A long time ago in a universe rather different from ours, a deal was made.

Sometimes deals are formed out of greed or malice or desperation. But this one was made out of compassion. A woman, no more than a girl really, made a deal with the one force which straddles everything. She maintained the balance, forcing the universe to change around her and twisting the fates of countless others in the process. And so Death adjusted. He lifted her from her world and placed her into another universe, another time line and another destiny.

Because there was no place on Earth for the Mistress of Death.

"Hey Bobby."

There was a grunt from the other end as Bobby acknowledged his voice. Dean rolled his eyes. It was probably the best he was going to get.

"I need to know if you've ever met a hunter called Hermione Granger?"

There was a brief pause.

"You met Hermione Granger?" Dean reckoned that was probably as close to shrieking as a man like Bobby gets.

"Well yeah. Crossed paths with her on a hunt."

Bobby gave a long sigh and a harsh curse.

"Well, do you know her?"

"Not exactly. I've heard of her. If hunters had myths, she'd be one of them. I heard one guy call her the Mother of all Hunters, like she was a goddess or somethin. She trained Rufus, so I know she's real. I've met her...once. She hated your dad."

"Are we talking about the same girl? The one who looks about twenty five at most..."

"Small, curly brown hair, brown eyes, short temper?"

"Yeah."

"That's her all right."

Dean scowled, watching Sam sow up a cut on his arm. The motel in North Carolina wasn't much and the dim lighting meant that Sam had to squint to see his stitching clearly. Dean picked up his flash light and shined it at him, getting a grimace of thanks in return.

"There is no way in hell she's old enough to have trained Rufus."

"Yeah, well, when you realise that she trained Rufus almost forty years ago, it gets kinda freaky."

"How the hell is that possible?"

"Hell if I know. Listen Dean, I know there's not a lot of things that you won't take on but leave her be. I'm serious. Beside I guess you owe her."

"How did you know..."

"That she saved your ass? That's what she does. According to lore anyway. She jumps in at the last moment and saves you. That's how I met 'er. Me and your dad were cornered, pack of wendigo's. We were insane to go in by ourselves. Dunno what we were thinking. She turns up, outta no where and suddenly the damn things are on fire. Then she walked us to the car and punched John in the face. Sent him sprawlin."

"What?" Dean said horsely.

"Yeah. He was furious. She just stared at him and told him he was a terrible father and that he deserved everything he had comin to him." Dean almost heard Bobby's shrug. "Guess she knew about the demon deal. She gave me that amulet."

Out of reflex Dean's looked down at the pendant that's still hung around his neck, given to him so long ago by his brother.

"She said, Sam'll know what to do with this. Next thing I know she's gone and your father's cursing a blue streak up and down the side walk."

"How long has she been around?"

"Turn of the last century. Longer. Hell if I know, hunters don't tend to keep the best records do they?"

Dean sighed and clicked off the light, as Sam snapped the thread.

"What's the general feel for her?"

"That she's the best thing to happen to hunters since salt rounds."

"Do I kill her?" How screwed up is his life that everything comes down to that question?

Bobby snorted so loudly Sam looked up from the other side of the room.

"Only if you want every hunter you've ever met on your ass."

They didn't hear another story of her for almost six months, which was the next time they run into another hunter. Diana Price was a mother and it showed. Around her neck are a pair of dog tags, almost worn smooth with constant handling.

"Possessed by a demon." She said calmly, catching Dean's gaze. "My boys were only six."

Dean offered his sympathy but not his surprise. They're hunters, they've all lost someone. The brothers pause for a second outside the motel.

"Hey, I don't suppose you've ever met a hunter by the name of Hermione Granger?"

Diana beamed.

"Yeah, I know her. Got me out of a hell of a tight spot. Werewolf had me pinned down, he'd already slashed me open, I was bleeding out. And she just appears from nowhere and takes it down, as easy as pie. She fixed me up, gave me some more silver bullets and left."

"Fixed you up?"

She nodded and tugged the hem of her shirt up to show Dean.

"No scars neither. I should've died."

"You know that's not normal, right?"

Diana shrugged and shouldered her dufflebag, already turning to leave.

"What do I care? She saved my life. In my books, that's a good thing."

It had been a particularly difficult salt and burn and the Winchesters had only been too happy to accept the help of a complete stranger.

"Why is it you two cannot stay out of trouble?" She asked, carefully. She waved at hand over Dean and his shoulder popped back into it's socket.

"Who are you?" Sam countered. She did the same for him and Sam felt the swelling around his eye fade.

"You know who I am. Especially if you asked Bobby Singer." She smiled faintly. "Nice man. Good hunter too."

"Bobby said you knew our father."

Hermione's calm expression turned distinctly cold.

"I met him. Once. He was not the sort of hunter I enjoyed associating with."

"How'd you mean?"

She turned to look at them, the flames giving her an ethereal appearance.

"You two hunt because you want to help people. You hunt because it's right. You're father hunted for revenge. That sort of hunter cares less about the collateral. Revenge only ends in pain. You know that better than most."

"What do you mean collateral?" Dean jumped straight in to defend their dad, although Sam said nothing. "Our dad was a good hunter."

She snorted.

"There is more to hunting than killing things." She brushed her hair back behind her shoulders and gazed at them sadly. Sam got the impression that her eyes were much older than any human eyes had a right to be. "And people did get hurt. He hurt the two boys he should have been raising. Hunting is in your family, but it isn't your destiny. You should have had a choice and he took that away from you."

"You don't know a damn thing." Dean snarled.

"I know more than you may think." She said calmly. "And for boys who continually cheat death, you should really have greater perspective."

"Why are you here?" Sam asked, while his brother fumed.

Hermione gave a long sigh and stared down at the burning grave.

"I had a friend who used to cheat death." She said quietly. "It was a speciality of his in fact. But his life was complicated and mine wasn't. He was in danger and I made a deal to fix it."

"You stopped him dying?" He guessed.

She snorted softly, nudging some grave dirt into the hole with her boot.

"No. I ensured it."

"Gabriel..."

The Trickster froze and sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Well if it isn't the biggest wet blanket since the Flood. How did you even get in here?"

Hermione smiled carefully, moving around so she's standing next to Dean, in front of the Impala. She's wearing a long trench coat which falls to her calves and looks more like armour than anything else. Under that she's wearing traditional hunters garb, plaid, denim and boots. The Winchester's have become used to her presence in their life, as unreliable as Castiel's. Having her there was comforting, not that they'd admit it.

"You've never been able to keep me out Gabe. You know that." She flicked her hand behind her and Sam stepped out of the car, looking visibly relieved. The Trickster just looks disgusted.

"Oh please. Tell me you're not in league with these bozos?"

"They're hunters. They fall under my jurisdiction."

"Even Castiel?"

"Even Castiel."

He sighs, petulantly.

"You couldn't just be the goddess of dentists couldn't you?" For a fraction of a second Sam sees Hermione flinch. Evidently the Trickster had struck a nerve. "Oh no you had to go and pick hunters. Smelly, stupid, irritatingly tall hunters."

"Let them go." She pleaded quietly.

"Not until they've learnt their lesson." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "You know how this one goes."

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't you get it? They will never bend to Heaven's plan and dear Merlin I will help them fight every step of the way if I have to. They are fighters and hunters and above all family. I know, you know what that means."

The Trickster flinched, glaring at her.

"I won't let them go." He stated.

Hermione sighed and held out her hand.

"You brought this on yourself." She murmured. Dean slapped the lighter into her palm and she dropped it, burning, onto the Holy Oil.

The world around them flickered and vanished, replaced with the dark and dingy saw mill.

"How did you guess?" Gabriel asks, more curious than angry, as Castiel pops into existence beside them, bruised and bleeding.

Dean snorted.

"It's like she said. Family. The way you looked at Cas."

Castiel was too busy staring at his brother to notice Hermione healing his wounds.

"So are you really Gabriel?" Sam asks, the only one to have picked up on Hermione's name dropping.

"One and only." Gabriel smirks, watching the four of them. "You do realise why you too are perfect for these parts don't you? Michael the obedient big brother played by Dean. And Lucifer the messed up little brother, played by Sam. But I suppose with everyone's favourite temporal anomaly watching over you, getting you to do what you're told wasn't really an option."

Hermione sighed.

"You three need to go." She gestured to the door, not taking her eyes off the Archangel. "I'll find you again, I'm sure."

Sam nodded and tugged Dean away, followed eventually by Castiel who was still staring wide eyed at Gabriel.

"You look tired." Gabriel stated finally.

She shrugged and conjured herself an armchair, doing the same for him. They watched each other through the flames.

"I am tired. So very tired."

"And your master?" He asked, looking concerned.

She snorted.

"Unresponsive as always. Yours?"

"MIA." Gabriel shrugged. "What can you do?"

There is silence for a while as they both drifted into their own thoughts.

"Are you going to let me go?" He asked eventually, gesturing at the flames.

Hermione nodded, tossing him a chocolate bar. Gabriel grinned at her, ripping the paper off and biting into it, giving a moan of approval.

"Of course. Can't have my favourite Archangel out of action."

"You know you never did explain that. I'd have thought Michael was more your type. Rules and all that crap."

"You remind me of a pair of twins I used to know. A long time ago." She smiled for a moment, eyes distant. "A whole world ago." Her dark brown eyes fix on his and she smirks. "Sam Winchester? Really?"

Gabriel glared at her, a slight flush tingeing his cheekbones.

"He's cute. It's not a crime to look."

She chuckled fondly.

"I don't want you corrupting my hunters. Especially not that one. He's had enough trouble."

"And what if he corrupts me?"

"Gabe if Michael couldn't put you on the straight and narrow, I really doubt a human could."

She got to her feet and put out the flames, watching as Gabriel stretches his wings, brushing the tips of his third set across her cheek.

"We still on for Aruba?" He asks, slurping something pink and probably incredibly sugary through a novelty straw, which he'd just snapped into existence.

"I wouldn't miss it for the Apocalypse."

"Well if she is a goddess you could just pray to her." Castiel suggested.

Dean frowned at his brother.

"I'm not doing it."

"Bitch." Sam muttered. "All right. Hermione, goddess of hunters, flannel and salt rounds I pray to thee that you hear my call and come and help us."

There's a crack and Hermione appeared, looking faintly surprised.

"Did you just pray to me?" She asked, staring between the hunters.

"Er...yeah."

"I didn't think it worked like that." She said, mostly to herself. "Still...how can I help you?"

Even Dean blinked at that. She's the first being whose ever actually seemed pleased to be summoned. Even Castiel is generally grumpy.

"We...uh...wanted to talk to you."

That earned Sam a raised eyebrow, but she settled on the end of Dean's bed anyway, folding her coat neatly.

"About?"

"Are you really a goddess?" Sam asked eagerly.

"That depends on your definition. I don't gain power from worship, not that I'd need to, and I don't require sacrifices."

"But you protect hunters?"

She nodded.

"I was given free reign to do as I wish. When you have until the end of time, you do need a hobby."

"End of time...How old are you?"

"To channel dear Bobby Singer...Old as balls."

Dean snorted.

"No, really."

She sighed and tucked her legs underneath her.

"I'm not sure. I've lost count. Somewhere over seven or eight hundred, I believe."

They gape at her.

"I'm serious." She added, slightly amused.

Sam blinked at her as though she didn't quite make sense.

"What and you decided to keep hunters safe? Hell of a hobby."

Hermione shook her head, plucking at the duvet cover.

"I can't keep you safe. I've never met people so prone to finding danger. But I do what I can to make sure you live as long as possible."

"But why hunters?"

"I sympathised with you. You live on the very edge of life and you give up so very much. It was about time you had someone on your side. Besides..." Again there was the smallest of smiles. "You reminded me of a friend of mine."

Dean frowned suddenly.

"Bobby said you knew what was going to happen to our Dad. Did you..."

"Did I look into the future?" She grimaced. "Personally I have my problems with divination, but sometimes it can be...reliable." She looked as though the words had to be pulled from her. "Some things aren't set in stone. But that was. You're still wearing your amulet."

Dean blinked and nodded, touching the cord that lay around his neck.

"Why didn't you save him?"

"Do you think I should have?" she countered sharply. "Everything has it's time. That was his."

Sam scowled and gestured at her.

"How come you haven't aged? I mean you're not a vampire are you?"

"No. I'm not. It's a gift. From my master." She shrugged. "I believe he felt I deserved one."

"Your master?"

She gave him a long look.

"We all have those we must bow to. Even you two."

"Have you ever had children?" Sam asks, watching the kids playing across the street.

She glanced at him, surprised.

"No. No I haven't."

"Can you?"

"I suspect I can. But I don't think I could bare it."

He stared at her.

"How do you mean?"

"Sam, I am very old. Very old and very tired. I have watch whole civilisations wither and die. What kind of mother would I be if I forced my child to wither and die whilst I never aged? I couldn't..." She swallowed. "That the true price, you know. For mastering Death." She stared down at her hands, interlocking her fingers. "You may live forever but you will watch everything die. I worked it out, you see. There was a prophecy, long ago, that told of a fight between two men. The prize and the price was the mastery of Death. Neither could live while the other survived. Which also meant that when the mastery was won, the master couldn't die. Of course no one guessed this. People never want to second guess their happy endings." She added bitterly. "But I worked it out and I tried to warn him. He was so happy. He had a family and a home, everything he'd ever wanted, I couldn't take that from him. So I found Death and I made a deal and I took that burden for him. One eternity for another. He died, an old man, surrounded by children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

"And you paid the price." Sam breathed, horrified.

She nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"Of course I couldn't stay there. I'd upset the balance. So I was moved after he died. Transplanted across the universes into this one. To a world where magic was much more pliable. I became much more powerful and I found myself a purpose. Heroes to look after. The hunters became my purpose, more like my children to be honest. I even had a best friend."

"Gabriel?" He guessed, thinking back to the golden eyed Archangel.

She nodded, smiling gently.

"We met when he was still pretending to be a pagan. We were both alone in a world neither of us really belonged in. He understood. He was older than me, much older. I never worked out how he managed to cope. Then again angels are not born to die and I was. It makes a difference I think. That sort of mentality." Her voice became choked. "He was my best friend. But even Archangels have their time." A tear dropped onto her hands. "I can't believe he chose that moment to grow a conscience." She glanced at him. "He liked you, you know. Thought you were cute."

Sam blushed.

"Will you ever die?" He asked, desperate for some form of happy ending for this woman.

She smiled that half smile of hers and Sam suddenly understood why she always looked so sad.

"I don't know. I don't think so. I'll still be here when the Earth has crumbled away into dust and the Sun has burnt out. As long as Death remains then so, in turn, will I."

She stays with them through the Apocalypse and through the good times and the bad. When heaven falls she takes a very human Castiel under her wing and trains him in hunting, until he regains his grace. She keeps them sane and whole. Hunters across the world know her name and she travels constantly, protecting her children.

And when the next generation of Winchester's come along, (and no one is more surprised than their fathers that they do) Sam and Dean tell them about the Goddess of Hunters. The sight of a curly brown haired woman, walking through the halls of their home is a common one and nobody questions it.

And when Dean dies of a heart attack aged fifty three, it's Hermione who escorts his soul to Heaven, handing him over into the Angel of Thursday's capable hands.

And when it is Sam's turn, Hermione is sitting by his bedside as he passes in his sleep, body still tall but showing the wear and tear of almost eighty years of age.

She watches over each and every generation of Winchesters for the next seven hundred years until the family dies out. She carried each and every one into the afterlife, having been like a second mother for each, having loved all of them as though they were her own.

And when there are no more hunters and when the world had collapsed in on itself...she remains. And when humanity is wiped from the stars and the angels are her only companions...when everything ends...she remains.

And eventually when God is gone and it is only herself and Death...she remains.

This is the life Hermione Granger carved out for herself. Witch, Friend, Saviour, Confidant, Goddess and the Mother of all Hunters.

A/N

I'm not really sure where this one came from. It was sort of born out of another oneshot I'm working on and expanded from there.

What I do know is I called up Genius and sobbed for twenty minutes because of the ending. So I hope you're crying. Because I was.

Please let me know what you think.

Hood