it if her friends tip toed carefully around her for a week; it would make the good byes even harder to face.

'No,' Hermione decided. 'It would be too hard on all of us, if I were to tell them that I may be gone, come the end of the week. When I get back they should understand. I hope that they will understand.'

Once again, her musings in the corridor were cut short as she heard footsteps approaching her. Severus' pace quickened as he saw Hermione leaning against the wall; she looked upset about something and it made him worry. There was nobody around so as soon as he reached her, he pulled her into a small hug.

"What's wrong, Mione? You look like you're about to cry," Severus asked worriedly.

Hermione thought quickly for something that would be plausible. Suddenly she had something.

"You know how I lived in a mostly muggle area?"

She waited for him to nod before continuing.

"Well, someone found out that the house was abandoned and they stole most of the things in there," Hermione hoped that her watery eyes were enough to cover the parts where she stopped to think of what to say next.

Luckily for her, Severus seemed to believe what she said and stood there, not letting her out of the embrace he held her in. As tears began to fall from Hermione's eyes, Severus gave her a soft kiss on her for head while she only thought of one thing.

'How am I supposed to keep this up for a week?'

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Well that's another chapter gone! So she knows that she'll be going back now, finally. Lol I think Dumbledore took is time personally on that and, as I wrote it, that's probably true. Now, as always, please tell me what you think (and keep me happy) by reviewing!

Lady of Elysion