15 November 1998

The cold was slowing her down, and her muscles were burning, but she couldn't stop running. Stopping would mean death. And Hermione couldn't afford to die after everything that she had gone through to get here.

"Where did that little bitch go?" The familiar shrieking made a shiver run down her body, and the little hairs on the nape of her neck stood up alerting her of the fast-approaching danger.

"Come on, Hermione, faster!" she was muttering to herself.

She had almost made it to the border of the newly erected anti-apparition charm when she heard "Expulso," yelled from behind her. The already half-blasted wall next to her exploded in all directions, and a remarkably large portion of the wall smashed her to the ground.

"If it isn't my favourite little mudblood. Came to visit me, did ya?" Bellatrix looked at her with wide eyes and a big grin on her face.

Hermione fished for her wand, but couldn't reach it because of the blanket of stone on her upper body.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll help you," she said with a mock kindness. "Crucio."

She tried not to scream, she really did, but her head was already pounding from her fall, and the added pain of the torture curse didn't help.

Her body was thrashing, trying to throw off the curse somehow, but all she managed was to get the blanket of stone off of herself.

It could have been two seconds or two hours, Hermione wasn't sure, but the pain stopped, and Hermione managed to crawl a bit.

"Where do you think you're going, dear? You still have to pay for all you did! Avada Keda-" She was cut off by someone behind Hermione yelling "Petrificus Totalus," and fell. Before she could even turn her head, her arm was pulled back, and with a loud crack, they disappeared from the grounds.

She came down with a loud thump and a groan.

"A body bind, really? You could have just killed her," she muttered against the dusty carpet.

"How about a 'Thank you, Draco. You saved my life.' instead of your constant whinging?"

"I had it handled." He snorted and sat down on the only chair. "But thank you, I guess. Don't look at me like that. This is the best you're going to get. Where's Nott?" She sat herself up on the floor with a heavy groan and leaned against the king-sized bed in the room. Her head felt like it was going to split open thanks to Bellatrix. The cauldron to the left of her let up a bubble that burst in mid-air and gave out a sulfuric smell that didn't help her situation at all.

"He'll be here soon." He sounded almost bored, but Hermione could see the worrying glances he sent the door. "Did you find it?" He suddenly turned those alarmed eyes at her. "Please tell me you did, or this is all for no-"

"Yes, Malfoy! I did. Look, here!" She fished the locket out of her coat and held it up to his face. The light from the lamp illuminated the yellow stone, and a shiver ran down Hermione's back.

"It looks so much like the real one.", she murmured, more to herself than Malfoy, but he looked up to her anyway and what she saw in his eyes made her roll her eyes. "Don't. I don't need your pity."

He opened his mouth as if to say something but just shook his head and stood up to take off his tweed jacket that reminded Hermione of her father. He looked at the door again. "He should have been here already."

His eyes found Hermione's. "You don't think..-", she started.

"No", he interrupted her. "Still, make sure you have everything, so we're ready when he comes."

Hermione looked at him for a little longer before she nodded shortly. She got up to check her trusty beaded bag. She was sure that she had everything she needed since she had checked it multiple times already. Still, she was thankful for her hands and her mind to be busy so she wouldn't have to worry about Theodore.

It didn't help.

"Are you really taking that thing with you?"

Hermione frowned at him. "And what, pray tell, do you have against my bag?" The bag and she went a long way. Her mother had given it to her as a gift, her last one. Hermione had cried that night, knowing that it would be a while before her mother would be able to gift her anything again. She was hopeful back then that Harry, Ron and she would find all the Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort and the war with it. Two of those things they had managed to accomplish. The war didn't end, though. Bellatrix took over the reins, and she was a far better leader than Voldemort could have ever dreamed of being.

"Oh, nothing. It's beautiful, obviously. I especially adore those noisy beads. Makes it real easy to sneak around." Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at him again, but she knew he had a point. She was thinking of cutting the beads off when Malfoy gave her a box with a bow on top.

"It was Theo's idea, he wanted to give this to you. But I don't think we will have enough time when he comes." Malfoy shoved the box in her hands and didn't look into Hermione's eyes once while she was looking at him with a smirk on her face.

She took the lid off of the box. "If someone had told me a year ago that Draco Malfoy of all people would give me a present..." She shook her head and took the slightly furry bag out of the carton. Her smirk fell from her face when she remembered where she had seen this kind of pouch before. Hagrid had gifted Harry one on his birthday. That felt like years ago to her now.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away before they streamed down her face. "Thank you.", she whispered.

"It was Theo's idea, thank him." He still wouldn't look her in the eyes, but he had a small smile on his face that made her smile too. She really never would have imagined being something like friends with Draco Malfoy, not even in her wildest dreams. "I put the same illegal extension charm on it that your beady bag has, but this pouch is safer because only you can access it."

She thanked him again and then started to transfer her bags inventory to the pouch. It was a little sad that she wouldn't be walking around with her mother's bag anymore, but Draco was right. The mokeskin pouch would be safer on her travels since she would be able to wear it around her neck inconspicuously.

She was fitting the last book in her new pouch when the door burst open. In a moment, both Malfoy's and her wand were in their hands and pointed at the door. Hermione was about to stupefy whoever had dared to ambush them when the whirlwind of a person hugged the blond wizard in the room with her. "Theo, you prick!" She put away her wand. "I could have killed you."

Theo detangled himself from Malfoys embrace and hugged her quickly. "Good to see you, too, Hermione. And believe me, you wouldn't have succeeded if you'd tried." He clapped his hands and looked around the room. "Are we ready, then? I don't think we have more than ten minutes before Yaxley figures out where I am hiding, and I'd rather he not find you here, love."

Malfoy came up behind Theo. "Everything's ready. We just need the sand." He gestured towards the bubbling potion, and Theo went over.

"Let's hope this actually works." He grinned at both Hermione and Draco when he said it, but Hermione thought she saw the fear behind it. She imagined both of the boys felt like her; uncertain and deathly afraid of failure. But she couldn't think like this now. It was too late for doubt, and they didn't have any other plans. This was their last resort.

Theo carefully took two broken time-turners out of his pocket. He poured the sand of the first one fully in. The potion gave a hissing sound, but nothing seemed to change otherwise. "I don't actually know how much sand a functioning time-turner contains, thanks to your lot." He gave a playful wink Hermione's way who felt like puking. "Don't worry, love, I'm sure a little more won't hurt." He shrugged as if to say why not and poured all the sand of the second one in too.

Not a breath could be heard as the three of them stood in anticipation for the potion to do something, anything.

"Maybe we should stir it?" Theo's hand reached for the ladle that was hanging on the cauldrons handle. Hermione quickly slapped his hand away.

"Don't you dare mess this up now, Theodore. I calculated everything accurately." She raised her left eyebrow for emphasis, and he took a guilty step away from the cauldron.

Just then, the potion bubbled up again. Right when it looked like it was going to overflow, the colour changed from a steel grey to a golden hue.

"I guess that's it, then.", Malfoy said nonchalantly but let out a breath that was far from relaxed. "Get the locket out."

Hermione fumbled for a second with her new pouch around her neck, before wandlessly summoning the locket into her hand. She took a deep breath and then nodded at Malfoy. "Ready when you are." She hoped her shaky voice didn't betray her words.

Malfoy took the locket out of her hands and let it fall in the potion. Once again, the potion bubbled up, but this time it seemed to evaporate into thin air until only the locket was left on the golden bottom. He took it out again, pointed his wand and whispered a quick "Portus."

"This is really happening, huh?" Hermione felt like fainting. She had been waiting for this moment for almost half a year, right after Harry's death, but it was only just now hitting her. She was going back in time, all alone and with no real plan other than to survive and hope for a better outcome this time around. Her breath quickened, and her eyes filled with unshed tears once again. She thought she had gotten her emotions under control after her best friends death, but at that moment, everything was just too much for the curly-haired witch.

"Love, everything will be fine." Theo took her by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "You calculated everything to the T, you said so yourself. I believe in you, Hermione, you can do it. We believe in you." Hermione and Theo looked at Malfoy, who was standing a little farther away from them.

The blond looked her in the eyes and nodded. "You're the only one who can do it." His voice was quiet, but he seemed so certain that it made Hermione's panic lessen a bit.

"Right," she breathed out. "Of course. And you guys can't come with me." It wasn't asked as a question since Hermione knew the answer already. Still, a little hopeful part of her was wishing for a miracle so she wouldn't have to go alone.

"Don't be silly, Granger." The girl let out a wet laugh when she saw the infamous Draco Malfoy sneer on his face. It made her hug him for the first time since their tentative friendship had begun. He tensed up for a second before raising his arms around her. Theo joined the hug too, and Hermione never wanted to let go.

But of course, everything good had to come to an end.

There was a loud crash from outside, and muffled voices could be heard. The three jumped to action immediately.

Hermione took the locket from Draco's hand and put it around her neck over her mokeskin pouch.

Draco jumped up towards the door to strengthen the wards and put a couple more around. There was more crashing to be heard, and for a second Hermione worried about the muggles in the rooms next to theirs but let it go quickly. There was no time left to worry.

"Take this, " She felt something being shoved in her hand. "I told you about my mother. This was hers. If you need help, this will make her trust you." He gave her a small smirk. "I know you don't need it because you're Hermione Granger, but it has always brought me good luck. I hope it serves you well."

The sounds from outside were at their door now. A voice that sounded like Bellatrix screamed in delight.

"Hermione, please save her." He crushed her in a quick hug.

Malfoy looked at the door for a second before shaking his head in defeat and coming up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "You know the words."

She smiled at them for one last time before touching the locket around her neck.

"Here's to the future."

As Hermione felt the invisible force pull her backwards in time, the door opened, and three death eaters were standing there ready for a fight. Draco and Theo didn't even bother looking up at them.

The last thing Hermione saw of her friends was their locked hands, while both of them were hit by curses.