A/N: Thank you for all my wonderful reviews, you guys are great :) Knowing that you're all enjoying it, is making writing this story such an enjoyable experience.

I hope you enjoy the chapter, It's about the same length as the last one - I split it in half, I felt it was perhaps too long in it's original form. Lots of dialogue in this one, especially compared to the others, hope you enjoy!

xBx

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter... *sigh*

~ Chapter 7: A Startling Revelation ~
Hermione stared at her companion, not knowing what to say, not wanting to believe that Betsy had said what she said, "Wha…what did you say?" Hermione stammered,

Betsy raised an eyebrow, "you heard me right,"

"Ha…how do you….how long…How?" was all Hermione could respond.

Betsy sighed, "Oh where to begin, I didn't know who you were when you first arrived. But when Harry turned up – who wouldn't recognise Harry Potter: the eyes, the scar – only when he called you 'Hermione' did I know who you really were -" Betsy started to explain, Hermione simply gaped at her, words were completely beyond her mental capacity, until Betsy continued "though when you first arrived here you almost fit the image I had of you, it was the hair that stumped me, from what Minerva had once told me -"

"Minerva? Wait, you know Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked, astounded, finally regaining her speech,

"Of course, she's my aunt" stated Betsy simply

"What?" Hermione had never been so confused in her life. "I'm sorry, but this is just too much information all at once, it doesn't make sense. Explain from the beginning, I want to know everything. Please." Hermione asked, almost pleaded.

Betsy smiled, "of course, but it may take a while, why don't you make another pot of tea before we start,"

Hermione acquiesced to the request, though she thought she might be needing something a little bit stronger than tea 'Why did I never apply for a liquor license' she thought to herself. Hermione returned to the table, a large pot of steaming tea in her hand, on her way, she flipped the sign on the door over to 'closed', though it was only 3pm, – this was definitely a talk she didn't want interrupting by straggling customers looking to waste an hour of their monotonous afternoon.

Once she sat down, Hermione asked, determined to get straight down to business: "OK, tell me everything, tell me…" Hermione didn't know where to even begin, all she knew was she needed some sort of information, "everything" she said again, she took a deep breath, willing her thoughts to form some sense of order, "From the very beginning," she continued, "first of all who are you? Are you a witch?"

"No, I'm a, well a squib, I guess" Betsy started, jumping straight into the details. "My mother was a witch, my father a muggle, it was always 50/50 as to whether I'd have magic in my veins, turns out I didn't. I don't suppose you know that Minerva was once married?" Hermione shook her head, her eyes wide, "No, when?"

"Oh, a long time ago, she was married to my mother's brother, so I've known Minerva since I was very young; she and my mother were very close once, as close as sisters. I still keep in contact with her, so I'm always up to date with the main goings on in the Wizarding world." Hermione listened in a complete state of shock; then a thought suddenly occurred, and she asked: "How long have you known who I am?"

"I had my suspicions about you, when you first came here; you had some resemblance to the few pictures I'd seen of you in the Prophet. But I thought it was just a coincidence, and you were so thoroughly….Muggle, that I thought nothing of it, not to mention didn't possess the trademark bushy brown hair. When it came out in the prophet that you had gone missing –"

"It was in the prophet?" Hermione interrupted, shocked her disappearance would make the headlines.

"Of course, you're famous in the Wizarding world, love. One third of 'the Golden Trio' of course your disappearing was published in the news" Hermione felt a slight twinge of guilt about the trouble her disappearance may have caused. "It caused a slight panic, many thought you had been taken, but with no signs of a struggle, and no one claiming any sort of ransom for you, it became widely believed you'd disappeared of your own free will. Messages were still published every once in a while for the first few years, asking if anyone had seen you or asking you to get in contact yourself," Hermione's sense of guilt increased tenfold on hearing that, the guilt showed on her face, so Betsy thought it best to leave that bit of the story alone, at least for now.

"As I was saying," She continued, "when your disappearance was reported, I wondered of you really were, who you said you were. But still you seemed happy and thoroughly muggle, as if you'd never experience magic at all, in you life. Once I got to know you a little better, I started asked about your childhood; you never faltered on your stories, no matter how many times you told them, each time you told them they remained the same, so once again I thought you resemblance was merely a coincidence. I forgot about it, but when you accidentally mentioned honeydukes the other day, it brought all my suspicions back of you're true identity. I was thinking of writing to Minerva, to tell her my suspicions; she still mentions you in her letters every now and then, saying you're still missing. And then Harry Potter showed up. Of course I recognised him right away, who wouldn't? His calling you Hermione confirmed all my suspicions there and then. As soon as I left I sent an owl to Minerva, to tell her you'd been here all along, but don't worry" Betsy added hastily, seeing Hermione's eyes widen, a slight look of fear coming to them, "I told her not to tell anyone else, I was sure you weren't ready for that yet. But I thought she might want to know, I'm sure she's been worrying about you every day since you left."

"Thank you," Hermione breathed in relief, and then remained silent, not knowing what else to say to Betsy. After five minutes, Betsy decided to take control of the situation and ask some rather pressing questions, that she had been wanting to ask for weeks now. Though starting with the least probing questions first.

"What have you done with all your things?" She asked, curiously,

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your school books for example, your robes? Your wand? Everything that ties you to the Magical world, you didn't get rid of them all did you?"

Hermione smiled, "No, I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to do that. They're all boxed up, hidden away. Crookshanks – my cat" she added, when she saw Betsy's forehead wrinkle in confusion at the name, "He's the only link to my past I didn't hide away."

"And you've never looked at any of it, never even taken out your wand in ten years?" Betsy asked, slightly incredulous,

"Not once." Hermione answered simply. "Too many memories, a lot of them too painful" she added quietly,

Betsy nodded slowly, then took a drink of tea, before continuing; getting down to what she really wanted to know, "So, How long have you been in love with Harry Potter?"

Hermione, who had just taken a sip of tea herself, spluttered and nearly choked, spraying the table with tea in a most un-lady-like way, "what?" she gasped, the colour rising in her cheeks.

Betsy sighed, "Oh, my dear. They way you two are with each other, it's plain to anyone how you both feel. We're all wondering when he's coming back, and when you two are finally going to tell each other how you feel"

"We?" asked Hermione, eyebrows raised, and slightly indignant, "You all gossip about me?"

"Of course" Betsy shrugged, "Come on, love, it's a tiny town, gossip is few and far between. We get it where we can, you know that. And you join in plenty of time" Betsy answered with a smile, Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled,

"I know, but still. It's different when you're the topic" Hermione laughed

Betsy chuckled, and took another drink before continuing,"Do you have any idea when he'll be back?" she asked,

"No, none. He got called away with work. He's not even in the country." She added, and all at once, her concern came rushing back, and Betsy saw it clearly etched on her face.

Betsy sighed, and placed her hand upon Hermione's "Don't worry yourself too much. He's Harry Potter, he defeated he-who-must-not-be-named, he'll be fine." Hermione smiled, and nodded.

"Well dear, time is getting on. I'll leave you to your thoughts – no doubt this conversation has been a bit of a shock to you"

Hermione laughed, "just a tad, yeah."

"I'll let you shut up shop in peace," Betsy rose as she spoke, Hermione looked at her watched and signed, "it's only Half-past four"

"Close up early for once, the weather is miserable today. Take the evening off and pamper yourself, you deserve it. I can see your stressed and worried. Take a long hot bath, try and forget your troubles for a while."

Hermione smiled, "I think I will. See you soon"

"Bye love," Betsy said, as she let herself out. Hermione sighed, and started cleaning down the store, which didn't take long at all considering no one had been in since the morning.

An hour later, Hermione ascended to her flat above the shop, thinking of taking Betsy's advice of taking a long soak. She made sure to feed Crookshanks as soon as she got in – if she ended up spending a few hours in the tub, the last thing she wanted was a hungry, grumpy cat jumping in the water to make a point of making himself remembered: Hermione had made that mistake once before…. never again.

She then trudged up the stairs to her bedroom, stripping off her work clothes, and donning a fluffy bathrobe. She turned to leave, but the half-missing mirror caught her attention. She stared at it for some time, and then went to sit at the foot of her bed, continuing to contemplate it. Hermione wasn't sure what she wanted to do, her past was her past, she had forgotten about it ten years ago, intending to never remember it. But she had never truly forgotten, and now with Harry turning up in her life she remembered everything as clear as crystal. Add onto that, the revelation that her most regular customer – and more than that, Hermione's best friend here in the muggle world – was also immersed in the Wizarding world she had tried to forget; and not forgetting crookshanks' desperate attempt to get back behind the mirror. Hermione could help, that all these things suggested that it might be time to turn back to her past, allow herself the luxury of admitting magic back into her life. But could she do it, or would the memories she had tried so hard to shut out, come back with a vengeance when she did turn back? And if they did, could she handle the emotional pain?

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts, she barely acknowledged the crack that sounded downstairs, which was why she jumped a mile when she heard the oh so familiar voice calling out,

"Hermione? Are you home?"

A/N: Well, there you have it. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long, half the next chapter is already written, it just needs finishing off.

I hope you enjoyed it, please review, it makes me very happy :)

xBx