A/N: Dearest readers, please forgive my absence. I went back to work after some time off due to Rona and this escaped my routine. I am doing my best to get back on track. Much love to you all. Enjoy.

"Lillian, could you put this box of books away? They're all magical creature books."

Without uttering a response, the witch in question waved her wand at the box before walking to the section of the book shop dedicated to books about magical beings with the box floating behind her. She then began muttering a single incantation as she repeatedly waved her wand between the box of books and the shelves. Occasionally, she paused long enough to pick up a book and flip through its pages before allowing it to fly to its destination.

When the store opened, Barold allowed the younger witch to continue putting the inventory away while he took care of customers. Every time all of the books were put away, more boxes came through the floo.

It was nearly eleven in the morning when the floo stopped spewing boxes into the room. By that point, "Lillian" was exhausted. She returned to the front counter and leaned heavily on the wood. "I think that is finally the last of it."

Barold chuckled at the tired witch. "This is why I keep young bodies around. I would have fallen over already if I had been the one putting everything up. You made great time." He clapped his hands together once before wiggling his eyebrows. "You missed a box though."

'Lillian' vigorously shook her head. "I thought I got all of them." She began to frantically peer around the room, hoping to spot the missing box.

Again, the older gentleman laughed as he commanded a small box in his hands to enlarge. The box was not a typical shipment box. "This box is for you to have, not for you to put away. How about you take an early lunch so that you can check these out some?"

Lillian took the box from Barrold's hands and began to open it.

"No. Go get lunch, Lillian. You deserve it. I'll see you in an hour."

The raven haired woman peered at the old man skeptically before shrinking the box and placing it inside the pocket of her cloak. "I'll be back in an hour. You sure you don't need me to stay?"

"No, no. Go enjoy. I insist." He waved her off, gesturing wildly for her to leave.

Lillian laughed at his exaggerated movements. "Alright. I'm going." She grabbed her maroon and gold scarf off of its hook and exited the book store. She was not very hungry yet, so she decided to go home for her break. That would give her the best opportunity to investigate this box from Barold.

Turning on her heel, Hermione disappeared with a 'pop' before reappearing in her apartment. Once inside, she shrugged off her traveling coat and peeled her woolen scarf off of her neck. She sighed and glanced around the room. She would have to make due with reading on her bed. There was no other option unless she wanted to stand.

Perching on the edge of the bed, Hermione gingerly opened the box. Inside of the box sat three books with a folded piece of parchment on top of them. Her eyes darted between the spines of the books and the note for a moment before she snatched the paper. Unfolding it, she noticed the elegance of the emerald ink sprawling across the yellowing paper.

Hermione,

I do not know what you are searching for or why you really came to my store. You have been the best employee I have ever had the pleasure of working with, but I know you're looking for something that will never appear on the shelves of my store. I have spent many hours taking note of the books that you read, and I hope that I am onto something. I hope you find answers within these tomes. They are from my personal collection, and I trust that you will find accurate research within their pages.

Happy Christmas

Barold

Hermione immediately set the note to the side and grabbed the first book from the box. The title had faded from the cover, so she gently opened it to the cover page. Memory Magic: Delving into the Mind. Hermione gasped, and resisted the urge to immediately begin reading. Had she been so obvious when researching a cure for her parents? Placing it by her hip, she inspected the next tome. The cover, although covered in dust, was legible. The gold writing stood out well against the navy background. Everything No One Needs To Know About Time. Flipping it open, the book's pages were blank. She stared at the white pages and frantically flipped through them. At the very back of the book was a short Author's Note.

"Hello, ignorant reader.

You are not meant to read this book. No one is. Time Magic is dangerous for you and the entire balance of the world. Read with caution if you must indulge. Do not apply what you read. You have been warned.

Anonymous"

Hermione scowled at the writing and flipped back to the front of the book. When she reached the first page, text slowly began to appear on the page. Eyes growing wide, she scanned through the book, noting that all of the pages were filling with ink.

She made a mental note to ask Barold how the book worked when she returned from her lunch.

Moving onto the next book, she was pleased to see that it was not covered in dust. Her smile faltered when she read the title, Recovering from War. The title page informed her that the book had been written immediately following the First Wizarding War. It appeared to combine muggle psychology and wizarding healing practices.

Hermione was unsure whether she wanted to read that book at the moment. Psychology involved studying the brain, and Hermione was not quite ready to look inside of her own head too much. She'd rather forget all of it.

She shook her head and placed all of the books on her nightstand. She still had forty minutes left for her lunch.

Standing, she decided she may as well go eat before she needed to return to the book shop. She turned on her heel and apparated to the pub where she and Andromeda had eaten only a few weeks prior. She took her normal booth in the corner and ordered a butterbeer with Shepherd's pie. She received her butterbeer immediately but was informed that her food would require a few minutes.

As she waited for her meal, she gazed around her surroundings, only then noticing the witch sitting at the bar. The pub was busy, although not packed. The witch was leaning against the counter between an elder wizard with a well trimmed silver beard that solidifidied his identitiy as a grey fox and a middle- ged witch with cascading red hair wearing a blouse cut rather low, and all three were clearly nursing a drink. Hermione could not believe she walked right past the witch without noticing the bushy ebony hair. She could have picked it out anywhere.

Rubbing her forehead, she tried to figure out what to do. If Andromeda had come to find her, she did not understand how the witch ended up in the pub. It would have been more logical for her to return to the bookstore.

On the contrary, maybe she came here because she had not wanted to be found. After all, she had mentioned that she initially came to the bookstore because she knew she would not be recognized. Perhaps she needed to grieve away from prying eyes.

With that thought, Hermione pulled her eyes away from the woman's back. If she was here to grieve, Hermione should not stare at her. She understood the need for space more than anyone.

When her food arrived, she forced her mind off of the woman at the bar. She attempted to think about anything else. She began reciting spells in her head as she voraciously ate her food.

She needed to remove herself from this situation. If Andromeda had wanted her to know she was there, she would have sought her out.

Upon clearing her plate, she stood up, making a beeline for the exit. In her haste, she knocked into a wizard carrying drinks to a table. The glasses fell from his tray before either of them could retrieve their wand.

All eyes fell upon the pair, and Hermione felt Lillian's cheeks turn red. She was prepared to bolt from the restaurant when she heard a voice from the bar. "Hey, I know you."