Through all time

Chapter 8 - Coming back to a new life

Through all time
by LilyGreenEyes

This story was translated from German into English by Nina Berner.

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Now comes the final chapter of this story. I hope you enjoyed the story. I would be very happy about a comment from you or some stars for the chapters. 
My big thanks go to Nina Berner, who was so kind and translated my story so wonderfully!
But now have fun reading the last chapter. Yours, LilyGreenEyes

Chapter 8 

Coming back to a new life

Harry had been staring at Hermione for over a minute now, but had not said a single word yet. Between listening, he had only occasionally nodded. But so far he had not asked even one question. Hermione swallowed and put a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Harry, please say something!"

For a moment Harry swallowed hard, then raised his hand and gently touched Hermione's cheek.

"You have changed so much. Why did you age so much after your return?"

Hermione sighed. "Albus Dumbledore thinks it's because I travelled so far into the past, but he is not really sure. Apparently there was this woman, I think her name was Eloise Mintumble, and she travelled 500 years into the past, and when she returned to the present after five days, her body aged 500 years. She was in St. Mungos Hospital, but the healers couldn't do anything to help her, and she died. So I am lucky McGonagall only sent me back twenty years."

Harry nodded and looked at Hermione tensely. "Why do you think McGonagall did this?"

"I don't know, Harry, but no matter what she had in mind, it worked. All of you are alive, and that horrible battle and the Second Wizarding War never took place."

Harry nodded. "I guess I should thank for that. My life seems to be much better than what it must have been like from what you say."

Hermione smiled bashfully. "You don't have to thank me, Harry, I wouldn't have wanted to lose my best friend. You mean so so much to me..."

"But you don't love me, at least not the way you used to?"

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. Images of Harry and herself flashed across her mind, they genuinely seemed so happy. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Harry intently.

"Harry, I am sorry, I fell in love with Severus in the past, and now that I am back in a totally different world and he is still alive... I love him, and I want to have a life with him. Harry, he waited for me for twenty years..."

"That is pretty insane, if you ask me, waiting for a woman for that long, and not even knowing if she really wants to be with him... I think he deserves to be happy. Severus was always there for Mum and me. And if he had not been so strict on me, I would have never managed to graduate with such good grades. But let's stay friends, okay?"

Hermione slung her arms around Harry and pressed herself against him in relief. When she finally let go of him again, he laughed.

"It is so strange to see you so old. It feels as if more than only your body matured, more like you have grown up overnight."

Harry looked at Hermione thoughtfully, then suddenly some realization hit him. "Merlin's beard, you are now as old as my mum!"

Hermione playfully boxed his arm. "Thanks for that! I really want to meet her by the way, I mean your mum."

"You already know her, we spent last summer with her in France."