Hermione walked slowly down the stairs into the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. She left the wedding reception early because she just needed time alone. She was happy for Ron and Serena. She really was. Slumping into a chair, she slipped off her shoes. As she sat in the quiet, dark kitchen, she thought back over the past few years.
When the war ended, she and Ron were a couple. They tried to keep their relationship going through the separation of her going back to Hogwarts and his work with the Ministry.
At first they wrote faithfully. Well, at least she did. His letters were sporadic and often rushed. He would tell her of his work with Harry in the Auror department, and then end the letter by saying he loved her.
She spent Christmas break at the Burrow, along with her parents. Ron and Harry were gone most days so the time she actually got to spend with Ron was limited. When Easter break came, it was the same.
By the time she finished her last year of school, Ron had entered a shortened Auror training program. If she wasn’t staying at Grimmauld Place, she would have seen very little of him. They at least had a few hours each evening to spend together, most nights anyway.
It was when she started her training at the Ministry that the problems started. She often didn’t get home until late and was usually gone very early the next morning. It was around this time that a new Auror candidate started her training.
As Hermione and Ron grew apart, Ron and Serena became closer. Within a few months, they were having the ‘maybe we should break-up’ talk. They decided they were better off as friends, and Ron began dating Serena.
Now, it was six months later, and she had just come from their wedding. She was happy for them, really. Suddenly, and without warning, she found herself sobbing. But she was happy for them, really, she was. Perhaps if she said it to herself enough, she could convince herself it was true.
She wanted to just sit there and cry, but she knew Harry and Ginny would be back soon. Ginny spent quite a bit of time here when she was in town and Hermione knew she had made plans to come here tonight after the wedding.
Standing, she rushed up to her room. Closing and locking the door, she fell onto the bed and cried herself to sleep.
***
At the knock on the door of her small office, Hermione groaned. When she took over the position of Assistant to the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she never expected to find her predecessor had done very little work. Even after two months in her new position, she was still playing catch-up.
“Come in,” she called.
“Hermione, the Minister is here to see you,” her secretary told her.
“Send him in,” she said. She quickly piled the work she was doing into a neat pile and stood to greet the Minister.
“Hermione,” Kingsley said as he came through the door, “I hope I am not interrupting something too important that you can’t leave it for a while.”
Hermione looked at Kingsley quizzically. She didn’t understand the formal tone of his voice. Before she could ask him about it, he closed the door and chuckled softly at her confused face.
“Sorry, I think that suitably impressed your secretary.” Still chuckling, he sat down in front of her desk.
Hermione was still confused, but she followed his example and sat down.
“Hermione, I have a request to make of you. I know this is not connected with your department, but I couldn’t think of anyone who is more suited to handle this…” He paused briefly as if considering his words. “Well, for lack of a better word, problem.”
“Why not Harry? Why me?” she asked.
“Because the situation I am about to tell you about involves a magical device you have quite a bit of experience with, a time-turner.”
“But, I thought they were all smashed during the battle years ago,” she said.
“They were, or at least we thought they were. I should tell you, it not only involves a time-turner but also the Veil in the Department of Mysteries.” At Hermione’s gasp, he nodded. “Yes, the very same Veil. But, neither the time-turner nor the Veil is the issue."
“We have recovered the time-turner. It is from whom we recovered it that is the issue, as well as how to handle the fallout from this.”
“I hate to say this, but I am completely confused, sir,” Hermione said.
“Let me explain what little we know. Apparently, when the Death Eaters followed Harry into the chamber with the Veil, one of them unknowingly had a time-turner caught on the back of his robes. During the ensuing battle, the time-turner was knocked into the Veil."
“We don’t know why it took so long to be found, but apparently someone found it and last night, used it to escape the Veil. For now, he is confined in a room in the Department of Mysteries.”
“What is it you need me for?” she asked.
“I would like to you go and talk to him. He is confused and though I tried to explain time has passed, he doesn’t believe me. We need to know how this was possible and if it was only because of his manner of death that he was able to come back through the Veil. You know how the time-turner works, but I would like you to try to find out how it worked this time.”
“Sir, who is this man?” she asked cautiously, though she had an idea of whom the Minister was about to say.
“Sirius Black,” he answered after a moment’s hesitation.
Hermione couldn’t speak. Her mind was racing. Sirius was alive? Did Harry know? She had to tell him. Standing, she started to rush past Kingsley. He reached out and grabbed her arm.
“No, Hermione. You can’t go tell Harry. No one must know, at least not yet. We can’t tell anyone until we figure out how this happened. Stop and think about what this would mean to people who lost loved ones in the Final Battle. Everyone would want to throw a time-turner in and hope their loved one could come back. No, we must keep this a secret.”
Hermione turned and walked back behind her desk. Sitting down, she looked at Kingsley. “Harry has to be told. He won’t tell anyone if he is told not to. You know you can trust him,” she said.
“No, and that is final. If you feel you can’t do this without telling Harry, then I will have to find someone else. I am sorry, but I will also have to modify your memory of this conversation,” Kingsley said, his voice firm.
It was this statement, delivered completely matter-of-factly, that made Hermione see she had no choice. “I’ll do it. I will not say anything to Harry...yet. But, know this; I think it is wrong not to tell him.” Hermione stood. “I want to see Sirius. He is probably thinking he is being arrested again for something he didn’t do.”
“Of course, I will take you to him. Remember, he is very confused. To him, it is still five years ago, though he does believe he had a dream about being with James and Lily and Remus in a forest with Harry. I have no idea what he meant by that, but he said it was a very vivid dream. To him, the past five years have all been just a dream.”
“Looks like I have a lot of explaining to do,” she said smiling as she gathered some parchment, ink and a quill. If she was to question him, she wanted to be able to take notes. She threw these items in her briefcase, and at the last moment, slipped in the latest copy of the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet.
They went down the elevator to the corridor containing the door to the Department of Mysteries. Hermione vividly remembered the one and only time she had been through that door. It had ended with Sirius’ death. Now she was going to go in there and see him alive again.
Once they entered the circular room with a dozen doors, Kingsley opened one into a long hallway without hesitation. Walking to the end, he waved his wand at the door, and Hermione heard the click of the lock.
“I’ll leave you to go in and see him by yourself.” He leaned down and told her the charm to unlock the door from the inside. “When you are done, come up to my office. Don’t forget to lock the door behind you when you leave.” At Hermione’s questioning look, he continued, “Sirius isn’t happy with me right now, because I won’t let him go to Harry. It would be better for you to go in alone.” Stepping back, Kingsley nodding at Hermione to enter.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione opened the door and stepped inside. She quickly noted the room looked like it could have been part of any home. There were a couple chairs, a sofa, and a table with two chairs off to one side. There, sitting in what looked like a very comfortable armchair, sat Sirius Black looking exactly as he had when he fell through the Veil.
Closing the door behind her, she said simply, “Hi, Sirius.”
Sirius looked at the woman standing before him, momentarily stunned. He knew it was Hermione but she looked so different. Gone was the awkward teenager and there standing in front of him was a self-assured woman.
“Where is Harry?” he asked worriedly.
Hermione looked at her watch. It was just after noon. “Probably at lunch with Ginny.” Hermione walked slowly over to where Sirius still sat. “Kingsley asked me to come and talk to you about what happened to you and how you got back.”
Sirius stood abruptly. “I don’t know. I don’t know what has happened to me. One minute I was fighting with Bellatrix and the next…” He stopped talking, frustration evident in his voice and jerky movements. “Is it true five years have passed since that night? That I have been dead for five years?”
“Yes. We saw you fall through the Veil. And yes, that was five years ago. I think if you want to hear about those years, you better sit down. It is a long story.”
“But, Harry is really alive? You aren’t just saying that to not upset me?”
Hermione smiled. “Yes, Harry is alive and working here at the Ministry in the Auror department. He and Ginny have been dating for a while now. She has been playing for the Holyhead Harpies for over a year now.”
“What about Ron? Where is he?”
Hermione took a deep breath. “Ron also works in the Auror department. He… he was married two days ago to a young witch who was in training with him.”
Sirius looked at Hermione. “Hermione-”
“It’s okay. We broke up quite a while ago. I’m glad he is happy.” Hermione sat on the couch across from the chair Sirius had been sitting in. He walked over and looked down at her, then sat next to her on the couch.
“Tell me about my godson. Tell me what happened after… after that night.”
Hermione began by telling him how Harry had gone after Bellatrix. How Dumbledore duelled with Voldemort and the then Minister saw with his own eyes Voldemort was alive. She then told him of Dumbledore’s death and how Snape had killed him.
When Sirius started cursing Snape, Hermione put a hand on his arm. She quickly explained Snape was only acting on Dumbledore’s orders. It took some convincing, but Hermione finally managed to calm him a bit, at least enough for him to listen to the story of their search for the Horcruxes.
The story of their search was slow as Sirius kept interrupting to have her clarify something or go back over something. When Hermione told him of Remus’ offer to go with them and the resulting argument with Harry, Sirius smiled.
“Harry was right. I am glad he voiced his opinion. Remus went back to Tonks?” Sirius asked.
“Yes, he did, though it was several months before we knew that.” She took a deep breath and continued her story. When she got to the point in the story of the doe Patronus, Sirius stopped her.
“Wait. The Patronus was a doe? But that was Lily’s Patronus. I’ve never known anyone who had the same one. Whose was it?”
“Yes, it was a doe. But, you will have to wait to find out whose it was.” Hermione smiled shyly at him. At Sirius’ growl, she laughed. “I know, but if I tell you now, it will ruin the rest of the story.” At his reluctant nod, she started her story again.
As she told him about the scene at Malfoy Manor, she could see him getting angry. She once again laid a hand on his arm. “Calm down, everything worked out in the end.” As she felt the tension from him lighten a tiny bit, she went on.
He burst out laughing at their escape from Gringotts on the dragon. It was at this point the door opened and Kingsley Shacklebolt stuck his head through the opening.
“Hermione, can I speak with you for a moment?” he asked.
Smiling apologetically at Sirius, Hermione stood and went over to the door.
“I was just wondering how it is going? Have you found anything useful out?” he inquired.
“I’m not even through catching him up on the past five years. I am not even as far as the Final Battle, yet. I think I am going to be here for a while. Could you do me a favour?” she asked.
“Of course, anything.”
“This probably is going to take all night. If I write a quick note to Harry telling him I won’t be home tonight, can you send it to his office for me?”
“Certainly. I will also send down some food for you both. I am sure you are getting hungry by now.”
Hermione hadn’t even thought about food. She glanced down at her watch and realized it was almost five in the afternoon. She hurried back to her forgotten briefcase and pulled a piece of parchment, the bottle of ink and her quill out. She went over to the table and quickly wrote a note to Harry. Turning she went back to the door and gave it to Kingsley.
At his distressed look, she said, “I didn’t tell him anything, except I was working on an important project and wouldn’t be home tonight. I didn’t even tell him I would be here at the Ministry in case he decided to go looking for me.”
Kingsley nodded his approval. “I will have food and drinks sent down to you. I will come down in the morning to check on you.” He turned and rushed off.
Closing the door, she turned and told Sirius that dinner was on its way. She walked back to the table and picked up her ink and quill and placed them back into her briefcase. She knew she wouldn’t need them before tomorrow.
As she turned to walk back to the couch, she heard a faint noise behind her. Looking back, she saw the table, which had been empty, now had not only food and drinks on it, but plates and utensils as well.
“I guess dinner is served,” she said, laughter in her voice.
“I guess so,” Sirius replied. He walked over to the table and surveyed the offerings. “I know I shouldn’t be picky, but he could have at least sent a bottle of Firewhisky down, too.” He picked up a plate and held it out to Hermione.
They ate in silence for several minutes before Sirius spoke. “So, what department do you work for?”
“The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,” she said.
Sirius smiled. “Still trying to set House-elves free?”
Hermione bristled at his tone. “There is more to my job than just House-elves, but, yes, I am working to better their situation in life.”
“Even Kreacher?”
“Kreacher is not the same as he was before. He has changed. He fought in the Final Battle, rallying the other House-elves into battle.” Hermione took a deep breath. “You will have to see the change for yourself to believe it.”
“I’m sorry, Hermione, but I can’t believe he has changed that much.”
Hermione smiled. “You will see,” she said confidently.
They finished their dinner without further discussion. When they were done, they went back over to the couch and sat down side-by-side again.
“So, what happened after you escaped on the dragon?”
Hermione took her time. This was going to be the hardest part of her story. She didn’t know how much Sirius remembered from his time behind the Veil, but she was about to tell him about the death of Remus, Tonks and Fred as well as all the others.
When she got to Harry getting Snape’s memories, Sirus interrupted her.
“He gave him his memories? All of them?” Sirius sounded worried and upset.
“Not every memory of his life, but enough of them for Harry to understand finally.”
“What did he let him see?” Sirius still sounded worried.
Hermione looked at him. She had a feeling it was the one memory Harry had told them about that had happened after the Marauders had taken their O.W.L.s that had Sirius upset. Should she be the one to tell him or should she let Harry do that? Deciding she couldn’t fully tell the story without telling him the memories, she began to tell him what Harry had seen.
Sirius sat in stunned silence until the point that revealed it had been Snape who had sent the doe Patronus.
“What!” he shouted, jumping to his feet. “It was his? He had the same Patronus as Lily?”
“Sirius, calm down. If you will just let me finish. It will all make sense. Sit back down, please?” she requested.
She watched as he struggled to regain some control over his anger. Finally, he sat back down and said, “I’m sorry. But, knowing all this… Knowing he started Voldemort’s hunt for James and Lily, knowing he loved her and still caused her death…” He shook himself and fell silent.
“I know you may find this hard to believe, but after watching these memories, Harry understood and has forgiven him. Harry even petitioned the Governors, successfully I might add, to have his portrait hang in the Headmaster’s office at Hogwarts.” Seeing his look of disbelief, Hermione quickly finished telling Sirius about what Harry saw in the Pensive.
“So, you see, Snape was loyal to Dumbledore. He was working with him to bring down Voldemort,” Hermione said.
“What happened then?” Sirius asked.
As Hermione told him of Harry’s walk to the forest, Sirius stopped her.
“That really happened? It wasn’t a dream?” Sirius looked confused.
“No, you weren’t dreaming, Sirius. You were in the afterlife with James and Lily for all this time,” Hermione said gently.
Hermione quickly finished telling Sirius the rest of the story. When she told him of Molly’s outburst as she approached Bellatrix, Sirius laughed.
“I knew Molly had a temper, but even I am impressed.”
As her story of the Final Battle ended, Hermione stood and walked over to the table. Sometime during their conversation, the table had been cleared of the leftover food and dirty plates. Sitting in the centre was a bottle of amber coloured liquid. Smiling, she poured Sirius half a glass of the Firewhisky. For herself, she poured only a little bit in a glass.
Walking over to him, she handed him the glass as she sat back down. Raising her glass in a toast, she said, “To lost friends.”
Sirius tapped his glass on hers before taking a large mouthful of the drink. Sighing, he sat back on the couch.
“So, tell me about what happened after it was over,” he said.
Hermione leaned back as he had done, and over the next few hours, filled Sirius in on what had happened to all of them for the past few years.
Second Chance at Life and Love by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: I would like to thank Rena for all her hard work helping me with this chapter.
Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am thankful to her to be able to play in this world for my own, and hopefully your, amusement.