A Familiar Stranger

She awoke to the smell of flowers and the bright light of the sun blinding her. She gasped as she regained her senses. She was in a room, one she didn't recognize. Her head hurt and she groaned.

"Well hello there." Hermione winced as she searched for the face that called to her. She was in much more pain than she wished for.

"Are you awake?" the voice called. She groaned, trying to open her eyes. The voice, male she assumed from its deep tone, chuckled lightly. "I'll take that as a yes."

Then she remembered what had happened and where she had been. Where were Harry and Dumbledore? She sat up quickly, which was a bad idea. Her back started shooting pain. She groaned again.

"Oh, that was a bad idea, love." He said as he gently helped her lay down again. She looked towards him, and she knew she had seen him before.

"Who are you?" she managed to croak out, she was unbelievably thirsty and her throat was dry.

"Well, I'm your only ally at the moment." He pulled a glass of water off the bedside table where she saw the flowers that had given off their scent, and helped her drink some.

Then she remembered, he looked exactly like Sirius, and yet different too.

"Sirius?" she said, confused, for this man's eyes were much different than her old friend's.

"Uh, no," he laughed, "Interesting name though, I'm Cygnus." That name sounded familiar too, ugh where had she known him from?

"Cygnus Black."

"Oh," she smiled, realizing that he was Sirius's Uncle, "I know who you are."

"Uh, really, because I have no idea who you are."

"Oh, my name's Hermione."

"Well it's nice to know you, Hermione. Do you have any idea how you got here?"

She decided she wouldn't tell him the truth, it would be too suspicious.

"Sort of, do you?" It must have been Dumbledore, he sent her into the past, wanting her to change it. She had no idea how.

"Uh, no, my house elf just told me you were lying on your back, nearly dead in my backyard." He smiled, "It was quite intriguing actually. I'm a very curious person, see, and you are a mystery."

"Well you shouldn't expect me to tell you anything, Mr. Black. I don't even know myself what happened." That was a lie. She hated lying and she knew he could see through it.

"That's likely," he stood up, "I, uh, have a meeting to go to, but I'll be back later so you should probably get some sleep."

And before he even left, she had fallen asleep.

"Who is she?"

"I don't know, my Lord. She said her name was Hermione."

"And where does she come from?"

"I don't know, my Lord."

Hermione vaguely heard the voice of Cygnus and someone else, someone darker. There was a slow hissing sound.

"When she wakes up, tell her to leave."

"But, my Lord, I don't think she had anywhere to go."

"Does it matter, Cygnus?"

"No, my Lord, it doesn't."

Hermione heard the door slam and Cygnus sigh, she opened her eyes.

"Did you hear that?" he asked her.

"Yes, I did." He winced.

"I really don't want you to leave or anything, but I can't really say no see, he's my, uh … father."

"Don't worry Cygnus I understand." She wondered how old Voldemort was at this time, for surely it was him Cygnus was talking to. She wondered how many followers he had now.

"Hermione," she woke up, apparently she had fallen asleep again, "You're healed now, well almost, and I think you can survive by yourself." Cygnus pulled her out of the bed gently.

"Where should I go?" She asked as she stumbled through the room.

"I'm taking you to my friend's house. You can stay there for a while until you find somewhere else to live, but you really can't stay here."

"Okay."

And then she was being pulled through space, a tingling feeling in her stomach. Cygnus held on to her tightly, apparating with her to their destination.

"Here," he said as they landed quietly in a large hallway, they walked down it a bit. "So maybe I'll be able to see you again soon, but I really must be off, Hermione. I hope you don't mind. She shook her head. Then a door opened revealing a young man about Cygnus' age. He was so familiar to her and she wondered where she had seen him.

"This is my friend, Jack Potter."
Hermione smiled at the name and shook his hand, he was handsome.

He looked a little like Harry too, the thought made Hermione frown.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he said goodbye to Cygnus.

"Oh, nothing, sorry." She smiled, "It's a really beautiful house."

She looked around in awe; it was very large and inviting with the warm rich colors of Gryffindor touching everything. It reminded her so much of home, and of her friends.

"Well thank you, we try." He started walking down the long corridor and beckoned her to follow.

"We?" Hermione asked, wondering who he lived with.

"Oh, yes, my sister and I live here, our parents used to also, but then …" he cleared his throat.

"It's okay, I lost my parents too." She said as he led her to a wide staircase.

"Oh their not dead," he smiled, "They just don't live here anymore."

"Oh okay, sorry." He opened a big wooden door to the left of the staircase.

"This is your room." He said gesturing to it grandly. Hermione gasped, it was beautiful.

Across the room there was a grand window that hung above a large window seat. Next to the window was a large bookcase that nearly doubled the window in size. Books were neatly filling up every space available on it. Hermione smiled, hoping to get time to read all of those. Across from the bookshelves was a king-size canopy bed that towered five feet over her head.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Yes, of course, it's beautiful."

"Okay, well I'll just leave you to enjoy it. Make yourself at home anywhere and we usually eat at around seven, but you can eat whenever."

"Thank you very much." She said sincerely.

"Oh and Hermione?" he asked poking his back in the room.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry you lost your parents."

He smiled sympathetically and then left.