"It is not until you change your identity to match your life

blueprint that you will understand why everything

in the past never worked."

Shannon L. Alder

Chapter 2: Furniture List

Hermione's heartbeat was pounding in her ears. The sound of car horns was honking in the distance, and she could faintly see the hustle and bustle of Muggle London at the end of the alleyway she had landed in. She was here.

London, England – April 30, 1949.

Her time of being in 1998 was long behind her now. Well… Ahead of her she supposed. She looked at the Time Turner around her neck and frowned as it seemed to appear duller after her travel. She had no way of knowing if there was enough power in it to send her back. She could risk it and see by traveling back home, but what if there wasn't enough to send her back again? She would be stuck right where she started and would have wasted this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Draco worked hard to get this whole plan sorted out and Professor McGonagall risked her life to meet them. She wouldn't let them down. She would free Harry from the torment of his failures, and she would free the world from the pain ever having started. She would kill Voldemort.

She started towards the end of the alleyway and towards the London she once knew, her mind heavy with everything she had to get set up before her "chance run-in" with him would take place.

"I'll do it."

They both looked at her with shock.

"Why do you look so surprised?" she scoffed," Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I just expected more of an argument", Draco smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes back.

"How are we doing this? Is it happening today?" she asked either of them.

McGonagall nodded," This will be it my dear. It's been risky enough holding the Time Turner this long. We can't risk it leaving this building again unless it's to send you back."

Hermione nodded with understanding; her thoughts started flying at a mile a minute.

"How is this going to work? How am I going to have a life that I can mold into?"

"Why, becoming a socialite of course", Draco snickered at her.

"I'm being serious, Malfoy", she shoved him softly.

"We are being serious, Miss Granger", McGonagall told her," You will have to become a Pureblood socialite. Get in with the Black's, the Malfoy's, go to social gatherings, become acquainted with them, and get yourself close to them so they can't remember a time when you weren't there. Get them to trust you."

"You're kidding", Hermione laughed ironically," How the fuck am I, me, Mudblood Hermione Granger, going to fit in with them? Even Malfoy hated me at school. They'll see right through me. I might as well run for Miss Muggle Rights UK."

"You have to!" Draco scolded her," Get over your stupid Gryffindor pride and realize this is bigger than you and your love for muggles and muggleborns. If you do this, you'll save them all. If anyone can pull this off, it's you." Draco smiled at her," Well, maybe a Slytherin but we don't have one of those."

Hermione's eyes started to line with tears as she realized just what was in front of her.

"I'm not going to have anyone there", she muttered and looked at Draco," I won't have you or even Harry."

"I can see why you're sad about me, but Potter is useless now anyways", Draco reminded her," Yes, you won't have us there and you may never see us again, and if you say no and turn around and head home, I won't blame you. This is a huge undertaking and commitment that we are asking of you."

He walked towards her and wrapped her tightly in his arms, his head leaning against hers," But I know how tired you are. You were never meant to be a killer in your lifetime, and you are too bright and lovely to be doomed to this world. I will miss you more than you know, but we believe in you and whatever short time we have had together in this awful world, it has been worth getting to know, not the girl I always thought a mudblood, but a muggleborn witch that is capable of anything."

Hermione hugged him tightly, gripping his shirt in her hands, nodding her head quickly.

"Okay", she spoke into his shoulder," Just tell me where to start. I am in sore need of a crash course in how to be a Pureblood aristocrat."

Hemione walked away from the FA Cup Final betting stands a very rich woman. Muggles watched, baffled at the strangely dressed, bushy haired looking girl who left with a check to take to a bank for the largest payout the stadium had seen. What they didn't know was that it helped to have a friend from the future who did his research on winning games in the Muggle world and still had a fair amount of money still at his access. She immediately headed to the bank to get check cashed and to open a bank account. She thought it wise to have one in the muggle world and the wizarding world.

She passed by a display window and caught an eye of herself. Looking rough would have put it mildly. Her black jeans that had harnesses for her gun that she didn't bring with her, and her wand holster were still strapped to her thighs and her black button down looking dirty and musty at best. Clothes would be next. At least just one outfit so people would stop staring at her. She would always buy more once a flat was purchased. Hermione wondered what kind of flat socialites live in but knew she would always keep it modest. It's not like she'd be expected to entertain. At least she hoped she wouldn't.

Diagon Alley was intact. As soon as she stepped foot in the place that held so many memories for her, she had to quickly lead herself away from people that would wonder why a girl was crying at what they saw every day. Living in the war for so long, one forgets what society looks like. From walking to the bank to even getting her new outfit that she was now wearing; she still had her head on a swivel and had to keep reminding herself that there wasn't anyone who was going to come up behind her and cast a killing curse. At least not yet anyways…

Turning to look at the beautiful Diagon Alley, she could feel her heartwarming as she walked her way towards the tall, white marble building of Gringotts. Shops had life in them, wizards and witches weaving in and out of each other, people mingling, and walking around with bags in their hands. No signs of war or death around them. No one ran for cover or was afraid to leave their homes. A flash of the Diagon Alley she knew flashed across her mind, skeletons littered the streets, and every shop window was blown out. No students buying school supplies or people meeting each other to go shopping. A sense of guilt washed over Hermione as she took in her new reality. Guilt that her friends and loved ones were still stuck in 1998 in misery and death while she gets a fresh start.

It will not be in vain she promised herself and stalked into the bank.

Hermione cleared her throat as she stood in front of a goblin as he weighed coins at a scale to get his attention.

"Mmm?" he gleaned over his glasses to look down at her," May I help you?"

"Yes", Hermione chirped brightly," I would like to open an account and cash this muggle check to do so."

The goblin eyed her as he reached down with an open palm for her to place her check. A fourth of it was already in her muggle bank account as her emergency account. She wanted to have a safety net that powerful wizards couldn't get to. Powerful wizards she would soon be befriending.

The goblin looked over the muggle check and did things that Hermione couldn't see from her position below his podium.

"Your name?" the goblin peered down at her.

Her name. That was discussed at length with Draco and McGonagall. She was unwilling to let go of her first name but knew her last name would cause issues with her future self. Draco thought she was being ridiculous, but eventually conceded saying that she needed a pureblood sounding last name.

"Hermione Jean Vulpecula", she smiled at the goblin, her new name flowing easily off of her tongue.

"May I see your wand to confirm?" the goblin reached out his hand again.

"Certainly", she handed it over willingly. Thankfully having a brilliant, retired headmaster manipulate your wand identity was thought of before coming here. Anyone who scanned her wand for her identity or claim, it would now come up as Hermione Vulpecula. Her birthday was still the same, but as for her parents, they are both deceased in her new reality, and she came into wealth from winnings and also inheritance. After a few scans, the goblin handed her wand back to her.

"Your check has been cashed now, Miss Vulpecula. May you need anything else?"

"Yes, just a deposit of some money and I'll be on my way", she fluttered her hand away as she smiled," Thank you so much."

This is so easier than I thought it'd be so far.

"Can I get you anything else?"

Hermione looked up at her server at the Leaky Cauldron and asked her.

"No, thank you", she smiled back," I'm fine."

Truth be told, she was fantastic. She hadn't had a good meal in what felt like forever or a good cup of tea. She had ordered herself lunch while she went over the ads for flats in today's Daily Prophet. On the way to the Leaky Cauldron, she passed by the entrance for Knockturn Alley, a shiver going through her as she did so. Was he in there right now? Was he working? He would be working at Borgin and Burkes at this point in his life, no doubt trying to find his horcrux items. It isn't crazy to think that she could just run into him out in public. The thought if she already had and didn't realize it made her skin crawl. Would she recognize him? She had never seen what Voldemort looked like as Tom Riddle, just recalling what Harry had told her after he defeated his horcrux their second year. She was on the lookout for a tall, pale boy with black hair.

That narrows it down…

She couldn't force herself to meet him. It had to happen organically. She needed him to be interested in getting to know her. She had to be aloof and charming. A Pureblood. She knew few things about him that Draco was able to provide, like his upbringing, his family, and his time at Hogwarts. At this point in his life, he would have already killed Moaning Myrtle turning the diary into a horcrux, and then his father and grandfather turning his family ring into another horcrux. She knew Hepzibah Smith wasn't going to be for another few years and vowed to herself to get the Hufflepuff cup before he knew it existed, along with the Ravenclaw diadem. He would be dead by then if she had anything to say about it, but it didn't hurt to be proactive. She had no idea how difficult or long killing him could take.

"And this unit is available to move into immediately?" Hermione asked the sales witch, Miss Casteel, circling the sitting area.

"Yes, Miss Vulpecula", the Miss Casteel smiled at her," You could move in today if you'd like."

"And it comes unfurnished?" Hermione turned to her.

"Unfortunately, yes, but I am more than happy to recommend shops and furniture stores in the area", she smiled back. Hermione knew she was chomping at the bit to sell her this flat, but luckily for her, Hermione wasn't in the position to shop around for too long."

Sighing one last time like she was contemplating, Hermione decided to rent the modest two-bedroom flat that overlooked Godric's Hollow with the charming garden in the backyard with a balcony looking over it and was pleased at the progress she had already made that day.

"I'll take it", she smiled at the witch," And a list of those furniture stores would be great."

Miss Casteel beamed," Perfect! I will draw up the contracts. Here is a list for you while I do so."

She handed Hermione a piece of parchment for her to look over as she drew up her flat agreement. As Hermione looked it over, one name stood out above the rest.

Borgin and Borkes

"Uh- excuse me", Hermione interrupted the witch going over the rental agreement," What is this shop? You'll have to excuse me, I'm not from the area."

Miss Casteel looked at the name of the shop, her face paling as she saw what Hermione was pointing at.

"Uh- you'll have to excuse me Miss Vulpecula", she muttered, taking her quill out and crossing out the name," I don't make these lists, our office does, and they are obligated to list every shop that you could potentially buy merchandise or furniture from."

Hermione watched with amusement at the witch's flustered movements trying to cross off all of the Knockturn Alley shops from the list. She had already known about these shops obviously but being new to the area and already meeting people, she couldn't risk anyone not knowing anyone. Who's to say Miss Casteel selling her apartment to her doesn't know Pureblood families in the area?

"Is there something wrong with these shops?" Hermione asked innocently, taking the list back that had black scratches marking several spots. She could tell Miss Casteel didn't want to give the whole game away.

"They are just in Knockturn Alley", she started to explain," I don't know if you have seen the sign, but the uh-"

She paused.

"It's just home to some seedy characters and creatures", Miss Casteel explained," And a lot of cursed items are sold in those shops. I would not recommend a witch of your stature and class to go in there by herself."

Hermione nodded with understanding, thinking it humorous that her new identity was already working. This woman had no idea to who Hermione actually was and how much of a monster she felt like. This is too easy…

"Well thank you for the heads up", Hermione smiled at her," Do I just sign here?"

Sitting on her new living floor, having conjured up a wine glass and going out to the local shop to get a bottle of wine and some food, she basked in her accomplishments of the day and wondered if Draco had told Head Quarters that she isn't coming back. At least for a long time. What would she even go back to? Killing Voldemort now, it would change everything completely. Would she still be friends with Harry? Ron? Would Draco be as cruel in school as he was? Would they still be as close as they've become in the future, or would he have no idea who she was? The thought of the future she could return to started making her nervous, filling her stomach with anxiety. Her entire reality would be flipped on its head and what she left would not be what she went back to.

In truth she had no idea what the outcome could be. Time was not linear. There wasn't a lot of history written about the long-term effects of time traveling. She knew it wasn't good how many decades she had traveled back. She was actually surprised she managed to travel back in time without splitting a time gap and fucking up the entire wizarding timeline. She gulped down the rest of the wine in her glass and leaned her head back against the wall behind her, smiling.

Silence.

No bombs going off. No immediate threat of someone barging in to kill her. She hadn't known peace like this in years and she basked in it. Her new life was just starting off and she knew it wouldn't be quiet like this all of the time. She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling and her thoughts drifted to the furniture list. Miss Casteel gave her the perfect opportunity and excuse to venture into Knockturn Alley, and she was going to use it. She knew he would be working there as Tom Riddle but knew he had already created the name Voldemort for himself. She had to appear aloof when she finally met him. Uninterested. She already knew that if she showed too much interest, he wouldn't be interested.

Sighing, she leaned back and lay on the hardwood floor beneath her. Even with no bed, she was infinitely more comfortable than she had been in years. She had already checked the door locks and the window locks about 5 times out of habit for peace of mind. Snuffing out the light, she sighed deeply, relishing the way her back cracked. She had a long day tomorrow of starting to establish herself as a socialite in this new society and planning her run in with one, Tom Riddle. Smiling as she let sleep claim her, imagining the day she got to drive a knife right through his skull.

xoxo