Written for the 2018 October Roll-A-Prompt at Hermione's Haven
1st Roll: Pairing: Hermione/Harry
2nd Roll: Trope: Meet-Cute
and
Written for the 2018 Marvelously Magical Fanfiction Bingo
Square: B4 / Prompt: Hogsmeade Village

Roundabout Destiny

After a rather explosive break up with Ron soon after her Hogwarts graduation, Hermione was heartbroken to learn that although the majority of the Weasleys understood why she had finally ended things (The two of them were just too different and probably should never have tried to be more than friends anyway!) they still sided with their own blood. After all, they had already lost Fred…and they did not want to lose another son and brother, as well. Therefore, Hermione soon found herself without the support of the adoptive family upon whom she had relied for so long.

Worse than that, however, her friendship with Harry was also threatened. Not only did he have to choose between his two best friends, but also his girlfriend, as well. After all, he had been dating Ginny seriously since the end of the war and he already thought that he would marry her one day. To give him credit, though, he did try to balance the two sides of his life. However, Hermione saw the strain that the attempt to stay friends with her was putting on his relationship and she decided to make it easier for him. After all, he had already lost his parents and several father-figures. She did not want to be the reason that he lost another family. Conversely, she could also not bear the thought that he might ask her to stay away if he chose them over her. She did not want either of those scenarios to happen. Harry was just too important to her for that.

Therefore, in the end, she took the action that she thought was best for them both. She wrote him a letter to explain her reasoning and to relieve him of all obligations to her. Then she quietly left the country with the help of Kingsley. After all, without Harry, she had nothing left to keep her in England any longer. While the Minister hated to lose her, he also understood her awkward position. Therefore, he put her in contact with his cousin in New York who was in desperate need of someone of her caliber and talents.

That cousin turned out to be none other than Nick Fury…and the SHIELD director was beyond thrilled to finally have Kingsley's approval to add a skilled witch to his team. Therefore, practically before she knew what had happened, the twenty-one year old found herself starting a new life as a field agent. With the code name of Rune – since she had unequivocally refused Phil Coulson's first suggestion of Enchantress – she formed an elite team with both Hawkeye and the Black Widow. After the three strong-willed people worked through the initial awkwardness of their relationship, the trio soon fine-tuned their teamwork until functioning as a unit became as easy as breathing for them. Consequently, they all grew close…closer than mere colleagues…closer even then just friends.

However, they were not the lovers that many people back at HQ suspected they were – judging by the looks that the attractive trio received on the few occasions when they actually had to venture into the office. None of them even tried to dispel the rumors, though, since they helped to keep the secret that Clint was happily married with kids (whom they all often spent their downtime and holidays with at the farm safe house…and where the women were affectionately known as Aunties Nat and Mi.) Neither Natasha nor Hermione were interested in same-sex relationships, either. Therefore, no romantic entanglements occurred which could threaten the unique little family that they had created among themselves. This was especially important to Hermione since she had already lost her birth family and her adopted family. She did not want to lose her new chosen family, as well. In fact, she learned to love her new life because she had finally found her place in the world. She had always wanted to do good…and help people. Now she was doing it on a global scale, even if it was not quite in the way she had originally expected. Therefore, she no longer felt regret for anything she had left behind – except for Harry. She still missed him with all of her heart, but knew that she had done the right thing by leaving him so that he could live his life.

The years went by, and Hermione's already considerable skills grew even stronger. With her teammates' help, she became as dangerous with her body and a bow as she was with her magic. In fact, when she was out in the field as Rune, in her skintight jumpsuit with her long braid slung carelessly across one shoulder while using both magic and physical might to defeat the enemy and complete the mission, she was completely unrecognizable as the mousy little bookworm that she had once been.

Because of that, and the fact that she no longer had any ties to her former life; she did not feel any unease, only a bit of nostalgia, when the threesome had to make an unexpected landing in Scotland. The quinjet that Clint had been piloting suddenly developed mechanical problems after a rather intense mission in Budapest. Apparently, it had been damaged in the resulting fireworks far more than they had realized. Therefore, they had to set down in a field which Hermione remembered was not far from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Since none of them were mechanics, and Hermione could not apparate with both of them all the way back to NY, they decided to go to the nearby wizarding village for a drink while they waited for the closest non-emergency response team. Clint and Nat had been in many wizarding establishments with their teammate in the past. Therefore, they also felt comfortable leaving the shielded quinjet where it was while they waited somewhere that was a little more comfortable – especially after being informed by HQ that it would probably be a few hours before their SHIELD support arrived.

Consequently, Hermione apparated with them to the edge of the village and stood there for just a few minutes looking up at the castle in the distance that had been her school and home for so many years. The memories started to wash over her then, especially those of Harry, and she began to have doubts about going to the village. However, both Clint and Nat, who saw only ruins when they looked in the same direction, started to clamor for their promised drinks. Despite her suddenly gloomy thoughts, Hermione had to smile at her teammates' antics and strode off with them toward the shops and pubs.

Because of their unusual outfits and various muggle weaponry, they received some strange looks from the villagers whom they passed on their way – even though Hermione had made Clint leave the big bow back in the quinjet. Nevertheless, she still had the smaller adjustable one strapped to her back – just in case. However, just as soon as the curious eyes of the strangers left the dagger strapped to one of her thighs and saw the wand holstered on the other, the villagers relaxed a bit and felt more secure with the knowledge that she was a witch…and not just some crazed muggle mercenary on the loose. Despite all of this scrutiny, though, Hermione was correct in her assumption that nobody seemed to realize who she was…or more accurately…who she had been.

She continued to lead her friends through the village as she pointed out the places that she had frequented in her youth – mainly the train station, Tomes & Scrolls, and Honeydukes – on the way to the Hogs Head. She knew that their little team would probably fit in better with the shadier clientele there than at the more upscale Three Broomsticks…and she was correct. After just a couple of curious glances at the unusual trio, the few wizards and witches in the pub went right back to their drinks and conversations because they got all kinds there - as Hagrid had once said.

While the others tried to find a clean table, however, Hermione went straight up to the bar to order something stronger than Butterbeer, but less potent than Firewhiskey – especially since the threesome were always on duty, so to speak...and needed to be ready for anything. To her surprise, though, her eyes immediately met those of Aberforth Dumbledore. For some reason, she had not expected the elderly wizard, whom she had grown to know quite well – especially after all of his help leading up to the final battle of the Wizarding War, to still be running the place from behind the bar. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the unexpected visitor and then raked over the rest of her appearance with obvious recognition. However, he only nodded his acknowledgement without saying a word (He had always been the quiet type) and continued to fill her order. Hermione smiled gratefully at the man, for both his silent understanding and for the extra-full glasses, before she returned to her friends.

Since she had complete faith in her teammates to recognize danger when they saw it, Hermione felt no qualms about sitting with her back to the door – even in such a questionable establishment. Therefore, she did not see the man who entered the pub soon after them – especially since she was deep in a discussion with Nat. Clint, however, instantly recognized the newcomer's bearing as law enforcement, and he kept his eye on the wizard as he crossed over to the bar to greet the old man behind it with friendly familiarity and ask him a question. When the bartender pointed in their direction with a sly smirk, however, Clint knew that this one fell into Mi's territory. He managed to surreptitiously kick her boot in warning, just before the man crossed over and touched her shoulder to get her attention. Hermione reacted at once. Without giving the newcomer the chance to say a word, she stood up and flipped the man to his back in one fluid motion, before she placed one boot on his chest and the other on his dominant wand arm. It was only then that she saw the telltale green eyes, skewed glasses, and messy black hair of the attractive man sprawled on the floor beneath her.

"Harry?" she whispered unbelievingly as her heart threatened to pound out of her chest from the surprise development.

The man below her, still in a bit of shock from her completely unexpected physical attack – since witches and wizards almost always preferred to use their wands for defense - could only stare in further disbelief at the vision above him. After all, when he came to the Hogs Head to inquire about any unusual visitors who might be tied to the disillusioned aircraft that had been found in the nearby field, he had not expected to see her, of all people. She had definitely changed…and she looked fantastic…but she was still the same woman whose friendship he remembered so fondly…and whose abrupt departure from his life had hurt so much.

"H…Hermione?" he gasped. A heartbeat later, he was off of the floor and hugging his long lost friend tightly while the old man behind the bar finally showed some emotion as the corners of his lips turned up in pleasure at the sight.

For her part, Hermione just clung to Harry. She knew that a long, and probably emotional, discussion would have to happen next, but for now she was just happy to be back in his arms. Even though several years had passed, she still felt at home there…just like she always had. Meanwhile, since there was obviously no danger, Clint and Nat just grinned in the background as they finished their drinks. They did not know the whole story of what had happened between the two people in front of them – especially since the trio had an unspoken rule to leave their painful pasts back where they belonged. However, they knew enough to realize that this man was important to their magical friend. Plus, they could see the way the couple looked at each other. That was like a type of magic within itself! Therefore, they did not react the way they normally would have when the man led Mi away from them into a private back room to talk. They just gave the two of them the time and space they obviously needed in order to reconnect. Plus, they were confident in their knowledge that they had trained her well enough that she could easily kick the guy's ass if she really needed to.

No ass-kicking was necessary though, since Hermione and Harry simply just looked at each other at first. They sat across a small table from one another and tightly gripped hands - reluctant to let go again – as if each was afraid that the other one would disappear. Harry was the one who finally broke the silence first as he quietly told her that her letter had broken his heart, and that for the longest time he could not decide if he was angry that she had left him or sad because she felt that she had to do it – especially since she had already sacrificed so much for him.

"Ginny and I didn't stay together long after that, you know," he continued hesitantly. However, he felt that she should know the truth. "I think it hurt her a bit that I missed you so much…and it came between us. I'm sorry for that, but she and I were obviously not meant to be – especially since she and Dean got back together soon afterwards. Now the two of them are happily married and travel the Quidditch circuit together with her as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and him as the team manager."

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sor…" Hermione attempted to apologize – even as she wondered about the unexpected surge of happiness that she felt at the news…but Harry just waved it off.

"Don't be. None of this was any of your fault. Ginny and I have talked about it since and we realized that we weren't really meant to be together. I think that we were just doing what everyone expected us to do at the time…and we just went along with it because we liked each other enough that it was easy – especially since you and Ron were…well," he stopped and coughed a little to cover up his obvious embarrassment about whatever it was that he was going to say.

Hermione wondered about his sudden unease, but felt that she should ask about Ron then. When she did so, Harry explained that the man had left the Auror Department in order to work with George at the WWW shop. However, Harry remained on good terms with him, and all of the other Weasleys, and saw them frequently. When Harry caught Hermione's hurt look at that comment, he rushed to clarify.

"Mione," he said softly…and her heart melted at his use of the old nickname. "They…regret…what happened with you. At the time, they thought that they were doing what was best for Ron, but they did not realize how much it must have hurt you – until you left. They did not know until then that you had…lost…your parents." Hermione thought about the fact that she had not told Ron, even after he became her boyfriend, about the irreversible Obliviates that she had performed on her mother and father before she sent them to Australia with new identities in order to save them during the war.

"How did they find out?" she whispered. In her years with SHIELD, she had become good at hiding her feelings. However, now all of her carefully erected barriers were starting to fall because of the man in front of her. She just had not expected to have such a strong emotional response to Harry – or to the things that he told her. However, he just grimaced as he explained, while rubbing the back of his neck nervously, that in a fit of righteous anger right after she left, he had been the one who had informed the Weasleys about what only he and Kingsley had known before then.

It was at that moment when he inadvertently told her about coming to her defense, that Hermione finally saw the way that Harry looked at her…like a dying man in the desert would look at a glass of water. He had missed her. He needed her. He wanted her. Her heart jumped up in her throat at the realization…and the truth about why she had really left all of those years ago finally hit her like a brick. Yes, there had been a few blokes here and there over the years she had been gone, but none of them had ever lasted long - because none of them had ever looked at her that way. She suddenly realized why. Her heart had not been available to them…because it already belonged to the man across the table from her. Perhaps it always had…maybe that's why she and Ron had never stood a chance in the first place. No matter what, however, she knew that she owed it to herself to find out the truth.

If she was wrong, then she would just fetch Clint and Nat, apparate to the quinjet, go back to NY after it was fixed, and never look back again. If she was right…well, she did not know exactly what she would do - but she had to find out, regardless! Therefore, she slipped out of her seat, around the table, and into his lap. She had never learned the art of seduction the way that Nat had, but as she leaned down to capture his obviously eager lips with her own, she finally knew without a doubt that she did not have to seduce Harry. He was already hers. Somehow, he always had been - despite their obvious misunderstandings about the issue when they were younger. It was now clear that Harry was her destiny. She had just taken the roundabout route to finally get to where she was always meant to be.

Judging by their smirks, Clint and Nat were not really surprised to see her disheveled hair and kiss-swollen lips when Mi finally came back into the main room of the pub. Nor were they shocked when she introduced them to Harry and told them that she would not be coming back to NY with them on the quinjet…but that she would magically transport over later. After all, she had plenty of personal leave built up…and she finally had a reason to use some of it. She knew that she would not leave SHIELD permanently - especially since it was now her life and she loved it. However, it certainly would not hurt for her to take a little vacation while she and Harry figured out where to go from there.