All That Is Meant To Be: Part Two
A/N: Hey guys, oh the nerves are hitting me again, I hope I did this right. I've been working on this story for so long I can't believe the end is here. I'm going to miss this so much but on the upside I have a new Harry Potter multi-chap coming but more on that at the end – ON WITH THE STORY!
It was a beautiful June day and Hermione was in the girl's changing room at the ministry's auror training centre. She had contemplated other career paths but over the years there had been many smaller factions that attempted to emulate Voldemort's example, none of them ever reaching his height of power, but it did instill in her the drive to help. It had been a year since she left Hogwarts and joined the Auror program and she loved it. Harry, Ron, Draco all had felt the same way and were in the program with her. Neville was currently doing his apprenticeship under Professor Sprout to become the next Herbology professor and had a girlfriend Luna who worked with the legendary Newt Scamander to become a magizoologist.
"Hermione are you ready yet?" Draco called through the door.
"Yeah, just a second," Hermione pinned up her hair, got her wand and left the changing room to find Draco leaning against the opposite wall. "Who's working with us this week?"
"Tonks again," Draco frowned a bit. "It's weird, but we've had her as our instructor every week this month so far. I thought they rotated."
"So did I. That is weird," Hermione agreed.
"Anyway I'm not complaining," Draco said more brightly. "A month without Moody telling us all the ways we could lose different body parts, it's like a vacation."
"Good point," Hermione laughed. "How's your mum?" Narcissa had been released from Azkaban the previous year (unlike Lucius who was given a life sentence) and had done her best to mend fences with her son and though they weren't extremely close, they did have a good relationship.
"She's alright, she and Auntie Andromeda and Uncle Ted are planning a trip to Italy. I think it would be good for her to get away from those blasted reporters. At least she'll have some peace away from the gossip column," Draco answered, referring to the way the press had treated Narcissa after her release which hadn't been all that favourable. At this point Hermione and Draco entered the training area which was like a large gym with equipment all around to help them prepare for the hard work involved with fighting dark wizards. In the middle of the space, Tonks stood with a clipboard and Harry and Ron in front of her. The other two hurried to their places and Tonks smiled.
"Right on time. Alright there Draco?"
"Fine Ton- I mean ma'am."
"Good and you Hermione? Everything okay?" Hermione couldn't be sure but there was something about the way she asked that that made Hermione wonder if there should be something going on.
Still Hermione shook her head, "I'm great."
"Good," Tonks consulted the clipboard, "because you won't be after today's workout. Moody organized it. It's all about endurance today. Let's start up off with laps around the training area, as many as you can do." They started running and Hermione had the sneaking suspicion that Tonks was watching her but she ignored it, why would she be paying attention to her?
Tonks took them through all the exercises good old Mad-Eye had laid out and by the lunchtime they were exhausted. "Please say we can get something to eat Tonks, I don't think I've ever been more hungry in my life," Ron groaned.
"You say that before every meal mate," Harry chuckled breathlessly.
Tonks shook her head fondly, "Alright you can g – Hermione what is it?" She had spotted the girl swaying on spot.
"I don't know -" Hermione held her head. "I feel dizzy."
"Sit down and drink some water," they all helped lower her to floor and Harry conjured a goblet of water.
Hermione drank some but she still looked very unsteady, "Something's wrong, something's not right…"
"What is it Hermione, what's happening," Tonks tried to hold her upright and she whispered something before passing out that had Tonks staring at each of the boys with an urgent look. "We have to get her to Hogwarts."
The..ti..me…turn…e…er
"But how are we going to get her to Hogwarts?" Harry asked as he struggled to keep Hermione safely in his arms, he and Ron were working together to carry her to the medical bay of the training centre, Draco running alongside them.
"Like this," Tonks burst into the medical bay and gave the Healer a hard stare, "We need to use the Cabinet."
"But…"
Tonks cut across the Healer, there was no time for niceties. They had to get her out of there before anyone started noticing. "We need the Cabinet now!"
"Yes ma'am," the Healer showed them to the back where a wooden cabinet stood.
"Get in boys," Tonks ordered, her tone leaving no room for questions. Once they were inside she turned to the Healer, "Send us to Hogwarts and tell no one, do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am," the Healer nodded.
"It is important that no one knows about this," Tonks warned before getting in. The Healer didn't understand what was going on but shut the door behind her and sent them to Hogwarts as told.
Inside the cabinet, it was like the ground moved under their feet for a moment. Once the moving stopped, Tonks knocked on the door three times and the boys were surprised to see Madam Pomfrey open it. "Goodness gracious, what's happened?"
"Madam Pomfrey, could you please give Hermione a bed and inform the Headmaster that she's here," Tonks requested without preamble. "He'll be the best person to explain to you the problem."
"Of course," Madam Pomfrey showed them to a bed before heading off to find Dumbledore.
"Tonks what's going on?" Harry asked.
"I wish I could explain it to you Harry but that isn't my place," Tonks replied. "I'm sorry Har, Ron, Drake, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will take care of it."
Sure enough, Dumbledore strode in not a moment later with McGonagall by his side. "Are you sure Nymphadora?"
"Yes Headmaster," Tonks nodded. "She mentioned the Time Turner."
"Time Turner?" Ron repeated. "Like the one she was using in third year when she got that mad idea to take all those classes?"
"Not quite Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore was going to say something else until Hermione began mumbling.
"Pepper…imps…letter…McGonagall…Floo…joke…Black"
"That confirms it," Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Minerva would you please contact Hermione's parents, as well as the Potters and Mr. Lupin, they would know best whether or not to inform Mr. Black."
"Yes Headmaster," McGonagall left.
"Nymphadora, I can trust you to watch over Hermione while I speak to the boys…"
"Yes Professor," Tonks scooted her chair closer to Hermione's bed.
"Good then Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy, come with me," Dumbledore led them out of the hospital wing and to his office, somehow McGonagall, Lily, James, Remus, Michael, and Jean were already there when they arrived.
"How is she Professor?" Lily immediately asked.
"What's happened to my daughter?" Michael demanded.
"Is she going to be okay?" Jean pled.
Dumbledore held up his hand, "First and foremost, Ms. Granger is not in any danger but there is something you ought to know." He summoned his pensieve to his desk, "This is a pensieve, it is used to store memories. You can enter my memories and I see what I have seen. It is the only proof I have that this is the truth because what I am about to tell you is an incredible tale and you still may not even believe me but I can assure you it was real, it happened. And it all starts with this…" He gestured for everyone to gather around the bowl and made everyone touch the surface pulling them into that fateful day in 1981…
They landed in the headmaster's office and Albus Dumbledore was seated behind his desk with a parchment in his hands. The door opened and half of them were shocked to see Hermione enter, she took a deep breath, and said, "Good afternoon Professor, my name is Hermione Granger. I know this will be hard to believe but I am from 17 years in the future. I have a letter from the future Headmistress Minerva McGonagall that will prove what I am saying."
"Alright miss….Granger was it? Let me see this letter." He took the letter from the girl and bade her to sit down. As she took a seat Albus examined the envelope that bore the symbol of the order and tapped it with his wand whispering the password. Albus smiled as he read the letter. He folded the letter with great care and said, "Well Ms. Granger everything appears to be in order. What can I do for you and your mission?"
Hermione visibly relaxed. "I need to see the current Professor McGonagall, James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin as soon as possible please."
"Will I be privy to the same information that you intend to give these people Ms. Granger?"
"Oh yes, of course sir." Hermione nodded while getting to her feet. "However I must get started soon, I have very limited time here."
"Yes, yes, let me summon Minerva now." Albus went to his fireplace and threw in some glittering floo powder, "Minerva I need to see you right away."
Almost immediately McGonagall was spinning in the fireplace, as she stepped out onto the hearth; she saw the visitor and became suspicious. "What is going on Albus?"
"Allow me to introduce Miss Hermione Granger, our own envoy from the future."
"The future?"
"Yes, read this," Albus handed her the letter and they watched as McGonagall's eyes quickly zoomed across the paper and some were surprised to see a slight blush.
"Well it does seem that this is real," McGonagall handed the letter back to Albus and turned to Hermione, "what exactly is your purpose?"
"I was sent to discuss the future with yourselves, the Potters, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin," Hermione repeated at top speed, "I have just seven days to go over the details with you and perhaps begin to formulate your plans then I will leave."
"If I may make a suggestion, why not go to Godric's Hollow, I'm sure you know the Potters have a baby boy, it would be best to hold this meeting there."
"I'll contact them," McGonagall tossed some floo powder in the fire, bent down and placed her head in the fire and said, "Godric's Hollow!" They couldn't hear what was being said but a moment or two later McGonagall pulled back and straightened up, "Well Ms. Granger, as luck would have it the Potters, Black, and Lupin are all at the cottage. I have told them that we just received an informant and we need to speak with them about something urgent and they are all awaiting our arrival." They watched Hermione get into the fireplace and disappear in a flash of flames.
Dumbledore helped them come out of the pensieve, "What you just saw was merely the beginning of the first day out of seven that Hermione Granger spent with us. She would stay at Godric's Hollow and explain in full detail what had occurred for her in another future, one that was much darker than the one we are experiencing."
"You're trying to say our Hermione is a time traveller," Jean surmised.
"She is Mrs. Granger, here," Dumbledore reached into his desk and pulled out that exact letter from so many years ago. The letter was passed around to everyone in the room who were shaken by this turn of events.
After reading the letter Michael said, "So she," he swallowed, "she came back in time to fix the future?"
"Yes," Dumbledore used his wand to draw a silver line in the air. "Imagine if you will that this is the course of events as Hermione's previous self, the one you saw in the pensieve, experienced it. Then she was sent back to a previous point in time," he curved the line backwards on itself forming a loop, "and caused a new timeline to begin in completely opposite direction." He lengthened the line going down. "But by doing so, she altered her own timeline resulting in her never remembering the trip…until now."
"Why now?" Ron inquired.
"At the end of the seven days, the Hermione that was with us… disappeared, for want of a better word. We didn't know where she went because the timeline that she had come from no longer existed but I had my suspicions that this might occur. Hermione's mind is now catching up with herself, that is to say she has reached the time from which she departed. On this day eighteen years ago, Hermione left to rejoin a future she didn't know."
"I don't understand," Harry rubbed his head.
Lily tried explaining it to her son, "Harry she came from June of 1999 but a different one, still when her seven days were up she had to return to June of 1999 even if the one she came from no longer existed and this is the anniversary of the day she left us back in '81."
"You knew this the entire time and never said a word," Jean glared. "Why did you not see fit to inform us of this?"
"What could we tell you Jean?" James asked warily. "And what good would it have done? We didn't even know if she would remember and the whole point was for the kids to have good lives, free of war and pain."
"Speaking of which," Draco cut in. "What was this other future like sir?"
"The best person to ask would be Hermione but there was another war," Dumbledore answered. "Voldemort rose again, killing many loved ones and damaging others for their lifetimes."
"Including us," Lily gestured to herself, James, Remus, and Dumbledore. "We would've been dead by this time if it hadn't been for Hermione but there is so much more. You have no idea how many people Hermione saved in just seven days."
"Why was it never recorded? I've seen the books," Harry interjected. "Nothing mentions there being an informant or anything. Why cover it up?"
"Because it would've made Hermione a target son," James responded. "There are still dark wizards out there, you know that, if it got out that Hermione was responsible for Voldemort's demise. She would have Death Eaters coming at her left, right, and centre."
"This is why we have to be careful about whom we tell," Dumbledore jumped back in. "For now I ask that you keep this to yourselves until we are certain of Ms. Granger's condition."
"Can we see her?" Michael and Jean stepped up.
"Of course, I'll take you now," Dumbledore moved towards the door.
"I must go too," McGonagall bowed out leaving Ron, Harry, and Draco with Remus, Lily, and James.
"How bad was it?" Ron asked.
"Bad Ron, not something we would want you kids to even think about," Remus said.
"Did I know my parents?" Draco looked at them plaintively. "Were they in Azkaban that time too?"
"No you lived with them but you weren't friends with Harry, Ron, Neville, or Hermione, in fact you hated them. You eventually became a Death Eater yourself but you never killed anyone." That was the least James could give him.
"Uncle Ted and Tonks would've been gone too," Remus added.
"And Mya changed that and doesn't even remember it," Harry tried wrapping his mind around it.
"She remembers now," Lily sighed. "Or she will when she wakes up."
"Do we tell him?" James looked at his wife.
"Don't you think that would be a little too much, too soon?" Lily massaged her neck. "She already has to deal with those memories."
"Besides there is the chance she won't feel the same way anymore, you don't want to get his hopes up," Remus added.
"What are you talking about?" Draco, Harry, and Ron watched them.
"Hermione and Sirius were sort of in a relationship back then, boys," James informed them. "They were in love."
"And he still loves her?" Draco guessed.
"Very much." Remus confirmed.
"He's been waiting for her to remember for seventeen years," Lily crossed her arms.
"Well she's not seeing anyone right now," Ron shrugged. "At least that's one thing he won't have to worry about."
"Too bad there are still plenty of other things to worry about," Remus commented. "Come on let's go check on Hermione." They returned to the Hospital Wing and found no change in Hermione's condition. Occasionally she would move her head or mumble some words but she did not wake. Dumbledore said that it could be some time before her mind had reconciled the onslaught of memories currently flooding her head. The hours slid by, the sun began to set and eventually some of the group had to leave. Dumbledore bowed out to attend to some business. Tonks wasn't feeling well so Remus took her home. Lily and James took Harry, Draco, and Ron to Godric's Hollow to stay. Jean stayed behind after urging Michael to go home and rest since he would have a long day at the office tomorrow. Madam Pomfrey gave her permission to sleep on the adjacent cot but she ended up dozing in her chair as the final embers of the day burnt out.
For Hermione, the last thing she remembered really seeing was Tonks coming towards her before her vision blurred and it was like her head was moving in between two locations. One minute she was on the floor of the training area, the next she was running to the Headmaster's office. Was this a dream? It didn't feel like one. She remembered saying that Lily and James had passed away on Halloween the night they took down Voldemort but that wasn't true, they were alive. They never died so why did she say that? Changing the future? She changed the future? How? Strange it felt like the answer bubbled to her lips, the time turner… The memories were like a film playing on loop and fast forward. But with each replay it became easier and easier to process what she was seeing – remembering and beyond that it actually started making sense. In what seemed like no time at all, what was confusing now became clear or almost clear and getting clearer. Her head didn't feel so strange anymore and her eyes fluttered open to darkened Hospital Wing. Her head felt it was stuffed full of cotton so she moved slowly to sit up. The place was empty except for her mum asleep on the chair beside her bed. She was still wearing her training clothes and her wand was on the bedside table. The clock on the wall read nine o'clock, she had been out for a while. "Mum?" Hermione asked hoarsely. "Mum?" She touched her mother's arm and Jean sprung awake.
"HERMIONE! Thank goodness you're awake! How are you?"
"I'm fine," Hermione attempted to smile but something was tugging on her heartstrings and she couldn't figure out what it was. "Could I get a glass of water?" She pointed to pitcher and glass on the bedside table and Jean hastened to pour her some then left to alert the matron.
"Thanks mum," Hermione said gratefully, taking sips of the cool beverage.
Madam Pomfrey came back with Jean with a bottle and her wand in her hand, "Good to see you up Ms. Granger. The Headmaster has informed me of your unique condition so I need to examine you. Sit up straight please." Madam Pomfrey gave her a full examination including using some spells to make sure there was no brain damage. At the end she pronounced, "You are perfectly healthy Ms. Granger but your mind still needs rest." She looked at Jean, "Make sure she doesn't take on any unnecessary stress and this is a bottle of dreamless sleep potion. One cup is worth about eight hours of sleep as long as she is not disturbed."
"But Madam Pomfrey I'm in auror training…" but Hermione had to stop short at the look she got.
"Absolutely no stress, I will write to the training center to explain your absence. The Headmaster also gave me a cover story for such purposes. Ah here he is now."
Dumbledore entered the ward with a bright expression, "Ms. Granger I see you have rejoined us."
"Do you mean that mentally, physically, or maybe metaphysically?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "For now let us say all three. How much do you remember?"
"Just from the time I appeared in Hogsmeade," Hermione tried to think further back but recalled nothing. "I don't really remember getting the time turner or anything I talked about. I mean I remember talking about it but I don't actually recall living it, experiencing it."
"That is because it did not happen Ms. Granger," Dumbledore explained. "I've have had a long time to look into the matter and all my research indicates that in this course of events, everything of which you spoke of never occurred. You can only retain those memories that still exist in this timeline."
"So she remembers those seven days but nothing else?" Jean asked.
"As far as I can tell, that is the case," Dumbledore replied. "You must understand that Hermione's position is incredibly singular, no one in our history has ever done something like that. Time turning is meant to be done within hours not years."
"My girl is special," Jean hugged her daughter.
"Quite so, but judging by the annoyed looks that Madam Pomfrey is giving me, I think I have overstayed my welcome. Unless you have more questions Ms. Granger?"
"None Headmaster," Hermione shook her head.
"Alright then I will finish by saying welcome back, good job, and thank you." Dumbledore shook her hand, "Thank you Hermione Granger for everything you have done."
"I was happy to do it."
"Now I must go inform the others, Mrs. Granger feel free to use any of the school owls to contact your husband," Dumbledore took his leave of them and Madam Pomfrey instructed Hermione to drink some potion before returning to her office.
"Where is dad?"
"I sent him home. He has a busy day tomorrow, I'll write him as soon as you get some sleep."
Hermione fell back on her pillows, "This was a weird day."
"I'm just glad you're awake and healthy and safe," Jean pulled the covers over her. "We missed you."
I love you Hermione Granger. I'm going to miss you every day until you come back to me.
"Oh god," Hermione breathed out.
"What is it?" Jean asked panicked. "Are you hurt?"
But Hermione wasn't listening, she whimpered, "Sirius."
"Hermione what's wrong?!" Jean had to shake Hermione to get her look at her and when she did, she had the most fearful and distraught expression on her face.
"Oh god mum," Hermione sat back up. "I'm not hurt but I may be in hard spot now."
"Why?"
"When I went back in time," Hermione held her head in her hands. "I met someone mom, I fell in love and then I left. The man I fell for, he wanted to wait for me but I told him not to."
"Oh no," Jean tried to sooth her daughter. "Who was it?"
"It was Sirius mum, Harry's godfather," Hermione began to rock in place.
"Hermione calm down. The nurse said you needed to avoid stress," Jean pulled her into her side. "Do you still love him?"
"That's just it I don't know," Hermione bemoaned. "I just want to see him again, I need to talk to him."
"You will," Jean promised. "And the two of you will figure out what to do."
"Seventeen years… what if he found someone else? What if he has a family now? Or worse, what if he doesn't? What if he really waited for me and I don't know how I feel!"
"If he really loves you sweetie, and he's waited this long, he should understand." Jean used her free hand to pour the sleep potion into a cup. "Now get some sleep." Hermione willing drank the potion, letting the sleep take her away.
By the time she woke up the next morning, it was like a garden had grown in her room. Flowers were everywhere along with the occasional stuffed animal and card. She pulled herself up and saw Lily, James, Remus, Tonks, Harry, Ron, Draco and Jean standing by the doors chatting.
Harry spotted her first, "MYA!" At once they all turned towards her and rushed to her bedside.
"About time you woke up," Ron grinned.
Harry gave her a huge hug, "Welcome back."
"Good to be back," Hermione embraced her friend and ended up meeting eyes with Draco. "Draco I'm sorry."
Draco's eyebrows knit together, "Whatever for?"
Hermione let go of Harry, "Your parents, your life…"
"Look at this one," Draco shook his head. "Saves us all from war but still feels bad about not being able to save us from everything. Hermione my childhood was great, I was never want for anything. Maybe I would've liked my mum and dad around sometimes but Auntie Andromeda and Uncle Ted treated me fine. I have good friends, a good job, and a good life. There's no such thing as getting it perfect so don't feel guilty."
"Well said Draco. Hey there sunshine," Lily swept her into a hug.
"Did you tell him?" Hermione whispered into the redhead's ear.
"We decided to let you do it," Lily whispered back.
"Thank you," Hermione pulled away.
"It's us that should be thanking you," James mussed her hair.
"Especially us," Remus and Tonks shared a smile. "Tonks is pregnant."
Hermione lit up, "Really?"
"Yes, and this time we get to watch him or her grow up, because of you," Remus kissed her cheek followed by Tonks.
"Thank you Hermione."
"Thanks Hermione."
Hermione flushed under their admiration, "If it's a boy will you still name him Teddy?"
"I think it's a great name," Tonks nodded. "And if it's a girl we decided to call her Myra, a little play on Mya and miracle."
Hermione smiled widely, "I'm honoured."
"And I got you some clothes from your locker, thought you might want to change," Tonks gave her a bag.
"Thanks I definitely need to get out of these," Hermione plucked at her shirt. They gave a dressing screen so she could change and then she called them back in.
"So Miss Saviour of the Wizarding World," Draco smirked. "What are you going to do now?"
"Truthfully?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and the rest nodded. "I want to see Sirius."
"Figures," James rolled his eyes. "Now we're going to have some really cheesy romantic 'meant-to-be' moment aren't we?"
"There's nothing wrong with those moments thank you very much." Remus protested sliding an arm around his wife's waist.
"It's not cheesy if you know it's true," Tonks pecked his lips.
"And so it begins," James laughed.
"Hey if you had to wait for Lily you'd be saying the same thing," Remus pointed out.
"Fair enough but I always knew my Lilykins was meant for me," James pulled Lily close.
"Does this mean Ginny and I are meant to be too?" Harry asked.
"Yes, you dated her last time too," Hermione told him. "Have you told her about me?"
"No," Ron answered for him. "Dumbledore doesn't want it getting out that you're an extreme time traveller. He said it might make you a target so we have to be careful about who we tell. Tonks had to get you out of the training centre before anyone saw."
"I'll tell her eventually," Harry shrugged. "Maybe I'll take a leaf out of Uncle Remus's book and use it in my proposal."
"You see what you've started," James groaned.
"Oh get over it James," Lily slapped his chest lightly. "Anyway how about we hold a barbeque to celebrate all of this but just tell Sirius it's for Tonks' pregnancy? That way Sirius and Mya can have some alone time and we can discreetly enjoy having our time traveller back."
"Is that okay with you mum?" Hermione checked.
"It's fine," Jean assured her. "Have some fun."
"She is not going anywhere until I clear her," Madam Pomfrey interrupted looking stern.
"You guys go ahead," Hermione told the others. "This might take a while." Sure enough, it took two full hours before Madam Pomfrey was satisfied enough to let Hermione out. She and her mother now walked down the long path to the school gates and the apparition point.
"I want you home early," Jean was saying. "The nurse said plenty of bed rest and no stress. The only reason I'm letting you go see Sirius is because I know you'll stress about it even more until you can talk to him."
"I'll be fine," Hermione said against the butterflies swarming in her stomach.
"And if anything goes wrong, tell your friends and let them bring you back. I don't want you taking chances," Jean went on.
"Mum I will be okay." They stopped at the gates and apparated into Hermione's house in the living room.
"I don't know which is worse, this or Floo," Jean grumbled.
"Better than brooms," Hermione quipped knowing she got her fear of heights from her mother.
Indeed Jean shuddered at the prospect, "True enough."
"Alright I'm off," Hermione let go of her mum's hand and prepared to go to Godric's Hollow.
"He'd be a fool not to love you," Jean said supportively.
"Thanks mum," Hermione smiled before disappearing and reappearing in front of the Lily and James's house. She heard the sound of voices in the back so she went around to the backyard and found everyone milling around while James worked at the grill that was sizzling with some unknown meat.
"Hey Mya," James waved.
"Hi," Hermione waved back, her eyes scanning the backyard for a certain dog until Harry and Remus pointed to the house. Hermione took a breath, acutely aware of everyone watching her, and went inside. Sirius had his back to the door, chopping chives on the kitchen island. Hermione swallowed and cleared her throat, "Hey Sirius."
"Oh hello Hermione," Sirius greeted pleasantly. "How are you?"
"Fine, and you? About to become an uncle eh?"
"Isn't it great? Another marauder to train," Sirius went back to his chopping and Hermione slowly made her way to the other side of the island to face him.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"No girlfriend? Anybody?"
Sirius set the knife down gently, "I did have someone…once. A long time ago. But she had to leave me."
"And you didn't find anyone else?" Hermione drew her fear in tight.
"I didn't want to besides she'll come back to me someday," Sirius grinned. "Which lady could resist me?"
Hermione couldn't resist smiling, "You sound so confident but what if she doesn't come back? Or she doesn't feel the same way anymore?"
"I'll go looking for her myself and if she really doesn't want me, I'll back off. Simple as that."
"But you've been waiting…"
He looked her directly in the eye, "she's worth it." The way he said that, like it was simple, undeniable fact touched her.
Hermione did her best not to blush, "What are you making?"
"Ah yes," Sirius added the chives to a large bowl filled with potatoes and a mix of other ingredients. "My version of potato salad. Here," he got a spoon and scooped out some, "try it."
Hermione took the spoon and tried it, "Mmmm Sirius this is delicious. Where did you learn to cook?"
"Lily, Food Network, and a lot of time to practice," Sirius tasted some for himself, licking his lips in satisfaction. "Well I say practice, Lily would say screw up but either way I've had plenty of time."
Hermione bit her lip, here it goes, "Well I did give you seventeen years…" There was no comical expression or the sound of something hitting the ground. As her words sunk in, Sirius put down the spoon and stared at her more intensely than he had ever done in all the time she'd known him. He didn't have to say anything, everything about him begged for her to confirm what he was hearing, hoping. "We're also celebrating something else today. Any excuse for a party right?"
"You're back," Sirius moved around the island to close the space between them. "You're really back."
"Sirius," Hermione stopped him before he could say more. "I only remembered yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about you. I mean I care about you deeply, I nearly cried at the thought of you being with someone else but I don't know about love. Can we – I need -" Hermione felt so awful she couldn't look at him anymore but Sirius wasn't having it.
He tilted her face back towards him, "What is it? What do you need?"
"Time," Hermione admitted. "It's so unfair to ask you to wait even longer but I just need you to go slow with me. I'd be stupid not to fall in love with you again."
"My Hermione, the only hard part about the waiting was not having you with me. As long as you're here, we can go as quickly or as slowly as you want. Just promise not to go away again."
"Promise," Hermione vowed.
"Then take all the time you want, I'll be right here." Sirius cupped her face, "Please say I can kiss you?"
"I'm surprised you haven't taken the liberty already," Hermione teased reaching up to hold his neck.
"I was in shock," Sirius murmured drawing her close. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Hermione echoed the words from so long ago and their lips met for the first time in seventeen years. The day after they would spend together just lazing around Sirius's apartment. It would be another week before their first official date. Two months after that Sirius would formally meet Hermione's parents. The following month, Hermione said I love you. At Christmas, Sirius would present her with the starburst necklace. Three years later, Hermione would have graduated from the Auror program and was celebrating her birthday when at dinner Sirius would get down on one knee and ask her to marry him and she said yes. But that is all good and great but, as Hermione and Sirius knew, those big moments would mean nothing without first appreciating everything that had lead them there. It isn't about rushing to the next important date or event, it's about savouring every single moment, each individual tick in time.
FIN!
A/N: Hey guys :::sniff sniff::: this is it! I did it! I really did it! I just want to thank every single person who favourited, followed, and reviewed, some of you not just once but many times. Your feedback was incredible, you made me smile with each notification. You put up with my crazy uploading schedule and ultra long chapters so from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! This was one of my first stories on FFN and now it's finished but I'm not – introducing another story "RETURN FROM THE VEIL". It is set after the books and is sort of DH compliant but I've tweaked a few things so go check that out. Also, see my Harry Potter/Power Rangers crossover "WHEN MAGIC COLLIDES", new chapters are up! LOVE YOU ALL! MUAH MUAH. Until next time, ENJOY! R&R PLZ!