Author Note: A short little idea that came to me about Harry and Hermione spending a life together then learning it was all a simulation. They remember it all now they have to learn to live again.
Begin Story
There was a brilliant flash of blue white light as Harry and Hermione ran through the Department of Mysteries. He was holding her hand as the room they were traversing was barely lit by a great many odd spheres. The Death Eater chasing them had hit the floor with a grease spell making them slip into one of the spheres.
When Harry became conscious he heard the surf not too far away. He had only been to the shore once but his Aunt loved to watch travel programs and dream of a Caribbean vacation.
Opening his eyes he noticed three things, one that he seemed to be laying on some white sand beach along the ocean, two that his head felt weird and pained and three that Hermione was only a few feet away on her face.
Rolling her over caused Hermione to groan and frown as she became conscious. Looking around she asked, "Where are we?"
"Somehow I don't think its London." Harry replied uncertainly.
Hermione looked at him dubiously, "What gave you that clue?" She sarcastically asked.
Harry smiled, "Sorry. You remember Flitwick talking about illusions and mental magics.
Hermione smiled, "Yes I do. I was not aware you did." Looking around she took a deep breath, "Well it certainly feels very real. Maybe the spheres are some sort of transportation method?"
"The only way to know is to explore the island." Harry said holding his hand out after standing up.
Hermione took it as they looked up and down the beach and into the jungle. "So which way first?" Harry asked.
"Well if it is a resort then civilization will be close to the beach." Hermione stated.
"So we walk along the beach until we find something?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded looking around, "Or we discover this is an island by returning here."
"Great. Shall we?" Harry gestured walking alongside Hermione.
…...
They were walking along the shoreline in the bright sunshine, the waves washing up along the sand. Hermione had taken her shoes off to walk in the surf. Harry joined her after a few moments. Hermione used her compass spell to find the north point of the island and marked it.
An hour later they arrived back at the point they had started from. The two of them stood silently disappointed for a few moments.
"Did you see any other islands along the horizon when we were walking Harry?"
He shook his head, "No. We may be a bit further from home than we thought."
"Well if that's the case it could be some time before rescue. I didn't see any ships or airplanes either."
"Well we might as well enter the jungle. We'll need water and food and shelter too." Harry said. "Plus the ground seems to be higher the further inland.
Hermione nodded, "You seem well versed in this."
"Well Aunt Petunia likes to watch these shows about shipwrecks and stuff. And one of the few books I own is a copy of Robinson Crusoe."
Hermione nodded, "Oh. Well that is a good book. So we crossed a small stream a few yards back maybe if we go back to it and go upstream we can find the source?"
Harry nodded, "Good idea."
Retracing their steps they found the shallow narrow stream and began to follow it backwards. Soon they found a small spring coming out of a shallow rise near the center of the island. Hermione used her compass spell again and marked the north direction again.
"Well this looks like as good of place as any to set up shop." Harry said once Hermione had determined the water was fresh and safe.
"True. I'll work on the water, you work on the shelter. Then we'll work on the food problem." She suggested.
Harry nodded then chuckled, "Too bad Ron's not with us. With his appetite he'd have already found food."
Hermione gave a chuckle, "Yeah." Then after a brief sigh she said softly, "I wonder what happened to the rest of our friends?"
Harry turned and rubbed her shoulder, "Hey. I'm sure they made it out okay. Ron and Neville know what they're doing and Ginny, well she's to spunky to get hurt."
Hermione turned to Harry with a wry grin, "And what about Luna?"
"Somehow I think she will outlive all of us." Harry shrugged.
Hermione sighed, "I hope so. I feel bad about running out on them."
"I know. So do I. But its not like we did it on purpose."
Hermione gave Harry a brief hug then got to work digging out the spring and making a pool.
…...
By that evening they had located some coconuts, breadfruit and berries that Hermione had declared safe to eat. Seabirds had nests in the trees and rocks towards the middle of the island while fish appeared to be abundant in the sea.
Hermione managed to identify them all as safe to eat. Harry had dropped into his boxers and Hermione was in her bra and knickers due to the heat and humidity. Hollowing out an alcove in the small mound they built a shelter with a raised sleeping platform and palm fronds on the roof.
They had both been awkward at first then got used to it. Hermione pointing out that normal swimsuits did not show anything more than their underwear.
"I guess yeah. So you wanna see if we can see any ship lights on the horizon?" Harry asked.
"Probably a good idea. Maybe the ICW would forgive us if we used magic to alert anyone."
"Better to ask forgiveness than permission." Harry laughed repeating one of Dudley's favorite aphorisms.
Hermione laughed as they walked down the path they had made along the stream to the shore. "Well that certainly explains quite a bit."
"Yeah it does."
They reached the shoreline to watch the final rays of the setting sun. Sitting down Hermione leaned against Harry so he put his arm around her waist.
After the stars came out Hermione sat up suddenly with a start.
"What's wrong?"
"The stars. They're all wrong."
"What do you mean all wrong? Maybe its just we're further south than we're used to."
"No Harry I studied the northern and southern sky charts. None of these look right."
"Maybe its just the angle we're at. Let's walk around the island and see the sky from the other sides. Maybe you'll see something you recognize." Harry suggested. "Plus we can see if there are any lights on the horizon in those directions."
Hermione stood up brushing the sand off, "Alright. I suppose so."
They walked around looking for lights in the distance. Hermione stopping to study the stars among the clear sky.
"Harry we're looking south. If we were south of the equator we should be seeing different nebula and the neighbor galaxies."
"Maybe we are right at the equator?" Harry suggested.
"Maybe. Let's keep walking."
They reached the eastern side of the island and froze. Rising in the east was proof they were not on Earth. A large silvery gray moon with rings was rising slowly.
"Harry. Are you seeing that?" Hermione asked is a startled worried tone.
"The ringed moon? Yeah. That's not right."
"How did we get here. Interstellar travel is beyond the capabilities of any spell." Hermione said breathlessly.
"I have no idea." Harry shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."
They walked silently back to the camp. Sitting quietly they eventually went to sleep.
…...
The next morning Harry woke from an uneasy sleep to find Hermione sitting outside with her arms wrapped around her legs. He sat beside her silently.
"Harry what do you think happened?"
Harry thought for a few minutes then said honestly, "I don't know."
"Could we be dead?" She asked softly.
"Dead? Why would you say that?"
"I don't know. I'm trying to go over the facts in my mind, over and over and they just do not add up."
"You got petrified by a Basilisk, turned into a cat girl and rode with me on the back of a hippogriff. With magic does everything have to make sense?"
"Harry even magic has certain laws that it must follow. Like.."
"Hermione. Stop it please." Harry sighed, "Look. Just because you don't know it doesn't mean there isn't something that could make it all make sense. Just look at the facts as they are right now."
Hermione frowned at him, "We were in the middle of a battle. We got hit by a spell that made us fall into one of the weird spheres in that room. We woke up here. Here is definitely not on Earth. Even though it looks a great deal like it, its not Earth."
"You're sure about that? Maybe we went back in time like with the Time Turner."
She shook her head, "No Harry the moon never looked like that, plus a huge nebula came up a few hours before dawn. I didn't recognize it but its nothing that was ever in Earth's past."
"Okay so maybe we went into the future." He suggested.
Hermione huffed, "No Harry. Time magic doesn't work that way. You cannot go to the future unless you already came from the future."
"That just doesn't." Harry shook his head, "Look Hermione if time travel is out then maybe we got flung across the galaxy."
Hermione shook her head angrily, "No Harry magical travel doesn't work like that. Even apparating takes a measurable non-instantaneous travel duration and its the fastest way to magically travel. Not to mention the odds of coming to a planet with gravity, air, food all just like Earth's is literally astronomical!"
Harry grumped, "Alright Hermione. Then you tell me. If its not time travel or some other kind of travel then what is it?"
Hermione got up and paced for a few moments before saying, "We're dead and this is purgatory."
Harry laughed, "Hermione I don't feel dead."
"Would you? I've never been dead before so who knows what that feels like."
"So then how do you know that's what this is and its not something else you just never discovered." Harry stood up to talk to her, "We were in the Ministry. The Department of Mysteries. Maybe they didn't think letting you know everything they knew was important."
Hermione threw her hands up and stomped down the path to the beach.
"Where are you going?" Harry demanded in frustration.
"For a walk." Hermione tossed over her shoulder. "ALONE!"
Harry stopped then turned and decided to work on their shelter.
…...
Hermione came back just after darkness had settled in. She was calmer and carrying a fish.
"Harry?" She called out not seeing him. The clearing had been expanded and a small table and chairs transfigured out of rocks in front of what was looking more like a sturdy grass and bamboo hut.
He came out of the shelter with a concerned expression. "Yeah Hermione?"
"I'm sorry. I'm scared and confused and I took it out on you. You're right I. I might not know everything." Hermione sighed holding the fish out.
Harry took the fish and nodded, "Uh okay. I'm sorry for pushing you like that too."
Hermione smiled, "Good. So. I. Uh. Well I caught a fish."
Harry held it up with a confused grin, "Yes you did. Good job."
"So. How do we prepare it?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at her curiously. "I have no idea. The Dursleys were not exactly the back to nature sort."
Hermione looked bashfully at the ground.
"You don't know either?"
"It never crossed my agenda and according to mother when dad goes fishing he couldn't catch a cold." She confessed.
"Oh, well I'm sure we can figure it out eh?"
She smiled. "Peace?"
He nodded, "Peace."
…...
Several days went by as they figured out how to prepare fish to eat. Harry and Hermione had worked on making their hut into a nice home with two bedrooms, one for each of them, and a large common area in the middle. They had a place to prepare their food and even a place to bathe in privacy downstream from their drinking source.
They had even built a toilet across the clearing from their water supply, Hermione had been insistent that it would be far enough that even if magic things wouldn't get contaminated. Harry shrugged and agreed.
They tried testing several theories about where they were. Sending red flares into the night sky to try and attract any ships had no result. Casting finite or other spells to bring down illusions had no effect on their surroundings. Hermione had briefly considered casting something lethal but seeing Harry wading in the surf trying to catch fish made her stop and decide to go help him. She would not consider that without talking to him first.
Hermione was sitting leaning on Harry watching the sun go down once more a month later.
"They're never going to come for us are they?"
Harry shrugged, "I dunno. I guess not. There doesn't even seem to be any locals around to get rescued by."
"I know. I've not seen any satellites, airplanes or ships in the last month. You would think there would have been something at least." She sighed.
"And we've not found any way out of here." Harry sighed deeply.
Hermione chuckled, "Not unless you've become Captain Harry the pirate king and know how to sail."
"Sadly no. Sailing is not one of my skills."
"Not one of mine either." She agreed.
"So do you remember every book you have ever read?"
"Yes. Mostly. I think there might be some Princess Polly or Dr Seuss books I'm a little fuzzy on." She confessed.
"Oh. I was wondering since there's no telly or wireless if you'd tell me them."
Hermione had planned to broach the subject of using a lethal spell to see if they could escape when he asked that. "You want me to tell you the books I've read?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah. You've probably read far more than I have and I like hearing your voice."
"You like my voice?"
"Yeah I always have. Even when you've been bossy and pushy." He snorted.
"I'm not bossy." She bristled then admitted, "Much. I just want to do the right thing so badly and wish others did too."
"I know Hermione but sometimes you don't take into consideration we might know what we're doing too."
She exhaled through her nose strongly.
"You know its true, search your feelings." Harry intoned with a smirk.
Hermione grunted, "That was a cheesy line from a bad space opera."
Harry laughed, "So enlighten me with something more intellectual." He said with a laugh.
Taking a deep breath Hermione began, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
…...
Another month of endless summer had gone by and their raft was ready. They had sat and talked and discussed ideas finally deciding to build a raft. Hermione transformed his shirt into a thin sail they could use.
Building the raft and mast took a few days, collecting enough food took only a day and then they set sail. Heading into the west on Hermione's suggestion as that seemed to be appropriate.
They said for several days, watching their island home dwindle behind them until one morning it had fallen below the horizon. That same day another island rose ahead of them, growing larger with each day's sailing.
Finally they made land and began to explore. Coming across a small stream with a well worn path beside it their hearts sank as they walked the path back to their hut in the clearing.
"DAMMIT!" Hermione exclaimed. "This isn't fair. This is all an illusion. None of its real."
Harry had no arguments against that so let her rage until she had calmed herself. He then went to her and put his arms around her. She turned inside the circle of his arms crying.
When she had finally cried herself out she said in a tired voice, "I'm tired Harry. I want to go home. I miss my parents. I miss Crookshanks. I miss our friends."
"I know I'm sorry. If I could I would help you. I don't know what to do."
She stepped back and looked into his face deeply, "Harry. There is something we could try."
"What?" He asked eagerly, "I'm all ears."
"We could kill ourselves." She suggested hesitantly.
Harry looked at her in shock, "Are you crazy? NO! Just no!"
"Why Harry. We're never going to get out of this place. We're never going to go home."
"Then let's make this place our home. We've got food, and the weather isn't bad."
"Harry! Didn't you just hear me. I miss my family. I miss our friends. I want to go home. I want to sleep in my bed and listen to the radio. I want to go home!" She screamed at him.
"Hermione." Harry said but stopped as she had drawn her wand.
"NO!" He shouted whipping his out and disarming her quickly.
"Harry. Please. Its the only way to get out of here I can think of left." She begged trying to get her wand back from him.
"NO Hermione. We have to stay alive. Our friends or the professors will get us out of here. I bet the Ministry is trying to get us out because we broke something of theirs. It'll just take a little bit longer. Please Hermione. I don't want you to die. I love you too much."
She froze hearing him say that standing in the clearing looking at him in confusion she asked in shock, "You love me?"
Harry took a deep breath, "Yeah. I was just afraid to tell you because I didn't think you loved me. But I've loved you for a while now. I just didn't realize it. Myself until I've had time to think."
She took a deep breath. "You love me."
"Yeah."
She smiled, "Are you sure its not just a lack of options?"
Harry shook his head, "No. I realized I loved you before we came here. This place just made me understand how important you are to me."
She stepped forward and put her arms around his waist. He held her tightly until she turned her head up towards his. Their lips met in a soft warm touching. Their bodies began to respond to their closeness and neither could tell who pulled the other to the ground. Their fumbling caresses built towards a common goal of taking what few clothes off they had on.
Their joining was quick and awkward but was soon followed by a second one that was more attentive and lingering. They fell asleep in each other's arms on the sand.
…...
Waking up the next morning tangled together Hermione gasped and pulled away quickly, waking Harry.
"Hermione?"
She was searching for her wand causing Harry to look around for any threat or reason. Finding it she pointed the wand at her abdomen and before Harry could stop her said gravida revelio. A small pink glowing ball suddenly appeared over her stomach.
She slumped onto the sand with a shocked look on her face.
"Hermione? What's going on?"
"I'm pregnant." She said in a hollow voice.
Harry looked like he was trying to figure out if he was going to smile or pass out. "Pregnant? How did that? I mean. From last night?"
Hermione scowled at Harry, "We had unprotected sex Harry. ANY time a male and a female do that they can make a baby."
Harry took a deep breath, "Oh. So uh. Now what?"
"Now what? Now What?" Hermione laughed hysterically for a few moments before taking several deep breaths, "Now I go through nine months of worry and you get to help me. Then we spend the rest of our lives raising our daughter."
Harry sat beside her, with his arm around her, "I'll do all I can Hermione. I wasn't thinking last night."
"I know neither was I. When you told me you loved me it felt. I felt so strange. No one outside of my family has ever said that about me. Usually its shut up Hermione. Or you're mental Hermione. Or you talk too much Hermione. To think someone loved me. Someone cared about me as something more than a friend. I guess I just kinda got caught up in the moment." She sighed.
Harry looked at the ground wriggling his toes in the sand he frowned before asking, "Do you regret what we did?"
Hermione made several attempts to say something before saying, "I don't know. This does complicate things but I'm not upset that we did what we did."
Harry looked at her with a soft smile, "Neither do I. And I'm sure things will work out fine in the end. They usually do."
"Alright. Let's go get some fish and food for breakfast. I'm going to be eating for two from now on." She said standing up and heading down the path.
"Hermione, you forgot your clothes."
She stopped and turned to make sure Harry saw her fully she smiled saying, "Do I really need them?"
Grinning back at her he shook his head, "No I really guess not."
…...
Weeks went by and Hermione got bigger. No rescue came and they resigned themselves to it. Hermione and Harry adjusted to their new life and their limited world. They made love when they wanted, talked, and practiced their magic. They discussed their lives growing up, how Hermione had been an eager, brilliant child whose parents loved and doted upon her but her peers shunned and resented her. How she spent more time around adults than she did children her own age as a result.
Harry told her about his life with the Dursleys and how coming to Hogwarts had been a blessing. Even as bad and dangerous it was the place felt better and more precious to him than the Dursley's house. Why Harry kept having to be sent back there was a mystery to both of them but Hermione agreed it should never have been allowed to happen.
When the baby began to kick and move Harry would lay his head gently on her belly to feel his daughter moving. How she would respond when he talked to her, or when her mother sang to her. Hermione turning out to have a very good singing voice to Harry's ear.
Finally one day Hermione was sitting watching Harry gather the never ending supply of fruit when she felt a wincing pain, the pain grew and became more intense. She called for Harry to come and help her. She had taught him what few medical spells she had learned, and the ones Lavender had shown the girls involving babies.
Harry calmed down and was ready, at least on the outside as Hermione gave birth. An event they knew would happen no matter what. Hermione went through the pain and changes that women since time began have gone through but their daughter Ruby was soon born. Healthy and by all accounts amazing they both agreed. Hermione came through it tired but happy and healthy as well.
They had agreed on the name Ruby for their friend Rubeus Hagrid, the gentle giant that thought baby dragons were cute and 12 foot tall three headed dogs just misunderstood. He was Harry's first friend, first adult who cared and helped him, so Harry wanted to honor him. Hermione had no problem with that as Hagrid had accepted her as a friend and decent person without reservations too.
"Harry. Once I've recovered from this I want to make sure we don't have any more accidents. So one of us will have to figure out a way to not be fertile." She said a few days after the birth while nursing Ruby.
Harry nodded, "If that's what you want. But I'm sure they'll find us eventually."
"Harry it was bad enough bringing her into this artificial world. What happens if we never get out of here? What happens if we grow old and die in here?"
Harry stroked the soft peach fuzz on his daughter's head, "I don't know Hermione. I really don't know. They can't be unaware that we were in here."
"Maybe these are like those roach traps, you can check in but you can never leave." Hermione frowned.
"I refuse to accept that we will never leave here." Harry argued.
"Harry its been almost a year. If they were coming for us they would have come by now."
"I refuse to give up hope." Harry flatly said.
Hermione sighed, "Harry there comes a time when clinging to hope is self-destructive. We are never going to be rescued."
"I refuse to give up. I trust Dumbledore. I trust our friends. They'll know we're missing and come for us."
Hermione sighed. She shook her head as they began to discus why Harry trusted Dumbledore so much. Hermione had begun to have her doubts after what Harry told her about the Dursleys. The conversation was going to take a long time.
…...
Ruby was celebrating her tenth birthday. It had taken two years after her birth but even Harry had given up hope of rescue by that point and accepted they were prisoners for the rest of their lives. He and Hermione had debated having a second child for Ruby to have someone close to her age but both of them agreed that while they had become prisoners here accidentally having another child would be condemning them to life in prison. That is would be far too cruel to do to a child of theirs.
Harry allowed Hermione to use her wand and what she remembered about health and anatomy to clip his ability to get her pregnant, the male being easier to do so than the female. As well as Hermione had the better skills to perform the procedure. Harry recovered and according to the spells Hermione knew as no longer fertile.
Ruby had been taught everything her parents knew as she grew older. She was a fine blending of her parents. She had mud brown eyes that stared out from a round face with an easy smile. Her hair was an impossible mess of dark brown curls hanging down to her shoulders. Hermione kept her hair trimmed short like that as well in the heat and humidity.
She did not seem to question or be bothered by her limited world. To her her parents were the only world she ever needed, the stories about the world outside the same as the fairy tales Hermione remembered from her youth about princesses and trolls.
…...
Hermione's hair was silver now as she stared into the pool with a sad smile. They had been on this world one hundred and forty seven years. They had fought, made love, and worked things out. They had talked about everything so many times they knew what the other was going to say before they finished saying it. Even Ruby knew all of their stories now as she had listened to them. They had made up stories and new ideas as much as they could. Stories involving their friends, but in the end the stretches of silence grew longer and longer. They had developed and researched magic based on their schooling, and then expanded it in new ways.
Even Ruby's hair had gone gray with the century. Hermione considered the longer lifespan of magicals mixed blessing and wondered how she would have felt watching her parents grow old and die in front of her. She had stopped missing them years ago but still remembered them and thought about them.
She had begun to think of Harry as her husband at some point so many years ago and they had transfigured small rocks into a pair of rings, the only clothing, accessory or body art they wore. Although one time as a joke Harry had used berries to paint himself as a tribal warrior but Ruby and her had only laughed at him.
"Mum. Mum. Come quick. Dad is breathing funny." Ruby called from the path. She and Harry had been spear fishing for dinner.
Hermione managed to get off of her knees and come as quickly as she could. Harry was laying on the beach staring up at the sky with his hand clutching his chest.
"Harry! What's wrong my love?" Hermione asked quickly running her wand over him in the long ago learned spells.
"Chest. Feels funny. Feels heavy." Harry gasped out.
"You're. You've got a problem with your heart. I don't know what to do." Hermione's voice had taken an urgent pitch as she struggled to find something she could do. They had experimented with inventing spells and using magic in new ways but even the things they had developed did not seem to be having an effect.
"I think I'm dying Hermione." Harry looked up at her with his green eyes searching for her. "Where are you Hermione? Things are getting fuzzy."
Taking his hand Hermione held it to her cheek. "I'm here my husband. I'm right beside you."
"I've always loved you Hermione. I don't regret our life together."
"Save your strength dear. Please just relax."
Harry shook his head, "No I see it all now. I see it. I'm glad you were with me. You saved me." He said with a smile, his eyes closing as his chest seemed to hesitate between breaths.
"You saved me just as much my husband." Hermione whispered into his ear, laying beside him as he slowed down more and more. Her magic unable to save him as he passed away.
They had buried Harry on the far side of the clearing, near the path so she passed him every day often. She would sit and talk to him, or just sit and quietly remember their life together.
Months went by as Hermione began to fade away. Becoming silent and listless for longer and longer periods, sitting beside Harry's grave as Ruby did what she could. Eventually Hermione felt her own heart begin to slow its beating, a white tunnel seemed to fill her vision as she laid her head on the sandy soil.
…...
Harry woke up on a bed that felt and smelled like a hospital bed. Opening his eyes he saw a fuzzy white ceiling which confused him. Hermione had developed a way to repair his vision fifty years ago and he had not worn glasses ever since.
Waving his hand to perform the spell his vision sharpened to crystal clarity once more. The ceiling though did not reveal any secrets as it looked like a normal white flat surface.
Sitting up Harry looked around and gasped. On the next bed Hermione lay sleeping. Her orange sized breasts he had touched and caressed for a century rising and falling as she breathed. Her skin fair and supple in her youth again.
He leapt out of bed without thinking and quickly stood beside her, running his finger down her cheek he noticed his hands no longer had the wrinkly parchment of an old man but the soft tightness of youth. Frowning he looked at the scar, the ugly words carved into his hand and with a thought wiped them away.
Leaning over he kissed Hermione on the lips softly, gently, as she stirred in response she hummed lightly. Her eyes fluttered open, looking around in confusion briefly before she locked eyes with Harry. Golden amber met Emerald and for a brief moment there was a hesitation before her lips parted in an excited smiled and her arms pulled him tightly to her in a passionate kiss.
"Oh god Harry, I've missed you. The last several months have been horrible. Oh." She cried gently.
Harry smiled at her as she stared into his face. Her hands reaching up to caress his cheek.
"You're young again." She said lightly.
"So are you."
"Actually, forgive me for intruding, but you never grew old." A deep slightly modulated sounding voice said.
The two of them turned to look at the person in confusion. Having heard no other voice than Ruby's in over a century it took them a moment to process what they were looking at. The slightly short and chubby figure was wearing mostly shapeless silvery blue robes with a mirror finish mask hiding their face. Gloves covered their hands and a small circle with the number 47 was on a badge on their chest.
"Sorry. You're probably quite confused and that is to be expected. If you are feeling up to it I can answer any questions you have."
"Who are you?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"You may call me 47. I am an unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. I must say some of my compatriots are not at all happy with you and your friends. The sheer amount of damage you caused is outstanding." the being chuckled.
"The bubble. It was an artificial world?" Hermione asked, more to confirm her beliefs than for anything else.
"Oh yes. They are Total Immersion Time-dilated Simulations of Reality." The being said with what sounded like a laugh.
Harry shook his head, "And the point of these things?"
"Well one enters them to run an experiment, or to get a bit of time away from everyone else. Only your unplanned and unprepared entry into the one made things go a bit wonky so it was impossible for you to will yourselves out of the simulation. So we had to extricate you."
"Well why did you wait so long and where is Ruby?" Harry demanded angrily. "Where is our daughter?"
"Harry. He said time-dilated." Hermione looked at the being, "Just how long were we inside there?"
The being raised its right hand in a sort of uncertain gesture, "Well its a matter of perspective. Out here it was only just under three hours. Inside it must have been over a century."
"One hundred forty seven years." Harry flatly declared.
"Oh dear. That bubble was not supposed to have that great of a dilation rate. Your entry must have broken it worse than we thought."
"And what about Ruby? Where is she?" Hermione this time demanded an answer.
The being audibly took a breath, "Well I'm sorry but this Ruby person never existed. You see nothing physical actually occurs to you inside the bubble. It is just your minds, your body is held suspended in a dematerialized energy state for the duration of your visit in the Simulator."
"So she never existed? Even though I carried her, I gave birth to her?" Hermione gruffly queried 47.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I'm sure you were quite attached to this person."
"We loved her deeply." Harry said sadly, sitting on the bed beside Hermione heavily.
"Yes. No doubt." The being commiserated with them. "The loss of a loved one is real no matter what."
"We remember everything that happened. All the things we talked about and did." Hermione said casually.
"Yes well that was one of the points of the devices. They were believed to aid in learning and developing magical research. Only to achieve the desired results, subjects had to remain in their for durations longer than could be considered mentally or emotionally safe."
Harry and Hermione both sarcastically looked at him.
"Ahh yes. Well you seem to have weathered the storm quite well."
Hermione leaned her head onto Harry's shoulder as she raised her hand to lay it gently on his chest. "Probably because we had each other." She sighed.
Harry took her hand and kissed it, "My wife and I lived for each other and our daughter."
47 made a interested grunt, "We did not send a pair of lovers into the simulations. That is an idea."
Hermione chuckled, "We did not start out exactly lovers, we sort of grew into it."
"You might say we had to realize it." Harry agreed.
"Ahh. Well still the love you have for each other is probably why you have maintained your sanity. Hopefully you may retain your love as you adapt and adjust to being in the real world now." 47 said.
Hermione frowned, "Wait, how do we know this is the real world?"
"Well reality is rather open to perception I suppose but without being able to prove that we are not in a much larger simulation I can assure you this is the reality you originated from."
Harry shrugged, "We'll just have to accept it and go on."
Hermione sighed, "I suppose so. I miss Ruby."
Harry kissed her on the forehead, "I know. I do too."
Harry turned to the being in the blue robes and asked, "So is there anything we have to do to leave here?"
"Well your clothes and personal belongings are in the trunks at the end of your beds. Other than that we performed a medical check on you once we extricated you. I can tell you those results if you'd like. We could also discus any mental issues you may be having."
Harry shook his head, "No my wife and I are going to get through this together. Right dear?"
Hermione smiled with a nod, "True. Although knowing what you found out about us might be nice."
47 nodded, "Ah yes. Well you are both healthy teenagers. Fertile, virginal. Your magical output has increased rather significantly, but that is quite understandable. There is residual energies in your scar but they were already fading. We think it might have been some sort of curse affect that when you dematerialized for the bubble was dissipated."
"Ah. Well that's good to know. Thank you." Harry said with a smirk, looking at Hermione he said, "The virginal will have to be dealt with later tonight dear."
Hermione purred back, "True, but as much as I miss being a mother I think I can wait until we get this dealt with to be one again."
"And this time more than one child?"
Hermione ran her hand over her flat stomach. "A few."
"Well unless there is anything else I'll leave you to it. When you're ready to return to Hogwarts knock on the door and I'll escort you."
"Return to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"We might as well. I want to know what happened to everyone else." Hermione said getting into her trunk. Stripping the pajamas off she began to rummage for her clothes.
47 made a strange sound that might have been oh my and stepped quickly out of the room.
"You'd think he never saw a naked girl before." Hermione chuckled.
"I know." Harry laughed as he pulled his own pajamas off.
"Its going to be a pain getting used to wearing clothes again." Hermione grumped as she tossed her bra onto the bed.
"I know. But we're around people again. They'll kind of expect that." Harry said with an odd tone.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione asked with a soft concern.
"Is it so bad of me that I don't want to go back to Hogwarts. To be around everyone after so long alone together."
"No. I'm a bit nervous too. But it would be nice to see our friends. To see what happened to them. Maybe try to learn to live this life again. See my parents. Get back to the way they used to be."
Harry shook his head, "We spent a life in a bottle, I don't think we're going to ever pick things up like they used to be." he sighed sadly.
Hermione put her arms around him. "Then let's consider this a second chance at a life together and go from there. Not many couples get that."
Turning inside the circle of her arms Harry kissed her. "That I can live with."
…...
Review Responses
SMB: My apologies that you did not receive the value for the price of admission you feel you should have. I'm sorry but we here at Ray's music exchange have a strict no refunds policy. Perhaps you should consider another author that provides a greater value for your admission ticket price. Bless your heart and have a great day. Sincerely The Management.
Dennisud: That does seem to be agood idea. I'mnot entirely sure where this one will go but it will be fun I hope.
TimeKeeper: Oh yeah. I could see Luna doing that. Maybe provoking Ron to show his true colors in front of Hermione.
Rifannuari85: It will probably wind up Lunar Harmony in the end. I do so enjoy that too.