A/N - I messed up some dates in Chapters 16 & 17 so I went back in and changed them. Nothing changged about the content of the story. So sorry if you got alerts for those chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 18

21 July 2003

"Hermione, can you hear me? I can't get your wards down."

Hermione could hear someone talking to her. Padma, yes, she'd been talking to Padma. About Lucius Malfoy being Imperiused. And Voldemort and…shite.

"Hermione, I need to get Draco. I'm going to send him a Patronus."

"No!" Hermione forced her eyes open. She was sitting in what she assumed was her desk chair but reclined back. Someone had transfigured it into a chaise. Padma, right.

"No, don't get Draco. I need to," Hermione paused and took a deep breath. Blowing the breath out slowly, she managed to sit up. "I need to ask you a few things."

"Hermione, I really think that Draco should take you to get checked over." Padma bit her lip, looking at Hermione in concern.

"I'm fine, Padma. I promise."

"You fainted. Thank Merlin you fell into your chair and not the floor."

"I didn't faint I was just…taken by surprise."

Padma's eyes narrowed. "You were swaying on your feet and then you fell back. You didn't respond to me for several seconds. And what are these wards? I don't even recognize some of these."

"Some of them are Unspeakable level. Others, I learned, well, that's not important. I have questions."

"I really think you should get checked over by a Healer."

Hermione drew her wand and waved it over herself. A diagnostic appeared in the air in front of her. Padma stared at her in shock.

"Unspeakable remember?" Hermione said. All Unspeakables were taught basic Healing spells, including diagnostics. Given the sometimes volatile nature of the things they worked with, it was a necessity.

"Everything looks fine with both me and the baby."

Padma's eyes narrowed. "How am I supposed to know you're not just saying that?"

"I realize you don't know me, but I would never endanger an innocent child. No matter how badly I wanted answers." Hermione stared at the other woman.

Padma sighed. "No, of course you wouldn't. I'm sorry it's just, you really scared me."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting," she trailed off shaking her head. Not now. She wasn't going to get into the differences in their worlds now. She had questions and based on the answers needed to decide what to do.

"Do you know how this Hermione became friends with Harry and Ron?"

Padma looked at her in confusion. "You met on the train, first year."

"Right, but were we friends right away? Or did it take a while?"

"I mean, I wasn't in your house, so I don't know for certain. But I think it was right away. At least Parvati said you were."

Hermione's brow furrowed. That didn't make much sense given how Ron had felt about her before Halloween. Had she been less, well, her, at first? Hermione knew that she had been a bit of a know-it-all when she first came to Hogwarts. She'd had a need to prove herself, prove that she belonged, that she could be the best witch there ever was. Especially after she'd realized how many of her classmates had grown up around magic their entire lives. She was behind before she even started, and she'd hated it. So, it was a surprise to her that Ron, especially, had been her friend from the beginning here.

"Did anything strange happen at the Halloween feast our first year?"

Padma's brow furrowed. "No. Not that I remember anyway."

Hermione sat back in her seat. A troll in the school was definitely a memorable event. "Who was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher first year?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Please, Padma."

"Professor Jones. She quit at the end of first year. Went back to the Ministry as a Hit Wizard."

"Hestia Jones?"

Padma nodded.

Hestia Jones was a member of the Order, so Hermione supposed it made sense that Dumbledore had hired her to teach Defense, especially if she was a Hit Wizard. She hadn't been in Hermione's world. The odd thing was though, she had only joined the Order after Voldemort's return. She hadn't been a member during the first war as she'd been too young.

"What about Professor Quirrell?"

"The Muggle Studies teacher?" Padma asked. "What about him?"

Muggle Studies teacher. Not Defense teacher. Had Quirrell never gone searching for Voldemort? And if he hadn't, then was Quirrell still alive?

"Is he alive?"

"I mean, as far as I know, yeah. He was when we left Hogwarts anyway."

"He taught Muggle Studies the whole time you were in school? Never taught Defense?"

Padma snorted. "Quirrell? Teach Defense? Definitely not."

"Who was the Defense teacher second year?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart," Padma said with a roll of her eyes. "Absolutely worthless too. I don't think I learned anything that year except what his favorite color was."

"Why did he leave?"

"He was sacked. They found out he never did anything he said he did in his books. Turned out he was Obliviating other witches and wizards and taking credit for what they did. Spent some time in Azkaban for illegal memory charms."

"Anything else unusual happen second year?" Hermione asked.

"No. Why do you keep asking that though? What happened in your world?"

"It's a very long story that I'm not going to get into right now." So, no Philosopher's Stone and no Chamber of Secrets. The Chamber didn't make a lot of sense to her given Lucius Malfoy was still under the Imperius Curse through their second year. Wouldn't he have still given Ginny the diary then? Was it possible that the Voldemort of this universe hadn't made Horcruxes? It didn't seem likely given all she knew about the megalomaniac. Or maybe he'd never given the diary to the Malfoys. But the prophecy must have still existed or why else would he have tried to kill Harry? It was all very confusing.

"Why is it so important that you know all of this anyway?" Padma asked. "I thought you didn't intend to be here very long."

"I don't, but I still need to know a few things," Hermione said. "Suffice it to say that I may need to give someone some information."

"About Voldemort?"

Hermione looked at her sharply.

"I mean, it's rather obvious. You nearly fainted when I told you that Voldemort was killed in 1981 and now, you're asking all these strange questions about things that happened at Hogwarts. I'm guessing he wasn't killed in 1981 in your world."

"Not exactly, no."

"What does that mean?"

"I can't explain right now, Padma. I promise I will if it's information you need though."

Padma stared at her for a few moments, then sighed. "Fine. What else do you need to know?"

"Did you have the Triwizard Tournament in fourth year?"

"Yes."

"And who were the champions?"

"Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts."

"That's it?"

Padma looked at her oddly. "You do know 'tri' means three, right? Three schools, three champions?"

"Yes, of course I do, it's just," Hermione shook her head. "Never mind. Who won?"

Padma was still looking at Hermione as if she might have really lost her mind. "Cedric."

Hermione nodded. "And Cedric, he's…all right?"

Padma shrugged. "I guess so. It's not like we were friends or anything but last I knew he was working for Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry."

They fell silent. Not only had the events of their first two years not happened, Harry hadn't been entered into the Tournament. And Cedric had survived it. Given that Padma hadn't seemed particularly concerned with the outcome, it seemed that both Viktor and Fleur had survived it as well. So, the fact remained, did Voldemort make Horcruxes or not? Was he still alive or not?

There were so many other unknowns. It seemed like there still must have been a prophecy about Harry otherwise why would Voldemort have tried to kill him? But was it still Pettigrew that had betrayed the Potters or had they never been in hiding in the first place? Had Sirius gone to Azkaban and escaped their third year, or had he never gone at all? Or had he escaped earlier? What about Barty Crouch Jr.? Had he broken free of his father's Imperius or was he still hidden in his father's house even now? Or had things been so different that he either hadn't ever been a Death Eater at all or had his father never broken him out of Azkaban?

She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. She could feel a headache starting. What was she going to do? If the Horcruxes did exist, it's not as if she could go off on a hunt. First of all, there was no guarantee they were the same objects or hidden in the same places. Secondly, she didn't intend to be here long enough for that. Third, she was pregnant. And she was married and had a job. She couldn't just disappear without explanation.

She would need to give someone else the information but who? Dumbledore would be the obvious choice, but Hermione wasn't too keen on that. She did not want to try to explain to Dumbledore who she was and where she'd come from. Knowing him as she did, he would try to meddle or manipulate. She had enough problems getting back to her own world without Albus Dumbledore sticking his hand in it.

Lucius was an option but not a good one. Hermione had no idea how he would react to the fact that his daughter-in-law's body was being inhabited by another her from a different universe. Given his concern over his grandchild, Hermione did not want to have any conversation that might make him think the baby was in danger.

Professor Snape maybe? He would likely be more level-headed than Lucius, but he was still close to the Malfoys. He was Draco's godfather after all. She didn't know how he would react to finding out she was sharing a body with her other self either.

Draco wasn't an option at all, as far as she was concerned, for all the above reasons. Plus, he'd never been a Death Eater here. Hermione wasn't especially eager to introduce him to all that ugliness. And wasn't that mind-boggling, her wanting to protect Draco? She supposed it was the influence of her other self. But regardless, he wasn't really an option at all.

Padma would probably help her but again, Hermione didn't want her to have to. It wouldn't be like it had been for her, Harry, and Ron, she knew that. There wouldn't be any camping in a tent, searching for months on end for any kind of clue that might help them find another Horcrux while having to evade Snatchers and Death Eaters. But it wouldn't necessarily be quick and easy either. There was no guarantee they'd be the same objects or in the same places they had been in her world.

Sirius was already suspicious that something was going on. Being an Auror, she supposed he would be a useful resource. But both of those things also made her hesitate. As an Auror, would he feel it was his duty to bring her into the Ministry? Could she be charged with using illegal magic? No matter that it had been an accident that had taken her to the first universe, she had actively jumped ever since. At the least, he might turn her over to the DOM here and she'd be stuck for who knows how long. She wasn't about to do that to the other Hermione and Draco, especially when they were expecting a baby.

And Harry, she was not going to involve Harry. Granted, she hadn't really spent any time with him in this universe but the fact that he was playing professional Quidditch instead of being an Auror was enough to tell her how his life had gone here. She wasn't about to turn him into the Chosen One.

Her other self had been remarkably quiet. Hermione hadn't felt anything from her since she'd figured out things hadn't gone the same way here as they had in all the other universes. She was likely in shock. Hermione wondered if her other self had access to her memories. She figured she probably didn't as Hermione didn't have access to her other self's. But if the other Hermione did, she was likely rattling through Hermione's brain taking it all in.

"Hermione?" Padma finally said, breaking the silence.

She needed to set this aside for a moment and concentrate on why she'd asked Padma here in the first place.

"The reason I really asked you here was the Universe Hopper. Would you be willing to study it and see if you can come up with any other options that we might not have thought of?"

"I," Padma looked a bit taken aback at the change in topic. "I mean, sure, but I'm not an Ancient Runes expert or anything. I got my N.E.W.T. in it but I've been focused on Charms and Arithmancy since I left Hogwarts."

"We've translated all the Runes and symbols. The Padma in the third universe did find a translation error but nothing since," Hermione said, mind beginning to turn at the possibility of Arithmancy or Charms applications to the device. It was heavily charmed, that was obvious. Perhaps there was something in the Charms work that might help? But that could result in Padma accidentally activating it. Hermione would be stranded here and Padma would end up Merlin knew where.

"But maybe a new set of eyes would find something the rest of us haven't," Hermione said aloud. "This is the first universe where you weren't an Unspeakable."

"Of course, I'll look at it."

"We'll have to set up security measures," Hermione mused. I don't want it activating on you."

"We have a variety of containment units for experiments," Padma said. "I can show you if you like."

"Yes, thank you," Hermione said as she stood from her desk. She closed the box with the Universe Hopper and put it back into her pocket.

Padma rose as well. "I still wish you would get checked by a Healer."

"I promise you that I'm fine," Hermione said. "I was just a bit shocked is all."

"A bit?" Padma said skeptically.

"Okay, more than a bit. Here, let me show you." She cast the diagnostic again and pointed things out to Padma, explaining what each one meant.

"Will you teach me to cast it?" Padma asked.

"If you like," Hermione replied. She dropped the wards on her office and was just about to open the door when there was a knock. She opened the door to find Draco standing on the other side.

"Oh, hello, Padma."

"Draco," Padma replied.

"Am I interrupting?" Draco asked.

"Erm, no, we were just finishing up," Hermione said. "Padma, you'll get back to me as soon as possible?" She didn't want to go down to the labs with Padma now. It was likely to raise questions from Draco. Questions she couldn't answer. And Hermione had no idea how to get to the lab herself. She would need Padma to take her there.

"Of course," Padma said, seeming to catch on. "Thirty minutes all right?"

"That should be fine, yes."

Padma nodded and left. Draco followed Hermione back into her office.

"New project?"

"Sorry, what?"

"You and Padma. Are you working on something new?"

"Oh, erm, not yet really. We're just discussing some ideas."

"What kind of ideas?" Draco settled into one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Hermione made her way back to her desk chair, wondering what to tell him. He oversaw new projects, but Hermione had no idea what the process was. Did she have to run things by him right away or was it just when she'd decided on something to pursue?

"Nothing concrete yet. Very preliminary."

Draco nodded. "I can't wait to hear about it when you're ready."

Hermione smiled and inwardly sighed in relief. "What brings you to my office?"

"Just wanted to see how you were feeling?"

"I'm fine, Draco."

In reality, the nausea was still there. She was managing though. She knew if she told Draco, he'd suggest going to Professor Snape and Hermione really didn't want to speak to him right now. She wasn't sure how she would react on seeing him for one thing. And for another, she really wanted to see what Padma had to say about the Universe Hopper. The other Hermione could speak to Snape about altering her potion when Hermione jumped again.

"You're sure? We could go speak to Severus."

"No, no, I'm fine, honestly. If things get worse again, I'll talk to him."

Draco studied her for a moment and Hermione was afraid he didn't believe her. Finally, he spoke again. "If you're sure."

"I am," she said with a smile.

"All right. I'll see you at lunch then." He stood from his chair.

"Right," Hermione said. Was he going to pick her up for lunch or did she meet him somewhere? Bugger, she was going to have to ask. "You'll pick me up?"

He grinned at her. "Course. I want to make sure you actually go, don't I?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and he laughed. He leaned over her desk and kissed her. She'd managed to get used to it and no longer felt like she was going to flinch away from him.

"See you later, love." He gave her a wave and then left her office.

Hermione blew out a breath and sat back in her chair. Merlin, she hoped that Padma could find something new with the Universe Hopper.

The labs and experiment rooms were amazing, even better than the ones they had in the DOM. Hermione couldn't get over the layers of wards and protections on each space. She supposed when money was no object, you could afford the best.

"We can but the device here." Padma indicated a clear box. "The magical containment field should keep it from activating but allow us to study the spells and charms that are on it."

"Should?" Hermione questioned.

"I've never worked with something like this so of course I can't be one hundred percent certain. But we've never had any mishaps before." Her lips pursed in thought. "Do you know what would happen if it activated while no one was touching it? Would it just disappear?"

"I don't think it can be activated unless at least one of the rings is turned," Hermione said. "That's how I ended up jumping in the first place." She was a bit terrified at the prospect of the Universe Hopper disappearing to who knew where and Hermione being stranded here. This universe seemed to be a rather good one; so many people that had died in her world were alive here. But still, it wasn't her world, and she doubted that her other self would be happy sharing a body forever.

Padma nodded. "We'll be sure to keep it stationary then. It should be relatively easy to do if we leave it in its box before we put it inside. I'll still be able to run diagnostic charms on it to see if we can determine what we're working with."

"Have you ever studied a Time-turner here?" Hermione asked out of curiosity. If Voldemort hadn't returned in this world, then the battle at the Ministry her fifth year must not have happened. Meaning that the Time-turners there hadn't been destroyed.

Padma scoffed. "No, that's one secret the Ministry is keeping to themselves. Although, I'm fairly sure that Mr. Malfoy has someone working on developing one. The Department of Mysteries isn't our biggest fan."

"Taken a bit of their work away from them, have you?" Hermione asked.

"Something like that," Padma said with a smirk. "For safety's sake, you should stand over there." She pointed to a corner of the room where there was a distinctive shimmer. "It's warded with a shield charm that will block pretty much anything."

Hermione walked to the corner in fascination. "Even the Unforgiveables?"

"The Imperius, yes. It won't completely block the Cruciatus, but it does dull it significantly. Doesn't block the killing curse, unfortunately. We'll still working on that."

Merlin. If only the Malfoys of her world had used their money and intelligence for building something like this company instead of supporting evil Dark wizards. Hermione took her place behind the shield.

Padma settled the Universe Hopper in the magical containment box. She studied it for a few minutes before casting the first spell. Like the medical diagnostic Hermione had cast on herself earlier, a series of numbers and symbols appeared in the air. Padma studied them with a frown of concentration on her face. She prodded a few of the numbers with her wand, making notes on a piece of parchment that hovered in the air next to her. It was riveting watching her work, even if Hermione didn't know what the diagnostics meant.

Eventually, Hermione had to conjure a chair and sit down. The nausea was getting worse, and she pulled a ginger chew from her pocket, popping it into her mouth and hoping it would help. She really should take another dose of the nausea potion, but it was back in her office, and she didn't want to disrupt Padma's concentration. Padma had warded the room after they'd entered, and she would have to be the one to take the wards down. Hermione would wait until she had to get back to her office to meet Draco for lunch.

"Padma?" Hermione said tentatively about thirty minutes later. She didn't want to startle the other woman.

Padma looked over at her as if she'd forgotten Hermione was there. "Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry. I got so focused, I just-"

Hermione laughed. "I know the feeling. It's just, Draco's going to come for me soon and I should be back in my office."

"Right, of course." Padma began taking down the wards she had placed on the room.

"Find anything?" Hermione asked as she stepped out from behind the shield.

"Quite a lot, actually." Padma laughed. "Not that I understand any of it."

Hermione's heart sank. She had been hoping that going at the Universe Hopper from a different angle besides the symbols and runes would get her back to her own world.

Padma must have seen something on Hermione's face because she was quick to amend her statement. "Not that I understand yet, I should say. There's quite a bit here and I'm just documenting everything before I do some research to try and figure it all out."

"Right, of course," Hermione said. "This isn't going to interfere with anything you're working on for M.I is it? I wouldn't want to put you in an awkward position."

"No, actually. I've got another experiment running but it's just in the preliminary stages. No one is going to expect any results for a while. And it also gives me a reason to be in the lab. Besides, you're my boss." She smiled and winked.

Hermione chuckled. "All right then. You'll let me know when you find something?"

Padma nodded.

"Thank you, Padma. For believing me and for all of this."

Padma smiled softly. "You're one of my best friends, Hermione. Of course, I would."

Hermione hugged the other woman and then quickly left the lab. She swiped at the traitorous tears that had formed, blaming them on hormones and heading back to her office.

22 July 2003

"You're sure you're up for this?" Draco asked again. He had been keeping a very close eye on her the last two days. She knew he really wanted to speak to Severus about the potion, but Hermione was trying to avoid it. She was trying to avoid as many people as possible in this world, given how different it was than any of the others. And honestly, she would rather not go to Harry and Pansy's for that very reason. She couldn't tell Draco that though.

"I'm fine. Honestly." She moved towards him and put her arms around his neck. It was the first time she'd initiated any physical contact between them since she'd gotten here. If Draco had noticed, he hadn't said anything. His arms looped around her waist and he smiled down at her. Hermione steeled herself and rose on tiptoe to kiss him. Draco enthusiastically returned it.

She had to admit, as kissing went, he was incredibly talented. As long as she remembered that this Draco wasn't the Draco from her world, she could let herself enjoy kissing him. It hadn't happened that often and she had so far been successful in evading any further advances from him. Using the pregnancy and her sickness as an excuse worked rather well. Kissing him though, that much she could do.

When she pulled back, he smirked down at her, then pulled her closer to him. "We could just stay here instead." He waggled his eyebrows, and she laughed, putting a hand on his chest to push him away.

"I'm sure Pansy would not appreciate that in the least."

Draco gave a long-suffering sigh. "No, we likely wouldn't hear the end of it. Maybe later though."

Hermione just smiled and walked to the Floo. "Come on, let's go."

Harry and Pansy lived at Potter Manor. Something Hermione hadn't even known existed. If it existed in her world, she didn't think Harry knew about it. If he did, he'd never said. It made sense though. The Potters had been an old, Pureblood family, even if they weren't Sacred Twenty-eight. Of course, they had an ancestral manor. She would have to ask her Harry about it when she got home. If she ever did.

It was strange seeing Harry here, living the kind of life he always should have, if Dumbledore hadn't given him to the Dursleys. Talking to Padma over the last couple of days, Hermione had found out that everything that had happened with Pettigrew and his betrayal of the Potters had also happened here. Sirius had indeed gone to Azkaban and escaped the summer before Harry's third year.

However, after Abraxas Malfoy died and the potions that he had been giving her for years were purged from her system, Narcissa Malfoy insisted on a trial for her cousin when she found out he'd never gotten one. Padma hadn't known all the particulars of how they'd found Sirius to bring him into the Ministry, just what the Prophet had reported, but he'd testified under Veritaserum, giving them all the information they needed about Pettigrew. Pettigrew, as Scabbers, had been taken from Ron and everything Sirius had told the Aurors had been corroborated. Sirius had been cleared of all charges immediately and after a few months at St. Mungo's with a Mind Healer to counteract the ravages of Azkaban and the Dementors, he'd produced James and Lily's will. In it, Sirius was named as Harry's guardian, of course, and Harry had gone to live with Sirius after third year.

Although Padma had no idea, Hermione was sure that Dumbledore hadn't been happy about that turn of events and had likely tried to convince Sirius to leave Harry at the Dursleys, even if it were only for a few weeks each summer. Hermione knew, though, that the moment Sirius had offered Harry a home, he would have no longer considered number four Privet Drive a home in any way, shape, or form and any protection living with his mother's sister would have given him would have ended.

As this Dumbledore had still sent Harry to live with the Dursleys, Hermione suspected that he didn't believe that Voldemort had died in 1981. But he'd never brought the Philosopher's Stone to the castle here. Which made her suspect that the Dumbledore of her world had known about Quirrell having Voldemort attached to his head. Otherwise, why wouldn't this Dumbledore have moved the stone for safekeeping once Harry had stared Hogwarts in this world? While she'd always suspected it, there was a part of her that hadn't wanted to believe it. The thought had incensed her as soon as she'd had it, and she'd had to go down to one of the labs at M.I. and destroy a few things to calm her rage.

Watching this Harry now, Hermione's heart clenched at how carefree he seemed, how happy and settled. Even before the problems with Ginny, the Harry of her world hadn't ever seemed this relaxed. She was sure that choosing to become an Auror hadn't helped anything. Even after defeating Voldemort, he was still trying to save the world.

They had finished supper and were sitting in one of the drawing rooms having drinks. Well, everyone else was having drinks, she was having sparkling water with a twist of lime. She'd managed to make it through supper even though her stomach had been rolling the entire time. She had barely eaten and didn't think that Draco had noticed but she couldn't be sure.

Pansy had. She'd been eyeing Hermione in concern since they'd left the table. Having Pansy Parkinson concerned about her was almost as surreal as being married to Draco. Watching Harry smile at his fiancée, clearly besotted, was a close third. He'd been just as happy with Luna, but it was different because it was Luna. There was no love lost between the Harry and Pansy in her world, that was for certain.

Draco and Pansy were sitting next to each other in two armchairs discussing something related to the wedding. Harry was sitting beside her on the couch. "You all right?"

"Fine, why do you ask?"

"You left the match before the celebration Saturday. Pans said you weren't feeling well."

"One of the consequences of pregnancy, unfortunately," she said with a smile, hoping to reassure Harry.

He studied her intently for a few moments.

"What?" she finally asked.

"Dunno, you seem…different."

Hermione's heart began to beat faster. None of the Harrys in the other universes had seemed to notice anything. Or at least they hadn't said. She decided she might as well play the pregnancy card again. "I am different, Harry. You try having someone take over your body and see how you feel."

He chuckled. "Okay, okay, you're right."

"Of course, I am."

Harry shook his head fondly. "Never get tired of reminding us of that do you?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders with a smirk. Harry laughed and reached out and hugged her. She let herself relax against him for a moment, relishing being in the arms of her best friend, even if he wasn't actually her best friend. When he pulled back from her, he gently tugged at one of her curls and smiled. Hermione returned it, hoping it didn't look pained. She really missed her Harry.

Even as she thought it, she could feel the tears pricking at the back of her eyes. She excused herself quickly to use the loo.

When she had composed herself and stepped back into the corridor, Pansy was waiting for her.

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Something is going on with you. You looked like you were about to cry in there."

"It's just pregnancy hormones," Hermione said waving her hand as if dismissing it as anything of importance.

Pansy, however, didn't look convinced. "Does this have something to do with Sirius?"

"Sirius?"

"I saw the looks he was giving you at the match. And Draco said he found you outside the box with Sirius and you looked ill."

"I ran into Sirius when I was coming back from the loo. We were just talking and I felt nauseated, so he conjured me a chair. As for the looks, I don't know what you mean." She plastered a look of confusion on her face.

"He kept giving you these calculated looks. Like he was trying to figure out a puzzle or something."

"Huh, I didn't notice. And he didn't say anything to me about when we were talking." Hermione shrugged. Gods, she needed to get out of this house and this universe. No one had been this suspicious in any of the others.

Unfortunately, she had left the Universe Hopper with Padma to continue to study. They'd decided it was too risky for Padma to bring it back to her each day. Instead, it was in a warded drawer in Padma's desk when Padma wasn't studying it in the lab. It was the first time Hermione had let anyone else keep it in their possession and she already regretted it.

"Don't think I didn't see that you barely ate anything at dinner either," Pansy continued.

"Yeah, my morning sickness seems to last all day."

"You could have cancelled you know. We would have understood."

"I didn't want to worry, Draco. He wants to take me to the Healer every other second, I swear." Hermione rolled her eyes.

Pansy laughed. "That doesn't surprise me at all. But honestly, you shouldn't push yourself."

"I'm not, I promise. But maybe it would be better if we left. I am rather tired."

"Of course," Pansy said. She linked her arm through Hermione's. "I need you rested for Saturday anyway."

"Saturday?"

"Yes, Saturday. Honestly, that baby has stolen your brain." Pansy rolled her eyes. "Shopping for my wedding robes, remember?"

"Oh right, of course," Hermione said, looking sheepish. She really hoped Padma had found something because there was no way she was going shopping with Pansy on Saturday.

Hermione and Draco left shortly after Hermione had returned from the loo with Pansy. When Draco stepped out of the Floo, he took her in his arms and kissed her. She could taste the Firewhiskey he and Harry had been drinking on his tongue. Without conscious thought, she pulled herself closer to him and Draco responded by tightening his arms around her, one hand burying itself in her hair as he continued to kiss her.

She shouldn't be responding to him, she thought to herself as his lips left hers. Hermione took a shuddering breath as his lips ghosted behind her ear, then moved along her jaw to her neck. She should stop this; she couldn't sleep with Draco Malfoy no matter how good he was making her feel right now. Or how different he was to the Draco from her world.

She felt a wave of exasperation that she knew wasn't hers. Obviously, her other self didn't agree. Before she could really contemplate that further, Draco moved back to her mouth. She lost herself in the kiss for a bit until his hands started to wander. She had to stop this now before it was too late.

She wrenched her mouth away from Draco's. He stared at her, breathing hard, confusion on his face.

"Sorry, sorry, I-" then she brought a hand to her mouth and turned, running for the loo.

She stepped inside, locking the door behind her. It wouldn't stop him, she knew, but it would slow him down long enough that she could make her retreat to the bathroom look realistic. She really wasn't going to be sick; it was just a convenient way to get out of the situation she had found herself in. She honestly did feel bad lying to him like this, but she didn't think that she could sleep with Malfoy.

A wave of anger washed over her, obviously from her other self.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered.

"Hermione," Draco called from the other side of the door.

She opened the toilet and slid down to the floor beside it putting on her most pathetic expression. She could hear him swearing outside the door as he realized she'd locked it with a spell and then the muttered incantation to open the door. Just before the knob turned, she flushed the toilet and rested her forehead against the rim.

"Oh, love," Draco said as he knelt beside her, gathering her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," she said again, whether to Draco or her other self or both, she wasn't sure.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said. "Except for locking me out. Please stop doing that. I want to help you."

She nodded.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Instead of helping her stand, he wrapped one arm around her back and slid the other beneath her knees, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

Hermione buried her face in his chest, feeling like a horrible person but also not sure why she should. She'd chosen not to sleep with someone else's husband, even if that person was technically her and that person wanted her to. She almost laughed hysterically at how fucked up this all was. Draco tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head before he set her on the bed. Instead of leaving though, he crawled in beside her and gathered her to him. With her head resting on his chest, he ran a hand up and down her back, relaxing her.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"I told you, there's nothing to be sorry for," he said.

"Yes, but we, I mean, you, well," she trailed off feeling her cheeks heat.

"Don't worry about that. I'm a big boy, I'll survive. Besides, I heard you'll be quite randy in the second trimester. Something to look forward to, yeah?"

"Draco!" She slapped his chest, cheeks burning further.

He just laughed and kissed the top of her head again.

23 July 2003

There was a knock on her office door and Hermione's brow furrowed. She and Padma had a meeting scheduled, but it wasn't until this afternoon.

"Come in!"

"Am I interrupting?" a very familiar voice said.

Hermione looked up into the eyes of Severus Snape. She was shocked by his appearance, although she shouldn't have been given what she knew. Gone was the sallow, gaunt look of his face. He was still pale, of course, but he looked healthy, rested. He'd had his teeth fixed and there were no longer dark circles under his eyes. His hair still looked a bit on the oily side, but Hermione knew that was the result of being around potion fumes all day. It was tied back in a neat queue which suited him.

"No, not at all," Hermione said when she realized she'd been staring. "What can I do for you?"

"Draco mentioned that the nausea potion was not completely working for you."

She swore in her head. She should have expected as much. Draco had been very concerned last night and this morning. She'd felt horrible about it but figured it was better than just rejecting him outright which he wouldn't have understood.

"Oh, right. It definitely helps but, not completely no." She gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Not a long enough duration or just doesn't cure all the symptoms regardless?" he asked as he took a seat.

"It doesn't cure all the symptoms."

He nodded. "It likely needs to be tailored to you."

"You can do that?" Narcissa had insinuated as much but it still surprised her.

He raised a brow and gave her a slightly disbelieving look.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Of course, how silly of me."

"I'll need to take a bit of blood," he said.

"Why blood?" Hermione asked curiously. If she'd been seeing a doctor that would make sense to her, but she wasn't aware that they used blood similarly in the wizarding world.

"I need to add a few drops to the diagnostic potion I've created. It will give me an idea of what ingredients need to be changed in the nausea potion to make it more effective for you."

Fascinating, Hermione thought.

Severus drew his wand and pulled a small vial from his pocket. "If you'll permit me?"

"Yes, of course."

He took her hand and made a small cut with his wand across the tip of her index finger. He then held the vial beneath it and squeezed her finger gently. He collected several drops of blood before healing the cut and capping the vial.

He then rose from his chair. "I should have something for you before the end of the day."

"Thank you," Hermione said, masking her surprise that he could fashion a potion for her in only a day.

He nodded and left her office. Hermione stared after him for a few minutes before shaking her head and returning to the files on her desk.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed but it couldn't have been more than an hour, likely less, when Severus returned. He walked into her office without knocking, closed the door and then immediately cast a series of wards on the room.

Hermione looked at him in confusion as he spun to face her, fury on his face. Before she realized what was happening, he'd disarmed her and bound her to her chair.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger-Malfoy?"