Part 3

So is there something you're not telling us?" Fabian asked having learned to read Hermione pretty well by now, as she had been staying in their guestroom for several weeks. Hermione had acclimatized to this time much faster then either Gideon or Fabian had believed was possible, but they supposed that she really hadn't been thrown that far back into the past just 20 years or so, so things wouldn't be too different from her own time and she had also grown up the first time during the 80s and 90s, so they supposed it was no wonder that she had acclimatized so fast.

"Not here," Hermione said quietly. "Wait until we get back to your apartment."

Both twins looked at each other, but said nothing else, because they knew that if Hermione didn't want to be overheard then there was a good reason for it.

All three of them Apparated away and landed only seconds later in their own living room.

"Alright, so what did you leave out when we were talking to the headmaster?" Gideon asked curiously.

"Just a second," Hermione said quietly taking out her wand and mumbling under her breath for several minutes.

After a few seconds both twins recognized what she was doing and wondered why she thought it was necessary to raise such complicated wards for a simple conversation. All they could figure was it was very important and she definitely didn't want to be overheard.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I kept from Dumbledore," Hermione said finally.

Hermione went onto explain all about the fifth Horcrux she hadn't wanted to mention in Dumbledore's presence because it had been the one that had eventually killed him.

"Now we understand why you didn't mention the fifth Horcrux in front of the headmaster," said Fabian after he had absorbed the information.

"Yes, we do," Gideon confirmed. "You might not like Dumbledore very much due to your previous experiences, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want him dead."

"I have to admit he's much different in this time, which leads me to believe that he had gone senile in my own," Hermione admitted. "I could actually learn to respect this Dumbledore unlike the other one in the time I come from. Oh, I respected him at first, just like everyone does, but he lost every ounce of respect I had for him after I found out what happened to Harry, though that wasn't the only reason I disliked the old coot so much.

"Still, the Resurrection Stone that is part of the Horcrux we are going after would be too much temptation for him. He would want to talk to his sister and his parents especially Ariana. Now normally, using the stone wouldn't be a problem, but then the spells embedded into the ring take effect the minute he puts it on. A kind of withering curse takes effect and spreads, and eventually kills him.

"The Snape of my time managed to slow down the curse, so it didn't kill him for about a year, but he couldn't stop it. No, finding the Resurrection Stone would be too much temptation for him, so it's better that we destroy the piece of Voldemort's soul before we allow him to find out about it."

"You know where it's located?"

"Somewhere in Little Hangleton as that was where the Riddle family was from and also where my friend Harry was transported to at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. I suspect that the location of the ring isn't too far away and we need to destroy as soon as possible."

"None of us are any good at controlling Fiendfyre though," Gideon said quietly.

"It's why we need to destroy that basilisk as soon as possible and I think I figured out a way to get past the Parseltongue enchantment."

"How?" both twins asked at the same time intrigued that Hermione had figured out a way so quickly how to get into the Chamber of Secrets.

"It's fairly simple, so simple in fact, that I'm surprised that Dumbledore hasn't thought of it. I wasn't really involved when Harry went after the basilisk originally because I'd been petrified. I had figured out what it was, but I never had a chance to tell anyone. As to how to get into the chamber without having to get past the enchantment that Salazar Slytherin placed on the entrance it's as simple as lifting up one of the stones that make up the floor or at least destroy it enough to create a space for a human to get through. Once we are done destroying the basilisk and harvesting it we can always repair the stone so it looks like that it had never been disturbed. We'll need some kind of steps to get down or possibly brooms, but it is certainly doable."

"You are absolutely brilliant," Fabian said in an awed tone.

"Thank you," Hermione said blushing at the compliment.

Fabian knew that he was also developing feelings for this brilliant, sweet, kind woman, someone he could actually see himself settling down with and having children. He knew that his brother also was developing feelings for this gorgeous enchantress that had almost literally dropped into their laps. He wondered if his brother would object to a triad. Of course, Hermione would have to agree to it, but it was certainly a possibility. He would talk to Gideon as soon as possible he decided, as soon as they were sure they were alone and he would see what his brother thought about his ideas then.

"We'll give it a few days before we tell Dumbledore my idea," Hermione said. "Let him believe that it took me awhile to come up with this idea. I'll make sure I filch some of the venom for our use hopefully, without anyone noticing. Just a vial of it will do, as just one drop will probably be enough to destroy a Horcrux.

"It's hard to believe that the Deathly Hallows are real as I always felt they were just a legend," Gideon said.

"So did I at first. Harry's family has had one of them for centuries now, even if no one knows it, not even the owners as far as I know."

"James's old invisibility cloak," Fabian said, instantly remembering how many times the Marauders had escaped him since he had been prefect and then Head Boy. He and his brother had been several years older then the Marauders, so had only attended school with them for three years.

"Very well thought out, Fabian," Hermione congratulated Fabian. "I didn't think anybody knew about the cloak, except the other Marauders."

"I was prefect, then Head Boy. Gideon and I were a few years older than James Potter and his friends. If you knew how many times they literally disappeared when we almost caught them out after curfew..."

"I understand," Hermione said. "I already knew that James and Sirius were quite the troublemakers when they went to Hogwarts, though not Remus so much. From what I understand he usually just followed along, because he was afraid of losing his friends if he didn't."

"A valid fear, considering what we now know," Gideon said. "Neither Fabian or I think any less of him because he's a werewolf, but many would."

"Believe me, I know," Hermione agreed her expression sour. "That kind of bigotry just makes me want to hex someone, so I can understand Remus's fear of not being accepted especially as a kid. In a way, I faced the same problem and not because I'm a werewolf, but because I'm so intelligent and I was a know-it-all when I was younger. I not only had a thirst for knowledge, but a thirst to prove myself, prove that I was just as good as anybody else in my strange new environment.

"I had been bullied at my last school, just because I tried to answer every question and showed how smart I was. I had absolutely no friends at all. I thought going to Hogwarts would be different, but it turned out that people were just the same anywhere. I was even thinking about going home, but then I was attacked by that troll as you saw in the Pensieve.

"I became friends with Harry after that and although Ron was kind of my friend he often insulted me, mostly without meaning to. He was absolutely clueless about how much he hurt my feelings on a regular basis. He never did grow out of that habit before he was killed, although he did get better. He might have eventually outgrown that habit, but then again maybe not."

"So why did you make friends with Ron in the first place, if he insulted you so much," Fabian asked.

"Because he was friends with Harry and the only way to also be friends with him was to be friends with Ron. Ron was the first friend that Harry had ever had, because as you already know he had a terrible childhood. I believe that if Harry had been raised in a better environment he never would've made friends with Ron Weasley or at least they wouldn't have been as close as they were in my timeline. We did eventually get close, but I never felt the same about Ron as I did about Harry. We were friends and everything, but we weren't as close as Harry and I were.

"Once Ron is born in this timeline I'll treat him like a nephew once I meet the Weasleys officially. Perhaps, I'll be able to make sure he grows up to be not as bigoted as he was in my timeline. I suspect that he'll always be short tempered but he can learn to control that if he really tries.

"I'm hoping I can be a positive influence. It's not that Molly doesn't try everything she can to motivate him, but she has so many children to look after, that she can't really give Ron the individualized attention that some children need.

"In many families younger children tend to be ignored in favor of the older ones and other times it's the reverse where the younger ones get all the attention and the older ones start to resent their siblings because if it. Ron's always had a giant chip on his shoulder when it comes to being poor and he never really got over that, I'm afraid. I know Arthur does the best he can, but my Ron didn't appreciate what he had, which was a family that loved him.

"He always had food in his belly and clothes on his back, even if those clothes were secondhand. A lot of children have far less then Ron does including the Harry of my timeline. He might've eventually grown out of it as he was only 20 when he was killed and that's still quite young really."

"He sounds very immature," Gideon commented looking thoughtful.

"He was in a lot of ways," Hermione agreed. "Ron was one of those people that wanted time to stop so he didn't have to grow up. I hate to say such negative things about your own nephew, but you did ask. In a way, Ron suffered from being the sixth son of 6 sons. He was young and felt that he had a lot to live up to, because his two oldest brothers were doing quite well in their careers before the war really kicked off and Percy was doing quite well at the ministry once they graduated, which only made that resentment worse. Fred and George also started a joke shop as I showed you as soon as they left Hogwarts and it was doing quite well the last I heard."

"Which only made Ron feel even more inadequate, feeling he'd never live up to his older brothers example," Fabian realized.

"He was quite talented at chess as I told you. He was a prodigy and also one in Quidditch, but in his studies..." Hermione said nothing more but shook her head.

"He didn't do well at them, I remembered you saying," Gideon said and Hermione shook her head negatively.

"No, he didn't, but only because he was lazy and refused to do more then what was absolutely necessary. I'm afraid I coddled him like a whiny brat, something I shouldn't have done, because it meant that I always did his homework instead of making him do it himself. I did it mostly to shut him up, as he would whine and whine until I gave in. I'm ashamed of that now and I promise you I'll teach him good study habits when he's young enough to learn. Hopefully, this version of Ron will be much improved by the time he's 11 and going to Hogwarts."

"I understand why you did it or at least I think I do anyway," Gideon said. "You wanted him as a friend, so you felt that Ron wouldn't be one if you didn't do his homework for him since he refused to do it himself."

"Something like that," Hermione admitted. "It's really because I wanted Harry's friendship though and I was afraid that he would abandon me if I didn't get along with Ron."

"So why don't we do something fun for a few hours as I think we deserve a break," Fabian suggested. "I know that hunting down all those Horcruxes is important, but you still need a chance to rest and relax."

"I have to agree with my brother that you've been on edge for years really, as you didn't dare relax in case somebody sneaked up on you, so you were on guard all the time," Gideon said.

"What do you suggest?" Hermione asked curiously.

They told her and she nodded. "Alright, taking a few hours off will be good, as I haven't really relaxed in far too long," Hermione agreed.

"Good!" both twins grinned at her with identical expressions reminding Hermione so much of an older Fred and George that it was painful. Finally though, she gathered herself together and told the twins that she was going to go change and that she would be ready in a few minutes before disappearing into the guestroom.

~~~Gideon, Hermione, Fabian~~~

The next few months moved at fast pace until it was finally time for the birth of her younger self. Hermione had wondered over the last several months whether she would know the exact minute that she was born. If she would feel the exact second she emerged from her mother's birth canal all covered in fluid and took her first breath. She thought she would, but she wasn't sure, so she waited. She knew she had been born after midnight on September 18th. Finally, she felt something and she knew instantly that she had indeed been born.

"There were now officially two Hermione Grangers in the same time period, even if officially she was now Mia Granger the connection remained. Dumbledore had come though on her identity and she was now Mia Jean Granger, born September 19, 1956 instead of September 1979. She was officially 23 years old which happened to be her real age anyway. She quietly celebrated her own birth and then drifted off to sleep contentedly. Dumbledore had even taken care of her N.E.W.T. scores, all Outstandings in the nine subjects that she had mentioned previously. Hermione was grateful that she didn't have to take her N.E.W.T.s at the Ministry, but she felt a little guilty about that as it felt like cheating. She also knew she couldn't afford to call attention to herself, so she accepted it.

She was also now officially a member of the Order and she had finally revealed herself to those she trusted not including Peter Pettigrew or Mundungus Fletcher. Really, only about 20 people were aware of her identity including James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Senior Weasleys and Frank and Alice Longbottom. She had then informed the group about everything she had already revealed Dumbledore so plans had been made. Once she had shown all her memories the Longbottoms and the Potters in particular were grateful that she had saved them from a terrible fate and so were Sirius and Remus. Sirius had started to flirt with her, but the Prewett twins had put a stop to it immediately and made it clear that she was off limits and she was grateful, as she didn't need that kind of thing right now, as there was too much to do in a short time.

She had also gotten close to the Weasleys just as she had been in the previous timeline and Fabian and Gideon seemed to be pleased about this, more pleased then she thought they should be. She had gotten to know Bill and Charlie much better and she made sure that Percy relaxed at least a little so maybe he wouldn't grow up so stiff and proper.

"So Mia can you tell me if this baby I am carrying is going to be the girl that both Arthur and I want?" Molly asked Hermione suddenly.

Hermione looked up from where she was looking through one of the Weasley books sitting at the Burrow kitchen table, just like she had done many times before in her original timeline. She was reading up on households spells to remind herself how to do them as it had been a long time since she had to used such magic. Besides, it gave her something to do other than staying in the twins apartment all alone. At least here she was around people.

"I'm afraid not," Hermione said absently. "It'll be a boy, but I won't tell you what you name him. He was a friend to me in my own time and it devastated me and Harry when he was murdered."

"That won't happen this time though," Molly said looking fiercely protective. "My brothers say that you've changed things massively from what they were like in your previous timeline so it's unlikely that they'll be a full blown war."

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "However, Voldemort is still out there, even though we've taken care of all his Horcruxes. The next time somebody gets in a lucky shot he'll be gone for good. It might be me that takes him out as my reflexes are still razor sharp because of all my time on the run, but personally, I hope someone just poisons him, so I won't have to get involved. I'd rather remain anonymous, you know? I might be officially registered in this time thanks to Dumbledore, but I'd still rather keep a low-profile. The less attention I draw to myself the better."

"I can understand that," Molly said, even as she fixed lunch for her large family. "So will Arthur and I ever get the girl we want or should we stop after this one?"

"No you shouldn't stop as you have one more after this," Hermione answered now turning her full attention to the conversation.

Molly turned in her direction and studied her guest's expression and immediately felt hope blossom within her. She just knew that the one after this would be the girl that both her and Arthur desired. She knew however, that her guest would not reveal any details if asked, but she was content to know though that she would soon have a little girl to love, so she went back to preparing lunch with a smile on her face.

"I can't wait for this one to get here, as he's really kicking me in the bladder," Molly said suddenly.

"I don't blame you," Hermione said her tone wishful.

"You want some children of your own," Molly suggested and Hermione didn't bother to deny it.

"I do someday, but right now, is not a good time to have them due to the threat of Voldemort and his followers. Once he's gone and at least most of his followers are taken care of then yes, I'd love to get married and have a few children. I've seen so much death in my own timeline that I never even imagined bringing a child into such an environment. I was always on the run with my two friends after we had all turned seventeen, so while I did think about having children someday occasionally, always late at night, I knew that I might never have any due to circumstances. I never expected to be thrown back in time or to have a second chance to have those children I wish for."

"So any prospects when it comes to marriage?" Molly asked trying to keep it as an innocent question. At least Hermione didn't seem suspicious.

"Not really," Hermione sighed. "Very few people know that I'm not from this time and it should stay that way for their own safety as well as my own. I know very well what the ministry does about time travelers, even though it's not like I performed some kind of ritual to arrive here. They likely wouldn't care about my innocence in the matter they would just throw me in prison and I'd be lucky if I didn't get the Dementors kiss. I have absolutely no faith in the ministry doing the right thing, especially since I'm not a pureblood and they're very proactive where purebloods are concerned. Since I'm a Muggle-born I would likely get short shift. I have no doubt that they wouldn't even bother with a trial if they felt they could get away with it. They might not be as bad in this time as they are in my own, but still..."

"I understand," Molly said nodding. She really did, as she knew that the ministry was extremely corrupt and they didn't necessarily care about justice, especially for someone who had absolutely no influence or money in order to bribe them, so she could definitely understand Mia's need to remain unknown to them.

Hermione was hoping that that would be the end of the conversation, but she should have known it wouldn't be, because she knew that Molly could be very determined

"So out of the ones who know about your unintentional time travel who is available?" Molly asked.

"Not very many people actually, nor am I interested in most of them. Really, out of the male Order members that are around my age or a few years older there are only Remus and Sirius, your brothers, Kingsley Shacklebolt who's nice enough and Sirius's brother Regulus.

Regulus had joined the Order in secret after his life had been saved by Hermione's knowing of certain events and was now a spy within the Death Eaters.

"See, there's not many choices available and while I like Kingsley a lot I don't think I could ever fall in love with him. The same goes for Regulus or Sirius. As for Remus he'll meet his mate in the future and I could never take that away from him. I could easily fall for Remus actually, if I let myself, as he's similar in many ways to me. I knew him in the future you see and I think that we would fit very well together, but due to him meeting his mate in the future, I'm making sure to keep our relationship at friendship level. He might fall in love with me, but he will love his mate much more and I could never take her place."

I suppose," Molly conceded. "So what about Fabian or Gideon or both as triads are not at all unusual in the magical world."

Hermione tried not to blush as those were two men that she could easily fall for. She didn't succeed though and unfortunately Molly noticed. Hermione sighed internally at the sharp look the matron of the Weasley family shot her.

"You like them," Molly accused her.

"So what if I do?" Hermione countered. "They aren't interested in me in that way."

"Mia you just aren't seeing it," Molly scolded seriously. "I know my brothers and both of them are very interested in you and are likely just waiting to ask you out until they believe that you have settled into this time. I've never seen Fabian in particular, wait so long to ask a girl out, while Gideon tends to be a bit shyer."

"I believe you're mistaken, Molly," Hermione said firmly. "I suspect I'll never truly settle down and while I could have children out of wedlock I know what a great sin that is in this time, particularly in the magical community. I don't dare tell anybody else about where I originally came from and though I was interested in someone in my time right now they're only a baby."

Molly simply shook her head in disappointment and Hermione turned determinedly back to the book she was flipping through.

"I know I'm right and I won't be surprised if one or both of them do actually ask you on a date sometime in the next week or two. I'm warning you now, so you won't be surprised when it happens and I'll be here to gloat when it does."

Hermione blocked out the sounds of Molly's voice, something that she did automatically when she was deep into research, but she couldn't help, but think about Molly's words, even as she concentrated on the book.

Molly's little speech would soon prove nearly prophetic, and something that Hermione would remember when the time came.

~~~Gideon, Hermione, Fabian~~~