You Finally Asked | pansmione, drarry

Prologue

-Hermione-

It has been 19 years since the Battle of Hogwarts, now I am standing at the familiar platform 9 and three-quarters sending my child off to attend the same school I went so many years ago.

"Mom? Mom!"

I snapped out of a reverie I didn't even know I was in and finally realized that my daughter is calling me. "Yes?"

"Mom, " Rose Weasley said from beside me, "I will get sorted into Gryffindor like you and Dad, right?"

"Well, it all depends on the Sorting Hat, not me or your dad, " I replied as I try to navigate through the crowd to get closer to the train.

"What if I get into Slytherin? The house where all the bad wizards go?"

I paused at that comment; after collecting myself I calmly said, "Rose, you know how many times I told you, there are as many good wizards from Slytherin as from other houses."

I have always told my children to not assume anything about anyone because nothing is what is seems. Especially when it comes to the Slytherin house. Although I have tried to let the past stay in the past and move on, being at the familiar platform nine and three-quarters again I just can't seem to get a certain short haired Slytherin out of my mind today.

It is a bit strange, now that I think about it, I haven't seen her in 19 years since graduating from Hogwarts. After her and Malfoy's family betrayed Voldemort, the Wizarding World didn't punish the two families, so I hope she is living a freer life after the suicide mission Voldemort forced on her and Malfoy. Based on the things I heard around office, she is currently working at Gringotts and she...married Blaise Zabini. I chuckled. I knew Blaise had a crush on Pansy. I stopped laughing as I wondered for the first time in 19 years: "what would happen if I figured out their plan sooner and just been braver?"

"Mom!"

I jerked back to reality.

"Are you okay? You seem to space out a lot today." Rose said.

"Don't bug your mother, we haven't been back to Hogwarts in a long time. It still doesn't feel real that we are back again, right? Hermione." Ron said, hanging an arm around my shoulders.

I smiled.

Get yourself together, Hermione. You can't change the past, so be grateful for the present. You have a good stable life now----

Then I saw her. Standing with Blaise and her son.

Her hair is as dark as it was 19 years ago, although it is now more shoulder length. Yes, it is still the same Pansy, but she also isn't. There are less harsh lines on her face.

Is she happy now?

I think I stared for too long because she turned her head and our eyes met.

I forgot how to breathe. I don't know how I managed to smile at her when all I wanted to do was close the space between us and hug her close.

It was over all too quick, we turned away, but I sneaked a peek at Pansy again. She was saying something to her...son.

I guess I was just a distant memory to her.

--------Ministry of Magic Office------

After dropping off Rose at the station, I went back to my office in the Ministry of Magic. As much as I tried to concentrate on the report in front of me, I just can't seem to understand anything on the page. It was as if being at platform nine and three-quarters triggered something inside me, making me think nothing except the short-haired Slytherin. I had managed to put Pansy to the back of my mind for almost 19 years; I have made a stable life with Ron, I have lovely children, so why can't I stop thinking about her? Is it because of guilt? Guilt because I hadn't been there to save her in our sixth year? I have to be kidding myself if it is only guilt...it is much more than simple guilt.

Am I being unfaithful to Ron for feeling something more toward Pansy?

Possibly, but I haven't thought about her for 19 years, so why now? I can't leave my family for someone who probably forgot who I was, so now I just have to forget her all over again.

I sighed as I slammed my head onto my desk, "Is only things were different..."

Suddenly, all the lights in my office went out. I look up in alarm, but before I could conjure up a spell, a voice started to reverberate against the walls of the office, "Activating system...system activated successfully...topic generated: 'If given a chance to start over, would you be willing to take it'...If deciding to proceed say 'yes'...If deciding not to proceed say 'no'...If desiring more plot background say 'more information'."

Wha----. I am pretty sure there isn't a spell in the entire Wizarding World that could do this. Deciding to play along for now, I said: "more information."

Of course nothing would happen because this spell or whatever doesn't exis---

"Activating 'more information'...Category: discontent with the present...Tools and strategies: parallel universe, time travel...Directions: Player will travel to the time most critical and want to change the most. Live the life the player imagined but didn't have the courage to pursue...Specifics: Player will be duplicated, leaving one in this timeline and the other will travel to the desired time in a parallel universe where the current timeline and events happened won't ever cross with the newly created timeline, thereby creating a new path and making it possible to fill in all the regrets in the current timeline...Note: memory from the current timeline will be carried over to the new timeline, but the player can't go back to the current timeline. The price to change the past is the present. Please say your decision."

This is not a joke.

I don't know how this "system" can do what it claims to do; I don't know why it offered this chance to me; I don't know how I will be "duplicated". But after hearing more information about the system, I find myself gravitating toward saying "yes".

I could finally go back and change the things I had been too scared to change. And if the system is to be believed, another "me" will keep on living in this timeline so I wouldn't have to disrupt other people's lives in this world. This sounds perfect and I would do anything that could stop making me wonder the "what ifs". So without another second of doubt, I heard myself say: "Yes."

Nothing happened.

Haha, of course, nothing is powerful enough to change the past and create an entirely new timeline. I can't believe I actually seriously contemplated the answer. How idiotic of me.

"Searching for scenario...Search successful...Location: platform nine and three-quarters, first day of sixth year at Hogwarts...Enjoy the journey and wishing you could accomplish the things you wished."

Then I felt myself drifting down a tunnel that never seemed to end. Until, "Hermione, Harry. what are you two closing your eyes for? You two are blocking the train's door."

I opened my eyes in a rush, getting all bleary eyed due to the sudden bursts of light. After my eyes adjusted, I found myself standing in the middle of the Hogwarts Express's door, a prefect badge on my robe, and a long haired Ron pointing at the people trying to get on behind me.

"Oh, I didn't realize, I am so sorry," I said as I rushed up the steps and into an empty carriage with a dazed Harry behind me.

"I don't know what has gotten into the two of you, you two were normal then you two just stopped in front of the door and looked like someone just flipped your world upside down." Ron said as he stared at us weirdly.

Well, Ron you are not entirely incorrect there. If I am not mistaken, the prefect badge, the Hogwarts robe, and the platform nine and three-quarters. I had traveled to the sixth year of Hogwarts!

So...why did Ron say Harry and I acted weird...unless.

Harry and I turn to look at each other and said at the same time:

"you too?!"