One Year Later:

Hermione looked at the headstone and shivered against the icy air that swept through the lonely graveyard. It was only the second week of September but the air in England was already very chilly. She sniffled a little, whispering words to the headstone, mostly apologies and old memories but it was hard to look past the words written on the cold stone: Here Lies Ronald Bilius Weasley, Son, Brother, Best Friend and War Hero. Taken from the magical world too soon. The guilt was nearly a physical pain for the muggle-born witch, it was made worse because the Weasley family, knowing what really happened to Ron, still loved her like a family member. Hermione's eyes cut to the side of the graveyard as she watched a tall, thin, dark-cloaked figure pulled themselves away from the shadows of the nearby tree and made their way over to where she was standing.

"Miss Granger" A deep, baritone voice made the hair on the back of her neck rise up "You come here too often"

"I come once a month" Hermione informed "I leave flowers and I tell Ron...about what's happening in the world" Her voice broke over the last part of the sentence.

"You appear guilty" The man said and she cut him off harshly.

"I am guilty" She hissed.

"No, you're not" He insisted "If there is someone to blame for his death it is me" He broke off when she scoffed but kept quiet "I should have answered Miss Lovegood's patronis but I did not" He lowered his eyes a bit, even though he'd already told her this it still hurt to repeat it "I was too busy wallowing in self-pity"

"How were you to know?" Hermione asked, turning to look at him with a small smile "Would you like to get a drink, Severus?"

"Sadly" Snape spoke "I can't there's a...bug that has been bothering me that I need to take care of"

"Another time, then?" Hermione offered and he nodded before walking away in one direction while she headed in another.

Once she was in a small, dark alleyway, Hermione apparated to the burrow where she was currently staying. She'd originally tried to find an apartment, but Molly wouldn't allow it and made the young woman move into Ginny's old bedroom. She felt like an imposter and begged Molly to just forget about her, but the woman shook her head and told Hermione that she'd already lost two sons and to please not to take away her second daughter. She'd intended to only be gone for a month, maybe two and then she was going to go back to New York and figure out how to move on with her life but as the months went by she was unable to make herself leave. She'd gotten letters daily, then every other day, then weekly, monthly and now...she hadn't heard from anyone in ages.

"Molly, Arthur" Hermione called as she walked into the kitchen "I'm home"

"Just in time too" Molly greeted as she walked in "The stew is just about done. The days a bit nippy, I thought a good, hearty stew was called for, what do you think, hm?"

"I think it sounds wonderful" Hermione smiled "I'll just go wash up and be down in about five minutes"

"Good" She answered "Ginny, Draco and Harry will be here around that time too"

Hermione offered a smile to her mother of sorts before walking up the stairs to her bedroom. Seeing Harry and Ginny was not at the top of her list of things to do, Harry asked about New York and asked when she was going back and Ginny gave her sad looks and occasionally told her that she should go back. She loved her friends and knew that they met well but it was annoying, and it made her heart hurt. As if she wasn't feeling guilty enough. Guilt over her parents hating her, guilt over what happened with Ronald, guilt over leaving Pietro and Wanda and most of all...guilt over leaving Jarvis as coldly as she did. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and sighed, she looked as crappy as she felt, her hair was to her waist but held back in a ponytail, there were dark circles around her eyes and she wasn't wearing make-up. Not to mention she looked like she'd just attended a funeral, wearing black pants and an oversized black sweater with black shoes. This would have to do.

By the time Hermione got to the kitchen Ginny, Draco and Harry were already there. Ginny was wearing a pair of white pants with an acid green shirt that showed off her baby bump just a little without being too much. Draco was wearing black slacks and a matching button-down shirt making his platinum blonde hair look white against the background. Harry was wearing dark blue jeans and a green sweater that Molly had gotten him for Christmas that made his eyes pop. Hermione smiled at them and gave Ginny and Harry hugs and there was an awkward one-armed hug from Draco. Then they all sat down and dug in, there was conversation about work, Harry was an Auror now and Draco was running the family business.

"What have you been doing since you got home?" Ginny asked, because of her constant nagging about New York or going on about being pregnant, Hermione and the red head didn't talk much.

"I just got finished with an internship with Madame Pomphrey" Hermione told her "I'm likely going to be working as a private healer but maybe I'll go to Saint Mungo's" She made a face "Maybe not though"

"That sounds awesome, Mione" Harry said, he smiled happily at her before looking back at his stew. Hermione would bet her first paycheck that Molly had given them a stern talking to about harassing her about New York.

"Oh dear" Molly said, she stood quickly and let an owl in through the kitchen window "Who would be writing during dinner?"

"Don't know" Arthur said, they watched the owl drop it's letter in front of Hermione and then take off, not waiting for a treat. She grabbed the envelope and looked at the front, but it only had her name on it, she looked at the others before ripping into it.

Dear Hermione,

I know that you are busy but it is of the utmost importance that you know. Two months ago the Avengers went on a mission...Pietro didn't make it back. He was shot, many times by the enemy while protecting Clint and a child, I wanted to tell you right away but Wanda didn't think it was a good idea and claimed that she'd be fine. Tony had Thor contact Loki and I to tell us that she is not fine, she's fallen into a deep depression and they don't know how to get her out of it. Loki offered to let her come to Asguard but she said no, I think that she needs you, Hermione...it's time to come home.

-Luna

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and took a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. She fought to keep from screaming or sobbing, she wanted to be strong in a time that she was sure it was okay to be weak. Hermione raised her tear-filled eyes to the others around the table but she couldn't think of any words to say so she passed the letter to Ginny who was closest to her. The redhead took the parchment and read through it before lowering it and looking at her friend and taking her hand.

"I'm sorry, Hermione" Ginny whispered, the tears fell from Hermione's pretty whiskey colored eyes "It's a letter from Luna...Pietro, Hermione's cousin, is dead"

"Oh my goodness" Molly put her hand to her chest while Arthur lowered his head "My sweet girl, I am so sorry, how is your other cousin?"

"It says that Wanda's fallen into a deep depression" Ginny answered for Hermione "They want Hermione to come back to help her"

"How can I help?" Hermione sobbed "I'm a mess...I just ruin everything!"

With that she got up and stormed out of the house to be alone in the dark where she could cry in the privacy of the yard. The occupants in the house allowed her to be alone for almost a full hour before Molly came out and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. Hermione was sitting in the grass just staring with blank eyes as she went through her memories, as few as they had been, of Pietro, and that brought about a whole new wave of fresh tears. Molly sat down near her and put an around her shaking shoulders and leaned her head against the younger womans.

"The hardest thing I've had to experience as a mother is the loss of a child" Molly said "When I lost Fred it tore me apart, the loss of Ronald while it didn't surprise me that his jealousies and anger killed him, it still tore another part of me away" Hermione sobbed harder and whispered an apology "I have been blessed, Hermione. I had many kids and I was able to love even more than that...what your parents are doing to you isn't fair and taking away the chance for your cousins to have a loving home when they were young was cruel and selfish" She pressed a motherly kiss to Hermione's hair "All my kids are grown, I have empty rooms and no one to fill them and I also have room in my heart for more"

"What are you saying?" Hermione whispered.

"Your cousin Wanda" Molly said "She was cheated out of a family, the only family she has left was you and her brother and now he's gone. Your parents are being selfish, I won't be. Arthur and I talked, we want you to go to New York and we want you to bring your cousin and your friends home to us to take care of"

"No, Molly" Hermione smiled through her sadness "Tony is in his forties, Banner is just as old and I think Steve is older than you...they don't need to be taken care of"

"Do you remember why you left magical England for muggle New York?" Molly asked "Because they kept asking for too much, going to the muggle world helped you relax and deal with stuff...from what you told me, I think they need to get out of muggle New York and come to magical England for the same reason you left us...the muggle world expects too much from them and right now, they're hurting" Hermione nodded absently "They just lost a family member, Wanda needs a mother figure that can take care of her and the others...well, maybe all they need is to get away"

"But..." Hermione started, it wasn't that she was embarrassed by the Avengers or the Weasleys, but she was scared to answer those inevitable questions that Tony and the others would have, and she'd have to see Jarvis again.

"Look me in the eye" Molly said, turning the younger woman's head to stare at her face "And tell me you don't want to see that Jarvis again"

"I don't want to see Jarvis again" Hermione whispered, even in her own ears it sounded weak.

"Very good" Molly smiled "You almost convinced me...try again and this time, try to convince yourself"

~~~/ /~~~

Hermione landed in the same alley that she'd left a year before. She raised her eyes to the Avengers building and felt like each window that was facing her were the eyes of one of the avengers she'd left behind. Hermione felt exposed and nervous as she made her way to the little call box and then looked at her watch. Much like the first time, she'd gotten there relatively early and smiled to herself a little as she looked at the little red button and pushed it. It buzzed but wasn't answered and she sighed, she pushed the button again listening to the buzz but getting no answer. With a grin, much like she had before everything went to hell a year ago, Hermione held the red call button down and let it buzz continuously in the apartment.

"WHAT?!" Tony's voice shouted over the intercom, she smiled, his voice hadn't changed at all and apparently neither did his sleeping habits.

"Hmm" Hermione said as an answer.

"WHAT?" He snapped again and she giggled at how similar this interaction was with the first time she was there "HELLO?!"

"Pizza" Hermione answered, attempting an American accent.

"I didn't order pizza" Tony answered with a sigh.

"Steve Rogers did" Hermione lied with a grin.

"No, he didn't" Tony snapped.

"Oh, come on, Tony" Hermione said in her usual accent and annoyed tone "It's bloody cold out here this morning, let me in already!"

"H-Hermione?" Tony stuttered "What are you...come in, come up" There was a buzzing noise and the door opened and she was able to walk in.

Hermione stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close in front of her. Her hands shook with her nerves as the machine moved up floor by floor, bringing her closer and closer to the loved ones she'd tried to forget. The ride up the elevator seemed to take forever, each beep as it ticked off the floors she was passing sounded like bombs to her and sooner than she was ready it stopped, beeped and the doors opened. Hermione walked across the grey hallway to the wide door that led into the apartment she'd called home for a while. Hermione never understood why Tony didn't just have the elevator open to his living room, he claimed it was a safety measure, but they hardly ever kept the door locked. Just the test her theory, Hermione pressed on the handle and sure enough it was ready to open and let her in but she knocked anyway. While she waited, she thought about the difference this time was, the first time Pietro met her at the front door and without asking picked her up and zoomed her into the apartment where she tried very hard not to puke on anything expensive or anyone. The door swung open and Hermione raised her eyes to find Tony standing there looking at her like she may be a ghost.

"You're actually here?" He asked, he was wearing sleeping pants and a long-sleeved night shirt both were navy blue "Holy shit"

"You going to invite me in?" Hermione asked "Or make me stay out here as punishment?"

"I'm considering on making you stay out there as punishment" Tony answered with a frown.

"I deserve that" Hermione whispered, lowering her eyes.

"Get in here" He said around a huge sigh "You must be hungry"

"Starved" Hermione agreed.

"Good" Tony said, closing the door behind her "Jarvis is making breakfast"

"Jarvis?" Hermione looked shocked "Jarvis, Jarvis?" She placed her little beaded bag down on the side table near the couch "Yellow jewel on his forehead, red...answers to Vision sometimes and just last year was stealing tampons from Natasha?" She raised her brows "That Jarvis?"

"Yes" Tony answered with a grin "Wanda and Nat taught him how to cook, unfortunately after Pietro...well, Luna comes down from Asguard once a week to make that he is still being cared for"

"I'll have to thank her" Hermione muttered, she walked into the kitchen and looked at the man that was now dishing up eggs on to a few plates. He raised his eyes to hers and stopped his movements, they looked at one another for a whole minute before he turned away and went through the motions of his morning duties. As soon as he looked away Hermione could breathe again, she looked at her breakfast and smiled. It was good to be back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N: Here is the first chapter of the sequel to Lost Girl and the Heathen. So, I tend to write multiple chapters a day and sometimes I'll go days without writing so just keep checking the updates. Please, tell me if you want Thanos to make an appearance and please tell me who you'd like to see shipped or introduced to this story that I may have left out. Please Review!