The next thing I know, Hermione is in her chair beside me, smiling at me rather mischievously.
"What the hell just happened?"
"You were sleeping."
"I was what?"
"OK. I'll understand if you get mad, but I'm getting so attuned to your thoughts, I knew you were imagining babies, so I thought you might appreciate you having a little human experience."
"You cast a spell so I could sleep?"
"Yes. Did you - I don't know, did you like it?"
"I had such a lovely dream. It was so peaceful, not hearing my mind running on and on. Not feeling everybody else. It was so quiet."
"So, you aren't mad?"
"No. I enjoyed it. I could so easily get used to it."
"Do the others know?"
"Yes. Emmett wants a go. His words, not mine."
"Will you let him?"
"Can't see the harm. But Carlisle told me you need to get ready, it's eleven o clock, and Aro will be here soon. So I came in to wake you up, but couldn't bring myself to, but you woke up naturally, so there wasn't an issue."
"How long were you there?"
"About two minutes, honestly. I was gearing up to waking you. You looked so peaceful. I've never seen you look so peaceful."
HPOV
We're waiting in the garden at five minutes to midday. Jasper stands beside me, having already made several attempts to stand in front of me. I threaten to hurt him, and he finally moves, but only to my side. I accept that as about as good as it'll get, and just watch the driveway. They come in expensive cars, black ones with windows tinted perhaps a little beyond what is strictly legal. I don't suppose they'd ever get stopped, I don't suppose any police car would ever be able to keep up with them. It's another slightly pathetic ploy to show off, to present themselves as powerful. I sigh quietly, and smile to myself. They do like their little displays. Might as well let them have their fun though - they won't keep their smirks for very long. When they get out of their cars, there is a tense little silence. I can hear birds coming from somewhere.
"Aro," Carlisle says, inclining his head stiffly.
"Carlisle. How good to see you again so very soon."
"I'd return the sentiment, Aro, but as I'm sure you're aware, we all know why you're here. And we're not prepared to let you take her."
"She cannot remain in our world. She could expose as all."
"And at what price to me, Aro? I have as much to lose as you. I have burnt once, Aro, and I will not do so again. We both know that if I expose you, I would go down with you. I cannot and I will not jump back into the flames. There is no way for me to return to my own world, unless you want to rip the walls of the world apart, and kill not only the population of this world, but my world, and the others. I appreciate you totally lack any conscience, but I possess one. I did what I did to save, and I will not kill again. I have witnessed what happens when I kill, and I made a promise I can never break."
"A pretty speech, Miss Granger," Caius sneers. "But you are broken and weak, and you could not stop us. You shall leave this world."
"Touch her, Caius, and I swear to whatever Gods there may be for us, you will die at my hands."
"The Major and the witch - such an enchanting love story," Aro breathes, stepping forward with hand outstretched. He's going for Jasper, and whatever happens, he cannot touch him. Marcus shifts for the first time.
"Aro, do not touch the boy."
"Marcus?"
"Do not touch him."
"Why not?"
"Because the witch does not want you to."
"I have a name."
"A name that is emblazoned in the histories of the world you come from. Fate does not allow you to return."
"Finally, someone who understands. Get back in your cars, Aro, go home. You shall not hear from me again."
"You do not make the rules here, Miss Granger."
"Do I not? I apologise, I thought whoever postured enough got to. But if your ego needs stroking to that extent, by all means think that you're in charge, Caius."
"Do not make the mistake of believing that your powers are superior to ours, Miss Granger."
"I shall make no mistake in believing that, Caius, for I know it to be true, as I have proved once already. I shall prove it again, if I must. The lines are drawn, Aro. I cannot go back. You think I will go back. Now, one of us must step down."
"Such stark shades of black and white, Miss Granger. Surely we could compromise?"
"And we could reach what compromise, Aro?" I'm so tired, and the pain is beginning to infiltrate through the morphine. Jasper puts his hand on my shoulder, and sends me some emotion I can't identify, but it helps. "I can't half stay here. I cannot half return. There are no half measures here, there can be no compromise. If there could be, I would have offered you one the moment you arrived here. I do not want this to come to a fight. Leave, Aro, take your guard with you."
"I tire of your orders, witch."
"Caius, you I will happily hurt, you I do not like. I have confronted men like you before, and I killed them. I have no time for the men who enjoy killing, who enjoy inflicting pain. For you, I would reserve the worst of the spells. Do you realise what would happen if you force me to return to my world? You will burn and you will die, along with every world. If I go, the world will die. Choose, Aro."
"This would be so easily proven, Miss Granger. All you would need to do would be to let me touch your hand. One touch, and I would recognise the truth."
"The witch speaks the truth," Marcus states.
"Marcus," I say, smiling gently at him. "Come to me." He steps away from the crowd of black cloaks, and stands in front of me. "I can't stand up, sir, and I cannot look you in the eye like this." He smiles at me, and then kneels. A ripple of murmurs echoes around the Volturi.
"Marcus," hisses Aro.
"It has been a very, very long time, old friend."
"Not so long for you."
"But centuries for you. Lifetimes for you."
"Have I changed, Hermione?"
"So very much. So much I barely knew you at first."
"Quite possibly best you didn't, Mia."
"I should have. Should have told Harry -"
"And then what? He would have tried to take me back there, and my timeline there stopped."
"Is this death? Another world?"
"Perhaps the Veil was a gateway. I'm not sure."
"It's good to see you, Sirius."
"I know." And he puts his arms around me, and I lock my own around his neck, and he's laughing and I'm crying and everyone is staring at us.
"Confused," Emmett breaks the silence. "Confused as fucking hell."
"Sorry. Um, people, I'm sorry, but this is not Marcus, at least not to me. This is Sirius Black, a man I thought I had lost forever three years ago. He fell through a Veil in my world, and we all assumed he'd died. I'd started to hope," I say, addressing Sirius once more. "I hoped. I started researching the theories of the other Worlds, the theories about the Gap and the Pathways. And I began to hope the Veil was a portal, and that you were alive. And then I saw you. And I thought, but dismissed it. And then I realised. While I was in the Gap, while I burnt, I knew. It was like - like I could see everything, Sirius. Everything. And I knew who you were."
"I knew who you were, straight away. You haven't changed - or at least, you hadn't. You look absolutely awful."
"Why thank you, you effortless charmer. You should have seen me last week."
"No, thanks. How was Harry?"
"He's fine."
"I see. Hermione, we shall leave you, and your new family, in peace. Aro, Caius - our business here is done. She remains in this world. And you, young miss, I shall come to visit you. So you must be well and fit."
"Marcus?"
"We're leaving, Aro. Now."
And to all our amazements, after just a moment of dead quiet, they turn away, and they go. And Sirius and I share one last hug, and I watch him drive away, and then the merciful, merciful blackness takes me, and I feel Jasper's cool arms scoop me up. And its done, I have the closure I never had for Sirius, the closure we all fought so hard for. We knew the Ministry was lying about the Veil, but we could never prove it. They knew, they knew what that Veil was, and where it led. If I'm right, and I know deep down that I am, it will now just be an empty arch. I only want to watch their faces when Harry tells them what he knows.
A/N: Next chapter, we're going back to Hogwarts! And did you all like my little twist?