"What do you think 'Mione? Every Flavor Beans or Chocolate Frogs?"
Lily held up the packages to Hermione, whom was currently observing a small bottle of malt. Turning, the witch lifted a lip and shook her head,
"Neither. Can't you find something better to spend your money on?"
"Like what? Books? No, I may like Potions Hermy but sweets are good too. Maybe you should try it sometime, it might rid you of your bitterness,"
"I'm not bitter," Hermione mumbled, "just worried. Remus is in the hospital wing again, food poisoning,"
"Again? That happened last month too. You'd think the House Elves could take care of that kind of thing,"
"I'm just... hoping he can make it to the meeting tomorrow night. The Order of the Phoenix needs him, as much as it needs everyone else who signed up,"
"Who did sign up?" Lily questioned, deciding to buy both sweets as she made her way to the counter to pay,
"Just about everyone in Gryffindor. The Marauders included,"
"And you don't think that prat Sirius will keep you away from Remus?"
"Any more then you do?" Hermione asked with a light laugh, "you've basically labeled me a prisoner, and I am your charge,"
"Ha, ha very funny," Lily mumbled, tugging her jumper farther over her shoulders as both girls exited Honeydukes into Hogsmesde, "where's the meeting, again?"
"At the Hogs Head, in the back room,"
"Right. Oh! There's James! James! Come on, 'Mione lets go say hi,"
"You go ahead, Lil," Hermione stated, seeing the adoration on her best friends face. Ever since her unexpected arrival, Lily and James had gotten quite close. Hermione was almost certain they were dating, but had yet to actually say anything about it. Waving to Lily as she wandered off to meet James, who was observing something in the opposite window. Smiling at the couple, Hermione turned and wandered down the street. Leaving Hogsmesde behind, she ended up in the small pasture she found herself during her 3rd year with Ronald. Beyond the barbed fence the Shrieking Shack stood quietly, a pillar of what Hermione once saw as fear. The only reason it Shrieked was because it was the home of Moony the werewolf...
"Remus," Hermione whispered, leaning against the fence, "ugh what am I doing?"
"Good question, dearie. Crucio!"
Hermione screeched as red light filled her vision, and pain swam through her body. It was a familiar pain, one that Hermione traveling back to the hard, cold floor of Malfoy Manor. As the pain lessened, the young witch forced her teeth down onto her tongue, staring at the figure whom was now leaning over her. Though she wasn't familiar in face, Hermione knew those Dark, crazed marble eyes anywhere,
"Bella-" Hermione growled, wincing as her ribs slowly shattered from inside her body,
"Filthy blood traitor, you," Bellatrix snapped, kneeling and forcing her crooked wand into Hermione's soft throat, "I can't believe we're related-"
"Are you going to kill me, Bella?" Hermione asked, though this was not Hermione Granger. That scared little girl was was hauled up in the back of her mind, as Hermione Black was front and center now. The Slytherin Princess felt herself laughing, actually laughing in the face of Bellatrix Black, her cousin,
"I'm not going to kill you, at least not yet," Bella croaked, showing off a beautiful row of white teeth, "I'm going to have my fun first, as the Dark Lord said so. He gave me such power you know, we could have been great,"
"Not a chance," Hermione growled, only to shriek as a fierce pain caused her body to slam back against the ground. She was once again in the dark Manor, feeling the tip of a poisoned blade of dark magic branded her skin for all eternity. Her screaming stopped as she watched a younger version of Bellatrix carve a different brand into her arm. Traitor. The word meant nothing to Hermione Granger, but she could feel the Black inside her writhing in anger and rage,
'We need to be together,' Hermione thought, 'please...'
"Enough! Stupefy!"
Bellatrix screamed in pain as she was thrown backwards, knife falling from her grip as she skidded in the leaves and grass. Struggling to stand through her pain, Hermione held her wand tightly, pointing it at her cousin, seething with anger,
"You've made a mistake! Your life is nothing but a mistake!"
"It is not. You don't even speak to me, you filthy traitor!"
"You can't even say my name you coward!" Hermione hissed, wincing as everything in her seemed to collapse. Hermione Black was weak, but Granger was still standing,
"We can do this with words," Bella stated, standing with her own wand pointed, "but I'm better with action. Sectumsempra!"
"Protego!"
There were flashes of light as the duel ensued, Hermione's mind flicking back and forth to Black and Granger. Black knew more lethal spells, Grey spells such as the unforgivable curses, Crucio and Imperio, as well as several different blasting curses. Granger though had the strength, and as curses and hexes flew, Hermione felt herself taking the lead. Making her way spell by spell towards Bellatrix, her mind was whirring with emotions she couldn't seem to place,
'I feel like I'm two different people,' she thought, finally standing victorious over the future Lestrange and killer of Sirius Black, 'I'm Hermione Granger...that's who I am. But I am Hermione Black too...I'm...I'm both of them,'
"Impossible," Bella rasped, staring wide eyed as Hermione stared unsurely down at her, "who are you?"
"Hermione!"
She felt herself collapsing, falling to the ground as Bellatrix disapparated into nothing. Hands grasping her shoulders, Hermione couldn't hear anything other then a high pitched buzzing in her ears as two faces appeared above her, "Hermione! Hermione can you hear us!?"
It was all dark from there. Upon awakening, Hermione felt terribly sore and dehydrated, but otherwise she was living. Fluttering her lashes as the hospital wing once again came into view, Hermione could almost chuckle at the silliness...the unbelievability of it all,
"What could you possibly find so funny at a time like this?"
Hermione shifted slightly, turning her head to find Sirius Black in a chair at her bedside. He looked greatly disheveled and tired, but there was also a relieved gleam in his eyes,
"It was her then...Bellatrix?"
"Unfortunately," Hermione rasped, "help me sit, please, Sirius,"
The dark haired boy did as he was told, watching cautiously as his cousin winced and groaned ever so slightly in pain. The Cruciatus curse was rough enough. Flexing her arm slightly, Hermione ran a hand over the reddish pink brand now in the skin, unable to keep her chuckle at bay,
"Traitor...what a world this is, isn't it?"
"You don't seem bothered?"
"Sirius...I'm not..." Hermione exhaled deeply, running a hand over her hair only to stop. Blinking she pulled at a strand. It wasn't black...what? Throwing herself out of bed to the surprise of Sirius, Hermione collapsed to the floor with a hiss of pain,
"Hermione, what on earth are you doing?" Sirius asked, taking her up in his arms, "you're in no condition to walk-"
"I need a mirror," Hermione croaked, sitting back down on the bed and folding a hand across her ribs, "please Sirius I need a mirror,"
"Of course. Accio, mirror,"
There was a moment as a mirror flew to Sirius's hand, handing it to his cousin, "here. It startled me when you got here too,"
Taking the object with a small 'thanks', Hermione looked at her reflection with wide eyes. Her eyes were still cobalt, but now had flecks of chocolate brown. Her brunette, then obsidian hair was now a dark auburn in coloring, a mix between the dark coffee and brunette. Her skin wasn't as pale as before, and now had a hint of coffee brown,
'You'd think I was a Metamorphmagus, the amount of times my appearance has changed in this life,'
"Thats indeed an interesting thought, Miss Black,"
Whipping around, Hermione lowered the mirror at the sight of Professor Dumbledore. Beside him stood Remus, going to her as he pulled Hermione into a hug, causing her to wince slightly but accept the hug anyway,
"You told him? Both of them?" Hermione rasped, pulling out of Remus's arms to look at him, "I trusted you..."
"Actually, Miss Black I had a hunch something was up when I resorted you into Gryffindor house," Dumbledore stated, "but I don't believe you were willing to be truthful, anyway."
Dumbledore sat slowly on the edge of the bed as Hermione looked away guiltily, blocking her mind out of habit as she looked away. A hand came to hold her chin and lifted it as Remus smiled at her, weak and pale, but so lovingly,
"We don't care who you are," he stated, leaning forward and pecking Hermione on the lips, "I love you, eh? We want to help,"
"I don't want to be used," Hermione rasped, quivering with held in emotions, "I don't..."
"And you will not," Dumbledore stated softly, stroking his beard carefully, "your knowledge is now limited, as I'm sure you are aware of the consequences of time travel? Whatever I have done in your time to earn your distrust, I have yet to do so. You understand, my dear?"
"I-I'm sorry...I'm just, so tired,"
"That's alright my dear, all in good time. Madame Pomfrey should be able to help with the pain. As for your appearance..."
Hermione blinked slightly in a daze, sitting gently back against the pillows as Remus stroked the dark auburn strands from her eyes and Sirius pulled the blanket up over her form,
"I don't understand, Professor,"
"It's a very strange and mysterious thing, death. It seems that when you arrived here in our time, whatever sent you...whatever its plan was, allowed you to keep who you were, and who you are now. It's a magic even I don't understand,"
"So what happened to her?" Remus asked, holding his arms around Hermione's shoulders as her eyes fluttered slightly in exhaustion as the day caught up to her,
"I believe Miss Black, or perhaps I should say Miss Granger has been at odds with herself ever since arriving. Upon her confrontation with Bellatrix, she had to fully accept that she's not the same person she was, but can't be the person we know either,"
"So... you're saying she's both a Black, and a Granger at the same time?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Dumbledore stated, "both sides of herself have accepted that they need one another to complete whatever mission Hermione has been sent to do,"
The rest of the conversation was a jumble of words as Hermione let sleep overcome her, despite the aching of her body and the stinging of her forearm. She was at ease now...she could sleep heavily until morning.