Opening her eyes, Hermione became acutely aware that she was not in her bed, or even in Istanbul, Turkey. Instead of her sated husband staring into her eyes in morning greeting, it appeared that several people were looking at her instead. Blinking a few times to focus, she noticed that there were several people in the room. Dumbledore, Snape, Harry and … Ron.

Ron had such a murderous look in his eyes.

But mostly, Hermione was completely perplexed. She had spent nearly a full year in the 1940s and now she was suddenly back with her friends. "W-what's going on? I am so confused," Hermione asked, pressing a hand to her head, feeling a throbbing headache coming on.

Ron was the first to speak. "You horrid, traitorous bitch! How could you betray Harry like that? Betray me?" he demanded, his voice shaking with ire. Hermione quickly looked into Harry's eyes and saw that his eyes, too, seemed hurt. What could possibly be wrong? "Don't pretend like you don't understand, Hermione. We all know what you did. Come on, Harry, lets go," Ron said fiercely, before starting for the door. Harry gave her one last lingering look, before turning to leave with Ron as well. With that, her two best friends were walking out of the room, leaving her alone and off-kilter.

She quickly turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Are you going to explain to me what happened? Either I had the most ridiculous dream ever, or I should have changed the future for the better," she said, wondering how it came to be. It must have been the dream, otherwise she was certain she wouldn't be seeing this collection of Order members or in Grimmauld Place if she'd managed to change things. She hoped that Dumbledore would see that what she had done was for the greater good.

"Hermione, I am actually quite disappointed in you," Headmaster Dumbledore said, his eyes no longer twinkling. He was reminding her more and more of the Dumbledore from the 40s. Taking off his half-moon glasses with a sigh, it seemed as if Dumbledore was at a loss for words.

Looking to Professor Snape wildly, Hermione could feel her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. "Would one of you please just tell me what I did wrong?" Hermione asked desperately, tears welling up in her eyes at the idea of doing something that everyone seemed to deem so unforgivable.

"Miss Granger," Professor Snape spoke from across the room, gaining her attention. He got up and took Ron' s vacated seat on her right hand side. "In order to ensure Mr. Potter's safety, the Headmaster decided to put you and Mister Weasley through a test to see if you would remain loyal to the light, even in the face of adversity," he spoke slowly, his fathomless black eyes staring into her own.

"And just what test was that?" Hermione demanded of her potions professor, but it was the Headmaster who replied.

"We put each of you inside of Tom Riddle's diary. The horcrux was not completely destroyed and it allowed us to put you inside of a memory of Tom Riddle's world, somewhat like a pensieve only much more realistic," he explained, disappointment still heavy in his voice. Dumbledore stood, and walked towards the little window in Hermione's room at Grimmauld Place.

"So, you mean, I never actually went back to 1944?" Hermione asked, the details beginning to click into place in her head. "I didn't change anything?" She could hear the utter despair seeping into her voice.

"No, Miss Granger. You were in a world of our construction. Your interaction with the teenage soul of Tom Riddle was totally under your control and the control of his soul," Professor Snape replied, his bored drawl frightening her.

"And Ron did this as well?" Hermione asked, her voice becoming quiet.

"Yes, Mister Weasley left within a matter of minutes of entering the diary. He was offered a pureblood wife of his choosing, power, the Head Boy title, and the Quidditch captaincy, should he pledge his allegiance to Lord Voldemort. He made up his mind rather quickly." Dumbledore paused for a moment. "He told young Tom Riddle that the only girl he could ever marry was a muggleborn and if he couldn't have her, he didn't want any of the other promises either."

Hermione slunk down in the bed she was laying in, feeling hot tears stinging at her eyes. It was clear to her. Ron had passed the test. She had failed. A lump formed in her throat and she knew that she was barely holding back a sob at hearing the bravado Ron had displayed. If she had done the same, it would have meant certain death.

"You on the other hand, Miss Granger, stayed in the diary for about two weeks. We removed you totally from everything you might consider home and even denied you the help of someone you considered a mentor, myself. We placed you in a position where you had to work very closely with the enemy. After watching your time together, you were clearly seduced by the enemy, and you even loved him," Dumbledore stated, his fury becoming noticeable in his voice.

"But I changed him! Love prevailed over all. He cared for me, and he never made any horcruxes," Hermione desperately pleaded. "I totally changed his life path. He never would have become Voldemort. Love prevailed, just like you always say, Headmaster!" Her voice was shaking, wishing that they could just see that she'd only been trying to do the right thing.

Dumbledore turned quickly on her, his blue eyes full of rage. "Wrong! Miss Granger, love has no place in Voldemort's life. He could never love and no one should have ever loved him. Even though he might have wanted to possess you. He was still completely enamored with the Dark Arts, and you gave him the tools to perfect that art at Durmstrang," his voice boomed, shaking the old window pane, making her jump.

"You're - you're wrong," she said, her voice shaky, but gaining confidence. "I know what I experienced and Tom cared for me. He was changing for the better," she repeated, try to convince them of the truth.

The Headmaster sighed. "That's impossible, Hermione, because he was conceived under the use of amortentia," he said, condescendingly. "Tom is incapable of love. Or, any real positive emotion I would wager. Though he is full of hatred - hatred of your kind, Hermione. I would have thought you would have remembered that."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes again, and tried to swallow the awkward lump in her throat threatening to break out into a sob. How could they consider her a traitor? She was a good person. She was only trying to do what was right, and she was certain that she'd done the best that she could. Why couldn't they see that? She wasn't trying to betray Harry or the Order...she was trying to make a better life for all of them.

"And so, you see, Hermione, now we cannot trust you around Harry. You have been seduced by the dark side once before, and why should you not prey fall to it again in the future?" Dumbledore questioned, sneering at her failure.

Hermione was dumbfounded. Suddenly, she was filled with anger. How would they know what her soul was doing, if not by spying on her? Had they seen her most intimate moments? And if they realized what she was doing, why hadn't they removed her from the diary much sooner? "And just how do you know how I was seduced by Tom?" she demanded. "Who all watched my actions in the diary?"

"All the senior order members. Myself, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Lupin and Kingsley," Dumbledore listed callously.

"And my … wedding night. You all watched that as well?" Hermione choked on the words, feeling so betrayed. Worse, she felt utterly violated that they should watch her in such a vulnerable moment, knowing what was going to happen. If anyone had done something unforgivable, it was them, breaking her trust.

"Yes." Dumbledore stated slowly, letting the thought sink into her head. "And now, while Harry and Ron go look for horcruxes, you will have to remain here in this room, until Lord Voldemort is vanquished. We can't have you aiding him in anyway. Kreacher will bring you your meals. You may also spend time in the library, so long as you are doing research for the Order. Now, come along Severus. We should leave Miss Granger to think about what she has done," he said as though she were a naughty child.

Left alone, Hermione pressed her face into the pillow, letting her sobs come now that she was alone. She couldn't believe that they were doing this to her, when she was only trying to make things better. She never would willingly help Voldemort and she couldn't believe that they weren't willing to see that.

Hermione sat in the library again, trying to read the book Dumbledore had left her. She was only allowed to touch the books that he left on the table, everything else was warded lest she try to look for something that would help the enemy. It had been like this for two months now and Hermione was beginning to feel utterly hopeless.

Her only companions were Professor Snape and Kreacher. No one else from the Order wanted to talk to her, and she hadn't even been given the opportunity to say goodbye to Harry before he left. No one would even give her any word on how he was doing, or if he and Ron might need her help, which, of course they did. They had relied on her for the last six years.

They were helpless without her...she had to do all the thinking. Dumbledore had recently told her that she wouldn't be allowed to return for her seventh year to take her NEWTs. She was essentially a prisoner her at a place that she used to love.

Worst of all, all of this solitude was driving her insane. And all of the books that Dumbledore gave her to read were so boring. She didn't see how it was helping anyone by her reading silly Charms books. She wasn't even helping in the fight against the Death Eaters anymore. This was because Dumbledore was certain not to include any books that might have some mention of dark magic in them, despite her insistence that she didn't have any interest in the Dark Arts.

She heard the door creak open to the library, Hermione's head snapped up, turning to see who was coming to see her. Professor Snape walked in first, followed by Kreacher, who was carrying a tray. "I have decided to come eat lunch with you today. Molly's talk downstairs is simply unbearable," he said simply.

Hermione snorted. "I am sure. Has she gotten over the fact that the order is still housing the harpie that destroyed her son's life by fucking the Dark Lord?" she questioned, enjoying the way that he flinched when she used such harsh language. Hermione hadn't even received the courtesy of Molly's tongue lashing in person. Instead the older witch had sent her a howler, saying she was unwilling to even look at a traitor.

"No, I am afraid not," Snape replied simply.

Hermione helped herself to the grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup that he had brought with him. It was one of her favorites. Snape was truly her only friend now, although she was certain he would prune up if she called him a friend out loud. He was used to having people be mistrustful of him, and he sympathized with Hermione's plight.

"Any decision on my schooling?" she asked, not daring to get her hopes up. Apparently there was a vote the night prior if Hermione should be allowed to continue.

Snape sighed, and instantly, Hermione knew it was not good. "No, they have decided that it is too dangerous for you to be allowed out of the Order's sight. That and the curriculum is too dangerous for you to participate in. You might learn some dark spells."

Hermione let out a frustrated cry. "How can they do this to me? Don't they realize I was only doing what I thought was best? That I thought I was changing the future for the better?" Hermione felt tears in her eyes, but refused to cry in front of Snape. "This is kidnapping! They can't hold me here forever, for some imagined crime that I haven't even committed."

"Hermione," He said, holding her hand, his eyes drinking in the dark circles that were perpetually under her eyes. "This isn't right, what they are doing to you."

Hermione gave a quiet laugh in agreement. "You always were my favorite professor. I only ever wanted you to be pleased with my work and you never gave it. You have no idea how much it means to me that you are supporting me now. I have to tell you something now though, that might make you hate me," Hermione said in a rush. Snape felt his breath leave him quickly. "I'm late," Hermione whispered, with a humorless grin on her face.

Snape cleared his throat. "Ah, I am afraid I don't understand, Hermione."

"I mean, I haven't had my period, since I have returned from the diary. At first I thought it might be stress, but now, I don't know. I mean, it's impossible for me to pregnant, right?" she asked, sounding disbelieving of the possibility. Hermione was truly curious. She hoped it was just stress, but she somehow had a feeling. She just felt like she was pregnant.

Snape apparated away before she had the chance to calm him down. With a groan, she wondered if her only friend would leave her too. Now her only companion would be an old house elf who still addressed her as mudblood.

Hermione was lying awake in bed when she heard the light wrap on her door. Quietly, she got up from the bed and tiptoed across the floor. Opening the door, she saw the dark eyes of Professor Snape.

"May I come in for a moment?" he asked.

Hermione stepped aside to let the tall man inside of her room, her prison cell. He quickly cast a muffalito on the room and a locking charm on the door. He then motioned for him to join in the pair of chairs by the window.

"I am sorry that I left you so abruptly this afternoon, but there was something I needed to look into. I must tell you something now, that I thought would be too hard for you to hear. I chose to keep it from you, if only to prevent you from further heartbreak. I haven't told anyone in the Order. But given that circumstances are what they are...you need to hear it now," he explained his voice serious and hard. He had more wrinkles on his face than a man his age should, his brow perpetually creased in concern.

Hermione just nodded, wanting him to just get it over with. Perhaps this would liven up her dull life a little bit. "It was true that Dumbledore did connect your soul with the soul in the diary, but what he did not know is that that fragment of soul is still in communication with the Dark Lord," Snape said solemnly.

Hermione gasped audibly. Well, that was certainly not what she had expected, but it also brought her humiliation to new levels when she realized that the Dark Lord would know everything that had transpired between "them". "So he saw everything that happened? Everything that Tom Riddle and I experienced?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

Snape nodded. "Yes, and I have spoken to him today. He is willing to house you, and make sure that no harm will come to you, if you in turn, help him with research. Most importantly, he will allow you to continue your seventh year studies. Not at Hogwarts of course, you would be home-schooled. I could teach you potions," Snape offered.

"And he knows about the possibility that...that I might be pregnant?" she asked, clearly on edge, her arms wrapped around her middle in protection. "It seems so unlikely, but yet...stranger things have happened."

Again, Professor Snape nodded. "Yes, I did explain it to him. He was curious, but did not let his feelings be known either way," he explained, knowing that Hermione would not want to just protect herself. "If you are...pregnant, you must think of what the Order would do should they find out the truth." It was a harsh reality, but Professor Snape did not want her to have any illusions that they would be happy about that turn of events.

There was a dull silence in the room. It was a lot for the young girl to take in. Snape continued. "I spoke to the Headmaster today when I returned. I told him I needed to collect potions ingredients and that I required your help. He agreed to let me bring you with. If you should choose to stay under the protection of the order, you will come with and help me gather some ingredients. Should you choose to break free of this prison they are keeping you in...I will take you to the Dark Lord. What do you say, Hermione? Will you come with?"

Hermione looked up at her professor with such intensity in her eyes that it startled him. The moonlight gave her face an eerie quality. "I'll go."

THE END.

A/N: There is a sequel! It's called Kings Among Runaways and it is complete. I hope that you will check it out.