Chapter 7: Off The Straight Path

She felt consciousness slowly drift in, the sensation of a pillow under her head, the weight of covers over her feet. After a deep breath she felt sad, how the dream had slipped away from her, a wonderful dream at first with Jack on that island but it had all turned so strange at the end. Grasping out in her memory to draw back the dream she drew in the details of how it felt with Jack, how it...

"I believe she's waking up."

And then she felt it all crash in on her again. It hadn't worked. She was back at the Department of Mysteries, back again in Jack's time, back again and never able to see her parents. The enormity of it all hit her, that despite all of their best efforts they had failed.

"Budge up there, mate, don't crowd her, can't you see she's having a time?"

Keeping her eyes tightly shut Hermione concentrated on her breathing, as the last voice was not one she was familiar with; it certainly wasn't Charity or Splitaxe's voice, and if it wasn't their voice perhaps she wasn't in the Department of Mysteries again. Tentatively she opened an eye, expecting something other than the vast expanse of light blue wall, but...it was a blue wall. The walls where white in the DoM. If the walls were blue, then maybe, just maybe... She turned her head to the other side and blinked several times, forcing the image from blurry to focused. It was a man, a man with a very prominent mustache and a kind expression.

The man turned over his shoulder. "See there, Barry, you got 'ta give her time, don't be so impatient." He turned back to her. "Hello there, love. Gave us all a bit of a fright, showin' up out 'a the blue." He saw her struggle for a moment and shook his head. "It's all right, hen, just a precaution. Nobody ever just showed up in the middle of the ADU before. Your wand is safe, just need to ask you a few questions. Restraints will go away eventually."

That caught her off-guard, as she was sure if someone had just appeared in the middle of the British Ministry, specifically the Department of Mysteries, there would be more precautions. She eyed him warily. The accent sounded different. "ADU?"

"Australian Department of the Unexplained." He smiled. "You're down under, love. So, Miss Granger, I'll release the restraints as long as you promise not to do anything funny. Barry over there? He's an Auror, and apparently he hasn't hexed anything in a week so he's just looking for an excuse. Course with you being who you are you'd probably do him for one before he could say 'Merlin on a longboard', especially if your mates are right behind you. Are they popping in as well?"

Hermione paused. She was in a time where she was recognised, they knew her name, but when? "My mates?"

"Potter an' Weasley. Didn't expect you back so soon after the last visit, but I'm sure your parents will be happy to see you. So, how exactly did you manage to just pop into the ADU?"

She closed her eyes and exhaled. They'd done it. She was back in the timestream with her parents. They were alive, in Australia where she'd last seen them. But that relief was short-lived as she realised that it had only been her that had arrived; no mention of Jack. The pang of loss hit her hard and she had to blink to fight back the tears. How would she explain how she had arrived there, unexpectedly, in Australia? And then it came to her. "Have you ever heard of an extended chronological temporal displacement?"

"Well now, that's something you don't hear every day." The man's eyes were wide. "We've read about them, of course, your lot over there has some research on them, but it's just theory. I'm guessing you're the practical application, then? You've shown up here because..."

"Because I used a time-turner for a year to take classes."

The man turned to the Auror. "Release her restraints, Barry." The Auror grumbled but acquiesced, remaining close by and on guard, his wand out and visible. Once that was complete the man drew his chair closer to her and shook his head. "William Higgle, Miss Granger. May I call you Hermione? Less stuffy."

"Of course, William." She slowly sat up, ran a hand through her hair and looked at him. "The last thing I remember is..." She paused again. The last thing she actually remembered was being out in the Forbidden Forest with Jack, in the runic circle, surrounded by shallow silver bowls of water, each with a single Thestral hair floating on the surface. She and Jack had activated the runes, cut their hands with the donated centaur's arrow, clasped them together and that's when it happened. She couldn't actually tell the man that, of course. "I was on an island in America. I...I had gone on holiday from my job at the Ministry, and went to sleep. Now I'm here."

"America? Bloody hell!" William sat back and took off his glasses, wiping his face with his free hand. "That would take three international portkeys." After returning his glasses to their usual place he shook his head. "I know this won't be fun, at all, but we need to do a few tests and have an official interview for you. I don't think it'll take too long, but we need to document this. If you're willing?"

"Of course." She nodded. "I'm as baffled as you are."

William turned to Barry the Auror. "Could you go let Miranda know she's awake and we can start the procedures?"

For three excruciating days Hermione completed everything asked of her. She recounted her visit to America, omitting everything about Jack and her wish, only telling them of her initial visit. She recounted her trip before going to America, the Aurors retrieved the records from her hotel and they verified her visit with the old Welsh couple in Denmark after going through the portkey records to locate the couple. They were polite, but it was a strained politeness due to the fact that she'd done the impossible by arriving in the most heavily warded and secure portion of the Australian Ministry. It also didn't help that her last visit to their country, to restore her parents' memories, was somewhat of an embarrassment to the Australian authorities.

Eventually, though, it ended. Three long days of lying there at night, wondering if she would ever find out what happened to Jack, and coming to the conclusion that if she was back in the year 2000 then the Jack she knew, the Jack who had come back to the 1940's to find her and to send her back, that Jack was gone. Realising this logically was one thing, accepting it emotionally was another.

So it was with a heavy heart that she finally stepped out into the bright Australian sunshine, wand tucked into her pocket, full of fear and with the knowledge that the Australians reserved the right to continue their research on her case. What would happen? Would she be cursed with foreknowledge, knowing that eventually Harry and Ginny would have children and grandchildren that she knew as adults? How could she ever reconcile the two existences?

She made her way to the magical neighborhood in Sydney, using William's notes, and made her way to the Gringotts branch. Thankfully the inter-country banking system of the goblins allowed her to withdraw both wizarding and Muggle money, as she needed funds to make her way to her parents. Her parents. She couldn't wait to see them; after so long of believing that she would never see them again they were alive, living in Australia just as they had been before the island and the wish. There was so much to say to them, so much she wanted to say to them but she knew in her heart of hearts that she couldn't tell them about Jack. She couldn't tell anyone about Jack. It hit her, then. She would never be able to tell another soul about Jack.

The Muggle shop sold her a mobile phone quickly, and placing it in her pocket she walked about Sydney for a few hours in a daze, watching people, how couples seemed to be everywhere, mocking her. Finally, the sight of a couple pushing a pram made up her mind. She pulled out the mobile and dialed the number, her heart racing.

"Hello?"

"Mum?"

"Hermione, is that you? Did you get a new mobile?"

"I did. Lost the other one." She closed her eyes, reveling in her mum's voice. "I'm in Sydney."

"You're in Sydney?"

Hermione laughed as she heard her mum yell 'Mike, Hermione's in Sydney!' "Mum?"

"Your father is out back attempting to show Mr. Potter how well he's taken to grilling since we've been here. Are you coming your way or our way? I'll tell him to put on more food. Can't wait to see you, dear. Hurry, please, it's been too long. Bye!"

As the phone call ended Hermione was confused. Harry was there? Why would Harry be over in Australia unless...the Australian Ministry, William had probably contacted Harry when she had arrived. He'd mentioned Harry several times, almost embarassingly so; it was obvious that Harry was famous worldwide. It would be good to see him, but she was slightly nervous as the last time she had seen him he'd been a grandfather. Also the Minister for Magic, which made her chuckle. He'd hate that right now, especially with how frustrated he was with the slow pace of progress in the Auror department specifically, but mostly the Ministry as a whole. Hopefully he would accept the same story she'd given William and the ADU lot. Going to see her parents 'their way' would take too long; she'd have to get the train to Brisbane and that would be expensive, and time consuming, as her parents had opened a small practice there. Thankfully she had been to her parents' house before, as even though it was quite a distance it was within apparition limits, if only just. After making her way to a small alley that seemed rather isolated she closed her eyes to concentrate. With steady deliberation, and more determination than she'd ever had to see her parents outside of that horrible time when she'd restored their memories, she thought of their garden and turned.

The smell hit her first, the smell of grilling sausages. For a split second after opening her eyes she saw her father and Harry from behind, standing at the grill, and then her apparition pop brought their attention to her. Her father looked as he did the last time she saw him, his wavy brown hair parted conservatively, but when Harry…

Not Harry. Not Harry. Jack. Jack Potter stood with her father. Jack. Jack was there. Jack was there! Unable to contain herself she ran forward and threw herself into his arms.

"Well hello to you, too, 'Mione." Mike shook his head in mirth at his daughter's actions. He'd seen her with Ron before, only the once, but she'd never acted like that with him. He looked towards the back door of the cottage. "Lizzie, she's here."

With her head against Jack's chest Hermione watched her mum come out of the cottage, and registered the look of shock on her face. As she came closer Hermione saw the look of shock slowly replaced with a smile.

"I take it you know Mr. Potter, then?"

"I do." Hermione broke apart from Jack and then, unable to contain herself engulfed her mum in a hug, followed shortly thereafter by repeating the process with her father.

Mike held his daughter at arm's length. "He said he knew you but it looks like there might be a bit more to the story, eh?"

"That's an understatement, Dad."

-ooo-

Hermione could barely contain herself as she sat at the patio table with her parents and Jack as they ate, occasionally nudging Jack's foot with hers. Thankfully Jack insisted on telling the story to her parents, as 'she always mucked it up.' They had met when Jack was researching his family; he was British but his parents had moved to America when he was young to avoid the war the first time. As his last name was Potter he had found out about Harry Potter, but unfortunately the similarities only extended to having the same surname. Hermione almost choked on her bite of sausage when she heard that. Jack nudged her foot and continued on with his story, saying that when he'd gone over to England to try and find out if there was any connection with the famous Harry Potter he had met her and they'd hit it off. Since everything was so new, and if the press had found out that Hermione was dating a Potter, even if he wasn't any relation to Harry, it would have been all over the papers so they had agreed to keep things quiet. They had made plans to meet in Australia, but their travel arrangements had been off and he missed her at the portkey station so had decided to go on ahead to her parents' house.

Hermione watched her parents as the tale was told, and her father seemed to accept the story on face value, but she could tell from her mum's slightly narrowed eyes that she wasn't buying it. When her father went back to the grill, to make sure the coals were out, she saw her mum tapping her finger slowly on the edge of her glass. She knew what that meant, that eventually there would be a time when she would be alone with her mum and the questions would begin. It was a repeat of when she had been forced to fully explain things that had happened at Hogwarts in the past. As Jack chatted with her mum about something she tuned them out, her decision rolling around in her head and knew that after everything that had happened, after finally regaining her parents' trust after the obliviation she couldn't, she wouldn't lie to them again. When her father returned to the table she took a quick drink of beer, draining half the glass in one go, causing her dad to look at her oddly.

After a very large breath she turned to her parents. "Mum, Dad...Jack's story is..."

"Nicely fabricated rubbish to make us feel better?" Elizabeth angled her head slightly to the side and smiled. "And I take it you're going to tell us properly, now?"

Jack rubbed his forehead and let out an exasperated sigh. "How do mums do that?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Practise. Hermione?"

Hermione took another quick sip of beer. "You know that you had to sign that permission slip the year Professor McGonagall gave me the time-turner."

"Bloody brilliant, that was." David sat back in his chair and put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "To think H.G. Wells wasn't that far off, travelling through time, even if it was in little bits."

"Well..." Hermione winced. "About that..."

-ooo-

The sun had set long ago, the tiki torches had been lit around the outside sitting area in the garden, and Mike had long passed the point where beer was a viable solution and had progressed to single-malt scotch. When Hermione had finally finished her tale, after many interruptions and side-discussions, the four of them sat there, silence hanging over them.

Eventually Mike couldn't stand it anymore. "Thank God you didn't change my nappies. I don't think I could handle that."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and gave her husband a pointed look. "That's what's bothering you, not the fact that our daughter not only travelled to the future but to the past and saw you as an infant? That only through magic and luck did she actually end up here?" She turned to her daughter. "Christ almighty, Hermione! You could have ended up anywhere, any time, trapped forever! So in that past, the future one, you know what I mean, you disappeared and that was it? We never knew what happened to you? After how we ended up here in Australia...I think that would have sent me over the edge."

"That's why I had to try! After...what happened, I couldn't let that happen. But I'm not there, Mum. I'm here." Hermione pleaded. "I'm here, now, with you. With Jack."

Mike snorted. "Who happens to be your best mate's grandson. Your best mate and his wife that don't have any kids yet." He stood up, stopped, retrieved his scotch and began pacing slowly. "The only way I can wrap my head around this whole science-fiction Doctor Who kind of thing is to say 'oh, well, it's magic and it happened in an alternate universe' thingy. What's next? Daleks show up on dragons in Perth?"

Jack shook his head. "No dragons in Perth, they're out in a Reserve in the Outback." He stopped. "Well, they were in my time, no idea about now. I think it exists..."

"That's lovely, dear, but I don't give a toss about dragons." Elizabeth shook her head. "What I want to know is what you're going to do now?" She focused on her daughter. "Are you going back to England?"

"I...I don't know." Hermione sat back in her chair. "There's so much to consider. Jack could probably go back but looking as he does he'd probably have to always use a glamour..."

Jack shook his head. "England's a bad idea. Too much could go wrong. Anyway they'd never let me in the country, they'd take one look at my passport at the portkey station and see that I was born in 2040 and it'd be mental."

Again the garden fell silent, eventually broken by Mike's muttered curse. "Bloody hell. My mum was a witch. My mum was a witch, and Dad's not my Dad."

"Don't be an idiot, Michael." Elizabeth turned to him. "He was your father. Not your biological father, apparently, but he was your father." She turned to Hermione. "Did..."

"No." Hermione shook her head. "She didn't. Only the name Wilson. I don't even know if that was his first name or his surname. He died in the war."

Mike shot the rest of his scotch and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well if this is any indication of what happens to witches and wizards, not to mention all the shit that happened in England with that dark wizard, I'm glad I never went to Hogwarts. Makes all those years of university seem wonderfully boring." He turned to Hermione. "Maybe that's what you should do, go to university. Study, get a degree and go into law here in Australia or maybe America. Forget about magic. I think you've pressed your luck far too much." He opened his mouth to say something, stopped, and then resumed, his tone very stern. "You and your mates barely made it out alive, Hermione. Others weren't so lucky. They say cats have nine lives and if you were a cat, love, I'd say you had burned up eight of them by now just to get here."

Hermione's response died in her throat as she saw a bird heading their way, it's shape resembling an owl. As it got closer she saw it was an owl, but not one that she was familiar with. It landed on the table in front of her and stuck out it's leg. As she heard her parents discussing something she took the letter from it's leg, found a scrap of burnt sausage that was leftover and gave it to the owl and watched it fly away.

"We get those every now and then, you know." Her mum looked over to her. "Every now and then the Australian magic lot will send us something, mostly just to tell us when they'll be by to top up the wards."

Hermione looked at her oddly. "They do?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Not very often. What kind of owl is that again, Mike?"

"Sooty owl or something like that. It's in the book in the study." He looked over to his daughter. "Are you going to read that?"

Nerves racing Hermione unrolled the parchment, recognising Harry's horrible scrawl immediately.

Hermione,

Even on holiday you can't help but get in trouble. Kingsley got a message from the Australian Ministry about how you popped into their version of the Department of Mysteries and they were quite nasty about it for a bit. How in the hell did you do that? Last thing we heard you were off in Denmark. Decide to see your parents and the portkey went wrong? If that's what happened let me know and I'll sic Percy on the Danish portkey lot for shoddy work. You know how much he'd enjoy that. Tell your parents hello for me.

Nothing quite so exciting here, but I do have a bit of news. Don't tell Ginny I told you, and act excited when you get back and she tells you, but I haven't told anyone and I'm about to burst. Ginny's pregnant! It's early yet, so we're not really telling anyone, and if Molly knows I told you before we told her you'll probably hear the explosion all the way over there. We haven't decided if we'll find out the baby's sex yet, apparently we have to wait a couple of weeks before that can happen, but I don't care either way. Just think, me, a father. Mental. She's happy, but nervous about how it will affect her Quidditch career. Apparently there's a clause in her Harpies contract and somehow I have a feeling I'd better stay away from Gwenog Jones for the next few months. Maybe years.

Are you coming back soon? Your holiday is up in a week according to your office, and they won't tell you officially but I think they can't wait for you to get back. Your boss started asking me questions in the canteen the other day and to be honest he looked a bit stressed.

Hope you're having fun. After everything, especially with you and Ron breaking up and somehow not hexing each other, you deserve it.

Harry

After quickly reading it Hermione saw the expectant faces. "I'd...I'll read it."

Once the letter's contents had been divulged the four sat silent, only Mike's pushing of the scotch across the table towards Jack making a slight scraping noise. Jack tipped the bottle and filled up his beer glass with more than three fingers and took a drink.

Elizabeth laid a hand on her daughter's arm. "Perhaps it would be best if you could extend your holiday a bit. Another week or two. By then they'll know whether it's a boy or a girl."

"And then you'll know if it's a timey-wimey alternate universe or..." Mike fluttered his hand in the air.

"Or if it's something more difficult." Elizabeth stood up. "Jack, I believe our sofa will be quite comfortable for you. You don't mind, do you?"

Jack shook his head, feeling Hermione's foot against his under the table. "Not at all. Thank you."

"Good. Mike, you have the Dennis girl at nine if I remember our appointments correctly. I believe after everything it's time to turn in. God knows I'll need a sleeping pill after tonight."

-ooo-

Jack found sleep hard to come by on the sofa, the reality of being back in time, in Hermione's time, in her parents' house in Australia was just too much to overcome. He laid there for quite some time, listening to the low, muffled sounds of conversation from down the hall and thinking about what was to happen. If he stayed with her he would have to create a completely new identity. Everything he knew was gone, or yet to be, or might not ever be.

The thought that he could possibly go back to his time was there, obviously, but that would be hard. Beyond hard. Impossible, actually. Right as he laid down on the sofa, after assuring Elizabeth that he was quite comfortable, and after Hermione had come to see him for a bit, he'd gone into his bag and retrieved the tablet. He knew dicta-tablets like the back of his hand; after all, he used them extensively at his job. Once he'd pressed his finger against the identification slot he expected it to blink into life, but it only flickered momentarily, finally displaying a Wizangamot record from 1949. The record stayed on the tablet for a moment, then flashed and the tablet was still. No further effort, even a reset tap of his wand, could coax it back into life. Tossing it down onto the carpet he rolled over, gathered the thin blanket over him and closed his eyes.

The sun had just risen when he woke; for a split-second he was disoriented, but then it all came rushing back to him. Where he was. When he was. Out of his massive family the only Potter by blood that was currently living was his grandfather. It felt so odd; he'd grown up with a lot of relatives, at times too many relatives, and wondered if they would ever exist. He had known this was a possiblity going back through time to find her; how would his parents deal with it? Had he been selfish?

He sat up, rubbed his face and as quietly as possible made his way into the loo. Once finished with his morning ablutions he got dressed and, since nobody else was up, decided to sit and wait. It would have been wonderful to have a cup of tea, but since he didn't know where anything was, compounded by the fact that his mum would have told him it would be rude to just act as if he owned the place whilst a guest, he made his way back into the sitting room and folded up the bedding. Completing that small task, as light began to fill the house, he went to a small bookshelf and perused the titles. Hermione's comment about how her father had wanted to sit literature was obvious from the volumes on the shelf, mostly literature with the odd medical book, travel book and reference book mixed in.

Plucking a book from the shelf he sat in a chair by the window, somehow unwilling to turn on a lamp. He knew how to use Muggle lighting, but it just didn't feel right. After reading the introductory chapter concerning the book he had just turned the page to the first Canto when he heard footsteps. Turning back he saw Hermione's mum, dressed for work in healer's clothing.

"I believe that is appropriate, somewhat. I do hope you're not finding yourself in one of the later circles." Elizabeth looked down at him. "Dante's Inferno, not something I would expect a wizard to read."

He shrugged. "I've read it before. It was one of her books. I read it at my uncle's house. He kept all her books when..." He sighed. "It's hard, sometimes. It's like I'm living a different life."

Elizabeth snorted and nodded. "Mike and I feel the same. Before the Hogwarts letter and after the letter. 'Shakes the moorings,' as he says. Tea?"

"Merlin, please. Thank you. I would have started the kettle..."

"Nonsense, you're a guest. Join me?"

He followed her into the kitchen, sat in a chair and realised he'd brought the book. As she was silent whilst making tea he opened the book, read for a minute and snorted.

Over her shoulder Elizabeth looked at him. "I don't remember Dante being funny right away, and even then it was more of an ironic funny than a 'ha-ha' funny."

"Ironic's a good word. Here." He put his finger against the section. "It's the beginning, where he's in a dark wood and says he's strayed off the straight path. That's me, that's for sure."

"Apt." Elizabeth returned to the tea and began rummaging through the refrigerator. "Are you hungry?"

Jack smiled. "Normally I'd be famished, but no, not really. Tea will be fine, thanks."

"Suit yourself. I believe I'll have an egg or two." She continued to putter about in the kitchen, preparing things, and turned over her shoulder. "What did you do, in..."

"When she was in my time she used to call it 'back then.' I guess it works, even if it was the future. Back then I worked in the British Wizarding Library."

"Ow!" She winced and held her finger. "Bloody cooker."

"Let me." Jack got up, took out his wand and held it over her hand. "Episkey."

"Ooh, that's...that's magic, then." Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you. It's just, with Hermione and her books..."

He smiled. "Yeah, my family thought it was funny as well."

"About your family..."

After a moment Jack nodded. "Yeah. We said our goodbyes. I think they knew when I left it was probably for good. Even if I wanted to I don't think I'd be able to go back. I thought about it a lot last night. Pretty sure I'm here for good now." He stared hard at the table, focusing on the swirl of the wood grain." Of course, with the way magic is maybe one day I'll just start disappearing and that'll be that. Or not. Like I said, it's magic. Merlin knows what'll happen." He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Elizabeth near tears.

"But you brought her back. If you hadn't gone after her she would still be stuck in the forties, wouldn't she? We would have never known what would have happened, and she would have just vanished off the face of the earth." Biting her lip slightly she slightly increased the pressure on his shoulder. "To us you've just showed up, but you two have been through quite a bit, and you wouldn't have done what you did for just anyone, would you?"

"No. I wouldn't."

"Thank you." She leaned down and kissed him on the head. "Now I know you said you weren't hungry but I'm fixing you something. I don't care if you don't eat it."

He chuckled. "You sound like Gran."

As the kettle sang he looked up and saw Hermione, leaning in the doorway, smiling at him. Elizabeth had to have noticed but she didn't let on and busied herself with tea and breakfast. Hermione came in, kissed him softly and took a seat at the table.

Leaning in close she whispered "what was that all about?"

"Later." He whispered back, and as breakfast and tea were served he saw mother and daughter share a look.

-ooo-

For the next week Hermione and Jack stayed at her parents' house, afraid to leave. Hermoine replied to Harry's letter congratulating him and Ginny, promising not to tell anyone in England their news but confessed to telling her parents. She obviously omitted Jack from the equation. She did receive an owl from the ADU checking back on her, to verify one of the bits of her story, and it was then that the reality hit her that she would probably never live in England again. She would visit, on occasion, but England would never be her home again. The biggest snag in everything was nobody knew what to do exactly about Jack; they couldn't tell the ADU that a time-traveller had come from the future or he'd probably never see the outside of the Australian Ministry again. They discussed her father's idea of living like Muggles but, unfortunately, Jack had very little experience in that way of life.

Eventually Jack decided that, in the current environment, having the surname of Potter would only lead to entirely too many questions and decided that he needed a new identity. They pondered trying to find the Australian version of Knockturn Alley and paying someone to fabricate a new identity and documentation for Jack but since they had no idea how to go about that they gave it up. It was one of her father's comments, about the Muggle witness protection plan from one of the mafia movies he loved, that finally gave them a workable solution. After many owls to the man at the ADU who interviewed her they agreed; unfortunately for Hermione she had to owl Harry for a bit of intervention.

That was how, at the end of the second week back on a bright Friday morning, she and Jack walked out of the Australian Ministry with official papers granting Jack a new identity as John Elliot. It wasn't much of a stretch, as he'd introduced himself to Hermione on the island as Jack Elliot, and Elliot was his middle name. When they had asked him about a middle name he'd panicked and said Arthur, after his uncle. It had made Hermione smile, as she knew that if he knew the entire tale it would have made Arthur Weasley's day. They made their way to a small, out of the way coffeeshop in the tiny magical neighbourhood of Brisbane and sat down, still shocked that it had worked.

Once Hermione's tea and Jack's coffee had been delivered Hermione took a sip and stared at him.

"What?" He rubbed his nose. "Do I have something on my face?"

She shook her head slightly and leaned forward. "No, it's just that you don't look like someone who had Death Eaters in their family and collaborated with the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort."

"Oh." He sat back and gave her a very serious look. "It's for your own good that I didn't tell you my name. Dangerous for everyone involved. I could tell you stories that would curl your hair."

"Funny, very funny."

"Hey, I love your hair."

"And your hair..." She paused. "Speaking of that hair, I still can't believe I told Harry that story. And that he bought it."

Jack snorted. "Like he wouldn't believe you, of all people."

"True." She took a sip of tea. "But I feel bad, not telling him. Obviously we can't tell him, but...no. Even after everything we've been through, I can't tell him. Maybe when he's on his deathbed...but that'd be enough shock to do him in." She waved her hand about. "Let's change the topic to anything else but that. I don't want to think about that."

"Right." Jack nodded. "But you know we'll be getting an owl soon from him. About..."

"Yes. Any day now." She had to admit it had been playing in her mind quite often lately, often at odd times. "But I am certain of one thing. I'm not going back to stay there. There are just too many things and I'm afraid I'd blurt something out at the worst time." She paused. "I know we've talked about it over and over, but...aren't you sad? Never seeing them again?"

After a deep breath he nodded. "I am. In a way it's like everyone I've ever known has died. Bit much at times, overwhelming, actually. But I knew this was a possibility. They knew. For fuck's sake, Charity said as much. But I had a talk with Mum, and Mum...she packed a lot into those last days before I left. She knew that it was goodbye for good. Cried a lot, but she wanted me to be happy. Told me that several times."

Hermione reached across the table and took his hand. "So do you want to stay here or..."

"America. I'm thinking America. You know, melting pot and all that stuff. You're on the ADU's watch list here, going over there's a fresh start for both of us." He paused. "Sorry, I'm being presumptuous, speaking for you, if you don't..."

She lifted her hand of his and swatted him. "Don't be an idiot. Of course."

"Good. Good. I'm glad."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like I'd say 'oh, thanks for the help bringing me back, it's been lovely' and then just bugger off. Honestly." She folded her arms across her chest. "If you think for one moment, Jack Pot...Jack Elliot, that...stop laughing!"

"The arm thing."

"Stop it." She looked at her watch. "I suppose we should go see if Mum and Dad can break away for lunch. Hopefully our plans won't be too much of a surprise."

They began to gather their things but before they could leave an owl appeared, landing with a thump and half-sliding across the table. It hopped a few times, righting itself, and then stepped over to Hermione. With trembling fingers she took the parchment, unrolled it and left the treat for the owl to Jack, as she was staring at the parchment, ignoring the rest of the world. Finally, after gathering what was left of her Gryffindor courage, she unrolled the parchment.

"Well?" Jack was leaning over the table in anticipation. "Is it from..."

"It is." She turned to him, eyes wide. "It's a girl."

-ooo-

2020

As the parchment airplane zoomed into her office in that particular shade of purple Hermione put down her quill and sighed. "Again?" She reached out and took the airplane, unfolded it and shook her head. He knew better than that. How many times had they told him? Realising that she wouldn't get any more grading done she stood up from her desk, walked out and locked her classroom door with a flick of her wand. Her quick steps echoed down the hallway until she reached the library, her presence quieting the students' murmured conversation. Scanning the desks she realised he wasn't there and continued on to her husband's office, opening the door and sitting down in a huff in one of the chairs in front of the desk, crossing her arms.

Jack looked up from his parchment and took off his glasses. "This can't be good. What happened?"

She brandished the parchment, waving it about. "Your son got twenty demerits for taking Andrea Smith on a broom ride after curfew, that's what. You need to talk to him because he obviously isn't listening to me."

"Andrea? I thought she wouldn't give him the time of day?"

"Well something changed. Thank Merlin they caught them before he did something astronomically stupid like flying over to the Muggle part of town. He could have been expelled!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You were the one that said he could bring the broom to school."

Jack held up his hands. "Hey, it was a Christmas present from Harry an' Ginny. What was I supposed to say? You can't very well tell a kid he can't bring a broom like that to school. Even though they're nuts about Quodpot over here..."

"Oh stuff it." She sat back in the chair. "At least Eugenie isn't this much trouble."

"Pfffft." Jack made a noise with his lips. "That apple didn't fall very far from the tree, won't even go up on a broom. Hermione, he's sixteen. You know from your students how they all are at sixteen, can't tell them anything. Eugenie's twelve, I'm sure she'll make me go grey or start to go bald when she's his age." He saw that his words were having no effect. "Fine. I'll tell him that because his parents teach here, even though it's not fair, he has to toe the line because it looks bad on us. I'm sure that'll go over well, but how about this; I take the broom from him for a week or two and if he behaves he can have it back before break. Does that work?"

"All right." She paused. "Make it three weeks, that way he gets it back right before break. Maybe then he won't get into anymore trouble, not enough time."

"Three weeks it is, then." Jack put his glasses back on. "Are we still planning on Australia, then?"

She nodded. "Yes, I got a letter from Mum, they're expecting us." After a moment she saw the look in his eyes. "What is it?"

"Portkey through England first? You know they'd go spare if you weren't there after that house elf legislation passed."

"I suppose. Ginny has been asking for us to visit. It's always such a minefield."

"That's got better over the years, though. Even though I'm an Elliot now it's still weird to think that I'm really the last Potter."

Hermione nodded, thinking back about all of the differences. Occasionally she would drift back and think about how things had changed since she and Jack had arrived back in Australia all those years ago. It had been the announcement of Harry and Ginny's first child being a girl that made her think that things would be different, but she had no idea exactly how much things would change from what she knew in Jack's time.

Harry and Ginny were the proud parents of three daughters, which meant that to the wizarding world Harry would be the last of the Potters; there were no sons to carry on the family name. Lily was the first, followed by Minerva and then Laurel. Lily was out of Hogwarts now, had been sorted into Hufflepuff and was currently working at the Ministry. Minerva, like her namesake, had been sorted into Gryffindor and was a sixth year while Laurel was a third year in Ravenclaw. Ron had not married Verity from the shop but, surprising her beyond belief, had married one of Harry's fellow Aurors Daphne Greengrass. According to Harry there was a Ministry event and Daphne had needed a date at the last minute so Ron filled in. After a somewhat rocky start the two had found a way to make things work, evident from their son Alfred who was a fifth year Slytherin. The fact that Ron had a son in Slytherin amused absolutely everyone, but Ron made sure to tell everyone that all Slytherin's weren't bad, and Alf couldn't be a bad kid because he was a Chudley Cannons fan.

Hermione and Jack's first visit to England, after announcing their engagement, was one of the most stressful times for the couple. To say they were nervous would be an understatement of the highest magnitude; seeing Harry introduce himself to Jack was odd beyond belief. Thankfully Jack had cut his hair brutally short before their visit, so any tell-tale comparisons of their hair was avoided. Jack and Harry got on well, in a fashion, but Jack only managed by compartmentalising things, saying that this Harry was a different Harry; his grandfather didn't have only girls, so it was not the same. The visit to the Burrow was one of Hermione's favourite memories, seeing Jack visit with Arthur and Molly was something she would always treasure. Jack had grown up with stories of the Burrow, and she likened it to meeting her grandparents in the forties. Molly lamented her absence, but her and Jack's jobs at the Roanoake School of Magic on the hidden island in Virginia gave them a plausible excuse for not visiting more often.

Hermione and Ginny wrote to each other frequently, keeping the friendship alive, and Hermione's mum likened it to how she maintained relationships with her university friends. They sent Christmas cards and presents, visited occasionally, and were involved with each other's lives but at a distance. At times, especially when Jack was being a moody git or when the children were difficult she missed going to lunch or stopping by Ginny's place for doughnuts, but it couldn't be helped.

The only time Hermione really worried about visiting England was when, on occasion, she would see Luna and Neville. Luna would often cock her head and look oddly at Jack, and at those times Hermione feared that Luna would say something to make her think that she knew something was different about Jack, but if she thought so she never said a word to Hermione or anyone else. Thankfully Luna's job as an Unspeakable kept her quite occupied.

"Hermione!"

She looked up to see Jack waving his hand. "What?"

"Hello, earth to Hermione. What were you..."

"Oh, just thinking about how different things are. You know."

"Ah. Right." He nodded. "You usually get this way when I talk about going over for a visit." He paused. "You don't regret things, do you?"

"After all this time? Don't be thick." She smiled at him, remembering all of their time together. "I wouldn't change a thing."

A/N: So there you have it, the end of this little story. I thought about doing a scene where Jack's family talk about him, and things, and going back to that alternate time where Harry's the Minister, but I think some things are best left to the imagination.

Now that this is finished up I can turn back to Lady Black, Lord Potter and hopefully figure out where the hell I left off in Professor Muggle and the Secret Author. It's been ages since I've dropped into that world.

Hope y'all enjoyed this little bit of time-travel fun. As always, thanks for reading and review if you wish.