Not Our World
That Again

"It's the troll incident all over again."

She was crying. Despite having the mind of an eighteen, almost nineteen-year-old, she was crying like the preteen child she was, but unlike that time when she entered the bathroom thinking of it as an escape from the hurtful words where it felt like an escape until the troll showed up, this time it didn't feel like an escape.

"After all, boys aren't stupid enough to follow you into the girl's bathroom," Hermione thought when she overheard Draco calling out.

"Hold on!" That's the girl's bathroom! You…"

Hermione continued crying, trying to wipe the tears away, thinking of what boy was dumb enough to walk into the girl 's bathroom as if it were nothing; Moaning Myrtle's abandoned bathroom was the possible exception to the rule. " Neville? Or Percy? Both would want to … "

"Granger, I…"

Except it turned out to be Regulus Black of all people, and she tensed up before blurting out. "You're not my father!"

There was a silence, with her hoping he'd walk away, leaving her to her tears, mainly since she now knew Parkinson and her friends wouldn't follow in there and continue with the verbal insults, possibly throwing off some spells only for her to quickly remember they might not likely know any jinxes given they were first years.

But then, he said, "But I am your professor."

Hermione pushed her lips together as her hands clenched her robes. "You're not a female professor."

Silence again as he thought over his answer, and then he said, "But I am the head of Slytherin, and it was a member of my house."

To which she continued crying, wiping the tears away. " Why? Why did it have to be Professor Black of all people? " She bit down on her lip, remembering something important. "I'm sorry."

"For yelling at me just now?" Regulus asked, then suddenly blabbered out. "Wait? Don't you think I'm going to dock points from Gryffindor? I mean, I do know you're upset." Right before he said. "No. Don't do that, Crookshanks."

The tears slowed, and she tried not to laugh at what he said and the cat now sliding under the stall door. " Don 't laugh. You've already caused a professor enough embarrassment today. Don't laugh. "

"Because I wouldn't. I'm not Snape," he said as Crookshanks jumped into her lap.

Which only made her want to laugh, even more, both what he said and getting to hold her Crookshanks, though a part of her wanted to cry remembering what happened to him in the other world. "Not that. This morning. I'm sorry about this morning."

"Oh. It's okay. I'm used to being the odd person out, although I sometimes wish I wasn't."

Hermione pushed her lips together, the image not quite fitting, " It bothered me. That this isn 't how I imagined him to be. Regulus Black, that is. " She took a deep breath. "You wish you weren't yourself?"

"Well…" He paused.

"Don't let anyone tell you to be anyone but yourself," Hermione blurted out, remembering another thing her father said when Muggles had bullied her before finding out she could use magic. She wasn't filth because she was different, more intelligent than the other girls.

There came another pause of silence while Hermione wondered what happened to Draco, beyond him probably wanting to get his distance from the embarrassing incident, mainly because it involved family making the family look bad. "That's rather wise advice."

"It's something my dad told me," Hermione said before tensing up. "I don't have a dad."

"When did I—I couldn't have." Which wasn't something she should have heard coming from the man's mouth. And then came a sudden sound of someone sounding as if they wanted to take back their words while not getting anything out of their mouth.

"Wait a second. He just asked me when he said that to me before saying he couldn't have, yet I clearly said…" Hermione stood up as Crookshanks jumped from her lap, quickly opening the door so she could look at him.

Her eyes blinked as Regulus tried waving his hands, stammering, looking away, struggling to make eye contact with what were the same gray eyes as locks of black hair fell in front of his eyes as Crookshanks decided to rub against his legs, and he stammered out, "Hey! Don't do that!"

"How could I not have seen it? It was right there in front of my face this entire time!" Hermione sucked in her head, her cheeks heating up from the embarrassment of having not figured out something she should have.

"I'm so sorry!" Regulus said—her father said. "I didn't mean for you to find out, um, this way. Um." He then bowed ever so slightly, as one might expect of a noble. "I know I'm not what you expected."

Hermione stared. " Wait. What does he mean by that? What do I expect? I didn 't expect to find out my dad's not a Muggle, that he's—he's…"

"I know I'm an embarrassment."

"What…"

"I mean. I'm not brave like Sirius. He's…"

"That's not true!" Hermione blurted out, her eyes widening. "There is one difference. One single difference. His confidence."

"I…" he said, staring. He then knelt and scooped up Crookshanks, much as he did in the other world whenever something bothered him because, despite his confidence, he could at times still be overwhelmed.

"My dad is brave."

"I—I'm sorry," Regulus said, but the look on his face said he didn't think she believed him about being her father.

"My dad! My dad is the bravest person I know!" Hermione said, clenching her hands, wishing she could find the right words, pushing her lips together.

"I'm not."

And he was his usual honest, humble self. She took a deep breath. "Please don't have another meltdown."

"Well, I'm not brave, so…"

"You're brave!" Hermione said. She took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't have a meltdown like this morning. "I know about the Horcrux. All of them."

Regulus let his jaw drop, a flicker of fear in his eye.

"So please don't tell me that my father, who would have done anything to have seen that Horcrux that was in the cave destroyed, isn't brave! Bravery isn't blindly doing reckless things like Sirius. And yes, I do know about your older brother. And Harry's. And Lupin and Pettigrew."

"But you were raised…"

"By my Muggle mother," Hermione said, closing her eyes, remembering how she'd not had the chance to apologize for that—for erasing their memories in the other world, for not realizing there might be something else. However, she wasn't sure it was so crazy. But she had to apologize. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"For this morning?" Regulus tilted his head. "It's alright. I mean…" There was a slight hesitation in his voice. "You know about the cave, so it makes sense? More sense than a first-year randomly turning to the page?"

"No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I erased mom and your memories in the world I came from," Hermione stammered.

"What?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous. And far-fetched," Hermione said. "But, but."

"Why would you erase our memories? In this world, you say you come from? And how did you get to this world?"

"A stupid antique mirror in the attic."

"Ah," Regulus said. "That's odd."

Hermione looked up, her body tensed, only to see him with a faraway look that bothered her, albeit she knew that was the way he was. "Because in our world. In my world. I thought you were a Muggle."

"I'm married to Olivia in that world?"

"I know you as Sebastian Cesario Granger."

"Oh. Twelfth Night. Viola's twin brother and the person she pretends to be, which causes Olivia to fall for her twin brother."

"Which, it means someone gave him that name." Hermione looked at the ground.

"Wait. You erased our memories because you thought we were Muggle?"

"No. I mean, I thought my dad was a Muggle instead of a Wizard. I don't even know if you've any memories from your time as a Wizard, but I had to. I had to send you and mom away. Because in our world. In my world."

"What happened."

"You died. Or everyone thinks, I guess? And Kreacher didn't destroy the locket."

"Kreacher? Do you know about him? House Elves? Have you met him?"

"He let the House Elves from Hogwarts to battle during the second war calling you, Regulus Black, the champion of House Elves," Hermione said.

And his face turned red. "You're joking, right? I'm not Sirius, so…"

Hermione took a deep breath. "We had to finish what you started. Me. Harry. And Ron. But. I wonder."

"What?"

"If you dying. Or everyone thinking you are dying. It led to the Potters dying. Sirius going to Azkaban."

"That. What? Sirius went to Azkaban for something silly? Right? To prove he could escape or something? That's like Sirius. I mean…"

"They thought he was a Death Eater but blamed him for Petigrews crimes."

"Ah. That friend of there's."

"And, I was going to apologize to you and mom!" Hermione looked up, noticing the mirror across from her. "For erasing your memories and sending you away! Because I didn't want to lose you! And then I get here, and I thought I'd really lost you forever! And it hurt! Because you're my dad!"

"Hermione…"

"Because you're my dad! Brave! Intelligent! Hard-working! Resourceful!"

"Hermione…" He was tilting his head, a look of confusion on his face.

"Loyal! And Creative. Kind and helpful! The best father ever, but all of the founders' traits liked in one person!"

"Um." Regulus was turning red. "I—that." He turned his head to look away, still holding Crookshanks. "You have nothing to apologize for, and there's nothing to be forgiven."

"What?" Hermione said, despite knowing that would be something he'd say.

"I see why you're in Gryffindor," Regulus said smiling, holding Crookshanks as the cat let out a rumbling purr. "It must have been hard, doing the right thing when it likely hurt you so much. Right? Perhaps—perhaps you need to forgive yourself?"