To a Better End

Chapter 50

September 19th 1977

In full honesty, Hermione was sick of this day. She didn't want to celebrate. No one here even knew her actual birthday except for Draco. Hermione didn't even want to do the maths to figure out how old she was. For all intents and purposes, she was twenty.

It was all very confusing and had her realising that she was in over her head.

Hermione was sure she took it all into account before they started this journey. But now... The loops and events that were happening. Were they even changing anything? Was her presence here making things worse? Or was she always supposed to be here?

She couldn't help but let her mind wander to her first mission with Draco. When they spotted Antonin in the graveyard. She didn't even think to look at the gravestone. It held no importance to her at that moment. But the way he looked at her with desperately sad eyes and said the name that she didn't care to catalogue.

"Mina?"

It was easy to write it off and claim he was losing his mind. It was easy to ignore it. Even though Hermione always knew she would snatch up the opportunity to time travel again, she never anticipated this.

"Did you hear me, love?"

Draco pulled her from her thoughts. She was lost in them again, an occurrence that happened more often than she wanted to admit. She had been losing sleep again. She would stare at Draco, listen to the wind, and think. She would think too much to be honest.

She straightened herself up on the couch and looked up at his worrisome eyes. "Sorry, Draco. What did you say?" Her voice was airy, quite similar to Luna's.

He took a moment to survey her before repeating himself. "I asked if you have heard anything from Aunt Bella regarding a mark ceremony. I'd like to know if we can catch it before it happens. There's obviously a lot of variables involved here, but if we can stop Regulus from committing to Tom, then we might be able to help both Black brothers." Draco was stirring pancake mix in the kitchen while eyeing her suspiciously.

"Oh. No, there haven't been any mentions. But Draco..." Hermione stopped. Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe she shouldn't bring up the horrid thoughts that plagued her.

"Hermione, are you okay?" His voice was thick with concern.

Humming in response, Hermione said, "I've just been sleeping poorly."

With a teasing laugh, he asked, "Do my arms not provide sufficient comfort anymore?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and strolled over to Draco, placing a kiss on his cheek and trying to take the bowl of batter away from him.

He laughed as he swerved away. "You, birthday girl, do not get to cook for yourself," he chastised, waving the whisk at her.

"Then stop over-mixing the batter, Draco."

And that was enough interaction to distract Draco from what Hermione was sure was the truth. They couldn't change anything. They would have to let it all unfold. Without Reggie taking the mark, he wouldn't have been trusted enough to loan his house elf to Tom. But then again, without Reggie taking the mark, Dumbledore's death would have resulted in the immediate retrieval of the Horcrux.

It was too much.

Draco and Hermione sat together with pancakes drenched in syrup before they each had to go to work. While Hermione's job was not very demanding, Draco was about to set off on a full day of brewing potions. Experimental potions.

Why did all of the wizards Hermione was interested in have an affinity for danger?

They left their home together in a swirl of apparation and then walked their separate ways. Hermione was not surprised when she saw several crates of new shipments in front of the door. But that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to sigh loudly at the sight. While her work was not strenuous, this was going to take hours.