Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Her Safe Haven

This was it.

The end of her short life was near, merely a few minutes away now. She was on autopilot right now, dodging every curse, spell, jinx or hex sent her way. The noise was deafening. The night was repeatedly illuminated by various multi-coloured flashes of light like some kind of fireworks display. Had they been in some other situation that was not as desperate as the one in which they were right now, she would have found it fascinating to watch. But this was no spectacle, this was not a festive fireworks display, and this was no celebration. This was the end of the world, the end of both of her worlds, the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. The Final Battle raged on all around her, and they were losing right now.

She was barely able to dodge a deadly green flash of light that was sent her way as she tripped on a body that lay on the ground. She fell backwards as the Killing Curse flew past her, blowing her hair this way and that. As she fell, she glanced sideways just to see where desolation would strike next and was horrified to find that it hit her favourite teacher and Head of House. There was nothing she could do to change that right now, other than to let out a terrified scream. Death surrounded her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before it came searching for her life on what had once been school grounds but now, transformed into a battleground. As she lay there unmoving, her eyes drifted to the night sky. It was a beautiful night with only a crescent-shaped moon. The star-filled heaven shone so brightly that, even without the hundreds of multi-coloured beams of lights hurtling along the grounds, it was a beautiful night.Yes, it was a very beautiful night to die, she told herself.

She knew she should get up and resume battling because they needed her, but she did not want to; she had lost the desire to. She had given up and had lost the will to fight for what she believed in. What good would it have done anyway? They were already losing, and she was not only thinking of the Light side. There were so many dead on both sides that it did not matter which side those departed were once on. She should continue to fight for Harry, to show him that he still had his friends with him. But it was no use right now. What good would this have done, anyway, other than to stall what was inevitable in her mind?

So she just lay there on that battlefield, surrounded by bodies and by Death, looking at the stars and drowning herself in the beauty of that night. It was as though she wanted to escape and drift far away in that night sky and never come back. The emotion that she'd somehow managed to create inside her mind brought to her a feeling that she had not felt for a long time.

Safety.

It had been a long time, an eternity in all actuality, since she had felt safe in this world. The magical world with all its wonders was a very dangerous place to live in, and for her, the danger had been there from the starting point. Being Harry Potter's best friend, and with danger lurking everywhere, she never had a second of respite. But somehow, she did not mind at all. She had managed, for the first time, to have great friends in her life. Anyway, as she lay there and embraced this odd sensation of safety in the middle of the battlefield, she wished she could go back. Go back to a time where she would feel safe. She needed a safe haven right now.

So that was why Hermione wished then and there for a safe haven. A place where nothing could touch her, nothing could harm her, no one would curse her, no one would torture her, and no one would ever dream to carve Mudblood on her arm with a silver dagger. A place where no Ronald Weasley would ever hurt her by leaving because he was afraid. A place where, for the first time, the only priority would be her well-being and safety. She needed that safe haven as she lay there star-gazing, her vision occasionally blinded by various beams of colours. She was not the type of girl to believe in rubbish like wishing upon a star or any other fairy-tales like that. But as she lay down there with her eyes fixed on the Heavens upon her, she just wished for her safe haven.

She was so immersed in her star-gazing that she didn't see the curse coming towards her. She felt it though. The pain and burning it caused was extreme. But still she wished for her safe haven. As her life slowly left her, and the maniacal cackle that had erupted after she was hit by the curse died down, one last thought crossed Hermione Jean Granger's mind.

It was really a very beautiful night to die.

Was this really how Death was supposed to be?

Maybe her wish had been granted after all? She felt only peace and safety surrounding her. Was she asleep or not? She did not know, and she really did not care as she just wanted to stay like this for eternity. As she was already dead, she had eternity, didn't she? She was not going to wake up. No one could force her to now. She had finally found the safest place there could be.

She felt like she was lying on a bed, but this bed seemed like it was made from the same material as those fluffy clouds she often compared to animals when she was younger. Her parents would often take her to the park on sunny weekends for a picnic. There, they would simply stare at the sky and compare each fluffy cloud with animals. It was a simple thing, a simple pleasure in a peaceful, simple and safe time. Her bed in the Gryffindor dormitories could never compare to this one; the warm and fluffy comforter was preferable to the rich material that made her Gryffindor ones. She felt at home right now, like she had gone back to her younger years when she would wake up on Christmas day covered in her favourite duvet. She felt like if she woke up right now, she would have enough energy to take on the world. Was that how Tom Riddle felt every morning, like he could take on the world?

She still did not want to move, and she would have been content just staying where she was if not for the strong arms holding her, tightening their grip on her. She knew the instant she felt this that it was not normal, but in her dream like state or her eternal sleep (whatever it was actually), she would not panic. There was no need. There was no danger right now. There, in the arms of Mr. Nobody, nothing would happen to her. Eternity could pass by, and she would just stay there. It did not matter; nothing mattered anyway as she was dead after all. There, in the arms of her Mr. Nobody, she had finally found peace and security.

She took a deep breath and inhaled an intoxicating scent, a very masculine scent. It reminded her of something woody or grassy, more like freshly mown grass and new parchment maybe mixed with something like freshly waxed leather, not like leather-clad shoes or stuff but more like Quidditch leather-clad gear. Anyway, it was a very masculine scent that somehow reminded her of her first Potions class with Slughorn when smelling the fumes of Amortentia. She'd often wondered if it had been Ron's scent that she picked up when she described what she smelled, but eventually she had to conclude that it was not. As before, she dismissed that random thought since she recalled that it did not matter right now. So she just enjoyed this scent and again inhaled it. She, so felt like drowning herself in it.

She was so content right now that a happy moan escaped from her. The only reaction to this was the tightening of Mr. Nobody's strong arms around her and a satisfied moan that she heard clearly emanating from the depths of the his throat. Although she had promised herself that she would not even open her eyes to look around, her innate curiosity won out.

The sight of a strong, well-defined chest clad in a black silk pyjama shirt welcomed her. The upper buttons were undone, and she could partly admire the well-defined chest that sported only a fine scattering of silky blondish hair. She felt a strong urge to kiss, touch or caress the smooth skin just to confirm if it was enticing to her other senses as it was to her eyes. Even though she only saw a part of Mr. Nobody, she concluded that she must have been sent to Heaven as in her mind, only heavenly creatures could be this perfect.

Mr. Nobody stirred and moved both of them slightly, though he did not relax his hold on her body, but she did not mind. She shifted slightly so that she could look around, and to her shock, she realised that she was on a canopy bed that looked like it belonged to Hufflepuff house. It was what she thought the dormitories looked like anyway, as she had never set foot in any other house, unlike her two best friends who got into the Slytherin's common room. Just like in the Gryffindor's dorms, the four poster beds had curtains, except these were thick yellow instead of the rich red of the lions. It gave off a cheery atmosphere instead of the warmth that she felt in hers. She felt like she could have really gotten used to waking up in one of these beds.

The angel holding her stirred again and let out a soft sigh before yawning. He was waking up. Something was off here, and she could not help but ask herself if angels needed to sleep. Even in death, the insufferable know-it-all that she had always been in life could not help not knowing. She heard Mr. Nobody inhale rather loudly. Was he sniffing her hair or something?

"I must still be dreaming," was the only thing that he said, but although her ears registered the words, her brain only took his voice into consideration. It was a smooth, suave and melodic voice with just that little touch of huskiness that sent her heart fluttering wildly, so wildly that she thought Mr. Nobody could feel it due to the short distance separating their two bodies. She felt his body stiffen before her as if Mr. Nobody had just realised there was something wrong. It did not matter to her; since she was already dead, nothing worse than what she had endured could be thrust upon her. Anyway, the safest place was still there, beside Mr. Nobody, wrapped up in his strong arms.

"This must really be Heaven," she spoke out loud, surprised when she felt more than heard the chuckle emanating from her guardian angel.

"Well... I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're not in Heaven. Actually, you're in my bed," was the reply from Mr. Nobody. The voice held amusement, but what really intrigued her was that she knew that voice. She could not clearly remember to whom it belonged, but she knew his voice, a voice she had not heard for a long time, an eternity. "Not that I don't like it because mind you, I like waking up with a beautiful girl in my arms. But I might as well, if that's not too much of a bother to you, know how you managed to get in my dorm. Climb in my bed and manage to have yourself wrapped up in my arms?"

She really liked his voice, she told herself. Mr. Nobody was well-spoken, and that in her book was a big plus.

Mr. Nobody's right arm lifted up and slipped between their two bodies, and she only had time to glimpse one large pale hand, though it was slightly tanned with perfectly long and slender piano fingers, before the same hand went to her neck. The hand slowly grazed her chin with a smooth caress and slowly tilted her head upwards. Thus, as the hand slowly tilted her head upwards, she was able to see that the rest of Mr. Nobody's body was as perfect as what she had already seen so far. His neck was well proportioned, neither too long or too short, and she admired his Adam's apple bobbling up and down as Mr. Nobody swallowed. Was he nervous?

His strong, well-shaved jaw with just a little morning stubble, his so desirably kissable lips that parted slightly to reveal pearly white teeth, the tongue that quickly darted out between his luscious lips and his perfectly symmetric nose only served to confirm her that Mr. Nobody could only be an angel.

That notion, however, changed when her chocolate brown eyes were met by the startled grey ones of Mr. Nobody. She knew him. She could never forget his face as she'd seen it a long time ago, one long summer night on their Quidditch field. That day, his face had been deathly pale, but now it was flushed.

"Granger!?" This simple single worded phrase was not a question but just an astonished exclamation.

"Diggory?" Her brain was apparently unable to process more than a few words right then.

A single thought crossed her mind as she looked into the questioning eyes of Cedric Diggory right then. This was her safe haven, there in Cedric Diggory's arms.

This was totally unexpected and as far as she knew, magically impossible.

But the evidence that proved the contrary was right in front of her staring at her. He was waiting for her to explain how this had happened but the only problem was that she simply had no bloodyidea how it all came to be. So, she had only one alternative left. She'd have to make up some on-the-spot sweet, little lie and since the Weasley twins were universally known as capable of many things throughout the school, she'd put the blame on them.

"I am so going to wring their sorry little necks," she began infusing a sufficient dose of nastiness to make it believable. It was easy to make up her lie as she thought of what she wanted to do to Dolores Umbridge or Bellatrix Lestrange. She mostly needed to leave the Badger's dormitories and his bed because she needed to be alone to think. And the nearness of him was making her unable to focus.

"Of whom are you talking about?" He asked her in a surprised voice at hearing the tone of her voice.

"I'm talking of Fred and George Weasley, of course." She supplied as reason.

"Why would those troublemakers make you appear here in the sixth years boys' dormitories and in my bed also, Granger? I don't understand why they'd do that." He asked her in a gentle voice, his hot breath fanning her face. He still had his strong arms wrapped around her and Hermione was finding it difficult to not cuddle him again.

"Because they'd simply find this situation hilarious and they have been dying to test one of their products on me." It still did not sound as reason enough to warrant such a 'practical joke' even in Hermione's ears but it would just suffice for now. She really needed to distance herself from him for now because her capacity to think rationally in his presence seemed to have escaped her entirely.

"Erm, could you let me move please, Diggory?" She asked as she squirmed in his arms.

It was only then that Cedric seemed to realise that he was still holding her tightly to him. A few seconds later, he had swiftly released her from the peaceful cocoon formed by his arms and had moved to the edge of the bed. Hermione oddly felt disappointed.

"I need to go," Hermione said as she sat up letting the thick duvet slip down.

If she was surprised to finding herself again in her fifteenth year old body, she did not show it but she was still glad to note that she was wearing her favourite blue pyjamas. When she turned back to Cedric, she immediately registered his naked torso, his very sexy, naked torso. She blushed and turned away as Cedric understood the reason for her embarrassment. He picked up his discarded shirt that was hanging on the headboard and pulled it on.

"Is this for real, Granger?" Cedric asked her still not believing the previous 'sleeping arrangements'.

"Believe it or not, I myself do not know how they made this possible." She replied. She did not have to fake the surprised tone as she was really surprised by the whole situation.

"This is just so surreal." He noted as she turned to him.

She agreed completely with his observation. "I still need to go," she reminded not just him but mostly herself.

"I'll escort you out of the Sett. You'll easily get lost around here if you don't know your way." Cedric said as he pushed open the thick yellow curtains around his bed. A few minutes passed before the curtains on her side of the bed were opened and stood before her still sitting form. "Aren't you coming?" he asked her frowning as he waved his hand in front of her eyes.

"Sorry, I spaced out here." She nervously chuckled as she slipped off the bed and followed Cedric Diggory out his dorms.

His dorm mates were still sound asleep and Hermione briefly wondered what time it was. The way out of the dormitories was really a maze and Hermione, as preoccupied with her current ordeal as she was, would not have been able to remember the directions that were taken as Cedric led her into the Hufflepuff common room if someone asked her.

The common room was the epitome of a cosy and warm interior mostly due to warm tones of yellow that dominated the place. The plush yellow couches and the elegant but still practical furniture made of darker woods served as a subtle reminder of the colours of the noble and proud house of the Badgers. A large ornately carved fireplace stood in the middle of the passageway to the dormitories with a magnificent portrait of one of the founders of Hogwarts; Helga Hufflepuff. She was a short plump woman with a rather short haircut but Hermione still knew that Helga Hufflepuff had still been one of the most formidable witches ever to walk this earth and that there was no way that she could ever measure to such a fantastic and inspiring witch.

There was no one around. It seemed like every one was still deep in slumber-land. She really needed to know what was happening but she would wait for the time when she'd be alone. Cedric had turned and watched her with a smile as she appraised the quality of the interior of the common room. It was only when she turned to him that he showed her the direction of the exit. He pushed the large door open for her. Hermione walked to him and stopped as she was just outside. She turned back to him as Cedric was regarding as though he was still puzzled by the whole situation.

Who wouldn't have been? Hermione told herself."Thank you, Cedric. You've taken this surprisingly well if I may say so." She remarked. Maybe he had had girls before in his bed and it was not that big of a surprise to him. But she told herself that Cedric was not that kind of guy. She'd never heard any rumours circulating around the school of the Hufflepuff sleeping around and she'd heard a lot of gossip since the start of her life in Hogwarts as she'd been sharing a dorm with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown; two of Hogwarts' biggest gossips.

"Well, there's nothing to complain in reality. I've gotten to wake up with Hogwarts' brightest witch in my arms so that's all good for me. It certainly made my day all the more special. If I get to be selected as the Triwizard champion tonight, I'll officially call it my luckiest day of all," he told her with a wink and a huge grin.

His smile however faded as Hermione had frozen as Cedric's words hit her. "Are feeling okay?" He asked with genuine concern.

Hermione forced herself to smile in response, "Yeah, I've just remembered that I have some research to complete on a paper that needs to be handed in next week." She replied. She did wait to see if Cedric had really bought her lie as she turned to the stairway that led upstairs.

"Good luck then and again sorry for what happened. I guess I'll see you around, Cedric." She said over her shoulder as she rushed up the staircase. It was only when she reached the door that opened into the corridor that hid the kitchen that she turned back to see that Cedric was still watching her. She faux-cheerfully waved at him before closing the door which was hidden behind a portrait of a young nurse tending to a wounded soldier on a battlefield.

It was only after checking that she fully alone in the corridor that the complete reality of her situation hit her. She had somehow gone back in time. It was not a small leap in time like what she had regularly accomplished during her third year with the aid of a time-turner. No, she had not gone back a few hours but she had managed the incredible feat of going back in time. She had jumped nearly four years back from the bloody battlefield of Hogwarts of what should have been the term of her seventh year to the Halloween of her fourth year. This was impossible.

She ran to the nearest bathroom and checked herself into the large mirror. She had de-aged. She was back into her fifteen year old body. Her hair was as frizzy and unmanageable as she remembered. She nearly screamed as she saw that she had her two large front upper teeth back.

Damn!

When she checked herself, she surprisingly noted that she also had her old wand back. That one was a great relief as she hated using Bellatrix Lestrange's wand. It worked surprisingly too well with her and Hermione had been herself questioning about that. She had reasoned that like everyone, she had a dark side but it did not sit well with her that the fanatic Death-Eater's wand worked so well for her. At least that was out of the way but there were still so many questions left unanswered.

If she proceeded logically, she knew that at least two questions were already answered thanks to Cedric. She knew the when and what. All she needed to know now was the why and the how.