The Hogwarts library looked the same as ever, Hermione thought, as she walked through the stacks, running her hands over the spines.
As Hermione rounded a corner, she stopped, startled at seeing almost a mirror image of herself examining the shelves. Then it dawned on her. Hermione was looking at Belle.
"Belle!" Hermione exclaimed, overcome with joy at seeing her.
Belle turned and screamed in delight. The two women ran to each other, embracing and laughing in joy.
"Hermione!" Belle cried. "It's so good to see you doing well. I've thought about you and the others often."
"And I've thought about you! So, so much," Hermione said. "Sometimes I think I see flashes of events in my dreams that I think might be what's happening in your life, but I never can remember them fully or figure out what happened."
"I dream often of Hogwarts," Belle said thoughtfullly. "I'd assumed it was my mind creating things from my past experiences there, but perhaps I'm seeing flashes of your life too."
"Well, I recently graduated from Hogwarts," Hermione said. "So, if, in the future, you dream of an office building, that might be my life you're seeing." Hermione wondered if Belle even knew what an office building would look like. She doubted Belle would come across them often in her life in the 18th century.
"You graduated?" Belle exclaimed. "I suppose that means you're no longer at Hogwarts then. Congratulations!"
"Thank you. It still feels odd to be done with school. It was about two weeks ago that September 1st rolled around and it felt strange not to be boarding the train and going to school," Hermione said. Then she had a realization and did a little mental math. "I suppose that means been almost exactly a year since we switched places."
"That's right," Belle said thoughtfully. "Do you think that's why we can finally see each other? Because it's that time?"
"Perhaps," Hermione said. "Though I can't explain why it's happening. Perhaps it's some holdout from the connection we shared."
"A connection we'll always share. Whether or not we see each other again. You'll always live on and be part of me in my heart," Belle said affectionately. "You opened up my world so much. I'm not sure I ever would have found out about magic otherwise. I might have had that magical suppression and memory modification my mother put on me forever."
Hermione felt her eyes fill with tears at Belle's sweet words. "I'm so glad that, despite everything, you don't resent me for what I did." Despite all the work she'd done to move on from the past, Hermione still felt guilt at interfering with innocent people's lives. Especially someone so kind as Belle.
"Of course not!" Belle said earnestly. "And, to tell you the truth, I might have brought the situation on myself. I'd asked for a great adventure. And I certainly got one."
Hermione took Belle's hand and squeezed it, something easing inside of her chest. "I'm glad it all worked out in the end," she said, grateful that she could move on from her guilt. "Did it? Work out for you?"
"Beyond anything I could have imagined," Belle said genuinely. "There definitely were some awful things that happened too, but all things considered, I'm so happy with my life." Hermione could hear the warmth and happiness in Belle's voice.
"Things have worked out well for me, too," Hermione said smiling. "I've completely changed from the desperate girl who sought to escape her life last year."
"We've both done a lot of growing it seems. Oh Hermione, I have so much I want to ask you!" Belle said, eager to hear about news from Hogwarts and the magical world she'd spent almost a week in. "And I want to find out what's happened in your life."
"Likewise," Hermione said. "Tell me about what's happened with you." Hermione, too, was keen to hear about what had happened at the Beast's — Adam's — castle after the enchantment was reversed and the asylum inmates had been released.
And, although both girls didn't initially mention it, they both wanted to know about the other's love lives. Hermione truly hoped that she hadn't irrevocably split apart the Beauty and the Beast with her interference. She hoped that Belle and Adam would get together. And likewise, Belle who had heard Draco's confession of love hoped that Hermione somehow found out that Draco loved her and got with him.
At Hermione's request, Belle began to recount her adventures, but, before too long, the connection ended and the dream shifted. The connection only maintained as long as both women were asleep and the right circumstances could make their dreams align.
Fortunately, the connection lasted five more nights. And in those five subsequent nights, Belle and Hermione appeared in each other's dreams. It gave both women enough time to catch each other up on their lives and talk of the future.
It does not need to be said that both women were thrilled beyond measure to hear that the other had found love and happiness. In turn, both women were excited to hear about the meaningful changes that the other sought to make in the world. Both women would have great contributions and impact the lives of many during their lifetimes.
And so it was that every year, in late September on the anniversary of their switch, the two women would dream of each other for six nights and get to catch each other up on their lives. They could consult with each other and share knowledge.
In that way, the connection between these two remarkable women endured for the rest of their lives.
