Disclaimer: It is not, nor will it ever be mine.

Do Not Go Gentle

Hermione was hiding amongst the rocks, her clothes catching at the jagged edges. The drop behind her was hideous in its fatality, reaching down into the dark waters fathomless depths. She could hear her pursuer climbing after her if she strained her ears. They had extinguished their wand and could not be made out through the gathering darkness.

A spell suddenly lit up the night. Hermione barely had time to fling herself out of the way before a brilliant green light smashed into the boulder she was just leaning against, bits of rock flying every which way. She could just make out a tall dark outline heading her way as she threw herself behind the nearest tree for shelter. Her breathing was going to betray her if she didn't calm down, but how could she when she couldn't see where her wand had been thrown?

If Hermione were honest with herself, this was largely her own fault. There was no blaming anyone else, much as she had tried to do so. Voldemort, Dumbledore, everyone and everything was just an excuse to hide from the fact that she had been foolish, had believed where it was hopeless and had taken risks where the price was betrayal and death. If only she had used the sharp, logic-driven mind that everyone said she had, then maybe…

"Come out, Perkins," the dark-haired witch following her called in a high clear voice, interrupting her morbid thoughts. "You're a little too old for hide and seek!" Hermione could sense the bloodlust behind the witch's words. Searching the ground frantically, she thought she could just make out a thin something in the grass to her right through the light of the curse that accompanied these words. It was her only shot and she took it. Diving forward, her hand came to close on the familiar strip of wood, its feeling in her grasp like that of a dear friend.

Before Hermione could do more than grasp a hold of her wand, however, another spell hit her. Wave after wave of excruciating pain rolled over her as her body twisted on the ground. Her cries cut through the otherwise silent evening like a knife. Above her, her enemy was strengthening the curse, but for once she wasn't laughing. Her rage was at its boiling point and she wanted nothing more than to pour every bit of it into the filth beneath her.

"Crucio!" she called again and again. Hermione screamed up at the sky, the noise the only outlet she had against the worst pain she had ever experienced at the hands of the one most capable of delivering it.

"You think it wise to meddle with things that are beyond you, Perkins? The Dark Lord is not to be bested by a mere half-blood like you!" Bellatrix shrieked, her dark eyes burning with rage at the young woman who had allied herself with enemies of her master.

Hermione wasn't in any position to argue. She realized that there was very little chance of getting away, had perhaps known it as soon as Bellatrix Lestrange had found her, and was only able to be happy that the witch standing over her didn't know the whole truth. If she knew that Hermione had gone after something as precious to the Dark Lord as his horcruxes, that she was at least partly successful, then she would take Hermione to him. It was more than important that he not know; it was everything. As long as the other one hadn't completely wavered…Hermione's thoughts faded off into nothing as she was hit with a renewal of the curse.

More pain. Screams that sounded like they came from anywhere but Hermione's throat. Her body twitching and jerking in an unnatural fashion. Would she end up like the Longbottom's? No, she would likely be killed…that was almost nicer…there would at least be an end to the misery.

The curse had been lifted, Bellatrix was speaking but Hermione, still shaking in pain, was not listening. Her wand was hidden beneath her, but there was no way she could raise it without receiving a killing curse in retaliation. Bellatrix was too skilled, too quick not to see it coming.

"You thought you could sully the Black blood did you?" Bellatrix's words finally came into focus. "It will take more than a dirty-blooded muggle lover like you!"

Hermione began to cough as Bellatrix raised her wand again. There was blood in her coughs, sprinkling the grass in front of her; she could see the tinge of red through the light of her attacker's wand. She had bit her tongue, more than once. Her eyes flickered up to the enraged witch standing tall and she could see her starting to mouth the words that every witch or wizard knows to fear. Her eyes squeezed shut; she tried to think with triumph on all she had done as she waited for the killing blow.

It never came. There was a silence that was almost frightening in its intensity as Hermione waited for the finish. Nothing. She opened her eyes to find Bellatrix Lestrange's attention was on another who had materialized out of the darkness. Hermione, reaching for her wand, felt hope rise up in her chest for the first time since she had come face to face with Bellatrix. She had begun to think that she was alone.

"You…" Bellatrix couldn't find words to describe her anger as she faced her once obedient little cousin, their wands raised, and looks of deepest hatred in each face. 'He should never have dared.' She hadn't felt so much fury since Andromeda had run off with the mudblood Tonks…

"So blood traitor…" Bellatrix breathed, her chest rising and falling in her agitation, "come here to save your filthy little girlfriend are you?" Her heavily lidded eyes were little more than slits.

"No," Regulus Black replied coldly, his grey eyes hard. "I'm here to kill you, Bella." He looked no longer the uncertain child, though not quite eighteen years old, he had been forced to grow faster than he had once thought possible. If he was scared, as he had always been of her, he was very good at hiding it as he stared at his detested cousin.

"You're not a killer, Reg." Bellatrix shook her head. "Just a little, filthy, blood traitor playing at things much bigger and better than yourself. You should have stuck with me; I could have helped you, taught you things the blood traitors could never dream of. But in the end you chose wrong and now you have nothing and no one."

Hermione got shakily to her feet and went to stand beside Regulus. "He has me." Her wand rose to face Bellatrix's. "…and you will see that I'm not playing." It was now that the last three years had been leading up to and she had caused it. She would see this all the way through.

It was her own fault that they were here now. If she hadn't felt the need to meddle, had just accepted the timeline as it was, then things would be different but she couldn't keep herself from changing the past. It was her fault.

She had known better than to meddle, she had known better than to fiddle with time, and she had known better than to poke around through things belonging to the twins.

Hermione had known, from five year's long experience, that everything to do with Fred and George Weasley was to be approached with caution. They were never more than a step away from badly controlled chaos. If she had only used her head, this never would have happened. She never would have mingled with inventions best left untouched. She never would have been transported back in time.

On the other hand, she never would have met Regulus Black…never given him the chance to live another way…

Three years earlier…

She had been staying at the burrow for the summer, enjoying the weeks of sunshine and rest with her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. One morning saw Arthur and Molly Weasley ushering her, Ron, Harry and Ginny to Diagon Alley to purchase their school things. Hagrid had joined them, his half-giant stature a deterrent to whoever might want to mess with any of the group.

Though most of the group was interested in the new joke shop the Weasley twins had just opened up, Hermione had business with the twins in particular. She had to find a way to remove the black eye she had gotten from one of the boxes they had left behind at the Burrow.

"Your mother was unable to do anything about it," she told Fred, who after she had complimented their shop, was doing his best to not seem amused by her misfortune. He handed her a salve that cleared it up and then left her to explore that crowded store. Ginny and her mother were examining several small fluffy creatures that were rolling around in a large cage while Mr. Weasley was looking with interest at a set of muggle magic cards.

Harry and Ron were her main concern at the moment. She saw Harry's eyes staring out the front windows of the shop, at Draco Malfoy stalking off hurriedly down the street. Before she could call out a warning, Harry said, "come on!" and dragged Ron under his invisibility cloak. The door to the shop opened and closed a moment later.

Hermione sighed. She could go after them, probably should, but thought someone should stay behind so Mrs. Weasley didn't think they all had vanished. Excusing herself from the noise, she headed towards the back of the shop. "It's alright I've got more in the back!" she heard George say to a large group of teenagers who were crowding around him. She followed him into the back room and watched as he began lowering large boxes of what looked like puking pastiles. "Need a hand?"

"That's alright, Hermione," he grinned at her. "Fred told me you liked our stuff. Bet you feel bad about telling us off about it all last year."

"Not in the slightest," Hermione told him, though she too, was smiling. "I am a school prefect and it is my duty to make sure that you guys aren't breaking any rules while at school."

George shook his head. "Same old Hermione." He gestured towards the shelves behind her. "I know Fred said you can have one for free so have a look. Just be careful not to touch anything that isn't clearly labeled, not everything's fine tuned yet." He then headed out of the storage room, the boxes he had taken down floating in front of him.

Hermione finding she was alone began to look around the shelves. There were a large assortment of different things, but what really got her attention was a light shining from one of the nearby boxes. It didn't have a label, but the box was partly open, light pouring out and catching at the eye.

She should have ignored it, especially after the black eye she had gotten only this morning. It would have been bad luck for her if one of Fred and George's inventions blew up in her face and they didn't have a remedy for whatever damage it caused. For once Hermione was not playing with logic. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she cautiously approached the box, pulling her wand out for safety.

With her wand, she slowly pried open the half closed lid. It was bright but more than that, it was familiar. The shimmering sand within the box brought back memories of years ago, when she was a little third year struggling with more classes than she could reasonably handle and only managing them because of a time turner. A time turner…

She had thought they were all destroyed during the ministry battle yet here the evidence was staring her in the face. The twins were messing around with time. Partly fascinated and partly troubled, she leaned in more. There was a note on a spare bit of parchment on the box. It said 'do not touch without gloves.'

Hermione had no intention of touching it at all. She was just straitening up when the door banged open behind her. Startled, she jumped away guiltily. Her feet shot out from under her and as she toppled into the box, the last clear sounds she heard were her name being frantically called out.

It was a weird dream, Hermione thought as she lay in her bed. 'Any minute now Mrs. Weasley will come in to wake up me and Ginny.' She breathed slowly in and out, feeling the wind tickling at her nose, 'had Ginny left the window open?' and tried to turn over. Her shoes were on. That was odd…

"What have we here? A trespasser, my sweet?"

She knew that voice but why would he be here? Her eyes fluttered for a moment before finally snapping open. Leaning over her was the long nose of the hated Hogwarts caretaker, Mr. Filch. A cat, very like Mrs. Norris was watching her from behind his legs.

"What…" she could only gape at him. What in the world was she doing at Hogwarts and how had she gotten there?

"Well, don't just lay there looking like a fish," Filch snapped. "Get up. I'm taking you to the headmaster. He will want to know about any trespassers."

Still feeling confused, Hermione scrambled to her feet, shaking the grass off of her clothes as she did so. She quickly picked up her wand before following the irritated caretaker across the grounds and into the castle, Not-Mrs. Norris following carefully, eyes narrowed on Hermione as though daring her not to follow.

They made their way through the castle, up familiar stairwells and to the stone gargoyles that guarded Dumbledore's office. Filch barked out the password and then ushered her up the stairs ahead of him. He did not so much knock on the door granting access to the headmaster's office as hammered at the door.

They were admitted entrance to the chamber a moment later to find a curious looking Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, stroking the brilliant plumage of his phoenix, Fawkes. "Argus," he said pleasantly, "what may I do for you?"

"I found this girl," Filch regarded Hermione with venom. "Lying out on the grounds. She is obviously a trespasser."

"I'm a student!" Hermione said defensively.

"A student," Filch snorted. "Then why are you here during the summer, girl? There is no class now."

"I…" Hermione's voice faltered. Words failing her, she looked up at the headmaster for support. He regarded her in silence for a moment before smiling.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the grounds so much, but perhaps it would have been better if you saved your rest until after we had discussed your education."

Filch and Hermione both stared. "You know this girl then?" Filch asked disbelievingly.

"Indeed," Dumbledore regarded him calmly. "She is to be a new transfer student at Hogwarts this coming year."

"I thank you for letting me come here," Hermione just found the words to say. An idea, an impossible idea, was beginning to take root in her mind.

Filch was not to be dissuaded. "She was just lying on the grass sleeping," he said bitterly. "If she was here to see you, then what was she doing that for?"

"For the pleasure of enjoying our well kept lawns, I imagine," Dumbledore replied serenely. "Sometimes I envy the students that simple pleasure. Now, Argus, if we have cleared this matter up, there are a few things I wish to discuss with her in private. If you don't mind."

Filch looked like he very well did mind but knew better than to argue with Dumbledore. He threw Hermione a look of deepest disgust and mistrust before stalking over to the door, his faithful familiar no more than a step behind, the door shutting with more force than was necessary behind him.

As soon as they were both out of the room, Hermione turned to the headmaster, who was still sitting behind his desk, waiting she realized, for her explanation. Before she could give one, Hermione found herself asking him the question most on her mind: "Would you mind telling me what year this is?"

Professor Dumbledore did not give any sign that the question was in any way unusual. Regarding Hermione calmly, he answered "It is 1976."

End of Chapter

So how was it? I tried years ago to write a story where Hermione goes back in time and meets Regulus but I didn't like it and took it down. I have a number of chapters written that I would like to share if I get some feedback.

Just as a warning this is going to likely be a long one so don't expect only a small number of chapters. There won't be any romance between the two leads for some time. Regulus was raised with a lot of prejudices and it will take some time before they start to fade. I am going to make this T rated for now but the rating may change later.

So that's all for now! Have a good one everyone!