A/n: I'm so sorry all! This was a grotesquely long time between chapters. That last month of school and projects came up and jumped me from behind, and now I've got a FULL time job (35 hours a week! AUGH! At least it pays well...) so I repeat I sorry it's taken forever to get this up! Anyways! Enough blabber. THANK YOU to each and every reviewer! You all rock! :D

Chapter 25

Pansy's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me." Hermione said without meeting her friend's eyes. "I'm staying here."

"But your… your friends!"

"Are here. You guys are my friends."

There was a silence between the two girls as Pansy digested this rather sudden piece of news. She'd been hoping the entire time that Hermione would choose to stay, though she had known all along that Hermione would end up going back to her original world. That was where she belonged.

Now suddenly, Hermione had decided to stay. Pansy's face broke into a wide grin and she leapt from her chair and enveloped Hermione in a big hug. "I can't believe you're really staying!" she fairly squealed.

Hermione laughed then shushed her friend. "Not so loud. I want to surprise the others. So don't say a word to anyone!"

Pansy broke the hug and shook her head. "Alright, I won't. I'm dying to, but I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I'll tell them tomorrow after supper." Hermione smiled, feeling relieved, happy and very guilty all at once.

Throughout the rest of the following day, the smile stayed on Hermione's face. She enjoyed the day's classes and she and Pansy kept shooting glances at each other and sharing secret smiles. Though Draco continued to ask what was going on and soon became convinced it was a plan for a prank against him, Pansy insisted it didn't have to do with him. Hermione reassured him that he and the others would find out after supper. This did nothing to quell Draco's "fears" however, and he took great pleasure in trying to guess what kind of a prank it was, and could he pretty please be in on it so they could do it to someone else.

Cedric, too, tried repeatedly to pry the secret from Hermione and even Pansy, though they refused to tell him no matter what. He would have to wait and find out with everyone else, Hermione promised.

By the last class of the day (and still some time away from supper), Hermione was absolutely bursting to tell someone and could not wait a minute longer for fear of suddenly shouting it out to the entire class. The instant class let out, Hermione found Cedric and led him hurriedly off to a less crowded corridor where her other friends would not bump into them.

"What is it? Where are we going?" Cedric asked.

"I just wanted to go someplace where the others wouldn't overheard us." Hermione said. "Because I have to tell you something really important and I can't stand staying quiet about it a second longer."

"Does this have anything to do with grin you've unsuccessfully been trying to hide all day?" he joked.

She laughed. "This has everything to do with that grin." She took a deep breath, followed by another. The students in the hall were already beginning to disperse, further emptying it out.

Cedric looked at her expectantly.

"Ced, I… I've decided to stay."

For an instant he looked stunned. Then he looked happy and confused, quickly followed by just confused. He tried to look happy over top of the confusion, but Hermione could see through it.

"Really?" he finally said.

Hermione squeezed his hands, a little uneasy by his reaction. "Yes, really."

Cedric cleared his throat a bit. "Wow. I… I really don't know what to say…"

"Well, say you're happy, of course!" Hermione was becoming increasingly concerned and puzzled by the way he was acting. "Now we won't have to say goodbye." She paused. He didn't look any happier by this statement. "You are… happy, aren't you?"

"I am." Cedric said in an odd hesitant tone.

"But…?" Hermione prompted nervously, concern escalating to worry.

"But… what about your friends?"

Hermione shook her head. "That's exactly what Pansy said. They're here, Cedric. My friends are here. You're here. Here with Ally, Pansy, Draco, and the whole lot."

"What about all the people you told me about? Your McGonagall, Lupin, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley… Hagrid…"

Hermione let go of Cedric's hands and pulled away from him. "Why are you being like this? I thought of all people you'd be the happiest to hear of my decision to stay."

Cedric stepped towards her. "Hermione, I am, believe me, I am. I just don't think you've really though this through properly."

"I've thought about it quite thoroughly, thank you very much." Hermione snapped, feeling defensive.

"Have you?" Cedric shot back, also sounding defensive. "Will you ever be able to look at the Slytherins here and totally forget all your old friends? Everything you've ever been through?"

"Well, no, of course not. No one could – "

"What about Harry?"

"What about him? He'll have his parents back! It's what he's always wanted."

"Hermione, try and recall just the other day when we talked about all the differences between here and there." Cedric rationalized. "Here, Ally told you that Harry's parents are completely horrible people. I realize in your world he lost his mom and dad and has always wanted them back, but this Harry doesn't know that. He's not that same Harry. This is what you keep telling me. So how is brand new, terrible human-being Harry having his terrible human-being parents a good thing?"

"I… he…" Hermione fumbled for a response, but Cedric continued before she need to give one.

"What about everyone else? You know all the differences between here and there. We talked about all of them the other day. I don't understand how you feel you can truly leave all that stuff that you love behind."

Hermione fought down the fast rising and unexpected lump of emotion clogging her throat. Why was he being like this? He was the main reason why she had decided to stay in the first place! And now here he seemed to be trying to convince her not to stay after all. She didn't want to argue with him, but she had to make him see her side. She had to make him understand why she'd made the decision she'd made.

"Cedric," she cleared her throat so she could gain control of her voice. "You're forgetting that there's no Voldemort or Death Eaters here. Sirius is alive, and so are you! I don't want to have to go back to a world where I can't live a normal life. Since my first year, my world is constantly being rocked by one thing or another that has do with Voldemort. I'm not ready to face that. I'm not ready to go back and see what will happen in my sixth year, who might be murdered, or what disaster will occur."

Cedric sighed and totally sidestepped her words. "What about the Weasley family?"

"But Snape… a-and Filch…" Hermione trailed off.

"What about Ron?" Cedric said in a low voice.

Hermione's throat tightened again and hundreds of memories blasted through her mind in less than an instant. She turned away from Cedric.

He sighed again, heavier this time. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I don't mean to fight like this. I just… when you talked about everything the other day, I could see how much you missed everything. I want you to be happy, more than anything, in any world, and I don't want you to stay here and leave behind everything just for me."

She faced him again and said shakily, "I'm happy when I'm with you."

He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her cheek. "Hermione, I'm happy when I'm with you too. But I believe someone else is as well."

"Who?" said Hermione, though she was pretty sure she knew the answer that was coming.

"Ron." Cedric said simply.

"Cedric, I told you he – "

"I know what you told me. I know every word of what you told me. But Hermione, I'm a guy too. And to be honest, I can read between the lines here. Maybe you don't see it because you're a girl or one of his best friends or whatever. Besides that, I feel like I just know. I really believe that he likes you more than a friend. In fact, I would go as far as to say I believe Ron Weasley loves you."

"Cedric…"

"You said you came here by accident, meaning that you didn't mean to come here and throw your old life away. You've said many times that you know you don't really belong here." He gazed intensely into her eyes. "It would real selfish of me to keep you here, all to myself."

Her lip trembled and the tears in her eyes threatened to overflow. He pulled her in a comforting hug and lightly kissed the top of her head.

When they finally pulled away, Hermione looked up with wet cheeks and was about to speak when she was startled to see how pale Cedric looked.

"Are you all right?" she asked with sharp concern. He looked really white.

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, wondering what had prompted the question.

"You looked awfully pale." She added.

"Oh. Well, I've been feeling rather off lately, but nothing serious, I'm sure." He answered.

"Just wondering because you look… abnormal." She half-smiled a little wryly.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence that passed between them as they both thought about what had been said before Hermione had brought up Cedric's health. When Hermione finally opened her mouth to speak again, she never got the chance, for at that moment, Professor Dumbledore rounded the corner and spoke instead.

"Oh! Miss Granger!" His aged face split into a grin. "What a pleasant surprise running into you and Mr. Diggory here. Pleasant, and convenient, I might add."

As he approached them, Hermione and Cedric exchanged slightly confused, slightly apologetic looks.

"I happen to need a private word with Miss Granger and was just on my way down to the Great Hall in hopes to encounter you there at the coming dinner. Took the scenic route, of course, and as luck would have it, I found you along the way instead." Dumbledore held his hands out palms up and gestured at the pair.

"I was actually just going to head down to supper myself, Professor." Cedric said quickly, correctly sensing the moment to leave. To Hermione he added quietly, "We'll talk more later, alright?"

Hermione nodded.

As Cedric retreated down and corridor and out of sight, Dumbledore turned twinkling eyes to Hermione. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important?"

Hermione's cheeks reddened ever so slightly. "Not at all." She replied. "What did you need to speak to me about, sir?"

Dumbledore's manner seemed to change gears instantly. Instead of happy and amused, and he suddenly looked quite somber and a little sad. "Some things that you are not going to want to hear and will like even less."

"Oh." Hermione shifted a bit uncomfortably at these words, unsure of what they could mean.

"I hate to have to drag you all the way to my office once more, Miss Granger, but it really would be the best, most private location in which to conduct our discussion." Dumbledore inclined his head a little. "Do you mind?"

"No, sir. We can go to your office." Hermione said.

The pair then proceeded on to Dumbledore's office. Only once they were both seated did Dumbledore finally begin to explain the reason behind this meeting.

"In the last owl I received from Sirius, he mentioned that he was a bit concerned about you." He said. "He told me that you'd been writing each other long letters detailing your days, and that the last letter he received from you was abrupt and extremely short. He first said he was sure it was nothing to get too worried about, and then asked if I knew of anything going on with you that might cause such a response. I replied that I could not properly discern anything to be wrong."

Hermione shifted uneasily in the chair she was sitting in, guiltily thinking of the letter Dumbledore was referring too. She'd truly hated sending it because it struck her as a cold little response after all they'd been telling each other, but at the time she could think of no better way to answer his letter. She'd been trying to cut herself off from this world to make parting easier and now was realizing once again why that wasn't such a good idea after all.

Dumbledore tilted his head down a little so he was looking over his glasses at Hermione. "Which of course means, Hermione, that I could tell something was definitely amiss, though when I asked you if everything was alright, you failed to confirm my suspicions."

As Dumbledore returned top his previous posture, Hermione recalled that quick conversation she'd had not too long ago with Dumbledore outside the Great Hall, where he had asked if she was sure everything was alright – where she'd lied and said yes.

"Oh." She said, unsure of what to say.

"I think now, however, that things are much better?" Dumbledore asked lightly.

Hermione almost smiled. She could tell that by "things", Dumbledore meant her and Cedric's relationship. She appreciated his concern greatly and nodded. "Yes."

Dumbledore did not press about what exactly had been wrong. He merely continued on. "Good. The subject I need to discuss with you Miss Granger, is, as I previously stated, something you will not want to hear and will like even less. Nevertheless, it must be said, and I am truly sorry I did not tell you sooner. I am obviously beginning to forget things in my old age.

Hermione smirked. If Dumbledore ever "forgot" to tell someone something, there was almost always a very good reason for it.

He offered her a quick, warm smile, as if he could guess what she was thinking at that moment, before sighing. "In magic, as I'm sure you're aware, not all spells are completely permanent. Their effect fades after a certain period of time, which can at times have a positive effect, depending on the spell that was cast. Other times, when a spell fades, it can cause a negative effect to occur."

Hermione listened patiently, not clear on where exactly Dumbledore was going with this magic lesson, though sure it had a point nonetheless.

"For example, if you were to accidentally turn your hair blue, you'd be awfully glad if the effects wore off rather quickly. Whereas if the Sticking Charm on the back of your bathroom mirror were to up and fade away, that could have rather disastrous results to the poor mirror and potentially other areas of the bathroom." He paused and added, "You see the problem, now, don't you?"

Hermione hesitated. "No sir, actually… I don't think I do. What does this have to do with me?"

"Miss Granger, do you recall the story I told you about the other time a situation of similar nature to yours occurred?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"I may have omitted certain details." Dumbledore said. "I was, and still am, more confident in your abilities at making difficult and complicated potions than I was in the girl's, so I felt there was no reason to cause you worry by explaining the full extent of what came to pass at after approximately two months with this other girl. As the two month mark fast approaches now, however, I feel the need to divulge these details in case they help you, in any way."

"What details, sir?" Hermione said with a slight shake in her voice. Dumbledore was already right. She did not like the way this was going…

"Well, as you know, the girl was eventually able to create the potion and reverse the effects of her catastrophic wish. I did not mention, however, that it was well past the two month mark when this occurred." Dumbledore explained. "See, the girl had grown to love the new world she was in, and didn't try as hard to continue with the potion. It began to slip and the girl decided it was better that she stay in her new reality. I was not aware of this until a few days after the two month mark, when she came and told me everything.

"What we did not know when the girl first made the wish, was that its effects are not permanent. After approximately two months, its effects began to fade. To put in the simplest of terms, as the spell deteriorated in nature, so did the effects it had created. That is to say, well, for lack of a better word… things mixed."

"Mixed?" Hermione repeated with a uneasy dread collecting in her stomach.

"Yes, that probably is the best term for it. It was a glaring complication that was only unearthed much later. Apparently, thinking back, she had noticed several odd things leading up to the two month mark that could have warned her, though she didn't realize it would lead to what they did."

Hermione was listening intently, her insides churning in a guilty, worried way.

"Some things were small and some were a larger problem." Dumbledore steepled his fingers as he talked. "One of the lesser issues that cropped up was a friend of hers had her two personalities merge into one. In the girl's original world, the friend was a very shy, intellectual girl and in the new timeline, she was an excited, outgoing girl with no book smarts at all. As things melded together, the friend abruptly started becoming the shy, withdrawn girl, though she kept the trait of having a very careless attitude towards her schoolwork. As I said, that was one of the more mild consequences."

Hermione exhaled slowly, her mind racing, thinking of any number of things that could happen if her two timelines became mixed together.

"So now, I believe, you see the problem."

"Yes." She breathed, her head beginning to pound with the information she'd just listened to. Hundreds of ideas, images and thoughts were darting wildly around her mind. Snape would be somewhere between his old sallow, Dark Arts self and the new Gryffindor-loving professor… Filch… Draco… McGonagall…

She stopped and inhaled sharply. "S-sir?" Her hands were shaking in her lap. "If things… 'mix', then what… what will happen to Sirius? And…" She suddenly couldn't bring herself to continue and say Cedric's name.

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine it will be good."

Hermione swallowed, trying to fully absorb the information and not panic or break down crying.

"Hermione, I do not wish to further impress upon you the gravity of the situation. I believe you now fully understand how grave things could become if the potion is not finished on time and you use it to return things to normal." Dumbledore said sadly. "I do, however, want to add that it may seem hard to leave everything lovely here behind, but know it's all for the best. Try to think about what you're missing back in the old reality, and how those lovely things will not stay lovely if you choose to stay."

Hermione nodded numbly. "Yes sir." She said and stood to leave.

"Oh, and one last thing?"

She turned back to face the Professor.

"Hurry." He cracked a small smile. "I can only imagine what a Professor McGonagall who is excessively clean and smart will be like merged with one who is furious and filthy. I doubt it would be very pleasant."

Despite the seriousness of all that was told to her and all that lay before her in terms of her two timelines and the potion, Hermione had to smile. "I don't think so either, sir."

Pleasant, no. She thought. But definitely entertaining.

A/n: Hmm. Kind of a kicker, ain't it? I'm dying to know what you thought...