Time Boat

{23}

{23-Risking it for the Biscuit} 

Hermione had no idea what to do with herself now. There was an idea in her head that she... might make a living as Florizel, or she might possibly... honestly, everything that she could come up with was vague and uncertain because now it was a waiting game. She'd saved more people than originally garnered for, and the work with Voldemort was over. 

People were rather surprised that he was in custody. Most didn't have faith that the ministry could take him down, and it was well enough seeing as she was the one who brought him down. Explaining that fiasco to all who were there wasn't entirely an efficient process either. 

They were all concerned with where she came from and how she possessed the knowledge that she did. It was even worse when Dumbledore decided he wanted to speak to her causing her a lot of grief. He never discovered she was from the future, but it was a close call for certain. He was always giving her that suspicious eye as she spoke. 

Regardless, the only people who knew she was from the future were the original five that she told. Of course, this also meant DeLancey. 

It was a big relief to her that most of her secrets were being kept safe. 

Peter had been arrested, despite his good deeds, in association with Voldemort, but on the bright side, he wasn't going to be put away very long. He had protected Hermione, and with that grace, she felt that he was okay in her book now. There was no reason to hold a grudge, and this way his friends would stay as such. 

She and Remus had taken the time to have a very long talk about everything, and it was exactly what she needed. Even more than he, Hermione was thankful to get everything out in the open, the hurt and mistakes that they'd gone through... It was terrible to see him beat himself up about it. 

Hermione was invited to almost every home of her friend's, and seeing them all having such nice and wonderful lives was... a rather melancholy experience. They weren't really her friends to have, they were one-another's and she felt often that her presence was merely an intrusion. Harry was slowly growing into being a fine little boy, and that meant that she as well was becoming a frizzy-haired young girl. The idea that she existed in the same place as herself was sometimes boggling, but considering she was never on the side of Britain where she grew up, it wasn't too hard to keep back. 

About a month after the war had officially ended, Hermione was invited to Severus' flat... well, what used to be their flat, and she was reminded of that harshly when she showed up and saw that her room's door was open and empty. 

"What have you been doing?" He wondered, offering her a late night cup of tea.

She thanked him quickly for the cup, sitting down awkwardly on his sofa as he sat across from her, much more comfortable than she was. But why wouldn't he be comfortable? It wasn't like Hermione wanted to unsettle him. 

"I've been here and there, honestly." Hermione wasn't sure what to tell him because she wasn't entirely sure either. She'd been drifting, attempting to figure out what was next. She had half of her life before her and then she'd do it all again. 

"I wish you would have let us all help more. I gave you one phial of blood and a protego charm, surely you-"

"Severus," she said gently, "It's finally over, and I did it so that you all could be safe... involving you would have only put you into the danger I was trying to save you from."

"Well, do you have any plans?" He wondered, seeming intensely curious. 

"No."

He seemed mildly amused by that.